Page 11 of Heart’s Prisoner

The room was bright red. Within, Xerus paced as she had seen him do before. He didn't look at the man, only ahead. He was irritated.

"Tell us about your world, Xerus. Tell us where you are from."

Xerus said nothing, though she caught the flash of teeth in a quick snarl.

"We only wish to help you. We want to understand."

Lana's face heated. The words–a near repeat of her own session–made her realize her folly. How could she think Xerus would have cooperated with her when all he heard was the same thing over and over from another scientist just trying to coax information from him. Then she remembered his own words and wished she had listened.

When Xerus said nothing, the man only looked down at his tablet, made a note, and continued. "If you don't cooperate we will have no choice but to keep you locked in here. We don't want that. And I'm sure you don't want that either. Just tell us why you were in the forest. Is that your home?"

Xerus growled. With clenched teeth, he looked over at the man and hissed something in his language–something the translator couldn't pick up. He got real close to the window, his tail swaying furiously.

"Is that your home?"

The doctor stilled, his face turning pale. He stared at Xerus in wide-eyed wonder. Confused, Lana paused the video and went back a few seconds.

"Is that your home?"

The doctor's lips hadn't moved. The question came from Xerus, clear English, and in the exact tone of the doctor's voice.

Nothing in the files stated he understood their language yet...at least what they believed. The video was dated several months ago meaning Xerus couldn't have been able to communicate in English; the QS translator could be softly heard within the cell speaking in his own language to show proof of that. He must have insanely good hearing to make out the doctor's voice over the translator.

'He isn't communicating', she thought. 'He's mimicking.'

So Cole's warning hadn't been an exaggeration.

The doctor in the video (who she figured then to be Dr. Cronberg) stared at Xerus, speechless. He opened his mouth to say something then closed it several times.

"W-what did you just..." The doctor finally stammered out. Xerus repeated him.

The doctor, clearly disturbed, ended the session early and the video ended.

Lana's throat felt dry and she took a sip of water before starting the next video. This time it was of Dr. Grimmer.

"Asset X, analysis 12," the doctor said in a monotonous, almost bored voice. "Asset appears agitated, did not take food or water for the fifth day."

Xerus sat as far from the window as possible, his body facing the opposite wall. He didn't look back at the man. His tail swayed.

"Asset X..."

Xerus' head only turned slightly.

"We just want your cooperation. Tell us where the others are."

Xerus said nothing.

"Tell us why you attacked the camp on planet 421. What were you doing there."

Xerus` head turned back to the wall. The doctor sighed.

"If you don't talk we will be forced to make you."

The alien didn't move. His face was too dark for Lana to make out.

'This is more of an interrogation than a conversion,' Lana thought annoyingly. 'How could they think this would ever work.'

The doctor wrote something down in his tablet, his mouth set in a deep frown. "Asset refuses to cooperate. May need to prepare shock-induced thera–"

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