Vai

I stayed in the shuttle bay with Minmin, Esther and Shel. Owen went to find his mom and dad to say quick greetings before we arrived at our destination - wherever that was. I thought about going to find my dad and to have a few quick words with my computer mom in the privacy of my room, but I didn't want to leave the new 2 Awakened Ones alone. There was still a possibility they would ignore our words and try to eat the 3 Brist that didn't have the light.

"Vai," came my father's voice behind me as I sat in the shuttle bay next to Minmin. I immediately stood and turned to face him. He wasn't alone. Two of the scientists under him - one a Bundu-Jo and one a human - stood on either side of him. At the doors to the shuttle bay stood Dr. Rags. He looked at me, then noticed my father and hid behind one of the shuttles. I wasn't sure if he was hiding from me or my dad, but I decided not to focus on him.

"Dad," I said.

He nodded to the 2 scientist beside him before he pulled me away from them and my friends. We stood between 2 shuttles which provided us with a little bit of privacy. Warpaint followed us, but stayed a few steps away.

"I just want to be sure you know I'm proud of you and I love you," my dad said. "Truly, I am incredibly proud of the young man you have turned out to be."

I couldn't quite explain the sudden trepidation that sneaked in with the warmth of his words. Suddenly he seemed tired. Old. Not just old - ancient and not in the good way. Almost weak. My green light started to drift towards him. I wanted to know that he was all right - that he didn't suddenly have any physical ailments.

"Vai," my dad said again and it broke my concentration. The light fell back all around me.

"Yes?"

"I meant it when I said I don't want you to heal me."

Now I really didn't feel good about this conversation.

"Dad," I said quietly. "It wasn't that long ago I consciously accepted you as my dad. I don't want to lose you yet. Especially not after the way I treated you when I first woke up on Mars."

My dad smiled slowly. "I've told you before - you are Vai. I have been with you all along. You are strong and independent and you will be fine without me when the time comes."

"But I don't want to be without you."

"Vai, it's not like I'm dying this instant. I'm just telling you if I am dying - don't heal me. I've lived much longer than I should have. I was selfish. I wanted to see you grown. I wanted my projects and experiments finished. All of these things have come to pass. My scientist know how to continue my work without me now and you are a strong man. In all ways. I believe you are the real Vai, but if by chance your mother and part of you have passed on beyond and are waiting for me, let me join them. I will wait for you until you join me there."

"I don't know that I am capable of stopping myself from healing you."

He placed a large hand on my shoulder. "You must. For me."

My light started to stretch out to touch him, but I called it back. I didn't want to know if there was something wrong with him. I didn't think I'd stop myself from healing him if there was.

"Stay safe during the fighting," my dad said as he embraced me. I returned his hug. "Remember to heal our people. Don't try to heal the Brist or anyone else of the miasmids. That can come after the fighting."

"Where are we going? Did we find out where the enemy ships are?"

"You will find out soon," my dad said. We pulled away from the embrace.

"Can't you just tell me?"

"Secrecy is of the utmost importance," he said.

"It's not like I'm going to tell anyone," I said.

"I know," my dad said, "but an announcement will be made in a few minutes anyway. We are almost there. Be prepared. Remember to take the 2 hour breaks and remember to let the other healers have their turn."

He turned and left. I stood there watching him as he rejoined the scientists and they left. I took a step to rejoin my friends, but a voice behind me said, "He stopped the longevity treatments." I turned to see Dr. Rags. I didn't need to ask who he spoke of.

"Why?" I asked.

"Your father doesn't open up to me," Dr. Rags said. "If you don't convince him to continue the longevity treatments, his age will catch up to him."

I wasn't sure how to reply. If I defended my father, then I needed to commit to myself that I also would adhere to his wishes and not heal him. But I couldn't outright defy my dad either.

"I don't see how I can convince him otherwise once he has made up his mind," I said.

"Can you heal him?" Dr. Rags asked. "Of his old age?"

I was pretty sure I could, but also sure I shouldn't. Ethically it didn't seem right. It was also a temptation I was worried I wouldn't be able to refute.

"I don't know," I said instead.

Dr. Rags nodded. "I've got to go," he said. "I just wanted you to know."

I was also pretty sure he wasn't supposed to have given me that information - patient confidentiality and all. I wouldn't turn him in for that though.

Warpaint didn't say anything as we walked back to my friends. I wasn't even sure he knew the seriousness of the conversation I had with my dad. My friends weren't alone. Owen had rejoined them, but also Captain Axa. She spoke to the new Awakened Ones.

"I won't command you on how to fight," she was saying, "but I will advise you not to get in the way of our ships's weapons. I hope you will fight alongside our people as - Gray - " she used Owen's new name for the Awakened One, "does. No friendly fire. Don't mistake our people for theirs. And I don't want to sound ungrateful for your presence. I am glad you are here. I just hope more of your people will follow your example and join us - soon. Or there might not be anything left to fight."

The 3 Awakened Ones tilted their heads at this statement.

Captain Axa turned her attention to me once she saw me. "Remember, Vai," she said, "concentrate on healing our people. Don't try to heal the enemy of the miasmids. At least not yet."

"But," I said, "what if I see an opportunity to heal everyone on one ship of the Corruption. Say for example, the Armstar." Shel and Minmin stood a little straighter as they watched Captain Axa for her response. "Wouldn't it benefit us if another ship was on our side," I said.

She didn't reply right away. She even looked at her okulus before finally replying. "We are almost to our destination. A second ship wide announcement will be made briefly." She turned her attention back to me. "If that opportunity presents itself - take it, but not at the expense of you passing out. Understand?"

I nodded.

"I've got to get back to the bridge. Fight well and stay safe. All of you." And with those words she left us.

As soon as she left the shuttle bridge, the newly appointed First Officer made the ship wide announcement. "We will arrive at our destination with the next jump. Remember to take your break every 2 hours. Do not fight longer than you need to. Healers, be diligent and heal as many of our people as you can. Remember to also take your break every 2 hours."

How long did they expect this fight to last? I assumed we had found the enemy fleet and were taking the initiative to attack first, but that hadn't been confirmed. How many hours would it take us to destroy them? I really hoped I could heal at least Shel's and Minmin's fathers on the Armstar, but in order to do that, I was pretty sure I would need to board the Armstar and heal as many as I could from the Corruption. I couldn't help but wonder if I would see Thrissko again.

"Focus on killing the miasmids," the First Officer said. "If they abandon their hosts as they did in the last battle, do not try to kill the hosts. Kill the miasmids. At all costs. Do not let the miasmids get away. Stay out of the way of the Gathering warships."

Warships? I looked at my friends, they seemed just as stunned as I was at this news.

"They will not stop their weapons if you get in the way," the First Officer said. "I will reiterate the importance that no miasmids get away. The warships will do everything they need to do to kill as many miasmids as they can. I repeat - do not get in their way. We will now make our jump to our final destination."

The First Officer ended the transmission briefly as the ship made its last jump and then he quickly came back on. "Those in the first wave are now authorized to exit the ship and fight. Good luck. Stay safe."

We were some of the first to exit. I had expected us to attack the enemy fleet, but that was not what was in front of us. At least not the enemy fleet that we were used to. There was a fleet of Brist ships. A fleet that surrounded the Brist homeworld. This was truly to be the last battle.

We had to win.