The Alien Commander's Surrogate

Episode Thirty-One

*For those reading The Alien Warrior's Surrogate, episode 1 takes place before this episode of TACS.

Hillary

Just do it. Pick up the pill and the sweet, blue colored juice that Ghantlan always kept hidden in the cabinet, and wash that down.

It would be so easy, the pill was freaking tiny. But instead of moving, I just stared at it, leveling my eyes to the table height as I dared the pill to do something weird. Then I could just wash it down the sink drain and pretend that I had done it for a good reason.

But I had none.

And honestly, I couldn't do that. I wouldn't do that. This was the medication that my baby needed to continue to thrive. After my attempt at confronting Salex about it, where I had basically just melted into a pile of non-recognizable goo at the sight of him, I knew I needed to do this. All the other surrogates were taking their medication, and based on the file I'd read multiple times today, they all knew what they were in for.

But then they were all sleeping right through this experience, like I had thought I would be. Lucky bitches.

I picked up the pill, eyeing the capsule as I walked towards the drink I had already poured and been sipping on while trying to get the courage to take the pill. Flopping down on my bed, my head spun a little and I blinked in surprise. Was there something in the oxygen setting today? Ghantlan had been keeping me in the loop on some of the ship issues, and I knew that the power fluxations were a real struggle right now.

I grunted, interest waning in my spinning mind as I hold the pill over my face once again. "Just take it," I tell myself for the tenth time. My fingers are awkward around the little pill and it falls and lands straight on my face. I squawk and chase the pill before it slips out the bedding.

"That's it, you are a full grown adult, Hillary, take the fucking pill. It doesn't matter what or who made it. Or what it was made of. Do it. The baby needs it. You need it. Your future here depends on it."

Pushing myself up on my elbow and narrowly avoiding splashing Ghantlan's juice onto my bed, I popped the little clear capsule into my mouth and took a gulp of the juice before setting it on the floor beside my bed and flopping back into it.

And then I waited. Surely there would be some kind of change right? Something so significant had to mean that I would notice it. I laid completely still, staring up at the bottom of Ghantlan's bunk above me. Nothing. 

This was boring. My hand reached over the bed and fumbled around, feeling for the rest of my juice. It really was delicious. I wonder why they didn't serve it in the food hall. It was way better than the orange stuff that always came with my meal. Salex had claimed that it was packed full of supplements and nutritents that we all needed to continue to exist here in space. But god, it tasted like watered down mango juice or something.

Maybe I needed to get it with rum. 

Oh wait, no rum. Baby.

I giggle to myself, my free hand joining the other so I could prop the glass up on my belly. It wasn't quite flat enough to stay there by itself, but the imagery alone was enough to make me happy. 

My communicator beeped, telling me I had an hour until Salex would be coming by for our allotted cuddle time. Just the thought of him, crammed into this tiny bed with me made me smile even broader.

I had an hour.

I would just rest until then. Maybe when I woke up there would be some kind of difference from the pills. 

AUTHORS NOTE: 

I wonder what's in that juice eh? And don't worry - it's not alcohol! Totally youngling safe....just a little relaxing....