Scerior

by Jilly Bowling

  Jo took her helmet off and smiled “As you like to point out, I am not Sceriae but a mongrel human. When we pass back through the wormhole and I persuade Acorus to abandon you remember my face. For every bit of hate you feel for me, l feel double for you!”

  With that Jo turned on her heel and walked out of the room. Her escort hurried after her and led her back to her quarters.

  Entering the room she was pleased to see that Acorus was awake and sitting up in bed talking to Belain. When they saw her Acorus glanced at her, then frowning went to get out of bed “What is the matter? You are upset, who has upset you?” he asked.

  “Stay there brother. Come Jo take my seat. I’ll take your helmet, would you like a drink?” Belain asked quickly rising from his seat and offering it to her.

  “Please stay there Acorus, I’m alright. Thank you Belain I would love a drink. I’m afraid I rather lost my temper” Jo said biting her lip.

  As she sat down Belain handed her a drink which she took gratefully. Telling her to take it slowly, Acorus asked what had happened. Trying to remember all the details right from the beginning of Bezra’s interrogation, Jo told them everything that Bezra had divulged. Getting to the part about Bezra selling the girls, Jo felt herself choking up. To her surprise Belain put his arm round her shoulder and told her not to get upset. She could see that Acorus was extremely angry, disgusted at what a Sceriae had done, so found the courage to tell him about her outburst. When she told them what she had said to Bezra, Belain gasped, but Acorus said “I do not doubt that you think you are capable of doing that, in your anger, but could you do it in cold blood. More to the point, would I?”

  Belain sighed and shook his head and Jo said “Probably not, but she needs to suffer the thought that we could. She is very dangerous, and if there are more Sceriae like her, your plan to save your race is doomed!”

  “Yes that’s an interesting thought. She would divulge more details of those opposed to us if she thought we were as bad as she is” Acorus nodded his head thoughtfully.

  “She might even lead us to the Wracki that she sold those females to” Belain put in.

  Jo quickly said “Do you think we could rescue them?”

  Acorus shook his head and frowned at Belain “What do you think we’d be rescuing? They wouldn’t be the same as they were. Probably mentally damaged, never mind what had been done to them physically!”

  “But the Wracki I saw at the courtyard didn’t look evil”.

  “Not evil Jo, just strange. They have weird practices” Acorus explained.

  “Oh” Jo said deciding that she didn’t want to know.

  Belain then put in “Acorus is right, Jo, but we will do what we can. I am going to be blunt, because I know how strong you are. Some of the girls the Wracki have kept may recover, but the kindest thing to do with any we rescue from the Xenorii would be to, how can I put it, put them out of their misery!”

  “But the Chomanay females you rescued appeared to be alright” Jo exclaimed.

  “Jo” Acorus said “They were prisoners for days with an outpost of the Xenorii, not blood milkers on their own planet. The human females have been there for months, maybe for years. We don’t know how long until we get more information from Bezra. Believe me if I can find any girls who are rescuable, I will rescue them”.

  Jo had started to cry again, but she said “I know you will do your best, and that you are as horrified as I am, but you must make sure nothing like this happens to any human ever again. It is the Sceriae’s fault that humans have been put in that situation in your galaxy”.

  “We must decide what to do about warning Andea about Bezra’s co-conspirators. Belain said.

  Acorus sighed “We will have to send a star ship back. It will mean that we can’t carry as many females, but this conspiracy must be squashed before it gets out of hand. I will come to the signals room and dictate a message. Belain you must reorganise the fleet, if each remaining star ship can carry more fighter ships, arrange it. Maybe we can find a way for each ship to carry more females. If so, we will need more Escorii on each ship”.

  “What can I do?” Jo asked “I could look at the girls’ quarters and see if they could double up”.

  “Maybe” Acorus said “If you get the Escorii to help you, it should be possible”.

  “So what are you going to do with Bezra? She must be punished”.

  “Yes you’re right, she must be punished” Acorus agreed, “She will be kept on minimum rations and I will get the interrogators to let slip that she might be left for the Xenorii to find. They will tell her that I might be lenient if she tells us where to find the Wracki that she sold the girls to”.

  “I thought that the Escorii couldn’t lie”.

  “They won’t be lying as they will believe that I mean to do it” Acorus answered.

  “Imagining what might happen to her will be a perfect punishment “Belain commented.

  “But not as bad as it actually happening. I feel so angry at her, I could kill her myself” Jo said angrily.

  “Right, no more talk, we must get things started” Acorus ordered “Call for Khala, please Belain, to help me with my armour”.

  “Are you sure you feel well enough?” Jo asked.

  “Yes, thanks to your care I feel good again” he said putting his hand up to her cheek in a loving gesture.

  Belain was watching this exchange in amusement, never having seen his brother being so tender. Acorus saw him watching and quickly arranged his face, so he was once again the general “Get about your duties brother, we must waste no time” he snapped.

  Laughing, Belain did as he was ordered and pulling on his helmet, left the room.

  Acorus turned to Jo and said “Don’t wear yourself out sorting out the accommodation for the females. Maybe the prostitutes would be better sharing. If they are as strong as you say, they may be calmer than the young females”.

  “Don’t worry; I’ll look after myself and our daughter. I have no intention of making myself ill. I’ll tell the Escorii what to do and leave them to it” Jo said smiling at him.

  Khala knocked and entered and Acorus led the way into the bathroom. Within minutes he came out with his armour on. As he entered Jo put her helmet on and said that she would accompany him to the girl’s quarters. Acorus didn’t stride along as he normally did but walked quite steadily so Jo was happy that he felt a lot better. Leaving him to go to the signals room she continued on down to the girl’s quarters picking up Tchu and Tjai on the way.

  Chapter 32

  When Jo reached the level where the abducted girls were to be kept, she couldn’t help feeling sick. Memories rushed back of being so frightened and not knowing what might happen to her. Biting her lip, she pushed open the large doors, through which Acorus had entered the large chamber. Looking round at the cubicles, chairs and tables, the ‘pictures’ on the walls, she could see that the Sceriae had done their best to keep the girls comfortable.

  With Tchu and Tjai, Jo inspected each cubicle, discussing where space could be saved. To her surprise the ‘walls’ could be moved quite easily. Sending Tjai to fetch more Escorii she discussed with Tchu how much space each girl would really need.

  When Tjai returned with a dozen Escorii, Jo set them to work moving walls and beds. After working for three hours they had managed to create another twelve cubicles, while still leaving room for the Escorii to work or give massages. Sending a couple of Escorii to fetch more curtains and rails for the extra cubicles, Jo sat back pleased that by doing this to the nine remaining star ships, they would not miss the one sent back to Scerior.

  Then she remembered the time when she couldn’t get out of the cubicle, when instead of curtains shutting it off from the main room, there was a solid wall. When she asked Tchu about it, Tchu demonstrated how what appeared to be a giant shutter rolled down the full le
ngth of that side of the large chamber. It seemed to be flexible until it slotted into the floor. Once in place Tchu pressed another lever and the shutter instantly became solid. Jo felt it and knocked on it, discovering that it was iron hard. It welded itself to each wall between the cubicles, making it appear that the cubicles were each a sealed box.

  Jo marvelled at the technology of the Sceriae, in lots of ways they were so far advanced compared to things on Earth, but in others they had no idea at all. Feelings, love, hate, a love of music, dancing were alien to them, but they felt anger, a sense of duty, care for other races and they had a wicked sense of humour. Humans and Sceriae could teach each other so much; Jo hoped that one day it might be possible for them to live peacefully alongside each other. Stealing human females would not endear the Sceriae to the humans, but maybe if the girls were well treated it might be possible to overcome the human’s natural disgust and hate of the Sceriae. Knowing that she could do nothing to stop the abductions she swore, once again, to help the new girls and then the ones already on Scerior.

  Having satisfied herself that the cubicles, beds, and boxes that the girls would be put in to begin with were ready, she made her way back to her quarters. When she got back, Acorus wasn’t there so Tchu persuaded her to have shower and massage. Lying on the massage table, she thought over the changes she had made to the girls quarters. Deciding that it had worked out well, and that it would be possible to do on the other star ships, she allowed herself to drift off to sleep.

  When she woke up she was feeling rested and comfortable, but extremely hungry, not surprising as it was late afternoon, and she hadn’t eaten since breakfast. Getting off the massage table she put on a kaftan that had been laid out for her, cleaned her teeth and used the toilet, then went in search of Tchu. She wasn’t in the bedroom but food had been laid out on the table. Jo piled her plate and poured herself a drink, then curled up on the couch and ate heartily. She was biting into a juicy bit of fruit, rather like a large nectarine when the door opened and Acorus came in. He looked tired but some of the spring had come back into his step “You look comfortable” he said “I’ll have a shower and join you”.

  “Do you need help with your armour?”

  “Yes please”, then he grinned wickedly as he said “I may need help showering too, I still feel a little weak”.

  “Don’t try that trick on me” Jo said “I know what help you like in the shower! Behave yourself; you are still not completely over being poisoned”.

  He grinned and said “Make the most of my weakness; thanks to your care I am almost recovered. But you are right; I do still feel the effects of the Xenorii’s poisonous attack”.

  Jo went to him and helped him out of his armour, then left him to shower. Coming back into the bedroom he asked how she had got on rearranging the females quarters. When she told him that they had made twelve extra cubicles without any problems, he was delighted and said that tomorrow he would arrange for the other star ships, to be rearranged. Now that the Escorii had done one ship they could easily do the others. Helping himself to food and drink, he joined her on the couch. They talked about the plans made for when they reached Earth, Acorus’s ship would be the first to collect girls. Once his ship was full, another ship would swap position with his. Acorus, Belain and Jo along with their Escorii would move over to the second ship, and the captain and second officer would take over Acorus’s ship and move away from Earth.

  They would do that with each of the nine ships, the idea being that Jo could speak to the new girls on each ship. The last two ships would carry the prostitutes who would be taken just before the fleet set off for Scerior. The plan would take quite a few weeks to carry out and the danger was that an observatory on Earth might spot them. The last ships would stay on the far side of the asteroid belt but ships would be passing through all the time. Regular movement would be more easily seen by Earth’s observatories. Of course there would be no danger from Earth out in space, but the fighter ships would be going into Earth’s atmosphere to collect the human females.

  To Jo it seemed an impossible test, but as Acorus said, the Sceriae had done it many times before, this time the only difference would be the scale of the abductions. Jo wondered how the girls would be picked, as she had been observed for some time and obviously so had the others, because the Sceriae knew so much about each one. To take so many this time, how would they be chosen?

  Acorus explained that a star ship had been on station behind the moon for many months. They had a list of girls who were deemed suitable for abduction. They had even made a list of high class call girls from all over the Earth. That had been easier as they didn’t need to be tall, white, and blue eyed. Jo queried that saying she thought it had been agreed that if the prostitutes didn’t want to do be working girls on Scerior, they would be able to settle down to have babies with one Sceriae.

  Acorus sighed and said “Don’t get angry, Jo, but it has been decided that no Sceriae male would want an ex prostitute as his female. That might change but I doubt it”.

  “But what will happen to the ones who don’t want to prostitute themselves on Scerior? I hope you don’t think that you will just kill them. Because I won’t stand for that” Jo snapped.

  “Jo, you have come a long way with the Sceriae, but never think that you can tell us what we will or will not do. You need to tread softly” Acorus warned her, not angrily, but brooking no argument.

  Biting her lip, Jo didn’t argue, she had learned not to bring out the Sceriae General. Since she had known him he had tried to empathise with the human females, but he had been brought up from birth as a Sceriae soldier, the death of other species was regrettable but sometimes necessary. She consoled herself with the thought that soldiers on Earth thought the same.

  Because she was so quiet, Acorus put down his plate and turned to her. Taking her chin in his hand he turned her to face him “Jo things are rarely perfect. We must take one step at a time, or we will turn liberal Sceriae into thinking like Bezra and her cohorts”.

  “I know, it’s just that I am not a soldier. I hate the thought of anything dying unnecessarily, whether human or not”.

  “That’s why I love you as Acorus, but as General of the Sceriae, I have to think differently” Acorus sighed, bending over and kissing her gently “I think we should get some sleep, it’s been a busy day”.

  “It’s been busy, but I’m pleased with what we’ve achieved, and it’s such a relief that you are better”.

  With that Acorus lifted her off the couch and carried her to bed.

  Chapter 33

  When Jo woke up the next morning, Acorus was already up and gone about his duties. Tchu and Tjai were busy laying food on the table, so Jo lay there lazily watching them. Suddenly she gasped and Tchu was immediately at her side.

  “What is the matter Jo” she asked looking worried.

  “The baby is doing a clog dance in my stomach” she answered pushing the bed clothes aside to show Tchu. Sure enough, her stomach was rippling up and down.

  “I think she’s going to be a footballer!” Jo laughed.

  “A what? I do not understand”.

  “It’s something we would say on Earth” Jo explained “It means that she’s very good at kicking”.

  “Yes she is very active, that is good for her but not so good for you” Tchu said laughing too.

  “I’d better have breakfast. Maybe she’s telling me that she’s hungry”, Jo said getting out of bed” I’ll have a shower after I’ve eaten. She may have settled down by then”.

  As she helped herself to food Jo asked where Acorus was and Tchu told her that he was on the flight deck, as they would soon be passing through the asteroid belt. It needed all hands on deck as it was a tricky manoeuvre. Jo quickly finished breakfast and having showered and been massaged put on her armour. Surprisingly although it felt tight when Tchu first fastened it, a
s it settled onto Jo’s body it stretched and finally, once again felt like her own skin.

  The baby was still kicking occasionally, but now she was used to it, it wasn’t uncomfortable. Her armour actually cradled her stomach and made her feel very secure. Carrying her helmet, with Tchu in attendance, Jo headed to the flight deck.

  On arrival she discovered that all was very busy. Everyone was completely focused on their job. Acorus was standing behind the control panel, looking out of the forward window. When he saw her arrive he went to her and led her to a seat, saying “You were so peaceful, I didn’t want to wake you. Are you feeling well rested?”

  “Yes, I feel good, as does your daughter. She has made herself known this morning” Jo laughed, and not caring who saw, took his hand and held it to her stomach.

  Looking shocked at what she was doing, Acorus suddenly gasped, “Something is moving under your skin”.

  Laughing at the surprise on his face Jo said “Not under my skin. In my womb, your daughter can kick like David Beckham!”

  “What? That is caused by a baby? Who is David Beckham?” he asked, bemused.

  “Sorry, I’m so excited about her kicking; I forget that the Sceriae and Escorii don’t know about football. David Beckham is a famous footballer. Known all over the Earth. Football is...” Jo stopped as Acorus cut in...

  “I know what football is. A game your males seem crazy about, the galaxy knows why. You don’t seem worried so I must assume that what is happening in your stomach is normal”.

  “Yes, of course it’s normal. It’s just the baby moving position. But you must have felt it before, surely?”

  “Of course I haven’t felt it before, I haven’t been close to a female so advanced in pregnancy” Acorus grunted.

  “Oh!”

  “Well as long as you’re alright, we must get your helmet on and fasten your seatbelt” Acorus said fussing over her.