Blackout Part I

chapter 15

That Bradley character had been some help. I know he has his own people to take care of, I understand that! But with everything I’ve heard about him, with all the Delraths he’s defeated, I guess I just was kind of hoping for a can do all not matter what kind of guy. But he had a point, he’s one person-he and his guys can’t take down the entire mother ship. Okay so he couldn’t help my neighbors or me out, so we are going to be slaves for the rest of our natural lives. Okay I can live with that. But even if Bradley can’t help me, I certainly hope to be able to help him! Maybe I can hand over information he needs about the Delraths or their technology, or anything else he may need. Hopefully with that he’ll be able to run the Delraths out of Earth forever. Even if that means what’s left of us Scotsmen and women are taken back into space to be the alien’s servants for all eternity, at least the rest of the humans would be safe from the tyranny that I’d be living through.

I was able to call them once or twice more before the captain started to come by everyday and watch me intensely for hours on end. He’d watch and question everything I did; beating me for a brief time if I did something incorrectly, or said something he thought I shouldn’t have. Once, to keep him busy, I’d asked him if he’d had any news from my master and how his health was. The captain threw me across the room and asked about what I knew about his younger brother’s health (Nexxus never told me he was related to this psycho!).  I talked about how weak he’d been before he’d been and had been vomiting up his own blood. The captain seemed too interested in this and then left me alone for the rest of the day. I have more bruises, cuts becoming scars than Nexxus had ever given me. I was beginning to fear the captain more and more.

I can hear his cold voice in my head and I’ve forced myself to estimate his time of arrival so that I do nothing to anger him anymore than he already. I’m jumping through hoops to please him and get him not to hurt me but even when I do everything right-he beats me and leave me on the floor. I grow tired of his abuse, but theres nothing I can do to stop him. I miss Nexxus and I want him to come home and save me from his brother. I miss our arguing and teasing. I miss his smile. I miss knowing I’m safe while he was around. He’s been gone for approximately a week and I miss him. I realize how much I need him now. But I also know that I need to use my access to the Delrath information to help Bradley save the earth.

I finished my chores for the day, wiped out and exhausted. I’d gathered a little bit of information off Nexxus’ computer earlier in the morning about the hybrid program and the captain hadn’t come by today-hopefully too busy to brutalize me today. I smiled sleepily to myself, proud of all the work I’d done today and made my way to the intercom. I’d memorized the channel number without ever speaking to Mr. Reed or Bradley, so now I could just turn directly to the channel. I’d even taught myself a couple tricks to keep the audio in the room up without revealing the signal. That way maybe I could ask Nexxus some stuff and the Americans could pick it up. I know it was wrong to still plot against Nexxus but he hasn’t told me a lot of stuff-like my entire continent being blown up would have been a good place to start. Everyone left in Scotland was dead, and the highlands were gone. I might as well do this-to save the rest of the world from the fate my country suffered.

I turned the knob to the channel and was about to speak when the door to the lab swooshed open, I quickly used the trick I’d learned to hide the channel, not having enough time to turn it off. I spun around to see the captain advancing me, using his sharp claws to throw me across the room.

“WHAT WERE YOU DOING THERE-YOU INSUFERABLE SLAVE!?”

“A-a-admiring my w-work sir” I said, unable to control my fear as tears leaked down my face, washing a bit of blood down with them “I-I thought Master N-Nexxus would be pleased with how clean the laboratory was upon his return” I backed up to a wall and looked fearfully up at the captain, shaking with terror. He walked towards me; the captain’s shadow covered me as his orange eyes met my own blue ones…

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Nexxus’ POV

I walked silently down the hall, my bag slung over my shoulder. Romania had been a disaster. Soldiers from both the Human and the Delrath army lay dead on a battle field. Innocents had also been added to the casualties-children, women, and infants, all either dead, hiding or fighting. There were no tracks or back ways to help either side. I cannot condone this behavior that my brother encourages, despite my origins, this war is simply repulsive.

I could do nothing but watch murder after murder. I saw my own people fall, and also the lives of humans end. I could do nothing; I was not able to use my medical skills on my own men without having my own life ended as well or able to use those same skills to rescue the humans due to what I am and the distrust they would have in me. The whole country was a massacre, a pointless massacre.

But I am home now, so to speak. I do not look forward to getting back to my new schedule that our illustrious captain has assigned me, nor do I look forward to his endless harsh commands. But I am now able to return to my laboratory and the human child inside it. The soldiers who welcome me home belong to my brother-body and soul, so they are no comfort to me. I smile to myself, welcoming the thought of seeing young Alana and my home again. Such a strange child she is, I’m sure many humans are much like her which only makes it an even greater shame to see the human race being slaughtered by my kin.

As I approach my quarters, I hear a loud thud like noise come from my lab. Of course, my first reaction to this was ‘now what is that child up to now?’. Unfortunately the sound emanated from a far more severe occurrence than a mere child causing mischief. I opened my door to see the captain standing viciously over a bloodied human girl. My sibling picked the child up once more, clawing at her before throwing her to a wall and watched her crumple weakly before him. “What is the meaning of this captain!” screeched I, sprinting to put myself between my brother and my servant. “Who gave you the permission to enter my lab and brutalize my slave?”

“Nexxus, you have a snake in your wake. This vile little creature is guilty of sending radio messages to the enemy!” Thrask spat, pointing a talon at the juvenile behind me.

“Exactly under what pretense do you accuse her of this crime?” I hissed slowly.

“She was near your equipment little brother, turning the dial to your radio”

I burst into laughter, infuriating Thrask as he struck out at me, leaving a mere scratch across my hard face. How ridiculous, he was beginning to lose his sanity because he was losing his precious take over due to a child in the United States. “Brother you’ve made a fool of yourself this day” I sneered “Have you forgotten that I assigned her to clean for me? Look over to my panel and you will see a cleaning rage beside it. The dial was turned while my servant was set upon cleaning it. Do not tell me the mighty hero of our people is threatened by a slave, let alone a human child.” I paused, enjoying the moment that I knew I would soon pay dearly for “I must insist you leave now Captain, you have violated my lab and beaten my servant, making a mockery of yourself.”

Captain Thrask looked at me, shocked at my words, and then he growled viciously and left my area. This day is a good day, I thought, smiling as he left. It was a victory of mine that he’d never take from me; this may have also knocked him down a peg or two. I then turned to the battered child behind me, who was in severe need of medical attention. It will indeed be a very long night