The inside of the alien spacecraft was harshly lit in shades of red. It seemed to magnify the enormous sense of heat coming off all the instruments. And it was making Michelle sweat heavily.
"Seriously, can we turn down the volcano? You could use the excess energy to shoot more of those flaming projectiles you guys have. Any particular reason why you're attacking a high school? Besides the fact you guys weren't invited to their prom, of course..."
"Silence!" The voice emanating from one of the Kedron was both hissing and guttural at the same time. Michelle was shackled in a pair of silvery-blue handcuffs and leg irons. She shuffled along a narrow corridor, flanked by six Kedron, three in front and three behind. They wore hooded black robes like those of Gregorian monks. It made it impossible to see their faces. "Stop the incessant human chatter, serve her head upon a platter!" gurgled one alien behind her.
There was a series of growls from the first alien in line. "Hold thy tongue, keep thy self still, this human alive is the Chanter Rusk's will."
Michelle rolled her eyes. "Rhyming aliens...super."
"March forth!" ordered the first alien. They all seemed to walk at a steady pace. feet thudding on the metallic flooring.
Michelle quipped, "This is the world we live in, and these are the hands we're given, use them and let's start trying, to make this a place worth living in!"
There was only a chilling lack of responsiveness from the aliens.
"Guess no one likes 'Land of Confusion.' Shame, that is."
"Quiet!" the back alien snarled once again.
"Who is Chanter Rusk?" Michelle attempted to ask. "Since you obviously have no sense of humor, maybe you'll at least let me know who he is? Are you 'taking me to your leader?' Klaatu barada nikto?"
"You have been told, you have been warned, now feel the wrath and feel my scorn!" What looked like a cattle prod was jammed into Michelle's ribs. Sharp jolts of electricity and pain jarred her teeth and insides.
"Ahhh! All right, all right, I'll shut up!" Glaring, Michelle pursed her lips and allowed herself to be led down a set of stairs and into a wide, open area. A viewscreen looked upon the planet Earth. Below that, a long camouflage green platform flanked by a railing of gun-metal gray stretched across the room. Lighted instrument panels were on all sides of the platform. A high backed chair of a dark-colored material stood directly in the middle of the scenery.
The first alien spoke. "Oh Great Chanter Rusk, we present the prisoner."
A voice came from the chair, though the seat did not rotate in her direction. "Step forward, Human Michelle Reynolds."
"Um, let me think about it...no."
The shocking weapon was stabbed into her back once more. With a yelp, Michelle pitched forward and landed on her knees, her head striking the back of the chair. Immediately she scooted away from the chair, but did not get far.
Slowly, the chair turned. There was another alien in a hooded black robe in the chair, whose face she could not see. A reddish-gold star was pinned on his robe. Reddish eyes seemed to glow from inside the hood.
Michelle swallowed nervously. "You must be Chanter Rusk."
"An apt deduction." There were alternative hissing and maraca-like noises, such as those of a rattlesnake. "Do not lie to me, do not play a fool, I demand the location of the Jewel."
Behind her back, Michelle clenched her fists. "I don't have it. Not anymore."
"Then you will tell me where it is."
"I said-- I. Don't. Have. It. If I don't have it, I don't know where it is. Get it?"
"So you say. Very well. I adjust to the necessities of this time and place, I know humans deal best face to face." With gloved fingers he reached up and pulled back his hood to reveal a skeletal face. Opening his toothy mouth, a snake-like head crawled from the back of his throat.
The other Kedron simultaneously pulled back their hoods to reveal similar faces, with similar appendages. They recited, "Time and again, we are, we have been, time and again, we are, we have been..."
Horrified, Michelle began to scream.
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