Transcended

Heilari heard the sharp screech of the alarms reverberating through her bones as she sprinted away from the Federation soldiers. Bangs and booms sounded like thunder in the distance, followed by screams and pleas for mercy. She could feel vibrations of destruction beneath her feet and smell smoke in the air. Everywhere she looked, people were fleeing in terror. Ahead of her, Federation soldiers were forming a line near the center of the square, herding people forward with guns drawn.

“Get in line now!” The man’s words echoed across the vast space. Heilari could feel her heart pounding against her chest as she quickly spun around, her worn sling strap slightly slipping off her shoulder. Her legs moved swiftly, launching her toward the tall white building in the distance. She approached the structure from the back and pushed open a side door. The sudden silence of the interior was almost jarring compared to the hustle and bustle outside. The only sound was her own shallow breaths as she hurried down a long, dimly lit hallway.

She rushed, darting glances from side to side until she recognized the metal door of the laboratory. Years of being wheeled past it had embedded the sight in her memory. She stepped cautiously inside, and the fluorescent bulbs flickered on. A massive computer filled a large part of the room, and she hurried to it, unstrapping her console from her shoulder. All around her, the bombing shook the walls, but she remained focused on her mission. She quickly searched through the countless lines of documents until she found what she’d been looking for. With the push of a button, the files transferred onto her console before she hurriedly returned it to her sling.

“And what do we have here?” Heilari felt a cold shiver run down her spine as she heard the deep voice. She slowly turned around to find a tall figure in a black and red combat suit with golden accents. His face was twisted with amusement as he held a plasma sword, the glowing red energy emanating from it like a beacon, “Trying to run away, are you?” He took a measured step forward, his eyes glinting, and Heilari’s heart thudded in her chest as she instinctively stepped back. Good thing her father had insisted on teaching her Asone, the official language of the Federation, or else she wouldn’t know what he was saying.

“No,” her response was firm and insistent as she spoke, her voice laced with determination. Her dark eyes hardened as she shifted her gaze between the man and the object she had come to claim. “I’m here to take what’s rightfully mine,” she said, her words thick and slow.

The man cocked his head to the side and cracked a small smile. His eyes seemed to dance with skepticism as he took in her presence, his gaze lingering on her slender frame and the gentle curves of her mocha face. It was rare to find someone who could speak English fluently. He reached up and gave the small metal device at the back of his ear a single press, and the warm hum of the language translator silenced. “And what exactly do you think you have that’s rightfully yours?” He asked in Heilari’s native tongue, his words carrying a rich melodic tone.

“What makes me the weapon that the federation is searching for,” Heilari said, her lips quivering, making her voice shake ever so slightly.

He towered over her, his penetrating eyes eagerly studying her every move. “What can you do?” he asked in a low, gravelly voice.

Her gaze was intense as her eyes met his. She lifted her chin slightly, a smirk on her lips. “Get me on your ship, and I’ll show you,” she said confidently.

Heilari felt her heart thumping as the man narrowed his amber eyes. She could feel the sweat drenching her back as the silence between them stretched on. She had to fight the urge to run, knowing it would only trigger the man’s aggression. Finally, he sheathed his sword with a sharp click and stepped back. He gave her an ambiguous, almost apologetic smile before grabbing her arm and dragging her out of the building.

As he marched her toward the many soldiers, she looked out upon her people with a sense of fear and despair. They were seated on their knees, heads bowed in unison before the ruling Federation. It felt like a scene from a nightmare, and she realized with a pang that this was most likely the last time she would ever set foot on her homeland. The air seemed to swell with oppressive dread as they edged closer to a gargantuan spaceship when one of the Federation soldiers stepped forward and pointed at her. “No,” the man said as he looked her up and down with cold amusement in his eyes. “This one…is coming with me.”

The Federation general stepped forward, his feet crunching the gravel beneath him. He wore the signature black armor plates of a high-ranking officer, and the golden medallion of an admiral gleamed on his breastplate. He looked down at Heilari, his face a mask of calculated indifference. “Thank you, Captain Vrah, for your services. Your pay will be transferred to your account within the hour. Take the girl as a bonus for a job well done.”

Heilari’s pulse raced as Captian Vrah grabbed her roughly by the wrist and dragged her up the metal ramp and into the towering spaceship. Despite their fear, the scientists’ desperate pleas for her freedom were etched in her mind. “Leave her be! She’s not just any ordinary girl. She’s special. She belongs to us!” they shouted in unison, their words echoing off the metallic walls.

Captain Vrah ignored their desperate cries, his eyes cold and empty. “Not anymore,” he smiled with satisfaction as the ramp began to close. The sound of metal grinding against metal filled the air, and the pleading stopped as the ramp closed, sealing them all inside the ship.

Heilari felt the thrumming beneath her feet as the ship left the ground and rocketed into the sky, leaving her home and old life behind. She had no idea what the future held for her now until a gruff voice jolted her out of her thoughts. She glanced up to see Captain Vrah advancing towards her, brandishing a knife in one hand. She felt his rough fingers dig into her shoulder, grabbing her bag and slamming it to the floor as he pinned her against the wall with the cold steel blade pressing into her throat. “Now, I hope you weren’t lying to me, and that was for show. Because if you are, I will kill you,” he hissed.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and pressed her throat to the blade. The cold steel kissed her skin, and she slowly moved her neck across the sharp edge. She felt a sting as warm, red liquid oozed from the wound and dripped onto the cold floor below. She gasped for air as her neck began healing before his eyes. A few seconds later, there was no sign of the injury - not even a scar. “I can heal myself and others,” she said as he looked on in amazement, his eyes wide with surprise. “But I can only do it if I have a strong connection with that person.”

His lips curved upwards in a moment of joy, but it quickly dissipated into a frown, and he muttered, “There is always a catch.” He handed the bloodied knife to one of his crew members to be cleaned.

She locked eyes with him, her gaze steady and unwavering. “As long as we get to know each other. I just need to have a connection.”

“Sir,” his right-hand man, Ruka, stepped closer, tugging at his arm and pulling him aside. He was a sturdy, built man with silver strands winding through his black hair and a thick, coarse beard that cascaded to the middle of his chest. His soft, gentle voice carried past his ample frame, “You’re an excellent fighter, and you hardly ever get injured. But,” he continued, glancing around cautiously to make sure no one else was listening, “if you do happen to get hurt she can heal you instantly. You can go back to fighting within seconds.” Captain Vrah clenched his jaw and looked away, refusing to acknowledge his wise advice. Ruka let out a long sigh, his expression full of patience as he spoke again, calling him by his first name, “It’s worth it, Parem. Just be nice to her, and she will come to care for you in no time.”

Parem closed his eyes and took a deep breath before turning back to Heilari. His expression softened for just a moment, and Heilari thought she saw something in the depths of his eyes before he schooled his features back into that emotionless mask. He nodded slowly and said, “Fine. You can stay.”

Heilari took a deep breath, feeling the tension around her shoulders slowly dissolve. Could it be? Was she able to finally escape that hellhole? Was this finally the way out of the never-ending nightmare?

Parem extended his arm, and a flash of confusion crossed her face. “The hard drive containing the data I caught you taking from the lab,” he clarified.

She bent at the waist as she reached down to pick up her leather satchel from the floor. Standing back up, she looked at him and shook her head. “It’s not data,” she said firmly.

He fixed her with a steady gaze, his hand still outstretched, not wavering in its demand. “It’s important for you to risk your life by going to get it,” he said. He held his posture like a statue and refused to back down.

She carefully unzipped her bag and carefully withdrew a small, square-like console. Her hands trembled slightly as she placed it in his open palm before quickly pulling it back. Her voice shook as she said, “Please return it to me when you’re done.”

“I’ll think about it,” he said as she dropped the object into his open palm, and he closed his fingers around it. He looked at her and said, “Ruka, show miss....” He paused and added, “I never got your name,” he said softly.

Her eyes were downcast as she said, “Heilari,” in a voice that was heavy with despair like she was giving away a piece of herself.

“Heilari,” he said her name slowly, rolling the syllables around in his mouth as if savoring the taste, “to her room.”