holographic jungle scene where enemy soldiers came out of nowhere for her to assassinate. Spectrum was wired into a running machine, sprinting at pace, the rate on the reader measured a heart defying fifty beats per minute. Cortex held his hands out loosely, standing over a topless Goldheart who bench pressed with a metal bar that began to bend under the weight piled onto each end. Witakker stopped besides the heavy metal plates, watching as Goldheart strained for one more repetition, filling his muscles with overstrained and bursting veins.
"Why don't you try running sometime Procto, you never know when you'll need to run?" said Witakker.
Goldheart forced the weight up and onto the rest. Sitting up, he looked at Witakker with confusion. "I'd rather fight than run," he grumbled.
"I have seen bigger men than you running from things your imagination could never conceive," said Witakker. "Now gather around please everyone I need to speak with you."
Menace placed her weapon down. Spectrum unplugged his monitor wires, slowed his machine and dropped off the end of the running mill to join the others.
"Jonas has been found," said Witakker. "Your new orders are to protect him."
"We don't like the kid. He can't be trusted," Cortex blared. "We have to rescue Calyx!"
"Lucas, watch what you're saying," Spectrum told him with a sharp edge. "This is an order, how many times do you need telling!?"
Cortex turned away in annoyance.
Witakker was used to Cortex talking out of turn; he would not need to add to Spectrum's dressing down. "Regardless of whether you like him or not, you will protect him, is that understood?" Witakker confirmed.
The protectors nodded.
"We need this boy a lot more than he needs us. He just doesn't understand yet what it is we ask of him," he said, looking into each of their eyes. "There are circumstances here that you do not know. Do not let me down!"
"Should we not be made aware of the circumstances?" asked Spectrum.
Witakker looked at the leader, giving thought as to whether or not it was wise to let the truth be known. "Goldheart, Cortex, Menace, leave us will you."
The three of them groaned for being left out.
"All right, but Spec will tell us anyway!" said Cortex.
"He will not tell another soul," Witakker said, staring hard at Spectrum. Spec nodded and the others left the room.
"I cannot tell you what the circumstances are, it is not my place. But what I will say is that Jonas, as you know is half dydrid and half cytherean. He is identical to Calyx in almost every way, and the fate of our race and many others depends upon him," said Witakker.
Spectrum sighed, it was unlike him to question any orders but he felt he had to. "Why can't we get Calyx, Witakker? This Jonas, he's not got what it takes. He's had no training, he doesn't know what we're up against—he's been a ship-spider his whole life, if that isn't enough not to trust him!"
"He has a long way to go, agreed. But we cannot reach Calyx without risking his life and Jonas is here now, he will learn."
"All right," said Spectrum. "But he'll probably get us all killed, so don't expect us to like it."
Witakker smiled. "I didn't expect that you would!"
*
Outside in the palace gardens Uly waited, standing alone in the cooling afternoon air. Cleaned up and changed into one of Calyx's stretched-cotton outfits, Jonas walked out through an opening to the gardens as four brilliant blue eyes full of uncertainty met for only the second time. The sight of seeing his father again brought sadness to Jonas's soul. His wounds were raw, his heart was sore. This man had no love for him but Jonas had no choice. He could not run away from this place as easily as he had hoped for two reasons. Firstly, as Hawk had said, the king would find him it seemed, no matter where he went, and secondly, Willow and Twain. In the very short time that he had known them, they had become important to him; he didn't know why he just had that feeling.
"You didn't
"Why don't you try running sometime Procto, you never know when you'll need to run?" said Witakker.
Goldheart forced the weight up and onto the rest. Sitting up, he looked at Witakker with confusion. "I'd rather fight than run," he grumbled.
"I have seen bigger men than you running from things your imagination could never conceive," said Witakker. "Now gather around please everyone I need to speak with you."
Menace placed her weapon down. Spectrum unplugged his monitor wires, slowed his machine and dropped off the end of the running mill to join the others.
"Jonas has been found," said Witakker. "Your new orders are to protect him."
"We don't like the kid. He can't be trusted," Cortex blared. "We have to rescue Calyx!"
"Lucas, watch what you're saying," Spectrum told him with a sharp edge. "This is an order, how many times do you need telling!?"
Cortex turned away in annoyance.
Witakker was used to Cortex talking out of turn; he would not need to add to Spectrum's dressing down. "Regardless of whether you like him or not, you will protect him, is that understood?" Witakker confirmed.
The protectors nodded.
"We need this boy a lot more than he needs us. He just doesn't understand yet what it is we ask of him," he said, looking into each of their eyes. "There are circumstances here that you do not know. Do not let me down!"
"Should we not be made aware of the circumstances?" asked Spectrum.
Witakker looked at the leader, giving thought as to whether or not it was wise to let the truth be known. "Goldheart, Cortex, Menace, leave us will you."
The three of them groaned for being left out.
"All right, but Spec will tell us anyway!" said Cortex.
"He will not tell another soul," Witakker said, staring hard at Spectrum. Spec nodded and the others left the room.
"I cannot tell you what the circumstances are, it is not my place. But what I will say is that Jonas, as you know is half dydrid and half cytherean. He is identical to Calyx in almost every way, and the fate of our race and many others depends upon him," said Witakker.
Spectrum sighed, it was unlike him to question any orders but he felt he had to. "Why can't we get Calyx, Witakker? This Jonas, he's not got what it takes. He's had no training, he doesn't know what we're up against—he's been a ship-spider his whole life, if that isn't enough not to trust him!"
"He has a long way to go, agreed. But we cannot reach Calyx without risking his life and Jonas is here now, he will learn."
"All right," said Spectrum. "But he'll probably get us all killed, so don't expect us to like it."
Witakker smiled. "I didn't expect that you would!"
*
Outside in the palace gardens Uly waited, standing alone in the cooling afternoon air. Cleaned up and changed into one of Calyx's stretched-cotton outfits, Jonas walked out through an opening to the gardens as four brilliant blue eyes full of uncertainty met for only the second time. The sight of seeing his father again brought sadness to Jonas's soul. His wounds were raw, his heart was sore. This man had no love for him but Jonas had no choice. He could not run away from this place as easily as he had hoped for two reasons. Firstly, as Hawk had said, the king would find him it seemed, no matter where he went, and secondly, Willow and Twain. In the very short time that he had known them, they had become important to him; he didn't know why he just had that feeling.
"You didn't
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