"Yes."
"What did you see?" he asked carefully.
"There are no animals here. One would think that a forest has animals or insects at least, I haven't found any."
"Do you miss the insects?"
"I do miss the insects, a little. I miss a lot of things much more."
The alien looked uncomfortable and said he was leaving. "I brought you some carrots. I know it takes a long time for them to germinate."
"That is kind and thoughtful, thank you. They are my favorite, and I will try not to eat them at every meal," said Suki smiling. "That should make them last longer."
"Is the food sufficient for you?"
"It is sufficient and good, but I am missing some protein. I used to eat beans and since I am not a vegan I can also eat cheese and eggs, but I have not seen any chickens, cows or goats."
"There are some ?" said the alien and he stopped. "I'll see what I can do." He turned and quickly left.
"It was good we captured Subject #30 before he did any damage," said The Manager. "Do we know why he ran?"
"He is not happy in the forest village," said Mckcy. "He is looking for something."
"Why is that? Is the village not big enough?" asked The Manager looking at the records. "Where was he from?"
"He was taken from Philadelphia but I believe he was born in Italy. Just remember he was taken almost eleven years ago. Maybe being frozen for ten years has made him unsettled."
"Hmm, we wouldn't bring a Subject like him any more. He had a large family, was successful in his own business and his feelings seem to be more extreme than the others Subjects. With that type of personality he is not a good candidate."
"I am sorry he got that far," said Mckcy.
"No Mckcy, you were on it quite promptly. Did Subject #78 see anything, Ickcy?"
"She did not. I delivered the carrots, as we agreed, and took the opportunity to ask her about it. She was not in the area when we apprehended #30," said Ickcy.
"How is she progressing?" asked The Manager.
Ickcy wanted to ask for beans, or eggs, or cheese, all of which were available in other places, but he didn't want to press his luck so soon after the carrots. He couldn't show favoritism. "Subject #78 is doing better. She is now taking care of the garden well."
"Good. The Experimenter wants to see her."
"Already?" Ickcy knew that meant a nighttime visit.
"Yes, Subject #78 has been here almost two weeks. Is she still not eating the fish?" asked The Manager.
"Yes and that will be a problem," said Ickcy. The fish were fed a chemical that induced deeper sleep in the humans. "On the other hand she seems to be sleeping well."
"Maybe, but that sleep is not deep enough for the tests the Experimenter wants to run. You better add some of the chemicals into her drinking water."
"Into the lake?"
"Of course not, into her water pitcher."
"That means I will have to go down again."
"It should be easy peasy for you," The Manager looked at him as if he had stated the obvious.
It was obvious, but Ickcy didn't like it.
Chapter 8
"So you came to visit so soon?" She smiled. She was starting to warm up to this alien. She got the feeling that he really seemed to care.
"Yes. I happened to find some beans for you. I think they are called pinto beans." The alien put the bag on the table.
She rushed to inspect them. "Wow, these are pinto beans. My diet will be much better. Now I just need the carbs."
"Carbs?"
"Carbohydrates; all part of a balanced diet," she explained what that meant. "You understand?"
The alien swayed.
She smiled realizing it was his way to agree. "You know, if I wasn't a prisoner in this weird planet and all alone, I would actually enjoy this place."
"Is there anything else you need?" The alien moved around the room.
Suki found that interesting. He had not shown interest in anything in the cabin before. Usually he was in a hurry to get away. What was he up to? Or maybe he was looking for something.
He stopped near kitchen table. "Do you have enough water?"
"Yes. Would you like some?" She took the pitcher from the table and served him a glass.
"I don't drink plain water."
"Oh, I'm sorry. Of course you don't. Do you drink anything?"
"Our nutrition is a drink. It is mostly ethylene glycol with a dash of water added. We don't need to ingest anything else. It is simple so we don't spend a lot of time in the production and consumption of out nutrition." The alien stopped as if realizing he was talking too much.
He looked towards the water. "My name is Ickcy."
"Ickee?"
"No it is a softer ending."
"I like it. Ickay. All right, Ickay. Are you looking for something?"
"I am going to put a chemical in the water that will help you sleep."
"Really? But I sleep pretty well already."
"We need to run some tests and those are done better while you are asleep."
"Tests? What kind of tests?" She was worried. She had seen many science fictions movies and knew about horrible tests.
"These tests won't hurt you and you won't have any effects from them."
"I can't be awake for them?"
"I don't think the Experimenter will like that."
"So you are not the Experimenter?"
"I am the Overseer. My job is to make sure you are all right."
She thought about it for a moment. They were going to do this to her anyways and it was better to not be forced. "Go ahead, put the chemical in my water. I trust you Ickcy. I will drink the water."
He left soon after she drank the water. She didn't feel any different and she thought again about the man she had seen across the lake. She went out to the porch and looked around. Of course there was no one there.
She decided she wanted to take a closer look so she went to the dock. She had seen a canoe tied there. From her previous test, she knew she had about an hour before Ickcy monitored her. She set the alarm on her watch.
The manual had instructions about paddling a canoe, but the process was very simple and she quickly understood what to do. She climbed into the canoe carefully and sat down. She stuck the paddle into the water and pulled. The canoe turned in that direction; heading back to land. She quickly took the paddle out and paddled on the other side.
Now she was facing the middle of the lake. It took several more tries before she started in the direction she wanted. A bit later she started to enjoy it. By the time she got across the lake she had minimized the splashing and the canoe was moving in the directions she wanted. She paddled across the lake to the place where she had seen the man.
The tall grass was pressed down in one area and that is probably where they struggled. That was good, she thought, that proved she had not imagined it. She looked around for anything else that would validate what she had seen, but there was nothing else and time was running out.
She got back on the canoe and paddled back. She didn't want the aliens to know what she had seen. As she got back to the cabin she was not discouraged. She had seen a man and now she knew she was not the only human on the planet.
Ickcy couldn't believe she had finished the water right in front of him. She had watched him put the chemical in the glass and she had finished it. It was truly amazing that someone would trust him to that extent. He didn't know if any of his fellow Neubulisskys would trust him that much. Of course, now he felt even more responsible for her.
He went to inform the Experimenter that Subject #78 would be available tonight. The Experimenter was one of those self-centered, female scientists.
"Fine," she said, barely acknowledging him.
He started to leave.
"Wait," said the Experimenter. "Is she in good health?"
Ickcy wondered why she was asking. Would the testing be more rigorous if she was? "She is better. She was not eating much fo
r a while and I found out she is a vegetarian."
"What is that?"
Ickcy explained what that was.
"Hmm. That should not affect my studies, it is irrelevant."
Ickcy prepared to leave and then asked, "Can I watch you work tonight?"
The Experimenter looked at him as if he were insane. "What is your name?"
"Ickcy."
"Ickcy do you have a High degree in Humanity?"
"No, but I got a Middle degree in Human Psyc."
She chuckled in a condescending matter. "A Middle degree in Human Psyc. Well you are entertaining Ickcy. I tell you what; I will let you watch tonight. I understand how you Overseers are curious about the important work we do."
"Thank you Experimenter."
"You can call me Dr. Lctch."
"Thank you Dr. Lctch." He turned to leave.
"Ickcy?"
He stopped.
"You understand this is a one time deal, don't you?"
He swayed and left her lab.
Chapter 9
Ickcy waited patiently for Dr. Lctch. She had told him to get there an hour ago, but obviously she was not ready. Even as they boarded the transport she had turned back noticing she had forgotten something.
"This is a very complicated process," she told him as an excuse. "There are many things I have to take to test the Subjects and of course I cannot leave anything down there. The Subject might find the items and play with them and get injured."
She obviously did not think much of the Subjects.
They arrived close to the cabin just as the larger moon was setting. He helped Dr. Lctch carry some of the equipment into the cabin.
She noticed his help, but didn't thank him.
When they entered the cabin, Suki was fast asleep looking very peaceful.
Dr. Lctch had him put one of the monitors close to Suki and started to attach wires to her. She stirred a little, but didn't wake.
Then Dr. Lctch recorded information. Next she took out a long needle and stuck it in Suki's arm. Suki moved around a bit and Ickcy was almost afraid to watch, but Dr. Lctch did not seem concerned. After a while she said, "Ickcy, make yourself useful. Bring that monitor close to me."
He recognized this as brain scanner. He did as requested and then she asked him to take the other the monitor back to the transport.
"Do you want me to do this right now?"
"Yes, of course."
He did so reluctantly wondering how Dr. Lctch had ever managed without him. These tests would take her a lot longer without his help, he thought. When he returned to the cabin, she was almost finished.
"Okay, let's go," said Dr. Lctch yanking off some of the leads.
"Hey," said Ickcy concerned about waking Suki up, but she was still in deep sleep. The place where the needle had gone in would leave a large purple mark. Maybe Dr. Lctch should have been a bit gentler, he thought as he followed her to the transport.
Dr. Lctch seemed very happy on the trip back to the station. "I did everything I needed in record time," she said.
Ickcy just looked at her and she must have finally noticed.
"You were quite helpful you know," she added. "You did not get in the way and you didn't bother me at all. You did a good job."
Ickcy knew he was expected to thank her for such a non-compliment and he did. Then he asked, "Will you be going again soon?"
"Why do you need to know?"
"Subject #78 does not ingest the sleeping chemicals in her normal diet. I have to add them to her drinking water. Maybe you want her awake next time?"
"No. That would be terrible."
"She knows about us, you know. I have to interact with her often."
"I guess that is true, but still, I rather keep my objective distance from the Subjects."
"I see. Are you worried you might develop some feelings towards them?"
She laughed. "I don't think that would ever happen. No. The humans are nowhere close to our intellectual level. Even if their feelings are similar to us, it would be as if a human befriended a fish or a lizard."
He swayed in agreement. He knew that having similar feelings was the reason to select the humans. In fact he had noticed that humans felt some things more strongly than they did. But he had also read that some humans did have fish and lizards as pets and considered them friends.
Chapter 10
Suki's head was pounding the following morning when she awoke. She rolled over and noticed that her arm hurt as well. She found the bruise and it made her angry that they treated her like a test subject.
What were you thinking, her logical mind scolded her. Had she thought that she could befriend that Ickcy character and that things would be fine? That the aliens would let her go back home? Ha, ha, ha, her logical mind laughed.
She took a long shower hoping to wash away the bad feelings and when that didn't work, she took the canoe out to the lake and attacked the water with her paddle. A couple of the fish followed the canoe at a safe distance.
"I thought we were friends," she told the fish. "Isn't friendship supposed to mean something?" She didn't ask her logical mind because she knew that part of her brain was still laughing at her gullibility.
She got part of the way around the lake when she realized she was hungry and went back to get lunch. She also had to spend some time tending the garden so it was several hours before she went back to the canoe.
This time she had brought some lettuce, which she threw in the water for the fish. They ate the lettuce hungrily. "I guess you are my best friends now," she told them and they looked like they agreed.
When she arrived to the furthest point on the lake, with her two fish entourage, she noticed the sun was getting low. She turned the canoe around and that is when she saw the lights twinkled through the trees. They seemed to be coming from more than one location and they did not seem far. Could it be? Were there more people out there so close to her?
Should she investigate? Or would Ickcy show up and drag her back to the cabin? The manual had not said she couldn't go on the lake or if there were any areas forbidden to her, so she was not breaking any rules, but still, she wanted to play it safe. She paddled back to the cabin.
She was hungry and ate well, but she could not sleep that night. She was worried they would come back and prick her or probe her or whatever. She curled up on a chair, holding her pillow and dozed off for brief periods through the night. At one point she walked onto the deck to look over the lake and noticed that the white moon did cast a lot of light. She could canoe at night, she thought, if she needed to.
Ickcy was worried about Suki. He had been viewing her closely throughout the day. Normally he set his viewer to cycle through the Subjects on a set schedule, but today he spent more time on Suki.
At one point she was paddling the canoe with frenzy. She didn't seem to have any destination and then returned to the cabin. The next time he checked, she was feeding the fish in the lake. He paused for a moment to watch her. She seemed to be such a gentle creature.
The missing page of the binder was delivered to him finally and then and he realized that it was an important page. It warned the humans not to go further than two miles in any direction. They did not want the humans in the Alone Project to accidentally mingle with other humans and contaminate the experiments.
If the humans broke the rule, strong actions were promised. Hmm, thought Ickcy. He didn't think it applied to Suki. The entire lake fit within the two-mile boundary and she did not venture further than that. But, she needed to be aware of the rules. He would take the page down with him on his next trip.
In the evening, when he checked on her the last time before going to rest, she was holding her pillow, but she was not in her bed. She kept rubbing the dark bruise on her arm and seemed afraid of sleeping.
It made him angry. He knew this was going to happen after Dr. Lctch's experiments, but it didn't make it any better to know that. He left his station annoyed and rushed out into the hall.
He almost ran into Mckcy.
"I'm sorry Mckcy."
"That's all right. Looks like you're in a hurry."
"A bit, but I'm more angry than in a hurry. Dr. Lctch's did some testing on my Subject #78 and now she is not sleeping. She is afraid to."
"That happens sometimes. Is it the first time it happens to one of your Subjects?"
"Actually I have not noticed this with my other Subjects. They seem to be all right. I think Subject #78 has a very delicate nature."
"She is the vegetarian, isn't she?"
"Yes. I saw her feeding the fish in the lake today. She called them her friends."
"Hmm, she is part of the Alone Project so maybe that is to be expected?"
Ickcy looked at her not understanding.
"Maybe she is transferring her feelings for friends to the fish. She has no other companions. Of course I don't have a High Degree in Humanity so I couldn't tell you exactly."
"What you say makes sense to me." he said as they started walking down the hallway.
"It is nice that you care about your Subjects so much."
"We are responsible for their well-being, it is our job."
"Yes, I agree. That is why I am worried about Subject #30. I don't know what I am going to do with him. He is very depressed."
"Why was he running away from the Forest Village? At least he has company there."
"I don't know. We teach them to be self-sufficient and anything they can't grow or catch, we give them. They live for free in comfort. It would be a great life for one of us if we had it."
"Really Mckcy? Would you change places with Suki?"
"Is that Subject 78's name?"
"Yes."
"Well no. I would not change places with her. She is alone and I don't think I would enjoy that. I might change with one of my Subjects in the village. That would not be bad."
"So you wouldn't mind being monitored throughout the day, having no privacy and having everyday very much the same as the previous day?"
"Hmm," said Mckcy.
"And you would have to stay within your designated area and not meet anyone else besides the people around you," continued Ickcy. "Think of that."
"Wow Ickcy, when you put it that way, it sounds terrible. And it also sounds a lot like our jobs."
Chapter 11
Ickcy came to visit the following day. It was late in the afternoon and Suki was still angry. She didn't greet him.
"How are you Suki?" he asked.
"Fine. As well as can be expected for being a prisoner and a test subject. Have you come to make me drink more sleeping chemicals?"