by Stella Cassy
I hadn’t seen another living soul in the time I’d been in the room. I'd made myself stay awake as long as possible, then when I finally fell asleep from pure exhaustion, I’d woken up to another bar of food. I was too hungry to worry about poison. I wished I’d been too hungry to worry about taste. It had tasted like dirt, literally.
I'd eaten it anyway.
The small packet of liquid had tasted fine, thankfully. I'd become worried about dehydration. But as before, the liquid packed a punch and I'd felt hydrated within minutes. It must've been some sort of concentrated space-water.
Was there such a thing as space-water? Hell, I didn't know. I was a doctor, not a freaking astronaut. The science-loving part of my mind longed to get the water under a microscope, but the shock I was sure I was still in made it hard to be interested in the water at the moment. It had been such a long time since that second bar had been brought into the room. I was sure I’d been in the room full of tables and chairs for at least a week with only two bars and two packets of water to drink.
The walls of the room pressed into my back as I tried to pretend I was invisible. The commotion overhead stopped, and my mind filled with questions. Who made so much noise and why? Were they fighting? What if they came down here?
I was a woman in space. The likelihood that they didn't want to rape and/or maim me was slim. If I was lucky, maybe they'd have me be a regular slave or something. I could cook and clean. Maybe I could convince them of my abilities as a doctor and train to help their medical professionals.
The idea of escape had completely left me. Even if by some miracle I managed to overpower each of my captors, where would I go? I didn't know how to drive on Earth, having lived in cities all of my life. There was no way I could pilot a spacecraft.
My throat closed around a scream, my desperate thoughts overpowering my need to stay small and hidden. I held it in valiantly, though, and managed to stay quiet. Even when the door opened.
The first time.
A small, mechanical bug skittered in the room, heading straight for me.
It had six legs, three on each side, and was outfitted with what could only be a tiny camera and a small tube. I had no idea what the tube was for.
If I'd seen it on Earth I would've thought it was a cute little robot droid. Droids had risen in popularity since technology had made them cheap enough for the average consumer to purchase.
The little guy took a couple more steps forward, his camera trained on me. "What do you want, little guy? Is someone looking at me through your camera?" I whispered. "Please tell them not to hurt me."
Great. A doctor, reduced to baby talking to small robots in a freaking spaceship!
I jumped as the robot scuttled backward and out of the room, never turning his camera from me.
My anxiety continued to climb as the silence pressed in on me. I considered standing to look out of one of the small windows. They looked like portholes on a cruise ship.
A few more moments passed without incident, so I forced my legs to relax. It wouldn't do me any good to get a muscle cramp from the constant tension.
My normally tawny skin tone was washed out and pale. I desperately needed rest, real food, a shower, and fresh clothes.
I needed to wake up from this nightmare.
"Someone please save me," I whispered to myself.
Nobody was coming to save me. Earth didn't even know about aliens or spaceships. There was nobody there with the technology or money to save one human.
Desperation tightened my chest. I stood and walked back and forth, trying to calm myself before the panic truly took hold.
I was so focused on my breathing and overcoming my emotions that I didn't remember to face the door or I might've seen it opening and tried to hide again behind one of the tables.
"A human!" a masculine voice exclaimed. I whirled around in terror. A lizardman stood in the doorway. What the hell? His face and neck had blue scales, but he mostly looked like a human. Well, except for the blue wings folded neatly behind him.
"Stand back, crew. I know how to deal with such a novelty. Fear not, human. I know all about your kind." He stomped toward me before turning back to look at the two lizard-men who had followed him in, revealing a tail swinging. The cloth of his pants covered the lower half of his tail, like shorts with an extra leg. "Watch this," he said to his crew. "She'll be so relieved to be stolen from the Blimburgs that she will fall at my feet in supplication." Two more lizards peered in from the hallway.
My panic took root as he came toward me with no regard for my personal space or terror. My horror-filled mind didn't hear every word he said, but the word stolen screamed in my thoughts on repeat. The sight of him lifting a three-fingered hand, complete with long, sharp claws sure did break through the shock.
As he came closer, I grabbed the closest chair I could wrap my hands around and hurled it at him. He ducked, but I realized a second too late that the expression on his face had been relatively jovial. It darkened as the chair sailed past him and clattered on the floor near the door.
I couldn't hear their words, but my actions had caused his crew to mutter amongst themselves.
Maybe the chair had been a bad idea.
"Leave me alone," I said, ashamed at how timid my voice sounded.
"She speaks," he crowed. "Well at least we know she's strong enough to pick up a chair, and her language modulator chip works." He turned to his crew again. "So she can earn her keep until we find a suitable buyer for her."
Returning his gaze to me, he stepped forward again, holding out his hand. "Come, human, no need to fight. It will only end badly for you." His voice was light, but his face promised pain if I resisted. I'd pissed him off with the chair, but he needed to save face for his crew.
He stepped forward again, so close I could reach out and touch the scales on his face. "Come, human," he repeated in a whisper.
His hand grabbed for me, and I slapped it away. "Don't touch me," I shrieked. He recoiled, surprised at my volume. I took the opportunity to slap his face as hard as I could. He needed to know I had no intention of doing what he said. Stolen, stolen, stolen. He was going to sell me like a farm animal. Another auction.
Darting out from behind him as he scrambled backward, I ran to the other side of the room. I couldn't go toward the door, and there was no other exit in the room.
I'd checked. Thoroughly.
"Grab her," the blue lizard said in a too-quiet voice. "Take her to our kitchens."
The two lizards by the door came toward me with blank expressions on their faces. They had no interest in talking to me or giving me time to think of a way to fight them off. Before I could consider grabbing another chair, they each had me by an arm and a leg, hefting me up easily between them.
It took a surprisingly short time to walk off of the spaceship we were on. For a vehicle that navigated space, it wasn't that big. But then, neither was the one I was carried on to.
At least it was cleaner though. And if they were taking me to the kitchens, I'd probably just be made to cook and clean, which wouldn't be so bad. Maybe there would even be time to take a quick bath or at least wash off. Kitchens had to have water, right?
My addled brain didn't register much of the ship as it passed by. It was mostly white and sparse, clean. A few doorways opened up off of the hall we walked down but we moved so fast I didn't have time to peer into them.
The men dumped me onto the floor without preamble in the middle of a massive kitchen. It was surprisingly similar to what I would expect to find in the belly of a ship on Earth. There were pots boiling on what seemed to be a stove, though the range top was one smooth, black surface with no discernible heat. The steam rising from the pot on top indicated heat coming from somewhere.
The blue lizard that I'd slapped entered the room.
"Bring it over here," he said, and I craned my neck to see what he was talking about. A cauldron, no other word for it, was dragged from the corner of the room. It was big enough
for an adult to take a bath in.
"Fill it."
One of the men pulled a silvery hose over to the cauldron, and water gushed out of the end. Oh heavens, how I wanted to jump under the water and cleanse myself. The man flipped down a keypad from the lip of the cauldron and pushed a few buttons. As the water flowed, steam began to rise from it and soon I heard the water boiling. How hot was that thing able to get that it boiled the water within a few seconds? And why did they need a huge cauldron of hot water?
Oh, no. No, no. A possibility entered my mind that I hadn't even entertained before.
What if they ate humans?
5
Illion
"Strip her."
I'd let her watch as we filled the cauldron, hoping she'd understand it was meant for her punishment. I had no intention of boiling her alive. Even if I could stomach the act of cruelty, she was far too valuable in a trade for water. But she had to learn she couldn't go around slapping my face in front of my crew. She would've been given relative freedoms on my ship if she'd just cooperated.
"What?" she yelled. "Why? Get away from me!" She tried pushing my lieutenant away, but he was having none of it. He was good at hiding his emotions, but I could tell he took no joy in frightening a helpless human.
The fact remained that when she'd slapped me, I'd heard them whisper. They thought me weak for not striking her in return. I'd even heard a laugh come from the hall. More of a snort, really, but far more than I could allow. If they didn't respect me, they wouldn't follow me. It was vital that I gain their respect, whether it be by fear or by loyalty. With the small amount of time we had to complete our mission, fear would have to be the motivating factor.
Since I wasn't willing to strike her any more than I would strike a small child, I had to gain her submission in a way that would inspire respect from my crew and persuade her that doing as she was told was in everyone's best interest.
It would've been easier if I'd just hit her. Her outer garment was easily removed by Chase's claw, but her undergarments proved more difficult.
"Leave it," I said as Chase struggled to remove the fabric covering her breasts. She squirmed as he attempted it, clearly unwilling to be naked.
As much as I wanted to see her completely nude, curious about the human female body, I found I didn't want anyone else to see her that way. Human females and Drakon males were very compatible sexually, and I didn't truly know these men. I wouldn't have any of them touch her unless I was sure I didn't want to and that she was amiable to the possibility. Besides, if they damaged her, she would be less valuable in a trade.
We'd have to have her checked medically as well. If she was a breeder she would become far more valuable. We might even attempt to auction her.
She stood before me, slightly calmer for being allowed to keep her undergarments on. "You're not going to eat me?" she asked in a pitiful voice.
Her vulnerability made me hate what I was about to do, but I had to ensure she wouldn't undermine me in front of my crew again or this sort of punishment would have to be repeated. Swift and severe punishments guaranteed there wouldn't be a second.
"Of course not," I replied. "Humans are too stringy and fatty." The thought of eating a human was laughable.
"I disagree," Chase said, catching my drift. "If cooked properly they make a great meal. I like to make a gravy with all the fat. I can show you." His voice was light as if being helpful. We both knew neither of us had ever tasted another sentient being. Maybe Chase would end up being an ally after all. I wasn't sure who had snickered behind my back on the other ship, but I suspected it hadn't been him.
"Then why the water?"
"I'm going to punish you, human."
She gasped, her eyes widening. "By boiling me?" She attempted to recoil, but Chase’s arms prevented her from moving away.
"You slapped me," I said simply. "It cannot go unpunished."
"Do you understand that putting any part of my body in that water will maim me in a way that will take weeks or months to heal?" Her timid voice held a glint of steel in it. She had a backbone in there, but she was too terrified to really let it out. Most of her fighting so far had been out of fear, not bravery. “If it even heals at all.”
I had no idea what a week or month was. Perhaps some sort of human medicine. "You'll be fine, we have excellent doctors. You'll learn your lesson." I nodded toward her, and Chase stepped back.
"Tie her hands and feet," he told his men. "Then bring the hook over."
A large hook was mounted into the ceiling of the room to hold slabs of meat, normally from herds bred on Thirren, but they'd mostly perished in the war or aftermath. I was sure one of the other men on the elements missions would be looking to rebuild our herds.
When her hands and feet were secure, they lowered the hook and hung her from it. Her body stretched, pulling her breasts and ribs out and elongating her torso.
My dick hardened in my pants involuntarily. Where had that come from? Sure, she was attractive, but she was more trouble than she was worth. Her value in water was far more than her value in my bedroom. My dragon loved the sight of her tied up but was furious that she was being lifted over the water. He didn’t want her hurt. I found the task of controlling him to be difficult.
Her whimpers turned to screams as she realized I wasn't bluffing. Well, I was bluffing, but she didn't know it yet. Her bound feet dangled a few inches off the ground. She shrieked and yelled as she bucked, trying to jump herself off of the hook, but it was too deep. She'd never get her ropes up and over the sharp tip.
"Now, you'll remember this and do as you’re told in the future."
Her gaze swung to mine, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Please," she begged. "I'll do whatever you say."
I jerked my head toward the cauldron, and one of the men pushed the button on the wall to make the hook move toward the boiling liquid. "Raise her a little," I said.
When she was directly over the water, she pulled her legs up as far as she could, shrieking at a new volume. "Please! The steam burns!" Her cries were pitiful, and I found myself deeply regretting this course of action. Surely I could've found another way.
"You promise to be obedient?" I called out casually.
"I promise!" Her voice broke, sobs wracking her frame as she struggled to hold her legs up and away from the water.
I nodded again and the hook was drawn away from the boiling water. Her body slumped in relief, her head hanging between her outstretched arms.
"Maybe he's got a small backbone after all," someone muttered behind me.
"I doubt it." Both voices chuckled. I pretended I didn't hear it. At least they were beginning to come around. I'd have to find other ways to exert my authority without having to resort to boiling attractive humans.
"Cut her down." Her beautiful skin was bright pink. Maybe we had brought her a bit too close to the hot water. She slumped on the floor, crying quietly. "Take her to the medical bay yourself," I told Chase. He seemed trustworthy and hopefully wouldn't cause her further harm along the way. "The rest of you get this ship moving. We need to get to Coovoo."
After watching Chase help her from the room, I stalked back to my captain's chair, in a rotten mood. She’d been too weak to walk, and Chase’d had to carry her. The men followed slowly. "What are you waiting for?" I barked. "Get us moving. Release that hunk of junk the Blimburgs called a ship, now."
The men gave me startled looks. I normally kept an even temper, but recent events had me boiling.
I couldn't help but think of my mother. She’d know what I should do.
"Move!" I shouted. "Now!"
When they had us on track, I slipped away and pulled my comms unit out of my pocket and pressed the pre-programmed button to contact my mother. Her voice crackled through quickly. "Illi, are you safe?"
"I am, mother." I walked quickly to my bedroom before saying anything personal. "I just need your advice."
"Of course, Illi, of course. What's wrong?"
; I explained the events so far, including the woman we'd found.
"What's her name?" she asked.
"Uh, well."
"You didn't even ask her name?"
I hung my head. "No."
"That was your first mistake. She may not be Drakon, but she's a woman. You know damn well that women are just as capable and intelligent as men."
"I do know that mother, but she's not Drakon." She couldn't possibly be considered to be as strong as a Drakon man. Drakon women could be as strong if they chose to be, but a human? Never.
"Strength doesn't always mean the ability to lift the heaviest or fly the farthest, Illion Nevrin. Have you taken leave of your senses? Do you not know how to interact with a woman?"
"Of course I do, mother. Is there anything you can do to help me?"
"Okay, okay. What was your first mistake?"
"I should've approached her more slowly. She was probably worried I would hurt her."
"You've met your uncle's wife. Does he treat her any differently?"
"Well, I'm not trying to marry this woman, mother. Just get her compliance until I can trade her."
"Oh, stop. You're not trading her."
"What makes you say that?" She was a crazy old woman. I shouldn't have called her.
"If you planned to trade her you would've just thrown her in a cell and let her rot until you reached your destination. You want to keep her and don't know what to do about how poorly you treated her."
"When did you become a psychologist, mother?"
"When I had you."
I laughed and bade her goodnight, shutting off the comms. We had several rotations of travel ahead of us and the third shift crew was in place. I'd get some rest. She was crazy if she thought I was keeping the human worth her weight in jewels.
6
Leti
I didn’t bother resisting or arguing in any way as the pale green lizard man helped me to my feet. The tears wouldn't stop flowing down my cheeks. No point in stopping them or trying to clean them up. What good would it have done?