Fan Fiction

Chapter II - Awakenings
by Arian Solberg
 

Shugar was afraid.

 His body was drenched in a cold sweat as he stumbled over the rocky terrain. Double suns hung low on the horizon, as the shadows grew longer and twisted over mountains and into canyons.  All around him were whispers and movements, muses and observations. His heart slammed wildly against his chest as he continued to flee from the invisible eyes. Dust hung in the air invading his eyes and nose making the journey all but impossible, but still, he pressed on.
 Then, as he looked up, his gaze fell upon a hydralisk slithering towards him, slashing viciously at his unprotected throat. Shugar drew his gun and blindly fired a spray of bullets into his enemy. Blood sprang forth from the wounds and the creature cried out in pain. Then, its beady eyes went dark, and it slumped to the ground motionless. The gun fell from the lieutenant's hands as he cautiously moved over to the to the fallen snake. But even as his burning eyes focused in on what should have been the alien's carcass, he saw only the bullet-riddled body of another human. Shugar fell to his knees next to the dying man, not wanting to believe that he was responsible for the pain.
 The body was bleeding profusely from several areas, as the color slowly drained from his face. Shugar cradled the man and felt the agony as if it were his own. He pressed his hands against the marine's wounds in a feeble attempt to stop the flow of blood. Into the vortex of wind his voice flew. "Help! Oh God, someone please help!"
 A gurgling sound erupted from the man's throat as if he were trying to talk. Shugar looked deep into his eyes and whispered softly, "I'm sorry, I didn't know… I didn't know…" Then, with one final gasp the stranger's head went lax, and he closed his mouth forever.
 The lieutenant slowly closed his eyes, and released his hold on the dead soldier who fell to the ground. He again felt the silent observers hovering around him, discussing all that had occurred. Their presence was inescapable, and he again felt very afraid. As he finally opened his eyes, he found himself staring at his own hands, which were covered in the blood of the deceased. He stood up with wild eyes and flying hair, and held his arms outward to the darkened sky as if to be carried away by the wind. Then, his voice erupted into the storm, driven by fury and passion. "This is my blood! Do you hear me?!? My blood!!"
 The whispers grew louder and swirled about him like vultures above a corpse. He waved his arms frantically, spraying blood and sweat into the maelstrom.
"Leave me!! Leave me to my blood!!" he screamed through a bitter tongue. He then drew his weapon and began firing sporadically into the air, trying to drive away his tormentors. The wind surrounded him, his knees buckled and his head raged with confusion. The noise became unbearable, he covered his ears, he screamed, he cried, and then… he awoke.
 Shugar eyes flew open as he leapt up in his bed. He looked around for a moment in fear before he realized the familiar surroundings. As his heart rate began to slow to a normal level, a voice pierced the silence.
"I'm sorry to wake you sir, but I have the surveillance reports you asked for on the Zerg colony."
Shugar turned his attention to the opposite side of his quarters where light poured in from an open doorway, outlining the silhouette of a tall sturdy man.
 "Yes… yes of course, leave them on the desk."
 The soldier nodded, dropped the files on a nearby table and left. The lieutenant slowly got out of his bed, and walked over to the file. He laid a hand on the papers as if to retrieve them, but did not. Instead, he moved into to his bathroom, closed the door, and threw up.

 It was a dull pain that kept the man wondering; an insistent prodding somewhere on his body which sent messages at a fantastic speed through his nerves. It would come in waves, approximately thirty seconds apart with each break noticeably more powerful then the previous. His eyes refused to open, and his world was silent as a tomb. Indeed, only a faded sense of touch and his groggy sentience would remind him of life. But as his weary body, numb with lack of blood and neglect, slowly recovered, so too did his thoughts and feelings.
The last thing he remembered was crashing to the forest floor fearing the worst from pursuing enemies. But wait… there had been rescuers who used their strong hands to help. Pulling carefully but powerfully, lifting gently but adamantly they had ushered him to safety. They were ones who succeeded where he had failed, giving life to a person who could only die.
Suddenly, the pain once again blasted through his mind, destroying all thoughts and logic in its path and leaving fear of the next break. Slowly, his senses began to return to him, and his mind started to clear. Distant voices invaded his ears, betraying the presence of other humans but his sight continued to malfunction. A cold, damp bit of cloth slid across his forehead, easing his thoughts and releasing much tension. Slowly, his eyelids acknowledged his silent pleas and began to open. The blurry world before him only showed that he was still in the forest. In several directions, he detected movement that could not be distinguished, but could tell for certain that he was under a starry sky.
More pain came, but this time not so forceful - indicating some medical assistance. It was then that he heard a siren voice. "Do not try to move. You are safe here."
The words surrounded him like a warm blanket and he longed to see the women from where it originated, but the mandate could not be ignored. He felt his mind tranquilized by her sweet vocals and was soon asleep, dreaming of living once again.