Chapter 8: Take Your Turn

Reader Note: This story is for mature readers over 16. This particular chapter is very dark. The show lightly sketches the aliens as the most horrible creatures imaginable. I fleshed the concept out and they are vicious. Skip to the bottom summary if you are sensitive to non-com or violence.

Gray dragged his brother's body to the wall of the cave. Thick metal rings were driven into the limestone floor along the edges. The caves was prepared for prisoners. Gray cuffed Jack's right wrist to a ring on the floor. He turned on his torch, and left to survey the entrance. Soon the Captain gasped to life, and rolled his head in a moan as he edged into consciousness.

As Jack opened his eyes and slowly adjusted to the dark, he took in his surroundings. When he attempted to sit up, he felt the tug of the cuff on his right hand. His eyes widened and scanned the area as he began to yank at the cuff. No success. A rotting stench filled the stale air.

"Grey?" Jack hoarsely whispered as his eyes searched the darkness.. "Gray?…Are you here?"

Nothing. Icy water dripped down the limestone wall and pooled on the floor of the cave around him. Jack shivered as he adjusted his body to lean against wall. He pulled again at the iron ring

"Gray?"

Gray moved slowly from the entrance of the cavern carefully stepping around the rotting corpses piled at the entrance. The stench was overwhelming. He could barely make out what they were. Most were humanoids of some kind, but some had alien forms. All were still and iced with frost. Grey shivered remembering his captivity, his eyes focusing on the smallest forms. He straightened as he heard his brother stir, and then moved back into the cave.

"Gray?" Jack shifted, trying to sit up as his brother approached. "Why?"

Gray couched down beside him with narrowed his eyes. "Why? You have to ask why?"

"I tried to find you!" Jack pleaded as he reached for Gray's shoulder.

"You left me! Remember!" Gray sneered as he pushed his brother away. "You let go."

"We were just children!" Jack cried. He saw his wrist strap on Gray and lunged for it with his free hand.

Gray sprang away. "Not so quick, brother." He settled just out of reach as Jack shrank back against the cave wall. "You need to take your turn."

Jack paled. "What do you mean?"

"You need to take your turn," Gray smirked. "Take my place."

Jack became still as his eyes searched the dark reaches of the cavern. The breeze shifted in the cave pushing the stench of the corpses into damp room stinging his eyes.

"Take your turn, take my place." Gray repeated.

Jack began to frantically pull against the cuff, trying to dislodge the metal ring from the floor.

Gray began to laugh. "It's not going to work."

Jack picked up a small stone and began to hammer the cuff and ring.

Gray stood up, angrily stomped on Jack's hand, and kicked the stone away.

The Captain winced in pain and brought his crushed hand to his chest.

Crouching down again out of reach, Gray's face formed into a mocking smile.

"Do you want to know what they do?" He settled back. "They come in pairs, male and female. They feed off terror, Jack, fear, pain, blood… The most horrible creatures in the universe. And you left me with them…for years."

"Gray, please…"

"Shut up!" Grey shouted. "I was nine years old, Jack! Nine!"

"I'm so sorry," Jack's eyes glistened as he took in his younger brother face, seeing the child within the man.

"They are telepathic shape shifters. What terror they can't get from your memories, they will create. They change their bodies into weapons: cutting, burning, raping…sucking the life's blood out of you. Telepaths that twist any good memory you have into nightmares." He moved closer to his brother. "Do you know what they did with a child like me? Just enough to cause terror and then made me watch what they did to my friends, to the others. Then they fed off the fear that sweetened my blood, the horror that flooded my mind. That's what this scar is! Kept like a terrified pet.

"We could get the Conservancy to end this," Jack pleaded. "End this for everyone!"

"Not until you have taken a turn," Grey hissed. "Take it!"

The rumble of a ship landing caused them to turn towards the mouth of the cave. Grey quickly moved further back into the cavern out of the dim light from the entrance.

Jack froze as the engines stopped, and looked back towards the darkness.

"Grey," Jack pleaded in a whisper. "Please, don't do this, we're brothers!" He pressed his body against the wall, unable to hide himself. "Grey!"

Two forms soon appeared silhouetted at the cave entrance holding torches. They were tall, with well defined muscular bodies, about seven feet in height. Humanoid in appearance, they dressed in a form fitting black uniforms with sculpted armor protecting the torso and upper portions of the arms and legs. In fact, everything looked human except for the blue skin and eyes: large almond shaped eyes of gold that sparkled in the firelight. As the aliens strode into the cavern, they secured the torches to the walls of the cave. The flames cast moving shadows as they flickered in the night. Behind them, three more held weapons on eight colonists: four men, three women, and a boy about twelve. The captives huddled together, terrified. As they were driven into the entrance, the women began to scream and weep at sight decaying corpses piled at the left side of the entrance. A young man pulled away and tried to escape in the confusion. A raider turned and shot him in the back, then threw the body into the pile by the door.

More raiders appeared at the entrance. The guards angrily pushed the rest of the prisoners into the cavern, fastening one by one to metal rings driven into the rocky floor. The boy was separated from the rest. He looked about twelve. A female raider grabbed the struggling child fastening one arm to his neck like a cephalopod. She pierced the skin, injecting something into his bloodstream. The child grew rigid, staring straight ahead. She started to feed, but stopped when she noticed Jack.

The Captain was still, hoping to blend into the darkness.

She pulled the boy to an iron ring in a corner across from Jack, and cuffed the child to it. The boy's shoulders shook as he silently wept.

Grey crouched in his hiding place behind a stalagmite formation in the shadows, his eyes riveted on the boy.

She crept closer to the Captain.

"Hello," Jack bravely smiled.

Her golden eyes swept up and down his body, then back to his face. She grabbed his left wrist. With great strength she slammed it down on the floor, and quickly secured it to another metal ring on the floor. Jack winced with as the arm began to throb. She turned her head to the side as he struggled to mask the pain. Then she slowly took her hand and stroked his cheek.

Jack fought to calm himself, watching her every move. Another raider walked over, and scanned the back of the cave. Gray moved lower, staying out of sight. The female glanced up at her partner, and nodded. He quickly scanned the cave again, then sat down behind Jack.

"Maybe we need a proper introduction," Jack nervously joked. "My name is Captain…"

The female kissed him hard, thrusting a long rasping tongue into his mouth and down his throat drawing blood, choking him. After a lingering "kiss", she released him.

Jack gasped for air, his throat raw from the rasping kiss. She held one hand in the air, and he watched a finger form into a sharp blade. She placed it beneath one of his braces and sliced it free.

"There's really no need for that," Jack gamely joked, "They tell me I do a good strip teas…"

The male slammed Jack's head into the rock wall, stunning him. He then pulled Jack's head back by the hair with one hand, placing it next to his ear and used the other hand to grip the forehead. Jack shuddered as he felt the alien probe his mind. The Captain summoned his Time Agent training to bring up mental walls to block him. The alien soldier breached the wall briefly pulling memories, but then was pushed back. He snarled and sent waves of searing heat into his captive's mind as Jack fought to keep control.

The female continued to cut away his clothing. When she freed up his shoulders, she slipped the knife into the collarbone area, then slowly sampled the blood. She straightened and looked puzzled as she watched the cut begin to heal. She cut deep into the upper arm causing Jack to cry out, and then watched it heal again. She motioned to her partner to watch, and made a third cut slicing Jack's left breast drawing blood again, and they both watched it heal as he moaned from the pain. A smile curled up her lips as she looked at her partner again. He nodded. She continued to cut away the clothing until it lay in shreds on the floor. Jack shivered in the cold.

"A soldier and a lover?" the male said sarcastically to his mate as his left tentacle, wrapped around Jack's neck. "Go ahead, Freak, fight me!" Jack struggled, but was held fast.

The alien nodded to his mate. The female straddled him, leaning in as she stroked the artery on his neck. Jack moaned. The female scowled, and then bit down hard, injecting a burning enzyme into his body. Jack writhed in pain. He moaned again. "Please stop. Please…" The female ignored him, and kissed the blood from his neck savoring the enzymes as terror spiked the blood.

Grey could see that his brother was in agony. He had seen this scene many times before after he was captured, abandoned by the one that was supposed to take care of him. Gray thought he would feel satisfied watching Jack take his place, watch him go through the abandonment and pain. Instead he felt sick. He could hear the weakening cries of the other colonists and could do nothing. He saw the twelve year old cowering, and could do nothing. Gray watched as the boy worked the cuffs until he slipped free. Keeping his eye on his captors as they tormented the Captain, he slowly moved to a hiding place among the rocks. The boy was close Jack's age during the invasion on the Boeshane Peninsula. He looked so small, so young. He would die soon, just like Jack would have if he had been taken with Grey. Tears burned in Grey's eyes as he turned away.

The aliens took their time as the Captain weakened from the pain and blood loss. The female continued to sample his blood, while the male again probed his mind as his defenses weakened. Jack could hear the fading screams of the other colonists as their bodies went into shock. He tried to retreat from the pain in his mind, but was drawn back with each movement. He understood Grey's obsession. Pain. Endless pain. I'm so sorry, Grey. I tried... Agony. Oh gods, make this end, let me die…

The boy continued to creep to the back of the cave, as the aliens focused on Jack. He froze when he saw the man hiding behind the rock formation. Gray motioned to the boy to come closer. The child hesitated, and then complied. When he reached him, Gray signaled him to stay quiet. He drew the shaking child into his arms, turning his head away from the rest of the cave. The boy didn't need to see this.

The female's eyes stared into Jack's eyes to register the pain. As he weakened, his head hung back. Please, let it end! Let me die. She grabbed his hair to pull him closer. She could see that his eyes were dimmed but conscious. She looked at her partner and nodded. They both released an acid enzyme into his body. The Captain's eyes snapped open in horror as the enzyme liquefied his tissues from the inside out. His body convulsed as his screams reached a higher pitch. The male smiled and closed his eyes in ecstasy as he sampled the Jack's terror.

Grey clasped his hands over his ears to block his brother's piercing screams as the child clung to him. Let him die, just let him die. I'm sorry, oh gods,, Jack, I'm sorry!He stayed still. Jack's face contorted in anguish, his hoarse screams faded. Finally the Captain arched back, shuddered, and went silent as the light left his eyes. The female slowly stood. The male joined her as he let Jack's body fall back in a sprawl. Grey buried his head, and silently wept. As the attackers then moved towards the front of the cave, them seemed to have forgotten about the boy.

Two more hours passed. The chorus of screams lessened as each colonists died, one by one. Grey waited in the shadows resolved to free Jack once the aliens left. After the last one died, the raiders began to drag the corpses to join the rotting pile by the entrance. The female came back to Jack's body, unchained him, and pulled him by one arm across the floor of the cave. Before she reached the mouth of the cave, Jack gasped as his body surged back into life.

No, no, no, not yet, Gray's mind screamed, Not now!

The female dropped Jack's arm and stepped back. Two male companions saw her, and came to her side. They gathered around Jack looking closely at the healing flesh. As Jack's eyes cleared, he could see them staring as they stood around his body. He tried to scramble to his feet, but was seized and held fast.

A female dressed in a fitted black armor emblazoned with a clawed falcon, joined them. Hands on her hips, she slowly circled him, observing the healed flesh. Jack shrank back as she placed her hands on his temples to peer into his mind. He raised his mental walls again blocking telepathic invasion. She hissed then slapped him hard. Jack's head snapped back. She slipped behind him, morphed her hand into a tentacle, and fastened it to his neck tapping again into an artery. Jack fought, but his struggles became weaker and weaker until he slumped back to the floor of the cave. To Grey's despair, this time the creatures stayed by his brother's body watching. When Jack gasped back to life again, they forced him on his knees and another tried to tap his mind, then his blood. When the Captain collapsed for the third time, they shackled his hands and feet.

Grey felt nauseous and retched. The group standing near Jack's body turned at the sound. One drew a weapon and moved towards his location. Grey saw him, and quickly tapped in a code into the wrist strap. Both he and the boy disappeared. As the alien reached Grey's hiding place he noted the splash of vomit on the rocky ground. After thoroughly searching the area, the scout returned to his leader notifying her of the second intruder. Another soldier easily threw Jack's body over his shoulder and carried him out of the cave towards their shuttle. The rest joined him, shut the door of the space ship, and soon they were gone.

Summary: Gray betrays Jack and lets the Adyans torture and then kill him. He intended to free his brother after they left, but Jack revives while they are still in the cave. Gray is afraid to intervene. They realize Jack can't die, bind him, and take him them. Gray transports out with a young boy he saved from the raiders.