She barked a laugh, shaking her head.
"Stem, what do we want?"
His face showed that he'd been thinking about this, certainly more than she had.
"We need something to help us get rid of the Lords, yeah? So either something that counteracts the spell they used to control our minds, or some badass mind weapon that means you and I can deal with them. Something like that?"
The Keeper was nodding slowly.
"That seems to make sense. You are aware that what you call the Lords are actually Atrile?"
"Yeah, Bridyant mentioned that last night."
"The Master will call you as and when he wishes to speak to you. Many around you are practicing what they are going to say. It would behoove you to do likewise. The Master has little patience with those not clear in their wishes."
"Cool, OK. Hey, thanks, you know, for the advice and that."
He nodded again then walked swiftly away. She turned to Stem, taking his hands.
"So we are just completely unprepared. This is insane."
"Hey, it would have been nice to have a bit more time to prepare, but we'll be fine. If we just say what our problem is, maybe he'll suggest something."
They fell into silence, their joined hands keeping them together. She could feel his emotions, similar to hers but more confident. He tended not to question things, whilst she could think about something endlessly, going through every possible permutation, of what could or might happen. She was jealous of him for it, but sometimes she thought her way might be best. The last 24 hours had showed her that pretty much everything they thought they knew was entirely wrong. She wasn't prepared to try anything without giving it some serious thought first.
Speaking through her mind now, she asked him how they were going to start. He'd barely reacted when the voice boomed inside her brain.
"Humans, guests, it is your time. Come and speak to me."
She jumped, then spun to look out at the gigantic hall that lay beyond where they stood. A walkway was extending from the edge of the floor, out to join with a small platform that hovered in the middle of the chamber. Gripping Stem's hand as hard as she could, she walked out and into the games room.
Standing as they had on the edge of the room, they had failed to grasp the true nature of it. She realised now that they stood in an arena, a room with one focal point that was the floating platform they now stood on. She made a brief turn, seeing strange faces in every direction and feeling suddenly very small. Her eyes finally rested on the man sat alone on the chair. Despite the distance between them, she could make out his face clearly. He was handsome, but unremarkably so. In fact, she thought he looked pretty average in most ways.
It wasn't his looks that she was occupied though. He had power pouring from him. What she had felt from the Lord, that horrible, invasive dominance of her mind was present here as well. The man in front of them was choosing to restrain it, keep himself in check. She could still feel it, but instead of causing her pain, it left her reeling, dizzy, but excited instead of sick. The voice was quieter now, still in her mind despite the man sat in front of her.
"Welcome to the Nexus. You are the first of your kind to get here, at least voluntarily."
She twitched at the mention, the word cattle flitting through her head. The Master chuckled to himself.
"Cattle is not so far away from the truth. When the Atrile found you, you were but one planet strong, a few billion in a universe of trillions. You were exploring, true, but where had your searching got you?"
He paused, spreading his hands wide whilst his eyes searched the room. She craned her neck around, trying to see what he was looking for, the but the games room had been darkened, only their podium and the Master still lit up.
"Now look at you. Your race are spread across the stars, too many to count. That is no accident. That is careful cultivation of livestock; trimming where necessary, encouraging growth, managing a resource."
He chuckled again.
"I fear I have offended you, but it is best that you understand this now. It is no reflection upon you. That you have come here, and make form of the Nexus is no mean feat. That we can communicate like this and you remain alive, and on your feet, is even more impressive. I would call you unique, but you stand before me as a pair, so I must settle for exceptional."
She was aware that the room around them was silent. The murmur of voices had gone, as if every creature here was acutely interested in them. The thought made her nervous beyond belief. Still not sure what she was going to say, she stepped forward, clearing her throat.
"I think maybe you might find that there are many exceptional people on Earth and the Homeships."
She stopped, a small voice telling her that insulting a god, particularly one who as their host, probably wasn't a great idea. To her relief, he laughed again, the sound filling her head and making her sway. Next to her she heard Stem groan. She turned to him to see his hands wrapped around his head. He shook his head at her, looking ill. She put a hand out, but the voice continued before she could make contact.
"I'm sorry, your partner struggles. He, it would appear, is slightly less, 'exceptional'."
She gritted her teeth, wondering if he was deliberately winding her up or whether this was just how he always acted.
"There may well be more like you amongst your race, but the Atrile are nothing if not thorough and industrious. I often read the signs of something more in those they bring me, but I always keep my side of a deal. Unless of course, I'm offered something better."
He stopped, clearly expecting something from her. She thought furiously, trying to sort out from his words what was going on here. The people that were sent off to the war came here, came to the Master. They were part of some kind of deal between him and the Lords, Atrile, whatever. So what was the deal, and how could she offer something better without knowing about it?
She turned to Stem, who was standing upright and looking a little better. She touched him and their minds joined. He had thought the same as her, and hit the same wall at the end of it. They thought as one, the ideas overlapping and swimming together.
'What do we do? I have no idea, but there's no way of knowing the deal without speaking to someone who knows, the Keeper? He might know, but he probably wouldn't tell us if he did, we could just tell him what we want and see if he offers a deal, no better ideas, ok.'
The break was abrupt as she spun away to once more face the thing that sat before them. She was no longer thinking of it as a person. Despite the appearance, the way he spoke about humans, the casual condemnation of her entire race made him something far greater, and lesser in her eyes. What she knew was that the veil of friendliness offered as they came in to dock was just that, and nothing more. Of course, that wasn't going to stop her being honest.
"I'm human, and proud of it. Despite what most people here seem to think, my race deserve more than slavery. We want to know how to stop it happening, how to escape the creatures who are controlling us."
She stopped, aware of the absolute silence that surrounded them, broken only by her breathing, short and fast. They waited and she studied the Master. He was looking away from them, towards a particular area of the Games room, and she realised that he must be looking at a Lord. They may be communicating, or maybe he was just waiting for a reaction. Either way, he seemed to come to a decision and turned back to look at her.
"I admire your self-belief. It is too often that I sit here being burdened with the fears of someone, why they need saving. You don't want to be saved, you just require my help in saving others. It will no doubt surprise you to know that I enjoy that trait in people. It was that self-belief that led me to help the Atrile when they came here, centuries ago, with their plans for domination. They were good plans, and gave me something I needed."
He paused, glancing again at the spot across the room, and she found herself holding her breath. She reached out, taking Stem's hand.
"Times change, human. I enjoy wha
t the Atrile bring me, but I no longer need it. I can help you. I can give you the counter to the spell that is used to keep your race in line. It will be easy for me, having created it in the first place."
He smiled again, clearly enjoying the look of revulsion that crossed her face. She felt Stem jerk at her hand and she squeezed it, urging him to remain calm.
"Of course, it would be a dull day that I gave something for nothing. We have a tradition here in the Nexus, a little game we like to play. If you can win, then you will have my help. Lose, and you leave with nothing. Of course, I say leave, but based on how angry your opponent sounds right now, that may not be much of an option."
His smile was accompanied by the lights coming back on around the arena. She spun straight around and stared across the room. In one of the balconies sat 2 of the Lords, both staring at her and Stem. She could see no reaction, but she could feel it. That horrible screaming was beating at her brain, blocked by something she didn't understand, but was immeasurably grateful for. Even through the barrier, she felt herself assailed by waves of hatred, and she cringed for a moment.
Then, battling against losing breakfast, she stood tall and smiled at them, waving a hand and nodding. She turned back to the Master, remembering what the Keeper said.
"Your offer is really kind. We'll think about it and let you know, if that's OK."
He inclined his head, then sat back. They looked at one another, then made their way across the pathway and back into the alcove. They were met by the Keeper, who smiled, slightly less sadly than before and indicated that they should follow him.
"That was well played. Better than I expected if I am honest."
"Huh?"
He looked at her, the sympathy returning.
"It is all a game young lady. You must choose whether to learn the rules, or make your own, but understand that it is always a game. Up to now you have been standing on the sidelines. Now, you are on the board."
Chapter Sixteen
The Keeper had helped them find their way back to the room they were staying in. She jumped straight onto the bed, feeling like it was now a place of safety, somewhere to hide from the madness that surrounded them. Stem stared at her from the doorway.
"You did really well, bloody hell, I was crapping myself."
She laughed, her hands still shaking.
"Yeah, that was alright wasn't it? But what do we do Stem? We've just escaped from one game and here were are playing another and I've got no idea what the rules are."
"Not yet. We can still leave, just go..."
He trailed off. They looked at one another, no longer needing to list the reasons that wasn't an option. She flung herself onto her back, staring at the ceiling. Stem walked over, climbed in and lay next to her. She rolled into her side, gazing at him.
"I don't trust anyone or anything here. The Master made a deal with the Lords to enslave our entire race, and wasn't at all bothered by it. I know that he's offered something we probably can't get anywhere else, but."
She stopped abruptly, slamming her hand against the mattress. Stem turned his head to look at her.
"We shouldn't be surprised, not really. You said that the Lord wasn't actually evil, didn't you, after you read it. I'm not sure that the Master is either, he just seems to have a different view of right and wrong, you know?"
"But surely some things are always wrong, it doesn't matter who you are."
"I wanna know why the Lords wanted to enslave us in the first place. Just so they had slaves, people to do their work for them?"
"Why not? If we're seen as cattle by every other race in the universe, why is it a bad thing to use us?"
She paused, the bitterness draining out of her.
"It doesn't matter now though. They don't think we're cattle anymore. Did you hearing them screaming?"
She shivered and moved until he could wrap his arm around her.
"They hate us Stem. God, all we wanted was freedom and they hate us so much."
He squeezed her in his arms, silent, unable to disagree.
She awoke, pulled from sleep by an insistent tapping on the door. She gently lifted the sheets and slipped from the bed, leaving him sleeping. Crossing to the door, she opened it to see Bridyant stood there, and was surprised at the sudden warmth she felt. How odd that a person who had only recently dragged her off her feet by her hair inspired a sense of welcome. Shaking her head and allowing herself a rueful grin, she stepped out of their room, letting the door slide shut.
"I didn't think I would be so glad to see you."
Bridyant smiled apologetically.
"Alicia, it is good to see you as well. Should I say sorry again for before?"
She waved her hand in the negative, then put it to her head.
"My hair's pretty tough, no harm done."
"When I became a warrior, my hair was taken. We remove any weakness and offer it up to the four points. It is why the warriors are born without family.
"The four points?"
"The four directions you can travel, the four ways anything can go. The Master here calls himself a god, but amongst my people the four points are what we believe in. There is no master being, only ourselves and the decisions we make."
"I like that, that makes sense."
"Thank you Alicia."
The alien paused, looking past her at the door. Realising what she meant, Ally shook her head.
"Let him sleep. The last few weeks have been insane."
Bridyant nodded, then turned and motioned down the corridor.
"I heard about your supplication this morning. I know that you have asked to think about what to do, but I thought you might like to find out more about the game anyway, to better make your decision."
She felt gratitude and surprise in equal measure, tears stinging the edge of her eyes.
"Why do you want to help us?"
The alien shrugged, then turned her dark eyes back to look at her.
"My race live many systems from here, but even there were know of the Atrile. They are one of the dominant forces in the universe. We have always cultivated a friendly relationship with them, they are, after all, our neighbours. As a warrior of the directions, it is not just for me to fight, but also to think and explore. I have been thinking a great deal in the last day and I am not sure I want my people to be so friendly with the Atrile. My."
She paused, her face showing doubt for the first time since they'd met.
"I think that my views of your people may be wrong. That makes me question much of what I know, or think I know."
Her head dropped for a second, then raised again to look down the corridor.
"I have my own reasons to be here, and in that I will not fail, but if I can help you as I go, then perhaps I can return to my people with more than just power."
Not looking to check whether Ally was following, Bridyant set off down the corridor. She stood and watched her go, marveling at the strange, grey-skinned being that was single-handedly restoring her faith that 'people' could actually be nice. Then she jogged to catch up, reaching her just as they left the corridor.
They emerged into the market, a wall of noise and smells and colours. Bridyant turned, a grin now plastered across her normally serious face.
"What you need to understand about the Nexus, and the game, is that it is all inside your head Alicia. What is large enough to hold thousands of people can be made small through your own imagination."
Ally looked back down the corridor, trying to fit what she was being told into her head. She knew that their room was far from the market, yet here they were.
"I don't get how that works."
"Perhaps this will be most simple if I show you the game first. Come."
Bridyant headed off across the market, enthusiastically pushing through the crowds. She followed close behind, happier now to join in the shoving, but still overwhelmed by the sheer volume of a thousand shouting voices. As they made their way across the vast space, she became more aw
are of those around her.
Many, in fact most, were fairly similar to her; 2 arms, 2 legs, head in the right place. They were different colours and wore peculiar clothing, but the physical differences were slight in the most part. There were however, some that stood out. They passed a huge being, as tall as the Lord, though still humanoid looking. Another had four legs, all joining at the waist. It moved in a sort of shuffle, rapidly making its way through the crowds.
She also noticed that not all the people here were walking. She saw at least 2 who seemed to float down from above and land softly before the stall they wanted to browse. She stared at the first one, waiting impatiently for it to take off again. It finally did as she craned her head around, still keeping up with Bridyant. She gasped as the creature lifted up and into the huge space above the market.
She also saw a hugely fat, slug-like being borne along on a platform. 6 people, again similar to her, aside from a lack of ears which she found really weird, were carrying the platform on their shoulders, the slug occasionally leaning to one side or the other to steer.
They reached the other side far faster than she and Stem had the previous evening and left, the peace of the corridor coming as a huge relief. Another short walk and they stepped out into the games room. She did a double take, looking back down the corridor, before thinking about what her guide had said earlier.
Bridyant took her hand and led her across one the narrow walkways and into a free balcony. They sat and she looked around the room. It was fuller now, most of the balconies were occupied, although she struggled to make out any detail in the dim light. If the Lord was here, she couldn't see it. In the middle of the room, the platform was illuminated, and now home to two people facing one another.
One stood, feet braced on the floor. He was wrapped almost entirely in long white robes, only his jet black face and hands visible. His eyes were closed and he stood stock still. Opposite him, his opponent sat in red shorts and top, legs crossed and hands resting on knees. This one was more unusual, his entire body and arms far longer than normal, making him look as if his lower half was emaciated and weak. She turned to Bridyant, hissing quietly.
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