Breaking Point

The Escape

            This was it.  The moment they had been waiting for.  After what felt like an eternity, all the hard meticulous work they had put in was finally coming to fruition.  Freedom.  Today.  Right now.

Francis tried to calm himself down.  He had to keep a straight face.  The last thing he needed was to act conspicuously.  His captors might easily catch on, and their whole plan would be foiled.  But it was hard to go back inside himself again.

He hadn’t felt this way for—he wasn’t sure how long.  He felt like more like his old self now than he had since he was first taken from his home and brought aboard this ship.  He had been buried under layer after psychological layer for so long.  Now that he was out, he didn’t want to go back in.  He breathed deeply and set his face to the expression of defeated indifference it had gotten so used to.  He knew his captors’ continued complacency was his secret weapon and his only chance.

It was painstaking getting the 8 digit code.  Weeks, months, – it felt like years—of looking over their shoulders to catch a sight a button or two, without drawing their attention, trying to figure out the sequence, button by button, on the 30 button keypad.  Of course, he couldn’t have done it without her.

He looked over at Qiao.  She was also trying to contain her excitement.  It seemed she was also feeling like a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis, but trying to be discreet about it.  It was remarkable what they had accomplished together, despite not knowing a single word in a common language.

They were both too obviously happy, and they both knew they needed to not be, at least for a few moments.  Francis knew what to do, even if it hurt him.  Francis reached out and grabbed her hand, holding it firmly for a few long moments.  She gave him a look of sincere regret and sadness then she pulled away.  This, in turn, made Franics sad and subdued.  She didn’t feel the same way about him as he did about her.

Qiao knew how much he loved her, but Francis had no idea how much she wanted to love him… but she couldn’t.  No matter how hard she tried, there was no way to get over the deep mistrust they had planted in her subconscious, even though she knew it was fraudulent.  This made her sad, much sadder than Francis realized.

They sullenly sat on the plastic grass floor, and waited for their captors to arrive presumably to take them to one of the test rooms.  Francis looked down at the empty bowl of food he had eaten moments before; it had been picked almost completely clean, like a dog dish.  He felt embarrassed and ashamed.  What have I become? he asked.

Then the aliens arrived.  Four lined up against the force field that protected the cell exit.  The fifth went to the terminal that controlled the force field.

The Voice commanded them to get on their knees and put their hands behind their head, as usual.  The scrawny aliens approached with their electrical wands in hand.  Francis felt the familiar cold metal against his skin as the heavy steel collar around his neck and matching handcuffs around his wrists. 

He was stood up and led outside the cell; the aliens’ wands were at their sides.  He now just had to pick the perfect movement to strike.  He knew he would win.