TAKEN: Journey to a New Home

by Dillion, Taylor

  Two of the small aliens appeared again with another meal. Sienna had returned the pan earlier and they swapped it once more with a filled pan. Several of the women went to the tap and filled the water bottles. This time the small orange creature came out slowly from the corner and approached with its empty container. Taylor smiled and knelt with her hand out for the bottle. She handed the bottle to Holly who filled it and passed it back to her. Taylor returned the bottle.

  “My name is Taylor and I am a human, a Navajo,” she told the shy creature as she handed the bottle back. “You can sit with us if you like.”

  Just when Taylor decided it wouldn’t reply, “Am Zabysss.” The last syllable was sort of a hiss but Taylor smiled.

  “And what are your people called?” Taylor asked.

  “Am Xydrav,” Zabyss responded. Taylor rose slowly and she returned to the spot on the floor with Zabyss in tow. Taylor sat and then told the creature the names of all the women in the group and told them the creature’s name. Sienna offered it food which it took. Zabyss ate neatly and quietly with them.

  “You have a translator?” Sienna asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Do you know who or what these beings are? Or what’s happening?” Sienna asked of their new member.

  “Called Mirkndaks. Very secretive. Not social,” Zabyss spoke in whisper.

  “Do you know what’s happening?” Sienna asked again.

  “No. Many go before you come. Screams, terrible noises next. Then silence,” Zabyss told them. What Zabyss lacked in syntax she (?) made up for in meaning.

  Suddenly there was commotion at the door. Sienna and the others looked to see a group of about ten of the small green keepers at the door. They seemed to be viewing the occupants of each cell. The little green creatures strolled as though touring a zoo. Blanca suddenly began screaming and Sienna turned to see her pointing at one of the small green aliens toward the back of the group. He was chewing happily on a piece of bloody meat. The problem: the piece of meat had a male human hand attached to the end of it. Sienna thought she might faint. Some of the blue beings had started to cry again in the other cell. The keepers seemed to be muttering amongst themselves but the translator in Sienna’s neck didn’t translate the strange noises into anything she could understand. But she got it, they were food. Zabyss scurried back to the corner. Sienna finally became aware of the colonel’s voice shouting from the other room.

  “What the hell is going on over there, Major? Respond now, damn it!”

  “Sir, they’re eating us.”

  “What the hell do you mean?” the general’s disbelieving voice asked.

  “Exactly what I said, Sir. One of the aliens is chewing on an arm with a male human hand still attached to it. They also seem to be looking to choose another meal,” Major Roberts said solemnly.

  Blanca now sat sobbing hysterically. Some of the others were crying quietly in horror. The little green men didn’t seem to notice and were now headed back out of the room. Neither the general nor the colonel had asked any further questions. Sienna didn’t know what else could be said. A terrible silence broken only occasionally by animal sounds and quiet sobbing filled the rooms. Sienna hadn’t thought much about her own death but never would she have imagined it as someone’s dinner. It was quite ironic she thought with a dark humor. She had spent a good portion of her twenty-eight years feeding people and now she was going to do it quite literally.

  Four of the small aliens came back into the room carrying a large stick. They wrangled a bearcat out of the cage, tied it to the stick and carried it away. Sienna sighed in relief along with most of the others. Over the next days, tension built in the rooms as they knew now that the screams were the horrifying ends to lives.

  Five days after they discovered they were being eaten the keepers returned to their room. Four of them entered the cell across from Sienna as she and the others in her group held their breath while Blanca cried and Zabyss hid in the corner. Most of the men in cell attacked the aliens. There shouts and screams of humans and shrill noises from the aliens that brought more of the aliens running in to the room and into the cell. The aliens were brandishing sticks like those the suPonicks had carried. Men began to fall and along with hope of being freed. Sienna felt the tingle start in her neck and knew the blackout was coming.

  ***

  Sienna woke to Private Jennings shouting.

  “Somebody needs to fucking do something! You idiot bastards got us into this now get us out!”

  “Private stand down.” The major’s voice sounded tired.

  “Fuck you!” He turned and glared at them. Before anyone could guess his intent he strode up and backhanded Rose who had been rolling her eyes at his tantrum. Then he yanked her up off the floor and slammed her into the wall stunning her.

  “I’m gonna have some of this before I get eaten,” he snarled and began tearing at her clothes. Taylor and Sienna sprang into action and grabbed him. He turned and punched Sienna in the face so hard she was knocked unconscious and crashed to the floor. He hit Taylor in the stomach and shoved her back.

  Samantha frantically was shaking Ashaa in an attempt to wake her. “Ashaa, Ashaa, help!”

  “Private, cease your actions now!” the major shouted.

  Rose was fighting back now as Tabitha, Holly, Wendy and Jasmine tried to help. The private twisted Rose’s arm and there was sickening crack as she screamed. Jasmine clawed his face and neck, he threw and elbow and caught her in the face telling her, “Wait your turn”. Ashaa suddenly came to and leaped into action. She grabbed the private off of Rose, lifted him from the ground and threw him. She pounced on him and began punching him. The keepers ran into the cell with the sticks waving. Ashaa paid little heed to them as she continued to pummel the private. They began zapping her repeatedly. Ashaa roared in fury and turned on her tormentors. She killed two by shaking them so hard their tiny necks snapped audibly and large heads hung awkwardly. Still under attack without warning Ashaa blanched a pale green herself. Then she staggered back from them. They kept after her with the sticks till her body was twitching and shuddering as she slumped down to the floor unconscious again. She was now a pale green with dark green spots along the sides of her face that disappeared into the jumpsuit and also ran along her arms, the backs of her hands and the tops of her bare feet. Her lips were the same dark green as her spots. The keepers retreated out of the cell dragging the private’s still form and the two of their own with them. More of them collected in the path and in the hall beyond. They were extremely agitated and kept pointing at Ashaa while they made their strange little clicks and mutters. After much discussion they turned and filed out dragging the private’s unconscious possibly deceased form and their dead with them.

  Samantha cradled the sobbing Rose in arms and rocked her. Taylor was sitting clutching her ribs while Jasmine and Natalie examined Sienna. Holly knelt and spoke to Taylor then pulled off her lab jacket. Holly and Tabitha after a few moments consultation began tearing the jacket into long strips. When they had a large pile they began wrapping Taylor’s ribs as silent tears coursed down her face. Blanca sat sobbing by herself as Wendy first wrapped Rose’s ribs and examined Rose’s arm. The three vet techs then shredded Wendy’s jacket and used it to bind Rose’s arm after Wendy set it. Thankfully, Rose had passed out, before that, so Samantha just held her. The women used Tabitha’s jacket to make a sling and cloths for cool compresses made from the cool water in the tap.

  Through it all Dr. Martin sat staring in unblinking shock. She didn’t respond to touch or spoken words. Jasmine left Sienna in Natalie’s care and moved to check on Ashaa who was still pale green and spotted.

  “Ashaa, can you hear me?”

  Ashaa didn’t rouse and still twitched occasionally.

  “Holly, can you help me turn her so she’s a little more comfortable? She’s too heavy to move by myself.” Jasmine was puffing a little from the first attempt. Wendy nodded and the other two women went to help Jasmine move Ashaa
to her back and straighten her legs while she finished Rose’s arm.

  “Boy, you weren’t kidding when you said she was heavy.” Holly agreed.

  Sienna woke a few hours later to concerned faces. Samantha smiled wearily, “So you decided to join us.”

  “Careful how fast you sit up. I’m pretty certain you have a concussion,” Wendy advised.

  Sienna’s stomach rolled. Her head throbbed painfully and her face hurt. She gingerly touched her cheek. She looked around at the subdued faces. Rose, Taylor and Ashaa appeared to be asleep. Rose had bandages around her arm and ribs while Taylor’s ribs were also wrapped up in some sort of white fabric. Ashaa lay on her back, breathing in and out evenly. Sienna did a double take at Ashaa. She was now pale green with spots that were dark green down the sides of her face and neck and dark green lips.

  “What happened?”

  “The private didn’t go down easy. After he hit you and Taylor, then he broke Rose’s arm and elbowed Jasmine.”

  Sienna turned to look at Jasmine who was sporting a big bruise on her face.

  “Ashaa finally came to from the blackout and attacked him. She threw him across the room and then jumped on him and started pounding. The keepers came in with sticks and started zapping her. She killed two but went down finally. About midway through all the zapping she turned green and spotted and then dropped and started twitching,” Samantha explained at length.

  The noisy food cart interrupted the conversation. Four of the aliens were with it. Two brandished sticks while the other two changed out pans quickly. Holly retrieved the pan while Natalie and Wendy filled the bottles. When Zabyss was unwilling to leave her corner, Wendy took her two pieces of food and filled her bottle for her since Taylor was incapacitated. Dr. Martin was still catatonic. No one had much appetite. The horror of the day was still too fresh. Sienna lay her head down again and tried to sleep. After a while noise began to rouse her but before she could sit up, she felt the tingling in her neck. Oh no, not again.

  Chapter 5

  Sienna was really tired of waking up hung over. She wasn’t even getting to enjoy a party before the hangover either which made it even worse. She opened her eyes and screamed. Leaning over her was a yucky brown creature with scales, facial protrusions and red eyes with a starburst in each. She scrambled back away from it. It looked like demon in horror film.

  “So you are finally awake.” It said looking over her.

  She looked around and counted her crew as well as Ashaa. Everyone from her six was here and starting to wake. She double checked and counted Holly, Wendy and Tabitha. Dr.Martin and Zabyss were not here.

  “Pay attention!” he demanded waving a six-fingered hand in her face. “I cannot have merchandise out that looks so bedraggled or smells like animals. You will wash over in the corner. Find new garments on the shelf along the wall. Do it quickly!”

  With those words he exited the room and turned the lock on the door after him. Sienna held her head in her hands. What now? she thought to herself. Samantha stood and walked to the doorway in the corner.

  “Looks like a bathroom complete with shower cube,” she grinned back at Sienna.

  “Go for it. I’ll go when my head stops pounding so hard.” Sienna tried to smile at Samantha who selected and an outfit from the shelf and went in to the small room in the corner.

  “I’m not sure you have that much time,” Wendy told her with a rueful smile.

  “I see Ashaa has returned to her former color.”

  Ashaa didn’t stir as she was observed but now appeared human once more with her eyes closed and only her nails appearing painted green. But the pale green skin and spots were gone. Rose and Taylor had come around and were sitting quietly. It was obvious they too were still in pain by their faces. Sienna moved to Rose and hugged her gently and kissed her forehead affectionately.

  “How are you?”

  “I’m okay. My arm is still hurting but it’s a dull throb now,” Rose replied with a grimace. “But I don’t think I’ll be lifting weight anytime soon and it hurts to breath or move.”

  “Taylor?”

  “Okay, if I don’t breathe too deep.” She smiled but it wasn’t quite the serene Taylor smile Sienna was used to seeing.

  Before Sienna could say anything else, Samantha exited the bathroom wearing what looked like a long duster type tunic over light weight loose fitting slacks. She looked clean and refreshed and wore a grin.

  “Okay, the shower is waterless and tickles,” she was laughing slightly. “But I’m clean for the first time in three weeks! It feels great!”

  “Me next!” Wendy volunteered with a laugh of her own.

  Samantha went back to the shelf and chose a pair of slipper like shoes she thought would fit. She slipped them on and grinned again.

  “Neat. The material of the shoes form fits itself around your feet,” she told them with a smile. After everyone else had showered they helped Rose and Taylor removed their soiled clothes and shower one at a time. Both were exhausted by the time the chore was completed and Rose was gritting her teeth in effort not to cry.

  “Do we know what happened to Dr. Martin or Zabyss,” Sienna finally asked after everyone was clean and dressed except Ashaa who still remained unconscious. Sienna hoped she would wake soon.

  “No, they weren’t here when I woke and I was first up,” Holly answered with a shake of her head. “None of the others from the other cells were here either so I don’t know what’s happened to them.”

  Sienna hung her head and said yet another small prayer. She’d been doing that a lot since Hell Monday. Before she could respond to Holly, Ashaa groaned behind her. She and Wendy both moved toward the tall woman. Her gold eyes opened and she held her head in her hands.

  “Go slow,” Wendy warned her. “You’ve been out a long time.” They eased Ashaa into a sitting position and gave her some help drinking water since her hands had a tremor.

  “Better?” Sienna questioned after she drank half the water.

  “Yes, but damn, my head hurts,” she said with eyes closed against the pain.

  “I hear and second that,” Sienna told.

  “Rose?”

  “A broken arm, probable cracked ribs and a concussion,” Wendy listed for her.

  “Oh God, that bastard. Where are we?” Asha looked around for the first time.

  “We’re not sure but I don’t think we’re still on the ship. Our new keeper is sort of brown with spooky red starburst eyes and scales and keeps referring to us as merchandise and the air smells much fresher,” Sienna elaborated. “Dr. Martin and Zabyss do not appear to be with us.”

  “Jennings?” Ashaa growled.

  “From the way they dragged him away after they attacked you, I suspect he was either dead or close to it,” Wendy told her. “I didn’t have time to check on him before they dragged him away but I refuse to shed tears for the prick after he attacked Rose and injured Taylor, Jasmine and Sienna.

  Ashaa’s head came up and she peered at Sienna. “You have a black eye again. I guess I need to teach you how to duck,” she said with a small smile. Ashaa looked at the other women and her eyes quickly cataloged the bruises and wraps around Rose and Taylor. Anger sizzled in her eyes she muttered under her breath again.

  “Bastard.”

  “Are you steady enough to use the shower and change?” Sienna asked.

  “I think so.” She stood slowly and Holly gave her a gentle hug and a set of garments. Ashaa’s face showed her surprise.

  “You deserve more than that but it’s all I have,” Holly smiled up at Ashaa. Ashaa nodded and went to the shower. She moved slowly and stiffly.

  “She’s in more pain than she’s willing to admit,” Wendy observed after Ashaa was in the bathroom. “Did you see her hands shaking?”

  ***

  Across the city in a little dive, Dezek and Rev were listening closely to the Trusky weaving his tale to his lunch companions. Truskies weren’t the most trustworthy of folks and as merchants the
y’d sell you your OWN mother. AND get you to believe you got a bargain!

  But this one had an interesting tale if he was to be believed. His tale began with a group of Mirkndacks (nasty little creatures who enjoyed meat even if it came in the form of sentient beings) that sold his shop owner cousin a group of humans, female humans. That was unusual enough because Mirkndacks didn’t give up prized meat, especially rare human. It was the reason for sale that had them listening hard, according to the Trusky, the Mirkndaks had sold the humans because they feared they might be diseased. One of the females had blanched pale green with dark spots and then gone back to her natural coloring after an incident of some sort aboard their vessel. They had wanted to get rid of them before they contaminated the rest of the feed stock. Dezek shivered. Few things could unnerve him but Mirkndaks referring to sentient beings as feed stock was one of them. He went to the bar and paid the barman to send the Trusky a couple of free rounds on him. There was nothing a Trusky liked better than free, especially free food or drink. He and Rev slipped out the side door.

  “Fazon,” he opened his comm link to his ship from the hired vehicle Rev had procured. “Call everyone in now even if they haven’t finished their assignment. We may be leaving very quickly, very shortly.”

  “What’s up, Boss?”