Chapter Eight
Imuna Parker
Every day was a day of anxiety. I knew it was only a matter of time before someone found out that I was pregnant with an alien child, the child of an Ition leader. I was driving myself crazy not knowing what to do. I didn't have anyone to confide in. My friend Gina was angry with me for bringing her into the mess; she wanted to stay out of it. But every day I worried that she was going to turn me in. I didn't know if at any moment the council would knock on my door and take me to jail. It was a trying time.
But when I was alone, I would put my hand on my belly and feel the life within there. It gave me hope. I had become bonded with the child inside of me, ready to love it unconditionally. But I was bringing it into a world that would hate it, that would exile it and myself. I had to come up with a plan, but I didn't know what.
I wasn't even sure how long I had. There wasn't exactly any information about what a pregnancy between an Ition and a human was like. I could wake up and find my belly triple the size or give birth in a matter of three months instead of nine. I knew nothing. That only added to my anxiety. But one thing was for sure; I already knew that I would give my life for my child. I had to make sure that it survived and was in a happy place of acceptance once it was born. But how?
I had spent the weekend shopping for tunics that I wore over stretchy black pants and boots. This looked fashionable, but really it was to hide my growing belly, without giving anyone anything else to think of other than the fashion of it. But still, when I walked into work that Monday, I felt eyes on me. I crossed the bank wondering If I was being looked at because people still pitied me about my husband, or because they knew. Could they see my belly? Was it showing on my face? Had my friend Gina told someone? I walked faster, with the heels of my boots clicking on the marble floors. I finally made it into my office and closed the door. At least I could work in silence and without people looking at me.
I sat down at my desk trying to throw myself into my work. Any moment could expose my pregnancy. For all I knew, my face could turn blue at some point to match my belly. The only way to distract myself from such things was to work and try to think about nothing else. I tried to not think about the regret I felt leaving the Ition ship. Now that I was pregnant, I would be much safer there. Or so I thought. For all I knew, Evex could be cruel about the pregnancy and take the child away from me. I felt like I had nowhere to turn.
“Imuna,” Mr. Gregory said as he knocked on my door and walked in. I was shocked.
“Mr. Gregory? What brings you down here?” I asked and not knowing why my boss was in my office. He was hardly ever on this floor. I wanted to stand up to greet him, but I also didn't want to give him a chance to see my belly.
“I received a message from Councilor Vilox. It seems they have requested a meeting with you. They have sent an escort to lead you to the building. They should be here in ten minutes or so. I just received the message and came to tell you immediately,” he said and looked at me with bewilderment. I could see that it was shocking to him that any one of his employees would be summoned by the council. It wasn't a normal thing. Sweat began to form on my forehead as I started to panic. But I had to keep it in check. I couldn't show that I was panicked on the outside, no matter how much I wanted to freak out and run away on the inside.
“Oh, I see. Then I shall grab my things,” I said as I quickly stood up and turned my back to him. I grabbed my coat and put it on, tying it over my belly. I grabbed my purse and waited. I didn't know why Councilor Vilox was summoning me; I could only assume that this was it. It was about to be found out that I was pregnant with an alien child. This would be the last time I saw my office. This would be the last time I saw my boss. My life as I knew it was over. They were going to throw me in jail and then take my baby away from me once it was born. I held back tears.
“Here they come now,” Mr. Gregory said as he stood in the doorway looking down the hallway.
“Thank you for letting me know. I don't know how long this will take; it's possible I might not return today,” I said apologetically to him.
“Oh no, do not worry yourself. When the council summons, it comes first no matter what. I think your work can wait a day. It is not a deadline day here at the bank. Take your time and do give my regards to Councilor Vilox,” he said.
“Imuna Parker, you have been summoned by Councilor Vilox. Please come with us,” a council guard said approaching the doorway.
“Yes, I received. Thank you for escorting me,” I said politely, as though I had been expecting it. Even though on the inside I knew that I was walking toward prison.
Everyone stopped and turned to see a bank employee being escorted out by to council guards. I had a calm smile on my face. Pretending that nothing was wrong. I wanted to faint, but I couldn't. That would be a sign of guilt. Anyone that came to attend me would see my blue belly. I had to keep it together. Keep it together, Imuna, keep it together, I said silently to myself over and over as I walked out of the bank with everyone looking at me. It was unnerving, as if the anxiety wasn't enough.
I couldn't blame Gina for turning me in. I was sure that the secret was putting a lot of pressure on her. I never should have called her to diagnose me, but I truly didn't know what was wrong at the moment. I didn't know that my diagnosis would be treason, for being pregnant with an alien baby. Gina turning me in would give her some sort of free pass of getting out of trouble; she had only been doing her duty as a doctor after all. The fact that she had turned me in would mean that she had showed herself a loyal subject of the council. She would only be protecting herself, and I couldn't hate her for that.
The entire walk to the council building, I was trying to think of things in my defense, but I couldn't think of anything. I definitely could not name the father. Even though I hated Evex for taking me from Earth and seducing me, I didn't want him to get into trouble. There was a part of me that cared for him; he was the father of the child I was carrying after all.
“Imuna Parker, please have a seat,” Councilor Vilox said as I walked into his office.
“Thank you.”
“I know that you have been through a lot recently. We have found out some information, but I'm sure you know that is why you are here,” he said looking at me.
I nodded yes. There was no use in denying it. That would only make things worse. I just wanted to get it over with. I just wanted to know what was going to happen to me and what would happen to my baby. The longer I waited for him to say it, the more anxiety I felt. It was obvious that he knew everything.
“This information is very upsetting. We are practicing complete confidence with this information, and we expect for you to do the same. Tell no one,” he said.
Again, I just nodded my head yes. There was no point in making this harder on myself.
“Good, so let's get started.”
I took a deep breath, ready to gear my punishment and my fate. This would be my last taste of freedom, sitting here as a free woman.
“We summoned you because we have the full report of your husband’s unfortunate accident.”
I looked at him with wide eyes. Holy crap. I wasn't there because he knew I was pregnant! I was so relieved. I wanted to jump up and down with joy. But I had to restrain myself. I took a deep breath.
“I know this is upsetting for you,” he said pushing a box of tissues my way. I grabbed one and held it to my face. He had no idea the relief that I felt.
“Go on,” I said.
“We found the data recorder from your husband’s ship. It offered us a lot of information that we did not have before. It seems he made an unauthorized stop, but we do not have the coordinates for the stop. But we have the record of the ship stopping and starting, and that leads us to believe that he stopped. Once we had that information, we kept on digging into the data. We then discovered that there was foul play with his instruments and the cargo that he was carrying was stolen,” he said.
“Foul play? So you are saying that my husband was murdered?” I said shocked.
“It is possible, yes. There is something else, Mrs. Parker. This is harder for us to say. Just know that most of the wives do not know this.”
“Know what? Tell me,” I said getting angry. I was already so confused that anyone would want to murder my husband. He was simply a pilot that drove ships that carried goods from one place to another.
Vilox sighed. “Your husband wasn’t just a trade pilot transporting goods. He was a spy for us; an intergalactic spy.”
My mouth fell open. Suddenly it all made sense. The way my husband would give very little information about his trips. He would talk long about the geography and look of a planet, but not the actual trip and mission. He was always quick to change the subject. How could he keep such a secret from me?
“That can’t be…” I whispered. It was the only thing I could say.
“It is true. The cargo that your husband was carrying wasn’t just goods. He carried coins, but they were a decoy. The real cargo was a disc of classified data. We cannot find that data in the wreckage. So it was either destroyed in the explosion, or that was what the stop was for. Someone stopped him to take that data,” he said.
“I can’t believe this. This isn’t right. This can’t be true,” I said to myself.
“I know it is hard to hear. But know that your husband kept this secret from you because he was a loyal soldier. You must know that,” he said.
Tears fell down my cheeks. I felt like I didn’t know my husband at all. He felt like a stranger to me.
“What else? Is that all you have for me?” I asked.
“Yes, that is all we have in our report. If we find out more, then we will let you know,” he said.
“I think that I need to go home. I don’t feel well,” I said feeling like I was going to hyperventilate.
“Yes, of course. Guard!” Vilox said.
“Yes, Councilor?”
“Please see that Mrs. Parker is escorted home to her front door. She has received distressing news and does not feel well.”
“Yes of course. And your meeting has just arrived,” the guard said.
“Now? He is an hour early. Very well, make sure he is escorted into the council chambers,” Vilox said.
“Yes, sir,” the guard said. Then he held his hand out to help me to my feet. I allowed the guard to escort me out of the office and down the hall where he gave another guard the orders to take me home.
I walked with this guard down the hallway; I was trembling. The information that I had just been given was still processing in my mind. I was still trying to understand it all; my husband was a spy. It was too much to handle. One moment I thought that I was going to be put in prison and found out that I was pregnant. Then to find out that my husband had been keeping such a big secret from me. Not only that but that he had possibly been murdered. It was an emotional roller-coaster, and I needed to lie down on my bed in order to understand it all. I had to coerce myself into putting one foot in front of the other as I walk down the hall. Then out of nowhere, I heard a familiar deep voice.
“This way to the chambers…”
“Yes, I am well aware,” the deep voice said.
As we turned the corner, I came face-to-face with Evex. He stood on the other side of the hallway being led by a guard in the opposite direction. I froze staring at him. Was this really happening? Or was it my imagination from all the emotional turmoil that I had just been through? Was this a breakdown?
He stood there for a moment, but then kept walking. He looked at me up and down; the side of his lips curled into a deviant smile.
I felt my escort slightly nudge me on the back and whisper over my ear, “Yes, it is quite a shock to see an Ition this close, isn't it? Just keep going.”
I nodded my head yes and then took slow steps forward, turning my head to look at Evex. His brown eyes looked at me as he continued walking. His blue-black hair moved with every step, as it was swept to the side. He looked taller, bigger than what I had remembered. His stiff gray uniform was pressed tightly against his firm and toned body.
A part of me wanted to run into his arms and hug him. That part of me wanted the instant relief of feeling safe. I wanted to tell him that I was carrying his child and for him to take me away and take care of the child in myself. But the other part of me hated him. I wanted to scream and punch against his chest. It was a battle inside of me, and I couldn't do either thing. All I could do was continue walking. Slowly, I got to the end of the hallway, and he was completely out of sight. His presence had left me breathless; I was in such disbelief that we had just crossed paths. What was he doing on Earth? Did he come here often? He could have been here many times since he got rid of me. How would I know? He was a leader of an Ition clan after all.
When I finally got home and sent the guard away, I had time to process all of it. But all I could do was cry. I started looking around my home for any sign that Sion had been a spy. I couldn't find anything, but then again, I couldn't get into his computer records in his office. Those were sealed by his password and the council had come to do a sweep of our home after his death, I thought they were just looking for anything he may have taken for his pilot duties; now I know the truth.
I went to my room and laid down on my side, curling my knees toward me. I put my hands on my belly, sheltering my child as though trying to shelter it from all the sadness I was feeling. I had confusion in my heart and anger on my mind. I couldn't believe that Sion was a spy and had died because of it. I couldn't believe that Evex was just down the street in the council building. There was too much to go over and process; I couldn't do any of it. I was too exhausted. Before I knew it, I fell asleep; the turbulent emotional day had taken its toll on a woman that was pregnant with an alien child.