“I’ve tried,” she squeaked, “But he just won’t wake up.”
“Is he dead?”
“No sir. I struggled to find his hearts but… I think he’s alive.”
Dr. Trout grabbed her instrument and approached me again. I could smell the vile man as he drew closer. Instinctively, Ireviled him. It wasn’t just because he was my captor, but because he was the only one in the lab with a cold determination to see me as non-sentient. The others were at least affected by their torture. Dr. Trout was not.
“His hearts are still beating alright. I’ll have the men carry him.”
“How!?”
“We’ll need three of our best. He’s at least 300 lbs of solid muscle. Are you sure this isn’t some ploy for him to get out of his shackles?”
Minerva kept her voice calm and steady as she reassured Dr. Trout that was impossible.
“Don’t you think if he could get out he would have already?” She suggested.
“I suppose you have a point, Dr. Hsu. I’ll get the soldiers and we’ll see you at the department meeting later. Got it?”
“Yes, Dr. Trout.”
Minerva bustled off and Dr. Trout remained in the room with me. He was quiet as he worked. He kept his hands off of me and mostly studied data on his primitive machines. I waited for far too long before the soldiers came. They struggled to lift me, but at least they were careful. With my eyes closed, I could still “see” the data from my implant filtering in. The soldiers, with all their guns and armor, were more terrified than the scientists.
They replaced me in my original prison and whilst in “the sleep”, I processed all the data my ocular implant collected. I replayed the moments I’d touched Minerva over and over again. I couldn’t wait to break free from my sleep. By the time I woke up properly, two earth days would have passed.
The first day went slowly. Dr. Trout ordered Minerva and Dr. Billings to continue their experiments. While I couldn’t cry out in pain or move in response, the experiments were twice as painful as the first ones. After they were finished, the menleft Minerva to clean up. Even in my deep sleep, I detected the reason they asked her to remain behind and clean their messes was due to her gender.
Such differences were eliminated thousands of years ago on Pollux, before the advent of the AI War that nearly wiped us out. And even afterward, women enjoyed fair and equal status on our planet. These creatures didn’t seem to realize their primitive social structure restrained their science. I’d include it all in my report when I could.
Once Minerva was alone, she dressed my wounds. Our medical technology would have healed me instantly, but she stitched my cuts, spread ointment on my burns and injected me with painkillers.
“I’m sorry,” Minerva whispered, “I can’t figure out why you’re in a coma. We’re going to do a brain scan tomorrow to figure it out. I feel like it’s my fault…”
Before she could whisper anymore, the lab door opened.
“Minerva, Dr. Trout wants to see you.”
“Alright. I’m on my way.”
She left me alone again and once more, the soldiers returned me to my cell. That night, I had little data to analyze and little desire to sift through the memories held on my neural implant. I could picture Minerva’s face, but it didn’t do me any good when what I wanted was beyond a picture. I wanted to hold her… to touch her…
Even if she were a different species, even if chance brought us together, I craved her touch. From the moment I saw her and recognized the stillness within her human body, I’d been entranced. Polluxian males rarely go through what I was going through.
The next morning finally came. I lay still, waiting, as usual, to be taken to my torture chamber. The soldiers brought me tothe table and strapped me down. I heard Dr. Trout’s footsteps coming closer, but not Minerva’s. She was late.
Another doctor entered the lab.
“Where’s Minerva?” Dr. Trout growled.
“She just called. She’s running late. John couldn’t give her a ride today and she’s struggling to get out of the city.”
“When she gets here you tell her to get herassdown here.”
“Yes, Dr. Trout.”
“I don’t know where that insolent woman thinks she can get away with something like that,” he growled.
The other doctor sounded apologetic as he explained, “I think she and John had a bit of a falling out, Dr. Trout.”
