Gravity Rules: Chapter One
Posted By: The Arbitress
Date: 14 January 2007, 4:55 am
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A/N - Hey! I'm back! A few announcements before the story. First, this story, while not in the current chapter, is going to get mature (as in rated R). So if you can't handle mature, don't let yourself get hooked on it. And second, to clear any confusion, this is the next installment after the unnamed "Prologue" previously written by myself. Other than that, enjoy the show!
{Are you sure?}
{Of course I am.}
{But a…what was the word you used? A demon?}
{Strange, is it not? The stories made them out to be much worse.}
{I am not quite sure. It looks rather…disgusting.}
{It will most likely think you look disgusting.}
{I concede to your point.}
{Your concession is accepted…}
Cold metal…not quite though. Cold, yes. Metal? More like soft, squishy metal that conformed to her shape. Comfortable, but cold.
Saarah slowly opened her eyes. Cloudy shifts of color swam above her, as if ink had fallen into water. Sound was a lost cause. She was content to watch the color display around her and hope it got warmer.
"Jhurtiga tirodrey fdhiil wretisw lkjine diakenl koiendo sritylendi…"
The clouds sharpened slightly into discernable shapes as the odd sounds filtered into her mind. The swirling colors spiked to a harsh white light. Her eyes snapped open, to which she noticed -
{It is awake!}
The creature nearest Saarah up against a wall, much calmer compared to how she was feeling, having realized she was quite naked. Saarah nearly threw herself away from the table she was sprawled out on and pressed her back against the opposite wall behind her. Soft pulses of purple light spread out where she touched the wall, warming her slightly against the chill set into her system.
The second creature threw a frustrated - or at least what passed as frustrated for these things - look at its companion and slowly came closer to Saarah. Its feet clicked on the floor, but she couldn't bring herself to look down. Saarah pressed herself further into the wall, torn between trying to cover herself or defend herself. But this could be nothing other than a dream, so neither mattered too much.
{Do something!}
{Like what? It is panicking.}
The split jaws of the creatures twitched. Saarah watched the jagged teeth along each mandible and racked her brain. Biology had never been her strong point, but she definitely didn't remember anything having evolved like that. Even so, they crept closer, each jaw lengthening, widening, the breath sending her skin crawling, burning. The teeth closed against her jugular and bit down. Saarah stood motionless as each serrated tooth ripped into the soft flesh of her neck and twisted. She willed herself to scream while her blood cascaded down her chest, but no sound came out as her sight started to blacked out.
The creature touched a long finger against her shoulder with a slight prick as a powerful sedative sunk into her system. Saarah slid down the wall. Her eyes took on a glassy stare, eventually closing. The creature pressed into the wall stepped forward and glared at the one standing above Saarah.
{There was no need to do that.}
{If you had not caused it to panic, it would be fine.}
{It had a hallucination. I did not cause that.}
{Let us leave while the sedation calms it. When it wakes, send in the other.}
The creatures bowed their heads to one another and left the room. A static blue screen appeared, locking Saarah in the room. The light emanating from the walls shifted back to a swirling blue and violet. She slipped from sedation into REM sleep and curled up on the floor, blissfully dreaming of nothing.
"She'll be fine, just a little nausea from the different gravity."
Kyle tapped a few more keys on the holographic display to raise the temperature around Saarah and turned to face his co-workers, 'Orome and 'Astaldo. Each looked at the other and silently willed the other to volunteer.
"Don't worry," Kyle started. 'Orome and 'Adredhel bowed their heads slightly, a visible sign of relief. "I'll explain everything to her. Just when she wakes up, let me be the one to greet her, not you two."
{But why does it look so different?} 'Orome gestured towards the static blue screen, behind which Saarah still dozed. Kyle rolled his eyes.
"Because it is a she." 'Astaldo cocked his head to one side, but before he could speak Kyle cut him off. "Our females look different than males." 'Astaldo shrugged, accepting the answer and bowed his head to 'Orome.
{Very well, I take my leave.} 'Orome bowed his head back and twitched a mandible, signaling he'd soon follow 'Astaldo to where the other was headed.
{Why must we stay away from it?} Kyle sighed and with an air of annoyance, turned back towards the holographic display. His fingers resumed tapping on the keyboard, a novelty item he had requested instead of the touch sensitive pad originally set up with the display. Saarah's vital signs and other statistics scrolled across the display, all reading normal. An awkward silence ensued, and when 'Orome finally understood that he wouldn't receive an answer, he bowed his head towards Kyle's turned back and, without waiting for a response, turned and walked through the wall 'Astaldo had just left through.
When he was sure the other two had left, Kyle closed his eyes and exhaled. Making sure he kept his voice low, lest offend his co-workers, he answered 'Orome's question to the empty air.
"Because she isn't used to Sangheili."
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