The… The what?
I pinch my nails against my palms. I’m naked in front of this man, and I have to keep my emotions in check through any means necessary.
I need to learn more about this narrative – but I don’t want to tip my hand.
I play dumb – a tactic that seems to have worked well for me thus far.
“Could you… Could you explain a little more to me, your honor?” My mouth is dry, but I dare not swallow in case I ingest that tiny vial. “I find that my recollection of the the events of the past day are difficult for me to process.”
“Good,” the Viceroy seems delighted by my… malleable recollections. “Very good. But tremble a little more when you say it next time. It will make the story seem more… emotional.”
I want to laugh. What does this man know of emotion?
“The Aurelians have been resenting the loss of revenue from our planet for decades,” the Viceroy continues, weaving an elaborate fantasy. “They directed Scorp ships here first, and then they used a network of spies in the city of Barl to weaken the defenses. First, they allowed the citizens to be attacked. Then they planned to use their spies to guide the Scorp toward their next target – the Capital itself! We acted swiftly and decisively to stop the threat. Though it was the human army that cleansed Barl, from this day forward it will be known as the work of the Aurelians. The loss of Barl will serve as proof that those alien scum were working with the Scorp themselves. Betrayal runs in their very blood.”
But then the Viceroy’s eyes narrow.
“Yet, I’ve never seen Aurelians like the ones we captured before. So, now that you know the official story, Tammy – tell me what really happened.”
I blink, astonished. The Viceroy has already concocted an elaborate ruse to serve the purposes of Lord Aeron; but he himself is not too proud to admit his deception.
Now he’s curious – and how did that old expression go on Earth? Curiosity killed the cat
I nod at his question, shivering as I stand there.
“I don’t know much,” I admit – and that much is true. “Scorp egg ships started to drop from the skies – dozens of them. Then everything went to shit. I would have died, too – me and those four orphans – but those three Aurelians suddenly came out of nowhere. They fought the Scorp, they risked their lives to find the orphans, and then they protected us as they led us out of the city.”
The Viceroy nods. “Very good. These three are clearly a warrior species – some subset of Aurelian origin we’ve not encountered before.”
He snorts derisively.
“It’s almost a pity. I admire them – they’re so unlike the arrogant Aurelians of the Empire.” Then the Viceroy purses his lips. “This is very good news. These feral Aurelians clearly have no affiliation to the Aurelian Empire, and so retribution for executing them will be minimal.”
“Executing them?”
The Viceroy does not respond at first. I can tell he’s calculating behind his beady eyes, running through different scenarios of what will be the most advantageous response. Every word from his thin lips seems to be in service to Lord Aeron.
Or is it? With a shudder, I realize that the Viceroy himself might be the true power behind the anti-Aurelian movement, and the government of the Capital itself. Lord Aeron is just a front – a blustering distraction to the true machinations of power and influence.
Without answering me, the Viceroy turns and leaves. I glumly flop down into a nearby chair – sitting in the medical office next to my clothes.
I don’t have long alone with my thoughts. The door opens again shortly afterward, and another man comes in. This one has a large mustache.
“Sit,” he orders, and I obediently perch on the medical examination table. He quickly pulls out a series of needles, drawing blood from me and running it through tests and scans.
“You’re remarkably healthy, for a citizen of Barl,” he mutters under his breath. He isn’t talking to me, I realize. This doctor views me almost as if I’m an animal – livestock to be poked, prodded and evaluated for viability.
Until now, I didn’t realize just how much the citizens of the Capital looked down upon those from the periphery cities. This doctor, and the Viceroy before him, might be able to see my naked body in its entirety – but they care nothing for the human being beneath the skin.
Although maybe that works to my advantage. In addition to missing my human aspects, they’ve also overlooked the secret I still keep hidden under my tongue.
“In there,” the doctor finally barks, motioning brusquely towards the opposite corner of the room. I follow his finger. He’s pointing to a tall, glass cylinder in the corner – tall enough to easily fit a human, and maybe even an Aurelian, inside it.
I wince as I walk naked to the cylinder. I’ve seen these before, in the hospitals of the Capital. They’re used for cleaning and disinfecting patients quickly and easily.
I step inside and the doctor seals me in. A moment later I shriek as cold water douses me. The doctor didn’t even turn on the heat.
Next, a spray of chemical soap fires against me, stinging and burning my eyes. Before I can even blink it away, a final burst of freezing water cleans and rinses me.
I shiver, freezing cold as I finally step out of the glass cylinder – feeling as though I was thrown over a waterfall.
Dripping wet and shivering, I look for a towel, but there are none in the room – and the doctor offers me nothing. Instead, I reluctantly walk to my discarded clothes – but that’s when the doctor finally shakes his head.
“Those will be burnt,” he
