Desperation began to consume every fiber of my being. I shook Kathar's body vigorously, trying to tear him from his immobility. "Kathar? Friend! Are you OK? Please answer!" My voice trembled, filled with an anguish that I could not contain. But there was no response.
My eyes began to fill with tears, and the fear of facing the worst became more palpable with each passing second. The crew members, alarmed, approached. Jade, always supportive, stood next to me and tried to comfort me by taking my arm, but I instinctively rejected her. I pushed her away roughly, not out of lack of gratitude, but because my heart couldn't deal with anything but the growing desperation of losing the only friend I'd had since we left Earth. I knew Jade understood, even if my attitude seemed unfair.
Rourker, ever calm, approached Kathar's motionless body. With a calm gesture, he placed two fingers on my friend's neck, right where the veins can be seen. He remained like that for a few eternal seconds before looking up and looking at me with a gravity that pierced my soul.
"I'm sorry, Harper. But Kathar is dead."
The phrase hit me like a blow. My world collapsed in that moment. A heartbreaking scream escaped my throat as tears flowed uncontrollably. I didn't mind looking pathetic in front of the crew; my pain was so deep that nothing else seemed to matter. Kathar had been my soul brother, my accomplice in an adventure that now seemed to have been our undoing. And all because of me. He had insisted on bringing it to Earth.
Alice broke the silence with a question that also tormented me. "But... how is it possible that he died? Aliens are supposed to be able to breathe the same air as us…" His voice reflected a mixture of disbelief and sadness. I tried to compose myself, struggling to regain my composure. But before I could respond, a metallic noise interrupted us. The door of the ship burst open, and three figures burst into the room.
The first to enter was a stern-looking scientist, dressed in a medical gown that betrayed his profession. His gray hair and precise movements reflected experience. Next to him, an armed soldier pointed coldly at us, as if he were ready to shoot at the slightest hint of a threat. The third was a young man, of imposing bearing, dressed in an impeccable suit that radiated power and arrogance. Every detail about him, from the perfect knot of his tie to his appraising gaze, indicated that he was someone used to being in control.
"Welcome back to Earth. "I'm glad to know that the landing was successful for everyone," declared the man in the suit, sketching a superficial smile as he looked around the crew. His indifference toward Kathar's limp body was like a knife stuck in my chest. I don't know if I hadn't noticed it or if I just chose to ignore it. But his words were the spark that ignited my fury.
Without thinking, I launched myself towards him. My fist hit his face hard, and blood gushed from his nose immediately. Chaos broke loose. Security guards pounced on me, restraining me and taking me to an internal cell at the NASA facility.
"This is unfair! "He was the one who caused everything," I scream, gripping the bars of my cell tightly as my rage boils. But my protests were ignored.
"Daniel…" a female voice drifted from the hallway. Turning around, I immediately recognized Jade. He brought a tray with a plate of food and a can of Coca-Cola.
"Is that food?" I asked with a mix of hunger and surprise. It had been a long time since he had tasted a real delicacy since he had landed on Ixora. There, alien fruits were my only option, and none of them resembled the flavors I knew.
"Yeah. "I brought you your favorite food: roast pork steak with baked potatoes and Coca-Cola," he said with a warm smile. "I knew that in Ixora you had no chance to eat this, so I set aside a plate for you. David ordered that we not give you food as punishment, but I waited until everyone was finished and brought it to you. "You must be starving."
I nodded, unable to hide my eagerness to devour the food. Jade opened the cell and walked in, leaving the tray in my hands. I sat on the bed and began to eat, feeling fleeting relief as I tasted the steak. But something in his look told me that he wasn't just there to feed me. There was something else.
"What's happening? "Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked, stopping between bites.
"You're an idiot, Daniel. How did it occur to you to hit David like that? What were you thinking?" His tone was recriminatory, but also full of concern.
I sighed, trying to focus on the food. I knew he was right, but my anger at that moment had been uncontrollable. "I know, and I'm sorry. I already learned my lesson. But I hated how that guy talked about happiness when I was broken…"
"I understand," he responded softly. "I am very sorry about Kathar. If we had known that the journey would harm him, we would have obeyed Rourker and left him in Ixora. Maybe he would be alive now."
Jade sat next to me, crossing one leg, while her eyes, deep and sincere, locked on mine. For a moment, his closeness and his perfect gaze made me forget the chaos in which I was immersed.
Trying to change the subject, I asked, "Have you determined the cause of his death yet?" His expression changed. The compassion in his eyes prepared me for a response I knew would be painful. Jade was about to say something that would change everything.
She shook her head, avoiding my gaze.
For a moment, I felt like he was hiding something from me. There was more behind his silence, a secret that, if revealed, could tear me apart. But the uncertainty was even more unbearable. I needed to know the truth, no matter how much it hurt.
"Jade…please don't hide anything from me. "I want you to be honest with me," I said, trying to stay calm despite the lump forming in my throat. "Did they perform an autopsy on Kathar's body to determine the cause of his death? Yes or no?"
My voice shook under the weight of my own desperation.
She exhaled sadly before responding, "I'm sorry, Daniel. David ordered the body to be taken directly to the laboratory. Not to perform an autopsy on him... but to use him as a guinea pig. "He wants to unravel everything he can about his race."
His confession fell like a blow, cold and devastating, leaving me speechless as the reality of what it entailed sank into my mind.