He spent a few moments in dazed shock, looking to her with a sympathetic
smile, 'What happened to you? Why did he hold you in the first place?' He
found himself thinking rather then saying, she closed her eyes, pushing the
pictures outwards, whilst most of her kind could only read thoughts
Illithan could also push the pictures outwards. With a quick breath in,
Harper found himself witnessing her memories;
~-~-~
Watching, always watching; Illithan turned her eyes to the corner camera, knowing that it was not the only one. "Which area are you from?" The cold, blood-curdling voice drawled from the speaker by the door, she turned to the voice but could not see the source.
"That concerns you not,"
"No, it does not,"
Someone entered the room but she was powerless, kept still by the restraints that held her to the bed, the male before her was attractive in an evil way. The cold darkness to his voice was carried to his appearance, his eyes were pale blue and his hair was dark turquoise, he scared her somehow, clearly a Shalench. "Which clan are you of?"
"Not yours,"
A laugh passed his lips, a cold laugh that made her blood freeze in her veins; it rang in her ears like the tinkling of rain. "Which is better then you have imagined; you should have lied." He moved closer to her, and she felt his strangely cold breath on her cheek. "What do you know of the Shalench? Would you share that with me?" She shook her head defiantly, unafraid of her own death that was sure to approach. "No? Then I shall tell you, Shalench need heirs, these heirs continue the blood, securing the strength of a family. Yet, if you were to mix such blood with an off world species it would corrupt and kill both parent and child."
"Then, you appear and provide me with the answer; an heir I need and another of my world I have."
Fear corrupted Illithan's features as she looked at him, did he mean to have her? "No, nothing quite as brutal," He chuckled at the irony and the coldness froze her heart. "My scientists have the sample prepared for insemination; they just need the host to implant it in." A cold whistle past his lips and a hunched man entered, scars lined the man's bare back as he became visible. "Sedate her; do my will and then leave." Molovan turned and exited without a backwards look, his guards closing the door behind him.
~-~-~
An uncomfortable silence filled the air, Harper looked anywhere but at Illithan and she was content in looking at the floor. Nothing seemed the right thing to say, no words sprang into his usually chatty mouth. "He let me escape and since then I have gone out of my way to do things I know would challenge him, annoy him to make up for what he did."
"Can't you just get rid of it?"
She shook her head, "No, it is much like your Magog, an infestation, now it is there I cannot change it." He smiled at her slightly, looking into her eyes for a long moment. 'At least you have a chance to survive,' He thought to her and she tried to smile back but could not quite manage it. 'I'm just surviving now, a lucky break and some considerate friends at best.' "Molovan holds one who helped you?"
"Yah, Trance is incredible when it comes to these things."
"What about this Rev you spoke of?"
"He's off trying to convert people,"
The two locked eyes again, "I have to free them," Harper said after a time. "Dylan's going to destroy the world ship, they're going to cure me and life will be better." She knew he did not entirely believe what he was saying but something in his words held truth. "Why didn't you just leave here?"
Illithan found her eyes going back to his; usually she avoided eye contact with people, hating the direct link into thought and brain. "I cannot, not yet, Molovan will not allow me to leave - he wants his heir first." She could feel what he was thinking, the planning he was doing so rapidly. "You would have me come with you?"
He dropped his eyes from hers just before she spoke; he had known she knew what he was thinking. "Yah, if you wanted to come," He said offhandedly. His brain was working through everything, "I don't suppose you'd know where I could get a prison map from, a guess would do, I'd find the things myself."
"No, there are none to my knowledge."
Harper walked back to the panel and plugged himself into the network of the planet; he sat with his eyes closed thoughtfully as he walked through the cyber pathways. "Bingo," He whispered with a smile, suddenly he fell backwards, his hands going spasmodically to his neck plug; with a viscous yank, he pulled out the cable. One hand stayed at his neck as the other searched about his neck for the medication given him by Rev and Trance, Illithan knew that this time he was right and dropped to his side visually searching for the inhaler. He rolled onto his side, panting slightly, coughing due to the panting, Illithan left his side to search the bedroom.
She found it lying on the bedside cabinet, she snatched it up and run back through to him; she dropped to his side again and held the device to his lips. He drew quickly from it, lying still on his side for a few moments before sitting up, his head rested on his up raised knees. Sensibly, Illithan poured him a glass of cold water and handed it to him, all too aware of the tears staining his cheeks. Nothing was said as Harper brushed aside the droplets and regained his loose composure.
~-~-~
Watching, always watching; Illithan turned her eyes to the corner camera, knowing that it was not the only one. "Which area are you from?" The cold, blood-curdling voice drawled from the speaker by the door, she turned to the voice but could not see the source.
"That concerns you not,"
"No, it does not,"
Someone entered the room but she was powerless, kept still by the restraints that held her to the bed, the male before her was attractive in an evil way. The cold darkness to his voice was carried to his appearance, his eyes were pale blue and his hair was dark turquoise, he scared her somehow, clearly a Shalench. "Which clan are you of?"
"Not yours,"
A laugh passed his lips, a cold laugh that made her blood freeze in her veins; it rang in her ears like the tinkling of rain. "Which is better then you have imagined; you should have lied." He moved closer to her, and she felt his strangely cold breath on her cheek. "What do you know of the Shalench? Would you share that with me?" She shook her head defiantly, unafraid of her own death that was sure to approach. "No? Then I shall tell you, Shalench need heirs, these heirs continue the blood, securing the strength of a family. Yet, if you were to mix such blood with an off world species it would corrupt and kill both parent and child."
"Then, you appear and provide me with the answer; an heir I need and another of my world I have."
Fear corrupted Illithan's features as she looked at him, did he mean to have her? "No, nothing quite as brutal," He chuckled at the irony and the coldness froze her heart. "My scientists have the sample prepared for insemination; they just need the host to implant it in." A cold whistle past his lips and a hunched man entered, scars lined the man's bare back as he became visible. "Sedate her; do my will and then leave." Molovan turned and exited without a backwards look, his guards closing the door behind him.
~-~-~
An uncomfortable silence filled the air, Harper looked anywhere but at Illithan and she was content in looking at the floor. Nothing seemed the right thing to say, no words sprang into his usually chatty mouth. "He let me escape and since then I have gone out of my way to do things I know would challenge him, annoy him to make up for what he did."
"Can't you just get rid of it?"
She shook her head, "No, it is much like your Magog, an infestation, now it is there I cannot change it." He smiled at her slightly, looking into her eyes for a long moment. 'At least you have a chance to survive,' He thought to her and she tried to smile back but could not quite manage it. 'I'm just surviving now, a lucky break and some considerate friends at best.' "Molovan holds one who helped you?"
"Yah, Trance is incredible when it comes to these things."
"What about this Rev you spoke of?"
"He's off trying to convert people,"
The two locked eyes again, "I have to free them," Harper said after a time. "Dylan's going to destroy the world ship, they're going to cure me and life will be better." She knew he did not entirely believe what he was saying but something in his words held truth. "Why didn't you just leave here?"
Illithan found her eyes going back to his; usually she avoided eye contact with people, hating the direct link into thought and brain. "I cannot, not yet, Molovan will not allow me to leave - he wants his heir first." She could feel what he was thinking, the planning he was doing so rapidly. "You would have me come with you?"
He dropped his eyes from hers just before she spoke; he had known she knew what he was thinking. "Yah, if you wanted to come," He said offhandedly. His brain was working through everything, "I don't suppose you'd know where I could get a prison map from, a guess would do, I'd find the things myself."
"No, there are none to my knowledge."
Harper walked back to the panel and plugged himself into the network of the planet; he sat with his eyes closed thoughtfully as he walked through the cyber pathways. "Bingo," He whispered with a smile, suddenly he fell backwards, his hands going spasmodically to his neck plug; with a viscous yank, he pulled out the cable. One hand stayed at his neck as the other searched about his neck for the medication given him by Rev and Trance, Illithan knew that this time he was right and dropped to his side visually searching for the inhaler. He rolled onto his side, panting slightly, coughing due to the panting, Illithan left his side to search the bedroom.
She found it lying on the bedside cabinet, she snatched it up and run back through to him; she dropped to his side again and held the device to his lips. He drew quickly from it, lying still on his side for a few moments before sitting up, his head rested on his up raised knees. Sensibly, Illithan poured him a glass of cold water and handed it to him, all too aware of the tears staining his cheeks. Nothing was said as Harper brushed aside the droplets and regained his loose composure.