Solbidyum Wars Saga 4: Too Late for Earth Read Free

trying to feed me another spoonful as I faded into blackness.  When I awoke and opened my eye, the first thing that I saw was Jenira seated there, staring at me.  The scene reminded me of a cat I had as a child, who was always sitting in front of me with an unwavering stare every day as I woke up.
    I also sensed that ever-so-faint aroma of cedar that was present whenever A’Lappe was about.
    “A’Lappe?” I muttered.  As I did, Jenira moved to get me some water, even though I did not ask for it.
    “Ahh, First Citizen, I wondered if you would still be able to sense my presence, after all you have undergone.”  A’Lappe’s voice came from the other side the room, somewhere out of my field of vision.
    I had noticed years ago when I first met A’Lappe that he emitted a faint, cedar-like scent that alerted me to his presence when others were unaware that he was nearby.  A’Lappe knew I could sense his presence even when he was cloaked, but he didn’t know how I did it; it was a thing which perplexed his scientific mind in much the same way that the mystery of his own past and origin perplexed me.  I took a sip of the water from the cup Jenira presented me and then painfully turned my head to the left until I could see A’Lappe seated in the chair Kala had occupied before.
    “Where is Kala?” I asked.
    “We talked her into going to bed.  I don’t think she has been out of this room more than a few minutes since you were brought back to the ship.  Now that she knows you will survive she relented to our pleas go get some proper sleep.  I volunteered to sit here with Jenira in her stead until she has had a chance to get some real rest.”
    “I really screwed up this time didn’t I?”  I said.  I realized that I was now a bit stronger than I had been when I was awake earlier.
    A’Lappe chuckled, “I think that would depend on what results you expected.  If it was your intent to totally change life on Goo’Waddle and send the Brotherhood running, one could say your efforts were a huge success.  However, if you were trying to survive and to continue to accomplish more, well you barely made it.”
    “Tell me honestly; how bad off am I?”
    A’Lappe looked at Jenira a moment as though contemplating whether he should say anything in her presence or not.  Then he seemed to decide with a slight nod and began, “Tibby, I’m not going to lie to you.  That you are alive now is nothing short of a miracle.  I have never known anyone so severely injured to survive.  If Galetils had not installed the latest and best medical equipment on the NEW ORLEANS , I doubt you would be alive now.  As it is, you should have a full recovery and live a normal life – or at least as normal as anyone with your wealth can.  There is a question as to how well the synthetic nerves will work; no one has ever had as much nerve tissue replaced with synthetic nerves as you have.  Right now you are a mass of scars but the nanobots in your bloodstream are already working to repair those.  By the time your other injuries are healed, no one who sees you will ever know you had scars.  You’ll be wearing an eye patch for several months until your new eye is cloned – that can’t be helped.”
    “Why is that?  It seems you can heal the rest of me relatively quickly.”
    “Eyes are not so easy. The eye is part of the brain, Tibby; and, as such, it is very sophisticated tissue.  For it to be fully developed and completely functional it needs to be grown slowly and allowed to mature before it can be implanted.”
    “How long will it be before I can get out of this bed and move about?”
    “So far you have been healing rapidly, so I would not be surprised if you are able to get out of bed tomorrow and walk a few steps with some help.  In two or possibly three more days you'll be capable enough to leave this room and return to your suite; however it will be some time before you are fully functional again.
    Jenira was tugging