Orphaned warrior dragon.., p.26
Orphaned Warrior (Dragon Spawn Chronicles Book 5), page 26
In a way, he was the primary focus. He crossed his arms and frowned as Doctor Stephen Stenson ran the thera-pen over his temple. The man’s breath carried a sour tint, yet Jori remained still as the pen healed the giant bruise Vance had left. The wound didn’t hurt unless he moved his brows. Even then, the pain was minimal. Normally, he’d just let it mend on its own, but allowing the doctor to care for him made Zaina feel better.
She hugged his side, more so than ever before, and wrapped her arm around his shoulder. She no doubt intended to be both comforting and protective, though he doubted she’d be capable of safeguarding him against a madman like Vance.
Stephen cleared his throat. “I’m reluctant to ask, but how did this happen?”
Zaina’s emotions plummeted right along with Jori’s. They both hesitated to speak, Zaina with a glance sideways and a twisted brow. The outcome was too troubling to put to words. But after a heavy sigh, she recounted the horrific incident.
Doctor Stenson halted his work. Concern mingled with dismay exuded from him like exhaust from a dilapidated ship. “H-he killed the major? Then he tried to hurt you?” His voice came out in a troubled whine. “And you protected her?” he asked Jori.
Jori shrugged off the doctor’s admiration. “I hate how he uses her to get me to obey.”
Stephen nodded. His cheeks turned pink as shame emanated from him. He glanced toward the other side of the facility, undoubtedly at where his wife had been moments before.
“That madman has really cracked this time,” Zaina said matter-of-factly. “I’ve knew he was dangerous…” She pressed her palm to her chest as though to curb a racing heart. “But the extent of his fury was like…” She inhaled, her breath shaking. “Like a vicious dog.”
Jori almost huffed. She hasn’t met my father.
“He’s always been unpredictable, but ever since you arrived…” Stephen shot Jori an apologetic glance. “No offense, but the extreme nature of his behavior has multiplied. I’ve never seen it so bad. I wonder what sort of pressure MEGA-Man is putting on him.”
“I don’t think MEGA-Man is just after my DNA,” Jori said. “He also wants me to ally with the MEGAs.”
The doctor shook his head but not in disagreement. “That makes some sense, but not entirely. I mean, why do you have to ally with them? I thought all he wanted was to use you for your genetics, and he doesn’t need your cooperation to do that.”
Jori didn’t reply, though he knew the answer. MEGA-Man undoubtedly had a lot of uses for the last heir of the Toradon empire. Vance might be the current scourge of the galaxy, but he was a lone wolf. As the next in line to the throne, Jori would command a horde of Dragon Warriors who were far more ferocious. Never mind that he’d never return home. His father believed him dead, and he wanted to keep it that way.
Zaina rubbed Jori’s upper arm and pulled him into a half hug. “The man is obsessed.”
“There is that,” Stephen replied. “He’s always been intently focused on his objectives.”
“And what are his objectives, exactly?” Zaina asked. “Because his actions are all over the place. You say he wants you—” She tapped Jori’s shoulder. “—to ally with him but he treats you like a lab experiment.”
The doctor cupped his elbow with one hand and rubbed his chin with the other. “I suspect his motivations are conflicted. He must comply with MEGA-Man’s demands, yet he has an inherent need to dominate, and this young man here presents a notable challenge.”
“Him and his stupid games,” Jori muttered.
The trio fell silent while their troubled emotions spun about like a tornado. They must escape this madman.
He took in his two companions and despaired. While he might have the advantage of knowing how to fight, he was too small to take on a monster like Vance. Their most recent engagement proved that. Zaina had neither the physical nor the mental strength. And the doctor was much too concerned about the safety of his wife to risk anything.
The situation was hopeless. Jori wasn’t smart enough to consider all the angles and match wits with this psychopath.
Doctor Stenson puffed and returned to his work of healing Jori’s temple. His resignation suffocated Jori’s own emotions, which were just as dispirited. At least threatening to sacrifice himself had worked in keeping Vance from hurting Zaina, but how long would that last? Zaina was right. The man had cracked.
“How’s Rodrigo?” she asked, dampening the mood further.
The doctor’s throat bobbed. “He’s gone.”
Zaina gasped. “He’s dead?”
Stephen halted his work on Jori’s temple once more. “He might as well be. His body lives, but all the things that made Rodrigo Rodrigo are no longer there.”
Zaina’s eyes watered. Jori tried to force his emotions down so he wouldn’t follow suit. He and Rigo weren’t close, but it still hurt to see his quirky personality destroyed.
Jori’s sinuses burned as he recalled the reason the mouse of a man had done it. MEGA-Man and Vance put him on such a high pedestal that Rigo wanted to be like him. Guilt crept through him.
No. I didn’t do this. He clenched his fists. Rodrigo had made his own choice. Even so, the bulk of the blame rested with the culture on this ship that said the only people with value were the ones with enhancements.
He glanced at Zaina, who shared a sad smile, then at the doctor. These were real people. They had their faults, but their kindness was more than enough to redeem them.
His gratitude didn’t last as the reality of their situation pressed around him. No amount of kindness would get them out of this mess.
Perhaps it was time for him to stop playing nice. No more pussyfooting it with Vance. He must make a plan and take action—to hell with the consequences.
If only he could come up with an idea on how to do that.
44 – Weaknesses
Jori jerked awake. He blinked through the darkness, wondering what had brought him out of his respite. The severe lack of light kept him from seeing anything, so he concentrated on listening. The only sound was the whisper of air blowing from the vent and Zaina’s soft breathing. It was the first time in days that she’d slept so deep, and he hoped he wouldn’t have to break her away from it.
Blakesley’s betrayal and subsequent death had taken its toll on her. She’d put on a brave face, but he’d sensed her uninterrupted turmoil.
He focused his other senses. The room smelled the same. His sentio ability didn’t detect anything out of the ordinary. And there was nothing unusual about his placement in bed. His head rested on the pillow as usual. The blankets sufficiently covered him without tangling his limbs. Everything seemed normal.
A pulsation from the counter made him flinch. He swung his feet to the floor and rushed over. The vibration stopped, but he didn’t need his eyes or ears to find the tablet. The room wasn’t that big. Two steps brought him close enough to probe for his device.
The act of picking it up caused the screen to brighten. He blinked until the light became bearable. A message icon flashed in the corner. Angst flicked through him. No one had ever contacted him here before.
He tapped it open. His lips parted at the sight of Doctor Stephen Stenson’s name. The man had never engaged in an electronic conversation before. With the confession that Rodrigo was gone, what else was there to talk about?
The muscles in Jori’s upper body stiffened. Vance’s mention of surveillance prompted him to press the tablet to his chest. Stephen must have something important to say.
He whisked back to bed and pulled the covers over him. If Vance was watching right now, all he had to do was hack into his tablet and bypass the spyware detection Jori had placed on it. But if the scene was merely being recorded, Vance would learn later—too late—that he’d received a message.
Half expecting the madman to barge through the door at any moment, his heart hammered. His finger froze over the open button. Six tense and watchful days had passed since Blakesley’s death and the doctor’s treatment, so it was possible Vance wouldn’t foresee any of this. Or perhaps Jori was overthinking it. Maybe Stephen just wanted to ask how he was doing.
Jori gritted his teeth and tapped the tablet. His pulse quickened as he read Stephen’s message.
Jori skimmed the words, his anticipation too great to take it slow. Stephen verified that Vance couldn’t read thoughts or emotions during a premonition. Something about the distance between the decision to act and the effect of the act itself might trigger his premonitions but he wouldn’t detect the motivations behind it.
This reiterated Vance’s blind spot where he had difficulty perceiving an event that had been decided upon more than five days prior. So even if the act was only three days away, that Jori or whoever had decided to commit that act more than five days ago prevented Vance from seeing it. Stephen’s detailed explanation on how it worked made Jori’s head spin, but he trusted the information.
The doctor went on to explain how Vance had to tie his premonitions to specific people, but it didn’t work on everyone. Those with too many implants, for example. The doctor suspected Vance couldn’t use anyone with no lifeforce for his foretelling ability.
Interesting. Jori read on. Vance saw the future from one individual, but he was incapable of seeing through more than one person in the same timeframe, even with a separate vision. Also interesting. Jori pinched his lip. Perhaps Zaina could do one thing while he did another. Vance would watch him, not her.
Stephen also confirmed what Vance had told him. The man saw things that affected him the most and he needed to make a conscious effort to foresee through a specific person even if they weren’t up to anything. Even if it was something decided over five days ago—meaning the beyond five-day rule didn’t always hold true.
Damn. That complicated matters, but it was still good to know. Jori’s nerves sizzled with the possibilities. Only this time, he accounted for the other tools Vance might use to his advantage—such as surveillance.
Jori reread the message, taking more care and committing it to memory. Then he deleted it, being sure to wipe it from the system. He switched off the device and plopped his head onto the pillow. Staring through the pitch black of nothingness helped him digest the information and add mental notes. That Vance had discovered Blakesley’s ruse using real-time monitoring meant there were cameras Jori never noticed. Perhaps bots and cyborgs were spying on him. What about Doctor Stenson himself? This could be a setup orchestrated by Vance to test Jori’s loyalty. Or make the game more challenging. Jori soured.
Another possibility was that Stephen might rat him out to protect Celine. He’d need to talk to the man in person later and gauge his emotions.
The cooling vent turned on again, spewing chilled air. Jori pulled his covers around his shoulder and curled to the side. Despite the comfort of a blanket tucked under his chin, sleep still evaded him. He had to think beyond Vance’s skills and delve into his limitations. The man’s foretelling ability didn’t extend beyond five days. Nor could he visualize from more than one perspective at a time, determine the motivations behind acts, or see through people with no lifeforce.
But even knowing Vance’s weaknesses wasn’t enough. Jori needed to counter them with his own strengths. He certainly wasn’t smarter. Nor was he a better fighter. But he was fast and agile. His smallness might be of some use.
What about his programming ability? Chances were Vance had seen him program that bot to disrupt the fabricors in the cafeteria. But it was possible he thought nothing of it because he didn’t understand coding well enough to realize what’d been done—another advantage. Vance’s obsession with him and not Zaina or the doctors would also be helpful.
What else?
Jori turned onto his other side and fluffed his pillow. If he could flip about his disadvantage of being small, what about his weakness of caring about others? His father had always said that his sentiment made him weak, and Vance almost proved him right by threatening Zaina. But Commander Hapker had once stated otherwise. Doctor Stenson was a prime example. Stephen had finally agreed to help him because of emotions.
How else could he use his propensity to care about people against a madman? Well, wasn’t he already doing that? Vance undoubtedly believed his threat against Zaina would keep him in line. It did, but only to a point. His desire to protect those he cared about went beyond mere obedience.
What about his gift with animals? The ship’s extermination bots got rid of mice and other stowaways, but two labs on the ship kept small animals.
Jori doubted mice and snakes would be of much use, but perhaps implementing a plan for every scenario would overwhelm Vance’s ability.
He tossed and turned some more. Thoughts swirled. Some plans fell away while others solidified.
For the first time in a while, the possibilities bloomed like flora after a storm. This all led to one conclusion… He’d do whatever it took to defeat this monster.
45 – Second in Command
Not long ago, a summons to the command center had filled Jori with consternation. He carried a bit of dread this time as well, but it was a drop compared to the embers burning inside him. The more he agonized over the intolerable situation Vance imprisoned him in, the harder his determination became.
He entered the bridge with his shoulders pulled back and his rancor hidden beneath a deadpan expression. Vance wore a look just as unreadable as he sat upright in the central chair. He waved his hand, directing Jori to the empty spot on the floor beside him. Jori marched over without an ounce of the disquiet that usually accompanied him whenever he’d dealt with this man. He planted his feet in a stiff at-ease stance and clasped his hands behind him.
The main viewscreen loomed ahead. A few bland views of space and various monitoring stats quilted it. Fortunately, they were much too far from anything worthy of Vance’s homicidal attention. So I’m not here to witness another massacre.
With his mental wall in place, he turned to Vance with his brows tilted into a question. Rather than get a reply, the man merely looked at him with unblinking eyes. Jori stared back, refusing to be cowed by more of this man’s stupid games. His hate boiled beneath the surface, and he used it to fuel his determination to outsmart this chima once and for all.
He still wasn’t sure how to do that, but it didn’t matter. He’d find a way.
“You got a message last night,” Vance finally said.
“Yes,” Jori replied simply while also quelling a rise of panic. The Stensons being in danger didn’t deter his resolve, so he jutted his chin.
Vance’s jaw twitched. “From who?”
Jori’s worries fled. The doctor’s trick had worked. “You didn’t see it?” he said, attempting to sound innocent.
Vance jerked toward Jori with a curled lip. “Don’t get smart with me.”
Jori’s heart skipped a beat, but nothing more. He returned the man’s glower and held it.
Vance gripped the arms of his chair like talons. “Who was it from, and what did they say?”
Jori should’ve made up a lie, but any attempt to come up with one muddled his thoughts. He opted to keep silent instead.
As Vance drew closer, the dark dance in his eyes intensified. Jori pressed his lips and remained obstinate. Even with the threat to Zaina, he wouldn’t give in by trading one life for another.
Vance’s thick fingers curled into a white ball capable of cracking a skull. Jori waited in anticipation of a strike. He almost welcomed it. For so long as he was the target, his friends would be safe.
Just when he was sure the man would explode, the man’s eyes tilted in amusement. “Go ahead. Keep your secret. It won’t matter in the end. Besides, that’s not why I brought you here.”
Vance paused, possibly expecting Jori to prompt him for more information. He didn’t bother. If Vance wanted to play a game, let him play it by himself.
“With Major Blakesley gone…” Vance finally said through his teeth, “I need a second officer. MEGA-Man appoints you.”
This time, Jori replied—but only with a frown. His confidence wavered. Damn the man for conscripting him into another game anyway.
“That’s right,” Vance continued. “MEGA-Man wants you to take Major Blakesley’s place.”
“Why?” Jori asked.
Vance’s lips curled as though he’d eaten something bitter. “He says you’re ready for it,” he said, his tone cutting like a knife over flesh. “He believes that allowing you to do more of the things you want will give you a taste of the power you can wield by serving him.”
Jori almost rolled his eyes. Serving MEGA-Man would make him a puppet. But he kept a straight face. The skin between Vance’s brows tightened as though he hated this idea. MEGA-Man’s clout must be strong. Not that he cared. This arrangement might benefit him.
“Don’t get too excited,” Vance said. “Despite my orders, I don’t trust you. I’ll be watching and informing him of all your actions.”
The chima could watch all he wanted. Jori would find a way.
“Well?” Vance asked. “Are you ready to serve MEGA-Man?”
Jori almost huffed. He wasn’t about to swear fealty. But he couldn’t lie and say yes either. It would be easy to do if the duplicitous words would just leave his mouth. “What does being your second entail?”
