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    Cia
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Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 

Denied - 11. Chapter 11

Captain held up a box. “First, do me a favor. Can you take this in your hand?”

I eyed the small green box in his hand. It was small, with smooth sides. I still hesitated. “What does it do?”

“Nothing. It’s just a cube. It can’t hurt you.” The edges weren’t even sharp, so I carefully reached out my hand. Captain gently dropped it into my hand.

“What now?” It was so light I could barely feel its weight on my palm as I cradled it.

“Squeeze it,” he said.

“Okay.” I closed my fingers around the cube, crumpling it into a much smaller shape, irregular. “Now what?”

“That was made with carbon nanotubes, the same metal that covers the outside of ships and stations. What you just did shouldn’t have been possible.”

I frowned. “Why?”

“Because the human body isn’t capable of exerting that much force. Certainly not without straining. You didn’t even try, and it crumpled like it was made from paper.”

“I’d never crush something made from paper.” I gaped at Captain. “It would be destroyed.” Paper was a prized commodity in the outer zones. I’d only seen a few pieces of paper in my life… before.

“We don’t even have any on board,” Captain assured me. He took the box from me. “When you fled from medical, no one could catch you. You were very fast.”

“I was?”

Lakshou spoke up. “Yes. I didn’t even see you before you bounced off me and hit the floor.”

“Sorry about that.” Lakshou waved away my apology, inclining his head. “But I’m confused. I thought you wanted to talk to me about things you found out from t-the others.” I didn’t want to say prisoners, even if that’s what we were. The longer I was away, the less I wanted to think about it. Captain had rescued from a horrible nightmare that went on and on.

“Kohen, do you remember any times where those aliens might have done surgery… on your head?”

I slumped forward on the couch, my muscles tensed as I fought not to run. I reached up and cradled my head. The spots, under my hair, on either side that ached after every test.

The first time I woke up, they’d been there. My head had been shaved bald. It hurt, and I was cold, and to my horror, I’d felt holes under my fingers.

The holes were still there.

“Yes, we know about those. Aparoe wasn’t sure if they were just for the leads that went to the suit, or if they’d been used to do… other things.”

I swallowed spasmodically, my stomach churning. “Other things,” I croaked.

“Here.” Lakshou pushed the drink in front of me closer. “Take a sip.”

My hands shook, so I held the cup in both hands, pulling it up to my mouth. The liquid was tasteless and room temperature. I swallowed a tiny bit, then took a slightly larger drink when that stayed down. The memories bombarded me, and I set the cup down.

Words started spilling out of me, and I couldn’t hold them back if I wanted to. “That first day, I screamed and fought. But they took me anyway. My parents didn’t care. Didn’t stop them. Then they did something to me, and I went numb. I couldn’t move my body.

“I passed out, or they did something to me, because I don’t know what happened that. But when I woke up”—I brushed a hand over the holes—“these were in my head. They did things through them. Put probes and wires and things in. Sometimes fluid came out. It hurt so bad. I begged them not to do it, whenever they’d send the machines in my room. They’d paralyze me, and keep me awake. I couldn’t move, couldn’t stop it.” I started to shake, and I gripped the edge of the table, just like I used to grip the edge of the bunk in my cell, so I wouldn’t hurt myself with my need to hold it all in.

But my arms were bare. The suit was gone. I sank back on the couch and lifted my knees, curling up and wrapping my arms around them, shoving my body into a tight ball. I buried my head against my knees.

Lakshou dropped to his knees in front of me, hovering close but not touching. “It’s okay, Kohen. You’re not there anymore. They can’t hurt you here. I’m here, the captain is here.”

Captain broke in. “I will keep you safe.”

“Breathe like we practiced.” Lakshou’s voice took on that smooth cadence, the singsong tone that helped push my panic down and let me focus on following his instructions. “Take the panic and pain and push them away. The past cannot hurt you. Breathe through your emotions, letting them drift away as you ground yourself in the now.”

I knew his horns were probably sparking blue, because my heart stopped pounding and I didn’t feel like I was going to throw up, yet again. Tears streamed down my cheeks, but I took deep breaths and tried to stop crying.

Tears didn’t help. I looked up, sniffling.

Lakshou continued to crouch in front of me, and Captain had taken his spot on the couch.

“Sorry.”

Captain shook his head. “Don’t apologize. I know this is traumatic for you. Do you need a break?”

I did, but I wanted to know what he knew too. “What did you find out?”

“The beings we rescued were all… altered. A mix of cybernetic and unknown alien technology had been implanted inside their bodies. Aparoe did extensive scans on your body when we removed the suit, but she mainly focused on your nervous system. But she reexamined the places where the suit had been attached to your brain.” He took a deep breath. “Parts of your brain are missing, and in their place are bits of machines and genetic material we have no record of.”

Copyright © 2017 Cia; All Rights Reserved.
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Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 
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Chapter Comments

Absolutely loving the story as always. Poor Kohen just keeps getting things thrown at him, but I am glad to see he was able to volcaluze some of his trauma. Best way to purge the poison inside. I also loved that he remembered the suit was gone and he could physically comfort himself now.

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So not so defenceless after all... when will Kohen realise? He could be very valuable with that ability. No wonder they kept experimenting. 

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Whoa.. I agree with the above comments.. This could prove extremely useful, but how does it make up or how will he compensate for what parts were taken from him.

 

You do this so very well Cia..  

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Well it was a blunt protection statement from the captain. Por Kohen, what he had to endure. Strange habilities though

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1 hour ago, Normischell said:

I think Captain did the right thing telling Kohen all the truth, harsh though it may be.  They are still building trust between them and leaving anything out, especially something that big, could destroy that fragile bond. 

 

There is no real difference in the information delivered if he had left out the part about missing brain. There are parts of our brain we can do without, but he didn't elaborate on it enough to mention it. It was a particularly cruel way to deliver the information. I attribute it to the fact the Captain is more of a soldier than a therapist or diplomat. This leads him to be blunt and rough in his speech. It was good Kohen wanted Lakshou present. You can build trust in a gentler way.

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Kohen just keeps getting information that leaves him reeling.   To find out your brain has been tampered with, and you may possess super human strength and speed.   At least he got out some of the demons from the start of his ordeal, he even mentioned his parents.  The Captain didn't mention the mental state of the other prisoners released,  Have their brains been destroyed and is Kohen somehow special because even after the surgeries he is still self aware??  Awesome and can't wait for more.. Thanks CIA

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So awful. I have to say, I keep coming back to the parents. Wtf happened there? Are they evil, or was there something more going on?

Then I just don't care, and wish something horrific on them.

Edited by Bears_old_honey
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I love Kohen and this story. I've said it before, but you do an amazing job portraying his fears and anxiety. It makes me want to hug him and tell him things will be better. Maybe that will become the captain's job in time. Thanks for this really good story!

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On ‎12‎/‎27‎/‎2017 at 12:19 PM, drpaladin said:

The Captain could have been less blunt and left out the part about parts of Kohen's brain being missing. I thought he wants to help Kohen, not terrify him. The news about cybernetics and strange genetic material are bad enough. The aliens have made alterations which give Kohen extraordinary abilities. The downside is he is capable of hurting someone without meaning to in one of his blind panics. For now, the emotional toll of this knowledge must be dealt with. This alteration can work out to be a wonderful gift rather than a curse.

Well, he's a bit more overt, but I think that's more because he wasn't sure how to address it... so he just put it out there. It was more a symptom of awkwardness than blunt uncaring. 

 

On ‎12‎/‎27‎/‎2017 at 1:09 PM, Parker Owens said:

Oh, this gets increasingly interesting. Bits of brain missing - what happens when those bits of self disappear? Replaced by micro machinery and unique genetic material, how will their absence play into the state of the rest of Kohen’s mind? Fascinating. 

Thanks, Parker! I do like to take my stories in directions readers aren't expecting. :D

 

On ‎12‎/‎27‎/‎2017 at 1:11 PM, Valkyrie said:

Wow... that was a lot of information for less than a thousand words.  Poor Kohen.  :(  I agree with Dr P that the alterations may turn out to be a gift vs a curse.  Maybe he'll end up using his powers against those that gave them to him in the first place :devil:  

Yes! I'm trying to move the story along a bit farther now that we have a good foundation of the main characters. 

 

On ‎12‎/‎27‎/‎2017 at 1:33 PM, Scotrik1 said:

Though I love all your stories, in the beginning I wasn't sure I could deal with the physical and emotional trauma of this story. I am very glad that I stuck it out! Very interesting. If the suit had stayed on, I probably wouldn't have been able to. I'm very glad it got removed so quickly without too much in the way of side effects! Even in fictional stories, empathy can be overwhelming. 

I am really enjoying this story. You are very talented, and I thank you for sharing that with us! I tend not to comment much, but I had to give you kudos for this one! 

 

Scottie

Well, I often do have a lot of harsh scenes and realities for my characters to face, I do try not to milk it overmuch or make it all bad so that readers are constantly put through the wringer. The harder to handle emotions need lighter moments or the impact really is lost. I'm so glad you're enjoying the story!

 

On ‎12‎/‎27‎/‎2017 at 1:41 PM, Carlos Hazday said:

Damn! Not much else I can say. Ten-word limit.

 

LOL Now you know how we feel about the WB word restrictions. 

 

Dr. P is right, that was a rough way of telling Kohen but Captain is probably accustomed to speaking without beating around. I'm kind of partial to the sink or swim approach myself.

Well, I do happen to be pretty blunt, but I think it's more the captain didn't know how to say it... so he just did it. 

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On ‎12‎/‎27‎/‎2017 at 1:45 PM, avidreadr said:

A very informative and traumatic chapter.  Poor Kohen.  I just want to somehow make him feel better.  

I know, right? You want to smother him in comfort. 

 

On ‎12‎/‎27‎/‎2017 at 1:58 PM, Timothy M. said:

:puke:  on the holes and brain stuff

:blink: on the special abilities

:heart: on the promise of protection from the captain

:D:D:D on this great review

 

On ‎12‎/‎27‎/‎2017 at 3:26 PM, Normischell said:

I think Captain did the right thing telling Kohen all the truth, harsh though it may be.  They are still building trust between them and leaving anything out, especially something that big, could destroy that fragile bond. 

Yes, he definitely couldn't hide it from Kohen! 

 

On ‎12‎/‎27‎/‎2017 at 3:28 PM, Normischell said:

Absolutely loving the story as always. Poor Kohen just keeps getting things thrown at him, but I am glad to see he was able to volcaluze some of his trauma. Best way to purge the poison inside. I also loved that he remembered the suit was gone and he could physically comfort himself now.

Thank you, normischell! He is a lot more open than he originally was in the first few chapters. 

 

On ‎12‎/‎27‎/‎2017 at 4:10 PM, Defiance19 said:

Whoa.. I agree with the above comments.. This could prove extremely useful, but how does it make up or how will he compensate for what parts were taken from him.

 

You do this so very well Cia..  

Thank you, Defiance! 

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On ‎12‎/‎28‎/‎2017 at 10:33 AM, Lux Apollo said:

Great chapter. I could just feel all the roiling emotion.

Thank you, Lux! 

 

On ‎12‎/‎28‎/‎2017 at 12:54 PM, Bears_old_honey said:

So awful. I have to say, I keep coming back to the parents. Wtf happened there? Are they evil, or was there something more going on?

Then I just don't care, and wish something horrific on them.

Yes, I definitely understand the wishing horrible things on them. :P

 

On ‎12‎/‎28‎/‎2017 at 3:37 PM, JeffreyL said:

I love Kohen and this story. I've said it before, but you do an amazing job portraying his fears and anxiety. It makes me want to hug him and tell him things will be better. Maybe that will become the captain's job in time. Thanks for this really good story!

Thank you, Jeffrey. I try to keep things realistic, and he's been tortured for a long time. He can't just get better, and the affects will be felt for a long time. 

 

On ‎12‎/‎29‎/‎2017 at 7:56 AM, boiwonder said:

Woah! the plot thickens. this is getting very interesting. Can't wait for the next chapter

Yes, definitely! I like to add in a lot of twists. :D 

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