The Orphaned Worlds (61 page)

‘Run, Father!’ she cried out as she fought, kicked and lashed out. ‘Save the Zyradin and get away …’

Robert cursed in helpless fury, wavered, then turned back towards the platform. But a line of the spider things had flanked him and were advancing across the steps. He fired, shrieked, stamped and jumped over them, lunging up towards the top. He was nearly there when several of them landed on his back, knocking him forward. Panicking, he pushed himself back up but then something needle-sharp lanced into his back, between the shoulder blades, into his spine. Cold and hot at the same time, it made him think that he was almost reliving the fight aboard the
Plausible Response
, in that pocket universe.

His sight split, seeing double, and he staggered up onto the platform. Then another spike drove into his neck. He gasped and fell to his knees, hands numb and releasing their burdens. He didn’t remember falling over …

… but his next conscious thought found him lying on his side on the carved, heavily patterned surface of the Forerunner platform. His outflung hand was empty and as it came into focus so did the horde of silver spider things waiting in a surrounding mass just metres away.

In reflex he quickly retracted his arm then levered himself into a sitting position.

MOVE WARILY ROBERT HORST
MY CONTAINMENT VESSEL IS AT YOUR BACK

Carefully he retrieved it, regarding the enclosing circle of silver enemies. His breathing was shallow and there was a wheeze in his chest, and his muscles seemed weak and quivering.

‘What did you say these things are?’ he said.

THE LESSER XEZRI
A DEADLY PARASITE LONG THOUGHT EXTINCT
A BILLION YEARS AGO THE GREATER XEZRI RULED HALF THE GALAXY AND MADE THE OTHER HALF TREMBLE IN FEAR
LISTEN ROBERT HORST
YOU ARE DYING
THE XEZRI INJECTED YOU WITH A NEURAL DISASSEMBLER
IT IS SLOWLY EATING AWAY YOUR BRAIN AND REPLACING IT WITH THEIR OWN STRUCTURES