Imminent Danger: And How to Fly Straight Into It by Michelle Proulx
Authors: Michelle Proulx
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“You may not call me Tris, nor may you call me Sklim. I do not stand for barbarically terrestrial nicknames. If your primitive tongue is too underdeveloped to pronounce my name, you may call me Doctor T.” It whirred back a few feet. “Are we clear?”
“Yes, Doctor T,” they chorused.
“And do not think just because you are not wearing restraints that you are the brighter photon. If you are so misinformed about Triila, you are even more ignorant than I thought.”
Eris wasn’t sure what the Triila could do to her but decided she didn’t want to find out.
“Come with me.” The creature bobbed away.
“Triila are not merciful creatures,” Miguri whispered to Eris. “Literally. They do not possess the psychological elements required for pity. Do not cross it.”
They followed the Triila as it wove through the busy laboratory. It paused every few seconds to snarl an order at some unfortunate underling. They went through a door, down a corridor, through another door, and ended up in a long hallway lined on both sides with glass holding cells. Fantastic, Eris thought dismally. Another cell block. I could write a travel guide for the galaxy, Seventy-Three Cell Blocks for the Intrepid Traveler.
Each square cell had three solid walls and was separated from the hallway by a thin pane of glass that stretched from floor to ceiling.
“Do not be a fool,” the Triila said to Eris as she reached out to touch the glass. “The cell doors are embedded with an electric current that will severely shock you. I do not doubt it will hurt immensely.”
Eris quickly withdrew her hand.
The luminous globe directed its two captives toward identical cells on opposite sides of the hall. “Open 32 and 33. Authorization Tttrisklimysls,” it said. The two cell doors opened. “Human, you are in 32. Claktill, 33.”
Once Eris and Miguri were inside their cells, Doctor T shut the doors and floated off without another word.
“So now what? We wait?” Eris paced restlessly behind the electrified glass barrier.
“It would seem so,” Miguri said, settling to the floor. His voice was a bit muffled by the panes of glass between them, but Eris could still understand him well enough. “Until we are taken out for experiments,” he continued. “Or killed. Or rescued. Although I cannot say that rescue would be any better an outcome than the other two possibilities.”
“You don’t want to be rescued?”
“With our track record for rescues? We are as likely to be rescued by a Glorgishen hunter as a legitimate IFTAP retriever.”
“It isn’t fair,” Eris said bitterly. “No one should have the right to treat people like this. The next time I see Doctor T, I’m going to—”
“You will do nothing,” Miguri said, suddenly fierce. “I understand you are upset, my friend. But taking out your frustration on Doctor T will accomplish nothing—in fact, it may worsen the situation.”
Eris wanted to start shouting as she had her first night on the Ssrisk ship, or maybe slam her fists against the transparent cell door. But no one except Miguri would hear, and hitting the door would only electrocute her.
“Fine,” she huffed, sinking down to the hard floor. “I’ll do nothing. For now.”
The next morning, a three-eyed, pebbly-skinned Chakra Corporation scientist came around to start the first day of what Eris soon dubbed “lab-ratting.” She and Miguri had not been fed since they arrived and had spent the night lying on the floor under bright fluorescent lights.
Hungry and exhausted, Eris was ready to do whatever their new captors demanded. She meekly shuffled out of her cell when the scientist slid the door open and did not protest when it clapped binders on her wrists. Miguri, however, responded to the situation by curling up into a ball in the corner of his cell.
“Out!” the scientist ordered Miguri. When the Claktill didn’t move, the pebbly-skinned alien growled in annoyance, entered the cell, and reached a
“Yes, Doctor T,” they chorused.
“And do not think just because you are not wearing restraints that you are the brighter photon. If you are so misinformed about Triila, you are even more ignorant than I thought.”
Eris wasn’t sure what the Triila could do to her but decided she didn’t want to find out.
“Come with me.” The creature bobbed away.
“Triila are not merciful creatures,” Miguri whispered to Eris. “Literally. They do not possess the psychological elements required for pity. Do not cross it.”
They followed the Triila as it wove through the busy laboratory. It paused every few seconds to snarl an order at some unfortunate underling. They went through a door, down a corridor, through another door, and ended up in a long hallway lined on both sides with glass holding cells. Fantastic, Eris thought dismally. Another cell block. I could write a travel guide for the galaxy, Seventy-Three Cell Blocks for the Intrepid Traveler.
Each square cell had three solid walls and was separated from the hallway by a thin pane of glass that stretched from floor to ceiling.
“Do not be a fool,” the Triila said to Eris as she reached out to touch the glass. “The cell doors are embedded with an electric current that will severely shock you. I do not doubt it will hurt immensely.”
Eris quickly withdrew her hand.
The luminous globe directed its two captives toward identical cells on opposite sides of the hall. “Open 32 and 33. Authorization Tttrisklimysls,” it said. The two cell doors opened. “Human, you are in 32. Claktill, 33.”
Once Eris and Miguri were inside their cells, Doctor T shut the doors and floated off without another word.
“So now what? We wait?” Eris paced restlessly behind the electrified glass barrier.
“It would seem so,” Miguri said, settling to the floor. His voice was a bit muffled by the panes of glass between them, but Eris could still understand him well enough. “Until we are taken out for experiments,” he continued. “Or killed. Or rescued. Although I cannot say that rescue would be any better an outcome than the other two possibilities.”
“You don’t want to be rescued?”
“With our track record for rescues? We are as likely to be rescued by a Glorgishen hunter as a legitimate IFTAP retriever.”
“It isn’t fair,” Eris said bitterly. “No one should have the right to treat people like this. The next time I see Doctor T, I’m going to—”
“You will do nothing,” Miguri said, suddenly fierce. “I understand you are upset, my friend. But taking out your frustration on Doctor T will accomplish nothing—in fact, it may worsen the situation.”
Eris wanted to start shouting as she had her first night on the Ssrisk ship, or maybe slam her fists against the transparent cell door. But no one except Miguri would hear, and hitting the door would only electrocute her.
“Fine,” she huffed, sinking down to the hard floor. “I’ll do nothing. For now.”
The next morning, a three-eyed, pebbly-skinned Chakra Corporation scientist came around to start the first day of what Eris soon dubbed “lab-ratting.” She and Miguri had not been fed since they arrived and had spent the night lying on the floor under bright fluorescent lights.
Hungry and exhausted, Eris was ready to do whatever their new captors demanded. She meekly shuffled out of her cell when the scientist slid the door open and did not protest when it clapped binders on her wrists. Miguri, however, responded to the situation by curling up into a ball in the corner of his cell.
“Out!” the scientist ordered Miguri. When the Claktill didn’t move, the pebbly-skinned alien growled in annoyance, entered the cell, and reached a
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