I must have fallen asleep after having my breakdown after Dad left the house. My throat was still sore from yelling about him to come back. The fact that I didn't see him meant that he really didn't come home. It's all my fault... he hates me and it's all my fault. I sniffled, knowing that he probably never wanted to see my face again. I just stared at the ceiling trying to figure out what to do when I realized that the ceiling looked a little weird. I turned my head and lifted my hand up. I was met with exceptionally clear glass and frowned. I pushed the glass and it lifted up, suddenly being taken from my hands and sliding back. I made a face at that and sat up, looking around.

Oh no... not again...

I was on the ship again and I began to hyperventilate but then I remembered that horrible dream from last time and calmed myself down. There had to be a way to tell the dream apart from reality... this couldn't have been reality because I was right there with my mom... Think, Max...

"This has to be a dream." I said out loud, my voice scratchy. I frowned. "Just a coincidence." I looked down at my stomach to find that it wasn't there. I pulled my shirt up and saw that my stomach was flat. "Exactly. A dream."

Now that I knew I was in a dream (a very unusually lucid one – then again, most of my dreams were pretty self-aware...) I grabbed the side of the weird thing I was in and pulled myself over the side. I fell to the floor in a heap, my legs feeling like they were built for a newborn flamingo. I struggled to stand, grabbing the side of the containment thing I had been in and standing until I felt confident I could walk. After a little bit I was finally able to grab my bearings and stumbled to the wall where a door slid open for me. I was met with the annoying too bright lights and iridescent walls and threw my hand over my eyes to shade them from being blinded.

Once I was able to adjust to the lights, I started walking down the hallway. I have no idea where I'm going, I just know I want to get off this ship and I'm friggin hungry! I only had that one bowl of chili last night and then I went and had a meltdown like some ninny... I sniffed the air and I could smell something like hamburgers or some sort of meat in the air and so I followed it. I finally found the door panel where it was coming from and went to the small button on the side. I pressed it but the door didn't open. I frowned and pressed it again. Nothing.

"God dammit, motherfucker..." I grumbled, hitting the button continuously. "I'm fucking hungry." I growled.

I suddenly heard a gasp behind me and I turned around finding an alien in disguise as a woman behind me. I pointed to the door.

"Yo, can you open this?"

"K-Koete'kov fertanifi tangberiata ate!**" she said with wide eyes.

Good job, brain. You even made them talk like they did on the ship. So this was a nightmare? I don't know...

"I can't understand you. I just want food." I pointed to my mouth, opening it. "Food. Eat. Hungry." I chomped my teeth to help with the charades.

"Ehai?" she asked, gesturing for food.

"Yeah, whatever." I said, nodding.

I thought she was going to turn tail and run but she seemed to study me for a moment. I studied her as well. Why was she walking around like a human? Because it's a dream, idiot. I told myself, forgetting that this was a dream and my mind would do what it liked. After a few moments, she gestured for me to come closer to her. I debated it but leaned over and she pointed between us.

"Secret? Tellene kialen nem kore ara maien koete."

"Yeah... secret... Shhh." I said, putting my finger to my lips.

She nodded and then pointed at the floor. "Tarto koneit."

"Stay here?" She nodded. "Okay, works for me."

"I get... um... fuh-ood?" she said, gesturing.

"Yup, food. That's it. Sure, I'll wait here."

She went over to the door and waved her hand over the button. A hidden panel showed up behind it and she typed in a passcode and then hit the button.

"Ooooh, so that's how it works..."

I waited for her to come out, looking up and down the hallway for anyone else coming. Odd... Damn it, Max, it's just a dream. But god are they so lifelike... A few minutes later, the lady came back out with a cup of goop and I made a face at it.

"What the fuck is this Jell-O?"

"Food."

"This is Jell-O."

"Fooood."

"Jell-Ooooo."

She huffed and grabbed my hand, pulling me down the hallway. I was freaked out by the smooth almost slimy feeling it had but we stopped in front of a wall and she waved her hand over it, another hidden panel showing up. She typed in something and a screen that looked like X-ray film came out. She pressed some button and looked at me from the other side. She started talking.

"This is the food you requested." A voice said.

I yelled and she threw her hand over my mouth... I think... oh god... it's a slimy tentacle... I started to hyperventilate again.

"Do not scream. I am trying to help." I nodded and the slimy tentacle went away, becoming her hand again. "You asked for food, this is food."

I leaned into the weird contraption.

"Um... that's Jell-O?"

"Um... Ehogy'azko Jell-O?" came from the other side of the screen and I brightened.

Holy shit, a translation machine!

"What is this Jell-O you keep saying?" she asked.

"It's that. What is that?"

"It is nutrients and vitamins you need to survive. Do not humans eat such things?"

"Yeah, but, like, in a banana or a steak or something. Let me guess, you weirdos don't have taste buds."

"A 'taste bud'? Is it a flower?"

I opened my mouth and pointed to my tongue. "We have little hairs or something on our tongues that define taste. Do you not have that?"

She did the same thing. "I cannot tell. Can you see them?"

I tried not to laugh. So it was obvious they didn't know what taste was... okay... I guess medical Jell-O it is...

"Gimme that." I said, holding my hand out.

She handed me the medical Jell-O and I ate some of it. It was actually pretty good. It reminded me of this weird Korean jelly stuff I had a restaurant once. It was at least edible, so I ate it.

"I know this is a dream but why are you disguised as a human?" I asked.

She gave me a funny look and then made another face. "We... have found the human form is a very versatile form. It makes tasks a little easier for us. I was granted clearance to turn into this form."

"What, you guys gotta have a license to fuck with people's minds?"

She frowned. "We are not 'fucking' with your mind."

"Is that what you call the things you've done to me? Not being fucked up? I mean, really?"

"I do not know what they have done with you. I am not on the science division. I am an engineer."

"Well, here's to you, lady." I said, toasting my cup of Korean jelly to her. "Glad they don't discriminate up here in ole space-a-roo."

"You are a very... uh..." She moved away from the screen. "Syreretahi esa mauhalas."

"Am I so bad you actually had to say that in whatever language this is?" I said with a laugh.

"Yes."

"Well, seriously, lady, like I told that one guy, if humans came to your planet, plucked you out of the blue and started experimenting on you without your consent then wouldn't you be a little angry and upset?"

She thought about it for a second. "We... were not experimenting on you."

"And you keep saying stuff that is blatantly the opposite of what you've been doing. It's pissing me off."

"All I know is that they have not been experimenting on you, they have been perfecting you."

I stopped eating. "What?"

"That is all I know, Max Taylor."

I heard footsteps behind me and turned quickly.

"Shit, I have to go."

"Koete'kov megaermeg nem kore barhea."

I suddenly felt like the weight of a planet was on me, my energy drained. Fucking little bitch... I leaned on the wall and got as close as I could to the panel.

"Fosozmeg kia kicesiti koete. Manako taz En koete."

"We need you. Please understand."

I started to lose my senses and then I felt myself slide down the wall.

********************************

I gasped, opening my eyes. I looked around for a minute and realized that I, again, was not at home. I started to panic, trembling hard, when I felt a familiar hand on my arm. I looked over and saw Dad was sitting next to me, looking at me in worry.

"Hey, it's okay..."

"Dad?" I said, my throat feeling dry.

"Yeah, it's me. I can answer pop quiz questions for you if it would-"

I launched up and hugged him as hard as I could... and apparently as much as my stomach would allow. Dad put his arms around me as well and I grabbed at his shirt.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to make you hurt...I was so scared... I was scared..."

"It's okay, Max-"

"You keep saying that but it's not! Okay? It's not okay, Dad... It's just... it's not..." I suddenly felt flushed and I laid my head on my dad's shoulder. "I don't feel good..."

"All of that stress and crying caused your body to throw you into a fever. You've been battling it all night. Luckily, though, while I was out, I met someone that's been trying to find us."

"Someone... someone wants to help us?" I said, feeling my arms go weak but I held on to my Dad. "Don't... don't leave me..."

"I'm right here, Max. You're going to have to let me go for a second."

"No... no, please, don't leave me..."

"I'm not going to leave. I'll be right beside you the whole time, but Dr. Bluewater can't help you if you don't let go."

"That's a stupid name." I said, as dad helped me lay back down.

I heard someone chuckle on the other side of me and looked over, finding a man about my father's age with gray hair in a ponytail on his shoulder and kind blue eyes.

"Hello, Max."

"Hi..."

"I've been looking all over this town for you. The hospital called me when you first arrived to have me take a look at your blood for a second opinion. I thought it was fascinating and so I came to Grand Marquis to try and see you in person; but then no one would tell me where you were. Everyone acted like you didn't exist. I finally got someone to tell me what was going on and they showed me the paper."

"You're gonna experiment on me, aren't you?"

"Definitely not. It just so happened that I met your father at the bar I was eating at. They were being unusually harsh to him and when they said a um... phrase to him, I realized who he was. I bought him his drink and told him what I'm telling you. I'm here to help you, Max, in every sense of the word. See what's going on, give you what you need, monitor you... everything you've been denied up until now."

"You're suspicious." I mumbled.

Dr. Bluewater laughed. "You are your father's son, that's for sure. He said the exact same thing."

"Your mother went to Tracerville to see if he checks out as to who he says he is. We're taking every precaution." Dad said.

"In the middle of the night?"

"She wanted to get it done before she went to work. You... wouldn't let go of me and she told me what happened after I left." I saw Dr. Bluewater leave from the corner of my eye. "Max, I don't hate you. You know that, right?"

"But... but..."

"Listen to me now and keep it in your head: I love you with everything in my heart. I told you that once before but I want you to keep it stashed away. The things those aliens do to you that uh... 'feature' me are things that I wouldn't dream of doing to you. You're my son... my pride... It hurt me more that they are using me to hurt you. Whatever the reason, they seem fixated on using whatever feelings you had for me when you got abducted to make me seem like a bad person. It was just... painful to know that... to know that my image was causing you such confusion and pain."

"I'm sorry I felt that way in the first place."

"It's over and done with, son."

"If it's not too much trouble, I'd like to at least get vitals? I'll do nothing else until your wife has confirmed everything." I heard Dr. Bluewater say.

"Yeah..."

I felt the thermometer go into my mouth and a blood pressure cup slide of my arm. I was breathing heavily, feeling like I was underwater. The doctor took the thermometer out and made a sound.

"Not good."

"What's wrong?" Dad asked.

"He's got a 104.6˚ fever."

"And... you're saying that casually because?"

"It's odd for him to suddenly get a fever like that. I mean, the stress would cause a rise in temperature and such but a fever this high... His body is doing something else..."

Dad's phone rang and he let go of my hand to answer it. He walked away for a second and I whimpered, feeling alone again. He came back and held my hand again.

"Well, Geneva said you checked out so... Do what you need to do."

Dr. Bluewater clapped, scaring me. "Great! I am so excited to see what's going on. Sorry for the mess of the place but no one would allow me to set up shop when I told them what I was here for, so I had to improvise."

"I see."

I felt someone else touch my forehead and opened my eyes a little, seeing Dr. Bluewater.

"I'm going to try and get some answers for you, Max."

I smiled a little. For once, that's exactly what I wanted to hear and I actually got it.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

**TRANSLATIONS WILL BE POSTED AT THE END OF THE STORY SO AS TO NOT GIVE AWAY PLOT BUNNIES.