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CHAPTER SIX A Martian warrior, walking deliberately, approached Commander Sshaarp and stood at attention. ‘What is it?’ ‘It’s the Pel King, Commander. Somehow he’s managed to escape.’ ‘How?’ Sshaarp asked in a deceptively calm manner. The Martian paused. ‘We’re not sure, Commander, the guard was distracted for a few moments and when he returned to the cells the Pel King had vanished. We believe there’s someone - an alien - who’s helping him hide.’ ‘Then why haven’t they been found already?’ Sshaarp hissed quickly at him, his fury growing by the second. ‘It has to be the Galactic Federation. Go! Find this alien and the Pel King immediately.’ Sshaarp reached for the small communications device attached to his belt and activated it. He waited for several moments until he saw the image of Marshall Wellarzlee appear before him. ‘Marshall, King Garet has escaped,’ he stated, his voice still seething with anger. ‘An alien has arranged his escape, which means the Galactic Federation may already know of our plans.’ Wellarzlee did not waste time asking for explanations. If the Galactic Federation knew what was about to happen, they had to act now, before it was too late. ‘Find the Pel King and make an example of him. The Martian Empire will be feared, Commander!’ Sshaarp saluted the image of his Lord. ‘Yes, sir. Immediately.’ Nick’s eyes fluttered open, closed and immediately opened again. I’m still alive? I can’t be! Groaning, Nick was amazed that he was still breathing after taking a direct hit by that sonic weapon. He was lying on a table, but where? Tentatively, he looked all around him in the semidarkness and shivered involuntarily. No wonder he felt so cold. Nearby there was the steady hum of machinery set against dark, stone walls. He sat up gingerly, just to see what kind of shape he was in, when he stopped suddenly. Someone had entered the room. ‘So, you’re awake.’ ‘Yeah, seems so,’ Nick said slowly, although the way his head pounded he would have preferred unconsciousness. He stared at the Martian, and suddenly a knot formed in the pit of his stomach. He could feel the hostility of the Martian pouring out towards him. ‘You don’t recognise me, Nick?’ The Martian hissed deliberately. ‘Should I?’ How can I, when that armour disguises the lot of you? ‘I operated on you some time ago,’ the Martian said obliquely. ‘Don’t you remember what happened to you?’ Of course! It was the same Martian surgeon who given him his implants. ‘Sure, I was blasted by …’ He stopped abruptly as the violent memories of the battle flooded into his mind. ‘Alf! Vlaash! Where are they? What happened to them?’ ‘Not so fast, Nick,’ Xylat breathed, his eyes narrowing at Nick as if he was a new specimen waiting to be examined. ‘You will answer a few questions first.’ ‘Like what?’ Nick asked warily, trying to control the fear that was developing inside him. It suddenly dawned on him that he was a prisoner now, and Xylat wasn’t here for a friendly little chat. Nick gulped, his heart was beating faster now and the knot in his stomach was rapidly turning into a dead weight. What does he really want? Getting right to the point, Xylat approached Nick and gestured at his legs. ‘After that direct burst by one of our sonic weapons, why are your implants undamaged? Why haven’t they disintegrated?’ ‘Damned if I know,’ Nick replied, wondering that himself. Images of Alf firing a weapon at him sprang to mind. Memories of being torn apart by energy beams while Alf was being manipulated by the Hitchhiker. And then being put back together again by the Omnisci, Noan. Did he change me somehow? ‘Something has changed about your entire physiology since I gave you those implants,’ Xylat persisted, almost confirming Nick’s fears. He moved over to one of the machines and flipped a switch on the console. ‘I must find out why. You should be dead, or at the very least, completely incapacitated.’ Nick’s mouth went dry. Arse, what’s he gonna do to me? ‘Is that a fact? Well, I ain’t and no, I don’t know why I’m still alive!’ Nick replied with sarcasm, fear and anger at Xylat overriding his better sense to be quiet. But Xylat didn’t answer. He was deep in thought, considering the possibilities. ‘I wonder what it is?’ he mused to himself as he started for the door. ‘Whatever it is, I’ll find out soon enough, though.’ ‘Hey, wait!’ Nick shouted at him, and Xylat paused at the door. ‘What happened back there to Alf, and Vlaash? Tell me, are they all right?’ Xylat turned back to Nick and hissed with great pleasure. ‘Dead, Nick. They’re all dead.’ As he left, Xylat heard Nick cry out in anguish. ‘No!’
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