Species

Chapter 38

Patrick grabbed her quickly and pulled her in. Without missing a beat he handed the child to her and began blocking the door once again with as much furniture that was in the room.
Patrick set to work not even breaking a sweat. Chloe gushed over her baby for a few moments. She wanted to reach out and touch him make sure he was really there. Nothing felt real right now.

It was like a dream. She swore there was no floor beneath her feet. She gave Tyson a good squeeze and a kiss before laying him on Patrick's bed, not trusting her legs to work.
She looked to Patrick waiting for his attention, for his help. She needed something, some kind of reassurance. Something to make her feel secure. He couldn't promise her everything would be alright, she knew that. All she really wanted was him to say he'd stick by her.
Patrick had completely barred the door and just stood there his back to her frozen. She could see his shoulder and arm muscles tighten. She waited but he still didn't turn around. Fear crept in like a cold ball in her stomach sending shivers up her spine.

"Patrick?" She whispered afraid of what she might see once he turned around. Was he infected, too? Was he going to change before her very eyes? Her heart began to thump loudly in her chest.
What would she do? She was trapped in this room with him and her baby. She placed a hand on Tyson, double checking that he was still there and preparing to grab him at the first sight of danger.

Patrick sighed loudly, his muscles trying to relax. She didn't say anything else. If he wanted to turn around and talk to her he could but she would not push him. She took up Tyson and made her way around the bed. She sat her back against the wall, the baby in her lap playing with her fingers.

More sighs of frustration came from Patrick. He rand a hand through his blonde hair. He slammed his fist down on the dresser in front of him causing Chloe to jump and gasp.
"I don't know what to do." He huffed loudly before turning to from the door to the adjoining wall and punched it. Chloe flinched.
"How could he do this?!" Patrick turned to face her. His nostrils flared has he huffed and puffed in frustration. His jaw was set tightly.
"He let them out! Doesn't he know he's doomed us all? What could he be thinking?! He'll die, too!"
He grabbed the nearest object and threw it across the room and it smashed into the wall.
Chloe flinched yet again and Tyson began to cry. Hugging her baby close and rocking him he quickly quieted as he began to play with her hair.
"Please, stop." She begged Patrick. He shot a quick glance at Tyson to make sure he was okay.
"Don't worry about him." She insisted. "I don't want anything out there to hear us and come prying in." She motioned toward the door.

Silence fell on them.
"He was trying to kill me." She whispered.
"I'm sorry. What?"
"He . . . He was trying to kill me. He took me to the room with. . ." she shivered remembering, "with the . . . the bodies in the caskets. . . And he told them to get me. And . ." She remembered all of them snapping out of their water caskets all at once letting out their blood curling screams and shrieks.
"He tried to kill you?" Patrick sounded surprised. "But why? He's obsessed with you, Chloe. Why would he kill you?"
"Because I slept with you. Because I didn't agree with him about Tyson or his 'creations'. Because as much as he 'wanted' me, he knew he'd never truly have me."
                     He groaned and shook his head.
"What a child! He couldn't win you like he wanted to and so he tried to kill you in the most insane way. He's basically killed us all. They were in those caskets for our safety. He can't control them."
"Then how come they tried to attack me when he told them to?"
"He can control them to an extent. He can give them basic commands but they are . . . Other species. They have weird . . . instincts and urges. They are too strong within them. In most of them. Few," Patrick looked at Tyson. "Few are not so dangerous. Like Tyson. He's just a . . . weird water magnet."

            The terror, the reality hit once again shaking her to her core. She wanted to cry and beg someone to save them; but who could she beg? They were stuck in outer space in a space ship filled with other species that were craving blood and couldn't be stopped.
           How could Drew throw it all away like that? His life's work. His "kingdom" as he'd put it.
"This doesn't make sense. Why would he throw it all away? He has either truly gone mad or . ." Chloe's face went white.
"Or what?"
Claire had been wife number 1, they had Josh. And then he'd started over.
"He's starting over."
The realization hit them like a ton of bricks.
          "No. No. No. He can't. He can't possibly be dumb enough to think the government would help him again after he deliberately destroyed everything they've tried so hard to build."
"Hold up." Chloe put the baby on his belly so he could try crawling. She got to her feet, frustration evident in her brow. "The government is behind all of this? This monstrosity?" Her voice rose.
"Yes."
"Ugh! But. . Why?!?"
"Drew promised them an army and control. Power. People crave power."
"This ship. NASA built this ship?!" She was outraged.
He nodded.
She paced outraged.
"And how exactly do you play into this?" She turned angry eyes on him.
                          "You don't think we were just as forced as you were?" His brow arched in frustration. "I was forced into this with everyone else. You don't know the horrible things I've had to do, witness, hear. Don't you sit there and judge me." He was yelling by the end.
She sighed.
"Why me? Why'd he pick us?"
"He picked women of different races, ages, and body types. It was mostly needing to find the right genetics to make what he wanted. You. You were more of an obsession a point he just had to make."
"What do you mean?"
"Your dad helped build this very ship. He found out what Drew was up to and tried to stop it. He was not successful."
                    Chloe gasped and in her state of shock had to sit back down.
"How long have I been on this ship?"
"You've been on here for 6 years. Obviously most of that time you were asleep."
She couldn't believe it. Time had literally been taken from her. What had happened to her dad?
          Tyson began tugging at something under Patrick's bed, but couldn't get it. Chloe quietly grabbed the wicker basket and pulled it out of the basket. It had pictures in it. Pictures of her and Patrick at the beach, at a restaurant, in a red truck, kissing, holding each other close and smiling.
"And who was I to you?" She asked holding up the photos.