Ava observed Irric work in concentration. She studied him, trying to piece together what such an expression would feel like. She wondered whether she would ever know. She continued her analysis intently, off-putting Irric as he tried to ignore her stare.

  Irric ran his latest attempt at cracking the encryption and turned to face her. “Ava, why are you staring at me?” Her stares had become more frequent lately, yet he couldn’t figure out why. Their days blended into routine failures of attempting to crack the encryption. While hardly exciting, it didn’t warrant the level of attention he’d been receiving.

  “Because I’m studying you,” she replied.

  Irric rubbed his face in frustration. “That’s not what I meant.”

  “Then why ask it?” Ava cocked her head slightly.

  Irric regarded her carefully as he pondered whether or not her curiosity was merely a program that emulated emotions to manipulate him or genuine. It was hard to tell with her sometimes. Her reactions seemed genuine – no different than an ordinary person – but it was questions like these that reminded him that she wasn’t one. “To what end are you studying me?” he asked, trying a different approach.

  “To understand you.”

  Irric sighed. He was getting nowhere with her. His head snapped towards his data slate when an alarm went off. Messages flashed on the screen and his eyes drank in their contents. What was displayed made no sense to him but before he could react, they disappeared and were replaced by a single question asking him if he wanted to open something. Hesitantly, he selected yes.

  A sharp hiss escaped from the wall as a rectangular protrusion extended outward. Irric and Ava watched the change in a startled silence. All the sides save the bottom rippled before disappearing, revealing a small, black case.

  Irric sucked in a breath. He turned back to his data slate once he was certain nothing more would happen. “By the gods, it worked.” He took a closer look and frowned at what he saw. “Partly. It seems that all we were able to do was access this one thing.”

  “It was still a success,” Ava said. “Whatever you just did cracked the encryption. That means we’re on the right path.”

  Irric nodded and put his data slate down. He studied the case sitting on what was left of the earlier spectacle. “I feel like I’ve seen that case before,” he said, a pit welling in his stomach. He had no desire to go near it but couldn’t place why. Ava noticed him hesitate to approach the case.

  “I could open it,” she offered. “I’m significantly more resistant to damage than you are.”

  Unable to shake the feeling of dread that was creeping up on him, Irric considered the proposal. He nodded. “Fine, just this once. Be careful.” Watching Ava closely as she approached the case should something go wrong, he reached towards the gun holstered on his hip. She reached the case and studied it, unsure how to open it.

  A small blue circle in the middle of the case caught her eye. Tentatively, she put her finger against it. The case opened and revealed two vials – one half filled with an orange liquid and the other almost empty of the purple liquid contained within.

  Irric’s eyes widened in recognition.

  Reya and Adrian’s screams echoed in his head as he homed in on the beginnings of each horrid video he’d borne witness to. The image of an open case sitting innocently on the table before Reya as an orange vial was plucked from it crystalized in his mind and he gasped.

  “Irric,” Ava called out in concern, “do you recognize these?”

  Mutely, Irric nodded. “It’s more than that. I think they were used on Reya and Adrian. The only way to be sure is look at something horrendous.”

  Ava frowned. “What’s so bad about these chemicals?” She reached her hand towards the vials.

  “Don’t touch that!” he shouted, raising his gun and taking aim at Ava. She froze. His weapon turned hot. “Back up,” he ordered, ready to kill. The muzzle remained trained on her as she took a wary step away from the case. “Those things,” Irric spat, “are a crime against the living. I need to call this in. Now.”

  “What do they do that warrants such a reaction?” Ava asked nervously, eyeing the gun still pointed at her.

  “They cause pain on a level of which we cannot comprehend,” Irric replied.

  “And you know this how?”

  “We have proof. Horrendous, disgusting proof of the suffering they cause. Now be quiet and don’t touch.” Using his data slate, Irric made a joint call with Commander Cyrix and General Nessah using their emergency line. They both answered within seconds, surprised to see the other one on the call.

  “What happened?” Nessah asked immediately, concerned. “Why are we both on this call? Have you cracked the encryption?” Cyrix remained silent as he waited for Irric’s response, preferring to let Nessah speak.

  “I’m afraid not,” Irric replied gravely. “We’ve made a different discovery. Something far worse.”

  “Out with it, soldier,” Nessah commanded. She had no patience for long-winded games. Not when Irric deemed the situation important enough to have both her and Cyrix on the line at the same time.

  “I believe we’ve found a physical sample of both chemicals used on Adrian and Reya. I have them in front of me right now.” Irric said. His superior officers’ eyes went wide at the news, and they demanded visual confirmation. Irric showed them and explained why he believed them to be those chemicals specifically. “I would need to verify with Reya’s video to be sure it’s the same sample but with Ava present, I’m not sure whether to view it or not. Permission to proceed?”

  Nessah pinched the bridge of her nose. “Permission granted. This was the one thing I was hoping you wouldn’t discover. We can’t let this get out in the world and without studying them, we have no idea how to properly destroy them. But studying those chemicals isn’t an option. Cyrix, what are your thoughts on the matter?”

  Cyrix rested his head on crossed fingers as he contemplated how best to proceed. “We need to lock them up and bring them under our possession. If the chemicals are transported to the flag ship, I can have them secured until we return back to Verilia.”

  “Is that wise?” Nessah asked. “Why not have them sent via ship back to Verilia, like we did with the test subject?”

  “I’d rather they remain under the tightest security possible and frankly, I don’t want to take the chance of waiting three weeks only to find out the ship we sent them off on disappeared without a trace. We’d be well and truly screwed if that ever happened. We can’t risk it.”

  “I can transport it to the flag ship personally under armed guard,” Irric offered. Ava remained silent throughout the exchange, realizing how seriously the situation was being treated by her captors.

  Nessah hummed as she weighed their options. “Do we have a team we can trust? Nadi’s team is in transit and won’t be able to participate. Leaving the chemicals alone until then is too great a risk.”

  “I’m worried that there may be more samples in the room,” Cyrix brought up. “Is leaving the facility right now the smartest option?”

  “Nobody should have access to the Highest’s room but the badge holder,” Irric said confidently. “I’m confident there’s only one badge.”

  “We’ll have to alert Nadi so that a route can be cleared and a team put together so that you can fly them back to base.”

  “Do we trust Nadi enough for this task?” Nessah asked. “She was left behind while her team went off for a reason. She’s proven too curious about what we’re really doing here.”

  “It would be stranger if we didn’t have her organize the return route, given her position as head of operations and the severity of the situation. We don’t have to tell her what we’ve found,” Cyrix pointed out.

  “Fine,” Nessah sighed. “We’ll have to hope our trust in her isn’t misplaced. Irric, you and Ava are to return to the flag ship. Secure the chemicals at any cost. Any cost,” she reiterated. “Don’t let them out of your sight.”

  “Understood,” Irric saluted.

  “Ava, you are to accompany Irric while he returns. Naturally, you’ll be confined during the trip and will have to wait until he’s done securing the chemicals.”

  “Fine,” Ava begrudgingly agreed. “Just answer me this: do they really warrant this level of precaution? I was almost killed just for walking towards them!”

  “They warrant even more than we can afford right now,” Nessah replied grimly. “And if you make any move to touch them, Irric has full permission to shoot you dead.”

  Ava had more to say but thought better of it. Risking death wasn’t worth satisfying her curiosity. She watched in silence as the others hashed out a plan to transport the mysterious chemicals to a safe location. In what felt like no time at all, Irric was ending his call and preparing for departure. “I’m going to need your help discerning whether these are the same chemicals used on Reya and Adrian,” he spoke up, turning his attention towards her.

  She walked over and peered at his data slate with anticipation, hoping to finally get some answers. The grimace on Irric’s face put a damper on her enthusiasm. “What do you need me for?” She waited patiently for him call up the video on his data slate and input the correct authentication to view it. Ava watched intently, committing the process to memory.

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  “I need you to help me compare what’s in the video to what we have here and confirm that it’s the same case. The angle isn’t the best, but we should be able to get what we need.” Reya’s skeletal, blood-drenched, malnourished form appeared onscreen, surprising Ava.

  “What happened to her?” she asked clinically, comparing Reya’s state to those of the many bodies she’d experimented on. She eyed the multitude of scars on her body, wondering how long it had taken to get like that.

  “She was captured,” was all Irric said. He brought the video to the point when one of the gru’ul placed a black case on the table, about to open it. “This is the part we need to see, so pay attention.” Without further ado, he started the video. The pair watched in silence as one of the gru’ul prepared a syringe full of the orange liquid. Irric paused the video before Reya was injected.

  “You’re stopping it there?”

  “That’s right. You don’t get to see what happens next. It’s for the best, trust me.” He shuddered and turned green. He absolutely refused to ever witness the rest of the video again. Once was already one time too many.

  A feeling of trepidation overcame Ava, but she didn’t understand what is was. She filed it away for further study, alongside Irric’s strong reactions. The feeling lessened but still simmered in the background of her thoughts. Her limited understanding of emotions gave her trouble matching the sensation to the definitions she knew. Problematic, she mused, but something she would resolve in time.

  “Do the case and contents of the vials in the video match what we found?” Irric’s voice snapped Ava out of her thoughts. She drew up her memories of both instances and scrutinized them.

  “The box and orange vial are exactly the same. The only difference is the purple one. It was full in the video, but now it’s almost empty.”

  Irric frowned. “Does that mean it was used after they injected Reya?”

  “Maybe,” Ava shrugged. “I still don’t know what exactly they do, so I can’t say. What’s so special about the purple vial?”

  “It’s somehow worse than the orange one,” Irric said darkly. “As if such a thing were even possible. The only person who might know what happened is Adrian, but I don’t think he’ll talk about it. He’s the only one we know of that they used it on.”

  “Has he spoken at all about his time here at the facility? He would be of great help in learning more about it.”

  “He’s categorically refused to divulge anything relating to his time here.”

  Ava raised her brows. “And your Tribunal allows this?” She remembered how Adrian had acted towards the Elders when she first woke up in the facility. Like her, he was at their mercy. Yet still he defied them and refused to divulge any information. And they let him get away with it. It baffled her.

  “Because they’re still deliberating his claims of being from an alien civilization –”

  “Which he is,” Ava interrupted. Irric shot her an annoyed look.

  “– and we have no way of actually validating that claim,” he continued, “they’re unsure whether first contact protocols apply. If we mistreat him and it turns out his claims are true, there’s going to be massive backlash from the rest of the populace when they find out.”

  “Why not keep him hidden?”

  Irric shook his head. “Be realistic for a moment. He can’t blend in like you can. One day, somebody’s going to find out. Questions are going to be asked, and the military is under the obligation to reveal when they’ve come into contact with a new species so that diplomatic relations can be undertaken by the rest of the government in accordance to first contact protocols. Right now they’re taking stock of the situation before making any notice. They’re skirting the line by keeping him hidden – not that I blame them.”

  “You keep mentioning that.” Ava frowned. “What exactly are first contact protocols?”

  Irric scratched his head. “Given that we actually have made contact with an alien species, it was deemed necessary to have a guideline on how to establish good relations with any other species we may come into contact with. These rules are actually ratified, and all members of society are bound to respect them. The military is heavily scrutinized for this because we’re most likely the ones to make first contact.”

  “And those rules give Adrian the leeway to act as he has?”

  “The main reason he can act the way he has is because he’s made deals with the Tribunal, as he knows they don’t believe him.”

  “What kind of deals did he make?”

  Irric smiled sharply. “Not the kind you can easily replicate given your situation.” His expression changed to one filled with pity. “The more we discover here, the more difficult treating Adrian becomes. We have to be careful; the situation is as delicate as he is.”

  “He seems just fine,” Ava pointed out.

  Irric barked out a sad laugh. “If what I’ve seen is any indication, there’s no way he’s fine. It’s a miracle he’s still sane. Those chemicals are cruel beyond anything I could ever have imagined.” He left out that if the records he found were to be believed, Adrian had been subject to it more than once.

  Ava paused, unsure of what to make of his answer.

  The pair lapsed into silence as they waited for news from their escort team. Irric tensed when Nadi confirmed that everything was in place using her comms. He picked up the case in one hand and carried his data slate in the other. Together, they approached the outline along the wall and waited for it to disappear. They walked out into the hall and spotted Nadi further down, waiting patiently with three other soldiers.

  They joined the small group and Irric took a look behind him to ensure that the entrance to the lab had disappeared like it was supposed to. Satisfied that no entry point could be seen, he focused his attention on Nadi, who was eying the case held in his hand. “Alright, let’s get going,” she announced everyone. The soldiers fanned out and surrounded Ava and Irric in a protective formation, weapons drawn.

  They didn’t meet a single person on they way to the checkpoint out of the restricted section. As they approached the group was met by a lone soldier on guard. Nadi confirmed their passage, and the group was immediately let through without issue.

  The route to the hangar was similarly void of any people. The guards entered it first, scanning for anything out of place before allowing Irric and Ava to enter. Once the all-clear was given, the group mounted the hover bikes waiting for them and took off out of the hangar and towards the entrance of hovering outside of the entrance.

  As soon as everybody was safely onboard, the doors sealed the ship shut. A small jolt told Irric that they were already moving towards their destination. “Ava,” Nadi spoke up, “the others here will escort you to your cell. Alarr and I will escort Irric to a safe location during the flight.”

  Ava let out a sigh. “Fine. I didn’t think I’d be placed elsewhere anyway. Am I being returned to the flagship or am I to wait in the cell here on this ship?” It came as no surprise to her that she was once again being locked up. It was routine – one she did not appreciate. She hoped dearly that the Tribunal’s decision would help reduce the amount of time she spent in a cell.

  “You’ll be kept here, on the ship. You’re to wait until we return from the flagship, after which we’ll escort you back to the facility.”

  “How long will that be?”

  “No clue,” Nadi shrugged. She motioned for the other soldiers to escort Ava to her cell. Ava complied without resistance, knowing full well that she had no control over the situation. Soon, only Alarr, Nadi and Irric remained. “Let’s go,” she ordered, taking the lead.

  Irric and Alarr followed, forming a line. The group made their way through the ship’s corridors, with Irric sandwiched between Nadi and Alarr. “Where are we going?” Irric asked.

  “The med bay,” Nadi confirmed. She shot him a sidelong glance over her shoulder. “I’m assuming you want as few people as possible to be aware of what you’re transporting. This way, we won’t be on the bridge with the others.”

  Alarr remained silent as he brought up the rear, reaching into his pocket once they entered the med bay. He took out a small injector and stepped close to Irric. Before Irric could react, Alarr slammed it into his neck.

  Irric cried out in surprise at the sharp sting. He turned to fight off his attacker, but he was too late. The contents of the injector entered his bloodstream. “Irric!” Nadi cried as she immediately rushed to his side as his legs gave out and he dropped to the floor. The last thing he saw was her form coming towards him as everything went black. He landed with a heavy thud, the case falling from his hand and clattering on the floor. The data slate he was carrying just narrowly avoided being crushed by his body. She bent down towards his crumpled form, not paying any heed to the assailant. When she noticed Irric’s eyes rolled back in his head, her concerned demeanor changed instantly. She stood back up and turned to face Alarr. “Good job.”

  “Are you sure this was worth it?” Alarr asked, eyeing Irric’s still form. “Won’t they become suspicious now that something’s happened to him?”

  “Not if the threat was taken care of,” Nadi said calmly, taking her gun out and shooting her accomplice in the chest twice for good measure. His body dropped to the floor in a heap, a hole burned through him. Empty eyes stared at the ceiling while the smell of burnt flesh spread throughout the room and blood welled on the floor.

  She walked towards the med bay doors and closed them. After ensuring they were locked and that she wouldn’t be disturbed, she picked up the case where it had fallen. Giving him a nudge for good measure, she was satisfied that he wouldn’t be waking up anytime soon.

  Quickly, she put the case on the counter closest to her and opened it. The two vials inside glinted in the light. “This was what all the secrecy was for? Two vials?” she asked aloud. Frowning, she rummaged through the cabinets for two smaller vials and a pipette.

  Nadi placed the empty vials on the counter next to the case. She withdrew the vial with an orange liquid and took off the lid with care. An unsettling feeling overcame her as a sharp scent stung her nose. Ignoring it, she carefully withdrew two drops of the chemical and sealed the vial, relief flooding her for reasons she didn’t understand. She put it back in the case where she found it.

  She transferred the drops in the pipette into one of the empty vials and closed it tight. Next, she picked up the vial that had the purple substance in it. Eyeing the small amount left, she repeated her procedure. Upon opening the lid to the vial, her instincts screamed at her with everything they had to flee. She shuddered and supressed the desire.

  As quickly as she dared, she transferred a single drop of whatever it was she was holding into the empty vial. Once both vials full of the chemical compounds were back in their case, she closed it and left it on the counter. Looking around, she searched for a spot to hide her samples. She couldn’t afford to get caught. Not now.

  Pulling open drawers and carefully moving their contents around, she found one that suited her purpose. It contained rarely used supplies and medication, some of which were held in vials similar to the ones she was trying to hide.

  Making a mental note of the exact location they were hidden, Nadi put everything back in place and took a deep breath. Heart pounding, she made an emergency call to Cyrix. The death of a soldier at her own hands was something that would immediately be discovered and she needed to create a valid reason for actions that would surely be traced back to her. Knowing that it would go through, she immediately began speaking. “Commander, there’s a situation.”

  “What happened?” Cyrix’s voice came through her comm not one second after her comment. He wasted no time in replying, ready to react should anything go wrong transporting the chemicals whose existence he considered a crime.

  Nadi eyed the blood pooling on the ground. “There was an attempt to steal the payload. The situation has been resolved and the payload is secure.”

  “Give me details, now,” Cyrix commanded in a tone that brooked no disobedience.

  “One of the soldiers escorting Irric to a secure location launched a surprise attack,” she replied in a steady tone. “Irric was injected with some kind of substance that knocked him out. Apart from a few bruises, he seems fine. He’s still unconscious.”

  “What happened to the perpetrator?”

  “He’s been dealt with.” Nadi paused for a moment. “Permanently.”

  “I see,” Cyrix said slowly. “That complicates things. We can’t extract information from the dead. Where are you right now?”

  “The med bay.”

  “You’re to stay there and defend the point until I say otherwise. Treat any and all people that come as hostiles until I personally confirm your safety. You have permission to kill anybody who attempts to access the med bay. Absolutely nothing is to happen to the payload. Defend it with your life.”

  Nadi’s brows shot up. “Everybody?” She glanced at the case she’d deposited on one of the counters with unease. “Is the payload that important that it warrants this reaction?” She’d been expecting to need to defend the med bay, but to hear the order come in with no hesitation gave her pause. Just what exactly was she dealing with? When Cyrix didn’t answer, the feeling grew.

  “You have your orders.”