Project Phoenix Ch. 03

Mitch knew he could probably out run the Captain but he had to figure out a way to get around him first. Now that Mitch was staring face to face with his surgery he was scared shitless.

"I said SIT DOWN LIEUTENANT!" Dex roared. Mitch's military training kicked in and he sat down with a thud on the hover chair behind him.

Tears came to his eyes and his hands were shaking uncontrollably. Dex walked over to the a com unit and said something into the speaker. He came back and crouched down in front of Mitch.

Mitch looked up and he felt tears running down his face. Dex's eyes were worried and he had a welt on his chin.

"Did I do that?" Mitch asked with a quivering voice.

"Don't worry about it. Listen everything is going to be ok." Dex cradled Mitch's hands in his own. He felt awkward doing it but he could tell that Mitch was on the edge of either crying or screaming.

"I-I-can't Dex. I thought I could but I can't! " Mitch put his head down and let the tears fall.

"It'll be ok. The surgery isn't that dangerous. That guy probably had a pre-existing medical condition." Dex ran off the facts he'd remembered from his briefing before take off. "The surgery itself is relatively simple and quick."

"Dex, come on! I mean your not the one who was chosen to have a uterus implanted in them! I mean one personality test and they get to decide if your gay enough to carry a kid. Jesus, Dex!"

"I don't make the rules, Mitch. You can't leave. You signed up for this." Mitch stared at Dex like he was an alien. Why was Dex acting like this was some regular mission or assignment. This went above and beyond the call of duty.

"Yea that was before it really hit me! I'm going to be changed forever. My body re-designed to do something it was never meant to do. There's going to be life growing inside of me. Life! I can't wrap my head around this. I CAN NOT DO THIS!" Mitch yelled the last sentence into Dex's face.

Dex looked away as the exit door opened and member of the ships P&E (Police and Enforcement) team stepped through them. They had what looked like dart guns in their hands.

"What the hell?" Mitch yelped as a blue tipped dart struck his neck. He screamed, pulled out the dart and looked to Dex for help. He didn't find any.

"Just relax it'll all be over soon." Dex spoke in a steady but stern voice. His eyes looked sad but there was a hardness to them. Dex caught Mitch as he slumped towards him almost unconscious. The enforcement team had shot all the patients with the sedatives. Some of them just dropped where they were; others collapsed into their companions arms, moaning groggily.

"Dex, you ass. You called them!" Mitch uttered scathingly, his anger keeping him awake for a bit longer.

"I had to. Protocol."

"Protocol my a-" Mitch collapsed sideways unconscious.

The last thing Mitch remembered was him feeling terrified and then sleep overwhelming him. He didn't remember anything at first until he heard Dex speak.

"Mitch? Mitch? You awake?"

Mitch's eyes shot open. Everything came rushing back to him. Mitch took in his surroundings. He was laying on a hospital bed in a room that looked similar to the lobby; white, blue light coming from the floor, no decoration or furniture but a hover chair by his bed. Dex was towering over him, to his right. A man Mitch didn't know, in full Federation uniform, was standing at the foot of the bed.

"You son of a bitch!" Mitch shouted, reaching out and snapping Dex's head back with a well aimed punch. Dex grunted and hit the wall behind him. Surprise was written all over his face.

"You let them drug me?" It really wasn't was question, more of an accusation. Mitch tried to sit up but he felt this white hot pain shoot up his left side. He gasped and clutched at his ribs. Frantically he removed the hospital gown from his top half and looked down. There was a thin, red scar running down his left side from his ribs to his hip. The scar wasn't bleeding but it was sore to the touch. Mitch's eyes shot to Dex's asking the unspoken question.

"The surgery was a success." The officer at the foot of his bed spoke before the Captain could get a word out. Dex stood up straighter and rubbed his jaw.

"And who the hell are you?" Mitch said fury in his eyes. The guy was forgettable. He looked like the average Joe, nothing special about him. Average height, average build with brown hair and brown eyes.

"I'm a representative for the Head Council of the National Federation. And as such I would like to thank you on your planets behalf for making this great sacrifice to better our species. And even though you tried to disobey your orders to continue with your surgery and The Project, I would like to present you with this letter of gratitude and this Medal for Bravery Lieutenant Stone." The man spoke proudly and fast.

Are you kidding me? Mitch thought. This couldn't be for real. He just stared at the officer not taking the letter and medal. Dex swung in and accepted them then walked the officer to the door as Mitch just sat up in shock.

"Mitch I'm sorry it happened like this but it was protocol." Dex looked uneasy, none of his Captain confidence coming to his rescue. He placed the items on the Hover Chair next to the bed.

Mitch didn't look at him or respond.

"Mitch did you hear him? Everything went fine. There were no problems." Dex smiled weakly. He wanted Mitch to say something, anything.

"How could you?" The words stung Dex. He heard his wife's voice echoing the same words. Dex stepped back as if bitten.

Mitch turned to him. His face expressionless.

"How could do? You have no idea what this feels like. To have your manhood taken from you. Get out, now!" Mitch didn't even blink.

"M-Mitch, wait. Your still a man! Having the surgery didn't take that from you. Your still a man, your still tough, and strong and ...sexy." Dex admitted shyly.

"I said GET OUT!" Mitch was screaming at the top of his lungs as he clenched at his side. Dex walked backwards repeating the words "I'm sorry" over and over again. He heard his wife's voice yelling at him. As Mitch kept telling Dex to leave he just shook his head, his eyes wide. All he could hear was Kay's voice coming out of Mitch's mouth.

Dex stumbled from the room. He slumped against the wall and sank down to the floor. Both Kay's and Mitch's voices were ringing in his ears. He had betrayed Mitch just like he did Kay. Dex put his head in his hands and cried for the first time in three years. Soon nurses and doctors went rushing into Mitch's room as his screams drifted through the door and down the hall. And all the stern, straight-laced Captain Dex Ordenal could do was cry as his new companion was sedated for the second time that night.