by L. S. O'Dea
“Perhaps, she doesn’t understand the game.”
“Perhaps.” He was pretty sure she did but Conguise would never believe him if he confessed that he thought she was angry. It was the best word to describe her actions. She seemed to purposely do the exact opposite of what he told her to do.
“She could be inferior in intelligence than the male. It happens in some species.”
“It is a possibility but Fersia, the host, had been more intelligent than her mate. However, her transformation, once started, progressed at an accelerated pace. I’m worried her brain may have been damaged.”
“Hmm.” The professor flipped through the portfolio on the Araneas. “It says here that you believe her transformation was delayed due to pregnancy.”
“Yes.”
“It’s good that she’s a proven breeder, but if she’s unbalanced...” Conguise tapped his long fingers on the paper. “Put them together.” He raised his hand to silence McBrid’s argument. “I understand that you’ve developed a fondness for her, but we need to know if she’ll mate. If she doesn’t and she’s unbalanced she needs to be exterminated. You’ve proven that you can create another female.”
“Yes, but it’s not easy. The next may not survive.”
“If she doesn’t breed and she doesn’t obey, start the process again. As soon as you have another living female Aranea exterminate her.”
“But the male is obeying. We can’t afford to let her kill him.” He had to give her time to adjust. He owed her that much.
“You said they were about the same size. He may be able to defend himself and if not...have the Guards assist him.”
“I...” He wasn’t going to kill her. “I think we should wait to put them together. Creating another female isn’t easy and...I think we should focus on the males.” That would keep her alive while he created more males.
“Hmm.” Conguise stared past him a moment. “No. We need the females. We need them to breed.”
“I disagree. They’re more aggressive, less receptive to commands and difficult to create. Plus, they’ve done nothing but kill the males—the Araneas that we may be able to train.”
Conguise’s eyes snapped like blue ice. “We need the females.”
“Why?” This made absolutely no sense.
“What good is a sterile weapon?”
“If it kills, it’s useful.”
“You’re thinking like our enemy. They’ll come with guns and weapons that annihilate entire cities, entire civilizations.” Conguise leaned forward. “We need to be more than prepared. We need to attack first and in order to do that we need fertile weapons.”
He calmed his breathing. There was no talking to the professor when he was on the topic of the eminent attack from beyond the sea. “I’ll keep working on it, sir.” He stood and walked toward the door.
“You do that.” Conguise went back to his papers. “Put them together. If this doesn’t work, you’ll need to try something else. This project is dragging on too long.”
A shiver ran down his spine. There was more than a warning in Conguise’s tone. There was a threat.
CHAPTER 34: Fersia
FERSIA SAT IN THE corner next to Jocko. The prey called McBrid was talking again. It took too much focus to understand his words, so she didn’t bother to try. She just felt them. His voice sent familiar, soothing vibrations through her. She wanted to trust him, obey him like Jocko did but...McBrid upset her and she didn’t know why. She was forgetting more every day. Maybe, she should try and listen to the prey’s words because Jocko wasn’t angry.
She rested her head against the glass wall. She remembered Jocko. She loved him but she couldn’t touch him. They used to touch she was sure of it. She stared at her mate, trying to remember before...when they could touch. She was sure they’d been different but she didn’t remember how. All she could see were flashes of another world. She had no idea if it even existed. She saw trees, a big house, a room filled with books and an older, female. Her face...those memories brought warmth tainted with sorrow. She’d loved that female whoever she was.
The wall between them shook and the room hummed, sending vibrations through the floor. There were too many. They ripped through her body. She hurried to the other side of the cage as far away from the commotion as possible. Jocko did the same, finding safety on the other end of his enclosure. The prey started talking again, the sound drawing her closer. He’d been her friend once, she was sure of that but she didn’t know why she was angry with him—furious most of the time.
CHAPTER 35: McBrid
MCBRID HAD IGNORED THE professor and had waited two more days, but it was time to remove the glass that divided the cages. The two Araneas seemed to enjoy each other’s company, spending almost all time together except for feeding when they both went to separate corners like opponents in a boxing match.
They’d be okay together. At least he prayed they would. He’d fed them both in hopes of eliminating Aranea19’s hunger as a motivation for killing her mate. He couldn’t delay any longer. It was almost time to go home.
“Fersia. Jocko.” He felt stupid calling them by those names but in case there was anything of the Servants left in those bundles of nerves that were now their brains, he wanted to coax it out of them and remind them of the feelings they’d had for one another. “I’m going to remove the barrier that separates your cages.”
They both slunk in their corners, pressed against the glass next to each other.
“You may want to move to the other side of your enclosures.” He waved his arm toward the male’s feeding corner. Fersia fed where she was so he didn’t figure she’d move, plus she wasn’t even looking at him. Her eyes were on her mate.
The male turned to face her and there had to have been some type of communication because he turned back toward McBrid without moving. This wasn’t the first time the male had ignored his commands after looking at the female. It was a good thing Conguise was so set on breeding them, or Aranea19’s days would be numbered. He could delay successfully creating another female for months.
“Fine. Don’t listen.” The raising of the divider wouldn’t hurt them, but it would startle them.
The male looked at the female again but remained in place. McBrid pressed the button. Conguise was wrong. They needed to focus on the males. This one, at least, was willing to obey.
The glass panel began its ascent and the two Araneas scurried to the opposite sides of their enclosures, chittering and clacking with agitation.
“It’s okay. It won’t hurt you.” He kept his voice calm.
The female stared at him as she moved to the front of her cage.
“I swear. Nothing is going to hurt you. I’m just removing the barrier so the two of you can be together like you wanted.”
She danced back and forth. He had no idea if she were nervous, excited or angry.
When the glass disappeared into the ceiling the male darted into the female’s cage. McBrid held his breath as she spun around, front legs in the air and fangs wide.
CHAPTER 36: Fersia
A VIBRATION BEHIND HER made her spin around, ready to defend against attack. Jocko raced into her cage.
“He’s your mate, Fersia. You love him. Don’t hurt him,” said the prey.
She recognized her name and some of the words. The prey was stupid. She wouldn’t hurt Jocko. She loved him. She hopped forward, legs up. Jocko danced toward her and back. She laughed. It was a twitter of sound. Jocko scurried around the cage. She wanted to embrace him but didn’t want to stop his fun.
After several minutes he approached. He touched her abdomen, his claw sharp but not causing pain. She touched his face, careful to avoid his eyes. He was so handsome and he was all hers.
He moved behind her, caressing her with his long, hairy legs. They were together again, just like the prey had promised.
CHAPTER 37: McBrid
MCBRID WATCHED THE MATING dance. It was typical Aranea posturing. He should stay for the entire p
rocess. He was a scientist but no matter how much he fought it, he still saw Fersia inside the Aranea body. He didn’t want to watch her mate. She deserved privacy. Plus, if she attacked the male, he didn’t want to see it. He’d get in trouble for not staying, but not as much as if he were here and didn’t intervene.
“I’ll leave you two alone. Please don’t hurt him, Fersia. You love him. Remember that.”
Fersia looked at him for one fast moment before dancing toward her mate. McBrid turned on the camera and left.
CHAPTER 38: McBrid
FIRST THING IN THE morning, McBrid hurried into the lab prepared for the worst, but both Araneas were alive and curled together in the corner. He’d been right but the glory of bragging about it to Conguise paled next to the fact that she was still alive. In the past, the female had killed the males but this male was almost as big as her. If they’d fought she could’ve been injured or killed.
“Good morning,” he said as he made his way across the room.
The two Araneas lurked in the corner, all eyes on him. He turned off the camera. He’d be expected to report on their mating ritual so eventually he was going to have to watch it but right now he wasn’t in the mood.
He picked up the ball and stopped at the stripe painted on the floor. “How about a little game?”
The male Aranea fidgeted. The female placed one of her limbs on his torso and he calmed.
“Jocko, stop the ball when it comes near you.” He rolled the ball into the cage.
The male raised his leg and Fersia slapped the ball, knocking it out of the cage and across the lab. Jocko chirped and she chittered back.
“Good job, Fersia.” He walked across the room and picked up the ball. This was the first time she’d taken any interest in the game “But this time, stop it. Don’t hit it. Understand?” He put it on the floor and placed his foot on it, holding it still. “Like this. Stop it so it doesn’t move.”
The door opened and Charlie came inside.
“Hey.” He nodded at the Guard.
“Good morning.” Charlie’s gaze darted between the cage and McBrid.
He felt for the kid. It had to be hard to see a friend changed like this. “Did you need something?” It was probably better if he assigned Charlie to another task but cleaning the lab was the least dangerous.
“Nah.” Charlie moved across the room and started emptying the trash.
McBrid turned back to the Araneas. “Okay, Fersia. Let’s try this again. Stop it when it comes near you.” He bent and sent the ball into the cage.
Fersia ignored it. The ball hit the wall and bounced back finally stopping. The male squeaked, one leg waving in the air. The female made a low hissing sound.
“It’s okay.” He started to get another ball but stopped himself. “Watch Jocko. He knows what to do. Jocko, roll the ball to me.”
The male moved toward the ball. The female wrapped her leg around one of his. His chirps increased in pace and pitch. She let go. Jocko moved to the ball and rolled it back.
“Good job.” McBrid caught it. “Did you see that, Fersia? That’s what you need to do. That’s Roll.”
Charlie snorted.
“Is there a problem?” He faced the young Guard.
“Sorry. No.” Charlie lowered his gaze to his dust cloth and continued working.
“I’m not going to get angry. We’re friends. I want to hear your opinion.”
Charlie hesitated, still staring at his hand on the counter and then he looked up. “How much of her do you think is still in there?”
“I don’t know.” He glanced at the creature he’d created. It didn’t even resemble the slight, smart, funny Servant. “Very little I imagine.”
“Hmm.”
“You think otherwise?”
Charlie shrugged. “I don’t know much but I don’t think who you are just goes away.”
“I understand that it’s easier to imagine your friend is still in there but it isn’t safe.” He moved toward the young Guard. “If you get near her, she will kill and eat you. She is not your friend. Not anymore.” He glanced over his shoulder at the cage and froze. Aranea19 was at the front, two legs wrapped around the bars, watching them as she opened and closed her fangs.
“I know that. I know she’s different. I know she’s dangerous but...I still think she’s in there somewhere.”
“Perhaps she is.” If Charlie were right, he needed to use that to his advantage. “Her things are in storage, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Bring them here when you’re done with your duties.” If any part of Fersia still existed, she should have some reaction to her personal items.
CHAPTER 39: McBrid
MCBRID’S LITTLE EXPERIMENT HAD been a disaster. Aranea19 had shown no interest whatsoever in her things. He sat at his desk. Charlie was still on the floor holding up different items and showing them to her.
Aranea19 was in the corner, watching them. The male rested near her side, his furry leg caressing her abdomen.
“I think we have our answer, Charlie.” He hesitated a moment. “I’m sorry.”
The Guard dropped a blanket Fersia had brought with her to the lab onto her small stack of belongings. “Maybe if we tossed them in the cage she’d recognize them.”
“Charlie.” The kid was hurting. He understood that. It was hard to lose someone. “Fersia’s gone. Replaced by Aranea19.”
“It’s probably better this way. Less sad. For her.” Charlie stood.
“Yes. She has a new life now with her mate. We’ll keep her fed and happy.”
“Yeah. I guess.”
“I know you miss her.”
“Don’t tell Louis or the others.”
“I won’t. I promise.”
Aranea19 jumped from her corner to the front of the cage, her long legs reaching for them. McBrid’s eyes went to the floor. Charlie was over the line. When he’d stood he’d stepped forward. Without thinking, McBrid lunged, pulling Charlie behind him.
Aranea19’s legs waved only a few inches from his face and then stilled at eye level, flexing her claws as if sensing him. She couldn’t reach him and he stayed there, fascinated by the danger only inches away. The claw moved up and down as if to caress his face. For one second, he considered leaning forward – not enough for her to grab him, only enough for her to touch him.
Charlie wrapped his hand in McBrid’s shirt and yanked him backward. “Thank you.” The Guard’s face was white and his eyes wide.
“You need to be careful.” He grabbed the kid’s shoulders. “She will kill you.” He enunciated every word.
“I-I know.” Charlie was staring around him at Aranea19.
“Go. Get some lunch.” He took a deep breath as the young Guard fled from the lab. He had to get Charlie and his brother out of here before he made a fatal mistake but Conguise would never let them leave alive.
CHAPTER 40: Fersia
“THAT’S ENOUGH FOR THE day. You did very well Jocko.” The prey called McBrid picked up the ball.
Fersia climbed the bars of the cage and hung upside down. She liked being up high. Jocko couldn’t get up here and right now she was annoyed with him. He was always doing whatever the prey wanted—rolling the ball back and forth, stopping it on command. It was stupid to listen to the prey. She was strong. Jocko was strong. They shouldn’t obey the weak, except for food. She shook the bars. This cage forced them to obey for food. It stopped them from catching their own dinner, but one day there might be a chance. McBrid was careful but the others...
McBrid headed for the door. She dropped to the ground, twisting to land on her feet.
McBrid jumped slightly and took a deep breath. “Good night, Fersia,” he said as he left the lab.
Jocko moved toward her, dancing a bit. He wanted to mate. It was their routine once the prey left but she was restless tonight. The door opened and she stilled, watching the young prey called Charlie dart into the lab. This one was stupid. He’d gotten close before; he might again. S
he pushed Jocko away from the front of the cage.
The prey Charlie carried something. He moved behind the line and held it up. “Fersia, I know you’re in there somewhere.”
Of course she was in here. She was Fersia. She’d forgotten things but she knew that. His voice rolled through her. It was familiar but she couldn’t recall why. There was no anger with his memory unlike the prey McBrid. Jocko edged forward.
“Stay back.” She snapped her fangs at him.
“He might get close.” said Jocko.
“He’s mine.” She clacked her fangs again.
“Do you remember this?” The prey held up an item. “It’s a book.”
Yes, that was right. She loved books. She’d spent hours and hours reading.
“You were teaching me to read.” He opened the book. “This one has lots of pictures so you started with it.” He held it up, showing her the images, page by page. “I hope you can see it from back there.” He laughed a little. “Because I’m not getting any closer.”
She could see it fine. Her eyesight was excellent. There were pictures of the forest, trees and small creatures that looked tasty. They’d be different than the food she was being fed. The Servants all tasted the same. Her mind stumbled over the term Servant. That was what they fed her but there was something else about the word, something that flickered in her brain like a light struggling to stay lit.
The young prey began to read. It was stuttered and faltering but it brought back waves of memories—laughing with him, helping him. He’d kept her company. He’d been her friend.
She reached for him and he scooted backward. She waved her claw. She wanted to touch him, not to hurt him, but to feel his skin, his hair.
“Do you want this?” He held up the book.
She’d settle for that. If she could touch it, maybe she’d remember more. She hated not knowing, being partially empty in her head. It didn’t bother Jocko but that was because he was stupid. He’d never been smart. She didn’t know how she knew that but she did. She’d been smart. Her mind used to remember everything but now it had holes—great big, gaping holes and she needed to fill them. She waved her claw again.