Into the Black Hole

Chapter 11: Interrogation

The woman with piercings leads the way, I follow with my hands tightly handcuffed in front of me, and Doctor River brings up the rear. I contemplate stealing the elec from one of their belts, but the bindings will make that maneuver extremely difficult. Also, both women are older and, I speculate, more experienced than me in combat. The several curious gazes we've passed so far are additional barriers to overcome. If any escape plan is to work, Timour must be awake and stable on two feet, so for now I content myself with memorizing the ship's layout and exit locations.

We take an elevator down dozens of levels and eventually arrive at a bland door. Doctor River disappears, and the other woman takes my arm and opens the door by swiping her hand in front of it, leading me into a dimly lit room with a rectangular pendant light hanging from the ceiling above a bare tabletop.

"Sit." She gestures to one of the metal chairs, the door behind us closing automatically.

I comply. She unlocks my handcuffs, loops them through her belt, then takes the seat opposite me. She leans back, putting as much space between us as possible in the small room. I rub my red wrists and look to my left, where a mirror reflects my gaunt face and sleepy eyes. I've certainly had better days. I wonder if Doctor River or someone else is watching through the one-way mirror, ready to jot down my "confession."

A throat clears, and I look back to the woman with the pixie cut. She holds out a white helmet—a brain scan that doubles as a lie detector—and I'm baffled from where she got it. "I am Detective Nupan, and I will be conducting the interview today. Put this on, please."

I lace my hands together under the table to keep them from trembling. "I'm willing to cooperate," I say, "but I need to know what crime you think I've committed."

"Well..." she runs her hands over the tabletop, looking as though she's searching through files of electronic data. From my point of view, however, the table is clear. No pictures or words to be found. "For one, you trespassed into our territory. That is enough to get you executed, but depending on the information you provide, we may be willing to... overlook your offenses."

Deep down, I know what she's saying is bogus. Pirates don't own any territory of space. They're criminals and murderers. No amount of information or secrets I disclose will acquit me from punishment. "What do you plan to do with us?"

She ignores me. "Think of this as more of an investigation rather than an interrogation." She smiles deceptively. "We don't have to be enemies. I could be your friend." She holds out the bran scan again, and this time, I take it from her and hesitantly place it on my head. It's a bit heavy, but nothing out of the ordinary happens. Detective Nupan looks at the table again, apparently satisfied with what she sees. Grabbing an orange bottle from under the table, she twists the cap off, shaking out a white pill and offering it to me in the bowl of the cap. "Here."

"What is it?"

"Truth serum."

I stare at the pill warily. "There's no such thing."

"Maybe not where you're from, but the Martians have this in abundance."

"You're from Mars?"

She smashes her lips together, arm still stretched toward me. I inwardly sigh, pinch the pill between my middle and ring finger, and swallow it. It slides down my throat easily, and there's no point panicking about the decision since they're going to kill me anyway. Satisfied, Detective Nupan leans forward and asks, "Can you state your name?"

"Ailee," I reply, my heart skipping a beat. "Sergeant Ailee Chambers."

Her brow furrows as she scrutinizes the table. "Your name is Ailee Chambers?"