Eden

I had finally managed to fall asleep against the cold, hard ground when I was being picked up and dragged out of my cell again.

"Doctor Zarkov wants to do the poison testing again," Maddox said as I was slung over his shoulder. So that was his name. Zarkov. Sounds evil. I just grumbled and closed my eyes again, eager for even a few more minutes of sleep.

I knew I was in the lab when I smelled the familiar, icky bleach smell and felt Maddox practically drop me onto the chair. For a moment I thought they wouldn't strap me in, but then the metal clasps found my ankles and wrists.

"Is she unconscious?" Doctor Zarkov asked.

"No," I said, keeping my eyes closed. Now that I was more awake, I realized I was starting to cramp. I doubt they would give me any painkillers.

"Well good. You're going to be in here for a while today as we test each poison since we don't know which of them caused a reaction."

"Lucky me."

The first of the poisons was injected into my bloodstream and after 30 minutes with no effect, he moved onto the next. The second poison did cause some dizziness, but nothing else. To my surprise Maddox had him administer the antidote anyways. The third and fourth poisons were also equally ineffective. As I thought, it was the fifth poison that worked.

I first noticed when the ceiling lights started getting brighter and brighter and my head started throbbing.

"It's definitely this one," I said, "so you can give me the antidote."

I wanted to avoid having a seizure again, so I was hoping he'd give it to me immediately.

"Are you sure? What symptoms are you having?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Everything is really bright and I feel like I'm having a migraine. You saw what happened last time. Please, just give me the antidote."

The doctor finally relented and gave me the antidote. After about ten minutes the throbbing in my head had stopped and I was finally able to open my eyes.

"Now that that's in order, I was thinking that we could draw some more blood."

"Ugh are you kidding me?! You really are trying to kill me."

"We'll only do one pint this time."

Maddox didn't protest, but I saw him watching me and the doctor. I winced as yet another needle was plunged into my arm. The bruise there was only going to get worse at this rate.

Once the needle was in and my blood was slowly flowing away, the doctor left to fiddle with his evil doctorly things. Maddox, in a surprising move, approached me.

"I wanted to apologize again for what I said earlier. It wasn't polite of me."

"It's fine," I said, wanting to shrink away into nothingness again. "It's nothing I didn't already know. However, I am curious, how did you know? My family, especially my mother, is very careful about their facade."

"We've been watching you for months. Your security cameras were somewhat easy to access and we had men on the inside."

"Men on the inside? Who?"

"Marlow and Gray."

"The landscaper and the security guard?"

Maddox nodded. You hadn't noticed anything suspicious about the two, but now that you thought about it, both were relatively new staff members. Everyone else had been working for your family for years.

"How do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Change yourself to look like us?" I asked.

"It's simple really, we can replicate the partial DNA and thus appearance of any oevolo-noid, or in your case humanoid, looking species."

"Do you have to see someone to look like them?"

"To replicate a specific person, yes, but we can also create unique features."

"That should be done," Doctor Zarkov said, interrupting our conversation. He finally removed the blood bag from my arm. "There's one last thing I need to do before you're free to go."

Free to go forever, I hope.

"The general has ordered me to put this tracker in your arm."

Ugh, great. It's starting to sound more and more like I'm going to be here forever.

Bringing over a very strange looking gun, he pressed it against my arm and pulled the trigger. A sharp sting shot up my arm like someone had stabbed me.

"Jesus Christ, you didn't tell me it was going to hurt!"

"She's done," he said to Maddox, ignoring me. I staggered out of the chair once Maddox had undone the clasps. I was feeling a bit lightheaded after the blood draw.

"Let's get you something to eat," he said, pushing me along with his hand by my neck. It seemed like he was ready to grab me should I try to escape. But what was the point now? They would always be able to find me again.

We entered the cafeteria and I was met with more stares and snickers. This time they knew to continue talking in their alien language. I couldn't understand a word, but I could tell by their gestures and glances that it was all about me.

This meal was steak, salad and fish sticks. Still somewhat hungry from my previous lack of food, I quickly ate it all. The steak was a bit undercooked, but it was better than nothing. Again all of the aliens stared at me as I ate.

"Maddox, the general wishes to see you," one of the recruits said after approaching the table.

"I'll be right back."

He left so quickly I was unable to protest his absence or ask to take me with him. I didn't want to be alone here with a hundred alien eyes watching me. I tried to continue eating my food in peace, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous.

"See, I told you their little hearts speed up when they get scared."

I froze and barely managed to swallow my mouthful of salad. My throat had become dry and I could suddenly hear my heartbeat in my ears.

Almost everyone in the room had gone quiet and turned toward me, waiting to see what would happen. Please, please walk away, I thought in my head. Maddox where are you?

I tried to lift my fork, to bring another mouthful of salad to my lips, but it felt like a million pounds in my hand. It was already taking all of my willpower not to let the tears in my eyes fall. I just had to blink them away.

"Look at her! Is she crying? Aw, are you sad Maddox isn't here to protect you?" Julius taunted.

I squeezed my fork tightly, willing myself to pick it up. Amelia's words suddenly rang in my head, it only takes one act of courage to make others follow you, and if they won't follow you they'll at least respect you.

Just one act of courage? Okay, I can do that. I could do that, right? Breathing deeply, I quickly turned the fork in my hand, lept upwards and in a spinning move I had learned in self defense, plunged the fork into Julius's neck. It was dull and didn't go in far, but it made him bleed.

"I'd like to eat in peace," I said, trying to keep my voice from wavering.

Knowing I wouldn't be able to eat my salad without my fork, I ripped it from his neck and wiped it off on my pants. Their blood was black after all and went unseen on my black pants.

My heart was still hammering and thundering in my ears, but I managed to successfully sit down and bring another bite of salad to my lips as Julius hobbled away, hand clinging to his neck.

I watched as the few soldiers near me slowly scooted themselves away and began talking to themselves. Some sounded excited while others sounded upset and nervous. The commotion picked up when Maddox returned, but not once did it occur to me that I might be in trouble because even though I knew that the others had told him what I'd done, he sat down and continued eating without another word.