At last, we entered what seemed to be some kind of decontamination chamber. A harsh, acrid mist billowed aroundus, stinging my eyes and nostrils as unseen scanners swept our bodies from every conceivable angle.
The mist made me choke and gag, but Raxon simply stood impassive, seemingly unaffected. To him, this must be just another routine procedure, a momentary inconvenience to ensure the safety of the ship and crew.
To me, it was like being dipped in a vat of industrial cleaners, scouring away any lingering trace of the life I'd known. When the chamber purged and I staggered out the other side, I felt raw and exposed, as if a layer of my very essence had been stripped away.
Raxon's heavy paw landed on my shoulder, steadying me as I swayed on unsteady feet. "Easy now," he rumbled in a tone somehow softer than I'd heard from him before. "The worst is behind you. Just keep moving."
I could only nod weakly, leaning into his solid strength as we were ushered into what looked like some kind of medical facility. My heart kicked up again as I took in the array of bizarre instruments and displays, all of it humming with alien technology I couldn't begin to comprehend.
A new set of guards fell in around us, these wearing pale blue coveralls rather than armor. They studied me with open curiosity, snapping off terse observations and notes into handheld devices as we moved.
Raxon barked something at them, his tone sharp and authoritative. A few shrank back, ducking their heads in deference before one of them—the leader of this group, by my estimation—dipped his head and gestured for us to follow.
We were led to an exam room of sorts, the walls and floors made of some seamless, sterile material. Another one of the blue-clad figures was already there, bent over a raised platform surrounded by a dizzying array of monitors and scanners.
"You will submit to full examination," the alien announced without preamble, those dead black eyes fixing on me with undisguised curiosity. "We must assess your physiology and determine potential risk factors before assigning permanent quarantine protocols."
I shrank back instinctively, a full-body shudder wracking my frame. "Wh-what? No, you can't—"
"It's alright." Raxon's voice cut through my panic, rumbling and calm even as he pinned the other alien with a look that could bore holes through tungsten. "The examination will be conducted under my direct supervision, with all due care and respect." He practically spat out that last word, whiskers twitching.
The other alien regarded him for a tense moment, seeming to weigh the implicit threat in Raxon's stance. At last, it gave a terse dip of its head.
"As you wish, Raxon. But do not expect leniency in our findings, regardless of whatever... attachment you may have formed with this creature." Its tone was brusque, almost mocking, before turning to face me once more. "Now, up onto the platform so we can begin."
It made a shooing motion with one hand, clearly expecting me to comply without hesitation. I felt rage spike through my veins at its arrogance, its blatant disregard for things like consent or personal autonomy.
Raxon seemed to sense my rising defiance. He leaned in close, pitching his voice low so only I could hear. "Easy there, little one. I know this isn't ideal, but we need to play by their rules for the time being. Just... try to stay calm and let them do their work, okay? I'll be right here, I promise."
His words washed over me, soothing some of the panic fluttering in my chest. I searched his gaze, found only thatsteady, blazing intensity and a world of unspoken reassurance shining behind it.
At last, I gave a tight nod and moved to obey, climbing up onto the raised platform with leaden limbs. The surface was cool against my skin, sending a shiver down my spine as I settled onto my back and tried not to think too hard about what fresh violations might be in store.
The technician moved in close, tapping a series of commands into a nearby console. A low hum built around me, making my hair stand on end as those unseen scanners flickered to life.
Emerald beams of light swept over my prone form in dizzying patterns, bathing me in their eerie radiance. Displays flickered and scrolled with a constant stream of data and physiological readouts, far too dense and encoded for me to decipher.
All the while, the technician studied the incoming information with a series of thoughtful hums and dipped snouts, occasionally tapping out new commands to adjust the scan frequencies.
I fought to keep still despite every instinct screaming at me to run, to flee this nightmarish place and hide myself away from the cold, impersonal scrutiny of these alien beings. Only Raxon's looming presence at my side kept me tethered, reminding me that no matter how bizarre or terrifying this situation became, I wasn't truly alone.
At last, the technician seemed to find what he was looking for. With a final tap of his console, the scanners powered down, leaving me blinking against the harsh overhead lights.
"Fascinating," the alien murmured, more to himself than anyone else. He turned towards the other guards, who had been watching the proceedings with undisguised interest. "You were correct to bring this specimen before me, Raxon."
My breath caught in my throat at his clinical phrasing, the way he so casually stripped me of any sense of personhood and individuality. I was just a "specimen" to be studied and cataloged like some kind of curiosity in their labs.
Raxon rumbled low in his throat, lips peeling back to expose a hint of fang. "That's enough of that talk. She has a name—Sutton. And she'll be addressed accordingly with all due respect. Is that understood?"
The technician blinked, seeming taken aback by the barely contained menace in Raxon's tone. For a long moment, the two squared off in a battle of wills, the weight of the unspoken challenge stretching between them like a taut filament ready to snap.
Then, just as the tension became nearly unbearable, the technician gave a curt nod. "My... apologies. You're correct, of course. I'll endeavor to use more appropriate phrasing when referencing the spe—when referencing Sutton."
He swiveled back towards the still-flickering monitors, mouth working as he parsed through the streams of data. "In any case, the scans have yielded some rather remarkable findings about your... about Sutton's physiology. Quite remarkable indeed..."
Raxon took a step forward, his tone a low warning rumble. "Well? Out with it, then. What did your scanners uncover?"
The technician lifted his head, features unreadable as his dead black eyes bored into me. "She is a universal breeder."
