《Blood and Oaths: A Predator Fanfiction》 Prologue: Years
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S1: Chapter 0: What Came Before - -
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S1: Chapter 1: Regression
Weyland Industries Mental Rehabilitation Center Facility A13 Dr. Boyd is seated alone at a metal table. The surrounding room is covered wall to wall with two-way mirrors. The expression on Teresa¡¯s face says she is not pleased. Her infant son is nowhere in sight. ¡°Where is my son?!?¡± Teresa hollers at no one. ¡°I want my son!¡± A tall woman, slightly older than middle-aged, wearing a lab coat and a smart-looking business suit swishes into the room. Pushing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses up on her nose, the woman smiles artificially at Teresa. ¡°Doctor¡­Boyd!¡± the woman doctor says with feigned enthusiasm. ¡°I¡¯m Dr. Wessinger. You should remember me. I¡¯ve been in charge of your care since you awoke from cryo. I also helped to deliver your infant son a few weeks ago. I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re more alert today. Are you ready to talk with us now?¡± Dr. Elmira Wessinger takes a seat across from Dr. Boyd. She intertwines the fingers of both hands and peers at Teresa with a look of pure condescension. Teresa only repeats what she has been saying since her son was taken more than two nights before. ¡°I¡­Want¡­My¡­Son!¡± Teresa yells. ¡°Where have you taken my son?¡± Teresa slaps a slender hand on the table and glares at Doctor Wessinger. The older scientist simply smirks and glances at the clock on the wall above Teresa¡¯s head. ¡°You will see your son, Dr. Boyd,¡± Dr. Wessinger says indifferently. ¡°As soon as you tell us¡­Whose son he is?¡± Teresa¡¯s heart leaps in her chest and she scrambles for an answer. ¡°I¡­I¡­I don¡¯t know whose son he is,¡± Teresa wails. ¡°All I know¡­Is that he¡¯s mine. I nearly gave birth to him on the escape craft. When I realized I was close to term, I immediately put myself in stasis. I¡¯m telling you the truth. I don¡¯t know who the father is! Or¡­What he is.¡± Teresa¡¯s voice trails off as she finishes her statement. She stares across the table at the much older scientist. Will the doctor believe her story? Hell, she might not even believe it herself. ¡°None of the tests show any damage to the memory centers of your brain, Dr. Boyd,¡± Dr. Wessinger says with a snide smirk. ¡°Who¡­Or what¡­Are you covering for?¡± ¡°I told you¡­I don¡¯t know!¡± Teresa repeats. ¡°And I¡¯m telling you¡­I don¡¯t believe you!¡± Dr. Wessinger yells back. The older woman¡¯s accent is so thick that Teresa is almost unable to make out the words. However, she is able to get the gist. This scientist plans to play hardball. This new doctor, with eyes straight from Hell, will obtain her answers however she must. Teresa is sure of it. Even if it means harming her son. A memory floats to the front of Teresa¡¯s mind. N-Vorl¡¯s muscular arms around her waist. His eyes like lush green grass. Eyes very much like his son¡¯s. Whispered words in her ear. His mouth hovering close to hers. ¡°How will we say the little one came about? Elder Glandis will not accept¡­What we have done to reach this point.¡± Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°I¡¯m a scientist, N-Vorl. If a child is to be born¡­I will tell him all he needs to know. You need not be involved.¡± Teresa hangs her head and runs a hand through her long black hair. She emits a low sigh. Meeting the older scientist¡¯s gaze, Teresa finally finds her voice. ¡°I¡­After the California went down¡­I began experimenting on myself,¡± Teresa explains. ¡°I injected myself with everything I could. I even artificially inseminated myself with different variants of Judas DNA. I don¡¯t know why. I guess¡­I really did think I was going to die. I didn¡¯t think it mattered anymore. Everyone around me was dead. If I hadn¡¯t found that escape craft¡­I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d even be alive right now. The Judases were everywhere by then.¡± Dr. Wessinger leans back in her chair. She sucks on her inner jaw and shoots darts of anger from her eyes to Dr. Boyd¡¯s. ¡°Which begs the question¡­How did you manage to find the escape craft?¡± Dr. Wessinger says, once again leaning toward Teresa. ¡°From what I¡¯ve managed to dig up¡­You had no clearance to be in that area of the ship. That craft was off-limits to anyone but a few high-ranking officials. How did you manage to even operate it?¡± Teresa¡¯s heart leaps again, and she nervously licks her lips. ¡°The saboteur. He knew where the craft was,¡± Teresa hurriedly interjects. ¡°He had all kinds of information on some kind of device. Codes, schematics, names of party affiliates who were willing to pay for samples of the Judas. He knew¡­Pretty much everything about the ship¡­The crew¡­Our project. All because of that nifty little device he could just stick into any computer. I¡­He was killed by a Judas. I tried to keep him alive. I wanted you all to know what he had done. He didn¡¯t make it. But he knew. He knew where the craft was.¡± Dr. Wessinger considers Teresa¡¯s impassioned speech a moment before once again chewing on her jaw. ¡°So where is this device?¡± Wessinger asks. ¡°I destroyed it!¡± Teresa says. ¡°It contained information which might be dangerous if in the wrong hands. I thought it best¡­That if I was going to be floating in space¡­Possibly forever¡­I should probably make sure that no one would ever be able to use it again.¡± ¡°Ummhmm. So what of this¡­Artificial insemination? What strain did you use?¡± Dr. Wessinger inquires. ¡°Huh? What?¡± Teresa says Teresa is thoroughly flummoxed by the doctor¡¯s return to a previously already answered question. She struggles to maintain her train of thought. ¡°What strain? Like I¡¯m really going to remember that?¡± Teresa exclaims. ¡°I was marooned on a giant freighter. Alone. I thought I was going to die. I was acting rashly and without any real rhyme or reason. I am not going to remember which strain of cockroach I managed to impregnate myself with. That¡¯s the kind of nightmare a person wants to forget!¡±
Dr. Wessinger¡¯s mouth forms an evil scowl. ¡°It¡¯s not a Judas!¡± Dr. Wessinger states through clenched teeth. ¡°We cross-referenced your son¡¯s DNA against all known base pairs. He is not a Judas. But neither is he exclusively human. So¡­What is he, Dr. Boyd? Where did you get the DNA you used to inseminate yourself?¡± Teresa sits back in her chair and crosses both arms over her ample bosom. The pressure of her arms against her chest causes Teresa to wince. She has not nursed her son in more than two days and the discomfort has become almost unbearable. ¡°I¡¯m not going to repeat myself!¡± Teresa yells loudly. ¡°I don¡¯t know what strain. Maybe it was a contaminated sample? I don¡¯t know. Now¡­Give¡­Me¡­My¡­Son!¡± Dr. Wessinger releases a dejected sigh. She shakes her head negatively and offers Teresa a look of feigned sincerity. ¡°I don¡¯t think so!¡± Dr. Wessinger replies. The older woman climbs to her feet and heads for the door. The scientist makes a signal with her hand and a buzzer sounds. Followed by the thud of a lock releasing. Teresa climbs to her feet as well. There is now panic in Teresa¡¯s voice. ¡°Where is my son? What have you done to him? Did you hurt him? I want to see my son!¡± Teresa screams. A torrent of tears runs down Teresa¡¯s face and she races to get around the table. Her intention is to cut Dr. Wessinger off before she can exit the room. However, the bag of bones moves quite swiftly for her old age. And Teresa is still weak from two years of cryosleep. The door shuts before Teresa can get to it. Wessinger is safely on the other side. Teresa moans as she pounds a fist on the solid metal door. She knows that the other scientists are still standing opposite the wall-length mirror. On the other side of the door. Observing her, judging her, waiting for her to slip up and reveal what she knows. But will they wait? There are plenty of ways to get people to talk. This is exactly what she¡¯d been afraid of. That they would take her childling and experiment on him. She should have set the craft on a course far away from human habitation. She might still be floating out there, but at least she would have her son. Their son. Teresa slowly eases down to the floor. She draws her feet up toward her chest and falls asleep in a fetal ball. S1: Chapter 2: Memories
Teresa¡¯s quarters on the station
When a young orderly arrives with Teresa¡¯s lunch, she barely acknowledges him. The young man offers Dr. Boyd a tiny smile and sets her plate down on the metal table. He opens his mouth as if to speak, but shakes his head. Obviously fighting an internal battle in his own mind. The orderly turns to go. ¡°Thank you,¡± Teresa mutters. She does not bother to look up. She only stares at the floor. The orderly tilts his head, as if to see her face better, and Teresa can¡¯t help but smile. N-Vorl, and that silly yautja head tilt. So many memories from such a short period in her life. Eight days. Had it really only been eight days from start to finish? Eight days managed to turn her entire life upside down? And she wouldn¡¯t take back a single one of them. The orderly¡¯s smile grows wider as he observes the smile on Teresa¡¯s face. He nods and grips the large serving tray in his hands tighter. ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Doctor Boyd!¡± the young man says and exits the room. Warmth spreads through Teresa¡¯s body and her smile grows to match that which had covered the young orderly¡¯s face. Doctor Boyd? Had he really called her doctor? Not patient X. Not Teresa. But, Doctor Boyd? It¡¯s been quite some time since she has thought of herself using that particular title. It feels good to be a doctor again. - - Teresa¡¯s heart pounds in her chest as the door to her cell is opened, and a nurse steps inside. The tiny bundle wrapped in her arms can only be one thing. Teresa climbs off of the bed and takes a step toward the open door. An electrical charge travels the floor and Teresa finds herself falling back onto the bed. The electrical hum stops and Teresa struggles to catch her breath. Did they really just shock her? That is when she notices the thickly insulated shoes on the nurse¡¯s feet. What kind of place is this? The nurse seems unsurprised by what has occurred. She simply takes another couple steps into the room. Her voice is as dry as her old face is wrinkly. That is to say, a lot. ¡°You will have limited time with the infant¡­If you follow the instructions we give you,¡± the nurse says in a nasally voice. ¡°You may feed him, change him, whatever you need to do. Just remember¡­We are not far. No tricks. You¡¯ve seen what we will do if you try to pull anything.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. The nurse hands the infant childling to Teresa with a wry smile. ¡°Personally¡­If I¡¯d had the choice,¡± the elderly nurse says. ¡°I would have killed it. Such an ugly abomination of God¡¯s creatures. It should not be allowed to live. And you? Well, they knew how to deal with people like you many centuries ago. A witch should not be suffered to live. And that is what you are. You have defiled the purity of humanity with bestiality! I may have given up my Earther faith. But, I still know what is right. You should have been killed also!¡± Without another word, the angry nurse storms out. Teresa gently pulls back the blanket from her infant son¡¯s face. The childling¡¯s color is sickly pale and his eyes are squeezed shut as if he is in terrible pain.
Nearly three days without food. Teresa¡¯s heart clenches at the idea that her son may be close to death. That is the only reason they have permitted her to see him, to feed him. They want to keep him alive. For experimentation. As a tool for torture. Teresa unbuttons the top of her gown and folds down the front. She exposes the left side of her chest enough to where the infant can effectively nurse. Shaking her head, Teresa further removes the blanket from her tiny son¡¯s head. She whispers softly in his ear, hands stroking the steadily growing hairs covering his scalp and hairline. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Vor¡¯taalnis,¡± Teresa sighs. After weeks of silence, Teresa finally gives utterance to her childling¡¯s name. Having absolutely no idea how yautja syntax works, Teresa has given him a name which represents the male members of his clan. Maybe one day, it will mean something more. As Vor¡¯taalnis nurses hungrily, Teresa contemplates their future. - - Teresa lies with both eyes tightly shut, processing everything which has just transpired. N-Vorl¡¯s arm is draped affectionately over her chest. She allows her eyes to flutter open as N-Vorl¡¯s mouth tenderly grazes the flesh of her bare shoulder. Turning her head, she meets his gaze. The rugged warrior is smiling, a rare but gradually more common occurrence. She turns onto her side, in order to face him completely, and N-Vorl pulls her tight to his chest. The steady rise and fall of N-Vorl¡¯s chest is almost hypnotic, and she fantasizes falling asleep in his embrace forever. No more experiments, no more deadlines, and no more death. Just the two of them, making love and growing old. However, she knows that can never happen. Not in her world. Not in his. N-Vorl is a yautja, born and bred for war. And she is an ooman scientist¡ªtrained to create warriors and tools of destruction. Peace is not in their future¡ªnor in their stars. Assuming they make it off of the ship, or the planet, alive. With a heavy heart, Teresa kisses N-Vorl beneath his chin. "We have to get moving," she says. "They''ll be back soon. I think I know you yautja pretty well by now. You''re sticklers for punctuality. They won''t risk missing the deadline." N-Vorl separates from Teresa only enough to dip and kiss her passionately. No longer novices, at their particular brand of hybrid mouth massage, they take from each other what they will. Nearly starting the whole process all over again. S1: Chapter 3: No Rest For The Wicked
Teresa turns over on the bed as the lock on her cell disengages noisily. Two orderlies enter the cell, a man and a woman. The female orderly carries a small bundle of clothes and other toiletries. She addresses Dr. Boyd in a disinterested tone of voice. ¡°Time for housekeeping services, Teresa,¡± the woman says coldly. ¡°You will be led to the showers while we make up your room. Please follow Mr. Stevens, here. A change of clothes will be awaiting you once you return.¡± Teresa¡¯s brow furrows as she tries to process what she has just heard. ¡°Wait. Huh? A change of clothes for when I return?¡± Teresa exclaims. ¡°What do I wear in the meantime?¡± The female orderly grins wryly. ¡°Dr. Wessinger says you are not to be given a change of clothes until your return to the cell,¡± the woman says. ¡°You¡¯ll have to ask her why. Perhaps, so you do not hang yourself in the shower room. Now, if you please¡­Follow Mr. Stevens to the designated area.¡± Teresa slowly rises from the bed. She glances at the large man named Stevens warily. In a strange way, the male orderly reminds her of N-Vorl¡ªthe day they first met. Angry, and seemingly out of place. Teresa stands as straight as possible and strolls to where the orderlies block most of the doorway. She locks eyes with the orderly named Stevens and he silently nods. Without a word, Stevens turns and exits the room. Teresa follows him warily down the hall. - - ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Stevens says as he leads Dr. Boyd to the shower room. ¡°There are only patients on this floor. Three to be exact. No offices. No meeting rooms. Only other things on this floor¡­Besides you head cases¡­Are an observation cubicle, a supply closet, and the washrooms. Once you are finished showering¡­We will head back to your room.¡± Teresa walks even faster, trying to see orderly Stevens¡¯ face. She is hoping to somehow reason with him. ¡°I don¡¯t understand, Mr. Stevens,¡± Teresa says, ¡°Why can¡¯t I at least have a towel?¡± ¡°Because Dr. Wessinger does not wish it¡­And I do what I¡¯m told,¡± Stevens barks back. ¡°But why?¡± Teresa insists. ¡°Why go along with the doctor¡¯s madness? You do realize that this is madness? To torture another human being? Do the people at Weyland Industries know what¡ª¡± ¡°All I know,¡± Stevens interrupts. ¡°Is that I have a kid sister. I¡¯ve cared for her since she was nine. And now, she¡¯s got the cancer. Like I said¡­I do what I¡¯m told.¡± Stevens points toward a small room with a solitary finger. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Now. After you, Dr. Boyd,¡± Stevens bellows. ¡°The showers are in there. Take your clothes off and toss them outside the door one article at a time. Dr. Wessinger says to make sure all items are accounted for. Including your underwear.¡± Teresa sighs heavily and steps into the doorway of the shower room. She glances around at the eerily unwelcoming accommodations. ¡°Right there! Take your clothes off right there!¡± Stevens demands in a chilling voice.
¡°Right here,¡± Teresa exclaims. ¡°Why right here? You said¡­Toss them out the door one at a time. At least let me step out of the doorway.¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Stevens says coldly. ¡°Dr. Wessinger¡¯s orders were to not take my eyes off of you until you do. Go ahead.¡± ¡°You¡¯re enjoying this, aren¡¯t you?¡± Teresa yells. Anger causes Dr. Boyd¡¯s stomach to lurch and she grapples with a deep sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. There was once another time when everywhere she went¡ªshe carried with her an extra shadow. As well as an extra pair of eyes. Shaking off the negative energy coursing through her mind and body, Teresa begins to undress. - - Teresa returns to her cell humiliated and nearly in tears. She waits for the locking mechanism to engage before crossing to the bed. Removing the pile of clothes, she searches in vain for undergarments. She considers hollering for one of the nurses, but knows her request will fall on deaf ears. The omission was intentional. Teresa puts on her new gown and sits on the edge of the bed. She stares silently at the double-sided mirror. Is Dr. Wessinger on the other side of that mirror? - - Three days later ¡°I need water!¡± Teresa screams. The former scientist leans against the door to her cell, speaking through the two inches of carbonized steel. ¡°Please,¡± Teresa begs. ¡°Just give me some water! I won¡¯t be able to breastfeed if you don¡¯t give me some water. My son will die. You don¡¯t know what he needs. None of us do. Please. Dr. Wessinger? Somebody? Anybody? Just listen to me. Please.¡± An electric shock courses through both the door and the floor. Teresa is jolted first one direction and then another. As the current is turned off, she falls heavily to the floor. Her head strikes the doorframe and she is knocked unconscious. The two orderlies from before, Stevens and Meyer, gaze through the small window at the top of the door. Meyers is the first person in the room when the mechanism unlocks and the door opens. Once the two orderlies enter the cell, they carry Dr. Boyd to her bed and dump her unceremoniously on top of it. The man and woman exit the cell just as silently¡ªand as quickly- as they entered. - -
Teresa sits quietly on the bed. Her legs are bent at the knee and she uses both arms to hold her gown in place, in order to not expose her intimate parts. However, the position is soothing. It allows her to rock back and forth. She imagines it is the same motion she might use to rock Vor¡¯taalnis to sleep. The door unlocks for the third time that day and Brian Bashir peeks around the door frame. This is the first time in almost a week that Brian has made an appearance. His thin face seems gaunter than before, and there is a haunted look to his eyes. Teresa smiles wistfully. It can¡¯t be a coincidence that Harold¡¯s kid brother has been stationed at the same facility where she is being held. This is likely another part of Dr. Wessinger¡¯s elaborate torture scheme. Teresa had recognized the young man almost immediately¡ªfrom the photo Harold always carried in his credit wallet. ¡°Hi, Dr. Boyd,¡± Brian says. He steps into the cell with Teresa¡¯s lunch tray in two trembling hands. Teresa offers him a friendly smile and carefully drops her legs down. ¡°Hello, Brian,¡± Teresa says. S1: Chapter 4: Whatever It Takes
Three Days Later Dr. Wessinger¡¯s office on the station A chime sounds and Dr. Wessinger looks up from her computer. Annoyance fills her voice and is written all over her face. ¡°Enter!¡± Wessinger yells. The double doors slide open and a tall man in a dark uniform enters. Dr. Wessinger sits up straighter in her chair. ¡°General Weyland? We weren¡¯t expecting you for another two days,¡± the doctor says. She climbs hurriedly to her feet and extends her hand. The general does not take the offered hand. Instead, he simply sits down at the chair on the opposite side of the table. Dr. Wessinger retracts her hand and sits back down. ¡°As I said, General. We weren¡¯t expecting you,¡± Dr. Wessinger says again. General Erik Weyland assesses the aging doctor and finds her wanting. There had been a time, in Weyland history, when only the best of the best were allowed within the ranks. Several costly tech wars had encouraged Weyland Industries to branch out¡ªto accept even the most mediocre of scientific minds. The present doctor included in such company. Now, Dr. Teresa Boyd. That was quite a different story. She¡¯d been one of the most brilliant minds in recent scientific history. Too bad she¡¯d lost it in the ass-end of space. Or so, she¡¯d like them all to believe. Whatever she knew, it had to be good. Why else would she go to such lengths to conceal it? ¡°We have reason to believe there are hostiles approaching the Alterran sector,¡± General Weyland explains. ¡°Our troops are being recalled to Celstus Prime for a defensive operation. Which means¡­I don¡¯t have time to babysit you, Doctor!¡± General Weyland leans over the desk. His eyes are filled with pure malice as he addresses Dr. Wessinger. ¡°Now¡­Since my superiors are breathing down my neck¡­I figured it¡¯s time I breathe down yours!¡± General Weyland growls. ¡°What information have you been able to extract from the good doctor?¡± Dr. Wessinger is momentarily taken aback. Considering the General¡¯s connections, and his high rank, she cannot imagine who could possibly be breathing down his neck. However, simply remembering who they work for cures her of that confusion. ¡°As of right now¡­Nothing,¡± Dr. Wessinger admits somewhat sheepishly. ¡°She¡¯s as tight-lipped as ever. Keeps claiming it¡¯s some kind of Judas from a contaminated sample. But there¡¯s no way that¡¯s pos¡ª.¡± General Weyland does not allow the older scientist to finish. He slams a meaty fist on the wooden desk and climbs to his feet. He leans over the table, so that he is inches from Dr. Wessinger¡¯s face. ¡°Then¡­You are not trying hard enough, Doctor!¡± General Weyland bellows.
The general¡¯s face takes on a deep red shade and his breathing is heavy and labored. Dr. Wessinger is sure he wishes to strike her. Strike her hard. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°We want that information, Doctor!¡± General Weyland says in a slightly lower voice. ¡°However¡­You have to get it! Do you understand? Find out what she knows!¡± Standing erect and pivoting away, General Erik Weyland storms from Dr. Wessinger¡¯s office. Shock, and then anger, dances across the scientist¡¯s face. The man did say: ¡®However, she had to get it.¡¯ Dr. Wessinger leans across her extremely overpriced Earth Oak desk, and taps the touch interface of her computer. There is a low chime and the youthful face of a male technician floats onto the screen. ¡°Yes, Dr. Wessinger,¡± the young man says in an artificially sweet voice. ¡°Shelton¡­I want you to find someone for me,¡± Dr. Wessinger orders. ¡°His name is Frank Buederson. He¡¯s a dream specialist. Send him a communique; stating I need him here ASAP.¡± ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am,¡± Shelton says. Before he can say anything more, Dr. Wessinger ends the transmission. Why pay extra credits for the tech to simply run his mouth asking stupid questions. The doctor steeples her hands and braces her elbows on the desk. All that is left to do¡ªis to wait. - - ¡°Good morning, Dr. Boyd,¡± Brian says, peeking childishly around the door. The shy orderly smiles kindly and enters the cell with Teresa¡¯s tray of food. He sets it down on the table and backs away. He looks around as if expecting her sparse furnishings to have changed. Or improved. ¡°I¡­I¡¯m sorry about your son¡­Dr. Boyd!¡± Brian stammers. Teresa halts her hand in front of her mouth, a piece of toast almost pressed against her lips. She lowers the bread back onto the tray and offers Brian a thin smile. ¡°How do you know about my son? Wouldn¡¯t something like that be classified?¡± Teresa questions. ¡°Well¡­Normally¡­Yes,¡± Brian admits. ¡°But the salvage crew that found you couldn¡¯t keep their mouths shut. They kind of mentioned the condition they found you in¡­And people started connecting the dots. So¡ª¡± Brian¡¯s voice trails off and he backs away another step, intending to leave. Teresa raises a hand in the air to stop him. ¡°Don¡¯t leave,¡± Teresa says. ¡°Please. I need to talk to someone. Anyone. Besides those damn doctors. Do you know where they are holding my son, Brian? Is he okay?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know where they have your son, Dr. Boyd. I¡¯m sorry,¡± Brian replies. ¡°I didn¡¯t really think you would,¡± Teresa says. ¡°But it was worth a try.¡±
Brian nods and bites on his lower lip. ¡°Well¡­I¡¯ve got other trays to deliver,¡± the young man says. ¡°See you at lunchtime¡­I guess.¡± ¡°Sure, Brian,¡± Teresa says. Brian turns and leaves the room with his serving tray. Teresa¡¯s heart sinks as the door¡¯s locking mechanism slams into place. Forcing herself to eat the lukewarm food, and drink the bitter black coffee, Teresa laments her present situation. So much for her Nobel Prize. - - N-Vorl lightly traces a finger along the flesh of Teresa¡¯s right arm. With a faint smile, she turns over on her right side¡ªin order to face him. The yautja warrior offers her a smile in return. ¡°I believed you had fallen asleep,¡± N-Vorl says. ¡°I would not wake you¡­But the others will be returning at any time.¡± Teresa nods and moves to sit up. N-Vorl quickly follows her lead, gripping Dr. Boyd¡¯s shoulders and forcing eye contact. He considers telling Teresa all that he knows, but is wary of destroying the blossoming emotions they have only just begun to explore. ¡°Why are you here, Teresa?¡± N-Vorl questions, his eyes riveted to the ooman scientist¡¯s face. Teresa bites her lower lip and turns partially away. She is quite sure she knows what N-Vorl is driving at, but has no desire to indulge him. When she turns back, her eyes have hardened. N-Vorl places a hand under Teresa¡¯s chin and tilts her head upward. ¡°It is not my wish to start a fight,¡± N-Vorl reassures Teresa. ¡°I simply want to know¡­Why we are here.¡­Together? Did you believe I would divulge what I knew to Elder Glandis? You needn¡¯t have worried. I had no such intention.¡± Teresa once again averts her eyes, but N-Vorl gently flicks the end of her nose with a finger. Teresa¡¯s mouth gapes open and she emits a soft gasp. ¡°What the hell?¡± Teresa exclaims, giving N-Vorl a dirty look. The yautja simply smiles his usual awkward smile, green eyes narrowing to tiny slits. Teresa returns his smile with a cruel smirk, one brow rising sharply¡ªas she contemplates how to get even. - - Dr. Boyd turns over on the bed, her eyes flutter open and she glances up at the ceiling. N-Vorl. S1: Chapter 5: Phantasm Teresa¡¯s eyes struggle to open and she sits up in the bed. Her entire body is covered in a red, tacky liquid. The stickiness is what originally kept her eyes from being able to open. Forcing both eyelids to cooperate, Teresa glances around the room. Instead of her usual cell, Dr. Boyd is in a room covered in blood, and overflowing with piles and piles of dried bones. Many of them human. Others are from creatures she cannot identify. Scooting to the edge of the bed, Teresa prepares to stand. That is when she notices what she is wearing. A mesh suit covers her body from neck to ankle. Only this mesh suit is not like those worn by any yautja she has ever seen. The squares are barely a centimeter wide, and are comprised of thinner strands. The only similarity Teresa can find to an actual yautja suit is the halter top and miniskirt, resembling that worn by Glotis. However, that is not the full extent of Teresa¡¯s transformation. Staring down at her hands, Teresa studies the odd protrusions at the ends of her fingertips. Are those claws? Or talons? What is going on? Climbing from the bed, Teresa shuffles across the floor. She skirts past the piles of bones littering almost every inch of space. Her hip brushes a particularly haphazard pile of human leg bones and ribcages. Several bones skitter loudly to the floor. One ribcage hits the floor and shatters, bones going in every direction. Dr. Boyd whirls to get away from the horrifying mess, and her eyes take in a gruesome sight. Hanging in one corner are several human bodies. Each one stripped of their skin. Blood slowly drips from the skinned corpses, and joins a river of red pooled beneath them on the floor. Teresa raises both hands to the sides of her face and lets out a piercing scream. She briefly shuts her eyes. Willing the portrait of death, blood and bones seared into her brain to go away. When Teresa opens her eyes, the bloody display of savagery is still there. But behind it, hidden in shadow, is a large red throne. A tall stooped figure sits upon the throne, his head bent forward. The beaded braids, mesh suit, and shoulder cannon automatically clue Teresa in that the throne-sitter is definitely a yautja. Dropping her hands from the sides of her head, Teresa creeps closer. The yautja does not acknowledge her presence. His eyes are closed and his chest barely moves. Teresa studies the throne where he sits more closely. The throne appears to be made of bone also, with skulls of all sizes lining the top and sides. Teresa shivers and considers taking a step back. But then, the silent figure moves. Ever so slightly. ¡°Who are you?¡± Teresa hears herself say. The large figure raises his head, and Teresa lets out a loud gasp. She struggles against the impulse to flee. ¡°N-Vorl?!¡± Teresa exclaims. But the N-Vorl who sits upon the throne of bones is not the same N-Vorl she left almost two years before. His eyes are no longer the color of lush grass. Instead, they glow with an eerie light. The apparition that is N-Vorl climbs to its feet. A menacing grin transforms the placid face to one of pure evil. He takes several heavy steps in Teresa¡¯s direction. Backing slowly away, Teresa looks over one shoulder to keep from sprawling over the bones littered everywhere. When she looks forward again, N-Vorl is almost directly in front of her. Reaching out with unbelievable speed, he grabs her and draws her to him. He lowers his mouth to Teresa¡¯s ear. ¡°I like my liver right where it¡¯s at,¡± the N-Vorl imposter whispers in Teresa¡¯s own voice. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Teresa¡¯s eye widen as the big yautja¡¯s teeth sink into her neck. He grips her tightly, his claws digging into the flesh of her back. For a brief moment, Teresa imagines that he will simply tear her skin away. As he did the bodies hanging behind them like a morbid curtain. Instead, his hands loosen, and he slides one of them down the small of her back. The other hand, he presses against the side of her stomach. Dr. Boyd moans as he repositions his mouth under her chin. He kisses her as tenderly as if he were the real N-Vorl. Teresa finds herself embracing him tightly, his mouth finally finding hers. There is a bitter taste on his mouth, almost metallic. Teresa attempts to draw away, but the imposter removes his hand from her stomach and presses it against the back of her head. He kisses her more fiercely, one of his teeth slicing her bottom lip. Blood pools on her lip and he laps at it hungrily. Teresa is no longer enticed by his passionate foreplay. She pushes at the imposter¡¯s chest. ¡°N-Vorl, please¡­¡± Teresa gasps. ¡°I¡­¡± The imposter releases her enough to stare down into her face. He laughs loudly and hoarsely. ¡°N-Vorl?!? Is that who you think I am?¡± the imposter laughs. He hovers over Teresa so that their mouths are mere inches from each other. Teresa stares up at him, her face twisted in fear. ¡°I¡¯m not N-Vorl!¡± N-Vorl¡¯s imposter says with a cruel sneer. Ejecting his wrist blades with a single movement, the imposter stabs Teresa through the center of her stomach. Teresa gasps loudly as he wrenches the blades free. Grasping at her abdomen, Teresa stumbles backwards. She removes one hand from her stomach and continues to back away. Dr. Boyd stares at the blood on her fingers with disbelief. Her vision blurs and she sways on her feet. She reaches out her red-stained hand to the yautja she had once called lover. ¡°N-Vorl!¡± Teresa cries weakly. She falls heavily to her knees¡ªstill reaching for N-Vorl. The big yautja only grins. Dropping down on the palms of her hands, Teresa coughs wetly. A gout of blood erupts from her mouth and she vainly attempts to wipe it away. A rough hand grabs her hair and pulls her head back. Teresa blinks several times, trying to clear the cobwebs from her mind. This cannot be. N-Vorl is now wearing a blue work jumpsuit similar to those worn by Theodore and Harold. However the Dayshadow Industries logo has been replaced with the symbol of N-Vorl¡¯s clan. The cruel yautja smirks in Teresa¡¯s face before sadistically licking the blood running down her chin and throat. Teresa coughs again and she feels her body growing even weaker. She is slipping away. The imposter lowers Teresa to the crook of his arm and retrieves an aerosol spray from his breast pocket. He sprays a mist into each of Teresa¡¯s nostrils and she exhales deeply. Staring down at Teresa¡¯s face, the big yautja continues to smirk. ¡°I will not let you die, Teresa!¡± N-Vorl imposter says. He caresses her cheek with the back of one hand. Teresa reaches down to her stomach and quickly withdraws her hand. Her fingers come away clean. ¡°N-Vorl?!? Why are you doing this? What have you done to me?¡± Teresa yells. That evil smile again. - - Dr. Wessinger leans across the center console and addresses the technician manning the dream recorder. ¡°Has she said anything useful?¡± Dr. Wessinger inquires. ¡°She hasn¡¯t said much,¡± the tech replies. ¡°But that drug you added to her food is definitely sending her on a wild trip. If I had dreams like those¡­I might go crazy too! She does keep repeating one thing over and over. N-Vorl! Whatever that is. I can wash the recording through a cleaner a couple of times. Do a more thorough analysis of the surrounding images. Because the doctor is in such an elevated emotional state¡­Some of the images are more static than actual images. I¡¯ll see what I can do, Dr. Wessinger.¡± ¡°Thank you, Wesley!¡± Dr. Wessinger says. ¡°Let me know when you¡¯ve finished the cleaning process.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am." The technician goes back to his dream image cleaning, and Dr. Wessinger heads for her office. Maybe soon, she will have something of import to give her superiors. In a corner of the dream room, Brian Bashir lowers his head in shame. S1: Chapter 6: Conflicts of Interest Teresa wakes up in her usual cell. Sitting up on the bed, she cradles her head in both hands. She notices a weird abrasion on her left wrist and studies it. While doing so, she notices a similar abrasion on the other wrist as well. It almost appears as if she has been restrained at some point. By straps or a harness. Teresa¡¯s eyes travel the entire room looking for signs of a struggle. That dream. What had it meant? She has never had such a dream before. So vivid. So vile. What did they do to her? Keeping silent, Teresa decides to act as if she suspects nothing. She stretches both arms above her head and then lays back on the mattress. Crossing one leg over the other, she stares up at the ceiling. They will be sending breakfast down soon. - - Brian Bashir arrives with his serving cart, and her food tray, right on schedule. The orderly peeks around her door, the same as he does every time he brings her meals. ¡°Hi, Dr. Boyd,¡± he chimes. This time, there is an enthusiastic wave to go with the salutation. Teresa comes to the edge of the bed and smiles at the young orderly. ¡°Hello, Brian,¡± Teresa says, hiding the emotion welling up inside. ¡°What¡¯d you bring me today?¡± Brian approaches the table with the energy of a small child at a theme park. So grateful is he to have someone to converse with, he does not notice the odd way that Teresa observes his every move. Setting the tray down, Brian removes her lunch platter and places it on the table¡ªto the right of the metal tray. He opens the lid and begins pointing out what Teresa has to eat. ¡°There¡¯s toast¡­Sliced pineapples, sausage, and¡ª,¡± Brian begins. He never gets to finish his statement. In one deft move, Teresa grabs the metal tray and slams the long edge into the young orderly¡¯s neck. Brian¡¯s eyes bulge and he clutches at his throat. He chokes as blood from his crushed larynx floods his airway. Teresa knows her time is short. Yanking the sheets and blankets from the bed, she stands atop them. The material appears to be of a synthetic fiber similar to nylon. She can only hope that is enough insulation for the shock to come. Next, she pulls Brian to her, making sure that his feet are on the pile of linens as well. As expected the lights dim slightly and there is a hum of electricity. But no enormous jolt of energy. In the next moment, the door to her cell is unlocked. Three guards barge into the cell. Each guard, in robotic fashion, levels their weapon at Brian and Teresa. Teresa presses Brian tighter to her front, one arm around his neck. Blood seeps from his mouth and drips over her forearm. ¡°Better get a doctor in here,¡± Teresa barks. ¡°Your lackey has a crushed larynx! If you don¡¯t want him to choke on his own five liters of blood¡­You better get someone in here. Or, let us out! Your choice. Him for my son!¡± One of the guards calmly raises his weapon and fires. A searing pain rips through Teresa¡¯s left shoulder and she is thrown back by the force of the bullet. Brian¡¯s chest and back are a bloody mess¡ªwhere the bullet entered, exited, and slammed into Teresa. Brian¡¯s dead body falls heavily to the floor and Teresa loses sight of him. She stares up at the ceiling in shock. ¡°Oh, hell. They actually shot me,¡± Teresa thinks. And then, she loses consciousness. - - Teresa swiftly taps her stylus on the touchscreen of her tablet computer. Several images appear on the screen. A few more taps and every Judas in the holding tanks is accounted for. ¡°Okay,¡± Dr. Boyd mutters to herself. ¡°Twelve adults¡­Four juveniles...Three pupa¡­And four oothecae. We won¡¯t need but five adults¡­And maybe two juveniles¡­ The male should definitely be released. He¡¯s kind of a rare thing around here. Introduce some old blood into a new population. Or maybe¡­He¡¯ll just adapt the same mutations as the others. Here¡¯s hoping that something goes right. Damn.¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Teresa scrolls through the files on every Judas specimen in the lab, searching for patterns she might want to see reproduced in the feral Judases roaming the ship. A clawed hand on her right shoulder causes Teresa to glance up. Expecting to see N-Vorl, Dr. Boyd is wearing a wide grin. Her grin fades when she realizes it is Elder Glandis¡¯ somber second-in-command. Teresa struggles to remember his name as she peers up into his face. Unlike the majority of other yautja present, this particular yautja¡¯s skin is more brown and mottled; his eyes a piercing gray similar to Glotis¡¯. He is also much taller than many of the other yautja, with a smaller girth. His shoulders are the widest part of his body. His mesh suit is silver instead of the usual black, and his implement belt is less crowded with gadgets and miscellaneous odds and ends. However, there are more compartments attached to the mesh around his calves and on his leg protectors. Teresa shakes her head as if to clear it and offers the silent yautja a kind smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Teresa says. ¡°I was absorbed in my study. I didn¡¯t hear you approach. Did you need something? Another report for Elder Glandis?¡± The usually somber yautja offers Dr. Boyd a smile in return. He removes his hand from her shoulder and glances down at her tablet computer. ¡°Not at this time,¡± the tall yautja says. ¡°Elder Glandis is confident that when you have completed your report¡­You will share your findings.¡± ¡°Oh¡­Okay,¡± Dr. Boyd replies. ¡°I¡¯m just charting all of the repeat patterns in our captive Judases versus what I¡¯ve been able to glean from the more feral population aboard the ship. Cross-referencing the emergence of certain mutations. I¡¯m considering introducing some of our more tame friends into the general population¡­So to speak. See how it goes. We have too many here in the lab. The only alternative is to euthanize a few of them. But since you guys really enjoy hunting these bugs¡­I doubt Elder Glandis will like that idea.¡± ¡°You are probably correct,¡± the tall yautja says. ¡°But, I am here for another reason. N-Vorl.¡± Teresa¡¯s stomach leaps at the mention of N-Vorl¡¯s name. Are the others onto them? Were they seen after all? Maybe it was something in her scent which gave her away? The yautja seem to have a much heightened sense of smell. Teresa attempts to feign indifference. She offers Glandis¡¯ second-in-command a warm smile. ¡°What about him? Sure, he¡¯s a jerk¡­But I don¡¯t keep tabs on him,¡± Teresa says with more confidence than she feels. ¡°If memory serves me¡­It¡¯s supposed to be the other way around. I have no idea where he is right now.¡± ¡°I am aware of N-Vorl¡¯s present location,¡± the tall yautja replies. ¡°He is asleep in his shared quarters. My inquiry in is regards to N-Vorl¡¯s conduct.¡± Dr. Boyd¡¯s blood nearly freezes in her veins. She struggles to keep eye contact with the inquisitive commander. Pretending to close out several unnecessary programs on her tablet, Teresa briefly looks down and then turns to fully face the yautja beside her desk. ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Teresa hedges. ¡°What do you mean, N-Vorl¡¯s conduct?¡± ¡°As yautja¡­We have very strict rules surrounding the treatment of females,¡± the tall yautja says. ¡°Especially, females of alien species. Certain¡­Acts are considered most dishonorable. With that being said¡­Has N-Vorl committed any act against you¡­Which might be considered conduct unbefitting the nature of his duty?¡± Teresa tries her best to appear introspective, as if the question has caught her by surprise. Once again, she shakes her head as if jogging forth memories. ¡°No,¡± Teresa says. ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t believe he has. Sure¡­He follows me around and it makes me rather¡­Uncomfortable at times. But, I thought that was the whole point? I wouldn¡¯t say he¡¯s done anything¡­Particularly wrong. I just think he takes his job a little too seriously. But, I understand what that¡¯s like. I¡¯m the same way with my research. I tend to forget the important things like eating, sleeping, taking a break. Like I said, he¡¯s a bit of a jerk. But, I¡¯m used to jerks. I work in a field saturated with egotists and egomaniacs. N-Vorl is nothing compared to that. I¡¯m fine. What was it that concerned you, if you don¡¯t mind me asking? Do you suspect him of something?¡± The tall yautja¡¯s face seems to relax and he stands up somewhat straighter. He offers Dr. Boyd another warm smile. ¡°No,¡± the tall one says. ¡°Simply making sure that all is well. It was N-Vorl who convinced Elder Glandis that you should remain here in the lab. It is obvious he has a great distrust of you. I do not want you to feel as if you are a prisoner. However, it is not my decision whether you come or go. With N-Vorl¡¯s current absence, I felt this to be an appropriate time to ensure you are not being treated unfairly.¡± Teresa heart races as she considers the compassion shown to her by this strange alien. Her mind also displays images of N-Vorl¡¯s true misconduct, his hands doing wonderful things¡ªand making her feel sensations she could only have imagined. Dr. Boyd smiles kindly up at Elder Glandis¡¯ command leader. The tall yautja¡¯s smile has not wavered and his expression is no longer one of apprehension. ¡°I am grateful for your concern,¡± Teresa says. ¡°It makes me feel a little better¡­Knowing I¡¯m not just here as an inopportune guest. I feel as if I¡¯m actually a part of your team. Thank you.¡± The tall yautja nods and turns to walk away. Teresa starts to call to him, but thinks better of it. She never even asked him his name. S1: Chapter 7: Unethical Means
When Teresa wakes up yet again, she is in a large room. Her mind seems to remember having been there before, but she struggles to remember when. Everything around her is bathed in a deep red color, and she is bound to a wheel-like structure affixed to the wall. Teresa yanks one of her arms forward¡ªstraining the strap keeping her wrist in place. She glances down at her body and realizes she is practically naked¡ªwith the exception of a suit comprised of thin netting, which covers her from neck to ankle. ¡°What is this?¡± Teresa mutters softly. ¡°What¡­Is¡­Going¡­On?¡± Teresa tugs at her restraints even harder. Tears roll down her cheeks as she frantically attempts to break free. Strange noises escape her lips, sounds of utter despair, and she is eventually forced to abandon her vain quest for freedom. Lowering her head to her chest, Teresa continues to silently sob. The scraping of a chair on the floor causes Teresa¡¯s head to shoot back up. In a far corner of the darkened red room, Dr. Wessinger climbs to her feet. ¡°Good! You¡¯re awake,¡± Dr. Wessinger exclaims drolly. ¡°You took rather a nasty shot to the shoulder. We were worried you might not make it. And we couldn¡¯t have that. You¡¯re much too valuable to what we¡¯re doing here. Can¡¯t have you dying on us. Not yet, anyway! Our med pods¡­Are state-of-the-art.¡± Dr. Wessinger crosses the room and stops right in front of Teresa. She evaluates the doctor¡¯s nearly nude form as a farmer might inspect a newborn calf. ¡°We tried to recreate as many of the images¡ªtaken from your dreams¡ªas we could,¡± Dr. Wessinger says. She traces a spindly finger along Teresa¡¯s left arm. ¡°However, your¡­Highly volatile mental state meant that many of the images were more static than actual images.¡± Dr. Wessinger grins cruelly and runs a sharp fingernail up across the skin of Teresa¡¯s arm¡ªscratching away some of the flesh to reveal the pink layer underneath. Teresa flinches but does not make a sound. ¡°So¡­We¡¯ve come up with a different plan,¡± Dr. Wessinger says. ¡°We¡¯re going to have you reenact your dreams. With a little coaching of course.¡± Teresa narrows her eyes as the lights become a little brighter. She glances around the room and her stomach lurches. Everywhere, there are piles and piles of bones. Some human, most not. A red substance like blood slowly drips from the sprinklers on the ceiling¡ªfalling over just about everything. And in the far corner, behind a thin red curtain, a large man wearing a mask sits on a throne made of bones. The muscles in the large man¡¯s arms flex and he holds his head at an angle. It is obvious he is observing her. Teresa turns her head to glare at Dr. Wessinger. ¡°What kind of a rehab facility is this?¡± Teresa yells. ¡°I¡¯m certain that Weyland Industries has no idea what you¡¯re doing. And if they did, they¡¯d shut you down! What you¡¯re doing is crazy! I¡¯ve told you everything!¡± ¡°No. Not everything,¡± Wessinger coos evilly. ¡°For instance¡­Who or what is N-Vorl?¡± ¡°What? N-Vorl?¡± Teresa stalls. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard that word before. If it was part of a dream¡­You can¡¯t believe any of that! It¡¯s called a dream!¡±
Dr. Wessinger releases a cruel laugh and looks over her shoulder at the masked throne-sitter. She abruptly ends her laughter and grabs a handful of Teresa¡¯s hair. Pulling the younger scientist¡¯s head to the side, she growls into Dr. Boyd¡¯s face.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°I suggest you start being honest with me, Doctor Boyd!¡± Dr. Wessinger demands. ¡°It will hurt you a lot less in the long run. As things stand, I¡¯m more than willing to commence the next phase of our study.¡± Turning so that she is completely facing the masked man, Dr. Wessinger maintains her grip on Teresa¡¯s hair. ¡°Mr. Norris¡­The gentleman you see seated over there,¡± Dr. Wessinger says with a snide sneer. ¡°He¡¯s a Class Seventeen felon from our penal colony on Beltron Prime. Let¡¯s just say¡­He¡¯s a hit with the ladies. If you continue to thwart my efforts¡­I will allow Mr. Norris to have his fun. However, if you cooperate. I may just send him home with a nice doggie bag. The choice is yours, Teresa. Play along. Give us the information we seek. What will it be? I¡¯m sure you realize by now¡­I don¡¯t like to lose.¡± Teresa bites her lower lip and glares down at the elderly scientist. Fear freezes the blood in her veins, but she refuses to bend. A part of her wishes to die. Another smaller part remembers all of the experiments she once participated in. The numerous primates injected with unknown pathogens which liquefied their organs. The mice sewn back together and revived after their insides had been removed and scrambled. How each of the tiny rodents had squeaked in pain and protest. Then, there had been the Judases. An entire ship of over three-hundred humans¡ªall dead. Save for her. ¡°I told you everything,¡± Teresa says through clenched teeth. ¡°I don¡¯t know what else you want to hear. The sample I used to artificially inseminate myself¡­It must have been contaminated. Possibly even by the saboteur, Theodore McAvoy. I don¡¯t know what else to tell you!¡± Dr. Wessinger is beyond impatient. She yanks Teresa¡¯s head back, gripping her hair even tighter. She places her mouth almost flush with Dr. Boyd¡¯s ear. ¡°And the dreams?¡± Dr. Wessinger hisses. ¡°Who is N-Vorl?¡± ¡°I told you before¡­I don¡¯t know,¡± Teresa insists. ¡°We spend a lot of time in cryo-sleep. Dreams get weird sometimes. It could be the name of someone I vaguely knew on the California. Or a lover from a past wet dream. It could be the name of someone I went to college with. Maybe it¡¯s pig latin. I don¡¯t know. You¡¯re willing to risk losing your license to study¡­All because of a dream I had, Dr. Wessinger?¡± ¡°Oh¡­I won¡¯t be losing anything, Dr. Boyd,¡± Wessinger crows. The confidence in Wessinger¡¯s voice sends a shiver down Teresa¡¯s spine. The older woman glances over at the seated felon on the large red throne. ¡°I have been given complete authority,¡± Wessingers says, pausing for effect. ¡°To extract whatever information I can¡­By any means necessary.¡± Teresa swallows hard and clenches her jaw. The large felon rises from his elaborate seat of bones and blood. Dr. Wessinger lets go of Teresa¡¯s hair and nods almost imperceptibly. The restraints holding Teresa release and she falls heavily to the floor. She manages to land with her palms against the cold metal. As she straightens, the sound of approaching feet causes her to glance upward. The burly man, Wessinger had called Norris, stands over her. His brutish energy conjures up memories of another time. Theodore. The hard smack, the forceful shove, and being bodily thrown across the corridor strewn with Judas debris. Is her life ever to be normal again? When will it all end?
Norris bends to be on a level with Teresa¡¯s face, as she kneels on the ground. He partially raises his mask and offers Teresa a wolfish smile. Lightly touching one side of her face, he locks eyes with her. ¡°You can just pretend¡­I¡¯m N-Vorl,¡± the felon whispers in what he assumes is a seductive voice. ¡°The doctor says not to play too rough. I¡¯ll try and remember that!¡± Teresa¡¯s stomach clenches, flashes of another red room seeping into the convoluted spaces of her mind. The imposter N-Vorl and his evil grin. The terrible pain of being stabbed, blood pouring from her mouth, and the imposter¡¯s vile tongue lapping it away. Norris grips Teresa¡¯s hair in a beefy fist and yanks her head to the side. She squeezes her eyes shut before he can kiss her. - - Orderly Meyer leads Teresa back to her cell. Teresa is no longer dressed in the faux mesh suit. Once again wearing the standard issue patient¡¯s gown. The former scientist¡¯s face is drawn into a terrified grimace, her eyes wide. She glances around like a frightened rabbit. When Meyer backs out of the cell, Teresa continues to stand in the center of the floor. Only when the locking mechanism slams home does she jump and turn to face the door. Dr. Boyd considers running to it, clawing at it, but knows she will receive a shock for her troubles. Teresa gingerly walks toward the bed and sits on the edge. She does not move a muscle for over an hour. S1: Chapter 8: Contrasts The next time Teresa enters the red room of pig¡¯s blood and scattered bones, she is allowed to enter using her own two feet. Like before, felon Norris is seated on his bone throne. The only difference is that the burly convict now wears sharp blades attached to his wrists by metal bands. Dr. Wessinger¡¯s voice booms over the loudspeaker. ¡°Ah¡­Yes, Dr. Boyd. I see you¡¯ve notice the upgrade to Mr. Norris¡¯ costume,¡± Wessinger mocks. ¡°We¡¯ve been running your dreams through the cleaner and sharpening them up a bit. From what we can tell¡­Your dream lover wears a similar array on his wrist. We want to give you the most realistic experience possible.¡± Dr. Wessinger follows up her joke with a cruel laugh. Across the large space, felon Norris rises to his feet. The vile man licks his lips and stalks toward Teresa. ¡°Now¡­I don¡¯t want you to really stab the doctor, Mr. Norris,¡± Wessinger says. ¡°Just cut her a little. Give her the simulation of pain. Maybe it will jog some of her memories loose.¡± Teresa backs away and prepares to run. Her eyes dart in the direction she intends to go and felon Norris intercepts her. Teresa shrieks as Norris spins her around and pulls her against him. He presses one of his amateurishly crafted wrist blades to her throat and sniffs the hair at the back of her head. ¡°You smell so good!¡± Norris growls in her ear. ¡°I could almost eat you!¡± Teresa rams an elbow into Norris¡¯ stomach and attempts to pull away. The large man maintains his grip on Dr. Boyd, pawing at the imitation mesh suit covering her body. Teresa kicks, screams, and attempts to bite the monster brute. He only laughs. Shoving her away from him, he watches as she sprawls on the floor. Teresa grabs a large bone from the floor and swings it through the air. Her idea is to ward the big man off as much as she can. If she manages to wound him, with the sharp end of the bone, she will not stop stabbing him until he is dead. Her mind made up, Teresa hunches like a football player and tightly grips the large bone in her hands. Norris casually reaches to a pack on his back and removes a long chain. Teresa¡¯s heart drops as she realizes her advantage may be gone. Norris swings the chain through the air and slowly approaches Teresa. The former scientist straightens up but does not drop the bone. The chain connects with the side of her head and Teresa crumbles to the floor. She moans and cradles her head. Norris reaches where Teresa lies and drops down on one knee. He grins down at the frightened doctor. Touching the injured side of her face, Norris feigns repentance.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°Sorry about that, doc!¡± Norris. ¡°Guess, I¡¯ll need to be more careful in the future. Don¡¯t want to ruin that pretty face of yours.¡± Teresa squeezes her eyes shut as Norris¡¯ fingers encircle her throat. - - Twice more, Teresa enters the red room. Each time, Norris¡¯ weapons of torture are upgraded. Each time, the room is filled with more and more sadistic devices and touches of pure evil. Teresa lies down on the bed in her cell. She has just endured another round of dream experimentation. Dr. Boyd stares fixedly up at the ceiling and wishes for death. Imposter N-Vorl¡¯s words come through her consciousness like the nightmare they are. His hands suggestively slide up her back, his warm tongue licking the blood running down her chin and neck. He rubs her stomach with his free hand, inching further up. Grasping Teresa¡¯s face, he tilts her head back in order to lick the flesh of her throat. ¡°I will not let you die, Teresa!¡± N-Vorl¡¯s imposter says in a deep haunting voice. Baring his teeth, and burying them into Teresa¡¯s throat, the imposter slakes his bloodthirst. Teresa shakes off the remnants of her nightmare daydream and buries her face in the blankets. The cell is filled with barely audible sobs. - - Later that evening Teresa tosses her gown out of the bathroom door and whirls away from orderly Stevens. The orderly gives her a smug look. ¡°Bet you like going rounds with old Norris, don¡¯t you?¡± Stevens calls to Teresa, as she makes her way toward the showers. ¡°Want to go a few rounds with me?¡± Teresa freezes mid-stride. In her mind, she rushes orderly Stevens and knocks him to the ground¡ªbiting, kicking, and clawing. In reality, she knows she is outmatched. In size and strength. Not to mention, she is without clothes on. Stevens is hoping for a reason to accost her. She won¡¯t give him one. The entire time Teresa washes up, she watches the shower door. - - In her cell once again, Teresa runs her hands along the edge of the bed. She is looking for anything which might be used as a weapon. However, the bed was created using a carbonized steel caste. There are no welded or screwed on parts¡ªonly one solid chunk of metal. Defeated, Teresa angrily throws herself backward on the mattress, staring up at the ceiling. Tears stream down her cheeks as she turns over on her left side, facing the wall. She crosses both arms over her chest, in an attempt to console herself and stem the sobs racking her body. Holding herself in such a way brings memories flooding back. Richard, her body pressed firmly against the front of his uniform, as he kissed her so sweetly. Harold, as he planted a friendly kiss on her cheek, before being cut down by a yautja shoulder weapon. Theodore McAvoy, his grubby hand caressing her thigh, and his forced sloppy kiss. N-Vorl, his mouth warm and inviting under her chin. Frustrated, Teresa opens her eyes and bolts upward in bed. She scoots toward the wall and pulls her legs up against her chest. The tears have yet to stop flowing. S1: Chapter 9: Silent Vacuum
Orderlies Stevens and Meyer are eating in the facility¡¯s mess hall. Steven¡¯s plate is beyond heaping with food. He shovels it into his mouth as if the world will end if he leaves even a tiny scrap of food untouched. Meyer is more delicate with her eating. She takes mousey nibbles from the morsels on her plate. Swallowing her miniscule bite of food, Meyer finally ventures to speak. Albeit, very quietly. She leans across the table in order to whisper to Stevens. ¡°Mel, I think Dr. Wessinger has gone too far,¡± Meyer whispers. ¡°I know she says the top-brass wants answers by any means, but I don¡¯t think this is what they meant. I think we should try to get a message to the parent company. I think they¡¯d want to know what is really going here.¡± Steven¡¯s puts down the spoonful of chili he had planned to scarf down. He eyes Meyer with an expression of pure malice. The male orderly''s eyes narrow and his skin reddens. ¡°You think too much, Meyer!¡± Stevens snarls. ¡°Eat your food and shut up!¡± ¡°No, Mel!¡± Meyer insists. ¡°If they can do this to Dr. Boyd¡­A scientist renowned throughout the human sphere¡­How much more will they do to us? A bunch of silly nothings? We have to tell someone.¡± ¡°What they can do to us¡­Is exactly why you need to shut the hell up!¡± Stevens whispers hoarsely. ¡°I¡¯m not putting my life¡­Or my sister¡¯s medical treatment¡­On the line for that crazy whore doctor. You do what you want.¡± Stevens grips his tray and climbs from the booth. Meyer stares after him with a frightened expression. What will her colleague do with this tiny tidbit of information? - - Orderly Meyer strolls silently down the corridor leading to her quarters. A couple of male engineers pass by and give her a good once-over. One of them even goes so far as to crook his finger like a gun and blow on the tip, offering Meyer a sly wink. Meyer laughs and blows him a kiss. The engineer whistles and turns to his buddy, who jabs him with an elbow and makes a crude gesture. Meyer shakes her head and takes a few backward steps, watching the two engineers as they head in the opposite direction. It¡¯s been a long time since she has been with a man. Maybe she¡¯ll look the cute one up later. Assuming either of the two engineers is still on the station in the morning. The center rotates personnel faster than some people can throw off their underwear in a steamy situation. Meyer continues to daydream of a hot night spent under the covers with the sexy engineer. She chuckles softly, and absently rubs her stomach, as a shiver courses through her. But if she can¡¯t get him, she¡¯d gladly settle for his friend. Either one, would be a great catch. Engineers always have lots of credits. They never spend them. They spend all of their time fixing and building things. Extra credits could mean a vacation away from this hellhole. To spend a few nights on an exotic off-world beach with a hot guy? Talk about a fantasy made in the stars.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Orderly Meyer is still in the midst of her fantasy when she arrives at her quarters. By that time, her fantasy has evolved to something closer to a threesome. She considers the downside of inviting two men to share her bed. With a shrug, she decides there isn¡¯t one. The door to her quarters is barely open when a large pair of hands roughly yanks her inside. Meyer¡®s scream is cut off as felon Norris pulls her to him, her face buried in his barrel chest. He strokes her hair with fake tenderness and allows the door to her quarters to shut. No sooner is the door closed, he shoves her bodily away. Meyer slams into the door. Lights dance before her eyes and her back screams with pain¡ªfrom striking the metal door. She gapes at felon Norris in absolute fear.
¡°My¡­My,¡± Norris says. ¡°You¡¯re a pretty one. Dr. Wessinger sure knows how to pick them.¡± ¡°Oh no¡­.,¡± Meyer whimpers. ¡°No. Please no. I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re here. But please, please don¡¯t hurt me! Please.¡± ¡°Oh. Dr. Wessinger doesn¡¯t want you hurt, pretty thing!¡± Norris teases. ¡°She wants you dead! I¡¯m just gonna have a little fun in the meantime. Every job I complete for the doctor¡­She gets the guys at the top to shave a little off my time. Kind of like for good behavior. Only she has to be real creative with what she tells them. I¡¯ll tell the doc¡­You had a little accident in the kitchen.¡± ¡°No! NO!¡± Meyer cries. Meyer turns to the keypad beside the door in an attempt to input her code. Norris grips her arm tightly and twists. There is a sharp snap of bone and a white shard erupts from her elbow. Meyer lets out a bloodcurdling scream. Norris only laughs. For privacy and security purposes, most of the private rooms on the station are soundproof. No one will hear her scream. - - Orderly Stevens nods at the face hovering on his screen and then shuts down the communication link. Two-hundred more credits in his account. Enough to buy his sister another round of treatment. Too bad about Meyer. He had hoped to screw her one time before heading back to Earth. Oh well. You win some, you lose some. - - Teresa is surprised when a new orderly appears to change her sheets the next morning. The woman is of Old Earth Philippine descent, quiet and very professional. While she still adheres to Dr. Wessinger¡¯s cruel rules about towels, clothing, and underwear; the young woman coaxes orderly Stevens to leave while Teresa puts on her gown in the cell. She even offers Teresa a polite nod before leaving. Teresa sits down on the edge of the bed and considers the sudden changing of the guard. Where is orderly Meyer? - - Down in the galley, the sanitation chief opens the rear hatch of the composting chute and screams. Mixed in with the pile of old potato peels, onion skins, and other produce scraps; is a woman¡¯s hand. Blood covers the entire inside of the chute. The poor woman either fell in or was pushed in. Either way, she is very dead. S1: Chapter 10: Dr. Buederson
Five days later The door to Dr. Boyd¡¯s cell opens and Dr. Wessinger breezes in. The older woman takes the metal chair from Teresa¡¯s bare table and spins it around. She straddles the chair, peering at Teresa with crafty eyes. Vor¡¯taalnis nurses sleepily, a blanket draped over his head and Teresa¡¯s left shoulder. Teresa stares ahead at nothing. She barely acknowledges Dr. Wessinger¡¯s entrance. ¡°Are you ready to talk to us now, Teresa?¡± Dr. Wessinger prods. Teresa¡¯s eyes regain focus. She glowers at her scientist colleague and turns away¡ªfacing the wall beside her bed. Casually reaching under the blanket, she repositions Vor¡¯taalnis. The infant makes frustrated noises and kicks out with his clawed feet. Vor¡¯taalnis¡¯ claws catch on the material and Teresa works to free them. She smiles wistfully, pretending Dr. Wessinger is not even in the room. The scientist grows incensed and stands erect. She knocks over the flimsy chair with an angry swipe of her hand. ¡°You will tell me what I want to know, Dr. Boyd!¡± Wessinger yells. ¡°Or I will make sure you never see your son again.¡± Tears flow down Teresa¡¯s cheeks and she gently removes the blanket from Vor¡¯taalnis¡¯ face. For the briefest of moments, the infant''s green eyes lock on her own tear-filled brown ones. ¡°I¡¯ve already considered that,¡± Teresa says, stroking Vor¡¯taalnis¡¯ right cheek. ¡°I¡¯ve made peace with my situation. I¡¯ve said my goodbyes. Whatever you do to me¡­To my son. I will always love him. You can¡¯t take that away from me.¡± These are not the words Dr. Wessinger wants to hear. Storming furiously toward the door, Wessinger motions to be let out of the cell. Before the door closes, Teresa catches the doctor¡¯s fading voice. ¡°Get me Weyland¡­¡± Wessinger hollers to an unseen person. Teresa completely removes the blanket from over Vor¡¯taalnis and carefully pries him from her chest. Pulling the material of her gown back up on her shoulder she cinches the two buttons found there. She lays Vor¡¯taalnis down on the soft mattress and curls up beside him. A chuckle escapes Teresa¡¯s lips as she kisses his thickening mass of prickly hairs. ¡°And I once thought they laid eggs,¡± Teresa muses. ¡°Funny!¡± She draws Vor¡¯taalnis into the crook of one arm and heaves a deep sigh. If the doctor¡¯s threats are anything to be believed, she won¡¯t have much time left. Another escape attempt? Not likely to succeed. Kissing Vor¡¯taalnis¡¯ forehead, Teresa settles onto her pillow and prepares for sleep. Vor¡¯taalnis plays with the material of her gown and stares up at his mother¡¯s tired face. - - Listening Post 39 Outer reaches of the human sphere
Several people are gathered around a large table upon which is heaped a banquet of reconstituted food. A banner above the participants reads: ¡°Happy 33rd Birthday Sean,¡± and a blue and white triple layer cake sits front and center on the table. A burly man slaps the young technician named Sean on his back and hands him a paper cup filled with red wine. The birthday boy raises his cup of generic wine in the air as if to propose a toast. Others around the room do the same.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. At that exact moment, an alert blares on the loudspeaker, startling them all. An android, Weyland Series A2, saunters into the center of the room and stares straight ahead. The same alert issues from the artificial human¡¯s open mouth. ¡°Attention. All personnel. Attention. Lockdown protocol in place. Unknown signature detected within range of sensors. Lockdown protocols are now in place. Remain calm.¡± Chaos ensues as the humans present turn to each other and speak in panicked voices. Sean, the aged birthday boy, stares dumbly at the android in the center of the room. Ash 3.4 turns to the terrified human and smiles. - - Teresa awakens with a start. Vor¡¯taalnis is still snuggled in her arms, tiny purring noises issuing from his partially open mouth. Pressing her forehead to Vor¡¯taalnis¡¯, Teresa sighs with relief. A cough to her right snaps her to attention. A tall, middle-aged man in a white lab coat, gray shirt, and khakis grins at her from the same metal chair Dr. Wessinger knocked over in her fit of rage. Teresa absently draws Vor¡¯taalnis closer. She peers at the assumed doctor with suspicion. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dr. Boyd. I won¡¯t hurt you,¡± the lab coat man says. ¡°I¡¯m Dr. Buederson. I¡¯m Head of Research in the field of Dream Mechanics. I¡¯m here to help you decipher some of your own dreams.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother!¡± Teresa retorts. ¡°If torturing me and my son¡­Not to mention, sexual assault¡­Didn¡¯t get me to talk? Your little speeches aren¡¯t going to make a damn bit of difference.¡± Dr. Buederson¡¯s face twitches and he leans forward in his chair. The doctor¡¯s mouth twists unattractively as he replays Teresa¡¯s statement in his head. ¡°Excuse me¡­What?¡± Buederson queries. Surprise dances across the middle-aged doctor¡¯s features as he cocks his head to one side. Despite his ability to perform total recall, the doctor is sure he could not have possibly heard Teresa correctly. ¡°What did you say about torture and sexual assault? Where is this coming from?¡± Buederson asks. ¡°Is this from a dream you had?¡± ¡°It was no dream, jackass!¡± Teresa yells. ¡°Dr. Wessinger sicced her prison felon goon on me. So I¡¯d tell her about my dreams. Made me reenact the entire thing¡­As she saw it¡­And then some. Like I said. You won¡¯t be getting anything else out of me. There¡¯s nothing to tell.¡±
Dr. Buederson is willing to overlook Teresa¡¯s disrespectful insertion of an expletive if it means getting to the bottom of the matter. His brow creases and he shakes his head. ¡°I never knew of any torture. Or sexual assault. You have to believe me,¡± Buederson insists. ¡°Weyland Industries would never allow¡ª.¡± Teresa cuts the doctor off with a bitter laugh. ¡°Weyland Industries? Weyland Industries would never allow what?¡± Teresa chides. ¡°Torture? Are we talking about the same company, here? Dr. Wessinger says they will. You say they won¡¯t. I¡¯ve got the scars saying: ¡®wanna bet?¡¯ If this is some kind of ¡®good cop, bad cop¡¯ scenario¡­I¡¯m not buying it. Tell Dr. Wessinger that!¡± With her final words, Teresa reaches up and undoes the shoulder of her gown. She allows the material to fall away revealing numerous fresh marks on her flesh. Dr. Buederson is at first shocked by Teresa¡¯s brazen lack of modesty. However, he finds himself staring more at her exposed breast than the fresh scars covering nearly every inch of it. Biting his inner jaw in discomfort, Dr. Buederson forces himself to meet Teresa¡¯s gaze. He peers at her with genuine interest and concern. ¡°As I said¡­I had no idea things like this were being done,¡± Buederson repeats himself. ¡°Sure, Doctor,¡± Teresa replies. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t really matter. There is nothing more I can tell you. Like I told Dr. Wessinger¡­They¡¯re just dreams. When you¡¯re in cryo sleep for months at a time¡­You can have dreams that last seemingly forever. You can build a whole new life in dreams like that. That¡¯s probably all it was. Torturing me¡­Won¡¯t make me change what I¡¯ve said.¡± Dr. Buederson nods and climbs warily to his feet. Walking toward the door to the cell, he turns back with a solemn expression. ¡°I am sorry,¡± Buederson whispers. Teresa nods but doesn¡¯t say a word. She casually closes the front of her gown and takes Vor¡¯taalnis up into her arms. The infant gurgles and reaches up to play with her ear. Teresa kisses his forehead and makes reassuring sounds with her mouth. Four Hours Later As Teresa expected would happen, two guards arrive to remove Vor¡¯taalnis from her cell. Teresa carefully places Vor¡¯taalnis at the foot of the bed, and backs toward the head of the bed on her knees. She keeps one hand raised¡ªnot wishing them to harm the infant. She watches as the lead guard roughly scoops Vor¡¯taalnis up. It takes all of her self-control not to yell at the cruel brute. Instead, Teresa sits back with both legs folded under her butt, and presses a fist to her mouth. Within moments, the guards¡ªand Vor¡¯taalnis¡ªare gone. Teresa struggles to maintain her composure, but eventually breaks down. Slumping face first onto the mattress, she curls into a fetal ball. S1: Chapter 11: The Highest Levels
Weyland Industries Mental Rehabilitation Center Facility A13 Wessinger¡¯s Private Quarters Dr. Wessinger stands opposite a large viewport¡ªa nearly spent narcostick gripped between two fingers. A chime sounds and the computer stoically announces her visitor. ¡°You have a visitor, Dr. Wessinger,¡± the computer intones. ¡°It is Dr. Edward Buederson. Should I let him in?¡± Dr. Wessinger releases a large poof of smoke and licks her thin lips. ¡°Why not, Sawyer?¡± Dr. Wessinger replies, speaking to her personal AI assistant. ¡°Let him in.¡± Adjusting the front of her robe, Dr. Wessinger crosses to the glass table at the center of her dining room. She is facing the doors when they slide open, allowing Dr. Buederson admittance to her living space. Dr. Buederson observes his colleague¡¯s state of near undress with discomfort. He looks back over one shoulder as the doors close. Dr. Wessinger motions for him to join her at the table. ¡°Come now, Edward,¡± Wessinger calls to him. ¡°Don¡¯t be shy. It¡¯s nothing you haven¡¯t seen before. Come share a drink with me.¡± Edward Buederson approaches the table at a slow gait. Dr. Wessinger sits down on the sofa and reaches across the table for her glass of red wine. She sips casually and glances over the rim at the timid Dr. Buederson. Edward has still made no move to join her on the couch. ¡°Well. I can see something is bothering you, Edward,¡± Dr. Wessinger says impatiently. ¡°Go ahead and spit it out!¡± Dr. Buederson takes a moment to compose himself. It takes quite a bit of effort. Nevertheless, some of his anger and frustration manages to seep through. ¡°When you asked me to join you on this project¡­You said nothing about rape and torture!¡± Dr. Buederson exclaims through clenched teeth. ¡°I just came from visiting Dr. Boyd¡­In her cell. That woman¡¯s body has more scars on it than an Old Earth P.O.W.! Just what the hell kind of project are you running here, Elmira?!? I did not sanction my machine to be used in such a way! You were to record her dreams and analyze them. Nothing more!¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Oh. Come off it, Edward! Always acting the part of a Boys Scout. No wonder you¡¯re still a lousy dream specialist. Most of us have moved on to reality.¡± Dr. Wessinger retorts. She swishes the wine in her glass and takes a sip, pursing her lips unattractively. ¡°You and I work for the same company,¡± Elmira says.
She fumbles in her robe pocket for another narcostick. Leaving the narcostick unlit, Dr. Wessinger squeezes it between two fingers of her hand. She uses this same hand to point at Dr. Buederson. ¡°Weyland wants results. And, so do I! The doctor knows something she¡¯s not letting on about,¡± Elmira insists. ¡°And I have a feeling the company may have suspicions as to what that something is. That¡¯s why they¡¯re coming down so hard on us. You¡¯re angry because I didn¡¯t tell you what we were up to with your little machine? Well, get over it! I lied. So what? When I¡¯m finished with the good doctor¡­She will tell me what I want to know.¡± ¡°Last time I checked, Elmira¡­¡± Dr. Buederson stammers. ¡°Weyland Industries does not condone torture and rape. It goes against the very principles of¡ª.¡± ¡°Will you just shut up, Edward!?!¡± Dr. Wessinger yells. ¡°God! And stop with the Prince Valiant routine. Weyland Industries doesn¡¯t condone torture? Have you been paying any attention to a word I¡¯ve said? Who do you think gave me the authorization? The green light? The go-ahead? Are you really that na?ve, Edward?¡± Dr. Buederson¡¯s mouth clamps shut and he averts his eyes. He stares out of the same viewport where Dr. Wessinger had stood only minutes before. His voice becomes soft and emotionless. ¡°There will be no more assaults. No more torture. Or, I will take my machine and leave the station,¡± Dr. Buederson says defiantly. Dr. Buederson refuses to even look at Dr. Wessinger. He bites on his lower lip to keep from going off on his past lover. However, Dr. Wessinger is in rare spirits. She grins and leans back against the plush cushions of the sofa. She lifts her legs up onto the edge of the chair in a suggestive manner. ¡°I¡¯ll just get my contacts at the highest levels to give it back to me!¡± Elmira says. Dr. Buederson scrunches his face and whirls in the direction of the door. Elmira¡¯s voice halts him halfway there. ¡°Oh¡­And Edward¡ª¡± Elmira says. Dr. Buederson glances over one shoulder. The cruel smirk on Dr. Wessinger¡¯s face chills him to the very core of his being. Only a true monster could look more hideous than the doctor appears in that moment. ¡°Don¡¯t let the door hit you on the way out!¡± Elmira mocks tastelessly. When the doors slide open, Dr. Edward Buederson wastes no time exiting through them. S1: Chapter 12: The Ultimate Ultimatum
Two days later Dr. Wessinger arrives at Teresa¡¯s cell with three new guards. Each guard is outfitted with thick insulated boots and carries a large electronic stunner. Teresa¡¯s heart races as she spies the shock weapons. What are they planning to do to her now? Dr. Wessinger steps forward with an evil grin. The older woman is relishing the expression of fear she reads on Teresa¡¯s face. ¡°I thought you might like to become familiar with your new gatekeepers!¡± Wessinger says. ¡°They will be accompanying you and Mr. Stevens to the showers from now on. We¡¯ve had some security breaches lately. One of our orderlies, Ms. Meyer, never reported to work a few mornings ago. She was later found in a compost chute. If you can believe that!?! While we cannot rule anything out¡­Foul play is definitely suspected. We will be taking no more chances. No one goes anywhere without an armed guard.¡± Teresa sees right through Wessinger¡¯s bullcrap. So that¡¯s what had happened to Meyer? No matter what Wessinger says, Teresa knows that Meyer¡®s death was no accident. This is Dr. Wessinger¡¯s way of threatening her. Coaxing her to speak up. Or, she will be next. What cardinal sin did Meyer commit, to call down Wessinger¡¯s cruel wrath? ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear about Ms. Meyer,¡± Teresa says dryly. ¡°She was a horrible woman. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be sorely missed.¡± The Next Morning The new orderly, Consuelo Martin, enters the cell carrying Vor¡¯taalnis. Two guards flank the orderly, their weapons leveled in Dr. Boyd¡¯s direction. Teresa allows Orderly Martin to place Vor¡¯taalnis at the foot of the bed. Once Consuelo backs away, Teresa crawls over the bed and grabs Vor¡¯taalnis up. Her eyes grow wide with horror. Vor¡¯taalnis¡¯ color is almost gray and his vibrant green eyes appear lifeless. The infant¡¯s breaths are shallow and weak. Teresa drops her head to Vor¡¯taalnis¡¯ chest in order to listen to his heartbeat. The infant is very close to death. Closer than he has ever been. Teresa carefully places Vor¡¯taalnis back on the mattress and climbs to her feet. With a feral scream, she races toward the door to her cell. The lock engages just as she reaches it. She bangs on the metal door with a closed fist. ¡°You bastards! Look what you¡¯ve done!¡± Teresa cries. ¡°You¡¯ve nearly killed him! You¡¯ve almost killed my son! Bastards! How can you do this? He¡¯s only a child! He¡¯s my child! I hope you all burn in hell! Do you hear me?!? All of you!¡± Teresa is just backing away from the door when the first jolt of electricity hits her. She falls back onto the floor and writhes, clenching her jaw and her fists tightly. On the bed, Vor¡¯taalnis lets out a weak cry. When the current ceases, Teresa flips over onto her belly. She crawls painfully to the bed, and reaches an arm up to the mattress. Feeling blindly for Vor¡¯taalnis, she touches his tiny foot under the blanket. She rubs his foot and begins to hum. She searches for the strength to rise to her feet, and fails. Resigned to temporarily comfort the infant, from her place on the floor, Teresa rests her head against the side of the mattress. - - Teresa¡¯s eyes flutter open at the sound of Vor¡¯taalnis¡¯ strained cries. Half-crawling onto the bed, Teresa falls on the mattress beside her very weak son. She pulls back the blanket from his tiny body, and examines him carefully. He does not appear to have been experimented on. No adhesive from tags, no electrode burns, and no bruising from needles. It seems the science team are sufficiently satisfied simply withholding nourishment from the infant hybrid.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Teresa lies back on the mattress, staring up at the ceiling. She contemplates whether it is worth it to continue feeding Vor¡¯taalnis. Is she prolonging his inevitable death by going along with Dr. Wessinger¡¯s cruel torture? Would he not be better off dead? Teresa glances toward the other side of the bed. She considers grabbing a pillow and suffocating Vor¡¯taalnis. However, the vile thought only persists for a moment. Gripping the top-right corner of her gown, she undoes the buttons. She lowers the material and rolls over on her side. Still too weak to sit up, Teresa draws Vor¡¯taalnis to her bosom. At first, the infant has difficulty latching on. Dr. Boyd helps him to do so, watching his tiny eyes close. To murder her own child? Never. If he is to die, it will not be by her hand. Should it be by Wessinger¡¯s hand¡ªthe old scientist will pay dearly. She will pay with her life. Teresa places her other arm beneath Vor¡¯taalnis, cradling him in the crook of her elbow. The childling feeds energetically now, and Teresa closes her eyes as well. - - Dr. Wessinger grins and walks closer to the long mirror in front of her. She lightly fingers the two-way glass. ¡°Now¡­You see, Dr. Buederson?¡± Wessinger says. ¡°There is no way in Hell¡­She doesn¡¯t know who the father of her child is!¡± Dr. Buederson glares at his female colleague and crosses to the glass mirror as well. ¡°How the hell can you know that, Elmira?!?¡± Edward hisses loudly. ¡°She¡¯s a distraught mother watching her infant starve to death!¡± ¡°No¡­No¡­No, Edward!¡± Dr. Wessinger says. ¡°Pay closer attention to her behavior. The manner in which she says things.¡± Dr. Wessinger places her hand against the glass and stares in Teresa¡¯s direction. ¡°What woman would have such a vitriolic reaction¡­About the offspring of a simple experiment?¡± Dr. Wessinger explains. ¡°She absolutely knows who the father of her child is. Otherwise¡­Why not just kill it? Put an end to all of this. Take away all of my bargaining chips. The child is practically dead already. Nevertheless, she won¡¯t end its suffering. She continues to hold out hope. When there is no hope. She won¡¯t kill the child because she loves the father!¡± Dr. Buederson runs a hand over the back of his neck, wiping the cold sweat pooling on his flesh. What Dr. Wessinger has said makes some degree of sense. Why is Dr. Boyd so attached to the infant? She had once declared her insemination the work of nightmares. So why keep the child of a nightmare? As Dr. Wessinger turns to walk away. Dr. Buederson pipes up. ¡°I want to talk to her again,¡± Dr. Buederson says. ¡°Alone.¡± ¡°As you wish,¡± Dr. Wessinger replies in a mocking tone. Every personnel member files down the hallway, except Dr. Buederson. He watches the infant nurse at Dr. Boyd¡¯s bosom with renewed interest. What the hell was she doing out there in deep space? And who the hell was she doing it with? - - Teresa groans and turns over on her back. Vor¡¯taalnis lies only inches away, asleep. Dr. Boyd repositions on the bed and her brow creases. She is in the midst of another nightmare. Imposter N-Vorl gently caresses Teresa¡¯s face. She watches him, and his bladed arm, with wary eyes. ¡°Do you not trust me?¡± N-Vorl¡¯s doppelganger intones. ¡°Do you no longer love me, Teresa? Do you fear me?¡± Teresa opens her mouth to reply, but the imposter places a taloned finger to her lips. Dr. Boyd flinches, expecting him to lash out with his weapon. The cruel smile on the hunter¡¯s face widens and he lowers his face close to Teresa¡¯s. Her back is pressed against the blood covered floor, the stickiness making her skin crawl. As N-Vorl¡¯s double draws closer, Teresa feels close to fainting. ¡°Only answer truthfully,¡± the double says. He lowers his head to beside Teresa¡¯s ear and sniffs the air around her. Dr. Boyd is still baffled as to how the yautja can have such acute olfactory senses without a visible nose. Even the real N-Vorl had been very in tune with her emotions, knowing exactly what buttons to push. This imposter, is even more so. Perhaps, because he is only a dream. Things are always worse in a dream. Once he is finished sniffing her, the doppelganger snuggles his face against Teresa¡¯s cheek. A soft chitter issues from his lips, slowly morphing into a guttural laugh. Teresa cringes as he cups her face with a large hand, pressing her cheek tighter to his. His laughter causes her stomach to lurch and she forces his voice out of her head with thoughts of the real N-Vorl¡ªand of Vor¡¯taalnis. The laughter only stops when he presses his mouth to her lips. Teresa tenses, already sensing what is coming. The imposter stabs his wrist blades into her stomach with a forceful thrust. Teresa whimpers, refusing to give him the pleasure of hearing her scream. This only causes N-Vorl¡¯s double to twist his blades harder into her flesh. Finally, Teresa can take no more.
The scream which escapes her slumbering lips awakens her from the hellish nightmare. Vor¡¯taalnis whimpers beside her. Teresa pulls the infant to her chest and kisses his forehead. S1: Chapter 13: Stunned
¡°Dr. Boyd?¡± A soft masculine voice pulls Teresa from her dreaming. She reluctantly opens her eyes, and then shuts them again. ¡°Hello, Dr. Buederson,¡± Teresa says, without any emotion whatsoever. Edward Buederson continues to stare down at Teresa¡¯s recumbent form. Teresa remains silent, hoping that he will just go away. The doctor stays right where he is. ¡°Did you want something, Dr. Buederson? Or are you just going to stare at my boobs all day?¡± Teresa sits up as she says this, drawing Vor¡¯taalnis¡¯ abandoned blanket around her shoulders. The infant has surprisingly regained some of his strength and burbles on the other side of Teresa, closest to the wall. He plays with the thick fast-growing strands of his hair. Teresa reaches and toys with his hair as well. She wonders at the texture. If it is even hair at all. Why hadn¡¯t she thought to test any of it while aboard the California? With so many alien warriors to choose from? Dr. Buederson clears his throat, and continues to gaze down at Teresa. ¡°You¡¯re in a room covered with two-way mirrors, Dr. Boyd,¡± Edward says. ¡°It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t seen it all before.¡± Teresa rolls her eyes, but is careful to close her gown while under the cover of Vor¡¯taalnis¡¯ blanket. She bends her neck to one side, removing a kink. Dr. Buederson''s gaze follows her every movement. ¡°Thanks for reminding me that I am no longer regarded as ooman, Dr. Buederson. I¡¯d almost forgotten that.¡± Dr. Buederson¡¯s head snaps up almost as if he has heard a loud shot. His words come out in broken syllables. ¡°Wh-at? What did you say, Dr. Boyd?¡± Buederson stammers. ¡°I said¡­Thanks for reminding me that I¡¯m no longer considered part of the human race,¡± Teresa reiterates. ¡°I¡¯d almost forgotten after my last torture session.¡± Dr. Buederson reaches forward and grabs Teresa¡¯s right forearm. Teresa finds herself staring up into eyes of pale green. Eyes not quite as green as a lush otherworldly field of fresh-cut grass. ¡°You didn¡¯t say ¡®human¡¯. You said something else,¡± Dr. Buederson practically yells. ¡°You said¡­¡®ooman¡¯. Is that what they call us? Oomans? I feel as if I¡¯ve heard that word before.¡± The doctor shakes Teresa gently. As if he is trying to jostle the memory out of her head. Teresa¡¯s eyes widen as she realizes her unconscious error. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard that word. Until you said it,¡± Dr. Boyd says, feigning ignorance. ¡°I was being sarcastic. Changing the pronunciation. Nothing serious. I don¡¯t even remember doing it. But if you say that¡¯s what I said¡­That¡¯s what I said.¡±Stolen novel; please report.
Dr. Buederson becomes furious, he rips Vor¡¯taalnis¡¯ blanket away from Dr. Boyd and throws it across the room. He yanks Teresa closer and glowers down at her. ¡°You¡¯re going to have to start being straight with me, Dr. Boyd,¡± Edward says. ¡°Or, I can¡¯t help you!¡± Teresa¡¯s expression alters to one of pure malevolence and her mouth curls into an angry sneer. ¡°Well¡­Well¡­Well. Looks like the ole dream doctor has a set of balls after all,¡± Teresa quips. ¡°What¡¯d you do? Borrow them from Wessinger?¡± Dr. Buederson releases Teresa¡¯s arm and pushes her away. With an embittered grin, Teresa picks up Vor¡¯taalnis, cradling him against her chest. Vor¡¯taalnis obliviously toys with the front of her gown. ¡°What happened to you, Dr. Boyd?¡± Edward inquires, a look of disappointment on his face. ¡°You used to be one of the most brilliant minds the scientific community has ever known. When did you start hating your own kind? Was it before or after Judas? What did those¡­Things¡­Whatever they are? What did they do to you?¡± ¡°There is no ¡®they¡¯!¡± Teresa insists. ¡°So¡­They¡­Didn¡¯t do anything to me. But as far as hating the human race. I think it started when I realized that the loss of an $8 billion dollar science vessel was worth torturing another human for. Never mind, the over three hundred other lives lost to the void of space. Just keep worrying about your precious ships, your superweapons, and your stock prices. I¡¯ll worry about my son. Right now. He¡¯s all I have. For nearly five months; I sang to him, read to him, and I told him jokes he will never understand. He kept me sane. He¡¯s mine. That¡¯s all I know.¡± Dr. Buederson reaches out as if to touch Teresa¡¯s face, but quickly withdraws his hand. Teresa¡¯s eyes follow his arm as he drops it to his side. The dream researcher''s eyes soften and he inhales sharply. ¡°I really wish you¡¯d trust me, Dr. Boyd,¡± Edward says. ¡°I really do want to help you.¡± Without another word, Edward signals to his colleagues behind the mirrors. When he is within two feet of the door, the lock disengages. He looks back one final time and then exits Dr. Boyd¡¯s cell. Two Mornings Later Vor¡¯taalnis lies stretched out on the bed. Teresa blows into the flesh of his stomach and the infant makes tiny noises that are between a child¡¯s giggle and a childling¡¯s chitter. Teresa laughs as Vor¡¯taalnis stretches out his legs and then kicks them. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Teresa coos. She grips the infant¡¯s legs with her hands and shuffles them back and forth. Vor¡¯taalnis giggle-chitters even louder. ¡°Huh? What are you doing?¡± Teresa repeats. She lowers her head to blow on Vor¡¯taalnis¡¯ stomach again. However, the cell lock disengaging halts her mid-action. The door opens and two armed guards enter. Teresa stiffens and grabs Vor¡¯taalnis up into her arms. She presses him tight to her shoulder. ¡°No! No! Please!¡± Teresa pleads. ¡°Please, don¡¯t take him!¡±
The larger of the two guards nods to the other. Raising his electro-stunner, the second guard shoots a charged electrode at Teresa. Almost immediately her body grows numb as the electricity nearly short circuits her nervous system. Vor¡¯taalnis cries out, but Dr. Boyd is in no position to help him. Her body writhes with the force of the current coursing through her. The first guard nods a second time, and the guard with the stunner shuts off the current. Teresa breathes heavily. She struggles to maintain consciousness as her eyelids attempt to close. She reaches out as the unarmed guard takes Vor¡¯taalnis from his spot on the bed. The infant¡¯s eyes are shut tightly and his breathing is erratic. ¡°Please¡­Don¡¯t take him!¡± Teresa begs. ¡°Please.¡± She sits up painfully and grips the guard¡¯s uniform sleeve. ¡°Please,¡± Teresa says again. The second guard takes the butt of his electro-stunner and hits Teresa in the face. She grabs at her cheek and falls back onto the mattress sobbing. Rolling over onto her side, Teresa uses the sheet to staunch the blood running from her torn flesh. The guards leave without as much as a word. Taking Vor¡¯taalnis with them. S1: Chapter 14: Two Steps From Victory
Teresa rolls over on the bed and groans. Her cheek still aches, but the bleeding has stopped. Dr. Boyd licks a small corner of the sheet and uses the saliva to clean the dried blood on her face. The lights above her head flicker and she squints upward. ¡°Another patient receiving shock treatment?¡± Teresa wonders. She prepares to stand just as a large explosion rocks the facility. Although, she is unable to hear the explosion, the resultant vibrations and the concussive force is hard to miss. She has felt such explosions before, while aboard the California. ¡°What the hell?¡± Teresa whispers. Teresa runs to the door of her cell and presses her face against the cold metal. No electrical shock throws her back. She hollers through the metal of the door. Knowing, in the back of her mind, that she cannot be heard. The cells are soundproof. Only the speaker nestled into the wall allows sound in or out of the room. ¡°Hey! What¡¯s going on?¡± Teresa cries. ¡°Someone answer me. Please. What is happening?¡± Teresa pounds on the door with her fists, becoming frantic at the idea of Vor¡¯taalnis being in mortal danger. Another large explosion follows. The entire facility shudders again. ¡°Hey! Someone tell me what is going on! Please!¡± Teresa yells. ¡°Somebody let me out of here! LET ME OUT!¡± After a few minutes of screaming and banging her fists against the metal door, Teresa gives up. She exhales deeply and backs away. Sitting cross-legged on the floor, Dr. Boyd stares at the door. Several more violent explosions send vibrations across the floating station. Teresa is able to feel the vibrations in her legs, and the palms of her hands. After what seems like forever, the vibrations¡ªand the explosions cease. Teresa rises to her feet and moves in the direction of the two-way mirror at the front of her cell. She places her hands against the glass and listens futilely. Defeated and tired, Teresa rests her forehead on the cold mirror. Tapping the glass absently with a finger, she imagines Vol¡¯taalnis safely in her arms. No longer are they in this horrible facility. They are both on a lush island¡ªwith trees covered in exotic fruits. The grass and the leaves are of a green which rivals even the green of N-Vorl¡¯s eyes. Eyes so much like his son¡¯s. In her vivid daydream, Vor¡¯taalnis walks on chubby legs across the yellow-white sand. He picks up speed as Teresa opens her arms¡ªhis feet propelling him awkwardly forward. When Vor¡¯taalnis reaches her, Teresa grabs him up and lifts him into the air¡ªplanting kisses on his tiny hybrid nose. Vor¡¯taalnis¡¯ thick hair, now long enough to sport the usual metal beads, whips with every turn of his head. He giggles and chitters as Dr. Boyd plants kisses on his face. ¡°I love you, Vor¡¯taalnis!¡± Teresa coos softly. ¡°Don¡¯t ever doubt that. You are all I have left of a life I never really appreciated. I love you.¡± Teresa kisses the infant¡¯s nose one more time before resting his head on her shoulder. She rocks him gently, while sobbing uncontrollably.
The vision is so real that actual tears slide down Dr. Boyd¡¯s cheeks. She plants one hand firmly on the two-way mirror, to the left of her head, turning her face so that her right cheek rests against the cold pane. An explosion¡ªcloser and much more violent¡ªcauses the door to Teresa¡¯s cell to buckle. Teresa swivels to her right and stares at the metal door in utter confusion. Who has taken over the facility? And why? Are they going to kill everyone aboard? Flashes of her time in the California¡¯s freezer¡ªhuddling with Harold and Theodore¡ªcrowd into her conscious mind. Teresa grimaces and backs further away from the door. She watches as the paneling near the lock begins to melt. ¡°Oh hell!¡± Teresa whispers and hurries to her bed. Struggling to flip over the sturdy mattress, she finally slides it down in front of the clunky metal bedframe. The lights dim significantly and Teresa crawls under the bed. She presses both hands against her head and curls up in a tight ball.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. The door to Dr. Boyd¡¯s cell is blown off and slams against the opposite wall¡ªmissing the bed by less than a meter. Teresa squeezes her eyes shut. A familiar voice calls softly to her. ¡°Teresa?¡± P¡¯taal says. Teresa opens her eyes in disbelief, but does not respond. She listens intently for the voice to come again. Is this another psychotic trick by Dr. Wessinger? What did her last dream reveal? Do they now know about the yautja? About the science projects? About N-Vorl¡­And their pact of love? ¡°Dr. Boyd?¡± A second voice calls. Mau-Nis. Teresa removes her hands from around her head and slowly turns over onto her stomach. Crawling toward the head of the bed, she peeks around the bedframe. The hall beyond her cell is dark as pitch, and the lights inside the cell are barely functioning. Power to the facility must have been disrupted. Dr. Boyd crawls completely from underneath the bed and cautiously makes her way to the door. She bites down hard on her lower lip¡ªtrying to convince herself that what she is experiencing is more than a hallucination. By the time Teresa reaches the door, her entire body is trembling. No more voices call to her. What will she find in that hallway? Orderly Stevens, or felon Norris¡ªDr. Wessinger herself. Teresa is less than a foot from the door when she changes her mind. Her eyes narrow and she shakes her head. ¡°No!¡± Teresa whispers to herself. ¡°No!¡± A muscular arm reaches forward out of the darkness and grips her left hand. Teresa tenses and tries to pull away, until she realizes the hand holding her wrist is not human. Teresa¡¯s eyes grow wide as N-Vorl takes a solitary step into the cell, his brow creased with genuine concern. ¡°N-Vorl!?¡± Teresa utters in disbelief. ¡°But how did you¡ª¡± Teresa¡¯s doesn¡¯t even finish her own statement before she hurries to N-Vorl. Enveloping his neck with her arms, she tugs him downward. His mandibles open, offering her admittance, and Teresa kisses him intensely. N-Vorl wraps his arms around Teresa¡¯s middle, pulling her closer, adding his own passion to their embrace.
In the hall, the masked P¡¯taal and Mau-Nis share a brief uncomfortable glance. Teresa¡¯s hand slides over the robe covering N-Vorl¡¯s back, resting just above the lump caused by his implement belt. She opens her eyes and reluctantly separates from N-Vorl, studying him closely. ¡°N-Vorl?! You¡¯re an elder?¡± Teresa exclaims. ¡°They actually made you elder?¡± N-Vorl releases Teresa and peers over his shoulder at his two companions. ¡°Not exactly,¡± N-Vorl says. Teresa is unable to keep from smiling as N-Vorl leads her from the cell. She spies P¡¯taal and reaches out her other hand to him. ¡°P¡¯taal¡ª¡± Teresa begins. Teresa¡¯s eyes abruptly narrow and she stares forward with a deeply creased brow. P¡¯taal looks over at Mau-Nis, believing that Teresa¡¯s anger may somehow be directed at the command leader. In truth, Teresa isn¡¯t looking at either of them. At the far end of the corridor, orderly Stevens stalks quietly, a weapon targeted at Mau-Nis¡¯ back. Teresa remains silent, gauging the distance between herself and a dead guard¡¯s rifle which lies on the floor. With a cruel sneer, she lunges for the weapon. The three yautja warriors in front of her are caught off-guard by her strange behavior. Not of the mind to hurt a female, without due provocation, they don¡¯t even level their plasmacasters. Teresa grips the rifle securely with one hand, aims, and fires. An agonized yell cuts through the semi-darkness. The yautja warriors whirl in surprise. Orderly Stevens rolls on the ground, holding his splintered knee in both hands. Mau-Nis turns to Dr. Boyd and stares. The doctor¡¯s face is as emotionless as stone. She calmly walks past the three yautja and heads toward orderly Stevens. When she reaches where Stevens sits rocking on the floor, Teresa raises the rifle. An expression of pure hatred alters her usually placid face. ¡°No!¡± Stevens cries, lifting a hand in defense. ¡°No, please. I¡¯m sorry! I had to do it! I¡¯m sorry! Please¡­They threatened my sister! And Meyer¡­That wasn¡¯t my fault. She just talked too much! Please, don¡¯t¡ª!¡± A brief look akin to regret crosses Dr. Boyd¡¯s face. Then, she pulls the trigger. Orderly Stevens falls to the metal floor with a soft thunk¡ªmore than half of his head blown away. Teresa closes her eyes and bites on her lower jaw. ¡°Asshole,¡± Teresa says to no one. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know about Meyer!¡± Teresa presses a hand to her mouth and inhales slowly. Exhaling a brief moment later, she turns back toward her yautja companions. All three, especially the unmasked N-Vorl, are studying her intently. Teresa drops the rifle and glances down. Her hands begin to shake and she clenches them into fists. ¡°He was¡­A bad person,¡± Teresa partially explains. ¡°And he was going to shoot Mau-Nis in the back. I did what I had to do.¡± Unsure if her rationale has been accepted, Teresa takes a few steps in N-Vorl¡¯s direction. When neither of the three yautja bristle, she realizes everything is at least okay. For now. Returning to her place beside N-Vorl, Teresa gazes at him lovingly.
¡°It¡¯s good to see you again, N-Vorl!¡± Teresa says. She grips N-Vorl¡¯s hand and rubs her thumb up and down his flesh¡ªreassuring herself that he is really there. The other arm, she snakes around N-Vorl¡¯s waist. She offers P¡¯taal a warm smile, her eyes brimming with tears. The passive warrior¡¯s shoulder wounds, earned while fighting the final Judas queen, appear to have healed sufficiently. ¡°It¡¯s good to see all of you again,¡± Teresa says. S1: Chapter 15: Holding Their Own
The Human Sphere Alterran Sector Not far from the ringed moon of Celstus (Scientific Designation: Declan) ¡°General Weyland, there¡¯s a message coming through on a subspace channel. Facility Thirteen has gone dark,¡± A lanky colonial marine yells from the main desk. General Erik Weyland abruptly brings his conversation with Brigadier General Rodrigo to a halt. Both seasoned military men straighten up and approach the large desk where the nervous colonial marine is seated. Rodrigo bristles as he glances down at the images displayed on the various computer screens. ¡°There''s been no communication for at least the last few hours,¡± the marine continues. ¡°Listening Post thirty-seven reports a strange anomaly just before all communications ceased. The Post Commander says it was almost as if all signals¡ªin or out of the facility¡ªwere being jammed. Then, nothing.¡± General Rodrigo glances over at his superior with an expression of pure insanity. Now, things are starting to get interesting. First, the signal which drew the bulk of their fleet all the way to the Alterran Sector. Then, the aliens holed up on Declan¡¯s storm-ridden surface. Now, the rehab facility on Base Thirteen has gone completely silent. What the hell is going on in this part of space? Whatever is going on, Rodrigo is absolutely sure he¡¯s going to enjoy this entire affair. These aliens sure as hell know how to fight. Two days of steady bombardment, and the aliens¡¯ base is still more than ninety-seven percent functional¡ªaccording to the most recent instrument readings and planetary scans. These beings know how to hold their own. Weapons platforms, and various other complex arrays, keep the marines from being able to land shock troops on the planet¡¯s surface. So much of the battle has commenced from orbit.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Nevertheless, General Rodrigo has unwavering faith that his side will be victorious. Just as they were victorious during the bloody Earther Wars. The Earthers had possessed far more superior numbers, and still they had fallen under the might of the colonial marines. The Battle of Celstus will be no different. General Rodrigo smiles inwardly, at the self-imagined title of his soon to be greatest victory. General Weyland seems only minimally concerned. He turns back to General Rodrigo with obvious disinterest. ¡°Locations go dark from time to time,¡± General Weyland states, his voice oozing with indifference. ¡°We are in the middle of a war, Private Muller. Keep listening in. I expect hourly reports. But for now, we worry about the enemy we can see.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir,¡± the private says before going back to his work. General Rodrigo ventures a query into General Weyland¡¯s thinking. His superior''s lack of interest seems markedly uncharacteristic. General Erik Weyland has never run from a fight.
¡°Aren¡¯t you even a little concerned, General?" Rodrigo questions, his eyes hard. General Weyland takes Rodrigo aside with a polite nod to those around him. When they are out of earshot, Weyland whispers hoarsely to his colleague and friend. ¡°Of course, I am concerned,¡± General Weyland says. ¡°But I want my troops¡¯ minds on the battle at hand. I don¡¯t want them worrying about what is going on millions of parsecs from here when they should be worrying about their own asses.¡± General Weyland grips Rodrigo¡¯s elbow and stares deep into his eyes. The commanding general¡¯s eyes harden and his brow furrows. The general''s hardened expression conveys the importance of his next words. ¡°Take an attack cruiser and find out what the hell is going on,¡± Weyland says. ¡°I have a feeling our beloved doctor¡¯s friends have decided to pay her a visit. Or Dr. Wessinger has finally lost what was left of her marbles and turned the entire station into vaporized micro-particles. Either way, I want to know what¡¯s going on back there! You¡¯re my best general. I know I can rely on you to do what needs to be done.¡± General Rodrigo tenses at being sent away from a major skirmish. However, if what General Weyland suspects is correct, there may be an even bigger battle awaiting him. Rodrigo nods respectfully and turns on his spit-shined heels. He motions toward several of his men¡ªwho file out of the command center behind their leader. General Weyland heaves a deep sigh and returns his attention to Private Muller''s workstation. Damn, Dr. Wessinger. Damn, that stupid stupid woman. S1: Chapter 16: Heir Apparent
Teresa finally takes full notice of Mau-Nis, who is positioned to N-Vorl¡¯s left. Her eyes fall to the greatly enhanced version of late Security Chief Richard¡¯s mech-arm gun; which is attached to Mau-Nis¡¯ right shoulder. He also sports a new plasmacaster on his left shoulder. His first shoulder cannon having been lost in the battle with the Judases which cost Elder Glandis his life. Releasing N-Vorl¡¯s waist, Teresa moves around the massive warrior. Her focus is solely on Mau-Nis¡¯ gun arm. She gazes upon it with something bordering on idol worship. ¡°Wow!¡± Dr. Boyd coos. ¡°I love what you¡¯ve done with Richard¡¯s prototype weapon.¡± Teresa steps in front of Mau-Nis and examines the weapon. She gently grips it with both hands and examines every inch of the mechanical masterpiece. She glances up at Mau-Nis¡¯ masked face and there is mischief in her eyes. ¡°Let me guess. It uses plasma¡­Like your caster?¡± Teresa jokes. ¡°Or maybe some other form of yautja wizardry?¡± Behind Teresa, N-Vorl bristles. P¡¯taal notices the change in N-Vorl¡¯s mood and stiffens as well. He tilts his head to peer at Mau-Nis. Mau-Nis seems not to notice any of this. The second-in-command appeals to Dr. Boyd in a level tone. ¡°You are correct,¡± Mau-Nis replies. ¡°I specifically modified the mechanical arm to release bursts of plasma energy rather than the tiny ooman pellets. There is an extreme shortage of such things amongst yautja supply lines.¡± Dr. Boyd manages a laugh at Mau-Nis¡¯ casual use of humor. The first real laugh she has managed in the entire time she has been on Facility Thirteen. ¡°I¡¯m sure there would be,¡± Teresa says. ¡°I never even thought of that. I guess, I figured you¡¯d adapt the weapon somehow. But this¡­This is wonderful, Mau-Nis.¡± Teresa continues to smile, her hand sliding over the metal of Mau-Nis¡¯ new plasma weapon. Her face droops as she remembers brave Richard Crews. Her past and late lover. ¡°Richard would be so proud,¡± Teresa says softly¡ªto no one in particular. ¡°He loved his weapons. He would¡¯ve loved to see this.¡± Teresa¡¯s eyes narrow and she blinks away tears which threaten to pool at the corners of her eyes. A cloud seems to cross Dr. Boyd¡¯s features and her smile disappears. She turns away from Mau-Nis with a polite nod. ¡°N-Vorl¡­What are you all doing here? How did you even know where I was?¡± Teresa questions. Deep down inside, Teresa is terrified of the answer. She is afraid that it won¡¯t make any sense. So far, it doesn¡¯t make any sense. How did the three beings, she has thought about the most, just happen to appear on the station? After all of the torture, and all of the food and sleep deprivation, is she finally out of her mind? Is any of this real? And how would she know if it wasn¡¯t?
¡°We have several ships in this sector,¡± N-Vorl states. ¡°One of our ships picked up an ooman transmission. The message stated that a scientist from the Judas Project was being transported here. We knew of only one ooman scientist who had survived. That was you.¡± Teresa eyes N-Vorl suspiciously. Dr. Boyd still only half-believes that what she is experiencing is real. She searches for clues, watching every movement the three yautja make. ¡°So¡­You just turned your ships around and brought them here?¡± Teresa asks. ¡°Not exactly,¡± P¡¯taal interjects. Teresa turns to look fully in P¡¯taal¡¯s direction. The somewhat submissive yautja shifts uncomfortably. Teresa scrutinizes him with wary eyes. ¡°We¡¯ve been tasked with bringing you back to Yautja Prime,¡± P¡¯taal says. ¡°What? Why?¡± Teresa inquires. Teresa¡¯s eyes are wide with surprise when she spins to face N-Vorl. The Elder-Apparent glares at P¡¯taal. P¡¯taal stares back, face hidden by his mask. ¡°It is the council¡¯s belief that you possess information about yautja technology and scientific applications¡ª,¡± N-Vorl begins. ¡°Which might prove¡­Concerning¡­Should it fall into the wrong hands.¡±This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Mau-Nis steps forward as Teresa takes a step backward¡ªaway from N-Vorl. Teresa¡¯s countenance alters to mirror her heightened level of disbelief. She laughs mirthlessly. ¡°You¡¯re not here to rescue me from the horrible oomans!¡± Teresa hisses. ¡°You¡¯re here to make sure it¡¯s your side which comes out on top! Rather than being interrogated by other humans, I can look forward to being tortured by your people instead.¡± N-Vorl takes a step toward Dr. Boyd, but Mau-Nis puts out an arm to stop him. The second-in-command recognizes something is off about Teresa¡¯s behavior. At present, she is not herself. He chitters softly at N-Vorl, who nods imperceptibly. N-Vorl¡¯s mouth tightens and he exhales deeply. He manages to keep his voice calm, despite wanting to grab Teresa up and make her listen to him. ¡°Who said anything about torture, Teresa?¡± N-Vorl asks. ¡°The council only wishes to question you about your time at this facility. They wish to know what information the oomans sought. At my tribunal, I told them you were not a threat. As did P¡¯taal, Glotis, and Mau-Nis. Other yautja, who spent time aboard the downed ooman ship, spoke on your behalf as well. You will be safe, once you return with us.¡± Teresa tilts her head in confusion and she considers what N-Vorl has said. ¡°Your tribunal?!¡± Teresa exclaims. ¡°Why? Were you suspected of something also?¡± N-Vorl glances at both Mau-Nis and P¡¯taal. For the briefest of moments, a deafening silence fills the corridor. N-Vorl''s mandibles flare and he averts his gaze upward. When his green eyes resettle on Teresa''s face, they are filled with sadness and grief. ¡°Elder Glandis¡¯ death was considered¡­Suspicious,¡± N-Vorl confesses. ¡°If not for the testimony of Glotis and Mau-Nis, I might not have been believed. My father once sought the position and was denied. Certain indiscretions in his past¡­Barred him from ever serving as Elder of any clan. I was not ever seriously considered for such a title. With Mau-Nis¡¯ injury in battle, the responsibility fell to me by default. No one wants me to be Clan Elder. I am much younger than any elder which has come before. And my¡­Impetuous nature¡­Can sometimes be a hindrance. As it was for my father. Being an army brat and an asshole¡­Is not such a good thing. Or, so I am told.¡± Teresa¡¯s eyes come alive with the retelling of her old joke. She is still quite overburdened with the prospect of yet another interrogation. Nevertheless, she exhales sharply and resigns herself to her fate. ¡°You prove yourself¡­By bringing me back,¡± Teresa intones. ¡°And you become Clan Elder?¡± Mau-Nis¡¯ jaw tightens behind his mask as he considers the implications behind Dr. Boyd¡¯s words. Implications which could very well be true. N-Vorl remains silent for a long time. He mauls over Teresa¡¯s statement in his mind. ¡°Yes. I suppose that is so,¡± N-Vorl finally admits. In truth, he had not considered the situation from that angle. It causes a great tightness within his chest and he wants to take Teresa in his arms even more. To crush her body to his. To make her believe he had no intention of betraying her. N-Vorl takes a step toward Dr. Boyd, one hand flexing at his side. Mau-Nis smoothly interrupts. ¡°I think we should go,¡± Mau-Nis says, stepping between Teresa and N-Vorl. N-Vorl is incensed and glares at his second-in-command¡¯s back. Mau-Nis pretends not to notice he has diverted his leader¡¯s attentions. ¡°The others are rounding up all remaining oomans,¡± Mau-Nis says. ¡°It is our plan to destroy this facility. Even with the diversions I have created elsewhere, the oomans will eventually realize they have been outsmarted and return to this sector. I may need your help, Dr. Boyd...To erase all evidence of us ever being here. As well as any other evidence which might give the oomans clues to our origin and whereabouts.¡± ¡°Just like old times,¡± Teresa says with a wry smile. Teresa¡¯s eyes have once again lost their sparkle and she sighs heavily. N-Vorl takes this opportunity to push past Mau-Nis and grip Teresa¡¯s forearm. ¡°Mau-Nis is correct,¡± N-Vorl says, recentering himself in the conversation. ¡°We should go.¡± To N-Vorl¡¯s surprise, Teresa uses her other hand to remove his hand from her forearm. ¡°Go where?!? We can¡¯t leave yet?¡± Teresa insists. ¡°We have to find Vor¡¯taalnis. He wasn¡¯t with me when you started bombarding the station. I believe the doctor is holding him.¡± The three yautja share a confused glance. The name sounds almost familiar, sharing some of the traits of a yautja name. However, neither of them remembers having ever met a yautja named Vor¡¯taalnis. ¡°Who is Vor¡¯taalnis?¡± N-Vorl demands. ¡°Do they have a yautja prisoner aboard this facility as well?¡± Teresa¡¯s mouth drops open and she stares at N-Vorl with something akin to horror. ¡°You don¡¯t know?!¡± Teresa gasps. ¡°They do have a yautja warrior here, then?¡± P¡¯taal says. The usually calm yautja removes his mask and chitters angrily. He glowers at his future leader and his mandibles click open and shut with agitation.
¡°How was this not in our intelligence reports? Who is this Vor¡¯taalnis? What clan does he come from?¡± P¡¯taal exclaims, the words of his native language flowing in an angry torrent. ¡°I don¡¯t know of any Vor¡¯taalnis,¡± Mau-Nis adds. ¡°He has never been mentioned in any reports. Nor have I heard his name uttered in any conversation.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know him¡­¡± N-Vorl comments, shaking his head. ¡°Vor¡¯taalnis is not a yautja warrior!¡± Teresa shouts to be heard. N-Vorl studies Teresa carefully. Her eyes are full of anger and her mouth is drawn tight. The way she glares at him is reminiscent of how she once looked at him while stationed on the downed ooman science vessel. Not the hungry look of a ghkivu¡ªthe look which made him hungry for the taste of her flesh. But the hard look she had given him upon their very first meeting. This is a look he does not hunger for. The look of a warrior¡ªright before they strike with their sharpened wrist blades. ¡°Vor¡¯taalnis¡­Is your son, N-Vorl!¡± Teresa hisses in frustration. P¡¯taal¡¯s eyes focus on N-Vorl and seem to bulge in their sockets. Mau-Nis quickly removes his mask from his face and also stares down N-Vorl. N-Vorl glances at the three accusatory faces in turn. He chitters anxiously in the language of his ancestors. Mau-Nis only intensifies his stare. S1: Chapter 17: Missed
¡°My son?!¡± N-Vorl exclaims. The future leader grips Teresa¡¯s shoulders and gazes into her fierce brown eyes. His heart races, his thoughts becoming a jumbled mess. ¡°You told me there was little chance of a childling being conceived in¡ª,¡± N-Vorl says, but halts himself to reconfigure his speech. ¡°Under less than optimal conditions. You assured me there would be no childling while we were aboard the ooman ship.¡± ¡°Little chance¡­Doesn¡¯t mean, no chance,¡± Teresa says. ¡°I was wrong. I suppose fate had other plans.¡± N-Vorl grows silent and looks sideways at Teresa, not quite believing what she is telling him. A male childling? A descendant? Here, in this very facility? Why had the reports said nothing about this? Did the council already know? Is he being tested? A test to determine the depth of his loyalty? Mau-Nis moves closer to his future elder and chitters into his ear. N-Vorl tilts his head and strains to hear the words coming from Mau-Nis¡¯ mouth. However, his eyes remain riveted on Teresa¡ªtaking in every inch of her form. She is just as beautiful as when last he saw her¡ªeven with the fresh bruise covering one side of her face. ¡°Elder¡­N-Vorl,¡± Mau-Nis chitters in the language of his ancestors. ¡°I think it would be wise to limit what we tell the other hunters about the ooman female¡¯s presence. As well as the existence of¡­Your son. The others may not respond well to this news. And we cannot rule out that word may get back to the council before we have concocted an appropriate explanation. We should pretend as if we have yet to discover Dr. Boyd¡¯s whereabouts.¡± N-Vorl glances over at P¡¯taal, who nods agreement. N-Vorl closes his mouth tightly and nods as well, he averts his gaze from those around him. ¡°As usual¡­You are correct, Mau-Nis,¡± N-Vorl responds. ¡°P¡¯taal and I will see to the¡­Rounding up of the remaining ooman civilians,¡± Mau-Nis says, careful not to explain what all that will entail. ¡°I will report back once the operation is well underway.¡± ¡°A very sound plan,¡± N-Vorl replies. Mau-Nis nods respectfully. Replacing his mask on his face, Mau-Nis heads down the corridor. P¡¯taal offers Teresa a kind smile before placing his own mask on his face. ¡°Much honor for your favored descendant,¡± P¡¯taal says with a gentle head nod. Teresa returns P¡¯taal¡¯s head nod and takes his hand in one of her own. She gently squeezes his hand and smiles. ¡°Thank you, P¡¯taal!¡± Dr. Boyd says. ¡°It is good to see you again.¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. P¡¯taal turns and strolls after Mau-Nis. The two warriors eventually disappear. Whether by means of their elaborate cloaking, or because of a bend in the darkened corridor, Teresa cannot say. She faces N-Vorl with a wistful smile. No sooner does she spin to face him, N-Vorl enfolds her in his muscular arms. Allowing N-Vorl to take the lead, Teresa¡¯s breath is nearly stolen from her by N-Vorl¡¯s fierce kiss. He runs his fingers through her hair, savoring every sensory clue his body can detect. However, something is off. Her scent is no longer the same. Closing his eyes and remaining perfectly still, N-Vorl draws her scent in even more. Yes. Something is different about her. While Teresa is definitely aroused, there is a hint of something foreign in her blood. N-Vorl separates from Teresa and offers her a wary smile. He takes one of her hands and kisses the palm. Tilting his head to study her, he meets Teresa¡¯s gaze. ¡°It is good to see you as well,¡± N-Vorl says. The future elder continues to hold Teresa¡¯s hand, watching her with keen eyes. The Teresa he once knew would have been bouncing around like a released coil¡ªfull of unspent energy. The ooman female standing before him now is quiet and subdued. Not like herself at all. N-Vorl attempts a slow wink. In the past, his failed attempts had made Teresa laugh or playfully slap at his arm. Many times, she had tried to teach him how it was done. Failing that, she had settled for simply kissing his face. To N-Vorl, it had been worth it to fail. If only to taste her lips. Teresa sighs and averts her eyes. She shifts from one foot to the other uneasily. When she does speak, her voice quivers with emotion. ¡°I think I have an idea about how we can find our¡ª¡± Teresa pauses to consider her next words. ¡°I have an idea how we can find Vor¡¯taalnis.¡± N-Vorl catches the subtle change in wording and narrows his eyes. He wraps one arm around Teresa¡¯s waist, peering down at her solemn face. ¡°Go on,¡± N-Vorl says. ¡°Every Weyland Industries employee has a dermal implant,¡± Dr. Boyd explains. ¡°It allows the company to track biometrics and map where they are at any given time. I¡¯m pretty sure¡­Wherever Vor¡¯taalnis is¡­Dr. Wessinger isn¡¯t far away. The woman is crazy. The minute something went wrong, she would have taken him and gone into hiding. If I can get to Wessinger¡¯s office, I should be able to hack the system. With access to the facility¡¯s personnel files, I¡¯ll know where every single person on the station is located. I may even be able to feed the computer basic information on how to find just Vor¡¯taalnis¡­Using your heat signature as a cross reference. But that¡¯s kind of a long shot. I¡¯m certain, if we find Dr. Wessinger¡­We find Vor¡¯taalnis. ¡± N-Vorl¡¯s eyes soften and he tilts Teresa¡¯s face upward. His tongue grazes the back of his teeth as he remembers the sweet taste of her saliva and the suppleness of her full lips. ¡°That¡¯s the Teresa I know!¡± N-Vorl says in a soft voice. He kisses Teresa again. This time, she shows no signs of resistance. Wrapping her arms around N-Vorl¡¯s neck, she returns his kiss. He gently rubs the flesh of her back through the thin material of her patient¡¯s gown. Moments later, they draw apart. Fresh tears are streaming down Teresa¡¯s face. N-Vorl wipes them away with the thumbs of each hand. ¡°We will find our son,¡± N-Vorl says, resolve coursing through his veins. ¡°We will find Vor¡¯taalnis.¡± Teresa offers N-Vorl a weak smile. She is not quite ready to commit to hope. N-Vorl once again attempts a slow wink. This time, his antics have the desired effect. Teresa laughs softly and pulls him into another fierce kiss. N-Vorl¡¯s mandibles loosely grip Teresa¡¯s cheeks, keeping her close. He separates only to whisper in her ear. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you¡­So much,¡± N-Vorl whispers. ¡°I would never betray you, Teresa. You must believe that.¡±
Tears spring anew to Teresa¡¯s eyes and she sobs silently. N-Vorl allows her to pour out her grief. He places one hand behind her head as she cries, her head resting on the left side of his chest. Teresa listens to the steady beat of N-Vorl¡¯s heart, grateful that he is more than just a figment of her broken imagination. S1: Chapter 18: Melee
Mau-Nis strolls purposefully through the corridors. The lights flicker above him, eerie shadows dancing on the walls and ceiling. His cloak is activated and he has no reason to fear a sudden ambush. In fact, the oomans of this station have every reason to fear him. He is a yautja with a score to settle. At the next bend in the corridor, Mau-Nis stops to listen. Several oomans are milling about. Fear and indecision alter the oomans¡¯ voices, making them strained. They are deciding their next course of action. No need. Mau-Nis has already made that decision for them. They will die. Targeting the furthest ooman, in order to create chaos in their midst, Mau-Nis blows out the man¡¯s chest with a single plasma blast from his mech-arm gun. The ooman sprawls backward, dead long before he hits the floor. A female guard turns to face where the blast originated. She levels her large gun in that direction. ¡°What the hell!¡± the female cries. There is a metallic slice and the female¡¯s gun arm goes flying in another direction. She screams and grips the remaining portion of her arm with her only good hand. Mau-Nis calmly steps around her. He is satisfied that she will succumb to her injury. No need to kill her as he will the others. Two down; four to go. A male guard to Mau-Nis¡¯ left levels his weapon and spins in a half-circle. The ooman¡¯s fear is so great that his eyes bulge in their sockets. Mau-Nis rids him of his fear. Mau-Nis ejects his brand new arm blade from its metal sheath. Severing the ooman¡¯s head from his body, Mau-Nis watches where it rolls. Three down. ¡°Oh shi¡ª!¡± a fourth ooman yells. Mau-Nis severs the ooman¡¯s head with a throwing disc¡ªmid sentence. By now, Mau-Nis is grinning sadistically. He is enjoying the expressions of hopelessness plastered on the oomans¡¯ faces. Each one of these sorry oomans will perish by blade, disc or caster. Without a clue as to which sin they are actually being punished for. One of the two remaining ooman guards attempts to run. Mau-Nis grips his throwing disc firmly and aims for the retreating ooman. He releases the disc with tremendous force. The ooman is lifted off of the ground as the throwing disc slams into the meaty flesh below his shoulder blades. The body flips midair and the dead guard lands on his stomach. Mau-Nis turns with satisfaction towards his final quarry. A tall muscular man, the guard holds his weapon tightly and turns this way and that. Mau-Nis deactivates his cloak and stares cruelly at the frightened ooman. ¡°What the hell? What the HELL!?¡± the ooman screams, backing away. ¡°What the hell are you?¡± So busy is the ooman, trying to ascertain exactly what Mau-Nis is, that he doesn¡¯t notice Mau-Nis¡¯ plasmacaster angling to fire. Gun in hand, the guard stares across the distance at Mau-Nis. Right until the very moment when the plasmacaster blows out half of his chest and back. Mau-Nis smiles with satisfaction as the body slumps and then falls with a wet thud. He casually glances around him. Other than the ooman female bleeding her life force onto the floor, all is still. The female moans as she drags herself along the floor¡ªalready delirious from shock and loss of blood. Mau-Nis crosses to her. Standing above the ooman female, he reaches into a metallic compartment on his leg and removes a small aerosol. She will die, but she need not be in excruciating pain. For what she has allowed to transpire under her gaze, dying is punishment enough. Gripping the ooman female¡¯s hair, Mau-Nis wrenches her head back. The female¡¯s eyes widen as she spies the alien face hovering feet above her.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°You¡¯re¡­You¡¯re one of them,¡± the female manages to say. ¡°Dr. Boyd¡¯s child¡­He¡¯s one of you!¡± Mau-Nis¡¯ mouth twists angrily and he releases the female¡¯s head. He replaces the aerosol in the compartment where he retrieved it from. In that moment, Mau-Nis realizes the ooman female is not merely an innocent bystander doing her duty. She is a willful accomplice to evil. Ejecting his arm blade, Mau-Nis rams it through the ooman female¡¯s back. Blood erupts from her mouth and her eyes roll up into her head. Wrenching his blade free, Mau-Nis takes a step backward. The female¡¯s body slides to the ground. Only five skulls will adorn his back from this battle. The female¡¯s head can remain where she has fallen. - - N-Vorl and Teresa stride silently down the Administrative Corridor. Every few seconds, N-Vorl sneaks a glance at Teresa. Teresa¡¯s mouth is set in a firm line and she seems completely devoid of emotion. N-Vorl¡¯s hand flexes by his side. He cares very little for this mood which has settled over his lover. He already misses her witty remarks and sharp replies. It was what made him love her. Yes. That¡¯s what it is. Love. N-Vorl smiles inwardly and glances at Teresa yet again. She catches him looking and turns to face him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Teresa asks. ¡°Why do you keep looking at me like that?¡± Teresa¡¯s hand goes to her cheek and she averts her eyes. She shifts her weight and unconsciously moves away from N-Vorl. ¡°I¡­They tried to take Vor¡¯taalnis and I fought them,¡± Teresa says. ¡°As you can see¡­I lost.¡± N-Vorl stops walking and furrows his brow. ¡°You fought them. You tried to save our son,¡± N-Vorl chitters defensively. ¡°There is no shame in that! Any wounds you carry¡­Should be viewed with honor. Many never live to tell the story of their scars.¡± Teresa sighs and looks anywhere but at N-Vorl. She bites down on her bottom lip and lowers her head. ¡°Then, they are the lucky ones,¡± Teresa says. ¡°We, humans, don¡¯t see things the way you yautja do. Beauty is¡ª. Looks are everything. Those who bear scars are seen as damaged, and are easily cast aside. But emotional scars¡­humans hate those most of all.¡± N-Vorl¡¯s face twitches as he processes what Teresa has said. He studies her very carefully, from head to toe. ¡°Do you no longer believe that you are beautiful¡­Because of the scars?¡± N-Vorl inquires.
His peers at Teresa with half-lidded eyes as he awaits her answer. Dr. Boyd inhales deeply and then slowly releases the breath. She squeezes her eyes shut and exhales a second time. ¡°I am afraid¡­,¡± Teresa begins. ¡°I have become that which I was sent to create. A monster.¡± N-Vorl¡¯s mouth draws tightly shut and his eyes narrow even more. Gently pulling Teresa to him, he shakes his head. ¡°You are not a monster!¡± N-Vorl argues. ¡°You are Dr. Boyd. You are Teresa. You are my mate. The mother of my descendant. But, you are not a monster!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Teresa says sadly. ¡°Then, where is our son?¡± N-Vorl finally acknowledges the weight which is on Teresa¡¯s shoulder. The weight of failure. It is her belief that she could have done more to save their son. In truth, there was little she could have done. Not alone. ¡°Your plan to use the implants¡­It is a good one,¡± N-Vorl reassures Teresa. ¡°It will work. We will get our son back. We will do it together.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that at least one of us still has faith in me,¡± Teresa says. Placing a hand under Teresa¡¯s chin, N-Vorl tilts her face upward. ¡°Always,¡± N-Vorl replies with a sly smile. Book 2: Story 1: Art Thread Images I saw in my mind and tried to bring to life: S1: Chapter 19: Norris
Buederson and two lab assistants are hiding in a large supply closet. Dr. Buederson stands near the door, his ear pressed against the wall. The female assistant is seated on an upside down mop bucket. She sits with her legs pressed firmly together, and bites nervously on a thumbnail. Her male counterpart paces back and forth, fear turning his face into a white mask. ¡°I think I hear someone coming,¡± Dr. Buederson says, moving quietly away from the door. The scientist joins his young companions at the center of the closet. The pacing lab assistant peers grimly at his superior. ¡°Do you think¡­It¡¯s one of them? The uh¡­¡± the male assistant whispers. He uses his hand to make a gesture like a UFO floating through space. Buederson shakes his head negatively. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± the dream researcher softly responds. ¡°I don¡¯t think so, Jack. Footsteps are too light. But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a guard either. No sound of boots. I think we should stay where we are. Once they call for reinforcements and lift the lockdown¡­Then, we can go.¡± ¡°How long will that be?¡± the female assistant says in a squeaky whisper. ¡°We don¡¯t have any food. And I have to pee.¡± ¡°Use the bucket, Sarah!¡± Jack hisses in the young woman¡¯s direction. ¡°And for god¡¯s sake¡­Keep your voice down. This area isn¡¯t soundproof. That¡¯s why we can hear whoever¡¯s out there.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not using a bucket, Jack!¡± Sarah hisses back. ¡°Not when there is a perfectly functioning bathroom a few feet down the hall. Why did we have to hide in here anyway?¡± ¡°Because it was the safest location,¡± Dr. Buederson whispers hoarsely. ¡°Now hush¡­Both of you. Whoever¡¯s out there could be right outside the door.¡± Dr. Buederson¡¯s words have hardly left his mouth before a spray of rifle fire damages the door to the supply closet. Jack is hit in the stomach by a stray bullet, and goes down screaming. The lab assistant holds his middle and rolls from side to side on the floor. Sarah jumps up from the bucket and lets out a loud scream. The blood seeping from Jack¡¯s body pools near her feet and she takes a backward step. Buederson, whose body was shielding Sarah, has been struck in the arm. He grabs Sarah and tries to throw her to the floor. ¡°Get down!¡± Buederson yells. Another hail of bullets and Dr. Buederson is hit in the back. The researcher¡¯s mouth falls open in agony as a bullet severs his spine and exits through his ribcage. He stretches out a hand to Sarah, and then falls face first on the floor. Sarah¡¯s eyes widen as a foot kicks the rectangular arrangement of holes made in the closet door. Someone desperately wants in. But not for the sake of safety.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. The rectangle of metal falls to the floor and Sarah¡¯s blood freezes in her veins. The face staring back at her belongs to Dr. Wessinger¡¯s favorite felon. Norris. The guy had always given her the creeps. Even before Wessinger had announced her plans to use him as an instrument of assault and torture. With his beady eyes and steroid-induced muscles, the guy looks every bit like a villain from a Fantastic Four comic. Had he known they were hiding in here? Or had he heard her voice? Either way, his intentions cannot be good. ¡°Hey there, beautiful!?¡± Felon Norris crows. ¡°I thought I heard your voice.¡± Staring down at Jack¡¯s expired body, Sarah suddenly regrets their useless argument. Why hadn¡¯t she just used the bucket? Sarah reaches down and grabs two bottles of cleaner. She waves them threateningly. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare come in here!¡± Sarah yells. ¡°I¡­I¡¯ll pummel you! I¡¯ll burn your skin off with whatever I find in here!¡± ¡°No, you won¡¯t!¡± Norris says with a sarcastic smirk. The felon raises his rifle and shoots Sarah¡¯s left hand. Sarah screams and drops the bottle in her other hand. She cradles what remains of her left hand against her chest, blood already soaking through the front of her blouse. Norris shoots off the keypad on the wall and the closet door slides open. The enormous man strolls into the closet and grips the shocked female assistant¡¯s hair in a beefy hand. ¡°I told you¡­You wouldn¡¯t do it!¡± Norris sneers. ¡°Now, we¡¯re gonna play the same game I played with Dr. Boyd. I¡¯m gonna strap you in the dead doctor¡¯s machine and we¡¯re gonna have a peep into your ittle wittle dreams. Then, we¡¯re gonna do a little Shakespeare. You fight me¡­And I¡¯ll make you wish you didn¡¯t.¡± Sarah is close to losing unconsciousness, from shock and loss of blood. She shakes her head energetically and peers up at the angry prisoner. ¡°Okay? Good.¡± Norris says. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Felon Norris yanks Sarah forward and out of the supply closet. Blood drips from her hand, onto the floor, as he drags her along by her hair. Approaching a nearby lift, Norris slams Sarah against a wall and wags a finger in her face. ¡°Don¡¯t try anything!¡± Norris growls, leaning his weapon against the wall and pressing a button on the keypad. A flash of bluish light fills the corridor. Norris¡¯ hand and forearm are blown clean off. The giant ooman looks down at his severed arm as it writhes on the floor, nerves still sending signals to the hand that it is pressing buttons. Norris whirls on Sarah, believing she has done something. That is when Mau-Nis materializes. His usual gun arm no longer operable, Norris turns and attempts to level his rifle with the other arm. He is much too slow. Mau-Nis pulls back his one good arm and hurls his combistick at felon Norris. The weapon pierces Norris through his open mouth, exiting through the back of his skull. Before the felon can process what has happened, Mau-Nis is upon him. The command leader ejects his arm blade and cuts felon Norris in two. The top half of Norris¡¯ body falls one direction, and the bottom half falls in another. Mau-Nis retracts his arm blade, but does not smile. He stares at the ooman female leaning against the wall. She is completely soaked in her own blood and mumbles softly¡ªvery near delirium. Mau-Nis once again retrieves the aerosol spray from the compartment on his leg. He goes to the ooman and guides her to the floor. Spraying two small sprays into her nostrils, he watches as her breathing calms. She will be asleep for several hours. Maybe even as long as it takes for them to blow the facility. If she lives at all. S1: Chapter 20: Admin
Chapter Twenty Administration Corridor Dr. Wessinger¡¯s Office Teresa rushes toward the door. Not really expecting it to be unlocked, but trying her luck anyway, Dr. Boyd jiggles the handle. She glances over her shoulder at N-Vorl, who is approaching at a slower gait. ¡°Oh well,¡± Teresa says sarcastically. ¡°Can¡¯t blame a girl for trying.¡± Releasing a deep sigh, Teresa moves in front of the keypad beside the door. She places both hands on her hips and stares down at the numbers on the pad. ¡°Damn,¡± Teresa sighs. ¡°I really wish I hadn¡¯t destroyed Theo¡¯s scalping device. It would have come in handy right about now. Come on, Teresa think.¡± N-Vorl calmly steps forward and pulls Teresa aside. She peers up into his face with surprise. ¡°N-Vorl?! What?!¡± Teresa gasps. Taking a page from Teresa¡¯s old book, N-Vorl levels his plasmacaster at the keypad. Teresa reaches forward and grips his left arm. ¡°N-Vorl, no!¡± Teresa exclaims. ¡°Shooting the keypad may trip some kind of security feature. Try using your wrist knives on the locking mechanism. That may work better. If that fails? Then¡­You have my permission to shoot the keypad.¡± N-Vorl nods and offers Teresa a wide grin. Ejecting his wrist blades, N-Vorl jams the longer of his two blades into the space midway between both doors. He wriggles the blade until there is a satisfying clink. Teresa applies pressure, and both doors slide open and into the wall. ¡°I guess they never planned on aliens with superior strength and intelligence jimmying their doors¡­Now did they?¡± Teresa exclaims. For the first time since their surprise reunion, Teresa seems almost her old self. N-Vorl is certain that if the lights in the hallway were brighter, he would see deep color flooding into the doctor¡¯s cheeks. They are one step closer to finding their son. One step closer to leaving this ooman facility. Then, they will have all the time in the universe to catch up. N-Vorl takes a step into the office. He glances back at Teresa and beckons her forward. When she hesitates, he extends his hand. She takes it with a thin smile. He wants so desperately to caress her body and feel her warm hands on him. To hear the sounds of her pleasure. How he wants to gaze upon the face of his only descendant. To hold his son in his strong hands and teach him the ways of his hunter ancestors. But all of this must wait. For now, they must search. - - Mau-Nis has given up hunting trophies and has switched to kill mode. Every so often, he meets up with a guard or other wandering ooman. The males, he takes down without much thought. The females, he leaves to their own devices. They can perish in their hiding places, when the station blows, for all he cares. Finding two oomans mating, Mau-Nis neutralizes the female while taking the life from her lover. Jamming his aerosol spray back into his leg compartment, Mau-Nis considers destroying the entire facility with excessive plasma fire. He imagines the conflagration which would follow. However, getting control of his boiling rage, Mau-Nis settles for simply going with the original plan. Every ooman on this station will be utterly incinerated when the final blast rips through the shoddily constructed facility. The few killed before that moment will serve to bring honor to his clan¡ªby adorning the suits of he and his warrior brothers. Turning to go back the other direction, Mau-Nis walks a lot straighter. It won¡¯t be long before the others have completed their sweeps of the ooman ship. A memory floats to the front of Mau-Nis¡¯ mind, warming his heart and calming his very soul. Smiling inwardly, Mau-Nis marches with purpose to meet his brethren. - -Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. 2 hours later ¡°Okay. I think¡­I¡¯m in,¡± Teresa exclaims. ¡°That was¡­A lot more difficult than I thought it would be. But¡­I¡¯m in. N-Vorl, will you do me a favor? I need you to stand by that far wall. There¡¯s a bioscanner screen over there. The big wigs use them for sussing out possible weapons on their visitors. Big time paranoia. Everyone¡¯s afraid of everyone else in this horrid business.¡± N-Vorl stands where Teresa pointed. He peers at her from across the room, mandibles clicking with agitation. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Teresa chuckles. ¡°I¡¯m not going to shoot you with anything. I¡¯m feeding your thermal signature into the computer. Like I said, it¡¯s a long shot. But, maybe we can use your signature to hone in on Vor¡¯taalnis. Considering, he doesn¡¯t have a PDT. At least, I don¡¯t think he does. Try not to move, okay?¡± Teresa goes about her task with unmatched dedication. She mutters to herself as she works, guiding herself through the process. ¡°Okay. Done,¡± Teresa says. ¡°You can relax now.¡± N-Vorl leaves his spot by the far wall and approaches the large wooden desk where Teresa sits. He watches as her fingers fly over the keyboard and tap images on the computer¡¯s touchscreen. Suddenly, the screen image changes to a blueprint of the entire facility. Tiny red dots appear throughout, marking every place where an ooman hides or lays dying. ¡°Now, PDT¡¯s¡­They run on the electrical energy of the subject they are implanted in,¡± Teresa explains. ¡°Or so, I¡¯ve heard. So, every single one of these red dots¡­Is a living person. I count¡­One-hundred and thirty-seven. Make that one-hundred and thirty-six. One just blipped out. I¡¯m¡­Not seeing Wessinger¡¯s biometric ID tag.¡±
Teresa turns to peer at N-Vorl. He blinks slowly and meets her gaze. ¡°Do you think she was killed?¡± Teresa inquires. ¡°When your hunter¡¯s first attacked the station?¡± ¡°Not unless she was in the aft portion of the facility,¡± N-Vorl says. ¡°In that case, it would be possible. The oomans put up a fight with their inferior warships, but they were no match for even our most meager plasma weapons. If the doctor was there¡­She is undoubtedly dead.¡± Teresa turns back toward the computer. She bites down on her bottom lip and studies the images on the desktop very closely. Her mind sifts through information--both relevant and immaterial. Where is Vor''taalnis? ¡°Somehow, I don¡¯t think so! I think the snake has gone into deep hiding. Not being able to view her biotag may be a security feature. I probably don¡¯t have the right clearance level or something. She is head of research for this entire facility. Not to mention, she¡¯s got her hands in a lot of questionable research. Weyland Industries tends to play things pretty safe. My guess is¡­She¡¯s holed up somewhere isolated. She¡¯s not going to want to draw extra attention. Probably no more than three or four people in a small group. Her¡­Plus two to three guards. And Vor¡¯taalnis. These three dots in the observation wing. Those are patients. We don¡¯t need to worry about them. Just the others.¡± When Teresa chances to glance up, N-Vorl is staring almost directly into her face. Teresa¡¯s brow knits and she smirks questioningly. ¡°Ever heard of personal space, N-Vorl?¡± Teresa teases. ¡°Not lately,¡± N-Vorl quips. The large hunter''s green orbs shift to Teresa''s lips, and he flexes the clawed fingers of one hand. He itches to run his finger down the length of her spine, to caress the flesh of her throat, to smell the scent of her love--her n''fiis. ¡°This¡­Coming from a guy¡­Who likes to watch women shower,¡± Teresa responds, rolling her eyes. N-Vorl¡¯s eyes widen and he draws partially back. His mandibles click open and shut as words fail him. ¡°I did not¡­I do not¡­I¡­¡± N-Vorl stammers. Teresa chuckles and places a hand on N-Vorl¡¯s forearm. She lowers her voice to a sultry whisper. ¡°We have a childling together, N-Vorl,¡± Teresa says. ¡°We¡¯re a little past the ¡®show me yours; if I show you mine stage.¡¯ Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s time to come clean?¡± ¡°I was only performing my duties. I did not intentionally watch as you cleaned yourself,¡± N-Vorl insists. Teresa¡¯s hardened gaze causes N-Vorl to reconsider his stance on the truth. She bites her inner jaw in the way he has come to know means she has either stumbled upon something interesting, or is scheming up another plan. ¡°Not at first. Well, maybe the first time¡­As well as other times,¡± N-Vorl confesses. Teresa grins devilishly and turns up her nose. She forms her mouth into a sarcastic pout and winks energetically. ¡°I knew it,¡± Teresa says. ¡°I was just waiting for you to admit it.¡± N-Vorl¡¯s eyes nearly cross as he looks up at the ceiling. Teresa goes back to her work with the same devilish smile frozen to her lips. N-Vorl leans down and rests his face in the space between Teresa¡¯s neck and shoulder. The smell of her skin is tantalizing, and her hair tickles the flesh of his cheek. Teresa tenses and reaches up a hand to cradle N-Vorl¡¯s face.
¡°You always knew?¡± N-Vorl questions. ¡°Always,¡± Teresa says. ¡°Now, stop pestering me. I need to work.¡± N-Vorl brushes Teresa¡¯s cheek with his own, eliciting a deep sigh from her throat. He rests his chin on the top of Teresa¡¯s head, among her mess of long black hair, and wraps his arms around her waist. He watches closely as she works her technical magic. ¡°I¡¯ve narrowed down the likely places where Dr. Wessinger will be,¡± Teresa says. ¡°We should tell Mau-Nis and P¡¯taal we have a few leads.¡± ¡°I will tell them,¡± N-Vorl says placing his mask on his face. ¡°You continue searching for Vor¡¯taalnis.¡± Teresa bristles and turns to face N-Vorl. Her voice rises in pitch and she reaches out a hand to prevent him from walking away. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Teresa gasps. ¡°Nowhere,¡± N-Vorl replies. ¡°You forget. We have mask to mask communication.¡± Teresa chuckles and shakes her head. ¡°Oh yeah,¡± Teresa exclaims. ¡°How could I forget?¡± S1: Chapter 21: Concealment
Dr. Wessinger storms down a darkened corridor flanked by two guards and the former cult nurse, Lobeski. The nurse holds Vor¡¯taalnis securely in her arms. A mask feeds gas to the sleeping infant, keeping him in a constant state of sedation. ¡°There,¡± Dr. Wessinger says. ¡°We¡¯ll hide in there. Bring the little bastard. When the colonial marines arrive¡­They¡¯ll know where to find us.¡± Wessinger presses a camouflaged button on the wall and a panel opens. Inside the panel, is a keypad complete with retina scanner. Procedure completed, Dr. Wessinger rushes inside. Her two henchmen glance down either side of the hall before entering the hidden chamber. The large camouflaged door slides shut, as the humans present retreat away from the sensor. At the end of the hall, a cloaked figure turns the corner. Glancing around, Leyyu is certain that he heard ooman voices. The youngest of N-Vorl¡¯s contingent, Leyyu has yet to be blooded. This mission to bring back the ooman scientist will demonstrate his readiness for the hunt. He does not intend to fail. Marching steadily down the hallway, Leyyu strolls right past the room where Dr. Wessinger and her team are hiding out. - - Mau-Nis enters Dr. Wessinger¡¯s office and strides confidently towards the desk where Teresa sits. He removes his mask and stares down at the computer screen. N-Vorl stands several feet away, gazing frustratedly out of the viewport. Teresa turns to greet Mau-Nis. However, the words freeze on her tongue. Staring at Mau-Nis¡¯ mesh suit, she struggles to recall if she has ever seen so many human skulls hanging from his netting. Mau-Nis notices Teresa appraising him and leans onto the desk, partially obscuring her view. Teresa clamps her mouth shut and averts her eyes. Without a word, Mau-Nis has confirmed her suspicions. Many of those trophies are brand new. ¡°We¡¯ve narrowed down the possibilities to here¡­here¡­and here,¡± Teresa says, pointing to three separate spots on the schematic respectively. ¡°Your hunters have been busy,¡± Teresa says. ¡°There are only sixty-nine¡­Uh, Oomans¡­Left alive on this station. Not counting the three mental patients. They shouldn¡¯t cause you any trouble. Uh¡­Anyway. They¡¯re locked down in the same corridor where you found me.¡± Mau-Nis studies Dr. Boyd carefully, observing her more animated behavior. She appears to be returning to her old self¡ªif not still a little reserved. ¡°The three dots I pointed out¡­¡± Teresa continues. ¡°Small groups of humans are hiding there. It¡¯s likely, one of those groups is Dr. Wessinger¡¯s group. They¡¯ll have Vor¡¯taalnis. I¡¯ll stake my life on it.¡± Mau-Nis places his hand gently on Teresa¡¯s shoulder. She gazes up into the command leader¡¯s smiling face.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± Mau-Nis says. ¡°If Vor¡¯taalnis is there, I will find him.¡±
Placing his mask in front of his face, Mau-Nis uses the interface to capture an image of the schematic on Dr. Wessinger¡¯s computer. Lowering his mask once again, Mau-Nis nods his head. ¡°I will look for Vor¡¯taalnis,¡± Mau-Nis states. ¡°As I said before, the less the others know about the entire situation¡­The better. It would be best if I searched out the infant¡­And this Dr. We¡ª.¡± Mau-Nis stumbles on the doctor¡¯s name and looks to Teresa for the answer. She chuckles and pats his hand¡ªwhich still rests on her shoulder. ¡°Wessinger,¡± Teresa says. ¡°But you can call her the wicked witch. No point in getting hung up on formalities.¡± Mau-Nis¡¯ smile grows wider and he offers Dr. Boyd a slow one-eyed wink. The move so surprises Teresa that she blinks rapidly. Mau-Nis straightens and glances over at N-Vorl. The young Elder-Apparent is no longer gazing out of the viewport. He observes Mau-Nis with curiosity. When did Mau-Nis learn how to wink? ¡°I will return once I have checked each of these locations,¡± Mau-Nis declares. ¡°I will do my best to find your son, Clan Elder.¡± Without another word, Mau-Nis strolls militarily from Dr. Wessinger¡¯s office. Teresa spins on the chair and crosses her legs seductively. N-Vorl draws his mouth tightly together, struggling to control his raging hormones. It is enough that the ooman doctor is wearing very little. Her continuous subtle teasing is starting to have the intended effect. N-Vorl places one clawed hand behind his back and grips the inside of his robe for dear life. He stares askance at Teresa, whose eyes are now half-lidded. ¡°Well¡­Well¡­Well,¡± Teresa says. ¡°It seems Mau-Nis has taken the time to learn how to wink. What¡¯s taking you so long? Hmmm?¡± N-Vorl blinks slowly, but says nothing. Teresa sighs and places her right hand at the side of her head. Grimacing, she rests her left elbow on the table and cradles her head in the palm of her left hand. N-Vorl drops his arm to his side and goes to her. ¡°What is wrong?¡± N-Vorl says. ¡°Everything is wrong,¡± Teresa says. ¡°The number one thing being¡­I haven¡¯t had a real meal in probably two days. They were pretty much starving me. Hoping that would make me comply with their demands. I held out. So they withheld food, water¡­And my son. Lovely people, those researchers.¡± ¡°Are there no ooman desserts hidden inside the table?¡± N-Vorl asks, forgetting he isn¡¯t supposed to know about Teresa¡¯s habit of sneaking food. Teresa drops her hand from her face and sits up straighter in the chair. N-Vorl realizes his mistake and blinks slowly. Teresa twists her mouth into a knowing smirk and narrows her eyes. ¡°No?¡± N-Vorl says, trying to divert some of her attention away. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know,¡± Teresa replies. ¡°It''s not my desk. But, how do you know about my hidden desserts? After you yautja commandeered the California¡­The only place I hid desserts was in my quarters. How do you know about that, N-Vorl? Or do I really need to ask?¡±
N-Vorl releases a deep sigh and cradles Teresa¡¯s face in his clawed hands. ¡°I may have been in your private quarters...A few times. I did try to tell you this...Before our battle with the Judas. I do not think you understood," N-Vorl confesses. ¡°As I also suspected,¡± Teresa laughs. ¡°My god! You¡¯re like an open book, N-Vorl! I pretty much read you from start to finish.¡± ¡°You knew I was there?¡± N-Vorl exclaims. ¡°I suspected you were there!¡± Teresa corrects him. ¡°Not quite the same thing. But, just in case you were¡­I acted a little¡­Differently. Of course, your aphrodisiatic medicine didn¡¯t help things either. I hadn¡¯t felt that horny since¡­Well...Ever.¡± ¡°And what about now?¡± N-Vorl says, a smile drawing his mandibles apart. ¡°Now¡­I think I¡¯d better eat something,¡± Teresa says. ¡°I¡¯m not feeling so hot.¡± N-Vorl¡¯s mouth droops and he rolls both eyes. Right now, hunger means two entirely different things to both him and Teresa.