Scerior

by Jilly Bowling

  “What about bra and knickers?” asked Jo

  “We do not wear such things” replied either Tchu or Tjai

  Jo shrugged and stood up to take off her clothes, looking at the Escorii she said

  “Turn away then. I don’t like being watched”.

  Two of the Escorii tutted and one giggled “Don’t be shy in front of us. We are all female”

  “Oh, that’s a relief” Jo laughed and she pulled off her top and slipped off her skirt” Can I take my underwear off just before I shower?”

  “Alright” said the Escorii “Now sit back on couch and give me your arm”

  Jo was very frightened but she did as she was told and held out her arm. Tsu said “I will hold your hand and Tjai, who is the nurse, will take your blood. It will not hurt, Jo”

  Tjai placed a strange machine onto the vein on the inside of her elbow. Jo felt something touch her skin and blood went through a tube into a phial that Tjai held.

  “That’s it” Tjai said “Good girl. You are a very good patient” Tsu giggled and patted Jo’s hand.

  “I didn’t feel a thing. It was easier than giving blood on Earth” Jo was smiling at Tsu feeling so relieved.

  “Now Jo we must look at your insides with a camera machine”. “What like an x ray?”

  “Yes except it shows everything, not just bone” replied Tjai “Now, lie down on the couch and just relax”.

  Tsu wheeled a machine in that stood over the couch, which now stood where the ‘coffin’ had been.

  “Oh, it’s like an MRI scan” said Jo.

  “Mmm, similar” Tsu answered.

  The machine was switched on and blue lights ran up and down Jo’s body. She could hear some of the other girls in their cubicles, either calmly, or in one or two cases sobbing hysterically.

  “Are they alright?”Jo asked Tsu.

  “They are only having the same tests as you. They are very silly, and may regret it in future!”

  Jo looked at Tsu but thought it best not to follow up on that statement.

  “Right” said Tchu “Now finish getting undressed and follow me”.

  Jo did as she was told, feeling very self-conscious and followed Tchu through the curtains on the other side of the couch, into a corridor. Slowly from other cubicles stepped other girls all looking nervous and embarrassed.

  “Don’t worry” Jo said “I think all the Escorii here are female”.

  “Yes” said Sophie, waiting for Jo to catch her up, “Mine said that they are female”.

  “Not that we could tell” said another girl.

  “It’s not as if we had a choice” said another.

  The Escorii at the front stopped by an opening and started to escort the girls inside. Jo followed and found herself in a large wet room. Warm water came out of showers up above and from the sides came a scented liquid. She stood under the water, and the scented liquid sprayed onto her body. It stung at first but wasn’t unpleasant.

  “Hair too please” said the first Escori.

  The girls had relaxed slightly and were enjoying the shower. They helped each other to wash and rinse their hair. When they had finished the water switched off and hot air blew onto them, drying them. They hurriedly dragged their fingers through their hair. Jo’s long blonde hair took some drying, so it was still a bit damp as they were ushered out of the showers into a room where Kaftans were laid out.

  Jo’s Escorii picked one up and slipped it over her head. It was soft as silk and rippled round her as she moved. All the Kaftans were cream but with different colours swirled through them. Jo’s was the cream and green one that she had already been shown. It made her feel beautiful and sexy in a way her tank tops and short skirts never had.

  Tsu giggled and said “Oh, you are perfect” and Tsu shushed her.

  They were then led through another door which led back into the chamber they had eaten in.

  “Well what happens now?” asked Sophie

  “I expect we’ll find out soon enough” answered Jo

  There was a bit of a scuffle by the door and three Escorii brought in the girl who had been hysterical. She was sobbing quietly, and the Escorii held her tightly, “What on Earth has happened to her?” murmured Sue.

  “Same as us” Jo replied “Although I didn’t see her in the showers”.

  “Maybe she’s the sensible one, and we are the fools, going along with everything”.

  “Well, she’s the one in hysterics” Jo said acerbically “Not us!”

  At that moment two large doors at the end nearest to Jo swung open, and the nightmare returned!

  Through the doors came three huge figures, seven foot tall with large heads and strange copper coloured skin. All the definitions of their bodies stood out, huge shoulders, enormous biceps, strong legs. From their shoulders scales stood up around their necks and muscles rippled everywhere.

  There was a hush, some girls just gasped, some fainted and Sue started to scream. Jo grabbed hold of her, put her hand over her mouth and said “Shut up” in a fierce voice.

  The girl who had been hysterical before struck out at her Escorii and tried to run. She screamed and screamed. Her Escorii tried to quieten her, but she had got an insane strength from somewhere, she picked plates and dishes up and hit them with them.

  The giant figure in the middle nodded to the one on his right and he moved faster than could be thought possible of something so big. He reached the hysterical girl, picked her up in one hand, and broke her neck with his other hand. He threw her to the floor like a rag doll!

  More girls fainted and others sobbed as quietly as they could, jamming their fists into their mouths and staring wide eyed.

  The killer strode back to the other two, and the one in the middle looked at him and shook his head. He shrugged his shoulders and said something in a strange tongue, which sounded like clicks and hisses. Jo dragged Sue and Sophie down onto a seat and kept her eyes on the floor whispering “Don’t antagonise them”

  The middle creature spoke” I am Lord General Acorus. You will do as you are told and no harm will befall you. It is a pity about the girl but we cannot have hysteria on the ship, it causes problems. The rules here are, you will be polite to the Escorii at all times. They are here to help you acclimatise. Listen to them. Anyone who strikes another being will be punished. When you are given an order by the Sceriae obey it immediately, follow the rules and you will have a good life!”

  Jo heard someone moving and she looked up. In front of her was General Acorus.

  He put his hand out and lifted her chin. Sue sobbed pitifully and Jo continued to hug her to her. She looked into the General’s eyes. They were the deepest blue she had ever seen.

  “What is your name girl?”

  “Jo, Joanna sir” she whispered.

  “You are a sensible calm, girl, and also you are very beautiful”

  “Thank you sir” she gulped ‘oh my god, a monster thought she was beautiful’

  “You should call me Lord not sir. Listen to your Escorii and you will do well”

  “Thank you Lord”

  He turned on his heel and with the other two following he left. As they went through the door, one of the other two put his hand on the General’s shoulder and said something and they all appeared to laugh.

  Tsu put her hand on Jo’s shoulder and said “Oh how wonderful, the General likes you and approves of your behaviour” Tchu hushed her and a babble of noise broke out in the chamber as the girls all let out their breath. The Escorii picked up the dead girl and took her out of the chamber.

  One girl said “Maybe she was the lucky one!”

  Chapter 3

  “Oh dear” said Tchu “What a waste. Such a good looking specimen, or girl, too. Take warning Jo, the Sceriae are not cruel, but they can ki
ll very easily”.

  “Not cruel” whispered Jo, close to hysteria herself “They are monsters, all she needed was to be told what was going to happen on Scerior and she might have calmed down”.

  “Her Escorii had tried to calm her but she would not listen. She was very foolish, but perhaps it was a good example to you all”

  Jo looked at her in disbelief “A good example! She’s dead!”

  “There are worse things than the death of one girl in the universe, and if you are wise you will remember that!”

  Jo gulped, and turned to Sue and Sophie who were clinging to her crying quietly. Sue said “My parents will be in agony wondering what has happened to me. They will think I have been kidnapped or murdered. Oh my god I can’t stand any more”. Her sobs grew louder and Jo hugged her harder and said “We must be calm and look out for ourselves”

  “What about your parents Jo” asked Sophie.

  “I haven’t any parents. They were killed in a car crash when I was six. My grandparents brought me up”

  “I’m so sorry”

  “Mmm, I’ve been in foster care since Nan and Gramps died, Nan got cancer and Gramps only lasted ten months after her. I think his heart was broken. But the good thing is, I suppose I’m used to looking out for myself, and I’ve got no one to worry about me, left behind”.

  Sophie said “There’s only my mum. I’ve never known my father, and my grandparents are dead too. Mum is very strong, so I think she will manage ok”.

  They all went quiet, each wondering what was happening back on Earth, “Where are you from” Jo asked.

  “I’m from New Zealand” answered Sophie.

  “And I was in Brazil” said Sue “My dad works at the embassy there. I was born in London but have lived in a lot of countries, when my parents moved from post to post”.

  “I’m from Leeds” said Jo “I expect we’re all from different places”.

  The girls asked around and realised that the other girls were from far flung places too. Some were American, some Canadian, some French, Dutch, Swedish, German. White girls from all over the world.

  “It’s strange that we are all white, and we all have blue eyes” mused Jo.

  The girls looked into each others eyes and realised that what Jo had said was true. A babble of questions broke out and the Escorii went among them and separated them.

  “Come” said a strict voice “It is time to return to your cubicles. You must prepare yourselves for our arrival on Scerior.

  Some of the girls protested, but the majority did as they were told, remembering General Acorus’s words and what had happened to the dead girl.

  J o entered her cubicle escorted by her Escori, thinking to herself ‘Yes we all have blue eyes and so does the General!’

  In her cubicle Jo was told to take off her Kaftan and lie down on her stomach. Of course she asked why!

  Tchu sighed and said “You ask questions all the time. You must trust us. We are here to look after you. Tjai will give you a nice massage with scented oils, and it will make you relax, so you can rest”.

  Jo lay down on the couch, and Tsu put a cloth over her bottom and the tops of her legs.

  “We know you are shy and embarrassed to show your body. You must change that idea. You have a beautiful body that you should be proud of”.

  Jo lay on the couch, as Tjai set to work with beautiful scented oils. Massaging her legs, working up and down until Jo felt as if she was floating on air. Then Tjai massaged her shoulders and neck, her arms and up her spine. Then Tjai’s fingers were on her head, she was half asleep and floating above herself.

  When Tjai told her turn over she did without questioning. Tjai worked on, down across her stomach and finally into her most private areas. Jo didn’t care, it was heavenly. As she drifted off to sleepTjai covered her with a white cloth, and left her to her dreamless sleep.

  The curtain at the back of the cubicle was twitched aside and Lord General Acorus stood there. He nodded at Tjai who removed the cloth. He looked down at Jo’s body and nodded once.

  The curtain was dropped into place and Jo was covered once again.

  Tsu clapped her hands “He likes her. We are so lucky; we will be in the General’s house”.

  “Let us hope she does nothing to make him change his mind” muttered Tchu.

  “She is an intelligent, sensible girl. I think she will be alright”

  When Jo woke up, she lay for a while feeling so comfortable, calm and relaxed, that there wasn’t a thought in her head.

  Then suddenly it all flooded back and she sat up quickly. The cloth that had been covering her slid to the floor. Realising she was naked she looked round for her Kaftan. It was on a stool, by the side of the couch. She slipped it over her head, and instantly felt safer. She shivered, not from the cold, but from fear, deep within her.

  For once she was alone, no Escori. She pushed through the curtain that led to the main chamber. No one was there, it was completely empty. She wandered around looking at things, touching the strange material that in one form or another everything was made from.

  Apart from a gentle humming there wasn’t a sound. She supposed that was the sound of the ship’s engines. There were still ewers and tumblers on the large table, so she helped herself to a drink. It was a different colour to what she had drunk before, but tasted very nice, like a mixed fruit cocktail.

  She continued wandering round the chamber. It was enormous and very opulent. A thought entered her head and she shrugged it away, but it was very insistent.

  All the luxury and comfort, and beautiful colours, everything speaking of wealth, reminded her of the novels she had read about the harems or seraglios in the East, where Sultans kept their wives and concubines!

  “Don’t be silly” she told herself “These are aliens not slave traders”.

  She shook her head and to put those thoughts out of her mind, wandered over to the side of the chamber where all the curtained off cubicles were. In the first one she saw one girl pulling her Kaftan over her head.

  “Oh you’re awake” she said “I thought I was the only one who was”.

  “I’ve only just woken up. I feel marvellous, how about you?”

  “Yes me too””

  “I see you’ve got a drink. I’m very thirsty”

  “It’s over on the table” pointed Jo

  “Thanks I’ll go and help myself. By the way, I’m Sandra.

  “I’m Jo. You’re American aren’t you?”

  “Yes from Boston. And you?”

  “English, I’m from Leeds” replied Jo

  She continued on to the next cubicle as Sandra went to get a drink. Jo peeped round the curtain but their was nobody there. ‘I wonder if she’s gone for a shower’ she thought. Other girls appeared from their cubicles, but not from everyone. Jo looked into the cubicles that no one had appeared from but four were empty. That made five altogether. She asked some of the others if they knew where they were and all answered in the negative.

  “That’s strange” she thought “they took us to shower together before.

  At that moment the Escorii entered from the end door and joined their own particular charges.

  “Tsu said “Hello Jo, you have had a good rest I hope?”

  “Yes thanks. Where are the five girls who are missing, Tsu?”

  Tsu lowered her gaze “They failed their health tests, and have been taken away so as not to make others ill. Now come, I expect you are hungry again, I know I am. Food is being brought in as we speak” and Tsu waved over to a table where other Escorii were setting down piled platters of food.

  Jo looked at Tsu and realised that she had changed the subject. She obviously didn’t want to talk about the missing girls!

  The other girls were talking about them though. There w
as a babble of noise as they asked their Escorii and each other where the girls were. The Escorii tried to calm the atmosphere, getting their girls food and drink. Some girls shrugged their shoulders and sat down to eat, but the more hysterical ones among them started to make a fuss, wailing that the girls had probably been tortured, experimented on or killed, and that they would be next.

  Jo sat down in a corner and tried to think sensibly, if they had been killed, there must have been a good reason. They had been so well looked after, that it didn’t make sense, if they were there to be tortured killed, or experimented on, they would not have been looked after so well.

  Jo tried to eat, but her throat was dry with fear. Giving herself a good talking to she used one of her Gramps favourite sayings ‘It’s no good worrying about things you can’t do anything about!’.

  Tsu, Tchu, and Tjai sat down beside her, “Don’t worry Jo. You will be alright” one of them said

  Jo thought she recognised Tchu’s, not voice, but intonation so she said “Tchu?”

  “Ah, you are beginning to tell us apart, I knew you were very intelligent, when I first met you, we will have a long and happy life together”.

  “Will you be with me all the time?”

  “We will be living where you live and will take care of you”.

  ‘Mmm’, Jo mused ‘They don’t lie but they are good at skirting the issue’.

  The babble in the room was not subsiding although the other Escorii were doing their best to quieten their charges.

  Suddenly the large doors flew open and the General stood there flanked by two of his guards.

  “What is going on here” he roared. Scowling round the room, picking out the girls who had been making a fuss.

  They all sank onto couches covering their faces with their hands, and not daring to move.

  “Tsasa” said the General “If your Escorii cannot control these females, then I will have some of my guards take over”

  The Escorii who Jo had already realised was their leader stepped forward.

  “So sorry, Lord, It is nothing. Just some silly mistake”.

  “I will not have my ship disrupted in this way, so you females listen well; it is your last warning!” growled the General.