Gladiator: A Rough Sci-Fi Romance

by Piper Stone

  Thomas sucked in his breath, clenching his fists.

  I pushed the weapon under his chin, lifting him onto his toes. “I asked you a fucking question.”

  “I’ll get it for you, but we need the journal in order to continue testing. Okay?” He held up his hands, an almost desperate expression on his face.

  I nodded, motioning for him to get it. I followed behind as he moved into another room, almost immediately gasping.

  “No!” he exclaimed.

  “What is wrong?” I could see a door leading to another corridor was still ajar.

  He yanked at several drawers, pulling books from bookshelves, frantic in his actions. “It’s gone. They’ve taken the journal. That means...”

  “That means what, exactly?”

  He leaned against one of the tables, taking several deep breaths.

  His outbursts and innuendoes reminded me of what Dakar had told me. “Why the hell is the journal so important? Why the fuck did you really bring your daughter to this place?”

  “Because she’s the only one who can do this. The journal has almost every key, every formula.” He continued to tremble as he walked further away.

  “I’m going to ask you one more time, meaning what?”

  He laughed, shaking his head several times. “My work was brilliant. I knew that what I was attempting to accomplish would change our world, finally ridding our kind of the horrors from centuries before.”

  “But as you said, you failed.”

  Thomas took a deep breath, finally facing me. “Yes. I did. However, I realized all those years ago that testing was required, needed in order to ensure what I was doing would work.”

  I eased back, lowering my weapon. “You tested your own daughter with the serum you developed years ago. Didn’t you, old man?”

  “Yes,” he hissed. “I had to know. No one would listen to me. I wanted to make certain that my daughter lived, that she would grow up to be anything she wanted to be.”

  “You mean instead of coercing her into becoming a scientist just like her father?”

  Snorting, his entire body sagged. “I never wanted this to happen. My greatest joy was watching her grow.”

  “In secrecy. What is it about her that’s so special?” I thought about Katarina’s comments regarding the journal, the unusual formulas she’d found.

  I watched as he seemed to age before my eyes, a broken man who’d believed in what he was doing. When he whispered the words, they made sense, although the heavy weight now placed on both our shoulders something that could never be denied again.

  “I injected her with the vaccine and tested her several times before I was forced to leave. She was deemed free of diseases, her body’s resistance incredible. I wrote everything I could down when I was forced to come here, but nothing has worked. The journal I started here will allow for re-creation of the correct formula.”

  “Worth everything to the Zatans.” I was ready to rip his head off. “Wait a minute. You said almost every formula. Another secret, Doctor?”

  He swallowed several times, moving back into his bedroom and moving toward a typical painting on the wall. After giving me a hard glare, he yanked it from the wall, exposing some kind of a safe. “I’m not that much of a fool, Lieutenant Aska. I knew that the Zatans could betray us. Why shouldn’t they? The final formula has been locked away, ready to test on Katarina. If the Zatans attempt to use the formula they believe is correct, their people will die instantly.”

  “Just like those on Earth.”

  “Yes, only the formula that was stolen by members of the military operation is even more dangerous, the effects occurring within six months, maybe less.”

  Secrets and lies. Maybe the government had it coming to them. No. I couldn’t think that way. Not everyone had been involved. “Well, at least you have some common sense. You’re going to keep this safe at all costs.”

  He merely nodded, choking sounds pushing up from his throat. “Don’t judge me, Lieutenant. This is... detrimental in every way. She was our only hope of fixing this.”

  “And I’m going to get her back. Now, tell me, if that serum you gave her worked, then why is she aging normally?”

  “That was my work from before and she’s actually aging at a much slower rate. I was already onto something all those years ago. What I created here is entirely different, but the properties are almost identical. I monitored her reaction, gauging how her cells infused differently than any of my other subjects. My early work was different, experimental, but I knew I was onto something important.”

  “You had her tested again, kidnapping her from a freaking nightclub, using a so-called friend to help you.”

  “Yes, and those people were vital. Don’t you understand that? I had my connections separate from my work. It was necessary to see if what I’d given her had worked, or even changing over the years.”

  “You made your own daughter a guinea pig.”

  Thomas shuffled toward me, conviction on his face. “Yes, but I loved my wife and daughter more than anything.”

  “But your wife died as a cause of this crap.”

  He faltered in his resolve, his face riddled with anguish. “My wife was used by the Zatans, taken from me.”

  “She’s not dead.” The muck was getting deeper.

  “I honestly don’t know any longer. My early work in trying to save the Zatans failed, the test subjects dying in such a traumatic manner that the king became angry. He thought that by taking my wife I’d have an incentive.”

  I sighed, finally shoving my weapon back into position. “You knew Katarina held antibodies that could help.”

  “Yes. The testing I’d forced upon her revealed the possibility. The king initiated her abduction and my success could mean the release of my wife.”

  “You betrayed your daughter in an effort to save your own life, you worthless fuck. You don’t give a shit about anyone left on Earth.”

  “Listen to me, Xander. My daughter is the only hope for humanity. If you find her and bring back my wife, I will prove to you that I’m right. I know a shorter way to get back to King Rajah’s kingdom. Plus, there’s a way you can get off this planet. You can decide whether you want to go to Earth or to return to your home.”

  Another lie. There was a ship. I held the barrel of the weapon to his head, allowing him to hear a primal growl. “Hear me, old man. I will find Katarina and even if what you’re saying is the truth, I will destroy you.”

  * * *

  At least the old fuck hadn’t been lying about a shorter route. The morning light was barely creeping over the horizon by the time I’d arrived outside of the gates. Fortunately, I knew certain weaknesses, including an entrance point that should be easy, as long as the aliens standing guard hadn’t changed their methods or their timing.

  I crept along the side, able to see the guards as they began a shift change. Within three minutes, I scaled the wall, landing on the ground in the least secured location within the compound. After listening for any alarms or cries of a breach, I moved silently toward the king’s quarters. King Rajah was many things but his joy in gloating about his wealth was a significant weakness.

  I’d learned where the highly secured area had been placed, a position that allowed him easy access to other portions of the facility as well as private quarters including a dungeon where he kept his favorite pets.

  Over time, Dakar had been especially helpful in obtaining vital information, even though he likely had no idea that he’d betrayed his own leader. The main hallways leading toward his expansive suite were heavily guarded, but the secret passageways that the king believed no one was aware of were silent, only to be used by the great king and his consorts.

  I destroyed the panel with ease, the slight noise creating no unwanted attention. As I walked down the dimly lit corridor, I was able to push my anger into a manageable mode. I knew in my gut that Katarina had been brought to the king’s palace, the electricity churning through every cell and musc
le on high voltage.

  I used my rage to fuel my actions, although I had to be careful. I would have one shot at freeing her. When I reached the king’s main quarters, I took a deep breath. There was no lock, no hindrance to my entrance. I merely walked inside, scanning the perimeter until my eyes became accustomed to the shadowed light.

  Luckily, he was all alone, languishing in his posh surroundings, built on the blood of so many others. Disgust rolled through me, hatred to the point of near madness. I advanced, easing one of the weapons into both hands.

  The sharp click from behind me pulled an intense growl from my throat. I’d been a fool.

  King Rajah threw back the covers, immediately standing. The fucker had known I was coming. Fully dressed, he glanced over my shoulder at the soldier who’d been standing guard, lying in wait.

  “I knew you would return given your adoration for the human female. Granted, I must admit, I underestimated your intelligence, Lieutenant,” King Rajah said then yawned, further infuriating me.

  “Then you know exactly why I’m here. I will be taking Katarina and her mother back with me.”

  He wagged his finger as he approached, a smile crossing his face. “Not so fast.” He stood only inches away, gazing up and down as if sizing me up. “You are a worthy opponent, just as I thought you’d be. Our selection was a wise one and I have you to thank for providing the location of Dr. Garens’ facility. It seems he was attempting to hide his recent work from me, perhaps ready to betray me once again.”

  “Cut the crap, Rajah. I am well aware that you and your people are dying. I know all the gory details. You hoped that by kidnapping Dr. Garens’ only daughter that you would force him into working harder to find a cure.” I had to know if the great king was aware of the truth.

  He chuckled and waved his hand, light filling the room. “Do not try and lie to me, Lieutenant. That is not only beneath you but certainly not wise given the circumstances. Katarina Garens is the only cure, her blood and tissue. Along with the formulas Dr. Garens so aptly wrote in his journal, we no longer need his people. My scientists have learned much during the course of several years. We can now eliminate our enemies and resume our goal.”

  “Of destroying Earth, finding a suitable planet to bring your remaining people to. What are you planning on doing: killing every man, woman, and child or just imprisoning them? Is my planet next, great King?” I gave a quick glance over my shoulder. The odds of taking the single soldier were in my favor; however, I held another card.

  “I have many uses for the human species,” he said as he smiled. “You’ve served out your purpose, Cryton. I will enjoy fighting you in the arena where I assure you that you will be defeated.”

  “There’s only one problem. The formulas in the journal aren’t entirely correct.”

  King Rajah’s smile ceased, anger riddling his face. “What are you saying?”

  “I’m saying that Dr. Garens was intelligent enough to realize that you and your people couldn’t be trusted. I assure you that the correct formula has been hidden. There is no way for you to locate it. Therefore, you’re going to work with me in any manner I say.”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  “Then go ahead, develop and test based on the information you have.” I gave him a huge smile. “Your people will be dead within days and from agonizing pain.”

  His body began to shake, his features twisting in a violent and ugly manner. “You...”

  “I’m just a lowly Cryton, King. You’ve said so yourself. While you might not understand, you will learn soon enough if you attempt to save your people without my help.”

  He turned away for a few seconds, finally issuing several words in his own language. “What do you want?”

  “I’m in a position to make a deal with you. If you hand over Katarina as well as her mother and the stolen journal, I will make certain that a serum is developed in time to save your people. In addition, I want a permanent truce with Cryton. If not, then your people will die whether in a few years or immediately if you develop your own formula. In addition, you’re going to allow every prisoner, whether human or otherwise to go free. The choice is entirely up to you.”

  He stormed in my direction, his fury increasing. “If you have lied to me, trust me, you and your entire species will be removed from the galaxy.”

  “I assure you, great King. I don’t lie.” I waited as he absorbed the information. “Take me to Katarina. Now.”

  There was no fanfare, no hesitation. The king simply moved toward the door, heading down the main corridor. I trailed behind, eyeing the various guards as they took their positions, one becoming six within minutes. As we headed into the bowels of the prison, I resisted feeding my anger. This had to be played well or the woman I loved would die.

  King Rajah stopped in front of a crowded cell, dozens of girls huddled together, all crying in desperation.

  “There’s one more thing, King. You’re going to make a promise that Earth will be spared. You have everything you need here, and my guess is that with the resources located on this planet, there is more than enough to rebuild your world. Two civilizations for another.” I issued the words without any inflection.

  “That’s not acceptable,” he hissed.

  “Then the deal is off.”

  Katarina made her way toward the front of the cell, her defiant look creating a swell of emotion, a longing that would never leave me.

  I was also no fool, well aware that as soon as the serum was developed, if that was even possible, he would attempt to imprison or kill every human involved. By then, I would be ready.

  After two minutes, his words were almost inaudible. “Very well, but I will send my most trusted man to watch every aspect of what you are doing.”

  “Acceptable.” Trusted man. We would see how long that would last.

  He glared at me, his eyes penetrating into my very soul. He would double-cross the human species. That much I knew.

  He would die if he attempted to do so to mine.

  When he finally nodded, his guards unlocked the door, moving to the side.

  Katarina rushed into my arms, her eyes expressing so much. “You came for me.”

  “Was there really any doubt, my beautiful human?” I kissed the top of her head, noticing the older woman who was almost a duplicate of her daughter.

  How this would play out, I wasn’t entirely certain, but I knew one thing in my heart and soul.

  Somehow, some way, I would still manage to get back to Earth.

  Then there would be hell to pay.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Xander

  Lies. Anger. Fear.

  They were all terrible concepts but ones that remained in my mind. While hundreds of prisoners were in the process of being freed, I knew in my gut that King Rajah was preparing another attack, although we would have some time in order to develop the serum. A solid two dozen samples had been taken from Katarina: blood, tissue, and finally even bone marrow, leaving her weak. Yet she refused to give in or give up, working alongside her father.

  Perhaps gaining some level of respect.

  I hadn’t. I remained pissed, ready for a fight.

  Four days had passed, over ninety-six hours of arduous work in the laboratory, the dozens of scientists working tirelessly in their efforts.

  While I waited.

  I was developing a plan in order to protect the compound, gathering together as many supplies as possible. Sadly, there’d been no additional talk of trying to reach Earth. That was going to have to wait.

  I stormed out of the laboratory wing, ignoring Dakar as he followed behind me. He’d been the shadow King Rajah had mentioned, watching every detail of the progress. I didn’t bother acknowledging him as I walked into the main dining room and toward the long bar. I’d refrained from indulging these long days. At this point, I needed something to get me through the next few hours.

  I could feel his presence behind me, his ever-watchful eyes. “Do you want a
drink?”

  “Why not, my friend,” Dakar said in passing.

  “Let’s get something straight. You’re not my friend.”

  “Let me ask you a question, Xander.”

  I shot him a glaring look before pouring two glasses of some creation of scotch, shoving the drink in his direction. “Why the hell not?”

  “Do you have any idea why I’m here, why I was chosen for this task?” Dakar sniffed the drink before taking a sip, lifting the glass in appreciation.

  “Because you’re the king’s lackey?” I laughed.

  “While I don’t understand the term, I can only assume that it is negative in regard. I can understand your anger, Xander. However, you don’t truly understand the circumstances behind King Rajah’s actions.”

  “Oh, I think I do. Your people decided to invade another planet, simply taking away something that didn’t belong to you. In addition, why not abduct people to do your dirty work, including bearing your children? Or participating in a sick barbaric game?”

  I could tell he was confused, his eyes narrowing. I took a gulp of the scotch, marveling in the taste.

  He took two steps closer, his expression turning to one of desperation. “It is true that our people visited Earth in a search to find more suitable living arrangements. Our planet was devastated by several wars, not just the one we had with the Crytons. My people had been watching Earth for hundreds of years, marveling at their resolve. We wanted to learn how they regained their fortitude, rebuilding after such tragedy. They were even able to bring life to their soil where no life could have been allowed. We weren’t so lucky. I suspect neither were you. We were betrayed by them several times.”

  “So you retaliated.”

  “We felt we had no choice. When our people took ill, we knew the intent was annihilation of our kind.”

  “Well, you can’t blame them,” I retorted.

  “My father couldn’t allow that to happen. When he ascended to the throne, all he could think about was destroying Earth. You see, my mother was lost to one of their wretched diseases.”

  It took at least ten seconds for the information to sink in. “Your father?”