Shit.

The single thought circled in my head, screaming out its protest as the two of us continued down the hallway.

I was in trouble. That single fact had become all too clear to me in the last few minutes - but the realization had come too late. I should have found the courage to act days ago. Weeks. Maybe then I wouldn’t have wound up shacked and in the hands of a guard, going god knows where.

I swallowed my nerves, offering a thin, nervous smile to the alien. “Uh- what’s, uh. What’s-”

All four of its eyes fixed on mine, unreadable. It didn’t respond. It did release me long enough to drop a hand to its wrist, keying something into the buttons there. The ring around my neck chirped harshly in response.

The fog that had finally been clearing from my mind surged in anew. My knees gave, suddenly unable to so much as support my own weight when faced with the blinding, misty grey that was creeping in around the edges of my vision. My limbs trembled, weak as a baby deer’s. My hands hit the floor hard in a feeble attempt at catching myself. My world went white as my chin slammed down after them.

The guard whispered something in its wispy voice, something sullen and untranslatable. I didn’t need to know the exact words he’d said to be able to tell it was a curse. The patter of his fingertips across the bracelet resumed. A moment later, the pressure lifted, leaving me weak and panting but no longer entirely paralyzed.

No talking. Got it. Message received. Its fingers were back on my arm before I could so much as twitch, lifting me back off the ground. It was all I could do to keep putting one foot in front of the other, following along just fast enough to keep it from pulling me off my feet entirely.

It slowed a hair with what sounded suspiciously like a sigh, apparently recognizing that there was only so much I could do. I was just slow, stupid Sam, after all.

With the tiny reprieve I’d been given, I did my best to catch my breath, scanning my surroundings desperately. There had to be some sort of indication as to what was going on, some clue as to what was happening. It couldn’t be a coincidence that Gaelinin had been called away the night before something like this - I wasn’t that stupid.

But the compound was always nearly-deserted, even on the most normal of days. It was rare for me to pass one of the Nalitokk in the hallways, and the same held true on our little venture. Through the windows on the doors around me I could see the other victims of their attentions, the same as always. The sights there made my stomach churn again. I tugged against the guard’s grip, trying to see if I could squeeze my way free, but it had me tight enough I couldn’t so much as twist.

Shit. Shit, shit, shit.

My life in the Nalitokk’s compound was both structured and limited. I slept in my room. I walked to the test chambers. I ate my daily meal there, and was occasionally allowed to walk a circuit around the testing block. That was really about it.

With the guard leading the way, we were rapidly departing the areas that I was allowed in. My pulse beat even louder. Already the hallways branching off from around us were growing strange, labeled with numbers that meant absolutely nothing to me. I was only brought this way on the occasions where their ‘doctor’ wanted to poke and prod at me, or the rare times when I took ill.

The knowledge that this was clearly the medical wing did not make me any more comfortable. I flinched, feeling the last of the blood drain from my face as the Nalitokk pulled me straight past the hallway marked Aid. That was it - my last hope, the last part of this damn compound that I knew anything of. From there, I was in the unknown.

There was just one sign on the blank, colorless wall alongside us, pointing our way down the long, straight hall ahead. Whatever was in my mind supplied the proper word as the spindly, alien writing flew past - Harvest.

I gave up on looking around, fixing all of my attentions on the guard with renewed interest as fear lurched through me. I was running out of time. Its gun was on the far side of me, but one way or another I was going to have to do something.

Its collar was still around my neck, filling my head with fog and taking the strength from my limbs. If I could get at the controller on its wrist, I could turn it off - probably. I was fairly confident that I remembered the proper commands. Gaelinin hadn’t been cautious about using its controller, after it had decided I was harmless.

Or, I could try and...lunge, somehow. Fall on it? Stumble and trip? If I could get around it, I could grab at its gun. It had bound my hands in front of me. That still left me a lot of freedom. With a weapon in hand, I could...something. I’d figure it out as I went.

Eyes flicking back and forth between the guard’s wrist and waist, I knew I had to make a choice. Which was it going to be? If I picked poorly, it would just knock me out entirely, and I knew that at that point I’d probably never wake up again. I stared at it, trying to remember to breathe, trying to calm my racing heart.

The gun. If I went for its bracelet, I’d still have to deal with it. They didn’t look all that strong, all things considered - they were just big - but it would still have its gun, and I didn’t even know for sure that I knew the right buttons to push. How was I going to do this?

I held the picture in my mind - me stumbling, staggering against its side. Hands flailing, still-bound. Reaching across it as I tried to catch myself. It was trying to hold me up, to drag me onward - it wasn’t trying to hold me away from it.

Deep breaths. One after another. I could do this. It would work. Gathering myself, I caught my foot against the floor, awkwardly bending the wrong way, and-

“What are you doing?”

I straightened, half-tripping as a new burst of shock ran through my body. The guard turned, spinning me around in an arc as it pulled me with him.

Gaelinin skittered up the hallway at a hundred miles an hour, every hair quivering with barely-contained rage. Its eyes were fixed on the guard, black and angry.

The guard paused, eyeing the caretaker. “Executing the Primarch’s instructions. You were made aware.”

Gaelinin stepped right up to us, its fingers interlaced anxiously. “It hasn’t even been a full cycle yet. You cannot-”

“Apologies, Advisor. The program has been canceled. You are well aware of-”

“Then why are you here?” Gaelinin snapped. “Long-term holding is in the upper-rimward wing - as you should be well aware.”

The guard shuffled its feet, as though impatient. I glanced between the guard and caretaker, not bothering to try and hide my own nervousness. Gaelinin’s eyes flicked to mine for a single instant, the icy chill there melting momentarily, but returned its attentions to the guard as it spoke.

“It was decided after you left, Advisor.”

Gaelinin’s wiry, bristle-like hair stiffened as its shoulders tightened. “Decided? Decided what?”

“10177 did not fare well in holding. As you have proven.”

My caretaker - the Advisor, I supposed - straightened, towering over the two of us. “As the researcher in charge of the program, that is my decision to-”

“It was suggested to the board that returning 10177 to holding could cause their condition to deteriorate further. They agreed.”

Galenin’s feet kicked at the floor. They were furious, I knew. “That’s not- There’s no proof of that. Mere supposition.”

If the guard were human, it would have sighed. “The director feels that the results are self-evident - and they felt it would be wasteful to risk further damage.”

I stared at Gaelinin. Its shoulders drooped fractionally. I didn’t like that. It wasn’t allowed to give up on me, damn it.

“That’s wrong, though,” Gaelinin murmured. “I know it is. Current techniques...it’s safe enough. And there’s no medical reason that Sam should be...struggling. I can’t just let you-”

The guard’s hand tightened on my arm. I jumped, wincing, but it wasn’t looking. “Archival is waiting in Harvest, Advisor. There’s a tight schedule to be followed.” I could hear the dismissal in its voice, but Gaelinin rallied marvelously.

“No. This is not- I will not allow for countless cycles of work by my team to be thrown away on the budgetary whims of-”

“I am sure that no slight is intended, Advisor Gaelinin,” the Nalitokk said slowly and carefully. “I’m sure that your aid in Harvest would be appreciated, if you wanted to close out your project. You could speak to the Archivist.”

No. I was piecing the picture together, at last. I’d played my role a bit too well, it seemed. Shit. And Gaelinin was beginning to droop more noticeably, its eyes dark as it turned and stared at me. Would it be sad? Was it upset at losing its pet, or its research project? Or did it actually recognize me as another sentient being?

It didn’t matter. So long as it was here, I had other tools in my arsenal I could call on.

Pushing the fears of what lay at the end of that hallway out of my mind, I let all of it settle into my expression instead. Big, gleaming blue eyes. I’d always been able to put them to work for me back at home - this was just a high-stakes version of that, wasn’t it?

I stared at Gaelinin with those round, sad eyes. It flinched, straightening ever so slightly. “Gaelinin?” I said, letting the terror soak through those words.

It stepped forward slowly, legs beginning to settle underneath it. The guard released me, stepping a half step back as my caretaker approached. “Oh, Sam. It’s all right,” it said, putting that horrible smile onto its face again.

“What’s going on?” I said, letting my shoulders begin to tremble. “What’s happening?”

Gaelinin hesitated. “Oh, it’s...just a checkup,” it said, its voice suddenly too cheerful. “That’s all.”

Just a checkup. Right. When we’d already passed the medical bay, and there was a guard with a gun at my side. Did it think- Well, yes, it thought I was stupid. That was probably why it thought it could talk about these things right in front of me, and that I somehow wouldn’t notice the fact that everything was going straight to shit.

“I don’t like it,” I said, shaking my head once, firmly. “I want to go home.” God, I sounded like a toddler. But the harder I played the cards I had, the better shot I had of this working. And Gaelinin didn’t exactly have a frame of reference for what a terrified human behaved like, did it?

“I know,” it sighed, drooping further. “It’s...just for a little bit. And then you can go back to your room.”

It was lying to me. Over and over again, it was lying to me. Was it trying to be kind, to spare me a bit of fear at the end? Or was it just the easy way out for it? My fear was beginning to fade, just far enough to let a new emotion slide into place.

Anger.

“I want to go home,” I said plaintively, letting my voice rise in a whine. Gaelinin crumpled, its arms going wide as it leaned towards me for a hug. It had been one of the first things they’d pried out of my mind with their endless questions - body language, social cues, the things humans did when they interacted with each other. It had been trying to master ‘hugs’ ever since. Because, you know, I really wanted to hug a seven foot tall spider monster.

But it wasn’t the time for disgust. I leaned into the gesture, not letting any of the revulsion I felt show on my face. It was awkward with my hands still bound, but I managed even still. Every scrap of energy I had was funneled straight into my angry, stubborn drive, fighting back the fog that even then clouded my mind. I only had one shot.

I ducked my head as it started to draw back, like I was ashamed. “Sorry,” I murmured, my voice full of chagrin.

Gaelinin offered me another of its smiles, as the guard’s fingers twitched with impatience. It was creeping closer again, thinking our goodbyes over. “That’s all right, Sam,” the caretaker said, all fake cheer still. “I’ll..I-I’ll be right alongside you.”

They both flinched at the sound of a beep. My head snapped up, even as the cuffs dropped from my wrists. My heart thundered in my ears. I was well aware of the risk I’d taken. But I’d watched. Every time the guards had led me past another subject, I’d watched the way they moved, the command they entered. Every time Gaelinin had grown too comfortable around me, I’d soaked up the information like a sponge, squirreling it away for the day when I’d be equipped to do something about it.

With its mind too caught up in its lies - and maybe even a little bit of guilt - the Advisor hadn’t even noticed me slip the device from its belt.

I could worry about the collar later. They were surprised - for the moment. I couldn’t let that go to waste. I shoved the device as deep down into my pocket as I could, even as I turned on the guard.

They were still caught in a moment of hesitation, drawing back as its arms came up defensively. That was a fine decision - if they were fighting another Nalitokk, or a race that could match them in size. I was short.

Their arms being held up protectively to cover their face just gave me the perfect opportunity to spin on my heel, ducking as I pushed off hard, and throw myself past them back towards the rest of the compound.

With their gun in hand.

“Sam!” Gaelinin shrieked, the sound like a storm blowing through the trees. The guard was faster on the uptake, already beginning to lunge for the device on its wrist, but I wasn’t an idiot.

I’d been in their compound for years - years spent waiting, mostly, sitting around or completing puzzles for them. It had been years since I’d really worked, or did any of the things I’d done back home. And the tool I held then was different from anything I’d ever touched. The grip was too long, the trigger oddly placed for my smaller hands, and the whole thing was heavy enough that my arms shook holding it up.

But it was still a gun. And among other things, my father had taken me target shooting since I was a little kid. He’d been quite insistent on the matter, in fact - although I doubt he’d ever have guessed it would come in handy quite like this. I could use a gun, no matter how alien it was.

The guard’s hand was halfway to the button on its bracelet when my finger slammed down on the trigger - hard.

The weapon exploded into life, a beam of energy nearly blinding me as the weapon bucked. The guard screamed, a thin, reedy sound as it crumpled to the hallway floor. A hole had been burned clear through its midsection, like some sort of high-powered laser from a B-movie had been turned against it.

I flinched. There was...more blood than I would have thought. A lot more. My stomach roiled, threatening to bring the last pathetic meal I’d eaten back up.

Gaelinin screamed, the sound painfully real and filled with more terror than I’d ever heard from the researcher. I spun, more than a little green, already gasping for breath. I’d- I’d killed it. Yeah, I had exactly been given a lot of choice, but I’d-

“Sam!” it shrieked for a second time, arms shaking. “How could you- What are you- Stop this! Right now!”

It was recovering from its fear and shock much too quickly, I saw with perfect, pointed horror. My thoughts crystallized at the sight, like the world was giving me the time to slow down and actually consider things for a second.

I’d spent the last few years with Gaelinin - the good times and the bad.

It had been patient with me, responding with blissful, satisfied happiness every time I disappointed it - faked or not.

It had taken care of it, kept me alive and sane during my imprisonment.

Could I kill it too? Really? Was that right?

Its hand was lifting, reaching for me. For the gun. For my collar. I couldn’t tell.

I’d heard the screams from the other subjects held by the Nalitokk, though. They weren’t some benevolent race, caring for me from the goodness of their hearts. They’d kept us around for a reason - and once they didn’t see any value in me, well. I’d wound up here.

I’d just been a pet to it, just an afterthought, something to amuse themself with, wasn’t I? That was all - and now it had to face the reality that its pet was nothing of the sort.

Its teeth were bared. There was nothing remotely comforting about the expression anymore. It was angry.

I spun back to face it, feeling my arms complaining at the unfamiliar weight. My finger squeezed the trigger.

The blast of light went wide, boring a black hole into the wall alongside the Nalitokk. Gaelinin screamed again, throwing itself to the side.

“Fucking hell,” I gasped, pulling the trigger again as I heaved it towards the alien. The gun beeped angrily, a symbol popping up on the screen pointing towards me. I wasn’t a Nalitokk, and I didn’t know their armaments, but I recognized a symbol telling me it was recharging when I saw one.

Perfect. Absolutely perfect. I’d probably had the thing on the wrong damn setting or something. My eyes snapped back to Gaelinin. It was looking between me and the hall beyond, its fingers twitching. Somewhere behind me, voices were calling. Curious voices. They’d be out in moments, wanting answers. I needed to be well gone by then - I didn’t have time to waste here.

Gaelinin gasped as the barrel of the gun hit it in the face - its temple, I was hoping. Or its jaw. I didn’t exactly know how their bone structure worked. But it was as hard a blow as I could muster, and the gun was heavy. Their legs buckled, their eyes sliding shut as they hit the floor.

I hesitated a moment longer, sliding my fingers out of the grip. Should I...kill it? Should I take the gun with me?

But, the gun was heavy, damn it, and I didn’t have any time at all left to waste, either in sitting around or in slogging through the halls with it. I had a lot left I needed to do before I could claim freedom as mine.

Gaelinin’s body quivered as the gun I threw down hit it in the head. The guard lay motionless, blue blood pooling underneath it.

I’d been in the compound a long time, restricting myself to a mere fraction of what I could do.

But my body remembered.

My footsteps echoed dully through the featureless facility as I turned, without another moment of hesitation, and broke into a run.