by G. K. Scott
Lexington slammed his foot down. “I’ve always done what you asked for years why are you shafting me.” Oran raised an eyebrow. “I’m only going to say this once general I own these ships. Here I make the rules and I’m god! You’d be nothing without me. If I remember right you’re an insubordination who got tossed out of marine core.” He eased up his hand. “How many civilians was it? Oh yes you blew six innocent civilians to bits. All because you went a bit mad in the heat of war and forgot who’s side you where on. Most would consider you a murder since your actions were so cold blooded. You can’t get work now, no one will hire you but here you have everything.” He leaned back. “A general’s power, a legion of soldiers at your deposal money power, all you could ever want.” He eased out a cigar slowly lighting it. “But always remember. I can make it so you can go back to the Earth military cells, for the rest of your days serving out your sentence for your cold blooded killing.”
He leaned forward. “Always remember that Lexington when your standing in my office whining your pathetic little ass off.” He slowly breathed smoke in the general’s direction. “Is that in anyway unclear? Lexington stood up slowly. “Perfectly clear sir.” Oran sat back. “Good I wouldn’t want you to go to waste you’re the first of your kind.” He grinned widely. “Those wonderful enhancements I gave you where costly.” Lexington moved away. “I have things to do sir.” Oran smiled hearing the door slam. “I have things to do also boy.” He slowly set the video off again watching the fight. He turned slowly. “Oni Jui!” He watched as the young hunter appeared behind him. “What is a hunters right?” Oni Uni tapped his mandibles. “Hunter right, it means to be given the honour to hunt to fight for your right to do so.” Oran put a hand through his beard. “The girl’s lost why was she given the right?” Oni Uni looked at the video his blazing fire like eyes widening. “Because Jeuki is a soft leader. A real leader would kill her for her lack of skill.”
Oran took a long breath from his cigar. “I see.” He turned to the young hunter. “You would’ve killed her.” Oni Jui narrowed his gaze. “I would kill her anyway I don’t need a reason. She’s an abomination to my race, no hunter should be soft to the likes an ooman.” Oran sighed aloud. “Oni Jui you’re following a human right now, ever considered that thought.” Oni Jui snorted aloud. “I follow you to get what I want. The weak female ooman is trying to be one of my race. No ooman is worthy of such a thing.” Oran raised an eyebrow. “Jeuki would disagree with you.” Oni Jui flared his lower mandibles. “Jeuki is soft, Jeuki isn’t in control of his emotions anymore he’s pumping out musk.” Oran turned sharply. “I’m not familiar with the term pumping out musk could you give me an insight in to what that means.” Oni Jui laughed slightly. “It means he’s wants a female very badly.” He put a stripped clawed finger on the screen. “The sad pitiful thing is he’s doing over some weak worthless ooman female.”
Oran leaned back. “Well we all have our faults now don’t we Oni Jui. You kill your own kind. I kill everybody who gets in my way. Emma is pumped up on some drug that keeps her alert all he time. While Jeuki is a soft lug who wants to breach the cap between both our species. It’s all very interesting wouldn’t you agree?” Oni Jui turned putting his mask on. “Amusing maybe but your race is still weak.” Oran laughed slightly. “Coming from someone who hunts in a pen set up by my weak race that is more amusing.” Oni Jui turned his rimmed black helmet gleaming. “Despite your intelligence you’re still the weaker species.” Oran laughed aloud. “You do amuse me Oni Jui now go and be a good boy and go down below.”
CHAPTER 9
WITH IN THESE WALLS THERE IS NO LIGHT ONLY SHADOWS
Location somewhere in the galaxy, in the science labs on level twenty on board the Iron Year science vessel.
Why am I here again? I’ve been here before I hate this room these tables these chairs. Yet here we are once again playing guinea pigs to bunch of morons who only care about their careers. It’s so depressing that it makes me want to cry. The only reason I don’t is because I won’t show weakness to a bunch of human’s who don’t really care. I can’t believe I was forced back in to quarters, which they locked at night. What am I an animal? I am not an animal nether is Jeuki! So what if he broke that asshole generals ribs the man was asking for it. Plus If I get one more package or one more stupid message from that stupid talking computer I’m going to scream. I can’t take this anymore I feel like a rabbit in a cage everyone’s controlling what I do. There locking me up and I can’t do anything about it. I feel helpless so horribly helpless. I am not there experiment, which they can poke and prod at leisure. This is so messed up I shouldn’t have come here I shouldn’t have put Jeuki through this. I’m such a bitch. There’s no honour here only typical human’s who don’t care.
“So do you have any idea where your electronic note pad is?”
Emma looked up meeting Marcus’s gaze. “No.” Marcus twirled his finger. “So you lost it in the explosion on Callisto?” Emma turned away. “Yes.” Julia pushed Marcus out of the way. “Not in a cheery mood are we today?” Emma felt her wrist blades snap out as she tensed her wrist which caused Julia to step back quickly. Leo raised an eyebrow. “Julia you idiot.” He looked at the wrist blades, which had gone to there full length. “Emma got locked in her quarters last night with Jeuki didn’t you hear?” Lucy slowly looked in Jeuki’s open mouth. “Leo she doesn’t take her messages. She’s to busy playing that stupid plug in mind game which is costly.” Julia turned sharply. “Hey I like the plug in pattern generator it’s fun.” Julia slowly looked at the folds of skin in Jeuki’s mouth she eased the metal tool in to it. “Oh yes fun, there’s so much fun in using your mind to blow up little dots on a crappy head piece she pushed the tool in further. “It’s not even a realistic game.”
Emma turned sharply. “Don’t put that any further in to his mouth.” Lucy grunted pushing the device further in. “Why?” Jeuki felt the tool hit his upper mouth he up a hand on his mid section. Lucy didn’t get a chance to move as a wash of liquid hit her lab coat shoulder as it flew from the hunter’s mouth. She pulled back watching Jeuki flare his mandibles in discontent. She pulled up looking at the mess on her lab coat. “Ah Christ! What is this it’s nasty?” Emma rolled her eyes. “I said don’t push that thing in to his mouth. The folds of skin are sensitive back there. If you push them it causes a choking reaction.” Lucy looked at the mess. “Oh what he just threw up on me. Ah hell this was my only good lab coat!” Jeuki flared his mandibles again feeling the rotten taste dissipate. Stupid ooman female! He pulled up a clawed hand. He could see now why Emma hadn’t liked her health check. His version of one was just as bad. He howled as a pointed needle suddenly went in to his arm. He watched glowing green blood move in to the vile.
Lucy looked at the glowing blood. “Okay here’s a question for you Jeuki, how compatible do you think our two species are?” Marcus sighed aloud. “And here we go with the sick perversion that is Lucy’s messed up head.” Lucy tapped the syringe. “This isn’t perversion it’s cell science.” Jeuki slowly met Emma’s gaze. Emma turned sharply. “I would like to know.” Lucy slowly pulled out a test tube from near by she looked at the red blood in it. “Really you would, well this is yours. Would you like me to see if you have a chance in hell of breeding? Not that you ever would but I want to know.” Leo sighed aloud. “Here comes that theory again.” Lucy looked at the two bloods. “It’s not a theory, I’m betting Jeuki has the same DNA as we do but he’s just developed differently due to where he lives in the galaxy.” She grinned. “I bet he comes from an ape like creature but his evolution took a different turn to us and his race grew bigger stronger and got claws and heavy weight to cope with the environment.”
She shook the glowing blood. “Evolution being that it’s all about natural selection.” Julia sighed aloud. “Oh god I hate Charles Darwin his theories are such bull, natural selection please Evolution is about chaos.” Lucy grunted aloud she pulled off her messed up lab coat throwing it in a cleaning b
in near by. She put her electronic note pad on the table. “Again you have a lack of vision.” Julia turned sharply. “Well I’m sorry I just don’t share your vision.” She sighed aloud. “I mean your vision doesn’t account for the fact that no ape would have a face like his.” Lucy slowly poured the green blood on to the glass under the microscope. She picked up another one pouring on Emma’s. “How would you know? The galaxy is vast you could have odd ape like creatures.” Marcus sighed aloud. “Personally I think your likely hood of breeding is 10 percent to 0.” Lucy slowly watched the stethoscope move towards her eye. “Look you do your job I’ll do mine go back to ship technology it’s what’s your good at.” She began to type in to the computer. “Give me five minutes and I’ll tell you.”
Emma slowly picked up a cup of water taking a long drink. It had been so quite stuck in the quarters nether her and Jeuki had spoken much. She felt bad about the whole thing both for the marines getting in the way and the moron trying to chat her up. She ran a hand through her hair in frustration being escorted around by Carlos was annoying. Why did they need to be escorted around anyway? Everyone knew that they landed it was no big secret. It was like the guy in charge was trying to hide something from her. She slowly finished the water; she was finding that the food here tasted just as bad. So processed and manufactured, the meat she’d had, had been so tasteless. Roasted No-Bo was much tastier. She looked up meeting Jeuki’s gaze all her thoughts left her. She owed him an apology for having to put up with this stupid human bull. She slowly squeezed the plastic cup between her fingers watching the side’s crunch. Apparently she had one more test when Jeuki’s final ones where done. Something she wasn’t looking forward to.
“Oh yes! I am the best of the best!”
Marcus turned slightly eyeing Lucy. “You haven’t done that test already have you?” Lucy typed the screen. “Listen to this and weep none believers.” The computer slowly brought up both DNA strands. The screen turned the strands. “Possibility of human female mothering alien off spring successfully is at 40 percent." Leo turned looking at the screen. “Well that’s interesting.” He turned back to the alien ship on his screen. “Shame those two aren’t ever going to breed. I bet you’d be drooling to see what the offspring looks like.” His grin widened. “All that wonderful information that will never have any use in the world of cell science it must annoy you.” Lucy turned back sharply. “Shut up Leo! At least I was right about them, since when have your theories ever been right?” Leo laughed aloud. “I was right about the ship being a hunter vessel. I was right about the invisibility cloak and that hunting is cultural to them.” He slowly met her gaze. “I’ve been right about more things than you have.”
Carlos grunted aloud. “Be quite! Your arguing is breaking my chain of thought.” He turned meeting Emma’s gaze. “I need you to come with me to the next room alone it’s part of your health check.” Emma stood up slowly. Lucy walked slowly up to Jeuki. “You stay there okay she’ll be back in a little while, her test wont take long.” Jeuki turned angrily watching Emma leave the room. Why did they have to take her away? He tapped his upper left mandible in frustration. Emma hadn’t been very talkative after what had happened in the training room. He pulled up a clawed hand looking at it she didn’t seem happy here ether. He thought she’d be happy among her own race maybe he was missing something. Marcus leaned over slightly. “Would you like anything to read Jeuki? We have notes on culture, history. Even some cases of your race visiting earth.” He slowly met the hunters yellow eyes. “I mean you can read our language can’t you?” Jeuki nodded he put a hand on his chin before slowly turning to meet the male oomans gaze. “I want to understand ooman women better.”
Julia half choked on her coffee. “Did he just say what I think he said!?” Leo laughed slightly. “Jeuki no man can understand women it’s impossible.” Marcus pulled up an electronic pad he slowly plugged its cable in to the computer watching it begin the download. He turned slightly “Any particular thing in general or did you just want everything?” Jeuki folded his arms. “Everything.” Lucy leaned forward. “That’s kinda sweet I bet you want this to understand Emma better.” Jeuki turned slightly as the pad was passed to him he instantly began to type. Marcus raised an eyebrow. “Are you positive Emma doesn’t have her note pad because you seem to understand how that one works, really well?” Jeuki turned his back on him as he carried on reading. Marcus sneered in annoyance. “Christ what is it with you two? Emma does that to me as well, you just turn your backs when you’re not interested and ignore people it’s rude.” Jeuki tapped his upper right mandible ignoring the ooman male he wouldn’t tell him anything. Emma’s pad was none of his business.
Lucy grinned moving around the heavily enforced bed, which Jeuki was sitting on. “You know if you want to impress her you should give her flowers.” Leo moved around the other side. “Or a weapon your race seems to like weapons.” Julia rolled her eyes. “You two are so disgusting I mean please he’s not in love with her, I doubt he even knows what the word love means.” Jeuki’s eyes snapped wide open he turned slowly flaring his mandibles in the ooman female’s direction. “Love is to care and look after another being and to show the up most compassion towards them and to sacrifice anything for them as they would do for you. While being there by there side to protect them and guide them!” He flared his mandibles again in anger. “Don’t tell me I don’t know what that words means because I do!” Lucy burst in to a fit of laugher. She grinned at Julia whose face had gone white in shock. “Well that told you didn’t it, you forgot that Jeuki is on our level of thinking and isn’t an animal.” She patted the big spotted arm. “You go Jeuki you show the none believers how smart you are.” Jeuki turned back to his pad maybe he could find something useful. He slowly started to read through the archives. Lucy turned away letting him read, she turned back to her screen. Marcus turned away in annoyance. “I bet he memorized that line from an electronic pad.” He turned back to his screen typing away slowly looking at the hunter vessel on screen.
8
Emma let her gaze wander around the small room she watched Carlos slowly take a seat. He waved his hand to the large couch near by. “Make your self comfortable.” Emma looked at the skeleton hanging near by; it was a copy but was still very impressive. She slowly sat herself down looking around her. “If this is about Jeuki hitting the general I’m really sorry about what happened.” Carlos slowly brought up information on screen. “Actuality this has nothing to do with that. Mr Oran saw the video you and Jeuki are not in any trouble.” He eased up a hand. “We would just not like you wander around unescorted and cloaked again.” Emma taped the sofa’s arm with her fingers. “Are you people hiding something? I feel like my self and Jeuki are no more than animals to you, since you keep as locked up.” Carlos brought up more information on screen. “Miss Wingates we are all animals, its just our natures are different.” He eased around the screen. “I believe this is the credit Oran Corp. owes you.” Emma raised her eyebrow. “Credit?” Carlos smiled. “Yes credit you are a forma employee of the Callisto base which Oran owned he believes you should be paid in full for all you’ve had to endure.”
He tapped his lips. “It’s a really nice round number since it’s been doubled one year in space time making you quite well off now.” Emma looked at the four-figure number before sitting back in the chair. “I don’t want it.” Carlos turned sharply. “Excuse me you don’t want it how could you not want three years worth of pay?” Emma narrowed her gaze. “Because I have no use for it, credits mean nothing to me.” Carlos laughed slightly. “I don’t believe this, you don’t want this money forgive my rudeness but I believe you’ve forgotten what it is to be human. Humanity revolves around money you need money to survive. Emma looked up slightly. “Oh really, well it would seem I did a year in space without it.” She turned slightly. “Send it to my younger brother he needs it far more than I do. His names Ivan Wingates he works on the mining planet Eros.” Carlos sighed aloud. “Very well I’ll h
ave it transferred to his credit.” He turned slowly. “You come from quite a poor background don’t you Miss Wingates? Your late father Ian Wingates was a miner on Eros.”
Emma put a hand on her chin. “You could say that my father died from breathing in a lot a poisons on the rig.” She sighed aloud. “All so the people on Earth could have iron ore since their reserves are depleted.” Carlos smiled inwardly. “Your mother walked out on both you and your brother and you grew up in the mining city on Eros.” He clicked his finger. “What was that like?” Emma laughed slightly. “I didn’t see a full sun rise till I visited Earth, Eros’s sun never fully rises and it’s a desert planet which is humid but not boiling.” Carlos looked at the screen. “You’re not a miner though are you Miss Wingates?” Emma looked down slightly. “No I looked after the house and studied it’s my brother loves to mine.” Carlos raised an eyebrow. “You’re studying earning you a place at the science institute on Pluto were you study electronics for four years. You did odd jobs for science factories for quite a few years then by gleaming chance you got picked to go Callisto every scientist dream colony.” Emma turned slightly. “That place was no dream.”
