Dragon Aflame

by Leela Ash

  She was torn between staying put and allowing the rain to begin falling on her bare skin, and being a responsible adult and getting those kids out of the water before they were killed in a storm. She made her way toward them, reluctant but resigned in her duty toward humanity. If those were her kids, she would hope that someone responsible would be looking out for them. She wasn't old enough to have teenagers yet, but still.

  “Hey you two, you should get out of there. It's about to storm!" Kylie cried, waving up to the darkened sky. They didn't seem to hear her, and continued laughing loudly and splashing in the water.

  “Hey!" Kylie called again, but her words were muted out by the sound of a loud whirring engine. She looked around in confusion. There weren't any roads in the area, just pathways and long, winding driveways. There was one road far out to the east of her summerhouse. She didn't see any cars or vehicles approaching, especially none that would be able to mute out her words quite so thoroughly. A bright light flashed in front of her eyes, and she looked up into the sky expecting to see lightning. Instead, there was a large craft hovering above her, and a blinding beam of light shone down and illuminated the lake.

  Another bright light flashed in front of her, and Kylie felt herself being lifted. The weightlessness of her body was alarming, but she didn't have enough time to process it. Suddenly the entire world went dark and the whirring noise stopped. She blinked rapidly, but she still could not see anything. All she could hear were alarmed and panicked murmurs around her. Somebody stuck a device into her ear and soon all of the sounds around her began to make sense.

  “We got the wrong person, we need to try again!" Somebody was shouting.

  “We can't try again, you know that would be too risky."

  “What are we supposed to do with her?! She isn't even part of a couple. How are we supposed to -”

  “We should just put her back then.”

  “We can't just put her back, what if she tells somebody what happened!?”

  Suddenly, a loud, clear voice spoke and silenced the panic around her. Her eyes began to adjust, and she squinted toward the voice, just making out a figure of a man, or at least a humanoid being resembling a man, making his way toward her. He was handsome and authoritative. His voice was rich and masculine, and somehow made her feel safe.

  “We will keep her, forget about the other two. What worth would their genes be to us anyway? They were both intoxicated and putting their own lives at risk for the sake of brief entertainment. They would be useless to us in the long run, we might as well choose someone with a little more sense.”

  Kylie looked around at the people who had been chattering in a panic. They all looked vaguely similar to the handsome humanoid man, but their eyes were wide with concern. Their heads are slightly bigger in proportion than she was used to seeing, and the effect startled her deeply. Otherwise, they looked somewhat similar to normal people. Her first thought was that she had been kidnapped by a group of deformed people, but soon the leader of the group walked toward her with firm steps echoed off the metal in the room that she was in.

  “Why don't you come with me," he said gently, offering his broad arm to her. “I'm sure that you have some questions."

  When she didn't budge, he took her by the arm and led her away from the large group. Kylie thought to herself how impossible the situation that she was in really was, and tried to make herself believe that it was all a dream. When they stopped in front of a large metallic door and the humanoid figure opened it with a button, her heart sank. It wasn't a dream. She was in a lot of trouble.

  Chapter 3

  Kylie looked around the room, her heart racing in fear.

  “Where am I?" She demanded.

  “Don't worry, you are safe. You should take a seat, most people find it very difficult to withstand the abduction rays. I'm sure your legs are feeling quite unpleasant. ”

  The man gestured toward a bench in the room, and she reluctantly sat, unable to stand any longer. Her legs were feeling rubbery and weak. She finally regained her eye sight completely, and noticed that the room they were in was like a large apartment.

  “You are aboard the Legacy. My ship."

  Kylie stared at the man in disbelief.

  "Your ship? Where is your ship going?"

  “That really depends," he said with a raw laugh.

  “Depends on what?” She demanded.

  “It depends on what we discover about you. I should probably explain myself. There is far more going on in the galaxy than you could ever conceive of. You can be part of something amazing.”

  “What are you talking about?" Kylie asked. She was suddenly very tired.

  “I can explain everything to you," he said, heading toward the door. “But for now, I'm just going to let you rest. We will talk when you're feeling better, and you be able to understand everything much more clearly then. Have you eaten in the past five hours?”

  “That's a strange question. But no, I haven't.”

  “All right, I'll send something by and get you on a regular diet. We can talk more then.”

  He didn't give her the chance to reply before he marched out the door. It closed automatically behind him, and Kylie sat back and took a deep breath. She suddenly had a feeling of acute loneliness, unlike anything that she had ever felt before. She missed the deep and masculine voice of the man who had just left her company. She was confused and frustrated, but her body wasn't able to handle all of it at once. She felt promptly into a deep sleep.

  She didn't wake up until the door in the apartment slid open again. She recognized one of the people who had been panicked about abducting her. He was lingering in the doorway for a moment, nervous, before entering. He was looking at her the same way many of the men on earth had looked at her – hungrily. It made her nervous, especially when he approached, but he simply sat a tray full of food on the table. It smelled surprisingly delicious, and her stomach rumbled heartily. The person, for lack of a better word, left before Kylie could speak, and she began to eat enthusiastically.

  With the food in her stomach, she was able to think much more clearly about the situation that she was in. It all still seemed very impossible, but at least now she knew for sure that she wasn't dreaming. It was possible that she was going insane, but it was probably because she was having a nervous breakdown. That was completely acceptable in modern society, most people had a breakdown at some point in their lives. It was nothing that she should be too ashamed about.

  She had mustered more energy after eating and began to poke around at her surroundings. It was full of strange objects as well as some familiar ones. She was pressing buttons on a strange device that looked like a calculator when the attractive man who had led her to the apartment entered.

  "Do you think that I will ever have any privacy in this place? And how long do you plan on keeping me here for?"

  "I'm sorry, next time I will knock,” he said with a wry smile. “And frankly, the duration of your stay will depend solely on the task at hand. Maybe at the end of our quest you will find that you feel more fulfilled on earth, although that seems unlikely. If we get what we need and we are able to accomplish our mission, you will be returned safe and sound. We wish no harm to come to you.”

  “What mission are you talking about? Why is it necessary for me to be here? Don't you care that I might have a family and friends back home that I care about?" Kylie scowled, but not at the thought of being stuck in space at this handsome, albeit strange man. She was more concerned as she remembered how her family and friends had turned on her in her time of need. There really wasn't much left for her on earth, but still, it did seem pretty rude to be taken away without any second thoughts.

  “I should probably break down what's going on for you,” he said thoughtfully. “My name is Kane. I'm the leader of the Driad people. We are one of many races in the universe. We have been traveling throughout the galaxies in search of a way to stop the Codans, because they are enslaving other races. They are the
only ones who hold an elixir for a virus that is plaguing the universe. Many races are being wiped out by it, and it is lethal and mysterious. My team is working against the Codans to find a cure and liberate the people who are being used for the Codans evil schemes. They abuse the power of the elixir, and purposely keep people sick so they have to continue relying on the Codans for their livelihood. The worst part is it only eases symptoms, it doesn't even cure them.”

  “What does that have to do with me?" Kylie asked.

  “It has both nothing and everything to do with you. Humans haven't been touched by the virus yet, though we have reason to suspect Earth as an origin of it. We've been looking for people who can help us to unlock the genetic sequence in the disease. If we were able to find a cure, that would mean that we can get out from under the oppressive thumb of the Codans and find peace and harmony in the universe once again. The Codans have very big ideas about what to do with the races they've enslaved, and they want to colonize the whole thing.”

  “Colonize...?” Kylie asked, imagining

  It's highly likely that your planet will be overtaken by the Codans, or obliterated by the virus. Either one is an unfortunate fate. We've been collecting some specimens to avoid extinction in case the worst happens. But you do see how this affects you, don't you? You might just save your world and ours. My planet has already been lost to the disease," Kane said, turning around as he grimaced painfully.

  He tried to hide the emotion in his face, but he couldn't. Kylie found herself wondering how strange it was that she should be able to empathize with it being from another planet. All of this seemed too strange and unworldly to be true, but what other choice did she have but to believe him? There she was, in a spaceship as it began to orbit far above any of the earthly boundaries that she was used to. Somehow the conditions in the ship were perfect for her to thrive, and she wondered if it was just in the apartment or if she was ever going to be able to have free roam of the craft. Finally, Kane turned back around and gave her a reassuring smile.

  “All we have to do is test your genes, and will find out if they're match for the antivirus. I understand that you probably don't have any interest in helping us, considering that we basically just kidnapped you from everything that you know and love, so we will try and make this quick. However, if it turns out that you are a match, we may need to keep you on board for further tests. I hope that you will come to forgive us for this invasion in time.”

  And with that, he walked out of the room, leaving her to stare behind him in disbelief as the door closed with a hiss and left her alone.

  Chapter 4

  Kylie was upset about being taken from her home, but it felt nice to have a reason not to worry about what she was supposed to do with her life. Now that she had no job, she wasn't sure where her life was heading anymore. She would just have to play it by ear. That was a whole lot easier to do when staring out the window of the ship as the stars passed by then it was sitting alone in her summer home before she sold it for an extra chunk of money. Although she was bitter about being kept prisoner, it was nice to surrender a little bit of control over her life.

  Soon, her stomach started growling, and she couldn't wait for her next meal. She wondered what in the world it was that they were feeding her. It tasted great, and she felt stronger and more nourished after eating it than she did eating the food on earth. The door to her apartment hissed open, and two Driads in lab coats walked toward her. The male had a long needle in his hand, and she flinched away from it.

  “Not to worry child, you're going to be fine. Just brace yourself for the pain. It will only last a moment."

  She grimaced and the other Driad gripped her shoulder, forcing her to stay still as the long needle pierced into her delicate flesh. She exhaled sharply as the pain seared through her. Finally, he withdrew the needle and gave her a small cup with a clear liquid in it.

  “Drink this," he demanded.

  She did as she was told, strongly resenting the hand of the Driad woman who was gripping her firmly, and immediately the pain in her body dissipated. She wanted to thank him, but stopped herself. They had just inconvenienced her body with a serious amount of pain after abducting her from her home planet. There was no way she should be thanking them for anything. And that woman was looking at her so strangely, it made her feel like a lab rat.

  Her stubborn anger toward the alien race wore on long after the Driads in lab coats left. The threat of the Codans meant nothing to her. They might as well have been made up and part of the strange delusion she was having during her nervous breakdown. It would all make so much sense – the need to escape reality, the handsome, masculine man in control... everything her life might be lacking. And even if it wasn't a nervous breakdown, she had never heard of the Codans all the time that she was on earth, so she didn't see why she needed to think about them while she was in space either. The idea of the human race becoming extinct because of some weird space virus seemed absurd.

  Kylie grumbled to herself and tried to get comfortable on the couch in her room. It wasn't as difficult as it looked like it would be, and she sank easily into it. She leaned back and smiled, instantly relaxed. She could get used to this, she thought, and then sighed. She didn't know how long she would be there, so she might as well try and enjoy it while it lasted.

  ***

  Kane was sitting in the control room, thinking deeply about how to set a course to avoid Codan territory. He had just figured it out when his two leading scientists burst into the room, waving a file excitedly. He looked at them as if they were crazy, until realization dawned on his face.

  “Is that a match?" He asked, his jaw dropping in awe.

  “Yes!" Korda exclaimed. “It's an exact match. The genetic sequence is perfect – all we have to do now is get it in the formula and see if it works. We have the test subjects being readied right now. It's going to be a very simple process. If this cures them, you do realize that all the power in the universe will finally be resting right in our own hands, don't you?"

  “Of course, this shifts everything in our favor. But we will have to keep this top-secret, there is no way that the Codans will leave us alone if we are carrying something so valuable. We're going to have to set up some kind of a safety net here. But once we have enough of what we need, are going to take the power back into our own hands. This changes everything. I'm so glad that we made such a wonderful mistake!"

  Korda nodded enthusiastically and summoned his assistant Gina to follow. They disappeared behind the door to the control room, and Kane leaned back and let out an excited whoop. Finally, things were going to go right. His mind drifted to the beautiful human that they had abducted by accident. He hadn't had a great feeling about abducting the drunk children, and when their sights had landed on the women, he felt as if some kind of divine miracle had taken place. He thought at the time that maybe that was just because he had never laid eyes on somebody more beautiful than her, but now he questioned whether or not he had some kind of premonition about the fate of the universe resting in his own hands.

  And it was all thanks to this woman. Kylie. He began to pace on the control room, his mind taking on a completely new train of thought. Kylie was now a precious commodity in the universe. If the Codans were going to eliminate earth, they would have to make sure to keep her as safe as possible. It was crucial that nobody discover the value of their cargo until they were able to produce enough serum to help everybody fight the disease that was enslaving the races of the universe to the evil Codan empire. But that was why he was the captain of the Legacy, he was going to do his best to fight the oppressive force out to enslave them and liberate the universe once and for all.

  Chapter 5

  Kylie was woken up and taken to what looked to be a laboratory. She inhaled sharply, conjuring to mind all the images that she had seen throughout her life of alien life forms experimenting on human bodies. She had wanted to trust that no harm would fall to her after Kane came and visited her that morni
ng. His presence was a great comfort and she found herself wanting to believe everything he said. He was excited and told her that some tests needed to be done, tests that could change everything and make her a hero. He had assured her that she would come out feeling great, and when she remembered the way the food affected her, she had been very tempted to believe just that. Unfortunately, it was hard to stay calm when she was confronted by terrifying instruments of potential torture.

  The man, Korda, apparently the Legacy's leading scientist, told her to sit down on a bed much like the one that they had put into her little apartment on the ship. It was surprisingly comfortable, and when she laid down on it, Korda began his examination. He scanned a red light across her body, and she suddenly felt very exposed as images of her insides were projected onto the walls around them. Korda studied them intently, his large brow drawing in concentration. His assistant stayed in the background taking notes, scribbling furiously as Korda called out words in a medical jargon that Kylie found impossible to understand. It was the same woman who had held her down before, and they glared at each other from time to time as Korda obliviously studied her body.

  After about 10 minutes of this, Korda gave her something to drink, and she fell into a blissful, trancelike state where the rest of his probing did not affect her at all. She could tell that he was drawing blood and looking at it under a microscope, and experimenting with this and that. Kane had told her that her body would be a valuable scientific anomaly, one that could potentially save the lives of billions of beings throughout the universe. She felt like that was a lot of pressure, and wondered if maybe she should have worked out at the gym more often when she was on earth. Maybe she shouldn't have eaten so many doughnuts. Maybe she should have avoided more processed foods. If the fate of the universe relied on her body, maybe she should have treated it like a temple.