text: She woke up before her alarm and after not enough sleep. Years of routine had conditioned her to be up and out of bed, dressed and ready for work before her brain even consciously engaged. She functioned on an autopilot born from long experience and repetition. Recently that autopilot seemed to be breaking down. Everything felt difficult, slower, more painful. Things she had done without thought or hesitation for years were now challenges. She got out of bed reluctantly. At least this time she remembered her injured leg. Or at least lack of leg. She had been using the prosthetic for two months and was gradually getting used to it. She looked at herself in the mirror. A scarred tired looking woman approaching middle age, her short messy dark hair had some grey in it. Her olive skin looked rough and dry. She was fit and well muscled although she had gained some weight lately. She smiled sourly at that thought. She'd lost weight too. A legs worth. She wasn't the type for introspection or self pity but she was starting to think that might change. She had nightmares about the words 'Medical Discharge'. If she was booted from the agency she didn't know what she would do. It wasn't as if she loved her job but she had been doing it so long she had no idea what else there was. It wasn't just the leg injury. Having your leg bitten off by an angry land octopus was bad but hardly her first line of duty injury. She had been the sole survivor of her team on three occasions. That was an agency record. People didn't want to work with her anymore. She was bad luck, bad for morale. Rumour had it that Jurado no longer bothered learning her team mate's names. The truth was she had never bothered. She was an experienced if unremarkable operative for the agency. Her skills would not be hard to replace and her recent Injuries and failed psychological assessments meant she was a prime candidate for discharge and everyone knew it. Her salvation came in the form of budget cuts and the new prisoner. The agency didn't have the budget to train many new recruits, they didn't have the numbers to waste field agents on admin duties and right now they had a job no one wanted. The agency had captured a bio mech queen after managing to down a hive ship. The queen, six feet of hissing cadaverous cyborg zombie nightmare, had surprised everyone by being a model prisoner. She was cooperative to the extent of actually being helpful. Everyone was suspicious but so far the information provided had been accurate and useful. Despite the queens surprisingly friendly demeanour she provoked instinctive horror and revulsion in most humans. The agency scientists said it was a mix of pheremones and psychic backwash. Agency commander Carter thought it was because the bio mech were just creepy AF. The creatures used people as food and spare parts. Just being near one felt like being naked in a room full of scorpions. Even the agency scientists who were desperate to learn more about the biomechs were reluctant to be near her. Although the agency successfully concealed the biomechs existance from the general population a few ex agency staff had gone to work for Hollywood using thinly disguised Biomechs in scripts for sci fi shows giving the creatures a ridiculous swedish sounding name and silly catchphrases. It had the helpful effect of making occasional public sightings be written off as overenthusiastic cosplay. Royalties from the TV shows also boosted agency funding. New agency recruits were often disappointed at how derivative the biomechs seemed compared to their well known fictional cousins. Indeed over exposure in fictional media made the whole concept of the agency seem cliched. It was excellent cover. Carter's problem was that the prisoner engendered such revulsion that even the most level headed agent had to fight the instinct to pull the trigger on her. The biomech queen was a hugely useful intelligence resource, too valuable to lose but she needed a handler, a combination of liason, guard and bodyguard. Jurado was the only member of the team who was seemingly unaffected by the queens aura. There were a number of unflattering suggestions why this might be. Jurado needed a job. Carter needed somewhere to put the unpopular injured agent. It was perfect. Carter got the base doctor Kelly to certify, under protest, that Jurado was fit for light duty. Since then Jurado had spent the last two months in close proximity to the biomech. She escorted the alien to and from briefings and medical appointments. She sat by her cell in case any overzealous agent came looking for payback for the many who the biomechs had consumed. The Queen went by the name Elsa. She didn't actually have a name just a designation but after her capture her armour had been confiscated and someone had given her a Frozen T shirt to wear as a joke. The name had stuck. The Queen didn't seem to mind. Carter had hoped it might make the six foot super strong flesh eating killing machine seem less intimidating. It did not. Elsa seemed to react well to Jurado's company. The biomech were a hive species and she seemed to like having a new drone. Jurado was also enjoying the light duties. Because of her injury Jurado spent most of her guard duty in a folding chair seated well out of arms reach of the cell. She tended to fall asleep. On one occasion she was awoken by Elsa throwing a book at her to alert her that Commander Carter was about to walk in. After that Jurado began bringing her laptop and setting it up outside Elsa's cell so they could watch TV. They were currently watching 'Gilmore Girls'. It baffled the base psychologist Dr Kelly. It baffled Jurado too. She actually began looking forwards to the long night shifts spent watching TV with Elsa. Biomechs didn't sleep. Staying awake all night with Elsa actually helped Jurado sleep when she returned to her quarters. No more insomnia and fitful day napping. Jurado started visiting Elsa when she wasn't on duty. The guards thought it was weird but were more than happy for Jurado to relieve them. Jurado wasn't the curious type but out of boredom one evening she asked why Elsa was being so cooperative with the agency. She certainly did not seem scared of her captors. Elsa had laughed her wet hissing laugh. "I spent 2000 years as hive queen making every decision for my drones. My people do not have the concept of a day off." "This is a holiday for you?" "This is retirement for me." "But you are helping your enemies." "Ha! Humans are barely enemies. You are lunch and spare parts! No offence. My biggest threat was always rival hives. No, I'm happy here." Elsa stretched and not for the first time Jurado found her gaze pulled to the way the aliens powerful body arched against her thin shirt and drawstring pants. She even liked Elsa's pervasive warm bleach odour. She reached into the tub of popcorn she had wedged between the cell bars and her hand brushed Elsa's smooth grey claw. She found she was in no hurry to move her hand away and instead left it resting in casual contact with the biomech. Not acknowledging it. Not thinking about it. Definitely not holding hands. Jurado's sex life had been a matter of conjecture on base for some time. She'd never been seen to hook up with anyone. Don't ask, don't tell really don't want to think about it was the general consensus. The reality was Jurado had never been that interested in sex and losing her leg had not helped. So she was surprised to find herself having intimate thoughts about Elsa. It was actually nice to realise she could still feel that way even though the cause was a little offputting. She had seen Elsa naked at medical check ups and that image of mottled grey white flesh and dull grey implanted cybernetics haunted her in a very different way to how it haunted the medical staff. People noticed Jurados closeness with the prisoner earning her the knickname of 'Elsas girlfriend.'. Valentine's day some joker left a card by Elsa's cell. "So they believe we are romantically involved?" Asked Elsa. "No it's just a joke. Obviously they don't really think we're an item." "Why not? You are quite attractive for a human." Elsa reached between the cell bars and ran a finger down Jurado's bare forearm where her fatigue shirt sleeve was rolled up. Jurado kept very still. "Bio mechs reproduce asexually." Said Jurado hesitantly. "I was not suggesting we try to reproduce. " Elsa smiled thin grey lips peeling back over ceramic fangs. Jurado quickly changed the subject. Jurado had regular medical check ups with Dr Kelly to ensure prolonged exposure to the Biomech wasn't affecting her. "Is it possible she could be influencing me? " Jurado asked reluctantly during her check up. "Influencing you? To do what?" " They've got psychic powers right? It's how the hive communicates. Could Elsa be controlling me?" "Unlikely. Elsa's influence is limited to Biomech drones and anyway that part of her brain was damaged in the crash. I doubt she could even influence a drone to get her coffee right now let alone a human." "Right..sure.." "Why do you ask? Has she tried to get you to do something?" "Uhhh...not exactly..I..uhh" Jurado was too old and too mean to feel this embarrassed but she was also a professional. If there was even a chance she was compromised the doctor needed to know. "I've been having romantic thoughts about her." She blurted. "I thought that was just base gossip. Is it true you do it in the showers?!' "No!..well not with Elsa...look I just need to know if she is controlling me." Jurado spent the rest of the day undergoing medical tests. Elsa was also brought in for testing. The smirk on her face suggested someone had told her why. Jurado reported to Commander Carter. "So all your tests came back negative for alien influence. She's not controlling your mind. Your cholestrol is a little high though. Elsa's tests confirmed she is psychically neutered interesting side effect to that is apparently her sexual instincts are resurfacing." "Oh?" "Jurado, two weeks ago Elsa asked me if I had ordered you to flirt with her. She was concerned I was pressuring you to get close to her.." "Oh." "She was very happy when I said I wasn't." "Oh." Carter rolled her eyes. "Dismissed." Woman her age did not blush Jurado told herself as she went to see Elsa. "Well that was awkward." said Elsa teasingly "Dr Kelly says I must address you as sweetheart now. Or cuddlebunny." "Can we just pretend this did not happen?" "Of course cuddlebunny." A few weeks later Carter and Dr Kelly went to check on the prisoner and found Jurado seated in a folding chair alongside the cell. There was a tub of pop corn wedged between the cell bars where they could both reach it. Jurado was asleep against the bars drooling slightly with her head resting against Elsa's shoulder. The big biomech sat on the other side of the bars watching 'Greys Anatomy." on Jurado's laptop with the sound low. "Asleep on duty?" Whispered Kelly "She's not on duty. I think this is date night." "Kind of cute." "Doc, she's made of people parts." "Aren't we all? " "Honestly I don't care what or who she is made of so long as she keeps giving us information." Jurado woke from her doze and jumped to attention as Kelly and Carter entered. "Relax Liutenant. I just wanted to tell you because of her ongoing cooperation were moving Elsa to guest quarters. Elsa you'll still only have limited access to non classified areas with an ankle monitor and lieutenant Jurado will escort you but I see no reason why you shouldn't have more comfortable quarters. Jurado you can help Elsa settle in." As they departed Kelly looked at Carter "Did you just tell them to get a room?" 'I suppose I did.