THE LAST BORN

T H I R T Y

ANA

At night, I usually get cold. My body runs a few degrees lower than a human. So I feel oddly... relieved when I feel the warm wall behind me.

That and a subtle weight on my hip.

I'm trying to wake up from my sleep but I'm just too comfortable to pull myself out of my slumber. Waking time has always been a challenge. Dealing with my own emotions, the negative thoughts, the people who fear me and pity me at the same time. Tracking the UG.

The few hours of sleep is the only gateway I have from all the constant pressure, so I cherish every minute of freedom I can get.

"Stop squirming,"

Accompanying the warm wall behind me his breath is also warm against my neck.

Ah... this again.

The bittersweet mind game, played by my brain.

I try to relax and not to explode in my cries of anger and desperation. This is as close as I can get to him. Gather all the memories I have, mix them with a little bit of imagination and a whole bucket of denial.

"I tried to come earlier, I was busy," He says, his voice is deeper than I remember, either my memory is wearing or I'm picturing him still half asleep. "I miss you,"

My heart clenches painfully when I feel his lips on my shoulder.

Let me die.

Take me with you.

"I miss you too," I reply. I know this isn't real because I can speak freely every time this happens. "I miss you very much, you have no idea,"

He holds me tighter against him, feeling his human arm under my head and his metal arm around my waist.

"I know," He replies.

"You promised that I will see you again," I hate how childish I sound like, almost a whine but I can't help it.

"I know, I'm sorry," He says again burying his nose in my hair. I feel his hand glides up my arm painfully slow, teasing me, testing my patience. Little does he know that I'm praying he will never stop, that I can trap myself in here for the rest of my life, inside the forbidden, little corner of my head where there are only me and him.

His hand comes to my jaw and I can feel his cold thumb brushing slowly on my cheek, while his lips are kissing the back of my head to my ear.

"Malcolm?" I call him with my voice shaking.

"Hm?"

"Can I come with you?" I ask him full of hope.

He stops and sighs, "No, not yet love, not yet."

***

ANA

No wonder why Lev was always hunching, fixing whatever two components or more, always trying to create something new. Technology is a wonderful thing. Technology has improved the quality of life of the humans. Technology has helped us fix our problems, it has helped us grow our food, fix our injuries, navigate us better in the dark endless sky.

Thanks to our latest ship, we are able to do things we have never done before, for example, running, and checking difficult codes and algorithm to track the UG's movements.

The United Galaxies has more enemies than allies, that is true. But nobody is resourceful enough, or strong enough to cause any trouble for them.

That was before me.

Give me a field of their people and I will command them to end their own lives. Surround me with my worst enemies and I will have their heads rolling on the floor in no time. Lock me, stake me, poke my eyes out, skin me, still no one will be safe from my wrath.

I'm nothing like their other enemies, I'm not like any other race. I, Ana, the last born of High General Zer and Katherine Jones, I will walk on the puddle of blood of people who destroyed my happiness.

I will suffocate them with rage, I will blind them with fear. I will coat their hearts with the pain I keep inside, I will swallow their mind down in the sea of sorrow. Death will be mercy I grant to them.

I will take their lives as retribution.

"A lot of activities from this concentration," Lamar, one of the young men, who like others is passionate about crushing the UG informed me. "I don't think this is where the big five are, but this is definitely one of their core spots,"

I look at the small planet, surrounded by a lot of UG's official ships. Portals are opening and closing frequently, to not only UG's ships but also others. Three big satellites are floating around with their sensors, clearly keeping the planet safe from any unwanted visit.

We never attack a planet, so this will be a new adventure for us. 

"Do you... uh, do you want to proceed? Are you positive?" Lamar asks again looking at me uncertainly.

I don't answer him. I go to the woman next to him and press a button.

Launching warfare ship, eject in 5 minutes. We heard the robotic voice echoes in the room.

I don't need anyone's permission to do what I want to do, what I need to do. I walk out and find Cara and Jackie at the end of the hallway. There was a time when I admire Cara when I looked at her and think how strong and capable she was. But now I know, I have passed her. I walk with my shoulders back and my head held up. My stride is certain and I no longer cower back when I see a stranger, or when I'm surrounded by many people.

Gone is Ana who was meek and weak, the woman who knows nothing about pain and loss. The shell of her is filled with a completely different woman. A woman with vision, a woman with rage and hatred, a woman who sets her mind and eyes to kill those who caused her and other's desperation and sorrow.

I walk past them, tall and regal as I feel my muscles are flexing in anticipation. I feel the weight of each of my weapons, fisting my hands beside me, ready to bring justice to the darkest part of the universe.

Make sure this ship is hidden, keep the children and women safe. I tell Cara. She nods and starts to walk away.

"Be safe," Jackie whispers to me as I pass by. "Come back to us," She adds before I turn to my destination. I walk fast to where I know the smaller ship is. With technology, it doesn't hard for me to maneuver the smaller combat ship. I just need to press some buttons, and I'm good to go.

The best part is, the combat ship is equipped with the latest camouflage and signal blocker, which will make me untraceable as well as invisible. They won't be able to tell what hit them until I'm landed on the planet.

And I will kill them all.

Warfare ship activated. The robotic voice informs.

Choosing a destination.

Weaponry selected.

Invisible mode turned on.

Ready to launch in...

5

4

3

2

Prepare to die.

I feel the slight shakes as the main ship launches me out to space, straight to the planet.

Entering atmosphere.

Autopilot mode is activated.

ETA to the surface; 10 minutes.

I take a deep breath and close my eyes. I picture myself inside the room full of fog, and finally, after a long time, I let that fog out. I imagine the walls are falling, and the fog is immediately spreading out. I can feel my emotion is thick in the air, I can feel the traces of what I feel burns as we enter the atmosphere silently.

My rage and hatred are brewing dangerously inside of me. The pain, the sorrow, I can feel my brain is filled with the need for revenge, to inflict the agony just the way I feel it every single second since they took him away from me.

I will make them pay.

They will pay.