It's been a busy week on the mining station that now orbits Nexus. The most recent brutal attack by the unknown enemy has gotten mining production peaked. The other 4 Chirr'T'Thar who were infected by the slaver's virus are recovering fairly well, but Copernicus has stopped by to see how Jenora is doing before Andromeda regains consciousness.
Copernicus, looking a little tired, or maybe just concerned, pads down the hallway to where his sister is still unconscious after losing her T'Thar. He notices Jenora at a small alcove and purrs, "Jenora, how are you doing?"
Jenora stretches. "Oh, not too badly. Feeling a bit drained, but then I've been powering up and down more often than I usually do lately. And the supercharge from the sun has long since worn off."
Copernicus nods, "I don't know if you've figured out what the recent activity is about or not?"
Jenora says, "I've been hearing comments about a battle, anyway..."
Copernicus sighs and nods, "They haven't just been singling out the Chirr'T'Thar, but it seems we're one of the few to be able to fight back. We've still lost ships and lives, but have had minimal affect on the enemy, whoever they are, and that worries me. Oh, and Imbri told me Andromeda will be waking up shortly."
Jenora nods. "I'd heard about Andromeda as well. As for the enemy here, does anyone have any idea what they're after?"
Copernicus shake his head, "We thought they were pirates, as they seemed to be raiding freighters, but now it seems they want more."
Jenora frowns. "I see... we done enough damage to any of their ships that at least we can analyze a few pieces?"
Copernicus shakes his head, "The ones that are too damaged to escape with their carriers self destruct."
Jenora bleahs. "Not a good sign. Likely dealing with fanatics here."
Copernicus nods, "Or a race that doesn't care about life, not even their own. We're upping production here as much as we can to up the number of ships and defenses around Tharhome system, and a small early detecting system here in the Nexus system. However, I need to ask you a big favor Jenora."
Jenora says, "Fanatics or drones, anyway..."
Copernicus hmmms, "Mechanical devices? Hadn't thought of that. As for the favor, it's about Andromeda.
Jenora sits up. "Yes?"
Copernicus swallows, "Well, from how the other four are progressing and Imbri's tests, Andromeda should have all of her knowledge intact."
Jenora nods, sensing a 'but' coming. "Yes....?"
Copernicus sighs, "But...very little ability to "connect" things mentally for a while. Apparently the infection went for the higher reasoning and association centers first. So she could probably still operate a tractor beam, but not know why or the consequences of it, depending. Or say an airlock, not knowing it's unsafe for her to go outside right now. I need your help to get her into a shuttle and to a safe place on Nexus for a week."
Jenora says, "The trains are still running, but the conductor's off duty. Got it."
Copernicus nodnods, "That, and some of her instinctual behavior is maladaptive when you're suddenly a lot more vulnerable than you used to be."
Jenora says, "Now _that's_ the part I'm more worried about... what she does when she's _not_ thinking."
Copernicus nods, "According to our little "friends" it'll be a good week before they can undo the damage to her mind and a bit longer to fully get her body up to snuff. It seems that they were weakening the body too. Less ability to resist."
Jenora says, "Makes sense. The whole thing looks like it was designed to 'take back' those who had 'rebelled' against them."
Copernicus nods, "The question that remains is why didn't they? Even with just the one collar, they very nearly succeeded. I wonder what happened? And more importantly, where are they now?"
Jenora says, "Coper... how long ago was it that you people broke free?"
Copernicus's tail twitches and he finally purrs, "According to the records we have, about 500,000 years ago, give or take."
Jenora says, "Exactly. That facility down there was probably millennia old, and running almost entirely on reserve power by the looks of it. Nobody had been in to look at that thing in a very, very long time."
Jenora says, "That thing was probably set up back just after the original fighting when you broke free. Late enough that they couldn't employ it as a weapon in the war, and after they'd had a while to think about how they could actually devise something like that."
Jenora says, "Half a million years is a very long time for a race... they could be anywhere by now. They could have been wiped out by some other mutated nano. They could have settled down and completely forgotten about their cause. It's not inconceivable that some of the people on Nexus are in fact distant descendants of the original slavers."
Copernicus hmmms and nods, "Well, the legends say it was a short war, as we knew more about their technology than they did. We'll keep our whiskers up as far as the slavers go, see if they are around anywhere anymore."
Copernicus blinks at Jenora, "I hadn't thought of that. But the sites we've seen so far are very low tech...except for the cave of course."
Jenora says, "They may not _BE_ around anywhere anymore, at least not as such. That's thousands of generations; whole empires rise and fall in a percentage of that length of time."
Jenora says, "It would hardly be the first time I've seen previously high-tech societies 'go native'. Especially if very few of them knew how to maintain their technology."
A small chime sounds on Copernicus's armband and he sighs, "If only it was safe to move her while still unconscious. You ready? I think Chimera is in there?"
Jenora nods. "As ready as I'm going to be."
Copernicus nods and pads off towards Andromeda's quarters.
Jenora stands up and follows in.
Chimera waves to the two from where he sits next to the sleeping felitaur.
Jenora says, "So, how's she doing?"
Chimera says, "She's sleeping."
Chimera says, "Oh, but watch this!"
Jenora says, "Ummm..."
Chimera places a finger against Andromeda's lips, and triggers a suckling reflex. "Isn't that neat?"
Jenora snorts.
A slight snarl crosses Copernicus's muzzle, but then it disappears. He knows Chimera means well. Finally, calmed down, he purrs, "She should be waking up soon Chimera, you may want to stand back."
Andromeda mmmmmmmfs and stretches a little, wings bare of flight feathers twitch some.
Chimera stands back.
Jenora stands there and watches.
Copernicus pads up and gently shakes Andromeda's shoulder, "Time to wake up sis."
Andromeda starts and rears up and wallops her brother across the room.
THUNK!
Jenora winces, and steps forward.
Copernicus hmmfs, "And she says I wake up grumpy."
Andromeda blinks a few times, her eyes focusing, "Copernicus? Why are you standing on your head against the wall?"
Jenora says, "He made the mistake of waking you up."
Copernicus, after a bit of awkward motion, gets to his feet and purrs, "So sis, how do you feel?"
Andromeda blinks and looks at her bare wings, and goes to take a step and notices the cast on her leg and purrs, "What's going on? And why is there something on my leg?"
Chimera blinks. The infection must have affected Andromeda's memories.
Jenora says, "Okay. Settle down, this is going to be a long story."
Jenora says, "The short version of it is that the collar we found down on Nexus contained a virus, tailored to attack Chirr'T'Thar. Probably developed by the people you escaped from originally."
Jenora says, "You and the other four Chirr'T'Thar who came in contact with it were infected. The virus took a while to settle in, probably in hopes that you would infect others before the symptoms became obvious."
Andromeda nods and listens, and seems to understand and remember the collar and understand the other parts.
Andromeda nods again and looks expectantly?
Jenora says, "In the later stages, the virus started shutting down your higher brain functions. We managed to analyze it and stop it before it got too far, but it's done a lot of damage to your system."
Andromeda purrs, "Oh, that's ok. We heal fast, don't we brother?"
Jenora says, "Specifically, you're not invulnerable anymore. Your healing system is almost entirely shut down. Supposedly in a few weeks you'll be back to normal, but for now you'd be dead within seconds if you went out the airlock."
Copernicus sighs at his sister.
Andromeda hmmmfs, "Don't be silly, we're designed for working in space. Been in it since I was 12."
Jenora says, "I know. And the virus was designed _FOR_ you. The slavers wanted to control you again, so the virus shut down all that."
Copernicus hmmms, "Maybe we should try another tack."
Andromeda looks at her wings and blinks, frowning, "What happened?"
Jenora says, "You didn't want us to administer the cure for the virus. There's a _LOT_ of damage in there from when you let off just about everything at once."
Andromeda blinks and purrs, "They're not growing back yet?"
Copernicus hmmms, "Could be worse I guess. Let's try and convince her to take a shuttle ride."
Jenora says, "Coper, you want to try something before I go to the more blatant displays?"
Andromeda keeps looking at her wings in surprise.
Chimera says, "The parts of you that grow your feathers and control your vacuum adaptations are still broken."
Jenora steps up to Andromeda. "Andromeda. You don't heal quickly anymore. You won't for weeks."
Copernicus sighs and pads up to his sister, and takes her paw and makes a small scratch on the side. It bleeds, and while it stops, it does scab. Andromeda stares at it.
Jenora says, "See? Your healing system is shut down completely."
Copernicus purrs, "Andromeda, you have to be very very careful for the next week or two. You're still nearly as strong as you were, but you're much easier to hurt, or hurt yourself, understand?"
It finally starts to sink in, apparently the T'Thar are trying to hook up the common sense circuits first. Partly because there are so few of them to do. Andromeda looks a little scared and hugs her brother, "Am I going to be ok?"
Copernicus purrs and nods, rubbing Andromeda's headfur as he purrs, "You just listen to Jenora and you should be fine. We're going on a shuttle ride with Jenora and Chimera, ok?"
Andromeda blinks, "But I can't go in space?"
Jenora says, "Yes, as long as you don't get seriously hurt over the next couple of weeks, you should be fine after that."
Jenora says, "No, you can't go in space without the shuttle."
Jenora says, "We're just going to take you down to the surface for a while so you can heal properly."
Copernicus hmmms and motions to Jenora to follow him as he leads his sister out the door.
Chimera follows at the rear.
Jenora follows along closely.
Copernicus reaches the airlock and purrs, "Anything you'll want down on Nexus Jenora? I know it's fairly easy for you to come back on your own. Andromeda will have to come back on her own power, that's how we'll know she's ok."
Jenora hmmms. "Some food, some local currency if you've got much..."
Andromeda doesn't seem to be listening, just holding close to her brother while he purrs, "Not a problem. That much is all set. I'll also leave you a comm set if you'd like?"
Jenora says, "Yes, we would. For that matter, on food, you got something to test for toxicity, or is that not something you've really had to worry about before? I expect Andromeda will be more vulnerable to that as well.."
Chimera hmms.
Copernicus slowly guides Andromeda to a flight couch far from any controls and purrs, "You two take care of her here while I fly ok? As for that, yes. Luckily, she'll go heavily carnivore by instinct, and few of the parasites on Nexus can stomach a felitaur, even in her condition. As for vegetable matter...I guess just keep her from it if you can."
Jenora nods, taking a seat next to Andromeda and strapping herself in. "Got it."
Copernicus calls back from the control cabin, "I've got several cases of her favorite fruits and vegetables, those will be ok."
Andromeda wraps her wings around Jenora and Chimera and mewls softly.
Chimera scritches the back of Andromeda's neck, "You'll be okay."
Andromeda blinks, "I can't seem to focus on what you're saying."
The shuttle hums and a soft *thud* signals the separation from the station. The thrusters kick in and it's off towards Nexus.
Jenora nods to Andromeda. "Some damage to the higher brain functions. It should all be all right in a couple of weeks..."
Jenora snugs in close to Andromeda, hoping her presence will reassure the felitaur.
Andromeda snugs, and finally starts nuzzling Jenora softly, then starts lick grooming Jenora's ears. It's clear a lot is running on automatic right now for the befuddled felitauress.
Jenora purrrrrs softly.
Jenora rubs Andromeda's cheek.
During the trip, Jenora and Chimera help keep Andromeda calm, and she seems to revert into cub-like behavior during that time, just cuddling and snuggling until starting as the shuttle slows and lands in a wooded section a few miles from Haven.
Jenora continues purring quietly...
Chimera asks, "The Havenites won't confuse Andromeda for an animal now, will they?"
Jenora groans.
Andromeda blinks, "But we are all animals, aren't we?"
Jenora says, "Well, they know her enough from before they're less likely to, at least."
Copernicus pads back towards the group and purrs, "How's she holding up Jenora?"
Andromeda seems oblivious to the fact that Copernicus is talking about her, instead of to her, where normally she'd slap her brother up for being rude like that.
Jenora says, "In... shock, sort of. Withdrawl."
Copernicus nods and leans over and gives his sister a gentle kiss and purrs, "Why don't you lead her out while I unload your supplies? Every other day or so a Chirr'T'Thar will be here to visit her. I'm not sure how strong the need to be intimate is right now, but I think she'll appreciate it."
Chimera grins to Andromeda and runs off toward a patch of flowers.
Jenora says, "I agree."
Jenora helps unbuckle Andromeda to lead her out.
Andromeda seems rather small and quiet, apparently understanding enough of what has happened to her to overwhelm her. She follows rather meekly behind Jenora.
Jenora skritches the back of Andromeda's neck.
Andromeda leans into the scritch a bit then pads outside, where the abundance of life does cheer her up a little, at which point she forgets about what was bothering her and bounces after Chimera and his flowers.
Copernicus pads out with several polyplast cargo containers and sets them next to Jenora and sighs, "Her ability to focus on more than one thing is also nearly gone. We were close. Another half day and she'd have died."
Jenora nods. "That's what I was afraid of."
Chimera sits down in the patch and tosses flowers at Andromeda. :}
Andromeda leaps up and catches them in her muzzle with a loud snap, acting more kitten like than usual.
Chimera grins!
Jenora chuckles. "The good thing is that she's easily amused. The bad thing is that she's easily distracted."
Copernicus purrs, "I wish I could be the one with her, but with what appears to be a nasty war starting up, I'll feel better knowing she's safe with you two. I'll owe you several after this is all over Jenora. Oh, that, and she may have a few problems with cultural differences. She cares for you a lot Jenora, and you may have to..discourage her if you're not interested."
Jenora says, "Right now I'd be more worried about someone getting hurt."
Chimera tries to get some flowers to stay behind Andromeda's ears.
With a worried look towards his sister, Copernicus nods, "She's still fairly strong, even if her body has been weakened. Yet it wouldn't be TOO hard to hurt her right now, with all the damage done to her body in addition to the low levels of...her immune system right now. Anything else you need or want to know Jenora?"
Andromeda swallows the last flower and then pads forward and noses Chimera, then leaps off, apparently wanting to play tag.
Chimera gets up and chases after Andromeda!
Jenora hmmmms. "If you know anything else she'd have a strong emotional attachment to, a favorite pillow or something, that would be useful."
Copernicus nods, "I think she has a giant, downy soft fur blanket she loves to sprawl on, I'll bring that down. Oh, and when you think she's up to it, here's her clan armband. The communications set is easy to use, and a camouflaged tent type structure, big enough for two of us is included. Why don't we walk over and I'll say goodbye."
Jenora says, "Sounds good."
Copernicus puts an arm around Jenora's shoulder and pads over to where Andromeda is bouncing and leaping, letting Chimera get close, then leap away again.
Jenora walks quietly over with him.
Andromeda stops, scoops up Chimera in a hug then puts him down and pads over to her brother and purrs, "The port engine sounded like the repulsor is out of phase with it's power coupling. You should have someone check that Coper."
Copernicus blinks, startled and then nods, "Yes, I noticed that too. Shuttles are kind of a low priority right now sister."
Jenora says, "Yes, unfortunately."
Andromeda frowns herself and notes the crates, "You're going to leave me here?"
Chimera walks over to listen.
Jenora says, "Chimera and I are staying here with you until you're healed."
With a guilty look Copernicus nods and then snugs his sister, "You take care of yourself. There's a lot of game around here, so you'll do fine. And I'll visit you when I can. Listen to Jenora, ok?"
Andromeda growls softly, "I'm not stupid brother. I just...can't seem to understand."
Jenora nods. "A side-effect of the virus cure. You'll be better soon."
Copernicus nods and gives his sister a warm hug, "I know you aren't sis, and you'll be ok, honest."
Andromeda nods and then, as if to hide her feelings, pads over to the cargo crates and starts unpacking them. Copernicus purrs to Jenora and Chimera, "Take care of her ok?"
Jenora says, "We will."
Copernicus looks once more at his sister, then looks at Jenora and for a moment a little grin crosses his face.
Jenora raises an eyebrow, looking back at Coper.
Chimera salutes Copernicus, "Yes sir!"
Copernicus leans forward and gives Jenora a big kiss as he swoops her back, then quickly puts her back on her feet and LEAPS into the shuttle.
Jenora blinkblinkblinks...
The hatch starts closing as the shuttle warms up.
Jenora sits down.
Andromeda, understanding that perfectly, is rolling on the ground chuckling.
Jenora hmmmphs... she stands up, walks over, and starts tickling Andromeda.
The shuttle slides sideways till it's at a safe distance from Jenora and Chimera, then raises into the air and takes off at an angle that gives Jenora a clear view of the face of a certain grinning felitaur.
Jenora makes a figure of a gun with her hand, and points it at Coper... she pulls back, and pops a miniature fireball back up at him.
The shuttle seems to say "Whoops" and kicks in the after burners to out race it. On a frequency that Jenora is known to listen to, a single word purrs out, "Thanks."
Chimera blinks at Jenora.
Jenora grins back at Chimera, and blows off over the top of her finger.