Chapter 4

The transparent walls surrounding her were unnerving. Sylvie knew she was being watched, could even see the faint outline of figures on the other side, but the most she could see was a faint impression. Otherwise she was encased in an opaque world of four walls with only a large cushion in the center of the chamber. The cushion was made of the same seaweed material as the uniforms on the beings who'd imprisoned her.

There was no sign of Fido. No sign of anything, except faint twin burns on the palms of her hands. There was no pain, which she would have expected from such an intense shock. Just the faded outline of raised flesh.

Sylvie's stomach growled. She wasn't sure how long she'd been unconscious, but enough time had passed for hunger to become a serious issue. That and the need to find a bathroom.

Without warning, a tear appeared in the side of one of the walls. Sylvie blinked as light streamed into the room, threatening to blind her. A shadow materialized as one of the beings entering the chamber.

The being was similar to the others who'd confronted her on the rock island. Its skin was light green, its eyes black, and its head was covered with tendrils that were a very deep blue. It wore a different uniform from the others, although made of the same material. It featured several braids that climbed up the figure's chest and back to join in a collar that circled the figure’s neck.

"Accompany me."

Sylvie stared. "You... you speak English?"

The being stared back but did not answer. A sly smirk crept across its face, and damn if she didn’t giggle. She wasn’t the type of woman to giggle – ever. Shock was starting to take hold of her sense of reason. Too much, too fast.

Grabbing her arm, it spun her around. He spun her around. Although she hadn't done a thorough scientific investigation, her instincts were telling her that the brute was male. He pulled both arms behind her back, then bound them.

She started to sputter in indignation as he clasped a collar around her neck. He connected it to bindings around her wrists so that when she tried to pull her arms apart, it tightened on her throat, cutting off her airway.

Sylvie had always considered herself to be completely rational, not prone to flights of fancy, and never hysterical. Yet as she considered the ridiculousness of her current situation, hysteria seemed right around the corner.

Trapped on a distant planet, her only way home at the bottom of an alien sea. Taken prisoner by beings with electrical current running through their skin, who at any moment could send a million volts through her. Beings that somehow spoke English.

Sylvie was pulled through hallways, struggling to keep up with the wide strides of her warden. She tried to take in her surroundings, but they blurred past so quickly she could make out very little besides long, curved hallways that reminded her of the inside of a seashell.

There were too many turns to count, and when her limited strength gave out, her captor dragged her along the smooth floors. He yanked her outside of an opaque door that resembled the walls of her cell.

The being put a fingertip to the surface of the door and it let out a tiny spark. The opaque surface trembled, flashing blue then returning to a smoky white.

"Enter."

A thin line appeared and her captor used his hand to widen the opening. He stepped through, pulling Sylvie after him.

The chamber was similar to the hallways; sleek, with a finish that was like cream swirled with caramel. Like her customary morning latte.

Her stomach growled again, and she couldn't help but let out another giggle.

What the hell is wrong with me?

The being pulled her in front of him, then forced her to her knees with one large hand pressed against her shoulder. He pulled on the binding behind her back, forcing her head up.

The figure before her was taller and more muscular than the one who'd dragged her in. His skin was a deep maroon color, and his dark hair had a slight wave. It fell just beneath his well-developed shoulders. He was staring at a display that rose out of what looked like a natural formation of coral to the height of his chest. Sylvie watched as he batted the display away and it disappeared, the coral going dark.

"This is the creature?" he asked.

"Yes, Minister. This is the organic one. The inorganic one is already being dissembled in our labs."

Inorganic one? Fido!

"Hey!" Sylvie yelled, trying to turn around to confront the alien behind her. "Don't take him apart. He saved my life!"

Her captor pulled hard on her bindings and she slipped, her chest hitting the floor and knocking the air from her lungs.

"It certainly has spirit," the one referred to as 'Minister' said. He knelt before her, lifting her face to peer at her. "Explain what you did to our defense shield."

"Defense shield?" The air was suddenly so hard to breathe. It was as if she were a mile into the sky where the air is thin and dry. Maybe the atmosphere of this planet was--

"Answer me!" The Minister pulled hard on her collar, yanking her back to her knees. "What did you do to our defense shield? Who sent you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. I don't even know how you're speaking my language!"

The Minister growled and let go of her collar. "How stupid does this creature think we are?"

The being behind her spoke up. "It's from Earth. They're the stupid ones."

Sylvie bit back the urge to protest.

"Their species barely developed faster-than-light travel two cycles ago. Even the most basic translation matrix is beyond them."

"Then how did that tiny craft it came in take down our entire planetary defense shield?"

"Unknown, Minister. It may have been accidental."

The Minister bent to her level again, grabbed her chin, and turned Sylvie's face to and fro. "It's an intriguing creature. But if it doesn't know what happened, then I have no use for it."

He released his hold and stood up, once again activating the display. "Get it out of here."

Her captor grabbed hold of the bindings and lifted Sylvie to her feet. "Permission to perform tests to determine if something in its composition could have affected the shielding?"

The Minister gave a curt nod. "Granted."

"Tests? Wait--" But it was too late. She was already being dragged out through the opaque doorway and back into the hall.

"Let's be reasonable. You can ask me anything. You don't need to do any tests on me."

Her captor ignored her, but she noticed his color shift, going from mint green to something lighter, with a faintly pinkish cast.

Two aliens moved toward them as they stopped, her captor holding up his hand, palm open, in salute. The others returned the gesture just the same.

"What have you got there?" one of them asked.

"An Earthling."

"Is that thing responsible for the shield failure?"

"Yes, and the Minister's gone maroon over it."

The trio talked for a minute more, her captor releasing her binding in order to mimic the Minister's demeanor as part of the conversation. She didn't waste a second before bolting.

"Stop!" her captor shouted, but she ignored him completely.

It was difficult to keep her footing on the slick floors, and as she rounded a corner she slid, losing her balance. Just before she hit the floor, a pair of strong arms grabbed her.

Sylvie's head shot up, eyes wide. The arms lifted her until her face was level with the being who'd caught her.

His eyes were black as midnight, a golden rim encircling them that glowed. A strong nose led to plump lips that verged on feminine. His lips seemed to be the only soft thing about him. She shivered in response to his closeness, awareness of his masculinity causing her to shrink back.

"What have we got here?" he asked, his voice like steel-covered silk.

"Please, let me go." Sylvie started to flail, her dangling feet kicking at the creature's shins. He made a noise that sounded like laughter.

"I'm sorry, Supreme One!" her captor yelled as he jogged up. The other two beings followed closely behind him. "It slipped away. Won't happen again."

"An Earthling," the Supreme One said, his lips twisting up into a half smile. "A female. In the flesh."

"Yes, Sire. I was just taking her back to the labs."

A dark eyebrow quirked over his fathomless black eyes. "On whose orders?"

"The Minister of Defense."

Sylvie watched as his face tightened. "So this is what my brother has been keeping from me."

He set her down, releasing his hold. Chill bumps broke out along her arms, his touch having caused her to react in the oddest of ways.

Her warden grabbed her bindings and started pulling her down the hallway. "Apologies again, Sire."

Panic rose in her stomach as the distance between them grew. There was something about this one, something that said he might take pity on her.

"Wait! Please!" But the alien turned his back and strode off down the hallway in the opposite direction.