Page 12 of Fighting Gravity
A rattling hiss vibrated in her throat that meant she wanted to fight.
“Go blow off steam, Veron,” I said, slipping past her. “Or you’ll get yourself in trouble.”
She marched noisily through the ship until she was out of earshot and I slid into the infirmary. It was quiet save for the low hum of medical equipment that Veron had left on to read whatever samples she’d collected. I took a look at the screens, but there wasn’t much there. Human DNA was similar to ours. Similar to the valerians. And even monrians. It wasn’t surprising considering we all came from the same place in distant history. We were all children of Aksokrhun. All placed on different worlds to evolve in different ways, but all the same.
At least, that was what we were all taught. To me, we could not all be more different.
Her bone density was less than even a juvenile gek and her skin was pliable and easily damaged. The clothing we’d taken off of her didn’t provide any protection at all. Had I wanted to cut her open, I could have done so with one of my talons. I was used to keeping them out, but since she came aboard my ship, I’d been keeping them retracted.
I barely noticed until that moment…
I turned to look at her on the table dressed in whatever oversized rags Veron found in the infirmary. Through the thin material, I could still see the mounds of her breasts and the shape of her hips. I stepped over her, staring down at her lithe form. I wondered what shapes were desirable for humans and if she was it because something about her certainly sparked curiosity in me.
Reaching out, I slid the tips of my fingers across the bone on her chest, just beneath her neck. Her bare skin was soft. I could easily pierce it. Watching her chest slowly rise and fall drew my eyes to her breasts again where her nipples had hardened to tiny beads. Nothing about her was harsh or rigid except for her personality. Her words had a bite that her blunt teeth couldn’t compete with.
Turning, I grabbed a physio meter from the nearest tool table and decided to take a seat nearby and wait. Listen. Get to know her presence because I was going to find out everything I could about her and her people. What kind of combat training they had. Why they were genetically important to the valerians. Whether or not she was a good example, physically and mentally, to represent her kind. Everything.
It was hours before Quinn woke up. I saw her eyes flutter a little first and the softest whimper rode her breath when she exhaled like she was in pain. Maybe she was.
She looked around with her head before finally forcing herself to glance my way. When she saw me, the expression on her face was a mix of shock and disappointment. She took me in as if her vision was a blur and she was waiting for me to come into focus. Once she got her bearings, she gradually sat up and scooted herself to the edge of the bed, hanging her feet over. They were inches off the floor and dangled there.
“You’re a real piece of shit. No wonder the valerians hate you guys.”
My lip twitched at that comment. Sharp words came so naturally, they were the first things out of her mouth when she woke.
“What are humans trading?” I asked.
“Military.”
She enjoyed testing me. But I was not the right guy to push. If she was so quick to challenge me after just coming to, then I would be quick to recommence my interrogation.
I reached out and grabbed her wrist faster than she could even react and slammed her hand down on the table. Pulling my small knife out of its sheath, I poised it over her finger and watched the shock and fear flash across her features. So she did feel terror. Her heart rate picked up and she gulped but did not struggle. She just kept her gaze fixed on the blade.
“You’ll talk eventually,” I said.
“Will I?”
Her gaze skimmed over the room like she was looking for something to give her an advantage. There was nothing. Even if she could grab a weapon, she was in no condition to fight let alone fightme.
“So? How do you know English? And don’t say you learned from my Buddy. That’d be ridiculous.”
I cocked my head. “I learned from your Buddy.”
“Are you kidding?”
“No. Now give me something useful or I’ll dump you out an airlock.”
“Tempting. I’m getting sick of looking at you already.”
She really wasn’t budging. I contemplated actually taking her finger, but I didn’t yet know if that would kill her. Did humans have major arteries in their fingers? I couldn’t remember. Could they regrow a severed limb?
I flipped my knife around in my hand and slipped it back into my belt before stepping back.
“What’d you do to me while I was unconscious?” she demanded. “Better not be some sick, pervert shit. Been there, done that. And the last guy is a eunuch now, sooo…”
I had no idea what that was, but she seemed to think it sounded threatening.
Just then, the door slid open and Veron walked in, immediately noticing that Quinn was awake. Her face twisted with displeasure at the sight of her.
