Heart's Prisoner (Dark World Mates Book 1) Page 5

  As they moved through the units the aliens turned increasingly more intimidating. She encountered the pack of raptor-like creatures with blue skin and red eyes who were contained in their individual cells, none facing each other and separated by thick, soundproof steel. "It's to make sure they can't properly communicate with each other," one lab tech had said. Because once communication was established they'd work together to find a way out and hunt every living thing they saw.

  The last unit she visited held what everyone on level twelve considered to be the second most dangerous asset (though whether it was an actual close second to Xerus was still yet to be determined). One mishap had proven its placement when it had been put under for testing only to wake up and make a meal of a pair of the unfortunate lab workers trying to move it. It was a nasty looking specimen for sure. With mangled fur on its back and two long, hooked claws for hands. What unnerved her was that its face was like a spider's with eight pupilless eyes and a pair of pincers on either side of its mouth. It had four arms and two short tails, one white and one red. Lana was convinced it had to be some Lazris experiment gone bad, but the other scientists assured her that it wasn't and had been found in one of the caves on the same world where Asset X had been discovered.

  It had even built a web on the ceiling of its unit and was currently curled up in a corner, watching her. Lana shuddered as she looked at Asset T and wondered which disturbed her more, the spider above or the devil next door.

  ***

  Lana went through every door in the facility except for the un-numbered one. When she inquired about it, Cole mentioned it was merely a separate lab for testing bacteria and viral diseases and that she needn't worry about stepping foot into that part of the facility. She'd yet to see anyone entering or exiting but could guess they'd have to wear proper gear like hazmat suits and safety masks, either of which she didn't care to put on just to walk around and take a look-see.

  She'd seen enough and was ready to get back into unit three. Even if her heart was starting to pound faster at the idea.

  "Well, Dr. Hart, I believe your patient is impatient to see you," Cole said as he leaned against the corner of his desk.

  Lana found that hard to believe. Cole laughed when her expression gave away her feelings.

  "You find that unlikely, but I think he is curious about you." Cole shrugged. "You're not like the others after all. And you gave off a much more effective first impression than you think." Cole pointed up to the ceiling, up at the monitor showing an image of Xerus' room looking down on it from above. Lana saw the alien crouching at the back of the room, crushing himself into the corner as best he could to hide a part of himself from the camera that he somehow knew was watching him from one end. His head, however, was not hidden and it was turned toward the window as if he was watching for something. Or waiting.

  "A subtle but still noticeable change from the usual pacing back and forth. Or sitting and staring at the wall." Cole's mouth turned up slightly. "Haven't seen this much interest in the window since we first brought him."

  "And what makes you think that has to do with me?" Lana asked.

  "Well." Cole moved off the desk to stand beside her, placing his hands in his pockets. "He has rarely moved from that spot since you left."

  ***

  The door rose slowly. Lana clutched her tablet, her knuckles going white. She ignored Officer Torrence beside her with his handgun drawn, his black stare cutting into her, making her uneasy. He didn't so much as nod at her when she said hello, chewing his gum and glaring at her as he yelled at his subordinate to open door three. As soon as the door was level, Lana walked on down the hallway without looking back.

  She heard the door closing behind her as she came to the sliding door at the end which opened instantly as she approached. She entered the room and the smell of coffee hit her just like before. Still, there was no cup or pot. She stood in the middle of the room, breathing in the scent and realized it wasn't entirely like the smell of coffee but only very similar. There was an offness to it that she couldn't place but for some reason reminded her of a fresh cup of that wonderful black liquid.

  "Come to try again, Doctor?"

  Lana turned her head toward the window and saw a massive shadow before her, just behind the milky screen. She drew closer to it and hesitated only a beat before tapping on her ISpad and lifting the screen.

  Xerus looked down at her, this time not looking entirely annoyed or pissed off. Lana had to quickly remind herself not to hold her breath as she quickly inhaled at the sight of him, her heart doing a little flip. She told herself the fear would lessen and she would get used to him. Eventually.

  "Hello, Xerus," she responded as calmly as possible. She even braved a little smile. She caught his eyes briefly but found she couldn't hold them. Instead, she looked behind him and around the room, noticing a small dip in one corner with a drain. On the other side, stuck to the wall, was a raised bed. On the bed were the remains of a barely touched slab of meat.

  Xerus watched her looking around. Seeing her eyeing the meat, he went over and picked it up. "Care for some?" He took four steps with his long stride, slinking over to the opposite side of the room beside the window. From there Lana noticed a transfer box, crafted to send items between her room and his without the possibility of him being able to grab her. Xerus wrenched the thing open and flung the meat inside then slammed the thing shut with such force she flinched at the loud bang. The stench of meat wafted into her room and Lana had to keep herself from gagging.

  "What? Don't like it? Pity." Xerus shrugged and moved away from the box. " I assumed humans thought it a pleasant enough meal if they considered I'd care to eat it also."

  Lana wiped a hand over her mouth. "No. We prefer our meat cooked."

  If Xerus had eyebrows she imagined he'd be raising them. "I see. And I, being a mere beast of some sort to you, must rightly like it still bleeding."

  "I don't think you are a beast."

  Xerus laughed at that. "Yes, you do." He paced slowly alongside the window, his eyes never leaving her. They flickered over her face. "You say you don't, but everything about you tells me otherwise." He stopped and cocked his head. "The racing of your heart. The erratic breathing." His eyes swept over her body. "The tension in your form. Like you are about to bolt at my slightest movement. A small, trembling Mimnii".

  Lana didn't care for the sound of that. Though the translator didn't pick up the word, she had a feeling it wasn't something she cared to be compared to. Likely equal to something like a mouse or maybe a child.

  "I am a beast to you because I am not like you," he continued. " I figured it was because humans were xenophobic but its more than that. I look like something from your homeworld. Something that might have preyed on you or something you feared".

  Lana wasn't sure how to respond to that. But from her silence, he could guess enough that it was true. Though lizards weren't known to exactly prey on humans, some were deadly and feared, as were mythical beasts, to which Xerus could have resembled.

  "I'm sorry. I will tell the others to give you something else to eat," was all Lana could think to say.

  Xerus gave her an odd look, maybe something close to confusion. Then he snorted and turned away, his tail flicking back and forth.

  Lana went to her chair and sat down. She placed her tablet on her lap and watched Xerus with caution before saying, "Is it alright if we talk?"

  Xerus turned his head. "Is this not talking to you?"

  "I meant seriously talk. I'd like to ask you a couple of questions."

  Xerus moved back toward her, stopping an inch from the glass. "You're asking me?"

  Lana shrugged. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

  Xerus observed her extensively and Lana let him even if it felt like an eternity. Slowly, he lowered his body till he crouched before her, now nearly eye level.

  "And what do I get in return?" he asked, his breath lightly fogging the window.

  Lana did
n't know why but she couldn't fully meet his gaze. The heat of his eyes made her squirm in her chair. In a low voice she asked, "What do you want?"

  She caught his strange smile, the flash of silvery black in his grin. "Besides wanting to be free and to rip out the entrails from more than a few of your soldiers? Not much. But..." he tilted his head in a sort of shrug and sat back. "Since I take it that's not an option, then...I'll think about it. For now, I'll allow you to speak."

  Lana let slip a little smirk. Such arrogance for someone in a cage. She opened her files and notes on the work pad, trying her best to ignore Xerus' stare.

  Thinking carefully over her words, Lana began with "When the military men brought you here you were put on a ship..."

  Xerus waited for her to say more.

  "...what was your reaction when first seeing it?" Lana asked.

  Xerus flicked his tail. "What do you mean?

  "I mean what did you think of it? Did it frighten you?"

  "Did what frighten me?"

  "The ship."

  "Why would a ship frighten me?"

  Lana began typing on the pad. "So you knew what it was?"

  When Xerus didn't respond Lana glanced up to see him glaring at her with narrowed eyes and a tight mouth. "The ship didn't frighten me."

  Lana nodded, continuing to type. "Were you curious then? About what you saw? or what you were seeing when put on the ship?"

  "Not really."

  "So you've seen technology before?"

  Xerus clicked his claws on the ground. "Your technology did not surprise or fascinate me or make me curious."

  Lana observed his expression which she gauged impossible to read. It wasn't like he wasn't answering her questions but why did they seem...dodgy?

  Lana tapped her ISpad. "I want to show you a few images and I'd like you to tell me what you think of them." From her ISpad, Lana brought up a picture and, with the window controls, sent the image to be displayed before both of them on the glass. The picture was of fire.

  "I know what fire is," Xerus said.

  "Right but does it mean anything to you?"

  "What do you mean?"

  "As in, do you see it as a tool, or a god; or maybe as some kind of resource, like fuel?" Each question Lana asked she noticed Xerus' mouth growing tighter.

  Xerus grunted. "It is useful when it needs to be."

  Lana frowned. These questions seemed to be going nowhere. Still, she pulled up the rest of the images to gauge his reaction. A lightbulb, a spear, a mirror, and a military-grade handgun.

  "What is the first one?" Xerus asked.

  "A lightbulb, a glass container that holds electricity to create light. It's how we light our rooms like you can see above, though they are much more advanced here."

  "Why is this one the color of the sun," Xerus pointed at the image, "but the one in this room the color of blood?"

  Lana's brows furrowed. "I...I thought...the bulbs in your unit use UV light. It's supposed to give necessary vitamins to keep you–"

  She could see Xerus had no idea what she was talking about and Lana realized the use of the red light was another clueless theory among the other scientists about Xerus being some kind of lizard; even though they still were uncertain about that notion since they weren't able to perform tests.

  "Nevermind," Lana said.

  Xerus eyed her curiously then looked back at the images. "The bulb is strange, the stick-knife looks useless, what is the third image?"

  "A mirror," Lana said. "To see your reflection."

  "...Mm doesn't seem useful either."

  "It works like this." Lana pulled up the camera on her ISpad so that she saw herself on the screen. She stood up from her chair and got closer to the window, turning the ISpad around so Xerus could see himself. She watched his reaction with great care. When the alien saw himself, he didn't jump or lunge at the glass or even hiss. He instead looked himself over, scratched at his jaw, then grunted.

  "Maybe something a Dirraa would use." Xerus stood up and turned away and seemed no more interested. Lana turned the ISpad back toward her and turned off the camera.

  The image of himself hadn't scared Xerus which to Lana meant he was at least self-aware, but whether his kind actually used something like mirrors was still a mystery.

  Lana deleted all the images off the screen except for the last. "And this one?"

  Xerus glanced at the gun then looked away. "Useful. If you aren't in close range."

  When he said nothing more, Lana deleted the image and silently wrote down her thoughts on the workpad. She didn't get as much information as she liked but it was to be expected.

  "So do you think you have me figured out now?"

  Lana looked over at him. "Have you...figured out?"

  Xerus came back to the glass to look down at her seriously. "You think you have some idea about me."

  It wasn't a question but Lana still paused to consider her answer. "I have...theories, yes."

  "Tell me." When Lana gave him a look of uncertainty he gave her a nod. "I'm curious."

  Lana didn't see the harm in it. After all, if she was wrong he might tell her and she could cancel out any incorrect assumptions.

  "Based on what you've told me so far...you have some technology. And you aren't completely primal, living out in the woods."

  Xerus tipped his head up. "What makes you think that?"

  "You know what fire is but you don't consider a spear a useful weapon. My guess is you might be living in the caves. You either can see in the dark or use flame for light or maybe another source that isn't like our own," Lana said. When Xerus said nothing, she continued. "I also think that you don't use weapons much at all, except for maybe something long-range. But I don't think it's a gun. I think you only discovered their usefulness from when you were captured."

  Xerus' tail swished beside him. "Interesting theories. And what makes you think I don't use weapons?"

  This time it was Lana's turn to size him up. She looked him over and Xerus tilted his head at her as he watched her observing him.

  "You don't need weapons because you were built to be one yourself," Lana said. "Others theorized this already. But from what I can see myself, I also agree. Your scales are thick, maybe thick enough that they are hard to cut or penetrate. Horns and spikes like what you have are usually used for defense by animals...at least from my world...but your tail and claws and teeth are easily those of a predatory species. Your gait shows the power in your limbs giving you the ability to strike fast and hard or to move with great stealth. You have little competition in surviving or perhaps none at all."

  Xerus dipped his head low, his eyes narrowing. "Careful, Doctor. Too much of this flattery and I might...what's that strange thing humans do? Blush?"

  Lana smiled. "Don't think too highly of yourself just yet. I also know that you have vulnerabilities. One made obvious to me now."

  "Oh?"

  Lana gestured toward the strange, scaly armor leggings Xerus still wore. "You wear clothes, on your bottom half at least, to cover and protect your...more sensitive parts. The scales along your lower stomach are less thick and are smaller which means you're vulnerable to any strikes in those areas."

  Xerus' mouth twitched slightly. "A sound theory," he said smoothly. " Or maybe..." Xerus placed his hands on the glass, "I'm just hiding my best weapon."

  Lana looked away from him and cleared her throat. The room seemed a little warmer than before. Whether he was playing with her or not she couldn't tell. She half hoped that maybe the translator was being faulty.

  "As for another vulnerability that I noticed," Lana continued, ignoring his sly eyes. "Is the large pores on the side of your neck and along your chest."

  "Pores?"

  Lana pointed at his upper body. "The narrow holes just under the scales. I'm not sure yet what they are...Maybe scent glands or gills? but I judge that they could easily become clogged or infected."

  "Scent glands...gills." Xerus laughed, tugging at one of
his horns. "Ah, you humans can be entertaining when you're not completely infuriating." Xerus eyed her. "Or maybe it's just you and your 'theories'."

  Lana frowned and cursed silently. Judging by the way he said it, she had a feeling she was going to have to cross off a lot from her list. Still, he didn't dispute all of it. Though he didn't exactly tell her she was right either. And she didn't expect him to tell her otherwise.

  Sighing, Lana put her ISpad on the table next to her. "Alright, fine then. Since I told you mine, let's have yours."

  Xerus' eyes lit up. He lowered himself so that they were once again eye level. "About humans in general or about you?"

  Lana knew this could be a perfect opportunity for him to mess with her. But she had to play fair. And, regardless, she was curious to know what he thought.

  "Both," she said.

  Xerus' tail swayed back and forth. His eyes, like twin flames, assessed her with a cold, unblinking stare.

  "The human race, from what I've gathered, think highly of themselves. They think they have everything figured out...as if they know how the universe works and have the astounding arrogance to believe it revolves around them." Xerus' face inched closer to the glass. "But they are naive and confused. They have no idea of anything. Blind to the massive truths that float in the darkness beyond the scope of their bright little sphere. They think they are wise and strong but they are in fact the very opposite. They use their machines to gain knowledge, but only accept the kind of knowledge that benefits them while the rest they turn a blind eye and pretend it doesn't exist. They use weapons to gain power and control over whatever they see fit as if the universe is theirs by right, ready for the taking. This idea, this need for conquest, doesn't surprise me; it is not a rare concept, certainly not among my kind. But the way humans strive for it is messy and ill-planned." Xerus scratched the side of his neck with indifference. "Like they are newborns playing war games by themselves, having yet to be challenged by a real opponent. This is why they are so afraid. They have yet to discover the very thing that could obliterate them off the map. They have yet to encounter something larger than themselves, something that could dismantle their whole world."