THE BRUNNEN-G
By Axi
The Lexx curved around; it?s majestic body sweeping the asteroids from the sky.
"I?m hungry, Stan."
"I know, Lexx, we all are."
"Look on the bright side," said Seven Ninety, "If we run out of food, we can always eat him."
Stan shook his fist at the helpless robot head and turned back to the screen. Zev was already staring at it with her angelic green eyes. Stanley admired it from a distance, as the last time he made a pass at her, she almost killed him.
"What?s that?" she said, her smooth voice echoing around the large bridge.
"What?" Zev smiled. Was he blind, as well as dumb?
"That." She pointed to the centre of the screen at a tiny dusky yellow dot.
"Lexx, magnify," said Stanley Tweedle, placing his hand onto an invisible sensor. Lexx responded by magnifying in on the object. It blurred and the tiny dot became many tiny dots, which finally melded together into the form of an insectoid ship. Suddenly Kai appeared on the bridge.
"I was awoken."
"Kai, do you recognise that ship?"
"It is not a ship, it is a shuttle, the kind I used to fly."
"Okay, Kai, we?re not going there again." said Stan.
"May I consume it, Stanley?"
"No, Lexx, we have to find out if there?s anyone on board."
A tiny mauve shuttle left the Lexx. It was smaller than the alien vessel and had thin, yet durable, wings. Its insectoid feet grabbed the roof of the larger shuttle and pulled it back to the Lexx.
Kai waited in the cargo hold with Zev and Seven Ninety and as the two shuttles glided into the room and settled Kai ran forward allowing his dark eyes to search the interior.
As Stanley Tweedle exited his shuttle Zev passed a crack. "I?ve never seen him so eager."
Stan just looked grumpy and said, "Just never, ever send me out there on my own again." Zev smiled.
Kai stared down into the dark interior of the shuttle. His enhanced eyes picked up key aspects from the dark chamber, separating them and analysing them. The picture that formed was humanoid so he called to Stan, Zev and Seven Ninety. "There is someone here. It appears they need assistance."
Zev and Stan lifted what appeared to be the eye of the shuttle. Kai reached forward pushing through them in order to view the being inside. He looked down into the chamber to see a pale face and hands. There was long, silky black hair. He looked behind him and then turned back and identified a strange mark on the side of the being?s face. Kai fell back shocked, as Stan and Zev plucked the unconscious body from the shuttle. She wore pastel clothes and a long streak of hair fell, separated, down the side of her face. Kai gazed at the being, his dark eyes motionless, he spoke. "She is of the Brunnen-G."
"Hold on, she?" said Stanley. Kai looked at him accusingly.
"Yes...she."
"I thought you were the last of the Brunnen-G," said Zev.
"Maybe he was just lying. He is really untrustworthy, Zev, my dear." That was Seven Ninety. He still loved Zev, even though she mourned for the forbidden love between her and Kai.
"Can you wake her?" She said, directing the question away from Seven Ninety, to Kai.
"She will wake herself," came the ghostly, yet enticing reply. Unfortunately it was offered to her with merely a glimpse.
"I believe she is," she said, upset at Kai for showing such disrespect. She showed her pain, trying to get some attention from Kai. When the only attention she got was from Seven Ninety she growled.
"Oh, Zev, my galactic inspiration. Has he injured you?"
"Yes, Seven Ninety. He has broken my heart."
The woman opened her eyes revealing mauve eyes with aquamarine centres. Zev growled again as the woman rose. She ignored all of the crew except Kai, whom she seemed to recognise. "You are Kai, last of the Brunnen-G?"
"Yes, I am. Or so I thought," he murmured.
"Don?t worry, You aren?t. Yet." She said.
"Sorry to interrupt, but what is your name?" asked Stanley. She seemed shocked then steadied herself.
"I am Axi."
"Fine, Axi. That?s good." said Stan. "Very good."
"Hmm, Kai and Axi. Sounds like a perfect relationship." Zev attempted humour to find Stan uninterested, and Kai, unaffected.
"I need rest," Axi said.
"I will take you," Kai seemed enthusiastic. Something was wrong, very wrong.
Kai hovered around Axi, his mind asking questions but he staying silent, yet searching for the answer to the question that continued to nag what was left of his brain. He was the last of the Brunnen-G, so who was she? Something was telling him he was going to get an answer.
"Kai...you are a shadow, therefore..." Axi lifted a beautifully engraved locket. She opened it and it shone blue. For a second the light reflected in the pair?s eyes.
"Axi, that is a..." A silver, blue beam twisted into the centre of Kai?s head.
"Kai, you will obey all my orders."
"I will."
"Kai, kiss me." Kai obeyed, bringing his cold, dark lips onto hers.
"I love you, Kai." Momentarily her colour was restored. It remained unnoticed by the other though. She paused.
"I have a job for you to do, Kai."
"I will obey."
"I know you will Kai." There was serious lust in her voice. "I know you will."
"Where is he?" said Stan, agitated.
"I really don?t trust that woman. There is only one Brunnen-G I trust and she is trying to take him away." Zev was extremely unhappy. Kai walked in. He was darker than usual and there was no sign of sentiency in his eyes.
"Kai what?s wrong?" Zev had noticed, yet she was the only one.
"What do you mean ?What?s wrong??" said Stanley Tweedle. "He?s dead, that?s what wrong."
"Stanley Tweedle." Zev could be right, Stan felt something foreign in his speech. "You will come with me, or you will die."
"Whoa, hold on there. I?m not going with anyone unless they tell me why..." he paused. Kai was lifting his right arm. "They are going...I am going...okay, I?m coming."
"Stanley. Do not go. He is not himself." Kai completed the cycle and fired his wrist gadget at Zev. It clasped around her neck.
"Kai, how can you do this to me?" she gasped. She yelped in pain.
"Hey! Dead guy! Did I say I wasn?t coming?"
"No, you did not." Said Kai, lifelessly. He retracted the blade and grabbed Stan?s arm crushing it with inhuman strength.
"Okay, I?m coming. Not so rough."
The two men stepped into the re-animation room where Axi was waiting. She grabbed Stanley?s arm and pulled him towards her. "I cannot control you as I do Kai." She glanced sideways, as if checking that he was still loyal to her. "But I do know various persuasion techniques." Kai stepped forward raising his right arm slightly. Stanley Tweedle raised his free arm. "Okay, I?ve seen enough of that for one day."
"Good." Axi said. "Kai, leave him." Then she added, "but if he tries anything, stop him."
"Understood." Kai lowered his arm and began watching Stanley like a hawk.
To be continued...