David Robbins - Houston Run

“You’ll have to thank her for me,” Lynx said, closing the door.

“My floor supervisor is a male,” Melody divulged. “And he wouldn’t like it if he knew we were fraternizing.”

“Oh? You’re not allowed to fraternize with the inmates?”

Melody scrutinized him. “Inmates? Where do you think you are, anyway?”

“In prison,” Lynx replied. “I didn’t see much of the place when they brought me in, and the Superiors weren’t very talkative. But I know a prison when I’m in one.”

“Well, you’re not in prison,” Melody stated.

“I’m not?” Lynx said in surprise.

“No, silly. You’re in the Science Section of the Medical Building, not in Containment. They perform all of the neutering on our kind in the Science Station. The humans, though, are neutered in Medical,” she elaborated.

“It figures,” Lynx muttered.

Melody nodded at the tray. “Would you like a bite to eat? I’ve brought you a steak, rare.”

Lynx crossed to the cot. “Really? That’s my favorite.”

Melody smiled sheepishly. “Mine too.”

Lynx sat down to the left of the tray. In addition to the bloody steak on a white plate, there were three slices of buttered bread, a glass of water, a glass of milk, and a slice of pie.

“It’s the best I could do,” Melody offered by way of an apology.

“It looks delicious,” Lynx complimented her. “I’m so starved, I could eat a Superior!”

“You’d eat an android?” Melody stated distastefully.

Lynx glanced up at her, his eyes twinkling. “Nope. Not really, I’d probably get gas!”

Melody laughed heartily. “You’re something, you know that?”

“Is that a promotion?” Lynx asked.

“A promotion?”

“Yeah. The last time you were here, I was a savage. Now I’m something.

Is that an improvement?”

Melody nodded. “Definitely.” She pointed at the steak. “Please. Eat.”

“After you’ve gone,” Lynx said. “We have a lot to talk about first. Park it, princess.”

“Park it?” Melody repeated.

Lynx swallowed. Hard. “I mean, have a seat, please!”

Melody sat down on the right side of the tray, crossing her legs at her knees.

Lynx wrested his eyes from those legs with difficulty. “I need to know some things, and I think you can help me.”

“I’ll do what I can,” Melody promised.

“And this won’t get you in trouble with your floor supervisor?” Lynx asked.

“Tom? You let me worry about him,” Melody said.

“I don’t want to get you in trouble,” Lynx stressed.

“You won’t,” Melody assured him.

“Okay then. You say I’m in the Medical Building. How far is this dump from the Intelligence Building?” Lynx queried.

“About three miles,” Melody revealed.

“Damn!” Lynx muttered, then hastily asked another question to cover his blunder. “Are there two other mutants on this floor? New mutants?

Savages?”

“No,” Melody said.

Lynx frowned.

“What’s the matter?” Melody inquired.

“I have two buddies named Gremlin and Ferret. I need to find them.

Primator said they were gonna be tested as per prescribed procedure, whatever the… heck… that means,” Lynx informed her.

“They could be on another floor,” Melody stated. “All mutants are tested in the Science Section, which includes floors thirty through ninety.

They usually test on forty-five.”

“And what floor are we on?” Lynx wanted to know.

“Thirty-eight,” Melody said.

“So the testin’ floor is seven up?” Lynx questioned.

“Yes,” Melody answered.

“What kind of testin’ do they do?” Lynx queried.

“The Superiors test us physically and mentally,” Melody explained. “The test results are used to determine where we’ll work and how much education we’ll receive.”

“You don’t get six years like the Serviles?”

“It varies for us,” Melody stated. “The Superiors seem to think many of us are smarter than the Serviles, so many of us receive more schooling.”

She paused, frowning. “Those of us who aren’t used in their experiments or lobotomized, that is.”

“You don’t sound like a dummy,” Lynx noted.

“I’ve been fortunate,” Melody commented. “I started out as a Superior’s aide, then transferred to nursing.”

“You’re a nurse?”

“What did you think I was?”

Lynx gazed into her magnificent green eyes and totally forget himself.

“The hottest momma this side of the Milky Way.”

“What?” Melody said, sounding shocked.

Lynx stared at his feet. “I’m sorry, gorgeous. But I ain’t had much practice talkin’ to a lady. I never know what to say, and I want to say so much. I want to tell you you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met. I can’t think straight around you.”

No response.

Lynx closed his eyes. What a dipshit! he berated himself. If stupidity was gold, he’d be the richest person on the planet!

“Lynx…” Melody said.

Lynx opened his eyes, but he couldn’t bring himself to face her.

“Lynx, please look at me,” Melody requested.

Lynx slowly complied. Her eyes bored into his, probing, seeming to reach into his very soul.

“When I said you were blunt,” Melody remarked, “it was an understatement.” She paused. “I appreciate your honesty. I really do. And I’ve something important to say to you.”

“Go ahead,” Lynx said. “Chew me out! I deserve it.”

Melody reached over the tray of food and gently placed her right hand on his left wrist. “No. You don’t understand.”

Lynx stared at her right hand on his wrist. It felt like his whole arm was tingling.

“I was attracted to you the moment I saw you,” Melody divulged.

“What?” Lynx blurted, amazed.

“Yes. There’s a quality about you, something I can’t put my finger on. I find you almost irresistible.”

Lynx’s eyes widened. “Me?”

Melody sighed. “I don’t know how it is where you live, but in Androxia the Superiors create one pair, and one pair only, of each mutant type. If we pass all of their tests, and if we aren’t neutered or spayed because we’re inferior, we’re expected to breed.” She stopped speaking, her mouth twisting downward. “I have postponed breeding for as long as I possibly can. The Superiors created a male like me. We were reared together, and we’re expected to mate and have children.” She paused, and when she resumed talking her tone conveyed a sense of sorrow and desperation.

“But I can’t stand him. Lynx! He’s a monster! Oh, not physically. He looks a lot like you. But inside, where it really counts, he’s wicked. Rotten to the core. He… he hurts me!”

Lynx saw tears forming in the corners of her eyes. A peculiar constriction developed in his throat as he opened his mouth. “He hurts you?” he asked huskily.

Melody nodded, gazing at her lap. “He’s a brute. He can’t understand why I won’t go to bed with him. He’s been pressuring me to sleep with him. He’s even hit me a few times.”

Lynx was feeling dizzy. “ Hit you?”

“He’s threatening to report me if I don’t cooperate,” Melody said. “If I don’t give in to him.” She looked up at Lynx, her eyes rimmed with tears.

“But I can’t! I won’t! I refuse to share myself with someone I don’t love! I don’t care if the Superiors do spay me!”

“They’ll spay you?”

Melody nodded. “If I don’t breed, as required.” She took a deep breath.

“I feel so helpless at times.”

Lynx tried to speak, but he experienced an unusual difficulty in forming the words. There was an odd congestion in his throat. “I won’t let him hurt you again,” he finally managed to say. “I’d never let anyone hurt you. Ever.”