by Opal Carew
Mistrustfully, I eyed the toilet, which seemed perfectly normal now. It was sitting there peacefully, barely sucking at all. I wished I was back in the bathroom stall at Lauder, Lauder and Associates—it might be a lousy job but at least I knew I could take a pee break without getting killed. Still, this was what I had to deal with.
My screaming bladder decided me. I would go—I would just have to be really careful.
Gingerly, I sat down again, keeping as far to the front of the silver metal seat as I could. The suction was still slight—barely noticeable. It seemed safe enough—I decided to take a chance.
It took me a while to unclench but finally I was able to pee. Ahhh… I moaned in silent relief. There’s nothing to make a tense situation worse than having to pee. Ever sit in the dentist chair and realize you really have to go in the middle of a root canal? Well multiply that times a hundred and you’ll know how I felt being trapped on an alien spaceship going who knows where in the universe with a full bladder.
When I was finally finished, I wasn’t sure what to do. Was there another button somewhere to engage the, uh, cleaning mechanism for want of a better word?
As I was looking around, I felt something cold and damp come up from below and swipe at me. It felt like the Creature from the Black Lagoon had made a grab for my coochie.
“Ahh!” Though Al had warned me about the toilet’s cleaning function, I still nearly jumped out of my skin. I almost fell off the seat but just then the cold, damp thing retreated and I was buffeted by a blast of hot air instead.
Wow—Al hadn’t been kidding. I was clean and dry in no time. Clean and dry but not happy. The simple act of using the bathroom felt like an assault. I was pretty sure it was going to take me a while to get used to the whole process but it didn’t look like I had much of a choice.
I got up, straightening my t-shirt mini-dress as well as I could, and hobbled out of the bathroom, trying to ignore the giant purple vertical bathtub as I went. I might be stuck using the alien toilet but there was no way in hell I was going to take a bath in that drowning tank-looking thing. Just a glance at it made me shiver.
The huge silver beanbag was still hovering invitingly in mid air, about three feet off the ground. The scifi geek in me wanted to try it in the worst way. But I hadn’t maneuvered to have time alone just to lie around in bed. If I wanted to put plan A into action, I needed to find out as much about my captor as possible. After all, how could I make him see me like a person if I didn’t see him as one, or understand his motivations?
Cautiously, I moved towards the sliding metal bedroom door. It slid open obligingly when I broke the invisible beam and I found myself out in the long silver corridor again.
Okay, I thought, eyeing the three other doors on the wall beside mine. One of these has to be Sarden’s. I hoped, anyway. And I also hoped it wasn’t locked.
Well, only one way to find out.
Going to the door directly beside mine, I reached forward to break the invisible beam that held it closed.
Sure enough, the door slid open. But disappointingly, I found the room was almost an exact duplicate of my own, right down to the floating silver bed, the chair toilet, and the tank of purple liquid for “personal cleansing.”
Okay, strike one. But I had to keep trying.
The next door opened into a storage area filled with all kinds of alien equipment I didn’t understand. I was about to leave when it occurred to me I might find something useful. Stepping inside, I scanned the shelves which seemed to be arranged in a haphazard fashion.
Most of the items just looked like tools or spare parts for the ship, which made me nervous. After all, Sarden was making repairs right now. What if he decided he needed something from this room and found me snooping around where I didn’t belong? Then again, he had told me I could look around the ship, as long as I stayed away from the storage area in the back, that was.
Still, I wasn’t seeing anything of interest and was about to leave when something caught my eye. It was a soft, blue glow, almost hidden by a pile of rusty metal pipes in the far corner of the room. Hoping that mysterious blue glow didn’t equal radioactive, I pushed some of the pipes aside—they were heavy—and found what looked like a pair of thick iron manacles.
They were kind of like handcuffs only the cuff part that went over the wrist was three inches long and very large—again like they were made for a species bigger than human. Well, Sarden was certainly that. I wondered if all the sentient species in the universe were. Maybe Earthlings were the runts of the litter. I’ve always been kind of height challenged so I’m used to being short but I was betting some of the macho guys back home would be in for an unpleasant shock if they found out.
I examined the manacles more closely. The glow was coming from a blue light, embedded in the length of silver chain that linked the thick cuffs together. I didn’t quite dare to touch it but I noticed it flickered when I lifted the manacles—which was not easy—they had to weigh twenty pounds at least. I wondered why someone had buried them under all these rusty pipes? Were they trying to hide them or was it just a mistake or an oversight?
Looking down at the heavy manacles and the equally heavy pipes, suddenly plan B formed in my brain. It was a hell of a lot more dangerous than plan A and I wasn’t sure I could pull it off. But it seemed like a good idea to have a backup plan in case my Reverse Stockholm thing failed completely. Which was entirely possible given that Sarden had been completely upfront about trading me away and didn’t seem likely to change his mind.
Holding the manacles against my belly to keep them from clinking, I chose a piece of rusty pipe that was about two feet long. It was thick, and comfortingly solid in my hand. I hefted it experimentally. Yeah, it was heavy enough to do the job, though just thinking of what I might have to do with it made my stomach feel like a flock of nervous butterflies had taken up residence there.
Well, whatever—I was committed now.
Sneaking back to my own room, I looked for a place to store my ill gotten goods. There was no nightstand, unfortunately and I couldn’t just leave them lying under the bed. Finally I just stashed them in a fold of the floating silver beanbag. Then I went back out to explore some more.
At first I thought Sarden’s room was just another guest room, like mine. It was bare of any personal touches and looked exactly the same except for a desk in one corner.
I walked over to it curiously. The top of the desk was completely clear—so at least my captor was neater than my old boss. Dayton Lauder the third always had messy stacks of half-finished paperwork everywhere. I thought longingly of the coffee-stained piles which I used to curse because it was my job to clean them up and try to organize them. What I wouldn’t give to be staring at my boss’s messy desk instead of this sterile, blank alien one.
I actually felt tears coming to my eyes before I got hold of myself.
Get a grip, Zoe, I lectured myself. Whining and moping aren’t going to get you home! Taking a deep breath, I reached out to touch the desk. It was made of some kind of black, shiny material I thought must be glass or plastic at first but it felt warm—almost alive—under my fingertips.
I don’t know what I expected but the minute my fingers brushed the desk, it vibrated and came to life. Panels flipped over to reveal several long, feathery instruments about the size of pencils what I could only assume were alien office supplies. There were some thin, transparent sheets piled in stacks too and several other things I had no idea about. But what caught my eye was a clear, crystal cube sitting at the far end of the desk. It was about as big as a softball but square and its many faceted sides caught the dim light in the room and reflected rainbow patterns across the walls.
“Beautiful,” I murmured, reaching out to pick it up. Yeah, I know it was probably stupid but I have a weakness for pretty, shiny things.
I held the cube—which was surprisingly heavy—in one hand while I examined it from all sides. There seemed to be a smudge on one jewel-like surface but w
hen I tried to wipe it off, the smudge grew until it was a picture.
A laughing young woman with smooth brown skin, long black hair and big golden cat eyes like Sarden’s suddenly filled the cube.
“Sardie!” she exclaimed as the picture came to life, playing like a video on my smartphone back home. “You’re incorrigible! Stop it—my hair is a mess!”
I heard the deep rumble of Sarden’s laugh, though I couldn’t see him. Presumably he’d been the one making the recording.
“You look fine, Sis—stop being so vain.”
“I am not vain—you are, big brother” she protested.
I frowned. So was this Sarden’s little sister? Her eyes were like his, sure enough, but her skin was brown instead of brick red and she didn’t have any horns. I frowned, trying to think how it could add up.
“I’m not vain,” came Sarden’s reply. “Got nothing to be vain about—ugly half-breed bastard that I am. But you’re beautiful and you know it.”
“Well…” She tossed her shiny hair and I had to agree with Sarden—she was gorgeous.
“Are you ready for your coronation?” he asked, still off camera—or off whatever it was he had used to record this.
“I am.” She looked suddenly sad. “I wish it was you up there with me, though. I don’t want to rule with Hurxx—come to that, I don’t want to rule at all.”
“I know, little Sellah—always got your head buried in your books and you don’t give a damn about the outside world. But the planet has to have a female of the blood as well as a male of the blood to prosper.”
“I know, but you’d be better at it than Hurxx—you know you would.”
“Hurxx is purebred Eloim and I’m not—you know that,” he said flatly. “The people would never—”
“What in the Frozen Hells of Anor do you think you’re doing in my room?”
The muted roar from behind me almost made me drop the crystal cube. As it was I fumbled with it comically and barely managed to clutch it to my chest. Then, just when I thought I had it, it squirted out from between my fingers and dropped like a rock to the metal floor below.
Or it would have if Sarden’s long fingers hadn’t reached out with surprising speed and delicacy and plucked it out of the air.
He pressed something on it that cut off the scene and made it go cold and blank again. Then he spun me around and glared at me.
“I said what are you doing in my room?”
“You…I…you said I could go anywhere,” I blurted. “I was just exploring. I didn’t know this was your room.”
Which was true—I hadn’t actually known but I had hoped.
“I would think that a desk full of very personal objects would give you a clue about that,” he snarled. “Are all Earthlings this rude and nosey or is it just you?”
“I’m s-sorry,” I said, trying not to be scared and failing. When he did that glaring thing where his eyes got all glowy he looked positively terrifying. Think—I had to think! Remember the plan—plan A! whispered a little voice in my head.
“Um, was that your sister?” I asked, nodding at the cube which he still cradled protectively in one hand. “She’s really pretty.”
“Yes, Sellah is my sister—not that it’s any of your business,” he growled. “What of it?”
“Nothing. It’s just that…I had a sister once, too. Her…her name was Angie.”
My sister’s name stuck in my throat. Still, even after all these years, it was hard to talk about her. But I had to try and make a connection with him. Reverse Stockholm, I reminded myself fiercely. It’s the only way you’re getting out of here!
Sarden’s response was less than enthusiastic.
“Good for you,” he growled. “So you have a sibling. It doesn’t give you the right to go rifling through my things.”
“And what gave you the right to buy me and kidnap me?” I demanded, losing my temper. “What gave you the right to take me away from my entire planet and bring me on this God-forsaken ship where the toilets try to eat you?”
“What?” He stared at me as though I wasn’t making any sense. Well, maybe I wasn’t but at that point I was so mad I didn’t even care. Even though he was huge and muscular and scary, my anger had erased my fear—at least for the moment. Who was he that he thought he could just buy me and steal me away from my ho-hum life and crappy job back on Earth? What the hell was wrong with him?
“What would your sister think of you now?” I demanded, seizing on the only thing I could think of—the only piece of emotional leverage I could find. “What would she say if she knew what you were doing?”
Yet again, I seemed to have said the exact wrong thing. Or maybe it was the right thing, I don’t know—but the consequences were the same. Sarden seemed to grow even bigger somehow, his face turning dark as he glared at me. Had I thought he looked scary before? It was nothing to how he looked now. Still, I stood my ground and refused to back down, even though my heart was thumping and my palms were sweating with terror.
For a moment we just stared at each other. And if you’ve never had a staring contest with a seven foot tall guy who looks like a sexy Devil and could break you in half with his pinky finger, let me tell you—I don’t recommend it. Finally, though, Sarden spoke.
“My sister,” he said in a low, grating voice. “Is the reason I took you.”
“What?” I shook my head. “What are you talking about?”
“Never mind.” He made a sharp gesture with one hand. “I’ll excuse your intrusion in my room this once on the grounds of ignorance. But never come in here again. Never.”
“Fine.” I lifted my chin. “I was just leaving, anyway.”
“Go back to your room,” he ordered. “And don’t leave again. I won’t be so lenient next time.”
As if there would be a next time. It looked to me like plan A wasn’t panning out—maybe it was time to consider plan B.
“Fine,” I said again. But just as I turned to leave, Al glided into the room, his snaky metal neck sailing smoothly through the metal ceiling as though it was silver water.
“Ah, Master Sarden,” he said sounding pleased. “I’m glad to see you found Lady Zoe. Did you invite her to dine with you, as you had intended?”
I turned around and raised an eyebrow at Sarden.
“Dine? We’re dining now?”
“I thought you might be hungry,” he said, still scowling. “There’s time to get something to eat while A.L. runs a diagnostic on the hydrogen scoop.”
“The food prep area can simulate almost any human delicacy you desire,” Al put in helpfully. “I have been making a study of your Earth cuisine—though I could only devote a small portion of my processing algorithm to it. I hope you will find the results pleasing.”
“Thank you, Al. You’re by far the most courteous person on this ship,” I said, staring at Sarden pointedly.
Sarden frowned, ignoring my jibe. “Why do you call him that? His designation is A.L. which stands for artificial life form.”
“As to that, Master Sarden, I have been meaning to ask you to call me by my new name,” Al told him.
“What?” Sarden looked startled. “You have a name now? Who said you could have a name?”
“Lady Zoe was kind enough to name me,” Al said promptly. “I am named Alfred but Al for short. Apparently it is a good butler name—a butler is one who serves on Earth. And the name still goes with my designation of A.L. Is it not fitting?”
For a moment, Sarden looked like he was going to protest. Then he shook his head as though he just couldn’t deal with this right now. “Fine. Al is fine, if that’s what you want.”
“It is. I find I enjoy having a name and not just a designation.” Al sounded happy again, in his proper butler way.
“Great. Well…” Sarden looked at me. “Do you want to eat or not?”
“That depends.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “I thought I was going to be confined to my room.”
“Confined to her room? Oh
no—why would you refuse Lady Zoe the freedom of the ship?” Al now sounded properly horrified. I was liking the artificial life-form more and more all the time.
Sarden didn’t answer, instead he glared at me.
“I’ll give you one more chance to behave,” he growled. “Don’t pry into my life or my business and I’ll let you have the run of the ship. But one more incident and you’re going into your room and staying there until we get to Giedi Prime.”
“Sounds like somewhere out of a Frank Herbert novel,” I said. “But fine. I’ll stay out of your room.” Which wasn’t exactly the same as not prying—I was still determined to do plenty of that. I had hit a nerve with his sister, I was certain. And he’d said she was the reason he’d taken me. I had to find out more about that—I had the feeling it was the key to my freedom. But for now, I would let it drop.
For now.
“Fine,” Sarden growled. “Then let’s eat.”
He turned and left the room and I followed him, with Al whizzing along by my side, his lantern-eye blinking.
Sarden
I tried to control my irritation as I led Zoe down the corridor and into the food prep area. How dare she go snooping around my room, rifling through my private things? I was especially irritated by the fact that she’d gotten me to reveal my relationship with Sellah. It was none of her business, damn it! And she shouldn’t have touched my memory cube!
Seeing the little Pure One handle the precious crystal cube I’d stored so carefully in my desk had nearly turned me feral. It was the best memory I had of my sister, although I hadn’t been able to bear to listen to it in a long time. But when I walked in my room, there Zoe was—playing it as though my most private, cherished memories were hers for the taking.
But even worse than the invasion of my privacy was hearing Sellah’s voice. Her sweet tones were like a blade piercing my heart. My beloved, innocent little sister now lost, possibly forever…
No! I shoved the thought aside. Sellah wasn’t lost forever—she couldn’t be. I was going to get her back, Gods damn it! No matter what depths I had to sink to in order to do it.
