Shane
Waking up after a restful sleep, I feel calm. Sitting up, I search for my best friend, I can hear the shower running. I get up from the bed and stretch out my limbs. Walking into the small kitchenette, I brew myself an earl grey spiced with cinnamon. When it's finished brewed, I add milk, taking the first sip I sight. How I missed my morning cup of earl grey. Being a good friend, I prepare for Curtis, his favorite caramel latte macchiato. He loves his sugar overloaded latte, that is nothing for me. I can hear the shower being turned off, taking our cups to the table, I settle down and wait for him. It doesn't take long for Curtis to emerge out of the bathroom. He spots me on the table and walks right over, settling down and pulling the cup of his sugar-sweet latte to his mouth. He inhales, and his eyes roll heavenwards, taking his first gulps, then he set's it down.
"Thanks, Shane, that was precisely what I needed. We should eat something too. How do crips bacon, scrambled eggs, and buttered bagels sound to you?"
"Mouthwatering."
He instantly stands up and rushes to our food replications unit, I can see him getting our selection. The food appears, and the small corner of this room starts to smell after crips bacon and eggs. I have to swallow my salvia, Curtis catches my expression and starts to laugh.
"Hey, stop laughing, if you would have been in my shoes for all those days only getting energy bars. You would cry after your first sip of latte."
"You're right, I'm sorry. You just looked like I hold the most exquisite cuisine in my hands. Let's eat, and afterward, you have a doctor's appointment."
He grins like a loon and I dig in as soon as he places the plate before me. To my luck, there was a fork already waiting on my plate. Otherwise, I would have eaten it with my hands. I have to force myself to eat slowly. The flavor of the crispy, slightly salted bacon and fluffy scrambled eggs is perfection inside my mouth. Tears trail down my cheeks while I eat every delicious morsel. The bagel with butter is just the right side of baked, not too hard and not too soft. I get a second helping before I feel satiated. Finishing the rest of my tea, I look up to a still bemused Curtis.
"What will happen after the doctors? Do I need to go over everything again? What happened to the rebels? What do I do now? Can the surgery be undone?"
"Woah Shane, please calm down. First of all, the doctors will check you over. You don't need to retell everything again. I briefed my father when you fell asleep. The rebels, except for Wiphas, their leader, are inside a crewman quarter for up to 12 crewmen. They are treated with respect and are no longer prisoners. After I briefed my dad, he went to them, apologized, and offered them accommodations. They still wear an anti-shifting wrist band, but of their volution wanting to make us feel safer. Wiphas is inside the ship's med-center being treated. You can ask the doctors for details. The surgery can't be undone. You can do whatever you like. But let's take small steps at a time. Come on, let's go."
I'm relieved to hear that the rebels are not rotting in cells. But I feel guilty that they were even a minute inside one. We stand up and head together to the med-center.
It takes quite a time to reach it. This battlecruiser is an enormous ship. I'm glad Curtis is with me, I would never find my way back to our room. We meet many crewmen on our way. Curtis is treated with respect. He even knows most of them by name, making jokes and laughing together. Curtis was always a social flower. Outside of our quarters, the ship looks rather bland and boring. Enclosed by metal walls, overhead white cold light. No decorations or Windows showing you the magnificence of the universe. The deck we are on is numbered sixteen, under the number you can see our military insignia. Three armored animals, a lion, a hawk, and a wolf, in the background, a big shield and a sword. Our military slogan on a dark blue banner overhead. Written in silver stands, "Brave like a lion, fast like a hawk and loyal like a wolf." Getting into the lifter, Curtis presses the number for the deck the medi-center is on. I glance over and see him pushing twenty-three.
I feel us descend and stop, the doors open, and we move out. Around the corner are the big doors to the med-center. Off to the left is a transporter room, injured crewman get directly beamed there. Either from a planet, ship, or inside the battlecruiser itself. Ensuring fast treatment, the battlecruiser has over fifty decks. On the doors is the Medical symbol caduceus. As descends of earth, more precisely, Europe and Asia. We still use the Symbols of our ancestors. The first settlers of Terra-Solaris were people from Europe, Asia, and Russia. All of them banding together to create a new home in peace and harmony with nature.
Stepping inside, I see Doc Jikin speaking with his colleagues, behind them lies a still Wiphas. I run over without thinking. Looking him over, he looks healthier than before.
"When will he wake up?"
"Soon, we repaired the last of his internal damage. Without Dr. Jikin and him being a shifter, he would not have survived the injuries of that fall," one of them replies.
"Shane, it's good to see you again," Dr. Jikin says warmly.
"Perfect timing Shane, come over here so I can check you over and finish my report for the General," says one of the doctors standing beside a medical bed.
I walk over together with Curtis. I feel nervous when I hop onto the bed and lie down. Curtis grips my shaking hand and squeezes it.
"Everything will be alright."
"Curtis, if you would step back for the scan for a moment, please," the doctor tells him.
He lets my hand go and steps back, my anxiety soars, I bite my lip. Getting my medical data on his pad, the doctor frowns.
"Shane, I will not harm you. You have nothing to fear. I was made aware of what happened. And I want you to know that you will always be perfectly safe with me," the doctor says warmly then holds out his hand to me,
"My name is Dr. Higgs, and I will be your physician for the near future."
I shake his hand, feeling myself calm down at his warm smile.
"I'm Shane Barker. Nice to meet you."
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Half an hour later, the exam is finished. I'm relieved I don't have to answer any more embarrassing questions. I thought I combusted when Dr. Higgs asked if I were knotted or had sex with an alpha yet.
"You are a healthy Omega in his prime."
"That's not something I'm happy about."
Hopping down from the bed, I turn to Curtis.
"What's next?"
"My dad wants to meet us in his conference room. Let's go."
I follow him, waving at Dr. Higgs and glancing over to Doc and Wiphas. Back in the lifter, we lift to deck four. Stepping off, we walk along the hall till we reach the end of it. Curtis opens the doors with a swipe of his hand. The conference room is big. In the center is a long table to fit around twenty people. The armchairs look comfortable, Curtis chooses the ones across from his dad's. The only ones in the room are Curtis, his dads, and two aides. Sitting down, I release the armchair indeed is comfortable as hell. I need to swallow my groan. By the amusement in the General's eyes, I didn't quite manage it. Before anybody can say something, the door opens again. I turn around, and I start to smile.
"Guys, it's good to see you."
I stand up and run to my Xertian friends. Hugging each of them, they greet me. We all sit down around the table again.
"Now that we are all here. I got some disturbing news," the General starts.
Nodding to the aide on his left. He stands up and walks to the front of a big monitor.
"Two hours ago, we received a message throughout the diplomatic channels," the aide says.
Pressing play, I see the face of my father. Besides him is a Xertian male, not looking happy at all.
"It comes to our attention General Griffin that you were able to rescue my son out of the hands of those barbaric rebels. He needs to be returned to his betrothed, the King of Xertia, immediately. My son is, unfortunately, mentally confused and forgotten all about his fiancé. I have proofs as in handwritten love letters and videos he sends his betrothed the last five years since they are promised to each other. He barely could wait until he was a legal adult, to finally meet and wed his betrothed. The operation to change him from human to human omega was his greatest wish. One of the doctors messed up, and my beloved son has no recollection of his betrothed. He was not forced against his will and certainly not sold as a sex-slave to the King, those accusations are ridiculous. Please look over the copies I send you and make the right choice General Griffin."
The video turns off. Cold sweat runs down my spine. No, no, that's not true. I look to the General who looks at me with a severe and stern face. I look around I get shocked faces all around me. My best friend looks outraged.
"That's not true! It is a lie. I would never…" I start to say, my voice leaves me.
I feel like a child. This must be a nightmare. I look down and grip my hair, I start to scream. My screams turn into sobs.
"It's not true, it's not true, this is a nightmare, I need to wake up," I murmur between sobs.
My words and sobs only meet deathly silence. Then I feel my best friend hugging me.
"I don't believe this, Shane. You would have told me."
"I want a ct-scan of his brain. Sam, get our techs on this so-called evidence and search for anything that seems off. Curtis, you know Shane the best. Would he ever hide something like this from you?"
The Aide, besides the monitor, rushes out of the room.
"No, dad, he wouldn't. If he would have been in love like his father states, he would tell me."
I stand up still in disbelieve about the latest events.
"Wait, Shane please," Curtis shouts after me,
"You will need this here."
He throws a communication wristband at me, begrudgingly I put it around my left wrist.
"It's not only for communication, but it also has the layout of the ship inside, too, showing your position and can guide you wherever you want to go."
"Wherever I want? I want to go home and have my life back!"
"Shane, I understand your feelings. But please give my men the time to dissect the evidence," General Griffin calls after me as I run out the door.
Damn them all, how can they think, I would… ever. I run tears blur my vision, blindly I try to go as fast as I dare.
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Hours run by as I walk and walk on. No longer caring where I go, I feel empty, cold, and lost. In my peripheral sight, I recognize an airlock. I stop and just stare at it.
It would be so easy to end everything just now. I walk to it and grip the opening mechanism, my vision flashes, and I see Wiphas and the others all smiling. I shake my head and start to open it.
My Vision flashes a second time…
Wiphas hugging me enveloping me in his warmth. I can feel myself grow warm again. My hand falters. I drop it to my side. Fresh tears trail down my face.
"Why? Why do I see you? Why do I feel the happiest by your side? The most protected? Like we could go against the universe and win?" I shout at my reflection inside the window of the airlock.
I turn around and slide to the floor, I draw up my knees, hugging them to my chest. The emptiness and the dark thoughts come back with a vengeance. But they are not alone warmth and happiness fill me too. Battling the darkness and cold rising. Shane, don't ever give up. Everything will be alright, I promise. I will protect you… forever…
I hear a voice inside my mind whispering to me. I feel like the darkness inside flare before it vanishes, and blinding light and warmth takes its place. Standing up, I've made up my mind. I run as fast as I can away from that airlock. Trying to banish it from my mind. Looking at the wristband, I activate voice command.
"Guide me to the med-center, please," I instruct the KI inside it.