None responded to that. I tried another tact. “So the baby’s Hive. Then what? You take my baby and I go home?”
“The breeding program was successful more quickly than expected.”
“Breeding program?” I stared at him, eyes wide, mouth hanging open. I felt like a horse. Bride program was one thing, but this? Hell no.
“Your future usefulness will be determined when you are delivered of the Hive infant.”
“And until then?” I wondered, not willing to prod him for more information on that.
“Until then, you incubate Subject Zero-One.”
“Incubate what?” Had they just assigned my baby a Hive designation? Named him? My stomach roiled, and I lifted my hand to cover my mouth as I gagged in panic. Their strange words, strange scientist-medical jargon had made me feel cold inside. But naming my baby? God, that made me sick. Scared. I backed away from them until my back hit the cold, sterile wall.
They turned as one and the door slid open. “We will return with nourishment and other garments to cover your body.”
When I was alone, I stood there. Stunned. Amazed. Confused. Afraid.
Then I got mad. I went over every inch of the space, the first room.
“Incubate Subject Zero-One, my ass,” I muttered, searching for some kind of communication device. Some kind of weapon. Something.
“Breeding program. My future usefulness. Ha!”
It took me awhile to realize there was no escape. I had a bedroom, not unlike Rezzer’s on the Colony. I had to assume I was no longer on the Colony but some Hive place or planet or moon or whatever. All I knew was that I had a bedroom and a medical room all of my own. I was a breeding vessel for the first Hive baby, and they had no intention of letting me keep it, or even keeping me alive once it was born.
Unless it was to breed.
That was not happening.
I had two-hundred and sixty-four days to figure out how to get the hell out of here. I just had to hope that Rezzer took a whole hell of a lot less time finding me and getting me, and our baby, the fuck away from the triplets.
I hoped he came soon. And I hoped like hell his beast was ready to tear this place apart.