“God Jaysen I–” I said, but stopped short when I glanced over to the doorway and saw the doctor poking his head through the door.
“Is Vakrexid interrupting?” he tooted.
“No!” Jaysen said a bit too forcefully.
The doctor titled his head. “It is good I have come then. I heard that you were going to attend a training session. Vakrexid has wanted to document your physical abilities for some time.”
“Jellfree and I were about to leave. You want to join us?”
The doctor let out a trumpeting high pitched wail. “Vakrexid would be most pleased to do so.”
“Come on! Let’s go then!” Jaysen said and promptly traipsed out the door.
“He is most eager,” Vakrexid pronounced and promptly followed him out the door.
I shrugged, looked around the room then likewise followed suit.
“Come on, boy, put some meat in it would you? Surely, you can do better than that!” Terreth Roggin screamed at the top of his lungs as Jaysen, the doctor, and I stepped into the dining hall.
“I’m doing the best I can Roggin! Now would you just shut up?! Why don’t you give it a go and see how well you do?” Nate spat from the bench where he was lifting a long bar with several cylinders attached at the ends.
As Nate continued to lift the odd bar up and down I looked about taking in my surroundings. The room was about the same size as the cafeteria, and looked to be some sort of practice room. There was what I guessed were targets on one side of the room and more than a dozen sleek black devices that I could guess at their purpose. Either the rebels were planning on using them to torture me or much more likely they were training devices.
“Strange is it not?” the doctor asked suddenly. “He calls it a dumbbell. He uses it to accelerate the growth of muscle tissue.”
“Ha!” Terreth growled limping over to us. “That’s one way of puttin’ it.”
“So why don’t we see what that parasite in ya is capable of, hmmm?” he said turning away motioning for me to follow.
“I am not a parasite,” Khala insisted appearing in the space just a few feet in front of me. “Why is it you humans can’t understand that?”
I didn’t reply walking right through her and followed Terreth to the other side of the room just a couple dozen feet shy of the line of targets where a waist high table which was about two feet square waited. Arrayed across its surface were a half a dozen phase pistols, what may have been a human variation of a burn rod and odd looking cylinder which I guess was some sort of flash grenade.
“Target practice? Oh, fun!” Khala suddenly walking up to my side her eyes wide with excitement.
I scowled at her, but bit my tongue and moved over to the table and scooped up one of the phase pistols off of it.
“Got practice cartridges in them so don’t worry about accidentally shooting anyone,” Terreth said beaming at me and grinned toothily.
“Supposing I did … accidentally shoot someone. What exactly would happen?”
“Well the one that gets shot might feel a bit tingly for a bit, but not much else. Shoot ’em a dozen or so times, then they might lose consciousness, but they’ll wake up feeling none the worse for the wear, I can tell you that,” he mumbled scratching at his scraggly white beard.
“Practice pistols?!” Khala said folding her arms across her pretend chest. “Why not use real phase weapons? What the fun when you can’t blow anything up?”
I sighed and bit my lip, but didn’t dignify the K’teth with a response. It wouldn’t do to let Terreth and Nate, or anyone else for that matter, see me talking to empty air. They’d probably wind up think I was nuts, but even if they didn’t it probably wasn’t a good idea to draw attention to my odd relationship with Khala. People might get the idea that the symbiote was influencing me and I wasn’t sure they’d be wrong. Even so, I had to keep on appearances.
“Where’s Kaya?” I asked suddenly realizing she was absent. “I thought she’d be here”
“Probably with Mara. I’m sure the two of them will be down later,” Jaysen said.
“Well just don’t stand there!” Terreth yelled. “Come on, let’s get ya shooting at those targets.”
“Right,” I shook my head. Before Terreth could say another word I lifted the gun and took aim. I squeezed the trigger and watched as the bolt of light soared through the air hitting the nearest target right square at its center.
“Damn, nice shot,” Jaysen said his eyes wide open in surprise.
“Indeed most impressive,” the doctor tooted.
“A day’s ration says you can’t do that again,” Terreth added folding his arms across his chest.
I shook my head then raised the pistol again and fired off another shot. This time the bolt shot through the air, sizzled past the target and splattered harmlessly against the wall.
“Knew it was beginners luck,” Terreth laughed and shook his head then suddenly snapped it sideways and looked Jaysen dead in the eyes. “Coach the girl would you?”
Girl? Who did he think he was talking to? I opened my mouth to protest, but then clenched my jaw shut and shook my head. Any attempts to correct the old man would be an exercise in futility. I couldn’t help the way people saw me, but I really didn’t have to like it. Hell the prospect of being female and by extension being treated as if I were one for the rest of my life scared the shit out of me.
“Let’s have another crack at it.” I gritted my teeth then lifted the phase pistol, fired off another shot and again hit the target dead center. I glared at Terreth then handed him the weapon. “Looks like you owe me a day’s ration.”
“Damn, looks like yer right, girly!” He threw back his head and let out a long throaty laugh.
“You’re welcome,” Khala said suddenly from my side running the back of her phantom index finger across my cheek.
‘That was you wasn’t it? I should have known!’ I thought at her.
“Of course! You don’t honestly think you made those shots by yourself do you?” She said flatly stepping in front of me and folding her arms across her pretend chest.
‘No, I hadn’t really given it much thought at all!’ I scowled unleashing another round of shots, each one of which hit its mark.
“You don’t seem very appreciative,” Khala scowled.
“Oh, you think I should be appreciative? For doing this?!” I yelled grabbing at my chest “You made me over in your image! I don’t even feel like myself anymore! Thank you! Thank you very much! Thank you for destroying the relationship I had with the most beautiful girl in the world! Thanks for making my life a living hell!” I threw the phase pistol at her and screamed in impotent fury as it passed right through her phantom form.
“Well when you put it like that…” she trailed off letting out a long dramatic sigh. “Look if I’d known of any other way, I wouldn’t have changed you. Until now, I didn’t understand that your identity was so dependent upon your external appearance and whether or not you have a pair of mammary glands on your chest.”
“Hey, what’s the problem?” Terreth growled.
I blinked and looked about the room to find that everyone was looking at me. Even Nick had set his dumbbell aside and was staring at me with his jaw hanging open.
I scowled and gritted my teeth. “I’m fine. Just fine.”
“If you say so, girly,” he mumbled and hobbled away all the while shaking his head.
“Khala, just leave me the hell alone!” I hissed under my breath, snatched the phase pistol back up, raised it up and fired a long succession of shots every single one of which hit the target dead center. When I looked to see if Khala was still lurking about, I was glad to see that she had vanished.
After, target practice came what seemed more like tests and less like actual practice. By then more than a dozen rebels had shown up including Mara, Straffen, Farris, Pyramus and Kaya. As I moved across the room I felt their eyes on me and I
had this insane urge to dig a hole in the floor and hide under the ceramic tiles. I felt so uncomfortable in my new body and I couldn’t ditch the feeling that they all thought I was a freak. Since I felt like one too it certainly didn’t help matters along.
“So,” I said meeting gazes with Terreth. “What do I do now?”
Terreth opened his mouth, then glanced over at Mara and clamped it shut again. Mara shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Since, Terreth seems to have lost the ability to make decisions while I’m around why don’t we test your capabilities, starting with strength, then speed and we’ll go from there?”
“So what, you want me to wrestle someone?” I asked.
Mara snorted. “Nothing like that, dear child. That’s what we have a weight set for.”
“I have got to see this,” Nate pronounced sliding off the weight bench and patted the seat with an open palm. “You’re up.”
I nodded and moved to the side of the bench where Nate had been lifting. I traced my hands across the bar, wrapped my fists around it, braced myself then heaved upward. Despite my best efforts the bar failed to so much as even budge and I groaned before loosening my grip and sinking to my knees. I flexed my hands and stared at them in confusion. I knew that the Overseer had had enhanced strength and I’d displayed it myself when I confronted Farris and Pyramus, but for whatever reason it was out of my grasp.
I gritted my teeth then climbed back to my feet before once gripping my hands around the barbell. What if my extra strength was only available if I somehow called upon it? I closed my eyes and reached deep within myself and called out to Khala in my mind, ‘It better work this time, dammit’! I felt it, a sudden rush of power as I lifted. The bar came free with considerable less effort than I expected and I stumbled backward a few steps as I attempted to regain my balance. Shit, either Nate was a lot weaker than he looked or I was a whole lot stronger than I could have ever imagined. I lifted it over my head held it there for a good ten seconds then set it back down on its stand.
I turned back to Mara, noted her wide-eyes, and cast my eyes around to look at the rest of the rebels. Everyone looked surprised, well except Pyramus and Farris who somehow seemed to be intimidated, and I blushed feeling very self-conscious.
“Most remarkable!” The doctor tooted enthusiastically. “If Vakrexid might ask, how much weight was that?”
“Ninety kilos,” Nate said shaking his head in disbelief. “Shit, she makes it look easy.”
“Damn, how strong is she?” Strave asked his mouth hanging open.
“Stronger than you Strave, that’s all you need to know,” Kaya said coming up beside him and patting him on the cheek in mock affection.
Strave frowned and ran his hand through the back of his hair. “Is it wrong that this is turning me on?”
“I swear that’s all you ever think about! God, I can’t believe any woman would let you touch her!” She exclaimed raising her voice and glared at him with her hands on her hips.
“You did not so long ago as I recall.” He grinned and stroked his beard as he let out a soft chuckle.
“Fuck! Don’t remind me! It was just that one time and believe me it will never happen again.” Kaya shuddered.
Mara glared at both of them. “Why don’t we get back on subject?” she asked then turned back to me. “Jellfree, did you feel any strain when you the lifted the barbell?”
“A little, but I think I could lift a lot more.”
“God, how strong are you?!” Nate proclaimed repeating Strave’s previous statement.
“Why don’t we find out?” Mara asked then turned to Nate. “Add another forty-five kilos, would you?”
“You’re the boss,” Nate mumbled as he moved to put two more cylinders–which he referred to as plates–on either end of the barbell.
After he stepped out of the way I moved in and lifted the barbell again. There was just a bit more strain, but still I was able to lift it quite easily. Again with Mara’s prompting Nate added another forty-five kilos to the bar, once more I lifted it but it wasn’t until he added the final two weights that I had trouble. I did manage to lift it from the bench, but quickly put it back down.
“That’s too much,” I panted heavily as I turned to Mara and wiped the sweat from my face.
Mara pursed her lips and shook her head, ‘Absolutely amazing. One would never guess by looking at such a beautiful young woman what sort of power lurked within those slender arms.”
“How is it even possible?” Nate asked staring at me with his mouth hanging open.
I shuddered and grabbed the back of my elbow with my right hand, “It’s Khala, the K’teth symbiote, inside of me. She has the ability to absorb energy and somehow when she passes it back to me by granting enhanced physical abilities.”
“Freak,” someone coughed and I whirled around to see that it was Pyramus. I glared at him, took a step forward, and nearly choked up with laughter when he quickly backed away.
“Just remember what I told you in the kitchen, Pyramus,” I said narrowing my eyes and glared at him.
He grimaced, but nodded and folded his arms across his chest. I scowled at him one final time then turned my back and let out a long sigh. Was that the sort of reception I could expect for the rest of my life? The other rebels hadn’t shown the same intolerance, but I had to wonder if they weren’t thinking what that jackass had just vocalized. I looked about the room, and stared into the eyes of each of the rebels. I saw outright hostility in Farris and Pyramus’s eyes, which was no surprise, but when I looked into the eyes of Terreth and Nate there was something else there. It wasn’t hatred or malice, but something which I’d long ago learned could lead to both, fear.
I shuddered and looked away, unable to bear meeting those gazes. Sometimes when I saw myself in the mirror and looked into those eerie eyes I wondered if I was even human anymore, but if not what was I? I’d seen firsthand what sort of things people did when they let fear and prejudice control them. I was afraid that I might draw people’s hatred for the symbiote I carried within me. What choice did I have? I’d spent most my life doing as the gray skins told me and now that I’d become involved with the rebels it didn’t seem as if anything had changed. I could either fight with them or die by the hands of the Qharr. What sort of choice was that?
“Jellfree,” Kaya whispered in my ear and I jumped not realizing she had gotten so close. “What’s wrong?”
“I-I am a freak,” I whispered back my eyes misting up.
“And so what if you are?” she whispered back. “It’s not the way you look or you physical capabilities that define you. It’s the choices you make. Chose to be the person you want to be. Don’t let the prejudices of others define you.”
I nodded then wiped away my tears before turning to Mara. “Let’s get on with this.”
“If I may interject,” the doctor said stepping forward suddenly. “There are many notable physical abilities that have been credited to the Edant K’teth. Vakrexid does not know if all the rumors are true, but some of them, at least, must be. I am sure that some of these abilities may take time for you to learn, but Vakrexid thinks some are more than likely innate such as speed strength and stamina. I also theorize that those abilities may grow more pronounced as the symbiote absorbed more energy. Please, Jellfree, if you could let us see you run. ”
I scratched at the back of my head, bit my lip and said. “Yeah, sure doc whatever you say,” before I took off running. At first I didn’t seem to be moving very fast at all, but then I urged myself to go faster and I did. I shot across the room in a matter of seconds, spun around doing a quick one-eighty and sped back to where the other rebels were waiting. I tried to stop, but I had picked up too much forward momentum and went slammed into Strave unable to put on the breaks.
I closed my eyes just as I went tearing into him and I could feel us slide across the floor and come to a sudden stop. I let my eyes fly back open and saw that we had hit the nearest wall. I grimaced and looked down at Strave
who was grinning ear to ear. Suddenly, I was very aware that my breasts were pressed into his chest. I blushed and rolled off of him, but as I sat up I noticed something else.
I felt flushed, my heart was pounding inside my chest and my crotch was wet. I bit my lip and rose to my feet, blushing as I did so. I’d been aroused plenty of times as a man, but never as a woman and never had I felt it directed toward a man. Being turned on as a man had always been a more concentrated sensation, as a woman I thought my whole body might explode.
I closed my eyes and shuddered, taking deep breaths and fought against all the sensations sweeping across my body. God, it felt so good and yet… so wrong at the same time.
“Jellfree,” Kaya’s voice whispered. “What’s wrong? You’re kind of freaking us out.”
I opened my eyes and looked around the room, noting the odd looks I was getting from the other rebels. I shuddered again, and blushed self consciously and felt my arousal suddenly vanish.
“I-I’m fine,” I gasped running my hand through the back of my hair self-consciously. As I stood there gaping at Kaya, I felt the reality of what had just happened settle in. I was attracted to men, but not just men, Straffen specifically. A man, whose primary interest seemed to be in wooing Kaya, like some oversexed love-sick puppy. God, I felt sick! The thought of letting a man touch me was revolting, and yet…
“No,” I whispered and shook my head. I would remain celibate for the rest of my life before I let a man, especially that man, touch me in that way. I wasn’t a damned woman, despite the physical evidence to the contrary. I clenched my fists, and my teeth before turning back to Mara. “What’s next?”
“All this is quite impressive, but didn’t you say that the Overseer could climb up walls? Shouldn’t our friend, Jellfree, here be able to do the same?” Strave said folding his arms across his chest.
“I was beginning to wonder if anyone was going to figure that out,” Khala appeared suddenly leaning against Strave.
“No,” she added holding up her hand as I opened my mouth to respond. “There’s no need to ask. You possess all the same abilities that the Overseer did. It’s just some of them are a bit more energy intensive than others. The whole escaping from the Qharr thing, then transforming you into a woman well that takes a lot out of a girl, you know? Once I get back up to full power then you’ll get to see what the two of us are really capable of.”
Battle For Earth Page 11
