by Maia Starr
I was personally asking myself a completely different question. What had happened with Lawrence? I’d gone in to dress her wounds and treat an infection, and had left with my body ready to take command of hers and create an entire Verian army of my own inside of her. I’d never wanted to claim somebody as badly as I had at that moment the night before, when our lips had touched, and the softness of her breath had escaped her lips…
“Is she all right?” another female asked, breaking into my thoughts. It was something of a relief to know that if I returned Regan now, it was possible people would begin to feel a softness toward her now that she had been personally victimized by the cruel Verian race. If nothing else, it would serve to make her time in the prison a little bit more manageable.
“Yula Lawrence is where she has been asking to be since the moment we landed,” I said, my eyes hard as I looked from cell to cell full of eager, curious Earth females. “She is in solitary.”
A soft, collective gasp filled the air, and I looked deep into Cell 3, where Yula Casey and her friend were exchanging pleased glances. It had been their doing, and they thought that they were getting away with something. Perhaps they believed I was stupid enough not to understand the full goings on here, but they were going to be surprised when the day for their assignments came. They would be the first to be hand-fed to the returned soldiers. That would wipe the smirks off of their faces.
“As for the rest of you, I expect you won’t give me the same kind of trouble as Yula Lawrence. Is that understood?”
The females nodded enthusiastically, shouting their willingness to submit to the laws of the prison system. It was a relief to have been able to make an example of somebody so quickly. I just wished that I could dole out their karmic rewards much sooner. It wouldn’t have been so bad for them if they hadn’t hurt Regan so badly. But they would soon see just how cruel the Verian race could be.
“Today we are going to go on a little trip,” I announced to the females. “To the building opposite this one. You will be briefed on what is expected of your kind and prepped for your new roles here.”
The females who had already undergone this process jeered menacingly from down the hall. It was a painful process, to be sure, but if we didn’t vaccinate the humans, it was possible that the Verian-human hybrids would not have proper immunities to the human diseases.
“Silence!” I shouted. The clamoring of the females was too much for me. I had been suffering from a desperate headache for most of the night after tending to Regan, and it was clear that I was losing my muscle mass rapidly. I couldn’t wait until the Heakai were able to come up with a cure to this mysterious illness so that I could move on with my life.
The females quieted down a little but maintained murmuring in disapproval, undoubtedly recounting stories of their own painful vaccination process.
“What about Lawrence?” Casey asked, frowning. “Doesn’t she have to get vaccinated too?”
I gritted my teeth, biting back the harsh words I wanted to shout at Casey for harming Regan. However, my mind worked much more quickly than my anger – one of the other things that set the Verians apart from the lowly human race – and I smiled coldly at her.
“Of course. If she survives solitary.”
Casey’s smug smile faltered, and she glanced at one of the females that had been holding Regan still during the attack. Clearly, she was now having second thoughts about victimizing the poor girl, but it was already too late. Perhaps, the question of her responsibility to Regan’s safety would haunt her for the rest of her days. I could only hope that would be the case.
“Now. I need you all to line up in your cells, just as we do during meal times. Instead of turning left to the dining hall, you are to turn right and only do as I command. Understood? Anybody who gets any funny ideas in their heads will join Yula Lawrence in solitary. And I promise…that is not a pretty place to be.”
The fear on the females’ faces was almost comical to me. If I was going to be honest with myself, I would have rather lived in one of the solitary cells than in the overcrowded jail cells in Ward B. But as long as the inmates believed that they would be subject to horrific treatment in solitary, it was likely that they would continue to be cooperative.
It was one of my primary defenses considering the fact that we were woefully short on men who could help me to keep all of these women in line. The Pelin helped, but they were small and weak; not only physically, but mentally. I had caught more than one of them making friends with inmates. The Earth females somehow found the aesthetic appearance of the Pelin to be quite appealing, and more than once would squeal in delight when they were around, particularly those who were rotund.
“Good,” I shouted as the females formed their lines. “Now follow me.”
We marched forward through the winding corridors of the prison, and I couldn’t help but remember the last time I had led someone this way. It was Regan, when she had been under the observation of the Doyan. I shuddered again at the thought of the beautiful creature coming to harm at the hands of the merciless man that Vera had married. I would almost rather her beat up in the infirmary than touched by that slimy krocha.
I led the females inside the laboratory, where the eager scientists awaited with cruel little smiles on their faces. These were women and men of weak physical disposition, with a strong hatred of the human race. Still, the existence of humans and the mysteries of their biology gave the scientists some odd sense of satisfaction. They wanted to know everything they could, and for the females who were particularly difficult, I often turned them over to the lab for study.
“These are the honored Heakai. The wise. They are responsible for breaks in new Verian technology and are going to take you into their care for the night.”
The Heakai stood in a line in front of us, their eyes shining with anticipation. Although it was just a routine step in ensuring the success of our breeding program, they took great joy in examining new humans. I felt an odd sense of relief in knowing that Regan wouldn’t be examined by these sadistic Verians, whether it was for the benefit of our scientific knowledge or not.
“Welcome, Earthlings,” the leader of the Heakai, Yul Karan Thorgal said, his voice cold. I had always found the man to be rather off-putting myself, and tried to avoid any lengthy conversations with him. It was clear he had one passion and one passion alone: scientific inquiry.
The women were reluctant to greet him back, but I turned and fixed a stern look upon them. They all knelt as they had been taught to do during their orientation, and Karan grinned.
“We will be working with the youngest among you first. Please organize yourselves in a line from youngest to oldest. Do not try anything funny. Our testing will reveal any inconsistencies. We wouldn’t want any of you to end up permanent residents of the lab, now, would we?”
Karan’s eyes met mine and sparkled. Of course, that was what he looked forward to most of all. He seemed particularly cheerful today, and I had half a mind to ask him why. But it was my job to ensure the order of the females as they organized themselves chaotically, until, finally, the youngest of Earthlings stood nervously in the line, eyeing the group of Heakai with horror.
“Which one is she?” Karan asked quietly into my ear as one of the secretaries carried a clipboard down the line, demanding every human write their name down.
“Who?” I asked, though I had a sinking feeling that I already knew exactly who he was referring to.
“The human destined for this wonderful place of study and discovery! The rebel!”
“The Pelin have a nasty habit of wagging their tongues,” I said sharply. “Unfortunately, she was unable to make it here today.”
“What?” Karan asked, frowning deeply and glaring at me. “I was quite looking forward to meeting her!”
“She will not be the next victim of your experiments, Yul Thorgal,” I said as good-naturedly as I could muster. “She has been injured. I’m honestly not entirely sure whether or not she wil
l manage to survive the injuries she sustained. Even with our current technological advancements, most resources are going to the soldiers. You know that.”
“Well if you send her her, I can see to her care,” Karan said, his eyes twinkling. “I do like the live ones.”
“Are you suggesting we commit treason to save one foul-mouthed Earthling?” I exclaimed. “We’d be better off without her!”
It hurt me to say such a thing, especially about Regan, but it seemed I had little choice. I didn’t want Karan touching her. Period. And that was just going to have to be the end of it.
“Of course, Yul Volaire. Please, don’t tell the Doyan what I suggested!”
I stared hard at Karan, who was sincerely terrified of the thought that I might betray his confidence and turn him in to the Doyan. It was a funny thought, really. She wasn’t likely to get rid of him anyway, but apparently Karan didn’t know what sway he held over the leader of our planet.
“Your secret is safe with me…for now,” I said. “Just take care of the Earthlings tonight and make sure they are all returned in one piece. No repeats of what happened last time.”
Karan’s face deepened with an embarrassed orange tint, and he shook his head enthusiastically. “Of course. That was just a…a silly mess. I won’t let it happen again.”
“Good,” I said, sincerely relieved to hear it.
The man had taken a handful of females for his own experimental pleasure without informing me first, and had subjected them to horrific tests. They hadn’t been the same after that, and I had found the six of them huddled in the back of their cells during mealtime, disoriented and bruised from head to toe. I didn’t know what the man had decided to do to them, but I knew that even humans deserved to be treated more compassionately. Especially if they were to be Mai to our children.
“Injections will be distributed!” Karan’s assistant began to inform the humans. We had all agreed that the humans took the news much better from another female, and I waited tensely for the inevitable reactions of the humans. “These injections will prepare your body for the rapid growth of Verian offspring.”
As if right on cue, the females in line began to furrow their brows and mumble in protest and disbelief. They couldn’t comprehend their use as incubators to the children of the Verian race. It was always like this, and I was meant to stay and secure their safety and that of the Verian scientists until they were safely in their individual holding cells for the night. Then I would be able to go back to the prison to check on Regan. It had been Narei’s job to give her the meal in the infirmary, and I felt a strong pull to check to make sure she was all right.
I wondered, suddenly, if I had chosen to take the females in for their injections that day as a punishment for what had happened to Regan. I had to chase the thoughts away though as Karan’s assistant continued, her voice low and serious.
“The Verian children will require much nourishment, and may be susceptible to the many diseases humans carry within them. These injections will not only prepare your uterine lining for the rapid expansion of child-growth, but it will also provide a vaccination for all Verian-human hybrid children that will be born to each female. Is that understood?”
The humans were furious now, shouting in protest against the utilization of their bodies for breeding purposes. Again, I was grateful that Regan was in the infirmary. I could only imagine what kind of ruckus she would kick up if given half a chance. That was a female who simply could not keep her mouth shut. Even for her own good.
“Silence, humans!” I bellowed. The females quieted down, but were far from silent. It was still an improvement though, and the assistant continued.
“From there, we will observe you and take measurements of your bodies…do an examination of each of you for our records. A thorough one. Anybody who objects to our methods will be given the alternative of volunteering as living subjects for our research. Regardless of your choice, your bodies will be utilized to the maximum effect. The Verian race needs warriors in this war against Earth, and the only way we can get those warriors is through you.”
A stunned silence fell over the crowd of females, and I sighed heavily. These females didn’t understand fully the role they were to play. And even those who volunteered to be living subjects always ended up changing their minds only a few hours into their duty. Verian scientists had few boundaries, and the females in their care always left a little more damaged than they had been when they arrived.
“Now, follow me, one by one, to your rooms.”
I expected more of a fight, but the females were clearly scared to death of the Heakai. And for good reason, too. I knew though, that if Regan were there, given the opportunity for silence, her voice would be ringing through it loudly to try to protect the females of Earth, even when they did nothing but victimize her. She truly was something extraordinary.
I waited around until each female had been led back into the holding chambers, and gave Yul Karan Thorgal a brief kneel. He returned the gesture, and I left, eager to return to the infirmary and check on Regan.
***
“Where have you been?”
Regan’s accusing voice cut through me as I entered the door, and I gritted my teeth hard to keep from replying sharply to her. The last thing I needed was to be forced to deal with her unyielding temper.
“How are you feeling?” I asked, without bothering to answer her question. She sighed heavily and stood from the infirmary bed.
“I’ve been better, but it’s not as bad as the night before,” she said, her blue eyes focused on the ground in front of me. “I’m sorry if I…”
She trailed off and laughed mirthlessly, shrugging. “Why am I apologizing? I honestly don’t know what was real about last night and what was a terrible dream.”
“Terrible?” I asked, raising an eyebrow, suddenly feeling a little bit of offense at the thought that the kiss we’d shared had been terrible for her. For me, it had been the single most erotic moment of my life, and I’d left for the night unable to sleep as I replayed the memory over in my head again and again. It had been the farthest thing from terrible I could ever imagine.
“Well, I don’t mean…”
Regan’s cheeks grew red, and I couldn’t help but smile. Our skin tones may have been much different, but the act was the same. Verians were pale, but a ruddy orange glow animated our features, while many humans had a variety of skin tones. Regan’s happened to be a sun-kissed copper, with an attractive pink accent. When she blushed, the pink deepened into red, and I couldn’t help but wonder what color they might be if I gave in to my body’s impulses as I had been sorely tempted to do the night before.
“Do you think you feel well enough to return to your cell?” I asked.
Regan nodded. I could tell she didn’t trust herself to open her mouth, and I couldn’t blame her. I imagined that if I was a spitfire like she was, I wouldn’t know whether or not it was safe to let the words spill out of me either.
“Good. That means your infection is going down.”
I gripped Regan’s hand tightly and pulled her out the door, vaguely registering the bashful look on her face as I led the way out. She was quiet as I walked her down the hallways and back to the solitary cell where she had been sleeping the night before, and I smiled at her as comfortingly as I possibly could.
“If anybody else asks you though, do not tell them that you are healing just fine. I have a feeling there is going to be some inquiry about you, and it would be better to avoid any suspicion. Do you understand?”
Regan nodded impulsively as we stepped inside the cell together, and then seemed to change her mind. Her eyebrows furrowed and she turned her bright blue eyes onto me.
“No, actually. I don’t understand any of this,” she said, flinging her hands in the air desperately. “I don’t get what I’m doing here. I don’t know why you’ve been trying to protect me, or why you’ve gone out of your way to heal me when I know, at least I think I know, that you are only
collecting humans to serve some weird war agenda. And I don’t even know whether or not that moment we shared…I don’t know what’s real, and I doubt very much that you are going to be the kind of man I have been imagining you to be.”
I waited patiently for Regan to quiet down, and she glared into my eyes. I couldn’t help but smile. She was so fierce, even though, despite my illness, I was still likely to be a hundred times stronger than she was.
“It was real,” I forced myself to say. “I gave in to a moment of weakness on my part last night, and for that I am sorry.”
“But why are you sorry?” Regan exclaimed. “What is it that makes it so hard for you Verians to just admit what you feel and try to talk things out instead of making everything so needlessly complicated?!”
I frowned, unsure of what she might mean by this accusation. Verians may have been somewhat disconnected from their feelings, but that didn’t mean that we were monsters. We were simply able to put logic and intellect before our own useless emotions. And my logic and intellect were saying that it would be a fatal mistake to feel anything toward this human but what it was my duty to feel.
“I need you to tell me, Zaine. What is it that you are feeling for me? What do you want? Because I’m a really straight forward kind of a person. I can’t do guessing games. This is just too much for me right now. Please!”
Regan’s voice wavered, and she stared at me, brave and vulnerable all at the same time. I sighed. I couldn’t voice my feelings. I was having a hard enough time understanding them for myself. But there was one thing I could do.
Regan gasped as I gripped her hard, my mouth suddenly on hers. Her eyes widened before she surrendered to the strength of my grip, and I knew that this time there would be no way to stop myself. Regan would be mine.