CHAPTER FIVE

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In the short twenty minutes since their arrest, a thousand things seemed to have happened. There had been a struggle, yes, but despite their warning, the MP's did not open fire on the aliens. Realizing that of course, they would want them alive at all costs, the aliens took advantage of this and put up as much of a resistance as possible before they were finally forced into submission. In her condition, Agent Pleakley could do little without fear of endangering her baby, though she still managed to put up a valiant fight, employing her many skills in military training and martial arts, before finally surrendering to the sudden pain in her abdomen. When she had collapsed on the ground, whimpering, the MP's did not at first know what to do with her. A live alien was already quite a commodity, but a pregnant alien! Well, of course they weren't about to harm her, once they realized what the big bulge in her middle indicated. Too afraid and in pain now to resist, Vay had allowed herself to be lifted up and strapped to a makeshift gurney and then placed in the back of one of the MP's jeeps. After that it was a rough five-to-ten-minute drive through dark desert to a small reserve, literally in the middle of nowhere.

Now, shortly after being unloaded and crammed into several small detainment cells, the aliens waited while the CIA agents took their case before the MP's first in command. Of the eighteen aliens who had gone on this mission, all but four had been captured. These four had, at the grand councilwoman's orders, remained aboard the ship at all times, so that in the event of an emergency, such as they were now in, there would be someone at the ship's controls to send out an SOS to the Federation's military fleet. As far as the prisoners knew, a squadron was already on its way to Earth to rescue them. In spite of such a comforting thought, there were other worries starting to surface. For one, Vay had not fully recovered from her struggle with the MP's. They had been brutal to her at first, until they had realized she was pregnant. After she had surrendered, she had gone remarkably quiet, unresponsive to everything even as she lay in a detainment cell with three of her colleagues. Dr. Haanlaan studied her from the next cell, interrogating her loudly and demanding answers to his questions, even personal ones like "How's your kwazuunga feeling?"

But Vay remained curled up in the corner, mumbling only that she was fine and insisting that it had been no more than another episode of morning sickness. Being a doctor, Haanlaan was not convinced. He knew that something was wrong, and she knew he knew. Why she wouldn't admit to it was anybody's guess, though the three other aliens who shared her cell did not wish to bother her as Haanlaan was obviously doing. Instead, they gave her as much space as was possible and allowed her the single hard bunk in the back of the cell. For countless long minutes she lay still and silent facing the wall, eye and mind closed defiantly against her surroundings. If only Dr. Haanlaan had been in the same cell with her, he would have noticed right away her flushed face, clammy skin and labored breathing. If he had, then he would have realized just how bad it was. Thus far Vay had done her best to hide her pain from him, but as it worsened, she could no longer convince anyone that she was really okay… not even herself. As the fragile life within her writhed like tortured flame, she knew that something was wrong. Very wrong.

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It had been nearly an hour since their incarceration when the fourteen alien prisoners were approached by a pair of MP's. Together, the two humans unlocked the door to one of the cells and stepped inside, weapons drawn and aimed point blank at Agent Pleakley's head as they ordered her to come with them. Slowly, because she was still in pain, she complied, sliding off the bunk and padding gingerly out of the cell after the two men. Haanlaan started to protest, but one of the men silenced him with a threatening gesture and a short, ugly-sounding string of words that Vay did not understand but assumed to be obscenities.

"Don't worry. We'll be fine," she said quietly, face to the ground as she passed by his cell. As they left the detainment area and turned right down a long empty corridor, Vay took several deep breaths to still her rapidly beating hearts. The baby's movements had ceased momentarily, a fact for which she was very grateful. The pain inside her was now no more than a dull throb in her lower abdomen, and compared to what it had been only minutes before, she could definitely deal with that. Strangely calm in the midst of this alien hostility, Vay marched obediently down the hall with her escorts close behind until they reached a small steel door at the end of it. The door opened outward as they approached it, and standing just on the other side of it were three more humans, waiting for her. A sudden jolt of fear went through her body like an electrical shock, and she halted in her tracks. One of the MP's jabbed her sharply in the back with the tip of his weapon, and she started forward again, now extremely reluctant. Her hearts began to race again as she neared the room. She had heard stories; hideous, unspeakable things these primitive creatures were reputed to have done to alien beings like herself, beings that were not supposed to exist, much less make themselves known. Vay glanced about frantically for some means of escape; there were none. She looked again at the men inside the room. Two of them were wearing identical white lab coats, while the third was dressed in a familiar all-black ensemble… Agent Bubbles?!!

Terrified and now very confused, she walked straight into the room without making eye contact with any of the humans. The room was featureless save for some cabinets mounted on the walls, a stool, and a stainless steel-topped table. One glance at the table and the restraints on its sides caused her hearts to wrench. They were going to dissect her! Suddenly very sick, Vay wrapped her arms tightly around her middle and double over. Her legs turned to Jell-O and she keeled onto the cold cement floor, sobbing and shuddering. Why didn't I see this coming? It's so obvious! They want my baby! They're going to cut me open and take it from me! I have to get out of here!!! Overcome with feelings both physical and emotional, Vay was unable to move, even as the two scientists reached down and lifted her up onto the table, strapping her to it securely. Barely able to think, Agent Pleakley looked out of the corner of her eye to where the CIA agent was standing, half concealed in shadows and nearly outside of her line of vision. Bubbles stood as still as stone, his expression unreadable, his dark shades conveniently in place. Why isn't he doing anything?!! He said he was here to help us! He said we could trust him! And now he's going to let them dice me up?!! The bastard!!! Screaming though she was on the inside, Vay remained absolutely quiet, though she could not stop a loud sob from escaping her. She did not even bother to beg for mercy - she knew it would do no good.

A bright light came on directly above her, so bright it was blinding. One of the scientists stood next to the table on one side while the other approached from the opposite side bearing a metal tray. Though she could not see what was on the tray, she could hear the distinct clattering of small metal instruments - dissection tools. Setting it down on the table behind her head, the man selected a tweezers-like tool and lifted it up near her antenna. As the other doctor turned to dismiss the MP's, Vay felt the instrument brush through her long brown hair until it touched her scalp, then a sharp pain as the tweezers closed and yanked out several strands of hair by the roots. She yelped, startling the men. Both scientists looked down at her in surprise. Vay stared back at them, equally surprised. It's as if they don't think I can feel! Enraged by this thought, she took a deep breath and started screaming. She cursed the humans in English, Turian, German, French, and even her native Plorginaar. Anything that popped into her head, she spat vehemently at them. Adding to her own demonic image, Vay began to thrash about, struggling valiantly against her restraints until they cut into her flesh. Pain flared up in her abdomen again, the baby thrashing as violently as its mother. One of the men disappeared for a moment, returning with another instrument in hand. Vay saw the vial of clear liquid and the long needle attached to it and knew what it was. Still more angry than she was terrified, she did not let up in her struggle even as the man bent over her with the syringe. The second man grabbed hold of two of her legs and held them down. The first man selected a spot on her thigh and wiped it with a sterile cloth before sticking her with the needle. Vay barely felt the prick, but gasped loudly as she watched the contents of the syringe empty slowly into her. A strange, cool calming feeling, almost euphoric, swept over her in a wave, and every muscle in her body relaxed until they felt like they had melted. Vay giggled at the tingling sensation from the tranquilizer, then smiled serenely at the sight of Agent Bubbles emerging in slow motion out of the shadows. She watched, uncomprehending as the dark man drew out a gun and brought it down in a blur over the needle-man's head before turning to punch the other man square in the face. Then he looked right at her and opened his mouth, but all that came out was gibberish. Vay was suddenly sleepy, but she managed to keep her eye open just long enough to see him leaning over her, undoing her restraints and then lifting her up into his massive arms.