Scerior

by Jilly Bowling

Knowing he had kept his helmet on so he looked all Lord General, and not just Acorus, Jo couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. Now she knew him, she knew that he had been pleased that they were rescuing girls from a horrible life, not taking happy girls from their families. So smiling at him she said that she understood his problem, and hopefully they had so disrupted the slave traders, that it would take a long time for them to reorganise.

  Relaxing he asked how she had got on with the girls, especially the ones who had tried to escape. She was delighted to tell him that the girls were doing fine even the five young ones. Then she told him that the four girls were locked up and she still hadn’t decided what to do with them. Telling him that Tchu had advised her to find the ring leader, she asked if he agreed. He did and advised her to treat the ring leader harshly. That would stop any others from doing something stupid. How harshly, Jo wondered. Acorus told her that once she had spoken to the girls she would know what to do. He trusted her implicitly. Finally telling her not to work too hard he said that he had to go. Jo told him to be careful and he said that he would do his best. As he disappeared from the screen, Jo wished that she could be on his star ship to see that all was OK.

  Turning to Hersha she asked him to let her know when all the fighter ships were back on the star ships behind the moon. Then she asked if she could have four more guards as well as the two who always protected her. Hersha immediately ordered four Sceriae to accompany her. As Jo and Tchu headed to the prison area, the four new guards joined her original two. When they got there, two guards were standing outside one of the rooms, and sprang to attention when they saw Jo. When she asked if all the girls were in that room they said no, they had split the girls up and now they were all in separate rooms. The room they were standing outside held a girl who had been swearing and hitting out at anyone who went near her. She had attacked the Escorii who had taken her food. Jo decided to talk to the other girls before she spoke to the trouble maker.

  Entering an empty room she asked for a table and two chairs to be brought in. Once they were put in place Jo took a chair facing the door with the table between her and the other chair. Stationing a guard on either side of her she told two others to carry one of the girls into the room and sit her on the empty chair. The two guards went into a room, grabbed the girl, who had been cowering in a corner, and holding an arm each carried her into the room and sat her in the chair opposite Jo.

  Jo was glad she had her helmet on as looking at the terrified girl; she knew she would have shown pity. Waiting a few minutes so she could observe the girl, not much more than a child really, Jo then asked her name. Gulping the girl shook her head and spoke in a language Jo didn’t know. Looking at Tchu for help, she asked her to question the girl. Her name was Catherine, fifteen years old and from the Ukraine. She had been sold by her ‘boyfriend ‘when she broke up with him. Then it was the same story Jo had heard before, raped, beaten, drugged and then hired out to any man who had the money. When Tchu asked her why she had tried to escape she told her that ‘Talia’ had told them it was their only chance. Tchu then asked her how they thought they could escape from a spaceship, she shrugged and said Talia had told them that there was no such things as aliens. The Escorii and Sceriae were just people in fancy dress. Shaking her head Jo said to Tchu that the girl must be stupid, to which Tchu replied “Maybe but also abused, drugged and terrified”.

  The girl was then asked what she thought now, and she replied that she didn’t know what to think. So Jo told Tchu to tell her why she was there, how she would be treated if she did as she was told and what would happen to her if she didn’t. She was then taken back to her room.

  The other two girls told similar stories but differed from Catherine’s version saying that Talia and then Catherine had bullied and threatened them. They also told Tchu that Talia hadn’t been kept prisoner as they had, but seemed to be involved with one of the men. Tchu told Jo that these two appeared to her to be speaking honestly. Deciding to speak to Catherine again before she saw Talia, Jo had her brought back. This time Tchu spoke to her sharply and Catherine looked at her in horror, then she spoke quickly, as if she wasn’t able to get her words out fast enough.

  When she stopped talking Tchu nodded her head in satisfaction and told Jo what she had said. Talia had not been kept drugged or a prisoner. She was a member of the gang, sometimes helping them find girls. Then reporting if any of the girls were planning to escape. She had bullied Catherine into persuading the girls to try an escape. Only two had agreed but even they weren’t too sure that Talia was right. Asked why she hadn’t told Tchu this the first time, she said that Talia still frightened her. Tchu told her that she was stupid to be afraid of Talia when she should have been petrified of the Sceriae, and then she was sent back to her room.

  When the guards went to get Talia she fought like a maniac, she was multilingual and swore at them in Russian, French, German and English. Forcing her to her knees in front of Jo, the guards were covered in spittle, furious and just wanting to kill this female. Talia was a woman, not a girl. A woman who, Jo could see, was used to being in charge. She wasn’t frightened; she was furious and wanted to kill. Jo stood looking at her, the guards had her arms pulled up high behind her back and were using a fair amount of pressure. It must have hurt, but Talia was still spitting out insults.

  “Be quiet” Jo said harshly “Or I will have your arms broken”.

  “Putin, whore, daughter of a whore, you will be sorry to treat me this way” Talia spat out.

  Looking at the guard who had her left arm Jo said “Break it!”

  He didn’t hesitate. Jo heard the snap and Talia screamed and sobbed. Jo felt sick but knew she had to be strong so just stood looking at her.

  “Now will you be quiet?” Jo asked.

  Sobbing quietly now Talia glared at Jo with murder in her eyes.

  “I have heard that you were a member of the gang who took girls and prostituted them. Is that true?”

  Spitting at Jo, Talia told her that her boyfriend was high up in the trade of drugs and girls. He had not been there when they were raided and would be searching for her. Jo laughed and asked her how he would manage to get into space beyond the asteroid belt. Once again Talia did not believe that she was in space, kidnapped by aliens.

  “Then there is no more to say. Take her to the hangar deck and throw her out” Jo ordered the guards.

  They picked her up and carried her out still throwing curses at Jo.

  “That is one nasty piece of work. I wouldn’t have thought a woman could be that nasty. Now what to do with the others?”

  Tchu thought that the two who had been bullied should be returned to the girls’ quarters and then watched, to see how they behaved; now Talia was gone. Catherine needed punishing because she had bullied the two when ordered by Talia. But how? She had already been raped and beaten. What more could be done to her. Jo decided that she would be shown what had happened to Talia. She would be taken to the hangar deck where she would see Talia’s body floating in space. Then she would be told that if she didn’t behave that would be her fate too.

  Having given the guards their orders Jo headed to her quarters feeling tired once again. Entering her room Jo was relieved to take her armour off. Slipping on a kaftan, she curled up in a chair feeling shaky; she’d actually had a girl killed. Burying her head in her hands, she wondered at how she had changed so much. Tchu and Tjai found her like that when they came in with a hot drink and a snack for her. Immediately Tchu knew how she was feeling and going to her she took hold of her hands.

  “Jo, you have changed and become harder because you are in a position of power, responsible for the well being of hundreds. If what you have done was a bad thing you would have known, and if I had thought you were behaving badly I would have let you know. Your reaction now shows that you are still a decent caring girl. The Sceriae don’t enjoy killing but over the centuries have l
earned that it is better to kill efficiently rather than risk the lives of the innocent”.

  “I know Tchu”, Jo sighed “If she had been put back with the others, god only knows how much trouble she would have caused. Maybe they’d have rioted or something as stupid, then many would have been killed or injured. It’s just so awful, either way I’d be upset”.

  “It’s alright to be upset, as long as you don’t allow it to carry on indefinitely” Tchu advised.

  “Now eat, drink and then to sleep”.

  “Thank you Tchu, I don’t know how I’d cope without you” Jo replied, taking the food Tchu offered her.

  Chapter 39

  To her surprise Jo slept soundly until Tchu touched her shoulder and said “Good morning Jo”.

  “Hello Tchu, I slept like a log” Jo said stretching.

  “Breakfast is ready, then Lord Acorus will talk to you. Today we need to go to the other star ships. One this morning and one this afternoon. Tomorrow the ships that are collecting now, will be here” Tchu rapidly told her.

  “Well then, I’ll eat then have a shower and massage, put my armour on and I’ll be ready” Jo pulled her kaftan on as she moved to the table.

  She was as good as her word and in a very short time was on her way to the flight deck. Once there she was quickly put through to Acorus. He had his helmet off and smiled when he saw her. Smiling back at him she assured him that she was well. Quickly she told him about her visit to the girls, and he asked her about the trouble makers, when she told him what had happened and how she had dealt with the trouble makers, he looked worried and asked if she was comfortable with her decision. When she said that it had to be done he nodded his head and said that he was proud of her.

  Asking why the three ships he had with him would be back tomorrow, he told her that they had been lucky. They had been guided by Osega’s spies to a large complex that was full of girls. Questioning him Jo realised that he had raided an exclusive ladies academy in America. He told her that in one night they had collected about two hundred girls. About forty had been the wrong colour or race. Some black, some Spanish and some Asian girls had been returned to Earth as their genes would be too strong to allow any daughters to look Sceriae. But with so many taken in one night, tonight they would need to take hardly any, so he would be with Jo tomorrow night.

  Jo’s plans to go to one star ship this morning, then one this afternoon, worried him. Asking if this would not be too tiring, he cautioned her once again to take care of her health. Assuring him that she was fine and saying that that she looked forward to seeing him again, Jo said goodbye and he told her that he too, looked forward to seeing her.

  For the rest of the day, Jo was too busy to feel tired. There were no trouble makers on either ship, although both had underage girls. Quite a few of the girls were happy to be going anywhere as long as it was away from their hell on earth. Jo answered all their questions to the best of her ability and was pleased that they were reacting so well. It was evening by the time she got back to her quarters, and Tjai insisted that she have a massage, so by the time she’d showered, been massaged then eaten, she once again got into bed and fell asleep immediately.

  Tchu let her sleep until she woke naturally as there was nothing for her to do until the new girl’s ships arrived from Earth. Waking from a dreamless sleep, Jo was pleased that what she had done the day before hadn’t haunted her. She didn’t feel guilty as Talia had been awful. Catherine would have told the other girls what had happened and no doubt some would hate her for it. Deciding that she would visit them later, for damage limitation, she sat up in bed. The baby was moving slightly and putting her hands on her stomach Jo talked to her quietly, telling her of the life that lay ahead of her. As Acorus’s daughter she would be high up in Sceriae hierarchy and could choose what she wanted to do with her life. One day she may even be able to visit Earth, for as far as Jo could see, nobody noticed any difference in the Sceriae when they visited Earth. Osega’s spies lived on Earth quite happily for months at a time. It was fast becoming Jo’s dream that Scerior and Earth could come together and maybe trade with each other. Lost in her daydream Jo didn’t hear Tchu and Tjai come in until Tchu spoke to her.

  Saying good morning Tchu asked if Jo was ready to have her shower and massage before breakfast. She was more than ready as she felt really rested, better than she’d felt for a while in fact. Commenting on this to Tchu, she was told that it was because the baby had stopped growing so wasn’t taking anything from Jo.

  “That’s great” Jo said “It means I’ll have enough energy to see the new girls. They will be a different problem to the girls we rescued. I think they may cause problems if they are the kind of girls I think they are. Privileged from wealthy families, they won’t be pleased to hear about their fate. Oh dear, I hope Acorus hasn’t made a mistake with them. Their parents will kick up a fuss and so will the authorities. If America thinks they have been taken by terrorists they could start a war!”

  “It is rather a lot to take from one place” was all Tchu would say.

  Showered, massaged and enjoying her breakfast Jo was pleased when Hersha paid her a visit. He was as usual deferential towards her, but when she offered him a drink, he took off his helmet and joined her. Soon they were chatting like old friends and Tchu and Tjai also joined them, once they had tidied the bathroom and made the bed. Jo smiled to herself to see how well chaperoned she was. The Escorii were old fashioned in that way and didn’t think that a female should be alone with a male unless they were mates. They talked about how the girls were behaving and Hersha reported that there had been no problems at all. They seemed to have accepted the fate of Talia without any upset.

  Once they had finished eating Hersha departed to go about his duties, telling Jo that Acorus hoped to be with them early that afternoon. Pleased about that Jo decided that she would go and see the girls on this ship once again. She wanted to see how Catherine had settled down. She had dressed in tunic and trousers as she knew that Acorus preferred her that way, also the girls would accept her better dressed that way. With her guards following she walked to the girl’s quarters and was pleased to see that there were only two guards outside the room. She entered quietly with Tchu by her side and her guards behind her. All was quiet, some girls were still eating, others were in groups, talking, and some were doing each others hair.

  When Jo was seen, everyone went quiet, except for little Maria who shrieked and ran to her. Laughing Jo hugged her and taking her hand led her further into the room. Katy and Molly joined them and Jo found a seat and sat down with them sitting close to her. Jo was pleased to see how much better they all looked. The beautiful eleven year old was looking less dull eyed but the gypsy girl’s appearance hadn’t improved at all. Even with the Escorii’s care she still looked slatternly.

  Calling the girl’s Escorii to her she asked them what was wrong with her. They told her that the girl didn’t like showering, hated being massaged, indeed they had to ask a third Escorii to help them, and wouldn’t have her hair washed or brushed. They thought that the girl was mentally disabled. Both Escorii were upset as they had never seen anyone like her before.

  When Jo asked if anything could be done for her they both shook their heads. Deciding to think about it for a while Jo asked where Catherine was. In her cubicle, one of the other girls told her, and she wouldn’t come out.

  “Oh dear”, Jo thought “This is why I am here. Before the difficult would just be killed and got rid of. I’m beginning to understand why. In an operation as big as this there really isn’t time for the Sceriae to bother with difficult girls”.

  Going in to see Catherine, Jo was pleased that she didn’t have her armour on, that would just have scared her more. She found the girl lying on her bed, dry eyed but patently terrified. Introducing herself Jo was sad to see the girls fear increase, but she took hold of her hand and explained why Talia had been killed
, while an Escorii translated. Jo also told her why she had not. As she spoke, Catherine turned and looked into her eyes, then she spoke and the Escorii translated.

  “Yes it is true; Talia was one of the slave traders. I have thought hard about her and I know I never saw her ill treated, like the rest of us were. Still, to throw her into space, that shocked me. How do I know that will not happen to me?”

  “You have my word; I want you to be happy. Life on Scerior is good, better than anything you have known so far in your life”. Waiting for the Escorii to translate, Jo smiled into Catherine’s eyes.

  “Although I did a bad thing, I have not been beaten. There are many men on this ship, but none of us has been raped. To survive, I believe I must trust you, Lady Jo-Anna, so I will do my best and try to behave well” and she half smiled.

  “Good now you should join the others and let yourself be pampered. I’m pleased that you have decided to trust me, as your welfare is my only concern” and with that Jo got up and left her.

  Deciding that she’d talk to Acorus about the gypsy girl Jo said goodbye to the rest of the girls and left. Heading towards the flight deck Jo discussed the gypsy girl with Tchu. She wouldn’t be any good for breeding from as although she had blue eyes, she could produce a baby looking dark and Romany. Jo shuddered at the racism of that fact, people on Earth, at least quite a few, would be disgusted. However, on Earth, if a species were in danger of being extinct, they wouldn’t cross a tiger with a lion, for example. The way Jo had been brought up, was to consider all races as equal. Humans, as aliens would say, but to the Sceriae, their genes must remain as pure as possible. Tchu shook her head sadly, knowing that before Jo, girls like the gypsy girl would have been euthanised, not something the Escorii approved of. What to do with her was a major problem. Shelving the problem for the moment Jo entered the flight deck. Enquiring where Acorus’s ships were, she was told that they were almost through the asteroid belt. About another hour and they would be with them. Excited at seeing Acorus, Jo went back to her quarters to freshen up and rest for a while. She must have dozed off because she was awoken by Acorus’ voice.