The Indoctrination

by K. L. Bone

  I stopped, terrified, and tired to step back as the guard escorting me tightened his grip on my hand. “No one will harm you,” the guard said. “You have my word.” I took a shaky breath and once again began to move forward. I was led down the center of the isle of armed men and through a doorway that must have been twenty feet high. The ship was silent and the men did not make a sound. The night air was still as death. I thought, “Why is it so quiet? What do they want with me?”

  These questions would be the last I would ever ask standing on my home planet as an innocent young girl. On the ship I was led down a series of hallways with black walls until we reached a particular door, and the guard opened it. I was taken through the door and left alone in a fairly large room. It was dark inside, the only light coming from a few candles surrounding a large bed in what appeared to be the center of the room. Scared and exhausted, I slowly walked to the bed and sat down upon it. By the time I reached it, I was physically shaking and could not stop. The room was cold, so I fumbled with the covers and wrapped them securely around me. I eventually cried myself into a haunted sleep.

  When I awoke, I gazed about the room. The bed I was lying on was in the center of the room. The walls were light pink with matching doors and shelves on the left side. In front of me there was an immense fireplace with a well-lit fire burning. The pink ceiling had a white fan and the bedspread was pink satin lined with white lace at the edges. After I looked around for a few moments, a young woman with shoulder-length brown hair entered the room. “Hello, young mistress,” she said. “My name is Monica. I am your maid and am here to ensure that you receive everything you require. I have taken the liberty of preparing your bath. Please follow me.” I tried to ask her where I was when she silenced me. “Hush, your questions will be answered soon enough.”

  I wasn’t sure how to respond, so I simply followed her through the doors to my right and into the next room. The bathroom was large and spacious with various mirrors outlined in gold. The bathtub was marble with a gold inlaid faucet. The bathtub was filled almost to the brim with water spiced with sweet-smelling oils that filled my senses as I slowly sank into the soothing heat.

  After the hot bath, I went to my room where the most beautiful gown I had ever seen lay upon the bed. It was light pink silk with small pink jewels lining the top, long, flowing sleeves and a train that touched the floor following me as I walked. Once dressed, the maid came in and transformed my hair into an elaborate up-do which included tons of curls. A beautiful gold necklace with pink diamonds was fastened around my neck. When I finally found the courage to once again ask the maid where I was and why I was there, all she said was, “Lord Kasar wants to tell you himself.”

  I was escorted into a grand banquet room. The air was warm and filled with a pleasant aroma than I could not quite place. The walls were sapphire blue and the floors were covered with rich black carpets. The room was empty except for a single, long table with a chair on each side. I was led to it and seated across from a man who introduced himself as Lord Edward Kasar. In a pleasant voice, he informed me that all my questions would be answered once we ordered dinner. He had long black hair pulled back in a tight ponytail with a small silver band. His light skin held a slight tan and his cheeks appeared slightly flushed. His eyes were so dark they looked black, matching the color of his silky shirt that shimmered in the light of the room. A diamond glistened in the lobe of his left ear.

  In front of me was a porcelain plate and two crystal champagne glasses. As I sat down, a man approached wearing a black and white tux. He handed me a menu with cursive, but elegant, writing and filled my Champagne glass with ice water. I scanned the menu for several moments before asking for a plate of fish with wild rice. When we were both finished making our selections, I asked “Please sir, why am I here? What do you want from me?”

  “Just you,” was his answer. “Word of your beauty and potential has come to me from far away, and the moment I laid eyes on you, I knew I had been right in my choice.”

  “Choice for what?”

  As I asked, a creature that should not exist walked through the door. It had four legs and a horse’s lower body. Its upper body looked humanoid, but the entire body was covered with bright red fur. On its head were two eyes, a nose, and a mouth all very similar to humans. The creature reminded me of a centaur.

  “He is a Lorid,” Lord Kasar said, “one of over a hundred species which you have never seen nor heard of.”

  Lord Kasar rose from his chair and walked around the long table to my side. He took my hand and led me from the table to the window as he began to reveal an unbelievable, wondrous, and terrifying truth. As I looked out, I was greeted by the blackness of space. To my eyes, it seemed darker and far emptier than I had ever imagined it would be. There were no planets nor stars nor light; only darkness. “Most of the creatures of this ship are not of your world,” Lord Kasar explained. I stood in shocked silence as he continued, “The races Lorid, Horde, and Slith are one with the Setian Empire”.

  With that, another creature approached. It stood seven-feet tall on two long legs. It had two eyes, a pig looking nose, a slit for a mouth and dark black skin. “A Horde,” Lord Kasar said. Standing beside the Horde slithered a small, three feet tall creature with twenty legs, six sets of arms, blue spiky fur, six small eyes, and the largest, ugliest mouth I had ever seen. “A slith.”

  Lord Kasar said, “These creatures’ entire races belong to the mighty Setian Empire. I am one of the few humans in this Empire and the seventh highest-ranking member. Your question, my dear, is why you are here. The answer is to make you my Princess; one of the most powerful beings in the Empire. You will be the ultimate weapon and your every desire, no matter what the size, shall be yours.”

  I spent the rest of the evening asking questions, hardly believing what I was hearing. By the time the night was over I had learned more than I had ever imagined could be possible.

  Chapter II

  I began to learn about the different species and planets that existed throughout the various galaxies. In truth, there are about four hundred different planets that support life. We traveled at speeds faster than light, and I was shown hundreds of exotic and strange locations throughout the various galaxies the Empire ruled. I was told that of the four hundred life-supporting planets there are only one hundred intelligent species. Of these, only eleven qualified as major races. The most powerful of these species were composed of the Lorid Sovereignty and the Setian Empire, which as I learned, was full of titles, ranks, and positions. I quickly learned that once a leader reaches a certain rank, their title was added to their actual name. Edward was my Lord’s name, while Kasar was his title. Lord Edward Kasar was a high-ranking leader among the Empire and as such, I was treated as the daughter of a very powerful man.

  Lord Kasar let it be known that I was the most important thing in the world to him. If I wanted anything, I did not need to ask to know that it would be mine. No one dared disobey or ask for a higher authority on my wishes. I began to have my first real taste of power. I was provided with a staff of maids, two tutors and three additional servants whose sole job was to serve my every whim.

  A few months later I was taken to a convention on one of the Markata Moons deep inside Setian space. During these conventions leaders of rank could be found in attendance and with them their ships of troops, servants and allies. The moon became something between a grand social gathering and an impenetrable fortress.

  The convention was held inside a large glass dome which was filled with various lecture halls to host the different conferences. The center complex housed various vendors who came from all parts of the Empire in hopes of selling their treasures. I was walking from a conference on the Horde movement to a meeting concerning the current Lorid battlefront in the Korid system when I walked by the center complex and saw the most unusual creature.

  It reminded me of a cat, only it had six legs and four eyes. Black stripes ran down deep green, bright blue and on one cre
ature, hot pink fur.

  “Is it a kitty?” I asked the man who seemed to be in charge of them.

  “They are called ‘Semnas’,” the man said. He towered above me in his crude Horde form.

  “Oh, from the planet Palta, is that correct?” I asked, putting my recent classroom knowledge to the test. “They are pets, aren’t they?”

  “Yes,” he replied and then turned from me to the next customer who approached. She was a human woman of about twenty-five years of age and very richly dressed. Diamonds hung from her earlobes and rubies lined her neck. Her nails were manicured and she looked every bit the wealth she probably possessed.

  “How big do they get?” I asked.

  He started talking to the other woman and did not answer my question. From what I recalled, semnas grew to be the size of a normal cat.

  “How much is the pink one?” I asked.

  He turned back to me with a look of annoyance crossing his face. “Expensive,” he replied, before turning back to the woman.

  “How expensive?” I asked.

  He looked back, glancing at my bare neck and plain blue dress I had decided to wear that day. The lectures were long and fancy dresses were rather uncomfortable during a long day of sitting. “Extremely expensive,” he said.

  “But how much is expensive?”

  “I’m busy!” came the reply. “Why don’t you head down to the zerka stand over there? I hear they are good at helping little girls with stupid questions.” He once again turned back to the woman, leaving me surprised and upset at his rudeness.

  Sad and confused, I walked towards the Lorid Battlefront Conference. When I arrived before the black metal door, two honor guards stood at attention on either side.

  I pulled the small, plastic badge draped around my neck from under my dress and showed it to the guard on my right. The bright red color gave me top level clearance, but it was the name on the badge which caused the guards to drop into a low bow before moving to open the door. They nodded to a man just inside the door who raced to escort me to my seat.

  ”Lady Chrissalynn Kasar,” he addressed me as we moved toward the front of the large lecture hall. “It is an honor to have the child of our esteemed Lord with us today.”

  I took a seat.

  “May I get you anything? Food, a drink, a fan or heater? A computer to take notes for you perhaps? Anything at all?”

  I would like a Krepta,” I said, naming a fruity drink that I had recently been introduced to. “And did you say a computer would take notes for me?”

  “Why of course, my Lady.” Two minutes later, I was sitting with my drink in one hand with a computer taking notes behind me.

  “God, this seat is uncomfortable,” I mumbled under my breath. Someone overheard me, because a few minutes later, I was sitting on satin pillows.

  When Lord Kasar arrived he took his seat beside me. The lecture commenced and I settled back into the pillows as voices droned on and chart after chart were projected of places you shall never see. I was too young to understand most of the details, but occasionally they would post pictures of colorful places and creatures I had recently come across in my studies. Most were allies to the Lorid Sovereignty and I found great interest in learning the various connections between the different species. Then the lecture switched to battle strategy which was beyond my youthful comprehension. I was almost asleep in my chair before the lecture finally came to an end.

  “How are you doing, Chrissa?” Lord Kasar asked me.

  “Okay,” I replied.

  “I know these lectures get a bit boring at times, but I assure you that the information will prove useful in time.”

  I nodded.

  “Have you made it to the center complex yet?” he asked. “There are usually some pretty amazing finds with the numerous vendors. They bring the best and rarest the Empire has to offer.”

  I looked down slightly and Lord Kasar must have seen something in my expression because he asked, “Is something wrong, Chrissalynn?” He said my name gently.

  I looked up at Lord Kasar’s gentle glance and said “Well, I asked a horde about this beautiful pink semna that I saw, but when I asked for a price he…” I paused and Lord Kasar prompted me to continue. “He called me a little girl with stupid questions.”

  Lord Kasar’s eyes widened, “Stupid,” he repeated. I nodded. “He said ‘stupid?’” Lord Kasar turned and called three of his honor guard to his side before asking me, “Chrissa, do you think you could point out this vendor to me?”

  I nodded again and said, “I just wanted to see the pink kitty.”

  Lord Kasar offered me a small smile, “I know, dear. Come, show me.” We walked out into the crowded complex and after a few minutes, I spotted the pink semnas and pointed the horde out to him out. Lord Kasar walked slowly toward the horde flanked by his honor guard as I trailed a few steps behind. The horde bowed low as Lord Kasar approached.

  “My most esteemed Lord,” the horde said. “To what do I owe this unexpected visit?”

  Lord Kasar looked down at him for a long moment before asking, “What is your name?”

  “Sectra 5487, my Lord,” came the horde’s reply.

  “Tell me, Sectra 5487, do you know my name?”

  The horde nodded, “Of course. You are Kasar, a Lord of the Setian Empire.”

  “Very good,” Lord Kasar said condescendingly before motioning to me. The guards parted as I stepped forward and finally arrived by my Lord’s side. “Tell me,” Lord Kasar said, “do you recognize this girl?” Sectra 5487 glanced up enough to look at me. His eyes widened slightly and his dark skin flushed. “Do you know her name?”

  The horde’s voice became unsteady as he said, “No, my Lord. I do not recognize the girl.”

  “Her name,” Lord Kasar informed him, “is Chrissa. However to you, Sectra 5487, her name is Lady Chrissalynn Kasar, daughter of one of your ten Setian Lords, and my only child.” His voice was far from friendly as he added the last statement. “I understand that you were quite rude to my daughter this evening. Is that correct, Sectra?” He said the provisional title of the low ranking vendor as though it were something foul.

  Several moments of silence followed before the Horde finally said, “I…I did not know. I had no idea that she…was your daughter. If she had only let me know who she was and who…”

  “She tried and was ignored.”

  “My Lord, I.”

  “You called her ‘stupid,’ did you not?”

  “I never meant…”

  “Silence!” Lord Kasar commanded.

  “This is my daughter. An insult to her is by extension an insult to me and insults,” Lord Kasar motioned to the guard on his left, “are not to be tolerated.” With those words the guard raised his weapon towards the horde and pulled the trigger. A bright flash of light singed the air and momentarily disrupted my vision. When my sight returned to normal, I gazed fearfully forward. In the spot where Sectra 5487 had once stood, there was nothing. Only the light scent of something burning on the edge of the air served as evidence that a living being had once stood there, and soon even that began to fade. It took my mind several moments to comprehend that the horde had been incinerated without a single drop of blood touching the floor.

  The once noisy room had fallen silent, but no one approached to question the actions of the powerful Lord Kasar. As I continued to stand in shocked silence, I was unsure of what to do or feel. Lord Kasar walked to the cages holding the catlike creatures. “I believe you wanted the pink one, did you not, my dear?” I gave no response. Lord Kasar had just killed him. Oh my god! He had walked up and…my mind raced with a million thoughts, though I seemed unable to grasp any of them.

  Lord Kasar walked towards me and gently placed the tiny pink semna in my arms. I focused hard on holding it gently and devoted as much of my attention as I could to that simple task. Lord Kasar placed his hand gently on my right shoulder and led me out of the complex back toward our private ship. “Someone find Sectra
5488,” I heard him say. “Congratulate him on his promotion.” The next thing I knew, I was back in my own room still holding the catlike creature that blended in with the décor. Lord Kasar gently stroked the head of my new pet. “Such a pretty kitty,” he whispered before wishing me goodnight and exiting the room. My maid helped me out of the blue dress into a soft, satin gown and robe, then brushed my hair out. My kitty purred softly as it curled itself beside me as I drifted off to sleep.

  It was a few months later when Lord Kasar said he had one more species for me to meet. He said it was time for me to know exactly what a Setian was. “I’ve wanted to meet one for sometime now,” I said. Lord Kasar led me into a room with a light blue pool of water approximately the size of a small lake. I walked to the edge of the pool and peered down into the water. Inside I saw several small creatures, clear in color with no definite shape. They went from circles to squares to triangles to many other shapes as I watched. To my surprise, I found that these creatures had no eyes, mouths, noses, legs or arms.

  “These are Setians? These?” I said in confusion, “How could a blind and deaf species that can do nothing more than swim in this pool be so powerful?”

  “Like this," Lord Kasar answered, “they are not. These creatures are parasitic, which means that they enter other creatures’ minds and control them. Once in another being’s mind, they have eyes, ears, legs and arms. They have everything they need to be the most powerful species in the galaxy.”

  “Now,” he continued, “there is a restriction of sorts. When a Setian enters a host, they gain certain chemicals unique to the host they are possessing. Therefore, in order to change hosts, the Setian must be cleansed of these chemicals by re-entering the water.”

  “Which means?” I asked.