H.A.L.F.: The Makers by Natalie Wright

over his shoulder but didn’t stop walking toward the light. “Push yourself, Doc. We’re almost there. I think.”
    “What about Tex?”
    Ian stopped and spun around, whipping Xenos around as well. “Forget Tex. He betrayed us. I’m not risking my life – again – for that little two-faced Judas.”
    Ian voiced the feeling that had welled in Erika too. Tex must have known that the Conexus weren’t going to roll out the red carpet for them. He’d done the mind-meld thing with them or whatever it was. He must have seen what the Conexus planned for them. Yet he’d been insistent that they get on the ship.
    But this was all conjecture on their part. Erika had no way of knowing for sure until she was able to talk to Tex.
    “I can’t just leave him here. He’s my son,” Dr. Randall said.
    “You may not be able to leave without him, but I sure as hell can,” Ian said. He shoved Xenos again to force her down the hallway toward the light.
    “Ian, stop. This isn’t you. You’re scared – we all are, including Xenos. But we can’t leave without at least finding out if Tex was in on the plan or not,” Erika said.
    Ian let out a growl and kicked his foot into the crumbly path. “Dammit.”
    “Don’t be mad at me,” Erika said.
    “I’m … I’m not mad at you. Just pissed in general ’cause you’re friggin’ right. Okay, Xenos, do you know where they’re keeping the other human that came with us from Earth?” Ian asked.
    She nodded.
    “That’s something at least,” Ian said. “Take us to him, then.”
    Before Xenos could answer or point them in the right direction, she was on her knees, gasping for air, and Ian was thrown away from her. He was pinned to the wall like a fly to flypaper. He kicked his feet and strained, but he was unable to free himself from the invisible force that held him immobilized.
    Erika turned toward the direction they’d come from. Three small beings glided toward her. Behind the three Conexus was a taller being. It had the same huge, hairless head as the others but was more robust. It also had slightly fuller lips, and its lower lip appeared to be tattooed with purple vertical lines that met in a point at the tip of its chin. The larger being spoke. “Xenos, you have disobeyed the commands of the Conexus. You will be punished.”
    Xenos writhed on the floor as she gasped. Her pale, smooth skin turned an alarming shade of eggplant purple.
    “Stop!” Erika screamed. “Don’t hurt her. We forced her to bring us here. Ian had hold of her.”
    “That is of no consequence,” the larger Conexus said. “Xenos disobeyed the will of the Conexus.”
    “Please,” Erika said. “She – she did not disobey. Her job was to keep us alive, right? And she did. We told her that we’d die if she didn’t bring us here. She didn’t fail your commands.”
    The Conexus were only a few feet away now. The larger one looked to Erika then to Xenos. She lay with her head twisted to the side, her mouth locked open in a silent ‘O’, the veins in her temples throbbing.
    The Conexus regarded each other. It appeared that they were engaging in conversation though they did not speak out loud.
    Xenos coughed and gasped. She slowly stood, her hands shaking. She took huge gulps of air.
    Erika was about to thank the Conexus, but before she could get the words out, her whole body rose into the air. She was held aloft by invisible hands. She and Dr. Randall hovered in the hallway while Ian still hung on the wall like a trophy kill.
    “Xenos, you will follow,” the apparent leader said.
    The Conexus turned back in the direction from which they’d come, and Erika was pulled along behind them by a lasso she couldn’t see. She looked toward Ian and was glad to see that he too floated in the air behind her. His arms and legs flailed as if that might help him get himself back to the ground. It didn’t work.
    The Conexus twisted down this corridor then that. Erika again tried to memorize their route,