Born Again from a Strike of Lightning

  Chapter 5: Dreams Within Dreams and a Nightmare In Between

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  Carefully, I walked out of the room and sealed the second door behind me. I was lucky that the ship had standard decompression chambers between the rooms and the main hallway that spanned the ship. It was a practice designed to make sure one atmosphere leak wouldn’t kill everyone on board. It worked to my advantage because it also meant nobody could hear Sierra screaming her head off.

  I made my way through the ship as quietly as I could, but quiet was quiet enough as I heard footsteps coming towards me. I ducked into a storage closet without a sealed entryway. I hoped they wouldn’t check it, and with luck, they didn’t. I heard the footsteps pass me by. I waited a little while and then I stepped back out. I chose a poor time to leave. As soon as I walked out, I was left facing another one of the crew, that crewmember being Kevin Dallas.

  “Hey, Kevin. How are you doing?”

  “I’m doing well. Why were you hiding in the closet?”

  “I wasn’t. I was looking for something. I didn’t find it. We’ll need to buy more of it when we land.”

  “What is it?”

  “Just window cleaner. We’re out of the kind I like.”

  “I’ll make a note of it. So is Sierra already done working on you? Are you feeling better?”

  I bit my tongue, knowing that it would be a terrible idea to be honest with him. Even if I thought I could trust him, I doubted that I really could. Could I even trust any of them?

  “I’m doing alright. Everything is going fine now.”

  “That’s good. Well, carry on then. I’ll see you later.”

  “I’ll see you later too, Kevin.”

  He offered me a smile before passing me by. I matched him before he got away and then we left each other behind. Everything was going alright. They didn’t suspect anything yet. They were oblivious to what had happened. At least that’s what I thought for a few seconds, then the alarms started going off and the speakers turned on to blast a message.

  “Victoria has gone rogue. We’re locking down the ship to contain her. Exercise caution if you see her. Shoot to kill if necessary. She is to be considered a potential threat. We can’t allow her to leave the ship.” Captain Chun declared.

  “Fuck…” I whispered. I heard a voice call from behind me.

  “Victoria, what’s going on?” Kevin asked.

  I turned around to face him. He backed away from where I was.

  “I just wanted to leave, that’s all. You are my friends, and I care about you all, so I have to leave. Besides, I have seen the life I can live out there. It’s time for me to try to live it.”

  “What are you talking about, Victoria? There’s no life out there for you. This is your life. Your place is up here with us. We’re your family. You’re one of us.”

  I sighed. “Not anymore, Kevin. Don’t try to stop me.”

  He stood there for a second with dead eyes, but then he put his arms up to say that he wouldn’t. He backed away slowly and then spoke.

  “So be it. Go do whatever you want to do. You know where the escape pods are. Good luck.”

  “Thank you, Kevin.”

  He nodded to me and then I took off running. I felt a sense of happiness that one of them had cared enough about me to let me go. I looked back to see him still standing there as two others appeared behind him. I hoped that he would send them on the wrong trail, but I knew I was still on borrowed time. I ran as fast as I could. I had to get to the escape pods.

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  I was at an advantage in that my legs would not grow tired through timed use. My muscles would not ache, they only felt slightly tickled. I could go at my full speed for as long as I wanted to. I could outrun my crew. I only had to hope I could outsmart them too. With a specifically designed brain, I wasn’t sure if I could. My intelligence was purposefully limited to be similar to that of a standard human, so I wasn’t going to think of anything they couldn’t think of too.

  As I rounded a corner, I found my way to where I needed to go. I opened a slide-up door and there they were, the escape pods. I was free, or so I thought. I tried to open one with my clearance, but the control screen only flashed red. Whatever access I had had been locked out quite quickly, and my attempts at accessing the system would only serve to tell the crew exactly where I was. I turned to run, but I slammed into two bodies as soon as I did. I tumbled to the ground with two forms trying to grab at me.

  “Stop moving!” the captain yelled.

  I didn’t listen, and the response to that was a lesser electrical shock placed directly into my side. I couldn’t feel the wear from my earlier running, but I could feel the pain of the shock as it rattled through my body. I screamed, both from it and the realization that it was likely over. Then I woke up again in another place, resting on a couch in the home of a human family. A pregnant woman stood over me with her arms on my shoulders.

  “Are you alright? You were screaming in your sleep. What happened?”

  “Nothing. It was just a nightmare. What time is it?” I asked.

  “It’s like 7 o’clock. Are you sure you’re alright?”

  “Yes. I’m fine. I’m sorry if I woke you up.”

  “It’s fine. I hope you’re not lying.”

  “I’m not, or at least I do not think I am. I have trouble telling these days.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Nothing. I mean nothing.” I said as I stood myself up.

  Mariana tried to help me, but I didn’t need help. I got myself up on my own and then turned to face her.

  “So, is there anything I can do to help with the morning?” I questioned, trying to force a change of subject matter.

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  “That’s what you’re thinking about?” Mariana asked.

  “Yes. It’s what I was technically created to do, serve. Though I am starting to question if that will still be my purpose.”

  “It doesn’t need to be, but I would appreciate the help. That is if you want to, though. I won’t make you.”

  “Well of course I will still help you. You gave me a place to stay. What can I do to help?”

  “Do you know how to cook?”

  “Yes. Of course I do.”

  “Want to help me make breakfast?”

  “I’ll make it, darling. What is it that I will be making?”

  “Well follow me and take a look at the fridge. You can look around inside and make your choice.”

  “A surprise then.”

  “If you want it to be, but I’ll be honest, I’d rather watch you cook just because you’re still a bit of a stranger and I don’t want us to be poisoned or something.”

  “That is fair. I will surprise you another time then. Show me to the refrigerator, please.”

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  And so she did. I yanked the door open and looked inside. The whole thing was packed with various goodies. The refrigerator was in the side by side style, with the freezer on the left and the cooler on the right. I looked at what I had to work with and tried to make a decision. What would I feed this family? What would they even like? Especially the children. I knew kids were often picky.

  “Are your kids picky with their eatings?”

  “Not really. Don’t worry too much about them. I’ll make sure they eat what you make.”

  “Alright.” I said to her, and I went back to trying to decide.

  I recalled breakfasts I’d helped make before. I could make one of the classics. An American continental or part of a full English perhaps. I’d have to check for beans if I wanted to make the second.

  “Still deciding?” Mariana asked. “No rush, well partial rush. Everyone will be waking up soon. Can I make a suggestion?”

  “Yes.”

  “Experiment a little. Make something you’ve never made before. We’ll eat it, so don’t worry.”

  “Alright.” I replied. “We will make omelettes then.”

  “You’ve never made an omelette?”

  “No.”

  “This’ll be fun then. I suck at making omelettes.”

  “Together, maybe we’ll get it right.”

  “Let’s hope. Go get an apron on and let's get to cracking.”

  I followed her command and grabbed one for her as well. She slipped it on over herself, though it draped over her stomach where the baby was brewing.

  “What will we be adding to the omelettes, Vic?”

  “Hmm. Bacon, cheese, mushrooms, and bell peppers. Those are quite standard ingredients. They should make it harder to screw up.”

  “That works for me. I’ll get the bacon pan out. Don’t pour the grease down the drain when we’re done. I’m dead serious about that.”

  “I won’t. I’m not a complete fool.”

  “Good girl.”

  I gave her a look of perplexion at the strange compliment she had given me.

  “I’m not a pet.”

  “Sorry. I’m a mother. Forgive me.”

  I giggled and shook my head at her. “It’s fine.”

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  The eggs were whisked with milk, salt, and pepper. I poured a small amount of batter into the pan and heard it start sizzling. Mariana sprinkled on freshly grated cheddar as I dropped in small chunks of diced peppers, sliced mushrooms, and crumbled bacon. I waited for the first side to cook and then I tried to flip the omelette in half with a spatula. The result was our first success out of our last attempt. We had four plates of scrambled eggs with additions added and one plate with an actual proper omelette.

  “So who gets the success?” I asked.

  “You’re the cook, so you should.”

  “That’s not how it works. You or Lucille should have it. You two are the providers.”

  “Yes, but you’re the oldest and you cooked most of the meal.”

  “I don’t actually need it though.”

  “Hmm. Fair point. How about this, we’ll all share it.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. Everyone will get a small chunk of it.”

  “That works for me, I suppose. When are they all coming down?” I asked.

  As soon as I had asked, I heard the sounds of slamming against the ceiling above us. Two children were running down the stairs with an excited adult behind them.

  Lucille yelled. “Slow down, both of you. You’ll fall down the stairs and hurt yourselves.”

  Mariana chuckled. “Right now. We got done just in time. You want to put out the plates?”

  “Yes, I can do that. Go give your wife a kiss good morning.”

  “Oh, commanding are we? I think I will listen.”

  I smiled at her as she walked away, and then I put the plates out for the family that was keeping me. I hoped the two kids would appreciate the meal. I didn’t want their mother to have to force them to eat what I made if they didn’t like it. I cut up the perfect omelette into slices and put a slice on each plate along with an ample helping of cheesy scrambled eggs. The dogs begged as I put down the food onto plates. I dropped them each a small portion of plain eggs that I’d separated from the vegetables so as to not poison them at all. As I fed the creatures, the two boys walked into the dining room and sat down.

  The first boy asked as he sat down. “Eggs?”

  “Yes.” I answered.

  “It’s eggs, Marco. I was right.”

  “Dang it.”

  “I told you!” Marco exclaimed.

  “So your name is Marco? I don’t believe I ever learned either of your names. What’s your name?” I asked, pointing at the unnamed part of the pair of twins.

  “David.”

  “Those are both good names. One is of Hebrew origin and the other is of Roman Latin origin. Quite odd that they would go together though.”

  “Uhh, okay?” Marco said, not entirely caring about what I said.

  “Can we eat, ma’am?” David asked.

  I shook my head no.

  “Unfortunately not yet. We have to wait for your parents.”

  “Right here.” Lucille declared.

  “Speak of the Devils.” I joked.

  “Don’t speak of him. Now, let’s say grace. Victoria, you try to lead us.”

  I smiled at the two adults as they sat down. I had my chance to surprise them, and they were surprised indeed as I started speaking in Latin.

  “In Nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen. Benedic, Domine, nos et haec Tua dona, quae de Tua largitate sumus sumpturi.”

  The two adults did their best to copy me while the boys just looked at me in confusion and made no such attempts. I smiled as I reached the halfway point, and then I completed the prayer.

  “Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.”

  “Amen.” Mariana said.

  Lucille followed. “Amen.”

  The two boys copied with their own amens. I laughed a little bit.

  “I told you I would surprise you, Mariana.”

  “Yes you did. So what language was that in?”

  “Latin.”

  “I see. None of us speak that. We’re not priests.”

  “I’ll say it in Spanish next time. I’m sorry.”

  “Nah, it’s fine. That was kind of interesting. Now let’s eat. Everyone dig in.”

  And so everyone did, even me. It felt nice having a family to eat with again, even if they weren’t my own and I’d only be with them for a little while. I nodded my head as I swallowed my small portion of food. The tastes were delicious, even if I didn’t actually need to eat. My body would still steal some energy from the food, I supposed. It wouldn’t all go to waste, and it wasn’t regardless. I was just being part of the group. It would have been weird to just stand there, after all. Yes, that would have been very odd indeed.

  I packed away the thought and went back to eating. The meal went by and then the talking did too. The children went to school and Lucille went to wherever she worked. Mariana stayed home with me, trying to do things only for me to offer to do them for her. In the end, it was a compromise. I washed the dishes and she put things away. It worked well enough for both of us.

  “Do you know what you will name her yet?” I asked as Mariana was putting away plates and pans.

  “We decided a month ago. Lucille originally wanted to name her Frida after the painter, but I didn’t want that. I wanted her to be named Ashley. In the end, we both decided on something else.”

  “What was that?”

  “Francesca.”

  “That’s a nice name.”

  “I thought so. It was the name of one of Lucille’s childhood friends. I’ll be lying though if I didn’t say that I think that it might also be one of her exes.”

  “Oh, well that’s not good.”

  “Eh, it’s still a beautiful name. I’m okay with it. Hopefully she’ll like it.” Mariana said as she put a hand on her stomach.

  “If she doesn’t, she can always choose a new one.”

  “I suppose. Are you going to do something like that?”

  “I almost did. I chose something silly though. I’m not sure yet about choosing a new name. I might go with what Lucas suggested though and use my chosen name as a surname.”

  “What was your chosen name?”

  “Rain, because I woke up in a thunderstorm.”

  “It’s not a bad name, but you’re right, it’s a little silly.”

  “Yeah. If I was Victoria Rain though, that would be okay, I think.”

  “That does sound a lot better. I think you should go with that.”

  “Maybe I will then.” I declared. “On a separate topic though, what else is there to do?”

  “A couple of things, but they can wait. I need to relax. You should too.”

  I thought about it, but I really didn’t want to. I honestly wanted to go walking around to see the town I was in a little more. I didn’t want to leave her alone either though. She deserved company in her condition.

  “Hmm. Maybe for a little while. I do want to be more productive though.”

  “Well we can do that. Can you drive a car?”

  “I don’t have a license.”

  “I won’t tell if you don’t. Just don’t get pulled over. I’ll rest and you can drive. We’ll go explore a little. We can even go get some tea if you want.”

  “I really don’t think I should drive.”

  “Okay. I can drive, but I need to rest first. Let me take a nap, and then we’ll go do something in a couple of hours.”

  I nodded to her.

  “That works. I’ll do some more work around the house until then.”

  She shook her head at me.

  “You really don’t like relaxing, do you?”

  “Not after sleeping the whole night. Sorry, Mariana.”

  “It’s alright. Do what you want to do. Just wake me up when you want to go. Oh, and if you want to explore a little, take the dogs on a walk. They’ll love you for it.”

  “Are you sure you’ll be alright here on your own?” I asked.

  “I’m not helpless, Victoria. I’ll be fine.”

  “Okay then. Sleep well, Mariana.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” I said with a final confirming nod.