The darkness in Eva's mind vanished in an instant, replaced by brilliant light. Her heart pounded in her chest and she gasped for air feeling like she was unable to take a deep enough breath. As she glanced frantically around the room and slowly came down from the sudden rush she started to become aware of her surroundings.

 

She was sitting in a chair, her hands were bound to armrests by buckled straps and her ankles were bound to the frame. Her flight suit had been removed leaving her dressed in her thermal top and leggings. An intense lamp was in front of her aimed into her eyes which blinded her from seeing most of her surroundings. She could not see much past the glaring ball of light but the way her gasping breathing echoed off the walls suggested that this was a room not built for comfort.

 

There was a pinch in her right shoulder and she turned her head in that direction in time to see a needle, presumably the reason for her sudden awakening, being pulled out of her skin. It was held by a large man who stepped back behind the glare before she could notice anything more than his intimidating size.

 

​"Welcome back, Ms Hawkins." a softly spoken man's voice said from behind the light, "We have some questions for you. If you answer them to our satisfaction you might get out of this room alive."

 

"We?" Eva asked while trying to keep her voice as calm as possible, "Who are you?"

 

"You may call me Saito, Ms Hawkins." the voice replied, "Now, what is such a large UEE fleet doing this far out on the fringe?"

 

"We figured we'd go on a sight-seeing tour of the outer worlds to look for a nice beach planet to relax on." Eva replied, her voice thick with sarcasm.

 

The man sighed, "Very well, you have made your choice. I had hoped to conduct this interview with some civility. Prepare her for interrogation, Calum."

 

At the command the large figure of the man who had injected her stepped back into the light and walked up to her. She squinted up at him, being barely able to make out much more than his silhouette. A dull thud resounded through Eva's head as the man punched her hard across the side of her face. The world seemed to start spinning and darkness consumed her again.

 

She awoke to icy cold water being tipped over her head, spilling over her body and chilling her skin deeply. She gasped loudly and the sudden movement sent a stab of pain through the left side of her face where she had been hit. She was still bound to the chair but she noticed that her thermals were gone.

 

She had been stripped down to her underwear and wires had been connected to her arms, legs and stomach. She followed the wires as they led back to a device that rested on a table nearby to one side. Standing at the table was a short man in an expensive looking business suit. He looked at Eva calmly and when he spoke Eva recognised the voice as the man who had identified himself as Saito.

 

"Ahh you're awake. Good, good." He flicked a switch on the device in front of him before continuing, "Now Ms Hawkins, let's try this again. What is your fleet doing this far out into space?"

 

"We're hunting space whales." Eva spat at him. He smiled at her and pressed his index finger onto a button on the device. Eva's entire body jerked as if every one of her muscles had been struck by a hammer simultaneously. She tried to scream but all that came out was a strangled cry. The shock lasted a few seconds and when the man's finger came up off the button Eva's body slumped in the chair.

 

"Alright, I'll tell you!" Eva yelled at Saito. He took his hand away from the device and stepped closer to her, his expression eager at the possibility of the intel she might spill. Eva looked up at him and stared directly into his eyes and then laughed before spitting in his direction managing to get a good splatter on the man's suit.

 

Eva caught a flash of rage in Saito's eyes but she was not given any time to enjoy the small victory. Pain flashed across her shoulder blades causing her to yelp loudly as she was struck from behind by something long and thin that bit into her flesh. As the sharp biting turned into a burning line she felt warmth trickle down her skin. She had momentarily forgotten about the larger of the men, who had apparently been standing quietly behind her waiting for a reason to lash out.

 

"My colleagues believe that interrogations are more successful if conducted with drugs designed to coax people into telling the truth," Saito said as he made his way back to the table, "but I am guessing that they trained you to resist such tactics in your training. I find that when dealing with trained captives that the more.... classical methods yield the best results."

 

Eva glared back at the man as he spoke, finding the calm tone to his voice unsettling. She watched as he turned a dial on the device on the table and pressed the button again. Her brain was unable to process anything as the current coursed through her body. It was as if a white flash of pain filled her entire being and consumed her. When it ended she slumped forwards in the chair, her throat aching as if she had screamed though she couldn't remember consciously doing so.

 

"I would like an answer to my question, Ms Hawkins."

 

Eva kept her head down and did not respond, her mind still reeling from the electrocution. After a moment of silence she was snapped back to attention by another strike across her back causing her to arch her body and cry out in response, snapping her mind back to the moment.

 

NEXT ENTRY: Retribution