“Why?” he shoots back, completely stumping me.
I can’t tell him the reason why, can I? Would it be best to, or will that ensure that he’ll never agree to it? Knowing how much he hates the aliens, he might even have me killed as some kind of example.
No, I can’t tell him that I’m pregnant, but I have to say something.
“I… I…” I try, but like an idiot, nothing comes out.
“Get out, Angie. Stop embarrassing yourself. You have a life now, and you’re going to end up throwing it all away.”
I wish I had something I could throw back, but I don’t. There’s just no way.
I guess I’ll just have to do it alone.
“Never mind, dad. Don’t worry about it.” I stand up, smiling weakly. “You’re right. Just a moment of madness.”
With that I spin on my heels and leave his home without even glancing back. He’s never been a father to me, so why the hell did I expect anything different now?
I’m better on my own anyway, I always have been.
*****
I wait until the early hours of the morning before I sneak back there. Filled with desperation, and a new found determination, the side effects of being pregnant seem to subside for the time being, which is perfect.
This might not work – in fact, chances are it probably won’t – but I don’t have any choice. I have to do something. There’s a chance that I might be able to speak to Wrotg and Arlaf, to finally tell them the truth, and I can’t just let that pass me by.
Security is lax – I guess because my dad is confident in his new found role – so it isn’t a challenge at all for me to get in. I simply slide through one of the windows and creep room to room, until I find exactly what I’m looking for, just what I suspected was here.
Devices, made by the Nya race, and lots of them.
They helped us, and my dad hates them. It’s such a pointless cycle.
I play about with everything, until I find something that I’m sure must be for communication. I can’t be certain, but everything else seems to be some kind of weapon.
I fiddle with the buttons until it all lights up, then I take the chance to relay the message that I’ve been practicing all afternoon. I can’t risk getting caught out before I’ve at least attempted to do what I came here for.
I speak, knowing that it’s probably pointless, knowing that even if by some miracle it’s heard, there won’t be many that can understand it. But it’s the only chance I have, and I need to at least try.
“Erm… okay,” I say, feeling stupid. “This is a message for Wrotg and Arlaf. It’s Angie. This might be crazy but I’m… I’m pregnant. I’m having a baby, which of course is yours. One of yours. I just…” The tears begin to fall as I speak. I’m so overwhelmed by all of this; I don’t even know where to begin. How can I explain my bizarre situation in just a few short sentences? “I don’t know what to do, I don’t know whether it’ll be safe, or… or anything. I just… I don’t know.”
Then I’m shocked by a noise, it cuts me short. I simply switch the machine off and race outside once more. It isn’t until I reach my home that I realize that I’m still gripping tightly to the device, as if my life depends on it.
***
I expect all kinds of things to happen over the next few days, but nothing does. I get no response from the Nya, and my father doesn’t come after me for stealing from him.
Either he doesn’t know, or he doesn’t care.
As time passes, the pregnancy becomes increasingly difficult to hide, meaning that I can barely go outside. Everyone will know the truth, I’m sure of it, and I’m terrified of being lynch mobbed.
I don’t really have any option. If I don’t hear anything soon I’m going to have to leave. I’ll have to do this alone.
I don’t know what I have growing inside of me, and I really don’t want to inflict danger upon the last remaining humans, whatever I think of them. I made the selfish decisions that led me to this position, so it should only be me that bears the consequences of them.
I might be terrified, but I don’t see any other way out. It’s either do this alone, or die.
Once the choice has been made in my mind, I grab the device, the remaining clothes that I have and I sneak out in the dead of night, leaving everyone and everything behind.
*****
Epilogue
One year later…
Wrotg and Arlaf
We did not want to leave Earth, but we had to, to save Angie. If we’d stayed, she would have been killed. We intended to return, when the time was right, but time doesn’t move in the same way for us that it does on Earth. We don’t notice the time passing in the same way that we notice humans do, so it doesn’t feel like we’ve been away for long.
But then we got a message. It was crackled, distorted, and made little sense, but it was her, and that was enough to make us return.
We love her. Our emotions might be different to that of humans, but the concept of love is similar. And that’s what we feel for her.
So now we’re back to find to her. The noise machine is still going on Earth, which is unbearable, but she’s worth it. We need to see her, to find her, to be with her once more.
The only problem is we’ve been examining the human colony for a very long time, and there is no sign of her. We don’t want to communicate with the humans, for fear of starting another war, but we need to see her. We’ve come all this way; we need to find her now.
Maybe she isn’t here.
We think in unison, before starting a hunt. She always did prefer to be away from the rest of the human race, so it’s likely that we’re right about this. Luckily, we have a good sense of smell, so this shouldn’t be too difficult.
We search for a while, up and down the country, until we finally lay our eyes upon her. But she isn’t alone.
Angie is cradling a newborn human Nya hybrid in her arms.
She has a baby!
***
It takes some time, but eventually we manage to build up a brand new colony on Earth, where humans, hybrids and aliens who hated the war live together peacefully. Some of the other Nya came to join us, the ones who had worked alongside us in the underground movement.
It has been challenging, certainly not perfect, but we have now managed to convince the other humans that we’re not out to harm them, just to live peacefully – in the way we thought we were going to in the first place. Even the noise machine is gone, but they still have it, just in case.
But none of that really matters. Not to us. What truly matters is us, Angie, and our baby Jack – the first of many hybrids. We’re happy now, together, and nothing will ever be able to tear us apart again.
THE END
Bonus Story 38 of 40
Capturing the Cyborg’s Heart
As she sprinted across the sidewalk, dodging people expertly along the way, her feet pounded on the pavement soundlessly, thanks to the "silent boots" her long-time friend Stan had invented. He was in his forties now, ten years older than her and a loyal member of the Last American Renegades. He was in hiding. She didn't know where he was, nor had any idea how he was sending her all the stuff.
Her long black hair flew around her shoulders as she ran as fast as she could, zipping into alleys that she had long memorized and leaping from roof to roof with the use of her makeshift electronic wings. She had picked up the wings a few months ago from the government warehouse she'd broken into, which had wreaked havoc and stirred ire among the officials of the New Government.
Her name, Micah Morgan, had immediately been splashed across physical and virtual bulletins alike. The media had feasted on her photos and background before she and her family had joined the remaining group of renegades that still fought against the new rule.
She hadn't cowered in fright like her mom had when the group had been exposed. She hadn't gone into hiding like her dad and their friend Stan. She hadn't burst into uncontrollable fury and lashed out at the government an
d their cyborg police force as her younger brother had done before.
Micah had been the most intelligent, patient, and calm among her family members. As she had been growing up, she'd developed a strong body, impressive stamina, fighting skills, and a sharp mind. She had quiet strength and a sort of eerie stillness that made people admire and follow her. Her amazing abilities and unique ideas had also made her popular within the group. It hadn’t been a surprise when she had eventually been elected Renegade Leader.
The Metropolis was currently teeming with locals, young and old, all smiling and getting along nicely. Some were traveling in electric cars on winding roads that all intertwined into a well-organized traffic system. There were streets crisscrossing in between buildings and also pathways that seemed to float in the sky. Meanwhile, other folks were heading to their destinations on hover boards, moving swiftly in mid-air. It was a picture-perfect urban community situated within an ultra-modern city with stylish glass and steel skyscrapers. It all seemed so beautiful on the surface. But she knew better.
Dashing in and out of buildings, jumping over fences and climbing walls like Spiderman's futuristic female counterpart, which she was actually known for, she was finally able to lose the cyborg soldiers who had been hot on her trail. They were probably already calculating her moves and analyzing the city map, utilizing the computer chips that had been installed into their brains. Apart from the unusual strength they possessed because of their metal body parts, some of them also had built-in heat trackers to detect human and animal life moving within their 3-meter radius.
But she was well-prepared for all of their tactics. Clothed in completely black technologically advanced gear that let her move about with great ease and flexibility, the material had also been designed to cover up her natural body heat and deflect her movements to cause confusion. It was something she and Stan had come up with long ago.
Micah stood still on the third floor of a mid-sized tower, her feet planted on the thin ledge outside a huge window, her arms outstretched for added balance and also to allow her to grip the edges of the window frame. Her bright green eyes were wide and alert. She was trying to catch her breath after the chase, already planning her next move. She couldn't let these cyborgs find her and stop her from fulfilling her mission- expose the evil plans of the New Government and bring down the manipulative and abusive officials. She wanted to destroy the entire system, but she would only be able to accomplish it if she could gather enough evidence against them.
She didn’t feel any fear at all- no fear of the government and the cyborgs, not even fear for her own life. But if there's one thing that truly terrified her, it was to completely lose the people she loved. She couldn't bear the thought of seeing them lose their humanity and become robots of the vicious rulers. She just couldn't let it happen without putting up a fight, even if she was all on her own. She couldn't let them win that easily, and if it meant risking her own life, so be it.
A few minutes passed. Her arms and legs felt as heavy as lead. Her muscles were tense from being stuck in the same position for a long time. But she was used to the pain, so it didn't bother her much.
After a while, she slowly edged toward one side of the ledge, very well aware that one wrong move could send her toppling down the side of the building and breaking all her bones upon hitting the busy street below. Then she activated her electronic wings with one click, making the improvised metal pieces spread out and start whirring with life. She took a deep breath and jumped forward into the air.
Micah began flying upward with the help of the wings. But then, she was halted by an invisible force. She could not move further. She was stuck in mid-air.
"What's happening?" she wondered aloud. And upon turning around, she noticed the almost invisible string that had wrapped around the huge metal wings. She was being pulled down quickly.
"Damn," she muttered, as she spotted the tall, bulky cyborg in navy blue uniform waiting for her below. She didn't panic, but calmly let herself get pulled down. When she was safely near the ground she detached herself from the wings and dropped down on her feet, running at once after landing.
She flung the wings over her shoulders at the cyborg as she took off. He was fast though, ducking and evading the wings that could have knocked him down.
She was back on the run, just as she'd become accustomed to over the past years. But for the very first time, she was not able to get away. His strong arms grabbed her shoulders and yanked her back before she could get away. His hands slid down to her wrists, violently rammed them together and snapped a pair of handcuffs on her. "Micah Morgan, you are under arrest."
*****
Micah's emerald green eyes fluttered open. In an instant, she remembered everything that had happened. She'd blocked out after getting caught and hit by a member of the cyborg police.
Her eyes roamed around the tiny room filled with thick, white padding. There were no windows and no furniture. She found herself lying on the similarly padded floor with nothing but a white blanket covering her body.
Micah quickly sat up, realizing with shock that she was completely naked. All her weapons had been stripped away. "Damn that cyborg," she muttered. "And he had the nerve to undress me!" The thought made her blood boil and she couldn't wait to face him and give him a piece of her mind.
Despite her situation, she was able to calm herself. She looked around without any desperation, forcing her negative emotions away in order to clear her mind and think of ways on how she would escape.
A thorough scan of the room told her the room was secure. But she had never been one to give up easily. She walked around the space slowly, running her hands across the walls and the floor. She touched and groped everything she could reach, looking for some way out. There wasn't even a door, except a locked opening on the high ceiling which would be impossible to reach without any of her or Stan's gadgets.
She was pacing back and forth, the white blanket wrapped and tied around her body, when a creaking noise made her stop and look up. The locked opening began sliding open. The gap soon revealed the face of the cyborg who had captured her. She was not surprised to find that he was very good-looking, with strong features, light brown hair in a military haircut, full red lips, and intense dark brown eyes.
Many of the cyborgs she'd encountered before were handsome, muscular, and alluring just like this one. She was only interested in one thing, and that was to destroy the New Government and help give back the freedom and natural humanity of people.
"I see you're awake," the cyborg called down to her, his face expressionless. "Want something to eat?"
Micah did not want to eat. She only wanted to punch him in the face and get out of there. But of course, she knew that if he brought her food, she just might have a better chance to escape. She silently nodded her head then sat down and waited patiently.
He was back in five minutes. But to her dismay, he used a special device to send down a bowl of porridge. The device looked like a metal tray attached to a long pole.
As he was sending the food down, she reacted quickly and jumped up and jerked on the pole violently. Swinging her body up sideways, she kicked against the wall to hoist her body up higher. At the same time, the sudden strong jerk had surprised the cyborg and caused him to lose his balance.
He plummeted down through the opening, missing her by an inch. But he was quick too, throwing his arms upward and grabbing the pole to keep from falling to the ground. He reached up and tugged at Micah's foot hard. She tried to kick him free but his grip was too firm.
"Let. Me. Go!" Micah shouted resolutely, kicking hard with both feet as she struggled to keep holding on to the shaky pole.
After a minute of struggling, she was able to boot him against his forehead. He yelled, but did not let go. Instead, it motivated him to pull himself up after her, putting all of his strength in his grip of her foot. The weight of his body forced her down hard, causing her to tumble down. She grabbed his neck and brought him down with h
er.
They landed with a thump on the padded floor, with the cyborg landing on top of Micah's slightly naked body. The blanket wrapped around her had loosened and was barely covering the top part of her body.
She didn't care. She was very much alert, and the slight flicker of his eyes onto her almost exposed breasts, did not escape her attention. Now she knew one of his weaknesses, and was going to do her best to use it against him.
For the moment, she simply wanted to tease him. Quickly she arched her back, crying out in pain pretentiously. Her breasts rose up and pressed against his chest. His eyes shot wide open, making him push himself away from her awkwardly and get onto his feet hurriedly.
He quickly regained his composure, standing tall and glaring at her. "I see you are what they say you are," he said with bitterness.
"And what is that?" she wanted to know, one side of her lips turning up in a semi-smirk. She was still in a lying position, the luscious flesh of the top of her breasts very well exposed. Her long, firmly shaped legs were also out in the open.
He turned away, ignoring her question. She could take him down then, but both of them knew that they still needed each other to be able to leave that room. "Get dressed," he barked with his back to her.
"With this blanket?" she asked in an unbelieving tone. "Go get me my clothes."
"No."
"Well, why don't you turn around?" she demanded. "Don't even pretend to be a gentleman now because you’ve already seen my body."
"I was not the one who undressed you," he answered quietly, his breathing becoming steadier. "It was my sister, Shelley. She's probably on her way here now to bring you something to wear."
Two Wolves For Lizette Page 134