Capítulo 25: Farewell, hometown
[Bioenergy is being released by the hybrid organism. Initiate physical contact to absorb the energy.]
'What the... Ok...'
Liushi wasn't sure about what was going on, but more energy for the Starseed was always good. He and Lu dispatched the remaining beasts and he went to the hybrid's corpse. A quick scan to locate the core and he retrieved his blade from Lu.
"While I collect the core... You should go and check on the girls."
Lu nodded, her face grim, and turned around.
"Lu" she stopped. "Even with our masks, we can't stay any longer or we will suffocate. And I'm injured. We will have to leave them if they can't move."
Her head whipped around to glare at him, her fist tightly clutched. But looking at his sorry state, the sudden fury she felt was drained away. Besides, it wasn't the first time she had to leave someone behind. She nodded and left.
Liushi concentrated on removing the core. Thankfully, it was in the insect part of the body, and not the human part. While butchering the corpse, he questioned the Starseed.
While the Starseed could tell the living being would evolve, it didn't know exactly what kind of change it would be until they encountered the hybrid. He learned that the evolved humans like the hybrid had been, generated a powerful form of bioenergy that could have various applications depending on the individual. It also strenghtened the individualon a basic level to some extend.
A variant of that bioenergy was present in the core of mutant beasts. Because evolved humans didn't have core, the energy was released upon death. It was also noticed that when a mutant beast core and an evolved are close together, the mutant core's energy readings would mask those of the evolved. That was why they didn't know they were dealing with an evolved.
As Liushi pondered if he could ever aquire the ability to generate that kind of energy, the Starseed informed him that with advanced medical facilities, he could make a genetic serum to enhance himself.
Learning this, Liushi decided he would gather as many samples of mutant beasts and evolved people as possible, starting with the hybrid in front of him. As distastful as i was, he cut some small pieces of the hybrid and warped them in a ripped bee wing. He had no doubt he would need them to make a proper serum in the future.
It was just in time for Lu to return. He gave her a questioning look and she shook her head, silently crying. They gathered the rest of their equipment and slowly departed the room. They didn't leave with the tunnel they came from, but another, which according to their mental image of the building, was near the area of the hive that was still under construction. After several ups, twists and turns in the smoke filled hive, they reached the place under construction.
The duo would have felt better if not for the sight. Many corpses had been gathered there to become construction materials. Among them were several naked women, extremely emanciated, with the skin of their belly stretched. Their bodies had obviously been drained to grow new beasts.
While Liushi ignored most of the corpses, Lu was looking at each of them carefully. She had even slowed down. She stopped in front of the corpse of a man and fell to her knees, sobbing. Liushi gave her some peace.
"You avenged him" he said after a few minutes. "You avenged all of them" he added, refering mostly to the women. "This place will become a funeral pyre for all of them. We need to go."
It took her a few moments, but she gathered herself, and they left. They reached the opening in the wall. The air was very hot and dry. Liushi used the Starseed to connect with the Doomsday Ride to use the mechanical arm. It extended up to the third floor, and they were on the fourth. Liushi had to alter the fire axe into some kind of ice axe, and use it with the altered machete to get down. He had more trouble than Lu due to his injured limbs, but they made it.
Once on the ground, Liushi went first to the trailer to store his samples before returning to the living module. Xiaotian was fussing over Lu, having taken of the excess of clothing and already starting to clean her wounds. But when she saw the state Liushi was in, she froze, and Liushi was surprised that she was still capable of losing color on her face. She looked at Lu, then rushed to him, having decided that he needed more attention than her sister.
As the sisters took care of him, Xiaotian beratted them for getting hurt that much and making her worry. Liushi usually slept in the driver cockpit, but Xiaotian forced him to use her bed until he recovered. Lu would keep her bed above him. It was a good thing he had prepared body wipes, it would be troublesome for him to use the shower in his state. After taking care of them, she drove the truck away from the area.
After settling down and eating dinner, Liushi soon fell asleep. Lu used the occasion to tell her sister about the death of their father. They spent the rest of the evening crying and comforting each other before going to sleep, physically and emotionally drained. Noone of them got a good night.
"Urgh."
"Groann."
"Snnfl."
Xiaotian, who was near silently crying in the driving cockpit, froze as she heard the muffled groan at the back of the vehicle. She carefully moved to check on them, and got worried when she heard them breathing roughly. She turned the lights on, and saw her sister and new friend sweating while seemingly in pain. Lu reacted to the sudden light.
"Sister Tian?"
"Lu, what's wrong?" she 'loudly' whispered.
"I have a headache... And my body is aching."
"You have a fever" Xiaotian said after putting her hand on her sister forehead. "Brother Liushi?"
There was no response. She tried again louder, but he still didn't react. When she touched his forehead, she recoilled.
"My god! He's burning! He's got it bad. Wait here."
Xiaotian rushed to the medical station to take some medecine, then to the kitchen for glasses of water. She gave Lu her share and turned to Liushi. She first checked his wounds, but they didn't seem to have gotten any worse. She left again and came back with cold damp towel, one she gave to her sister and the other, she used to wipe Liushi's body. Lu was tiredly observing her, worried.
"Do you think he's going to be alright?"
"I don't know. It's obvious that you both caugh something down there... I... I just hope that you won't turn..."
"... I don't hink we will. The women that were captured there didn't turn. I don't think we will. It must have been some kind of poison on the mutant bees legs, or filth. I only got scratchs while he was pierced and slashed. He got more toxins in his body than me, that's why he's in a worse state."
"I see... Why were there captured women? Where are they?"
Lu winced, and told her the details she omitted in her first account. Xiaotian was predictably horrifed. She thanked whatever deities or angels that might watch over them for meeting someone like Liushi. She took greater care in nursing him back to health.
After an hour, Lu got well enough to go back to sleep. Xiaotian had to keep looking after Liushi to keep his fever down. She occasionally checked on Lu. Once Liushi started to settle down, she looked at the manual for the use of the medical monitoring equipment. After turning it on and placing the sensors on them, she went back to sleep.
She woke up around mid-morning. To her relief, there hadn't been any emergencies, and both were recovering. Lu more than Liushi. She took a shower, and when she got out, Lu was awake.
"Morning" her sister started. "How is brother Liushi?"
"Good morning. He is fine for now. I know your fever is gone, but still, how are you?"
"I got a slight headache, and I feel a bit weak. Aside from that, I'm fine."
"That's good. That's really good" she said as tension lifted from her. "I'm glad it wasn't something worse. You two got me really worried."
"What are we going to do now? Brother Liushi is still out."
"We leave. He had planned to leave today for Nanjing. I say we get going." Then her mood dropped "Besides, I don't want to stay here any longer."
After a few seconds of heavy silence, Lu resumed the conversation.
"Can we still stop at home? I want to take a few personal items. And a few souvenirs, photos..."
"Of course! We will go as soon as we are done with breakfast. Go get changed while I cook."
"Thanks."
An hour later, they left their home and drove out of the town.
REFLEXIONES DE LOS CREADORES 
Tonyorobsky
Tonyorobsky Finally!!!!!!!!
... When the writter is more impatient than some of the readers...
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