Zorack's Reflections
Angel
No! Skirt! No, don't touch me!
It's over, baby. Finished. I will never let you out of my eyes again. I... I'm sorry...
I love you...
Sorry, sweetie.
Telepathy sometimes even between a couple can create confusion.
-She is still weak, but her signs are strong and stable. The recovery is remarkable. There are tissue tear marks and puncture marks on various parts of his body that suggest an attack by… Grant was silent, not knowing how to explain that they were likely to be attacked by aliens.
Eighteen months passed. And it felt like it happened yesterday. Their arrival on the planet... The changes... Everything they knew before had changed. It was a planet they didn't know about. The Earth was no longer what it used to be... The changes came well before the pandemic. Slowly.
It was difficult to adapt to a new reality where humans lived in hiding as survivors while the entire planet was dominated by alien creatures. -I'm not leaving her side. - The voice was determined not to accept any argument.
Arrival at the base brought urgent concerns. Ensuring security for the shelter of 3,000 survivors meant keeping stocks of food, water, and medicine under control. There was no more communication. It was not good to turn off the internet. It is practically impossible to believe that there is a button to reset or start such an amplified and decentralized network of data flow.
1.2 million km of submarine cables connecting the continents were destroyed by the invader. It was almost a miracle that electricity still existed.
Rescue a survivor from an alien spaceship.
Max was the kind of friend Grant would never think of having. An alien. They looked almost human. Some eyes were completely golden. And perhaps more other differences that Grant would be more interested in discovering by curiously examining the blood samples. There was only one detail. The rescued girl...Angel seemed to have been brought into that lab with an angry protector. There was a captain who was furious and did not accept any of his arguments.
-Be patient, Zorack. -You won't be able to organize all this mess here. There are almost three thousand people! You did an excellent job with the Spartackus shields around the hangar, but we're talking about people. Scared and scared people. I think they deserve an explanation.
The only functional ship that still existed. One of the best. Advanced and alien technology.
-How is she anyway? Want to explain to me why the hell you don't wake up? - Zorack didn't seem to hear anything. - Why hasn't she woken up yet? You told me her injuries were superficial, despite her broken ribs.
Grant sighed in resignation.
-She has some broken ribs. I know what you want to know, boy. Grant shook his head ruefully. - I can't say if there was sexual abuse, damn it! There are signs of burns in the genital area. I needed almost three bags of blood to avoid a shock I can't imagine why. I didn't find any evidence of bleeding from this.
An Edrian's patience was short. Not even on the planet Édrin, Zorack was very patient.
"But she's bleeding," he complained. The face flushed with anger highlighted the very white skin.
It was an argument that old Dr. Grant, who intended to retire, didn't know how to explain.
"Well, the physiology of humans…" Grant sighed in embarrassment. - It's perfectly normal for a woman to bleed.
And you haven't even met the famous TPM, ET. I just hope! The doctor rolled his eyes trying to be serious in an absurd situation like that. He didn't quite know how to explain the physiology of humans and apparently, he was very different from beings that arrived from space.
Max's hand was still squeezing Zorack's shoulder for patience. He burned with guilt and remorse.
-Too? He raised his voice with visible annoyance. - Since when is it normal...
Grant took a deep breath. Amazing! They spoke perfectly the language of Earth. And the explanations had not left the doctor any satisfaction.
-It's the perfectly normal reproductive cycle for a human woman. There is peeling of the inner walls of the uterus when there is no fertilization and it occurs every month. They occur very frequently and do not last longer than seven days. Of course, they can happen in women who don't know they are pregnant or through contraceptive use. I suppose we're not raising the possibility of a pregnancy...
Grant was silent at the murderous look he received.
Angry Zorack tried to control all the mood.
- That's primitive. And you still intend to resist and fight K'Aldriants? Most of the time, there is no harm or benefit to a woman's body during menstruation.
Grant sighed in resignation.
-Look, I know you're worried! - the doctor tried another approach. - I can assure you that despite the girl's dejected appearance, Angel is fine. We're not talking about any unexpected pregnancies. There's not even a sign of miscarriage that could increase Angel's chance of being pregnant, right?
-And yet she didn't wake up! - Zorack looked cold. - Shouldn't she be awake? It's been like this for almost three days now.
-She'll wake up as soon as she's ready for it, boy. We don't know what the girl went through. Let your mind take care of everything.
Edriano grunted softly. They weren't answers to the questions he wanted. The bite marks and laser burns made him suffer in hell. It was unquestionable that those creatures fed on his blood. He was ready to go crazy wondering what else had happened.
Angel had even woken up twice during this entire time, quite scared and struggling against him in an attempt to escape his grasp, before returning to her irritating lethargy after administering sedatives so that the cut on her arm wouldn't bleed again. The words might be incomprehensible, but there was one he understood very well. Ravenack.
-I don't need to rest. - he decided uncompromisingly. - Not until I'm sure she's okay.
Grant and Max looked at each other not knowing what to do. Outside the lab, several people had to be housed and supplies checked so that the stock wouldn't suffer unnecessary losses.
And apparently, all that would have to wait.
-Are we stuck here? There are still people out there.- someone shouted loudly and furiously.
-And what does it matter? Have you seen what's out there, mindless woman? I have children who...
-And how long do you think we'll survive like this confined? They spoke of a pandemic. Another pandemic! The distance here will be...
-Oh, shut up! - Another yelled angrily. Who cares about the distance? Social isolation?! Pandemic? We are being invaded. The damn planet has been invaded by things...
-I heard those rumors. They are nonsense! We still have no evidence that they are hostile!
The tall man gestured in bewilderment.
-They are hostile in my opinion if I am the appetizer of the meal.
The screaming continued in high spirits in the confined environment. Taking a deep breath, Zorack looked at Max and sighed. It would take more work than he could imagine to calm these people down. Resigned, he moved on, heedless of the humans who walked away curiously.
-Maybe she's right. There may be people. - Zorack spoke aloud facing the looks of fear and curiosity. - There is a deadly virus in your planet's atmosphere. And we will have to find a way to survive in confinement while we await rescue.
The silence fell heavy and oppressive.
-You ... you are not ... - A woman started to speak and fell silent.
- I'm not human. My name is Zorack. -The captain agreed, keeping his gaze fixed on his audience trying to demonstrate something he didn't feel. Confidence. We're all here together and safe as long as the ship's defense shields work. I can guarantee that they are hostile. Let's get organized, gather what supplies we have, and stay alive. That's what matters most at the moment.
He started giving orders and his mind was still locked on the unconscious girl. Answers. Angel would inevitably ask questions to get answers he'd rather not have to give.