Chapter 11

Sylvie's eyes fly open as the saw buzzed far too close to her. When the scientist had activated the laser, she'd assumed he'd use it to open her up. Not so. He stood above her holding a circular bone saw with a smile on his lavender face that didn’t quite look wholesome.

"Hold still," he muttered, his eyes dragging down the length of her body.

She shivered in terror and disgust as the saw inched closer. The room started to sway though she lay still on the cold metal, the air suddenly so damn hard to breathe.

The edge of the blade made contact with her flight suit, the saw cutting through the thick fabric with ease.

The scientist giggled. Sylvie stared up at him, wide-eyed. He was enjoying this.

The saw moved down her body, cutting a long slit in her flight suit. She held as still as possible until the horrible grinding of the saw cut off. Crying seemed appropriate, but some part of her was numb to what was happening.

The alien was breathing heavily and began to tug her flight suit off of her.

"You could have used the zipper," she snapped, gaining bravado at the dumbest of times.

His face tightened for a moment, then the smug smile returned. He walked down the length of her, dragging his fingers down her flesh, chuckling again.

Closing her eyes, she tried hard to not let herself fall apart. She should beg and plead, but something was quite off with this one. Dying with dignity wasn’t going to be part of the deal. That, nor clothes.

He lifted the saw once again and flipped it on.

The bravado that had led to the zipper comment deserted her as the saw moved closer, the sound of it promising horrific pain. It seemed hungry for a victim, for her.

"Please." Her voice sounded small to her own ears, the desperation stinging the staunch academic inside of her. "Please don't hurt me."

The alien licked his lips as the saw crept closer to her chest.

Sylvie closed her eyes, desperately seeking serenity but finding nothing but panic.

She could feel the wind of the blade against her skin as it cut through the center of her bra.

"Please!"

“Stop. Now.” The sound of a familiar voice yelling above the buzz of the saw caught her attention and dragged her from the depths of her terror.

Sylvie's eyes flashed open to see that a hand had grabbed the saw, a hand that was currently disabling the device and pulling it away. A hand that had gone bright yellow.

The saw discarded, the hand flew upward, becoming a fist that smashed into the scientist's nose.

"You sick bastard," a voice said, and Sylvie's heart thrilled in her chest. X.

"You were getting off on this." X reached down and grabbed the scientist by the neck, pulling him back to his feet. "Dissecting the helpless Earthling female. I'll have you bound to the Outer Reef and let the gnarsharks have their way with you."

"Wait! Supreme One! I can explain!" The scientist was blubbering, dark green blood leaking out of both nostrils. "The dissection was authorized. I was just doing my job!"

"So you usually become sexually aroused when performing your scientific duties?"

X was in a deep rage. His skin was so bright a yellow it was almost neon. And yet, within the yellow, she thought she saw faint hints of red, small traces scattered here and there. Odd.

"I'm... I'm not aroused!"

X laughed in the scientist's face, then threw him to the ground. "You lie to your Supreme Regent? I saw what color you were when I walked in the door. You disgust me."

So purple is arousal.

The alien scientist had been turned on, anticipating slicing her open. Her mouth filled with bile and she turned her head as far as she could, wanting to throw up but not choke on her own vomit.

Not far enough. Sylvie started to struggle, unable to swallow, unable to spit.

X came to her aid, ripping open the restraints and helping to tilt her away from the table.

Sylvie rolled over, hanging her head off the table and letting loose. She heaved and heaved, emptying her stomach of the earlier meal. Her muscles refusing to relax, her body convulsing hard again and again. She'd been through too much, was too exhausted, too emotionally drained.

A strong hand brushed back her hair, before rubbing her gently on the neck.

"Dr. Cohen, are you all right?" His voice was soft, warm.

The muscles of her abdomen relaxed as her heart contracted painfully in her chest. How close had she come to dying? She needed to get the hell out of there.

"No," she said when she was able to speak again. "I'm definitely not all right."

More footsteps. More people to take in her nudity and the remains of her lunch.

"Put him in a cell, under guard’s watch," X ordered, his voice commanding.

The sick bastard of a scientist, whose skin had now flushed crimson, was taken away by the guards. She wiped at her mouth with a shaking hand, her body still in fight or flight mode, adrenalin riding her hard.

A blanket was thrown over her shoulders, and then she was in X's arms, being carried out of the examination room. She glanced toward the three aliens who'd been stationed outside of the room, working on consoles when she'd entered, confused looks on their faces.

One stepped forward, his skin flushing maroon. "Supreme One, I'm unsure why you stopped the dissection. It was sanctioned by the Minister of Defense."

X stopped and turned slowly on his heel. "And what did you think to find that wouldn't have been revealed on our scans?"

"We had to be sure," the maroon one, probably the senior scientist, said.

"I agree. And we will be. But not like this." With those words, X carried her out of the laboratory.

Sylvie watched the hallway slide by until they came to a stop under a cream and boysenberry-swirled ceiling. A familiar ceiling.

X set her down gently on the same piece of furniture as before. A waterbed of sorts. Soft padding that gently waved beneath her, soothing her.

She closed her eyes and let out a long, shaky breath. Strong fingers grazed her chin and she reached out, wrapping her hand around his wrist, holding him in place. She couldn’t help but open her eyes, wanting to feel nearness to someone who was able and willing to protect her.

His dark eyes bore into her, the glowing ring that surrounded the black pupils seemingly expanded. "Are you hurt?"

"Yes," she said after a moment.

He scowled, his skin shifting from yellow to blue and back again. The quickness of the change made her lightheaded.

"Not physically," she said, releasing him and clasping her fingers over her stomach. "He didn't harm my body. But emotionally... I'm not sure I'll ever be the same after that."

X opened his mouth to speak, then closed it without a word. He stroked her hair back and took hold of her hand.

"You're still shaking." He moved away from the bed, returning with a small vial in his hand, kindness on his handsome face. "Open your mouth."

Sylvie was too weak to argue, so she simply beckoned to his request.

"This will help calm you down." A couple of drops hit her tongue, and he pushed gently on her chin to close her mouth. "You should rest now."

Sylvie let the heaviness overtake her as the trembling began to lessen. The darkness beckoned her come and she obeyed.