the blueshifters, parts 1 + 2 (Complete!)

The Trans-Resurrection Machine (episode 12)

(episode 2 of series 2)

Mary struggled against her restraints.

"It will only hurt worse if you continue. Why don't you lie still?" Said the hissing voice. It chilled her. it wasn't human. She wondered what creature possessed that eerie voice. She was tied down to a rock hard, cold surface. She'd been here for what seemed hours and she'd been blindfolded before being brought here, where ever here was.

"Where am I? Who are you?"

"Be silent. You will know soon enough." Seconds later she felt a terrible sting and a burning sensation in one of her arms, as if a long, large needle had been inserted. Then something was being wound around her head. She started to feel panic rise again. What was this. . .person. . . going to do to her? Somewhere in the room she could hear the soft noises of medical equipment. Above all that stood out to her was a regular beeping sound, like a pace-maker, as if it were in tune with her heart beat.

"How did you find the place?" Demanded the raspy, inhuman voice.

"I told you already! I was wandering around, going for an evening walk, and I was just curious about the buildings in the old rail yard. it looked abandoned."

"Do you always break into abandoned buildings?"

"No, only I was curious about it as all. And bored."

"I don't believe you. You lie. Why do you humans always lie? A defect in you." She received a hard slap and she cried out again. Mary's thoughts raced. She tried to think of something calming, anything, to ground her. She tried to think of something that might. . .she felt a slight rumble as things began to rock as if there was an earthquake, and it suddenly stopped as soon as the sensation had started. There was a brief silence and then someone else entered the room.

"What?" Said her captor in annoyance.

"You know what." Said second voice in cold anger from what Mary could discern.

"I couldn't get my agent inside from the box. She wouldn't open the box, stupid woman! I'll send your agent in by another way or by another's agent. Someone more compliant this time. I-"

"Never mind! You've failed. But you're not accountable to me. Surely, you would know that by now. How one as inept as you were allowed into the first waves of the Expansion, Seeding or the Settling is baffling. When the High Sentinel arrives, you can explain your failure to her." Mary felt a shock of cold fear, sensed it. it smelled like burned ice. She was sure this fear had come from her first tormentor. Footsteps came close to her, stopping.

"I was allowed into the expansion project-"

"You were allowed in because your progenitor was one of the best and strongest of your kind for the project and because he had so many connections with the other strongest, smartest of the progenitors. Nothing more. I suppose genetics really isn't everything."

"You speak as if you are my progenitor or instructor-ward," he hissed angrily. "You are not. Beware how you deal with me." The second one blithely ignored this warning.

"Our little bandit. I see you've been tormenting her. Stop right there, before you overstep your mark, once again. That's why they keep you here, in the dark working like a rat. She has a red mark on her face. You struck her?"

"What of it?"

"You never did learn discipline, did you? And you wonder why you've been relegated to bottom-rung status," the second voice said imperiously. "In all of your playing with the subject did you prepare the device like I asked you?"

"The device is ready."

"Prepare the subject." Prepare her for what, exactly?

"The subject is ready," snapped the other one.