Empyrean Iris

Chapter 49

 Dr. Krill stood frozen before the generator, unwilling to turn around.

"Take one more step towards the machine, and I will have no choice but to kill Dr. Quinn here."

At those words, Dr. Krill turned slowly on his feet staring back into the darkness from whence he came.

Once he had thought himself alone in that darkness.

No more.

Dr. Kedd stepped from the shadows, followed by Rita the PA, who held a struggling Dr. Quinn with arms held tight behind her back.

Growing tired of the doctor's antics, Rita used her heel to buckle Dr Quinn's knees and send her falling to the floor.

From there she held her still, with one arm around her throat, and the other hand holding a handgun to her temple, finger on the trigger ready to fire.

Dr Kedd scuttled a little closer, "I admit, I admire your bravery, not something that one normally sees from a Vrul these days. In fact, I was under the impression, your species lacked whatever cerebral structure required to house bravery at all.... " he tilted his head in amusement. "However I can see now that I was wrong. Perhaps when you have outlived your use, I might dissect your brain for comparison with humans."

Fear coursed through every fiber of Krill's body, and he wanted nothing more than to run, or to curl up into a ball, or to just float away. He had been caught, and now there was no chance of him finishing his mission.

But despite these thoughts, he did not cower or run, but stood his ground with his chin tilted down over his neck and his arms held out slightly to the side as if he planned to run across the intervening space and attack the smug little doctor.

"Save me your monologuing Kedd. I am sure whatever you have to say will only bore me. In fact, I think I would find being a brain in a jar much preferable to listening to your smug prattling."

Dr. Kedd looked almost shocked.

And Krill had to admit that he was shocked as well. He hadn't expected himself to be so prolix when he was about to die, but he supposed it was better than dying silent and afraid.

"I see that your bravery only continues.... Or perhaps it is stupidity, sometimes the two are very difficult to tell apart."

"Just kill me already." Krill hissed, partially because he was annoyed and partially because he actually wanted to die. If this little creature did not kill him in the next few moments, then he was probably going to die of the stress and anxiety he was feeling on the inside.

"As much as I would love to get rid of you." The Gibb said, stalking a little closer, his body passing in and out through pools of shadow, dark skin growing darker and then lighter in a pattern that was almost repetitively mesmerizing. His five glittering eyes were cold and glassy in the darkness, "I actually have another fate in mind."

Krill stepped back as the creature stalked forward.

"In fact I require your services."

Krill snorted, surprising himself that he could even make that sound as he continued to step away, "I would never help you, in fact if you were on fire, I'd bring a blowtorch."

"There is that bravery again or stupidity.... Is that something you learned from the humans? Or is that a trait you have always had? I mean, I knew that you were different from the other Vrul, but I sort of assumed – being an Alpha and all—that you were also smart."