Xeelob was up front with Tam-Ra, the unicorn beastgirl, when he exclaimed,"I didn't mean to peek at you. I was just going to say,'Hi', and then you came out of the shower naked. I'm really sorry if I dis-honored you. I will make amends any way you wish." Tam-Ra decided she was starting to like this cyborged human. The trauma-pack behind her started to beep an alarm. Malbess stopped and leaned over Martya as she stirred and moaned. Tam-Ra turned, still holding the stretcher one-handedly. She exclaimed,"Her vitals are spiked! Blood-pressure,heart-rate,and breathing are all elevated!" Martya moaned,"No. NO." Malbess said,"Martya? Can hear me? Can you respond?" Jahntu leaned forward, eagerly. Tam-Ra said,"Thank god!, Thistledown is setting down with Violet! He might need to Med-evac Martya back to the ship! Everyone stop here!" Martya sounded panicked as she said,"NO. NO! GET OUT!" Malbess looked at her brain-waves on the monitor as they went crazy. Jahntu asked loudly,"MARTYA! Where's Tall White Lady?" Martya's eyes snapped open looking at his. She hissed,"Where she belongs,you malformed beast!" The cold yellow eyes, filled with hate,targeted Malbess, as she snipped off,"Though she could use a coat and some pants!" She looked past Malbess to the two Cyclops who had just landed. "SLICEY'S younger sister! More targets!" Malbess drew back from the stranger before her as the blanket flew off skyward. A huge wind blew away from Martya's nude body, stripping off Malbess' jacket and flipping her upside down to land on all fours on the ice. Jahntu was blown back as the two holding the stretcher in the front were knocked down by it. Malbess leaped up and leapt upon Martya as she reached out a hand toward Violet,sprinting up. Martya yelled raggedly,"VIOLET! RUN AWAY!" Violet frozen in indecision. Martya choked for an instant, and exclaimed cheerily,"Just DIE INSTEAD!" It was like an explosion of light and wind rushing from Martya as lightning roared for an instant flattening them all. Martya hit the ice, limp as a rag-doll, the cardiac monitor keening a flat-line to the heavens. Her heart stopped, Martya still had just enough life in her to gasp out,"Get out." She gurgled and died. Zeelob picked himself first, and exclaimed,"Great Spirit! I didn't save you earlier, to have you die like this!" He jumped to her side and began rescue breathing and external heart massage. Tam-Ra jumped in, while he breathed for her. He commented between breaths,"Hey, you lost your pants!" Jahntu got up and helped Malbess to her feet. He stepped back in shock pointing at her head. She looked at him mouthing words silently. Malbess asked,"What? Can't you talk?" Tam-Ra looked over at her and exclaimed,"Holy crap! You have hair!" Martya's heart started beating again. she gasped for breath. Zeelob put the oxygen mask back on her and said,"Deep Breath! Nice and regular." Martya's blanket fell out of the sky onto Tam-Ra who was exclaiming,"Hooray! I thought we had lost...her? What the hell?" She stood up and wrapped Martya in it quickly. Malbess yelled over to the two Cyclops. Violet lay motionless on the snow, her father Thistledown frozen motionless next to her. He was kneeling, as if to touch her head. Thistledown looked some how different. Violet's clothing was gone, and her head was no longer round, like a globe, but weirdly misshapen. Malbess went to signal the ship, but it wasn't needed. Two dozen of the ship's crew came running up the hill, Capitan Rose leading the way. Malbess looked at Violet, who was twitching. She knew Rose wasn't going to like it one little bit. The wind blew errant sleet into Malbess' eye, and she didn't like it,either. --TO BE CONTINUED!!--