On arrival, I hesitate in the corridor outside Combat Room 4. Dean waits at the checkpoint. His hand claps the guard's PAHLM. He releases and moves inside.
"Hey, there." A whisper sends chills straight through my shoulders and arms as the breath of the man behind me hovers over my ear.
I spin around and find I'm inches away from Kai.
"So, do I get to call you Hot Mama yet?"
"Not unless you want your balls ripped off." I whisper out the words with venom. He hit a sore spot way too early in the day.
His beautifully white teeth disappear behind delectable lips. "Someone wake up on the wrong side of the cot, or what?"
"Not that it's any of your business," I hiss, "but the test came back negative again. We're taking another crack at it."
"Then what?"
I pause. "I don't know."
It's our turn at the scanner.
My hand lifts automatically. I listen for the trill and step aside, waiting for Kai to be scanned as well.
"Huh, well, honestly, I thought it would have gone differently. There are a few girls on my level who had to do it a second time, but that always does the trick. So, are they, like, making you guys do it a special way or something?" He lifts his leg and twists his torso while grabbing invisible hips to demonstrate his lewd perception of my child's inglorious conception.
I punch him in the shoulder, half-heartedly. "I don't want to talk about it."
The day passes quickly when I'm not peering over my shoulder. I shut off my peripherals and focus on the task at hand.
During our break for lunch, I focus all my energy into ignoring the uproarious giggling from the flirtatious duo at Table 4. I spin in my seat to address Dean, but he's already halfway to the exit before the word escapes. Taken aback by his abrupt departure, I focus back on my tablet and spend the rest of the afternoon with his strange behavior muddying my concentration. When the day ends, I gather my things quickly enough so he doesn't have time to stop me. At least with the way he's been lately, maybe he wasn't going to bother.
YOU ARE READING
ARC10
Science Fiction[Book 1 of the ARC10 Trilogy] **Winner of the 2017 Watty Storysmith award** The President created an underground safe-haven for the survivors of the alien invasion. He built it to save them all from total annihilation. He protects them, feeds them...
