Page 32 of Her Alien Savior
“Of course not,” he thankfully didn’t press the issue, but I could hear the humor in his voice, “To answer you, we are in a lab being observed by your exchange host. This room was designed well before we arrived in anticipation for your arrival to make you comfortable.”
I glanced down at my clothes, it was a large over-sized gown like what was worn in hospitals, and there was indeed a draft of air on my behind from where it was open in the back. Heat pooled in my cheeks at being exposed like this, and it didn’t matter that I remembered he’d already seen everything before. This somehow felt more vulnerable, standing here in a sick gown with my ass in the wind, despite my heel having been the reason he was on his knees. I wasn’t dumb, he had plenty of epul that could have stabbed me from his neck, releasing my hold on him.
From what basic culture studies said about necia, being seen as weak was a dishonor, and subduing him like that would be considered a great dishonor that he allowed to happen without so much as causing me a scratch. Okay, I wasn’t a necia warrior expert by any means, but he was being quite gentle.
Clearing my throat, I snaked my hands behind my back to show I wouldn’t harm him again, but also to close up the gap in the gown. “So, this is my room?” I focused on the topic of our whereabouts instead of broaching the awkwardness of attacking him, or my current state of dress. And if it was my room, then why was he in it, and where was my host?
“It would appear so. When I woke from stasis, they were taking you from your pod and I refused to leave you. This is where they took us, and you’ve been asleep there for three risings,” he nodded his head towards the bed that was rumpled from where I must have scrambled off to grapple with him, “and I can only assume that Chuel didn’t keep his word about keeping you safe if I cooperated.”
“We’re on Trillume?” I was trying to catch up, but my brain was still fuzzy, and that didn’t explain how he got here.
Like he could read my mind he sighed and leaned back against the bed with a slump. “They didn’t say where we were when I woke, but reason says, yes, we’re on Trillume. Though, it’s possible they moved us while in stasis. This isn’t ideal, but I’ll find a way out of this, we just need them to keep us together.” He sounded sure of himself, that he could get us out of here, and the way he said it made me reassess the ‘apartment’ type feel of the room. I quickly backed up until my hand was on the door and I jiggled the knob to no avail. Next was the scanner next to the door that glowed green when I placed my hand on it, but no movement on the exit. I didn’t think green meant the same thing for aliens as it did humans, it was clearly rejecting my biomarkers for unlocking the door. Not all was lost yet.
The door appeared to be designed like an old human settlement with hinges and everything. I’d go down in databases as the human who opened a rudimentary door if those hinges were real. It was hope alone that they would do something so foolish, but it would be just as foolish as assuming they wouldn’t.
I went to the first drawer I could find, searching for any kind of tool to help bust the hinges while the big alien warrior continued to sit next to the bed watching me. The storage compartments were empty aside from a few blankets, and when I spotted a wrench under the sink I nearly screamed with excitement. Until I grabbed for it and discovered it was a projection that my hand passed through like I was a ghost. Most everything in this room was for show, even the books on the fake shelf were actually just empty metal boxes with an overlay screen projecting things to read. I threw the fake bookstack to the wall with an agitated, yet strangled cry.
“What the fuck? Who are these monsters? There isn’t even a book to read in this elaborate sham of a prison!”
He let me vent my frustrations, his face unreadable about what his thoughts on the matter were and I stomped over to the metal fake book stack to snatch it off the ground. At least they didn’t think of everything, I thought with a grumble. What good was a warrior promising to help free you when he just sat there anyways? With a powerful grunt I slammed the metal box on the door pins to dislodge them from the hinges. Instead of disassembling the door like I anticipated the hinges crumbled in chunks to the floor. I stared at the remains with the hollowed metal box held above my head as my chest heaved. A sob choked from my lungs, and I fell to my knees.
It was fake.
Everything was fake.
I didn’t even hear Direl approach as he crouched behind me, but somehow I knew I wouldn’t fall if I collapsed, my shoulders met with the hard resistance of his abdomen, my arms caught on his muscled thigh as I twisted to bury my face into his leg. Direl’s hand rubbed circles on my bare back. I wasn’t even concerned with the open gown anymore.
Was this defeat?
Was this my life now?
Trapped in a lab pretending to be a human dwelling?
“What are we supposed to do now?” I hiccupped. “Is this an anal probe thing?” Joking was my best coping mechanism for this, and of course I knew they didn’t need to probe me to get data on humans. Technology was far beyond that with nanobugs now, all the data they need could be retrieved from blood samples and nanotech. Anything I ate or drank here could give them data.
Direl chuckled, but kept rubbing my back as I closed my eyes. It was soothing having his fingers lightly trail down my skin.
“It would seem they are trying to make you as comfortable as possible. I’ve checked all the possible exits before you woke, the system they are using on the doors are similar to the ones on my ship which allow for multi-functional access of biomarkers and slate cycles.”
“Are you speaking English?”
He paused and replied confused, “No. I thought you understood Trillix. Should we ask them to update your translator? I do not speak Earthling, or perhaps you’d understand Cial better?”
I shook my head, it was just an expression. I understood him just fine, and lifted my head from his thigh, but his fingers laced through my hair to ease me back down. Guess he didn’t want me to move? A smile curved up at the thought that he enjoyed soothing me, but then he added with a whisper, “They are watching. Stay close, so we may speak more freely.” Of course he was still focused on getting us out of here. I was right to think whatever we shared before while he was in rut was just that, physical need that was over and done with.
He returned his voice to a normal volume and explained, “Slate cycles are scheduled times that access is granted. If my assumptions are correct, we are in an observatory on Trillume, and there is a common area outside the main door where we are observed in the ‘wild’ among other species, while another door is hidden behind one of the viewing screens for scientist access only.”
“Like a zoo?” I balked, not caring how nice it felt being close to him, my head popped up and I whirled to glare into those amber eyes. It wasn’t his fault, not really, but he was who was here.
“Yes, that word translates close enough, though these facilities are more for research, and the only civilians allowed are ones accompanied by a scientist who have enough influence to be invited. This will be the first time I’ve been inside of a Solarcerel—“
I wasn’t completely sure why I was so triggered by what he said, but I snapped at his calm assessment of our circumstances. “As what? Guests? Prisoners? Lab rats?” Was he okay with what they were doing here?
“Do Earthlings not have facilities dedicated to knowing more about the planet and the universe? How do your zoos acquire their species?”
I closed my gaping mouth and stared at him, he wasn’t saying this with any snark, he was just stating a fact, and he was right. There wasn’t some volunteer sign up for animals in a zoo, or the rats that give their lives to science. I wouldn’t doubt that we have underground facilities to study alien lifeforms as well, with or without their consent.
In a low whisper he assured, “This is temporary.”
