"Hunters Blade" -From within The Serpent

Confession

The Narashti vessel ignited its thrusters as it began to leave the orbit of the small moon. Inside its bowels rested the three hunters. Haphazardly they seemed to be thrown into the cell. The Morder paced back and forth on its bony yet silent paws. It's barely visible slitted yellow eyes,occasionally resting on them as it did so.

As a few moments passed, Eindri sat up suddenly. Catching sight of the Morder she froze in place. She ensured that All three of them still had their helmets on. More or less out her own comfort than necessity.

Disconnecting the cable from herself. She grunted as the device was actually inside her body. As she pulled small tendrils stretched out and then, once loose; frantically searched for a body to infiltrate. A second later the tendrils hung lifeless in her pinched fingers. She tossed the biomedical device to the ground and looked towards the men.

She scanned their bodies with her visor. They seemed to be fine, although Jonah's vitals were not making sense. As she scanned Rhynn she realized he was awake and watching her. From within their helmets they spoke to one another.

"We do sleep overs now?" His sense of humour was intact a least.
"Look at Jonah's vitals; he's all over the place." She said ever the professional.

Rhynn looked to his male companion but noticed the device in his wrist and began to forcefully remove it. He too grunted in disgust. "Oh that's wrong." He commented as he saw the tendrils. He tried to hide his nausea.

The fact that they were in a totally new surroundings was becoming less and less remarkable each time it happened. They were learning to just adapt. Rhynn placed his hand on the floor.

"It appears the vessel isn't underway. The vibration is that of an idle craft." She rolled her eyes although curious if she should believe him. She fought the desire to touch the floor platting and see if she could feel anything. "I wonder what they could be waiting for." He continued.

Eindri rolled her head back and forth scanning all that she could see. The glass that surrounded them was designed to block her attempts or at the very least reflect her attempts.
"I can't see beyond the glass." She frowned. "Do you know what happened?" Rhynn asked hopeful of an answer.
"All I know is 30 seconds more than you." He smiled behind his helmet.
"Gosh.... I envy you...one day I'll be as wise as you." he said sarcastically brushing off his soiled Armour.

As they sat; Jonah began to move. Small micro movements at first. Then a shoulder, then a hand. He was coming around.

"Take it easy Jonah. You did something very foolish. If you were any other person.." he stopped talking as Jonahs helmet folded back.

Jonah now on his hands and knees arched his back and dry heaved. Glancing a look to his friends he made eye contact. It was then they realized the Jonah they knew, was not the Jonah they now had.

In the second it took for them to make eye contact; they realized his eyes had changed. They now were a brilliant blue and they seemed to glow with a blue hue. Both of the others scanned him again and confirmed what they had seen.
"Jonah, you were a human. You are now reading as a Laquin." Eindri said nearly shocked.

He coughed as he said; "You guys could have just asked me." Silence crept into the room as they thought about what it meant for Jonah to be an alien.

"My body underwent genetic modification. Genetic splicing. The works. I did all of it myself. I didn't want anything to do with my family or it's past. I wanted to blaze my own trail." That's more or less what he wanted to say but instead he began to get sick again.

The ship seemed to rumble and clank loudly. "Weapons are coming on line." Rhynn seemed to perk up as he listened. A loud series of bangs and thuds followed. Then once again there was silence.

The doors that held the three in place suddenly opened. The Morder guard however seemed more curious to the events on the bridge and left the room like a spooked animal.

As the two able bodied hunters walked they summoned weapons to their palms. The limping and very sick Jonah,did not. As they turned corners they expected to see more crew members; but there was none; Only silence. As the last place to explore was the bridge, they prepared for the worst.

The bridge doors opened to expose an empty bridge. There was a strange familiar aspect to the ship. Gradually the three recognized it as their own.

As they walked in and breathed a sigh of relief, the AI greeted them. "Good day hunters." They all expressed the sentiment that they each thought the ship was destroyed.

The AI explained that, all though the outer hill was damaged, the vessel was not. This statement made no sense. So again the AI explained. "I am not just merely a composition of alloys, I am alive- much like in the way you are alive. I feel, breathe, I eat and I sleep. I can even love and hate. It is nothing for me to limp my way to another vessel and consume part of its hull to repair my own." Rhynns eyes widened and connected a few dots.

"Eindri didn't kill the Narashti did she? The first Narashti- the one that was dead on the bridge before." The AI response with; "that's correct..."

"If the other hunters didn't kill him the who did?" Eindri asked.

A moment passed and the AI confirmed what they had hoped wasn't true. "I killed the Narashti." The AI said in a almost proud tone.