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Chapter 18

"Will they live?" Xerian asked, glancing at the fallen protogens anxiously. "I know they're evil but... I don't want to know that I saw them d-die!"

"They wounded my master!" Lautrec spat. "I should have diced them into cubes!"

"They should live," Quirk said. "Remember, we have a lot of implants and nanomechanics, and those will automatically stabilise injuries. It's not infallible but it gives us a big window to get healed in. And if the body is still fresh the surgery units can even jump-start a corpse."

"Where's Toast!?" Xerian asked suddenly.

"Oh thit," Niall slurred. "Thereth a hole in the conthrol room window!"

He ran and emerged carrying Toast, who was limp and unresponsive from a wound in his forehead.

"F***," Quirk said. "We'll have to leave him for the robots."

"That's risky," Lautrec said. "If the others are revived first they might detain him!"

"If we don't, he'll die," Quirk pointed out grimly. "Nanomechanics can only keep him alive for so long. I'll get one of the weapons, make sure he has it when he's found. Fingers crossed he'll be able to make his own way back to us."

As they left the room, three robots were entering.

"Info: Distress signals detected," they said. "Info: Locating casualties."

There was a brief moment of panic when one of the robots saw Toast and attempted to retrieve him from Niall's grasp. Eventually the android relented and their colleague was taken away.

* * *

"Are you sure you're going to be okay, boss?" Lautrec asked, looking appalled at Niall's facial injuries and the metallic framework beneath his artificial skin. "Should I try and summon Bob...?"

"No," Niall said. "Don'th wath it!"

"What did he say?" Eris asked worriedly.

"'Don't waste it'," Lautrec said. "And I guess he's right. Really this deal with Bob was to rescue me if I was going to die otherwise. I don't really know how much credit I have with Him and I shouldn't squander His goodwill on something which isn't vital."

"Exthactly," Niall lisped. "Don't take the rithk. Coulda done without thith, but I turned down the pain and the naniteth will repair ith thoon enouth. Glad ith me inthead of real Niall, though!"

"Maybe you shouldn't be talking so much," Xerian said, looking concerned. "Moving your lips won't help it heal." Niall nodded reluctantly, and then donned the helmet from his armour. He found a bed and lay there, waiting for his missing cheek to knit itself back together.

"This is what he was built for," Lautrec said, reassuringly. "Going into dangerous situations which might kill a flesh-and-blood member of Daryil's clan."

"Speaking of dangerous situations," Xerian began reluctantly.

"...You want me to try and find out where Zuki is," Quirk sighed. "Why his pod is empty. But they'll be waiting for us."

"Let them wait," Eris said. "I need to sleep."

"Point," Quirk said. "It's getting on, we've had a long day and we still need to sort out quarters and provisions for the new recruits before we sleep. Of course, that gives them more time to arrange a nasty surprise for us, but it's a risk we'll have to take, since most of us need to sleep."

* * *

By morning, Niall's muzzle had rebuilt itself to the point where he could talk normally, but the synthetic fur had not been restored properly, leaving an ugly scar. He donned the helmet again.

"I can get that fixed when I return home," he sighed. "No sign of Toast, I take it...?"

"No," Quirk said sullenly, putting on a miniskirt to replace his damaged dress. "If that little shit has betrayed us..."

"He knows how to operate the stasis machinery," Xerian snapped. "We need him!"

"We have others now," the protogen pointed out. "We might not need him as much as you think."

"Well I certainly owe him," Eris pointed out. "Now, where can I get breakfast?"

"True," Quirk said, and handed out a few energy bars. "I'm not sure how well these will suit your metabolism, but they should at least be non-toxic. Given that some of us are converted from other races to begin with, protogen rations tend to be pretty universal."

"If they don't suit her, we'll have to return her to stasis. Or the planet," Lautrec said.

"That's not the only problem," Niall said broodily. "I haven't forgotten what Quirk said about there only being one toilet on the entire ship. And that being in the VIP section for alien guests where the Emperor hangs out. Us having to arrange an armed escort to the bog for Eris isn't out of the question," he sighed.

"Worst case we may have to improvise," Quirk said. "There is the shower, and things which won't go there could go in the general waste disposal system. Unpleasant, but... Well, we have to make do with what we've got."

"Or we could..." Lautrec started, and then put a paw in front of his mouth, looking around guiltily.

"Lautrec..." Xerian said sternly.

"Well," the cyberjag said, looking embarrassed. "It was something one of the officers said... And what Quirk just said about the rations! The healing suite can convert people into protogens! So I figured... If we injured her enough, she'd get all the implants, and then she wouldn't need to use the toilet ever again! It... It was just a thought. I guess it is a bit of an extreme solution..."

"Your suggestion is noted," Eris said evenly. "And yes, if I get shot up, that's a risk I will have to take if the alternative is death or life-changing injuries. But until then, I would rather avoid having alien technology grafted to me, no offence intended."

"In any case, you'd need a training period to adjust and learn how to use your implants," Quirk pointed out. "And besides... Well, Xerian was hoping you'd be able to tell the authorities about the ship. But with your face missing and all the armour grafts - your own people aren't going to recognise you, right? Good luck convincing anyone of what you're telling them!"

"They might just think it's armour of course," Lautrec mused. "But you're right, it certainly won't help our cause if they take her for a medical examination and see all the improvements."

"Anyway," Quirk said. "I guess we can't put this off any longer. I'll have to jack in somewhere and try and find out what's happened to Zuki, or whoever was in that stasis pod. And Toast as well, for that matter."

* * *

Quirk lay on the cyberjack couch with his face staring at the ceiling with an expression of unfocused concern. Xerian paced while the protogen did his work. Eris had not seen this before and watched with confusion.

Suddenly there was a tap on the door from Lautrec.

"Bosses," he said. "Visitor for you!"

Xerian cowered, expecting for a moment that it would be the Emperor himself, but instead Toast ran inside with a worried expression on his visor and the handgun attached to his utility belt.

"You made it!" Niall said.

"Yeah, but we have to get out of here! They know where you are! I managed to break free from the officers with that weapon you left me, but..."

Just then there was a frantic series of taps on the door. When they opened it, the cybernetic panther was gesturing incoherently with one paw. "Quirk! Get Quirk!" he babbled, an expression of shock on his features.

"Yes!" Toast said. "I told you! We have to go!" he ran over to the wall console and reached out to press the emergency stop button. Before he could, Quirk gave a great gasp and lay there twitching on the couch. His eyes were mismatched again and he seemed unable to stand.

"They're coming this way!" Lautrec insisted. "Synths!"

"Zuki!" Xerian exclaimed with delight.

"No! No!" Lautrec wailed. "It's a death squad! Get Quirk! We have to go!"

"Urgh..." Quirk said, rolling over and falling off the couch. "Defences got me... They're coming..."

Toast hauled the other protogen to his feet and they made their way to the door, which suddenly opened.

Two Synths strode into the room, skin black and glossy, eyes red like Quirk's.  Each was armed with some kind of laser assault rifle.

"Surrender to the Emperor," the first one commanded, aiming his rifle at Niall's chest, since he was closest. "Obey!"

"No!" Xerian wailed. The lead Synth's eyes narrowed and his aim shifted to Xerian's head. "Obey or die," he commanded.

Xerian raised his hands in surrender. Lautrec coiled and sprang at the leader, claws out. Both enemy Synths opened fire, and a look of shock crossed the jaguar's face. "Oh no," the panther keened. "No no no no no.." He slammed into the black Synth, fell to the ground with a crash and lay there inert.

"Lautrec!" Niall yelled, horrified.

"Subject terminated," the lead Synth said, looking at the panther before fixing the others with an ominous stare. "Survivors, you are ordered to surrender. Praise the Emperor!"

Niall leapt at them himself, face a mask of rage visible through the visor of his helmet, eyes glowing red like those of his opponents. The energy weapons played across his chest, but to no avail as the blackmetal armour easily deflected it.

"No! Don't kill them!" Xerian begged.

Enraged, Niall tore the gun from the leader's grasp and threw it to Quirk, who fumbled for a moment and then caught it. The second trooper opened fire, only to have Niall rip the energy weapon from their grasp too. The Synths looked down at their empty hands, blinking in confusion as if they didn't understand what had just happened. "Kill," the leader said. "No! Run! Help me!"

"Hold them," Niall told Xerian. "I'll fetch Lautrec." Quirk and Xerian set to it, holding the leader Synth in a head-lock. The second Synth was looked around as if trying to escape. Toast grabbed at the Synth, who toppled over. Unclipping the weapon, Toast removed his belt and began binding his opponent's legs together. Quirk and Xerian took their own captive and locked them in the cupboard.

Cautiously, Niall approached the inert panther and removed his helmet. "Lautrec...?" he called softly, headwings drooping, face lined with worry. "Can you hear me...? What's happened?"

"Help," the panther sobbed, lying on his side. "Help!"

"Oh shit," Niall said, donning his helmet again. He lifted the big cat up and carried them back to the hideout without saying a word.

"What's happened?" Eris asked. "What's wrong!"

"You," Niall turned on her, face a mask of fury and his wings trembling ominously. "You did this!"