Case Number

Ch. 1 An Escape to Forget *FINISHED*

Case Number
Ch.1

Case number: 101482
Priority: High/Code Red; missing or escaped persons
Description: 5’10”, approximately 25 years of age, female, medium or dark brown hair, gray eyes, and a slender build.
Last Seen: 1256 VICTORY Space Station in the Nova Section of system 544. Date was May 29th, 2460

CAUTION: HIGHLY DANGEROUS AND UNPREDICTABLE. 100,000,000 qi REWARD FOR HER CAPTURE. DO NOT WALK STREETS ALONE OR AFTER LIGHT HOURS FOR YOUR SAFETY AND PROTECTION. CONTACT C7-258-M IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON HER WHEREABOUTS.

         The large, oblong viewing screens in the cold, emotionless Space Station were screaming everything about her to the public. It did not matter though; she had escaped, and was free. Maybe a year ago or so it would have mattered. A year ago, she still knew who she was; a year ago, she still feared for her life; a year ago, she was just plain afraid. Things were different now.
         She pulled the black hood over her eyes and hastened her pace. Small drips of blood splashed upon the floor beneath her. Wincing for the pain in her wrist, she tightened the blood soaked rag around it and kept on.
         The farther she walked the more screens seemed to light up. It was almost as though they turned on as she stepped past them, as though they received some sort of unseen signal from her. Perspiration dripped from her frantic face. Breathing deeply a few times seemed to help steady her. She was so close, and it would be such a shame for so much effort to go to waste because of nerves. Relaxing and keeping from complete and utter panic seemed impossible though. Her mind was tense and scattered. Years of confinement had caused phobias of people, noise, and almost everything else. The darkness she was so used to had made her eyes and skin highly sensitive to the artificial lights systematically strewn about the Space Station. The noise and chatter echoing through the halls of the Station almost sent her into a frenzy. She simply could not cope with the business of it all.
         Quietly glancing into one of the lights in a moment of purposeful distraction she wondered if they were meant to replace a burnt out sun. A sun she never knew; a sun she never experienced the warmth of on her frail, pale skin. A sun she had only heard about. Suddenly her thoughts about the sun were ended when she felt herself fall into something hard. A muffled noise like a thump resounded and before the reality of the situation could sink in, she found herself flipping backward and over the object of her demise as though it were an automatic response to the perceived danger.
         Terrified and convinced this was the end of her escape, she planned to run. But the moment her feet touched the floor, she realized that was not an option, and collapsed upon the ground in exhaustion and pain, for the man she had run into grabbed her by her injured wrist. Tears welled in her silver eyes, not only for the pain, but for the defeat. Turning her head slowly, she looked up at her assailant, preparing to face her doom.
         "Let me help you," A calm male voice whispered. This was not what she was expecting at all, and it simply added to her confusion. "I'm sorry about that," he continued as he lifted her from the ground, "I guess I didn't see you there." Oddly he winced at his own hand, finally realizing the blood on his hand was hers, "You're bleeding, let me help you to Medic."
         Hesitant but unwilling to make the scene any worse than it already was, she silently agreed. His touch felt warm against her coldness, and she studied his hand as she lowered her glance. It seemed as though the amount of blood on his hand was ridiculous; as though it came from him murdering someone with his own hands instead of simply grabbing someone in the wrong place. Could she have really bled that much? It was something she had simply been ignoring while making her mad dash for freedom. It was so unimportant; a small side effect of an ill conceived plan of action.
         Abruptly they came to a stop. There were not many others to be seen in the Space Station along the way. Had she known the time, perhaps she could have reasoned why. Continuing to lead the way, the man began walking again through large blue doors which slid open without any kind of prompting on the part of the man. Turning to her slowly, the large man smiled a thin, little smile and motioned with his hand toward some seats. He bent near her, his closeness causing her to shake timidly. In his same smooth whisper he asked, "I'm going to sign you in now, what's your name?"
         She did not respond.
         His smile changed awkwardly, then he stood quickly and without changing his even, calm tone said, "Don't worry about it. I'll sign you in as my sister or something."
         As she watched him walk away, she thought of him as odd. There were not many things she knew about this world, but one thing she had learned from the flat screens in the Space Station is that she was worth a lot of money and was considered very dangerous. Could he be so clueless about who she was? Or was he knowingly and willingly helping her escape? What could be his reason?
         Anxiously she pondered this thought while waiting for him to return. When he did, she focused on him, trying hard to read him as she had done so many others. "You're not the only one with abilities," his statement cut through her concentration suddenly and with frightening strength.
         Both fear and curiosity gripped her. He had built a wall she could not get through. Never before had there been a mind she could not read.
         "It was easy. I read you first," he smiled, looking straight ahead.
         "You tried," she replied, almost mumbling, narrowing her eyes.
         'I know more than you think,' his thought whispered to her mind.
         'Can I trust you?' she asked, startled. So he did know. "Who are you?"
         "I'm Rave," he said, offering his hand to shake. Her glare at the offer told him to put his hand back down. 'And you can trust me'
         'India,' she told him her name without making a sound.
         A nurse walked up to Rave and India and led them into a small room. She asked some questions which Rave answered. India knew it would be a smart thing to keep quiet. Rave told the nurse his ‘sister’ was very shy of doctors and felt more comfortable if she appeared hidden, thus leaving on her hood.
         The nurse nodded in insecure understanding and walked out of the room to file the report. A few minutes later the doctor walked in with a small plastic bag and tore it open beside the injured girl. Inside the bag was a gel like substance, bluish in color. “Now I’m just going to rub this on your skin so I can clean the injury,” the doctor explained as he reached for her blood soaked arm.
         India tried hard not to jerk away when he touched her. She flinched at his cool touch and stiffened so he would not feel her shaking.
         “Ok,” the Doctor said, trying to hide his surprise at the grotesque mutilation he uncovered. “That looks quite nasty. How did it happen?" When there was no answer, he continued, "Well, it's nothing I can’t fix. Now be very still, this will feel like a small pinch, nothing bad,” he said in a soothing voice.
         India inhaled deeply as he pulled out the small laser. She tried to stay calm, but as soon as he touched her wrist she jerked away, screaming. She backed as far into the corner as she could.
         The Doctor stepped back in surprise as Rave stepped forward. He reached for her and she clung to him desperately.
         “Now, I can’t do this if you’re going to move like that. It’s too dangerous for the both of us. Do you think we can try this again?” The Doctor asked patiently.
         Slowly, India nodded in agreement and tried to calm down. She buried her face in Raves black shirt and fought off the flashbacks that kept coming to her every time they touched her.

Her feet…broken…she can no longer run away… Hands… burned…organs in the wrong place…

Sharp pains… she would cry for mercy until she had no more tears left. Why was the needle so long? Why did they tie her down? Everything…so blurry…

         “All done,” the Doctor said.
         Relaxing, India released her death grip on the long brown coat and looked over her wrist. The deep, ugly gash that was there moments before was now a small line across her arm. She could not believe her eyes; no pain, only relief.
         “It’ll be sore for about a day or so. Don’t do too much or you could reopen the wound,” the Doctor explained.
         “Thank you,” Rave said as he helped India off the examination table.
         The two made their way carefully to the front desk. India was placed delicately in a chair while Rave paid for the Doctor's services. When he turned around, India was gone. His eyes grew wide as he glanced around quickly, "India?" he uttered, his forced calmness coming across more worried than he had hoped. He waited for a short while when he heard a familiar whisper coming from behind him.
         Peering around the corner of the hall, India whispered something. He turned around and breathed a sigh of relief, and yet was angry at the same time, “What did I tell you? Where did you go?” He asked harshly.
         His tone was frightening to her and tears filled her eyes, “Don’t be mad,” she whispered.
         Realizing his folly, Raves expression softened, “I’m not mad. It’s ok. Let’s just get out of here,” he reached out his hand for she seemed so child like and innocent in her sorrow; yet her eyes told of things even he could not fathom. She withdrew from his touch. “Please?” he asked.
         Hesitant at first, she finally took his hand and they walked out of the building. Rave did not know what to do next or where to go. He looked to her and she seemed uncomfortable, like she did not quite know how to fit in with the rest of the crowd. Or maybe it was him. Maybe she knows, he thought to himself, No, how could she? He tried talking to her in an attempt to soothe her, but perhaps the therapy was more for his own conscience.
         "How did you manage to get yourself such a big gash, anyway? You certainly didn't get a cut like that from bumping into me," Rave asked as nonchalantly as he could.
         “Um- I can’t remember,” she lied hesitantly.
         “You have to remember. You’re not even trying,” Rave said.
         “I told you, I can’t remember,” she said sternly with a flicker of red in her eyes.
         Startled, Rave decided it may be best to leave her alone. He did not know whether she was the type who blew up when angered or would hurt someone. For all he knew she could be just like him and go into blind rages. It was best not to push her. Besides, any secret worth knowing would be worth waiting for.
         India looked down and smiled to herslef. The pea sized object that had served as a tracking device in her wrist was now an excellent way to decieve the Scientists who were after her. They would find it in the Medic Trashbin, around the corner from the front desk. After about ten minutes of confusion, they would figure out what had happened, and be furious they had fallen for such a text book trick. India, on the other hand, would be light years away by then.

~*~*~*~

         Rave bought them an escape to a small red planet with a tiny population. They would be able to hide there for a while until things calmed down and it was safe to leave the galaxy; permenantly.
         Upon arrival, India could not get over how all the buildings were made of an orange clay like material. Everything seemed kind of dry and a little barren. Yet this species somehow learned to thrive in these conditions. She was amazed at how different everything was compared to the tiny black cage she was forced to live in most of her life. Thoughts of it began to creep into the forefront of her mind, but she shut them out. Now was not a time for flashbacks, for now was a happy time.
         Rave came up to her and took her hand, “Stay close to me. Don’t wander off, these people aren’t too fond of strangers.”
         Startled, she jumped a little, but this time did not jerk away, “You frightened me,” she whispered.
         “I’m sorry,” he replied apologetically. It hurt him to see how much fear she harboured. He only hoped it was not too late to undo some of the damage he somehow felt responsible for.
         She followed him closely as they walked the dirt covered streets. Many strange alien creatures wearing dark colors over their yellow skin passed beyond them without so much as a glance in their direction. Nobody recognized her, and it brought some small relief. When the two turned a corner they came to what appeared to be a sort of strip mall, only all the buildings looked exactly the same. They went on for as far as the eye could see on either side. Each one was distinguished only by a single, small, different colored marker hanging from the entrance of the shop or building.
         Rave walked in and talked to some of the short, chubby little yellow skinned creatures inside.
         “Rave, where are we?” India asked nervously as she glanced about the naked, orange room. The insides of the buildings were of the same clay like color and consistancy as the outside. Not even a picture decorated the walls. Not that India was so accustomed to decorations.
         “We’re on the planet Ymari,“ he answered.
         “No, I mean what is this place?” she asked, pointing to the floor.
         “Oh, it’s called a Phtah. It's a place for travelers like us to stay. Like a hotel,” he said.
         “Oh, what’s a hotel?” she asked.
         “Oh dear…”
         Rave exchanged expressions with the fat man at the counter, who seemed pleasantly entertained by the girls apparent ignorance. After a long explanation of where they were and what they were doing there, Rave led them to where they would stay.          The room was only on the second floor up but the height frightened the girl. Ray had to hold her hand at a distance and slowly drag her down the hall.
When they reached the room she was so afraid the floor would collapse under them it made her sick. Rave had no choice but to change the room to either an underground one or ground level one.
         When they were in a room that she was finally comfortable with he took off his coat and threw himself on the bed. India removed her glasses and hooded black jacket to reveal a sheer, light green colored hospital gown. The thing was paper thin, and hung loosley over her fragile frame. Through it tattoos and different colored markings could be seen. Rave studied them for a moment before realizing it was like a map printed on her body. "Oh, my God," he mumbled to himself in disgust. These so called 'Scientists' completely decimated her body; creating road maps wherever they tested. Yellow, blue and red circles enclosed different types of chemical burns on her right thigh while tiny purple and green dots indicated injection sights. India turned and kneeled at the side of the bed, staring at him.
         “What?” he asked, momentarily distracted.
         “Nothing,” she said.
         “Don’t tell me you don’t know what a bed is,” he said, slightly agitated from the exhaustion of the day and her seemingly endless ignorance.
         “Um…”
         “It’s where you sleep. Or where you’re supposed to sleep. Some cultures don’t have them. Some species don’t even sleep,” he explained, his irritation showing through as he spoke.
         “Ok,” she said, looking away.
         “Come here,” he said softly, looking over at her.
         She slowly crawled onto the bed uneasily and sat cross legged upon it. “I do not sleep,” she said.
         “What?” he could not believe it. Then he remembered where she came from. She’s probably too afraid to sleep, he thought.
         “I do not remember the last time I slept. I think, perhaps it were a couple of months ago, I dozed off, and I was so tired. Yet it was odd because it was not a deep sleep, it were as though part of me was still awake and I could hear what they were saying. It was a dull, dreamless sleep but it felt so good because for a moment I felt free. I felt so far away and-and…” Tears streamed down her pretty face. She did not want to remember anymore.
         “Sh, it’s ok,” Rave sat up and put his hand on her cheek. At first she started to jerk away, but stopped and closed her eyes. She put her hand over his and pressed it tightly against her face. He slowly moved in closer and held her in his lap until she stopped crying; until she fell asleep.
         Gently, he laid her down and stayed next to her. Sleep evaded him however; there was simply too much to think about for sleep to ever come, despite his own exhaustion. What the heck am I doing? Should I turn her in? Just forget this whole thing...it's so much harder than I thought it would be... No, I can’t. I can't turn back now, he turned and brushed a strand of hair from her delicate face. She seemed so pretty, so at peace. It almost made tears come to his eyes, Who did this to her? I would like to get my hands on the creep who could do this to an innocent girl…
         Rave reached his hand out as he looked upon her when suddenly India shot straight up standing upon the bed screaming like murder. Rave leapt to his feet in shock, almost toppling off the bad entirely. The sight would have been comical if not for its seriousness. Out of breath, India began to collapse and Rave caught her as she toppled into his open arms. After a moment there came banging at the door and he set her down and ran to answer it.
         “Is everything ok in here? We heard someone scream,” a small alien asked.
         “Yes, everything’s ok. Just a nightmare, that’s all. I’m sorry, it won’t happen again,” Rave explained as easily as he could.
         “Ok,” The stocky creature said without much care as he sped away.
         “Oh, lord,” Rave said. She was still out of breath when he came back to her. She was soaking wet and feverish to the touch. He quickly started a cold bath and carried her into the bathroom. Carefully, he set her in, being sure to support her head. He grabbed a small cloth and dipped it in the water and placed on her forehead. Convulsions seemed to momentarily take over her body from the chill of the water as the fever fell, but her breathing slowed a great deal and she opened her eyes. “Are you ok?” Rave asked with genuine concern.
         “It’s funny how when you are there you dream of being somewhere else. But when you are somewhere else you dream about being there. Even when you do not want to anymore!” she said as she cried.
         Gently, Rave wiped the hair from her wet face and lifted her out of the bath into a dry towel. She began to shiver as he dried her off and held her close to his body.