"I really shouldn't be doing this." The man laughed nervously. It wasn't the prospect of reprimand that made him apprehensive- no, it was the beautiful doctor with the most remarkable eyes that had coaxed him into an after hours tour. Eyes a shade too golden to be brown and with a green tint- he thought there might be a special name for it, but right now all he cared about was how she looked at him. Like he was somebody.
"Over here is where the scientists work on their theories." He flicked a light switch and the cavernous room that they stood in lit up, all white boards and long tables with uncomfortable looking seats. The woman smiled appreciatively as she stepped near him. Davis was very conscious of his proximity to her.
"So you say you start next month?" He broaches, his eyes moving over the open lab coat that revealed a snug red sweater and dark pants.
"Yes," She replied as she stepped past him into the room proper. Yet she kept walking, talking over her shoulder. "- I'll be taking over some classes for Professor Nunez."
"Wasn't that a shame?" The portly man grasped the topic he knew something about- the unexpected murder of a well liked Professor who often advised the scientists here at the Center.
"Can't imagine why any one would- hey!"
The pleasant voice turned sharp as the woman opened one of the doors that led to away into the Center. No one was supposed to go back in the rooms, that was a long standing rule. He only had a key so that he could check within at the hour to make sure the instruments were safe. Not that he'd know what to do if they found something, he had a number to call for that.
"It was open." She replied with a wounded look that made him inhale sharply. Yes, why had he over reacted? Just because the scientists had started acting cagey lately, the paranoia was getting to him.
"I'm sorry, I don't know what I was-"
The sentence hung in the air with a sudden end. At the wet sucking sound, Dee looked over to see an alien hand protruding from the guards chest. Blood began to pool down his beige uniform as his stricken gaze found her. His mouth worked a second longer, mouthing a word. Perhaps 'run'.
The body fell with a heavy thud to the floor.
The sinister alien stared coldly at Dee, the guard's blood dripping from her hand, running down to her elbow. She looked content to wear the man's blood, as though murder was in her nature. The alien stepped towards the slightly built young woman, menacingly.
"There was no need to kill him." Dee snapped. "Bodies raise interest, Katherine. How many times do I need to tell you that?"
Katherine stepped past Dee and the corpse, indifferent to them both. She halted only when she heard the wheeziness of a very respected brother approaching the two women.
"Katherine." A wheezy voice protested. A stooped man carrying a long cylinder to his chest laboriously reached the woman. When he had, Dale stared at the bloodied woman reproachfully.
"It's no 'interest' to us." Katherine talked over him easily. "We don't have time to tiptoe around. When will you two realize that your little game of infiltration is over? We know where it is now."
She led the way into the room Dee had carefully accessed with the guard's stolen key. Her hand pierced the display console at the center of the room.
The other two stared expectantly as their fellow withdrew her hand and began to rage. "Where is it?"
"You can't just beat up consoles until the message pops out." Dee said impatiently, jostling Katherine aside as she began to navigate the console. The broken keys were a hindrance, but she soon had a small vial slid out of it's protective housing.
To the humans, it was an anonymity. A few had began to seriously consult on it, but to Dale and Dee's inquiries as 'consultants', they had no idea what they'd discovered beyond a meteorite.
Very carefully the sickly male of thier species removed the code and placed it into the box hed constructed for this purpose. Clutching it to his chest, he followed the two women as they exited the Center.
"We have found it." Dee assured the gathering of her people. There were too few; she reflected. Where now there were a scant seven at the gathering of adults, as recently as last week they'd had twice as many brothers and sisters. Yet of the children that were treasured, only Dee's own Liam and two orphaned females thrived. Several of the dominant alien males had succumbed to the break down of their cells; including Katherine's favorite mate; Galen.
The constant pressure of extinction made the sharp desire to procreate bittersweet. For every child they produced, only one of fifty might survive. Might.
Aware that the others were beginning to shift at her long pause, she hastened to continue. In the back, she watched Katherine murmur something to her son. Jason was just as rash and violent as his mother; worse he was healthier than his dam. While physical limitations made Katherine conservative, her son had no such constraints. The only controlling rein the group had on him was through prevailing to Katherine, who took too much pleasure in the discord her child caused.
"There seems to be a break down in the replication," She regretfully explained. "While we'd hoped to able to birth as many children from the Message as we could, now its likely that we can only extract a few direct clones of the Message. "
"How many?" Sarah, the only other female, questioned.
"Five. At most, maybe seven. The exact numbers are imprecise, but there's not many chances."
The others muttered darkly at this, their dissatisfaction tangible in the air.
"What is clear is that we don't have time to waste. We must immediately bear the children of the Message."
"Just a minute," Jason's words drew the gaze of the room. Dee agonized that some of the others seemed to look at him with respect, or even as an equal. Couldn't they see what a risk he was? He was too high profile, too much like the ill fated Eve.
"- what's this 'we' business?"
"I beg your pardon?" Dee frowned from her higher ground upon the makeshift stage in the dank, dark warehouse that served as their home and laboratory. "Surely you don't object that all of the women be impregnated. "
"Of course I do," Jason replied sharply. The others now began to talk animatedly amongst themselves. On stage, Dee's frown deepened. "- why should every one of you bear one of the precious few children? Perhaps only one who has successfully raised a child to maturity should have the opportunity."
"You can't be serious." Dee replied with a sinking heart. Of all of the women to raise a child to maturity, only Katherine still lived. Dee's own son Liam and adolescent daughter Lila weren't yet capable of reproducting. Until they were, they wouldn't be considered 'grown'. Jason was suggesting that she and Sarah be excluded!
The others began to talk to Jason directly, negating Dee's authority. Glancing from one alien to another, she noted only Sarah, Dale and Dale's assistant, Donnie, looked apprehensive at the proposal. Stepping off from the stage, she indicated for Dale to attend her.
The two walked along the cool, dark corridor that led to the Laboratory that Dale presided over. They did not dare speak until they'd reached it and closed the heavy door behind them.
"This is a dire turn." Dale stated the obvious. Beside him, Dee stared at the precious meteorite that had carefully been placed in safe storage.
"If Katherine is the only one to bear the children, she becomes the savior we all need." He frowned. "Her many faults may be forgotten. For a time."
"Until she leads them on an action that leads us to be discovered." Discovered and killed, like their ancestors.
"Donnie objects to the idea, as does Sarah. Yet Sarah is far too submissive. If pressed, she won't hold up."
"Making her ineligible."
"What do you advise, Dee?"
"Safe guard the meteor. Ensure that you, Donnie and Sarah ensure its safety here. I wouldn't put it past Katherine to skip steps and try to impregnante herself as you won't; and that'd risk the meteorite."
"What will you do?"
Dee frowned, looking at the door that led back to her rival and her insidious spawn.
"I'll think of something. I always do."