Chapter 23

For those that want to know Solar time unit = year planetary time unit = day

Thantas’ mouth was still hanging open. Sam had healed all of them, then without really thinking about it, had gone after the Tetricons. Shaking her head, she tried to retrieve her memories. So many were there, though she couldn’t reach them.

Almost nothing of her time on her home planet, her family, friends—hardly anything was there. Her capture, her orders, the last fight all seemed fresh, standing out. Her rescue by Sam, the help she’d given him, were the only recent memories she had.

Thantas buried her face in her hands, trying her best to bring them to the surface, to no avail. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, she reached inside, feeling her healing power. It was there, though weak, very weak compared to Sam’s.

“I can’t believe that I can remember about you, though nothing else from home. There is hardly anything I can recall at all. I can feel them there, I just can’t seem to reach them,” Thantas told Tynco.

Tynco patted Thantas on the shoulder. “I am not experienced in that field, my dear. My mate Cyan and the other female Triann are both doctors. I am afraid that they are more bio-engineers than anything else.”

Thantas was nodding, almost understanding, though it was causing her head to start aching. Worse yet, after a few moments, it also started to throb slightly, steadily increasing.

“I think I need to lie down,” Thantas stated as she stood, then started to float back to the bed she’d been in. She barely made it when her eyes rolled back into her head, and she fell.

Tynco started to yell as he caught Thantas. A moment later, both Mellos and Raydy were there to help Tynco get an unconscious Thantas back in bed.

“I am afraid we need Sam to heal her more; she was dangerously depleted when he brought her here.” Here, Tynco looked at Mellos and Raydy. “Can either of you contact him? Her own healing isn’t active enough; it’s barely keeping her alive. If you can, tell him we need him here as soon as possible.”

Mellos and Raydy looked at each other with great concern. “Sir, I haven’t gotten that far as of yet. I know that you have had over a solar time period; I’m sure you can,” Raydy said to Mellos.

Mellos’s face screwed up in anger, then was just as suddenly calm. “I have had the few abilities that I have for a shorter time than you think, Raydy. I am not sure if I can, though I will try.”

Mellos closed her eyes as she tried to ‘see’ where Sam was. She’d managed to do this once, though not at a great distance.

[Sam? Can you hear me? Come on, Sam, I didn’t think I was that weak. Damn it, Sam! Answer me! If you don’t come back soon, Thantas might expire, SAM!] Mellos’s thought seemed to scream in desperation.

A few systems away, Sam was heading back to Queen Triada’s world when Mellos’s thoughts hit him like a wall. [Damn it, Mellos! What the hell is wrong? He tried to tune into her thoughts, only getting [--- back --- Thantas --- expire!]

When he got nothing else, a worried expression crossed his face, then a wormhole opened. A mere two minutes later, another opened near Queen Triada’s world, Sam streaking out of it.

Sam landed with a large thud; he then hurried to Thantas. Laying a hand on her head, the other on her chest, he concentrated, feeling her breathing ease up. Good, he thought. Reaching further, he felt that she was more depleted than he thought she had been. Growling, he put more into the healing, feeling her start to grow stronger. Shaking his head, he felt she wasn’t strong enough yet.

The sound of several pairs of feet almost distracted him. Then he felt two males try to pull him away; they were thrown several feet away from him.

“He’s going to deplete himself again if he doesn’t stop,” Tynco stated, getting off the ground.

“What can we do? There’s no way we can get through that healing shield!” Fino said, as he was also getting off the ground.

“Can I try?” A tall blonde female asked as she slowly limped to stand beside Tynco.

Tynco was about to speak, then his mouth snapped shut as he nodded. “Sam? Sam, can you hear me? Sam, talk to me.”

Without turning, answering in an almost whisper, Sam said, “I’m busy; you’ll have to wait your turn.”

The blonde female sighed as she closed her eyes. [Sam, are you trying to die? You know by now that you haven’t that much energy yet. We need you, Thantas needs you. If you continue this, then all hope is lost.]

Sam was shocked for a moment, the energy he was infusing into Thantas almost stopping. “She’s a lot smarter than the both of us thought; I suggest you listen to her. I think I have enough for right now, a lot more than the last time,” Thantas whispered up to him.

“Thantas?!” Sam said as he pulled his hands back from her head and chest.

Stumbling back, he was caught by three males. A startled look came to his face as he recognized two of them, though not the third.

“W ... wh ... who the hell are you?” Sam said to the much older male with gray and black hair.

“Ah! I am sorry I haven’t had a chance to introduce myself. Rycon, first class engineer. I worked with your mother on the project,” Rycon said. “Also, I am Raydy’s father.”

“Uh huh,” Sam said as he stumbled again. At least it wasn’t as bad as before.

“Really, Sam,” a now familiar voice behind Sam stated. “One would think that you were trying to end your life.” Sam turned to see Thantas sitting up on the bed, looking a hell of a lot stronger. “I have to admit your osmosis healing is indeed stronger than I have ever felt. My own is nowhere near what yours is.”

“You,” Sam swallowed hard as the world started to slowly spin. “You have to use it, then it gets stronger. I am sorry I didn’t do more. Had I just done a minute more, you might not have been in peril,” Sam said to Thantas.

This time, Sam’s legs gave way, sinking to the floor. Breathing a little hard from the effort of staying up as long as he had.

“I think he needs this more than I do,” Thantas said as she rose, with Sam placed on the bed.

“Try it, Thantas. Try it. It won’t at first, but soon after a few tries, it will get stronger,” Sam said, then his eyes closed.

Thantas shook her head. “He is far more stubborn than leader Concof was. He is strong, the strongest I have ever seen, even among the planetary guard.” Turning to Fino and Triann, she bowed. “I know that you are very proud of him.”

Triann and Fino nodded, then Triann was running a small box across Thantas’ head. “It appears that this latest healing has rejuvenated well over half your memory.”

Thantas was nodding, watching what Triann was doing. As soon as Triann finished, Thantas grabbed Triann’s hand, looking over the black box. “This confirms it,” Thantas said, releasing Triann’s hand. “An advanced Cliveastone bio-metric medical scanner. I’ve only seen one of these before.”

A shocked look came to Triann’s face as she slightly nodded. “Not many outside the medical and science fields know that. How is it that you do?”

“I ... I’m not sure. It’s there at the edge of my memories, the ones Sam just released. I can feel that I am missing a great many things; I just can’t seem to find them long enough to grasp them. I lost a lot of myself; Sam gave me a great deal back, though I am still missing a great deal,” a slightly shaken Thantas said.

Again, Triann started to run the black box across Thantas’ head. Triann nodded as she looked toward Fino slightly.

Fino’s eyes were wide for a moment, then he also nodded.

“I suggest that you not push the memories, Thantas. You have slightly more than fifty percent restored; pushing them might cause irreparable damage,” Triann advised.

Thantas whirled to stare hard at Triann. Something in what the female said had triggered ... something. Again, it was an irritating tickle at the edge of the memories she had just gained.

Thantas turned back to look at Sam, thinking about what he’d said. [“Try it, Thantas. Try it. It won’t at first, but soon after a few tries, it will get stronger.”] Shrugging, she decided what the hell? Walking over to the newest resurrected male, she tapped him on the shoulder.

“It was suggested by Sam that I try to use my osmosis power.” She was about to ask permission when a glaring malady appeared on the male’s chest. Shaking her head, it didn’t go away. “I am sorry to impose; it seems that there is something wrong with you in this area.” Thantas indicated an area of the male’s chest.

The male’s eyes grew wide, then he nodded. “So the rumors were true; you are an osmosis healer.” Extending his hand, the older male shook Thantas’s. “First class engineer Rycon at your service.”

“You are Raydy’s father; it is indeed an honor to meet you. So, as I asked, what is this malady that I am seeing in this area?” Thantas asked again, indicating the area of his chest where she was seeing it.

“That, I am afraid, was the result of an industrial accident a few solar time units before the end. The medical staff managed to arrest it, though they had no way of repairing or regenerating the damaged tissue,” a sad Rycon said. “I just hope that I get a little more time with my mate before it takes me.”

Thantas nodded, then said, “As I mentioned before, Sam said that I was an osmosis healer also. He said I needed to use it so I could grow stronger. I thought that I might begin with you, if I may, sir?”

A small, sad smile crossed Rycon’s features as he nodded. “I don’t think you can do more damage than has already been done.”

A slightly shocked Thantas placed a hand on the male’s chest. At first, nothing happened no matter how hard Thantas tried. Sighing, her whole body seemed to relax as she shook her head. She was about to remove her hand when she felt the oddest sensation. It almost felt as if something was flowing from her hand into the male’s chest! What the hell? Then she looked at the male; the large area that covered the entire right side of his chest was slowly shrinking.