A/N: I went back and changed the previous chapters, making them more descriptive and not so rushed. Thanks to my readers and reviewers!
Understanding
Knives was becoming frustrated. He had been searching the computers' files the entire day for answers to the angels' confusing and troubling words, if merely to prove them to himself. Yet with his vast database of knowledge on the plants, he was still unable to find how the angel had been able to communicate with the spider through the transference of energy. More importantly, he had not found how to change the female back to a spider, if indeed she was now a freeborn plant.
Unfortunately, the hypothesis that the filth was a plant was highly more likely than the contrary. He had specifically programed the computers' systems only to allow those with plant DNA to enter the ship, and she had obviously gained access on her own. Thus the only possibility was the filth was indeed one of his kind.
Knives growled at his thoughts and pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation as he looked at the clock on the wall, noting with a start that the abomination's wounds should be healed. Standing up and stretching, he made his way to the plant room to begin his interrogation.
Erica curled deeper in the warmth herself as she slowly woke up from the most amazing dream. She dreamt that there were angels humming beautiful songs, and a psychotic man had held a large, black gun to her head. Unwillingly, as she felt sleep leave her, she opened her eyes only to have her vision blocked by bright, white lights all around her. What the...? she thought with confusion, her eyes shooting open wider when she realized a pair of gentle arms were holding her. She quickly turned her head and looked into the face of the angel from her dreams.
It wasn't a dream!
Erica instinctively began struggling against the angel's grasp but quickly found that her body felt strangely weak, hampering any successful effort. Looking once again into the angel's face, she saw a hint of amusement in the smile. "Where am I?" she asked the being, finally calming down.
"You are in the core of the ship's power system, child. Do not worry," the angel replied with a gentle humming noise to further sooth Erica. However, noticing the look of terror creeping across the girl's face she wrapped her arms tighter around her daughter in an act of comfort. "You can not be harmed here. I have healed the wounds on your body."
Erica nodded dumbly, not quite believing nor understanding everything the angel was telling her. With a surprised squeak she suddenly felt herself being lowered and looked down to see the plant room come into view. The angel settled her on the bottom of the bulb and she gave the plant a questioning look, her eyes touching the glass in apprehension.
"I will help you, daughter" the angel responded to her unspoken confusion.
Holding onto Erica's body, the plant gently began pushing her through the glass of the bulb, encouraging the girl within her mind to assist. Erica helped as much as she could, trying to tap into the same source of energy the angel was using. Soon she dropped to the ground, though the fall was a few feet onto a hard grate, and rubbed her now bruising underside as she looked behind her to the angel.
However, Erica suddenly felt an ominous emotion approaching her, a hatred so deep that it could only come from one person. She swiftly turned her head and saw with dismay the man who had pointed the gun at her when she had arrived. He no longer had the gun but the look on his face was the same as before, disgust filled with the desire to kill her on sight. She scooted back against the bulb as she helplessly watched the man stride up to her, stopping not more than a yarz before her position. He looked up and down her body for a moment with disdain before once looking to her face.
That was when Erica realized all her clothes were piled under her. Feeling her face burn with embarrassment, she gave an indignant scream and quickly grabbed her trench coat. Throwing the clothing over her naked body, she cast a look of fury at the man as she carefully picked up her remaining outfit and stuffed them into her backpack.
"What did you think you were doing!" she spat angrily, her eyes narrowing at the unemotional mask the man wore.
Knives watched the female's mad scramble for clothes with indifference. He had looked over her body only to see if the angel had healed her wounds, not to amuse a spider's emotion of lust. Much to his disappointment there was no signs of them ever existing, not even a red welt. Now he would have to decide what to do with this new 'plant, after he questioned her thoroughly. He would gladly have thrown her out of the ship without such an interview as soon as she exited the bulb, but he knew well the angels would have been furious with him. Wonderful he thought sarcastically, glaring down at the intrusive female. I am forced to babysit this filth until I can find a way to reverse the process.
Erica watched the man in front of her wearily, her eyes flitting between him and the exit. I wonder if he'll try to shoot me when my back is turned? she spoke to herself, imagining the scene with a shudder and looking to see if he had the weapon hidden in his clothes. However, the outfit he wore barely appeared to fit his body, the tight clothing almost stretching over his muscles.Swiftly shaking her head and standing up from her seat, she started to walk down the platform while trying to skirt the obviously unstable and perverted man in front of her. However, he blocked her path as she reached him.
"Listen to me, filth," he spoke with as much malice as he could put into his words. Knives was amused to see the spider in front of him flinch. "I will not hesitate to kill you if attempt to leave my ship. I have several questions that you have the answers to."
"Well, I don't have anything to tell you" Erica answered angrily, huffing at his rude tone. "And don't call me such a word, I have a name!" she finished, side-stepping the now fuming man and marching past him. However, before she could even jerk he had caught her arm with amazing speed, causing her mouth to fall open in both surprise and some fear. "Let go of me!" she yelled, struggling in his iron grip. "You're not my keeper! You have no right to hold me here against my will!"
"I can and I will, abomination" the man answered quietly, his voice cold and calm. There was something in his tone that made Erica's blood run cold and she stopped her thrashing about immediately. He really did want to kill her, she could tell as much from the energy coming off of him in waves, but why and what was stopping him? "I will call you what I chose, filth" he continued, squeezing her arm for emphasis. "Obey me and you will live, but defy me and you will die a slow, painful death."
"If you want to kill me so badly, why don't you just do it?" she asked, the words pouring out of her mouth before she had time to stop them. Erica was puzzled to see him look past her toward the five bulbs, but her confusion lasted only for a second as she understood why he couldn't kill her. The angels wouldn't let him! There was some comfort in the thought that someone around her was willing to protect her from this mad man.
"I choose not to because you are still useful to me" he spoke coldly, though Erica could see the shifting lie in his eyes. "However, you will obey me or I will decide that your usefulness has come to an end, understand?"
"Perfectly," she said, wondering once again what she had gotten herself into by entering this false paradise.