Artificial Heart
42

He was standing in the doorway, hands folded in front of his lap, appearing cautious but in control.

His dark eyes found Prisha’s. ‘You made quite the chase.’ His eyes flicked to Alf. ‘And this must be your alien, Alf.’ The corner of his mouth tugged at the name. ‘Out,’ he told his men.

The men frowned and looked at each other. ‘But, sir—’

’I said, out. You’re not needed.’

The man ahead shrugged and gestured for the others to leave. The door whined shut behind them, shuddering back into position.

‘You can step away from her,’ Tobias told Alf. ‘We’re not going to hurt her.’

‘He can’t understand you,’ Prisha said.

‘Then tell him.’ Tobias looked around at the broken cameras.

‘Alf, he’s alone. We need to talk with him or we’re not getting out of here.’ She squeezed his waist.

‘I cannot understand you.’

‘Right,’ Prisha said. ‘I forgot.’ She stepped out from behind him and Alf turned to look at her. His red eye beamed into hers. ‘He’s Tobias. He was there at the meetings. He’s spoken with me before.’

The man was gazing at Alf in awe. ‘Remarkable,’ he said. ‘Absolutely remarkable. I always wished …’ He shook his head. ‘I never thought I’d see the day. Sixty percent, you say?’

‘62.2561.’ Prisha couldn’t believe she remembered.

‘Sit. Make yourselves comfortable.’ Tobias went over and dragged the chair out from under the table to sit down.

‘You attacked him,’ Prisha said. ‘I don’t trust you.’

‘When have you ever trusted me?’

‘Why did you attack him?’

‘He attacked us. The men defended themselves.’

‘All he wants is to leave.’ Prisha said. ‘You didn’t listen.’

‘I’m listening now.’ He gestured at them both. ‘Sit, Prisha. What am I going to do? I’ve taken great risk here.’ His eyes fell to the bloodstain on the floor.

Prisha sat down. Alf did the same. He was stiff at her side. His hand remained firm around hers.

‘I do not like him,’ Alf murmured. ‘Be on your guard.’

‘I want to ask him some questions about that sphere,’ Tobias said.

‘I will have to translate.’

‘Yes, I know that,’ he snapped. Then he leaned back in his chair and smiled. ‘Of course.’ He nodded at Prisha. ‘Tell him.’

‘He wants to ask you about the sphere you gave them, Alf.’

Alf nodded.

Immediately, Tobias asked several technical questions that were difficult for Prisha to translate, much less understand. She wondered if he was doing it on purpose.

Alf answered slowly, as though he were talking to a fool. His answer was easy to translate: ‘I will not tell you.’

Tobias frowned. ‘Then why give it to us with such scant information?’

‘It is for you to work out,’ Alf answered.

‘Why do I not believe you?’

Alf didn’t respond.

‘We think there is an activation code,’ Tobias said.

Again, Alf didn’t respond.

Tobias huffed. ‘Why give it to us? What did you hope to achieve? Why contact us at all, if you’re only going to doom us to fail?’

Alf looked at Prisha. Prisha gazed back. His dark eye bored deep into hers, intense, shining, gentle—that look he reserved only for her. Prisha’s belly dipped pleasantly.

‘She is just like the rest of us, Alf,’ Tobias said quietly. ‘She is no different.’ Prisha looked at him with a start. ‘Tell him that.’

Prisha squeezed Alf’s hand. ‘He says that I am like the rest of my people. I am no different.’

‘The same goodness. The same faults,’ Tobias continued. ‘There are many more like her all around the world. Millions. Maybe even billions. Would you doom them to an unknown fate?’

Prisha repeated his statement.

‘You are not like her,’ Alf said.

‘Perhaps. Perhaps you’re right. But so many are,’ Tobias said.

‘What is in that sphere?’ Prisha asked Tobias. ‘What’s it supposed to do? If you tell me, I could convince him.’

He considered her a moment, then nodded. ‘We believe it’s an infinite power source. It would be the answer to our energy crisis, to our climate criss. It will bring enormous benefits and stability. It will help end conflict and hunger and disease. Power poverty. It will save us. It will save the world.’

I do not like him. Be on your guard.

‘End conflict, huh?’ Prisha said.

‘Absolutely.’

She frowned.

An ugly look flicked over Tobias’s face. He leaned back in his seat. ‘You’re not going to help, are you? You would destroy us all.’

‘We’ll find an answer to our problems,’ Prisha said. ’We always have.

His moustache twitched. ‘Tell me, Prisha, why do you think he took you in the first place?’

‘He didn’t. I snuck onto his ship. I told you.’ Prisha smiled as she remembered.

‘Are you sure about that?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Are you sure your pregnancy is an accident?’

Prisha stared at him. The hair rose up on the back of her neck. ‘Of course it is.’

Tobias leaned over his lap towards her, hands tucked between his knees. ‘Why don’t you really think about it, Prisha. You’re not a stupid woman but perhaps your heart has made you so?’

Prisha felt the blood fill her cheeks.

They can’t see you?

Only when I want to be seen.

But Prisha had seen him. His ship just sitting there, as bold as daylight, like it was nothing, the ramp lowered like he was waiting for her. Prisha’s own assertion suddenly came back to her: It’s like they’re waiting for us.

‘That’s right,’ Tobias said. ‘It was no mistake. He wanted you to climb onto his ship. He trapped you like a fly in a flytrap. To study you. To experiment on you. Like a monkey or a dog or a rat. That’s what you were to him.’

Prisha turned her eyes to Alf, who looked back at her questioningly. A lump swelled in her throat.

‘It doesn’t matter,’ Prisha told Tobias. ‘He doesn’t feel like that anymore.’

‘Are you sure about that?’

‘Stop saying that!’ Prisha snapped. ‘Yes, I’m sure.’

’And what about the rest of us? Does he see the rest of us as rats? Do you?’

‘Of course not.’

‘He loves you like a dog. Not as a person.’

‘Shut up! It’s not true!’

Alf took Prisha’s shoulder. She turned and met his red eye.

‘What is wrong? What is he saying?’ Alf asked.

‘Nothing. Only lies.’ She glared at Tobias.

‘And he experimented on you.’

‘To collect data.’

’To experiment on you. And what do you think he did? Has he ever told you? How do you think you’re pregnant, Prisha, at your age? So suddenly? How likely is that?’

Prisha’s pulse was pounding in her throat. Alf’s hand was firm and warm. She could feel his eyes beating against the side of her face.

‘It happens …’

‘No, it doesn’t. Not like this. He pumped you full of hormones. He made you stronger, faster, more fertile. In essence, he made you younger.’ He tapped his temple. ‘Use this. Why?’

‘It was an accident. Our … our … he told me so. And he can’t lie. The hormones are irrelevant.’

‘Have you actually asked him? Straight up, I mean. No side-stepping the hard questions. In fact, why don’t you ask him now?’

Prisha sneered. ‘I won’t do anything you say. He’s right. He’s right to think we’re rats.’ Her hands were shaking. So was her voice. ’Why shouldn’t he, when there are people like you?’

Tobias’s eyes were fixed. His face seemed to be painted on. He suddenly stood. ‘I’ll leave you alone. To discuss things.’

‘I’m starving. I need food.’

‘We’ll bring you some food.’ He approached the door, then looked at her meaningfully. ‘Ask him. I want to know for sure too. I want to know who we’re dealing with. And that’s the point, Prisha. If these creatures lack empathy, what kind of threat do you think that poses for us? You think we’re going to build weapons to fight each other, to fight other nations?’ His eyes shifted to Alf. ‘Think again.’

The door ground open, stopping halfway. Outside, Prisha could see moving shadows, the men waiting outside. The door shut with an ominous thud.

‘Prisha …’

Prisha’s neck creaked with resistance as she turned to look at Alf. He was frowning. Prisha forced a smile. It fell flat.

‘What did he say?’

She released a shaky breath. Questions. Confrontation. Conflict. She hated the thought. Not Alf. Not with Alf.

‘Was it really an accident when you took me that first time?’ she blurted.

‘I do not understand the question.’

Prisha frowned. ‘Were you waiting for me in the forest when we first met? You knew I was there, didn’t you?’

His red eye glowed. ‘Yes.’

‘You meant for me to board.’

‘Yes.’

‘You lied to me.’

‘I cannot lie.’

’You don’t need to speak to lie. Withholding information is just as much a lie. What did you do to me? Tobias says you pumped me full of hormones. You’ve changed my body. I’m faster and stronger. I have … well had … a regular period again. Why? Why did you do that?’

‘It is my designation,’ he said.

‘That is not an answer. Why? What was the purpose of doing this to me? What was the real purpose you took me?’

‘It is what I said: data collection.’

‘Alf, speak the truth!’

He looked over her shoulder, unable to meet her eye. ‘To conceive a hybrid lifeform.’

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