Chapter 2

Shouldn't I be floating? Was my first thought. Holy shit I'm actually in space was my second thought.

I could see the earth from where I was lying and despite the situation I was in, I was absolutely awestruck. It was one thing to see images of it in books or on television, but another thing entirely to actually to see it. I was witnessing something very few had ever seen It was hard to believe that there where billions of people down their living their lives and oblivious of us. I was amazed at how.... small it seemed from where we where. How insignificant it looked.

I didn't want to take my eyes off it, but I gradually grew aware of a a tinging sensation in my body. It started in my fingers and toes and I could feel it spread outward through my limbs. It was as if my entire body had fallen asleep. Except it felt ten times worse. I wanted to cry out, but didn't want to draw the alien's attention, so instead I squeezed my eyes shut and bit my lip There was nothing I could do to relive it however but ride it out.

Something happened though that suddenly made me forgot about my discomfort. I felt my pinky finger twitch and found with some effort that I could bend it. It wasn't long before I could curl my hand in to a weak and shaky fist. Mt paralyzes was wearing off! It was only temporary! I felt like crying from relief, but instead worked on trying to move other parts of my body. At this point I didn't care if Mister alien noticed. I could move my arm next. I could slide it across the floor and bend my elbow slightly.

Within the next few minutes I experimented with my other arm and then my legs. Everything seemed to be in working order, although I had made no effort to stand at this point. I felt weak for one as if I had just run a marathon, and for another my fear of what Mister alien might do stopped me. I didn't wish to be kicked again or paralyzed

I wondered where we where going. Some distant part of the galaxy, far, far away? There whern't exactly any planets that could sustain life around here. How would we get there though? We hadn't traveled any further than and it ha taken us We, being humans that is.

I pushed myself up to with the palm of my hands, so that I was in somewhat of a semi upright potion. My curiosity about where we where going What I saw was enough to make my draw drop.

“Holy shit.” I murmured, not caring if Mister Aline heard me or not. There was a ship in front of us. A much bigger ship than the one we where in. It was the the size of a.... foot ball field. It was the same translucent black color like the one we where in. The shape reminded me of a blimp, long and oblong. There was a smaller bubble up front, a little larger than the ship we where in. It was connected to the larger part with a round like tube. There where several tiers of lights going around it, the same blue in color like the ones on our ship.

We where headed right for it. I watched as we drew closer and closer, wondering if we where going to ram right into the thing. Surely the alien wasn't that stupid. After all, he had landed on Earth and got us in space. No, wait, something was happening to the bigger ship . As we drew within about ten feet of it, a hatch opened toward the back of the ship. The alien piloted his ship in through the hatch and into the bigger ship. We landed inside an area only a little larger than the ship itself. It was circuler room, with a another door on the other side. We where stopped now, but the alien had not yet powered down. Instead we seemed to be waiting for the door behind us to close. When it did, the door in front of us began to slide open to reveal a much larger area.

It was hanger or garage and full of ships just like the one we where in. I counted more than a dozen, before we pulled into an empty slot. Finally the ship powered down and all was quiet. Or for about five seconds at least , then the click, click clicking began as the alien stood and walked toward me.

“Yuk Huyck!” It sounded. It kicked me yet again in the side with is very hard stilt like leg.

“Yuck Huyuck!” It sounded again as another kick was directed at me. I guess it wanted me to move. Maybe it had figured the paralyzies had warned off.

'Yu..” It started and before it could finish or direct yet another kick at me I scrambled to me feet. It felt weird to stand and I had to rest one hand against the wall of the ship to steady myself. I turned to look at the alien which was still scowling. It gave me a shove with one of its claw like hands and I stumbled forward

'Yuik!” It roared and jerked a hand toward the open door. Move. Jeez, this guy was even more inpatient than I was. I moved forward on shaky legs. I must have froze to long on the entry because it gave me another push.

“I'm moving dammit!” I mumbled and began to make my way down and ramp and finally onto the... mother ship. I could hardly believe I was on a spaceship. Well, a bigger spaceship. Where the other other aliens like him? Other aliens not like him? A ship this big had to have more than one …. alien.

The hanger was a long and wide corridor with ships on either side. About twenty feet ahead looked to be a smaller door that led to another part of the ship. Unlike what we had been in before the floor and walls of the ship where not see though. Instead they where like the exterior, a reflective black surface. There where grids of bright blue light that ran all through the walls and the floor of the ship.

Having joined me, the alien grunted again and pointed an arm down the corridor. In the other hand was the same red weapon which it kept directed at me. The message was clear, keep moving but stay close. I did just as was directed, not wishing to become a life sized talking doll again.

The door slide open with a hiss and I found myself in a smaller room that contained a chair and lots of strange and alien like equipment on the counter tops

“Myur1” It said and pointed to the chair. I sat. The chair was hard and just like the material of the rest of the ship. I wondered if these people, err... aliens had ever heard of cushions. I watched as it went off to the table and selected a item. It looked sort like an electric drill, only smaller. There was a large needle at the end that was as long as my forearm and as big around as pencil.

“Whu.. what's that for?” I asked uselessly, more to hear myself talk then anything. He glared at me with narrowed eyes and said nothing as usual.

It made its way back over to me, torture device in hand. My heart began the frantic, gong to burst clear out your chest rhythm again. I could feel my breathing start to quicken. I hoped I didn't wind up giving myself an asthma attack. My inhaler was thousands of miles away. I knew one thing for certain, t here was no way in hell I was letting it get near me with that thing... let alone stick it with me.

As if reading my mind, it's free arm snaked out and clamped around my thought, its claw like fingers digging in. I struggled and it just squeezed even harder and pressed me back against the chair. Before I knew what was happening I felt the needle placed against the side of my head. I struggled and thrashed in a full panic now, unable to make a sound.

All of a sudden there was a excruciating pain in my skull as if someone had well, stabbed me in the head with a big assed needle . I screamed. It released me, but I didn't even realize it. My hands where pressed against where the needle had gone in, expecting to feeli a gaping hole, but felt nothing. I slid out of the chair and on the floor curling into a half fetal like position. After what seemed like an eternity, but was only a few minutes the pain gradually began to die down. It was soon only a dull throbbing, but I still remained in the same position, frightened to move,s care that it might come back if it did.

“Yui Nyut baad.” sounded the alien from somewhere above me.

“Nio gut up!” It added. Wait, what? Had it just said something in English?

“I know you can understand me now, so don't try and play stupid.” Holy shit, I could understand the fucker! I uncurled myself and glanced up at him.

“Now will you get up!” I mad no effort to move and instead gaped at him. How the hell was this possible?

“You... I can..” I started, but it interrupted me.

“Yes, I can understand you, as you can with me.” he stated as if this was something that happened daily

“But how?” I asked.

'The cOmcuter idiot. “ He sneered and held up the device it had just shot me with.

“It enables you to understand different languages automaticly.” He explained.

“Like in Farcsape.” I replied. It had once been my favorite show. Or had been. Now that I had actually had an encounter with an alien, the science fiction shows I use to love suddenly became less appealing.

I slowly climbed to my feet before he could demand that I stand up again, or else kick me. I was good foot shorter than the alien.

“ Can I... “ I tried unsure of what to say next.

“Can you..” It mocked and I frowned. I hated assholes.

“Why am I here?” I tried again. I had a million questions running through my mind, but that was the biggest.

He sneered.

"Because you are a criminal, that's why.” He seemed to spit the word criminal out as if it disgusted him.

“I'm a... what?!” I asked incredulously. My voice shot up a few octaves. Had I heard him right?

“A criminal.” He repeated.

“You where stupid enough to break the law and now you are under arrest.” He continued as if that explained everything.

“You have the wrong person!” I shouted, losing control of myself for a moment. Tears glimmered in my eyes and I shook my head. I hadn't broken any laws. I didn't even like breaking any rules I had only gotten maybe even one detention in my life while in school. I was a goody two shoes and I wasn't ashamed to admit it. Goody two shoes didn't murder.

If I had a Kurk for every time someone said that..”

“But... what di... did I do?” I asked. My voice shook and I was close to crying again. I didn't like being accused of something I didn't do. I didn't like assholes and I didn't like being like being taken someone against my will. All three good factors in making me cry.

Another growl.

“You murdered Yin Yak a prominent member of the Zarsk species.” Now I knew he had the wrong person. I hadn't killed anybody! Least of all YackataYack or whatever it was he was called!

“Look, I'm sorry but I haven't killed anybody. I don't even know what a.. whatever that is.” I tried to explain. Was it another alien? An undiscovered species of spider in the rain forest?

“A Zarsk “ He explained. “They are called the Zarsks!”

“Are they aliens?” I asked dumbly.

“No, they are a Nark. Of course they are aliens you Niyat.” Nark? Niyat? I wondered, but didn't ask. I had more important things to worry about Like, proving that I hadn't killed anyone for one.

“I didn't even know aliens existed until tonight!” I protested.

“Zarks have been visiting your Earth and other unaware planets for a hundred of years, if not more.”

I must have shot him a skeptical look, because he scowled, before explaining.

“They aren't exactly going to make themselves known. They come to earth to observe your species, to determine if they are ready to handle contact.”

"Contact?” I echoed.

“With other life forms.”

I began to think back to all the stories I had heard about alien contact, about strange lights in the sky and those who swore on the bible they had been visited by little green men. Where they all telling the truth? That still did not make it any clearer how I had killed one of the Zarsk species. I think I would have known had I come in contact with an alien and I defiantly would have known if I had killed one. I was determined to prove that to this guy.

“Look, this is all.... interesting, but I haven't killed anybody. “ I said, repeating the same thing I had eariler. It sounded lame even to me. I tended to crumble under pressure however. Even under the best of circumstances I tended to stammer, stutter and sound as if where a complete idiot.

'Why is it that we have you on record committing the act then?”

“Say what?”

There was that growl again. He moved over to the table and selected a flat round device around the size of a wall clock. He flicked a button on the side. An image suddenly flickered on and a video began to play.

Wait a minute, that was the road that led to our house? It looked like it, but it was from a low vantage point. Whatever had the camera started to move. The camera was tilted up and I could see more of the road. Yup, that was defiantly our road. Who or what had taken these images?

Suddenly I could hear a voice. My voice! The camera moved and I could suddenly see myself walking down the road with an overly eager puppy leading the way. Sunny. I had on a pair of jeans and a red jersey. I frowned, trying to remember that day. I believe it was two weeks ago give or take a day. I had been walking up to check the mail and had decided to take the dog for a walk.

“Dammit sunny, slow down.” I grumbled as he strained on his leash. I watched as I walked up the road and around the corner.

...OK, so what was that about. Why was somebody be watching me? Why? Did they have nothing better to do?

“Umm, wha...” I started to ask and was yet again interrupted.

“Wait!” He hissed. The camera view grew even lower to the ground as it was jumped off of whatever it had been onto the ground. Whatever it was, was tiny. Like insect tiny as the blades of grass looked more like trees and the rocks more like boulders.

“Kind of small isn't it?” I muttered and was rewarded with a jab to the back of my head. It was only a a minute or so later when I heard myself again, still grumbling at the dog. Furry yellow legs suddenly came into view and the camera grew jerky as whatever it was moved. Not a second after a pair of taller legs came into view, mine. I saw my camouflage shoe come down and then everything went black.

I blinked and then blinked again. What the hell was that about?!

“There.” He hissed

“Satisfied?”

“Err... no.” I admitted. I was confused is what I was .

Yet again the growl.

“Let me explain this in terms that even you should be be able to understand. You stepped on and killed Yin Yak.”

I had.... what? Just what the hell was Yink Yak. I mean, besides an alien? What did he look like?

I closed my eyes and tried to picture what had happened on the walk home. I remembered Sunny had been pulling me and I had stumbled a couple of times. Something had distracted me on the way home. An insect of sorts. A grasshopper. I remembered now! I had seen one of the biggest grasshoppers I had ever seen, and I had wanted to go over to examine it when Sunny had suddenly jerked me forward and I had accidentally stepped on it

Wait a minute.... had the grasshopper been Yin Yak? Things had now gone from crazy to bathshit insane.

'Are you saying that Yin Yak was a grasshopper?” Was that sentience really coming out of my mouth?

“I don't know what that is, but they are able to take on a minsicle form of themselves if desired.” He muttered something under his breath and pressed another button on the device and another scene began to play out.

My eyes nearly bugged out of my head when I saw what it was. It was a grasshopper, but one the size of a full grown man. It walked up right and wore a robe, but besides for that it looked just like the ones we had here. Even more quetions flooded my brain

Where all grasshoppers aliens? Are only a select few? I was sure there had been other grasshopper related incidents. People used them as bait and fed them to snakes and turtles. I remebered having fed one to our turtle just weeks ago. I felt sick to my stomach all of a sudden. Could I be a serial mudrerer?

The loudest growl ever suddenly erupted from the alien as he threw the device roughly on the table.

“Enough of this Kulk! I've watsed enough time with you already.”

“Now Move!” He damned and I was given yet another shove toward a door to my left.

"where.. where are we going?”

'To your cell, where else?”

“My.. cell”'

“Yes, your cell. It is where you will stay until your trial.”

“My trail?”

“For the mudrer of Yink Yak. You will go up before a jury and they will decdie hat course of action to take for your crime.”

“But.. but I didn't mean to kill him.. It wa was an accident!” The tears where coming back now threatning to spill over.

“That isn't going to bring back Yin, now isn't it?” Was the hrash rebutal.

The tears came freely now.

“Now shut up and move!” I was given even hard shove from behind this time. One that sent me stumbling, although I amnaged to remain on my feet this time. My hands drew into fists, but I said, nothing just went through the door and found myself in a hall way which curved away in both directions to destinations unknown.

I was given another shove to my left and that was where I went. The hallway seemed to go on forever and I was kind of disappointed that I hadn't seen any other aliens roaming about. On a ship this big you would have expected to see someone else.

We went through another door and then down yet another endlesly long hall, with him shoving me anytime I got to slow. As I roudned the corner howeer I stoppded dead in my tracks, causing another hard jab to be diretced at my back. Up ahead was another set of closefdoors, but that wasn't what had captured my attention. Up ahead where two more aliens. Once more I went back to me the gaping idiot.

They where both massive. A good seven feet tall at least. They where a dark red in color. If they had been humans I would have swore they where on sterriods as they had some serious msucles. In facet, I couldn't even see any skin just what looked to be musles that streched all up and down their legs and arms. A set of spikes like a steragsaousr starts from their forehead and went all the way down their back. Their had claw like hands and feet that remdined me of something reptilan.

They saw me and scowled. Jeez, was evreyone in a bad mood here?

“Hey Tober, got another one I see.” The one on the left said by a way of geertubf, but did not move from his postion. So the imapatennt ass was named Tober. Good to know. .

“What the hell is it?” The one on the right asked as he glared down at me. I adverted my gaze to my shoes.

“Thier species is called human.” Tober explained.

“Kinda ugly”

“...and small.”

I had never really given thought about how we must look to aliens. If they thought we where as strange and hideous as we sometimes thought them to be. For a human I looked average I supposed. If anything I looked like a younger member of the oppiste gender. Although I was tweeny five I looked more like I was fifteen My hair was short and back and cut to above my ears. I wore glasses and had green eys. I stood at around five foot six and weighed around 140 pounds.

“and on the slow side. The sooner I get it locked away the better” Came the reply It I thought, but yet again said nothing.

Something was keyed into the door and it slide open. Before he could think to shove me again I went in on my own this time.

A corridor circled an enclosed area The area was a a large room with completely see through walls. The room was empty but I could see what looked to be benches and other pices of strange equpiment.

Another locked door led to the room.

“You'll get to see this palce soon enough, now move along!”

There was yet another door to be keyed and it opened to reval a wide and brightly lit hallway. As soon as I eneted I was assulted by an array of sounds. Grunting, sweraing, I think I even the sounds of mastubartion. I guess even aliens needed to get it on.

“Get moving!” I stumbled along. On either side where glowing green bars. They wher paced about an inch part from each other and went from floor to celling. I slowed to look through them, and nd nearly stumbled back into Tober. There was an alien inside.. Two in fact. One looked no bigger than a golden retriver and just as hairy. There was another taller alien with to many legs to count

'Watcha looking at pale face?” It growled and spat a black glob of spit in my direction that only I narrowly avoided. It chuckled and I hurried past.

A cell I realized, they where jail cells. I shivered. I was in a floating prson for alien crinnals and I was one of them. Only then did my situation fully hit me. I was iin jail. I was a prsoner, something I thought I would never be. I didn't know if I would ever get back come again. I didn't even bother looking at the other cells as we walked by, just kept my head down.

We finally got to the end of the hall and Tober moved to the cell on the right. The bars suddenly vanished and I was given a hard shove inside. I stumbled falling to my knees and then I when I turned back I saw the green bars where back in place

“Enjoy your stay.” Tober hissed, before flashing me a cruel smile and walking away. I moved over to a bench that had been built into the wall and sat down, burying my my hands in my hands. I had never felt so utterly helpless in my life. I had long since given up trying to make myself believe this was a dream, no matter how much I wished and prayed that it was. It was real, as strange and unbelievale as it might be and I had to accept that.

It was hard though. Just yesterday my biggest worry had been when my magazine would arrive. I didn't handle change well. I would freak out if we didn't end up going to to grocery store when was promised. I was the biggest basket case I knew, I was twenty five year old with no job, no friends who still lived at home my mom and was terrified of driving. I'd be lucky if I did not have a complete psychotic break down before morning. Hell, I was surprised I hadn't broken down now.

Instead I cried and cried and for good measures cried some more. I would have kept up if a voice not called out and scared daylights out of me.

“Ya done with ya blubbering already?” Sounded a femmine voice besides me causing me to fall off the bench in shock. See, basket case!

Still on the floor my head whiped back and forth as I searched for the speaker.,

“Don't break your damn neck I'm right here.” Sounded the voice again from the back of the cell. Catiously I stood up and inched forward. The cell went back furthur than I thought A good fifteen feet long and around five across. At the very back, and seated on another bench was an alien. Big surprise, huh?

This was one was a one was white, like snow white. The color of snow that is, not the woman that ate the apple. Her head was triangularly shaped and had two small what looked to be anetena sprouting from the top of her head. They wiggled like worms. Most of her body was covered in a bright red toga like outfit. She had two arms on one side of her body and one on another. I wonder if it was defect or if was meant to be that way. I was to polite to ask however. They where long and thin and reminded me of a spider's There where about ten tetancle like fingers on each hand that wriggled just like the ones on the top of her head. There where four legs, two on each side, but they where a lot thicker than her arm.

'What are you? I haven't seen your species before?”

“A human. I'm from Earth.” That was something that I thought I would never have to say

“What did you do to land yourself here?'

“Killed someone, I guess.” I admitted, adverting my gaze to the floor.

“You guess?.”

I shruggled, not really feeling like explaining the whole ordeal Thankfully she didn't press

“Well I'm Jnk and I'm in here for hijacking a weapons ship and selling the merchandise on the black market.” She didn't seem ashamed to admit such, if anything she seemed... proud. I didn't really know how to respond to that so I didn't.

A silence fell and then stretched.

“What are the bars made off?” I asked just to have something to say and besides, I was curious.

“Dunno, some sort of energy I guess.” Came the answer along with a shrug.

“Does it hurt if you touch them? I eyed them wearily. Curiosity killed the act after all.

“Naw.... because ya can't. It repels you back whenever you try and get close.”

“Like a magnet?” I asked

“A what?'”

“Nevermind.” I shook my head. I didn't feel like playing teacher.

“Go ahead and try.” She urged and nodded toward the bars.

“Really, it's nothing. Your hand just gets pushed back.”

Caustically I reached a hand forward was surprised when I felt my fingers brush against the bars. I was even more surprised when I felt a searing pain in my hand. It felt like the time I had accidenttally brushed my hand against the grill of the stove when it was on.

I cried and jerked my hand back. Already an angry red welt was starting to form on two of my fingers. I felt tears in my eyes. I jerked around to face Jink, both pain and anger equal on my face. What the hell was the matter with her?!

“You said I wouldn't be be able to touch it!”

“I lied.”

“Why?”

“Cause it was fun.”

I frowned and turned away. I had never been a fan of practical jokes. Not ones that caused the other psychical pain anyway.

“Aww, did I hurt your feelings?” The voice was sracatsic and instead of answering I sat down on the bench and cradled my hurt hand in my good one. It was still throbbing like a son of a bitch. Shame I couldn't shove her into the bars. Thankfully she shut up after that and I mad no effort to pick up the conversation. Last time I tried to make small talk with a stranger. Silence lapped yet again, but this time I made no effort to break it. Or wouldn't have had not a male and somewhat robotic voice suddenly called out.

“Prepare for hyper jump.”

“wh.. who said that!” I cried, looking around but seeing nobody.

“ It is the ship, Nyiat.”

“The ship is called Nyiat?' I asked, The ship can talk? I thought.

“No, you are the Nyiat. That was just a warning over the ship's main systems.

“Oh.” I answered wondering what a Nyiat is and likely would have asked when the ship suddenly gave a violent lurch forward, causing me to topple over and onto the bench

“What was that?!” I exclaimed as I pushed myself up, heart thumping madly

“Didn't you hear? It was a hyper jump.”

“No. I mean what is a hyper jump?”

“What we just did.”

“No, I mean what is it?. What caused us to lurch forward like that.

“The hyper jump.” I sighed. This was going nowhere fast.

“I give up.” I muttered running my hands through my hair and resisting the urge to rip it out

“You are so much fun to frag with.” Jink responded to in what I took for a laugh.

Instead of answering her I curled up on the bench tried to sleep. I was just ready for this day, this long, long day to be over. An hour went by, then two and then three, without so much as a cat nap My eyes had trailed the grid of lights on the walls until I was sure I could follow them with my eyes closed. In fact, I could still see them when I closed my eyes

I had a hard time going to bed under the best of circumstances. I could never shut of my mind, ever. It was always going a million miles an hour in a million different directions. Now it was damned near impossible. Finally, by some miracle of God and just as it was reaching four hours I managed to fall asleep. I dreamed of following endless blue lines into patterns that never ended.