I woke in my room to find Henrietta, John, and Loren watching me.
“Finally,” said Loren, as he covered me with his body, giving me a hug.
John held my hand tightly. Henrietta remained seated at the edge of my bed with a little smile.
I felt embarrassed and immediately sat up, resting against the white headboard. Loren let me go but stayed close with his arm around my waist as if I were going to get up and leave. The sedative had worn off, but I still felt a little dizzy and weak.
“How badly did I hurt that man?”
John shook his head. “His hand is broken, that’s all.”
I didn’t understand his casualness. “But I hurt him.”
“He deserved it. He was threatening a kid.”
“Still,” I began, “if I wasn’t in complete control, I could have ripped his arm off.”
“But you didn’t,” said Loren, cupping my cheek. “You’re not dangerous. You just did what anyone else around here wanted to do. Thaddeus Ridge had it coming to him. He treated everyone, even his fellow rebels, as dogs.”
I noticed John’s distress at Loren touching my cheek. I gently removed Loren’s hand and placed it back at my waist as not to hurt his feelings.
“Why are you all here? Why didn’t I get into trouble?”
“It was just a rebel,” said John, slyly rubbing his thumb against the flesh of my hand.
I remembered why I was still angry at him. He served the Corporation, even though he knew they committed horrible acts. He was grateful to Pallas for giving him a life he wouldn’t have received out there in the wild with the Resistance. I wanted to hate him, but I couldn’t. But I also didn’t want to receive his affections. Gently, I removed my hand from his. He furrowed his brow, confused, but then nodded and stood, placing his hands in his pockets.
I looked at Loren. He was smiling at me, gorgeous, with his wild blond hair and emerald eyes. I didn’t realize how much I missed him until now. I was also afraid for him. He was a rebel spy and it was only a matter of time before he was found out. Everyone in the Corporation was supposed to spy on the other. John could easily turn Loren in. He knew his friend had rebel tech. It would only be too easy to sign Loren’s death warrant and then he could have me. But it wouldn’t work that way. John would fail, for if he did that, I would never, could never, love him after that betrayal. For if he was to betray his friend of almost two decades, why should I be any different?
Loren was wearing his white lab coat. I remembered he went to see the captured Stargazer.
“What’s she like?”
“Who are you talking about?”
“The Stargazer you went to assist on with Dr. Keller.”
“She’s not like you at all. She’s very…feisty. She speaks only in Stellar whenever she does speak. As you know, we are still unfamiliar with the language. Medusa has been able to translate some, but still, it’s not enough to gain any worthy intelligence.”
“Did she mention Overlord?”
Loren furrowed his brow. “Yes, that was the only word we were able to translate. How did you know about that?”
“I told her about the intercepted transmissions,” said John. “I wasn’t going to until she likened Pallas to an Overlord.”
Henrietta stood up. “President Pallas seemed anxious about this Overlord. He would never talk to me about important Sanctuary matters, but often he confided in me his fears about this Overlord.”
I sat up more erect, curious. “Does he have any knowledge about this Overlord? Why does he fear this person?”
She shook her head. “I asked him. He said it was none of my concern.”
Of course he would say that to his slave, but just the fact that he had confided in her, only briefly, was enough to suggest this Overlord was his weak spot.
“So, Pallas has an Achilles heel.”
They all furrowed their brows at me.
“What do you mean?” asked John.
“You don’t know the story of Achilles?”
He shook his head. “Was he a doctor?”
I chuckled. “It’s Greek myth. He was strong and a good fighter, but there was a spot on his ankle that was unprotected. After all his victories, it was that spot when attacked that caused his death.” I looked at all three of my companions with their confused faces. “You’ve never heard of this?”
They all shook their heads simultaneously.
I pointed to the white wall where Medusa would appear if called. “What about Medusa? She’s from Greek myth—the monster with snakes for hair.”
“There’s nothing in Sanctuary archives of…Greek myth,” said Loren. “Is this perhaps, Stargazer history?”
I grunted, frustrated. Loren removed his hold of me, scared perhaps that I was going to harm him.
“It’s not Stargazer history! It’s Earth history! It’s human history! It’s my history!”
I grabbed my head, even though it didn’t hurt, and held it firmly, as if all my frustration was going to burst out, and I needed to contain the explosion from destroying the whole quadrant.
Loren cautiously rose from my bed and stepped away.
“Ava…”
“What is it now?!”
He took another step back, nervous. I hated to make him feel that way, but I was frustrated with everyone and everything here.
“I spent several hours with the captured Stargazer. While restrained, Dr. Keller placed a Separator in her head, but it yielded no results.”
I looked at John with narrow eyes. “Just like me, right John?”
He simply nodded, unable to speak.
I turned back to Loren. “Did Dr. Keller put that poison at the back of her neck too?”
I felt sorry for the Stargazer, whoever she was.
Loren nodded. “It was procedure. Victor…”
I stood up, propelled by his name. “Was Victor there?”
Loren nodded again. “He was sent in to interact with the Stargazer.”
I looked at Henrietta, remembering how she was forced to mate with a Stargazer and have her child killed as a result of the Corporation’s nasty business of experimentation and seemingly inherit hatred of anything different from the bliss of Sanctuary.
I turned back to Loren. “What do you mean interact?”
“Her restraints were removed. It wasn’t so much experimentation than…an execution.”
I sat back down, dizzy, in disbelief, and upset at what he was going to say next.
He continued. “Victor wasn’t merely transferred. He was being held in solitary confinement, in the dark, without food and only water to drink once a day.”
“Why?”
“He was being punished for his feelings for you. The Corporation saw him as a threat—he was hatching an escape plan—he was going to break out of the dome with you.”
I shook my head, still confused. “But you and John—you both love me—Medusa has heard you—the Red Woman—Pallas has assuredly heard you—seen us kiss. Why aren’t you two in solitary confinement?”
Loren shot John an angry look. “You kissed her?”
John smirked. “She enjoyed it.”
Loren looked at me, as if I had betrayed him. I wasn’t in the mood for this. I stood back up.
“What happened to Victor?”
Loren was silent, fuming.
“What happened?” I said, making my voice into a low growl.
Loren sighed, defeated. “He was starving. He was told that if he could subdue the Stargazer, knock her out, or do any sort of damage, he would not only eat, but be allowed back into the Corporation.” He halted and then continued, “He was no match for the Stargazer. She snapped his neck before he could lay a finger on her.”
I sat back down and started to cry. “I didn’t want anyone to die because of me.”
I felt an arm around my shoulders and went to shrug it off, thinking it was John or Loren, but it was Henrietta. I accepted her embrace. She said nothing and just held me. That made me feel better than if she had begun a long trail of meaningless words to comfort me.
“When you’re feeling better,” Loren began softly, “you’re needed in the Examining Room.”
I looked up at him, wiping my tears. “Needed?”
He gave a crooked smile. “It’s required, actually—by Madam Secretary’s orders.”
“And what am I supposed to do? Communicate with the Stargazer? I don’t even speak Stellar. I’ve told you all again and again that I’m not one of them.”
“But you’re not one of us, either,” said John softly, as he stood behind me.
I turned to face him, snarling. “Why do you even love me if I’m such a freak?”
“You’re not a freak. I love you for who you are. Remember our conversation earlier?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I remember when you basically told me you’d serve the interests of the Corporation above me.”
“I never said that.”
“You implied it and I’m sure if I were to shove that Separator in your head, I’d find out how deep your loyalty truly lies, and how quick you’d be to sell me out.”
“Leave, now,” demanded Loren, advancing towards his friend.
John advanced too; his face was determined. “I’m not leaving.”
I stood up and went to the door. “No, you two stay here. I’ve got a Stargazer to meet.”
Medusa opened it for me, and two guards had their weapons on me, ready. I recalled being shot earlier and did everything I could to show them I wasn’t a threat. I didn’t want to go through that again. I kept my arms to my sides and heard the door shut behind me, locking in Henrietta, John, and Loren. They could either stay there or leave, but I didn’t want any of them near me right now. I was desperate to meet this Stargazer—desperate to find out who I really was. Would she be the key? Could I communicate with her? And if I could, did I really want to know the truth?
***
The room was exactly as I had remembered. It was white, bright, and cold. The Stargazer wasn’t restrained to the table like I had been. She didn’t wear a gown either. Instead, her clothes were all black from neck to toes. It molded to her body like a glove. Her hair was like mine, except darker, more purple, and fashioned in a Mohawk style. Her eyes were darker too. I wondered at our differences. Why was she darker than me?
As I looked more like a girl, she looked like a woman—curvaceous and voluptuous. We were several feet apart. She took slow and methodically steps toward me, unsure. But she didn’t behave in a threatening manner. I actually felt quite safe around her, despite that fact that she was strong like me, and most undoubtedly unmerciful towards those weaker than her—as evidenced by Victor’s death. At least it had been quick, if that mattered.
We were five feet apart when she started to speak. The language was, I assumed, Stellar, for I didn’t understand a word of it.
I shook my head. “I’m sorry, but I don’t speak Stellar.”
Her eyes went wide and she took a step back, as if frightened of me. It was an unusual reaction. What did she think of me? She took a timid step forward and spoke in Stellar again. A few of the words I recognized from her earlier speech, but I couldn’t translate what she was trying to tell me.
“Do you speak English?” I asked her.
She tilted her head like Medusa. Then she flexed her pink lips in and out like a kissing motion.
“English,” she repeated.
At first, I was shocked, but then I remembered that Stargazers were supposed to be great mimickers.
I nodded. “That’s right. I speak only English. I can’t communicate with you any other way.”
She tilted her head around, processing my language. She didn’t say anymore, instead, advancing towards me until we were a foot apart. We were the same height, but I felt myself tremble a bit at her sudden closeness. I knew my strength, but what if she was stronger?
She scanned my shirt. Her mouth moved again; her lips trying to produce words.
“Ava,” she said.
I smiled and nodded. “Yes, that’s my name…I think. What’s your name?”
She stared at me, longer this time, scanning every feature of my face. Then her eyes went wide and she shook her head.
“No, Ava.”
“No what?”
She reached her hand out towards me. I was nervous. What did she want? She flexed her fingers back and forth, motioning for me to accept her hand. I hesitated, but then decided that if she wanted to harm me, she would have already done so. Her hand was covered in a black glove that she removed before taking my hand. As we touched, I almost pulled my hand back; hers was ice cold. She furrowed her brow at mine in a similar reaction, noting how warm my hand was.
I recollected all the bonding I had done, especially the hand-holding with Henrietta and Victor. Did this Stargazer want to do something similar? I stood there, waiting, my heart racing, wondering what was going to happen, as she pressed her palm against mine. We held our hands up in the air, as if we were signaling a halt to each other.
It took some time, but eventually my warm hand became ice cold like hers. I began to shiver, but held onto her, our fingers interlaced, desperate for answers, in whatever form they came. Her head tilted around as if she were listening for something, and then her eyes closed. I watched her in awe, until suddenly she clasped my hand in a tight grip. I thought my bones were going to break, but if she was exerting all her strength, it was too little to harm me. She let go of me and then fell to one knee, as if bowing before me.
“What are you doing?”
She looked up at me and said something in Stellar, quiet and calm. I shook my head at her, frustrated that we couldn’t communicate, frustrated that if I was a Stargazer, why didn’t I know how to speak Stellar. Why couldn’t someone tell me who I was?
The door opened and several guards with their weapons pointed at us began to advance. I went to protect the unknown Stargazer but surprisingly, she sprang up and interjected herself between me and the guns. The Red Woman followed behind the guards in her trademark red dress, click-clacking her red heels across the white tiled floor. She didn’t seem scared but more nervous, uneasy. It didn’t seem like she was in control at all, lacking in confidence; her steps were a little wobbly.
The Stargazer held her ground in front of me, protecting me. I didn’t understand why. One of the guards was in the front. He pulled the trigger and I grabbed the Stargazer, trying to pull her down to the ground, hoping to save her from suffering the horrible pain and disorientation, but she lunged forward after the man with lightning fast speed; she grabbed his gun, crumpled it in her hand as if it were a ball of paper, and then slammed both her hands into his chest, sending him flying back across the room, and through the wall. She took out three more guards in this fashion before she was subdued by several blasts from their weapons. It took a lot to bring her down, but she eventually fell, her eyes wide, red blood running from her nose, as her brain had exploded from within her skull. I tried to reach out to her, to hold her, but the rest of the guards blocked me with their weapons targeting my head.
I didn’t know if I could be as fast as the Stargazer. I didn’t know if I could incapacitate even one guard before another shot me twice, ending my life for good.
“Stop!” yelled the Red Woman. She approached, nervously, and stood several feet from me. “Calm down,” she said softly.
“Calm down!” I looked at her with absolute disbelief. “They murdered her!”
“She was a threat.”
“You’re the threat! She was trying to protect me from you!”
She took another step forward, a bit more confident. “And just who are you?”
I shook my head. “What are you talking about?”
“Medusa was able to translate some interesting words from the Stargazer. Yes, we know a little bit more about you.”
“What? What’d she say?”
“You’re—”
“Madam Secretary?” Medusa appeared on screen.
The Red Woman turned to her. “Yes?” she asked, annoyed that she was interrupted.
“President Pallas wants to see Ava, immediately.”
I gasped and so did the Red Woman. I was finally going to meet the great Julius Pallas. What was the meaning of this? Why now? What had the Stargazer said to elicit such an unexpected meeting?
“Is that…wise?” asked the Red Woman.
“President Pallas wants you to escort her to Quadrant Delta with two armed guards.”
I remembered Quadrant Delta was a place of mystery—a place the Red Woman had been to. But it wasn’t the president’s quarters. So what was there and why was I being summoned to that location?
The Red Woman was in a state of shock. “Only two guards? Why can’t she be restrained or sedated?”
“It is President Pallas’s wish that she be conscious and mobile. He said if you disagreed with his order, you were to be terminated—immediately.”
In an abrupt change of scenery, most of the guards, except for two, who still had their weapons on me, turned theirs towards the Red Woman. Her eyes went wide with disbelief.
“I-I understand. I will comply.”
“Thank you, Madam Secretary.” Medusa turned to me. “Hello, Ava.”
“Hi, Medusa,” I greeted back, shocked.
“President Pallas is most anxious to see you.”
“Why?”
“You will soon find out. Goodbye.”
Medusa disappeared and the room was eerily silent, except for a low humming noise. That silence was broken by the arrival of doctors in white lab coats, two of them being John and Loren. A table was brought in and the dead Stargazer was securely restrained to it, even though she could no longer be a threat—dead.
John and Loren wanted to walk to me, but were prevented by the guards. Despite being angry with them, I wanted to go to them too. I found myself desiring to forgive them, and I didn’t know why I felt that way. I should be clenching my fists, threatening them, watching their eyes go wide and their mouths stretching in pain as I crushed their bones.
Victor said that forgiveness was a human trait, but often forgotten. Did the Stargazers possess forgiveness? Was it more acute in their physiology or was I the exception? Is that why I was the anomaly? If I was such a freak, the Stargazer would have shunned me, or worse, destroyed me. Why did she bow? Why did she try to protect me? And what did the Red Woman know? What did Medusa hear? And why was Pallas, after all this time, so eager to meet me in the mysterious Quadrant Delta of all places?
The doctors exited the room with the dead Stargazer, but John and Loren remained. They looked at me warily, as if I would turn violent like the woman before me. Yet they loved me enough to stay out of concern for my well-being. I wanted to go to them; I wanted them both to hold me; I wanted to believe I was human and I wanted them to believe that as well.
The guards were between us, but it seemed there was always going to be something or someone between us. I wasn’t part of their world. My appearance was too distracting. I could change my hair and my eyes, but I couldn’t change who I was: a Stargazer, a human, an anomaly, a lost girl--a lost, scared little girl, who despite having more freedoms than other prisoners, still felt like a caged bird, never being allowed to fully spread her lavender wings.
“Ava,” Loren whispered, his hand reaching out for me.
I shook my head.
“Ava has an appointment with the president,” stated the Red Woman, approaching them, click-clacking with a resounding echo. “Go see to the deceased Stargazer. I’m sure you’ll discover something unique about her.” She turned to me with a wicked smile. “I already have.”
John and Loren stood their ground, not wanting to leave, but the Red Woman snapped her fingers and two guards roughly pushed them towards the door, and out of the room. More guards left until there were only two, as President Pallas had ordered.
“Well,” began the Red Woman, brushing the blonde curls from her face, “you’re finally going to meet the Beneficial One. Be on your best behavior. He doesn’t tolerate insolence.”
I smiled at her. “If he’s been monitoring, he knows I’m not exactly the most modest prisoner.”
“Oh, he’s been monitoring your every move since you arrived. I’ve never seen him take such an interest in an alien before. I admit it vexes me.”
“Is it because all his attention has been on me and not you?”
She scoffed loudly. “As if an alien—a freak alien at that could possibly consume his thoughts.”
“Well, we’re going to Quadrant Delta. What’s in there? And why do I get to see it when you were so…blessed earlier?”
She looked around at the guards. “That place is very…unique. It’s not for anyone to gaze upon.”
I smiled. “Well, I guess I’m not just anyone, now am I?”
Her lazy eye quivered, as if she were going to explode in anger. “I agree. You are definitely someone. The question is: what will Pallas do with you now?”
“Am I a threat to him?”
“You’ve been a threat to him since you first arrived.”
“Is that why you hate me?”
“I hate you because you’re the enemy.”
“What have I ever done to you?”
“You existed! Now, no more discussion—we can’t keep our Dear Leader waiting. And I’m most anxious to see what he’ll do with you now.”
She turned quickly, click-clacking across the floor. One of the guards motioned for me to proceed, which I did—glad to be out of that room that brought back such painful memories, and eager to meet Pallas. I felt in this moment, everything would be revealed. I was ready. Even if I were to die after learning the truth, I had to know before I took my last breath.