Part 27: Betrayer of Humanity
What had she done? How could she have sacrificed everyone...? Why would she tell them about the human settlement on the Argathin homeworld? How could she rat out Sam, Clover and the others? When did she become so weak? She remembered a time when she was strong, reliable... had all of this time fighting really broken her down so much? Even with all of their victories over the years, had it still broken her spirit so much that loyalty now meant nothing to her?
These thoughts pained Alex more than the razor thin wires wrapped around her wrists, hanging her from the ceiling as her own blood trickled up her arms. Her hands had long since gone numb, and the horror of seeing her own blood trickle toward her neck had long since abated. Her entire body felt numb, but she was still conscious, staring at the mirror the Zardexians had placed in front of her so she could see every moment.
She could hear the Zardexians moving about just on the other side of the door beyond the mirror, but she was never able to see them. Sometimes she wondered if she was really hearing them, or if she was beginning to go insane. The constant hum of the ship's engines was the only constant other than the image of the ragged, bloodstained woman that stared back at her from the mirror.
She heard a sound from beyond the mirror, and for a moment she thought she was hallucinating... until the form of a brilliantly muscled man stood beside the mirror. He looked different from the one who had been there to take her prisoner, but the look in his eyes was no gentler.
"You humans are one of the easiest races we've ever had the pleasure of conquering." He approached her with a sly smile on his face. Alex stared up at him as fiercely as she could, but it was hard to remain defiant when most of her body felt numb, and she knew there was no escape from this. "You practically rolled over for us all along... a few rough spots, but we've encountered far worse. Like your little friends you were so happy to tell us about."
Alex looked away from him, looking down at a foot that was tied to the floor similarly to her hand. A small pool of blood was forming underneath her, since she was suspended in the air, bleeding from both wrists and ankles. "But I must give you one thing... you're defiant in your weakness. Some might call that bravery... but I call it foolishness."
Alex remained silent, keeping her eyes cast downward. "And you know what the irony is? Tarren considered leaving those humans on Argath." Alex looked up at him darkly, a bit surprised. "But then your pathetic friends had to go and destroy him... along with a hundred and fifty Zardexian soldiers..." He gripped her chin roughly with one hand, forcing her to stare him down. "Now we're going to see that every single one of you is wiped from existence."
Alex glared at him, then tried to turn her head away again only to have it yanked back by his overwhelmingly powerful arm. "You don't have anything to say, human? You were so talkative yesterday."
Alex remained silent, staring at him with a blank... almost defeated look in her eyes. The Zardexian let out a guttural laugh and let go of her, allowing her chin to drop to her chest. "And here, our scout always sent reports that you humans had such spirit... that it took a long time for him to break you. I guess he did manage to break you before you finally killed him after all." He shook his head and turned to leave.
"You'll all die..." Alex muttered softly and looked up at him weakly. The Zardexian stopped and looked back at her.
"What?"
"You're going to die..." Alex told him. "One way or another... you'll die for killing so many..."
"You're one to talk. You turned on your own people to save your own skin... which is the only reason you're not already dead." The Zardexian smirked. "You value your lives so much, that honor loses all meaning. Only when you're safe does the concept of 'chivalry' matter once again. But remember... just because you're alive for now doesn't mean you have to remain that way."
Alex fell silent again. In stories and movies, one might have said they would rather be dead than hanging like this. But this Hell was familiar, if uncomfortable. The changes that death would bring were a complete mystery... and thus more frightening than any torture the Zardexians could visit upon her. The worst part of his words was that he was right. She would give up anything to stave off death... even if it meant selling out everything she ever knew.
"Good, predictable human." He patted her head like a wounded animal and turned away from her. "We'll be done with your people soon enough... and then we'll decide your fate. Perhaps we'll let you live... perhaps not. Cross your fingers and pray we're feeling benevolent when we're finished." He walked past the mirror and vanished from sight.
Alex closed her eyes and hung her head, trying to make her mind blank out. All she felt was relief at being left alive... and the guilt of being left alive at the expense of the remaining humans, the Argathins, and even her best friends.
Her tears fell to the floor to mingle with the dried blood on the floor beneath.
TO BE CONTINUED
What had she done? How could she have sacrificed everyone...? Why would she tell them about the human settlement on the Argathin homeworld? How could she rat out Sam, Clover and the others? When did she become so weak? She remembered a time when she was strong, reliable... had all of this time fighting really broken her down so much? Even with all of their victories over the years, had it still broken her spirit so much that loyalty now meant nothing to her?
These thoughts pained Alex more than the razor thin wires wrapped around her wrists, hanging her from the ceiling as her own blood trickled up her arms. Her hands had long since gone numb, and the horror of seeing her own blood trickle toward her neck had long since abated. Her entire body felt numb, but she was still conscious, staring at the mirror the Zardexians had placed in front of her so she could see every moment.
She could hear the Zardexians moving about just on the other side of the door beyond the mirror, but she was never able to see them. Sometimes she wondered if she was really hearing them, or if she was beginning to go insane. The constant hum of the ship's engines was the only constant other than the image of the ragged, bloodstained woman that stared back at her from the mirror.
She heard a sound from beyond the mirror, and for a moment she thought she was hallucinating... until the form of a brilliantly muscled man stood beside the mirror. He looked different from the one who had been there to take her prisoner, but the look in his eyes was no gentler.
"You humans are one of the easiest races we've ever had the pleasure of conquering." He approached her with a sly smile on his face. Alex stared up at him as fiercely as she could, but it was hard to remain defiant when most of her body felt numb, and she knew there was no escape from this. "You practically rolled over for us all along... a few rough spots, but we've encountered far worse. Like your little friends you were so happy to tell us about."
Alex looked away from him, looking down at a foot that was tied to the floor similarly to her hand. A small pool of blood was forming underneath her, since she was suspended in the air, bleeding from both wrists and ankles. "But I must give you one thing... you're defiant in your weakness. Some might call that bravery... but I call it foolishness."
Alex remained silent, keeping her eyes cast downward. "And you know what the irony is? Tarren considered leaving those humans on Argath." Alex looked up at him darkly, a bit surprised. "But then your pathetic friends had to go and destroy him... along with a hundred and fifty Zardexian soldiers..." He gripped her chin roughly with one hand, forcing her to stare him down. "Now we're going to see that every single one of you is wiped from existence."
Alex glared at him, then tried to turn her head away again only to have it yanked back by his overwhelmingly powerful arm. "You don't have anything to say, human? You were so talkative yesterday."
Alex remained silent, staring at him with a blank... almost defeated look in her eyes. The Zardexian let out a guttural laugh and let go of her, allowing her chin to drop to her chest. "And here, our scout always sent reports that you humans had such spirit... that it took a long time for him to break you. I guess he did manage to break you before you finally killed him after all." He shook his head and turned to leave.
"You'll all die..." Alex muttered softly and looked up at him weakly. The Zardexian stopped and looked back at her.
"What?"
"You're going to die..." Alex told him. "One way or another... you'll die for killing so many..."
"You're one to talk. You turned on your own people to save your own skin... which is the only reason you're not already dead." The Zardexian smirked. "You value your lives so much, that honor loses all meaning. Only when you're safe does the concept of 'chivalry' matter once again. But remember... just because you're alive for now doesn't mean you have to remain that way."
Alex fell silent again. In stories and movies, one might have said they would rather be dead than hanging like this. But this Hell was familiar, if uncomfortable. The changes that death would bring were a complete mystery... and thus more frightening than any torture the Zardexians could visit upon her. The worst part of his words was that he was right. She would give up anything to stave off death... even if it meant selling out everything she ever knew.
"Good, predictable human." He patted her head like a wounded animal and turned away from her. "We'll be done with your people soon enough... and then we'll decide your fate. Perhaps we'll let you live... perhaps not. Cross your fingers and pray we're feeling benevolent when we're finished." He walked past the mirror and vanished from sight.
Alex closed her eyes and hung her head, trying to make her mind blank out. All she felt was relief at being left alive... and the guilt of being left alive at the expense of the remaining humans, the Argathins, and even her best friends.
Her tears fell to the floor to mingle with the dried blood on the floor beneath.
TO BE CONTINUED