Well, time to call it a night.  I've got homework to do, and my stomach
is growling at me.

See y'all tomorrow.

----------

				  *******
			       Blue Lightning
				  *******
				 Volume II

			  (c) 1995 By Damon Casale


	The year is 2008.  Overcrowding, a totalitarian government, and
vicious, constantly infighting intelligence agencies plague the world.
It's not a nice place to live.

	I had a plan.  There was a way out, away from all of the worst
humanity has to offer.  It was only a matter of time...


* Survivors


	"That blast was from about two hours ago.  I scanned through the
rest of the log.  No communication regarding it, and no one ever showed up
to help the survivors."
	"There were survivors?"
	Steve nodded.  "Not many, and they're getting fewer by the minute."

	He followed me down the ladder.  "If you're going, I'm coming with
you."
	"Of course."


	One stop to make.
	"How do you feel about doing field work?"
	"Who's the patient, and what's the problem?"
	"Aliens down on the planet below us.  Probably burns, and maybe
concussion from falling rubble."

	John looked up from his terminal.  "You certainly pick the
strangest situations to get into.  I'll get a few things, and meet you in
the shuttle bay in twenty minutes."
	"Ten.  They won't last too long at this rate."

	Steve and I walked down the corridor.
	"You sure he can treat whoever's still alive down there?"
	"If they're hurt and there's any chance whatsoever, he'll pull them
through."
	"That's not what I meant.  Are they similar enough to us?  If
not..."

	He's right, that could be a problem.  "I hope so.  We've only got
this one chance to find out what's going on down there."
	He quirked an eyebrow at me.  "What do you mean?"

	We reached a ladder, and I started down.  "It's too dangerous to go
exploring.  If we're going to find out anything at all, it'll be from
whoever's left alive down there."


	The scoutcraft settled, kicking up a noxious mist.  The area was in
shambles, devastated from the blast.
	Nearby, a group of collapsed buildings dotted the hill.  Scattered
fires blazed, leaving the air hazy with smoke and pollution.

	The exit ramp lowered, and three figures wearing environmental
suits emerged.
	"Steve, check over by that pile of debris.  There are two very
faint lifesigns under it."
	"We'll check over here.  There's one just beyond that girder."

	Steve picked away at the rocks.  He heaved away a small boulder,
and two faces were revealed.  One was crushed fairly badly.  The other was
mostly intact, but bleeding slightly from a cut above the nose.

	The faces were canine in appearance, slanted downward at about a 30
degree angle.  The snouts were unnaturally long for a dog, however.  More
like a jackal.
	Their eyes were closed, but the less injured one was breathing,
shallowly.
	"John, there's one still alive over here.  The other one looks
beyond help, unfortunately."

	"No luck over here.  This one's chest is crushed.  Just a sec..."

	Together, we finished clearing away the rubble enough to lift him
out.  A bit of wire caught on my suit, tearing it, but I didn't notice at
the time.

	The creature was humanoid, and about six feet tall, but slender.
He was wearing a light robe, with stiff, angled shoulder pads.

	John pulled out a three foot long stick joined to another.  He
extended it, and pulled it apart to form a six foot long stretcher.
	We put the humanoid on the stretcher, and headed back for the
scoutcraft.


	"Uh oh.  Look at your suit."
	About to hang it up, I looked at the small tear Steve was pointing
at.
	"Let's hope you'll be okay", John said.
	"I feel fine."

	"We'll wait and see.  I hope you stay that way."
	"Right now, I'm more worried about *him*.  I'm fine."


	The scoutcraft returned to the ship.

	"He's not burned too badly.  I suggest you two leave, though.  I
don't want to be distracted."  John ushered us out of the infirmary, then
went back to the humanoid lying on the medbed.

	"You sure you feel okay?"
	"I'm fine.  A little lightheaded, but fine.  Probably the smog down
there."

	"I'd like to take a good look at that video.  Later..."


	I sat down at ops, and loaded the log.  The viewscreen flashed, and
the paused image of the planet appeared.
	The picture unfroze.  Moments later, the bright flash reappeared,
dying rapidly.
	I worked the console, peering at the tiny screen.  "Yep.  It was a
nuke.  Hmmm..."
	"Not good.  The lifeform reading on the microscopic scale just shot
up a good 20%."

	I thought a moment.  "Great.  Biological warfare, too.  Which
means..."  I put my hand to my forehead.  "I thought so.  Not good at
all."

	"John, we have a serious problem here."
	Click.  "I'm busy.  What is it?"
	"I think I caught something from the planet.  If I'm right, it's
been bioengineered, and probably deadly."
	"Bad.  Very bad.  I'll finish up with John Doe here in a few
minutes.  Meet me down here in five."
	"Okay."

	I leaned back and looked at the viewscreen again, in thoughtful
contemplation.  "That strikes me as odd.  One warhead fired.  Nuke and
bioweapon.  No retaliation."

	"What's going on here?"

	I tapped a button, and the viewscreen went blue, then showed the
planet again, slowly orbiting beneath.
	I got to my feet, stumbling, pushing on the chair for support.
Hand to my head, I staggered towards the ladder.

	On the way down, Steve met me and helped me to the infirmary.  I
climbed onto the medbed, flopping back.  My head fell to one side, and I
looked at the humanoid on another bed a few feet away.
	His robe was gone, replaced by an open-chested shirt of sorts, and
a toga.  The cut on his face had been bandaged.  He was still unconscious.

	John waved his medscanner over me.  "Yep.  You caught something
pretty bad. It's all through your system already."
	"What can you do?"

	He dropped the medscanner and uncapped a syringe filled with a dark
brownish liquid.  "I can give you a general antiviral shot.  Just a sec..."
	Pink.
	He picked up the medscanner again, waving it in front of Steve.
"You're clean."
	"So am I."

	"You're the only one.  Funny it's not contagious now."
	"But you must have gotten it through the air down there."
	He held the medscanner over me again.  "Well, it's slowing the bugs
down a bit.  You'll live.  But I need to clear them out of your system."

	He gazed at me silently.

	The humanoid stirred.  John looked at him, lost in thought.  "I
wonder..."
	Another wave of the medscanner.  "He doesn't have the bug.  He's
immune, somehow."
	"Can you find out how?", I croaked in a weak voice.
	"I'll do what I can."

	"Meantime, you need to leave."  He shoved Steve out the door, him
protesting all the way.
	"Steve, hold the fort, will you?"
	"See what you got yourself into?  Again?"
	I smiled weakly.
	The door slid shut.

	I looked back at the other bed.  The humanoid had just regained
consciousness.  Eyes half-open, he was watching us carefully.  A low-
pitched note sounded in the back of his throat.
	He sat up, slowly, all the while looking at me and John intently.

	I croaked again, my voice much weaker.  "Now life gets
interesting."
	And everything faded away.

Damon Casale, dc56+@andrew.cmu.edu

* Maison Ikkoku * Kyoko Otonashi * Video Girl Ai * Amano Ai *
               * Blue Lightning * Kerin Gray *
Blue Lightning forever...Kerin, are you out there?