2132:Phoenix

Chapter 13

            "Go ahead and sit down, Alexia, we're almost ready to start." Start what though? It's late, they never do stuff this late. They're always with their pair eating dinner by now. It's been a year and I haven't seen many exceptions to this rule. "This goes on your head so we can monitor your brain function while you sleep," Vinnepus explained, laying it on my head like a crown. "Now lay down."

"I'm not tired."

"And I don't care. Lay down, child."

"Let me go get her stuffed toy." I could tell from his tone it was an order. Vinnepus groaned and mouthed something before leaning against his table. The captain left me with the saffron-scaled doctor himself.

"You're a lucky human." His growl was almost feral and it scared me. "If it were up to me you'd already be carrying a child." Something caught in my throat. I knew that was my purpose here on this ship. Why won't they just kill me then if I'm such a hassle?

The captain returned with Myrtle and laid me back.

"You'll wake up in the morning good as new," he assured as he powered the device on. My eyes started drooping as I lay on the stiff hospital bed.

"Sleep well little one."

My head felt a bit fuzzy as I woke up and looked around the med bay. Vinnepus smirked at me as I came to my senses.

"Wasn't so bad?" He took his device and plugged it into the computer. "The captain is coming to collect you soon. Then, hopefully, we'll be out of each other's hair for a while."

"What was that for?"

"It maps your dreams. My superiors wanted to see what was going on in that demented head of yours."

"I'm not crazy."

"No, you're special. I don't know why yet, maybe this will help," he continued loading on my dreams from the night prior. The lab door slid open revealing a well-groomed captain in formal wear.

"How was it?"

"Ah Captain, I'll know in a few minutes. She was fine though and slept through the night. She's free to go; I'll let you know if she's at risk of hurting herself." He snickered at the last part as if I hadn't thought about it before. The only thing keeping me from swinging the captain's ax down on my head was Lada still being trapped in this hell hole. I haven't seen her in so long, how do I know she isn't dead? She's not. I scream it in my head all day. She can't be.

"Come on then, Little one."

Everything followed the same schedule for a long time. Hanae and I don't talk much, they feed me the same food, and I train. I run till I feel my head is about to pop. I lift until my arms stop working, then I limp back to the captain's room and pass out on the bed. I still had sessions with Arthur weekly too, which I used as my rest day. Today we went to the greenhouse.

"How has everything been?"

"Normal. It's been the same."

"And how do you feel about your normal?"

"It doesn't make me happy, but I've accepted it. It's easier to just accept it, maybe I'll be happy eventually."

"You won't find something if you just sit around and wait for it. What's one thing that makes you happy?"

" I guess.... Umm..... I guess right after my workout. It doesn't last long." I saw red hair from the corner of my eye and jumped up. I guess I scared Arthur as I ran towards that homing fire.

"Lada?" No. No that can't be her. Her belly was swollen.... So....

"Lexi," she asked, a soft smile painting her delicate features. "It's been so long. How have you been?" I opened my mouth to talk but only a small squeak escaped. What did they do?

"Lexi, what's wrong." Her hands grabbed mine, but all I could see was the bulge where another life was growing in her. "Do you need a doctor? Rusillike, can you come here?" I look up to see that thing only to realize he's staring at her. He was proud and happy about what he'd done to her.

"Lex, you're worrying me."

"No."

"What do you mean? Where's your caretaker, they'll know what's wrong."

"NO!" The edges of the room got blurry, the ship was shaking and Lada's face blurred to almost nothing. Before anything too daming came out Arthur was blocking my view of both Lada and Rusillike. Tears Spilled out, bitter terrified tears as Arthur's arms engulfed me and carried me from the room. I wanted to scream but the only things I could manage were whimpers and heavy breathing. The ship hadn't shaken again but my whole body was quivering. She seemed so happy carrying that leech inside her; not only was it in hers, but it was his. His disgusting Torexx leech was inside my best friend, and Lada was ok with it.

Arthur left me in an unfamiliar room as I cried. I screamed and I clutched myrtle to my chest as everything raced through my brain a million miles a minute. I want it to end. I want to be sucked into the black lifeless space and die. I can't leave Lada, but she won't want to go with me; so what's the point? My family thinks I'm dead, most of my friends are probably the same as Lada. There are tons of other females Calepus could be with, so why can't they just leave me to the void. I tried to lift the couch only to find it bolted down. There was no other furniture to crush my neck and nowhere high enough to fall and break my neck so I did what I've been doing best the past couple of weeks. I worked until I couldn't see straight, till the only thought was my next breath, and the only thought that could be conjured was what I was doing next. Then just as fast as I started everything stopped. Everything gave out as I slept on the floor too tired to dream tonight.