Extraterrestrial Moors

18

We dock in the space station above Ziamlia. I have my kit with me and Maha has her packed bags with her. I walk with her down to the shuttle bay. Or rather she holds the bags while I push the wheelchair to the shuttle bay.

Mother is waiting at the entrance to the shuttle we'll be taking down. "Mother, I mean Commander," I hadn't expected her there.

"The king has requested that I join you and Maha for the trip down. Not like I have anything else to do here." Mother and father don't exactly get along. It never ceases to amaze me that they got together long enough to have four children. Sadly my little sister didn't live. I think that is where the trouble started for them.

"She knows that he's my father." I say and mother relaxes a bit. There really was no hiding it if we are going to be living in the royal palace.

I help Maha with her restraints as an enlisted man takes our bags and stows them away. Mom gets hers done up and I finally get mine done up.

"I won't have a full crew again for nearly two weeks," mom mumbles to herself. But it's loud enough for me to hear.

"They are getting a two week furlough in the middle of a tour?" I'm blown away. That doesn't happen, ever.

"The king wants us nearby for that length of time and has deemed it a necessary evil to give them staggered leaves." Even if they aren't two weeks off, their duties will be lighter here with some of the crew on leave.

Something isn't adding up and it makes me nervous.

I hear the conversation Rafe is having with his mother. Something is wrong and it's centered around me.

I feel sick once more, but not air sick. Just sick. I'm so tired of being the center of all the problems.

I caused Rafe to lose his hard won post.

I lost Rafe.

After he told me who his father is, a wall came between us. I don't know if I was the one that put it there or if he did or we both did, all I know is that he no longer touched me, or kissed me and he barely even talks to me now.

"I'm sorry." I say, but it's so soft that I'm not sure if he heard me say it.

Two days later we are taken to the institute that can retrieve the information. I watch as they take Maha away. She's scared but we've drifted apart after she found out who I am. I no longer know how I feel about her.

They take me away from Rafe, but he no longer cares. If they kill me in retrieving the information then he'll never know my secret. But he wouldn't care anyway.

They have me sit in a chair and strap me down. "The straps are just a precaution. The procedure is painless." They tell me for the hundredth or millionth time. I still don't believe them. I trusted Rafe completely and now...

The lights go dark and they lower something over my head. They tell me to relax, but I've been lied to so many times I can't.

I find myself falling asleep.

I wake up to a silent house. All I hear is the slight buzzing of the electricity in the appliances. I get dressed and go downstairs. I'm not really hungry so I just go on outside and start walking to work. That's when the silence gets to me, when I realize that there is no sound.

No dogs barking, no cars running or people yelling or laughing. There's always kids laughing and crying on this street. I don't see anyone. I don't hear anyone. I don't hear any insects or birds.

No airplanes flying overhead. No overly loud televisions or radios. What the hell is going on?

I race frantically house to house looking and praying to find someone any one. There's no one, no dogs, cats or birds. No pets except some fish.

The cars are in the street or on the side walk or they've run into something before they stopped.

The silence is profound. The wind starts blowing and I start crying, I'm not deaf. But then the pain becomes overwhelming. I'm alone.

I fall to my knees as the pain crashes into me. I don't even feel the pain as I hit the ground, I'm already unconscious.

I scream to myself. No, no, no, no. I don't want to relive this again. I can't take it anymore. But there is no one to stop the memories. Oh that's how they're getting their precious information.

I wake up in the strange bed. I know what comes next but I'm determined to change things. I force myself out of the bed. I don't have long before Rafe comes into the room. I think the door on the wall opposite is an en suite. I push open the door and find I'm right. I search frantically for what I need and find it just as Rafe comes into the room.

I hide my treasure in my hand and return to the bedroom. And like a good girl I take the medicine that he gives me and drink the water.

When he knocks me out the razor blade I have in my hand goes unnoticed.

I wake up not on the ship, but in the institute on Ziamlia. There is a white faced Rafe at my side.

"You didn't have a razor blade the first time we met and I took you to the ship. How did you change your memories? There wasn't even an en suite in that room."

"You realize that had you managed to kill yourself while in that state you would have killed yourself in reality?" I thought it was one of the scientists that said that but it was the king.

"Yes, I realize that. It's why I did that. But for some reason they stopped the whatever, from continuing. I was about to wake up alone. There would have been enough time then to do the job. All the answers you need from me were from when I was on Earth, not from when I was with your people."

Rafe stands next to me and he's actually crying, "Why would you want to kill yourself?"

"Why would you make me relive that hell? Do you, any of you have any idea just how painful that is for me? I was finally starting to heal from it and it's like you ripped the scab from the wound so it's hemorrhaging all over again.

"And you, you won't even speak to me anymore." I laugh a very bitter laugh.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I survived, now I have to share my secret, "And what's the biggest joke of all? I'm pregnant."

There is absolute silence in the room. I look over at Rafe and if I thought his face was white before it's nothing to what it is now. I think he's going to either be sick or faint.

I look over to the king and he doesn't look much better than his son.

"Great. Now that I've managed to get your attention, are there more hell tests or procedures that you need me to do so that you get the information you need?"

The doctor/scientist shakes himself awake after my bombshell. "No, Miss Maha, you are free to go."

"Thank you." I get up from the couch and start walking out of the room. I have no where to go. I have nothing. But I can't stay where I'm not wanted anymore either. I gave them what they wanted, now I'm useless.

I walk out of the room and I get directions and walk out of the building. At no time does any one try to stop me. I saw a bridge only about a mile or so away, that should work.