Bestial Planet

Chapter 13: A New Beginning

"Why do we suffer?" - Nemo

I was ready to die. I had nothing left. No memories, no family, no friends. Barely any other people had woken up and the small few who had were still feral beasts. There was no guarantee how many others would regain their humanity. I'd made up my mind, I would die right outside that god forsaken ship. Those Androids would see my body and know the pain they caused with their war. My rotting corpse would be stuck in their minds forever. Whenever they got close I'd growl, roar and feign attacks. I wasn't dreaming, I wasn't even unconscious and making it all up. I wanted it to end, I wanted to die.

But they wouldn't let me die.

*****

"Captain! He's waking up! Come up here quick!... She was worried Panzer, Lancieta wouldn't stop crying when she found you unconscious and emaciated."

I tried to growl but a raspy meow came out instead.

"I'm a fuckin animal."

After about a minute someone crashed into the room.

"How is he? Is he stable? Can he eat? Is he still sick?"

I tried to growl again but started coughing violently.

"He's still recovering from pneumonia and malnutrition. It'll take much more time for him to recover. It seems as though he's stopped coughing up blood so that's good news. His temperature is high but not as high as it was before."

Lancieta wasn't really paying attention to Roisin. She just knelt in front of me and put her forehead on mine.

"It's our fault... It's my fault. I'm the reason for billions of lives being snuffed out in an instant."

I heard the door close as Roisin left the room. Lancieta pulled away and looked me in the eyes before she spoke again.

"I know I'm the one to blame. You can hate me as much as you want. I don't deserve your forgiveness. I don't deserve anything. The only thing I can do is help as many of your people as I can to adjust to this new existence... I... I..."

At this point she started crying. I remembered the video log. She may be an Android but the tears that were streaming down her face were real. The sobbing and the trembling were as real as I had ever seen. She already knew the pain her war caused. I lifted a paw and tried to place it on her head but I lost whatever energy I had half-way and it just dropped. I felt my eyes getting heavy and I saw a look of concern on her face and heard her terrified voice before I fell back to sleep.

"ROISIN! He passed out ..."

"Why does she care?"

*****

Four weeks later I had finally gotten over my pneumonia and allowed Lancieta and Roisin to nurse me back to full health. Actually, I didn't have much choice in the matter. Roisin was finishing up her final assessment of my health before letting me out of the makeshift hospital which I assumed was in their warship.

"Ok Panzer. Follow my finger."

I do as much.

"Ok. If I let you go are you going to let yourself starve to death?"

I shake my head no. They'd probably just find me and keep me alive. If I was going to be forced to live I might as well just do so on my own.

"Do you remember anything?"

I nod yes as something heavy falls behind me, causing me to jump off the bed and turn around in a single motion. Lancieta had basically moved into the infirmary to keep an eye on me day and night. She would often fall asleep on a stool and sometimes, she'd fall off.