Alien Dice

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Chapter 2

"It isn't much, but it's home." Lexx stated. He walked toward the glass wall. There were several structures set into the wall that resembled closed up book cases. Everything was like this, making the walls almost appear seamless and leaving little to obstruct the hall they were standing in. At least, Chel thought it was a hall. There was nothing in the way of furniture, no decoration of any kind. Even the lighting was spartan, running lights that threaded throughout the floor and ceiling to give an even atmosphere.

The water in the biosphere caused a very slight fluctuation in the lighting, casting an almost soothing array of reflections against the dark walls. Chel blinked, realizing that was probably the purpose of this setup.

"Stealth,..." Lexx addressed the cat, stopping in front of one of the 'bookcases' The covering panel slid away to reveal several odd tools and a display rack. Above one of the racks, there was an image of Zeta, one that Chel could see through. She stepped closer to get a better look. "I need to scan you so that the next dice can be located." Lexx removed a long red cylindrical object and turned to Stealth. The cat was sitting indifferently nearby, muttering something to herself. Her ears were back and the green gold of her eyes barely showed through her narrowed lids.

Chel looked at Lexx, wondering exactly the scanning would do to the cat that she'd be acting that way. Lexx noted the look and decided it would be better to say something than risk her DOING something to interrupt his work.

"Don't worry. It just reads the encoded dice information. It will not harm her." He knelt down and waved the device over Stealth's head until a beeping sound echoed from out of nowhere, and a cold voice recited: Scanning Dice. .... Stealth Dice Obtained. .... Entry Complete.

"Now that you scanner her, why do you still need her?" Chel inquired curiously.

"The system keeps track of them. They all have be on the ship before I can look for the next dice. If one is missing,... I have to find it." Lexx explained, finding it much easier to talk about the dice than anything else. It was beginning to be almost 'fun' discussing something that he did with someone who had no idea what it was. "ADIS, locate the next dice."

"Adis? Is that the name of your computer?"

"Yes,.. ADIS, .. it stands for Alien Dice Information System. It's wired directly into this ship, every aspect of it and every sensor makes sure that everything is done by the rules. It also tells me information about the dice that can sometimes be useful."

The bodiless voice spoke again, the air in front of the dice shelf distorting and forming into a shape. Chel's eyes widened and her jaw dropped in amazement as the form of something that looked suspiciously like a manta ray materialized. It was white and red, varying shades of both with the white covering the belly and red spots freckling across the 'wings' underneath. A pair of extra fins seemed to extrude naturally from its back, these a contrasting dark blue. The dice moved gracefully and here and there in the translucent background the top of a coral reef could be seen along with various brightly colored fish darting in and out of anemones. "Scanning ... Dice 5 - Swim Dice Located. Level 4 ... Coordinates set into the teleporter."

Lexx turned back to the crimson and gold vortex. "I need to go down and get this one now. You are free to watch me catch it if you desire, from here. Or, if you would like to watch more comfortably, Stealth and Zeta will take you to the living area to watch. Explore the ship. I don't care. Just don't go through the blue doors on the upper deck. You don't belong in there." He didn't even wait for a response, stepping through the 'door' and vanishing instantly.

Chel stood there a moment without saying anything, staring at the vortex as it changed color, then completely faded out and she found herself staring at her reflection. A full length mirror was fixed into the wall where the vortex had been.

The alien was gone and now Chel was left on the ship, by herself. Well, not completely by herself as Zeta nudged her leg, reminding her he was there. She looked down at the little red and gold speckled creature. What if something happened and Lexx didn't return? She'd be trapped in the ship with no way to get home! What would happen,...

"Chel, follow us to the lift, we can go up to the main deck. It's more comfortable up there." The cat rubbed against Chel's other leg. Stealth didn't seem to worried.

"Uhm... ok." Chel spoke uncertainly as both animals skirted around her and darted through an open doorway into a tiny room. The girl followed them. She didn't have anywhere else to go, did she? And now was a bit late to be considering that.

"Up!" Zeta hopped up and down eagerly next to Chel.

Chel jumped as the floor moved. Stealth chuckled to herself. It was just like an elevator, only the door didn't close on it and Chel could see nothing but smooth gold wall where the door had been. Then, there was an opening again. Stealth and Zeta stepped out with Chel following almost on their tails.

This was much better, especially if she was expected to stay in this ship all the time. The lift let out into a large room. Like the lower deck, it was spartan, but it was much bigger. Along one wall, Chel noted a comfortable looking couch like seat, a small table at one end with metal plates resting on it and bookcases, sealed. The room itself was divided. She noted the blue doors she wasn't to go through and completely ignored them. That wouldn't be a good way to start out.

To one side, there was a bar that divided the room from an area that looked somewhat like a kitchen, although with implements Chel couldn't even begin to figure out the purpose of. At the back of the living area, there was another set of doors. These were closed. Chel made her way to the couch and sat down.

"Viewer on." Stealth spoke and a transparent sphere appeared out of nowhere, floating in the middle of the room, the color altering at the rims. It darkened and the image of the dice they'd seen below formed in the middle of it. The ray was still swimming and there was no sign of Lexx.

"Zeta not invited!" Zeta growled, glaring at the sphere. His tone was laced with jealousy.

"You'd drown, Zeta." Stealth rolled her eyes. "Lexx can breathe underwater. Seen him do it for hours! We can't!"

Apparently, those facts meant very little to Zeta as he whined, "Zeta think not right anyway! We 'posed to fight other dice, not Lexx!"

"Lexx is doing fine on his own,... now, Chel?" Stealth hopped up onto the couch and leaned on Chel's arm.

"Yes?" Chel blinked at the cat, wondering what she wanted.

"Would you like to know more about Lexx? I know where he keeps his digital album and I can tell you everything I know. If you're going to be staying here, you should know as much as you can, otherwise, ... you won't understand him." Stealth spoke quickly, eager to share her information.

"That would probably be a good idea, thanks, Stealth. He won't mind will he?"

"No, not at all!" Stealth hopped down and started across the room to the closed doors (that were not blue).

"Stealth!" Zeta hissed running up to her, lowering his head to whisper. "Lexx not like us or anyone looking in album! Embarasses Lexx! Remember when Claudia found it! She never leave Lexx alone afterward!"

Zeta cooly walked on, replying, "Precisely." She added a little louder, "This way, Chel!"

Stealth lead Chel to a room that was obviously a bedroom. There were four bunks fit directly into the walls. The two lowest were actually beds, but only one was made up for sleeping with meticulous care. Judging by the oval shape in the center, Zeta probably used it more than Lexx did. The two highest bunks had been converted to bookshelves of a type. The books were unlike any that Chel had ever seen. They were of all different shapes and sizes and a few that were facing out had covers that seemed to shift and change as she looked at them.

To one side, there was a pair of dressers and a shallow closet. On another was a desk with several items on it. One of which, was a flat blue plate with black buttons and a black screen which for some reason, made Chel think of an Etch-a-sketch. Stealth hopped up onto the desk and swishing her twin tails in unison, strode to the plate and sat down, deliberately pressing one of the buttons.

Chel sat down in a chair on the other side of the desk, leaning forward to watch as the air shimmered and an image appeared of a pair of beings, much like Lexx. His mother and father, the mother holding a screaming baby that Chel concluded had to be Lexx. She smirked a bit.

"Lexx is almost twenty-two years old by your time, Chel." Stealth began, adjusting the image so that it came through more clearly, although the distortion was still there, wavering and fragmenting near the edges of the picture. "He grew up on a space station called Risha 1. His father was second in command. His name was Shira Taumas. Among the Risha, the first name is a family name. His mother's name was Lessa." The images went by, each showing Lexx a bit older, some of him alone, some of him with his mother and father in very alien looking surroundings.

Soon, Chel noticed a pattern. First, Lexx's father stopped showing up in the photographs and it was just him and his mother. It was interesting to compare the two, Lexx had more of her features only she had white hair with a slight bluish sheen to it. Stealth continued speaking, telling her about Lexx, "His mother was a fighter pilot for the station."

"How do you know this?" Chel tilted her head to the cat and inquired, watching more images going by and then there was a big gap in the pictures as Lexx's image jumped from that of a young boy to adolescence. His mother was absence and he was in a uniform of some sort.

"Dice are recyclable up to three times. I have all the memories of my first two sets, plus I am Mittens, which is why I know you and always will. I'm also a Stealth Dice. I'm a spy. I listen. I pay attention. I learn."

The cat turned back to the images, waving a white forepaw, "This is Lexx at about seventeen. It's an AD Academy class,..." Halfway through her sentence, Lexx seemed to appear out of nowhere and slap his hand down on top of the viewer, turning it off. He stood there a moment, not looking at either Chel or Stealth.

Lexx picked up the book and strode across the room to one of the dressers, sliding the door open and throwing the viewer inside of it. Then, he turned and crossed the room to the doors in the back and closed them behind him.

"I like pushing buttons." Stealth purred, obviously not bothered at all by Lexx's actions.

Chel on the other hand, felt bad. "I don't... He looks really angry..." She whispered to Stealth.

"Feh, he needs to get over himself." The cat tilted her nose into the air and remarked dryly.

Lexx knew better than to open his mouth. He clenched his jaw hard and sat on the stool next to the heat scrubber. He removed his wet coat and wrap, hanging them on hooks so they could be dried, then began undressing with his eyes closed.

To himself, he repeated a few things over and over again, "No. Don't think. Stop. Don't think about it." He rummaged through a cabinet for a roll of bandages and sat down to wrap his arms. He continued the silent repetition, trying not to think about what Stealth had probably told the girl and what Stealth knew that Lexx didn't want her to know. It wasn't that he was really embarrassed by the images, it was just that were his private memories and he wanted them kept to himself.

They were the only things that he truly owned and by her looking at them, they were less private, less his and only his. He could not help how angry he felt when he found them looking at his personal collection. Lexx didn't like it when outsiders knew much about him, knowledge was power. His mental weakness was the past and he knew it. It was how they controlled him, how he controlled himself, how they had entrapped him where he was. He couldn't let the human know what it was, didn't need one more being who had something over on him. Dark secrets were best left, in the dark.

On the other side of the door, Chel stood with Zeta at her side. He was staring at the door until Chel spoke, "He's been in there for awhile. Is he okay?"

"Does it a lot. He fine." Zeta didn't sound nearly as excited and lively as he had before.

"Yes, probably won't be out for awhile." Stealth echoed Zeta's response. She had hopped up onto one of the bunks and was making herself comfortable there. "Might as well get some sleep in. You didn't sleep but a few hours last night, Chel."

"Uhm,... here?" Chel turned to the cat. Lexx had such a bad reaction to her looking at his things, she didn't want to risk making him madder and getting a rude awakening should she sleep on his bed as well.

"Would you rather sleep on the floor?" purred Stealth, finding that thought particularly amusing. Humans sleeping on the floor, why, even cats don't sleep on the floor if they can help it. Floors were for dogs and stupid little lizards.

"Not exactly what I meant. I'm tired and all, but isn't this where Lexx sleeps?"

"There's more than one bunk, Chel, and he won't mind you using this one, really. You see, his is over there and made up. This one doesn't have a blanket."

"I feel so, awkward." Chel sat down on the bed, then leaned back against the head cushion, figuring it was probably a pillow of some sort. It was actually very comfortable and soft. Stealth walked to her side and sat up, laying one paw on her shoulder and giving the girl a sympathetic look.

"It'll pass. Lexx isn't making his easy on you." She purred, and added in thought, 'I'm no help either, but I would never admit that! I'll be better. I shouldn't be getting you into trouble with myself since I know that Lexx won't do anything to me other than yell and maybe throw a book at me.'

Hours passed and finally, Lexx left the back room. He didn't know what to expect and was a little surprised to find the lights out. He stood in the door and looked around for the girl. Where was she now? What was she getting into? Was he going to have to be angry again?

Lexx didn't have far to look. She was asleep on the free bunk with Stealth curled up on the pillow above her head. He stood nearby, just looking as the light and shadows from the low light played over her features. She wasn't very annoying when she was asleep.

"You could have slept on my bed, it's not like I have a use for it." Lexx turned to the other bunk, whispering more to himself than her, not desiring to awaken her and be in another awkward position. She seemed to have a thing about being interrupted while she was sleeping and while she didn't have a gun, being assaulted by her just didn't appeal to Lexx.

He pulled the blanket off his own bed quietly and spread it Chel. The ship was climate controlled, but sometimes it did get a little cool in here and he wasn't sure how cool she could take it. The longer she slept, the better, as well as the nosey cat.

Lexx sighed to himself, kneeling on one knee by the bed and looking at Chel. He'd never seen a human so close. Only pictures. They were strange. Her hair was funny and wavy and a color he wasn't used to seeing. Odd fiery color that wasn't quite red.

She was asleep, she'd never know. He brushed her hair up and out of her face, then gaining a little bit of courage, touched her cheek and studied her features, tracing her jaw line down to her chin. That was stupid of him. He couldn't resist. Human or not, she looked enough like his own kind that he could appreciate that she had a cute face, other than the color being all wrong.

Looking was one thing. He withdrew and stood, thinking to himself that he shouldn't be doing that. Shouldn't even be looking because he'd done such a good job of not looking. Such a good job. He knew himself very well and pushed back the side of him that wanted to be more friendly and had for a moment, considered and stated she wasn't so bad. Maybe he should be nicer to her. Maybe they could be friends,... she was nice to the dice and had actually been nice to him despite his own actions to force her to react. She didn't react the way he wanted her to. She didn't go away.

Lexx sighed again and turned to leave. Yes, sure, be friends, get attached to someone and used to them being around and then they are gone. Whether by their own hands or someone else's, they all leave. It wasn't truly their fault and Lexx couldn't hold it against them, but the fact of the matter was, he could only depend on himself always being there when he needed it and it wasn't logical to have 'friends'. He chose to keep that side of him down. It would only end up with him being hurt and disappointed, as he had been his entire life.

He quietly left the bedroom, closing the door behind him, unaware that Stealth had one eye open for a moment, watching him go and then beginning to purr slightly. She was amused.

Zeta was laying on the couch and thumped his short tail in greeting as Lexx turned to the room.

"I thought you'd be asleep by now, Zeta." Lexx muttered sitting down on the couch. "Erase blinds." The walls halfway up, immediately turned transparent. "I should really choose a better color scheme,... or just leave them open more often, ..." He leaned back and made himself comfortable as Zeta snuggled up next to him. The dice rested his head and forepaws on Lexx's leg, begging to be petted.

"Three down, forty-seven to go." Lexx rubbed between Zeta's eyes, knowing how much he liked that. There was something comforting about petting the dice. He was warm and covered in very fine fur that gave him that velvety look and feel. Not only that, but Zeta depended on him for everything and Lexx knew it well. He looked up to him and was unwavering in his loyalty and adoration. Zeta was nothing like that annoying stealth dice, which seemed to enjoy making life 'interesting' for Lexx.

Lexx's gaze drifted to the view through the closest window, right behind the couch. From here, he had the ideal view of Earth. They were in a low orbit, one that wouldn't come too close to any sensors to pick him up and the shielding thwarted them easy enough. He was content with the knowledge that nothing could touch him here. This was a safe place. No human could detect his ship without a high powered telescope and even then, what were they going to do? He'd read up enough history of the Earth to know that they had many reports, but most people didn't believe in aliens or even want to. Some did, and those people frightened Lexx. At least Chel hadn't asked him if he was responsible for things others had done.

Alien contact with the Earth had been more extensive than most knew. Skinwalkers, elves, fairies, unicorns, gryphons, ghosts, chupacabra ... vampires; They were all aliens. He wasn't nearly as outrageous as any of those, but at the same time, feared those who truly believed. There were those who would do experiments on him if they captured him, cut him up, test him, probably not even try to talk to him and understand that he'd mean no harm to any human, although now, they could probably pin an abduction on him even though the girl had wanted to come.

If they caught him, which they wouldn't. He knew quite a few places that were private, where no-one lived. "It's a beautiful fringe world. Low technology... probably won't make contact with the federations in my lifetime." Low technology, that was something that Lexx really wanted to enjoy. Life uncomplicated by the demands of machines and their masters. Just the natural life. It was also nice not to be under the federations' arms. They tended to try to manipulate every world that joined with them to be just like them and agree with their laws. Earth, so far, wasn't advanced enough to be considered worthy of joining.

Lexx sighed to himself, closing his eyes and allowing a thought, "I could live here."

Chel dreamed. It hadn't been hard for her to fall asleep, even in the strange surroundings. The events of the day seemed to flood through her mind, making her a little restless, only she felt oddly at ease with everything. Stealth was in her dreams, following her and saying all kinds of interesting things. Unfortunately, Chel couldn't remember anything she said. The cat was amused.

Then, Chel found herself in that area between sleep and awake, when everything fantastic seems so real and everything real, seems like part of the dream. For a moment, ... she thought she was at home in her own room, in her own bed with her kitten sleeping curled up behind her head as she was apt to do.

"Oh.. what a dream." Chel blinked, the walls of her room vanishing to the steely grey surface of the bunk she was sleeping in. She blinked a few more times, disoriented and trying to remember exactly where she was ... and when she'd gotten up to get a blanket.

"You're telling me, giant mice and lakes of milk!" Stealth yawned and stretched out, immediately reminding Chel of the previous night's events. "Did you sleep well, Chel?" The cat purred, hopping down onto the floor and stretching again, twitching her tails in delight.

Chel stared at her and slowly stood, rubbing her eyes. "Yes. Where's Lexx?"

"Probably out in the living area." Stealth purred. "I think he slept on the couch or probably didn't bother sleeping at all."

She was right. Lexx was out in the living area, and it appeared that he hadn't slept. Zeta was nowhere to be seen. Chel paused uncertainly in the door.

"Good afternoon." Lexx greeted her in an indifferent tone, paying more attention to the mug in his hand than Chel. He tilted it up and took a slow drink as Chel crossed the room.

It smelled good, almost like a mix of hot chocolate and apples. "What's that?" Chel sat on the opposite end of the couch, looking at the small table she hadn't noticed before. There was a pot of some sort and a second mug. "It smells good."

"Tilauh. Nothing in it will harm humans." Lexx sat his mug down and poured the steaming mixture into the second mug, then offered it politely to Chel. "It is our way to make sure even uninvited guests are made to feel comfortable. You may drink my Tilauh, Kasai, Mishan and Tarbil as well as eat my food and read my books, just don't bother me when I'm busy. I have things to do and those things do not involve amusing humans."

Chel stared into the mug, a bit hurt by Lexx's tone. She took a small sip and found it to be very good, sweet, like cinnamon spiced chocolate. Not exactly what she'd expected an alien to be drinking. "Mmm... sweet. By the way, my name is Chel."

"Zeta told me, Bad Chel." Lexx replied dryly, tacking on. "Interesting combination." It was almost like he was trying to be funny, although his expression was even and humorless.

"That's just what Zeta called me... I prefer just Chel." The girl attempted to be friendly, despite the continual cold shoulder she was getting from Lexx. She then noticed his arms were bandaged. His shirt did little to hide that as the sleeves were short and didn't quite make it all the way to his hands. "Did you hurt your arms?" It was a little odd for him to have wrapped his arms when the scars were healed, so she supposed he'd hurt himself when he was catching the last dice.

Lexx's reaction was simply to turn away, tugging futilely at the sleeves while trying to look like he wasn't doing anything at all. It didn't work, they wouldn't hide the bandages completely. He sputtered slightly, thinking of a good response, "I was cold. I like keeping them wrapped because I don't like being cold and it does get cold in here. Yes, yes, I know I could put on something warmer, but I also happen to like what I'm wearing." He sprung up from the chair and in a quick, somewhat jerky stride approached Stealth. The cat had just walked into the room and hopped up onto a counter on the opposite side of the room. Her ears went back and she stared at the wall indifferently as he stopped near her. "The next dice is the fly dice. I need Stealth to catch it."

"What do I get out of it?" Stealth didn't miss a breath.

"I have to bargain with you now?" While Lexx was glad to be free of anymore explaining, he wasn't pleased to hear the cat talking back to him. He glanced from Chel to Stealth, who had now turned to stare at him, ears still laid flat across her skull, twin tails twitching in a slow methodic fashion.

"I'm not making her do anything." Chel didn't like the look Lexx gave her, silently accusing her of being behind the cat's decision.

"She's decided she's your dice, apparently, Chel. But I need her to tag the fly dice." Lexx stared at Stealth.

"I'll do it for another bowl of milk." Stealth tilted her chin in a dignified manner, stating her demand and not deeming Lexx worthy of eye contact.

Lexx blinked uncertainly. He didn't know where milk came from or how to get it. His first experience with it had been in Chel's house earlier. "I don't ..."

"It's ok." Chel interjected, "When we go back to my house, I can get more milk for her. I just want to go with you this time to see the dice!"

Great, now Lexx was stuck between two demands. He needed the dice. He needed Stealth to cooperate and the human probably couldn't even keep up on the ground so she wouldn't get in the way. "Ok, but you have to keep up. I'm not waiting for you to show up. This isn't a show for spectators, just a game."

The portal swirled with activity, appearing as a brilliant flash of light within a forest and then bursting into existence with a bluish white glow. Lexx stepped through it first, consulting a small device with a display on it that showed their location. Zeta and Stealth were at his heels and Chel stepped through last. The portal receded within a few more seconds, leaving the four in the midst of a forest.

Chel gaped. It was beautiful, probably a place that one couldn't get to without hiking for hours and it'd only taken them a few seconds. Around them, the forest was alive with birds and chittering squirrels. The air was fresh and noticeably different from the ship's air, carrying with it the smell of upturned dirt, flowers and foliage.

"Fly is somewhere within a five mile radius of this point." Lexx pocketed the device and turned to Chel. "We're nowhere near any human habitations, so don't get lost. I don't want to waste my time having to look for you if you do. I have work to do, remember that."

Chel nodded, studying the tree tops and looking for what she supposed the fly dice might be, a bird. That was obvious. Birds flew, just like cats were sneaky, rays swam and little fire lizards spit fire. "Give me a moment!" Stealth darted for a tree, her attitude pure business now as she climbed quickly to the uppermost branches. "I should be able to catch a scent in the air!" <P ALIGN=Left> Lexx shielded his eyes against the bright sunlight. He wasn't accustomed to it and it kind of stung and made his eyes water. Get this over with quick. Find the dice, catch it, go back to the ship. He wasn't ready to be down on the planet for long periods of time during the day. Lexx slowly sidestepped into the shade of the tree. <P ALIGN=Left> "I don't smell it..." Stealth called down, stretching her nose into the air as far as she could and looking as well. As a Stealth dice, she had an excellent sense of smell and as a cat, extremely good eyesight, even in bright light. Off in the distance, she could see something unnatural moving, long and fluttering. That had to be it. She couldn't smell it, but she could see it and also sensed that it was a dice. The skills of the Stealth dice. "But I DO see it! Better prepare the modifiers, Lexx!" <P ALIGN=Left> Bits of bark flew as Stealth came down the tree in that ungainly fashion that cats use. It wasn't nearly as easy going up as coming down. She hit the ground in a run, turning to run around the tree and into the forest. "It's up in a tree! The tallest one! Of course, it's WAITING!" The thought just entered her mind that the fly dice was out in the open for a reason. <P ALIGN=Left> "I have the modifiers ready!" Lexx had his hand in his hip pocket as he spoke, chasing after the cat. He wasn't about to lose sight of her and was grateful the ground here was even. It just wouldn't do to trip and fall while running ... get his clothes dirty,... embarrass himself further. <P ALIGN=Left> Chel and Zeta tagged behind. Zeta huffed, his short legs not carrying him nearly as fast as the other two. Chel wasn't quite in the shape to be running. She'd never been a good runner, so was stuck with the dice. <P ALIGN=Left> "Zeta not a good runner!" Zeta panted. <P ALIGN=Left> "Me either!" Chel caught her breath just long enough to respond with a little encouragement. <P ALIGN=Left> Lexx and Stealth reached the tree way ahead of Chel and Zeta. Stealth stood up on her hind legs, tails twitching in eagerness to get started. She really loved this part. Tracking, chasing and then the engagement of battle with the dice and victory. She was good and Lexx always picked her battles with her having the advantage. Despite her nature toward him, she trusted him. He wouldn't send her out after anything she couldn't handle. <P ALIGN=Left> "Good! Get it down here without knocking out so I can tag it, ok, Stealth?" Lexx gripped the modifiers in his hand, about to throw them. Shaking them once, he tossed a trio of dice at Stealth's feet. She sat on her haunches to peer at them, a glow surrounding the dice then a flash of light rippling over her black fur. <P ALIGN=Left> "Jump, swipe and a strength burst! Not bad rolls!" The cat twitched her tails once around her forepaws, then turned and started up the tree, moving quickly and vanishing from view amidst the foliage. <P ALIGN=Left> "What are those?" Chel wasn't sure what was going on. More dice? <P ALIGN=Left> "Modifiers." Lexx's attention was on trying to see Stealth and her prey. "They boost the natural abilities of a die for half an hour. Completely random. Just another part of the game. I'm only allowed to use so many sides, depending on the level and type of dice we're going after." <P ALIGN=Left> Chel didn't know quite what to think of that, nor fully understand it, so she nodded and just tried to see. So far, no sight of Stealth or the Fly dice. She couldn't hear anything either, other than the sound of the wind flowing through the underbrush. Something was odd about the area. Perhaps it was the thick stand of bamboo slowly bending and waving nearby. Where were they? <P ALIGN=Left> Stealth slowed as she neared the top of the tree. So far, all she could see was a length of fluffy black tail, waving and twining in the wind. The Fly dice was perched up on a limb just out of her sight. Changing her position a little, the cat crouched, claws dug into the tree trunk. <P ALIGN=Left> Tails twitching in anticipation, Stealth growled a little to herself, ears flipped back flat against her skull. She really enjoyed this part of the game. Wriggling her haunches and digging in her hind claws, she prepared ... and then lunged forward, covering the rest of the distance to the branch and the fly dice in mere moments. <P ALIGN=Left> "I was wondering when you'd show up to ruin my fun!" A familiar light voice spoke up in a rapid almost chirping sound. Stealth realized too late she's made a horrible mistake. The Fly dice had an advantage this time in the form of paws and in those paws he held the end of a branch, bent up and around so that there was no way Stealth could avoid it. <P ALIGN=Left> With a malicious smile, the black and cream squirrel opened his paws and let the branch fly straight down, smacking Stealth's forelegs. It hurt. It hurt bad. She let go with a startled yowl and fell through a few branches, forepaws outstretched. The first several limbs were too small and slipped right through her claws, until she hit the fourth one down and caught hold of it. It swayed, but held. Gasping, Stealth attempted to catch her breath, the wind knocked out of her by hitting the branch. <P ALIGN=Left> To Stealth's horror, she saw the Squirrel coming down the side of the tree directly for her. The twinkled in his bluish grey eyes was enough to send shivers throughout her dangling body. He was up to something. <P ALIGN=Left> "Just give me a moment!" Stealth whined plaintively, wanting to at least pull herself up before the squirrel got there. <P ALIGN=Left> "Afraid not!" He chittered, reaching the branch quickly and immediately starting to gnaw through the bark. <P ALIGN=Left> "HEY!! Stop that!! Don't chew on that!!" Stealth yowled in panic, realizing exactly how high she was. If she hit the ground from this high up, she would fail and be knocked back into a dice and locked up for a good time. She HATED being locked up. Reaching out futilely with one paw, she swiped at the rodent just as the branch creaked, then made an incredibly loud snapping sound, which echoed through Stealth's ears in ominous tone. <P ALIGN=Left> Chel and Lexx watched as Stealth and the branch came into view, then crashed into a bush at the side of the tree. The bush rustled and with a fierce snarl, Stealth, thankful that the bush had been there so she wasn't hurt, leapt back to the tree. Fly wasn't going to embarrass her like this. <P ALIGN=Left> Fly was waiting. He leaned over a branch and smiled at Stealth, "Back so soon?" Not waiting for Stealth to get close enough to answer, he flipped backwards and extended his paws. The squirrel's body flattened and a gust of wind caught him, forcing the loose flaps of skin along his sides to stretch and catch it enough to drag him aloft like a kite. <P ALIGN=Left> Stealth wasn't about to be left on the branch, she snarled and pounced for the squirrel. He tried to evade her, but with a tail almost four times the length of his body, he couldn't get out of the way in time. Stealth's forepaws grabbed and slide through the thick black fur on Fly's tail, sinking into skin and holding. <P ALIGN=Left> "LET go!" Fly squealed, "You're throwing my balance!" He floundered in the air, pain shooting from where Stealth's claws were embedded. <P ALIGN=Left> "That's the point!" growled Stealth, holding on for dear life. <P ALIGN=Left> <P ALIGN=Left> On the ground, Chel lifted her hand to her mouth as the squirrel and cat came into view. Suddenly, this wasn't nearly as interesting. They were up really high and she didn't want to see her cat come crashing down again, this time without anything to break her fall. She wiped her hands quickly over her eyes, attempting to conceal the tears that were starting to well up in her eyes with worry. "They're in the air! Stealth won't hurt it, will she?" <P ALIGN=Left> "Dice are very strong. It's hard to hurt them." Lexx kept his eyes on the sky, following the arc of the two dice as they descended. Realizing he didn't fully answer the question and knowing the girl would probably bother him about it later, he added. " ... yes, she'll have to hurt it so I can catch it. Most of the dice aren't very willing to be tagged and set into the inventory." <P ALIGN=Left> "Making them fight for your game is cruel, Lexx!" Chel stepped up next to him, confronting him on it. It wasn't right. They were going to get hurt, and for what? A stupid game that wasn't important. It was coming down to nothing more than cockfighting, just without chickens. Chel couldn't stand by without saying anything. <P ALIGN=Left> Lexx felt heat rush through his face at the statement. He looked at Chel, not saying anything as the corners of his mouth turned down and his eyes narrowed. She was going to complain. Her tone wasn't what he wanted to hear. It crawled right under his skin and made the hair along the back of his neck stand up in agitation. She couldn't question him. She had no right to question him or what he was doing. <P ALIGN=Left> "It's wrong." Chel iterated with more force. <P ALIGN=Left> "It's necessary." Lexx looked away, trying to see where the dice had gone. <P ALIGN=Left> "It's a GAME!!" Chel raised her voice more. She couldn't understand how anyone could call this a 'game'. It looked more like torture for those involved than anything else. <P ALIGN=Left> <P ALIGN=Left> Stealth and Fly hit the ground hard, without the benefit of a bush, although Stealth managed to force Fly to take the brunt of the fall. The squirrel wasn't quick to get up, recovering from the impact as the cat pinned him. She hissed viciously into Stealth's ear. "You better quit and come quietly, Fly!" <P ALIGN=Left> "What's the fun in that?" Fly squirmed and persisted in trying to get away. <P ALIGN=Left> "You don't get knocked to basic?" Stealth responded, baring her needle point fangs. <P ALIGN=Left> There was a sudden breaking and thrashing sound in the bushes in front of the pair. They looked up simultaneously to see Zeta jump through the bushes and land in front of them. Zeta for his part, had given up trying to catch up to Chel and Lexx, instead he had detoured when he heard Fly and Stealth. And now, he had beat everyone to them. <P ALIGN=Left> "Zeta found them!" He announced proudly as loud as he could. He then lowered his head toward the two, who knew what that stance was for immediately. <P ALIGN=Left> "NO!" Both Fly and Stealth screeched. <P ALIGN=Left> Zeta spit a stream of flame at the two dice, caught up in the excitement. Then he realized,... he wasn't supposed to do that. Worse yet, Fly and Stealth were GONE. In their place were two smoldering dice. "Oops...." Zeta squeaked. Chel and Lexx were coming and there was no way he could hide his mistake. He glanced about wildly, looking for a place to hide. <P ALIGN=Left> Lexx could see what happened and slowed, anger welling up within him. Chel didn't realize what was going on and walked up to the cowering lizard. His head crown was back and eyes wide enough that she could see white all the way around his eye. Zeta was frozen with fear. Chel started to kneel down to see what was wrong with Zeta when Lexx deliberately stormed up to Zeta, hands clenched into fists at his side. Zeta started to turn, tail between his legs, only to be caught by Lexx's boot in the ribs. <P ALIGN=Left> Zeta squealed and rolled in pain. He'd messed up. He had expected to be punished for it, but not like that. Lexx had never struck him before and it confused him. Zeta cowered, noting that Lexx had his arm uplifted to follow with a swing of his hand. Unable to make his legs move, Zeta curled up, protectively putting his forepaws over his head and started to cry from the shooting pain in his ribs and the apprehension of being hit again. <P ALIGN=Left> "Hey! Don't hit him!" Chel intervened, grabbing Lexx's arm and trying to hold him back. <P ALIGN=Left> Lexx started to jerk away from her, but stopped, tilting his head to glare at her. For the first time, he looked directly at her. Chel could feel the muscles beneath his sleeve tense, tightening and then she was aware that it wouldn't take him much to throw her aside and do as he wanted to with Zeta. He held his arm, intoning after a moment without so much as a blink or break in his voice, "Let go - I'm just angry that he did something so stupid. It'll set us back several days." <P ALIGN=Left> "It's just a GAME!" Chel repeated, noting that even though he was serious, it was reflected in his eyes that he was more angry with himself than with her or Zeta. The moment the word game left her mouth, Lexx snarled. She let go and he turned to pick up the two dice. <P ALIGN=Left> "They'll be okay ... right?" Chel ventured tentatively. <P ALIGN=Left> Lexx studied the dice, not turning back to Chel. "Yes, but now they have to start over. That's the penalty for knock outs." Chel knelt to pick up Zeta, who hadn't moved. He was trembling and a bit heavier than she thought he looked. Thankful that Lexx didn't pick him up, Zeta whimpered and pressed up closely to Chel, relaxing in her arms. "They'll be out for the next twenty four hours to heal." Lexx began walking away, not looking back. <P ALIGN=Left> He was mad. But now, he was also ashamed that he'd kicked Zeta and hoped he hadn't hurt him, but at the same time he wasn't going to go and fawn over the little creature in front of Chel. She was getting in the way and annoying him. He hated it. He didn't need anyone to tell him about the game. It was cruel. It wasn't that fun for the dice at times. He wouldn't agree with the human. He wouldn't let that door open. <P ALIGN=Left> <HR> <P ALIGN=Left> A few hours later, Chel was sitting in the gate room, Zeta sprawled out on her lap and still sniffling a bit. "Zeta really sorry ..." He whined. "Was excited and wanted to help, Lexx." Chel patted his head, amazed that he wasn't' cold and clammy, but warm and soft. She really felt sorry for him. <P ALIGN=Left> "It's ok, I'm sure." Chel consoled the dice. <P ALIGN=Left> Lexx sat on his couch, drinking deeply out of one of his mugs. He was anxious, but that feeling was going away after a little additive to the drink. He had to retain control and not be given to the exasperation that was creeping through his body and mind. There were times he felt as though he was going to explode and he'd come close to it on the planet. The dice were safe and okay, but he might lose two days because of their knock outs. <P ALIGN=Left> While his nanos worked to keep his body in check, they didn't do anything for the anxiety, the choking sensation, racing heartbeat and loss of breath. The additives relaxed him, even though they didn't last long as the nanos always cleaned them out of his system, but it'd last long enough for him to be able to deal with Chel. He knew she would come and say something and he would have to stop her. Lexx would have to dodge the questions. There were things that Chel didn't need to know. <P ALIGN=Left> Then, she arrived. Lexx didn't look up, but he could hear her walking. She stopped directly in front of him. "Don't talk. You don't understand." Those were the first words out of his mouth. He didn't want to talk at all. No questions. He didn't want to deal with them. <P ALIGN=Left> Chel wasn't to be stopped. Lexx hadn't hurt her and she felt as though he wouldn't. She wasn't afraid of him, at all. She wasn't going to let his posturing get in the way of her need to put things right in the world, or rather, around the world. "I've seen enough to know you're cruel and heartless." <P ALIGN=Left> Lexx didn't look up, immediately responding, "You haven't SEEN cruel and heartless, then." Despite the additives, his chest started to ache. The accusation really cut through him, mainly because he couldn't be specific. <P ALIGN=Left> "You play a game that's nothing more than forcing animals to fight and injure each other!" Chel felt the need to back Lexx into a corner and make him acknowledge the things he was doing and that they were wrong. He was hiding something. She knew it and she wanted to know what, even if it wasn't her business. She was stuck up here with him and she had to know. "And you hit Zeta!" <P ALIGN=Left> Lexx felt his hands tremble in rage and he rose, mug still in hand. "You don't like it, go home." He grated. <P ALIGN=Left> "Fine." Chel replied flippantly, rolling her eyes and playing her card, "I will. With MY cat." <P ALIGN=Left> That was it.. Lexx dropped the mug and grabbed Chel a bit more tightly than he intended to, trying to get the point across as to who was the stronger here. "No. Stealth stays here. I need her." <P ALIGN=Left> "But she's my cat!" Chel couldn't find anything else to say, trying to get out of Lexx's grasp. He was far too strong for her and his grip tightened with a sudden surge of anger. <P ALIGN=Left> "I need her! I do not need you! I'll take you home right now!" Lexx yelled, not about to let her go, not until he had taken her down to the lower deck and pushed her through the door and back into her house. He didn't care about the fact he had her cat. What did it matter, really? He didn't have to keep his word to this human. <P ALIGN=Left> "Not without Mittens." Chel mustered up the last of her courage, beginning to feel afraid now. <P ALIGN=Left> Lexx let go with his left hand, lifting it as though he was about to slap Chel. "Look Human! You ..." He hesitated, realizing what he was about to do and wondering if he should. He had never struck anyone out of anger,... but he'd also never struck his dice before when they failed. <P ALIGN=Left> The hesitation cost him. The deciding thought followed the sudden flash of pain from his right leg. Lexx grimaced and loosened his grip on Chel, but didn't let her go. That had really hurt. Zeta was clinging to his leg, jaws clenched tightly. The black fabric was already taking on a dark and wet appearance around Zeta's mouth where blood was soaking. "Zeta?" Lexx inhaled sharply, surprise taking over his anger that his own dice had just bit him and it really hurt. <P ALIGN=Left> "No hit Chel!" Zeta snarled in a muffled tone, loosening his hold, but only so he could talk. <P ALIGN=Left> "You are ruining EVERYTHING!" Lexx turned and pulled Chel with him, pain shooting up his leg as Zeta tried to stop him. Zeta's added weight pulled at the fresh wound and Lexx decided to give in and let Chel go. Zeta let go immediately, hissing in defiance. <P ALIGN=Left> "Zeta want Chel stay! Stealth will run away, Zeta already know!" The dice lowered his head, swaying slowly back and forth on his hind legs and glaring up at Lexx. "Zeta go with her!" <P ALIGN=Left> Lexx was infuriated and turned to Chel instead of yelling at Zeta. "I hope you're happy, just ... stay away from me!" <P ALIGN=Left> Chel blinked and stated flatly, "It's only a game." <P ALIGN=Left> "To you, but to me, it's my life," Lexx retorted viciously. <P ALIGN=Left> "What a pathetic life." The words escaped before she could stop them and they had an immediate effect on Lexx's expression. He was looking at her, but his eyes immediately shifted away and he whispered more to himself than her. <P ALIGN=Left> "It's the only life I have." Lexx limped toward the door. <P ALIGN=Left> Chel didn't say anything to the final comment. Zeta brushed up against her leg. Lexx didn't make it to the door. A loud beeping sound emitted from the walls, followed by the voice of ADIS: "Incoming Message." <P ALIGN=Left> "Shira Lexx." The voice that followed was NOT ADIS. It was distorted and followed by clicking sounds. <P ALIGN=Left> "What's that?" Chel looked up at the ceiling, then at Lexx. He was standing in the doorway and from here, she could see he was visibly shaking. <P ALIGN=Left> "Now ... what?" He murmured and turned, looking at the wall. Chel followed his gaze and realized that a projection of some sort had appeared, opened by the ship itself. It was transparent and flickered several times before stabilizing on the face of some alien looking creature, something far more alien than Lexx. It didn't have eyes, but had a humanoid head. A golden diamond was centered on the head, just above a small mouth. Two nubs that Chel guessed were ears, protruded lower than they would on a human and it seemed to have a bony collar encircling the neck. <P ALIGN=Left> "Hello ... Lexx ... ready for our game?" <P ALIGN=Left> Lexx glanced nervously at Chel. "I have an uninvolved party on board." <P ALIGN=Left> "You know the rules." The alien stated in a monotone. <P ALIGN=Left> "Yes." Lexx lowered his gaze to the floor. "I will be on the planet in five." <P ALIGN=Left> "Excellent. This should be entertaining." The screen flickered and altered to show the view of a forest, coordinates flashing across the screen and strange text scrolled down one side. <P ALIGN=Left> Lexx turned to Chel, frowning. He had no choice. "You want to understand, Chel .. then watch ... and learn." He motioned to the screen, then turned to retrieve his coat. Zeta trotted after him, thinking he was going down with him. "No, Zeta. Stay." Lexx commanded flatly, still limping from where Zeta had bit him. That was going to slow him down. <P ALIGN=Left> "No dice?" Zeta cocked his head curiously. <P ALIGN=Left> "I have the dice I need." Lexx pulled on his coat, but didn't bother with buttoning it. <P ALIGN=Left> "Zeta, what's going on?" Chel sat on the floor against the wall where she could see the viewer better. Zeta sat next to her, resting his chin on her knee. She had a bad feeling about this. Lexx had gone and he seemed very disturbed. <P ALIGN=Left> "Not know. Never see what Lexx do when get call like that. He take other dice, not Zeta." Zeta stated all he knew, then added, "Lexx always come back hurt after call." <P ALIGN=Left> Lexx stood in the field, facing his opponent. He was far more alien than Lexx was, with tentacles for hands and no real joints. The fact that this alien lacked eyes and had only a jewel embedded into the middle of what one might call a face was eerie, even to Lexx, but he had fought with this type before. They were fair. He wouldn't cheat or try anything out of the ordinary. Lexx was confident he would win this battle, but began with the usual, "You know the rules. One on one and then you have to leave and cannot challenge me again, should you lose." <P ALIGN=Left> The alien moved sideways, nodding to Lexx and holding up his hand with his chosen dice in it. "Yes. I am always agreeable to those terms. I've heard you're among the best, Lexx. You handle your dice well and that is why I came out of my way to seek you and challenge before you are unavailable and are retired from the game." <P ALIGN=Left> He was polite. Lexx had to give him that. He's just here to challenge, not anything else. That was good news to Lexx. He reached into his pocket and withdrew his hand. It was filled with multicolored six sided dice, ten of them. "Then let's get this over with." Lexx muttered, scattering the dice at his feet. <P ALIGN=Left> The dice glowed and to Chel's amazement, a similar glow enveloped Lexx as if it were moving on a breeze, ruffling his hair. Lexx left the dice where they were, moving a step back and looking evenly at the other alien. "What's going on… why did Lexx roll THOSE dice? Where's the Dice he's using?" She knew the answer even as she asked Zeta, but it was almost as though stating it aloud would change the reality. Chel didn't understand, but she knew what was about to occur, "God … no!" She raised her voice sharply, feeling the blood burn through her cheeks, that feeling of dread and anxiety that she'd made a horrible misconception. Lexx was one of them. He was a dice, just like Zeta, Stealth and Fly, only at the same time … he wasn't. <P ALIGN=Left> Chel also realized, he'd lied to her, maybe to spare her any fear that she could be turned into a dice. He had said only non-sentient creatures were affected, but he was definitely sentient or maybe, maybe he had started out some dumb creature and the process had made him look the way he did. The hot sensation suddenly descended, directly into her stomache, knotting hard and making her eyes sting at the same time. She blinked and stared at the screen. This was so wrong. She didn't want to see Lexx get hurt. <P ALIGN=Left> "Good rolls, Lexx. This should be challenging." The alien intoned, slithering his form just close enough to glance at what had rolled on Lexx's dice. He then rolled one dice from the cuplike protrusion on his hand, a gleaming purple dice, eight sided. "Onir will be your opponent. He is my most valued dice." Lexx stared at the alien as he went on about how he'd captured the dice. He was stalling. <P ALIGN=Left> Lexx stood patiently. There was an allowed timeframe to do this in without it being considered cheating and the other alien was definitely taking his time. Then, the alien flicked the dice into the air. It glowed brilliantly and landed with a thud that almost shook Lexx off his feet, in the form of a massive living plow. The beast snorted, earthtoned red and brown skin rippling loosely over muscle and bulk. Lexx couldn't identify the species, but he knew if it managed to touch him, he'd be lucky to get out with less than a crushed ribcage. <P ALIGN=Left> The creature pawed at the ground with one forefoot, turning up the soil. It swung its head upwards, the tip of the massive curved horn reaching almost all the way back to its haunches and it bellowed. Above them, birds shrieked at the unearthy sound, taking quickly to the air in a flurry of wings and feathers. Lexx didn't glance up, his attention on the creature. <P ALIGN=Left> "Begin." The other alien intoned, waving his dice forward, toward Lexx. <P ALIGN=Left> With another bellow, Onir charged at Lexx, who stood his ground and glared at the oncoming creature. He had to wait, move too early and he'd have enough room to turn and catch him. Timing was everything. The ground beneath his feet shook and then, at the last possible moment he stepped back, the hem of his coat brushing against the beast as it passed by him. "Power dice?" They were strong, but not agile. "I expected better from you." He turned his head slightly toward his alien opponent, who was watching safely amidst the trees. "They don't see well as a general rule." <P ALIGN=Left> Lexx pulled his right arm back, energy crackling around his hand in green and gold arcs. There was a loud crackling sound as Lexx called out the attack, making sure it was focused properly, "Ball lightning!" The blast bolted from his fist as he threw it forward … and bounced off the beast's thick hide as it responded verbally with the counterattack. <P ALIGN=Left> "Reflect!" Onir may move slowly, but his mind is just as sharp as any other dice. <P ALIGN=Left> The ball of electricity zipped right back at Lexx. He ducked barely in time, feeling his hair stick up slightly as the blast flew overhead and exploded in a shower of sparks against a tree. That was all Onir needed. The dice charged Lexx again, this time catching him in the chest. Now, all he had to do was run straight and eventually he'd run into something and crush him. <P ALIGN=Left> Lexx knew exactly what Onir was going to do, it was his type's way of battling. Bash, crush and ram. Flailing for a handhold, Lexx passed his left hand over Onir's eye and intoned, "Hallucinate!" The effect was immediate at such a close range. Onir bellowed in terror, suddenly seeing something drudged up from his memories as a normal beast. <P ALIGN=Left> Flashing teeth, crimson claws and wings seemed to surround Onir. There wasn't a battle; there wasn't any thought, merely primal reaction. Onir tossed his head and subsequently, Lexx went flying in the opposite direction. Lexx smacked his head against a tree and crumpled at its base, stunned for the moment and feeling a seeping warmth at the back of his head. <P ALIGN=Left> Onir on the other hand, was much worse off. He charged forward and collided with a granite boulder. It chipped, but didn't give as the dice crashed his head into it repeatedly, seeing only a predator that needed to be taken out. Onir's trainer hurried over to him, but within mere moments the beast had already almost worn himself out and was still trying to take out the rock. "Clever … very clever. You win, Shira." He turned, noting that Lexx had gotten to his feet. There would not be a win here. "I would rather not render Onir unconscious." <P ALIGN=Left> "Great." Lexx wasn't about to show that he was in an intense amount of pain, rubbing his hand over his mouth and noting that he'd apparently bit his lip as well when he hit the tree. The back of his head was soaked in blood, along with the back of his coat. That was nice, he'd have a time getting it out later. Head wounds always bled excessively, even with the smallest of cuts and from the feel of things and the nanos reporting damage, it was only a few lacerations from the tree bark. The worst of it was the fact he'd bruised four ribs. With that in mind, he added in relief that the alien wasn't going to press on the battle, even though it had been short and very uneventful, "My ribs thank you." <P ALIGN=Left> <P ALIGN=Left> <P ALIGN=Left> Lexx didn't waste any time. He stepped onto the lift, seething and clutching his sides. It really did hurt to the point that he was having difficult time breathing. The pain had drained away his reservations and opened up a deeper wound. His pride had been hurt one too many times recently. He did this for fun? How dare that human girl insinuate that he did any of this because he wanted to. She didn't understand and he was seething with rage on that point more than any other. Self-righteous human. He wasn't in his usual frame of mind, things had changed. She knew now and he was going to spell it out for her completely. Might as well. Lexx did not like the sense of being angry, the sense of losing control and if he didn't say something now, he knew it'd eat at him for days. He had other things more important to eat at him. Getting this one out of the way would be a relief. <P ALIGN=Left> The lift stopped and Lexx stepped heavily off of it, his coat flapping at his heels as he walked. For a moment, Lexx's thoughts were distracted and scattered at the sound as he imagined what he must look like to the girl. He wanted to make sure she knew he was angry. He wanted to intimidate her. Most importantly, he wanted her to feel just as badly as she had made him feel. <P ALIGN=Left> Chel was standing in the middle of the room, looking down. She tilted her head toward Lexx, but didn't look at him with her eyes, just indicating that she was listening. Her hands were clasped behind her back, fingers nervously clenching and unclenching. Lexx walked up to her, moving stiffly to dull the sharp jabs in his chest. His eyes were closed and jaw set so hard that his neck ached. "Now, do you understand, Chel?" Lexx's tone was low, squeezed between his teeth to quell the building flood of emotion. <P ALIGN=Left> "…No." Chel replied honestly. What else could she say? She knew what she saw, but she didn't truly understand it and after she'd made her accusations, she wasn't going to pretend to figure it all out. It would be better if Lexx explained it and judging by his words earlier and now, he was going to follow up and explain. <P ALIGN=Left> "I'm not playing this game because I want to." Lexx began, keeping his words even and still clutching his sides. To hide his apparent injury further, he began idly stroking his hair with one hand. It gave off a decent impression that he was merely folding his arms in contempt and being thoughtful. At least, that's what he thought he was doing. "I'm playing for my life and this is the last phase." <P ALIGN=Left> "You're part of the game for someone else?" Chel blurted out incredulously. That was it. It made sense now. Someone else was hunting Lexx like he was hunting the dice on Earth. It made sense when it first popped into her head, but why? Why was someone so intent on doing this to Lexx? <P ALIGN=Left> "I'm part of the game for the entire galaxy!" Lexx threw his arms into the air, immediately regretting it as his chest seared and broiled in the added pain of excessive movement. He tilted his head forward and his face contorted briefly in full expression of just how much he hurt. He recovered with draining effort. "The game … you see me playing was the original game. The rich got bored with it. They insisted that they needed more of a challenge…" <P ALIGN=Left> Lexx took a step back, still speaking and glaring at Chel. "That's where I come in. They created new dice that affected sentients. I told you earlier that dice don't, they only affect blank slates, animals. My dice only affect blanks. I would never wish this on another sentient being." He paused to gather his breath and make sure that Chel was following what he was saying. She wasn't looking at him, but she was quiet and her mouth was shut. That was good enough. <P ALIGN=Left> "They picked up the trash of the universe, orphans and those nobody really cared about ended up in the program and still do. It's like what you call an orphanage on Earth, only far worse, because we were supposed to be trained for future jobs and not be a pull on intergalactic society. The Alien Dice Corporation as a gesture of goodwill, charity, took us in, hundreds of thousands of us. They educated us, taught us the game, and taught us things we needed to know. It looks good on the outside and nobody cares what happens to us anyway, just that we have a purpose and aren't a burden to them." Lexx's words came increasingly faster as he spoke, wanting to get this over with, wanting to have it all explained … for the first time. He'd never told anyone all of this. His only friends had been on the Academy and they all knew the same story, but none of them spoke about it. It was mass denial against being a simple toy for a game. <P ALIGN=Left> "I was an unfortunate one who actually got put into the game. Not everyone gets put into the game itself. Some get to work on other aspects of the game, less dangerous aspects. They like putting Risha into the games, because there aren't a lot of us to begin with. We're rare in space, except on the space colonies …." Lexx realized he was about to go onto another tangent and stopped himself, switching immediately back to the original topic, "To make things even more interesting, we are to play the game. Our,…" He paused. "My only chance of freedom from this game to live a life that I set out for myself and isn't charted by the cooperation, is to complete three sets of Alien Dice. This is my third set, so you can see why I need to complete it fast, before someone really powerful shows up. If I'm defeated, I'm a slave for life." <P ALIGN=Left> Lexx didn't wait for Chel's response, although she opened her mouth as though wanting to say something. He went on. "That's also why I chose Earth. It's a fringe world that isn't near any of the main Alien Dice routes. It buys me time to get stronger. Every time I complete a set, they reset my levels and knock me back ten!" He paused again for emphasis, staring at Chel. "To me, this is not a game, Chel." <P ALIGN=Left> A dark shadow passed over Lexx's face as he looked down at the ground, his voice carrying an almost morbid tone to it, deepening and echoing with a hollow almost lifeless edge. He spoke slowly now, weighted down by his next words that he didn't want to say. "Nobody has yet to complete all three. They are either tagged or murdered, because when we fight too long, we don't get reset like Stealth and Fly … we die. The cooperation doesn't want us to live long. They don't want us to succeed. If we succeed, they're afraid that we'll tell everyone that we aren't willing participants, that we signed our contracts as children. That we didn't even sign our contracts. They're afraid of what we might say. <P ALIGN=Left> We're all dead. Every one of us who's been bonded to a dice knows that. They're not going to let us go. Before they got to me, a lot of my kind had another way out." Lexx closed his eyes and lifted his right arm, pulling back the sleeve of his coat and starting to unwrap the bandages he had so carefully wound before around his forearms. "Suicide." He showed the scars to Chel, letting her realize just how futile he'd been in that effort. "Better than being forced to be hunted like animals with the same ending results. I tried seven times this way, but they had already fixed that problem by the time it was my turn. That's part of the reason they injected me with nanites … to keep me alive and from killing myself." <P ALIGN=Left> Lexx rubbed his exposed scars as though feeling them for the first time, remembering how it had hurt. He'd passed out each time because of the nanites, before he bled to death and they had fixed everything. It was their job to fix his wounds as quickly as they could, even self-inflicted. "I can't die. I've tried everything. Poison, drowning, knives… lasers…" He neglected to add that while he had done all these things, he didn't have an outstanding tolerance for pain. There were other things he could have done that might have done the job, but he'd been afraid. Imploding, being crushed, dismemberment; those actions might have done the job but the thought of just how much pain he'd have to endure if he failed was a good deterrent. He couldn't die at his own hand; only someone else's in battle. His only hope was to push to the end and make sure that the finishing blow on him would do the job he couldn't do on his own. <P ALIGN=Left> "My only chance is to WIN or die in battle. I will not be tagged!" Lexx's determination shone through as he swung his arm in the air, grimacing a moment at the pain. Chel noticed it and dropped her head, not looking at Lexx, her eyes searching the floor as she tried to think of the right words. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize …." She began. <P ALIGN=Left> "I didn't want you or anyone else to realize that." Lexx interrupted, quickly beginning to rewrap his wrist. He hated seeing the scars himself, let alone leaving them visible to someone else. "It is my shame for being an orphan." Lexx methodically wrapped the bandage, once, twice, just enough to keep it from sliding off until he could wrap it better. "For being what I am… for getting caught." He looked at Chel, watching her reaction. She was quiet, but he could feel that she understood now. He had achieved what he'd set out to do in making her upset, only now, he was no longer angry and left standing there without anything else to say. <P ALIGN=Left> Chel didn't respond. She had no idea what else to say. She felt she had no right to say anything after her thoughts on Lexx, how she had misjudged him and now, he was standing there, looking at her in a way that made her very uncomfortable, demanding that she make anymore statements on what she thought of him. He didn't have to say it to make Chel aware that's what he was doing. She had really angered him and hadn't actually thought about it. Lexx had taken every comment she'd made about him and the game and not argued with her. She was in the wrong and she knew it. <P ALIGN=Left> Lexx couldn't stand the silence, especially as realization struck him fully. He didn't enjoy it. He thought he would feel better after letting out all of his dislike toward the human's words and hurt her, but now, he felt empty inside. The anger was gone, replaced by a gnawing irritation that he'd just taken out several years of unspent hostility on someone who wasn't even involved and had nothing to do with his life. "Arrrgh!" Lexx yelled, spinning on his heels and turning, the movement making him cringe further and double over. Without another word, he left Chel to think further and end the uncomfortable silence that he now wished had never occurred. <P ALIGN=Left> Silence. Only the steady hum of the engines. It was calming. Lexx inhaled deeply, rewrapping his arm. "I should not have said anything! Stupid, Stupid!" He told himself quietly. Now how would things go? He was stuck with the girl on his ship and now there would be an even more uncomfortable atmosphere between them. "This entire situation is out of my control … and getting moreso." He arose and left the bathroom, thankful he'd closed the door to the sleeping area. "Just need a little rest to recover." He was still gripping his sides as he sat on his bunk. <P> Slowly he kicked off his boots, not really caring where they landed. Usually, he would pick them up and put them away, but for now, they could just sit there. It didn't hurt nearly as much once he stopped moving and made himself comfortable, folding his arms over his stomach and staring up at the ceiling of the bunk. It was reflective enough that he could make out his features easily. His face had several shallow cuts across it from the earlier battle. They were beginning to heal. In a few minutes, they would probably be gone. <P> Lexx laid there, staring. He never liked what he saw. He was frowning, but more than a frown as the lines showed his constant depressive cloud. His eyes always looked back in a hollow lifeless fashion. He didn't like it. Aware as he was of his own situation, he was also aware how much he showed it. <P> Did he really look like this? Is this what the girl saw that made her so quiet? Is this why she wouldn't look at him? That last one was an odd question. He hadn't wanted to look at her, yet, it bothered him that she had stopped looking at him once they had their 'discussion'. Not being looked at was a demeaning thing. You look at someone you're communicating directly with, you look away when you don't want to acknowledge their existence. Inner turmoil. Analyzing his actions, he sighed. He was pathetic. He had begun to feel sad that he had upset Chel. <P> As much as he wanted to push away, Lexx's thoughts and emotions pulled him toward others. He had hated the dice, every single one of them because if Alien Dice had never existed, maybe he wouldn't be in this game. There had been a problem with that, once bonded, the dice were sentient and could think for themselves and some of them were more friendly than others. Zeta was a good dice. He was endlessly loyal and Lexx really did care for him more than the others. He didn't show it often, but there was a reason why Zeta was so … fat. The little sallomandyr got a lot of extra treats and attention. <P> Stealth on the other hand, was a pain. The nosey stealth dice thought she was some sort of grief counselor and would talk endlessly until Lexx was so upset with what she was saying … and the good points she made, that he would just go to bed and lock her out. She was annoying anyway when he slept, always curling up where he couldn't move or across his legs. <P> Lexx suddenly became aware that he was alone. Completely alone. He closed his eyes, feeling a burning sensation creeping through them. He ignored it and began trying to think of something else. The last thing he wanted was to give in to his emotions. They had gotten him into enough trouble when he was in the Academy. You can't trust anyone but yourself. He repeated that to himself, slowly drifting into unconsciousness. <P> <P> Dreaming. <P> Lexx hated dreaming. <P> There was a vulnerability while dreaming. <P> Everything was in shades of grey. Usually he dreamed in color, sometimes in greys with a few prominent colors. This was all grey and dreary, dredged up from old memories. Lexx was aware in that passive state of feeling happy. Laughter filled the area around him, echoing in child-like glee and innocence. Then, he could see the shadowed forms of two and a small child, most likely himself. For the briefest moment he wondered why it was that while dreaming, one saw themselves from outside and not as actually experiencing what was going on. <P> They were there and then, one was gone. His father. He couldn't remember his father from anything other than the viewer files. His mother had saved them for him and it was the only thing he'd been able to keep from his childhood. There was confusion, a lack of real understanding as he saw his mother kneel before him, reaching out to caress a slightly older child. He knew it was him and his mother. Her hair was white, just as he'd remembered it, with streaks of light blue. That was the feature that shone through to him. He couldn't really remember her face, just that she had been crying when she spoke. <P> He didn't understand at that time. <P> "Lexx, your father isn't coming home. He saved the Commander's life with his own." Her voice and those words, what a way to remember her voice. The child was confused. He didn't understand. He was too young to know or grasp the concept of death. He cried because his mother was crying. <P> Then, the child was crying by himself, older and now able to grasp the fact that death meant, they were gone forever. The Commander, the one whom Lexx's father had saved was speaking to him. His form was massive, tall and intimidating to the small child. It had only been a few years. "Lexx, your mother isn't coming home. She saved the station's life with her own." Those weren't the exact words, but that was what Lexx heard. <P> They were gone, both of them. The only family he had known and in the dream he felt the remorse all over again of a lost child in a world he wasn't old enough to comprehend. The only thing the child could ask in emotion and memory: "What about me?" <P> <P> The gripping fingers of hunger wrapped around Lexx's consciousness with oppressive force. It had been a long time since he'd last felt that. He had almost forgot. His shoulders ached and he could feel the cold bands of metal around his wrists. <P> Then, they were there, the towering forms of guards larger than life, roughly shoving a small scraggly form between them. It was Lexx. He couldn't remember how old he was at this time, but he could feel the despairing air that clung to him. One of the guards spoke, "Station rat, caught him in the gold sector stealing rations." Lexx was angry. They accused him of stealing when he was hungry. He had to eat. Did they expect him to just starve to death? He was too young to work and remembered constantly being shuffled to the side by supposedly well meaning providers. They ate his food, sold the things that were meant for him … squandered the entitlements that he would have inherited from his parents. He couldn't speak out and even now, facing the form behind the giantesque desk, he was silent, waiting for a chance to speak. <P> "What do you say for yourself, boy?" The Rishan judge looked down over the edge of his desk with a bored look. Another good for nothing orphan. He didn't care. It was easy to see in his eyes that Lexx was nothing more than a bother to him and the child could easily see that. <P> "I was hungry." Lexx replied flatly, trying not to sound like a weak child. <P> "No excuse." The voice cut unsympathetically through the cloudy memories. "Hand him over to the Educational Services Officer. She will find a good use for him. <P> <P> There was now the feeling of humiliation as the child was turned over to another set of hands. These roughly pushed him and stripped him of the rags that he considered clothing. He was barely able to keep hold of the only thing he owned, … the viewer chips that held the few images of him and his parents. Terrified that they'd be taken from him, he put them in his mouth to keep them safe. It was hard not to yell out in pain as he was submerged in hot soapy water and scrubbed down. It was equally hard to keep from swallowing. <P> Eyes stinging from the abrasive treatment, Lexx had kept his mouth closed and managed. Now, they had dressed him in a light shirt and pants. The cuffs had been removed to wash and dress him, but now they were back. The boy was ushered down a long hall to another room, where he was left alone, standing and still dripping water from his disheveled hair. <P> Another Rishan stepped from the mists, shrouded for a moment until she spoke, her voice icy and disinterested. Lexx didn't look up. He didn't like looking at them anymore, the adults who considered him useless and in the way. "No parents to pay for your education, Shira Lexx?" She read from her viewboard. They had genetically matched him and knew quite well that his parents were both dead. It was more like she wanted to drill it into the boy's head that he was alone. Maybe this conversation hadn't gone exactly this way, but this is what Lexx heard. <P> "No." his own voice was distant, moving further away. <P> "Family?" <P> "No." <P> The Educational Services Officer looked down at Lexx and intoned. "An orphan then. I know just where to send you, but first, we're going to have to do something about your appearance." <P> As dreams go, Lexx was suddenly in his first uniform. He remembered that it was tight and scratchy, but more importantly, he was free of the cuffs. And once again, standing before a desk that was too high for him to see over. He couldn't even remember what this officer had looked like, because he never looked up at him. There was just a voice, a condescending tone that was hollow with words that would have sounded comforting if they had come from someone who actually had an interest in Lexx. <P> "Ahh, so you are Shira Lexx. Pity about your parents. Your scores are among the best on the Galaxy lists." And then, there were the words that would change his life, echoing with ominous forboding as they dropped around him. "We're accepting you into training to assist in the future of Alien Dice. You will receive everything you need, plus a monthly allowance and board in the general dormitories." <P> The words meant nothing to Lexx. He had come to just do what he was told. There was no direction in his life and he felt completely powerless. He had no say in what he wore, what he did or anything. They told him what to do, where to live, how to act and if he disobeyed, he was punished. Lexx retreated inside. It was all he could do and all he remembered of the early years. <P> His room was Spartan and he had only a few things that were personal items, the chips. He still had the chips. He would never let them go. It was all he had of who he was, the only line he had to any reality or normalcy, … that he could no longer remember. <P> Time passed in flashes, other students he knew, brief moments of a good time, but mostly an oppressive darkness. What is the point of this? It echoed in feeling, words and thoughts. There were times he remembered asking himself that randomly. What hope was there? He went to classes and did his work as he was asked to do, but there was not a direction to his life as a whole and that clung to him. <P> Three years ago he had begun this trek, he knew how old he was now, 21 by Earth standards, only 18 by the ADC calendar. Years were much longer on their calendars. Three ADC years ago was when this all had begun, this new part of his life. He remembered being in the room where they were talking about him. "This Rishan is the fifth of our top ten most promising students. He's of age." Lexx didn't quite understand why that was important. "Move ahead with integration." <P> He was taken to yet another empty room. Lexx had become very accustomed to the empty rooms by now. "What is the point of this? Nobody tells me anything…" The thoughts returned and then he saw it, though he never actually had seen it. A small panel slid open in the ceiling above him and a glowing dice dropped out of it. <P> The dice bounced off of Lexx's head and onto the floor. Startled, Lexx jerked aside and tried to see what it was without touching it. There was a glow on the floor. It was the only time he'd seen his own dice and most likely the only time he would. His eyes widened as it shimmered in rays of orange, gold and white and then it struck him. <P> His skin tingled and he felt his hair standing on end, and then there was a searing sensation passing through his body as though energy was moving through him along his nerves. Later, he learned that's exactly what happened and how dice acted upon their hosts. It had hurt more than anything he'd ever experienced. The bonding essentially rewrote his DNA on a somatic level, adding to it all of the information that was required. <P> He remembered falling off the table and almost greatful to be on the cold floor. For as much pain as he was going through, the floor felt good. Dimly, Lexx remembered crying out and clutching his sides so hard that he had cracked his ribs. Somewhere, a voice twittered, "Bad roll. The dice landed on level two. He won't last long after training. Lock level." <P> Locking the level. That didn't really mean what he thought it did. Dice levels were locked on the regular gaming dice for Alien Dice when you wanted to train them without leveling them. Sometimes, this was a good thing, since it made them level stronger the longer they were held back. He had blacked out after that brief bought of clarity. <P> He awoke in a chair, arms and legs strapped down, along with a strap around his neck to hold him still. "Wh'what's going on?! Where am I? How did I get here?!" Lexx struggled anyway, panicking. <P> "Relax, Lexx." Clicking between each word, the Tarsulas came forward. "We're almost done. Then you'll be taken to the training fields." The Tarsulas, a creature that didn't resemble anything Lexx had ever seen moved around him. It was insectlike with numerous eyes and antennae. It's appearance alone was enough to make Lexx shiver,… but what it held in one appendage was much more frightening. It was a syringe with a shimmering silvery red liquid. The only color that Lexx was aware of in the dream. <P> "What is that?" He inquired, knowing what the answer was. <P> "Nanites. Tiny carbon machines that will help you. You will need them." The Tarsulas nodded to Lexx. Despite his appearance, he spoke in a comforting way and was attempting to calm Lexx, but while the tone might have worked, the words that went with it had the opposite affect. <P> "Help me?!" Lexx yelled setting his jaw hard and trying to move to the point that his muscles ached. "Nanites are used for gladiatorial beasts!!" He protested vocally, but the Tarsulas ignored him. Words couldn't stop him, that's why Lexx was strapped down. <P> "And to prevent suicide." The Tarsulas nodded slowly and taking care sunk the needle into Lexx's arm. <P> Lexx yelped, tensing his arm at the wrong moment. The needle struck into the muscle and a feeling like ice dripping through his veins spread quickly. The Tarsulas had attempted to make it as painless as possible. <P> "Why would I want to kill myself?" Lexx inhaled deeply and exhaled the words sharply. He had never had the desire before. Things were not that bad. He was just biding his time until he could get out and do things without being told. Why would he want to kill himself without tasting what life was really like? <P> The memory fixated to a more recent one, just several years ago and it all felt like it was happening all over again. Realization had fully set in. His life was on the line, if he were captured, which was inevitable, he would be a slave, forced to fight despite his lack of desire to do so. He didn't want this life. He was helpless to fight back, so he sought the only way out he could think of. <P> It was warm. Wet. Almost peaceful as it drained. It had hurt every time, but the thought of what awaited him was far more drastic. Vividly he remembered being on his knees, staring at a growing pool of red for a moment that seemed to last years. Then, he was dizzy and passed out. The nanites took effect and forced him to do so. They were programmed to keep him alive, even against self-inflicted wounds. <P> Lexx felt the despair again as his eyes opened and he found himself on the cold floor, lying in a pool of his own blood, weary and alive. He'd failed. He'd failed and he had begun to cry at his situation. There had been many days of pitying himself until he finally decided that if he couldn't die, he should try his hardest to survive and not be captured. The thinnest line of hope laid in the contract. He just had to win. He had to win. <P> It was hopeless. <P> <P> Chel and Zeta could hear Lexx from the other side of the door, Zeta first of all. He scratched on the door until Chel opened it. They quietly stepped into the darkened room. Lexx was on his side, fists clenched in front of him as though trying to protect himself and he was grimacing as though in pain. "Help… Help!" He called out faintly. <P> "Lexx, are you alright?" Chel hesitated, but stepped forward, laying her hands on Lexx's arm and gently shaking him. She wasn't sure if she should interfere, but she couldn't just stand by. <P> Still caught in his dream, Lexx flinched, "Stop it! Don't touch me! Leave me alone!" He yelled, trying to push her hands away and in the process, opening his eyes. Breathing hard, he stared at the girl, noting that he had just been dreaming. She was just concerned. He could tell. He could also tell that she was still touching him and he was shaking noticeably. "Chel…" He growled in a warning tone. "Remove your hand…" <P> "I'm sorry." Chel took a step back, Zeta whining at her heels. <P> "Lexx ok? Zeta make Chel open door." Zeta stretched his neck as far as he could, just looking at Lexx. <P> Being the center of attention was not something that Lexx enjoyed. He sat up and said nothing, simply catching his breath and regaining his bearings on the situation. "It was just a nightmare. I'm fine." Lexx murmured, staring at the floor. <P> Chel sat down on the far side of the bed so she wouldn't be invading Lexx's space and nodded. Zeta hopped up on the other side and laid down so that his head landed on Lexx's leg. He looked up and thumped his tail in a doglike fashion until Lexx relaxed and scratched his head. <P> "Do … you want to talk about it?" Chel inquired after a moment's silence. <P> "I already did." Lexx responded, looking up and at Chel. He wasn't angry, but didn't feel like being rude. Things had changed. Oddly, telling her everything earlier made it easier to be around her. His barrier had been broken, not by her, but by himself and now he couldn't hold it up. She knew things now that others didn't. Now, he couldn't help but regret how he'd treated her earlier. She did seem to really be concerned about him and maybe a little bit of concern wasn't a bad thing. It catered to his selfish side that didn't get the opportunity to want things for himself and only for himself. She was genuinely concerned. <P> Maybe it wouldn't hurt to talk or have her around, at least as a dumping ground for his feelings. She was a new outlet. A new way to get rid of the pressure he was under. She was still an annoyance, but now she had a use to Lexx. If she was so interested in what was going on, he'd just tell her. Who would she repeat it to? What did it matter? He just had to keep her in the status of an object. Keep her from touching him. She had a thing about touching him that he couldn't understand. <P> Even in the few times she had, it had always been because either she was seeking some sort of security or trying to make some sort of connection to interfere with his thoughts, and it did interfere. She didn't realize how dangerous it was to do that, the things that Lexx could see and sense as part of his bond with the dice. One might call it a type of extra sensory perception. How can you be angry with someone, when you know without any doubt that they don't have any motive other than to comfort you, when anyone else would be after something? <P> When someone is afraid, how do you resist the need to make them feel secure? When they mean well, but just don't know, how can you hate them? It was worse than playing with fire, because these were things that could get past his own resolve to keep the girl away from him. He wished she'd never caught him. He wished he'd run into her sooner. <P> <P> How long before she would realize that he knew things she didn't say? How long before it became a two way road? <P> <P>