it were not for the fact that he is an Elder . . .”
Echo hung her head.
“What’s going on, Echo? Can you get me down from here?” shouted Jose.
Echo waddled over to stand unflinchingly in front of the house Kreyven. “Do not worry, Brother. I will stand for you in your trial.”
“Trial? What the heck are you talking about? Get me out of this mess.” Jose struggled against the Kreyven.
“Please, Brother Jose. Do not fight the Kreyven. It has orders. You will go to another part of the Womb while the trial commences. The Womb will decide what to do with you. I will argue for a position in the labs, something befitting your station.”
The Kreyven began to withdraw into the translucent wall of the Womb. “Stay calm, my Brother. I will make sure you are fine.” Echo hopped from foot to foot as Jose disappeared with the Kreyven.
Forbation moved forward to place a reassuring hand on Echo’s shoulder. Barney stood sniffing at the organic wall; a low whine testified to his distress.
“You know something like this was bound to happen. They can’t help themselves. You agreed to these measures before the decision to move them here was made,” Forbation admonished Echo. “We will do what we can, but please . . . don’t make this worse. His violence may just be related to his dispute with Sister Abby but you know he must be segregated for observation.”
The two minions turned to walk arm-in-arm down the hallway, the organic walls beating subtly with their every step.
“This will be quick. I will find something suitable for him.” Forbation shook his head from side to side, his disappointment keen. “I just did not think the first to break would be an Elder.”
***
Bonnie lay on her colorful bed staring up at the high ceiling. Squinting her eyes tightly, she thought she could see the ceiling move with the beats of her own heart. Hud sat quietly in a chair by the bedside, finding comfort in her company. Like most men, he found quiet easier to deal with.
“Why won’t you help me, Hud? How can you turn your back on Ginger Mae?”
“I’m not turning my back on her, Bonnie. There’s just nothing I can do. What do you want from me? Do you want me to go back into the portal with you? That’s only going to get us killed.” A tear slipped down Hud’s face. He wiped it away quickly with the back of his fist as he stood. His handsome world-weary face looked down on Bonnie, his shell-shocked eyes appraising her.
“You need to do your mourning and make your peace. Stop torturing yourself.”
Bonnie remained silent.
“Come on. Why don’t you come with me? The rest of the women are in the nursery with the babies. With your baby. He needs to see his mama. And Forbation wants to meet us after we eat. He has an announcement for us.”
“I’ll be there. Just not yet.”
“Okay, I’ll just head down to the nursery to give your son a look-see for you.” He bent down and gave Bonnie’s arm a squeeze. “See ya later. You are planning on joining us for chow aren’t you?”
“I’ll think about it, Hud.”
Nodding his head, the big, sad man left the room.
It didn’t take long before Bonnie heard another noise. She sighed to herself with frustration. Never a moment’s peace . She closed her eyes to feign sleep. Suddenly she felt a finger trace the contours of her face, slowly . . . tentatively.
Her eyes flew open to confront a minion with a disarmingly beautiful fire butterfly attached to her antlers. Ivey . Bonnie stared at the minion who stared back. Seconds passed as she wondered why the minion was here.
“You look good, Ivey. Are you healed?”
“Yes, Sister Bonnie, I am.”
Bonnie waited for more. Ivey remained silent as she carefully watched Bonnie. Finally the swirling auras in her brain engaged.
“Brother Baby and Sister Echo feel love for their humans. Do you feel love?”
“Why yes, Ivey,” she replied, startled and amused by the question. “Do you love someone?”
“No,”
Echo hung her head.
“What’s going on, Echo? Can you get me down from here?” shouted Jose.
Echo waddled over to stand unflinchingly in front of the house Kreyven. “Do not worry, Brother. I will stand for you in your trial.”
“Trial? What the heck are you talking about? Get me out of this mess.” Jose struggled against the Kreyven.
“Please, Brother Jose. Do not fight the Kreyven. It has orders. You will go to another part of the Womb while the trial commences. The Womb will decide what to do with you. I will argue for a position in the labs, something befitting your station.”
The Kreyven began to withdraw into the translucent wall of the Womb. “Stay calm, my Brother. I will make sure you are fine.” Echo hopped from foot to foot as Jose disappeared with the Kreyven.
Forbation moved forward to place a reassuring hand on Echo’s shoulder. Barney stood sniffing at the organic wall; a low whine testified to his distress.
“You know something like this was bound to happen. They can’t help themselves. You agreed to these measures before the decision to move them here was made,” Forbation admonished Echo. “We will do what we can, but please . . . don’t make this worse. His violence may just be related to his dispute with Sister Abby but you know he must be segregated for observation.”
The two minions turned to walk arm-in-arm down the hallway, the organic walls beating subtly with their every step.
“This will be quick. I will find something suitable for him.” Forbation shook his head from side to side, his disappointment keen. “I just did not think the first to break would be an Elder.”
***
Bonnie lay on her colorful bed staring up at the high ceiling. Squinting her eyes tightly, she thought she could see the ceiling move with the beats of her own heart. Hud sat quietly in a chair by the bedside, finding comfort in her company. Like most men, he found quiet easier to deal with.
“Why won’t you help me, Hud? How can you turn your back on Ginger Mae?”
“I’m not turning my back on her, Bonnie. There’s just nothing I can do. What do you want from me? Do you want me to go back into the portal with you? That’s only going to get us killed.” A tear slipped down Hud’s face. He wiped it away quickly with the back of his fist as he stood. His handsome world-weary face looked down on Bonnie, his shell-shocked eyes appraising her.
“You need to do your mourning and make your peace. Stop torturing yourself.”
Bonnie remained silent.
“Come on. Why don’t you come with me? The rest of the women are in the nursery with the babies. With your baby. He needs to see his mama. And Forbation wants to meet us after we eat. He has an announcement for us.”
“I’ll be there. Just not yet.”
“Okay, I’ll just head down to the nursery to give your son a look-see for you.” He bent down and gave Bonnie’s arm a squeeze. “See ya later. You are planning on joining us for chow aren’t you?”
“I’ll think about it, Hud.”
Nodding his head, the big, sad man left the room.
It didn’t take long before Bonnie heard another noise. She sighed to herself with frustration. Never a moment’s peace . She closed her eyes to feign sleep. Suddenly she felt a finger trace the contours of her face, slowly . . . tentatively.
Her eyes flew open to confront a minion with a disarmingly beautiful fire butterfly attached to her antlers. Ivey . Bonnie stared at the minion who stared back. Seconds passed as she wondered why the minion was here.
“You look good, Ivey. Are you healed?”
“Yes, Sister Bonnie, I am.”
Bonnie waited for more. Ivey remained silent as she carefully watched Bonnie. Finally the swirling auras in her brain engaged.
“Brother Baby and Sister Echo feel love for their humans. Do you feel love?”
“Why yes, Ivey,” she replied, startled and amused by the question. “Do you love someone?”
“No,”