by Zara Zenia
They gasp.
“So… What will these pathogens do exactly?”
I feel as though I’ve exhausted my imagination but having to come up with something quick, I find myself saying:
“Your red blood cells, it fries them, turns them to dust. The pathogens literally boil your blood. It’s slow, too. Some unlucky people who have survived the one-week mark have spoken of feeling a permanent, bubbling sensation deep within their body that coats every inch of their veins. To anybody watching someone who’s been afflicted, it looks as though their skin is burning off of them!”
“Ok! You’ve said enough,” one of the soldiers backs against the wall and waves his hands.
“But the traitor,” the other one looks skeptical once again. “Benzen, he is afflicted too?”
“Most terribly,” I look dramatically to the ground. “He’s fighting it as best as he can, though. I mean really, he’s putting on a brave face, but it’s hopeless. He’ll die like the rest of them.”
It feels so terrible saying such a thing, but at least now they believe me, and I seem to be getting into the swing of things. Dare I say I’m almost enjoying myself?
“It’s just awful. I thought Benzen and I had a connection, but it will end soon. He’ll be dead in the next few days, I’m certain of it.”
At last, the soldiers are silenced. They look tense as they try to figure out what to do next. Meanwhile, I’m shocked that my plan seems to be working. I never thought they’d believe me, but now it seems they believe me a little too much, and neither will come near me to undo my restraints.
“You set her free.”
“No, you do it. I’m younger than you and have a family. If I get infected, it’ll have consequences. You’re single. No one cares if you die.”
“Oh… Thanks very much. I thought you were my friend!”
“I am, but ….I’m only being practical.”
“You’re being a terrible friend.”
I listen to them bicker like teenagers for what seems like an eternity before finally, one of them says, “Let’s just throw her a knife. Maybe she can do it herself.”
As they slide a blade across the room, I catch it with my feet.
“Now what?”
They both stare blankly. Why didn’t I make something else up? Something a bit easier to deal with… I try to kick the knife up onto my lap but it’s impossible.
“Can one of you at least put it in my hands?” I plead.
“No way! I don’t want to breathe in your pathogens.”
“For God’s sake!”
Again, I try to kick it up but can’t. Then, something springs to mind. I kick off my shoes and manage to push a sock off with my toes, and then the other. The soldiers are still backed into the corner, watching me intently. Somehow, with a considerable effort, I manage to pick up the knife with my feet, using my toes in a way I never thought possible. I lift the blade up under the chair and, straining my back muscles so that they hurt unbearably, I manage to stretch as far as I can and slip the knife up to my hands. I manage to grab hold of it gingerly between two fingers. Then I drop it.
“Fuck!”
I start again. Arch my back as far as it will go, lift the knife up with my toes, and try to grab it with my fingertips. My hands have been tied up for so long that it’s so difficult to maneuver them. It’s like they just won’t do what I tell them to. But with an endless amount of bodily contortion and a determined will to not be held hostage, I manage to hold it purposefully and slice through the restraints.
I’m free.
I feel the blood rush back into my arms as I stretch. Jumping up and sliding my shoes back on, I begin to make my way to the door.
“Wait!” one of the soldiers yells. “Let us move out the way first.”
A peculiar dance then starts to take place as they try to get past me with as much space as possible between us. Finally, as they reach the back of the room and feel as though they’ve made it to safety, one of them hits a button on his suit, and the door slides open. As I look out, all I see it a long corridor with a dozen or so doors down each side.
“Where do I go?”
“Anywhere you want!” the more nervous one shouts.
“Seriously, just go,” the other pushes his back as far up against the wall as he can.
“But where to? How do I get outta here?”
Now it seems I have another problem to face.
“Go all the way down to the end and take a right, third door on the left. Here,” he flings a fob in my direction. “This will let you out.”
“Well, thanks, I guess.”
I take one look out into the hallway, glance back at the soldier and then run. I take off, going as fast as I can with nothing but finding Benzen on my mind.
Chapter 18
Allison
I stop running. Looking down at the fob in my hands, I know I could leave the shuttle anytime I want. The main door to the outside world isn’t too far away, and I could just run. I could be home within the hour if I wanted, soaking my sore limbs in a hot bath. But I’d never do that, because I have to find Benzen. I thrust the fob into my pocket and take off down the endless corridors in search of him.
The shuttle is deceptively big. From the outside, it looks no bigger than your average passenger flight, but inside, it feels like it goes on for miles. My feet are tired as I run, and my brain feels muddled up. I don’t know which way I’m going and something tells me I’ve been running around in circles.
I hope I don’t come across any more troops. I don’t want to have to spin that pathogen story again. I’m not sure I could pull it off a second time. Time seems endless in here. I don’t know how long we’ve been trapped in this shuttle. For all I know, we could be set free and discover an entire year has passed.
Wondering aimlessly, my limbs getting slower, I wonder if I’ll ever see Benzen again. I think about his cute little face and button nose as my feet stamp on the floor. Remembering the night before, I feel warmed by the memory and can’t wait to feel his touch again. I want his arms around me, our legs wrapped around each other’s bodies and our lips pressed up together.
Benzen. I begin to cry. Will I ever see you again?
Then something comes echoing up the corridor. A cry. I think I imagined it, but no, there it is again. It’s the sound of someone in pain.
“Benzen!”
I rush towards it, desperate to save him from whatever torture he is facing. His voice is coming from a room at the end of the hallway. Bursting through it, I see a figure slumped in a chair.
“Oh God!” I run to him. “Are you ok?”
I think it’s Benzen. I’m sure it is until the moment he spins round in his chair, and I see a face I’ve never seen before. His skin is blue, his features bloody and broken. Yet apart from that, there’s a hint of something familiar.
“Allison?” he chokes.
“Benzen!”
I hug him tight, and he winces with the pain.
“Is it really you?”
He nods.
“What happened? Why do you look like that?”
“I thought,” he sniffs, “that if you saw me in my true form it would look less frightening, and that if I remained in my human form, my injuries would look more severe.”
I ponder this for a moment, looking over his injuries before shaking my head.
“Either way, the damage is terrible. I’m sorry, but it’s the truth. They’ve really hurt you, haven’t they?”
“Yes,” he hangs his head in shame.
“I’m just so sorry. I wish I could have found you earlier!”
“Don’t think that way,” he raises a hand. “What’s done is done.”
He pauses for a few seconds, his eyes still fixed on the floor before he looks up. The light above shows how truly injured his face is. There are bruises pooling beneath his skin and blood trickling from his nose and mouth.
“You think I’m hideous, don’t you? I’m grotesque.”
“No!” I wail. “I don’t care what you look like and I never will. All I want is for you to be ok.”
I hold him as tight as I can and kiss his face gently as tears tumble down my cheeks.
“How did you get here?” he asks.
“I told those soldiers a lie. Benzen, it was the stupidest lie I’ve ever told but they believed me.”
He looks worried, as though he’s about to hear some terrible news.
“Allison, what did you say?”
“I told them my human pathogens could kill them by infecting their blood with a virus that would boil them inside-out.”
He sits perfectly still as he listens to this and doesn’t say a word. Then he burst out laughing before clutching his face in pain.
“Aargh, my nose!”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you laugh.”
“Don’t be sorry. That’s hilarious, though.”
“Why would they believe such a thing? I thought you were an advanced race.”
“Well... There was a time when we were but the younger generation.” he shakes his head. “Since Palzu began ruling the planet, he has made cuts to education, and it has no longer been deemed a priority. People aren't as discerning as they used to be.”
“Oh. That’s terrible.”
Benzen’s still chuckling to himself.
“Pathogens… That can make your blood boil. I love it.”
“It was the best I could do at the time,” I give him a weak smile. “But guess what? Look what I got.”
I pull the fob out of my pocket and show it to him.
“What’s that?”
“A key fob for the main entrance.”
“How did you get that?” He snatches it from my hand.
“Well…the soldiers wanted me out the shuttle as fast as possible, so one of them gave me it so I could escape.”
Benzen erupts with laughter.
“Wow. You’ve done amazing!”
He squeezes my hands in his and leans in to kiss me.
“You’re amazing,” he whispers. “I’m so lucky to know you.”
I wish I could sit around all day and stare into his eyes, but I know we need to think fast and get out of here.
“We should move,” I help him to his feet. “The sooner we’re off this shuttle the better.”
We make our way out into the corridor. In the distance there are voices. Troops are approaching.
“Quick! This way,”
I lead Benzen away down a small tunnel. I try to make him move as fast as possible but he’s limping in pain.
“Come on. Please! Hurry up!”
“I’m trying my best.”
Moving through endless tunnels, we soon reach a dead end.
“What now?” he crouches down and whispers.
I think we might be safe here for a moment. As long as we keep quiet, we can gather our thoughts and formulate a plan. But we don’t get the chance, because the voices return, accompanied by hurrying footsteps.
“They’re coming this way!” I cling to Benzen.
His body is shaking against mine. There are shadows at the end of the tunnel. Once they turn the corner, they’ll see us, and we’ll be dead.
“She’s carrying a deadly virus,” I hear one of them bark.
I gasp. Holding my breath, I look all around us for signs of an escape route. Meanwhile, the voices are louder with the shadows growing bigger.
“What do we do?”
“I don’t know!” I whisper loudly.
Then I see it. There’s a tiny hatch in the ceiling.
“Benzen, help me up.”
He follows my gaze to the hatch and then glances back to the end of the tunnel.
“Let’s go,” he says resolutely and nods.
I step onto his cupped hands, and he pushes me up. Reaching out as far as I can, I try to grab hold of the handle on the tiny door but I can’t. I’m a couple inches too short.
“Can you go on tip-toes? I need to go higher!”
“No! This is the best I can do.”
The troops are now on the brink of seeing us. One more step around the corner, and they’ll catch us and kill us on the spot.
“Oh god,” I grimace as I stretch as high as I can while trying to keep my balance. “Nearly there!”
I hear Benzen grunting below me. He’s trying to lift me up higher, but with his injuries, I’m amazed he hasn’t passed out yet. But, with one last blast of effort, he puts all his strength into his arms, and suddenly, I’m right where I need to be. Pushing the latch open, a ladder falls out. I grab hold of it and frantically climb up, pulling Benzen with me. On the other side I pull the hatch shut just in time to hear one of the troops say:
“I thought I heard something.”
“It was probably just your imagination,” one of the others says.
Now, up in this strange room, we try to catch our breath. My heart is racing, and there’s the taste of blood in my mouth. Looking around, I see we’ve climbed up through the floor in what looks like an empty control room. No one is here, and for now, we’re safe. We hug and squeeze each other, not ever wanting to let go.
“What now?” Benzen asks.
“I have no idea. Was there a control room like this in your shuttle?”
He shakes his head.
“No, this is far more sophisticated.”
We’re pulled from our conversation by a peculiar buzzing noise, as if there’s static in the air. Then we hear something electrical buzz above us. Looking up, we see an enormous monitor drape down from the ceiling. It flickers on and off a few times before displaying a clear image of a face.
“Palzu….” Benzen whispers. “That’s him.”
He points to the screen, aghast.
“He’s transmitting a message.”
Chapter 19
Benzen
I see the thing I thought I had escaped. Palzu’s face, it looms high above us, ugly and twisted. His mouth begins to move, but I’m in so much shock I barely register what he’s saying.
“Little traitor,” his voice is so deep it reverberates around the shuttle, “you think you can escape, but I’m afraid I must confess something. Your brilliant plan to escape Orba was known to me.”
“What is he talking about?” Allison frowns.
“I have no idea.”
What is he talking about? How could he have known about our escape plan? It was, after all, a last-minute attempt at fleeing to safety. It was slap dashed and desperate.
“He’s just trying to play mind games,” I try to assure Allison. “It’s what he likes to do, mentally torture people.”
“And physically torture them,” she adds, reaching out and touching my bruised face.
I grip her hand tight, and as we hide, crouched against the floor, we look up to Palzu’s face once again. I don’t know what he’s about to tell us, but I know it won’t be anything good.
“Your plan,” he continues, sitting back in his chair and intertwining his fingers. “You thought you were so clever, didn’t you?” He laughs to himself, great big hearty bellows that rise up from his stomach. “But,” he waves a finger, “little did you know that a member of your crew was smarter that all of you…”
I have no idea what he’s saying, but there’s a darkening gloom growing in my stomach. He knew about us the whole time, which can only mean one thing.
“There was a spy amongst your ranks, traitor.”
I gasp.
“No…” I clutch at my chest and tumble backward. “The crew, we were like family.”
“It’s true, Benzen,” Palzu leans right up close to the camera and snarls. “You weren’t as smart as you thought you were.”
Palzu goes quiet. It looks as though he’s enjoying the act of tormenting me, and who can blame him? I was maybe more naïve that I thought I was. But really, a spy?
“Don’t listen to him Benzen!” Allison hugs me. “He’s just trying to beat you down and make you weak so you give in.�
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But I say nothing. He’s put the thought in my head, and it won’t leave.
“There was a spy amongst our ranks,” I whisper to myself.
“No, don’t believe him,” Allison pleads.
But it all makes sense. How else would they have been able to follow me with such accuracy? It all seems so believable. But who was it? It couldn’t have been Voland. He cared about us, acted nobly like a true leader. Draygus or Ethazol? I linger on their names for a moment—they did know a great deal about the human race already, as though they’d been studying them for quite some time…but no, I’ve known them my whole life. They wouldn’t do such a thing. Jarick and Victorinth of course wouldn’t either. Or would they?
I stand up and face the monitor. Despite my body being weak and sore, I stand defiant and strong. Allison joins me by my side, her shaking hand linking into mine.
“Please don’t believe him,” she says through kisses on my cheek. “He’s playing games with you.”
I can’t speak. There’s a great wave of sadness moving within me. I can only hope that Allison is right.
“So,” Palzu smiles a wicked grin that stretches across his grotesque face, “I assume you feel stupid now, because you should. You’ve acted foolishly, little traitor. You’ve given your life up for a cause that was little more than a scam.”
I stop listening to him. The names of my crew are floating through my thoughts in quick succession. It just couldn’t be Victorinth, could it? She’s so sweet and innocent. She can barely sleep through the night without needing a hug. Her favorite candy is Pop Rocks… I think of them now. I saved her that last packet and they’re still in my apartment, in a place of pride atop the television in case I ever see her again. But would I want to? I feel my hand being squeezed. It hurts and I look over at Allison.
“I can see you’re thinking over what he said, but please...don't pay any attention to it.”
“But,” I lower my head. “I think he is telling the truth.”
“Nonsense, Benzen!” she pulls away from me with a fiery anger in her eyes. “You’re better than this. They may have beaten your body, but don’t let them beat your spirit.”