The ship’s meeting room was the same as Adrian remembered. He and Stanley were seated across from each other at the head of the table, the remaining seats empty. Tassie had left them there alone with Rann, who was ensuring that they didn’t do anything to the ship, a fact that baffled Stanley given that he couldn’t read their language, let alone even begin to operate something as complex as a spaceship.

  Rann patiently explained, through Adrian, that he didn’t need to know what he was doing in order to cause damage. A tense silence spread through the room as Adrian and Stanley mentally prepared themselves to meet the Tribunal.

  Adrian was less than excited, but knew he had an important role to play. When Tassie returned to inform them that everything was ready to go, she took Rann with her out of the room, leaving the two men alone.

  Not one minute later, seven figures appeared around the table. “Greetings, Mr. Blackwood,” Kaius said formally. His head turned slightly as he faced the person across form Adrian. “Greetings, Stanley.” Adrian dutifully relayed the salutations to Stanley and promptly focused his attention back on Kaius, who continued speaking. “We hope that you are adjusting well to life at the safe house. If there is anything you need, please let us know and we will bring it to you.”

  Adrian cocked an eye at the offer he’d never been given. “He says that everything is as it should be,” he said after Stanley spoke, “and thanks the Tribunal for their hospitality.” From across the room, Cirrus’ eyes narrowed.

  “He spoke more than that. What else did he say?” she asked, annoyed.

  “That was the essence of what he said,” Adrian replied calmly. “I’m not going to start translating every little thing word for word. I’ll do so when the conversation demands it, but not for something as simple as greetings.”

  “Please try to remain as faithful to what Stanley says as possible,” Orryn requested. “Even if that means our meeting will take longer. We’d like to have a proper conversation with him.”

  “Fine,” Adrian huffed. “What do you want from him?” He wasn’t going to let the conversation get sidetracked to other topics that weren’t relevant to their meeting. If it had anything to do with the facility, he would be terminating his services early and leaving them with Ava if they wanted to interact with Stanley.

  Stanley watched from his chair with a critical gaze, trying to get a feel for Adrian’s relationship with the strangers that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. He didn’t even seem phased by the occurrence, as if it was a given.

  Stanley had been given a brief rundown on what the Tribunal was on their way to the ship after Tassie made the request to speak with him on their behalf. She was full of a nervous energy as she’d directed them to their current location. Rann had even seemed glad to leave the room when she’d been hustled out. He’d gleaned enough from their actions to understand that whoever the other party was, they were important. He swallowed hard, as he knew they were the key to his survival.

  “That depends,” Cirrus said, taking the lead. “Does he also claim to be from the same alien civilization you come from? Was he, at any point before the experiments, an a’vaare with purple skin?”

  “We both come from the same civilization,” Stanley said through Adrian, “and I was born this colour.” Murmurs broke out amongst the Elders as they conferred with their neighbours about the second such ridiculous claim. “I would also like to thank you for freeing me from my life as a living experiment.”

  “We appreciate the recognition. At least one of you can see all the work we’re doing. That said, we’re not obligated to continue keeping him safe from harm. What can he give us in return for our benefaction?” Around the room, the rest of the Tribunal nodded along to her words.

  “I wouldn’t expect anything less from you,” Adrian sighed. “You’re really not going to offer him any protection after forcibly keeping him stranded?”

  “We’re already expending massive amounts of resources on him. I think it’s only fair that we receive something in return.”

  The translation took Stanley by surprise. “What have you already told them about our circumstances?” he asked Adrian. He didn’t want to give them redundant information – that wouldn’t look good for him, he reasoned.

  “Almost nothing,” Adrian replied reluctantly. “I’d prefer it if it stayed that way. The last thing I want is to be even more interesting to them. Already they’re doing their best to learn. What happened to us on Earth was child’s play compared to what the gru’ul did. If they know too much, they’ll want to start running tests.”

  “Do you know what they’ve managed to learn?”

  “In part. I don’t want to know the answers they find, and I’ve asked them to keep it from me.”

  Stanley frowned, unable to understand Adrian’s sentiment. After what he’d suffered through before being waking up in the facility, he wanted answers. False promises about what was being done to him came crashing back into him with full force. Perhaps with the help of the Tribunal he could finally learn the truth. “I don’t have anything I can offer them apart from my knowledge on events that already happened. If giving it up keeps me safe, so be it.”

  Adrian’s eyes hardened. “You’re going to force me to talk about something that’s only going to harm us?”

  “Yes, and I expect you to do it properly,” Stanley said, his anger mounting. “This is my life we’re talking about! You already made your deals with them. Now let me make mine. Ask them what they’d be willing to give me in exchange for a recounting of events that happened on Earth.”

  “Adrian,” Orryn cut in, “your job here is to translate. We would appreciate it if you could stick to it and not influence our discussion.”

  “You’re damn straight I’m going to attempt to influence it when it concerns me as well,” Adrian replied hotly.

  “What is it that he offered?”

  “Information on the experiments on Earth,” he said, reluctantly spitting out each word. He didn’t miss Cirrus’ eyes light up at the chance to finally extract something useful from them about the experiments and scowled.

  “Now that,” Cirrus hummed, “is something we’re willing to talk about.” The Tribunal had already conferred to discuss what they’d be willing to give up and under what circumstances. Information on the facility, in any capacity, was running at a premium.

  Thus far, Adrian had remained tight-lipped on anything he knew. It filled Cirrus with glee that she was finally getting around their most stubborn obstacle and uncovering some of the secrets they were being denied.

  “What is he willing to tell us?” Orryn asked. “What we will offer depends on how useful the information will be.”

  “He’s willing to walk you through his time there up until he was placed in his pod,” Adrian said through gritted teeth after speaking with Stanley, “including what happened during the experiments.”

  Orryn hummed in thought. “For a full recounting of events from his point of view, we’d ensure that he remains safe and well fed.”

  Stanley frowned upon hearing the translation. “Exactly how safe and how well fed?”

  “We will keep him safe from discovery for as long as possible and give him all the food he wants,” Cirrus replied through Adrian.

  “What happens if I get discovered? Will you keep me safe then too?” Stanley asked. Once again, Adrian dutifully translated, nothing more than a mouthpiece.

  “We could do that,” Cirrus said innocently. “In exchange for two vials of blood to study.”

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  “Are you kidding me!?” Adrian barked, unable to keep silent any longer. “You want to study us further?” His voice held a dangerous tone to it as he tested the veracity of the Tribunal’s promises him. “We agreed there wouldn’t be any experimentation.”

  “You are safe from experimentation,” Cirrus said smoothly. Her grin turned predatory. “The changes we made to our laws only extend to the individual. We have no such obligation towards Stanley, who claims not to be one of our citizens.”

  Adrian gnashed his teeth. “That’s twisting it and you know it. You don’t believe my narrative – why should you believe his claims about not being one of your citizens?”

  “We’re not trying to strap him to a table or anything,” Cirrus huffed. “Having access to his blood would finally allow for us to see if he’s of the same species as us. So would yours, for that matter. It would help with your ridiculous claims. But you refuse to give it to us.”

  “And for good reason,” Adrian spat. “How can I trust you not to want more? Far more things were done to me than were ever done to him.”

  Stanley watched the exchange nervously, wondering what it was that had been said for there to be such venom in Adrian’s voice. Lamenting his ability to communicate, a seed of jealousy grew over the fact that Adrian could so flawlessly express himself in this alien world he’d been thrust into. He was being left out of the conversation, forgotten about. “What do they want?” Stanley asked Adrian. Upon learning, he mulled over the request. “Fine,” he decided, “but I want to know what they learn by studying my blood.”

  Adrian was stunned silent. A cold fear gripped him as all his hard work to remain off an operating table again went up in smoke. It flashed for but an instant in his eyes as he locked gazes with Stanley, yet it was enough for Stanley to notice it. “Why?” His heart thumped loudly in his chest and an acrid taste filled his mouth.

  “Unlike you, I want answers,” Stanley said. “I’m taking a risk by placing my trust in them, yes, but it’s an acceptable trade-off for learning the truth.”

  “If they find answers, they’re going to come looking for me next,” Adrian replied. “You would ruin my chances at avoiding more experiments again?”

  “I need to know. Tell them I accept on the condition that they don’t ask for more blood.”

  Adrian turned slightly green as he relayed Stanley’s acceptance to the Tribunal. “I’m not giving you my blood,” he reiterated. “All you’ll get is his. You’ll have to be content with that.”

  “That’s fine,” Cirrus said in a rush. “As long as we get it soon. We’ve spent enough time in the dark as is. Now then,” she motioned, “if he would please start telling us what he knows.”

  Stanley began his story after he was already at Earth’s testing facility, opting not to include how he’d voluntarily let himself be taken there. They didn’t need to know about how he’d been deceived into reporting their activities back to Ava, thinking he was being spared from the experiments.

  Luckily for him, the Tribunal didn’t press the matter. They accepted that his story started with him being processed at the facility along with the other subjects. The five-man cells had been a topic of interest, the Elders wondering why all the subjects hadn’t been kept separate.

  He continued to walk them through his time there, recounting each colourful injection he received as well as the after-effects. Finally, he arrived at the last experiment performed on him. “I don’t know about Stanley, but I don’t want to talk about this next part,” Adrian said in a hollow voice. “This next experiment we had together. It had a very high mortality rate.” Horrific screams resounded in his ears when he thought about how the subjects died.

  Orryn looked at Adrian in concern as Cirrus pressed ahead, ignoring Adrian’s obvious discomfort. “The deal was that he recount his entire time at the facility. That includes this experiment.”

  “I’m sure we’ve heard enough by now about what happened before they were put in the gru’ul facility,” Orryn interjected. “He doesn’t have to graphically describe the experiment like he did the others if he doesn’t want to.”

  “No,” Cirrus said staunchly. “We made a deal. Either he upholds it, or it falls through. Adrian, your job is to translate. Do it properly.”

  And so Adrian did just that as Stanley gathered his courage and spoke of the final blood transfusion he’d received from Adrian as the final experiment. As the last one to go, he’d seen the gruesome way in which the ones before him had died, begging for death.

  He was the only one to survive the transfusion, but not without paying a price. Stanley shuddered and glossed over his ordeal, simply claiming it was the most painful thing done to him on Earth. Once returned to their cells, both men nearly collapsed on the spot.

  He carefully omitted his role in their subsequent failed escape attempt, simply claiming that their cellmates were killed all the same as the others. He didn’t speak a word of the final punishment Ava had bestowed upon their group nor did Adrian bother to mention it.

  “How much of this is true?” Orryn asked, her voice filled with pity. To have confirmation that the men in front of them had lived through such an ordeal broke her heart. Her imagination wandered as she tied to comprehend what else might have been done to Adrian by the gru’ul.

  Adrian looked at her sadly. “More than I care to admit. I can’t speak for the things that occurred when I wasn’t there, but the experiment we jointly had really happened.”

  “Are you admitting to us that there’s something dangerous in your blood?” Cirrus prompted.

  “I was experimented on – of course there are going to be side-effects,” Adrian replied calmly. “Nothing harmful will happen as long as my blood stays inside my body where it belongs.”

  “You’re a potential biohazard!” Cirrus exclaimed.

  Adrian’s gaze grew hard. “Only if you intend to give a blood transfusion to someone using my blood. I’ve been around your team for months with nothing adverse to show for it. I’m already protected from any experimentation so don’t go getting any ideas.”

  Cirrus bit her lip. If she pushed any further, she might lose her chance at getting any samples at all. “This is something we’ll be keeping an eye on.”

  “Is there anything else you’d like to ask Stanley?” Adrian replied coldly. The Tribunal questioned Stanley’s experiments in depth, asking for as much detail as possible. Stanley found himself unable to answer what was being asked and opted to continue his story. All too soon, both he and Adrian were being placed in their pods and he was finished his tale.

  “And then I woke up to a purple Ava in the gru’ul facility,” Stanley said for Adrian to translate. “And now I’m here.”

  “You never encountered a gru’ul during your time being experimented on?” Orryn asked.

  “He did not,” Adrian replied for Stanley. “He doesn’t even know what they look like. He was never experimented on by them.” Jealousy flowed into his voice, making Orryn recall the video of his ghastly experiment they had all watched. “If you believe his words, does that mean you believe my claims?”

  “No,” Cirrus said. “A story is not tangible proof of an alien civilization. The only thing we’re all in agreement on is that the both of you were experimented on.”

  Adrian bit back a reply, keenly aware that there would be no convincing the Elder of his claims any time soon. Knowing that words alone weren’t enough, he wished that they would discover something that would support what he’d told them already.

  Kaius looked around the room. “Are there any other questions?” When nobody spoke up, he nodded and focused his attention back to Adrian and Stanley. “That is all for this evening. When the need for another discussion arises, we will contact you again. Stanley’s story has left us with much to discuss.

  “Should the time come where we accept your claims,” Kaius said, “we will inform you. Stanley’s story has left us with much to discuss and we mustn’t tarry.”

  The seven holographic figures disappeared from the room without a trace. “Why did they disappear?” Stanley asked, looking at Adrian with furrowed brows. “Don’t they have more they want to talk about?”

  “Not for now, at least,” Adrian said. “I can’t stop you from giving up your blood to study, but please don’t tell me what it is that you discover.”

  “Are you really that afraid of the truth?”

  “Our realities aren’t the same,” Adrian said in a small voice. “What you went through on Earth doesn’t hold a candle to what I went through with the gru’ul. What happened to you was horrendous, don’t get me wrong. But I’ve been experimented on far more than you have.”

  Stanley gave him an assessing look. “Does this have to do with why your eyes are silver now?” The striking difference compared to the brown eyes he remembered seeing had been weighing on his mind for days now, ever since he first saw Adrian again.

  “Yes,” Adrian replied simply, not bothering to expand on the topic. He walked over to the control panel on the wall for the door and opened it, having seen Tassie and the others do it several times now. Tassie and Rann stood on guard on the other side and whirled around in alarm at the sound.

  “That took a while,” Tassie said nervously. “Did everything go well?” Adrian’s face clouded over, not giving her any confidence in what his answer would be. A beat passed before he spoke.

  “It went,” he stated curtly.

  Tassie and Rann exchanged looks while Stanley got out of his seat in the room and went to stand behind Adrian. Together, they were escorted off the ship and back into the house. Tassie excused herself and went back to the ship to do some more work. Reya was already waiting for them at the kitchen table, a knot in her stomach as she ran through different scenarios on how the meeting had played out.

  Stanley nudged him when he saw Kell enter the room to greet them. “Tell them about the deal I made so I can give them my blood and keep up my end of the bargain.”

  Adrian’s face scrunched in displeasure at the thought. “Kell,” he forced out. “We’re going to need your help.” He motioned for everyone to take a seat at the kitchen table so they could properly discuss what had transpired with the Tribunal. Once seated, he recounted a heavily redacted version of the story, ending with him making the request for Kell to take the sample.

  Kell’s eyes lit up at the prospect of studying Stanley’s blood while Reya’s brow creased in concern. She looked between him and Adrian, taking in the stony expression on her lover’s face as he choked out the specifics of the deal. His eyes never lied to her and when their gazes met, she saw in them the worry and fear he was carefully hiding from the others.

  Adrian flashed her a ghost of a smile before collecting Kell and Stanley to go the med bay. Rann stood up and followed them out of the room, leaving Reya alone at the table, the sinking feeling in her stomach only growing.