9 Years, 6 Months, 13 Days After Eridani Landing
Jikse
Popping the restraints off of her legs Diana swung herself off of the table, the two class A’s still in their isolation suits were pounding at the door of the room the three of them were in.
“It’s out! Open the door!” shouted the man as he punched and kicked at the door.
Quickly looking around the room Diana spotted the vent leading into it, grabbing the bed she had been on and ripping the sheets and cushion material from it Diana strode over to the vent. Reaching down and punching her hand into the thin metal bending the grate Diana tore the thing from the wall.
Shoving the material from the bed into the vent Diana stepped back.
“I’m really hoping you’re not using neurotoxins,” said Diana, although it came out slightly garbled.
Turning back to the scientist Diana looked at the two of them, both were now staring at her horrified expressions on their faces as if she were some sort of wild animal.
“You guys going to unlock the door?” she asked.
“Someone get in here and shoot it!” said the woman panic in her voice.
“I am speaking in your language, are you idiots?” asked Diana.
The man swallowed, “You’re class C!”
“I am,” Diana stepped up towards the two, the man quickly moved in front of the woman.
“I’m class C, and unless you move and open the door I’m going to beat you to death with my hands and then break down the door.”
The man shook his head, “I can’t open it. The security personnel on the other side can. Not even a class C with an abnormally high strength index will be able to break the doors.”
“Like I wasn’t supposed to break from the restraints?” asked Diana, reaching forwards she put her hands on either side of the mans head.
He flinched, and drawing his own fist back lashed out.
Diana stepped to the side avoiding his blow and plucked the helmet off of his head as he went sprawling onto the floor. Reaching out she quickly removed the isolation helmet from the woman’s’ head as well, and spreading her arms quickly brought the two together smashing the clear material out of the front of them.
“See when class C’s build isolation suits, they make them combat ready, and don’t put glass in the front of them. A sheet of metal and a camera will work fine.”
The woman slowly slid down against the door staring at Diana in horror.
“Why?” she croaked.
“Your species and my own are at war, why not?” Diana paused and looked at the helmets, “Oh, these. Well I’m hoping it will be further discouragement to pump anything dangerous into the room. Now, move.”
Diana pointed at the other side of the room.
The woman scrambled forwards on her hands and knees desperately making her way over. Diana looked back at the door and analyzing it frowned, if was anything like a human medical isolation room then it was sealed, and the frame was set into steel, the door something that would swing inwards making it that much harder to break down.
Still the Empire liked their fancy automatic doors, and these were split down the middle something that would obviously slide to either side to open or close.
Meaning the locking mechanism was either in the middle, the middle top of middle bottom of the door. Or the locks were in the wall, holding the door in place.
Frowning Diana noticed the ache from her right arm for the first time and looked down, seeing the small bump on her skin for the first time. A dislocated shoulder.
“One of you want to help me put this back?” asked Diana.
Neither class A scientist responded.
Rolling her eyes and reaching across her chest Diana grabbed her arm and twisting it out and up popped the shoulder back into place.
“Ow.”
The class A’s simply stared at her.
Turning back to the door and winding back her arm Diana slammed her elbow into the metal, it groaned and bent but otherwise remained solid. Moving her arm back again Diana repeated the assault.
A dozen times Diana slammed her arm into the door, but after the initial bending of metal it didn’t move.
Grunting on the thirteenth attempt Diana looked at the blood that was falling to the floor from her elbow and with a sigh turned to look at the two class A’s.
“Well I’m not getting out that way.”
Moving back towards them Diana sat in front of them, her back to the door.
Closing her eyes Diana assumed a meditative pose and closed her eyes.
For several minutes nothing moved.
“Don’t.” said Diana.
The woman froze, the arm she had been moving towards the medical cart falling back to her side.
“How?” she asked.
“I heard you move; I don’t need my eyes to know where you are in the room.” Said Diana exaggerating her abilities slightly.
“I’m waiting, either those outside the chamber will continue to pump gas into the room, and I’ll know since it’ll effect both of you first in which case if it doesn’t kill you, I do before the gas effects me. If they plan to wait then I win, I can go for four days without sleep, four days without water, an entire month without food.”
Diana smiled and opened her eyes, “So either the other class A’s kill you to kill me, or they open the door at some point and try to subdue me. I don’t think this floor is electrified,” Diana glanced down at the floor.
“Nope.”
“Electrified?!” asked the woman.
“Yep. I don’t see how you guys are going to be able to contain the rest of us if all of your prisons are like this.”
The man huffed, “This is a specimen examination room.”
“I’m holding at least half of an intelligent conversation. Is that not proof enough of my sentience?”
“You’re intelligent, but inferior. Multiple studies have been performed to verify this.”
Diana sighed, “Alright then.”
She closed her eyes and waited.
Concentrating on everything around her Diana began to count, her ticks on the proverbial count were usually accurate to within one second on a day scale. It was something she had only done as a distraction while in school though, maintaining it otherwise was pointless.
The woman was the most uncomfortable, fidgeting and barely remaining still for more than ten seconds. He clothing, the fabric beneath the isolation suit was a constant rustling sound in the room.
The man was quieter, only moving once every few minutes. His eyes were locked on Diana.
Diana waited and almost meditating let her heartbeat slow, and breathing become more regular.
The man turned his head slightly, and slowly. Diana heard his skin move against the ruined seal of the suit and his weight shift.
“It’s asleep, the inactivity and lack of stimulants in it’s blood have allowed the sedatives to take hold again. Open the door.”
Diana remained still not reacting, she hadn’t noticed any sensors on her, meaning something in the room was passively reading her or a more dangerous possibility something had been implanted in her which was broadcasting medical data.
The sedatives were producing a dull throb in the back of her head, but they were something she could easily ignore. It was one of the more basic genetic modifications, a resistance to most drugs, not an invulnerability but a resistance.
It made hangerovers, much more difficult to remove, and much more difficult to achieve considering the massive amounts of alcohol needed to even feel buzzed.
Diana heard a small hiss as the door opened slightly, and she reacted.
Reaching into her reserves for speed and strength that she rarely exercised Diana leapt backwards her eyes snapping open and analyzing everything as adrenaline in higher doses than could ever be natural was dumped into her bloodstream.
A soldier in armor and holding a gun was peeking through the door weapon raised and ready to fire. Had he been someone who had actually had to use the thing in a life or death fight before he might have reacted quickly enough.
Having only ever fired it on the range, and never in an actual brawl besides crowd control he didn’t move with anything close to enough urgency to even try and block Diana.
Snapping her hand out and breaking his hand Diana grabbed the weapon and spun it around, she sunk two quick shots into his head and stepped forwards. The rest of the men in the next room, all of them class A judging by the red skin and bald heads were moving weapons up to fire.
Jerking her own weapon around and simultaneously dropping to the ground again Diana fired at each man, hitting all four in the head, while only hitting the fifth in the shoulder causing him to jerk back and fall onto the console behind him.
Diana felt the muscles in her right arm ripple, the cartilage and bone creaking in protest. The speed of her movements were far beyond anything that human biology was built to handle. Things broke, and Diana grimaced. It was one of the disadvantages of her genetic construction, some things could only be pushed so far biologically speaking before they hit an upper tolerance.
Shifting the weapon to her left hand Diana stalked up to the man.
“Security access now!” said Diana as she pressed the hot end of the weapon up to the mans neck.
“What?!”
Diana moved the gun down and fired it into his foot.
He let out a howl of pain and his eyes screwed rolling into the back of his head before he fainted.
Diana looked at him and raising the weapon up quickly killed him, shooting his head twice. Checking the room Diana saw nothing was alive, and turned back to the isolation room.
“Both of you out here, right now!” she shouted.
For a moment everything was silent and Diana detected no movement, stepping up to the frame of the door Diana stared inwards and leveled the gun.
“Now!”
The man slowly got to his feet and walked forwards.
“The data, all of it that you have on me. Where is it?”
He opened his mouth to say something and Diana quickly put her own hand up, “I know when your lying, I can smell it.” She tapped her nose, exaggerating her abilities far beyond what they were capable of.
He hesitated and swallowed, “I transmitted preliminary data to the offices of the Military an [hour] ago. The more detailed data is here,” the man pointed at the computer consoles behind Diana and one which the body of the guard was laying.
Diana nodded, “I want that and the rest of any research data you have in those computers put onto a Comm.”
The man hesitated, “I can’t do that.”
“Oh?”
He drew himself up and looked around the room, “No, the disclosure of classified information to anyone not higher than Admiral in the military or part of the Senate must be approved through my chain of command.”
Diana blinked and looked down at her gun, “You do realize I’m threatening you, give me the information or I shoot you.”
“Then you won’t have the information.”
“Or I can shoot your assistant,” Diana turned the gun towards the woman who had only taken a few hesitant steps forwards. She froze as the gun was pointed at her.
The man blanched, “You, she does not know anything!”
“Neither did the nearly 12 billion of my own species who you killed, I’m not going to feel bad over killing two of you!”
Diana fired off a shot, hitting the woman’s left forearm.
She let out a wail and dropped to the ground.
“Fine! Just stop!” shouted the man as he stepped forwards his hand moving towards the weapon. Diana quickly swung the butt of it around hitting his hand away with a solid smack.
He brought the three fingered hand back to his chest and wincing slowly moved to the computer console.
“How do I know you won’t kill us after I give you what you want?”
Diana reaching out with her injured right arm pulled the man she had killed off of the console and onto the floor, trying to ignore the solid sound of the corpse hitting the ground.
“You don’t, but I don’t like killing people. Still like I said, you murdered nearly my entire species. I might shoot you just out of spite. You can be sure though I’ll kill her too, do this for me and I’ll promise she lives.”
The man glanced back at his assistant and sitting down at the computer console quickly began to work going through a dozen different screens in the blink of an eyes, Diana watched every movement as he worked.
He pulled out his own Comm from a pocket in his isolation suit and setting it down Diana watched as he began to move data into it.
“If you encrypt anything,”
“I don’t have clearance to decrypt everything. I had most of the class C data loaded since I was going to request that a High Scientist unlock it all when they came to investigate you.”
“Load it anyway.”
The room was silent and Diana glanced back at the woman, she had propped herself up on the wall and was holding her arm.
The man shifted in his seat, and leapt towards the gun.
Diana stepped back and brought it down onto his head, she heard something crack and he went limp. Pushing him out of the chair Diana sat and looked at the data transfers, adding several more requests to it pulling anything else that looked interesting form the computer network Diana picked up the medical kit on the table next to her and walking over to the woman avoiding the pools of blood, knelt down next to her.
Popping open the kit Diana looked at the medical supplies for a moment, “What do you need from here?”
“What! You’re the one who shot me!”
“Now I’m helping you, you want me to or not?”
The woman hesitated, “Those green pills, and the gauze strap.”
Diana picked the items out and holding up the gauze strip motioned for the woman to extend her arm. She grimaced but did so. Diana placed it over the wound and watched as it tightened itself around it and covered the cauterized flesh from the weapons burst.
“How many pills?” asked Diana as she opened the bottle.
“One.”
Diana extracted the medication and held it out, the woman hesitantly took it and popped it into her mouth.
Diana patted her on the head and smiled, “See, you don’t try to kill me and I won’t kill you.”
Going back to the computer Diana stood in front of the hologram and waited for it to finish, once again she let herself drop back into the almost meditative state listening to make sure that no one else was approaching the room. It had to be soundproofed if no one else had checked in on them yet, the Empire weapons weren’t loud like a gunshot but they produced a twang that was audible.
“How many of you are their on the planet?” asked the woman her voice trembling.
Diana opened an eye, “On this planet? About a thousand. We’ve got more on the core worlds of your Empire. A million on your home world.”
The woman gasped, “What!?”
Diana nodded, “Yep.”
She struggled for air and then closed her eyes letting out a strangled sob.
Diana didn’t pay much attention to her as the computer finished transferring the files. Picking the Link up Diana frowned, “where did my stuff go?”
She was dressed in a medical smock, which like the Human equivalent was exposing most of her back.
The woman continued to sob. Diana sighed and raising the weapon fired a shot into the ceiling of the isolation room. The woman jumped letting out a small squeal.
“Where is my stuff?” repeated Diana.
“it’s in the lockup for building security, that’s all I know!”
“Damn, well looks like I’m stuck with laser pistols then.”
Diana looked around at the men she had shot and the rest of the room.
“Nothing for it then,”
Picking the smallest man out of the group, the second man she had shot after breaking out of the isolation room Diana quickly stripped him of his armor and shoes.
Everything was a little large, and covered in blood on one side but it would work. Tightening all of the straps on the armor Diana looked at herself in the reflection of the hologram projector. She looked like a small child playing dress up after dad had been in a gunfight, her skin not dirty and the uniform large and bloodstained.
“Don’t leave this room for an hour, or call for help. If you do that I’ll end up having to kill people.”
The woman quickly nodded, and for good measure Diana moved the corpse of the first man she had killed away form the door to the isolation room and sealed it.
Turning back to the computer and raising the weapon Diana quickly fried it.
Pulling the belt up around her waist again trying to settle it into a position where she would be able to easily move Diana looked at the door which was presumably leading out into the rest of the hospital, unless she was only in another observation room.
The Empire as callous as it was towards class C, and B’s did not seem to throw away the lives of the class A’s however. If it was a ruse it was a costly one.
Leveling the weapon Diana hit the release on the door. A brightly lit corridor with windows on the other side of it was exposed, winching in the light Diana tentatively looked out and around both sides, an empty corridor was the only thing greeting her.
Pulling the Comm out Diana quickly ‘dialed’ [Orin].
She picked up after only a second, “Who is this?”
“It’s me!” growled Diana as she began down the corridor to the left.
“You’re alive!? We took you to the hospital, and we’ve had a tail on us ever since! We’ve been doing what you told us and are simply circling the city in the transport lanes, but the same transport is still following us.”
“Understandable. How long has it been?”
“Only about [six hours], what do you want us to do? You told us if someone followed us for this long we had to create something big enough to distract them and then get away and destroy our transport. Or kill those who were following us.”
“I’ll handle the distraction; I need you to come to the hospital you dropped me off at.”
“That is restricted airspace!”
“Like I said I’ll make a distraction, just meet me on the roof in [twenty minutes].”
“Alright, why are they following us? Do you know?”
“You dropped a class C off at a hospital, and that class C was then stuck inside a very complex medical isolation and examination chamber. That class C is also very pissed off about that but will deal with the issues later, right now it’s waiting for that pickup in [twenty minutes]!” hissed Diana.
The line was silent for a moment, “You’re really a class C!?”
“Yes I’ve been telling you that, now come pick me up!”
9 Years, 6 Months, 13 Days After Eridani Landing
Bellona Colony, Nest
“I, am sorry to hear about the death of engineer Ben,” said Alpha his voice low.
Megan nodded, “Thank you, his death is not why I am here though.”
Alpha slowly looked up at her, “You don’t want to talk about it? Humans are almost as social as us, to suffer a loss of someone so close would be damaging.”
“It is; I’m dealing with it. We have work to do, and crying about him every day isn’t going to help.” Snapped Megan.
Alpha ignored the outburst and slowly crawling out of his nest settled onto the floor next to her, “Then why are you here?”
“I’m going to be chief engineer on the Russia for as long as I can last, James is being put in command, Red will be the pilot for the ship I think, Yern’s going to be helping in engineering, and that kid Tom’s being assigned to her in some capacity as well. The only position that’s not been filled is the station of XO, second in command. We want you to fill it.”
Alpha let out a small whistle, “I have only begun my learning again on Human military command. Taking the position while being unable to fulfil the role correctly will only cause strife.”
“We have an opportunity here Alpha, the Council is off balance and I’m able to steamroll over them at the moment, their feeling guilty about what happened to Ben and how they almost let your entire race die. This is a feeling that will fade, and once more politicians fill in the missing seats we’ll not have this opportunity again.”
Megan paused and slowly sat down on the metal, leveling herself with the alien.
“Are you going to throw away human or Tanuin lives without cause?”
Alpha let out an indignant squeak, “No!”
“You can command then, and learn on the job. Hell I’ve been getting dozens of Tanuin volunteers for the ship. You guys are insane at picking stuff up quickly, I’ll send you a few manuals but don’t let the regulations hold you back from this. We’re not going to get another opportunity like this for years, if ever!”
“What about Night?” asked Alpha.
“He’s young, but he can learn. I’m thinking he’ll be the one to take a commission, go through all of our accreditations and be officially a part of our military.”
“Our?”
“Humanities, and the Tanuin’s if that’s alright with you. We need to work together, holding oen antoehr at arms length is only going to slow us down, and like said I’m able to steamroll the Council at the moment. You’re best instructors, send them up to the Fort and we’ll have them start teaching Humans and the Tanuin.”
Alpha was once again stunned, “This is all very reactionary, is it not? What if humanity does not appreciate this, already one of your own leaders tried to eliminate us. Is that not a hint that some of you cannot trust us? Why force it?”
“Humans are like that, there are humans who hold onto the past until their last breath desperate to never change and continue to hold up bigotry like it’s gospel or tradition. Humans have had to kill and remove them in the past, and we will so in the future. They’re useful to make sure we don’t change to fast don’t damage ourselves. When we need to survive though, when we need to change to continue living? They’re a vulnerability.”
Alpha slowly began to walk around in small circles, “Then I will take the position, under one condition.”
“Name it.”
“We as the Tanuin, do not wish to remain isolated here in this building. We want to integrate with humans to a greater degree, live within your nests and learn from you. It is a hope that you might alos learn from us. We are aliens to one another, but neither of our species wish to die. As you have said, we are stronger together.”
“I think we can do that.”
Alpha stopped pacing, “Good. Very good.”
“Will you be able to fly when the Russia is ready?”
“I will be if we don’t allow any doctors to check me.”
Megan chuckled, “that’s the spirit.”
The two were silent for a moment.
“When we crashed into the ice near your colony, did you think it would ever end up like this?”
“No, I had hoped we would be able to beg food from you, warmth perhaps. Humanity though, or at least you and Ben, you inspired us to ‘go for broke’?” asked Alpha
“You used it right.”
“We were going to die on this planet, it is cold and although we could have perhaps survived indefinitely hibernating, that was not life. We would either die slowly in our sleep, now we will at least die fighting.”
“Not confident we can win?” asked Megan.
“I said at worst. At best we will now flourish alongside humanity.”
“Let’s bet on that one.”