Chapter 3
Sil sat up on the bed and wiped away tears as she saw Jack ushered back
into the cell. She sniffled and ran to her side wrapping her arms about
Jack. Jack did her best not to wince as she returned Sil’s hug.
“I’m sorry they hurt you Miss Jack. I’ll go with them next
time… I don’t want you to get hurt again.”
“Heh.,” Jack grinned lightly down to her before moving over to
the cot. Once Jack was seated Sil sat on the floor beside her. Jack reached
out an brushed hair and tears off of Sil’s cheek. “Don’t
worry about it kid. They ain’t gonna be coming back to get you for
anymore tests.”
Sil blinked up to Jack shocked. Ren’s eyes peered to them from the
barred window between their cells. “How’d ya manage that?”
Jack glanced to the window and smirked a bit. “I got my ways. I’m
good at making trades.”
Ren was confused for a moment. “You didn’t….”
“Didn’t what?,” a puzzled Sil looked between the two.
Jack looked back to Sil and smiled at her. “They won’t be coming
to get you anymore, Sil. From now on they’ll be coming to get me.”
Sil’s faint yellow eyes widened a bit as new tears threatened to fall.
No one had been as nice to her as Jack was… and now she was gonna go
through all the pain she had. “No!,” she threw her arms around
Jack’s waist and hugged her tightly. Tighter than was comfortable for
Jack as she winced. Jack tried to pry the girls arms off but found she wasn’t
able to, which surprised her. Seemed Sil was stronger than she looked.
Jack sighed a bit and stroked Sil’s hair. “Shhh… its okay
kiddo. I can handle anything they throw at me. Don’t worry I’ll
be okay.”
Sil sniffled and hugged Jack tighter. She loosened her grip though when
she felt Jack flinch. “I… it hurts real bad. It a-always made
me wish I would just die.”
Jack peered down sadly at her. “Hey,” her voice was soft and caring,
“it’ll be okay I promise.,” she tilted Sil’s head up
and slowly wiped her tears away. Jack stood up slowly by the cot. “Into
bed with you.”
Sil reluctantly climbed up into the cot. Jack knelt on the floor by her
and stroked the hair off Sil’s forehead. A soft sweet sound filled
the air. “Hush little baby don’t say a word, Mama’s gonna
buy you a mocking bird. And if that mocking bird don’t sing, Mama’s
gonna buy you a diamond ring. And if that diamond ring don’t shine…”
the tune drifted off slowly.
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
“You don’t know what you’re getting into Jack.,” Ren
kept her tones hushed so she wouldn’t wake Sil or Ash.
Jack shook her head as she leaned against the wall. “I had to do something.
I wasn’t going to stand by and watch them kill her piece by piece.”
“You’re crazy you know that, Reed?”
Jack snickered. “If you only knew the company I unwillingly parted
with when I was caught you’d probably really believe that.”
Ren laughed at her. “Would I? Why do you say that?”
A little glint flickered in Jack’s eyes as she let memories rise to
the surface for a moment. Jack’s grin was a tad on the dark side. She
shook her head then to clear her mind. “Never mind. I have an appointment
later to see the Psychotherapist. Maybe I should play mind games, eh?”
Ren just shook her head at Jack. “You sure are a strange one. The Psychotherapist
is a pretty nice guy… Least he was to Ash and Sil. I thought he was
a total asshole.”
“Maybe he realized that they were innocent.”
“Ha! Now *that* would be something.”
Jack just grinned at her as she heard footsteps headed their way. “Looks
like it’s time for me to go.”
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
Jack sat silently in the comfy chair, letting her hand shield her eyes from
the light. A thick layer of glass separated her room from the other one
in front of it. Nothing much was in that room either. There was a chair
across from hers, a desk and what looked like a diploma on the wall. She
leaned back in the chair to wait for the ‘shrink’, wondering what
he’d be like.
“Prisioner 7832Z594K.” The man closed the door behind him as he
stared down at her file, not bothering to look up. He moved to the chair
slowly and sat down in it. She blinked a bit as she stared at the man before
her, tall, lean, black hair, green eyes, glasses. Couldn’t be him could
it? The man pushed his glasses up with his thumb. Jack couldn’t help
but grin now. How ironic!
“So how you doin’ Mel?”
The man had a puzzled look on his face. He looked up slowly from the file
and seemed to pale. “Jackie?”
She smirked. “I ain’t been called that in years.”
“How did you… Why… What are you doing in there?!” Mel
had a worried look on his face.
“Long story, Mel. Sure ya wanna hear it?” She leaned back into
the chair folding her hands in her lap.
Mel nodded to her closing the file and putting it beside him in the chair.
Poor Mel. He was always the big brother I never had. What’s he
gonna think about me now?
“Well I ran away from home when I was sixteen. Jumping from rock to
rock looking for my dad. I managed to contact him once after I’d been
looking for a year. He sent some Creds and I bought a ticket on the Hunter-Gratzner.
On New Mecca all I had to do was catch a transport and I was home free.,”
she paused a moment to observe him. He knew about her running away which
didn’t surprise her since he used to babysit her and take her places,
even though he was a good seven years older than her.
She continued, “But we crashed on this desert planet halfway through
the trip. Eleven of us made it out of the crash alive but just three of
us left the planet.”
Mel broke in, “What happened to the other eight? Who were the other
two survivors, Jackie?”
“The ones that didn’t make it were killed. Imam, Riddick and me
were all that got away.”
“Riddick?!,” he jumped up from his chair. “But a Merc said
he died in the crash and collected on him.” Mel looked confused.
Jack grinned to him and laughed. “A John Fry right?”
“Yeah…,” he looked at her skeptically.
She snickered and shook her head. “An alias he came up with after we
reached New Mecca. He left Imam and me there after he collected the reward.”
He ran a hand through his short black hair. “Did he kill all the others?
Did he hurt you in anyway?”
Jack laughed a bit at his concern now. If he only knew. “No,
he didn’t kill them. Fuckin’ aliens did. They were a bunch of
nasty motherfuckers. And no he didn’t hurt me. He saved my life. He
became my Savior.”
Mel frowned deeply at the news. She looked up to Riddick? That wasn’t
good… not good at all. Maybe it’s the drawback of the whole
tramatic event on her causing her to idolize Riddick. “Jackie the
man’s a murderer. He’s dangerous an-“
She cut him off, narrowing her eyes at him. “Look at the file again
Mel. I’ve killed a few people myself, the most recent being a guard
here. Riddick taught me how to survive, how to be strong. He believed in
me… he knows who I am!”
“Jesus, Jackie, listen to yourself! You’re idolizing him! …
You’re trying to be like him aren’t you?,” he frowned deeply,
he looked hurt.
She stood up slowly, walking to the glass barrier that separated them. “I’m
not trying to be like him. I’m just me. I’ll do what it takes
to survive. If you don’t like it,” she pointed to him, her tone
raising, “then fuck you! I’m not the same weakling I was when
you knew me. I don’t need you to be strong for me Mel. I’m fine
on my own.”
He sighed and lowered his head shaking it. “Jackie…”
“Stop calling me that. I’m not Jackie anymore.”
“The who are you?,” he looked up to her with sad eyes as he sat
back down.
“Jack… I’m Jack to everyone except one person. To him I’m
Jacklyn.”
“And who is that?”
“My lover…” she stated simply, tracing her finger over the
‘R’ shaped scar under her clothes.
He looked shocked and appalled as well as sad. He’d seen her trace
the letter on her side. He wasn’t quite sure what it meant so he pushed
it away. He knew she wasn’t who she used to be anymore. He might as
well get on with the tests. “Look at the wall to your left. Tell me
what you see.”
She glanced to the wall as the first inkblot image appeared there. “Blood……,
one of those fuckin’ aliens……, someone holding a shiv……,”
she grinned at the fourth one, “the first person I killed asshole shoulda
known better……, the pilot that raped me……, people covered
in blood…… a woman being ripped in half…… a human skull……,
another alien……, a corpse.”
Mel nodded silently. “We’ll have another appointment tomorrow
and that will conclude our required sessions together. If you ever feel
the need to talk to someone, or want to talk to someone I’ll be here.”
Chapter 4
“So what did the Psychotherapist say about you?,” Ren asked.
Jack could make out Ash standing behind her. She just grinned to them. “Well
he was reluctant to say because I used to live by him on Earth Prime.”
“What?!,” Ren’s eyes went wide. Sil and Ash just peered at
her silently.
“Yeah the guy lived next door to me and used to baby-sit me.”
“Bet that blew his mind seeing you here.,” Ren ran a hand through
her slightly short coal black hair.
“Pretty much. But I’m now classified as ‘Delusional, extremely
dangerous, morbid, with a taste for blood, and being unremorseful.’
Basically he said I was a borderline psychopath.” Jack just smirked.
“But that’s not right! You’re nice!,” Sil protested.
Jack laughed softly along with Ren. “Hey it’s okay kitty-cat,
calm down. I know I’m not everything he said. Don’t get upset
because of what people say. You can’t let them see you have any weaknesses.”
Sil sighed and nodded to her. Ash peered at them a moment. “Why does
it matter if they know we have weaknesses or not? It’s not like we
can ever get out of here. They’d kill us if we tried.”
Ren put her hand on Ash’s shoulder to try and comfort her. Jack looked
through to them. “You think I’m gonna spend the rest of my life
here? I don’t fuckin’ think so. I’m gonna be gettin’
outta here one day. You guys can make up your mind whether or no to come
with me then.”
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
The week passed slowly as Jack healed from the beating and the gunshot wound
she took for killing the guard. Sil was still asleep and Jack smiled over
to her. Kitty-cat, everything will be alright. She turned to look
at the front of the cell as she heard the footsteps getting closer. She
stood up and moved to the front of the cell. The guards opened the cell
and let her step out.
“Hands out!,” one of them barked at her. She did as he said and
he put restraints on her. They led her down the hall and to an elevator.
Both of them had their guns trained on her. But she seemed to keep an eerie
calm that bothered them.
“What the hell are you so calm about bitch?,” one of them finally
spoke up.
She turned her head slowly to look back at him, her voice soft. “Do
I scare you?”
The man looked mad for a moment then glared at her. “No one scares
Trent Gordan.”
She kept the cocky grin on her face, her voice lowering a tad more. “I
do…”
The man snorted. “You hear that Will? She thinks she scares me.”
Trent shoved Jack against the side wall of the elevator and pressed himself
against her. “I’m not scared of anyone… much less a little
whore like yourself.”
“I think you should move…,” her tone was calm though his
words had angered her, “unless you want something broken.”
“Like hell I’ll move.”
“I warned you…,” she leaned her head back then slammed it
forward against his. A cracking sound was heard, just before blood spurted
from Trent’s now broken nose. His hands went up to hold his bleeding
nose as Jack brought her knee into his crotch sending him to fall on his
knees. Will stepped forward and leveled his gun at her. Jack smirked to
him rather cruelly as she wiped some blood off Trent’s hand with a
finger. “I told you, you’d be sorry.,” she flicked her tongue
out and licked the blood off of her finger. Will swallowed a lump in his
throat. There was no doubt in his mind that this woman was totally nuts.
Jack smirked as she heard Trent mutter something like ‘You sick bitch.’
It seemed she had definitely psyched them out. I bet he would have loved
to have seen that.
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
Jack stood where she was supposed to as the doctor fixed Trent’s broken
nose.
“Ms. Reed. On the table please.”
She blinked from her thoughts and moved to the metal table. She climbed
up on it and shivered a bit as she laid back. The metal was cold even through
her clothes. Will walked over and took the restraints off. Next he pulled
the restraint that was attached to the table side up and closed it over
her wrist and locked it. He did the same with her other arm. The doctor
moved to a console and pressed a button, little clamps rose up out of the
table and encircled her ankles.
The doctor moved over to her and began attaching white patched with stiff
black wires to her arms. He put one on each of her temples. He undid a few
buttons on her shirt and placed a patch above her heart. Jack shot a glare
at him.
He frowned at her. “Ms. Reed… had you not attacked Mr. Gordan
you would have had time to change into clothes more appropriate for the
experiment.”
Jack looked away and stared up at the ceiling, keeping her face as calm
as she could manage. The doctor moved to her legs and used a scalpel to
cut slits in her pants. He then placed the last few patches on her skin.
“Now, Ms. Reed, this will more than likely be the longest time you
will spend in here. Mainly because we are going to attempt to advance you
to Sil’s current point so we will not lose anymore time for our research.”
“I understand… do what you gotta.”
Trent snarled at her. “Hope it hurts bitch.”
The doctor returned to the console and began tapping in key codes. Jack
heard the buzzing and whirring of the machine. Her eyes widened as she gasped,
pain radiated through her body. Little needles had inserted themselves from
the white patches. It took Jack a few moments before she could breathe again.
Damn it hurt,… it hurt horribly. She was rather glad now that she saved
Sil from this. Jack couldn’t help but wonder if it would kill her.
It had only been a few minutes so far and the pain was building.
The doctor glanced over to her a moment, keying in something on his hand
held keypad. Next he turned to the console on his right and began turning
the dials just slightly this way and that. Tears glinted in Jack’s
eyes from the pain as her mouth opened in a scream… but no sound came
from her, she remained silent as if she was mute. Trent smirked as he watched,
quite happy seeing her in pain. The doctor keyed in more results on his
keypad.
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
The hours ticked by slowly as the experiment continued. Jack felt as if
they were ripping her apart cell by cell. Her vision had blurred to where
nothing was clear anymore. Countless tears had slipped down her cheeks leaving
her eyes red and puffy. There were times when she thought she lose consciousness
and be freed from the pain. Each time she felt like that, just before the
blackness could take her, the pain would increase. She felt like she was
nothing but pain in essence. It consumed her fully, never letting her go.
She couldn’t think anymore… it made it hurt even more when she
did. All Jack knew was that she was going to die and she’d never see
him again.
The thought of never seeing him again hurt more than the physical pain.
It only cause more tears to fall savagely down her cheeks. R-richard…it
hurts. It hurts so bad… I’m never going to see you again am I?
…please forgive me… I’ll always love you Riddick… but
all there is… is the pain… …I can’t take it much longer…
Goodbye…my love… Jack’s eyes fluttered closed as
the darkness finally claimed her.
Chapter 5
She was groggy and her head was pounding. Jack opened her eyes slowly as
she heard voices she couldn’t make out. She forced herself to get out
of the fogginess in her mind.
“What’s goin’ on?,” her voice cracked a bit.
The doctor turned to her and smiled. “I’m glad you are back with
us Ms. Reed. You’ve been unconscious for days.”
Jack blinked as she soaked in the information. Poor Sil must be frantic
thinking she’s dead. “I’d like to go back to my cell.”
“You will. You will.,” the doctor moved to her side. “I must
ask you something Ms. Reed. Were you sexually active before you came here?”
She blinked at him. “Why the hell does it matter if I was or not?,”
her tone was annoyed.
The doctor pushed his glasses up on his pudgy nose. “Well Ms. Reed,…
you are pregnant. And from the tests I’ve conducted well before your
departure to here.”
Jack was stunned into silence. A baby? She was carrying his baby? She wanted
to scream for joy but the happiness faded when she realized where she was.
Slam. If she were allowed to have the baby, as most women were, it would
be sent away for adoption. Jack felt her chest tighten at the thought of
never being able to see her child.
“Others involved with this experiment will be meeting later to discuss
that. You will be brought back here afterwards.”
Jack just nodded numbly to him. She was still caught up in the fact that
she was going to be a mother and Riddick a father.
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
When the guards brought her back to the cell Sil was sobbing. When Sil saw
Jack she ran to her and hugged her tightly, unable to speak as she continued
to sob. Jack rubbed her back, “Shhh… it’s okay. Didn’t
I tell ya I’d be fine?”
Sil sniffled and looked up to her nodding. Jack smiled warmly down at her
and wiped her tears away and kissed the top of her head. “Lay down
and rest, kitty-cat. I know you’ve been worried but it’s okay
now.”
Jack slipped to the window where Ren’s eyes waited. She watched as
Sil layed down and she looked back to Ren. “I don’t know if this
is the best or worst day of my life.”
“What do you mean?,” Ren looked at her confused.
“Well… I’m pregnant. I… I don’t want my kid to
be born here but I can’t betray my dad or Riddick…”
“Whoa! Wait a second honey! Riddick? As in Richard B. Riddick?”
“None other.” Jack smirked to her.
“Then…” Ren finally put two and two together, “You mean
that’s *his* kid?!!”
Jack laughed at her tone. “I told you that you’d think I was crazy
when you knew who I parted with unwillingly.”
“Damn… You’re right. I do think you’re crazy. So Riddick’s
alive…?” Ren whistled softly, “Can’t believe no one
else knows.”
“Well only you and Mel know. …I feel so strange. The Doc told
me he was goin’ to be having a meeting then he’d see me again.,”
Jack looked down feeling afraid for the first time since the planet, “I’m
scared I’m gonna lose my baby… our baby…” Her hands
went to caress her stomach.
Ren frowned as she looked at Jack, wishing she could offer some sort of
comfort but she knew she couldn’t. Ren felt helpless as she watched
Jack stand there with tears slipping down her cheeks.
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
Jack stepped thorough the door where she had been brought for her sessions
with Mel. She was a bit puzzled about why she was there. Mel walked in the
other room with the doctor.
“I have to advise you against this! Doing that could cause her to snap!
She’d go psycho!!”
Jack’s heart sank in her chest as she put a hand over her stomach protectively.
“You’re not taking my baby.,” her tone was venomous.
Her voice startled them both and they looked to the other room. They obviously
weren’t expecting her to already have been there.
“Now Ms. Reed… you have to understand-“
She cut him off, “No you better fuckin’ understand that *you’re*
not taking my baby. I’ll kill anyone who tries to!!”
Mel peered at her sadly wishing he could do something, but he had no say
in this. He looked as if he was about to cry.
“Are you willing to carry the child even through the testing? As I
see it you are putting it in danger… if it’s even still alive
that is.”
Jack paled a bit and cradled her stomach. The beating… all the pain
from the ‘first session,’ how did it affect the baby? Was her
baby still alive? She closed her eyes wishing Riddick was here to tell her
their baby was fine and everything would be okay. That he’d get them
out of here. But the fact of the matter was that he wasn’t here. He’d
have no clue which Slam she was sent to. She opened her eyes and turned
abruptly to the door as she heard it open. She fought back the tears that
wanted to fall. She glared at Trent who had his gun leveled at her.
“Time for your operation, sweetheart.” He grinned at her.
“Never!” She hissed back at him.
“Oh I beg to differ.” He pulled the trigger and a dart caught
her in the shoulder. She looked to it and flinched as she pulled it out.
They were drugging her so she wouldn’t be able to fight them. She brought
it up and sniffed at it slowly, trying to remember the scent. She staggered
to the side slightly and let her shoulder slump against the glass.
Mel moved to where Jack was leaning against the glass. He peered sadly at
her, a tear slipping down his cheek. Jack looked to him slowly, her blue
eyes pleading for him to help her.
“Mel…” She slid down the glass wall slowly, trying to fight
off the drug to no avail. She kept her head tilted up to him as tears glinted
in her eyes. It took everything Mel had to not break down and cry then and
there. He mouthed two silent words to her as he put a hand against the glass.
‘I’m sorry.’
Chapters 6-8
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