by Aubrey Ross
Captives of New Pompeii
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Captives of New Pompeii © 2013 Aubrey Ross
Cover art by Dar Albert
Electronic book Publication, December 2013
Other Smashwords books by Aubrey Ross
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Captives of New Pompeii
Aubrey Ross
Felicia, high priestess of Venus, awakens on a “skyship” terrified and disorientated. Her prophetic dreams foretold Pompeii’s destruction, but no one would listen to her warnings. A handsome young man appears at her side, insisting he’s an agent of Venus. She is intrigued by his touch and soothed by his charm, but she knows his story is false. If Venus had chosen another to empower, Felicia would have sensed it.
Doctor Aiden Thrax is part of the rescue party transporting the people of Pompeii to their new home on the planet of Fedoros. He’s thrilled that so many lives have been saved, but he’s suspicious of his employer’s motivation. And his concerns are intensified by his attraction to Felicia. Each kiss, each heated embrace makes him more determined to expose the greed and corruption behind the evacuation.
Chapter One
A coffee mug zinged past Aiden’s face, snapping his attention to the doorway of his small office. His brother stepped inside and slammed his hand against the door trigger, his tall body vibrating with poorly concealed rage. “That fucking son of a bitch! I knew something was wrong the moment he boarded my ship.”
“Our ship.” Well used to his brother’s outbursts, Aiden calmly powered down his access terminal and stepped out from behind his desk. “If you had misgivings about Ambassador Xyell, why did you take the job?”
Caleb glared at him. “You’re not even going to ask what set me off? Am I really so easy to rile?” He shook his head and allowed a smile to curve the corners of his mouth. “Don’t answer that.”
“What set you off this time?” Aiden leaned down and picked up the pieces of the shattered mug.
“They’re human.”
Aiden paused, looking up at his brother askance. “Isn’t everyone on Fedoros human?”
“Not our employers. Our cargo. Xyell hired us to transport humans, thousands of unconscious humans.”
Suddenly understanding his brother’s ire, Aiden pushed to his feet. “How were they rendered unconscious, and was it done with or without their consent?”
“All very good questions. Unfortunately, the answers he gave me are sketchy at best.”
Aiden disposed of the shards of pottery and washed his hands as he regained his composure. Caleb was two years older and infinitely more volatile. Their mother had always counted on Aiden to balance Caleb’s passionate reactions to any situation. Caleb was a crusader, a champion, a righter of wrongs. Which left Aiden with the practical details of life—bothersome things such as logic and rationality.
“Tell me what you know,” he prompted Caleb.
“We’ll arrive within the hour and I needed to configure the cargo hold, so I insisted Xyell describe the cargo, give me basic dimensions for each ‘unit’. The contract stated living units, but that’s all that was specified.”
“We figured it was some sort of exotic animal.”
“They’re technically animals, I suppose. But I’m not a fucking slaver! I told Xyell we don’t trade in human flesh.” Caleb scrubbed his face, obviously outraged by the quandary.
“And how did Xyell respond?” Aiden leaned against his desk, unsure if he wanted to soothe his brother or add his angry voice to Caleb’s outcry.
“He told me they aren’t slaves in the usual sense. According to Xyell, this is all part of a massive emergency evacuation.”
“A what?”
Caleb blew out a ragged breath and started pacing. His long legs carried him from one side of the office to the other, like a caged animal. “They come from a place called Pompeii. Their world was seeded by the Fedorans, just like ours. But they have only begun to develop beyond living in caves and cooking over fire pits.”
“Go on. What does this have to do with the evacuation?”
“The Fedoran recon team noticed temperature shifts and seismic activity, so they did a full geological scan of the area and found that one of the mountains was really a volcano and it was about to erupt.”
Aiden moved back behind his desk and sat down. Why couldn’t anything ever be simple when the Thrax brothers were involved? The thought made him smile. He’d heard that phrase so often as they grew up. Those Thrax brothers did this and Go ask those Thrax brothers, they’re sure to be involved.
“The Fedorans gassed the occupants of Pompeii and scooped them up like so much refuse?” Aiden forced his wandering mind back onto the problem at hand.
“Basically.” Caleb plopped down in one of the chairs in front of Aiden’s desk. “They were shuttled to a temporary holding station until the long-range transports could arrive.”
“And we’re one of the long-range transports?”
“One of twelve. I told you, there are thousands of refugees.”
Aiden paused while the facts fit together in his mind. There were still gaping holes in the puzzle, the largest of which was a Fedoran motivation. “Why bother? What do the Fedorans gain by rescuing a group of primitive people?”
A buzzer sounded, drawing his attention to the door. “Who is it?”
“Ambassador Mikko Xyell.”
His gaze shifted to his brother. Their employer sounded impatient and annoyed. “This should be fun.”
“I should go.” Caleb started to stand, but Aiden stopped him.
“Stay. We have a better chance of getting to the bottom of this if we stick together. Come in.” The standard command released the door and allowed their employer to enter.
Xyell took two angry steps into the room then froze when he spotted Caleb. With a toss of his mahogany-colored hair, his bearing turned from regal to haughty. He pivoted toward Aiden, hands on his hips. “I was hoping to speak with you about your brother’s behavior.”
Caleb laughed. “Aiden already knows I’m a pain in the ass.”
“It will take us three weeks to reach Fedoros.” Xyell ignored Caleb and offered his explanation to Aiden. “Those three weeks are invaluable to me. I cannot be hobbled by a temperamental captain, especially when he is supposed to be my employee. It is my understanding that you are half owner of this ship. If you cannot keep your brother under control and out of my face, I will prorate your fee by thirty-five present and move my headquarters to one of the other ships. The choice is yours.”
“What if we choose to turn back without participating in the evacuation?” Aiden asked.
“Return the funds I prepaid and you are free to go.”
Aiden pushed back his chair and stood. They had used the money for some much-needed repairs before they’d left the space station. They wouldn’t be solvent again until after they were paid for this job and Xyell knew it. “I have a few questions before I give you our decision.”
Xyell scowled for a moment, nostrils twitching. “Proceed.”
“Wer
e the occupants of Pompeii asked if they wanted to be rescued?”
“There was no time for diplomacy. We had to make a choice and implement a plan. That’s what leaders do. In this case, the choice was simple. Save thousands of lives or stand by and watch them die.”
Caleb made a soft growling sound that often preceded an angry outburst. Without shifting his gaze from their wily employer, Aiden gave his brother a telepathic nudge. Let me handle this.
“As I understand it, these are a primitive people,” Aiden said. “How will you explain what has happened to them?”
Xyell smiled, but his eyes were cold and calculative. “I won’t. That’s part of your job. You will examine each passenger, make sure they don’t carry any infectious deceases, and you will tell them you’re an agent of Venus, the goddess they worship. The full explanation is in your mission briefing. I’m disappointed you haven’t read it yet.”
“I will do so immediately.”
An agent of Venus? Caleb’s laugh sounded in Aiden’s mind. Now there’s a title you’ve never been given before.
“Pay special attention to anyone in cleric’s robs,” Xyell told him. “Legitimate priests and priestesses could prove problematic.”
“We’ll be infringing on their territory.”
Xyell nodded. “Twenty people will need to be examined every day on each ship for all the passengers to receive orientation before we reach Fedoros. Obviously you do not need to conduct all of the orientations yourself. I presume you have staff members at your disposal. If not, well, that’s not really my problem, is it? I’ve explained what must be done. It’s up to you to make it happen.” Xyell’s civilized veneer slipped even more as he looked at Caleb. “Any questions?”
“Yeah, why not move them to somewhere else on Earth?” Caleb’s shoulders squared and his gaze narrowed. He was obviously spoiling for a fight. “What’s so special about the people of Pompeii? No one saved Atlantis or the Myceneans. What are you getting out of this?”
Turning back to Aiden, Xyell ignored Caleb’s angry outburst. “If I hadn’t interfered, these people would be dead. That’s all you need to know. Your only choice is whether or not to participate in the evacuation. Are you reneging on our contract?”
“No,” Aiden said firmly before Caleb could respond to the provocation.
We have no choice. We can’t pay Xyell back and he knows it. Aiden paused for a frustrated sigh. Slavery is illegal on Fedoros and that’s where we’re headed. I say we play along and find out what this is really about.
I say we cram him out an airlock and get good and drunk, Caleb countered.
That’s still a possibility.
“Are we all in agreement now?” Xyell’s smug tone made Aiden want to smack him.
“Yes. We will fulfill the contract as originally negotiated. If you need something from Captain Thrax, please communicate your request through me.”
“Gladly.” With another toss of his dark red hair, Xyell turned toward the door. “At least one of the Thrax brothers is civilized.”
Caleb came up out of his chair as the door closed behind their employer. “I really hate that piece of shit, but damn, have you seen his wife?”
Laughter burst from Aiden with unexpected force. He rested his head against the back of his chair and enjoyed the harmless release. “Only you could say those two sentiments in one sentence. I don’t care if Xyell’s wife is the most delectable creature ever to grace our ship. Keep your hands off her!”
“Just my hands? What about my tongue and my cock? There are all sorts of positions that don’t require hands if the woman is flexible.”
“I’m not kidding. Xyell won’t refuse to pay us, he’ll make you disappear.”
Caleb offered him a lazy grin. “Careful, bro. Sounds almost like you care.”
With that parting shot, Caleb sauntered from the office, leaving Aiden to figure out what it would take to become an agent of Venus.
* * * * *
Light stabbed into Felicia’s brain, making her moan then whimper. She draped her arm over her eyes, hoping to block out the punishing light, but the radiance seemed to come from all around her, from within her. She floated in an endless void, no longer grounded by the forces she drew upon so frequently.
She was alone, truly alone. She could not panic, refused to give in to the fear welling within her. Too many counted on her to be strong. She must—
Something warm and damp brushed against her cheek. She cried out and twisted away.
“It’s all right,” a female told her. “No one will hurt you. Venus sent us to comfort you.”
Venus? Suspicion burned through her mind, nearly as painful as the light.
“Who are you?” The woman spoke Latin, but her voice had a foreign inflection, one Felicia did not recognize.
“Lie still. I’ll get the doctor.”
“Doctor? I do not need a doctor.” Or did she?
How had she gotten to this place? For that matter, where was she?
Very slowly, she lowered her arm and tried to open her eyes. The light was real. Centered directly above her, a strange round lamp blazed directly into her face. She heard voices in a room beyond where she was lying, speaking rapidly in a language she didn’t understand.
Had she been taken from the temple? Who would do such a despicable thing? The woman had claimed she had been sent by Venus, but Felicia knew that was not true. If Venus had sent another messenger, there would have been signs. Felicia would have sensed a kindred spirit.
She rolled to her side then her stomach, easing her legs off the high table. The only table she had seen that was anything like this was the altar used for…sacrifice! Her toes touched the cold floor and she launched herself sideways. She would not be sacrificed by an imposter.
Her stomach heaved and her head pounded, protesting with each step she took.
She saw movement out the corner of her eye and shifted her head to the right.
“No one is going to hurt you.” A man approached slowly, hands extended. “There is no reason to be afraid.”
The man was more believable than the woman had been, but Felicia was not convinced. She found a corner and slid down the wall, tucking her legs up under her robe and wrapping her arms around her knees. “Why have you taken me from the temple?”
“Which temple do you mean? There are several.” He held a thin tablet in one hand and moved his fingers over its smooth surface. It wasn’t wax or papyrus so how did he intend to record her answer. Light erupted and images formed, rising from the tablet at his command.
Felicia trembled, her abdomen quivering as her chest began to burn. Only the gods could command light and form shapes out of nothing. “Are you… Am I dead?”
He set the tablet on the altar she had just crawled off of and looked into her eyes. With ordinary features and kind green eyes, he appeared to be a man like any other. “You are not dead, but you would have been if we had not intervened.”
“Where am I?”
“Would you like some water before we talk? Will you come and sit with me?”
“Where am I?” The second time was a demand.
He crossed his arms over his chest, appearing a bit disappointed in her attitude. “Have you ever been on a ship that travels across the water?”
What an odd question. She felt no swaying. They were not on a ship. “I have seen such vessels.”
“Well, this is a ship that travels across the sky. We are taking you to a new home, one not unlike the one Vulcan destroyed.”
“Vulcan destroyed Pompeii?” She covered her throat with her hand, sinking deeper into the corner. “Where are the other survivors? How many escaped?”
“I don’t have exact counts from all twelve ships, but I’ve heard between seventy-one and seventy-three hundred survived.”
“Then thousands, no, tens of thousands still died.” Tears blurred her vision and she had to look away from his compassionate eyes. No wonder she felt alone and weak. So many lost, so many… She�
��d sensed a disturbance in the Earth’s rhythm, something had been wrong for days, but no one believed her. “Did Mount Vesuvius burst apart?”
“Did you see the clouds of ash?”
She shook her head and lowered her hand to her lap. The man had a pleasant smile and an approachable manner. Still, she had to remain vigilant. “Venus sends me dreams of things that are to come. I have been dreaming about Mount Vesuvius for weeks, but no one heeded my warnings.”
“Then you were taken from the Temple of Venus.” He drew the tablet to him and tapped out a quick pattern. Could he write with the tip of his finger?
“I am the high priestess,” she admitted, not yet ready to share her name.
“Felicia?” He smiled and she knew her expression must have confirmed his guess. “Please, call me Aiden. I’m glad I finally found you. I’ve been searching for you for days.”
What little comfort she had felt as her panic ebbed was eroded by the cunning in his eyes. He was trying hard to seem casual and nonthreatening, but she could sense danger lurking beneath his friendly façade “Why have you been searching for me? How did you know my name?”
“When Venus realized her husband was going to destroy Pompeii, she dispatched myself and others like me to transport her children to a home she has prepared for you. The occupants of Pompeii have always been faithful to her and she is not willing to let you perish because of Vulcan’s jealousy.”
“That did not answer my question.” Feeling a bit more self-assured, she pushed to her feet but remained safely ensconced in the corner.
“Venus told me your name.” He slowly walked around the table, blocking her only escape with his tall body. “She told me to awaken you and ask you to reassure the others that this is her will.”
“If this was her will, she would have told me.”
“You said you dreamt about the volcano, yet when you warned your people they would not listen. Does that mean it was Venus’ will that all of Pompeii die?”