The Serpentine Bodyguard Pt. 02

After some inscrutable length of time, Clark heard the faint roar of an ADVENT response carrier outside, and shortly thereafter, heavy boots began clunking down the hall toward the door. Hssara must have unlocked the door because the six ADVENT troopers on the other side immediately opened it and stormed into the living room. Two immediately went to get the living insurgents at gunpoint, two swept the bedroom for threats, and two stood guard beside the door, freezing in place like statues as their commander marched in. "Clark Hopper, Lieutenant Hssara," he said, "Report to the roof." His voice was almost robotic, and the way he stiffly turned to bark orders at the rest of his men made him further seem like a mindless automaton.

Not wanting to interfere with the imposing troopers, Clark and Hssara got up and began making their way down the hall. Along the way, they saw more ADVENT goons ushering their neighbors back into their apartments, and in the stairwell, one was positioned on each floor up to the roof. On said roof, the response carrier was hovering inches above the ground, and standing before it was a woman in a sharp white suit. Instead of trying to speak over the roar of the engines, she simply beckoned the oddly matched pair toward the carrier, and after both of them had boarded, she pressed a button that slid the massive door shut.

Once the compartment sealed, the roar dulled to a persistent hum, and a series of seats folded down from both walls. "I'm doctor Calkins," the woman in the suit said as she took a seat, "I know you two have been through a lot... please, sit down."

After a brief glance at one another, Clark and Hssara did just that, picking two adjacent ones with their hands clasped together.

The doctor most certainly noticed, but she hardly seemed disturbed by the union of human and alien. "You're both safe," Calkins said, "The situation's fully taken care of, nobody else is going to hurt you... just try to breathe."

Clark took one long, shaky breath, and Hssara quickly followed his lead, both of them trying not to think about the troopers taking over their apartment building. Suddenly, the carrier shuddered as the engines intensified, and human-sized harness bars swung down and locked into place.

"We're taking you both somewhere safe," the woman continued, "Somewhere well-guarded and highly secure."

"Who are you?" Clark eventually asked, still unsure of whether to trust her. She certainly seemed like someone who would be trustworthy, but after their rough-hewn brush with death, certainty felt all too suspicious.

Calkins opened her mouth, closed it again, then finally said, "I'm what you might consider Hssara's caseworker. I was assigned to keep watch over the two of you, and..."

Hssara, meanwhile, looked like she'd never seen this woman before in her life. "You watched over us?" she replied, "Through my implants?"

The doctor took a second to formulate whatever would be the best strategy to approach with. "Not just your implants," she eventually said, "ADVENT has eyes everywhere, and-" She stopped suddenly as if she'd just put her foot in her mouth, pondered saying something else, then seemed to go with the least distressing of whatever options she had in mind. "To put it plainly, you two are a bit of an experiment... this is more than you need to know, but higher-ups are watching, trying to research human and alien relations."

At the thought of being just an experiment, Clark couldn't help but squeeze Hssara's scaly hand, and she returned the gesture with equal force. "So... what, we were set up?" Suddenly it made sense why his bodyguard wasn't a typical ADVENT trooper... and why they'd hit it off so well.

"To put it bluntly, yes." Calkins hesitated a moment before saying something further. "You two had compatible deviancies, and... well... the Elders were interested to see how they'd play out."

Deviancies... like Hssara's thing for humans? Like his thing for monsters? "Why are the Elders playing matchmaker?" he finally asked, his question seeming as absurd as its context. "Don't they have... things to run?"

"It's a low level directive, and-" Calkins stopped as another shudder shook the carrier, and Clark could hear the engines dying down. "Looks like we've landed," the doctor said, popping up her harness and gesturing for them to do the same. "I'll tell you more on the way."

Without anywhere else to really go, Clark and Hssara got out of their seats and followed along. Once they were up, Calkins popped open the carrier's massive door once again, this time to reveal a militarized compound crawling with ADVENT security. Most of them were the standard troopers, but more than a few mechs stood guard at the various gates, and a number of different aliens were scattered about; some of them were ones Clark had never seen before, but as Dr. Calkins began leading them off the landing pad, he didn't get much of a look.

"The Elders have a sort of hierarchy," she continued after flaunting her security badge to a trooper, "The west coast is one of the the larger territories, and as with all the others, it has two governors called the Alpha and the Omega."

Clark briefly glanced at Hssara, and while she might have heard this at some point, it certainly wasn't something remembered.

"As intended, they have opposing personalities, intended to check one another." By now, they were approaching the monolith of a building at the center of the compound, and once they were inside, Calkins turned to face them both. "Hssara, go down to medical and have that wound looked at. Clark, come with me."

Both human and viper hesitated for a moment, holding onto each other's hands as if it was the last connection they had, but eventually, Hssara pulled hers away. Clark could see the worry in her eyes as she slithered off down the hall, and he had no clue what would happen to them... but he vowed right then that he'd see her again. With that, he followed the doctor further into the belly of the beast, but her lowering tone made it seem like she'd been waiting for Hssara to get out of earshot.

"Clark, there's something I need to tell you," she said, briefly looking over her shoulder before turning a corner. "The Alpha has been against this experiment since day one, and after watching Hssara's vitals, he's convinced she needs a wipe."

"A wipe?" It took Clark a second to understand what she meant, but once he did, he didn't even believe it. "You mean like a factory reset? They just wipe her memory and start over?"

"Not just her memory," Calkins replied, "The Alpha wants to purge her personality and insert a more... traditional model. No human attraction, no empathy, just-"

Suddenly, Clark roughly grabbed her by the bicep and stopped in his tracks. "That's why she's going to medical, isn't she?"

"Yes, but-"

"I can't let that happen." Without a doubt in his mind, he turned around and prepared to rush headfirst to his lover's rescue, but this time it was the doctor's turn to grab him by the arm.

"The procedure isn't set in stone yet," she snapped, "And even if it was, you've got no chance of making it to her by yourself. We're going to meet with the Alpha and the Omega, and if you play your cards right, you'll get to see her again, alright?"

It took a second for Clark to process what she'd just said. "You want me to... to talk to the Elders?"

"Exactly. Now come on, we haven't got time to waste." With that, she resumed her brisk walk down the halls, and Clark followed behind.

It didn't take too long for them to reach an empty room with several screens lining the walls, and as Calkins punched something into a central console, they began to arrange themselves on robotic arms. Most slid back, but a few clicked together to form three identical pictures, and with a few more button presses, they flickered to life with light. An ADVENT logo flashed on the interlocked screens, then faded into grey, and after a few seconds, the grey brightened into three different images. On the left was a capital 'A' that Clark recognized as the symbol for alpha, on the right was the symbol for omega, and in the center was a live feed of what appeared to be Martin Cubrela, the CCA's ADVENT supervisor. "Hello, Doctor Calkins," Martin began with the slightest hint of a smile, "I heard the news, and I'm glad Clark's okay."

The omega symbol then pulsed with light in the pattern of sound, and as a smooth male voice filled the air, Clark realized this must be the Omega speaking. "Indeed, the one called Hssara performed admirably. Two confirmed kills, two captures, and all she had to show for it was a graze." Clark wasn't sure what to do in the presence of an Elder, even if it was just a symbol on a screen... should he bow? No, probably not... somehow, he got the feeling that kowtowing wouldn't do him any good.

"A surprising result," a harsher voice called out, "Given the subject's inherent deviancies... had she full function, she likely would not have been wounded at all." Judging by the flashing A, Clark guessed it was the Alpha speaking... how they'd gotten two alien overlords up at this hour was utterly beyond him.

"I don't mean to sound rude," Martin began, "But why the call, Dr. Calkins? As I understand it, things were moving according to plan..." He turned slightly, and even through his tinted sunglasses, Clark could feel attention being directed at him. "...But it seems someone has decided to alter the plan."

"I've come to advocate against wiping the one known as Hssara," Calkins began, "And I've brought her ward here for testimony."

"What's there to advocate?" Alpha suddenly snapped, "The matter was decided; the one known as Hssara is to be reclaimed and reassigned to the one known as Clark."

The sound of that word, "reclaimed," sent a shiver down Clark's spine... to think that the person he knew and loved was just some inanimate thing to be mind-wiped and repurposed made him feel sick to his stomach. What were they doing to her now, he wondered... were they already fixing the electrodes to her head? Did she know the danger she was in? The urge to run off to her rescue surged in his breast, but Clark just barely held himself in place.

"No matter is fixed while there's new evidence to be assessed," Omega countered, "It seems the one known as Clark may have a reason for keeping the one known as Hssara as she is." Clark felt the attention turn to him, chilling him to his core... not just because two of the individuals were ancient alien beings, but because he was bargaining for Hssara's life. "Do you have a reason, Clark?"

The words caught in his throat as he tried to speak, but something gave him the little bump of courage he needed to continue. "She's not just a monster," he blurted out, "She's a person... she loves, she cares, she... her favorite movie is the Princess Bride, her favorite food is lasagna, her favorite color is teal blue..."

"Consistent examples of deviancy," Alpha coldly commented.

"But perhaps that's what we've been missing," Omega added. "Aesthetics are one thing, but introducing deviancies to improve anthropomorphization..." He -or at least Clark thought of him as he- paused for a moment, then asked, "Do you love her as you would a human?"

"Of... of course," Clark replied, some well of confidence surging within him. "She's not different... she thinks just like a human, it's just her body that's different, and... if that's what's considered deviancy in this world, I don't want to live in it."

"Ah, yes," Alpha drolled, "'I'd rather die than be without her,' how cliche."

"But the fact that a viper is the subject of that affection is rather intriguing," Omega countered, "We've received negative responses across the board regarding vipers, and yet here is a human that would rather die than be without one... there is serious potential between the two of them."

"Are you honestly suggesting we deliberately introduce deviancies for the sake of public relations?" Alpha snapped, "That's absurd! To think what might happen if-"

"I'm not saying we introduce it to all," Omega interjected, "Just a few key specimens placed in the public eye. We've already seen what a well-positioned figurehead can do in other contexts..."

"The Omega is right," Dr. Calkins added, "After seeing the human and viper courtship firsthand, negative reactions around their floor decreased by 30%. It may aggravate a small percentage of the population, but with the right positioning, that vocal minority can be effectively ostracized."

"So we put the two of them on as a media puppet show?" Martin asked, "What a 21st century idea... I like it!"

"And, as the one known as Hssara has already demonstrated," Omega concluded, "She is combat-capable even with her deviancies. If this proves to be successful, it could be the breakthrough that His Holiness has been looking for."

Even though Alpha's image remained motionless, Clark could imagine him taking a deep sigh away from the microphone. "Though I still believe this to be a poor choice of tactics," he eventually said, "I understand the potential boons of such an unconventional approach. I hereby approve the use of this 'tabloid story' plan to win over public opinion... even though the very concept sounds asinine."

"I approve its use as well," Omega concurred, and after the last syllable had left the speakers, both symbolic screens suddenly switched off, leaving Clark and Calkins staring at Martin's grinning face. "I'll start getting it all set up," he said, "In the meantime, get some rest... you've both earned it."

And just like that, Hssara's neck was no longer on the chopping block. As the final screen returned to black and Dr. Calkins beckoned him to follow, he wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or horrified or what. He'd saved Hssara, for now at least... but how long would it be until Alpha got his way? What if the experiment failed and... and... and they just swept her away like dust. Clark dumbly began following behind the doctor as she led him back down the halls, back toward where Hssara was supposedly waiting, and despite his best efforts to tamp down his emotions, tears began rolling down his cheeks. They didn't stop as he reached the infirmary, and they didn't stop as he reached his serpentine beloved, falling into her arms like a sack of sand. He didn't know what to say, didn't know how to tell her that she'd almost been wiped from existence, and so he just squeezed her scaly body with every ounce of strength he had left.

He half expected Hssara to act confused or perturbed, but she simply embraced him right back, holding up his weight as he wept into her shoulder. Dr. Calkins said something to Hssara that Clark didn't hear, after which the doctor left the two of them alone in the lobby of the medical facility. There was no one else to see or hear them, so Hssara just let Clark ride out his emotions, expressing the terror and anguish she'd felt before in an explosive display that she simply wasn't capable of.

"They... they were going to... to wipe you," Clark eventually sighed, "Just... poof. Everything, gone."

As he pulled back and met her gaze, he realized with a sense of horror that she knew exactly what she was talking about. Her eyes went wide in an all-too-familiar expression of dread, and her quick glance back toward the medical office seemed to realize how close she'd come to oblivion for the second time that evening. "I... I wondered if it'd ever happen," she eventually replied, "Back in Nevada, they sometimes threatened us with it, but I never thought..." Suddenly, Hssara reared up just a bit and pulled Clark close, planting a quick series of kisses on the top of his head while hugging him to her breastplate. After a moment, she slithered back down, and Clark could see the anxious worry in her expression. "Did... how did you find out?"

"Calkins... she told me, then took me to a meeting with the Elders in charge."

"The Elders?" Hssara seemed as shocked as if Clark had just said he'd had dinner with the president. "You actually met them?"

"Well... er, not really, they talked through some screens." It was then that he noticed something in Hssara's hand, a long neoplastic package of some sort. "What's that?"

The viper briefly held it up, revealing alien writing and a syringe symbol. "This... well... it's something to take the edge off for both of us, but... well, I think it's best used in private. The doctor said there were some safehouse rooms on one of the upper levels... should be roomy enough for both of us." Her voice still held a tinge of worry, but her expression managed the tiniest hint of a smile.

Clark briefly looked around, half-consciously trying to see where someone might be keeping tabs on them from. Now that he knew the two of them were ADVENT's latest propaganda experiment, some part of him felt eyes following his every step. However, aside from a few beady-eyed security cameras, there wasn't anything to confirm his suspicions, and he quickly refocused on the present. "Alright, lead the way."

He and Hssara made their way toward one of the facility's elevators, and as they approached, two other vipers came slithering synchronously from the opening doors. At first, the two aliens seemed surprised at the sight of a human and an alien standing so close together, but as soon as they noticed Clark and Hssara's clasped hands, their curiosity turned to disdain. Both slithered off in a different direction with the air of two haughty southerners, leaving Clark and his serpentine companion to board the elevator alone.

On floor 4, several out-of-place wooden doors lined a hallway marked as "secure holding rooms," and Hssara quickly picked one of the nearer doors to open with her keycard. It swung wide to reveal a room akin to what Clark had seen in human hotels... but as he and Hssara entered, Clark realized that it just seemed off. The first thing he noticed was the far wall, where drapes and curtains surrounded not a window, but an LCD screen that showed a gorgeous view of a wooded lake. Then Clark saw the single painting on the wall, and though it was a simple landscape of a sailboat, something about it seemed manufactured. Next, he began to pick up on the tiny, immaculate details, how the remote was laid precisely in front of the TV, how the sheets on the queen-sized bed were folded with millimeter precision. It was like an AI with OCD had tried to make a room as appealing to humans as possible while also following some hidden agenda.

"Something wrong?"

Clark was suddenly brought back to reality by Hssara's voice, and he saw his unnatural tenseness reflected in her expression. "No, no, it's just... too neat."

Hssara took a brief look around, then shrugged. "Some aliens have an eye for precision," she replied, slithering over to the TV, "Me, I'm rather fond of the human way of doing things." After picking up the remote, she turned on the TV and punched in a channel, causing the static to change to a serene beach view with all the accompanying white noise. "Why don't you just... relax. I'll just be a moment." Her voice dripped with almost forced sensuality, and before she could make it into the bathroom with her mysterious package, Clark called out to her.

"Wait, Hssara..." As she turned back to face him, he could see the stress in her eyes, and even before he asked it, he knew the answer to his question: "Aren't you worried?"

"About?" She was trying to tamp down her emotions, he could see that much... but his stupid mouth couldn't stop from prying.

"About what almost happened... about you almost getting wiped. What if it happens later on? What if they decide you're useless and decide to replace you with a newer model? What if-"

He stopped as she held up one finger, and he could tell she was just barely holding back her pent up anxiety... but then her pleasant facade just crumbled into dust. "I'm... I'm worried, is that what you want me to say?" she snapped, "I'm afraid that someday I'll cease to exist, and you'll be left with another viper. I'm afraid of what you might try to do to get me back, and I'm even more afraid of what they'll do to you afterward!" Her face was twisted with anguish, and though there wasn't anything dribbling down the sides of her face, Clark knew she was doing whatever the viper equivalent of crying her heart out was. "I'm afraid of having to dance with death every day for the rest of our haspota lives because ADVENT doesn't tolerate weakness, and the fact that if for some reason either of us become a liability, we'll both be put down without a second thought!" She thrust forward the box, showing Clark the label like it explained her opinions perfectly. "Right now, in this hell I would've called home, this thing is the only chance I've got to not feel like... like this!"