connection to one of our most brilliant scientists.” He waved the cylinder. “May I scan you now?”
I hugged my shoulders and nodded.
“Is David all right?” I asked.
A beam of light passed over my chest.
“I would think so,” Nematali said. “As I said, the exteriation procedure is not dangerous, it is just painful.”
Falen pressed the denim beside my zipper and lit me up again with the pencil. “Her physiology all seems to be within human guidelines.”
He grabbed a clear, thick cylinder from his case and placed it over my left jean pocket. A searing burn shot through my skin and strangled my insides. I screamed before he pulled the instrument away.
“What the Hell?” I unbuttoned my pants to make sure I wasn’t bleeding. A red welt formed on my skin just under the elastic of my panties.
“What have you done?” Nematali asked.
Falen shook the vial, now filled with pinky-clear fluid. “Scientific curiosity.”
Her lips tightened.
“I’ve done what you asked.” He slipped the vial into his case. “She will be fine. I doubt your fears are warranted. Our research shows humans, especially young ones, show deep emotional reactions to witnessing stressful events. I suppose that is what you observed.”
He closed the lid and walked through the front door.
Nematali kept her eyes down. “I’m sorry he did that. His actions were unexpected.”
“Unexpected? What did he do? What was in that vial?”
“Just a tissue sample. You are unharmed.”
Yeah, tell that to the friggin’ welt.
Falen just earned position numero uno on my people to avoid list. I shivered and leaned away from Nematali. Maybe I wasn’t as safe with her as I thought. “I want to see David.”
She pursed her lips. “That isn’t in my control. For now, please rest. I will notify your father that you will be spending the night.”
Spending the night? Yeah, I could imagine that phone call. It would take all of three seconds for Dad to scramble NASA to fly up here and get me. Nope, that was not going to go over well at all.
“But I’m supposed to be home for dinner.” I stood, but my sight wavered, and I eased back down to the couch. Three Nematalies stared back at me.
“I suggest you continue to rest for a short while.” She stepped to the door. “I need to speak with Falen, but I will return in a few hours. Then we can discuss returning to Earth.”
I shrugged. “I guess.”
She nodded and disappeared through the door.
Rest. Easy for her to say. I rubbed the burning skin beneath the pocket of my jeans.
Although the look and scents of home surrounded me, Doctor Doom and his vial from Hell showed me that I was far from safe. They could do anything to me here. Anything.
And there wasn’t much I could do about it.
My backpack lay at the base of the couch with Old Reliable propped up against the worn canvas. I grabbed my camera and turned over the lens. A few scratches, but none the worse for wear. I pressed the power button and scanned through the photographs.
My stomach flipped. The agony on David’s face, the bubbling of the artificial skin as it took form …
“Why did you do this?” I whispered.
Dread. Sorrow.
I sprang to my feet and reached for the couch when my head did another tilt-o-whirl. I held on until the room stopped spinning and turned to the wall beside the stairs.
Guilt. Shame.
“David, I know you’re there. Please don’t hide from me.”
Nothing.
“I am not going to sit here so you can look at me through a wall. I am not some sort of freak show, so get your ass in here, or so help me—”
Knock. Knock. Knock.
I spun toward the sound coming from the front door. The realism of the dust on the molding, the chipped paint, the worn door handle, all mocked me. I blinked hard, forcing my mind to come to grips that I wasn’t in my living room, and no one had ever knocked on that fake door before.
Yet little invisible fingers pulled me forward, gently tugging me through the living room
I hugged my shoulders and nodded.
“Is David all right?” I asked.
A beam of light passed over my chest.
“I would think so,” Nematali said. “As I said, the exteriation procedure is not dangerous, it is just painful.”
Falen pressed the denim beside my zipper and lit me up again with the pencil. “Her physiology all seems to be within human guidelines.”
He grabbed a clear, thick cylinder from his case and placed it over my left jean pocket. A searing burn shot through my skin and strangled my insides. I screamed before he pulled the instrument away.
“What the Hell?” I unbuttoned my pants to make sure I wasn’t bleeding. A red welt formed on my skin just under the elastic of my panties.
“What have you done?” Nematali asked.
Falen shook the vial, now filled with pinky-clear fluid. “Scientific curiosity.”
Her lips tightened.
“I’ve done what you asked.” He slipped the vial into his case. “She will be fine. I doubt your fears are warranted. Our research shows humans, especially young ones, show deep emotional reactions to witnessing stressful events. I suppose that is what you observed.”
He closed the lid and walked through the front door.
Nematali kept her eyes down. “I’m sorry he did that. His actions were unexpected.”
“Unexpected? What did he do? What was in that vial?”
“Just a tissue sample. You are unharmed.”
Yeah, tell that to the friggin’ welt.
Falen just earned position numero uno on my people to avoid list. I shivered and leaned away from Nematali. Maybe I wasn’t as safe with her as I thought. “I want to see David.”
She pursed her lips. “That isn’t in my control. For now, please rest. I will notify your father that you will be spending the night.”
Spending the night? Yeah, I could imagine that phone call. It would take all of three seconds for Dad to scramble NASA to fly up here and get me. Nope, that was not going to go over well at all.
“But I’m supposed to be home for dinner.” I stood, but my sight wavered, and I eased back down to the couch. Three Nematalies stared back at me.
“I suggest you continue to rest for a short while.” She stepped to the door. “I need to speak with Falen, but I will return in a few hours. Then we can discuss returning to Earth.”
I shrugged. “I guess.”
She nodded and disappeared through the door.
Rest. Easy for her to say. I rubbed the burning skin beneath the pocket of my jeans.
Although the look and scents of home surrounded me, Doctor Doom and his vial from Hell showed me that I was far from safe. They could do anything to me here. Anything.
And there wasn’t much I could do about it.
My backpack lay at the base of the couch with Old Reliable propped up against the worn canvas. I grabbed my camera and turned over the lens. A few scratches, but none the worse for wear. I pressed the power button and scanned through the photographs.
My stomach flipped. The agony on David’s face, the bubbling of the artificial skin as it took form …
“Why did you do this?” I whispered.
Dread. Sorrow.
I sprang to my feet and reached for the couch when my head did another tilt-o-whirl. I held on until the room stopped spinning and turned to the wall beside the stairs.
Guilt. Shame.
“David, I know you’re there. Please don’t hide from me.”
Nothing.
“I am not going to sit here so you can look at me through a wall. I am not some sort of freak show, so get your ass in here, or so help me—”
Knock. Knock. Knock.
I spun toward the sound coming from the front door. The realism of the dust on the molding, the chipped paint, the worn door handle, all mocked me. I blinked hard, forcing my mind to come to grips that I wasn’t in my living room, and no one had ever knocked on that fake door before.
Yet little invisible fingers pulled me forward, gently tugging me through the living room
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