Chapter 11 #2
She closed her eyes and kept them closed no matter what was done to her. She had periods of discomfort and the sheet was taken away from her fairly early on as Ybidliuz complained irritably it was interfering with his sample taking. The Khagrish scientist was in a chatty mood as he worked.
“Our sponsor is going to be happy about this development,” he said. “It’s fortunate I’ve had so much experience working with human subjects.”
“You’ve done this elsewhere?” she asked, trying to keep her mind off what exactly the scientist was doing.
“Not this exact series of experiments, no. My people have been working for the Chimmer for centuries now—we’re superior scientific minds, which they and the Mawreg recognized early in their encounters with us.
There were other priorities, a program which held such promise but ultimately proved to be too flawed to continue.
I for one seized this opportunity to be freed from the restraints of the old contract and come here to do my own independent research. ”
“I can’t say I’m happy for you,” Melly told him, gritting her teeth as she felt pressure against her spine.
“It was an interesting challenge, to build a virus we could control and take down a world. The initial results have been quite satisfactory but now the sponsor has demanded modifications before setting up a second instance on another world. More intelligence in the infected, more ability to use them as tools once the first wave of planetary sanitation has been carried out by the basic models…” His voice trailed off as he stepped away from the table.
Melly opened her eyes enough to see he’d gone to his desk and was checking his notes. When he walked toward her, she quickly closed them again.
“A few more samples and then I think we’re done for today,” he said. “It’ll take a few days to analyze all the results. Maybe a second round of sampling will be necessary but then we can go into the experiment itself.”
If Jeff doesn’t get me out of here, I’m going to find a way to kill myself, Melly thought grimly. Today had been bad enough. She couldn’t—didn’t want to—imagine what enduring an actual experiment would entail.
“Didn’t you say the sponsor wanted the infected to self eliminate more quickly?” Dr. Mercattor asked. “Will Dr. Jericho’s genetic material help with that request?”
“It might. Yes, they did indicate the current ten-year expiration was too long but for a first round it was acceptable.”
“The infected will die off in ten years?” Melly asked, not sure she’d heard correctly.
Ybidliuz made a sound of agreement as he pressed something to her shoulder. “Approximately. If the Chimmer wish to occupy a planet or to send a client race to do so, they don’t want to have to deal with the infected running amok in perpetuity.”
“The infected hunt Chimmer too?”
“Oh yes. It was quite amusing to watch our Chimmer volunteers attempt to elude the infected sample we sent into their enclosure.”
“Did they ‘volunteer’ the same way I did?” she asked.
“Convicts, I believe, but I didn’t inquire as to the exact details.” Ybidliuz stepped away from the table again and she heard him drop whatever probe he was holding onto the desktop. “All done for today.”
The paralysis and the pain alleviator snapped off. Melly grabbed the sheet, which was beside her feet and curled up into the smallest ball she could manage. Her body ached and there were specific pain points in a myriad of places.
Ybidliuz made a tasking sound. “You humans are so fragile. My previous subjects endured much worse than this without complaints. It’s a good thing General Quantike is maintaining my pool of subjects at an acceptable level.
He may need to push the breeding program harder.
” He looked her over in a disapproving manner.
“I suppose you need more pain alleviators.”
“She’ll need a few days to recover,” Dr. Mercattor said, moving to stand beside the table. Melly inched away from her, not wanting the woman to touch her.
“Granted. I’ll need time to analyze these samples and run a few tests.” He patted her leg as if she was a dog and strode out of the lab without another word.
The lab tech administered a medinject which did reduce the pain to bearable levels and Melly was able to get dressed again in the semi-private space before Dr. Mercattor and the guards escorted her to her cell.
Dinner had been brought while she was gone and her stomach rebelled at the idea of eating.
The smell alone made her nauseous. All she wanted was to crawl into the bed, hard as it was and try to sleep.
“Food will help the pain meds absorb better,” Dr. Mercattor said, hesitating in the doorway.
“As if I’d take medical advice from you.” Melly made her voice as venomous as she could. She rolled over to present her back to the door and she heard it slide shut and lock. Now she was alone she allowed the tears to flow until she cried herself to sleep.
Melly! Sweetheart?
Jeff’s voice in her head woke her from a drugged sleep and she startled, caught in her blankets. Jeff?
What’s wrong? You don’t sound well. His voice was anxious and concerned.
Rough day in the lab yesterday. Please tell me you’re here to get me out, please. She wasn’t ashamed to beg.
Yes, we’re attacking in ten minutes. I need you to get to the big room with the children. It’ll be relatively safe there—we’re not going to target it.
Heart pounding, adrenalin spiking, Melly sat up and reached for her shoes. She had many painful places all over her body where the scientist had drawn his samples but she was relieved to find she could move more easily. I’m locked in.
I know. Cody’s drone mapped out the whole place for us and captured the enemy’s routines. It’s coming to let you out in a minute. You’re going to have to run to the kids.
She moved to stand beside the door, on the alert for anything to happen.
There was a scratching sound and then the lock exploded inward, luckily missing her by a few inches.
The door swung open and Melly raced into the corridor, which was empty.
Sprinting as best she could, buoyed by adrenalin she headed for the big dorm room where all the children and Sandy were held. On my way.
Coming around the corner on the last part of her journey, she ran right into a Khagrish guard, falling from the impact.
His reflexes were thrown off by the collision with a prisoner who wasn’t supposed to be where he’d found her.
Before Melly could try to cajole him or take any action, his skull exploded on one side and she knew Cody’s drone had taken action for her.
She made it to her feet, hanging onto the wall for support, as falling hadn’t helped her pain levels any and grabbed the blaster from his holster.
Clutching the weapon, more optimistic about her chances now, she covered the rest of the distance to the big cell.
The drone destroyed the lock to this door as well and she was inside a moment later. The children had been asleep and Sandy emerged from her semi-private cubicle in a night gown and robe, rubbing her eyes. She stared at Melly with wide eyes.
“What’s going on?”
“We’re about to be rescued but things are going to be noisy and dangerous first. Get dressed. We have to gather the children in the safest spot and wait this out.”
“Who’d rescue us?”
“My husband and his men. No time to talk now, get moving.” Melly gave her a small shove and then walked to the first set of beds. She shook each child’s shoulder gently as she told them to get up.
Once Sandy rejoined her, having hastily dressed, the two women gathered all the scared, puzzled children into the farthest corner of the room and Melly set the older ones and Sandy to building a makeshift barricade.
She rushed to the cell door and did her best to drag a table or two to block access, hoping the Khagrish would be too busy to worry about their prisoners once the attack began.
She was more concerned about the infected, who would surely break out of their enclosure during the bombardment.
Her one blaster wasn’t going to help much.
Jeff? She said as she surveyed her handiwork and prepared to join the children and Sandy.
Yes? Not long now. We’ll be dropping the first bombs in thirty seconds.
Can you keep the infected from swarming us here?
We’ll do our best. I have one flyer tasked to run protection over you.
She wondered how many flyers he had and where the assets came from but had a more immediate concern. You know where all the human prisoners are?
Other than you and the children? Yes.
I saw them yesterday. Melly blinked back sudden tears, remembering the misery she’d witnessed. They’re all infected. It’ll be a mercy for them if they don’t survive today.
Got it. Thanks for the intel. Love you.
I love you too, she responded as the earth shook under her and the sound of multiple explosions temporarily deafened her.
Faintly she heard the children screaming across the room and she ran to join them.
A further explosion, much larger than the first set, nearly knocked her off her feet but she made it over the barricade and cuddled several terrified toddlers while the others pressed close around her and Sandy.
“We’re getting out of here today,” she said in a loud voice, trying to be reassuring. “Those explosions are my husband and his friends out there. Keep your heads down until I give the word for us to be on the move.”
Melly heard the roar of the APC’s megacannon, astonished Jeff had managed to bring the vehicle all the way to this remote location. She was grateful for it.
A woman’s scream sounded in the corridor and as Melly peeked over the barricade at the back of the room, she saw Dr. Mercattor clawing at the doorway. “Let me in, they’re coming,” she shrieked. “The infected! The bracelet’s not working.”