The human in the beam struggled helplessly, hanging onto a tree until I dialed up the power and the branch snapped off. This wasn't what the tractor beam had been designed for, and I had to be careful not to pull the human apart instead of bringing her aboard. It was meant for manipulating other ships in space or loading cargo. Using it to grab a sentient being from the surface of a planet was dangerous at best.
It must be terrifying for the primitive human I'd caught. I remembered my own feelings as the light had torn apart my home, and I had to bite back my rage at doing that to someone else. Maybe not — maybe she thought she was about to meet whatever gods they worshiped here.
Hard luck, I thought. We're no gods. Demons maybe. Come to take you away from your forest home and drag you into a life of slavery, a life you have no concept of.
It hurt to be part of this, even for a good cause, but I consoled myself with the thought that I was putting an end to it. These primitives might be enslaved, but now that I'd seen the trick the Red King's Revenge used, the ASP would be able to watch for it and stop other raids. That would stop countless others from being abducted, and that was worth the sacrifice of a few humans.
Wasn't it? The guilty feeling in the pit of my stomach said otherwise, though I tried to ignore it.
"That's one," Athazar said triumphantly, keeping the saucer still with commendable skill as I pulled the female aboard and closed the hatch. "Target aboard, now grab those other two."
No, I couldn't do it. I wouldn't. One victim was more than enough.
My conscience gnawed at me, a terrible ache in my soul. I knew the pain of being stolen from my home, I knew what these humans would suffer, and I wasn't going to let the slavers drag more people out of here than I had to. Glancing at the sensors, I could see the other two signals slowly moving away.
"Sensor ping. They see us," I called out, trying to sound worried. It was a believable lie. If the Patrol's scanners caught us down here in the atmosphere, we'd only have moments to escape.
Athazar couldn't waste time checking if I was telling the truth, not with the stakes this high. Maybe I'd get into trouble later, if the captain checked the logs, but I'd face that danger when it came. For now, I could spare the humans. That was enough.
Cursing and pulling up, Athazar slammed the throttle forward hard. Below us the planet dropped away in a moment, and the darkness of space surrounded us in seconds. Flying a semi-random course, twisting and turning, Athazar tried to dodge attacks that I knew wouldn't come.
As soon as we were clear of the planet's gravity, Athazar hit the hyperdrive switch. The universe dissolved into a kaleidoscope of colors and we were safe, well away from the dangers of the Patrol scanners.
Athazar relaxed at his station, sighing at a job well done.
"Won't take us long to get back to the Red King's Revenge," he said. "A pity we only got one of those humans, but that should be enough to keep Captain Drezz happy."
I tried to match his tone, leaning back and lacing my fingers behind my head. "What's so special about these humans, anyway?"
"No idea," he said with a shrug. "The captain keeps that kind of thing to himself. What does it matter, right? We get paid, and some humans get to learn what we went through."
He seemed quite satisfied with that form of revenge, and I couldn't entirely blame him. We'd both been snatched up as children, forced into the service of Imperial royalty as slave-soldiers until we'd managed our escape. We'd fought our way out together, which made us friends and comrades now. He'd even been the one who vouched for me to Captain Drezz, getting me aboard the Red King's Revenge. We both held grudges against our old captors — the difference was that he was willing to take his out on any human he could, whether they had anything to do with his suffering or not.
I might hate humans for what their empire had done to me, but that didn't mean I wanted them to suffer as I had. No one would go through that again if I could help it.
4
Amy
When the light cut out, I tumbled down onto a hard metal floor. Forest debris thudded down around me, and I clung to my branch as the last vestige of home.
I was alone, and I didn't know whether to be glad of that or not. On the one hand, maybe it meant that my two friends were safe. That they'd be able to go home.
On the other, it definitely meant that I didn't have any company. I was alone and in the hands of aliens.
My mind rebelled at that, but I didn't have a better explanation for what was happening. Snatched up by a strange light onto a flying saucer? It had to be aliens, didn't it? Even if some human nation had the technology to do this, what the hell would Russia or China or whoever be doing snatching someone out of the woods?
A dozen awful explanations came to mind and I ignored them all. Let’s stick with aliens for now, I told myself. The ridiculousness of that theory made it feel a little safer.
Picking myself up I looked around the room I'd landed in. The whole floor looked like it could hinge open, and the ceiling was covered with a complicated-looking machine. Presumably that was the machine which had sucked me up here. It still glowed enough that I could see by the light though it was no longer blinding.
There were no windows. No controls for an intercom or anything like that. I fished my phone out of my pocket, but of course there was no signal. We hadn't had any signal at the campsite, why would I do any better here?
"Hello?" I called out, staggering to the nearest wall. No answer, and no sign of a door. I made my way around the room, looking for some way out with no success. If there was a door or a hatch, it blended in perfectly to the smooth grayish metal that the room was made from.
That was that, then. I called out again, and knocked on the wall, but there was no response to either. I was stuck here until this saucer got wherever it was going.
Fear gave way to frustration, and I hammered at the wall with the branch. Dull clangs were the only result, I couldn't even mark the surface much less break through it. Great.
Sitting myself down with a thump beside my pack, I fought back tears. If this was first contact, I didn't want to give the aliens the impression that humans were weak.
What I wanted to do was hit someone with that branch. Preferably as the start of a daring escape, fighting my way to freedom. Realistically I knew that was a stupid idea. Better to wait and see what the situation actually was before hitting anyone.
I kept telling myself that, but my grip on the branch never loosened. Holding onto it like a magic talisman, I tried to keep my mind on something positive. Nothing came to mind.
It felt like ages passed in that room, though according to my phone it was less than an hour. With nothing to do apart from imagine the horrible fates that might be in store for me, time dragged out forever. When the ship finally arrived at its destination, I shivered with relief. Whatever happens to me now, at least the wait's over.
That wasn't much to cling to, but it was something.
Deep resonant clangs echoed through the saucer and a hidden speaker made an announcement in an alien language. It sounded like a snake hissing its way through a heavy metal song, and I couldn't understand a word of it.
I looked to the wall, expecting a hatch to appear, but instead the floor simply opened up under my feet, dropping me screaming into an open space below. The bright light caught me again, slowing my fall and depositing me almost gently on the deck below.
The blinding light cut out and I looked around, brandishing my improvised club wildly. Still no one to hit. That was probably for the best, antagonizing my captors would only make things worse. Knowing that wouldn't stop me trying to fight back, though.
This room was larger, better lit, and just as empty. Above me, the ceiling hatch slid shut. One wall held a large window, and beyond it I could see a viewing area. Out there were comfortable seats, tables, and a door that looked like it might open from the inside. In here was another matter. Metal benches were bolted to the deck and manacles hung from the walls. The f
act that the floor had drains set into it was ominous, too. The whole place looked like a less-inviting version of a police holding cell from tv.
There was one door in the wall, right beside the window. No way to open it from this side, of course.
So I'm definitely not a guest, I thought, shivering as I tried to think of what the most likely possibility was. Hunting trophy? Slave? Research subject?
Dinner?
None of the possibilities sounded good, but the uncertainty was killing me. Huddling in a corner I grasped my branch and watched the window, waiting to see who my captors were and what they wanted from me.
5
Kadran
"There's no sign of any scan," Captain Drezz hissed at me as soon as Athazar and I reported. The captain was a sliven — lizard-like and cold blooded — and his forked tongue darted out to taste the air between sentences. It was hard to tell if he was angry: he always talked that way, and the cold stare he gave me was nothing out of the ordinary. It was a great way to keep his crew off balance, deliberate or not.
I hadn't known him long enough to judge properly, but he seemed wary rather than furious. I took that as a good sign. He hadn't made it to captain by being stupid or reckless, but if he suspected me of being an undercover ASP agent, things would go badly very quickly.
Around us, the rest of the bridge crew pretended to get on with their work. Really, everyone's attention was on me. A new crewmember called up in front of the captain had to be entertaining.
"I'm sorry, captain," I said, trying to sound sheepish. It didn't matter what he thought of my skill now, just as long as he didn't suspect I was a spy. "I'm sure I saw it."
Drezz watched me, his eyes cold and unblinking. I wished he was easier to read, but nothing showed on his face. Dropping my gaze, hoping he'd accept that as a sign of submission, I waited for his judgement.
"You came to us with an excellent record," the captain continued. "And Athazar speaks highly of you. Some poor discipline, yes, but no sign of any... incompetence."
Despite myself, it was an effort not to show my anger at that. Breathe. Breathe in peace. Breathe out anger. I focused on the mantra, trying to keep my emotions in check. It wasn't easy, and I suspected the captain could see my struggle for control. He was provoking me deliberately, trying to get me to show something.
"Sir, I swear I saw something," I said, cursing the anger that bled through into my words. "The edge of a sensor sweep from above, a satellite scan maybe. All I did was report what I saw."
Drezz's mouth opened, showing off his gleaming fangs. His body language was hard to read — was that a smile? A threat? Something else? I couldn't tell.
"Kadran, you are new to my ship," he said, tongue flicking out. "And on the first action we take, you either cost us two valuable prizes or you save us from discovery. How am I to deal with that?"
I paused before answering, wondering if the question was rhetorical. He simply stared at me, and I could feel the attention of the bridge on me. An air of expectation filled the room. It was a test, then. Something he'd done before, that his crew knew. But what answer did he want from me?
If you don't know what's expected go with the truth, or something close to it. A lesson I'd learned growing up a slave, where being caught in a lie meant brutal punishment. I just had to hope that it applied here, too.
Pretending to be meek wasn't working, it was too far from my true self. Time to be more honest.
"It's your decision, Captain," I said, raising my eyes to meet his again and hoping I read him right. Drezz didn't seem like the kind of man who wanted a weak-willed crewman on his ship. "But the Patrol doesn't fuck about. If it were me in your shoes, I wouldn't want to encourage the crew to ignore sensor readings. Better safe than sorry, right, Captain?"
There was a hush in the bridge, and then the captain threw his head back, hissing at the ceiling. I stood still, tensing slightly. If I'd pissed him off he could have me killed on the spot, and I had no intention of going down without a fight. I wouldn't win, of course. Behind me stood two of the captain's personal guards, both armed and deadly fighters, and I had nothing more dangerous than a knife.
But I was a dyran warrior. I'd been trained to fight as a slave-soldier of the Silent Empire, and then studied at the Ikarna temple. If there was a fight I wouldn't go down easily, and I'd take the captain with me. Sinking my body weight, I subtly adjusted my stance, ready to strike as soon as he gave the word.
It never came. When the captain lowered his gaze again I could see the humor in his eyes. "That was a good answer, yes. I can use a cautious man, but not a coward. If you're willing to stand up to me, good. That means I don't have to worry that you lost your nerve."
He clapped me on the shoulder, long bony fingers digging into my skin with surprising strength. Strangler's fingers, I thought.
"Come with me, both of you," Drezz said, turning and marching off the bridge. Athazar and I followed him, flanked by the captain's guards, and behind us the bridge crew actually got back to work.
The captain led us into the belly of the ship, his long legs eating the distance. I figured out where we were going quickly enough — we'd docked the Crimson Princess above the cargo bay to drop off our catch. It was almost empty at the moment, containing only supplies for the crew and the pens for storing slaves. That had to be where he was taking us.
It was no surprise when Drezz led us into the viewing gallery. The forcefield between us and the slave pen was opaque, blocking view of our prize, and it looked like Athazar was keen to see who we'd caught as well. The viewfinder of the tractor beam hadn't given us a good look, after all.
"The two of you are the ones who found our prize," Drezz said. "Only fair that you be amongst the first to examine her. I know that you both have particular reason to dislike humans."
We stepped up to the viewport, Athazar grinning with anticipation. Drezz hung back out of sight of the window, face as unreadable as ever. I tried to look enthusiastic, but I didn't really want to see the feral human I was condemning to a life of suffering. It would be cowardly not to look her in the eye, I thought. And I don't have a choice anyway. Don't give Drezz another excuse to be suspicious.
A gesture from the captain turned the forcefield transparent, and there she was. A human, hair wild and skin muddy from her run through the forest, holding a branch defiantly. My heart skipped a beat at the sight of her. She glared at us, expression caught between terror and fury, eyes flicking from one of us to the other, the rest of her frozen immobile. Around her, forest debris lay scattered. The tractor beam hadn't been discriminating when it caught her.
Her hair was a tangled mess, leaves and twigs caught in the golden mane that framed her pale face. Deep blue eyes glared through the forcefield, and her chest rose and fell quickly, drawing my attention to her curves. It was hard to look away from her, to think of anything but how beautiful she was.
For a moment our eyes locked, and all I could see was her. Then, with a snarl of rage, she swung her improvised club at the window. If the forcefield hadn't been there the club would have struck me in the face, but instead the attack was absorbed harmlessly. That forcefield would stop bullets and lasers — a branch had no chance of breaking through it.
"Let me go, you fuckers," she shouted, my translator implant handling her language flawlessly. There was something bracing about her strength, her defiance when she must know she was helpless. It impressed me and broke my heart.
"She's got spirit," Athazar said with a hungry smile. I didn't need to ask why he liked that, it was obvious he was looking forward to seeing it broken. For myself, I genuinely admired her willingness to strike back at her captors, but it made me feel sick to my stomach. That kind of behavior would only bring her more suffering, which was the last thing I wanted to see.
She swung again, with just as little result, and Athazar laughed. It took an effort of will not to punch him for that. The human's face was red with effort and her eyes gleamed with tears as she pushe
d her long hair out of her face.
"A valuable prize indeed," Captain Drezz said, and I had to agree. That wasn't a good thing, not for her. Whoever wanted to buy a feral human slave would not have anything pleasant in store for her.
"What's special about her?" I asked, trying to keep my tone casual. There had to be something — the bioscanner picked her out on the planet, after all. There had been dozens of targets, yes, but that was out of a population that was probably in the billions. Whatever we were hunting, it wasn't as simple as looking for human females.
Drezz hissed a warning and Athazar shot me a look. So that wasn't the safe question I'd thought it was.
"The captain doesn't discuss his clients," Athazar explained, quick and quiet. "We don't need to know, and what we don't know we can't blab."
"Got it," I said, turning to the captain and bowing my head. "Sorry Captain, just curious."
Captain Drezz's cold, unblinking stare bored into me for a second and then he turned away. "Your friend is correct, Kadran, and you would do well to learn from him. Keep your nose out of my business and I'll make us all rich. Pry too much, and you'll find yourself put off the ship. If you're lucky it'll be at a port."
And if I'm unlucky, it'll be out the airlock in empty space, I completed the threat for him. He didn't need to say it, we all knew what he meant.
"Won't happen again, Captain," I said, trying to sound cowed rather than angry. It didn't come easily, but I seemed to have fooled him. All I needed to do was keep that up until we reached port so that I could report. I held onto that as I turned back to the viewport and the beautiful feral human I'd helped capture.
"Good," the captain hissed at me. Reaching under his coat he drew out a blood scanner and an implant injector, tossing them to me. "Now, you get to check that she really does meet my client's requirements. Void spiders help you if you've caught the wrong human, Kadran."
Stolen by the Alien Raider: A Novel of the Silent Empire Page 2
