She remembered how gently his hands coursed her naked body, how sweet and attentive he had been, how his tongue and lips softly caressed every inch of her burning skin, making her tremble and vibrate with pleasure.
A piercing scream ripped the fantasy apart.
Sarah felt like her skin was being ripped apart from the inside out. Tears streamed uncontrollably down her contorted face. She was still floating in the air, but her back was arched at an impossible angle, as though some invisible hook was pulling her spine to the ceiling, leaving her limbs to dangle towards the ground. As she was rotated to face the fiend, she could see that his mouth was moving. He was clearly exasperated, demanding that she give him some kind of information. She quickly closed her eyes again, willing herself back to her beautiful memory of the wedding that might have been. That could still be.
That will be, she thought as her lips curled into a wistful smile.
All at once, she was back in the dream. The wedding would be magnificent, though she was slightly disappointed to miss an opportunity to be the first Earthling to actually marry on an alien world. She had thought about it, but the circumstances made it more logical to marry on Earth at the time. Chase was such a sweet man, she couldn’t really know for sure if he had been disappointed or not. He had suggested that they use some flowers from his native planet to add a breathtaking alien touch to the hall, and she had loved the idea. The aisle and altar were both magnificently lit with star lilies, each pulsating a luminous white light into the cathedral, adding what looked like a living, breathing energy.
“I have to say, I’m impressed by your tolerance,” her torturer taunted. “Most people would have given up by now, or at least lost consciousness. But you? You continue to surprise.”
A sudden burning pain in the side of her body showed her how impressed he was with this little revelation. She gritted her teeth and forcibly tuned him out, returning to the dream.
When she rounded the corner and proceeded down the aisle, the entire church stood up with a gasp. She and Chase met eyes immediately. He looked as happy as she had ever seen him, a radiant smile erasing every trace of his usually shy demeanor. The lace of her gown whispered across the smooth marble, and, a second later, she was by his side. They locked eyes for another moment before Chase suddenly winked. Then the ceremony began.
A sharp pain in her belly made her open her eyes for a split second, just long enough to catch a glimpse of her imaginary groom’s brother smirking at her, his hands dripping with her blood. Even though she closed her eyes as fast as she could, she could still hear him laughing in the distance as she returned to the cathedral.
“Are you alright, my love?” Chase whispered questioningly.
“Yes, I’m good,” she panted. “Don’t worry, just some… cramps.”
The minister began to talk about the beauty of marriage, the value of commitment. It all felt so perfect, so magical. She had to admit that she had never imagined a big wedding. Most days, she never thought she’d be getting married at all. While other girls spent their childhoods planning out the big day, Sarah had dreamed about going to the stars instead. Flying through the celestial heavens and exploring brand new worlds. But she realized, as she held Chase’s hand tightly in her own, that in this moment, she was truly happy. The longer she stood up by the altar, the happier she felt.
The minister took a step back as it was time for the vows and rings. With a little smile, Chase stepped forward to go first.
“I promise to always look after you and love you for as long as I shall live. I will always be there for you. I will always be kind and patient, and give you strength and support when you need it the most. You can always count on me, through thick and thin. I love you with all my heart and soul. I pledge myself to you for the rest of our lives.”
Simple, yet beautiful, she thought. It was exactly what she would expect him to say.
As his long, thin fingers slid the ring gently up her finger, she fought the urge to forget the crowd and just kiss him. The cool metal made her feel safe, somehow. Wanted.
It was her turn now. She looked at him with a smile so broad that her face hurt, and, before she could stop it, a single tear ran down her cheek. With a deep breath, she began to speak.
“You are my everything. My best friend, my teacher, my role model, and my true north. I love you now, and vow to love you forever. In sickness and in health, through sorrow and success, through times of darkness and light, I shall forever enjoy your sight. I love you more than anything in this world, and today you make me whole.”
She slipped the ring onto his finger as well, and when she looked up his eyes were swimming with tears.
The minister stepped forward again with a smile. “If anyone here sees a reason why these two should not be joined in matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace.”
There was perfect silence in the cathedral.
“You may now kiss the bride.”
Sarah gave a silent gasp as another wave of pain threatened to rip her from her body. It was greater than anything she’d felt before. Like a sand storm beating against her raw nerves. She stared into Chase’s peaceful eyes and held on with every ounce of strength she had.
She would not let go of this moment. Not this moment. She would hold on with everything she had.
Chase leaned towards her and she leapt into his arms, pressing herself into him as their lips finally met in a kiss. It was as if everything around them had melted away. It was just the two of them in their own little perfect world. Alive and in love.
The crowd jumped to their feet in applause, but she barely heard any of it. Even when she and Chase finally pulled away and started marching down the aisle, the noise was nothing but a warm hum in the back of her head.
She was with Chase now. She was with Chase. Nothing could ever pull her away.
A huge smile spread across her face as she tossed the bouquet over her shoulder to no one in particular. The happy faces of the crowd swam before her eyes, and she and Chase walked hand in hand back through the cathedral. They didn’t have time to stay and mingle. They had a fairytale life to get to, after all.
But one face suddenly stood out above the rest. One face… that shouldn’t be there at all.
She squinted and leaned forward for a better look, but the next thing she knew, she was flying towards the ceiling with a scream. It was as if someone had lassoed her around the stomach. One second she was standing next to Chase, the next her hand was ripped from his as she flew backwards up into the air.
“There you are.” A cruel voice made her open her eyes. “Did you really expect to keep me out forever?”
C H A P T E R
III
Ryonna stood in front of the guard in Hellstar prison. She hadn’t slept more than four hours in the last five days, there had been several close calls and near misses, and she couldn’t even begin to describe the intense aching behind her eyes, but she had made it. She was where she needed to be.
The Ferogot guard looked at her with the utmost detestation. She wasn’t surprised. His species had made the terrible mistake of going to open war with her people five decades ago, and the foolish attempt had cost them dearly. The Droxians were not conquerors of worlds. All they asked was to be left in peace. But the abundance of quadrinium within their territory had the unfortunate side effect of attracting unwanted company, something they didn’t look upon too kindly. Then again, very few other species were as powerful and talented at war as the Droxians. The Furies were one such species, but they had gone extinct a long time ago.
“Empty your pockets and drop your clothes, you filthy Droxian.” The guard snarled.
She looked into his eyes for the very first time and immediately received a vision of his death. From the looks of it, he would die shortly, within the confines of Hellstar prison.
She smiled, taking this as a good omen for what was to come next. “Whatever you say.”
“I’d wipe that smirk off your face. We d
on’t like sarcasm around here. You’ll learn that soon enough.”
She decided not to antagonize him any further; he was clearly not worthy of her energy, and, to be honest, she didn’t have much left to spare. She dropped all of her belongings on the counter and started to undress. A guard droid hovered near her, ready to strike or stun her at the first sight of trouble. These flying spheres of metal were simple in design—a line of red lights shining all around the circumference and a red glass eye at their center. They also emitted a nerve-wracking buzzing sound when hovering and moving about.
“Not feeling so tough now, are we?” The guard was feeling braver now that she was naked.
Any other day, she would snap the little bugger’s neck on the spot, enjoying the sound of his brittle bones cracking under the pressure of her hold. But she had to be patient, something she wasn’t really good at. She was, after all, on the most important mission of her life.
Her teenage son was trapped somewhere in this hell hole. She had to get him out.
“No, sir,” she said, adding a tad of fear for dramatic effect. Best to just swallow her pride and get on with it—every second was important.
The guard’s eyes glittered with malice. “Yeah, you’re going to find out what happens to your kind down here.”
Don’t push your luck, you disgusting little dwarf!
He threw some prison clothes in her face and she had to block every instinct she had not to catch them. Droxians were incredibly fast, with amazing reflexes, but she didn’t want this pitiful piece of dirt to see that. Perhaps soon you will get a taste of my speed, she thought.
The clothes fell to the ground.
“Pick them up, now!” he shouted.
“Yes, sir. Pardon my clumsiness,” she replied through gritted teeth.
Keeping her eyes fixed on the ground, she picked up the clothes and quickly dressed. Of course they were too small. Not many races were as massively built as Droxian warriors. That being said, she was sure a prison like Hellstar would have attire for all sizes and shapes. This was probably just a pathetic attempt by the guard to feel superior.
Once she was dressed, the droid changed position and said in a synthetic voice, “Prisoner XA-667037, follow me.”
“As you command.”
She followed the droid down the hall to her right without giving the guard a second look.
Hope to see you soon, little dwarf…
They arrived at a steel door that was freckled with patches of rust. The droid turned its glowing eye to face her.
“Enter the decontamination room. Once you are finished, keep walking. Another droid will take you to your cell.”
“Understood.”
The door groaned as it split apart from the center. Flashing red lights appeared on the ground, indicating the way to the center of the room.
Like I would get lost taking a step forward. Who designs these things?
As soon as she stepped inside, the doors slammed shut behind her with a loud crunch and the room filled with a thick gas. A few blinking lights on a control screen provided the only illumination. She groped blindly until she managed to find one of the nozzles spewing the fog in the darkness and braced herself into position.
It was now or never.
Taking a deep breath, she blocked one of them with her thumb. A sharp beeping resonated within the decontamination chamber. Her interference had clearly set off some diagnostic function or alarm. It was exactly what she’d been hoping for. After a few moments, the pressure at the nozzle intensified, as expected. Another moment, and the nozzle made a clanging noise. With that, a pin ejected from the wall, making a soft metallic noise upon impact with the floor. She quickly took her thumb off of the nozzle and quietly slid the pin under the sole of her left foot. The second she’d gotten it hidden, the door shot open and the droid sped inside.
“Prisoner, do not move.”
“Understood.”
“There’s been a malfunction with your decontamination chamber. Running diagnostics. Please stand by.”
Ryonna didn’t answer. She felt the pin roll slightly and concentrated on keeping her foot completely motionless. These droids were not programmed to be subtle, and they certainly took no chances either. She pressed her bare foot harder over the pin to ensure that it remained hidden. Anything construed as a breach of protocol usually resulted in more safety measures on the part of the droids, sometimes even violent, preemptive actions.
After a few minutes, the pressure under her foot was killing her. The slightest twitch could result in the failure of her entire plan and that must not happen.
Hurry up, you flying ball of junk, she thought.
Just when she thought she would either have to move her foot or make a noise, there was a sudden beeping sound and the droid shot back outside. The second the door slammed shut, she immediately grabbed the pin with her toes, quickly passing it to her hands, and finally to her mouth. She then reluctantly swallowed it, grimacing from the horrible, stale, metallic taste.
The nozzles resumed distribution of the gas. Soon, every part of the small room was saturated. When it was finished, another synthesized voice announced, “Decontamination procedure complete. Please step out of the chamber.”
Almost immediately, the doors in front of Ryonna opened, splitting from the middle like the ones before, but this time vertically instead of horizontally. Just behind them stretched a dark hall, another set of red lights lighting up the floor to show her the way. Pretty soon another hovering droid came to meet her.
Well, it’s now or never. Either the doctor was telling the truth, she thought, or I’m screwed. The droid stopped a meter away from her and its lights blinked once.
“Please hold still. Mandatory foreign object scan.”
A ray of red light scanned her from head to toe. She held her breath. At first, it seemed to be going well, then the droid emitted a sharp beep that didn’t sound good.
Crap! Her heart started pounding.
“Rescanning; please hold still.”
“Understood,” she said again, fighting to keep the worry from her voice.
The same ray of light scanned her again, only this time the droid’s noise was more cheerful. Well, as cheerful as a prison droid’s voice could sound.
“No foreign objects detected. Please proceed to the cells in section D. Follow me.”
She followed the droid with a sigh of relief. Step one: achieved.
Now all she needed to do was locate her son and try to get out of this hell hole…
C H A P T E R
IV
When Chase opened his eyes, he saw that he was no longer in his quarters. A series of white lights strung over his bed pulsed as though they were dying and he could feel the stiff sheets of the med-bay under his hands. He blinked in the flickering light, but there was nobody to be seen. When he tried to get up, his head pounded from the movement.
“Alright then, not right now,” he groaned as he lay back down. “Doc? Anyone here?”
No one answered. He pressed the bright red button by his bed, the one intended for emergencies. He needed to know what had happened. He needed someone to tell him what was going on. He waited for a little while longer, but still no one came. Impatient, he jabbed the button continuously, until suddenly all the lights went dead. There was a deep, mechanical groan as the ship’s main generator went offline.
“What the hell?” Chase exclaimed out loud.
He glanced toward the door, expecting someone to come crashing in. But instead, he continued to sit in the quiet dark. His thoughts swirled around like a thick, befuddling fog as he bounced his foot with increased agitation. Finally, he’d had enough.
“Fuck this!” he cursed as he threw off the sheets and lowered his feet to the ground.
The second he stood up straight, his head began to throb with pain—pain accompanied by a strong dizziness that made him feel as though he could fall over at any second. He groped along the wall until he found the main door
of med-bay and hit the comm button. Not even a single beep. The controls were offline. The door wouldn’t open either.
“Just great.”
He reached for a side panel and pulled the manual release. The door groaned apart, but stopped short. He managed to wedge himself inside and pushed the two sides apart just enough to squeeze through.
Great, med-bay is on deck five, he thought. Just four more decks to get to the bridge. Of course, that wasn’t going to be so easy since every system on the ship crashed.
He continued stumbling in the dark, and eventually the obvious question dawned on him.
Why hadn’t the secondary generators kicked in to turn on the emergency lights?
This can’t be good, he thought. He slid his hand along the wall, trying to blindly navigate. With his splitting headache, he couldn’t recall his approximate position within the ship. He needed to find a bulkhead and then climb four levels up to the bridge. If he could then—
He stopped dead in his tracks. His hand had slid over a viscous substance, a syrupy liquid of some sort splashed across the wall. His hand shot reflexively away from the wall and he rubbed the liquid in between his fingers, hoping to identify it.
Please don’t be blood, he thought to himself with a mixture of disgust and fear.
As he wiped it clean on his pants, a terrible sense of dread filled his mind. What could possibly have happened? And where was the crew? His captain? His best friend Daniel...?
His heart started pounding. Panic propelled him forward at a reckless pace. Screw caution, he thought as he ran as quickly as his weakened legs would carry him. He ran a good while, his eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness. He was making good time, despite not being able to see the walls, when something caught his foot, sending him sprawling forward.
He struggled to catch his breath as his hands groped wildly along the ground, searching for whatever had tripped him. Or… whoever. The dark thought struck him just as he made contact. It was exactly what he had feared. It was a person.
Fury to the Stars (Universe in Flames Book 2) Page 2
