Empyrean Iris Story Collection Vol. 3

Air Vent

"You there, stop where you are."

Riss thought abut running, of course he did, but despite thinking it, it was a thought he ditched almost immediately. These two Drev hovered around nine to ten feet tall, and would have overtaken him in seconds.

Running was not an option.

"I um is everything alright." He wondered.

The two stepped forward. He couldn't tell if they were male or female as all Drev tended to look the same to him.

"You will be coming with us."

This was not a suggestion, it was a command, and Riss could see no other options, no way of escape. The two drev walked over and flanked him from either side corralling him back through the crowd and into the nearest hallway. As he walked people in the crowd stared at him and pulled back to keep their distance. The one or two Gibb that he ran into suddenly started moving the other direction when they saw him fear apparent in their footsteps.

What was going on?

But soon the crowds passed behind them and he was led down another hallway which was drab and grey with the raw metal of the station. They were led past a few doorways until he was pulled into a small whit room with a single chair and table waiting inside. He saw a one way mirror along one wall, and before he could protest, a hand shoved him inside and a door closed behind him.

He stood staring at the door and then reached over, trying the handle only to find that it was locked.

He walked over to the mirror and turned on his heat thermal vision. Someone was watching him from the other side, and based on it's shape and heat output, it was human.

He tapped his hand against the glass, "Please, can someone tell me what's going on." The figure shifted but did not speak or attempt to move. He tapped the glass some more, "Please, can someone just talk to me."

There was still no answer.

When none of his protests brought any fruit, he turned away from the mirror and began to pace around the room. It was likely clear what was going on. The council had gotten to them first, of course THEY had access to outside media, and if they did, he was in grave danger. Who knows what sort of lies they had been spreading about him, to discredit his name and make him look like the dangerous one.

It was exactly the kind of thing that they would do.

Floating around the room, he almost made himself dizzy.

The lights overhead were cold and white providing no nutrition like natural sun or the UV waves of the inner station lights.

He wasn't entirely sure how long he had been there when the door at the far end of the room opened, and a man walked in. It was hard to determine what he looked like seeing as he was wearing some flavor of Hazmat suit. It looked almost like across between a hazmat suit and a tactical outfit with a helmet and respirator as well as latex gloves and a body vest.

He motioned Riss to the table and Riss did as told.

What else could he do.

The man pulled up a chair though he did not sit.

"I am, Rolen, station commander for Andromeda Central, and YOU are causing quite the stir across the galaxy." He set down a small case on the table.

"I honestly didn't mean to. I apologize if-"

The Station commander cut him off, "Yes, yes, the Vrul council claims that you are a dangerous delusional who might be infected with a sporating virus of some sort."