Disclaimer: Everything you recognize is not mine
First of all, I'd like to thank everyone that took their time to read, comment on chapter one; I have taken your feedback to heart and have pondered how to make chapter two better than the first. I ended up rewriting the whole thing; somehow the words flew better after the second try, so here it is.
It had been years since he had seen his mother planet, years since he had been assigned to the outpost. He wondered how his father was doing, he was sick when he had left for his mission and Thorga was worried. He had asked to be sent later, when his parent would be better but his plea had been refused. He however could not decline to go. He had visited his father, the day he had left on the star ship to be transferred to the planet of Ora, a far-away outpost, used for military and scientific purposes alike. He could not deny his pride upon being selected as commander though; it had been a great honour to have been personally picked by the Council. He could still recall his father's tears of joy when he told him; not many had been granted such credit.
"You were always talented for this my son..." his father had told him, his body weak from illness, he had been laying in bed for months. "I am very proud of you, I knew you could make it but...remember..." he coughed, still holding his son's hand in his. "Do not lose yourself in your work...all your sisters and brothers...they have all found the greatest happiness life can bring..." he knew what the older Mala'kak had meant. All of his siblings, and there were many, were parents by now. Sharing their lives with their significant others but not the oldest, not Thorga.
"You cannot always live for work...take some time off after this..." he pleaded and Thorga had found it impossible to deny him.
"Of course father, whatever you desire." He squeezed the older male's hand in his own and for a moment, he could see something sparkle in his parent's eye but it was gone as soon as it came. That day he had left the hospital with a deep frown; he never desired any companionship outside from the periodical mating. Even when he had been a child, all he wanted was to become a warrior, not unlike the ones from the many tales his mother used to tell him.
When he reached seven years of age and was sent to the training camp, he embraced it with all he had. Unlike many others, he never complained about the Spartan conditions, about the long days in the sun, the meagre meals, and the sleepless nights...he would have taken much more for the sake of his dreams. Once he had broken his arm while being out in the field and he kept going, ignoring the pain until he reached the home base; it had left a strong impression on his teachers and peers. For his efforts he had been awarder premature participation in the test of manhood; with only seventeen years of age he had been sent off to a planet to survive for a week, alone, no rations, no weapons, with only his skills for support.
And against all odds, he had returned a week later, dirty and hurt but alive. He had never told anyone what he had seen those days, what he had done but it was not something he liked to share. The times were harsh and so had he been; the experience had strengthened him, made him colder, more disciplined and from then on he had been known as such. Probably, why he had been chosen as Commander for the upcoming mission; the Council knew he would complete his task flawlessly and pitilessly, just what they needed for the destruction of Earth's species.
It had been then, as he returned from his test, that he received the first interested glance from the opposite sex. She had been a general, far above him in ranks and she had sought him out when he was discharged from the medical rooms. He had been surprised, never before then had he lost any thought on females unless he was duelling with them. Yet, she seemed interested, very much so if her flirting had been any indication and at the start and he was slightly intimidated. He worried that he would not be able to please her, such a female surely had a lot of experience, and he did not mean this in a demeaning way; he simply meant that a female of high standing would attract many suitors, let them be mates or life partners and why should she not indulge in her desires?
She had called him to her chambers and at first he believed it was something of official nature but that thought was quickly dismissed when he stepped into her room.
Her chest had been uncovered, something not surprising on its own but her robes were also pulled up, tied in the back to uncover her abdomen and the small of her back. Thorga had held his breath, the sight new and exciting as she hummed for him, a melody of her want for his body. She swayed her hips as she made her way towards him, her big eyes sparkling with lust, her hands brushed over her exposed abdomen as she then finally pushed him down on her soft bed; he had been captivated and could do little but stare, the powerful image of her scarred flesh forever burned in his mind. Ever since then, he was hopelessly attracted to females with scars, no matter how many he bed, he could not deny his fascination with the power of their warrior spirit; the scars on their sacred place made them all the more beautiful, all the more commanding; warriors like himself.
Now he had spent most of his life in service of the Council and the Mala'kak race, he had no time for parties, for meeting people; he did not even have time for family gatherings but he preferred it that way. He knew that it was expected of him to mate, sire children and then live his life to bring honour to them and himself but he found he could not. Sometimes, he wished he had gone along with his friends from the camp, to gain some social tactics, not only military ones but alas, he never did; he deemed it unnecessary then. Now, he was the wiser but he felt it was...slightly late for that. Even though he was an educated man by all means, he was often told that his manner was not very pleasant. At times males and females alike seemed almost frightened by his presence alone; no wonder they were sceptical about talking to him.
He put that past him long ago though, he was content with living his life for his career, his people but if it really brought so much worry to his father then he would make sure that changed. After all, he had promised his late mother on her deathbed that he would look out for the family and that included any qualms that might jeopardize their health. Therefore, before leaving on the ship he submitted a form for arranged dates; this way females and males could meet and choose future spouses on the qualities they prized. No need for going out, or meeting new people...it was the perfect way for Mala'kak like himself, already married to their carriers to find husbands or wives. He hoped to arrange a long distance marriage with an equally (dis)interested female and then continue as he did before but with the added bonus of sparing his family grief.
After a long and completely unnecessary farewell fest, at least in his mind, he embarked on the warship and between the stars. His father had seen him off and he was surprised to see some of his siblings there as well; he did not expect them to come, especially not after said celebrations but he guessed they were being sentimental. He bowed them good-bye and then proceeded with his duties, there was a lot of work to do if he wanted to prepare his crew for their mission.
The first couple of months everything went well and Thorga had even received an invitation for a date from a fellow army career female; she too had probably wanted to marry out of obligation and that was exactly what he had been looking for. For the years, as the ship stayed on its decade long course towards the outpost, he kept in touch with her and they seemed to be on the same wave length; immediately, he had told her of his intentions, he did not plan on becoming a family man and she had confirmed that she too was only interested to be husband and wife on paper alone. Thrilled, they both agreed to sign the papers as soon as he returned, none of them caring if they needed to wait; they were not bonding out of love after all. As the crew then finally went into hypersleep for the rest of the journey Thorga had felt that the mission would be a success. He had no idea how wrong that impression was.
As soon as he awoke from the decade old sleep, he had been ready for duty. Mala'kak bodies were far better with copping with prolonged stasis and he was used to it by now, of course nothing as long as this but he saw little difference in affect. He had only been slightly lightheaded for a moment, until he gathered his thoughts and realized where he was and what for. Then, he quickly got up from his chamber and he was pleased to find that the rest of the crew had awoken as well.
The landing on the planet had been easy; the atmospheric breach had been without problems, it seemed that the weather had been kind to them, no strong winds, and no storm. He had been warned of the planet's swift climate changes, apparently the winds could get quite brutal and for that reason all the residents were protected by large dome structures, all the greenery, the research had been done inside. He did not mind either way, his tasks would not leave him much time for exploration or appreciation for his whereabouts.
After they confirmed the weather was stable, the dome opened up for their ship and it landed in the centre of it; the large metallic plates quickly resealed themselves back into their primary place as soon as the vessel touched the ground. Thorga had exited the ship first, his company following him only a few steps behind and he had been slightly surprised to have been greeted by an envoy.
They had showed him around the compound and he appreciated it, it would have been embarrassing to have gotten lost on his first day. The bath chamber was very large, big enough to fit twenty males, he had been told that all shared the same washing place, no special treatment; he had not been surprised, he had not expected to have his own, that was a waste of space on an already cramped dwelling and besides, he liked conversing with his men. It built camaraderie. The dining chamber had been made for all as well, the officers had their own table though, still Thorga had always eaten with his brothers in arms and that would continue. Regardless, he had to admit he liked having his own room, a place to have some quiet after a long day. He had shared rooms many times through his career and mostly...the young ones would be loud, excited and while it was kind of endearing he needed his rest.
That day he did not go to sleep however, he felt he had done enough of that for a while and instead he went through the files of the mission, memorizing the details. He would not let any mistake be made on the first task he would command. The next morning he had visited the bath chamber and quickly washed himself of any sweat that may have clung to his skin, dressed into his new uniform and then walked down the halls to the science department. They had been surprised to see him, apparently commanders did not make it a habit to visit their crew but he wanted to see firsthand what was being done on his ship and in the dome itself; he wanted complete control of his domain and the loyalty of his people. He was aware that such missions were hard on some, destroying a whole species was not an easy thing to do, and he had been conscious that problems did occur on similar expeditions.
Then he went to the engineering deck and was pleased to hear that the whole facility had been operating at maximum efficiency. Good, he thought. The rations had also been properly stored and produced, the water filters had been working, and the medical bay fully stocked and prepared for patients... it was safe to say that he had been delighted at the state of the facility and the well oiled machine that was its crew. If all went as it had till now, the mission would be an easy one but not all did.
And here he was now, years away from his planet, years since he arrived to the outpost and years since he had seen his family. He did not expect to miss them as much as he did but what really bothered him was his father's condition; had any of his siblings kept him company when he was away? He did not know, he did not hear from them, he could only hope. Since he was the oldest child, he always took care of everything, his mother had told him once he was too protective, keeping them from growing up but he disagreed, he was their older brother and he would look out for them since their father was away most of the time and their mother was in the hospital, bedridden. Some time later though, he had to admit to himself that he was wrong in cuddling them; some of his brothers had become...misguided.
Warhe was the youngest of their clan and he had always been gentle. For his test of manhood he had been sent to Earth and during that time he had...developed feelings for the wretched species. He believed that they were worth saving, that everyone was worth saving but Thorga disagreed and after Warhe had found out that it would be his older brother that would get the honour of decimating the species he so loved, he refused to talk to him again. It had been years now since they have spoken and Thorga was not very keen on rekindling their relationship.
Aside from Warhe, with the rest of his siblings he was on relative good terms and he hoped they would care for their father while he was unable to but somehow no one was telling him how he was. He expected that they would have...he had asked one of the technicians about the messages he had sent and his heart was calmed slightly by knowing that the large distance between the two planets made communications very difficult. Yet, why was he still able to receive messages from his prospect mate and not from his family? He had a feeling that something was wrong back home but since he was completely unable to do anything about it he tried keeping his mind on the task at hand.
That too however, was proving tricky and he would forever regret not paying more attention when he should have.
After two weeks of staying on the outpost, the crew sent him word of a crashed ship near the cliffs. Of course, he had instantly sent people to investigate and they had reported back that the vessel was of Mala'kak heritage which troubled him. There were no plans for extra ships to dock, nor had the sensors detected anything, foreign or native. It brought up the question why. That morning, after receiving the information from the dispatched unit, he went to the crash site to have a look himself and from what we could tell, it was a standard Mala'kak cruiser, built to hold four people. Yet, there were no bodies on, or near the crash site. It was peculiar.
He instructed his crew to keep their suits on, just in case the vessel was carrying anything poisonous and he returned to the dome, for the time being, to report this to the other domes and possibly to the Council. Yet, as soon as he set foot into his ship, he could tell there was something wrong, there was a distinct smell around...the halls were eerily quiet and a few steps in he could see small droplets on the floor. He bent down to see clearer and his eyes widened; the smell, the colour... it was blood. He stood once again, pulling his atomizer from the holster, a standard weapon for officers. Slowly, he walked down the hall, following the tiny trail of blood. It appeared to take him to the hangars. It made his body break out in cold sweat.
He ran, hoping that he was wrong but when he reached the hangar the doors were wide open, the containers inside moved and one of them was missing. He hummed in worry; the containers housed the black liquid, a biological weapon created for the destruction of humanity, it was never meant to be set free. A survivor from the crashed vessel had to have taken it but why?
Then he heard a deep growl, somewhere between a thrill and a hum, a sound of terror for his kind. His head snapped up and he listened, his ears straining to detect anything and indeed, there was a barely audible voice coming from the direction of the bridge, similar to a whimper. Immediately he ran towards it; he knew he should have been more careful but the instinct to protect his people was stronger than any second thoughts he might have had.
There, in front of the hangar doors that led to the bridge, laid the body of his navigator and Thorga kneeled down beside him, checking for a pulse. To his surprise, his heart still beat, if only faintly and he tucked his atomizer back inside the belt to focus all of his attention on his comrade.
"Bohra, can you hear me?" he asked, slapping the other's cheek lightly, not to hurt but to bring him to awareness. The smaller male moaned as his eyelids fluttered open. "Commander..." He tried to speak, his pale hand reaching out and Thorga grabbed it tightly, trying to comfort him. "It is alright, conserve your strength, I will take you to the medical bay." He said, already pulling the navigator to his feet and wrapping his arm around his middle to help him walk. Bohra winced, clutching stomach even though Thorga could not see any blood on him.
"N-no...there is no time...he opened...the container." The smaller Mala'kak said, his eyes pleading. Now the commander understood what was wrong with him; he had been infected. "We will take care of that later, there is still time...I am taking you to receive medical attention first." Thorga said, his voice firmer than he felt, he could see the liquid spread across his crewmate's face; it will not be long...he had minutes, at best.
"Commander, you must stop him..." Bohra shrugged the taller male away, standing up on his two feet; he knew it would be soon. "I still have a little bit of time..." he said as he moved towards the doors and Thorga let him, understanding that he wanted to die honourably, in battle and not stuck to tubes in the centre. He would have wished for nothing else had he been in his place.
"Indeed...Bohra, go close off the other hangars, we cannot allow more containers to be opened." He ordered and the other male nodded as he made his way down the hall to the other rooms and Thorga turned from him, allowing him privacy in his pain. His death would not be quick or easy, it was only correct of him to not witness his agony and show him the respect one warrior did to another. He too would not wish for others to see his body weakened.
Thorga turned his communicator on which was implanted on the collar of his uniform. "Commander Thorga speaking, we have an intruder on our ship. Capture alive if possible but keep in mind he has one of the containers opened." He announced and his voice buzzed from his talker to those of his crew, spreading the information. He let his fingers slip from his neck as he stepped inside the hangar, he looked around for the trespasser but he could not see or hear anything out of place. Here, all the containers were still in position, stacked on top of each other in neat forms, building shapes. Silently, he crossed the hangar, always staying vigilant of his surroundings and soon he could see the bridge, it was shining in green light, someone was operating it. There was a male Mala'kak standing with his back towards him in the middle of the elevation; he was busy typing something into the controls. Thorga kept from sounding his growl at the brazenness of the intruder; he would suffer for attacking this ship, his men.
Thorga crept behind the other Mala'kak, his atomizer drawn once more as he pointed it towards his enemy's skull. "Hands where I can see them." He hissed, almost wanting the slightly smaller male to make a mistake so he could end his honourless life. The other turned to him slowly and the commander's breath caught in his throat; he knew him.
"Hello brother...I cannot say it is a pleasure." It was Warhe; the youngest of his siblings. He was speechless, not even producing a single hum from his usually very vocal cords.
"Warhe...What are you doing? Have you lost your mind? You have attacked an outpost sanctioned by the Council...my outpost, hurt my people, and endangered hundreds more..." it was difficult to speak; he did not know what to say or think. From all the strongholds on the planet he had chosen to infiltrate his, he could see why though. With their DNA sequences similar, he could pass the planet's tracking system; they had the relic of the analyzers installed, not believing they would need something better so far away from home. The machine must have recognized most of the sequence and let him pass and for that he felt great guilt.
"Have you?" he asked back, letting his arms fan out, a cruel smile plastered on his lips. "What is all this good for Thorga; tell me because I do not understand it." He continued. "All this killing, all this violence? How are we any better if we kill the humans?"
"I could ask you the same." Thorga hissed; the younger male's voice was making him angry, he could hear the soft hums of malice behind his brother's otherwise calm tone. He kept the weapon pointed at Warhe's temple. "Humanity has reached a point from which it cannot recover, they must be destroyed. For the sake of us all..." he tried but the smaller male would not listen, instead he growled, baring his teeth.
"The council does not get to say who dies and who lives! Who are we to decide that they are unworthy?" He screamed, his eyes now piercing, glowing with fury. Then, it seemed to die out and something completely different took its place; sadness. "Who are we brother?" he repeated, his tone pleading and Thorga's lips parted but nothing came out, instead his hand slowly lowered the gun from his sibling's head.
Warhe moved closer, his hand gripping his older brother's palm, unshed tears in his pale eyes. "We must end this, all of this." He gestured all around them. "If we do, we can save millions of lives. It is a small price to pay." He nodded.
Thorga only watched him, his eyes glazing over with an emotion he never felt before. "What do you say brother? Will you help me?" Warhe asked, he was smiling up at him now.
"You would sacrifice hundreds of our people to aid humanity?" Thorga inquired.
"A hundred lives for a million. A small price." Warhe said, his voice pleasant as was his face.
"Indeed it is..." the oldest said as he once more positioned the atomizer to his relative's head. "Tell me where the container is and I will not end your disgraceful life." He offered; his voice steady.
Warhe screeched with anger, he believed he would be able to recruit him but he had been wrong. "Shoot me then! Kill me! But think, what will father say when he finds out?!" and once again Thorga paused, he knew what father would have wanted; he would have wanted to see his son alive, despite the shame he brought on himself and his children and wife. That second was all Warhe needed and he grabbed the atomizer, turning it around and then firing a single shot inside the body of his brother. Thorga was too shocked to make a sound; he gazed down at his killer who was smiling up at him.
"I believe it is me who will end yours Thorga." He said, backing away and turning from him, letting the gun fall from his hand and onto the floor with a loud metallic thud. He was going to the console once more, probably to open the hangar doors.
He knew he was going to die as he sank down on his knees, the atomizer having blasted a portion of his organs from his body and onto the ground. But he could not let it end as it did, he would not. It was his fault that it came so far, he should have known his brother's ill siding with humanity would bring trouble in the future, they were both stubborn. Because he was not careful, his crew suffered. He would not make the same mistake again and let feelings get in the way.
His hand, still steady grabbed the fallen atomizer and he shot, like his brother before; a single bullet entered the back of Warhe's skull and exited between his eyes, blowing a portion of his face away as well. The body rolled down the short stairs leaving a bloody trail behind until it stopped right next to the doors.
Thorga's vision began to blacken as he stared at the motionless corpse of his sibling and he too fell, his heavy bulk hitting the bridge floor; he could feel his insides churn from the impact, some spilling free around him. He gurgled, blood rising up his mouth and out his wounds, the pain from the hole was nothing compared to the grief he had caused his father; he would lose the oldest and the youngest of his children. He wished he could have handled it differently, preserved their lives but it was a little late to be sorry now. He closed his eyes, surrendering to the darkness.
The next moments were all a blur of voices, faces and time as the crew finally made it onto the bridge. The horror in their loud hums and thrills was evident as they ran to him, pressing on his wounds, trying to help him. Then he saw the worried face of the doctor bend over him, he had medical liquid in a syringe and he pressed it into the flesh of his arm and instantly he could feel the calming effects of it spreading through his veins, healing his tissue. He moaned, trying to move but strong hands held him down and a soft voice spoke to him, urging him to stay still. Thorga tried to speak, tell them of the black liquid that was still somewhere on the ship, of Bohra, of his brother but the blood clogged his throat, the only sound he made were gurgles.
They grabbed him and lifted him off of the floor; the liquid had made enough progress to allow minimal movement. He could hear them talking about putting him into the hypersleep chamber, the stasis would slow the blood loss and the liquid would have more time to repair the damaged flesh. Thorga fought this, weakly, he had not yet told them of the dangers, he could not go to sleep but he was too frail to resist as they fastened the breathing apparatus on his face and closed the lid of the chamber. With a last long exhale, his eyes closed once more and he went to sleep; a slumber that would last for two thousand years.
-3-
Humans were frail, he had noticed. Shaw, as David had called her had cried herself to sleep and was not out for half a day. It could not have been the wound, it was completely healed the moment he reconnected her flesh. She must have tired herself out, of course he did not know all that happened but he had seen some of it; her hellish offspring for one.
Either way, he had a lot to do. He had spent the time the female had been resting to repair the android. They have been conversing about human life, their customs, their culture...he had been surprised to find so many different ways of life on such a small planet. It was rather interesting really.
"...they seem to prize certain ways of clothing and music; I have researched my database and have found that they prefer rather large hair and pants that are wider at the ankles." David was just explaining about one of his extensive studies about human ways of life, this time it had been about the subculture of hippies. Most of his neck had already been fastened back onto his body and David was feeling energized, the batteries fuelling him once more.
Thorga hummed, thinking about what he had just heard. "Fascinating...though I must admit their fashion choices are sometimes...questionable." he said as he attempted to plug the nerve endings into the appropriate ports. Human technology was very advanced, though different from his own, he had some problems understanding how things worked, despite being technologically savvy in his own culture. Lucky for both of them, David knew exactly how to repair himself.
"Thank you Commander." The android said as he tried to move his hands and he found it to be easy, with a smile he brought his palms to his face and looked at them as if this was the first time seeing them. "Everything seems to be working well but...hm, no; I cannot seem to be able to move my lower body." He concluded.
"I see, not a problem. Just a moment..." Thorga reached into David's neck with a set of pliers and pulled out a group of green coloured cables, one with a dark circle around it and another with a white one. "Connect the plug into the appropriate the port, mind the colours please." And he nodded, doing as he was told. A small spark buzzed as both ports were plugged in, energy now being distributed along the length of his body.
"How is it David?" Thorga asked, curious as the android got up and flexed his limbs, then he moved his hips and lastly his neck; it all worked.
"It is wonderful Commander; I am in your dept. Now, if we could do something about this tear..." David said, looking at his neck wound, seeming to be displeased about the imperfection.
"I had been the one to cause it, it is only fitting I make it right." Thorga said as he pulled up the remodelled laser he had used on Shaw previously. "I am sure it will work for synthetic skin as well."
"Well, even if it does not...more damage cannot be done regardless." David replied good naturedly and sat back down, allowing the tall alien to work on his neck; the anti-laser worked its magic on him and under five minutes, the wound had been resealed; Thorga had took his time to make the scar smaller. He wished he could have done the same with the female but alas...
"David, is it appropriate to ask you questions about Shaw?" Thorga asked, in his culture it was fine to do so, unless of course you had ill thoughts behind said questions and since he did not...he did know of some species that found talking about another person whilst they were not in the same room as very rude. He preferred to be careful.
The android turned towards the alien, looking quite pleased with himself. "Of course, ask away, as humans like to say." He was double as happy to have made it rhyme.
"Does she dislike me?" he asked; she had seemed angry with him, the tone of her voice had been harsh, unkind...and he did not know what he did to earn it. "Perhaps I deserve it...I should not have gazed upon her abdomen, even if it was to help her. It was not right to violate her sanctity without her permission." He figured, his fingers intertwined as he contemplated the reasons and the more he thought about it the more he believed he deserved it. Had he done such a thing to a Mala'kak female, he would have received a beating from her, if he was lucky.
Still, he could not find it in him to be sorry for seeing her exquisite flesh; the lovely scar was still imprinted in his mind. He was surprised with himself to have found her attractive even though she was on the brink of dying and his affections had been far less than desired. But if he was honest to himself, he found her ability to inflict such torture on herself, then barbarically patching herself up only to walk around for who knows how long with a bleeding wound and in the end even helping him very admirable. Any warrior would have been proud to tell that tale as his own. It was part of what made him desire her, even in the moment when she was on the brink of death. Perhaps he even...felt that they had something in common; they both had survived an injury they should not have.
He absentmindedly rubbed the spot on his stomach that had been shot open; the place was now healed, only a harder bit of skin remained, almost not see able to the naked eye. He was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he did not hear David speak.
"...Commander, did you hear me?" the android asked, a bit more loudly than he did the first time and Thorga only nodded, embarrassed he had been caught daydreaming about her.
"Excuse me, I did not." He said, nodding to him as an apology.
"It is quite alright, I was saying that I do not think that she dislikes you. Forgive me but...why would you helping her be an issue?" David asked, his hands comfortably tucked behind his back; he was as intrigued with the natural beings as always. He did still find it hard to understand some aspect though.
"With us Mala'kak...seeing a female's abdomen, the whole area around her womb and in the back as well is considered very intimate." He explained, slightly surprised that it appeared not to be so with humans. Was seeing her breasts the worse part then?
"I see...as far as I know that area is not see as such on Earth. Commonly, you will see men and women alike dress in special underwear, which they call swimsuits..." he gestured with his hand as he spoke, he found this as weird as Thorga did, it seemed. "...and then it is alright to be almost naked but if you see them in regular underwear, it is not. I never did understand that...but back to answering your question in simple terms, no, humans of her culture do not consider that place intimate." He finished.
"That is...quite inconsistent." He finally said, unsure of what exactly that meant and if in their situation the 'swimsuit' scenario applied.
"If she did have a problem with you it might be because of your convictions to destroy humanity. I do not think killing the crew of Prometheus played a major role; she does not seem to hold it against me that I infected Mr. Holloway and they were lovers." David then added as an afterthought and Thorga did not like it one bit.
"She has a mate?" he asked, a low growl coming from his chest. He somehow overheard the rest of what the blond had to say.
"Had, I believe is the accurate term." Said David with a smile; he turned towards one of the consoles on the wall, opening them up. He wanted to check on their supplies before they went anywhere. "I think they had been having problems back on Earth as well." He typed a code inside and the console sent him back a reading. He looked satisfied about what he had read. "Although, of course I think it was not easy to get along with Mr. Holloway regardless. Ah, the supplies will last us...one year and two months if I calculate your needs in as well."
Thorga considered his words as he got up from the couch he had been sitting on, storing the items away for later use. "I did not wish to offend her, I will apologize for my wandering eyes but not for my views about humanity. I still think their destruction is the best choice." He said as he stood behind the android. "Perhaps it would be better for you to wake her, she might not be glad to lay her eyes upon me."
David contemplated this and agreed, he did not mind doing it. "If you wish, though I believe it would not make much difference to her. You have already seen all you could have after all." He smiled and made his way towards the bedroom but the alien's deep voice stopped him for a moment.
"Indeed...I would like to request a translator, perhaps a teaching guide to help me understand her words. I am sure you have some." He had brushed the other's remark off, not wanting to think about it. They needed to be able to communicate if the necessity ever arose.
"Of course. I will check my database. Commander..." he swiftly turned to the alien to confirm that he had been listening, he nodded and then he resumed his task in waking Shaw.
-3 -
Shaw was sleeping peacefully, better than she had in a very long time. She only awoke when she felt a dent in the bed. When she opened her eyes she was amazed to see David peer down at her, his usual smile in place and his neck reattached to his shoulders. How long had she been sleeping?
"Good morning Dr. Shaw. Your rest was pleasant I gather." He said, moving away from the bed and to the closet. He opened it and started to rummage through it.
She looked at him, curious. "It was...what are you doing?" she asked as she pulled the covers to up to her chin, still slightly shy about being too bare in front of men, even if one was an android and the other an alien...and the fact that they both already seen all that was to see.
David returned to the bedside and displayed what he had been searching for. He set some clothes on the bed, everything she would need under a suit to feel comfortable. His consideration touched her and she was also glad that he picked pieces that were not too big or too showy, just simple black, cotton clothes. "Thank you David..."
"My pleasure doctor. Now...how is your wound doing?" he asked as he moved to the door to give her space.
"It is great actually...as if I was never bleeding. Not considering the scar of course." She smiled at him as she slowly got up from the bed, eyeing the fresh clothes with want. The robe she had on now smelt like sweat, she was sure. This also reminded her that not only garments needed a change...she needed a shower. At this moment she envied David's self cleaning synthetic skin.
"You were quite lucky that the Commander had been there. I could not have aided you in my state." David had said and she was certain she heard remorse in his voice.
"Yes...I know." She did not like the thought of owning the tall, pale alien anything. "How did you..." she started but David thankfully answered her quickly, saving her the embarrassment of stuttering.
"The Commander had been repairing me all through the night, he is rather talented might I add." He said as he looked himself over, pleased of what he was seeing. She smiled at him; he had a tendency to be vain, always taking care of his appearance.
"He is..." she affirmed as she got up from the bed and made her way towards the bathroom. As she entered she could see that there was a big shower chamber, just what she would have expected from Wayland; lavish and large. There was a rack to set her things on and she did just that, pulling her robe off and feeling self conscious again, she really needed some underwear. "Um, David...?"
"No worries Dr. Shaw, I am leaving, I still have a ration box to prepare." She heard his amused voice come from outside.
"Thank you..." she knew they needed to move somewhere safer; the small rescue pod would only sustain them for so long and really, she was for more worried about the storms. The strong winds could take the pod along, dooming all inside. David left when he heard the water splash from inside the bathroom; she seemed fine and he left.
The warm water felt great running down her body, cleansing her. She sighed, enjoying it for a moment until her thoughts caught up with her again. She gazed down her body, the scar so obvious against her pale flesh, her hand ghosted over it. Fate was so cruel sometimes...she had been trying to conceive for so long, so many years of complicated times with Charley, so many disappointments when nothing had worked...and now she had finally become heavy with child but...
She could still remember the day she had gone to the doctor because she could not get pregnant, they had done many test only to find out that she was unable to conceive. Apparently it was the result of a childhood illness, one she had gotten while travelling with her father. It did make sense then but it was very hard to accept the fact that she would never be a mother. It was not easy for Charley either; they had separated for a while and they were still working on it when they left for LV-223.
She shook those thoughts away, they did not matter now. Charley was dead and so was any chance of ever having children, especially after all that damage to her womb. Then her eyes spotted a small gray button, it was right bellow the buttons that activated the water; it had a tiny picture of a blade on it. She had never seen anything like it, not in a shower chamber at least, so she pressed it and it clicked open, offering her a small razor. Well, that was very practical, she thought. She decided to use it; after all it would not be good to shock Thorga or David with excessive hair, even if it might be amusing to see it. But more importantly, she felt better shaved; she liked the feel of it.
Shaw stepped out of the shower minutes later, smelling and feeling fresh. She picked up a towel that was placed on a rack next to the sink and wrapped it around her torso; even if they have already seen everything, it did not mean they had to again. When she returned to the bedroom, David was gone and she quickly set out to dress herself. The cotton clothes fitted nicely overall, though she had to tie the underwear on to make them a bit tighter; the shirt and the leggings were perfect.
"David...Commander Thorga?" She called for them when she did not see them in the main room. She was still unsure how to call him, for now it would be better to be on the safe side and add any titles he might have, as she had done before.
"We are here Dr. Shaw, by the doors." She heard David call to her; he was near the exit of the pod and the tall alien was standing right next to him, now once again clad in the rubber-like armour he had been wearing when they woke him up. He was also holding a bag and when his eyes turned to her, he gave her a small bow. She nodded back to him, a bit surprised about his behaviour; he seemed so different on the ship, then again she is not very pleasant to be around when she wakes up from hypersleep either.
"We are packing, the Commander has told me that this planet has frequent storms, like the one we witnessed." David said as he filled his own bag with cans of food and some water bottles, he also appeared to have taken some equipment with him. "We must move to a safer place. We have been waiting for you to recover first, of course."
"You could have woken me up." She said, going over to the lockers to find a suit, though she knew there was none in her size already. She would just have to make due.
"You need to be completely well Dr. Shaw, we are after all unsure if there are any dangers still lurking." Said the blonde as he moved to the couch and pulled something up from it; it was the suit with which she came to the pod. It looked washed and patched up, the damage it had received was almost gone. "You repaired it! Thank you, no other suit would fit me." She took it from him and quickly started to slip her leg inside.
"Of course." He dismissed her thanks as if it was nothing and slung the bag over his shoulders and fastened it around his ribs. He then took his helmet and placed it on his head, clasping it together tightly, even though he did not really need it.
Thorga spoke behind her and she turned to him, giving him the courtesy of eye contact. "He says we have to hurry, the storm will be here soon. He has suggested we go to the nearest dome and wait it out there." The android translated. She nodded to both of them, she was excited to see another ship, examine the differences and similarities, perhaps not all were warships after all, and she might learn some of their culture.
With that said, they left the escape pod and Shaw wondered if it would get blown away by the strong winds, if this is the last time she would see it. It saddened her to think she would lose another bit of humanity along with it, only alien technology and buildings left. Certainly, she still had David and he was every much as human as she, she did not care if he was built by Wayland, he had a good heart and that was what counted. Though, she still had her suspicions of what happened to Charley but she was sure she would find out one day.
"Cheer up Dr. Shaw, I am sure it will still be here when we return." She felt David's hand on her shoulder; he noticed what was bothering her. It made her wonder just how much she had showed on her face; then again the android was very perceptive. She could see the Mala'kak turn to them, curious; he had been walking ahead of them, showing them the way. "I'm fine." She told him, and he seemed to understand as he resumed his stride.
The journey was extensive; none of the vehicles were still operational, some too damaged and others out of fuel. Shaw wondered if Thorga would have any problems being outside for so long, without a breathing apparatus but he seemed fine. Actually, she was the one having trouble walking so long, it was harder to do so with the suit weighing her down.
She heard the Commander hum beside her and she looked up to see that he had slowed down and was now right beside her, his brow ridges furrowed. He must have been worried because she was staying behind. David was still in the front however, scouting or giving them privacy, she did not know.
Thorga's hand brushed against the glass of her helmet, pulling her from her thoughts. It startled her and he immediately retracted his hand upon noticing it. Shaw wanted to move away from him, his concern woke odd feelings in her chest but she stayed, not wishing to offend him. He hummed again as he moved to stand in front of her, blocking her path and he moved his hands as if he would be pressing on something. Shaw stepped back as she watched him, trying to figure out what he wanted but he just kept repeating the motion with his palms; she shook her head and Thorga growled, frustrated that she did not understand him.
Quickly, he moved towards her and even though she flinched away, he did not stop this time. He wrapped his hands around her knees and her shoulders as he lifted her up from the ground and into his arms. Shaw yelped, not a sound she made very often and her arms wrapped around his muscled neck to keep some balance. Now she understood what he had wanted to tell her before, he motioned for her to sit down and rest but since she did not...it seemed he decided to carry her instead. She wondered if she was heavy to him but seeing how strong he was before, when he flung her crewmates around as if they were nothing, she guessed not. He thrilled, pleased that she did not fight him as he began carrying her towards the nearest dome.
Her body was very thankful for his thoughtfulness; her breathing was returning to normal and the small sting she had started to sense from the scar was gone, her mind however, not so much. It felt far too comfortable to lie in his arms and he was being so gentle as well; gripping her flesh lightly not to bruise her, holding her closely to keep her safe and warm from the already picking up winds. It made her feel...relevant. A sentiment she did not get much from Charley.
Thorga hummed; glad she did not fight him, he had a slight suspicion that she would but he was pleased to be wrong. The sound vibrated up his chest and through Shaw, making her shiver. It was surprisingly calming and also...exciting. She shifted in his arms, getting uncomfortable with their closeness and her building desire. If he could tell she was getting bothered he did not show it but she had a slight suspicion he knew; for a moment his eyes snapped down to her, wide in surprise and his humming stopped if only for a moment, until he returned his gaze to the dome and the sound continued once again. Shaw blushed and looked away, at the rocks bellow, at David still walking in front of them... at anything but him.
A sudden gust of wind made small rock particles fly up onto her helmet and she gasped in shock. This was how it started before, a small breeze until the storm hit in, then large chunks flew everywhere. She still remembered how they cut at her suit as she was being flung around, still clutching the Mala'kak head only to be eventually saved by David. She knew they had to hurry if they wanted to make it.
She did not need to say anything however; as soon as the small rocks took flight Thorga picked up the pace, all but running towards the now very close dome. David was right behind him, surprising her with his agility; she should have expected it, he was exceptionally well built. "This reminds me of a prior time Dr. Shaw, equally as much hurrying, equally as fast approaching wall of wind." Said the android with an amused tone lacing his words and Shaw would have found it amusing too if she had not turned her head to see said wall of wind. Just as last time the storm was coming in fast, carrying off anything in its way; the rescue pod too was lifted into the air like it weighted nothing and it disappeared between the dust.
The storm was approaching faster than they were running. The first wind blows had already reached them, throwing larger chunks at them, one had crashed right into David's helmet, cracking it and Shaw was glad he did not really need it to breathe. Luckily, the dome was right in front of them and they sprung to reach its doors; Thorga made it with relative ease but David was having some trouble keeping up, his mechanical fibres were no match for the Mala'kak's dense muscle and he got swept up by the current of air. Just in time, Thorga's arm reached out and grabbed his ankle, pulling him into the dome and closing the doors with a loud bang.
David slowly stood up from the ground, dusting himself off in the process; his helmet had a hole on it where the crack had been, from landing on the floor. "Thank you Commander." He said.
Thorga nodded at him as he set Shaw down and she hurried to the android's side, checking if he was alright. "Your sentiment is appreciated, if unnecessary. I am completely functional." He calmed her, discarding the helmet, it was useless now.
The wind howled outside, loud bangs could be heard on the metallic doors as the rocks were continuously flung against it. Shaw was glad that the Mala'kak built such sturdy structures, aside from the sounds nothing was coming through. She only hoped it would stay that way.
-3-
Thorga recognized this dome; it was home of the agriculture division. It was a perfect place to stay low for now, perhaps he could even find a small ship and they could get off of the planet. He stepped to a console, located next to the doors and activated it, bringing up a sizeable blue map of the area. It appeared the life support systems for the greenery were off but the ones in the living quarters were still operational. That was all they needed; he would have much preferred to stay away from the crop houses, he was not sure how the plants have fared. They may have evolved into poisonous growths; he was after all, aware that the division had done a lot of genetic experiments on them. Or...they turned out like the gigantic plants of a nearby outpost, large and dangerous flesh eaters. He would rather not risk it.
He turned to the female and the android who were still chatting away near the door. He listened intently, trying to recognize a word or two of what they were saying; having implanted the translator aid into his suit's system he could learn faster but still, it did not completely supplement the android's help. He was fortunate his people were such fast learners; he had a clear advantage against humans who needed a lot longer to memorize a language. Of course, he would not be able to speak fluently any time soon but he would understand and perhaps utter a half a sentence.
His translator aide indicated that they were discussing the android's well being. He grimaced in thought; apparently the sound ou-keei meant 'well'...he memorized it, hopeful to use it later. He also noticed that the blonde kept referring to the female as 'doctor'. That would make a lot of sense; it would explain how she was able to help herself when in such a dire situation. He would make sure to address her properly, she too did always call him by his title; not that he would mind if she did not. Somehow, it made them seem more...distant; she definitely called the robot by his name only, made him wonder why not him as well.
"We should leave for the ship; as soon as the storm clears we can take off." Thorga called to David in his native tongue and the blonde nodded, proceeding to tell the female what he had said. The Mala'kak turned away from them and made his way down the oval halls of the dome, towards the small escape vessels located in its middle. He could hear the two humanoids following him close behind and he reminded himself to go slower, to help them keep up.
If he managed to find an operational ship they could sail through space on it for decades; the vessels were made to house twenty Mala'kaks at a time for twenty years, transporting just two humanoids and an android would surely pose no problem. He would also have to find a way to disinfect the whole planet once he made it back home, who knew if the acid bloods were still active on its surface.
He opened the doors that led to the observation deck and from there they would need to follow a hall to finally reach the port. Thorga did his best to keep his eyes away from the floors, away from the bodies that littered the ship. He could tell some were females, probably researchers from Genetics; others wore military armour like his own and judging by the way their corpses were laying, they were trying to defend the personnel and failed.
He looked away; he could not bear to gaze upon them. If only he had not gone into hypersleep...he could have aided them. Now...he was nothing but a relic of his time.
Then, a soft touch landed on his back and his head turned around to gaze upon the human female, concern in her eyes. He was surprised of her care for him, he did not expect it but he found he did not mind it, in a way he liked it even. "Am...okay." he tried saying, granted it was a butchered version of her language but she understood what he had tried to utter; her eyes got as wide as they could and her lips parted to make way for a gasp. He had to admit it was endearing and the smile she gave him seconds later was worth the embarrassment any horrid pronunciation may have caused.
"Good..." She said and removed her hand from his back, making him miss its warmth.
He guided his new teammates to the port; there were ten small ships and Thorga moved to the control centre to check for their operational status. He turned on the console and it beeped orange, showing him schematics of the vessels and he typed on them, checking their status closely. He was pleased to find they were all useable, well stocked with food and water, ready to launch at any time.
"I have opened the first ship so that we may leave at any time...as soon as the storm clears of course." He said to David and the android ushered Shaw towards the pod he had opened for them. It was around the size of the human ship, but of course it was shaped like a half-moon; a trademark of his people. He did not understand how humans could build such...odd looking vessels but as long as they did what they needed to...
Thorga watched David help Shaw enter the Mala'kak ship through the cargo hold and he became aware that she had yet to calm her breathing. It appeared that the human bodies needed a lot more time to heal than his own. He still had the medic liquid in his system, it was helping with the burns and any other injuries he had but she did not have that luxury. The reconnecting laser had done its job in patching her up and in sanitizing her wounds, and it seemed it had worked for a while but if she pushed herself too hard...well, she still needed more rest, obviously, give her body time to heal itself. His gaze shifted down to her abdomen and he studied her for a while as she slowly disappeared inside the ship, her hands caressing just under her own tummy. He was unnerved at the possibility of her womb being damaged; it was a female's greatest pride after all...a gift many men wished they possessed. So much so, that some gave their lives to create life; ritual sacrifice was the only way for males to be able to bring the gift of existence to others, not only take it. He knew that Warhe too applied but if he had been chosen or not...it would remain unknown.
Shaking the thoughts away, he followed the two inside the small vessel. He knew the operation had been a success; there was no reason for any lingering damage. With that last thought comforting his uneasy mind, he closed the hangar doors and made his way towards the bridge; here, the room was not made by metal alone, half of it was made of glass-like material and it was possible to see the stars as one journeyed through space. Thorga always did prefer this; he stepped to the controls and began typing in their destination.
First, they would go back to Earth or any near outposts and the female and the android would be left there, then he would make his way back to his home planet to report of the happenings on Ora and receive an update of the human situation. Silently, he was hoping he would not need to return to destroy humanity, a thought he never imagined having.
That's it for chapter two.
In three:
-Thorga and Shaw try to wrap their heads around each other's respective cultures
-David finds a friend onboard the ship