Paradigm Shift

Chapter 8

"Get away, Dr. Watson!" Rachel panicked as she saw Artemis bending over him—Dr. Watson, only sitting at the edge of the chair, looked to Rachel with baffled eyes. Artemis craned his neck to reveal newly applied bandages to Dr. Watson's ankle.

"Emma, what the hell happened to you?" Dr. Watson grunted before frowning at the lacerations on her arm.

"It's nothing, Doctor," Artemis lifted his head, answering for Rachel. 

"Artemis, my son," Dr. Watson began to praise, "you truly are my greatest creation." He lifted his wrinkled hand and stroked the fine, yellow hairs on Artemis's head. The Android raised his gleaming eyes to Dr. Watson.

"Why are you here?" The doctor sneered beneath his brow. Freezing, Rachel stumbled on her words. What does he mean? Why, why would you ever say such a thing?

"I was just checking up on you, father," Rachel's deep hatred for Artemis boiled under her skin, "I never liked Artemis, anyways, and you always understood that, so when I tell you how dangerous he is to our mission—"

"I'll tell you you're just acting jealous." Dr. Watson interrupted. He slowly looked up to her with emotionless eyes.

Emma Rachel's lip quivered with anger and sadness—she stood there, on the verge of crying; Peter being too stubborn to acknowledge his faults, and Artemis being too simple minded to understand—or at least pretending to be apathetic.

—-

"Are you feeling any better, Taylor?"

Celene Anders carefully draped a wooly blanket over his tense shoulders and guided him to sit on the bed. Taylor practically busted down her door in attempt at getting her attention—and to Celene's surprise, when she opened her door, found him shivering on the cold metal floor.

He started stuttering out of shock—"I-I-it-it-s-s-something tr-tr-tr—tried to k-k-kill-k-kill me. It-t-t—w-w-was—it was-s-s. . ." It was Artemis.

Shhh. . .Celene tried to comfort him. . .take a deep breath and relax. . . "All will be alright. . ." She patted his cold body down, rubbed his shoulders—and gave him a cup of warm milk. He took a sip; his hands still twitching.

Very shakily, Taylor tried to speak again, "there is an alien aboard this ship." He turned and faced Celene who equally stared wide eyed back. At that moment, Taylor saw exactly what Celene was thinking plastered right on her face.

Taylor was the killer.

"No!" He suddenly yelled, "no, I know what you're thinking, and it's not me! Ok? I haven't killed anyone nor have I let any foreign—!" Celene quickly got up and scrambled out her door, leaning against the hallway wall for support. Taylor jumped from the bed and aggressively sprinted around the corner of the door frame and tackled Celene—he pushed her against the wall and hissed into her face.

"It's not me! Okay?"

Celene squirmed, tilting her head, "NO!" Taylor pushed her again.

"there is an unidentifiable organism on this ship! It's the killer!"

"Stop!" Taylor let go of her as she threatened to scream. Celene pushed him away and straightened her shirt.

Bewilderment etched across her pale face. "Well, we have to tell Dr. Watson about—"

"No!" Taylor hissed again, "if we tell Dr. Watson, he'll leave us for dead on another planet, or worse, kill us on site. I don't know about you, but I value my life." He pushed her against the wall again, tightly grabbing at the base of her neck. His head scanned the area once more before turning back, leaning in, whispering, "we have to figure out who it's going to kill next. Who else is on this god damn ship that it might go for?"