Nurse Lobeski, the former Earther cultist, has been left in charge of Vor’taalnis. She glances down at the sleeping infant with an expression of disgust. Why Dr. Wessinger doesn’t just kill the horrid creature, Nurse Lobeski will never understand. The bastard alien, with its vile mixture of both human and alien features, is an affront to everything humans have fought and died for. To think that a human would lie with such beasts? Would betray their own kind to hide so blatant a sin?
Nurse Lobeski’s blood figuratively boils at the prospect of Dr. Boyd having intercourse with any of the ugly creatures she witnessed infiltrating the facility. The lying whore had known the beasts were coming. Why else would she have remained silent? Taking everything they could dish out. Refusing to acknowledge the aliens’ very existence. She had been holding out for a rescue. The lying whore had betrayed her own kind to the enemy.
For the first time in years, Nurse Lobeski regrets leaving her Earther faith. At least the Earthers understood what it meant to be human. What it meant to preserve the true essence of humanity. Mankind does not belong in space. Mankind’s place is among the flora and fauna of the planet from which they originated. Mankind’s place is Earth. Dreaming of other worlds, and wandering amongst the stars is the very reason such abominations are even possible. Mankind should stay where they belong.
Glancing down at Vor’taalnis, Nurse Lobeski hovers her hand over the mask feeding sedation fumes into the infant’s oddly shaped nose and mouth. It would be so easy to stop the infant’s breathing altogether. All it would take, is a simple pinch of the hose.
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The hallway ahead splits into three separate junctions, and Mau-Nis reaches out his hand for the others to stop. N-Vorl steps beside Mau-Nis and gazes at his second-in-command.
“Here?” N-Vorl questions.
“No,” Mau-Nis says quietly. “But just ahead…To the right…Is where the shielding begins. Watch my hand. Use the filter on your visual scanner and you will see what I mean.”
Mau-Nis takes a few steps and enters the hallway to their right. He extends his hand forward. As N-Vorl watches, Mau-Nis’ hand slowly disappears—the further out the command leader sticks his hand. N-Vorl nods his head in acknowledgment.
“Yes. I see what you mean,” N-Vorl says. “P’taal…You will remain at this end of the corridor. There may be other oomans in hiding. Seek them out. Teresa, you will stay close to P’taal. In case—,”
“No!” Teresa exclaims, cutting N-Vorl off. “I told you before…I want to be there when you find my son!”
“And I told you…That if you could not obey my orders…You were to stay behind!” N-Vorl growls angrily. “You agreed that you would remain where I tell you!”
“You said…If there was any real danger!” Teresa reminds him. “There is no danger here. We haven’t seen a single person since we came down to this level. You simply don’t wish me to go. I told you before, N-Vorl! No one will keep me from my son! Not even you!”
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Under his mask, P’taal blanches. Worry fills the warrior’s heart as he imagines the fury coursing through N-Vorl. He is grateful that they are all masked—with the exception of the ooman female. It is a look he would not wish to have turned his way. N-Vorl’s father, N’bril, is well known for his reputation as a fearsome brawler. It was a brawl between N’bril and an elder’s son which ended his own bid to become Clan Elder. Killing the son of an elder, no matter how valid the reason, is never a good idea. From what P’taal has heard and personally observed, N-Vorl’s wrath can be just as volatile.
Taking a step toward Teresa, N-Vorl lowers his face nearly level to hers. Teresa stiffens but doesn’t back down. Air hisses from N-Vorl’s mask as he removes it from his face. Teresa swallows hard as N-Vorl’s eyes narrow and his mandibles flare open.
“You will stay…Right here!” N-Vorl hisses, pointing with a clawed finger toward the metal floor.
“Hell, I will!” Teresa hisses back. “You forget, N-Vorl! We all made an agreement back on the California. We are all equals. No threats. No pulling rank. That’s what we all agreed to. What happened between us…All of this…Your new title…None of that matters. You, me, P’taal, Mau-Nis…We made it out of that ship alive because we worked as a team. We’ve known you since you were Elder Glandis’ little grunt! So stop being such an asshole! It’s not a good look!”
N-Vorl stares at Teresa with an expression of utter disbelief and shock. P’taal looks anywhere but in their direction. However, Mau-Nis absently places a hand at the front of his mask as if stifling a laugh. N-Vorl catches the slight movement and shoots Mau-Nis a harsh glare. Mau-Nis straightens up, but the laughter is still bubbling within him. N-Vorl takes a deep breath and his eyes soften. He offers Teresa a wily smirk.
“From what I understand of oomans…It takes one to know one,” N-Vorl retorts.
“Huh?” Teresa says, her eyes growing wide. “Did you just call me an asshole?”
N-Vorl laughs loudly and turns on his heels. Before he replaces his mask, he hollers back over his right shoulder—in Teresa’s own voice.
“What do you think?”
Teresa seethes silently, watching N-Vorl stalk arrogantly up the hallway. She sucks on her inner jaw, contemplating all of the ways she can get even. Mau-Nis approaches and grips her by the elbow. Teresa stops her scheming long enough to peer up at Mau-Nis. N-Vorl’s second in command nods his head in the direction of their departing leader. With a head nod of her own, Teresa follows Mau-Nis. She looks back once and P’taal raises his hand in acknowledgment. The lone yautja begins his search of the rooms on that end of the corridor.
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Fifteen minutes later
Mau-Nis has since gone off to search elsewhere, leaving N-Vorl and Teresa alone together. N-Vorl has not said a word since his quip moments earlier. It is obvious he is still angry with her. Teresa increases her walking speed in order to match his swift gait.
“N-Vorl wait,” Teresa cries, gripping his right elbow. “N-Vorl…I’m sorry.”
The yautja leader halts and turns slightly in Teresa’s direction. His movements are so swift that Teresa is forced to take two steps backward. N-Vorl once again removes his mask and places it at his back. Gripping Teresa’s shoulders in his strong hands, he pulls her toward him. He kisses her firmly. Withdrawing slowly, he keeps his mouth only inches from hers.
“Do not question me in such a way again,” N-Vorl says. “I did not ask you to stay behind because I am Elder. I asked you to stay behind for your own safety. If the ones who tormented you have hidden themselves down here…Who is to say, they will not attempt to harm you again? Next time, they may simply choose to kill you where you stand. You know too much about what went on here. They cannot afford to let you live. I was only thinking of you.”
Teresa stands on tiptoe and brings their mouths back into contact. N-Vorl drops his hands from Teresa’s shoulders and places them at the small of her back. Tears slide down Teresa’s cheeks and she cups N-Vorl’s face with both hands. The scent of her emotion overwhelms N-Vorl’s senses and he gently removes her hands from his face. Kissing the palms of her hands, N-Vorl peers at Teresa with half-lidded eyes.
“Let’s go get our son!” N-Vorl says with a sneer.