THE LAST BORN

T H R E E

ANA

The room is very bright.

I blink a few times to adjust the nightlight. The warm orange glow fills the room, it's dark enough for me to be unable to see the end of my room, but still, compared to the place I used to sleep, this is bright. Not that I don't like it, I do, but I guess I'm just not adjusted to all the lights and brightness and warm temperature.

Or bed. Or going to bed with a full stomach.

I look up from the floor where I have dragged the pillow and laying down. I will sleep in bed tomorrow, but tonight, I don't want to ruin the sheets.

I did clean myself though, it was amazing.

It helped with the aching muscles too, the hot steam burns as soon as it touched me but I welcome it. For once, I know the pain was a good pain, and that I will heal, and good things will come afterward, good things like fresh, and clean skin.

However, I do not dare to dream to have all of this for the rest of my life. This all seems too good to be true. Especially coming from him. I close my eyes for two seconds and recall everything I know about him; his height, his red eye, his voice, the way he is walking like he is the ruler of the universe, or actually like he doesn't care who's the ruler of the universe.

He breathes authority and exhales submission for the rest to inhale. The fact that I never heard his people speak his name, or how no one stepped forward when he announced that I'm no longer will be kept in the cell, it's clear to see that to his people, what he says, goes.

I will question his motives tomorrow when I'm well-rested if I can get any sleep.

The only sleep I got was caused by exhaustion, and now I'm not even the slightest tired. I'm too excited about all of this. I rub the cover of the pillow between my fingers and feel the soft material. Today, I have my stomach full, my thirst quenched, my skin cleaned, and now sleep will come to me peacefully, even if they throw me to the cell tomorrow, at least I got to experience the good things in life one last time.

I shut my eyes tighter trying to push away the memories of me in the cell. I just have to be on his good side, I can't afford any failure, I don't want to go back to where he freed me.

***

"Still awake?"

His eyes are not moving from the screen. Jackie walks closer and looks at the screen too, watching Noir sleeping on the hard cold floor instead of the bed. To her, the alien is clearly asleep, sometimes her body jolted but then she laid back and fell back asleep instantly.

This continued already for hours, she got bored and left the room, but now she is back with her leader's eyes still glued to the screen. Jackie feels sorry for her, Noir or whatever her name is. Jackie doesn't want to know what Noir had endured down in the cell and she prayed one day she could forgive the people in Nirvana for causing her so much pain.

"Anything?" She asks as he keeps watching her.

"No, not yet. But if she does something, I won't miss it." Malcolm replies.

Jackie glances to her side and watches his hard face as he is watching her closely. "Dania is going to check on her tomorrow, I thought it may be better to send her instead of Ronan,"

Malcolm replies with a short hum.

Jackie straightens her spine and clasps her hand behind her back. "I don't think anything will happen today, get some rest, I know you don't need to sleep, but you haven't laid down for days,"

Again a short hum.

Jackie just shakes her head lightly and walks out of his office, thanking the universe that at least, there is only one of him. She is sure it has something to do with his old age, he might look young, thanks to the artificial parts of him, but his way of thinking is still so old school he always reminds her of her grandpa, and he is older than her grandpa.

Malcolm heard the door was opening and closing, he just doesn't care. Base on the reports Noir has no kind of device that can connect her to whoever sent her to Milkyway. But perhaps she doesn't need one. With a pod that's way more futuristic than anything he has ever seen, he wouldn't be surprised if she can control everything with her mind.

Pieces of that pod were sold at amazing prices, with the money and the favor he has, Malcolm is on the top of his game. Some of his allies are genuinely trying to take down The UG, these are the races who had been wronged, and just like humans, they were set to mass genocide. Some others are just jumping onto the wagon of opportunity, and the rest are those who he convinced after he showed them the quality of the pod, and the possibility of more of the technology and material.

He has a few theory on her origins, Malcolm is well aware that Noir is partially human, and perfectly understand that the alien is going to be a casualty.

He will keep his friends close, and his enemy closer.