V O N: The Devourer from the Stars

by Tracy Gilmore

  “Robot, bring the flask to me.”

  Tilting the container, the fluid inside thick, luminescent. I turn back to the specimen. I noticed her tranquil breaths, the movements of her large breasts, her smooth skin and the dark shadow between her thighs. My enquiring mind wanted to know more about the female.

  “I will begin the sensual test.”

  “Captain,” the robot began in a questioning tone.

  I shook my head anticipating what it was going to ask me. “It is only for scientific research.” I mentioned. “We have never encountered a female so closely before. This may be our one time to get more information about their species than to observe from afar.”

  I needed her relaxed so the fluid retrieved would be pure. Any amount of fear, panic or shock will taint the solution. She enters the room with the young man picked from her images. She licks her lips often, then her heart rate increases with more eye contact.

  “She appears to be attracted to the male Captain.”

  “She must have had many stimulating thoughts of this particular male.” I concurred with the robot.

  The act continues, her breathing increases. “Pheromone levels almost at its peak and there hasn’t been any physical contact. Interesting.” I expressed.

  I watch her body in reaction to the setting, the movements of her hands gripping, palming and stroking the man then the character changes suddenly. The male she was with before was a gentle, kind man. The man in the VOD now a rough, dangerous type.

  He was tall, muscular, covered in inked markings, with a metal piercing through his left nipple. An odd placement for metal. His long black hair was past his shoulders but tossed to one side. Partially covered with facial hair, a fade against his pale skin tone, he growled at her. He gripped her by the neck, pinning her down, forcing himself on her. Pheromone levels were exceedingly high.

  “She must enjoy this type of male compared to the other which was calmer, more sensitive to her needs. Intriguing.”

  Her readings continue to climb. The male gripping her hair hard, pulling tightly then forcing her to suck his stiffened erection. He then placed his head between her legs, feasting on the juices there then penetrated her.

  Gripping her breasts tightly, then leaning forward to grip her by the throat while suspending one leg on his shoulder. After a few hard strokes, he turned her onto her side, smacking her bottom to the point of leaving a red mark. She screamed but it wasn’t a painful one. Her sounds were erotic in nature.

  My gaze fell to the monitor where her readings again were lighting up my control panel brightly. Her sounds grew higher and higher then they deepened. She gripped the sheets and the pillow as he thrusts further into her.

  I felt a warmth all over from her voice. Unusual.

  Glancing back up at the scene, she was on her knees, the sounds of smacking now from the rapid pace of the male. This is a very intense mating ritual.

  “The mating practices of the humans is very interesting indeed.” The robot said distracting me for a moment. I didn’t realize it was still in here with me.

  “She is almost at the moment of extraction. Bring the flask and prepare her for the cleansing.”

  “Yes Captain.”

  I let out a heavy breath. The female has shown remarkable energy for one so large and the solution gathered will enable me to run further tests.

  “Place her back in her room, alert me when she wakes.”

  “Yes Captain, and what of the other objects brought up in the cargo area?”

  “Tend to them as usual. We shouldn’t have any more problems as long as we stay out of range of the Suuwok. Why were you not able to detect them before?”

  “They could have been cloaked under a different frequency.”

  “Just make sure we are prepared in case they make another appearance.”

  “Right away Captain.”

  MIREYA

  My head, along with the rest of my body, was hurting something fierce when I woke up. I reached up rubbing my temples, scrolling down to the back of my neck, stretching my lower back and winced at a pain in my hip.

  “Oh man, that was some sick nightmare.” I grumbled sitting up thinking about the two monsters coming after me. My brows lifted to open my lids but they were being stubborn. I stood up testing the strength in my once weakened legs and there was a weird feeling.

  ‘THUNK’ “What the…” I rubbed the sore part of my head. I had hit a wall. I reached to turn on my light but it wasn’t there. “Odd.” I mumbled but then looked at my bed and noticed, it wasn’t mine. My lids flew open to view all around me. I was surrounded by solid walls, above me a light resembling a lava lamp glowed and grew brighter showing me just where I was.

  There was only enough room to walk around the bed. The angle of the walls was familiar to an attic space. I kept hitting my head. About four feet from the foot of the bed was another wall, this was clear glass. I knew that because I could see myself in the reflection.

  I was wearing off white linen garb. A short sleeved shirt and pants with cloth type shoes. I noticed there was a glowing oval jewel on my neck, the colors changing from white to dark blue and when I tried to pull it off, I couldn’t get a grip on it.

  I glanced again at my cell. It was pretty much the size of one. I’m in jail? I thought. The bed a standard six foot by three feet size on a metal frame with a flimsy mattress and covering of grey flannel and a white sheet. The frame bolted to the floor, the mattress secured to the frame and the coverings attached to the mattress. So there was no way to use the frame to break the glass, use the mattress to start a fire or use the linens to hang myself. Great, seems they thought of everything. I really must be in jail. I banged on the glass, panic being my first reaction. Kicking and screaming to get someone’s attention.

  I’m in a fish bowl for someone’s amusement. I thought. I pressed my hands and my head to the glass to see outside of the perimeter. No luck there. I only saw what could be shadows of other rooms and a long corridor. The room I was in was stale. The floor was smooth, a dirty sliver color and cool under my feet.

  “Hello?” I shouted. “Let me out of here!” I begged for at least twenty minutes.

  I slumped down at the wall, my arms and legs tired, crying out the rest of my tears, worried about what was going to happen next. I didn’t have the Velcro on me, but I wasn’t in my apartment anymore. Where was it taking me? I wondered.

  My question was soon to be answered, I think, when a glowing circle appeared on the floor. I stood up wondering why I didn’t notice it before and as I leaned to see just how it was in the floor, it moved towards me.

  I felt a burn in my throat as soon as the light was under me. I was as stiff as a board. Then, without warning I was falling through the floor.

  Shit.

  V59ON7

  I have gone over the data I collected from specimen F3M89L and with the other research I have from her, I don’t see any reason why the Suuwok would want her. Nothing of Earth or celestial significance has happened to her to cause such a need. Maybe there is something I am missing. Why did she appear in a different color? A complete thermal internal examination will need to be done.

  I activated the Caros stone preventing her actions. As she dropped into the medicinal cleaning solution, she displayed more earth hostility then expressions of fear.

  She splashed around in the solution so wildly, she drank quite a bit of it. No matter, it will be able to repair any damaged cells within her. It will make her exterior skin tender. The microbes in the solution will penetrate her body giving me the information about her health and history. She moves and splashes not unlike the P0Z8K9I back on my home world.

  “Captain?” The robot questions.

  “What is it?”

  “The female is weakening. I believe she is showing signs of what the Earthlings call drowning.”

  I look up at her in the cleaning solution. She was the natural green color she should be in my vision. Her motions have slowed.

/>   “She will be fine. I only need a few more moments to complete her report.”

  I bring up a stilled image of her skeletal structure. I was pleased when she stopped wiggling about so much, it was hard to capture the picture.

  “Hmm, her hemoglobin levels have improved since she swallowed the solution.” I said quietly. I scanned the panel more as I noticed the changes in her muscle fibers. “Seems she suffered a scar from the fall earlier. Microbes will make the necessary repairs.” The inked markings she had on her body are being dissolved by the solution and I notice one of them was covering a disfigurement. “Captain?” The robot said in a concerned tone.

  “What?” I responded annoyed as I was going over the report.

  “The female, she is no longer moving.”

  I look up to see her floating celestial body reminding me of the SW118ZR of home.

  “Captain I can see her heart rate slowing to a dangerous level.”

  “I don’t understand, she frolicked in such solutions during the high heated seasons of Earth.” I press the button to drain the solution and her body slowly lowered to the floor.

  “Great talons of Tu’Vass.” I exhaled.

  The robot entered the room to check over the female’s body. “She’s alive Captain, barely breathing.”

  “Well do something!” I commanded. “Losing her now would mean another trip back. We can’t risk going back.”

  “Understood Captain.”

  The robot placed its palm on the female’s chest. It paused for a moment, then its hand made a hard push and the female began coughing up the watery solution.

  MIREYA

  There was a hard pressure on my chest and I began to cough up the odd tasting water I swallowed along with more of my nightly binge. Now my chest and stomach hurt. I was cold, and soaked sitting on a metal floor. There was a glowing light from above and other lights flickering before me but the water burned my eyes so it was hard to see. When I was able to breathe normally I sat up and was startled at the metallic looking object coming towards me.

  “What the hell are you trying to do, kill me? I can’t swim asshole!” I stated hoarsely as I coughed a few more times. My vision began to clear and then my heart rate spiked at a silver four legged-looking thing crawling towards me. “What are you? What do you want?!” I shrieked as I scurried away from it.

  “We mean you no harm.” The silver thing spoke in a polite English male accent. Soft hisses of air came from what I assumed to be its neck, its bulbous head moved to the left and right, in a fluid motion. The head was transparent. A liquid mother of pearl object at the top floated around where a brain would be, its eyes were large rust colored glowing marbles floating in dark recesses of its sockets. It had no nose, but where its mouth was it didn’t have lips just a slit. I saw the slit move but couldn’t understand how they did.

  “You…you speak English?”

  “I speak many dialects.” His head changed to a soft shade of pink. “Would you prefer if I spoke in a different one?” He asked with a light French accent.

  “No. I mean. You can understand me.”

  His head color changed back. “Yes.” He replied in the English tone.

  Since he can understand me maybe he can tell me just what the hell is going on. “How is it you can speak English? Where are you from? What are you? And what do you mean ‘we’ mean you no harm? Who is we? Where am I? Where are you….”

  Its head reared up then slanted to the left. “If you would give me but a moment I will explain.” He stated interrupting me. “I am Robot, an aide to….”

  “That will be enough.” Another voice commanded.

  Hearing the other tone, I knew where I had heard it before, the snake creature. The sound in my head wasn’t as bad as before, but in some way I felt as though his voice was coming through a speaker in the room. His accent was more American English, a hard tone. Quick to snip and direct.

  “She needs no further explanation.”

  “Yes Captain.”

  “Captain?” I questioned. “Wh…what’s going on here?”

  I got up walking to where the robot was looking and was blocked again by a wall.

  “What the fuck is it with the walls?” I said palming the smooth surface.

  I turned to the robot since I couldn’t see the other person, but he was busy cleaning up the mess. The robot held out his palm making the spill glow then disappear as if he burned it without scorching the floor. This cannot be our technology. We don’t have any animatronics, I have seen, that can dispose of waste the way he did. It can only mean one thing. My eyes widen at the thought.

  “Why the hell have you trapped me in here? Where am I? What are you doing with me? I haven’t done anything wrong to be put into a government facility!”

  The robot squeaked as he stood. Now that I could see him better, he was an actual robot. His metal body was covered in a silver cloudy coating and he was pretty much built like a human. He stepped towards me and I treaded backwards gripping my damp clothes to me.

  “Government facility? Miss I assure you…” the robot began politely.

  “I will take it from here.” The voice said and the robot and I stared at the glass.

  “Very well Captain. Pardon me Miss.”

  The robot approached the barrier and his silver body filtered through it as if it wasn’t even there. My jaw dropped and my panting came in short puffs at how he was able to leave. There was a luminescent glow around him as he phased through. The glass melted all around him then closed up. He was on the other side and the wall moved similar a ripple in a puddle but then was a solid mass again. I crept up to the spot patting the area and it was cold, solid glass.

  “Where the hell am I? What the fuck are you? Get me the hell out of here!!” Government facility or not, I wasn’t going to stay here any longer. I had to devise a way to get out.

  “If you will allow me to explain.” The voice said louder causing my whole body to tremble. “You are not on Earth. To be precise, you are no longer near your Earth.”

  What the hell was he talking about? There was no way I wasn’t still on Earth. This was all just a ploy to get me to confess to any wrongdoings. But then again, what did I do wrong to be taken in the first place? I pay my taxes, my bills, and I still use stamps on my envelopes. Of course there was the one time I bought some weed from that guy, but it was only a dime bag. Not worth kidnapping me for.

  “Yeah right. You are just some guy in a costume to make me believe you’re an alien. I have seen enough movies….”

  There was a loud bang, causing me to shut my mouth. It sounded like a rock hitting a steel drum and the echo of it caused the floor to vibrate. I searched around thinking where I was standing was going to open up and suck me out but there was a small beam of light to the left of me. The panel outside of my cell opened and I gasped at what I saw.

  Vibrant hues of blues, yellows and purple in large clouds mingled together with bright diamond clusters scattered amongst them. This could not be the outer space I have seen on the many nights I stared at the stars in a daze or from what they show on television. It was too unique, too extraordinary, and too beautiful. Soft plumes of smoke from the interior distracted my viewing and I noticed my outer surrounding area crowded with boxes and large crates with strange markings.

  “You are on my ship. The Proteus. We are light years past your Milky Way. We dropped out of warp for a moment to show you. This is the Terrion system. Your scientist haven’t explored out far enough to see such a place.” The voice told me mildly.

  The amazing view was like being on a slow moving bus watching an incredibly well-lit Fourth of July night sky. Soon the colors were bright oranges, yellows and flames of red streaks in a swirling ball. Could that be a sun? I chuckled and felt the smile on my face when my gaze drifted towards the rounded edges of a large orb, a planet. But soon my joy would be taken when in another motion the panel closed and I pressed my body to the glass. I will never see Earth again. I felt the tear
slide down my cheek as the loud final clang to encase me in my forever prison shut. I was left speechless, shaking and my breathing was sporadic. I fingered my hair while pacing the floor.

  “This can’t be happening.” I muttered. “This is all just a bad dream.” I whispered. “Too much vodka and fruit. It has to be. I’m going to close my eyes and wake up from this freaking nightmare.”

  I stopped long enough to close my eyes and when I opened them, the view hadn’t changed. I pinched my arm several times to make sure I was awake and then noticed I was different. The tattoos I had on my wrists, arms and legs were gone. Matter of fact I searched my body and the ones I had on my chest and lower back were gone as well. What the hell! How could they remove all my tattoos and I didn’t feel a thing?

  “What happened to my tattoos?”

  “The colored ink is of no use to me.”

  “What was in that tank you tried to kill me in?”

  “Solutions needed to cleanse your body of toxins, diseases and foreign oils from your encounter with the Suuwok.”

  I glanced around the room, it’s much larger than the room I woke up in. “Is this to be my prison?”

  “No. This is the medicinal room, where I could perform the tests needed and the cleansing on you before sending you back to your permanent location.”

  “Tests? What tests?” I felt myself all over to feel for a place where he may have probed me unwillingly and the three places I have open didn’t appear to feel any different. Thank God.

  “Simple health scans. The liquid you were submersed in gave me all the information I needed.”

  “What if I need to use the restroom? Take a shower? I didn’t see a separate area for that or a toilet.” I mentioned waving my arms around.

  “The robot will come in daily for your cleansing and collect any fluids and excrements.” He said and I could have sworn it sounded like he wanted to laugh.