Legends of Amacia Return of the Beowulf

Hannibal awoke with a start from his nap, gasping for breath as he sat up on the bed. Clenching his chest, he wheezed as if someone had knocked the wind out of him. His chest felt like it was on fire and he was drenched in sweat. A throbbing headache plagued him. Before he realized it, Josephine sat beside him on the bed, holding him up straight with her machine arms while rubbing him gently between the shoulder blades with her organic right hand. “Breathe, milord; breathe,” she urged. “Relax and breathe.” When she noticed Hannibal began to relax and regain his breath, she cooed, “That’s it. Breathe, my friend.”

“Jo; what are you doing here?” Hannibal asked after a coughing fit that allowed him to regain his breath fully. He then noticed Josephine’s sleeveless tan sundress that reached to her knees. “That’s a pretty dress, Jo. It suits you,” he added with a weak smile. “But I assume you’re not here to show off your dress.”

“You’re right. Thanks for noticing, but I’m here because Nemesis wants to see you down in the Healer right now,” Josephine stated. “Selina has taken ill again.”

This got Hannibal’s full attention. “Selina’s sick?” he asked with great concern, sensing Selina unconscious in the healing chamber. “Please don’t tell me she has another shebat.”

“No, she’s not infected with a shebat,” Josephine assured. “That I can promise you since I personally removed the shebats from both of you before your mutation reversal. She came down with a respiratory infection. Nemesis, Horace, Dr. Bishop, Dr. Drew, and Enoch are doing tests to see if it’s something the Emperor is responsible for.”

“How bad is it?” Hannibal asked bluntly.

“It’s not going to kill her, if that’s what you’re asking,” Josephine replied. “But it’s made her very ill. We need to go to her now. Are you okay enough to walk? You didn’t look okay when I came in here. You were gasping and wheezing as if someone had knocked the wind from you. I also heard a gurgle when you tried to breathe. I can still hear it, though it is getting better.”

“I’ll be all right,” Hannibal replied slowly as Josephine stood up. “Sometimes, I wake up gasping for air. It’s nothing new for me. Come on. Let’s go.” Standing up, he staggered, almost falling over. “What the hell?” he growled as Josephine caught him. “Why am I so dizzy all of a sudden? Stop spinning, damn it.”

“Hmmm,” Josephine murmured, scanning Hannibal with her cyborg eye. “It seems you’ve been stricken too. You’re running a high fever and it’s affecting your inner ear as well as your lungs. We’d better get you to the Healer. Has your dizziness passed? Can you walk?”

“Yeah,” Hannibal replied softly, “But I’m aching all over and have a blistering headache. I feel like I’ve been beaten again. Shit, this is all I need now. I don’t have time to get sick again.”

“I know,” Josephine said gently, “But you have no say in the matter at this point. Something is causing your symptoms. Let’s get to the Healer and find out. Maybe Nemesis, Horace, and Enoch will have discovered what’s ailing Selina by time we get there.”

“Sure,” Hannibal murmured. “Let’s go.” With that, Josephine walked Hannibal to the healing chamber while gently supporting him.

Five minutes later, Hannibal and Josephine entered the healing chamber. Nemesis, Horace, and Arabella stood around the healer’s control console looking intently at its holographic display of Selina while Enoch’s fingers danced over the controls. Nemesis saw Josephine and Hannibal enter first and immediately saw Hannibal in medical distress. “Quickly, Josephine, put him on the table next to Selina,” Nemesis ordered, sprinting over to them. “He’s most likely contracted the same contagion as Selina.”

“What does she have?” Hannibal asked weakly as Nemesis and Josephine laid him on the table. The healing beam sprang from the crystal, scanning him the moment he hit the table.

“She has bad case of Kaitian pneumonia,” Nemesis reported while scanning Hannibal with his cyborg eye. “It jumped on her just a few hours ago. Enoch, check the Healer’s scan of Hannibal to confirm what I’m seeing. Is the Healer seeing the same virus I am?”

“Just a moment,” Enoch stated, switching the display to Hannibal. “Yes, it’s definitely the same Lynxian virus. It’s not quite as advanced as it is with Selina though.”

“A Lynxian virus,” Hannibal asked, “Are you sure? I’ve had extensive exposure with Selina and Nathanael for over two cycles and never contracted anything from them before now. How is it that this virus is now showing up?”

“Her immunity was severely compromised by the shebat infestation,” Horace reported. “Her antibody and white blood cell count fell dramatically allowing the virus to multiply and make her ill. The virus is spread by close contact. That’s most likely why you’ve come down with it. You had close contact with her.”

“Is there any chance of it spreading beyond us?” Hannibal asked sleepily as the Healer finished scanning and began its healing cycle.

“No,” Nemesis stated. “Besides, we now have samples of the virus taken by the Healer, which is now in the process of generating a suitable vaccine for this virus. You can rest easy. The virus is not lethal to your species, but it will make a human’s life miserable. But like all viruses, it can cause complications that could be dangerous if not treated swiftly. Furthermore, the Emperor doesn’t have this particular strain in his viral weaponry program. It’s just not that dangerous. His bio-weapons programs only use the most dangerous viruses and bacteria, both natural and genetically engineered. The virus you and Selina have is not much different from a bad cold or flu virus for you humans. The Healer will have no trouble taking care of it.”

“Nemesis is right,” Horace agreed. “It seems to me this virus may be the common cold or flu virus for Lynxians, but I cannot be sure about it. We have precious little information about Lynxians and their physiology.”

“That’s a relief,” Hannibal murmured. “I was afraid the Emperor may have put something else in us while we were prisoners; you know, like the shebats.”

“Trust us,” Nemesis insisted. “Between Josephine, Horace, and me, we’ve have the Emperor’s bio-weapons program covered. I was programmed with the ability to create any bacteriological or viral weapon, along with the ability to create their antidotes. I can spot any of those weapons with my scans. Josephine can do the same thing. Neither of you have been contaminated by one of the Emperor’s bio-weapons. This is just bad timing of a naturally occurring virus within you and Selina. It won’t spread because it’s just not that contagious. In fact, if what I’m seeing is right, the virus is passed the contagious point. It’s just making your life miserable.”

Hannibal chuckled weakly. “No, shit; Sherlock,” he replied, his eyes fluttering. “But it does set my mind at ease knowing we’re not carriers that will spread it.”

“Relax, little brother,” Enoch said with a smile. “The Healer will make sure you and Selina aren’t carriers. It’s one of the things it does when combating viral infections. Now go to sleep. Let the Healer do its job.”

“Where’s Rachel?” Hannibal asked, fighting the sedating properties of the Healer.

“Electra and Kida are looking after her right now,” Enoch reported. “Now go to sleep, little brother. Let the Healer do its work.”

“Okay,” Hannibal conceded, ceasing to fight the sedating power of the Healer. In moments, he was dead asleep without another word.

“It’s odd that this particular Lynxian virus chose to rear its head now,” Enoch commented. “Kida and I have never had this virus jump us like it did to Hannibal and Selina. I wonder what makes us so different from them.”

“You and Kida weren’t prisoners of the Emperor and tortured almost to death,” Josephine stated. “Neither were you or Kida subjected to mutation or a host of seventh gen shebats. They’re still recovering from those attacks, which made them vulnerable to the virus. Frankly, I’m surprised they didn’t take ill before now. It shows both of them have remarkable strength and recuperative properties. But never fear; in a few hours, they will make a full recovery thanks to us catching it in time. If Nemesis hadn’t noticed it when Selina came into the gym area, things may have gone very differently.”

“Aye, that’s true,” Nemesis stated, nodding. “The moment I saw Selina roll into the gym I knew something was off. She was pale with a weak look in her eyes. When my scans showed the infection, I knew we had to move. If a Lynxian virus were to get loose among the people, it could be disastrous. They have no immunity to Lynxian viruses. Fortunately, this virus is not that dangerous, even for humans. Still, discretion is the better part of valor. When Selina admitted she wasn’t feeling well, I insisted she come here. By time the Healer put her under, the infection was spreading like wildfire through her body. I’m very pleased it didn’t reach her brain. I’m also pleased that Hannibal came when I asked him. By the way, how was he when you found him?”

“Just as I entered his quarters, he bolted to a sitting position on the bed gasping for breath and gurgling as if something had knocked the wind out of him,” Josephine reported. “I immediately went to his assistance and helped to steady his breathing. That’s when I noticed the gurgle in his chest and the fever he was running. Once he calmed down and regained his breath, I asked him if he was all right. He claimed he was and asked why I was there. I then told him about Selina and you wishing to see him immediately. Afterwards, I pointed out he too was ill and needed the Healer. He didn’t argue, and we came as quickly as possible. I’m sure the reason he contracted the virus was because he and Selina were sleeping together in the same bed during their nap.”

“You’re most likely correct about that,” Nemesis replied. “But this sudden awakening where he appeared to have the wind knocked out of him troubles me. Selina didn’t exhibit those symptoms. We’d better keep a close eye on them. Something else may have happened to them. The Emperor has repeatedly launched psychic attacks on them while they were asleep. When Hannibal wakes, we should ask him about it.”

“Hmmm,” Josephine murmured, looking down at Hannibal on the table as the Healer treated him with its healing beam. “Strange you should say that, Nemesis. When I entered the room, something didn’t feel right. I could swear I felt a dark presence there, but it was so elusive and faint, I wasn’t sure what it was.”

“Was it the Emperor?” Enoch asked bluntly.

“No, it was not Zaros,” Josephine answered categorically. “I’ve known the telepathic signature of every Emperor since Bolthor, including Zaros. It was not him. I’m sure of it. Whatever it was moved like a shadow, was alien and extremely ancient, as well as vehemently hostile towards Hannibal. However, it was fading away as I entered. By time I reached the bed, this dark presence had vanished into the shadows as if it never existed.”

“Curious,” Horace stated as he and Arabella checked Hannibal’s vitals physically. “Would you say this presence was more powerful than the Emperor?”

“I cannot be certain of anything concerning this thing I felt,” Josephine replied. “It’s because of that presence that I made a point of asking Hannibal if he was okay. This thing felt like a ghost vanishing in the wind, but it did give me the distinct impression it was far older and more powerful than the Emperor is. Still, the elusiveness and hostility it generated towards Hannibal startled me. Yet somehow, this thing felt familiar to me somehow. We must keep our guard up. The war between the Emperor and Hannibal may be attracting the attention of the Dark Gods. We must be ready for anything. They must not be allowed to interfere.”

“I agree,” Enoch stated. “We must be ready for anything. How would you classify this dark presence you sensed, Josephine? Is it connected to the Emperor?”

“I cannot be sure,” Josephine stated. “Whatever it is seemed more intent on Hannibal than Zaros. It also felt far older and fouler than Zaros, but distant. I don’t believe this entity is in the caverns. It may be on the surface, but Hannibal has definitely attracted its attention. Furthermore, I can’t shake the feeling I know this dark creature. It’s as if I knew it in another life. However, my telepathic prowess is not strong enough to make a positive identification of this creature. Maybe Hannibal has some insight into this creature. But whatever it is, it does not have a direct connection to Zaros that I know of.”

“I see,” Enoch murmured, rubbing his bearded chin. “If you sense this creature again, let me know. My instinct is telling me not to turn our back on this creature. That goes for you too, Nemesis. If you sense anything out of the ordinary, please bring it to my attention.”

“Sure,” Nemesis stated. “We need to be prepared for every potential eventuality. Josephine, you’re sure this thing was hostile towards Hannibal.”

“Absolutely,” Josephine insisted. “That much I’m sure of, but the impression I got is that it’s not going to move against Hannibal just yet. I think it wants to see what Hannibal will do with the Emperor. Even if it doesn’t move against Hannibal right away, it still considers him and us the enemy. I’m going to have to do some serious research to find out what this thing is and why it seems so familiar to me.”

“You do that,” Enoch ordered. “So you believe this creature is a threat.”

“I do,” Josephine stated. “It’s a threat to all of us. The power of the Dark Gods surrounds this thing. I can feel it. We must be prepared to counter it when it acts.”

“Okay,” Enoch replied. “We have another potential enemy showing its face. Keep alert and try to find out about it. Maybe Hannibal can shed some light on this when he wakes up.”

“I hope so,” Josephine stated. “This thing has unnerved me, and it takes a lot to do that since I’ve seen and experienced just about everything the Darkness can do to a soul. It’s making me afraid.”

“Is that so?” Nemesis queried. “Then we should pay close attention to it. It’s not like you to fear something without cause. Any suggestions were we should start our research into this creature?”

“None,” Josephine admitted. “But the familiarity I’m feeling with this creature is as old as I am. You and Horace may want to check the records as far back as the Battle of Drakonia. Somehow, I get the feeling this thing is connected to FATE.”

“Is your instinct telling you that?” Horace asked.

“It is,” Josephine stated. “I can’t help but think I have some connection to this thing from Bolthor’s time.”

“Hmmm,” Enoch stated. “Interesting; I remember you telling us right after we rescued you from the Black Fortress that you remembered your cyberization and that a strange man in white was directing the Emperor. Is it possible that the man in white you remember then and this creature are the same entity?”

“I...just don’t know,” Josephine admitted hesitantly, shaken by the possibility. “The man in white who directed my cyberization was a truly demented creature of great dark power. Even Bolthor feared him. I’m not sure he was even a man. If the creature I sensed when I went to get Hannibal is the same man in white who presided over my cyberization, then it’s obvious he’s not human and may be a dark god. But how could it be him? The man in white vanished at the end of the Battle of Drakonia, same as Beowulf, the Elder Gods, and the man who resembles Hannibal.... Oh, dear, that thought just sent chills down my spine. We need to solve the mystery of that battle quickly for I fear this thing may be at the very least a reincarnation of the man in white. Worse yet, it could be him in the flesh. The man in white is the one responsible for turning Bolthor to the Darkness. I was so happy when he vanished at the end of the Battle of Drakonia. But no one found his remains, just as they didn’t find any traces of Beowulf, the Elder Gods, and the strange man who led them. I strongly suggest we look into this as quickly as possible.”

“Why is that?” Arabella asked after she finished checking over Hannibal.

“The man in white was the front man for the Dark Gods and FATE,” Josephine stated. “If the creature I sensed entering Hannibal’s quarters is truly the man in white, then the Dark Gods may have survived the Kragonar as well. It complicates our cause tremendously.”

“No shit,” Nemesis agreed. “I’ll check into this myself. But we still have the Emperor to deal with. Our plan for infiltrating Kartoom must remain a priority. Kartoom must be neutralized ASAP.”

“You’re right,” Enoch agreed. “We must continue planning the Kartoom operation. We’ll devote our spare time to investigating this creature since it seems to be waiting in the wings. Besides, Hannibal may be able to tell us something about the creature Josephine sensed when he wakes up.”

“Very well,” Nemesis replied with a rumble. “I shall continue to work with Horace, Marvin, General Hadiff, and Col. Commora on an infiltration plan to get to Kartoom’s core. Your input would be very useful, Josephine. You did have remote access to Kartoom’s mainframes.”

“Sure,” Josephine answered, nodding. “I’d be happy to help. Just let me know when Hannibal wakes up. I need to know if he felt the same presence I did.”

“Don’t worry,” Enoch stated. “We’ll let you speak to him when he wakes. Since the Healer has this situation well in hand, I think we can go for now.”

“I’ll keep an eye on them,” Arabella volunteered as she finished physically checking Hannibal’s vitals. “It’ll give me time to use the Healer to study the virus. I’m curious as to how different Lynxian viruses are from human ones.”

“Very well,” Enoch stated. “You remember how to access the database information from here, don’t you?”

“Sure do,” Arabella stated. “That little lesson Elias gave me about the Healer using the Teacher was great. I have a much better understanding of the machine now and how to access the information in it.”

“Okay,” Enoch chimed, smiling, “Keep watch on them, Doctor. We put them in your capable hands.”

“I’ll let you know when they wake up,” Arabella said pleasantly, taking up position behind the control panel of the Healer. “Now go. I’ve got this.”

“I’ll check back with you in a couple of hours,” Enoch stated.

“That’ll be fine,” Arabella stated. “Now go plan your war. I have no desire to know what you’re going to do. I have my hands full with the wounded and sick.”

“That you do,” Nemesis stated. “But we appreciate your dedication to them. Don’t think it goes unnoticed.”

“That’s true,” Enoch agreed. “You have proven to be an essential part of our team. One day, we shall reward you for your assistance and loyalty.”

“Just stop the Emperor from killing and maiming everyone in sight and I’ll be happy,” Arabella replied. “Now go on. I have much work to do studying this virus.”

“Then we’ll not get in your way, Dr. Bishop,” Enoch stated. “Let’s get out of her way, guys.” With that, he, Nemesis, and Horace walked out.

Josephine patted Arabella on the shoulder, saying, “It’s pleasant to see such loyalty that driven from love and not fear. Thank you for watching over them, Dr. Bishop.”

“You’re welcome, Jo,” Arabella chimed. “And call me Arabella. Now go help them with their war plans. The sooner Hannibal deals with the Emperor, the sooner I won’t be in such high demand.”

“Of course,” Josephine answered pleasantly. “See you later.”

Arabella nodded, smiling. “See you later,” she stated, watching Josephine leave. Once alone with Hannibal and Selina being treated, Arabella started her study of the virus ailing them.

Two hours after leaving Arabella in the Healing chamber with Hannibal and Selina, Enoch returned with Kida. “How are they, doctor?” Enoch asked as he and Kida approached the control panel where Arabella stood.

“Hannibal is just fine,” Arabella stated. “The Healer finished with him a half hour ago. It seems his infection wasn’t nearly as bad as Selina’s infection. She’s still being worked on, though I suspect the machine will finish with her in an hour. How’s the little girl Rachel taking this? Does she know they’re sick?”

“Yes,” Kida stated. “She knows and is obviously very worried about them. It’ll set her mind and heart at ease knowing Hannibal is already over the illness.”

“That she will,” Enoch stated. “Let me take a look at their stats, doctor.”

“Of course,” Arabella answered, stepping away from the control panel while Enoch approached.

Pulling up the Healer’s report on Hannibal, Enoch scanned it intently. “Very good,” he chimed. “Hannibal has made a full recovery and now has developed immunity to this particular virus. The Healer has given him a clean bill of health. We can take him back to his quarters now. Let me check Selina’s stats.” He switched to Selina’s report and his eyebrow rose. “Hmmm, very curious,” he murmured. “Very interesting; the healer gave Selina a dose of the vaccine it generated from this virus to assist in eradicating it. Her infection must have been more potent than Hannibal’s because it chose not to use the vaccine on him.”

“What does that mean?” Arabella asked.

“It means Selina will have a very strong immunity to this virus now,” Enoch stated. “With the vaccine dose the healer gave her, it jumpstarted her own immune system, which has now virtually destroyed the virus. The healer is presently in the final stage where it’s making sure there are no other infections in her while it finishes repairing the damage the virus did. It should be done with her in about an hour, as you said. Very accurate estimate there, doctor; I’m impressed.”

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Arabella chimed. “I just knew how to read the monitor. That’s all. But I must say this virus is fascinating. I’ve never studied a truly alien virus before. It’s very similar to the virus that cause pneumococcal pneumonia in humans. But there are slight differences that would make it more contagious among humans than Lynxians. We humans just don’t have a resistance to it because it’s an alien virus. I suggest we get this machine to synthesize large amounts of vaccine for this virus just in case we have an outbreak. That way if it shows up in the main population, we’ll be able to nip it in the bud before it gets out of control. The last thing we need is for this virus to sweep through the population while the Emperor is attacking.”

“That is a very good idea,” Enoch stated, manipulating the controls on the Healer. “Just because it hasn’t broken out among the human population doesn’t mean it won’t at some point. There, I’ve programmed the Healer to synthesize enough vaccine for everyone on the island. I’ve also programed it to automatically scan the patient for immunity vectors to this virus and administer the vaccine if doesn’t find those vectors. By doing this, we can immunize the population and minimize our risk to the virus.”

“Excellent,” Arabella chimed. “How long would it take the Healer to administer the vaccine?”

“It would take no more than ten minutes to administer the vaccine and make sure the patient doesn’t have an adverse reaction to it,” Enoch stated. “If there is an adverse reaction to the vaccine, then the Healer will run the healing cycle to purge it, which as you know, takes two to three hours. Either way, the patient leaves with a full immunity to this virus.”

“That makes my life so much easier,” Arabella stated. “I’ll get my dose of the vaccine now, if that’s all right. I’d rather have an immunity already built up to it when I start monitoring the people.”

“Go right ahead,” Enoch stated. “Take the free table just beyond Hannibal.”

Arabella walked over and laid down on the table just past Hannibal. “Will it put me to sleep?” she asked.

“It shouldn’t,” Enoch stated. “Now just relax. This will only take a few minutes. I’m engaging the healer now to check for your immunity vectors to this virus.” The healing beam began scanning Arabella. After a few moments, it shut down, causing Enoch’s eyebrow to rise. “Hmmm,” he murmured. “It appears you’re already immune to this particular virus so you can get up.”

Arabella got off the table, asking, “How can that be? I’ve never been vaccinated for that virus.”

“It’s hard to tell,” Enoch stated. “But you have had extensive close exposure to Selina and her blood when you’ve treated her. Maybe her immunity vectors transferred to you or maybe you contracted a very mild case of the virus, which your body easily fought off. In any case, your blood has all the necessary antibodies to fight off the virus.”

“I think your second thought may be closer to fact,” Arabella stated. “I may have contracted the virus from her or Nathanael and not known it. I do remember not too long after we joined Hannibal’s team that I felt a bit off for a day or two. I just chalked it up to fatigue because of the rough terrain we crossed, and battles we had with Gulez’s troops and the Zinzera. By time we got into the caverns, I felt fine.”

“That may have been when it hit you,” Kida suggested. “Since you obvious beat it with no ill effects, I don’t think we have much to worry about with this strain.”

“But we still need to have the vaccine as a backup,” Enoch insisted. “If it hits someone whose immune system is compromised, it may hit them harder than it did the good doctor here.”

“I agree,” Arabella concurred, walking back to the control panel. “Having the Healer checking for antibodies for this virus when a patient uses it is the right thing to do. I wonder if it hit the others of our team like it did for me.”

“Most likely,” Enoch stated. “But like you, they were healthy and strong. It most likely just gave them a mild headache and cough that went away after a day or so.”

“It may be,” Arabella stated. “I may not have noticed it because of the wounds we took during our battles getting into the caverns. I was more concerned about removing bullets and binding wounds than them getting sick from a Lynxian virus that I knew nothing about at the time.”

Enoch patted Arabella on the shoulder. “I’d say that’s probably right,” he chimed. “But no harm was done. If you’re worried about it, you could have the Healer check them out.”

“I might do that, just to be sure,” Arabella replied. “You can never be too cautious about viruses. But it can wait for now. If they haven’t gotten sick from it before now, chances are they already have the immunity to it. I’ll do it when things are not so hectic.”

“Good idea,” Enoch answered, smiling. “In the meantime, we’ll take Hannibal back to his quarters. Electra and Harry are there with Rachel. She’ll be happy to see him.”

“That she will,” Arabella agreed. “I’ll hang around here until the Healer is done with Selina.”

“Okay,” Enoch replied as he walked over and picked up Hannibal’s sleeping form off the table. “Someone will check in on you and Selina in about an hour.”

“That’ll be good,” Arabella stated. “See you guys later.”

“I’ll bring you a snack and something to drink after we put Hannibal to bed,” Kida offered. “You’ve been in here over three hours without anything to eat or drink. You must be hungry and thirsty.”

“I’d like that,” Arabella replied.

Kida nodded with a grunt. “Let’s get Hannibal to bed, Enoch,” she ordered.

“Right behind you, Kida,” Enoch replied, carrying Hannibal as if he were just a child following Kida out of the healing chamber.