“Can you two stop fighting, please?” said little Potat floating in front of them. “We’ll never get anything done this way. Besides, I thought everyone understood that I’m the master, and you’re my pets. But not you, Wawuul.”
Antaska calmed down and then felt ashamed of her behavior.
“I’m sorry, M. Hoyvil. I don’t know why I got so upset,” she said. “I know you just want to protect us.”
“I’m sorry too,” said M. Hoyvil. “But you’re right. I shouldn’t be giving orders. We can try to do things that everyone agrees with from now on. How does that sound?”
“That sounds good to me,” said Antaska.
“Uh huh,” said Wawuul.
“That doesn’t sound good to me, but I’ll go along with it for now,” said Potat.
“For now, how about we wait and have Wawuul check out the rest of the building?” asked Antaska. “Does everyone agree on that? We don’t have to see all of it. He can look and tell us is he finds anything.”
She looked around at the others.
“Sure,” said M. Hoyvil.
“Fine,” said Potat.
“Uh huh,” said Wawuul.
“Great,” said Antaska. “And check the rest of the barracks too in case they’ve got something hiding in there.”
“Right,” said M. Hoyvil. “We have to find out if any Verdantes are here.”
Chapter 23
Several hundred miles away on the same planet, under the ground in his well-disguised residence, Marroo woke up with enthusiasm to start the day. He stood and stretched his muscles.
“Ah, yes! Today is finally the day!” he said, still speaking telepathically even though no one else was in the room. “Pweet’s genetic treatment is complete, and I won’t be troubled by Antaska any more.”
When he said Antaska’s name, he felt the pull that was always inside him since they had kissed in this room. Now it tugged him like a powerful yank. Along with it, he felt a strong urge to go to Nestgorm’s slave plant. It was almost irresistible.
“What’s going on?” he said. “Why do I feel that horrible pull so much stronger now? Is it because I’m on the same planet with her? She’s here working for Nestgorm where I left her. Yes. Well, no matter. This nightmare will soon be over. As soon as I get Pweet back here. I must hurry!”
Marroo rushed around getting ready to leave to pick up Pweet from the medical facility.
Chapter 24
Close by the medical facility, Murrie was on duty with M. Mort in the stealth ship Jalapeno. It was their shift to watch Pweet in the procedure room. They both floated in the air in zero g near the view screen that showed her lying still and unmoving on the small metal bed.
It was the end of the second week, and each day had been the same. No movement on her part. The doctor entering the room at a certain time, checking tubes connected to her body and bags hanging from the ceiling. Checking computer monitors. Then leaving.
Murrie knew that something had changed though, and he didn’t like it. Day by day, Pweet’s appearance altered. Her skin subtly changed color. It was shinier, reflecting a rainbow of colors in the room’s harsh bright light. The top of her head grew bigger, and her hair grew brighter and fuller too. Murrie often grumbled to M. Mort about this change, but he knew there was nothing they could do about it.
“Don’t worry, she’s still the same person inside,” M. Mort had told Murrie.
But Murrie knew that M. Mort didn’t like it either.
The doctor entered, as usual at this time of day. A dark blue man dressed in plain gray medical scrubs, the older Woogah went first to his computer bank instead of to Pweet’s side.
“That’s different,” M. Mort said telepathically to Murrie.
“You’re right,” said Murrie. “He usually checks on her first. It’s been almost two weeks. The time he said the procedure would take. Should we tell the rest of the crew?”
“Maybe,” said M. Mort. “But let’s wait and see what he does next.”
For a while, the blue-skinned doctor didn’t do anything but type on his computer and look up at the monitors in front of him. Then, finally, he got up and walked over to Pweet’s side. He reached for one of the hundreds of tubes stuck in all over her body and pulled it out.
“It’s time to tell the others,” said M. Mort.
He floated over to his computer console and pressed the button to summon the rest of the crew.
There was no sound, but the three lieutenants flew into the bridge in a flash. They didn’t say anything but hovered in the air waiting for the captain. All eyes were on the view screen showing Pweet. Captain Kamphone arrived soon after them.
“What’s the status, privates?” he asked.
Murrie spoke up. “The quack doctor is pulling tubes out of Pweet, captain.”
“Let me take a look,” said Kamphone.
The tall green captain floated over closer to the screen.
“Yes,” he agreed. “This is exactly what we saw last time when the procedure was finished. We can expect that in about one hour, the Woogah slaver will show up to collect her. All hands, be read to lift the ship. We’ll be following him to his residence.”
“Yes, captain,” the three Verdante lieutenants all answered.
They floated to their stations and strapped down in their chairs. Lieutenant Sosha tapped on the console in front of her. The others sat waiting for orders.
M. Mort strapped down in his chair too, even though Murrie knew M. Mort wouldn’t be doing anything to help fly the ship. Murrie didn’t strap down. He hovered near Pweet’s view screen but didn’t block the others’ view.
The Woogah doctor was still pulling those tubes out of Pweet. There were a lot of them. The Verdantes waited patiently in their chairs. But Murrie didn’t feel patient, he felt anxious.
What will happen next? he wondered.
When all the tubes were out of Pweet’s body, the doctor went back to his computer console and sat there for a few minutes, typing and checking the monitor screen.
“Very good,” Murrie heard him say telepathically.
Then the doctor got up and took a needle from a cabinet. He walked over to Pweet and injected it into her arm. In a few moments, her eyes fluttered. Her mouth moved, and the Jalapeno’s sensors picked up the sound of her voice.
“Wha…what? Where am I?” said Pweet.
“Hello Pweet,” said the doctor. “I’m Doctor Chiiz, and you’ve just had a genetic enhancement procedure. It’s now complete. Do you remember all this?”
Pweet turned her head and looked over at the doctor. Murrie thought she looked confused.
“Yes, now I remember,” said Pweet. “I guess I was hoping it was all a dream though.”
Murrie couldn’t see the doctor’s face, but he could sense his discomfort. Cats were sensitive like that.
“Do you think you can sit up now, Pweet?” the doctor asked her.
“I’ll try,” she said.
Doctor Chiiz pushed a lever with his foot, and the bed lifted below Pweet’s head. In a few moments, she was up in a sitting position.
“How are you feeling now?” the doctor asked her.
“I think I feel OK, but I feel different,” said Pweet. “My head feels different.”
She lifted her hands up and felt the top of her head.
“It’s bigger!” she said. “Oh, right. You said it would be bigger. And it seems like I’m thinking in a different way too. But I can’t really understand that.”
“You’re probably thinking different because if this procedure worked as expected, you should now be fully telepathic,” said the doctor. “But you’ll know if that’s true soon enough. In any case, Marroo will be here soon to get you. I’ll leave the room now so you can get dressed. And I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
The doctor retrieved Pweet’s clothes from a cabinet and gave them to her. Then he left the room.
“Lieutenant XoXo, turn off the view in there,” Captain Kamphone ordered.
<
br /> But once again, XoXo hadn’t waited for his order.
A few minutes later, the sound of knocking was heard through the Jalapeno’s surveillance equipment and then the sound of the doctor talking from outside in the hallway.
“Pweet, may I come in now?” he asked.
“Yes, I’m dressed,” Pweet answered.
Lieutenant XoXo turned the view back on in the procedure room. Pweet was sitting on the edge of the bare metal table dressed in her gray ship suit. She held the dark cloak Marroo gave her on her lap.
The doctor walked in. He took a drink tube out of a cabinet and handed it to Pweet. She drank thirstily while he spoke to her.
“Marroo is on his way. He’ll be here in a few minutes,” said Doctor Chiiz. “I probably won’t see you again, and I don’t know what the future holds for you. But I want to tell you one thing. If you ever need help, and have nowhere to turn, you may come here, and I’ll try to help you if I can. I’ve never said this to any of my patients before, but none of them have ever been in a condition where they would understand such an offer.”
“Why thank you, doctor,” said Pweet. “That’s very kind of you. I’ll remember that.”
“I hope you’ll be able to remember. And if you do, I hope you’ll be able to go where you want to go,” said the doctor.
“That sounds kind of frightening,” said Pweet.
“Yes, it is,” said the doctor. “And please don’t repeat this to anyone—I mean any Woogahs. I could get in deep trouble with my government for even saying this to you.”
“I won’t,” said Pweet. “I promise.”
“I believe her,” said Murrie to the others inside the Jalapeno.
A chime sounded in the procedure room.
“Marroo is here,” said Doctor Chiiz.
The doctor walked to his console and pressed some buttons. Then he turned and faced the door. Pweet looked at the door too. Neither of them spoke.
“Is everyone ready for liftoff?” Captain Kamphone asked.
“Ready, captain,” said five telepathic voices at once.
A few minutes later, the Jalapeno’s audio equipment picked up the sound of knocking on the door to the medical room. The doctor opened it, and Marroo swaggered in. His dark gray cloak swirled around him as he walked over to Pweet.
Marroo stopped near her and stared. Pweet stared right back.
“Marvelous work!” Murrie heard Marroo say telepathically to the doctor.
“Why, thank you,” said the doctor’s mental voice. “As far as I can tell, the procedure was a complete success.”
“I’ll find out soon enough when I take her home,” Marroo answered.
Pweet sat stiff and silent. Murrie could tell she was uncomfortable, but she didn’t say anything.
Marroo spoke out loud to her. “It’s time to go, Pweet. I’m going to take you to my home. You’ll like it there. Are you ready to go?”
“Yes, I’ll go now,” said Pweet.
“Go slow now,” said the doctor. “You might be a bit dizzy.”
He took her cloak from her and held out an arm to assist her off the table. Pweet held his arm and stood up slowly.
“I feel fine now,” she said. “Thank you, doctor.”
The doctor held the cloak out for Pweet, and she put her arms through the sleeves.
“Why Doctor Chiiz, I didn’t know you were so gallant,” Murrie heard Marroo say telepathically.
“You’re right. It’s not my usual behavior,” the doctor answered him. “But there’s something about this one that brings it out in me. She’s unusual I think—special somehow. I hope you think so to.”
“Oh, she’s very special to me as well, doctor,” said Marroo.
Then he turned and led Pweet out the door.
Chapter 25
Pweet sat on a plush red couch next to Marroo in his boudoir-like living room. She didn’t want to sit so close to him, but there wasn’t anywhere else to sit.
“Look into my eyes!” Marroo said out loud.
Pweet looked. Marroo stared back at her unblinking. The intensity behind his strange cloudy eyes—round and somewhat bulging—made them look even more disturbing than usual.
Then Marroo spoke to her telepathically.
“Pweet! Can you hear me? I’m speaking in your mind,” Marroo said telepathically.
She pretended not to hear him. Pweet didn’t see any good reason to stop pretending so far. Marroo’s eyes opened wider. The clouds covering them turned in mad circles.
“Can you hear me now?” he asked again telepathically.
Pweet heard but didn’t answer.
“Pweet!” he let out a loud mental yell.
She jerked back on the couch, breaking eye contact with Marroo. It was like having someone yell in her face. She remembered to grab her head and moan to keep up the pretense of getting a headache from telepathic speech.
The handsome blue man rose from the couch and paced around the room like a restless animal.
“That genetic procedure was a failure!” Pweet heard Marroo say telepathically. “Either she is too far back on the evolutionary scale, or Doctor Chiiz is an inferior quack. I may have to find a new doctor!”
A growling noise came from Pweet’s stomach. Her modified body needed food.
“I’m getting hungry. Will we have a meal soon?” Pweet asked him out loud.
Marroo turned back toward her.
“Yes. Yes, soon,” he said. “But first, I want to try one more thing to see whether your procedure worked.”
He sat down on the couch again. Closer this time. Pweet would have moved back, but she was already sunk into the far end of the deep-cushioned couch.
“Look into my eyes,” Marroo said again.
Pweet looked, and the clouds in his eyes swirled around just like they had the last time. He stared at her unblinking for several moments. Pweet stared back.
This doesn’t seem much different than the last thing he tried, she thought.
But she didn’t say anything. Then Marroo talked mentally again.
“Pweet. You are in love with me,” he said. “Completely and totally in love. I am your world. I am everything to you. All that you care about.”
Yeah, right, thought Pweet. Does he really think I’m going to believe this stuff?
Still staring at her, Marroo continued his telepathic speech.
“You love me. You desire me. You live to please me. You will think what I tell you to think, and you will do whatever I tell you to do,” said Marroo in Pweet’s mind.
Is he serious? thought Pweet. This man must be crazy!
For several minutes more, Marroo stared at Pweet and repeated the same directions, or maybe they were orders. She kept a blank look on her face and stared back. At last, he stopped.
“Well now, Pweet,” Marroo said out loud. “Would you like to go into my bedroom with me?”
Pweet knew what he wanted her to say, but she just couldn’t say it.
“Umm. No, thanks. I don’t feel comfortable with that,” said Pweet. “Did you say we could have lunch soon?”
“Argh!” Marroo shouted mentally.
Pweet jerked back from him again, deeper into the couch’s deep cushioning. Marroo got up and paced around the room again.
“No! It did not work!” he ranted telepathically. “For nothing! All of this for nothing! This female is faulty, or the doctor is at fault. Of course it couldn’t be something wrong with my own masculine hypnotic powers. I could feel it working. I feel as strong as a hoosenhoot.”
The hoosenhoot was the planet’s large mammal Pweet had seen in nature videos on the space ship.
Marroo stopped pacing and looked at Pweet again. He crossed his buff arms and tapped a finger on his square chin.
“Well, I guess there’s nothing more to be gained from her,” Marroo said mentally. “I’ll just cut my losses and sell her to Nestgorm. He put in an order for my next one, so he’s probably expecting a delivery by now. Of course, she’s not in
the hypnotic state, and Nestgorm might not be able to hypnotize her either, but I won’t tell him that. That’s his problem.”
Marroo spoke to Pweet out loud.
“Why don’t you go into the dining room and wait there for me? I’ll heat up a meal and bring it to you in a few minutes.”
He gestured to a door leading from the living room. Pweet stood up and looked in. She made sure it wasn’t a bedroom.
As for Marroo, instead of heading to his kitchen, wherever that was, Pweet noticed that he sat down in front of a small computer console. She heard the sound of rapid-clicking keys. Then Pweet left the room.
Chapter 26
Eegor was reclining back in his big, comfortable chair in Nestgorm’s former office when Nestgorm’s former computer chimed. An email! Could it be the one Eegor was waiting for?
He sat up straight and rolled his chair over to the computer. He entered Nestgorm’s password and pulled up his account. Fortunately, the Eeeepps were skilled with computers and had been able to hack into all the accounts. That made it easy to keep running the plant without Nestgorm’s assistance.
Yes! The new email was from the slave hunter Nestgorm had ordered his next slave from. Eegor read it.
“Greetings, Nestgorm. The slave you requested is in my possession at my residence. Please retrieve her at your earliest convenience. The terms of payment are the same as usual. Thanks, Marroo.”
“She’s here!” Eegor shouted out loud.
He pumped a strong fist in the air. Then Eegor scooted his chair back over to his newer, more high-tech computer. He pressed keys to activate the work plant’s surveillance system. Scrolling from room to room, he finally found the Eeeepps. The were both asleep in their own rooms.
Sleeping in after a late night partying! Eegor thought. Humph!
“Eeeepps!” he shouted to both of them at once through the audio systems in their rooms. “Wake up! Get over here! The Earth woman has arrived!”
Chapter 27
Potat was doing the backstroke through the air in the Integer’s spacious bridge when Wawuul flashed an image into her mind. The two Eeeepps had come out of the big plant building and were heading over to the smaller barracks.
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