Captive

by Hannah Steenbock

  “That’s impossible. We’re the supreme race!”

  “He can’t be as smart as we.”

  Shabs smiled and allowed them to protest a little.

  “You are my crew. I am proud of you. I have chosen you because you do not hate Choomans. I think many of you have a soft spot for them.”

  Quite a few heads nodded.

  “So test your hearts. Are you protesting my assessment because it makes you uncomfortable? Because it makes you feel wrong?”

  Several of them sighed. Most nodded again.

  “I’m not going to change much here right now. It’s too complicated, and I am responsible for you, as well as the Choomans living here.”

  Zell could sense the relief in the room.

  “But I want you to start treating our Choomans with respect and care. Watch them with an open mind. Try to see them as Rraussha with soft skin and hair. You will be amazed.”

  They just stared.

  “Can you do that?”

  “Yes, Master,” several said immediately. One of them, however, stood.

  “But Master, if they are just like Rraussha, isn’t it wrong to Breed them? Isn’t it wrong to keep them as pets?”

  Shabs walked through the room, making himself one of the crew. “Yes. I believe it is. However, we can’t simply stop running the Sanctuaries and we can’t just set the Choomans free. They wouldn’t know how to survive, and we would just be poor.”

  Several heads nodded.

  “But we can turn the Sanctuaries into something else. Zell and Girma gave me the ideas, however, as Master, it is my responsibility to make them work.”

  Now they looked at him with something like adoration, and even the chained Rraussha seemed fascinated.

  “We can turn the Sanctuaries into places that produce exquisite goods. You know the little Gora they keep? We thought they were their pets, but they have been making amazing things from their fur.”

  More stares.

  “Now what if we can help them make more, and sell it? Or find other skills our Choomans have? Or skills we can teach them? Skills they can teach us? Think about it. Think about the wonderful, rare goods we can produce here, if we start working together.”

  “It would be much better than producing children in the Sanctuaries and taking them away from their mothers.” Girma drew all eyes to her. “Because that is very cruel.”

  Sighs echoed around the room.

  “I have seen how the Breeders suffer when we take the little ones,” one female Rraussha offered. “I have never liked it.”

  Murmurs agreed.

  “I say, we try this idea of the Master.”

  Shabs took a very deep breath. “There is one more thing. If this works out well, I may allow pleasure among Rraussha and the Choomans here. Under one condition: Both must agree and enjoy it.”

  Silence fell. The crew members looked at each other, stunned.

  “I want you to work as a team, with each other and the Choomans. No force. No cruelty. And it is my goal to create an environment where everyone can be happy and productive. Let me tell you this very frankly. We need the Choomans as much as they need us.”

  Zell grinned a little. Humans probably didn’t need the Rraussha, he thought, but since they were a fact of life on this world, it would be smart to cooperate. And lift each other up.

  Several of the crew began clapping their hands, and everyone followed, until the entire room was echoing with the sound. Zell hoped it indicated enthusiasm, and the way little purple spots appeared on Shabs’ skin confirmed it for him. The Rraussha jumped on the table in the front of the room.

  “Do we have a goal?” Shabs roared.

  The Rraussha stood. “We have a goal!”

  “Do we have a dream?”

  “We have a dream!”

  “Do we make it work?”

  “We make it work!”

  Shabs spread his arms. “You are the best. Only you can do this. Go out now, and start thinking about ways to make that dream come true. We will meet again tomorrow to discuss ideas.”

  With excited, glowing eyes, the crew filed out of the room until only Shabs, Zell, Girma and the chained Rraussha were left.

  Shabs walked to the Rraussha and just looked at him.

  The skin of the prisoner turned dark again.

  “Master, please. I want to be a part of this as well. I’m begging you.”

  Zell had never seen a Rraussha this close to crying. He had no idea if they even could.

  “Really?” Shabs shook his head. “You did something that would have resulted in the death of many Choomans.”

  “I didn’t want that, please believe me. At first, all she wanted was some information. And then she wanted a child or two.”

  Shabs paled.

  “She said it was for a good home, really.”

  “And you put the home on the approved list.”

  The Rraussha nodded.

  Girma sighed.

  “What else?”

  “Stud service.” The Rraussha’s voice was a whisper.

  Shabs nodded. “That makes sense.”

  “And then… and then she told me about my sister and ordered me to cut the Fence. I didn’t want to, I really didn’t. But she gave me a message from my sister, begging me…”

  Zell got the answer to his question. Rraussha could cry. Large tears welled up in Ssursha’s eyes and rolled down his face.

  Shabs sighed. “I’m going to ask you to do something very demanding. If you can manage, you can stay as part of the crew.”

  “I’ll do it. I’ll do anything!”

  Shabs shook his head. “No, don’t promise until you know everything. Because you would prove your loyalty best by continuing as that lady’s spy in my business. While telling me about every move she makes.”

  The Rraussha’s mouth dropped open. After a moment he closed it again and sniffled.

  “I’ll do it. And if she kills me for it, so be it. I have lost my honor anyway.”

  Shabs himself opened the shackles.

  “Now, of course, I need to punish you, so the rest of the crew won’t get suspicious.

  Ssursha nodded in understanding.

  “So you’ll pull double duty for a month, and you’ll clean gueep pens in the destroyed Sanctuary, too. The Choomans will show you how to do it.”

  “I’ll do it. Gladly. And I’ll whine about it.” The Rraussha managed a weak grin.

  “And you will complain about the beating you got. When you go back on duty the day after tomorrow.”

  Ssursha dropped to his knees. “Yes, Master, I will. Thank you.”

  “Until then, I’ll lock you up in my house.”

  “Yes, Master.”

  Chapter 22

  “I really hope it works. Turning around a spy is always a tricky business,” Shabs said once they were safely in his personal rooms.

  “Do you also think it’s Ssasssal?” Zell couldn’t shake the memory of those green eyes.

  “Yes.” Shabs sighed. “My little spy probably doesn’t know her name.”

  “Could she really kill his sister?”

  “Not in cold blood, no. But I’m sure she could arrange an accident or something.”

  “You know, I’ve always wondered how Rraussha deal with violence. Or if there are punishments that involve physical violence.”

  Shabs shook his head. “Rraussha who are violent or injure another Rraussha are punished by losing status. Possessions are taken away, jobs lost, contracts canceled, that kind of thing. Of course, if murder is proven, the punishment is execution.”

  “I see.” Zell grimaced.

  “I’m sad to say that most violence is aimed at Choomans, since there is no punishment for that.” Shabs looked depressed.

  “Let’s talk about something else, please.” Zell tried hard to shake the images from the execution that rose from memory again. “Have you seen Ssheyrra lately?”

  Shabs shook his head. “She’s busy with new data, she said.�
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  “Ah, well.”

  “Are you getting bored?” Shabs grinned at him.

  Zell laughed. “Yes, I am. Girma is visiting another Sanctuary, I suppose?”

  “Yes, she’s in Number Three. They are breeding Goras.”

  Zell sighed. “I need to get back into shape. All this lounging around and eating is making me fat and slow.”

  “I can show you the exercise room.”

  “Hmmm. It might be fun to compare our strength.”

  Shabs laughed. “I might surprise you there.”

  When they came back from the exercise rooms, Zell’s arms and legs were trembling. Shabs had indeed surprised him. Even though they were roughly the same height, with the Rraussha standing just a little taller than Zell, Shabs was most definitely stronger.

  And it bothered Zell more than he had expected. Which meant he had exerted himself more than he should have. He gave Shabs a dark look, and the Rraussha laughed.

  “It isn’t fair,” Zell grumbled.

  “It’s not your fault, either,” Shabs said. “I wish Ssheyrra were here to explain. It’s something about having a different protein structure in our muscles.”

  Zell continued to glare at Shabs, mostly because he enjoyed teasing the Rraussha into being happy.

  And Shabs did indeed laugh some more. “I suppose I won’t be able to keep you out of that exercise room from now on. Except maybe if I send Girma.”

  Zell had an image of them making love on one of the exercise machines and couldn’t maintain the grumpy facade any longer. Shabs grinned at his explosive laughter.

  Both of their laughter faded immediately, when the door opened and Ssheyrra stumbled into the room, her skin color pale with dark blotches.

  “They kicked me out of the facility,” she stammered. “They deleted all my data. Decades of it… just gone.”

  Zell reached her first and pulled her into a big hug. She was trembling all over.

  “No backups?” Shabs asked.

  Ssheyrra lifted her head from Zell’s shoulder. “There may be. I did take data home to work on it all the time. I brought all my data sticks, but I had no time to look through them.”

  “That’s good.” Zell held her tight.

  “I lost everything today.” Ssheyrra’s voice broke. “No income. No status. They kicked me out of my home a few hours later. I had to come here, Shabs. I have nowhere else to stay. And my being here will hurt your status.” She trembled uncontrollably.

  Zell just held her.

  Shabs took a deep breath. “That’s easily solved. I’ll make you part of my crew. My chief of research.”

  She stared at him. “You would do that?”

  “Of course. You’re an old and dear friend. But what happened for them do throw you out?”

  It took quite a while of incoherent hissing before she could speak again. Zell endured the claws on his skin as her hands tightened in fury.

  “The blighted regenerator. I showed them how I had recalibrated it for Choomans, and they said I had no right to do so and was misusing hospital supplies. Regenerators are too precious to waste on pets.”

  “Healing me got you into trouble?” Zell felt rage rising in him.

  “Yes.” Ssheyrra sagged a little.

  “I’m sorry.”

  She lifted her head to look him into the eyes. “I would do it again, Zell. It was the right thing to do. I could not not do it. It hurt me so much to see you in pain. My heart almost stopped when I saw you collapse after fighting that beast. There was no way I could have let you die.” Her hands held him in a fierce grip.

  Zell smiled at her. “That is love, Ssheyrra.”

  She froze. “Love?”

  “Yes.” He kissed her cheek. “What you just described is love.”

  “Blessed Ancestors.”

  Despite his trembling limbs, he picked her up and carried her to the large bed, not letting her now how much it cost him. She was much heavier than he expected.

  “I think they were waiting for an excuse to throw you out. Your findings aren’t exactly popular, are they?”

  “No, they are not.” She sighed.

  Zell gently laid her on the bed and stretched out next to her. He could hear the door close, meaning that Shabs was giving them privacy. He ran his hands over her skin, relieved that it was already regaining some color. He kissed her, then bit her where he knew she liked it.

  “Zell…”

  “Yes?”

  “I’m a nobody now. Why are you doing this?”

  He pulled her close and ran his nails over her back. “Because Rraussha status means nothing to me. You, on the other hand, mean a lot to me.”

  “Is that love, too?”

  He smiled. “Yes.”

  She breathed out on a long sigh, and finally started reacting to his caresses. “I had no idea.”

  “I love your brilliant mind, I love your curiosity, I love your willingness to abandon traditional thinking, and I love that you’re finding love for a Chooman,” Zell whispered in her ear, as he employed his nails to arouse her even more. “And I’m learning to love your body.”

  She purred. “I’m learning how to use my body to make you enjoy it.”

  He bit her some more, and she raised her hips to him. He tapped her smooth entrance. “I thought so. You can shift your well, right?”

  “Within limits. I can adapt it to your shape. And it’s very satisfying to do so.”

  “Please show me again.” Zell grinned as he slipped his member into her, and she laughed with delight.

  Moments later, she started massaging his member, and he moaned, overwhelmed with desire. She held him tight, wrapping her legs around him, not letting him do his usual thrusting. Instead, she worked him inside her, and it was more exciting than anything he had experienced yet.

  “Holy stars, Ssheyrra…” She took him beyond words just after that, and he shuddered and moaned from one gasping release to the next until he started to see stars indeed.

  “Please,” he managed to pant. “Please… stop.”

  She had mercy on him, but she took the time for her own release before opening her well and letting him go.

  Zell collapsed next to her.

  “I love you, Zell.”

  He smiled, happily, groggily, before his body dragged him into an exhausted sleep.

  Chapter 23

  The repairs of the Fence had started. Sshirr was on the outside, guarding the repair crew, when Zell, Girma and Ssheyrra took Ssursha to help with the gueep.

  Zell pointed him out to Ssheyrra. “That’s the Enforcer I met the other day. Sshirr.”

  She nodded. “He looks fierce. And I heard him warn Shabs that you are dangerous and should be kept in chains.”

  Zell shrugged, not trying to hide his misgivings. “I told him I’m loyal to Shabs and no danger at all. But he’s a Hunter and has fought and killed other Wild Ones. He doesn’t trust me.”

  “He’s a Hunter?” Ssheyrra stared. “I don’t understand why Shabs hired him.”

  “They are old friends, it seems.”

  “Still. Thanks for telling me about him.” Ssheyrra grimaced. “People like him are my worst enemies. They understand that Choomans are intelligent, and they usually delight in feeling superior by killing them.”

  Zell sighed. “That’s what I was afraid of. I’ll keep an eye on him, especially as he totes that weapon.”

  “Good.”

  Girma and Zell went to remove the pile of half-rotten tubers that had been the bait for the megaboar and came back to lean on the wooden fence of the gueep pen. Ssheyrra and Ssursha were inspecting the enclosure, and one Uncle had been willing to come as well, to explain how they worked with the gueep. The animals were in dire need of food, and the enclosure was littered with their waste. It stank less than Zell expected, though.

  The gueep enclosure was near the outside Fence while the little houses where people slept were located closer to the center, allowing easy access to the hub building,
as well as being away from the animal smell.

  “So what do you do with the wastes?” Ssheyrra asked, with Zell listening intensely. Taming animals was a fascinating idea, one he wished he could share with his Tribe.

  “They are important,” the Uncle explained. “You see, we can’t let the gueep run free because they would eat our gardens. They get their food here. But we want their waste to fertilize our plants, and so we take it from the pen and pile it there.”

  Zell looked where he pointed and saw a pile of manure and drying plants. “Why don’t you put it directly into the garden?”

  The Uncle smiled. “That is a good question. But we found out, long ago, our ancestors did, really, that it works better if we let it all rot for a year. We mix the manure with the weeds we pull from the gardens, that is, those we don’t give to the gueep, and of course, our own waste goes there as well.”

  Zell blinked. This sounded much more complicated than he thought.

  “Waiting a year for it all to break down makes all the wastes safe,” the Uncle continued. “Because body wastes may not be safe if there has been illness.”

  “Yes, I know that.”

  The Uncle looked at him curiously. “Where have you lived that you don’t know about gardens?”

  Zell sighed and just pointed to beyond the Fence. The Uncle’s eyes went wide. “A Wild One?”

  “Yes.”

  The Uncle nodded a few times to himself. “That explains why you dealt with the megaboar and how you did it. And yet, you are here.” His eyes moved to Zell’s collar.

  “Yes.” Zell closed his eyes against the pain of not living in the Wilderness anymore. Then he reminded himself that he was loved by Girma, Ssheyrra and Shabs, and took a deep breath. “I belong to the Master now.”

  The Uncle just nodded some more, simply accepting the statement. “So, we need to clean the pen. I will lock the gueep in their hut, and then you will shovel the manure onto this plastic sheet and drag it to the pile.”

  The Uncle limped to hut, shooed the gueep inside with slow movements of his arms, and shut and bolted the door. It seemed extremely easy. The Uncle returned with four tools that Zell had never seen. They looked like a wooden board on a stick, except that the wood was curved somewhat.