The Slave Planet

by Seven Steps

Seven threw herself at him, embracing him tightly.

  Pennick tipped her mouth to him, kissed her softly, and touched his forehead with hers. He prayed that this wasn’t a mistake and asked the gods to keep Seven’s life safe, even if it cost him his own.

  “Seven?” Eva called. “Pennick? Let’s go!”

  Pennick and Seven nodded to each other and walked into the tunnel of the fallen one.

  CHAPTER 34

  The mold encrusted stone walls reflected the flickering light of both Kiln’s flames and the stone cauldrons. Feet splashed through black water that mixed and pooled ankle high. The hot, stagnant air made breathing a chore. From somewhere in the distance came a sharp, acidic smell. Ahead of them, the tunnel curved into darkness.

  Eva felt shivers move down her spine.

  There are probably rats all over this place. They’re probably waiting to pounce on me at any minute. She looked up. Is that something glistening? Are those green eyes? Sharp teeth?

  She could have sworn she heard the rats panting in the hot air. Her hair stood on end. She felt goose bumps run along her shoulders and down her back.

  Something splashed.

  She bit her tongue to keep from screaming and willed herself not to run out of the tunnel.

  “We shouldn’t be down here,” Eva said. “No one could live down here.”

  “This is where Pennick says she is,” Lex said. “We have to keep going.”

  “And if she’s not here? What are our next steps? What is Plan B?”

  “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” Lex said.

  “That is the problem,” Eva said. “There is no plan. There is never any plan.”

  “I found Pennick and Seven, didn’t I? Isn’t that good enough for you to trust me?”

  “No, it’s not,” Eva said. “We found Pennick and Seven by accident. It was a fluke. And now we’re down here in this disgusting tunnel with who knows what, and like always, you don’t have a plan.”

  “What is your problem, Eva?” Lex stopped and looked at her, pain in his eyes. “It’s like whatever I do, it isn’t good enough for you. Why don’t you just go back and wait for us on the ship? You obviously don’t feel safe in here.”

  Lex turned, and walked on, leaving Eva to huff and follow behind him.

  Pennick cleared his throat. “We must be deep in the mountain by now. My tribe calls it the mountain of prayers.”

  “Mountains of prayer,” Eva said. “Valley’s of gods. Fallen ones. No wonder you people were so easy to talk into slave trade. You’ll believe anything.”

  “Worship is very important to our people,” Pennick said. “Every morning we thank the gods for the sun, and at night we thank them for the moons. We thank the gods after a good hunt, and we thank them when a baby is born. It keeps them happy, and it keeps us safe from their wrath. Aren’t there gods on Venus?”

  Nadira shrugged. “We worship the Mother Goddess Venus.”

  “That is very good,” Seven said. “Since I’ve seen the lady, my belief in the gods has grown stronger.”

  “Embrya isn’t a god,” Eva interrupted, slowing down enough to walk next to Seven. “She’s a magistrate. A ruler.”

  “And yet you stand in the mountain of prayers, in the valley of the gods,” Seven said. “How do you think you got here?”

  “I walked, mostly against my will, I might add,” Eva said.

  “Yes,” Seven said. “You walked through a jungle, and somehow you found me and Pennick and now you are walking straight to Arees. And yet, you do not believe?”

  “It was all a coincidence,” Eva said.

  Seven smiled. “Perhaps it was, and perhaps it wasn’t.”

  “Look, I understand,” Eva said. “You are naive. You don’t understand the world around you so you make up some gods to explain why the sun rises and sets. I get it. But the Magistrate is not a god. She’s just a woman like you and me.”

  “When I see the lady, I will decide what she is for myself,” Seven said. “Besides, with what I saw in my dream, I wouldn’t know what else to call her and the others.”

  “They’re just beings from another planet,” Eva said. “Nothing special.”

  Seven smiled at Eva. “Perhaps if you believed, then you would know that everything is special, has value, is worthy of life and honor. I’m sure that you would be much happier.”

  “I am happy,” Eva said.

  “I suppose the only one who can know that for sure is you,” Seven said.

  After weaving through the tunnel for what seemed like hours, they arrived at a platform, and the firelight from the burning cauldrons once again surrounded them.

  On the platform were several, tall cone-shaped structures. They resembled houses in that they each had four curved walls, a rounded roof that ended in a load bearing point, windows complete with cloth curtains, and doors. They were made entirely of stone.

  “What is this place?” Lex asked.

  “It seems to be a village,” Pennick said. “A village inside the mountain of prayer. Perhaps this is where the fallen one lives.”

  “If it is a village, then where is everyone?” Lex asked.

  Something scampered from one shadowy corner to another.

  “What was that?” Nadira asked, her voice bouncing and echoing off the stone walls. She clutched Kiln’s hand.

  “I don’t know,” Kiln replied.

  “Don’t move,” a female voice commanded.

  The voice and its echo chilled Eva’s soul.

  And so did the cold, bony hands that held her.

  CHAPTER 35

  “Take them deeper into the tunnel,” a husky voice said. “We’ll execute them there.”

  Lex felt metal on the back of his neck. “Hello, Arees.”

  A woman stepped around to face him. She kept the blade trained on his throat. Most of her face was hidden in the low light of the tunnel, but Lex knew her voice. He’d heard it a thousand times on the nightly news feed.

  “How do you know my name?” Arees barked.

  Lex eyed the small blade trained on his throat before refocusing on the woman before him.

  Arees’ black wavy hair fell softly around her shoulders. She wore a filthy dress that may have been white once. Her feet were covered in heavy, dirty, black boots.

  Lex felt his heart stop as their eyes met. He thought he felt heat pass between them, but couldn’t be sure.

  Though her mouth fell open, the knife in her hand didn’t waver. “Lex?”

  He nodded.

  “I remember you,” Arees whispered.

  He bit the inside of his cheek and tried to focus on the mission instead of the confusing feelings that raced through him.

  She is a murderer, remember. She killed everyone that you ever knew. She deserves to die.

  “How is it possible that you are here?” Arees whispered

  Lex took in a lungful of hot, steamy air. “We are here to take you to Zenith. You are to meet the Magistrate and answer for your crimes.”

  Arees’ green eyes searched his. “The Magistrate. Yes, I remember her. The woman with the red hair. I have dreamed of her—and you.”

  “I, too, have dreamed of the lady.” Seven stepped out of the grasp of the hands that held her.

  “Who are you?” Arees asked.

  “My name is Seven.”

  “I don’t remember you,” Arees said.

  “We have never met, but what Lex says is true,” Seven said. “We have to take you back to the lady. I must meet with her as well, although for a different purpose.”

  Arees nodded then looked back at Lex.

  For a moment, Lex was lost in the depths of her green eyes and the beautiful way that they complimented her deep, brown skin. He shook his head to clear it.

  “Arees, you are responsible for murdering thousands of women, men, and children on Venus. We are taking you back to Zenith so that you can face justice.”

  Arees’ brows drew together, and she flicked her eyes to the creat
ures that held the travelers. Even in the dim light, Lex’s stomach turned at the sight of them.

  Yellowish skin hung upon their short, bony, hairless frames. Their abnormally large eyes protruded from their lumpy, rounded heads. Claw-like hands ended in long, jagged, yellow fingernails. They were naked, their ribs visible beneath their jaundiced skin. The women’s large, lumpy breasts hung down past their rounded, protruding stomach. They reminded Lex of the tree frogs he had seen in the jungle. Walking, lumpy tree frogs.

  “What are your orders, Arees?” one of them asked, her voice gruff.

  Arees turned to Lex. “In my dreams, you never hurt me. Will you hurt me or my people now?”

  Lex shook his head.

  Arees dropped her knife. “I believe you.” She looked to the creatures. “Release them.” She turned back to Lex. “Come to my chambers. We can talk there.”

  CHAPTER 36

  “It is said that you fell out of the sky and crashed through the mountain of prayers,” Pennick said. “They say you are a fallen god. Is that true?”

  Arees sat on a decaying chair in her chambers, an offshoot of the main tunnel. They were surrounded by dozens of fire filled stone cauldrons. There was only one way in, the single entrance they had walked through. The only other outlet was a locked metal gate behind them.

  “I am not a god,” Arees said. “I am a person, like anyone else.”

  “How did you come to be here?” Pennick asked.

  Arees looked into the fire that burned next to her. “The first thing that I remember is falling through trees. I thought I would fall forever, but I ended up landing in one of the tunnels. When I landed, I lost consciousness. When I woke up, the creatures were carrying me to their leader. They said I was a gift from God. Not an hour later, their leader relinquished all of his power to me.”

  “That’s why they call you the Fallen One,” Pennick said. “They think that you fell from heaven. A fallen god.”

  Arees nodded. “At first, I was cruel. I forced them to go out into the valley. I wanted to build ... something there. I think I was trying to rebuild what I had lost. I knew what that was once, but now the memories are gone. They’ve fled from me. I don’t know if that is a blessing or a curse.” Arees’ eyes welled with tears. “They tried to tell me that their sight wasn’t made for the sun, but I wouldn’t listen. I led them into the valley, even though they were mostly blind...powerless. In the end, we walked right into a Preyer feeding ground. The Preyers surrounded them and ... I can still hear them screaming.” Arees’ voice cracked, and she wiped away a tear. She took a deep breath and exhaled. “I was already beginning to lose my memory at that point. So I gathered all those who were still alive, came back here, and tried to make things better for them instead of worse. These clothes are the only token I have of my former life. I was wearing them when I came here.” She gestured to a dirty, white suit in the corner. “And all that I remember is the Magistrate ...” She looked up. “And you, Lex. Before that, there is only darkness.”

  Arees leaned forward, her eyes trained on Lex. “You would come into my dreams. I’d see you, and I’d feel calm. You were like the gods that these people speak of. Something ... holy. Something that brought me peace. At least that’s what I thought you were at first.” She glided her eyes over him, starting into his crimson eyes, working her way down to his wide feet. “But now I know that you have a different purpose.”

  Their gazes collided, and Lex felt familiar heat fill his belly. When she shyly looked down, he knew that she felt it too.

  I’ve seen Arees countless times before, he thought. But this woman is so ... different.

  He resisted the urge to move close to her.

  Eva walked forward and stood steps away from Arees. “We are here to take you to justice. Don’t you remember what you did? You killed thousands of people. You planned to kill the Magistrate. You killed Jun-Su’s children.” She pointed a finger at Arees. “You are a monster!”

  “I was a monster,” Arees said calmly. “I am not that person anymore.”

  “That’s because you’re down here and you can’t remember how horrible you once were,” Eva said. “But we remember. All of our friends, our family, our home. It’s all gone because of you. Venus is in shambles because of you. I hope Embrya burns you alive!”

  “Enough!” Arees rose and faced Eva. “I am not that person anymore. I don’t know the full extent of what I’ve done, but as far as I’m concerned, that’s all in the past.”

  “Tell that to the inhabitants of Venus who have been set back thousands of years by your butchery,” Eva said.

  Arees turned away. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “That doesn’t mean it didn’t happen,” Eva growled.

  Nadira stood next to Eva. “What Eva says is true. You killed your best friend’s two children. You murdered most of the women and men on Venus. We have to take you back. You must face justice.”

  Lex cleared his throat, attempting to steady himself as Arees turned her green eyes back to him. “We have to take you back. The Magistrate Embrya orders it.”

  “I cannot go,” Arees said.

  “You must go,” Lex said.

  “The Magistrate is not here, is she?” Arees asked. “Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t go. Do you know how many groups of these creatures there are out there? Dozens in this area alone. I made a vow that I would unite these people. That is the only way they will survive against the rats and the gators that move between this world and the one above.”

  Eva waved her hand dismissively. “They were here when you arrived, and they’ll be here when you leave.”

  Arees turned to Lex, her eyes pleading. “Lex, listen to reason. My people have been through so much, but I am changing all that. I am protecting them. And now that they’re finally going to be safe, you want me to leave? I am on the verge of securing a future for these people!”

  “You’ve only been here three days!” Eva cried. “What could you possibly have done in three days?”

  “Word of me has spread. Others groups have begun to come, to trade, to share. But if I leave now, all of that will stop.” She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. “I only want to help them.”

  Eva shook her head. “Arees, you have to—”

  “At least meet the people that I serve,” Arees interrupted. “Sit with us for a meal. See how we live. And then, if you don’t want me to stay, if you don’t think that I will be better off here than going with you, then I will go.”

  “You will go with us one way or another, Arees” Eva said.

  “Then at least give me a day to say goodbye to my people,” Arees said.

  Lex frowned.

  Who is this person? The old Arees would have ripped my throat out by now.

  “You won’t put up a fight?” He asked.

  “What use are knives and clubs against the powers that you have?” Arees asked. “Yes, I’ve seen them in my dreams. If I fight, my people will be hurt. I can’t let that happen.”

  “Lex, we can’t stay,” Eva said. “We have to get back to the ship as soon as possible.”

  “I don’t know, Eva,” Lex said. “We have time.”

  “Nadira, tell him!” Eva shouted.

  “We do have some time, Eva,” Nadira said.

  Eva’s eyes narrowed at her friend.

  Lex took a deep breath. “We will stay for one day to allow Arees to say goodbye, and then we will take her back to the Magistrate.”

  Eva’s eyes widened. “But Lex—”

  “I said we’re staying, Eva,” Lex interrupted. “Twenty-four hours. Then we’ll leave.”

  Eva’s body shook with fury, and she stormed from the room.

  Lex turned back to Arees.

  Thank you, she mouthed.

  Lex nodded.

  I hope I’ve made the right decision.

  CHAPTER 37

  Arees escorted them through the main tunnel. “We have begun calling ourselves the Unders, becau
se we live underground. I came up with it, but it hasn’t caught on as I thought it would.” She opened her arms in front of her, gesturing to the various tunnels. “Our city is separated into six tunnels. The front is where the watch lives. They are the ones who alerted me that you were here. The living quarters are down this tunnel.” She gestured to her left. “We have begun to call it the Habby. That one has caught on.”

  Nadira could see more stone houses, as well as large holes serving as doorways in the stone walls.

  “Past the Habby are the quarry and the mines,” Arees said. “That’s where we mine our rocks and gems for our buildings. These wonderful people have been mining for thousands of years. They used the rocks for building, but when they found the gems, they would simply throw them in another hole like trash. They saw no use for them. But now that I’m here, and other groups are arriving, we have used the gems to set up trade. The other groups provide clothing, medicine, food, and wares. Just think, what once was useless is now saving our lives. If you were to make a left after the quarry you would reach our farming area where we grow things like sugar and rice. The area is shaded enough for the people to see but with still enough sunlight to sustain us. It is a gift, and we are thankful for it.”

  They passed another tunnel, a stone watch station set up just inside of it. “Down there is God’s Tunnel.” The tunnel sloped slightly upwards before ending in an archway covered by long, tangled vines that hung down from the outside. A large hole in the roof of the tunnel, just past the entrance, gave a good view of the sky. “The people go down there to pray and to look at the stars. That’s where I landed after my fall from the heavens.”

  “Gods tunnel? Did you come up with that name as well?” Lex asked.

  “No,” Arees said. “The people came up with that on their own.” Arees walked on. “The last tunnel leads back to my chamber. It’s where we keep prisoners. Here we abide by very strict rules. You commit a crime, and you are immediately sent to the Hole.”

  “What is the Hole?” Lex asked.

  “In the back of my chambers, you may have noticed a gate,” Arees said. “Beyond that gate is where the rats and gators pass through from time to time. If you are in the Hole, you are not coming back out.”