Brynn Phytrelia 11

Chapter 11

She didn't like the idea of being pulled in by the supposed enemy.

The image shook its head. "No! That is what I was trying to warn you of! Our engines are not nearly powerful enough to escape the battleship's hold. It's far more sophisticated than any other vessel I have ever encountered, and if you did not notice, they just blew Avenger away! They will be lucky to survive. That kind of damage cannot be repaired this far out into the cluster! If I were you, I would hide in the medical bay. They will never be able to find you."

"Ophelia how could I NOT notice that they blew up Avenger? Don't get smart with me right now, check out my stress levels!" Taking a deep breath, she unhooked herself from the chair and stood up immediately. "Alright, alright, I'm going!"

She hated that damn medical bay, but she knew if she was going to have to do what she had to do to survive. Instinctively, her body temperature rose and she hurried towards the medical bay. She gave a little shake of her head.

"I am aware of your stress levels, Mistress, which is probably the explanation for this situation you have gotten all of us into."

As she approached, the wall folded away, revealing the station. As she got inside and looked comfortable enough, the walls folded back, moving to hold her inside of the dark space. The void was only about as tall as she was and almost too small for her to reach her arms out both ways. The walls and the panels closed in around her, trapping her in place.

"Ophelia..." She growled in response, but decided to swallow her words as she settled down. Leaning back against the nearest wall, she cringed as she was surrounded in darkness. Good thing she wasn't claustrophobic.

Bringing her knees to her chest, she wrapped her arms around her legs and did all she COULD do: wait.

...It's ok, Sweetheart. We have you. Just stay calm until I can come for you. I promise you'll be safe. Just meet me at the head of the landing ramp, alright...?

It was that voice again, speaking to her from out of nowhere.

"I'm in the medical bay. I'm not moving." Brynn spoke aloud to the air, and then thought the same exact thing for good measure. She certainly was not going anywhere. If this was a trick, if this was a trap of any kind, she was not going to be an idiot and just go waltzing right into the enemy's hand. She was safe in the medical bay and that's where she'd stay.

"Mistress?" The voice was very hushed. She couldn't see anything, but she could barely hear it. "I would recommend that you keep quiet until they leave the ship alone. We aren't going to have much of a chance of escaping, especially if they find you."

...The medical bay? But Atalanta has no medical bay. Did the mechanics install one while you were aboard Avenger...?

"Of course it has one... always has..." Then her voice trailed off when she heard Ophelia's voice, nodding in the dark, she curled up a little tighter, not happy about the position she was in, literally, and just overall. Lips pressed together as she sat in silence.

...Sweetheart, just come out to the landing ramp. Don't you want to see me...for me to see you...to be together? Come out and meet me...

She could hear the ship settle down on the battleship's deck, the loud sound of metal against metal ringing throughout the corridor. Idris would know where the medical bay was, wouldn't he? He'd taken her there before. Squeezing her eyes shut, she didn't respond this time, listening instead to the sound of the ship landing. Her hands clasped one another as she forced her eyes open and stared off into the dark space.

...Brynn, are you coming? Please...I want to see you...don't you want to see me? I want to hold you in my arms again, to feel your skin against mine. Please, please come out. Come down to the deck and I'll keep you safe...

"You know where I'm at," she whispered softly to the voice, wincing as the voice pleaded with her. Brynn couldn't hide the distrust in her voice, the nervousness that made the edges of her words shake.

...Yes, I do...but why do I need to come find you? Don't you want to see me...don't you want to hold me. That's what you told me...in the refresher chamber...you said you wanted me here. I am here...just come outside and I promise, you'll get what you want...

"Of course I want you. I..." Brynn felt herself begin to move, and then stopped herself. "But you can come find me. You know where I'm at. So come to me. You said you'd give me what I want...I want you to come to me." She continued to speak in a hushed tone, keeping herself as quiet as possible. She could hear the sound of whirring, of the landing ramp settling down on the deck below. Then there were footsteps. She could hear voices.

"Find the girl! We know she is here somewhere! Check the armor chamber!"

...Brynn...Sweetheart? Are you still there? It's alright, no one is going to hurt you...just come to me and everything will be alright...

Gasping as she heard the voice searching for "the girl," she backed up further into the wall and waited. "I told you..." She whispered, and then stopped when she realized she didn't want to alert whoever had boarded the ship.

"Did you hear something?"

"No, Ma'am."

A long pause. "Keep searching. Scan the entire ship and tear it apart if you have to. She is here...somewhere!"

...Brynn? Why aren't you coming...I don't understand...

Brynn pressed a hand to her forehead as she continued to wait it out, listening to that voice. "Stop..." She whispered, her voice barely audible, even to herself.

Then she heard Ophelia's voice. "You are not authorized to access this vessel. If you do not comply with the security provisions in place aboard this craft, you will be terminated. Your search is futile as all of my passengers have already escaped."

"Oh, come now, Ophelia; everyone else might believe the lies you tell, but I know that the fire girl is here...I know she is aboard this ship. I know...because I am the one who got her out here. Tell me where she is and I'll let you go."

"Let me go? That is the most absurd concept I have ever heard, even from a creature like you. If you think you have some hold over me, you are quite mistaken. I answer only to Captain Chariton and his companion. Now, get off my deck!"

The one who got her here? Oh god what did she do? Leaning her head back against the wall, she listened. Taking deep, slow, quiet breaths she stared up into darkness.

"The vessel appears to be abandoned. Perhaps the computer is telling the truth Ma'am?"

Silence.

There was a loud noise against the wall and the noise of something sliding against the metal. "Anyone else care to offer up their insights?"

Silence.

"Good. Keep searching while I return to Chariton. I'm sure he can get her to come out here..."

Idris? He was there? Brynn sat up a little straighter, feeling really confused by now. What the hell was going on? Staring in the direction of the wall that would let her out, she frowned, but stayed silent and still. The steps receded away from the space.

"Notify me when you locate the prisoner. Then bring her to me."

"Yes, Ma'am. Don't worry, we'll find her."

Further away this time..." I know you will, because you understand the consequences if you don't find her."

Prisoner? Swallowing hard, she leaned back against the wall, again unable to relax, or even really shift position all that much.

...Brynn? Are you still there? Did they find you yet...?

"No," was all Brynn said in her quietest voice possible. Her heart was beating rapidly and almost painfully against the inside of her chest.

"Mistress...why do you keep talking? Do you WANT them to find you? Do you have a death wish of some kind?!"

"Ophe..." She shut herself up immediately, rather than try to explain what was happening in her head.

"Mistress, I think they left. It should be safe. Do you want me to open the bay and let you out? If you can get to the cockpit and fire up the engines fast enough...maybe we can escape..."

"Ophelia...I think they have Idris....should we really just...leave?" She shifted very slightly in her place as she stared at the darkness ahead. The idea appealed to her, but she still had that nagging feeling that she just couldn't leave yet, not without Idris.

"Let us say you are correct. Let us say, yes, they do have Idris. What are you possibly going to accomplish by rushing off the ship and getting tranq'd and captured? You're chance of mounting a rescue are a little better when you have the upper hand. My recommendation stands."

"You're right. But I still..." Brynn growled softly in frustration then nodded. "Open the bay, Ophelia. Please." Sighing softly, she stared, waiting for the light to begin to filter in.

"You will need to be very fast, Mistress. Do not linger in the corridor. Run to the cockpit and get out of here." The negative space lit up as the bay slowly folded out into the corridor, the light casting down over her as it did.

"Sh, Ophelia. I know."

As soon as there was enough space for her to move, she began to unfold herself and finally got to her feet. Groaning softly at the stiffness of her body, she immediately began to jog for the cockpit, listening for any sounds of her potential captors. As she jogged away, the medical bay folded back into the wall, appearing once again like another seam in the corridor. The ship appeared to be empty and no one seemed to be guarding anything. Then she heard that voice in her head.

...Brynn...I think they're all gone. If you come and meet me in the refresher chamber, I am confident that I can come find you...and take you with me, if you still want. I really want to see you again. All you have to do is meet me in the chamber...

Her jog slowed to a quick walk when she heard the voice and eventually she paused all together, staring down towards the refresher. "How do I trust you? If I had met you at the loading bay... I'd be captured." Shaking her head, she began again towards the cockpit swallowing hard.

...The loading bay...that's absurd. If you had left the medical bay to meet me at the landing ramp...they would have found you. Why would I want that to happen to you...?

"Stop...you're confusing me. Making my head hurt. I don't know how to trust you. Or that you're real or anything..." She reached the cockpit and stepped inside, preparing to have another heart attack trying to get the stupid ship off the ground.

"Mistress, who are you talking to? We need to hurry. It will only be a matter of time before they close the launch bay and catch us in the tractor beam. You must hurry! Do you want me to close the landing ramp, or shall I wait until take off?"

"I'm talking to...uh." Brynn shook her head immediately and rushed into the cockpit and plopped down in her chair. But still, she was hesitant as she looked over her shoulder. She didn't know what to do. Was Idris really around? Clearing her throat, she turned to face the console. "Ophelia um...bring up the uh...ramp...landing ramp." She could hear the slow whirring of the hydraulics retracting. She could also hear voices.

"Hey! Stop!"

The image appeared on the console. "Brynn! You need to go, NOW! Start everything up like I showed you and get OUT OF HERE! Your cover is blown!!" The console started lighting up, guiding her to the right controls to start up the ship.

"The prisoner! She's still on board! Get a boarding party!"

"You're not going to have a lot of time, Mistress. It won't take them very long to shut the launch bay."

Turning to look over her shoulder in the direction of the voices, she gasped in panic, and quickly she whirled back around. "Dammit...shit!"

She barely remembered what she did earlier. Reaching out, she flipped the switches she thought were right and the buttons, praying this stupid thing worked. Of course, she wasn't moving too fast. The sound that came from the back of the ship was loud. It sounded like someone was dragging a pike against the surface of the launch deck. The noise morphed slowly into a whirring noise.

"They're opening the landing ramp! You HAVE to take off, NOW! Get the ship off the deck!"

Brynn winced as she continued to fidget with the buttons, finally hearing the roar of the engine. Yelling was not helping. "I'm trying!" She yelled up at Ophelia and grabbed hold of the helm and began to lift the ship up off the ground. She could hear voices yelling behind her indiscriminately. Then she could hear foot prints, and the sound of a fire arm clicking.

"Stop right there! Put this ship back down or I'll have to hurt you!"

Brynn froze, hearing the click of a firearm, and her eyes closed. Think Brynn. THINK. But she had nothing. Even if she tried to create fire, it wouldn't be fast enough. She'd have to turn around to aim. Biting the inside of her cheek, she slowly began to lower the ship back to the ground, turning her head slightly to check out the person using her peripheral vision. It was a tall man, his amethyst helmet covering every part of his head save for a slit for the eyes and a vertical parting just below his nose. His black armor covered him from head to toe and his metallic gloves held a rifle in their hands that was nearly a full meter in length. "Put your hands on your head and face the floor. Even if I can't kill you, the stun setting on this thing will gives you migraines for years to come." He watched her, waiting for her to comply.

Slowly, Brynn nodded and followed his order, her hands lifting to be placed on her head, her gaze tilting down. "Alright, alright. I'm doing what you said." She growled softly, glancing up at him before focusing her gaze back on the ground. "What do you want?"

Before an answer to her question could be given, all she saw was white, her vision fading as it filled with white...and then everything went black.

When she awoke again, she'd be completely encompassed in a blackness so thick, she couldn't even see her hand in front of her face. She could feel the restraints on her ankles and wrists, above her knee and her elbow, and a thick, uncomfortable restraint across her forehead, feeling the cold metal around her first, especially when she tried to lift her head and it wouldn't budge. Groaning, she opened her eyes and stared up into...nothing. Gasping softly she licked her slightly chapped lips. "Hello? Anyone?" She called out and tried to move her legs. They were tied down too.

She heard his voice this time. It was audible in the air. "Brynn...Brynn?! Is that you, Sweetheart!? You're awake!"

"Who? Why am I...strapped down? Idris? Where are you? Where am I?" Entering more of a conscious state, she actually gave a hard jerk of her wrists and winced when they didn't budge. "Ow..."

"Shh. It's ok, Sweetheart. I'm here...I'm with you. Just don't try to move. It will be over soon." A light began to illuminate in the room, slowly glowing over the slab that she rested on. As it got brighter, it got more painful, the bright light in great contrast to the darkness she'd been in. She'd hear footsteps as someone moved closer. She couldn't make out their face...or their shape. They rested their hand on her shoulder and she heard his voice again. "See. You're safe now, Brynn."

Cringing as the light got brighter, she tried to turn her head away, whimpering softly. Slowly she opened her eyes to try and see who was approaching. "What's happening? What's happening!?" She screamed it this time her temper flaring, her body heat rising as flames threatened to ignite.

"Shhh, Sweetheart. Close your eyes. The light hurts at first. Let your eyes adjust to it and then try to open your eyes again. It will pass." He leaned down to kiss her forehead...but something felt different about him. Something wasn't the same.

"Stop...stop..." Eyes shut again. It hurt too much to keep them open. "Who are you? Please...why am I tied up?" Panic began to wash over her and her hands balled into fists, and her skin became very hot to the touch and yet no flames appeared yet.

"For your own safety. To keep you safe." They started to walk around to her other side, stopping at the foot of the slab. "Besides...we wouldn't want anything bad to happen to you..." They leaned into the light, smiling. It wasn't Idris, but they had Idris' voice. The woman looked familiar in some way, but her complexion...the tone of her skin...she looked like she was dying, or like she was already dead. Their mouth moved again and Idris' voice came out for the first few syllables...and then faded into a woman's voice. The woman's voice was even more familiar. "After all...we wouldn't want any...harm to come to you."

She'd heard her before, she'd seen her before. But where? Where was she familiar from? Frowning at them, she immediately tried to shake her head, straining hard against the restraints. She was sure she was leaving herself bright bruises. "Where's Idris?! Where am?! What are you doing to me?!" Her voice lowered as she growled at the woman she could see then tried to yank against the restraints again. "Let me go!"

She smiled at her, her teeth white and healthy. Her eyes, too, looked a healthy, vivid shade of blue. And then she remembered. She was in all her basic appearances the woman that Captain Johansen had showed her in the vision she'd made Brynn see. "We're not done with you yet. Captain Chariton is very good about keeping information to himself. He's also particularly good at hiding things. But we already knew about you. We knew that with him...we could lead you out into the open...we could use him...to smoke you out. You were even kind enough...to bring me my ship back." She smiled at Brynn, her expression filled with all the suppressed anger and malice she held inside of her.

Glaring at the woman, she had to force herself to not go trying to shoot flames out. Stay as calm as possible. Glaring at the woman, her memory of the vision slowly surfaced and when she realized who the woman was...her stomach dropped. "What do you want with me?" Brynn asked slowly through gritted teeth. She was very good about hiding her fear under layers of anger.

She snickered at her. "With you?! We want Idris...we want my ship. I left something there...something very important...and we want it back. But I am sure...once we have Captain Chariton where we want him...that you will find your place amongst us...in the empire. You are but a means to an end."

"I'm not helping you. Not ever!" She jerked against her restraints as if she actually thought they might break this time. She wasn't doing anything except bruising herself and causing a headache to start forming. God, she was so stupid. How could she do this? Eyes shut for a second before they opened to focus back on the woman.

"We don't need your compliance, Brynn. We just need...you. Don't worry though...we probably won't have to hurt you...at least not very much."

She smiled again and moved to walk away. Brynn could hear a door open...and then close. The restraints suddenly snapped free, and she was free to move as they slowly retracted back into the slab. Brynn waited until the woman was gone to have a minor breakdown. Letting out an angry scream, she slammed her fists into the table she was laying on. Panting angrily, she sat up, checking her wrists- they were a pale purple and darkening. "Dammit..." She whispered, and slowly stood up, looking around the room she was in.

Then the lights went out. She was once again engulfed in blackness. There was utter silence. No light, and no sound. Gasping as the lights went out, it took her a moment till she began to move again. Then slowly, arms outstretched until she ran into a wall, she took a few steps in hopes of finding something to orient herself. Carefully turning, she pressed her back against the wall and slid down. Extending a palm, she allowed the smallest flicker of flames to appear. A small comfort, small means of light. And then she let them go out and she was in the dark again. She could hear the creak of metal, the soft sound of a large metal door sliding open. The voice that intruded on the silence was soft...but vaguely familiar.