Hah, you're in luck I'll post another chapter. It's a long one, but really moves the story along. When a name appears in Bold it means that the speaker has changed, and all the text beneath that is now in that charater's POV. Enjoy!
Thoughts in Bold
Perfect Tragedy
Michael
I'm going to retrieve water from the stream close to my home. The wound inflicted by the Atlanteans a few days or so ago is almost healed only a small scab remains of the bullet wound. Suddenly my quiet world is racked with the screech of a broken ship falling from the sky. I turn my eyes heaven vard. To my surprise, the ship is Wraith! Maybe there is something I can use in the wreck, or better yet survivors I can use to get back into the Wraith community.
I rush to the scene stopping to fill my bucket on the way. When I arrive I see sparks of short shorted circuits and parts of the wraith that were on the ship. It is a gruesome sight and I say a prayer for those who have lost there lives before rummaging through the crash. I find several Wraith coins that could come in handy as well as an intact computer. Even if it proves useless at lest I will have something to tinker with. The light is fading so I decide to walk through the remains of the ship and then come back in the morning. The days on this planet are very short I may move my base because of this. I find a part of the wreak that is still mostly intact. I climb in exploring.
I crawl into another camber that is virtually intact except for one collapsed wall. I open on of the adjacent doors. This must be a queen's camber by the dresses and other female things I find. I glance up and notice an object glistening in the fading light. Quickly, I scramble over to it. It is a silver ring guard, a valuable item, except that it still contains the hand. I cringe inwardly. I nominally would not take an item from the dead but this one is very valuable. I gently lift the hand and to my surprise it's warm, even hot! I move the pieces of debris concealing the rest of the arm following it to the rest of the body. Slowly, a beautiful young queen is reveled. I manage to uncover all of her except her right leg which is pinned under a large piece of the rubble. I attempt to lift it with no luck. I stop a moment and consider my options. Perhaps I could use a lever to lift it. I quickly improvise something I have become good at in the past few years. After a few tries I succeed. I gently lift the small female into my arms. She is much light than I expected, of course she is about four inches shorter than most of the females I have seen, perhaps still immature. I take her to a safer part of the ship while I search for the medical kit most ships carry, since I do not have the supplies to heal her myself. I dig through the rubble finding several books, a bag, and a small green crystal on a chain which I slip into the small pouch on my belt, but no medical kit. I continue to search until the light fades. I have no chose but to return to my home and come back tomorrow. I call several of my creatures and gave them objects to take back to the bunker. I lifted the small female into my arms again. She has grey more since I first found her. It may be to later to save her, but I have to try. On the way out though, I bump into something. I glance down and notice the medical kit. Laughing to myself I pick it up and take my guest back to my home.
I place the female on my work table carefully. I can tell she has broken her left leg and arm. Broken bones, though painful, can be healed with minimal effort once set. I'm more worried about a head wound or internal bleeding which can be harder to repair. I slip my fingers into her lose locks of russet hair. To my relief, I find no large bumps or blood. Cautiously, I slip my hands under the tattered clothing that queen is wearing. I don't want to invade her personal privacy but I think she would allow it if it saves her life. She has faired surprisingly well for what she has gone through. On her upper body she simply has some bruising and cuts. I carefully remove the cloth covering her abdomen. It is black with bruising and will not yield to my touch meaning that she is bleeding internally. The easiest way of treating this; would simplify be feeding her. Of course since she is unconscious, that would be impossible and it appears she doesn't have the strength to heal herself on her own. If I wish to keep her alive, I shall have to repair the damage on my own or I could let her die.
I glance up at her grim smudged face. She is a beautiful queen with striking features. I smile to myself. No, I cannot let this beautiful creature die. I stroke her ashen grey face and wrap her up in warm furs while I prepare to help her. I clean and sterilize my few tools. Worries begin to pop into my head like, how can I do this, or I'm no healer, but I know that I'm her only hope for survival. I know what it is to survive; hopefully I can save this young female as well. I gently unwrap her and clean her skin with a plant I have found that works like iodine. Inhaling deeply, I make the first incision. I quickly find a small tear in her body wall as well as a few others. After a while the bleeding ceases and I close the first incision breathing a sigh of relief. The female is still resting peacefully.
I move on to her leg. The bone is jaggedly broken and protrudes form both sides of her leg. I start by cleaning it stopping the bleeding. Then I began the weaseling match with the bones. After an hour's work, I am exhausted and her leg is set. I sigh whipping my forehead with a damp cloth then slowly begin to stitch the torn flesh around the break. I wrap the leg tightly in clean cloth, being sure that the binding is tight. This leg should heal within a few days; at most ten.
Next I look at the arm. It is a much cleaner break and easy to set. I put a metal plate at the break then bandage it as well. Finally I clean and salve the bruises and cuts over her body. The green color of her skin is now beginning to return her skin.
I place her in my bed admiring my work and wrap her in the soft fur hoping it will warm her. The healthy green tinge is slowly returning to her face. Though I want to sleep, I decide to stay with her monitoring her. To stay awake, I look through the books found at the crash. One is just lose left papers. As I began to read it, I am amazed. It is a physics proof that if proven, could be the way to producing a very effective weapon. This was wonderful work which could help defeat the Atlanteans with a weapon powered by photons! Brilliant! But it wasn't finished. I examine the papers looking for a signature. None! Then I look at the scrip. It flows and curls. I have not seen scrip like this since, since the note let for me by the Queen! Did my injured queen come up with this? If she did, then she is a genius. The next book was a small sketch book. In it were pictures from mythology, different ships, people, and pictures of Atlantis that are so accurate that it appears that she has been there. I was surprised by the amount of detail put into each of the sketches.
The next was a large sketch book. The first picture is a sketch of Atlantis resting on the water. Again I am amazed by how accurate it is. On the back it says, "The City on The Sea; though they may be my enemies, this architecture is amazing." The next picture is a Wraith hive ship. It is unlike any ship I have seen. On the back it says, "My dream ship. It has a nuclear powered hyperspace engine as well as photon weapons. On the inside it has color changing panels that change from light green to dark blue. Also the ventilation system can have scents added to it." I smile and turn to the next page casually. I stare at it shocked. It is a male wraith that looks just like me except that he is wearing black as apposed to my brown. "But this queen has never met me how could she know what I look like?" I ask the air. On the back it says, "My true Love. A picture of the one I hope to met in my life and become my mate. He will be kind and gentle, but very intelligent and sometimes rash. He will be a scientist. And contain my family's secret. His name is…" But there is a blank after that. I am shocked. Hastily I read the verses again. 'What is my family's secret? A jewel? Maybe a technological advancement? Or could it be, no it couldn't something about his-my genes?' I wonder. I stroked the female's face. The color begins to return to her cheeks and her hands are warmer. I finally decide to sleep beside her.
In the morning, it appeared that she was sleeping instead of unconscious. I reassess her vital signs. She seems to have improved enough for me to leave for a little while. I set one of my creatures to watch her and give me word if anything changes. I signal two of the creatures to follow me. On the hike up to the crash I pondered who this mysterious female could be. She is young between the ages of twenty and forty. Her red-brown hair is unlike anything I have heard of a queen having. She has no mate. She is flying over an unknown planet. None of the queens I knew about matched. I climb back into the crash removing supplies and other things I can use. Then I go through the females cambers gathering anything she may need.
When I got back to my house the female was still were I left her sleeping peacefully. I re-dress her wounds and begin to clean her face of the grim. As her flawless features are revealed she becomes more beautiful. Suddenly she moaned and shifted. "Wake up, wake up, you're alright." I entreat, but she grows still and silent. I spend my day watching the female. Latter that night I settled down beside her again.
I am awakened by a soft moan and mumbling. "Wake up, wake up, it's ok." I whisper to her. She stirs and opens her eyes. "Hello," I say to her smiling, "You're safe here." She looks at me confused. "Your ship crashed. I found you and banged your wounds. This is my house and laboratory. You are safe here." I reassure her. She stares at me as if she remembers me. "I know you are confused. But your safe here." I try to comfort her. "Everything hurts." She moans her voice much higher than mine. "Here this should help." I tell her injecting a painkiller into her arm.
Matia
A bight light awakens my senses. I can hear someone talking though I cannot make out what they are saying. I feel a finger stroke my cheek. My eyes slowly flutter open. I stare blankly at the face before me. The young male tells me that I'm safe but I'm not so sure. The more I look at him the more shocked I am. He looks just like my drawing except his jacket is brown instead of black. Then everything seems to make since. I remember the ship shaking and everything going black. The ship must have crashed. Suddenly I feel the sharp pain in my right leg. "Everything hurts." I moan. He gives some medication. He stands by my bed looking at me as if he knows not what to say. "Can I get you anything, my queen?" he asks. "Yes, some water would be nice." I answer. Then I notice that the familiar feel of my pendent against my neck is not there. I am alarmed. I would not be so worried if it was just some causal piece of jewelry, but this is more important than any jewel. If it falls into the wrong hands, well, all of us could be destroyed. I quickly hide my fear with the mask of impassiveness I have learned to wear so readily.
Instead of running to fetch the water himself, the male makes a strange noise and a freighting creature walks in. The creature has two extra sets of arms and very long legs. It is a deep blue color with a face that looks like many insects stuck together. The male turns back to me and says, "Don't be afraid. It will not hurt you." He gives the thing orders and it disappears.
"What was that thing?" I ask in surprise.
"It is a creature I created to protect me and to do my bidding." He answers.
"But what is it? Some sort of animal or human?" I ask.
"I guess it would be classified as an animal. A colleague of my coined the term super-wraith." He answers.
"Super-wraith but it looks nothing like us." I say frowning.
"True, yes, but I created the creature by manipulating the embryos of the Iratus bug that had gored itself on a human meal. From there I give it an upright form with insect like abilities. They are very dangerous if provoked unless you control which I do, but their brains are no bigger than an apple. They respond to simple commands, much as a dog would, and when raised from birth will follow you until they die. I have several hundred on seven planets."
"Can they stand up to replicator attacks?" I ask suddenly curious.
"I'm sorry I do not know what you mean? What is a replicator?" The male asks confused.
"Oh, what about Atlanteans? Can they fight them too?" I ask wondering why this scientist would not know what a replicator was.
"Oh, yes, they have proved quiet effective against the Atlanteans. In fact they bested them only a few days ago." He says proudly.
"You have met them in battle?" I ask. His words only add to the puzzle. How could he know about the Atlanteans but not know about the replicators?
"Yes many times, Why?" he asks suddenly.
"Oh I try to find out as much as I can about them." He drops my gaze and stares at the floor. Just then the Super-wraith walks in with a large bucket of water. The male takes it and pours me a glass. "I think I misunderstood." He laughs.
"Are you a biologist?" I ask taking the glass.
"Well technically no, I'm a "go where ever" I'm needed scientist. I was working on improving the hyperdrive engines before-um-I came here."
"Which queen are you working under now?" I ask surprise that I, being the ruling queen, have not heard about this experiment. He does not answer looking away quickly.
We fall into an awkward silence each of us lost in our thoughts. Who is this scientist? I wonder. Names are sacred in our culture therefore if I wish to learn this I will have to take the initiative, but I have so many questions. Is it safe to reveal my name, my soul, to him? What if he is working for one of my ten rivals, but if that is the case why wouldn't he have left me for death our finish me off himself, because I'm sure one of them would pay dearly for my death? I do not believe he is working for them. He said my queen so he must know who I am or at least my position, but it is disrespectful to use a name when not given permission. He turns to me.
"You may call me by my name, Matia." I tell him smiling.
He stops for a moment cocking his head slightly then answers, "And mine is Michael"
"Michael," I repeat quietly more to myself than to him. It is a strange name, but I think little of it. We stare at one another growing accustom to the other. Finally I ask, "Can you tell me about your work?" I listen quietly as he speaks, explaining the process to me. I smile to myself; he explains this to me as though I know nothing of science. I shall have to surprise him later. My chance comes soon than I expected.
At the end of the explanation he asks, "I found a quantum mechanics proof in your ship, what scientist wrote it?" I blush slightly but quickly to regain composer.
"It's mine; I have been working on it in my spare time. In my simulations it seems to work." I tell him some what smugly. He glances at the floor embarrassed but quickly recovers.
"It is wonderful work. If we had weapons like these we could control the entire galaxy and beyond. The Atlanteans have nothing like this." he says smiling.
"Would you like to help me work on it?" the words pop out of my mouth before I can restrain them. I know nothing of this male, how can I work with him, but something about him makes me trust him.
"Yes, yes, of coarse I would, if you will take a look at my work." he answers with a mischievous smile.
"Yes I'll look at it right-ouch!" I try to get up, easily excited about theses things, when my side screams in pain. Michael is by my side in seconds.
"Are you alright? I forgot to tell you that you were bleeding internally when I found you and I had to operate on you." He says worried.
"It just hurts." I moan placing my hand on the place where the pain is coming from protectively.
"May I take a look?" he asks. I nod. "You have ripped out one of your stitches." He says retrieving a needle and tread. "I'm sorry. But I do not have the right supplies." He begins sewing. That's when I notice how close he is to me. Had we been on my ship, he would have been kneed where it hurts by now. I can smell his distinct scent. The smell of the stars mixed with his own pheromones. Then I notice that his hand is on my bare skin. Then the most surprising thing, I am completely fine with it. I have never let a male come this close to me let alone touch me! I like it. He finishes and says, "I'll bring my project to you."
I'm thankful for the moment alone. I'm embarrassed and some what ashamed of the strange feeling running through me. I feel my heart quicken and cheeks warm. Michael walks in with a contain full of white round eggs. He also has brought a powerful light. "See, my problem is that I cannot get any of the eggs to hatch female. These eggs are still young so we may be able to influence there devilment. I thought we could candle them and see how they are progressing." He holds one of the eggs to the light. A perfect silhouette of the creature inside is created. I watch in amazement as the tiny life stretches out one of its many arms.
"How do you tell if they are male or female?" I whisper which seems like the right thing to do.
"I don't know and that is part of the problem." He says.
"May I see one of the eggs?" I ask holding out my hand.
"Yes, just keep the x side up." He says placing one in my waiting hand. The egg had a soft leathery shell yet is heaver than expected. It also had a yellowish band around the middle.
"If I did not know where this egg came form I would assume it was reptilian." I said, "Most reptile eggs develop gender due to changes in temperature. Have you tried lowering the incubating temperature?"
"No, but I will. I'm going to feel really dumb if that's the answer." Michael laughs.
"Well if you do not know the simple answer, then it is near to impossible to figure out." I advise.
"True." He answers nodding his head. The box now distinguished as an incubator, beeps as Michael decreases to temperate. "Now we wait and see." He says. Just then one of Michael's creatures walks in pushing two male humans in front of it. "Ahh, dinner," says Michael, "I have also train them to understand my daily routine and my likes and dislikes. Take your pick, ladies first."
"You're so kind." I said smiling teasing him some what. I examine both of the humans. The light one quivers and begs for its life. The second, much darker, stands strait up and had a sullen look on its face. "I'll take that one," I said pointing the darker one. Michael snatched the human form the Super-wraith and brought it over to me. I stare it in the eyes slowly beginning to take control of its weak mind. It kneels in front of me. I stretch out my hand placing my Feeding slit on his chest releasing the enzyme as I begin to feed. I can feel energy rushing through my body and healing my injures. I lift my hand and watch as Michael too feeds. He hands me a towel to wipe the blood from my hand.
"Did you recover anything from the crash?" I ask suddenly hoping I will be able to retrieve my pendant.
"Yes, I did." he replies.
"May I see it?" I ask praying my pendant has been found.
"Of course." He says walking of retrieve several things. Some are books others I do not recognize. "Here this is most of what I found. The rest was food, clothing, or things to strengthen the shelter. That reminds me though; I think I brought in several of your dresses. I'll look for them." He says trotting down the hall.
I sort through the trinkets first. A lot of worthless stuff, but no pendant. I sigh putting the things aside. Then I move on to the books. The first is my small sketch book. It is a bit dirty and some of the pages are ruffled but all in all no worst for ware. The next object I have never seen before. It was small, and almost a perfect square covered in some sort of material but it is a solid object. I notice a tear on the comer. I rip off the covering fabric underneath it is says, C-4. I recognize this from an explosive devise that was fond in my ship almost six years ago when we were first attacked by the Atlanteans! "Was my crash no accident?" I ask aloud. I carefully set aside the explosive. The next book was my large sketch book, then my theory, then A Night's Light by my grand-mother who fought in the Great War, then How to Get in the Queen's Favor Quickly which I assume one of my crew had.
Just then Michael came back caring five dresses and my pencil case. "Oh, yes, I forgot I fond this too." He says hand me the bag.
"Thank you that is my colored pencil case." I say opening it and digging through looking for my lost pendant.
"Looking for something?" Michael asks.
"Oh, um, yes; a green crystal, on a silver chain." I request.
"Is it…" he trails off looking in a pouch on his belt. After a few minutes he says, "Like this?" pulling out my pendant!
"Yes, that's it!" I exclaim reaching out for it. He lays it in my hands and I quickly secure it around my neck.
"What is so important about that?" Asks Michael gesturing toward the crystal.
"It has been pasted down in my family for generations." I tell him.
"I see." He says as one of my pencils slips out of the case. He picks it up for me. "You're an artist?" inquires Michael.
"Yes, I taught myself when I was little." I reply use to answering this question. That is a little known fact about me.
"That's impressive, especial since you are so good!" he says smiling.
"You saw then." I sigh.
"Yes, is that wrong?" he asks concerned.
"Well, it's just that my sketch book is kind of like my journal. Instead of writing out my thoughts I create them on paper. Which one did you see?"
"Both, small and large. I'm sorry I did not know." He says slowly.
"You saw the one picture, then." I state embarrassed
"The one of me, yes. It is of course odd considering you have never met me till now." He says tilting his head slightly with curiosity.
I cringe inwardly, "Yes, can I get changed now?" I say hoping to work my way out of this embarrassing situation.
"I'm not sure you should move." He says concern appearing on his face.
"I'm feeling my better after feeding. Besides I feel a little exposed." I smile to convince him.
"I guess." He says handing me the dresses.
"You'll have to leave." I say after a few moments.
"Oh, right sorry." He says hurrying out. He's just not use to a woman. I think smiling. I slip into my aqua dress. It is most comfortable which it appears I will need comfort in the days ahead.
A few minutes later I hear a knock at the door followed by, "Matia are you done? I don't want to rush you."
"Come in Michael." I say to him.
"I want to make sure you were, well, before coming in." He stutters awkwardly.
"Why thank you for defending my honor kind sir." I laugh at him.
He chuckles before saying, "You are sitting up. Are you sure you are feeling better?"
"Yes, much except for my leg." I say turning my head to show that the cut is mostly healed
"May I look at your leg?" he asks concerned
"Yes." I nod.
He lifts the blanket from around the leg and examines it. "Can you feel this?" he asks holding my toe.
"Yes." I respond giggling.
"Good the shattered bone did not break any of the nerves. It appears you are healing quiet well." He says looking up at me.
"Michael, I fond something I think you should see." I say showing him the C-4 explosive.
"This is most certainly Atlantean. Where did you find it?" he asks taking it from me.
"It was in with these books from the crash." I say pointing to the neat pile on the metal table close to my bed, "But it was covered in a grey cloth."
"So your think this was no accident." Speculates Michael.
"I'm beginning to wonder." I answer. Michael's whole demeanor changed suddenly. His eyes grew dark with guilt and another emotion I could not identify. He tensed up as if prepared for anything. "I have to leave for a little while. Will you be ok?" he asks glancing up at me but he is preoccupied.
"Yes, where are you going?" I ask curiosity taking over,
"For-for a walk in the woods and back up to the crash. Try to sleep." He trots off signaling two of his creatures behind him. Yet I can not help but think he is hiding something form me.