Chapter 8

Reana clings to Jeff. Their tiny desert town is overrun with giant mutant cockroaches infested with space parasites.

As Jeff leads the way with Reana clinging to him, Reana is chanting to herself under her breath, "Don't faint... Don't faint… Just don't faint..."

Jeff pats her hand reassuringly, "You're not going to faint."

Greta and Melody, both wearing white lab coats, exit the front doors of the urgent care center and walk up to them.

"What is it you require," ask Greta.

"Our testing capabilities are limited," explains Jeff, "We simply don't have all the necessary equipment at the house for all the necessary tests we need to perform."

After a pause, Greta responds, "You require additional equipment? You wish to take equipment from here for your use?"

"Actually," Jeff informs Greta and Melody, "We were thinking it would be easier to just work out of here. There are people like yourselves to assist us when needed. Some of the equipment is too large or fragile to remove from here anyway. The conditions here are more sanitary. Plus, we'll be able to ask for more specimens as we need them."

Another brief pause, then Greta responds, "This is acceptable. Follow us inside."

Greta and Melody look straight ahead as they walk. They pass other people in white lab coats with the same empty vacant looks on their faces. Reana is trembling nearly uncontrollably as she clings to Jeff. Her eyes flit from neck to neck where each person has a newborn kitten sized roached attached. There are also cockroaches of various sizes scurrying to and fro. She finds herself twitching with the urge to stomp on the ones small enough to stomp on. The larger ones just make her want to scream. They finally enter a pristine lab.

"Is the Reana going to be functional and productive," ask Greta. "If not, we can attach..."

"No," shouts Reana. "I'ld rather die than have one of those things on me."

"Many feel this way, including the Greta," says Greta. "Even now, the Greta is screaming."

"Greta's conscious," questions Yvette.

"Quite conscious," answers Greta. "She's seeing and hearing everything. One's with addiction problems like the Melody think they are having a bad trip and are waiting to wake up.

The queen is afraid the Reana will be unproductive and distracted if she is not controlled."

"I will definitely be unproductive and distracted if Reana is controlled," Jeff informs Greta. "She'll be fine. We just can't have any critters scurrying about. Once we get to work, she'll be focused and productive."

And just as Jeff said, once Reana is working, she is focused and productive.

"Everybody keeping their eyes peeled," ask Jeff as they're driving to the urgent care center for the third day in a row.

"Yep," answers Brian.

"I don't know, Jeff," says Reana. "I don't see anything that could point us in the right direction."

"Me neither," adds Yvette.

"Maybe we should try asking them," suggest Steve.

"Yeah, sure," says Brian sarcastically. "All we have to do is say, 'Hey, where do you keep your queen? We're trying to figure out how to destroy you.'"

"We would all end up with a roach attached at the back of our necks, screaming, trapped and going mad inside our own heads," says Yvette shaking her head.

"Not if we ask nicely," says Jeff tapping on the steering wheel as he thinks. "It just might work."

"Jeff," questions Reana concerned and afraid.

Jeff takes her hand and squeezes it reassuringly, "We can ask. We can ask to see where they crashed, collect soil samples and rock samples. And if that's not where the action is, we ask to be taken to where their breeding takes place. We need to get soil samples etc. from there too."

"You really think it could work," ask Yvette.

Jeff shrugs, "All they can say is no. But if they say yes, we have to commit everything to memory. It's not like we'll be able to take notes."