Neverwylde Read Online Free PDF Page B

you,” Sandow noted. He gave Kyber a stern look. “If it’s any consolation, and I think I’m speaking for all of my species here, if a Terran ship should make it through that rip in space that we fell through, we’ll do all we can to assure your safe passage back to Seneecian space.”
                “So what are we agreeing to?” Jules asked. “Are we going back up to the surface?”
                “Kyber?”
                He turned to where Fullgrath was watching him.
                “What do you suggest?” the Terran inquired. Snorting, he waved a hand to encompass the room. “Do we stay here? Or go back up top? Or, keeping with the theme of threes, what’s a third option?”
                “I say we stay here for at least a day or two,” Kyber announced. “We need to rest. We need some time to recover. We still haven’t gotten over the shock of crashing on this planet, or what we went through when we fought those eye worms and other monsters. That’s taken a heavy physical toll on all of us.” He eyed Tojun. “We can discuss this further tomorrow, after we’ve recuperated and had something to eat. But I agree with you. If there’s any chance we can get off this planet, we’ll take it. It doesn’t matter if it’s by Seneecian or Terran ship.”
                Sandow stood and stretched the kinks out of his back. “As a doctor, I second his suggestion of food and some decent rest.”
    Mellori glanced around. “All right. So, do we all quarter together? Or do we split up?”
    “If the food’s doled out three servings at a time, I think it would be best that we divide up,” Fullgrath suggested.
    “We first need to make sure all the apartments are safe,” Massapa interjected.
    “Agreed,” Kyber noted.
    “What about all those bodies?” Jules pointed to the pile of bones a few meters away.
    “I suggest we pile them in that apartment that cloud came out of,” Mellori suggested. “We should do that first, then we can partner up.”
    Gaveer took the initiative to grab a couple of skeletons, holding them carefully, and went over to the doorway, hitting the symbol with his elbow and stepping away. Everyone tensed when the door dropped, but nothing emerged. The Seneecian went inside to deposit the bodies, then returned to grab two more.
    Working together, they managed to clear the main atrium within a few minutes. A series of quick inspections of the other apartments didn’t reveal them to contain anything harmful. Nearby, Sandow remained watching over Kelen and Dayall, who remained unconscious. Kyber stared at her lying there. She didn’t appear to be in any distress, but he worried for her wellbeing.
    Mellori wiped his hands on his pants as he emerged from the apartment. “That’s the last of them. By my count, I’m estimating there were sixty all total.”
    “Sixty-three, counting the infant remains,” Kyber amended.
    “Sixty-three is a multiple of three,” Jules pointed out.
    “Well, I’m ready to call it a day. Who’s with me?” Fullgrath punched Jules’ shoulder. “Willing to bunk with me?”
    “I’ll take Dox with me,” Mellori offered.
    “Doc, shouldn’t you should take Dayall and Chambliss?” Fullgrath pointed out. “Make sure they’re okay when they wake up?”
    Sandow looked at Kyber. The expression on the man’s face was impossible to read. Kyber felt a cold dread go through him at the thought of Kelen being in the same room as the psychotic commander, even though he tried to tell himself it would be better for her, as the physician would be there in the event she developed any complications from her contact with the black cloud. He never expected Sandow’s reply.
    “I need to stick by Dayall, but I would prefer Kyber and Kelen be quarantined in a separate apartment, in the event there are any residual effects.”
    Massapa gestured toward Gaveer and Tojun. “We’ll room together. What about sentry