I awoke to find myself in the infirmary...again. To coin a human phrase crap. I struggle to sit up and my own weakness terrifies me I look up into the worried faces of my chief scientist and the doctor.
"My Queen, we were so worried about you, are you well?" asks the scientist his face painfully close.
Smiling gently the doctor removes the scientist muttering something about me needing my rest.
"My Queen, I'm afraid there is something we need to discuss, it is of a delicate nature I am afraid."
"What is it? Is something wrong?"
The doctor looks nervous as she takes a deep breath and says "Milady, you're pregnant."
I choke in surprise, I had thought that in all my years of infertility that a child was impossible. This news is both shocking and wonderful. A child, I gently, carefully move my hand to touch my, for now, flat stomach.
My voice is croaky and quiet as I reply "You are certain of this?" I inadvertently hold my breath as I wait for her to respond.
"Of course my Queen I would not have said anything if I was not certain, here as you can see this little dark patch here in your womb is the embryo." She gestures to the screen as she scanned my stomach once again to show me the image. I feel tears prick in my eyes at the sight of my child and I resolve then and there to, and I cannot believe the thought is entering my mind, spare Michael. He is the father, he has a right to know and be a part of the child's life. Damn the consequences I love him and this baby. He needs to be here to help me raise it as is per the custom of a mated pair.
Already I know that I love this baby more than there are stars in the sky and I won't allow anything to happen to it. Soon we shall reach Earth and all our dreams of a rich feeding ground will come to fruition. But first thing is first I will have to find Michael.
I thank the doctor before hopping off the examination table, my guards following me closely. The knowledge that I am finally pregnant reverberates through the Hive and I sense that they are all thrilled. I am suddenly bombarded by congratulations and well wishes via the link. But I have only one thought in my head and that is to find Michael. After our latest verbal skirmish I doubt very much that he will even want to see me ever again, but I have to try. I ask through the link whether anyone has seen hide or hair of Michael but no one has seen him. Suddenly an explosion rocks the ship. My subjects are in a panic as they rush around the Hive attempting to salvage the hit areas. I send out a wave of calm and order the drones to assist where needed. Then I turn to the problem at hand, finding Michael.
My first thought is to find him in the labs, I walk the small distance to the labs, walking past running wraith, both male and female, adults and children, and quickly enter the room. Once inside I am met with the smiling but concerned faces of my scientists, without being told I know by their body language that the damage was serious but not irreparable, but no Michael. Choosing my words carefully I ask them if they had seen Michael
"Has anyone seen the abomination, I need to speak with him."
"No my Queen." They all answer simultaneously, finally I have their full devotion and cooperation, it has only taken the shattering of my heart to do so but it has happened.
I am pulled from my musings by my Chief Scientist rushing into the room, he is surprised to see me.
"My Queen," he says and then bows at the waist. "forgive me but what are you doing here?"
I ignore his impoliteness and continue regardless "I am looking for the abomination, have you seen him?" He assumes I am going to execute him, I do not correct him.
"Last I heard my Queen he was in his quarters."
I nod my head at him and leave the room. I head down to his quarters, my two guards falling into step behind me and pray to the spirits that he will forgive me, if not for my sake then for the child I am carrying. I move to knock upon the door, when it whooshes open at my approach. Cautiously I walk into the room with my guards, searching for him,
"Michael?" I call softly as I walk into the room and after a brief glance I notice that he is not there. Sadly I turn to leave the room. I head to my throne room when I am interrupted by a commander telling me that Michael has just removed the prisoner from his custody to question him. I am confused I did not give any such order. The commander sends me the conversation via the link and I am shocked by what I see
"You should not be here." the commander growls at Michael.
"She asked me to question the prisoner," Michael says confidently in response, I can feel the commander's distain and revulsion but I force it to the back of my mind once the repairs have been made I will address the crew in how Michael is to be treated from now on. "if you'd prefer to discuss it with her..." he leaves the threat dangling as he is certain that the mere mention of me will allow the commander's full cooperation.
"Release him." the commander orders the drones reluctantly.
"I will take him from here." Michael growls before turning to walk away from the commander.
I gave no such order, but why would Michael want a human prisoner? Just then it all clicks into place, the explosion, the human. Michael is trying to escape, I had hoped that he would make this easier, by staying put but he seems determined to escape, it seems that the retrovirus did not destroy his stubbornness. Whenever my mate wanted something enough it happened. I cannot allow it. I dismiss my guards and run to where the prisoners are meant to be held, hoping, praying that I am not too late... Too late an explosion rocks the ship and I fall to the floor, I am pulled up by a passing guard, I sound the alarm and access the link my subjects are in a frenzy we have sustained serious damage, and the other Hive has been destroyed. I gulp and race towards the transporters I cannot miss him.
I run down the levels toward the prison level and stop just outside the entrance. I hear voices coming from inside. My heart leaps into my throat as I hear his voice and the filthy human's.
"Where are they?" the human asks Michael.
Michael responds sadly "I'm sorry. They must have been taken for feeding."
"No no these were cut from the inside they escaped."
"They could be anywhere on this ship."
I struggle to hear more of their conversation as they move out of earshot and I race after them. I am so busy trying to be stealthy I lose sight of the human until I hear the click of a gun cocking.
"Not so fast your highness," The human says cockily as he points his gun at me. "keep moving." he says and then gestures with his gun. I walk slowly ahead of them until we catch up with his other companions, the prisoners that had escaped, the human that has his gun trained on me speaks about movies, whatever those are, to his companions and Michael suggests that we all go to a transport.
"What about her." The Runner asks his tone of voice practically begging to kill me where I stand.
"She comes with us." I hear Michael say just in the nick of time as I sense the human preparing his gun to fire, he must know that killing me would give them a fifty fifty chance of escaping without the alarms going off or a more likely scenario is that he simply just wants me dead.
Michael hands the Runner his gun and turns his back on him. The Runner immediately pulls out his gun and acting on instinct I throw myself onto Michael too fast for any of the humans to react to. I hold onto him tightly as I wait for the sound of a gun going off but I never hear it all I can see is Michael's stunned face as he holds me in his arms. He slowly gets off the floor and pulls me with him.
Michael says nothing as we, that is the humans, Michael and myself, all walk to the transport ships, and before I have the chance to open my mouth Michael pulls out his weapon and stuns me. My last thought as I lose consciousness is of the baby and I pray to the spirits that it will not be taken from me.
I open my eyes to see my guards looking down at me. I sigh, I spend far too much of the time unconscious now a days. I access the link and catch up on what I have missed, unfortunately I am bombarded with questions about my wellbeing and the baby's. The doctor immediately orders me to come to the infirmary for a scan, but I don't have the time. I need to get to the bridge before they escape. As soon as I reach the bridge I am told by a commander that a transport vessel has just left the bay. Its him I know it is! I order my subjects to open fire upon it, but to disable it only. Unfortunately the ship is too small and a single blow is all it took for it to be destroyed. I wail in agony before a terrifying rage takes a hold of me, I order the Darts to be deployed, but the humans have anticipated it and they concentrate fire on the bays. A huge explosion rocks the ship and I am sent careening to the floor, it's no use the concentrated fire has created a number of secondary explosions that have disabled our ability to fire. I immediately order a status report and await it in my chambers.
Hours pass before the report is ready I am handed the report by my chief scientist I am halfway through reading about the hull regeneration progress when I smell something strange. I put the data pad down and raise my head to notice a gas coming in through the chamber ceiling. I begin to cough and splutter and my eyes bulge. I access the link and hear the distress of many of my subjects before I fall off my throne and pass out.
I awaken to hear voices in my chamber, I groggily attempt to sit up, but I only succeed in raising myself off the floor slightly, the voices get clearer through the fog that has enveloped my senses.
"Hello? I hear a male, I think I know him, say, as their footfalls get louder as they approach me. "You all right?" I hear the same male ask again. I cough in response.
"It's okay. You're gonna be all right now." I hear another one say before he places a hand on my shoulder.
Suddenly it all clicks into place the voices, they are the Lanteans! I growl low in my throat before lifting the human, that I do not recognise, up by his neck. I roar in his face and lift my right hand to feed before I am struck by bullets, the pain spreading as I struggle to move, and the last thing I see on this mortal coil is a flash of red and then...nothing.
