AWOL

by Traci Harding

  ‘Easy on the merchandise.’ The Valourean in charge grabbed Swithin by the chin. ‘This one is almost too ugly to stud as it is, best not to compound the issue.’

  ‘Did she say stud?’ Yasper queried aside to Leal.

  ‘You, on the other hand.’ Her eyes turned to Yasper. ‘You are quite the stallion. I predict you are going to be a very busy boy.’

  The women of the AMIE crew were led from the Phemorian craft straight into a cell block and separated into three cells. Jazmay was imprisoned with Fari; Kassa and Amie were thrown in together; and Kalayna and Ayliscia were shoved towards the third cell.

  ‘I don’t see why I am restrained,’ Kalayna grumbled as she was shoved through the door of her prison. ‘I don’t have a Power!’

  ‘Then you wouldn’t be on this crew.’ The Valourean closed the cell door between them, but Kalayna continued to plead her case through the small barred window in the door.

  ‘I’m not on the crew!’ she stressed. ‘I was kidnapped!’

  ‘Irrelevant,’ the Valourean assured.

  ‘What are you going to do with us?’ Kalayna jumped at the opportunity to ask.

  The Valourean backed up. ‘That is for General Prochazka to decide, but I feel sure it involves pain and death.’ She grinned and returned to the cell block exit with the rest of her battalion.

  ‘No way! You gotta let me talk to someone! I’m just an innocent bystander! Please!’ When the exit door closed behind the guards, Kalayna turned back to see the displeased look on Ayliscia’s face. ‘Not to worry.’ She crept over to whisper, ‘You used to work for their SS, didn’t you? Do you know the specifics of this cell?’

  Ayliscia frowned, confused by Kalayna’s sudden swing in mood from completely distressed to total control.

  ‘Panicked and disloyal means less of a threat,’ Kalayna quietly explained the scene she’d just made.

  She didn’t know Ayliscia at all; they’d really had nothing to do with each other before this moment, but if there was one thing Phemorian women admired was strength and willpower in other women.

  Her beautiful stern expression melted to indifference. ‘This is a psychic containment cell,’ she advised in an equally hushed whisper. ‘The entire block cannot be exited via psychic means.’

  ‘Surveillance? Visual, audio?’ Kalayna looked about the sparse room that was entirely white and padded.

  Ayliscia ticked her head towards the back corner. ‘To focus on the cell doors, the blind spot is in the corner beneath.’

  Kalayna immediately moved to said position, where the toilet was located and as Ayliscia nodded, she took a seat.

  ‘If you want to cry about your situation, go ahead!’ Ayliscia told her plainly. ‘They will be listening to everything we say.’

  ‘This is all your fucking boss’s fault!’ Kalayna took that under advisement and changed the topic, as she began digging into the padded waistband of her trousers. ‘I didn’t ask to be rescued from the space corps, you know?’ Kalayna began pulling tiny tools out and laying them on the toilet cistern behind her.

  ‘You ingrate, good-for-nothing.’ Ayliscia approached Kalayna and leaned in towards her, slapping her own hand to make it look like she’d hit Kalayna. ‘Shut up, sit here, and do nothing!’

  The two women grinned at each other briefly, and Ayliscia’s expression soured as she withdrew to the bed to brood and observe the object of her supposed disdain.

  Kalayna rested her left foot on her knee to inspect the device on her leg. She looked at the hinge that allowed the device to open and clamp around the ankle, then selected a screwdriver and got to work.

  Prochazka entered the throne room, carrying the coffer containing the Juju stones retrieved from their prisoners, and she bowed before the throne.

  ‘Did you find my granddaughter?’ Satomi stood, wearing the embodiment of her sister.

  ‘I found the next best thing.’ Prochazka held out the coffer. ‘Their Juju stones.’

  Satomi was mildly appeased. ‘So Thurraya was not on board AMIE?’

  ‘Nor were her parents,’ Prochazka advised. ‘They must be in hiding together. Perhaps on the ocean planet itself, but there were no vehicles missing from their manifest.’

  ‘My son doesn’t need vehicles to get about,’ Satomi pointed out. ‘What has become of the AMIE vessel?’

  ‘Destroyed,’ Prochazka stated with great satisfaction. ‘And I ensured the captain went down with his ship.’

  Satomi quietly gasped on the news, for the captain had led the mission to resurrect her to life. If not for him, no one would have been aware that her ghost was caught in limbo between worlds. During her time in the spirit world she’d witnessed the AMIE crew perform many good deeds and they had seemed to be on the right track to liberating the psychics of the USS. It was still unclear to her what had happened during the short time that she had been transitioning from her spiritual form back into a physical body, but something had possessed the crew of AMIE overnight to become involved with their mutual arch nemesis, and the friends of her enemy were her enemies also. ‘That will teach my upstart of a niece to aid the scourge of Phemoria.’

  ‘Do you want to reconsider allowing me to search the ocean planet?’ Prochazka suggested.

  ‘That depends on how you react to being in contact with the stones in the coffer in your hand,’ Satomi advised. ‘If you cannot abide them, the atmosphere on that planet will kill you.’

  Prochazka immediately began unscrewing the coffer.

  ‘There is also the risk if you can stand the energy of the stones, that you will be swayed towards their cause,’ Satomi added, whereupon the general paused.

  ‘The stones are enchanted?’ the general assumed.

  ‘All I know is that those stones have a connection to Oceane and are fortifying to the psychics my niece chooses to award them to. That is why I instructed you to avoid contact with them.’

  ‘I shall take my own life before I betray Phemoria.’ The general turned the coffer on its end, opened the lid and reached inside, before abruptly hurling the coffer away as if she’d been bitten by it. The hardened warrior near lost her stomach but managed to regain her equilibrium and back away as the stones and armbands scattered all over the floor.

  ‘As I suspected,’ Satomi released a heavy sigh. ‘You cannot stand in the presence of cosmic light whilst playing warden to the curse of shadows.’

  ‘I deeply regret that I can be of no further aid in your search.’ Prochazka went down on one knee to beg forgiveness.

  ‘There is no one else I would trust to carry such a heavy burden, General.’ Satomi motioned her to rise. ‘For while you control the demon crew from Dead Man Downs, I can rest assured that no one else can use them against us, including Khalid.’

  ‘But what shall you do about your missing heir?’ Prochazka probed. ‘According to your vision she is the key to be rid of these curses.’

  Satomi eyed the stones on the floor. ‘We have just the man for the job.’

  ‘Even with the pain enhancing drugs, Spyridon Vidor has not disclosed any information of use to us,’ Prochazka countered. ‘We may have to brainwash him in order to get him to cooperate.’

  Satomi smiled at this. ‘Time to try a more subtle approach. Get him cleaned up and brought to me.’

  Prochazka nodded to confirm the order. ‘What do you wish me to do with the rest of the crew?’

  ‘Begin the interrogations, but leave them alive for now,’ Satomi gave her directive. ‘Their lives shall ultimately depend upon how cooperative Spyridon Vidor is prepared to be.’

  ‘Very subtle, Majesty.’ Prochazka grinned. ‘But in the end they all must die. Proof of this coup must never be allowed to be substantiated before the USS council.’

  ‘Of course.’ As Satomi replied, she felt a pang of guilt. ‘There is far more at stake here than any one life.’

  Swithin, Yasper and Leal had been hauled off the Phemorian vessel, stripped naked, hosed down and scrubbed, as if, as men, they c
arried some sort of disease that could be cleansed away. This process was much to the amusement of their Valourean captors, who clearly regarded them as little more than livestock. Swithin was drawing the brunt of the Valoureans’ violence as he cussed and lashed out at their aggressors with the most passion.

  ‘He may not be much of a looker, but he’s quite feisty!’ commented the Valourean holding the hose that was pelting water at Swithin. The spray was so hard he’d lost his footing and was choking on the floor as he refused to cease cussing her.

  Yasper was trying the reasonable and charming route, which wasn’t doing him any favours, either.

  ‘Shut the fuck up!’

  He was slammed in the jaw for mentioning saving their Qusay recently.

  ‘I don’t care who you were or what you’ve done.’ His aggressor grabbed him by the hair and dragged him up from the floor. ‘From now on you are nothing but a cock with an annoying life support system attached. You got that, pretty boy?’ She forced his head to nod and let him go. Her sights then turned to Leal, who had decided to take the shut up and do what they tell you approach.

  ‘You, good boy.’ She’d noted Leal taking the path of least resistance. ‘Let’s start this grading process with what you do.’

  ‘Navigation,’ he replied.

  ‘What Powers do you have?’

  He was silent. His inquisitor rolled her eyes and grabbed his nuts.

  ‘Argh! Telepathy,’ he squeaked and she let him go.

  ‘Excellent.’ She raised her brows and nodded. ‘And what does Prince Charmless do?’ She motioned to Yasper, and Leal hesitated. She grabbed his nuts again.

  ‘Fuck!’ Leal endured the agony, staring his adversary down.

  ‘Levitation,’ Yasper answered, whereupon she let Leal go and he collapsed to the floor.

  ‘What else?’ She turned her attention back to Yasper.

  ‘What do you mean, what else? That’s it.’ He was insulted.

  ‘Disappointing,’ she decided, moving on to Swithin, who was hauled out of a puddle by two Valoureans, who held him fast. ‘And what about you?’

  ‘Kiss my arse, cu—’

  Swithin took another blow to the gut.

  ‘He brings people back from the dead.’ Leal knew Swithin’s pride wouldn’t allow him to answer her, so he spoke up before he died.

  ‘Oh, really?’ She seemed delighted about that. ‘A resurrectionist, that’s rare.’

  ‘But before you kill anyone seeking a demonstration,’ Leal advised, ‘I will add that he brings people back to life, but cannot heal their death wounds. Your general blew up the only man who could do that, with AMIE.’

  ‘So there were others on board.’ She slapped Leal’s face hard for lying in the first place.

  Leal wiped the blood from his face, numb to the taste as he’d swallowed nothing else since being taken captive. ‘He’s better off dead,’ he uttered, defiant.

  ‘You got that right,’ she assured, before having them all dragged to their feet.

  They were conveyed past an open back entrance of an institution that presented as a place of opulence and pleasure — at least for the Valoureans and Phemorian women who frequented it. The men, some taking pleasure in their service and others being coerced with torture and devices designed to assure compliance, appeared pretty much as the Valourean had defined Yasper earlier — breeding machines to populate this planet with more women. The Valourean in charge explained that they had the technology to ensure all the offspring of the Phemorian seeding stations remained female.

  Beyond the pleasure house were the psychic containment cells, where the house whores were caged to be fed and stored until desired. Here the males of the AMIE crew were each thrown, naked, wet and shivering, into a dark concrete cell containing only a toilet.

  ‘D … amn.’ Leal quivered, lifting himself off the freezing floor in the hope that the toilet seat might be a warmer perch, but the stainless steel was like ice. He hugged knees to chest to seek relief in his own body warmth. It seemed logical that this was part of the submission process — a warm bed under any conditions did seem an attractive option right now. The scenes he’d just witnessed replayed in his mind, chilling him to the core and his body shivered even more violently.

  ‘Hey, Navigator!’

  Leal recognised the voice, but it was not either of the men he’d been hauled in here with. He got to his feet, staggered to the door, and was devastated to see Mythric peering through the small barred window of the cell opposite. ‘What are you doing here?’

  ‘Never mind me,’ Mythric stammered and slurred his words. ‘What are you doing here?’

  ‘The Qusay ordered her Valoureans to destroy the ship and take us hostage.’ Leal was in too much pain to be delicate; he just delivered the devastating news frankly.

  ‘They got you all?’ Mythric sounded close to despair.

  ‘Not all,’ Leal uttered.

  ‘The boss?’ Mythric queried.

  ‘No.’

  ‘The captain?’

  Leal found his emotion and choked on it a moment. ‘The captain is dead … he was on board the ship when —’

  ‘That defies belief! Are you sure the Qusay gave the order?’ Mythric was clearly gutted and unwilling to accept the truth.

  ‘According to General Prochazka.’ Leal was only repeating what he’d been told. ‘Her orders were to do AMIE as much harm as possible and find Thurraya.’

  ‘And did they find her?’ Mythric was clearly concerned for his granddaughter.

  ‘No.’ Leal was pleased there was some good news. ‘We assume she is with her father, who is also still at large, along with Aurora.’

  ‘Praise the universe,’ Mythric uttered, relieved to hear it. ‘They haven’t caught my lad.’

  ‘Of course they haven’t,’ Leal found his humour. ‘Who else would be the hero and save all our arses?’

  ‘Argh!’ Mythric cried out in pain and gripped the bars to support his stance.

  ‘Have they had you in there?’ Leal motioned towards the seeding station.

  ‘No, they’ve had me otherwise detained, pumped full of pain enhancing crap and interrogated.’ He nearly slipped from view, but maintained his grip on the bars and heaved himself up to speak once more. ‘My nerves are a little shot.’

  ‘What did they want to know?’

  ‘No idea. Initially I tuned out, eventually I passed out. They dragged you in butt naked, so I assume they took your Juju stones?’

  ‘Correct,’ Leal was pissed to concede.

  ‘Then I expect I’ll be getting hauled up before her Majesty again, presently.’

  ‘You’ve spoken with the Qusay?’ Leal was shocked to hear this. ‘Why has she turned on us?’

  ‘Because she believes we have turned on her.’

  The main entrance to the cell block was heard to open, followed by the sound of a battalion of Valoureans entering.

  ‘Don’t look so worried,’ Mythric said. ‘This will be for me.’

  ‘If you know what’s going on, then tell me.’ Leal lowered his voice as the guards drew nearer. ‘If I am to be a man whore, don’t I at least deserve to know why?’

  As the guards reached them, Mythric clammed up and Leal watched, guilty with relief, as they opened the door to Mythric’s cell, and hauled him out, wincing in silent agony.

  Leal envied the fact that Mythric was still half clothed. ‘How come he gets trousers?’

  ‘’Cause he is the Qusay’s personal pet,’ the Valourean answered, slapping Mythric’s behind, whereupon he wailed at last.

  ‘Why him?’ Leal thought it odd that the Qusay-Sabah Clarona would take a fancy to the man her sister married.

  ‘Because he is of royal Sermetic stock, aren’t you, precious?’ She grabbed Mythric by the jaw and Leal wasn’t sure if his comrade was hyperventilating from the pain or seething with anger, but he managed to bite his tongue and avoid a further beating. ‘Take him away, clean him up.’ She looked back to Leal and smiled. ‘Ar
e you nice and cold in there? Keep dreaming of a warm bed … because it is coming, I promise.’ With a wink and a growl, she followed the battalion and left his field of view.

  How bad could it be, he wondered. He was a single guy, which would spare him from a lot of the guilt Swithin and Yasper, as married men, would experience. Perhaps he could just close his eyes and think of Kassa? She filled most of his free brain time anyway. She was the first telepathist he’d ever known besides himself, and although the doctor had allowed him to flirt with her and on occasion flirted back, she hesitated to take his advances seriously because of their age difference. Yet, just the thought of her now thawed his frozen core and he felt warmer. What had become of her and the other women on the crew? At least the Phemorians had a reason to keep the men alive as breeding males, but what use would defunct female psychics be? Beyond being syphoned for information, they would be nothing but a threat to national security. ‘Damn it!’ He gripped the bars, wanting to rip them out and escape. ‘This can’t be how it ends!’ His warm flow of tears turned cold as they streamed down over his cheeks.

  Leal hadn’t been with the AMIE project very long, and yet he felt more connected to the people on this crew than any of his own family. He believed in the cosmic connection the timekeeper claimed they all had; he just had to keep the faith and know that those crew still at large would be coming for them.

  12

  EXPLOIT

  ‘That does feel better,’ Taren admitted, rubbing her full stomach and finishing her tea. ‘Now my brain is functioning.’

  ‘Yes, you are human,’ Ringbalin empathised with a grin. ‘And you’ve calmed down, which is always to one’s advantage.’

  ‘How could I not … with Mr Feel-good around?’ Taren reached out and gripped his arm in appreciation. ‘Thank the universe it was you who escaped …’ She’d forgotten for a second that Lucian lay dead, and choking on the statement Taren bowed her head, wanting to retract the remark.

  ‘It’s under control,’ Ringbalin assured her, gripping her arm with his free hand.

  Hope and determination surged into her via their points of contact, and thus Taren raised her head and could smile.