‘I was wrong, it would kill,’ thought 4423 as he lay on the
ground looking up at the alien he had tried to capture. The elite Acquisition
team had been spread out throughout the facility once the alarm had gone off.
His personal plan was to use the alien’s pacifist nature against it, and he
decided to use the open door to lure the unsuspecting alien to him. The plan
failed, and now he lay dying on the cold metal floor struggling to breathe as a
pool of his blood grew under his motionless body. He would not to use his
remaining life to prevent its escape; it had earned its right to be free.
Closing his eyes a part of him wanted to smile as he felt death’s grip tearing
away at his life force.
A mere second after closing his eyes he felt soothing warmth
replacing the pain in his gaping wound. Feeling this new sensation, he snapped
open his eyes to see the alien kneeling next to him. Her hands were placed over
his chest wound and a radiant light was being sent from her hands into his
wound. The alien had her eyes closed and her face showed intense concentration
as she tried to save her attacker. 4423 stared at the alien with an emotionless
gaze as he managed to say with pauses between each word, “I was the one who
captured you. It is my fault you are here.” Talking was a struggle for the
horribly wounded man, and each word required pain and significant effort to
say.
The alien did not stop healing him nor did she open her eyes
as she replied with a harsh yet enchanting voice, “I will not take your life,
even if you seek to harm me. I never meant to harm you, and I must fix my
mistake before it leads to your death.”
Feeling life starting to return to him the clone stared at
the alien as he fought to produce his response, “I am your enemy, why do you
care if you kill me or not?”
“I do not take the lives of others even if they are my
enemies. I do not want my spirit to darken like your kinds’ has, “replied the
angry yet beautiful voice. The alien’s breathing was getting heavier as sweat
appeared on her forehead showing how much she was straining herself to save his
life.
“My life has no value. I am a clone, a soulless copy of
life, my death and life has no real meaning,” replied the clone as his
breathing became easier thanks to the healing. Her words and actions reignited
his confusion and wonder of the strange alien that would spare and even save
her enemies from death.
The alien opened her eyes and her head turned to face the
terran with a look of confusion on it. After staring into his eyes for a moment
she looked back at his wound and said with her mystical sounding voice, “All
life has value, including yours. I will not be responsible for ending yours, no
matter how valueless you claim you are. Even if you do not believe you have
value, you cannot see the impact your life has on others.” The alien’s voice
softened from hostile to pity as she spoke. Soon the sounds of boots could be
heard moving toward the pair, but their owners were not in view yet.
For the first time in years true emotions publicly appeared
on 4423’s face as his stone cold expression melted into a solemn look as he
considered the alien’s words. “I am a tool created for a specific purpose, one
that can be replaced… I am no different than the machines you see us terrans
using,” replied the man his voice hinting that he was not content with this
fate.
“That is a lie, your machines… I have felt them. They have
no breath, no life, and no spirit. You have these, and while you might have
been created for a singular purpose I believe… I know as an individual you can
find your own path to take,” replied the alien as her body began to shake from
fatigue.
The clone did not respond to her statement. Looking down the
hall, the man could now see the owners of the boots: a group of three guards
running toward them. The warmth stopped and in its place the clone felt weigh
on his chest, looking over he saw the alien had collapsed on top of him from
exhaustion. Before the guards reached them the alien whispered in her weakened
voice, “You can choose another path.”
The guards rushed up to the alien and two of them each
grabbed a hold of one of her arms. They picked her up and began to drag her off
as the third guard pointed her weapon at the alien. As they dragged the re
captured alien away, 4423 just stared at faelin’s face, which hung motionless.
4423 caught a glimpse of tears beginning to roll down her cheek as they rounded
a corner and disappeared from sight. 4423 continued to stare at the wall the
other guards and the alien disappeared behind. Chaos enveloped the man’s mind as
the faelin’s words tossed around in it.
