by Layla Stone
The cabin door was open, and Sci watched as Pax rushed by until his footsteps stopped, and his big head popped in. “When those bastards get on this ship, those bars will keep you safe. Unless they have guns. So I’d stick to hiding in the cleaner if I were you.”
Sci had listened to Pax’s words when he talked to Sasha. He didn’t need access into Pax’s mind to know that even though the Red Demon didn’t trust him, he didn’t want Sci to die either.
Which contradicted everything Pax had said and done up to that moment. Sci thought about it and found he admired that about the male.
Through Sci’s telepathy, he watched the second-in-command on the Donnies’ crew punch in the codes to fire at the transporter again. Sci yelled out, “Hold on,” as he moved to grab the leg of the cot that was secured to the metal floor of the cabin. “They’re going to fire on us again.”
The Red Demon gave him a questioning look but took Sci’s advice and held the door frame. The ship took a bad hit, and the lights flickered red twice and then went out.
“Shields are done. Get ready for the pirate invasion,” Pax said into the dark.
Sci scanned the minds of the Donnies to check and see if they had weapons. A smaller aircraft was leaving the enemies’ ship and headed their way. “Invasion in three minutes.” Sci parroted the words the pirate crew had been told.
Pax cursed and ran in the direction of the bridge.
Sci immediately transferred his attention to the pirate captain’s thoughts. The captain knew the Federation transporter had been sufficiently crippled. Their scan had shown that the Federation ship had no more shields.
The hungry captain rubbed his hands, looking forward to the fresh meat and flesh he would soon collect. He particularly liked fried skin. The younger, the better.
Sci could see inside the minds of several of the other males from the incoming vessel—a varied species of Donnies—as they entered the ship. Sci had not hidden in the cleaner as he’d been advised. For the first time in his life, Sci was looking forward to using his ability to defend himself.
Sci could hear the pops and growls from the Donnies as they ran down the hall. A group had just run past his door, but one straggler had slowly peeked into the dark room. The cannibal squeezed a light cube and threw it into the room. It bounced once, illuminating the cabin and Sci, and then it bounced a second time into the bars. The white light winked out, and the smell of melted plastic filled Sci’s nostrils.
The scavenger chuckled from the door, pulled out another cube, and squeezed, leaving the light to shine from his palm.
The male was shorter than Sci, with burly shoulders that hunched forward. He had a long, protruding forehead, a hooked nose, and thick black gums with crooked teeth. Bits and pieces of food or debris were in his beard. “Always love it when they keep the meat caged."
Meat. Sci had never been called that before, and he didn’t appreciate it now.
The male lifted up a phaser and aimed.
Sci used his telekinesis to connect to the dirty scavenger’s head and ripped the male back, making him hit the door frame hard enough to knock the male unconscious. The large cannibal stared forward, his eyes unfocused, and his mouth hanging open. His body fell back and to the right where he lay half in and half out of the cabin.
Feet raced down the hallway, and Ansel turned the corner into Sci’s room. He jumped over the unconscious pirate and then stopped before he slowly looked down and then back at Sci.
The Numan didn’t say anything, but Sci wondered if he understood what had happened.
“Looks like you don’t need me, after all.”
Sci sent his telepathy out and touched the minds on the ship. A group was moving into the hall. They had followed Ansel and were waiting for him to bring them to the other passengers.
Another group was fighting with the captain and Pax on the bridge. The Donnies were trying to take over the ship so they could bring the entire transporter inside their large pirate ship that was once a luxury space liner.
“Get in the cleaner, Ansel, you have a group following you.”
The Numan jumped into Sasha’s cleaner room, quickly sliding the door shut behind him. All four of the Donnies filed in, using the downed pirate’s cube for light. All four of them held up phasers, and each looked at Sci, salivating at the prospect of eating meat that was clean and unspoiled.
“We knows ee’s in ‘ere.”
One male pointed to the cleaner, and the closest pirate stalked silently to the door. He put his hand on the metal, tried to open it, and frowned when he realized that it was stuck. The motivated pirate turned his phaser to kill and pointed at the door.
Sci mentally connected with the phaser and flipped the dial back to stun. The shot went out, and the blast bounced back at the pirate, stunning him into a seizure. The rail-thin male slumped to the floor, phaser still in hand.
“What an’ idiot. You. Get inside an’ bring ‘em out.”
Another pirate, this one younger and thinner, moved to the door. He used a thin rod to break it open. Once he shoved it in, the other Donnies held up their phasers.
The one giving orders said, “You is comin’ wif us. Naw don’t give us any trouble.”
Ansel kept his hands in front of him and slowly stepped over the downed pirate. Sci knew they weren’t going to kill him, so he remained silent behind the bars. He didn’t want to take the Donnies down, he just wanted them to let him out.
“Naw let’s get ‘em and go ‘ome.” The leader of the group pointed his phaser at Sci.
One male pulled out a piece of scrap metal that had been filed to a body-piercing point and tossed it at the bars.
The object caught on the bar for a moment, causing a blue spark that flexed out and made the room’s air vibrate for a millisecond.
The same male moved along the walls, poking and prodding. Sci watched his rudimentary mind work. He was looking for some kind of switch or black power box. In the male’s mind he knew the ship had a reserved independent power in case the main power went out. The back-up power kept the eco system, gravity and basic safety of the ship intact. The bars were hooked into that power.
It took another five minutes for the male to find the right switch to disarm the bars. With the current disabled, the rest of the Donnies quickly unscrewed the cage bit by bit. With a phaser pointed at Sci’s head, the leader urged him out and into the hallway.
In the hall, Sci stood next to Ansel, and another pirate used wire to bind them together. Sci could see the other Donnies still fighting with Captain Rannn and Pax. Sci didn’t see Sands, though. Anywhere.
Sci checked Sasha’s mind once more. It was becoming more of a natural habit to feel for her, and now that he was free of the Donnies and Captain Rannn it was even easier. Beside him, he saw Ansel looking over at him. He wasn’t sure if the medical officer was worried about him or feeling some other kind of way.
“Take ‘em back in da ship. We be gettin’ da others,” the leader said.
The young pirate pushed at Sci’s shoulder, forcing him forward. Ansel followed a step behind because there wasn’t much room for both males to walk side by side down the hall.
“Not sure what your game is, Cerebral, but I hope you know the Donnies are the bad guys,” Ansel said behind him.
One of the Donnies shoved Ansel forward. “Keep yer mouths shut.”
Sci was feeling the nervous energy of playing out his escape. If he escaped the Donnies’ ship—which would be easy—that still left Ansel at their mercy. Sci wanted to be okay with that because of what the Numans were known for, but the idea of leaving Ansel and the others on the Donnies’ ship to some unknown, wicked fate seemed like something Sasha would not like.
Sci frowned. Was he really going to make decisions based on how Sasha would feel about things?
He didn’t particularly care about Ansel or the crew. But he did care about Sasha, and she cared about the crew. So Sci, according to that ph
ilosophy, had to care about the crewmen.
Coming to the T intersection at the back of the transporter, they reached the hallway that led to the medical room. Lumps of bodies lay on the ground with missing body parts. One large pool of velvety red reached to both sides of the walls and coated the hallway floor.
The walls were splattered with blood and chunks of offal. It was a scene of mutilation and massacre.
“Keep movin’,” the leader said, and Sci felt someone push him from behind.
Ansel spoke so softly only Sci could hear. “We’ll be okay. Just focus on the exit and keep walking. Don’t pay attention to anything else.”
Sci didn’t realize that he was stuck. He had zoned in on the gore and felt the hollow void of the lives lost in what looked to be a painful end. Ansel’s words and his tone resonated. Sci did as Ansel suggested and kept walking, keeping his eyes forward. But his mind searched for Sasha. His Terran who was still sound asleep.
Tied in their seats, Sci finally saw Sands. He moved so fast, it was almost a blur. The Donnies still fighting Rannn and Pax were at a standoff, each side holding weapons. Sands was the last thing the Donnies saw before Sci lost connection.
Sands plucked the enemies off one by one. Sci turned to Ansel. “Sands is taking out the remaining Donnies.”
After a few minutes, there were only three Donnies left. The leader that had found Sci was moving towards the brig. Phasers were out, and they inched along the dark hallways.
When the Donnies moved inside, they saw an unconscious Rannn and Pax.
Sci’s mind mentally stuttered. What happened? The remaining Donnies quickly tied up the two males and dragged them out of the bridge. The Donnies’ leader took control of the ship and eased it forward toward the luxury liner.
The Donnies’ small aircraft and the Federation transporter arrived at the same time.
Sci was still reeling from what he’d seen? Was Sands helping the enemy?
***
Into a cargo hold lined with cuffs and chains for at least a hundred or so, Rannn, Pax, Ansel, and Sci were chain linked together to a metal bar on the ground. It was a modified containment area used to hold the Donnies’ prisoners until it was time to cook them.
The floor was coated in old, brown stains and several ruts and grooves. Dust and grime had collected along the outer edges, making the room look as if it were outlined in black tar.
Sci looked at Ansel, who was chained next to him. Sci had been monitoring the Donnies’ minds to make sure no one messed with the two torpedoes in the medical area. The ship was being searched by other enemy crewmen, looking for anything of value. "How easy is it to get into the torpedoes?"
Ansel's brown eyebrows rose slightly. “Is there someone trying to get into them? Can you tell that?”
“No, but I want to make sure that Sasha is safe.”
Ansel nodded before looking at the captain. “What happened?”
“Sands happened,” Sci answered. He was still unsure where the cyborg was. He didn’t see him anywhere in the minds of the pirate crew. “I can see what everyone is thinking, and I can see what they see. And Sands is conspicuously absent.” Sci didn’t like that. He was even mentally guiding some of the savages into rooms, checking for the cyborg in question. Sci was going to find Sands, and then he was going to make him pay for getting everyone captured.
Sci could have gotten free, but he wanted to wait until they were on the Donnies’ ship so that he could help the victims on board. But now, having all the major muscle in one area, complicated things. In fact, he was not sure how to proceed.
Without warning, Ansel took both of their bound hands, reached back, and pulled off his cerebral blocker. Sci was assaulted with images. Carnage, death, pain, and fury ignited within the quiet doctor. It was as if the Numan's mind was attacking itself. It was so violent, that Sci pushed back at the images, trying to find a way to separate them.
Ansel's head leaned back, and he exhaled. "I don't know how you're doing that." Sci could see that Ansel was trying to thank him for the moment of respite.
Ansel's mind moved so quickly, it was hard for Sci to move with it. The violent memories assaulted the forefront of Ansel's mind, and Sci watched as Ansel's demeanor changed. It was as if his whole body were being attacked. As if he were fighting off the images by focusing on his breathing, his hands, the cuff at his wrist, anything to stay out of his head.
Desperate, Sci moved the memories back and attempted to erect a wall in the Numan's mind. Ansel's shoulders relaxed, and the male's mind moved in succession to show Sci that Sasha and Yon the Yunkin had been stuffed into the garbage shoot. Sands, the cyborg, was able to move in space without a respirator. Sands had sealed off the opening to the shoot to keep Yon and Sasha safe. Sands planned to stay there and protect them if the Donnies found them, but they didn't, and Ansel was pleased by that. He was happy his plan had worked.
Sci was able to discern a small desire hovering in the background of the Numan’s mind. Death. Sci had never known a being who desired death, but Ansel did. Sci was appalled. Time passed as their mind-meld continued. Sci saw Ansel's memories of his youth, and the horrors inflicted by his sadistic mother. As a young adult, Ansel had spent time all over the galaxy until he settled into his medical job with the Federation.
Despite Sci's aversion to gore, he watched the memories of Rannn's crew dying in the Angny crash, and brutality of the gladiator fights in the pit. Ansel marveled at how Rannn, Pax, and Yon were the strongest warriors he’d ever seen. He was also ashamed that he hadn’t fought. He was used to keep the females alive so that they could be raped over and over again. Sci understood. Ansel hated himself.
"You shouldn't have done that, Ansel. The Federation will never believe you haven’t been mentally compromised," Rannn said as if he knew they were going to make it back to the Federation. In Ansel’s memories, Sci saw how Rannn kept a stoic expression and a tight hold of his crew, even as they died off day by day.
"First things first, Captain. We need to get free," Ansel said.
"Your assumption is correct. They are cannibals and plan to eat us," Sci agreed.
"I was able to send out an alert to the Federation before our system was cut off. They should be sending a rescue," Rannn said.
"I feel like we've done this before. Maybe it's déjà vu," Pax huffed as he clanged the chains.
Rannn chuffed.
Sci was astonished by the rush of information he was learning from the Numan. Apparently, Ansel didn't just think one thing at a time, but a continuous stream of thoughts. It was remarkable and something the Cerebral archives had never documented.
"Can you do anything to help us?" Ansel finally asked.
"I would have been able to do more if I had not been altered." Sci didn't miss Ansel's wince.
Without speaking, Ansel's mind reviewed a series of neuro-regeneration. Sci sent the Numan images of how he had progressed in his own mental training to confirm the Numan’s suspicions but added that his mental bandwidth was limited.
Ansel had attempted to destroy his telekinesis, but with constant effort, Sci had been able to relearn the ability and build himself new neural pathways. Unfortunately, his power was at the same strength as a Cerebral adolescent.
Ansel took the data, and Sci watched, fascinated by how the Numan was able to try and work for a solution with the new information. If Sci hadn’t already decided not to punish the Numan for debilitating him, he would have forgiven him outright for the pleasure of watching the male’s brain work. It was like…art. There were so few artist brains on the Cerebral planet.
The Numan was still working with Sci when the door opened, and one of the crew walked in. Sci immediately delved into his consciousness and saw that the male wished to sneak in and take some flesh before it was divided…unevenly. The pirate quickly pulled a knife, but Sci began shooting images at the cannibal’s mind. The male dropped the knife as he shook his head. "No. No, it can't be."
The invader fell back against the wall, staring out as he saw horrible things.
"What are you doing to him?" Rannn asked.
"Stopping him from cutting off some of our flesh to eat," Sci said sharply.
"No, what exactly are you doing? Why is he still conscious?"
Ansel was the one who answered… "Sci is a high-functioning Cerebral, but he's not an Elder, so his mental capacity is limited to sending images into others’ minds."
"As soon as I stop, he will have full cognitive ability. He could attack again."
Pax asked, "What images are you sending?"
"The ones from Ansel's memories." Sci was having a hard time looking at them himself. The scavenger saw it as if he were living it.
"That would affect anyone. I bet if you let him go, he won't attack," Pax suggested.
"No, but he will probably tell the captain," Rannn mused.
"Doubtful, they are not that honorable," Pax countered.
Ansel was watching Sci, not the male on the floor. "How long can you keep this up?"
"It's very draining," Sci responded.
Ansel thought about it. "I think you should let him go and reserve your mental ability."
Sci let the invader go. The male quickly scrambled to the door, looking horror-stricken. Sci followed the male’s consciousness and watched him run through the ship back to his room where two others were waiting for him. They were not happy to see him come back empty-handed. That was until the male recounted what had happened.
"Where is the captain?" Rannn asked.
"At the control center," Sci answered as he rubbed his forehead.
"Planning our escape?" Pax asked Rannn. "I think we should attack when the next person comes in. Forget about staying for drinks. Destroy their ships and get back to the transporter before the Federation relief comes and shoots us to pieces."
"The transporter is disabled, getting back to it with this ship operational is stupid. We might as well commandeer this one," Rannn suggested.
"Commandeer a pirate ship? Captain, is it my birthday?" Pax rubbed his palms together excitedly.