by Zena Zion
When Rick’s sudden, angry departure appeared, Ruby began to second guess her decision to allow Srahn access to her memories.
Finally, the day of the vanishing leapt to the forefront.
Srahn played the images over and over in her mind, looking for some unknown detail that she had missed at the time.
Finally, her memories began to include him and Ruby shifted uncomfortably in her chair.
Srahn sped through her time in the small town, thankfully bypassing her lewd imaginings of the sexy man she had witnessed about the town.
He jumped directly to the initial encounter with the bikers, which played in hazy and choppy clips that revealed the unfocused state of her mind at the time. At the moment of his arrival on the scene, his evaluation of her mind ended with sudden blackness.
She was grateful that the perusal had ended there.
Srahn had not forced himself into any of the memories that had involved him specifically. He would have his own version of those memories.
What she was most relieved about was that he had not taken the time to evaluate their personal relationship, or any of her developing opinions of him.
Forceful though the evaluation had been, his respect of her privacy meant more to Ruby than she cared to admit.
Javo detached the equipment and gave Srahn a questioning look. It was returned with a nod of affirmation before the latter turned back toward Ruby.
“Are you ready to leave?” He asked.
“If you’re finished.” She nodded. She had no idea what had been accomplished but apparently Srahn had found the information that he had needed.
They left the laboratory as abruptly as they had arrived. Ruby had so many questions racing through her mind that she had no idea where to begin.
She decided to keep her questions to herself. Perhaps Srahn was right when he said that curiosity could be detrimental.
They arrived back at the apartment without incident.
Srahn seemed restless and agitated.
When they entered the room, he shut the door behind him and leaned against it.
“When you worked in the laboratory, why did you never use the drinking fountain in the employee lounge?” He asked with a casual tone.
Ruby remembered the memory that he had dwelled on for some time.
There had been a drinking fountain in the employee lounge that everyone had used regularly. Ruby however, had avoided it with great care. The memory in question was when Rick had brought a cup of water to her desk, knowing that she had not taken a break in hours.
She had thought the gesture sweet, but politely refused the libations.
Rick had been furious and that even had been the start of what she now realized had been a growing rift.
Ruby shrugged.
“I don’t know how anyone else DID drink from it.” She shuddered.
“Why do you say that?”
“It smelled disgusting. No one else noticed it, but I couldn’t bring a glass of it near my face without feeling nauseous. It’s the same way that the smell of blood makes me feel. Apparently, most people don’t smell that either.”
Ruby released her ponytail and ran her fingers through her hair. The helmet had pulled uncomfortably at her scalp and she was relieved to feel the tension in her temples fade away.
“It was probably well water. Maybe it had a high mineral content or something. That could be why it smelled so awful. I always brought bottled water with me to the lab, that way I had an excuse not to use the fountain.”
Srahn approached Ruby with a gleam in his eye.
“And what about the water here?” he drew her toward the shallow pool.
“I think it’s fine.” She giggled as his hands reached for the hem of her shirt. “I should probably test it again. Just to be sure.”
Srahn nodded, his attention focused solely on removing her clothing.
He turned away from her for a moment and knelt to the floor where he began to spin a circular mechanism that was built in to the floor. Inch by inch, the base of the shallow pool sank down until it came to rest about four feet beneath the surface. The exterior row of tiles had paused at the halfway point, creating a rectangle of benches along the edge of the pool.
Srahn pushed a button in the middle of the dial that he had spun and the water instantly began to froth and steam.
Ruby raised her eyebrows in surprise. It was like an instant hot-tub that was built in to each room. Without hesitation, she sank into the water. Srahn disrobed and slipped into the pool beside her.
Ruby closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the cool tile ledge. She had not realized how stressful the memory examination had been until she began to feel the muscles along her spine relax. The tension had not been aided, she smiled to herself, by the lack of sleep of the previous night.
She sighed and slouched until the water rose above her shoulders.
Srahn beside her was stretched across the length of one bench, his eyes closed, and a contented smile on his face.
“Did you find what you needed?” She asked with what she hoped was a casual tone. “In my memories?” The clarification had been necessary after Srahn had looked at her with a wrinkled brow and tilted head.
He closed his eyes once more.
“More or less.” He admitted. “Enough to clarify a few details, but nothing that brings us any closer to our goal.”
She wanted to ask more questions but knew that his answer was already more than she would have hoped for.
Ruby kicked her feet underneath the surface of the water, enjoying the pleasure of the heated pool.
A moment later, there was a knock on the door. The twins, Dripgoth and Glipnorth, had returned.
“Sir, the council has called a meeting.” One of the men informed them. Ruby hunkered down in the water so that the details of her body were concealed beneath the foam.
“When?” Srahn rolled his head to the side to look at his men. He appeared to be in no hurry to abandon their bath.
“Ten minute’s time.” The other revealed, checking a device in the palm of his hand. “They’ve been spotted near the seventh moon.”
Srahn leapt from the pool with a swiftness that shocked Ruby. Unconcerned with the averted eyes of his soldiers, Srahn dried and dressed himself with record breaking speed.
Ruby chuckled to herself. Of course, he would have no need for modesty. Srahn’s body appeared to be hewn by a stone master, each detail honed to perfection. The view left nothing to be desired.
As the men bustled from the room, Srahn turned back.
“Don’t leave this room. Lock the door.” He instructed. He looked as if he wanted to say more, but with a glance at his men, he slipped through the door.
Ruby was taken back by the sudden change of events.
Why had Srahn sounded so serious, even worried, perhaps?
So, they had spotted someone however many moons away. What was the big deal?
They were safe in the city, under the dome. Why would Ruby need to barricade herself in this tiny room. With nothing to occupy her time and no means of information. There were not even any windows, she thought in frustration.
Ruby soaked for as long as she could stand but without Srahn to talk with she quickly became bored.
She dried herself. Slipped on a long, casual dress and a comfortable pair of sandals that were made out of some sort of velvety animal hide.
She paced the room.
Unfolded and refolded all of her clothing.
Peeked out into the empty hallway, through which she could see that the city appeared to be bustling with activity. Just like any other day.
Back in the room, she settled for laying atop the massive bed and counting the tiny tiles that decorated the ceiling. The act was impossible and she gave up after what seemed like hours.
“This is why women need jobs.” Ruby grumbled.
She checked the hall again. The light of the day was beginning to fade.
How many hours
had passed?
How much longer would she be required to wait?
What exactly, was she waiting for?
CHAPTER 6 – Evacuation
By the time night had fallen, Ruby was starving.
Her pacing of the room was no long distracting her from the distinct grumbling of her stomach.
For the first time, when she glanced into the hall, she found that it was not empty.
Nasma, the female who cleaned and maintained their apartment, was strolling along the glass corridor as if she had nowhere in particular to go.
Upon seeing Ruby’s smiling face, Nasma waved and jogged over to enter the room.
“I did not see you in the dining hall during the mealtimes.” Nasma placed a friendly hand on Ruby’s arm. “I wanted to ensure that you had not fallen ill.”
“Not at all.” Ruby explained the situation, how she had been ordered not to leave the room.
“Well surely you can leave the room.” Nasma laughed. “Perhaps what Srahn meant to say was not to leave the building. This is, after all, the most secure building in the entire city. You will be safe so long as you remain inside of these walls.”
“I would love to grab a bite to eat,” Ruby admitted, “and maybe go to the library for a distraction.”
Surely Srahn could not fault her for eating and familiarizing herself with the Plasmosorth culture. Nasma seemed certain that this plan was acceptable, so the pair left the room and headed below to find Ruby some sustenance.
An hour later, they sat in the library. Nasma lounged on a nearby sofa while Ruby pretended to read. The building seemed deserted.
Ruby wondered what was keeping Srahn, and why he had not bothered to communicate with her after so many hours.
The circular device in Nasma’s hand chimed and a robotic announcement played into the silence of the room.
“All citizens are to report to their stronghold immediately. I repeat. All citizens are to report to their stronghold immediately. Anyone found outside of their assigned location is in violation with code 379 and will be taken in for questioning.”
Ruby’s eyes shot to Nasma, who was now packing up her belongings.
“Which hold are you in?” Nasma asked conversationally.
“I’m…” Ruby stammered. She had no idea what the announcement had meant. She did not even have access to what appeared to be an emergency alert device. “I’m probably supposed to stay in my room.”
Nasma laughed. “The rooms are not safe houses.”
She narrowed her eyes at Ruby.
“You can come with me.”
Ruby grimaced. She was torn between Srahn’s instructions and retreating to a place of safety with the other citizens.
“I don’t think that Srahn wants you in his room if the building gets attacked.”
“You think the city is under attack?” Ruby voice trembled.
Nasma shrugged. “It’s probably just a drill. If a neighboring enemy flies too close we run a drill, just in case.”
Ruby sighed with relief. She remembered the twins saying something about someone being spotted from the seventh moon. That did not necessarily mean that it was an immediate threat, and would explain why Srahn did not think it necessary to remove her to a stronghold.
The women walked through the abandoned halls, journeying lower and lower into the depths of the building.
When they finally approached what appeared to be a series of underground tunnels the lights on the ceiling of the hallway that they had just abandoned began to flash with a pulsing red light.
“What does that mean?” Ruby gasped.
“That it’s not a drill.” Nasma looked worried for the first time. “We have to get to the stronghold.”
The pair sprinted through the darkened tunnels. Thankfully, Nasma appeared to be an expert at navigating through the complex underground network.
Finally, they approached a solid metal wall with a circular door in it.
Nasma used her electronic disk to open the door and she gestured for Ruby to enter the small room.
Ruby peered inside from the darkness of the tunnel. A complex command center was situated in front of a panoramic window that looked out into the massive wasteland that lay beyond the dome walls.
“Is this a ship?” Ruby asked. It did not look like a stronghold to her. Nor did it appear any safer than waiting patiently at the top of a building for Srahn to return.
“Yes.” Nasma groaned with frustration, “Just get in. We need to get outside of the city. The strongholds are outside of the city walls.”
Ruby pursed her lips.
“I’m not supposed to leave the building. I’m certain that I’m not supposed to leave the city.”
Nasma’s disk beeped three times and she began frantically clicking the buttons.
“You weren’t supposed to leave your room, and you’ve already done that. Just get in!” The last three words were a veritable growl as Nasma attempted to show Ruby through the metal door.
Ruby pushed Nasma off of her but she knew in an extended battle, her strength would be no match for the Plasmosorthian.
Turning on her heel, she sprinted into the darkness of the tunnels and began winding her way from path to path, completely unaware of where they might lead or if she might be forced into a dead end.
She could hear Nasma sprinting behind her as she spoke to the device in her hand.
“The stupid human wouldn’t get in the ship. I’ve got her in the tunnels but I’ll need reinforcements. There is no way, she will find her way out of here on her own.”
“There are no reinforcements. The commander had a trap laid when they entered the city. It’s only you, Nasma. He knows the human is missing. You need to get on the ship NOW, and if you don’t return with the human, don’t bother returning at all.”
“I’ll catch her. I promise.” The woman’s voice was panicked.
A hiss of anger came in response to Nasma’s revelation but Ruby could not make out the words.
Ruby clutched a stitch in her side as she ran. She could hear Nasma rounding the last corner and Ruby pushed herself to keep going.
Every tunnel looked the same. Each path appeared to wind for miles, hundreds of other paths intersecting from odd angles.
With a prayer for luck, Ruby dove in to the darkest tunnel she could find and hunkered down in the shadows. She could run no further.
She clamped her hands over her mouth so that Nasma could not hear her ragged breathing.
Ruby watched as her nemesis jogged past the tunnel, pausing for an instant to peer down its dark length before continuing on. When she could no longer hear Nasma’s footfalls, Ruby released a great sigh of relief.
What was she supposed to do now? She wondered.
She settled herself into a more comfortable position as she attempted to catch her breath. At even the slightest sound, Ruby listened for the returning steps of the woman who had fooled them all.
She ran her hands over her face and held back the tears of anger that threatened to fall. Anger at herself.
Srahn had told her not to leave the room. She should have listened.
Despite the hundreds of seemingly-pointless commands that he issued a day, Ruby had never witnessed him making an irrational decision. She should have trusted that he would not have told her to stay put if it had not been necessary.
Ruby tried to remember if there had seemed to be any order to the tunnels, something that might help her to determine a way back to the surface. Unfortunately, she had not been focused on the layout as she had run for her life. As she reflected back on her path, she was forced to admit that all of the tunnels looked the same.
Worst of all, she could not even say with any certainty when she had turned or which tunnels she had taken.
Finally, Ruby decided to try to escape from the tunnels.
She needed to find Srahn and she needed to get as far away from Nasma as she could. Rather than sprint aimlessly through the web of hallways, Ruby ran in
short bursts, keeping to the shadows. At each intersection, she checked to ensure that her pursuer was nowhere to be seen.
Forty minutes later, she had no better idea of where she was going than when she had begun.
She wandered around a few minutes longer until she began to hear voices up ahead. She waited, trying to determine if it was a group of people or Nasma with her communication device.
Two male voices became increasingly distinct.
Ruby crept forward to hear them better.
Finally, a third voice joined in at a low hum. Ruby could barely hear it.
“Should we split up, or stay together?”
“Stay together. We don’t know who is in these tunnels.”
“The human doesn’t stand a chance against our species, Sir.”
The form of address caught Ruby’s attention and her heart soared.
She stepped around the corner and into same hallway as the speakers.
“Srahn!” She called.
The men were standing fifty yards away, consulting what appeared to be a map of the underground network.
The moment the men looked up, she felt it.
The icy cold sensation of a metallic blade pressed against her throat.
Srahn’s eyes narrowed, as he looked past Ruby to her assailant.
“Nasma.” He growled with vehemence.
“Oh yes, Commander. I’ve been after your precious little human.” Nasma yanked Ruby’s hair back so that she was forced to look at the ceiling. The action exposed the entire length of her neck while rendering her defenseless.
“Let her go, Nasma.” Glipnorth shouted. He raised a small weapon but Srahn motioned for him to put it down.
Nasma was using Ruby’s curvy body to hide her own slender frame. Any shot taken at the criminal would certainly injure her first.
“Did you really think that we would let her slip through the cracks?” Nasma’s voice had no more of the pleasantness that Ruby had come to know. Instead, it rasped with a crazed urgency. “Did you think that bringing her here would keep us from finding her?”
Ruby struggled and attempted to swing her elbow into the woman behind her but Nasma only laughed and pressed the blade harder against her throat. Ruby felt the sharp sting against her skin as it cut into her flesh.