Brynn Phytrelia 12

Chapter 12

They still hadn't said a word to her, but she didn't appear to be in any immediate harm. These were obviously not the same forces that she had so recently escaped from. The immense vessel had the same insignia on it as the ships that had first approached her, though the one on THIS ship was obviously larger. Brynn could start to see details of the hull as she was pulled slowly alongside the ship and up into its belly. She could already see the large squadron of men standing, well-armed, on the launch deck of the ship. She could feel the gentle rumble as the ship set down on the deck. No one moved, simply pointing their guns at her vessel as if waiting for something bad to happen.

As she felt the ship lurch and be pulled, she began to feel more and more nervous. Quickly, she stood up and brushed her fingers through her hair, staring down at herself. She was messy, out of sorts, and her ankles and wrists, were bruised. Sitting back on the edge of the bed, she waited for the feeling that the ship had landed, and the door to open allowing her to exit. She'd stay as calm as possible, hide her powers for as long as she needed to, and keep herself together. The door didn't open, and everyone seemed to stand there, just waiting. Were they waiting for her? Or...were they waiting for someone else?

After about ten minutes of waiting, it appeared someone was approaching. The men turned and lowered their weapons, standing at attention. She could hear muffled sounds of talking, but still, nothing happened. Then, the landing ramp of the ship started shooting sparks out of it, the flames coming up through the floor. After a few moments, the ramp fell away, slamming down as it opened, without the support of the hydraulics, and hit the deck. The noise was awful, but it didn't seem to deter whoever was forcing their way aboard. Very quickly, two armed men and a woman walked onto the ship. The men appeared to guard her. She wore an impeccably white uniform and had an eye patch over her left eye. She had long black hair and light-toned skin. Her good eye was blue, her face appeared young. The men pointed their guns at Brynn and the woman said nothing, watching her, gauging her reactions. No one spoke. Seeing that they were forcing their way in, she stood quickly, and stared at the strangers. Why was everyone so quiet?

Frowning, Brynn stared at the woman, then the two men with guns. Slowly, her eyes focused back on the woman, she seemed like the leader there. "I...I'm not dangerous or mean any harm." She finally said, speaking clearly, firmly, managing to keep her shake of nerves from her tone.

The woman smiled, almost expectantly. She turned to both men, one at a time, and dismissed them, leaving just her and Brynn alone. Slowly, she regarded Brynn, and then spoke. "You are no warrior of Delethire or twilight. What is your name, Miss? Do you even have a name, or a place that you come from?" The woman waited for Brynn, but it was very obvious that she had a lot on her mind to question her about.

"My name is Brynn Phytrelia. I have no place that I originated from, not to my knowledge. Who are you?" She was glad that men with guns had gone away, it made her feel a little more at ease, but still she had a certain tension in her muscles as she spoke with the woman.

The woman shook her head slowly. "Not yet, Miss Phytrelia. I am responsible for the lives of the men on this ship. Before I tell you anything, I have to know just what the hell is going on here."

"Fair enough, Ma'am. I...was taken prisoner by...someone. I escaped on this ship. It's not mine. I don't know how to even fly it. Idris...the man I was with, he helped me escape. He was supposed to follow me but...he's not here yet."

The woman smiled a little warmer. "And just who exactly was it that this 'Idris' gentleman allowed you to escape from? And if you don't know how to fly this ship, how did you end up all the way out here, deep in UDI territory? And...you say he helped you escape, that he was following you, but he is obviously not here. Do you expect him to be arriving fairly soon?"

"I'm not sure. He..." Shaking her head she frowned. "Idris programmed it for me. It brought me here. And yes, I expected him to be about twelve hours behind me. That's what he said. Exactly."

She narrowed her eye at Brynn. "He preprogrammed the ship to fly all the way out here, managing to avoid detection. And, you expect him to arrive here in approximately twelve hours? What happens in twelve hours, Brynn? And why didn't he just come with you?"

"He's supposed to find me in twelve hours. Meet me. And he couldn't come with me because...he didn't want to leave his own ship behind. Atalanta." Brynn stared at the woman helplessly answering her questions.

The woman seemed to be losing her patience as her expression ebbed a little, that happy smile wavering as she moved a little closer. "Yes but, who is it that you both were trying to get away from. This ship," she indicated, pointing around, "is not of Alliance making. So, who is it that you were escaping from, Miss Phytrelia?" Her eye glared this time. Her pleasantries had run out and she was now a little irritated by having to repeat herself. "And what about this vessel, that he had to save, was so special that he couldn't just leave it behind?"

"I told you...I don't remember her name right now. She...Look!" Now Brynn felt impatient. "He loves that ship! It's his ship. Atalanta was...his. He could never leave her behind. I don't remember her name..." Brynn placed a hand to her forehead

"Name..." The woman tilted her head, looking curious. "Whose name? Her...her who? What are you talking about?"

"The one who did this to me." She held out her wrists to show the woman her injuries. "See?"

She exhaled and frowned, looking at the injuries. She nodded slowly, her eye closing. "Miss Phytrelia, I'll allow you quarters aboard this vessel. You will be cared for...and rehabilitated, should our doctors feel that such is necessary. I ask only that...you surrender this ship, and everything it has within it, to me, unconditionally. Should Captain Chariton try to contact you, you are to notify me, or your handler, immediately. These terms are not negotiable. I imagine that so long trapped in this vessel as you likely have been, you are ready for comfortable facilities and a pleasantly warm sanisteam. What do you say?" She smiled warmly at Brynn, if not pitifully, and waited for her to answer.

"I...uh..." Brynn couldn't see anything better to do. She couldn't possibly go out and try to manage this ship by herself. She didn't know the first thing about it. Sighing softly, she began to nod then paused. "But when Captain Chariton finds me, you will let us go, won't you? We've been prisoners long enough."

The woman hesitated. She shook her head. "I make no guarantees about Captain Chariton. His fate is out of my hands."

She mulled this over a moment, frowning, but extended her hand to the woman. "I'll agree to your conditions. You will be notified if he does contact me...the ship means nothing to me. Take it."

"As I said, your ship for my hospitality. Those are the terms, so long as my physicians decide you are healthy enough to join the rest of the ship. Otherwise, you will be quarantined. That's it." She held up her hands in a "take it or leave it" gesture, and regarded Brynn with a bit of callousness.

"Fine. That's fine..." Brynn sighed softly as she looked around the ship and shrugged. "I can tell you that your physicians will decide that I'm healthy. I promise..." She forced a small smile at the woman. "Do I get to know your name now?"

The woman smiled, shutting her eye and nodding her head towards Brynn slightly. "My name is Lieutenant Ryshar Kichrista. You may call me 'Lieutenant K' if you have difficulties with my name. Your handler will be assigned to you, after you are cleared to join the ship." She smiled cordially and got out of the way, letting Brynn walk down the ramp in front of her.

"Thank you, Lieutenant K." Smiling at her, she passed the woman, and stepped down off the ship, staring up at the men waiting with their guns. They were really making her nervous now.

"Stand down, gentleman. She's clean. Escort her to the hospital wing on deck five. And don't hurt her...unless she tries to get away." The men nodded at her and surrounded her, the six of them almost boxing her in as they lead her across the launch bay and into the corridor.

The path was very long and winding, and when the lift came, they all managed to be able to pile in with her. The walk to the hospital wing ended at a large door. One of the men walked up to it, opening it, allowing the immense panels to spread open and then close behind them. There were three women in white light blue scrubs waiting for her. "This is the prisoner from the-" One of the men clear his throat. "Lieutenant K has asked that we not speak about any sensitive information in front of the prisoner, Doctor Shaphel. We'll be waiting for you outside if you need us. She's completely harmless."

Brynn suddenly realized that she was not safe at all. In fact, she was back to where she had been before. A prisoner. Just the thought made her itch, and her entire body tense up even further. Reaching the woman, in front of the medical women, she frowned, her face paling slightly. She hated doctors. Hated them. Why hadn't she thought about this before?

Looking at the guards, she almost glared at the one who mentioned that she was "harmless." Watch me light you on fire then we'll see. But she remained quiet and simply stepped forward. The men left them alone, and the woman stepped forward. They all seemed very friendly, very approachable, and they all seemed very determined to make her feel more at ease.

"What is your name, Sweetheart?" She stepped forward a little more, approaching her fairly confidently, but not intimidatingly. She smiled happily, pleasantly, and moved until they were merely four or five feet away.

"Brynn Phytrelia," she said slowly, after studying her for a moment, and then decided she should probably speak up. Kind faces or not, Brynn still did not like doctors. She was probably going to be tense for the entire exam.

She smiled, grateful that she only had to ask her once. "Brynn, can you please step over here. We just need to examine you for foreign pathogens and make sure you are...healthy." She indicated an elevated square on the floor. She'd wait to see if Brynn would comply before following her over.

Glancing at the square, she hesitated, looking back at the woman with a mild frown. "Of...course."

She didn't sound sure at all, but complied anyway. She was a prisoner, after all. Sighing softly, she stepped up to the elevated square and stepped on, staring down at the woman. The panel was only a few centimeters off the floor, and once Brynn was standing with both feet, the woman moved to stand to her right. A large, transparent wall moved up in between them. It was cylindrical in shape, surrounding Brynn. It was clear, save for the blue grid lines on it. The control terminal pushed up from the ground, moving up to the height of the woman's waist. She pushed a few buttons and then looked up at Brynn. Nothing else had happened yet. "Just hold completely still, and this will be over in a few moments. I promise, it won't hurt, but you might feel a little tingling from the scanners, alright?"

Gasping as the clear wall slid up, she cringed very slightly, and then stopped. Pull yourself together, Brynn, she thought, shaking her head a little. Listening to the woman's orders, she went very still and waited for that tingling feeling.

The woman frowned a little, wishing there was more she could do to put the poor girl at ease. She looked down at the controls and then up one more time. Her voice was soft. "Close your eyes..." She looked down and pushed a few more buttons. Five small devices moved down into view, each only a few centimeters wide and tall. They swirled around Brynn, gliding against the transparent wall, moving around her and casting a network of blue and red lines, each projecting onto Brynn. They moved very fast as the spun around her, moving down towards the bottom of the wall. When they neared the bottom, they began moving back up. As they reached the roof, they slid back into the place they came from and the wall descended back into the floor almost faster than it had come about. The control console retracted back into the floor and Brynn was left back on the small platform she'd been standing. The woman extended a hand out to her as if to help her down.

Indeed, Brynn felt a very slight tingling sensation, but it wasn't enough to alarm her. But that didn't mean she wasn't relieved when it was finished shortly. Sighing softly, she opened her eyes and looked down at the outstretched hand. Taking it hesitantly, she stepped down off the platform and quickly drew her hand back.

The woman indicated a little ways away. "I need you to come lie down while we examine your results. Is there anything I can get you while you wait?" She seemed very meek, careful not to do or say anything to Brynn that might further affect her.

"Um. No." Brynn began to walk, and then stopped to smile politely at the woman. "Thank you." Well, she didn't want to be rude to her. She couldn't help that she was a doctor and that her entire profession scared the hell out of Brynn.

Walking to the bed that was indicated, she lied down. A different woman, who looked a little younger, moved over to Brynn while the other two moved over to their stations to examine the results. She sat in the chair next to the bed. She seemed even sweeter and innocent than the other woman, and had a high soprano voice and sounded like she couldn't have been more than twelve or thirteen standard years old. She looked a lot older, at least eighteen or nineteen, but with her voice, it was difficult to determine.

"The captain has asked that we keep you here for a minimum of one rotational cycle. Are you certain that you don't want anything to eat or drink, or a hot sanisteam to ease your nerves while you wait?" She smiled, trying to be as accommodating as she could, waiting for Brynn's response.

Looking at the new woman, she smiled a little easier this time. This one did make her feel a little more comfortable, or perhaps Brynn was just starting to become accustomed to this place. She was a very quick adapter. Shaking her head, declining any of the offers made. "I'm sure none of that will help, but thank you very much for the offer."

The girl's expression seemed to fall a little. She wanted to help, but she seemed at a loss as to what to do...and it seemed like something was on her mind the way she was fidgeting a little. "I just...you were in that ship for so long, I am sure...if I was in your...I mean, if that had happened to me, I'd want a change of fresh clothes and a hot spray, and a warm meal. But...I...I understand if...if you'd rather not, I mean..." She bit her lips and looked Brynn over. She was a little dirty, and she'd been a long time without a good wash. The girl was trying to be as nice about it as she could, but she was obviously a little uncomfortable thinking about sitting there with Brynn, just lying there, for such a long time.

"Look, I understand you're trying to be kind to a prisoner but...I promise. I'm fine just sitting here. I don't want to move, I just want to...relax. Relax until I can leave. Please understand..." Brynn looked down at her lap then back up at the woman. "I'm sure you don't have to stand there the entire time and just stare at me."

The girl seemed to wince at Brynn's chiding, and she fidgeted a little more. "Well...I...I don't think of you as a prisoner, to be honest. I am sure that once Lieutenant Kichrista completes her investigation, the captain will be more than happy to...I mean, I'm sure they won't...that you won't remain a prisoner. They just...they don't...know you." Her shoulders slumped and she frowned. She obviously saw Brynn's side of it, and felt awful. She hated thinking about what this girl might have gone through and what that now was making her feel. And hadn't someone said something about a man? She wasn't sure that she would have been able to part with her husband, especially not on the same terms as Brynn. "I don't need to stay near you, but I'd rather you not have to be alone, and know that if you need anything, that I'd be able to help you." She smiled weakly, and looked at Brynn with her kind eyes.

Brynn was surprised by what the girl was saying, and it showed on her face. Immediately, Brynn felt touched by the woman's eagerness to be kind, and she offered up a warm smile. "You're very sweet, Ma'am. And I'm sorry if...I was rude. It's just like me to be defensive, especially in a new place and after all that's...happened. I'm just very nervous. Especially if I'm here and Idris cannot locate me. I..." She let her voice trail off with a shake of her head.

The girl wrinkled her nose and shook her head. "Oh please, don't call me 'Ma'am.' The only 'ma'am' in this wing is Doctor Shaphel. She's old." The girl smiled and winked, and an exclamation and protest could be heard from the woman who was apparently said doctor. The girl smiled and almost giggled a little. "I am Nurse Nia Tleen, but you can call me Nia. Everyone else here does." She smiled again. "And don't worry; if I had been through what they say you've been though, I imagine I would..."

Then the girl stopped and chewed on her lip a moment, and then made a face, slowly shaking her head. "No...I think even then, I probably couldn't be very mean." She frowned. "I just don't like to be mean, it's no fun, and it makes people unhappy. Not that-" her eyes got wide and she looked a little alarmed. "-I mean, you haven't been mean, I mean, you just...you're unhappy, understandably so. It's alright though. You're not the meanest patient I've ever had." She winked at her, hoping this revelation might help her feel a little better.

Brynn was actually very charmed by Nia, and she immediately felt herself begin to warm up to her. She had a certain quality about her; it was her honesty, even if she did feel as if she were constantly sticking her foot in her mouth. "It's alright...I realize I'm a little mean, a little unhappy. I'm also a little on edge. Strangers and I do not mix well. But...I promise I'll try to be a much happier, easier patient from now on, Nia. At least for your sake." Laughing a little she leaned back on the bed and sighed softly.

The girl smiled, very pleased that Brynn seemed to be more receptive. "It's alright. We just want to make you comfortable. I promise, nothing bad will happen, not like on-" One of the doctors shushed her, putting a finger over her mouth. Nia paled a little, and seemed a little caught off guard. "I mean...it's...this...is a big ship...and we...'re...safe." She finally settled for, smiling a little uneasily. "I'm going to galley to get you some food. I don't CARE if you're not hungry right now," she rolled her eyes a little, "but this way, if you DO get hungry, you'll have food here waiting for you, alright?" She smiled again, and hoped Brynn would be happy about this proposal.

Frowning at the shushing she tried not to look too put off when Nia focused back on her. "Right. Alright, sounds good. Maybe I'll be hungry once you get back." She offered up, and then rested her head once again down on the bed, as she expected Nia to hurry off to the galley.

She smiled and nodded, stepping down off the chair and walking back out into the corridor. Brynn caught her skip once and the way, as she energetically opened the door and looked both ways before moving to the right. She left Brynn alone, save for the two doctors that lingered behind. The room/wing was silent, save for the machines and the clicking of keys as the doctors worked. Sighing, she closed her eyes, and suddenly realized how tired she was. All she had been doing on that ship was sitting and staring, but somehow, the stress of the whole situation, of finding Idris, then losing him so suddenly, was now hitting her.