Savage Genesis, part 10

FEBRUARY 19th, 2002

Adam hadn't seen Ruhe again since that day. He had wondered what had happened to him but he never lost any sleep over it. Ruhe was, after all, just an alien. Still, with so much time on his hands, he couldn't help but occasionally give a thought to the mysterious alien.

Despite the many months that had passed, Adam's overall lifestyle hadn't changed beyond the fact that Adam seemed to have grown used to being naked and no longer felt cold. He had tried to keep track of the days based when they were fed but as Lucas pointed out, there was no telling if they were getting fed five times a day or once a week. They went into the operating room so frequently and irregularly that that too was a bad way to measure the passage of time.

To help pas the time and to help deal with the pain of the operations, Adam began working out in his cell: push-ups, crunches, the whole bit. Adam had never really been an active person but with so little else to do it seemed like the best idea. It hurt a lot at first, Adam could feel the scar tissue that didn't want to stretch and sore muscles from earlier experiments. After a little bit, Adam adapted to the pain, he even began to like its focusing power. It reminded him that he was still alive and the actual workout helped him release some of his pent-up frustration and anger. Trying to follow his lead, Lucas had tried to workout alongside him but found he had neither the patience nor inclination to work through the pain.

At this point, Adam looked to be a very different man from the person who had been imprisioned all those months ago. A large and very full beard sat on his face instead of the smooth cheeked shave he'd had when he first came. His hair had grown out to match the long beard. Despite his lackluster diet of unknown slimy things (he didn't dare mention to Lucas but a part of him had actually begun to like the food), his physique was larger and more impressive. A deeper change had happened inside of him though. He felt stronger, more confident. In his dreams, he could take on any of the aliens and win.

He didn't know how or when but he knew the time would come when he'd make his move and make a break for it. He hadn't discussed this with Lucas but he felt as if the two of them had a silent agreement, a prisoner's understanding: keep your eyes open and be ready.
---

Britney sat in the chair closest to the window. She too had changed although not as drastically as Adam had. Her long dyed blonde hair had been cut short and returned to its natural brown. She'd also gained a little bit of weight, nothing shocking, just a pound or two here and an inch or two there. She put her hand on the cool glass window as she continued to gaze at the afternoon sky.

"Honey?"

She turned to back to the conversation. Chris and the florist were both looking at her expectantly. "What do you think?" She looked at the two pictures sitting on the desk. They were both huge assortments of flowers and they both looked beautiful. She shrugged.

Chris leaned over and tapped the photo on the right. "This is the one that I was leaning towards," he said helpfully. Britney leaned in closer and looked at the picture.

"It's lovely," she replied. "Let's do that one."

The florist smiled at them both. "Excellent choice," she said grinning like a shark who's just been fed. She picked both photos up and made a note to herself. She continued writing what Chris assumed was a detailed description of the floral arrangement he'd picked out but what was in actuality a grocery list for her to pick up after she got off work. The florist had found the busier she looked when she was with a client, the less they complained when she showed them her price.

Britney's gaze returned to the window. She'd only been planning her wedding for a week and a hald and she was already bored out her skull. Since neither of them had any living parents Britney and Chris were forced to fend for themselves. They'd booked Chris's church, spent hours making a guest list, they'd tasted cakes, listend to God awful wedding singer after God awful wedding singer (they eventually decided to just hire a DJ), they'd picked out invitations and registered for gifts. IT seemed to her that this wedding had become a living thing, an all consuming entity.

Chris had initially worried that Britney might become a Bridezilla, demanding everything be perfect on her special day. Instead it seemed that the longer it went on the more closed off she got. He had talked to her about post-poning the wedding because she seemed to be so out-of-it but she didn't want to hear it. She might be an unenthusastic bride but she still wanted to be a bride.

Britney stared out into space while Chris continued making plans. She wanted to help him out but felt herself distracted lately, her mind prone to wandering.
---

Adam found himself in the operating room once again. This time was different. Usually they experimented on him while they spoke to each other in those high chirping voices. This time they seemed to be circuling the table, occasionally poking him with one of their long bony fingers. They spoke quickly to each other. Adam had begun to hope that this might be it, that this time he wouldn't have to endure any more of the experiments. Perhaps, he hoped, they had discovered all they could and would just stop.

A jolt of pain followed by a sharp stabbing pain in his belly let him know it had been a foolish wish. He could still hear them clicking excitedly to each other but he was too distracted to notice they were far more talkative than normal. If he hadn't been wracked by pain and had spoken their language, he'd have been witness to some interesting conversation about him and his situation.

"He's coming along nicely," one of the aliens chirped in their native tongue.

"Do you think he will be the one?" One of them asked in response.

"The silentson shows better progress than we could have hoped."

"The other one is a lost cause?"

"No, but more drastic measures will be necessary."

"How long until this one is ready?"

"Soon."

"Do you think he will take to the assignment?"

"Let us ask Ruhe."

They all looked at Ruhe who was standing in the back of the room, well out of Adam's sight. "Yes, he will do fine," Ruhe said thoughtfully. "He is ambitous and will be grateful for his freedom." The others stood in silence for a moment. "I expect this one to do great things."

"He has the warrior spirit!" One of them piped up who up until now had remained silent.

"He is a true Nox!" Another of the formerly quiet people chimmed in. Ruhe looked at them with distaste. He disliked people who didn't make their feelings known until everyone else in the room had already spoken for it either showed lack of imagination or character and in some cases both. It was a belief that Ruhe held in common with Adam. The two of them could've talked about it or a variety of other things except for Adam's extreme pain and inability to speak their language. Besides, the next time that Ruhe and Adam would meet there would be bigger problems, such as where the gun was pointing.

Adam, after the current experiment was over, rematerilzed on the ground of his cell, convulsing. He was flailing about wildly and to steady himself he grabbed a hold of the bars in his cage. He felt the metal turn in his hand. Once he calmed down, Adam looked at where he had grabbed and indeed, distinct finger impressions could be seen in the bars. He looked down at his own hands and then back at the bars. An idea struck him. He looked around the room. Unlike when he first arrived, Adam could now see the entire room. He figured his eyes must've adjusted to the darkness. He saw no one other than Lucas in the giant room.

"Lucas," he whispered. Lucas stirred. He had been lying down, inside his own cell, staying pretty much motionless. Even after his name had been called, Lucas stayed pretty still.

"Yeah?" Lucas asked.

"I got an idea."

"What?"

Adam reaches out and grabs the bars. He squeezes, the bars give a high squeal as they start to bend. Lucas stares in awe.

"How are you doing that?"

Adam began to slowly pull the bars apart. "I have no idea."

Lucas grabbed his bars and began to strain as he attempted to pull the bars apart. The bars squeaked but didn't budge.
Adam's muscles bulged as the bars bent to a 90 degree angle.

Lucas continued to pull, his bars begin to give way. Adam's bars are open enough for him to crawl through and escape.

"Let's get the hell out of here," Adam said.

Adam stuck his leg through and went out of his cage. He walked over to Lucas' cage, where he was still trying hard
to bend his bars far enough to get through.

"You need a hand?" Adam asked as Lucas continued to strain with the effort.

"I got it."

Adam rolled his eyes, leaned over, and grabbed the bars to Lucas' cage. Adam gave them a quick tug and two bars come out in Adam's hands.

Lucas stared at him in awe. "How'd you do that?"

Adam looked down at the bars in his hands. "I don't know. Let's get out of here first, then we can try and figure it out."

Adam dropped the bars. They landed with a loud clang as they hit the ground. The two men turn and looked at the walls around them. Lucas ran over to one of the walls and began running his hand along it. He looked over his shoulder at Adam with desperation. "There's no door!"

Adam placed one of his hands against the wall. "Let's hope our luck hasn't run out."

"What are you talking ab-"

Adam punched through the wall with his other hand, causing a loud crash. Adam glanced at Lucas.

"C'mon!" Adam shouted as he stepped through the hole he'd just made and into the hallway outside. Lucas followed after him. The two men stepped through the hole and into the hallway. The duo looked around.

"Which way do we go?" Lucas asked, glancing towards Adam.

Adam shrugged. "Like I know. Let's just go this way and hope for the best."

Adam started running down the hall, Lucas taking off after him.

The two stopped as they see a group of the aliens in front of them. One of the aliens raised what looks like a gun and points it at them.

"Ah fu--"

A force blast issued out of the gun, hitting Adam square in the chest. He took a step backwards.

"Ow!"

Adam looked down at his chest. The tattered remains of his shirt had been disintegrated by the blast. Adam looked up at the aliens, charged forward and swung at them.

The laser blast hit Adam square in the chest, knocking him to the ground. The alien guard pointed the gun at Lucas. Lucas, having just seen the effects of the laser, fell to his knees and held up his hands to indicate he was surrendering. Adam, on the other hand, care far more for freedom at that moment then he did about staying alive. He rose to his feet and charged at the aliens, screaming a primal cry that contained all the emotions he'd denied himself for months. He wasn't sure why he did it or even what he was doing, but then again neither did the aliens.

Adam knocked down the guard standing in the front and grabbed his weapon from him. He had no time to figure out how to use gun. He decided his best choice was to just use it as a club. He swung it at one of the faces of the aliens and knocked them down. Adam smacked another one, this time the gun butt hit the guard's face with a loud 'thwap!' noise. Hoping that the alien gun worked list most others, he pointed it at the remaining alien guard.

"Drop it," Adam barked. The alien stood frozen for a moment before Adam realized that the alien probably didn't speak English. He didn't know what to do next. Adam understood that he had to be quick because more guards might be coming and even this alien might realize that Adam had absolutely no clue as how to work his gun. "Lucas," Adam shouted. Lucas finally got off his knees and came over. "Get his gun," Adam ordered. Lucas slowly obliged. Once the gun was out of the guard's hands, Adam returned to using his gun as a club and hit the guard upon the head. The guard crumpled to the ground.

"Let's go," Adam said to Lucas. Adam started to run off but stopped when he noticed that Lucas was standing still. "What are you waiting for? Pick up his gun and let's go!"

"Where?"

"What?"

"Where are we going? The best that I can tell, we're on an alien spaceship and have been for quite a while. We might not even be in the same solar system as Earth. Hell, we might not even be in the same galaxy anymore. So where, exactly, do you propose we go?" Lucas asked excaserbated.

"Anywhere that isn't right here."

"I don't know. I'm starting to think that this was a bad idea."

"If you really think that, then by all means, head back. Get cut open, probbed and experimented on. Me? I'm going this way." With that, Adam turned and ran off down the hall. He didn't look back to see if Lucas was following after him but he soon heard the running footsteps behind him. The two ran for a while without direction. Adam was impressed, he'd always assumed that the ship was a small little vessel so as not to be detected by human or super devices. Adam stopped running when he heard footsteps ahead of him. Adam held up a hand to indicate Lucas should stop as well. He turned to look at Lucas.

"Someone's coming," Adam whispered. He saw a cold panic setting in on Lucas' face. Adam sighed. The footsteps were coming closer. He had hoped that Lucas would've provided some kind of advice, some benefit. Alas, it was not to be.

Adam saw a door just a little further up the hall. It had some writing on it, Adam hoped it didn't translate into something horrible like 'radiation room' or 'beware: giant alien monster!'. He grabbed Lucas by the arm and ran to the door. He pushed the only visable button next to the door. The doorway suddenly became translucent, it was as if the door had disappeared entirely. He looked over at Lucas who was scared stiff. Adam realized he'd have to be the one to risk this. He stepped through the now open doorway. There was an odd feeling in the back of his brain, as if he'd just stepped through a full-size tub of Jello. Lucas came in after him and Adam hit the button next to the inside of the door. The door reappeared.

They stood in the room, as silent as the grave they were trying to avoid. Adam held his breath as minutes passed. He was so surprised to find out that he could hold his breath for several minutes that he gasped. Adam was never known for his lung capacity, when he was supposed to be learning to swim he preferred instead to sun himself rather than actually getting into the pool. He was about to express his shocking discover to Lucas when he heard the footsteps approaching much louder.

Adam hid in the corner of the room and watched Lucas take the opposite corner. Despite some initial fear that Lucas showed, Adam thought that his survival instinct was kicking in.

Adam looked down at the weapon in his hands. He'd seen it used (and felt its power) but he had no idea how to charge it nor how to fire it. He hadn't ever fired a gun in his life but he at least knew where the trigger was supposed to be. This gun had no trigger, no hammer or anything else that he could easily figure out. There was a series of buttons along one side of the gun but Adam didn't think he wanted to try and figure it out through trial and error before they were discovered.

As the footsteps continued to approach, Adam felt that if/when the guards opened the door that he'd just point the gun and start pushing buttons randomly. Perhaps it was not the best or most sophisticated plan Adam had ever come up with but it was all that he had. He again held his breath and listened. The footsteps continued to grow louder, he guessed they were on the other side of the door by the sound of it. The footfalls continued on, growing quieter. Adam released his breath in one long slow outgoing breath.

"Whit."

"Shhh," Adam hissed. Just because the guards had passed them didn't mean that they might doubleback if they heard a noise.

"Whit."

"Lucas, shut up," Adam spat through gritted teeth.

"It wasn't me," Lucas whispered back.

"Whit." It was now clear to Adam that it wasn't Lucas. It was too high pitched. He had thought that Lucas had been hiccuping but Adam could now tell it was someone else in the room speaking. The thought of someone else in the room did not bring Adam much comfort. He began to frantically look around the room. He didn't know what or who was making that noise but Adam felt that now was not the time to have unknown variables floating around. The boxes and shelves provided ample places for the culprit to hide. Adam began to slowly walk around the room, keeping an ear open for the repeating sound.

"Whit," the voice said again.

"I think it's coming from over here," Lucas said. Adam looked over to the corner of the room that Lucas was standing in and Adam could see that Lucas was pointing to a crate. From where Adam was standing he could see that there was no one behind the box which meant that whoever was speaking was inside of it.

Catch up on past installments of Savage Genesis!

• Savage Genesis, part 1
• Savage Genesis, part 2
• Savage Genesis, part 3
• Savage Genesis, part 4
• Savage Genesis, part 5
• Savage Genesis, part 6
• Savage Genesis, part 7
• Savage Genesis, part 8
• Savage Genesis, part 9

Or read the whole Savage Genesis saga