The part below happens before the Tirrapps find them. Karissa is looking through the information she has on the people of Earth. She is bored because Jack is unconscious from what she has done to him so he could survive outside of Earth's atmosphere and to prevent him from dying of malnourishment. But more importantly, because Karissa decided to do an experiment with him, solely for her own curiosity and need for entertainment:
I began watching clips that showed how their fragile bodies were capable of defending and attacking - they used to know how to wield bladed weapons, but their fragile bodies didn’t want the honor of hand to hand combat and moved to guns. I continued watching how they lived every day. How they reproduced, showed anger, and... affection. I watched as they would embrace each other and their lips would touch. I tilted my head curiously and pulled up another screen to search for more information. The computer familiarized me with how this was their way of communicating what they called love.
I had no idea what that was, but mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, mates and friends would touch their lips to different parts of the others’ bodies - mostly on the face, but sometimes hands, neck, and shoulders. I scrunched my nose. It didn’t make sense.
As the clips flashed quickly through the different kisses it had on file, I began to wonder how lips, without words, communicated so strongly. It had been my experience--
“Finding me interesting now?” Creature inquired in a false kindness.
I quickly turned my head to see he was standing a couple of feet away. I immediately stood up and faced him, hitting the switch that would turn off my research.
His eyes shifted to the inky black universe. When his eyes focused back on me, there was fire in them. “Where are we?” he asked, and I glanced down at the screen that showed me.
“Middle Of Nowhere,” I answered in his language.
He stared at me as though he didn’t believe me. “Is that what it’s really called?”
“It’s what I call it in your language.”
“And in your language…”
I shook my head. I found it interesting that he was using a courteous tone, even when I knew he wanted to rip me apart.
He nodded. “So, now what?” he asked casually as if I was not his enemy.
I tilted my head curiously at him. I didn’t understand his question.
“Well, you’ve sent fire through my body and needles through my veins. I just wondered what you had in mind,” he calmly remarked as his eyes moved to the now blank screens before focusing back on my eyes. “Sexual experiments?”
I made a disgusted face, and he smiled. I suddenly felt very uncomfortable. I couldn’t figure out what he wanted. He should be furious with me, but he didn’t sound like he was. He should be trying to hurt me, but he wasn’t. He could have killed me, but he didn’t.
“I’m just trying to figure out why an alien like you would find a way for me to survive, when you’re kind has already killed so many of my people. I mean, if you think about it, you kind of saved me.”
“No, I didn’t,” I angrily said. I did not save creatures.
His one eyebrow went up. “No?”
“No,” I repeated.
“You’ve tortured me, and now you’re going to kill me?”
“No.”
“Well, either you’ve saved me or you’re going to kill me,” he remarked and took a slow step towards me.
I wanted to move away from him, but I didn’t want him near my controls. I stepped to the side and towards him, in case he was trying to intimidate me. Plus, I could still prevent him from nearing my controls. He smiled at me and I waited for his attack, but he didn’t move.
“You haven’t clarified your intentions,” he commented, and I scowled at him.
“I don’t have to,” I answered.
“I suppose you don’t,” he replied nonchalantly.
He suddenly lunged at me, and I almost got away. His fingers wrapped around my wrist, and he immediately yanked me close to him. I brought my knee into his inner thigh and as he bent over, I kneed him in the face, but he didn’t let go of my hand. He looked up at me, swallowing his pain.
“Didn’t think I learned my lesson?” he scowled, squeezing my wrist even harder.
I glared at him, and yanked him closer to me. His scowl became surprise. I brought my knee up and caught his outer thigh. I quickly turned my back to him, pulling him over my back and he landed solidly on the floor. He let go of my wrist and I backed away from him. He stood up, and wiped the blood off his face.
“You are quite remarkable,” he commented. “You’re skills are much more impressive than the others. How long have you been destroying people’s worlds… lives?” he angrily asked.
I didn’t reply, and he dove at me. I moved out of the way, but as soon as he landed he launched himself at me, slamming me into the controls. I pulled my feet up, and attempted to push him off of me. His hands grabbed my shirt and he slammed me into the controls again. I heard the alarms sound, and this time I kicked him so that his hold relaxed. I quickly kicked him away from me, and turned immediately. The ship was beginning to fall off course, but that wasn’t why the alarm was blaring. There was another ship much too close to mine.
Creature’s hand was on the back of my head and in the next second he had slammed my face into the controls.
“I’m going to win this,” he stated.
I don’t think so. “I already told you, you won’t ever win.”
Excerpt From: Amanda Schmidt. “Solace: Uncharted Territory."
No comments:
Post a Comment