Elena

The vehicles pull into the same garage that Bane and I were at only a day before. I’m worried about what they’re going to do with me and my heart feels like it has been squashed and stomped on since Bane betrayed me and handed me over to the ones he said he would protect me from. But since I can’t control any of that, I try to focus on the positive. For now the only positive that I can think of is that I might be able to see what they have behind the locked doors. If I can figure out how to get out of here, my story will be much more complete.

“This way,” Commissioner Daniels says with his hand extended to show me the way. It’s one thing to be in this facility with the Suthune, and the sole subject of their science experimentation. Adding Daniels into the mix adds an extra level of anxiety. He has always been handsy with me and crossed the line when it comes to respecting my personal space. I don’t like the fact that he’s here now when I don’t know what his intentions are. For just a second, I wish Bane was here. And then I remember that I can’t rely on him and it hurts all over again.

I walk directly to the tunnel entrance and begin the descent without hesitation. It isn’t really that scary since I’ve already done it once. Ambassador Chualhi leads the way, determination etched on his face and in the way he walks through the corridor like he’s on a mission. The guards are still with us, walking closely behind me. I’m not sure where they think I’m going to go at this point but they must consider me to be a flight risk or a security threat.

We walk into the lower level lab that looks the same as it did when I saw it yesterday. “This is where our original operation took place,” Chualhi says. I assume he’s talking to me but he doesn’t make eye contact, instead he talks out to the room, like he’s giving a speech to a crowd. “It worked well initially…and it made me a lot of money.” He makes a strange chuckling sound that almost passes for a laugh. “But the first children that we created in these labs are about eight years old now and we are finding that there are some unforeseen health complications that are appearing. Not all of the children are getting sick in the same way, but it’s safe to say there was a glitch in their immune systems. Word spread quickly and we needed to find another solution to the problem.”

He walks to the door that was locked when Bane and I were here, presses his hand against the panel and the doors slide open. My breathing picks up as I walk through the doors into the next room. I don’t know what I expect to find in here but my imagination is running wild. I half expect to see Frankenstein babies coming to life on the tables. The reality is much more reassuring. This area supports a full lab in the center with multiple rooms around the outside. All of the rooms are equipped with large windows so even though there are doors, there is no real privacy, only the illusion of it.

“It turns out you are an unexpected solution to our problem.” He turns around and looks at me again with his strange smile. It doesn’t sit right on his face and it makes me think about the movies I have watched over the years where an alien inhabits someone else’s body. It’s creepy and even though it isn’t cold in here, I shiver. “To be fair, your government came to us initially. Your planet has used up the natural resources you all need to survive. Kosmora is compatible in so many ways…apparently including its people. We figured if the makeup of our planets are so similar, it’s possible our people are similar enough that your females would be able to provide much needed surrogate services to help our species continue for many more generations. You are just the proof we needed to know if this plan would work or not.”

“So what are you planning to do with me?” I ask.

He shrugs. “Do some tests, observe your pregnancy to see what problems might occur along the way. And also find out if you are capable of bringing this baby to term.”

“So…you want me to stay here for months, so you can observe me.”

“That’s right. And run some tests.” He clasps his hands in front of him, standing next to a table with sophisticated looking science equipment. “Nothing to worry about,” he adds.

I guess I should be thankful that I became pregnant and could serve a purpose. Otherwise he would have found a way to silence me. I should be thankful, and I guess I am for the time being, but the whole situation is still creepy and unsettling.

“I will leave you here with Dr. Novai while I go to bid farewell to your Ambassador. He is leaving shortly to return to Earth.”

Chualhi turns to leave but Daniels lingers in the room. “You’re not leaving with the Ambassador?” I ask him. Out of everything that has happened today, if he told me he was leaving, I’d consider that my second win for the day. The first win being that I’m not going to die.

“No. I’m remaining at the Embassy for now, overseeing the trade agreement in the treaty. I’ll be checking in with you to see how things are going.”

“Don’t bother,” I say under my breath.

“Commissioner,” Chualhi says from outside the door.

Daniels turns and leaves the room, followed by the guards, leaving me alone in the room with Dr. Novai. It’s strangely empty once the men leave but then the doctor presses a button on the wall and moments later more scientists join us.

“I don’t think we need these anymore, do we Elena?” Dr. Novai points at the restraints on my wrist.

“No,” I say simply, extending my arms so she can remove them. Instead, she sits down at a table and starts typing something into the computer.

“Remove the restraints,” she says to one of the assistants.

Another female walks over to me and removes the restraints. They’re all wearing the same simple outfit, white pants and shirts that make them look very sterile and clean.

“We are going to run some basic tests to confirm your pregnancy and take a look at things,” Dr. Novai says. I’m still standing in the same place where I was when the men left and the assistants came in. I’m not sure what to do with myself. While I’m stuck in place, Dr. Novai continues to do something at the work station. Moments later, a large structure begins to rise out of the floor. From the looks of it, it reminds me of a coffin except the outside is clear plastic or glass.

One of the assistants walks over to me holding what looks to be a gown of some sort. “Put this on, please,” she says. She doesn’t make any offer of letting me go somewhere with a little privacy, so I drop my clothes where I’m standing and put on the gown. Unlike the ones we use on Earth, the back is closed. Then she motions for me to move toward the tube that just rose out of the ground.

“Let’s go, we don’t have all day,” Dr. Novai says.

“What am I doing exactly?” I ask.

The top of the device opens, reminding me of the old fashioned tanning beds that people used to use on Earth. “Lie down, we’re going to run some scans.”

“Oh, okay.” Hesitantly, I step up to the scanner. I don’t particularly want to be enclosed in this tube but it looks like I don’t have much choice. Until I can think of a better plan, I’m going to have to go along with their demands.

I hoist myself up so I’m sitting inside with my legs dangling over the edge. “Lie all the way down,” Dr. Novai says.

I take a deep breath and swing my legs inside before lying down flat. Moments later the lid begins to shut, closing me inside. I try to lie very still and think about my breathing so I don’t start freaking out at the sense of claustrophobia that overcomes me. Before I can think about it too much, the tube powers on, small lights illuminate along the outside with a belt across the top of the inside that starts to move, almost like how a printer works, except it starts scanning the length of my body.

“Keep very still,” Dr. Novai says. There must be speakers inside the tube because her voice comes in clearly up by my head.

I do what she says.

“Now you are going to feel an injection.” By the time her words sink in, there’s a sharp stinging sensation in my thigh. “Blood draws,” she says before I have time to recover. I watch as a needle comes down from the top and inserts itself into my arm. I close my eyes and try not to look. It always seemed to help when I was a little girl and I had to get my shots at the doctor’s office. “A few more samples and then we’re finished for now.”

Instead of relaxing that it’s almost over, I tense when I feel more pokes from the needles. It would be nice to know where I’m going to be poked. Right now I’m incredibly tense just waiting to see where I’m going to feel it next.

Eventually the top of the tube opens and I finally feel like I can really breathe again. One of the assistants walks over and helps me out. “I’m going to look over what we have for now. You get some rest. I’ll let you know when I need you again.”

With that, the doctor turns back to the screens and what must be all of the scans and images. The assistant leads me to one of the rooms where I finally have a chance to lay down by myself. It’s my intention to start planning how I’m going to get out of here but instead, my eyelids grow heavy. I let myself drift off, all the while trying to keep the events of the day out of my head.