Chapter 10: Chapter 10 Trials of Patience
Olivia groan and sat up, finding herself in the medical bay of the ship Dustin had built. She had been forced back into her normal human form, and wondered how long she had been out. The last thing she could remember, as she sat up and sat on the edge of the bed, was rushing to get out of the ship after the self-destruct had been initiated. At least Dustin had managed to fetch her and get them back to the ship.
Looking around with a grimace as her head thudded in pain, she wondered where Dustin was.
"Computer, please let Dustin know I'm awake."
"I can't do that, Olivia."
Olivia groaned in annoyance. What was he mad about now? Was he ever going to get over this childish crap?
"Where is he, so I can talk to him, then?" she growled, slowly climbing to her feet.
"I'm not sure."
Her head snapped up, as she realized what the computer had said.
"What?"
"I do not know Dustin's current location."
"Why not?" she snapped, lunging for the door, confused as to why she was still struggling. Normally evolutions cured whatever was wrong with her. Why was she so unsteady on her feet?
"After he ordered me to get you to safe space, he was taken captive by an unknown alien vessel."
"Shit!" she hissed, slamming her hand against the button that opened the door.
"You are not fully recovered from the poisoning your system was exposed to during the ship detonation. It is recommended you return to your bed in the medical bay."
She went to curse the computer out, when the world seemed to tip and everything went black.
Opening her eyes, she found herself back in the bed in the medical bay. Sighing, she closed them again.
"Computer, what's wrong with me?"
"You are suffering from genetic abnormalities resulting from some kind of poisoning you were exposed to from the ship detonation. Attempts to purge the abnormalities with evolutions have resulted in stabilizing 76 percent of your body, but until the poison is completely purged, further evolutions may cause more damage than help."
She mulled that over in silence.
"What about Dustin? Have you tried to find him?"
"All nanobots that have been sent, or were left, in an attempt to track him, have failed. The unknown aliens have technology sufficient to completely neutralize the nanobots. My conclusion is to wait for Dustin to find us."
She threw her arm over her eyes, and counted to ten. This was such a mess. Had he been affected by this poison too? Taking a breath, she forced herself to calm down. Of everyone she knew, Dustin was the most capable person, and the most determined to live. She was just going to have to wait for him to get his butt out of whatever frying pan he had ended up in again, and get back.
XxxxX
The flames were licking along the edges of the water, burning everything that could burn. The heat was almost visible as it rolled out across the water.
Moving parallel to the shore, he was able to get far enough away from the fire, to climb on shore. Looking around carefully, Dustin made sure there weren't any creatures about to attack him, grab him, or anything. His skin was crawling with the feeling that he was being watched, and he knew he needed to get away from the crash site. If those aliens, the Xalkak, decided to come after him again, it wouldn't be hard for them to find him.
Standing, he stumbled, and ended up leaning heavily against a tree. Shaking his head, he wondered what was going on, but knew that he couldn't stop to find out, especially with his PED out of order for the moment.
Taking several steps, he found that if he focused hard on the next tree, he could move from tree to tree.
Dustin wasn't sure how far he had traveled, when he finally slid to his knees. His head was aching and he was having a hard time catching a breath. He couldn't remember ever feeling like this before. If his nanobots were working, they probably could have fixed the problem already. His crystal lizard should have been able to handle most everything.
A figure in the dark in front of him, hunched down to look at him. It looked a lot like a man made of plants, but it had glowing purple eyes. Panic flared briefly in him, but then his eyes began to close and everything went dark.
He blinked in the morning light, confused as to where he was. Stone walls rose around him, and a figure, that looked like a young woman with those same glowing purple eyes, approached him slowly. She wasn't wearing any clothes as she sidled closer, carrying a wooden bowl of something, and his eyes wandered over her appreciatively. Her muscles bunched as she shifted with the low ceiling.
Other than the super long ears, Dustin could have banged her in a heartbeat. And what were ears? He could overlook them. Her curly hair begged for his fingers to run through it, to see how silky it really was, but when he went to raise his hand, she shoved the bowl into it, and quickly moved away.
Moving slowly, he sat up with difficulty. The bowl held nothing more than water. Looking at it for a moment, he finally drank it, appreciating how good it tasted. How long must he have been out, for water to taste good? He had almost drowned when he first arrived!
Setting the bowl down, he watched her as she stayed just out of his reach. If he didn't know any better, he would almost think she could read his mind.
With a firm nod, she disappeared into the dark of the cave. Scrunching his brow, Dustin wondered if that was a yes, she could read his mind, or a good job for drinking the water?
Glancing up at the ceiling again, he saw that there was a light covering of lichen that glowed softly.
At least the Xalkak couldn't find him here, and Olivia was safe. Now all he needed was a good steak and potatoes.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
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Sdrawkcab Not sure how well the potatoes will do, since his lizard form is a carnivore, but eh, his mind is scrambled right now.
Chapter 11: Chapter 11 Cybele
Olivia sat up on the edge of her bed and breathed deeply. She was mostly recovered from the poison that had flooded her system after the explosion. The computer had managed to determine that the poison was targeted to her Uz'En cells, specifically, regardless of what form she took. It was way to complicated for her to understand, so the computer had given up trying to explain to her. It had taken days to purge the poison out of her system, and she was ready to get back to work.
Dustin needed to be found and she was sure she wasn't capable of finding him. He was on his own, and she hated it.
Making her way to the bridge of the ship, she contemplated what her next move was. She could stay here, hoping that he would show back up soon, but if he got the same dose of poison she did, then that was unlikely.
She could return home, and hope for him to show back up there, but again, she thought that unlikely. Besides, there were still all of these Uz'En out here, waiting for someone to come rescue them.
As much as the thought to continue without him chafed at her, she knew that it would be what he wanted, so as she stepped through the door, she had made up her mind.
"Computer, show me the map of the rest of the Uz'En that need to be saved."
XxxxX
Dustin groaned and rolled over. Feeling a light touch on his foot, he jerked it back and found himself crouched in the far end of the small cave he had been sleeping in for the past couple of days.
The girl that had been bringing him the strange water, with glowing purple eyes, was perched at the edge of the cave, holding a bowl of something that was more than just water this time.
Forcing his bunched muscles to relax, he moved closer to her, and sitting, took the offered bowl. She watched him carefully, and he couldn't help but wonder who she was, and what race. Could she be an Uz'En? That would be convenient, but he was pretty sure she wasn't on his list. His PED wasn't working yet, and he was starting to wonder if it had been damaged. It would be a pain in the butt to try and fix without a computer around, so he put it out of his mind for the time being.
"Do you have a name?" he asked, softly. His voice echoed in the darkness, and her eyes widened in shock and fear.
Darting away, he cursed himself. She hadn't made a sound the whole time he had been around her. It should have made sense that she didn't make noise. Her large ears were obviously designed to catch every little sound.
As he stared down into the bowl in the softly glowing light from the lichen above his head, he decided he had stayed here long enough. It was time to leave.
Setting the bowl down, he went to leave his small cave, but a large figure appeared. It was similar to a tree person, more person than plant, like the stick people had been. Dustin paused his movement, to watch the figure as it reached out and touched his forehead, kind of like Granny had when he first met her.
Noises suddenly popped into his head, and he finally understood. These people were telepathic.
The girl peered out from behind the figure.
"Can he hear me now?" she asked.
"Yes, I have augmented his mind to hear our speech. He is suitable for you, if you would have him."
"He would make a wonderful mate, but I am not certain I am willing to make such a decision just yet."
"That is understandable, but you must make a decision before the outsiders scouring the surface for him, decide to start looking down here. There is only so much we can do if they decide to invade. No blood will be spilt for him, if he is not kin."
"I understand. Thank you, father."
Dustin looked back and forth between the two of them, completely confused. Were they trying to hook him up with her?
"Yes, in a way," said the figure, turning towards him. "Our kind have been inbred to a dangerous level, and seek new blood to prevent possible problems in our children. Though you seek to leave our planet, for a quest of your own making, I would still have my daughter choose you. You have already influenced her form to such an extent no others of our clan would have her as a mate."
Dustin looked at the girl, confused. She looked more human than lizardman, as his current form was.
"I looked into your mind, while you slept, to see what you liked the most," she admitted, looking down in embarrassment.
"While I'm honored," he began, but getting cut off by the father.
"We understand the complications you have with the one you call Olivia, but it was determined that your love was misplaced and thus an opportunity for my daughter is possible."
"Okay, how do I keep you guys out of my head? This whole eavesdropping is fucking with me," Dustin growled. Getting laid was one thing, them knowing all of his secret thoughts enraged him.
"My daughter," said the father, looking at her. "If you wish to pursue him, you might have to change to his way of speech. I do not think he would be open to our methods. He is too old to accept it as we do."
She looked at Dustin, with those glowing purple eyes and seemed to consider him. "I don't think I can do it to myself, father. Can you help me?"
Her father reached up and hesitated only a moment, before touching her forehead. She closed her eyes, then turned to Dustin and opened her mouth to say, very carefully, "My name is Cybele."
CREATORS' THOUGHTS
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Wonder what Olivia will think when she finds out there's another girl in the picture...
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