Chapter 5: Act of Vengeance

Nathan did not keep his eyes off Julie, which only added to her feelings of anxiety.

Is he about to fire me, or have me arrested? She wondered.

"I don't know what Diana had on that recording device," Nathan began, "But you'd better hope she wasn't telling the truth about you and Donovan."

"Donovan and I are not together anymore. I told you that weeks ago."

"I want to believe you, Dr. Parrish."

It's funny, you call me Julie when everything is light and casual. But when you suspect treason, formality becomes necessary, she thought.

"Tell me about your relationship with Mike Donovan. How long did you and he uh… date?"

"That's irrelevant."

"Do you still love him?"

How dare you ask me such a personal question, she thought.

"Donovan didn't agree with my being here, my need to work for you, to get the Red Dust situation under control."

"That wasn't my question." Nathan's tone was stern. "I need to know where your loyalties lie."

"You plan to fire me over something Diana said? You'd trust her, over me? Well, if that's the case, then maybe I don't need this job." She started for her office.

"Dr. Parrish, wait—"

Tears started to form in her eyes, as she hesitated by her office door. She did not look at him. "Call me by my first name, Nathan."

"Julie…"

She batted a few tears away and then eyed him.

'I'm sorry. We'll just forget the incident occurred," he said. "But I swear, if Diana brings any fallible proof against you, there will be severe consequences."

You still don't believe me. Rage swelled in her chest. She wanted to walk, and quit her job. Damn the Red Dust and the Resistance's need for my connection to Nathan.

"I know that," she said.

"Carry on with your experiments," he told her.

Julie turned on her heel and closed the door behind her, wishing the blinds that gave Nathan a view of her office's interior were shut. If she closed them, it would be obvious she was crying. So, she decided to face the solid wall, at the rear of the tiny room, until she could control her tears.


Diana returned to the Mother Ship that morning angrier than when she had left. She went straight to the technician who had helped her edit the voice recording of Donovan and Julie's intimate interlude, convinced that he had somehow damaged the recording device in the process.

The panel doors glided open in front of her. Andrew lay in bed with his lover in his arms. Diana ripped the sheet away and flung it aside.

She glared at Andrew. "Get up. Now!"

The young woman, who had kept him company tried to put her human face mask back on, but the nose did not line up correctly. Diana shoved her out of the room, sending her crashing to the hallway floor outside, and then pressed the panel door button. The doors slid shut.

Andrew looked stunned. He gathered the sheet around his midsection to cover his nakedness.

Diana clucked her tongue. "No need for modesty, dear Andrew."

"Is s-something the matter?"

"Yes," she hissed. "Apparently in your attempt to create a credible audio recording last night, you damaged the recorder. I just made a fool of myself, and you're to blame."

"Would you like me to-?"

"No, no. It's too late for that, Dear."

His eyes grew wide with fear.

Diana smiled. 'I've heard that our crivits need feeding. I think you will make a great meal."

His voice trembled. "Diana, I can fix it for you. Please—" He sat on the edge of his bed, reached for his uniform, then slid it on underneath the sheet.

"That won't be necessary." She hit the panel door button again. The doors opened. 'Guard!' she called.

Another male Visitor appeared before her and saluted.

"Take this young man away to the crivit hold. He failed to carry out his mission."

The guard seized Andrew, bringing his hands behind his back. Diana followed their promenade partially down the hallway, and then turned left into another corridor. It was time to visit Sean Donovan…