Them Among Us

When he woke up he was lying in his cot.

Oh shoot... he fainted again...

There was a wet cloth on his forehead.

He reached to pull it off, and he dropped it onto the floor.

Why did he always have to keep fainting like this...? There wasn't even any blood this time...

His father was sitting beside him on a very shoddily built metal chair. He was leaning back, snoring peacefully.

Laes carefully sat up and blinked a few times to clear his vision. Then he looked at his former stump which had grown a hand. He sighed in relief; it was still covered.

Where was Chakri though?

He looked around but the lights were dim and a lot of Vortians seemed to be sleeping right now. The hallway was almost completely full of Vortians sleeping on cots, chairs, or the floor.

Only a few small groups were still in the cafeteria working.

"You dropped this," Chakri whispered, handing him the small piece of hologram device.

The young Vortian was standing beside his cot, leaning on the mattress.

"Sorry... sometimes regenerating body-parts makes people tired."

She hadn't been there a moment ago...

"Thanks..." he spoke, pocketing the incomplete device. He managed a smile. "I guess fainting was a bit of an overreaction..."

"No, not really. Sometimes people faint when their limbs suddenly grow back."

Really? Then his reaction was normal? It was difficult to tell what was normal fainting when he fainted for so many reasons.

Chakri didn't seem like a bad person... but she was also young.

What would Bann say if he was able to express himself right now...? He wouldn't trust the Invaders would he?

Or maybe he would. It was kind of hard to tell with Bann.

Why was he suddenly thinking about the digital Irken guard anyway?

His thoughts were all over the place. He needed to focus.

"Were you invisible just now?" he questioned since he needed to ground himself away from his thoughts.

"Yes, I'm usually invisible," Chakri admitted. "Because there are Irkens here, and mother says Irkens are dangerous."

"What do you think about Vortians...?" he asked, though he was a bit scared to hear her answer.

"Vortians are interesting because they have some of our DNA. At least that's what mother says."

"Oh... ok... so we're not... like... food?" he questioned her, feeling very uneasy.

His mouth was dry and he was hungry too. He should probably find something to eat or drink or both. Probably both.

Chakri's eyes widened. Was she surprised?

"No. Mother says you guys haven't been food for a very long time."

"Then we're safe?" he questioned, sounding hopeful. He gave her a hopeful look too.

"I don't think any of you are gonna die if that's what you mean," she responded with a small shrug.

Ok.. he needed clarification about that right now. Not dying wasn't exactly good news, not when they could still be used as experimental material.

"Sorry but... what do you mean?" he asked, hopefully in a non-offensive manner.

"I mean you guys are several steps above food already, so you won't get eaten."

"What about experiments?"

"I'm not old enough to know about that."

"Oh."

Chakri frowned a little. "It sounds like mother wants to talk to you guys, so maybe there won't be experiments."

"I don't understand..." he admitted, rubbing his good arm with his covered hand. Were he and his people safe right now or not?

"Vortians and Irkens are our responsibility since we made you both. We can't just leave you alone," she smiled. "That's what mother says."

"Please tell me what your people are planning to do with us Chakri..." Laes pressed, though he hoped he wasn't being too rude about it since her people could probably instantly kill him and all of his people.

He would beg if he needed to, though he wasn't sure if there was anything he or the other Vortians could do once he knew the answer...

"I don't know what will happen to your people, but the Irkens will be reclaimed and used for their intended purpose," she seemed happy when she said this.

Reclaiming the Irkens? So Invaders considered Irkens their property then?

"You mean as body-guards and soldiers?" he questioned.

That's what they were supposed to do before the PAK project failed right? He squeezed his eyes shut and held the side of his head for a few moments as he tried to remember that information... Bann really should have just told him instead of invading his dreams like that...

Chakri nodded.

"Yes, but they'll be under our control so they won't cause so many problems everywhere."

Honestly that sounded kind of nice, but at the same time it was also very concerning thought... The Invaders must have a ton of very advanced technology. They were already dangerous enough without subduing the Irkens.

"But... but Irkens are their own people... you shouldn't just take them and turn them into mindless drones..." he attempted to argue.

"Why?"

"Because they have their own thoughts and feelings about things..."

"They won't have those when we're done fixing them," Chakri responded as a matter of fact.

Oh dear Ganre... did all Invaders think this way?

"Laes? Who are you speaking to?"

That was Darden's voice.

He glanced towards the cafeteria and found the Irken approaching him.

His eyes flicked back to Chakri who was biting her lower lip and looking towards Darden with her hand resting on her arm.

It didn't look like there was anything there, but maybe there was some hidden technology only she could see... maybe it was some kind of death weapon! Darden could be disintegrated any moment and he wouldn't even know!

"Oh um, it's just me and... my friend here..." he replied, managing a smile.

He whispered to Chakri, "just try talking to him ok? Please? He won't hurt you."

Maybe he shouldn't have said that since he wasn't entirely sure Darden wouldn't harm her.

Still, he wanted her to see that Irkens weren't always scary, and they also didn't have to be dangerous, although they definitely could be (and usually were) both of those things.

Oh shoot. He really should have picked another Irken. What was he thinking?

Filik was rude and condescending, Pain used to chop off Vortian body-parts... maybe Lyra? She didn't seem overly hostile or violent.

Darden's boots clacked against the floor. Laes remembered when that sound used to make him shudder.

The Irken soldier stopped an arm's length away from Chakri who turned around and was now staring up at him.

"Umm... hi?" Chakri tried, keeping her hand hovering close to her arm.

She was holding it out in front of her in a defensive manner.

There definitely could probably be some kind of weapon on it.

The ex-soldier's eyes narrowed at her.

"I don't see any reason to greet you, but I will acknowledge you're here."

No... Darden... why did he have to be so unfriendly?

Laes covered his face with his visible hand as he crumpled a little.

"You can give me your name at least right?" Chakri pressed.

Laes was kind of impressed she was taking his suggestion to heart and trying to engage Darden in a conversation despite the Irken's dismissive attitude.

The soldier's antennae flattened as he glared at her. He crossed his arms.

"My name is Darden," he responded in his usual blunt manner.

Then his attention returned to Laes.

"If you're awake and able to move, Veena is requesting you..." his words stopped when Chakri touched his gloved hand. He jerked it away from her.

"Don't touch me," he insisted in a strong tone.

Chakri held both of her hands up and took an uneasy step back.

"You could be more friendly towards her Darden," Laes suggested to the obviously irritated former soldier. "She's just a child."

"Yes... an irritating child with no manners or sense of personal space..." Darden stated, and his antennae flicked forward as he rubbed the spot she touched with his other gloved hand.

He regarded Chakri again, "maybe your parents never taught you this, but not everyone likes to be touched."

"Oh come on... she's just being curious... ha ha..." Laes gave a weak laugh.

"I don't care," Darden responded. "I gave her my name even though it wasn't required... this was not an invitation for her to start touching me without my permission."

Darden was actually in the right...

Laes glanced between him and Chakri.

He wanted to say something to defend the Irken's point of view, but he was worried this might upset the hidden Invader and cause something bad to happen.

"I'm sorry," Chakri suddenly apologized. She dipped her head a little."You're right, I was wrong to touch you like that."

Freedo was wide-awake and sitting up straight in his chair now. He looked at his son, then Darden, then Chakri, then back at his son again.

He slid off his chair.

"I'll go find your mother," he decided to not so subtly bow out of the drama.

He glanced back at Laes.

"As long as you're ok."

"Yeah... I'm ok," Laes responded, and his father gave him a smile and a thumbs up before walking away.

When he noticed both Darden and Chakri were watching his father leave he replied, "he's used to me fainting so..."

Then he noticed Pain walking towards them with Negi in his arms.

Oh no.

Chakri had already noticed the other Irken. Hopefully she wouldn't panic and summon a hidden armada from somewhere to reign doom and destruction down on their already destroyed planet.

"Hey," Pain greeted them with a natural smile. "It's getting late, so I thought I would try to put Negi to bed."

"Yes, ok, here," Laes spoke as he pushed the blanket away and slid off the mattress.

Since a lot of Vortians were sleeping right now there probably wasn't any free cots left.

"You can use this cot um... I'm done fainting I think. I hope. For a while."

"Do you faint a lot?" Chakri asked, looking up at him.

"Um well... yeah... but it's gotten a little better..."

"He used to faint a lot more," Pain offered as he moved closer to the cot.

He placed Negi down on the mattress and the young Vortian grabbed his arm to get him to stay, but his focus shifted to Chakri.

"I don't recall seeing you in this wing," the former guard commented.

"I'm from the other wing," she explained without any hesitation at all.

"12001? You'd be from the third section."

"Yes, but I asked to come here in one of the ships we're borrowing."

"I see," Ryter didn't sound completely convinced, but he probably wouldn't think she was an Invader or something since he barely knew about them.

"Are you coming or not?" Darden asked Laes, crossing his arms as his antennae lowered.

"Sorry," Laes apologized.

He took a few steps towards Darden to test his legs since they hadn't been the most reliable lately.

"I'm coming er..." he turned to look at Chakri. "Are you coming too...?"

"Nope," Chakri responded, clasping her hands behind her back and smiling up at them both. "I'll stay here."

Laes wasn't sure if he should feel relieved or not, considering she wouldn't be watching them at the moment, but he also wouldn't be able to keep an eye on her either.

He didn't think he could tell Pain or Darden about her real identity, and his parents wouldn't understand. Veena wouldn't really understand either... she'd probably think he'd lost his mind...

There was only one person he felt comfortable talking about this with.

"Darden, can you tell Veena I'll be there a little later?" Laes questioned, and he shrank a bit when the Irken turned to glower at him. "I just want to talk to Lard Nar first, ok?"

His former cellmate never slept, so he was sure Lard Nar was awake right now anyway.

"Fine," Darden agreed, although he didn't took or sound too happy about it.

The Irken was cooperating at least, which was good because Laes didn't think he had enough energy to argue at the moment.

Darden continued towards the computers where Veena was still working.

Lard Nar had done what he could with the broken PAK and was currently involving himself in another project with the group of Vortians he'd been working with before.

Laes watched them for a while before deciding to move a bit closer.

"Hey um... Lard Nar," he spoke to his former cellmate who looked up from his work.

"Yes? What is it?" Lard Nar asked as he lowered one of his tools.

He looked Laes up and down. His expression stayed unreadable, but he motioned for Laes to come closer. Then he asked, "is something wrong?"

He wanted to blurt everything out to the ex-leader of the Resisty, but he also didn't want to alarm or confuse anyone.

"Can we talk in private...?" he questioned, glancing around at the few busy Vortians working nearby.

Lard Nar's expression still wasn't changing... he nodded though, and he dropped whatever he was holding, ready to follow.

Laes hurried into a nearby broken hallway that looked like the ceiling could probably collapse pretty soon. It was also dark, and dusty, and there were a lot of debris scattered on the floor.

There was no one here, or at least he couldn't hear or see anyone else.

"So um..." he needed to say it... even if it sounded crazy and Lard Nar didn't believe him. "There might be... an Invader... here..."

Lard Nar met his gaze. There was no judgment in they way he was looking at him... it was kind of a relief.

"What makes you think so?"

Oh right. He had proof.

He hurriedly undid his messy sheet wrap that was covering his new hand.

"Because one of them gave me this," he replied, holding out his hand and flexing his fingers for Lard Nar to see. "She used technology I've never seen before. It looked kind of out of date actually, but then it did this..."

Lard Nar stared wide-eyed at his fully functional 2nd hand. Then he reached out and grasped it with his own.

"This is real..." he realized in amazement. "It's not synthetic..."

"What do I do?" He was trying not to sound panicked, but it probably wasn't working. He was even starting to tremble a bit.

Chakri said Invaders no longer ate Vortians, but there was still plenty of room to imagine what they did or would still do.

If he told the Irkens about her they would likely confront her with force.

That could be a good or a bad thing depending on if they are able to cut-off her communication lines with her people... but then her people would probably come looking for her and that wouldn't be good... that really wouldn't be good...

"Laes," Lard Nar's calm but firm voice broke through his thoughts as his ex-cellmate's hand left his and clamped down on his shoulder. "Breathe."

He exhaled. His lungs were hurting. How long had he been holding his breath...?

"I don't know what you should do," Lard Nar admitted; his voice becoming quieter.

Laes felt his chest tighten as more anxiety settled in.

"But I think..." Lard Nar paused. Then he let out a sigh.

"I'm not trying to scare you... but if the Invaders placed one of their own here, I don't think there's anything we can do about it; not if their technology is as advanced as it sounds..."

Was this really how Lard Nar felt?

Oh gosh... his vision started to blur as his eyes filled with tears. He was going to cry.

Were they supposed to give up without a fight then...? Should they just resign themselves to their fate of being live incubators or experiments or whatever other horrible things he couldn't think of right now?

"Laes... it's ok..." Lard Nar tried to console him. His hand remained resting heavily on Laes' shoulder, offering him support. "She fixed your hand... they might not be here to hurt us."

Laes looked down at his "fixed" hand.

Maybe Lard Nar was right... but he couldn't get those terrible images out of his head...

Paralyzed Vortians forced to lay completely still, yet still awake, had eggs implanted inside their bodies... when the eggs hatched... he shuddered and hugged himself.

Tears spilled down his cheeks.

He couldn't stop himself from crying.

He couldn't stop the Invaders either.

"We can only do what we can do..." Lard Nar told him, and he slowly pulled Laes into a hug.

"Keep working with Veena to help that Irken. The barrier for our planet is finished. We are currently working on an energy amplifier to maintain it. There are at least a dozen ships being built right now, and our communications with the other sections of the prison are back online... these things... they aren't meaningless..."

Lard Nar was leaning on him pretty heavily.

The other Vortian's grip slackened and Laes grasped his arms to keep him from falling. There were dark circles under Lard Nar's closed eyes, and his former cellmate was looking very pale.

He was probably exhausted since he hardly ever slept and Laes couldn't remember seeing him eat anything lately.

"Have you eaten anything today?" Laes asked.

Lard Nar kept quiet... he wasn't unconscious though. He was never unconscious...

Laes sighed. So much for crying... he couldn't have an emotional breakdown when Lard Nar was having a physical one.

"You need to eat and sleep Lard Nar."

"I want to..." Lard Nar admitted. He was trying to take a step back so he could try standing on his own, but Laes wasn't letting him. "But every time I try... I can't..."

"Eat or sleep?"

"Both..."

"Oh."

That was a problem... Laes carefully released Lard Nar who teetered unsteadily on his feet for a moment before regaining his balance.

"Do you know why?"

"Yes..."

"Can you tell me?"

Lard Nar's gaze lowered and he hugged himself and rubbed his arms.

"There are too many Irkens here..." he admitted.

Of course. How could he be so stupid? Lard Nar had been tortured much longer and worse than he'd been... his ex- cellmate had lost far more to the Irkens than he ever had.

Even though Pain, wait no, his name was Ryter, Darden, Lyra, and Filik were cooperating with them right now, this couldn't erase everything that happened in the past.

"Could you sleep if someone stayed with you?" Laes questioned.

He was pretty sure that despite all of the harassment from the Irken guards, Lard Nar had actually slept a couple times in prison.

The prison was destroyed now and the only guard left was P-yter. Ryter.

Filik was keeping his distance since Darden threatened to have him used as a science experiment so... oh. Darden. The former soldier had been hanging around Lard Nar a lot lately...

"It's fine," Lard Nar insisted, rubbing his forehead. "I'm fine. Just... I'm not really used to being in combat anymore... it took more out of me than usual."

"Were you going to be a planetary protector like your dad?" Laes questioned.

"It was my original plan, but I was also looking into being a local peace-keeper," Lard Nar admitted, offering a small smile.

His eyes were looking far away... maybe he was having a flash-back or something.

"What made you decide to become an engineer instead?"

"The economy."

Ah... right... the economy...

With Irk investing so much in their science and engineering departments, anyone who wanted to make a good amount of monies had to become an engineer or scientist.

There wasn't a lot of demand for protectors, and those who did go into that field wouldn't make very much monies.

Besides, most Vortians were naturally clever, not naturally combative, and being mentally and physically equipped to deal with violence took a whole lot of time, effort, and training.

That wouldn't have been so bad if they pay was better. Then it would have been worth it.

"I wanted so badly to follow in my father's and brother's foot-steps..." Lard Nar admitted, placing a hand on his cheek. "But then my mother got sick. She was the only one who earned a decent wage."

He shook his head as he lowered his arm back down.

"I quickly realized that if I wanted to afford to look after my family I couldn't be a peace keeper or a protector, and there hadn't been any openings for soldiers in months... I was just starting my second year of combat training, so I withdrew and began an apprenticeship under a family friend instead."

"To be an engineer?" Laes guessed.

Lard Nar nodded. "If I hadn't become a recognized engineer..." His smile faded. "I probably would have been killed with the rest of my family..."

He lowered his gaze and bit his lip.

"Sometimes I..." he hesitated before continuing. "Sometimes I wish I was..."

There was a long drawn out awkward pause as Laes struggled to find something to say.

"But then I would've missed out on this," Lard Nar managed another smile as he motioned towards the cafeteria. "The Irkens aren't occupying our planet anymore, and everyone is working together to preserve what's left of our people and our planet."

Laes smiled back at him. Lard Nar was right. What they were doing right now wasn't meaningless.

He shouldn't be fretting over something that hadn't happened yet.

"Were you always planning on being an engineer?" Lard Nar asked him.

Right... since Lard Nar shared so much personal information with him he should probably do the same.

His work story wasn't nearly as interesting though.

"I uh... kind of wanted to be a data control specialist."

It was a fancy name for someone who sat behind a computer and maintained and corrected data streams.

"I figured it would be an easy way to make ok monies, and I've kind of always liked the idea of having a desk job."

This was probably because he wasn't very strong and when he thought about professional engineering he pictured having to build gigantic ships and killer robots and stuff and having to climb ladders and lift heavy objects, and measure, and climb some more all day long... which was kind of true but there was also a lot of drafting and everyone worked together to make sure no one was overworked.

That and most of the movies he watched made having a desk job look fantastic.

Those were two reasons anyway.

His parents were probably the third reason since they were already engineers and he'd heard a lot of painful stories about how people lost their fingers or burned themselves with torches.

His father had come home with bad burns along his arms once. It had taken quite a few skin-grafts and loads of medication before those faded away.

"But I was still curious about it... so I took one class and ended up really liking the people and the work so... yeah."

Maybe he could ask Chakri to help Lard Nar.

If her re-integrator could repair his hand, it should be able to fix his friend's missing fingers and give him back his eye.

He could at least ask... what was the worst that could happen?

Actually he shouldn't be thinking about the worst thing since that would definitely stop him from asking.

First he should get Lard Nar something to eat though.

He grasped his friend by the wrist and began pulling him along.

"Let's get you something to eat," Laes suggested.

"When's the last time you ate something?" Lard Nar asked as he allowed himself to be led towards the food storage facility.

"Let's get us both something to eat," Laes corrected himself since he couldn't remember the last time he'd eaten anything too.

He figured his inconsistent appetite was probably a side effect of the medication he was taking.

He should probably be keeping better track of that.

Random Thoughts: Laes fainted for a normal reason! He can hardly believe it.

I also wanted to note how Vort's close relationship with Irk impacted their economy. Lard Nar even changed his career path over it, though having both engineering and military skills helped him survive and lead the Resisty, so it wasn't the worst thing ever. Or maybe it was.