The Encounter
I had thought it was going to be another routine day at work, or as routine as working in Area 51 can get. Everything was routine, right down to my usual pastrami on rye, until I went to my mailbox after lunch. There was a memo in my mailbox transferring me to look over subject 33. It was understandable, since the researcher who was previously looking over it had a mental breakdown not too long ago, most likely work related.
I heard so many horror stories about subject 33, so it goes without saying I was a little nervous, to say the least. I made my way to room 385 and stepped inside. I put on my hazmat suit, just to be safe, considering I had never seen subject 33 in person, or even knew what it looked like. I opened the door and stepped inside, locking the door behind me.
A slender woman was laid out in front of me, strapped down to the medical examiner's table. Aside from her long, centipede-like tail, the only thing that would be a sign she's not human is that her hair is naturally electric-blue.
"I haven't seen you before. I guess the other guy finally cracked." she said with a grin.
I kept quiet, walking towards her. Wheeling a rack of medical supplied behind me, I stood next to her. She smiled at me coyly, rubbing my leg with the back of her hand, but I paid no attention. Stethoscope in hand, I began checking her breathing. As I turned to grab a throat swab, she pinched the back of my leg. I jumped in surprise, letting out a small gasp.
"Well, you're not a robot. I guess that means you're either always this quiet, or more likely, you're scared of me." she said with a smile.
I looked at her nervously, unsure how to respond.
"Don't worry, I won't hurt you. Well, not unless you give me a reason to." she said calmly.
"Well, at least you speak English." I replied.
"I've always been fascinated by linguistics, so it's really no surprise I learned your language already. E tu?" she said with a smirk.
"I've never been good with languages." I said with a sigh as I turned towards her again.
"What a shame..." she replied.
"Okay, open wide." I said, leaning over her.
"Why, so you can shove that down my throat? I don't think so." she snapped.
"Listen, the sooner I get this done, the sooner I can undo those straps for the physical exam." I replied.
"Fine..." she sighed as she reluctantly opened her mouth.
"I'll be quick, promise." I said, sticking the swab down her throat to collect a sample.
She started to squirm as her gag reflex kicked in. I quickly pulled the swab out of her mouth, having what I needed.
"That wasn't too bad, right?" I said reassuringly.
"You're right, you were quick." she replied with a cough.
"Want some water to get rid of the irritation?" I asked, grabbing a plastic cup from the cabinet.
"I'll be alright, thanks." she replied with a smile, starting to relax.
"One last thing before I unstrap you. I just need to take a little blood." I said, grabbing a needle and some antiseptic.
Her eyes shot open as she started to panic.
"You'll just feel a little pinch, no need to get worked up over this." I said softly, trying to calm her down.
"That's what they always say, but it's never true!" she screamed.
"Okay, calm down and let me have a look." I said, putting down the needle.
As I looked over her arm, I noticed tiny marks all over her body, marks that could only left behind by a needle. I started to wonder what the hell the previous examiner had been doing to her.
"I think I'm starting to understand why you're so freaked out over this, but I still need to draw a little blood. I'll only be a second though." I replied, hoping to ease her fears.
It was no use, she started convulsing before I even applied the antiseptic to her arm, trying to break free of her restraints. She started screaming at me in an alien tongue, though I had a pretty good idea what it meant, and it wasn't anything good. I held her arm down and quickly slipped the needle under her skin. I watched her blue blood fill up the vial, and then slid the needle right back out. She looked at me in surprise as I bandaged up her arm and put the needle away.
"You're only going to stab me with that thing once?" she asked cautiously.
"Of course. The only reason I'd have to stick you more than once is if I miss the vein." I replied with a smile.
She looked at me, extremely relieved. I undid her restraints, motioning for her to sit up. I tested her reflexes, all of which seemed normal for human standards. I started feeling her neck, checking her thyroid glands, and working my way down to her waist, feeling for any odd growths. As she started to giggle and squirm, I tried to reposition my hands as not to tickle her so much. I straightened her shoulders and looked at her from behind, checking for any signs of scoliosis.
"So, what's your name?" she asked.
"Johnathan, and you?" I replied, laying her back down.
She said something I couldn't even hope to understand, nor repeat.
"Right, you don't have the vocal capabilities I do. Hmm, I guess you could just call me..."
She thought for a moment, trying to think of a fitting name for herself.
"I guess you could call me Asteria, it sounds fitting enough." she finally decided.
"Well Asteria, I'm almost done with your exam. I just need one more sample." I said, grabbing a long swab off the shelf.
"What's that one for?" she asked curiously.
"You're anatomically similar to humans, so does that also apply to your reproductive system as well?" I asked, walking towards the end of the table.
"Y-yes, why do you ask?" she replied, instinctively tightening her legs.
"Well, I'm going to need a sample." I sighed.
Starting to blush, Asteria suddenly was very concerned with the fact she was naked.
"It's strictly professional. I'll only be a minute." I said, wondering what was going on in her head.
"What if you're lying... what if... let me see your face." she said, starting to panic.
I took off my gas mask and looked her in the eyes. She started to calm down, but still refused to cooperate.
"Listen, I'm not going to hurt you. What's it going to take to let me get a quick sample?" I asked, sitting down at her feet.
"Let me do it myself, please..." she muttered.
"Well, as long as you know what you're doing that's fine by me." I said, handing her the swab.
I turned around as she went about her business. After a minute or so, she placed the swab in my hand, and I returned it to the shelf next to me. I turned to face her again to find her smiling at me, sitting up on the table.
"I'm all done. Is there anything you need before I go?" I asked.
She patted the table next to her, motioning for me to sit down. I took a seat next to her, looking into her eyes.
"I just wanted to thank you..." she began, gently hugging my back with her tail.
"What for? I was just doing my job." I replied with a smile.
"But you care about my feelings, not like those other scientists who just treat me like another test subject." she replied.
"I've always thought I'm too personal for this job." I said with a laugh.
"We'll, here's a little something to say thank you." she said, leaning in and kissing me on the cheek.
I stared at her for a moment, a bit dumbfounded. I made a few notes in my pad about the abnormalities I had noticed, smiling to her as I left the room. I walked down to the cafe and grabbed a turkey melt for dinner. I took a seat at an empty table and started to eat my sandwich. Another scientist came and sat across from me. I had met him once in passing, but never really got to know the guy.
"Hey John. I heard the news." he said.
"What news?" I asked.
"About your transfer. So, how bad was it? 33 must have been hell for you." he replied.
"Not really, she was actually pretty fun to be around." I replied.
"That's a good one, but really, how bad."
"I wasn't kidding, she's the best subject I've been assigned to ever since I started working here." I said, now starting to get a bit agitated.
"Ok, so why's the last guy who had her going through a mental breakdown?" he asked, like I would know.
"How the hell should I know, maybe he did something to deserve it." I snapped, getting up from the table and walking out. I didn't even bother finishing my dinner. The conversation made me lose my appetite anyway. I went back to my room and looked over my notes one last time, trying to piece together some of the abnormalities of Asteria's checkup. The clock ticked away, and before I knew it, I was still wide awake at 4 in the morning. I got out of bed, unable to sleep, and decided to do a little more research. I walked down to room 385 and quietly opened the door. Asteria was curled up in a ball in the corner of the room, her tail arched over her head. She slowly opened her eyes, looking up at me.
"Oh, Johnathan, didn't expect you this late." she said sleepily.
"Yea, can't sleep so I thought I'd pay you a visit. Sorry if I woke you." I replied.
"It's no problem really, I usually wake up pretty early anyway." she said, shuffling over to me.
She lowered her tail and took a seat on the examination table. I sat up next to her, taking out my note pad.
"So, what tests do you need to do this time?" she asked.
"No tests tonight, just thought we could have a nice chat, get to know each other a little better." I replied.
"Okay, that sounds great." she said with a smile.
"So, you sleep in a ball like that?" I asked, more out of curiosity than scientific study.
"Yea, I use my tail to defend myself if I have to." she replied.
"So you can sense danger while you're asleep?"
"It's kind of a seventh sense." she sighed.
"You mean sixth..." I began.
"I keep forgetting you humans only have five senses, sorry. My kind can sense radioactivity with our tails. It was an essential trait on our home planet." she said with a smile.
"While we're on the topic, how did you get here, on Earth I mean?"
"Well, my home planet has been slowly breaking down into uninhabitable radioactive matter for some time now, so I was sent to find a new home. I accidentally stumbled upon this planet on my way to what you call Mars, and decided to have a look. Shortly after my landing, some uniformed humans escorted me here, saying we would conduct negotiations for future settlement, but that never happened." she replied, a sullen look on her face.
"And how long ago was that?" I asked.
"Two years, by your conventions of time. For our planet it would have been another two or three centuries..." she said, holding back her tears.
"So your planet would be long gone by now..." I thought out loud.
She gave me a tear filled nod, starting to cry.
"I'm the only one left." she said, trembling.
It was obvious she hadn't thought about the topic for some time, as she desperately clung to me as she sobbed. I held her in my arms, still not sure why at this point. I didn't have feelings for her, but it just felt that it was something that needed to be done. I guess I felt sorry for her at the time, there's no other reason I can think of why I would do that.
As I held her, I noticed scratch marks on her back I must have missed during her exam, seeing as they didn't look recent. I took note of the scratches as she started to calm down.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up such an unsettling topic." I said, rubbing her back.
"It's okay, I needed a good cry anyway. To be honest, I had lost the will to live until I met you." she said with a smile.
I was stunned. Now I was even more determined to find out just what had been going on with her, and investigate her previous examiner. Something was definitely amiss, and confronting her directly with questions would only bring her more hardship. I knew I had to be more discrete.
"I'm glad I made such a difference for you, Asteria." I said, turning to her.
She had already dozed off to sleep, her head resting on my shoulder as she smiled. I picked her up and carried her over to the corner. I sat her down, letting her sleep in a more natural position, for her anyway. I wandered back to my own room and finally got some sleep myself.
I awoke the next morning and walked over to the lab. I picked up the completed test on the throat culture and blood sample. Nothing in the samples seemed extremely out of place, and what did could easily be attributed to her not being human. I walked down to room 385, results in hand. Rather than putting on the hazmat suit, I simply wore my lab coat and white slacks. Asteria greeted me with a smile as she sat down on the table.
"Good morning!" I said, having a seat next to her.
"Are those the results?" she asked, eying the papers in my hand.
"Some of them. I'm still waiting on one or two. I need to take a few more samples today too." I replied, putting the papers down.
"So, how did I do?" she asked.
"Everything looks fine so far, well, considering our differences." I said with a grin.
I grabbed a plastic cup from the shelf, as well as a few swabs.
"Does your tail make any secretions?" I asked, grabbing a swab.
"Nope." she replied.
"Okay then, open wide." I said.
She gave me a pout, shutting her mouth tight.
"I'm not going to let you stick that thing down my throat." she mumbled, refusing to open her mouth even to speak.
"I just need to rub the inside of your cheek with it. I got the throat culture yesterday." I sighed.
With that, she gladly opened up and let me get her sample. I put the swab on the shelf and handed her the plastic cup.
"I can come back to pick this one up, but sometime today I'll need a urine sample. Okay, next I'll need..."
My voice trailed off as I noticed blood dripping from the edge of the table between her legs. It wasn't in an excessive quantity, but it was noticeable enough.
"Do you go through any kind of menstrual cycle?" I asked, taking a quick sample of the blood.
"A what cycle?" she asked, confused.
"Does your body expel blood in a regular cycle when you're not bearing children?" I clarified.
"No, that happens with the birthing process, why?"
"Well, in case you haven't noticed, you're bleeding." I replied, pointing to the blood on the table.
"Dammit, not again. I swear this only started happening a recently." she replied, grabbing a paper towel off the shelf to wipe up the blood.
"How recently?" I asked.
"Only a few days ago." she sighed.
"Can I have a look?" I asked.
She shyly refused, stabbing her tail between her legs.
"That's fine, the blood should tell me a lot as is. Just need to run a few more tests and I'll be out of your way." I said, grabbing some equipment.
I checked her eyes, having her follow the light and all the other usual tests. Everything looked normal. I proceeded to check her ears and test her hearing, only to find she could hear a much wider spectrum of pitches and tones than humans.
"All done. I'll be back later to pick up that urine sample." I said, walking towards the door.
"I can give it to you now if you want." she said, standing up.
"I'd rather you wait till the bleeding stops before you take the sample." I replied.
"I'll see you later then." she said with a smile.
"I look forward to it." I replied cheerfully.
I brought the new samples down to the lab and picked up the results from the last test. Looking it over, there was a note attached saying the sample was contaminated with blood, and a new sample would be needed. I put the results aside and started to think, wondering what had happened to Asteria. I looked in her main file to find more about her previous test results.
Everything looked normal as I flipped through. Her previous examiner, Dr. Jonas T. Harvy, seemed very thorough. As I reached the end of the file, I noticed about a weeks worth of data was missing. The dates were from just last week. I wish I could have had a word with Dr. Harvy, but he was currently having a mental breakdown. I walked down to the lab again and dropped the file on the receptionist's desk.
"I was hoping you could help me with something. Can you tell me why there's a weeks worth of data missing from this file?" I asked politely, trying not to sound accusatory.
She looked through the massive drawers of files behind her, checking the lab records. She turned around and looked over the file again, then went back to the drawers.
"That's odd, it looks like no samples were brought in for that week. I'm surprised, since Dr. Harvy is usually overly punctual with his test results. He always brought them in at five o'clock on the dot." the receptionist replied.
I walked out of the lab, deciding to pay Dr. Harvy a visit, despite his current mental state. I walked down to the psyche ward. Apparently Dr. Harvy had calmed down quite a bit, but was still a bit out of it. He was an older gentleman, in his late fifties. I sat down across from him, smiling as I looked at him.
"Dr. Harvy? I'm Johnathan Yale. I took over the examination of subject 33." I said slowly, looking him in the eyes.
He gave me a soft smile as he shook my hand.
"Such a sweet girl. Treating her well?" he asked, his eye twitching slightly.
"Yes, she's a pleasure to work with. I have a few questions, if you don't mind."
"Go right ahead." he replied.
"There's a week worth of data missing from her record, from last week. The receptionist in the lab said you never brought in any samples."
"I couldn't have, I was sick in bed with the flu. I had my assistant take over all my work for me, though I think that might have been a mistake." he replied.
I had a bad feeling about what he was about to say, but I had to know more.
"What do you mean by that?" I asked.
"Well, he could get a bit, how should I put this, obsessive when it came to his work. It's something I always hated about him, but in his defense, he is an amazing scientist. I'm not too sure why he didn't do the tests though, since he is a workaholic..." Harvy sighed.
"So subject 33 isn't what caused your mental breakdown?" I asked.
"Oh hell, is that what everyone believes? I started hallucinating, that's what caused it. I never had a problem like this before, and it seems to be weakening now. Could have been some kind of food poisoning." he replied.
"Sounds more like someone drugged you." I muttered to myself.
"That's also a definite possibility." he said with a sigh.
I handed him the notes I had made thus far on the abnormalities in Asteria's condition. He looked them over, his expression obviously troubled.
"Her species doesn't go through menstruation. Why would she be bleeding?" He thought out loud.
"I was thinking the same thing, sir. She said it only started a few days ago." I replied.
"Around the same time I started having my hallucinations." Harvy groaned.
"Who is your assistant?" I asked.
"Jay Polk. His assignments have been shuffled around since I've been admitted here. He's a hard man to get a hold of though. When he's not working, he just locks himself in his office and never comes out." Harvy replied.
"I'll have a word with him. Thanks for your help." I said, shaking his hand as I rose to my feet.
"Just take good care of her for me. You look like a man I can trust with that much at least." he replied with a smile.
"I will. I promise." I said, looking him in the eyes.
I turned and left, my mind filled with even more questions than before. Now I not only had the problem of figuring out what happened to Asteria, but also finding the real story behind Dr. Harvy's breakdown. I stopped by Polk's office and knocked on the door. There was no answer. I knocked again, and again, but there was no reply.
"I guess he's not in." I sighed, walking back to room 385.
I opened the door and sat down on the table next to Asteria.
"You look sad, what's wrong?" she asked.
"Just really confused. I was hoping you could give me a hand." I replied.
"Okay, I'll try." she said with a smile.
"Who came to take your tests before I was transferred to you?" I asked.
"Oh, that would be Jonas. He was an older man, but he was so kind to me." she replied.
"Okay, so what about last week?" I continued.
"He changed. He never took off his mask, and stopped speaking to me. He also walked a little differently. Instead of testing at one time every day like clockwork, like he usually did, he came in the early morning and did tests all day. He didn't stop until late at night. I don't understand, he used to be such a kind..."
"Dr. Harvy was sick with the flu last week. He told me himself. The person you saw must have been his assistant, Dr. Polk. What I don't get is why Polk would want to impersonate Harvy..." I sighed.
Asteria's eyes welled up with tears, thinking back on all she had been through. She suddenly, dove into my arms, bawling.
"It's all over now, it'll be alright..." I said calmly, rubbing her head as I held her in my arms.
Polk seemed to be in the center of everything, and he's the only one who seems to have vanished into thin air. How convenient. I looked Asteria in the eyes, my gut torn up inside from sorrow. I felt so bad for her, and still had no idea what really happened. There only seemed to be one other lead, and I just had to try again and see if she would cooperate.
"I have to investigate that bleeding you had earlier today. It's the only thing that I have to go on in figuring this all out. It could be a sign of an even bigger problem, something we need to catch before it gets worse." I said, more referring to Polk, or whoever was responsible.
She gave me a nod as she lied down on the table. I grabbed some tools and took a quick look inside her. She had some mild internal bleeding, and a great deal of bruising. I wracked my brain for any human diseases that could cause symptoms like that, and took a blood sample just to be safe. I thought maybe she caused it when she took that sample herself the other day, but it started before that so it must have been something else. I looked over my notes and made a list of the abnormalities, reading it aloud to myself.
Excessive needle marks
Seemingly irrational fear of needles
Irrational fear of reproductive exam and sample collection
Internal bleeding
Bruising
Dr. Harvy's drug induced mental breakdown
Fear of choking
I looked over the list for hours, trying to put all the pieces together. No matter how hard I tried, an answer wouldn't come. I looked over my notes again, searching for something I missed, every bit of information I had written down. Nothing made sense. They all seemed like individual instances of different phobias or symptoms I couldn't connect with any kind of disease. I started overhearing some of my coworkers arguing loudly outside, a distraction I could have done without.
"I know your bullshit answers Dave, you're lying!" one yelled.
"I'm not lying, that little guy is a lot stronger than you'd think!" the other yelled in response.
The answer suddenly hit me. How could I have missed it, something so simple! I completely forgot what she had said to me when I was going to take my last sample yesterday. She was afraid I was lying, but she wouldn't think that unless she had a similar experience in the past. Harvy definitely isn't the type who would lie to his subjects, especially this one. That means Polk must have lied about taking the sample! But what did that mean? To be honest I still had no clue. I turned on the TV and started watching Law and Order: SVU. I started noticing similarities in my research and the clues picked up in the show. I was kicking myself for not realizing this sooner, considering the answer was right in front of my face. Polk's obsession with work aside, that wasn't the only thing that caused Asteria pain and suffering. By the looks of things, he raped her, or did something of the sort. It explained everything. He failed to submit samples in fear traces of his own DNA would show up in them. He drugged Dr. Harvy, hoping to cripple his credibility, knowing Harvy would try to figure out what happened eventually. I just hoped I was jumping to the right conclusion, because I was going straight to the top with this one.
I quickly made my way to General Reed's office, notes and file in hand. I opened the door and dropped the files on his desk.
"What's the matter Johnathan, you look upset." Reed said, sliding the file to him.
"Subjet 33 is being abused. It's all in the file." I replied, sitting down in front of him.
He started flipping through the file, rubbing his chin in thought. He closed the file and looked back up at me.
"So you think she was raped, among other things. I can see where you're coming from, but there's not much I can do."
"Can't we put him away, mental institution, something?" I asked desperately.
"For what, raping something that technically, according to the general public, doesn't exist? I'm sorry, but the most we can do is reprimand Polk and put him on suspension for a while." Reed replied.
"That's it? There's no other consequences? We don't even know what kind of naturally occurring bacteria make up her organic systems. For all we know, Polk could have just infected himself with something we couldn't possibly detect, let alone cure." I replied, furious.
"I didn't even think of that, Johnathan. We've got to quarantine him right away and start doing tests. Knowing what I do now, I'll be sure to make them as agonizing as possible." Reed said with a chuckle.
"That's all good and well, but what about subject 33? She's been emotionally distraught for some time now over this. Isn't there anything we can do for her?" I asked.
"No, there isn't. She just has to cope. At least we can test her reactions to hardship and traumatic experiences from this..." Reed replied.
"Is that all you care about? Just get the test results and nothing else matters?" I said, shocked.
"This is a research facility, remember?" Reed sighed.
"I've noticed far too many things wrong with this place, and it's caused me nothing but disgust. I'm leaving tomorrow and never coming back." I said defiantly, turning towards the door.
"I always knew you were too soft for this job." Reed groaned.
"No, general, I just have a conscience." I replied, slamming the door behind me.
I stormed through the halls, making my way to room 385 to say my final goodbye to Asteria. She looked up at me, immediately noticing I was upset. She ran over to me and wrapped her arms around me.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"I can't stand this place anymore. I'm leaving."
"What? No, you can't! What will happen to me if you do? Even though it's only been a few days, I feel safe with you, even when you're not here, I know you'll protect me... but with you gone, I'll be alone." she said, quivering.
"I'm sorry, I wish I could stay here with you, but everyone else here makes me sick." I replied with disdain.
She started to cry, burying her face in my shoulder. I rubbed her head, not wanting to ever let go.
"If you must leave, I won't stop you." she said, calmly.
"I wish I didn't have to though. It's been fun while it lasted..." I sighed, leaving the room.
I walked down to my bedroom, depressed and alone, laying down as I tried to think. I couldn't stay here any longer, knowing what had happened to Asteria, but I didn't want to leave her here alone to be abused by someone else. I rolled over, trying to sleep, but my mind wouldn't let me. It wanted to resolve this horrible situation that burdened me. I looked at my clock, realizing I had been awake for a few hours, and it was well into the night. For a moment, I thought I heard a light tapping sound, but passed it off as my mind playing trick on me. I put the pillow over my head and tried to get some rest. Soon enough, I heard the sound yet again, louder this time. Someone was gently tapping on my door. I got out of bed and unlocked the door. Before I knew it, Asteria had slipped inside and locked the door behind her.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, unsure of how she even escaped.
"I'm coming with you." she replied, grabbing a long white robe off the wall to clothe herself.
"But how am I supposed to get you out of here?" I replied.
"Just take me with you when you leave tonight. I'll dress up as one of the researchers." she replied.
"That tail is going to blow your cover. Then again, you'd probably try to sneak out with or without my help." I said with a sigh.
"Okay, let's go." she said excitedly, grabbing my hand.
"Hold on, security is out right now making their rounds. Let's just wait a little while longer." I said, pulling her from the door.
She laid down on the bed with a sigh. I sat down next to her, packing my bag.
I filled out the paperwork for my resignation and left it on my desk, slinging my bag over my shoulder. Looking through the peephole in the door, I made sure security wasn't near. I opened the door, peeking outside to make sure the coast was clear as I took Asteria by the hand.
"Keep your tail hidden." I whispered, leading her out into the hall.
She followed close behind me as I made my way to the stairwell used as a fire escape. I quickly dressed Asteria in a hazmat suit and pulled the alarm. We bolted down the stairs and out the door, losing ourselves in the panicking crowds. Leading her to the east parking garage, we slipped away unnoticed.
"Get in, it'll only be until we get past the security checkpoint." I said, opening the trunk of my Camarro.
She climbed in the trunk as I closed it behind her. I hopped in the driver's seat and sped off towards the security checkpoint. I came to a stop at the booth and rolled my window down.
"Tom, I've got to take some time off for a family emergency. My sister's in the hospital, critical condition. I just got the call about an hour ago." I said.
"Sorry to hear that. Go on, I doubt you're trying to sneak something out of here anyway." Tom said with a laugh.
"Thanks, I owe you one." I replied as I drove off.
I headed down the open stretch of road until the military base was long out of sight. I popped open the trunk and walked to the back of the car. Asteria climbed out of the trunk, slipping out of the hazmat suit. She hopped in the passenger seat, letting out a sigh.
"It was really hot in there." she said, wiping the sweat from her brow.
I continued to drive all the way to my private study in the mountains. It was a tiny little getaway, the necessary rooms like the bedroom, kitchen, and the like taking up close to a third of the building. My lab took up the rest of the house. I unlocked the oak doors and invited Asteria inside. She made herself comfortable on the couch, dressed only in my spare lab coat. I threw my bags in the corner and grabbed a coke from the fridge.
"Want anything?" I called from the kitchen.
"Get me one of those red things they used to give me back at my old room, can't remember what they were called..."
"Apples" I asked, grabbing one from the bowl.
"Yes, apples! They're so good!" she squealed excitedly.
I tossed her an apple and took a seat on the armchair across from her. She skewered it with her tail and cored it.
"Thank you so much for letting me come with you." Asteria said, smiling as she took a bite out of her apple.
"My pleasure. I just wouldn't be able to forgive myself if anything else happened to you after I left." I replied, smiling back.
She finished her apple and tossed it in the trash. She gave me a smirk as she looked over at me.
"So, aren't you going to show me around?" she asked.
"Right, of course." I replied, taking her by the hand.
As I grabbed her hand, I noticed an odd hardness to the center of her palm. I turned her hand towards me and looked it over, pressing the skin down slightly. I took her down to my lab and grabbed a small scalpel. Asteria gave me a panicked look as I turned towards her again.
"I have to make a small cut in your hand, it'll only hurt for a bit." I said, taking her hand.
She tried to pull away, but I forced her hand open. I made a quick slice into her palm and grabbed a set of tweezers. I dug under the skin and pulled out a small computer chip.
"Shit, how could I have been so stupid!" I yelled, smashing the chip under my foot.
"Johnathan, you're scaring me..." Asteria whined as I bandaged her hand.
"We've got to get out of here." I said, dragging her back upstairs.
"Why, what's the matter?" she asked, her heart racing.
The front door suddenly flew off its hinges, military personnel filing in from the other side.
"That's why." I groaned, turning around and dragging Asteria towards the back door.
It was no use, they had the place surrounded. I watched in horror as they pumped Asteria full of tranquilizer darts and dragged her into the armored van, cuffing me and taking me along for the ride. I sat in silence, watching Asteria as she slept. General Reed climbed in the back with me and shut the door behind him. As the van took off, he shot me an angry glare.
"What the hell's gotten into you?" he snapped.
"I couldn't let her stay there to continue being abused!" I replied angrily.
"So risking exposing her existence to the public is less important than keeping her happy? Jesus Christ, sometimes I wonder if you even think before you do shit like this." Reed groaned.
"I was going to keep her at my personal facility. She never would have seen the outside world!" I protested.
Reed just grunted, rubbing his head.
"I don't care what you think, I'm not going to let her be abused anymore!" I yelled, rising to my feet.
"Shut up and sit down, you don't call the shots here. You really screwed up this time. If I didn't know you so well, I'd be inclined to lock you away somewhere for good." Reed snapped.
Asteria slowly opened her eyes, the tranquilizer starting to wear off.
"Listen, I get where you're coming from with all this, but what you pulled could have been catastrophic. If she means that much to you, I'll give you your own private wing to live in with her to do your tests. Will that make you stop being such a huge pain in my ass?" Reed sighed.
"Only if I'm the only one in the wing. I don't want anyone else anywhere near her." I replied.
"Well I'll need someone to keep tabs on you, so no." Reed said bluntly.
"Then I'm not doing it, I'm leaving and taking her with me." I said, standing up.
"Fine fine whatever you want, just leave me alone." Reed sighed.
The van pulled up to Area 51 and they dragged Asteria and I out of the back. Undoing my handcuffs, they let me through the halls, making their way towards the elevator. Reed unlocked a small panel and flipped it open, revealing a small button. As he pressed it, the elevator started to descend. After a while, the elevator passed the five sub basements and kept going. As the elevator finally came to a halt, the doors opened, revealing a near pristine section of Area 51 that seemed to be completely untouched.
"Here's your damn wing. Only condition is you can't come back up. I'll have someone bring down food and the like to restock the refridgerators when needed. You'll have everything you need here to run tests and print out the data. Just fax everything up to the main department on the third floor." Reed said, shoving me out of the elevator.
The military personal let Asteria walk out on her own, the tranquilizer now having fully worn off. The doors closed and the elevator shot back up the shaft. Asteria yawned, still drowzy as she walked over to me.
"I could use another nap, where's my room?" she said grogilly as she rubbed her eyes.
"No idea to be honest. I've never been down here. How about we explore?" I replied.
"Let's just find a bedroom please..." she sighed as she started walking.
I followed her down the hall as she looked in each room. I watched her dull tired expression as she went from room to room, becoming more and more tired with each passing moment. Suddenly, her eyes lit up as she bolted into one of the rooms. It was a large bedroom with a comfy king sized bed. It wasn't one of the research rooms, but appeared to be a guest room of some sort.
"I want to stay here!" Asteria insisted excitedly.
"Fine by me, but where am I going to stay..." I thought outloud.
"You can stay here with me. I don't need the bed, but you knew that already." she replied.
"You sure? I don't mind finding another room if..." I began.
"Please?" she pleaded, wide eyed.
"Okay okay I'll stay here." I said with a laugh as I lied down on the bed.
"By the way, thanks for everything." she sighed, a tear of joy coming to her eye.
"Don't mention it. This is just the beginning of paradise." I replied, excitedly looking forward to the rest of my career as I drifted off to sleep.