This was all too much. "So it's bad enough we have Akkadians stealing us, now we have to worry about Trackers from Calixtus recruiting our virgins." At least I didn't have to worry about that.
"The reason I was on Earth was because of the Akkadians. They have no right to be there. Earth is meant to supply Calixtus with our needs, not the Akkadians’. Hopefully they got the message I sent loud and clear."
My mouth hung open for a moment or two. "You make it sound like our entire existence is to serve Calixtus."
He shrugged. "Where do you think the games were originally played?" He nodded when I gave him a stunned look. "That's right, on Earth. That's how your Olympics originated. You can thank us for that. In fact, you can thank us for that brain in your head as well. Without our genetic engineering, you'd all still be living in caves trying to figure out how to make fire."
"I...don't believe this."
He stared at me grimly. "Well, believe it. It's the truth. The only reason the event is no longer held on Earth is because of humans’ over-industrialization, and there are just too damn many of you. We had no idea you'd breed like rabbits."
"Holy shit." Like it or not I was along for this ride. I tried to console myself with the fact that Ariston was considered the best in his field. All we needed to do was get to Taleon, extract Baynar and what was left of his men, and get the hell out. What Ariston had planned for me after that happened, I had no idea. Judging by his cold, calculating demeanor, I would be lucky if he didn't leave me behind to rot on that planet like the rest of the losers.
We spent the next few hours—I estimated—in silence. Even though the scenery was phenomenal, I felt my belly twist with every planet and solar system we zoomed past. Farther and farther I was from Earth. As much as I despised the majority of my own kind, I couldn't help but feel that we as a planet had been betrayed and used by people of Calixtus. Where did they get off thinking we were nothing more than pawns for their stupid games? Worst of all was the thought of how I'd so callously and wantonly given my body to the jerk-off beside me. So what if he had a rockin' body and a huge cock? So what if he'd given the best orgasm I'd had in my life? He was scum. I comforted myself with the thought that once this stupid mission was over, I'd return to my humble existence on Earth. Hopefully Ariston was right and he'd scared off the Akkadians for good. No longer would I have to give up anyone else to them—a thought which was suddenly abhorrent to me. I didn't want to consider that I was just as bad as those Trackers, selling off virgins to the highest bidder. Maybe I was worse ’cause I sold out my own kind?
I must have nodded off to sleep, because the next thing I knew, Ariston was pushing on my shoulder, telling me to wake up.
"Are we there?" I said, licking my dry lips and rubbing the dried drool off my cheek.
"Yep. That's Taleon," he replied.
Before us I could see the planet looming closer and closer. Soon we'd arrive and our adventure would begin. I wondered what other Earth women had thought of their first glimpse of Taleon, knowing they were being forced to play a game not of their choosing, and that they may never leave this planet again.
Chapter 7
We didn't land and search for the men on foot. Ariston covered more ground by coming in low and zooming around the surface of the planet. Using his eyes and his high-tech instruments, he scanned the area from the safety of the lightwing. The ground below changed vastly from desert, to jungle, to snowy mountains all in a matter of scant miles. Much of what I saw reminded me of Earth, especially the thick forests and wide, crystal blue streams.
"This is so amazing," I gushed to my companion, whose disinterested grunt reminded me we had an important task to attend. But even Ariston's glower couldn't diminish my awe. I was on another planet! Who else could boast as much? Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined a world so beautiful. Taleon was pure and untamed, untouched by rushing crowds of people, pollution, garbage, cement, and steel—the way Earth probably appeared in the beginning when it was fresh and new, before Calixtus set its corrupted sights upon us.
It must have been an hour or so later, just as the sun was beginning to set and three giant moons began to rise, that we saw something. Two men appeared to be running for their lives from a swarm of painted savages.
Ariston steered the ship in that direction, grim determination set in his features. "Got 'em," he said.
"What the hell is that? Those...are people?" As the lightwing came in lower to the ground and slowed practically right over the swarm's heads, they tilted up their faces in awe and fear. Most of them continued to run, though now instead of pursuing their prey, they scattered, scrambling for safety. Others stopped, appearing frozen in fear. Their skin was sun baked brown and covered with an array of paints. Wild black hair ran down from their heads in ratted knots. They wore short tunics fashioned of hide, or fur, on their bodies. Though appearing human-like, they more resembled pictures or statues I'd seen in museums depicting primitive man.
"Those are Varlings," Ariston informed me. "Natives of Taleon."
Once the coast was clear, he set the ship down by the edge of a rocky incline close to where the two men had taken cover. Peeking out from behind a cluster of large boulders, the men emerged and came toward us. Ariston undid his seatbelt and hurried toward the center of the ship while I fumbled to release myself. I got free and joined him as he waved his hand over a small panel beside a hatch I'd failed to notice. The door swished up and Ariston jumped the couple of feet to the ground. He looked up at me and frowned as I came to stand in the doorway.
"Stay," he commanded.
Not that I had any intention of leaving the ship. From my position I could see the two men hurrying toward us. Ariston waited until they were close enough to identify. Their clothes practically hung shredded from their bodies, their hair stood on end, and they were covered with mud and what appeared to be patches of blood.
"Ariston?" one of the men called, disbelief sounding in his voice as though it were too good to be true.
"Camden?" Ariston said, stepping closer to the much shorter man. Ariston reached out and took the man's hand. "By Tanit, it is you!"
The man's companion also reached out to touch Ariston, as though to convince himself he was real. "Thank the gods!"
"Are there only two of you?" Ariston asked. "What happened to the others?"
"Six of us came down," Camden said, then stared off into space.
Ariston turned to the other man. "Juan, where are Baynar and the others? I was told only two of you were lost."
Juan seemed more on the ball than Camden. His face became all business-like.
"Camden and I were out scavenging for food when we were set upon. Baynar and Edwins are alive. They're in a cave over that way." He pointed off into the distance.
"How far?" Ariston asked.
"Not very," Camden shook his head and answered. "We can walk." His fearful gaze swept the area, assuring himself the danger had passed.
Ariston shot me another intense look. "Stay," he repeated.
I nodded once in understanding. Darkness was falling and I could sense the urgency in the situation. Ariston and the two men headed out while I watched them from the safety of the ship.
The sun had completely disappeared by the time they returned. The land wasn't too dark though, thanks to three full moons glowing in the sky. I sat cross-legged in the door, but jumped to my feet as I saw Ariston's hulking form come into view followed by four other men. One of the men held himself very erect, and as he got closer I could see his uniform was slightly different from the others. Each of the three wore a one-piece jumpsuit, the bottom half was black and the tops were green. The other man wore two pieces, black pants, and a red shirt longer in length with black shoulders. All of them noted my presence standing in the doorway of the ship, but none of them acknowledged me.
"The lightwing," Ariston said to the man I presumed was Baynar, gesturing to the ship "It will take us up to another ship, which I'm hoping has arrived
by now. I'll contact base and see if it's here."
Baynar nodded and Ariston approached the doorway. I moved aside while he jumped onboard and strode toward the control panel at the front end. Tailing him, I watched as he took a seat and attempted to contact someone. A voice sounded on the speaker, but was difficult to hear through all the static.
"Say again." Ariston repeated the words three more times. After several moments, he became frustrated with the poor transmission. "Dammit!" he smashed a fisted hand down on the arm of his seat. "I've lost contact."
I was going to suggest running a scan or looking at a radar grid to see if he could detect a large ship circling the atmosphere, but I figured he'd have already done that. Almost as if he read my mind, he said, "I can make out a visual on something up there, but without confirmation it's one of ours I'd be going in blind. Thanks to the recent clashes with the Akkadians, I'd be a fool to not consider it may be one of theirs. Their smaller crafts are no threat to us, but the larger ones would annihilate the lightwing. It may be our ship, but until I get up there and rendezvous I can't be one hundred percent certain.
"Let's go then," I said, figuring that's what he wanted to hear. Judging by the condition of Baynar and the others, taking our chances in the sky was better than sticking around on the surface of Taleon.
I was surprised when Ariston nodded. He got up and moved toward the hatch. I followed and watched as he jumped down and explained the circumstance to Baynar and the others.
"We need to get off this planet now," Baynar argued. "Nighttime is the worst."
"I understand that, Sir. But the risk is too great. I'll head up and check it out, then come back for you once I'm assured it's safe."
"Oh, bullocks! Of course it's our ship. Those bloody snot-suckers wouldn't dare infringe on our territory!" Baynar yelled.
"They already have, Sir. They've been taking specimens from Earth for some time now. I just dealt with another one before I was commanded to retrieve you and your men."
"I'm gone a few days and everything goes to hell," Baynar ranted.
"Calixtus will be most relieved at your return, Sir," Ariston assured him.
"I will put an end to the anarchy on Calixtus," Baynar vowed.
I supposed Ariston had filled him in on what was going on in his absence. I wondered if he told him that most of the planet had tuned in, anxiously watching and placing bets on his and his men's imminent demise.
What kind of planet did Ariston and those others come from where they tuned in to watch each other suffer and sweat in life and death situations? Although, when I thought about it, could I say we were any better on Earth?
Chapter 8
Baynar grudgingly agreed to allow Ariston to fly up to the other ship to make sure it was one of theirs. Both of us buckled ourselves into our seats and Ariston flew in close, again attempting to contact base and the ship now within our sights. The other end of the line was still nothing but static. He brought the lightwing in so close to the larger vessel that I held my breath.
"See that writing on the side?" Ariston asked.
"Yeah." To me it just looked like a bunch of jumbled symbols resembling ancient hieroglyphics.
"It's one of ours."
I breathed a sigh of relief as Ariston turned his craft around and headed back toward the surface of the planet. Part of me had been afraid it was an Akkadian ship bent on revenge for what happened on Earth. A ship that size could do a lot of damage to Ariston's lightwing.
As Ariston brought the ship in for a landing, we noticed right away that something was terribly wrong. Flashes of laser bolts swirled through the air only to bounce off boulders, leaving bright sparks and black scorch marks. I could detect movement, all of it wild, zigzagging around the open area—men trying to take cover in the rocky mountains.
"Can't you beam them up?"
"No. I have to be stationary in order for it to work. Damn it!" He maneuvered the ship around seeking out the source of the fire power. "It must be one of the past contestants. They're the only ones who'd have weapons or know how to use them."
My hands clung to the armrests as he dipped and swayed from side to side searching for the enemy. I knew he couldn't risk firing since his commander and the three other men he was trying to save were also down there. Distinguishing them in the dim light was next to impossible. He tried to pinpoint the enemy's location judging by the fired laser bolts, but the person moved like a ghost—or a dangerous warrior—and seemed to disappear as soon as Ariston swooped back around. Finally, he got a fix on Baynar. Even I could make him out by the red shirt he wore. Ariston flew in low and dropped down, landing within a hairsbreadth of a huge pile of stone.
The four men barreled out from hiding and made a beeline for the hatch door that Ariston rushed to open. "The ship above is one of ours, Sir," he informed Baynar. The men began to scramble aboard, all of them trying to clamor in at once. After Baynar and Camden climbed inside, Ariston put out his hand to block the other two men.
"What the hell are you doing Ariston?" Baynar demanded.
Outside I could hear the sound of the laser bolts flying closer and closer to our destination. Whoever was out there wasn't deterred by the small vessel.
"The ship can't handle the weight of more than four," he insisted. I'd unfastened my seatbelt and now cowered back against the wall when Baynar pointed a grimy, self-righteous finger at me.
"Put her out!" Baynar demanded. "We'll take our chances with five."
Ariston stared at me, catching the terrified look I knew I wore. Despite what had happened between us, I detected a glint of heat in his eyes that took me by surprise. Sure we'd lain together, but I'd also betrayed him. I expected him to look at me with righteous indignation and perhaps vindictiveness, yet I saw none of that. Our gazes held for a moment and I felt myself turn stone cold with realization. It didn't matter if Ariston had any reservations, he could not defy a direct order from his commander. Not for a treacherous Earth girl he'd been forced to bring along. Both of us turned our sights on Baynar. Seeing the determination on the commander's face, I knew begging and pleading was out. When Ariston failed to move, the spark of a laser bolt hitting the stone beside one of his men on the ground spurred Baynar into action. He took three wide steps over to me and grabbed me by my arm. When he began to pull me toward the hatch, Ariston stepped in front of him.
"I can't allow you to do that, Sir," he said.
Baynar shook a fist beneath Ariston's chin. "Get out of my way!" Through the now unblocked hatch, the other two men from the ground scrambled aboard, the extra weight causing the lightwing to lurch precariously.
The two men circled around to join Camden, who stood behind his commander. Baynar looked over his shoulder and gave a nod. Before we could react, the four men charged forward and physically shoved Ariston and I right out the door. Both of us landed on our asses on the hard ground.
Ariston leapt to his feet while Baynar took up a position before the door. "How dare you defy a direct order? You give me no choice." He turned his sneering face to look upon me then back to Ariston. "I hope she's worth it." The hatch swished down, and moments later the ship took off.
There was no time to react. A flurry of shots swirled out beside us and over our heads. Ariston reached for my hand and dragged me to safety, pulling us down behind the boulders Baynar and the others had vacated.
We knelt side by side while the bolts continued to rain down. My puffing breath sounded in my ears along with the steady pounding of my heart. My hand hurt and I suddenly realized Ariston still held it in a tight grip. As I attempted to flex my fingers he loosened his fist, but didn't let go.
Finally all grew quiet. I'm not sure what frightened me more—anarchy or silence. At least when the predator was firing we knew where he was. Even now he could be creeping forward with a large knife, ready to do us in.
We were helpless.
Both of us still wore the clothing we'd had on for our date when this entire fiasco started. Ariston'
s only weapon, as far as I knew, was that star-shaped thing in his pocket.
"Can't you bring your ship back? With that thingy?" I asked him.
"The ship's not set to manual. Besides, Baynar would just override it."
"What's happening? Why's he stopped firing?"
"The weapon can only sustain so much rapid fire before it needs to recharge. It runs on solar power. If he's out he can't charge it until sunrise."
"God, I hope so." But my earlier thought entered my head. "What if he's creeping up on us with a knife or some other weapon? He knows where we are."
"But he doesn't know his opponent. Even if he's realized I don't have a gun, he'll assume I have other means to protect myself."
That made sense and gave me a bit of relief.
"He's probably gone. All that racket he made must have gained the attention of the Varlings, who'll come swarming. Even though they're of limited intelligence, even they have probably figured out those weapons only last so long," Ariston reasoned.
Now my belly was in knots again. "Shit, so now we have them to worry about? Let's get out of here."
Ariston was staring up at the sky. "Once he gets up to the ship, he'll come back. He just panicked. A few days on the run will do that to someone who's not used to ground combat."
I didn't like the idea of hanging around like a pair of sitting ducks waiting for that treacherous bastard to maybe come back. I'd seen the rage and terror on the men's faces as they'd shoved us out the door. Once they were safely aboard the larger ship they'd feel ashamed, hopefully, but they also might not want to face what they'd done. How could they face Ariston? Seeing my companion vainly searching the dark sky, I hesitated to voice my concerns. What if I was wrong? For a few minutes I'd allow myself to hope that any second now Ariston's ship would zoom back down to the planet's surface and rescue us. Those men were all too aware of the conditions they'd abandoned us to. Leaving us to a fate that they too had recently been unjustly handed would make them no better than their assailants.
Survivor Planet Series 2-Book Box Set Page 15
