by Mel Corbett
“Anyone who’s flown a plane, over here,” Rachel said.
“Go to hell!” a man shouted.
Her guards shifted their grips on their guns, preparing to restrain the earthen walkers.
“No,” Rachel hissed at her guards, switching effortlessly from English. She would control the earthen walkers.
The room spun. Her limbs trembled.
Rachel shook her head, regaining control of herself, and repeated her instructions. Most white-collar workers were basically useless, except for the scientists. Those might be honored by the Queen as Rachel had been. They would prove their worth in developing technologies.
“M—me—mechanics,” Rachel stuttered. “O—o—over here.”
Rachel was fragmenting. She needed to control herself before she could control the earthen walkers. She couldn’t let the Guards see, or they would recognize the signs.
“Hatchling Rachel,” Guard Jo grabbed her elbow. “You must rest.”
“No. I can do this,” Rachel insisted, ignoring the guard’s command. Although he had more years with the Queen’s honor, he was not her superior.
“There is no shame in resting while your bond is growing. You have served the Queen admirably today,” the guard said.
“P—p—pilots,” Rachel said, trying to point, but her arms shook and twitched.
The earthen walkers shifted uneasily. They could see something was wrong.
“Hatchling,” the guard said again. “Do not injure yourself. That is an order.”
Her arms jerked. Her own body was trying to rebel against her now. Rachel needed to do something she would have done before the Queen’s honor. She needed rest. She needed to eat. She needed to give her walker satisfaction after dominating her people all day. Tomorrow, tomorrow she could return to honoring the Queen.
“Thank you,” Rachel whispered. “Guards, please help me to my chambers.”
That didn’t cost her. Her earthen walker approved of stopping helping the Queen. What dishonor.
Rachel stepped out of the cell. Her guards followed close behind, locking it behind them. The earthen walkers were shouting and hollering now. Her legs nearly gave out, but the guards caught her by her elbows. They led her back to her chambers, the further away she got from the holding cells, the more solid she felt.
What dishonor in her walker, pulling her away from the duties her Queen had assigned her. They would never return Nate to her now, not after this dishonor. She leaned heavily on the guards, hoping she had not fractured herself too much to recover. She needed rest, that was all. Rest, and to satisfy her walker’s desires.
The door to her chambers sat open. Rachel stumbled towards the door and found Nate kneeling on the mat. A tiny courtesan knelt beside him. They each wore the green of the companion class. Nate wore a tunic top and loose fitting pants, and the courtesan wore a sheath dress.
“Nate, you look so handsome,” Rachel blurted, and for a moment, there was peace between her two selves. The Queen approved of companion relationships and had returned Nate to her in particular.
He kept his eyes downcast, respectful, not avoidant, she hoped.
“Thank you, Honored Mistress,” Nate said.
The courtesan nodded curtly.
“Honored Mistress,” the courtesan said in heavily accented English. “I have taught him to serve you appropriately. He shall not return to the dishonorable behavior.”
“Thank you, courtesan,” Rachel responded in English. “How is that you speak English so well?”
“Our Queen is wise, and we courtesans have studied the earthen tongues.”
Rachel nodded. The Queen was very wise indeed. She had many plans for her children.
“Please leave us,” Rachel said in the blue tongue.
“Are you sure, Honored Mistress?” asked Guard Jo.
“Yes. I need to rest,” Rachel said, but she was studying the corded muscles in Nate’s shoulders. He had eaten well since he’d been taken from her. The signs of starvation were nearly gone, and the courtesan had said he had been trained to serve her properly.
“Please forgive my earlier rudeness, Honored Mistress,” Nate said.
“Don’t call me that.” Rachel yanked Nate to his feet and kissed him. She pressed her body against his.
Peace. She felt at peace.
“Call me Rachel.”
FOURTEEN
KAILEY
Kailey fell into a bow so deep that her hamstrings burned. At the deepest part of the bow, she and her fellow classmates growled out the greeting. Her throat ached, and her mouth felt weird from trying to speak their language. She held the bow, eyes lifted just slightly as her teacher, Mbnath, stalked through the class. Kailey could see the teacher’s blue feet and her thin pointed stick stalking towards her. The stick stung bad, if you were unlucky enough to be her victim. Kailey held perfectly still, despite the burning in her hamstrings, hoping to avoid Mbnath’s wrath.
The tiny blue woman stopped between Kailey and the stripper next to her. Kailey held her breath, hoping Mbnath would choose the older girl and not her, but the stick touched Kailey between the shoulder blades. Kailey swallowed. There was no pressure behind the stick to push her deeper into the bow. That was good. Kailey’s small boobs almost touched her knees. She didn’t know how she was supposed to go deeper.
“Say it again, Mkailey,” Mbnath commanded in the blue tongue, adding the honorific Mm to the start of her name that identified her as a courtesan or companion to the blue men.
“Thank you, Honored Master, for allowing me to serve you in all ways,” Kailey growled the phrase as best she could. This was a review, but the blue tongue had sounds English didn’t. The clicks weren’t as bad as the sounds in the back of her throat like an H, only harsher. Those sounds made her think of a bad German accent and hurt her throat.
“Again!” Mbnath demanded, tapping the back of Kailey’s neck.
Kailey repeated the phrase, focusing on correctly producing the unfamiliar sounds.
“Good!” This time the stick traced lightly up Kailey’s back in what Kailey recognized as the teacher’s praise.
“The rest of you could learn from Mkailey’s pronunciation,” Mbnath growled.
Kailey, or Mkailey as she was supposed to think of herself now, groaned inwardly. So far, being a whore or a “courtesan” was a lot like being a high school student, and Mbnath had just set her up for the rest of the class to hate her.
They hadn’t been chosen for their gift with languages or to talk to the Honored Ones, the name Mbnath insisted they call the red skulls, even amongst themselves. They’d been chosen for their youth and their “exotic” looks. The Honored Ones had picked Kailey for her flashy red hair, and Anna, the stripper, for her big boobs and tattoos.
“Dance!” Mbnath said, starting the music again.
Kailey struggled to keep up with the fast-paced music. She’d been awkward at home, but now, with hours of practicing this dance and several others, she felt herself growing more graceful. She reached up in time with the others, and kicked in time. Then, it was time for what she could only think of as the booty shakes.
Mbnath stopped the music again, this time in mid-kick. Kailey and the others struggled to balance with their left leg stretched up nearly in a standing split. Kailey trembled in the effort to hold her leg high.
“What do you say when an Honored One asks you to do anything?” Mbnath asked.
“With pleasure, Honored Master,” Kailey and the others shouted in unison.
“Fetch me wine,” Mbnath growled.
“With pleasure, Honored Master.” Kailey focused her eyes on a spot on the worn stone floor just in front of her. She refused to be the first to fall. She refused to lose her balance.
“Take off your dress,” Mbnath growled. She turned her back to Kailey and Anna and patrolled the rest of the classroom, looking for imperfection.
“With pleasure, Honored Master.” Out of the corner of her eye, Kailey spotted Anna reaching towards
her. Anna’s balance shifted ever so slightly. She was going to push Kailey unless Kailey knocked her over first.
“What do you say when you do not understand?” Mbnath asked.
“Your forgiveness, Honored Master, for my failure to understand. I am still learning your tongue.”
Kailey held the stretch, her leg as high as it would go.
Anna reached for her.
Every inch of Kailey was shaking as Anna shoved at her.
Kailey was ready, she shoved back, hard as she could without losing her balance. Anna fell into the girl next to her. Somehow, Kailey still stood on one leg, the leg held up above her head drooped, but she did not fall.
“Unacceptable.” Mbnath smacked Anna with her switch, leaving a red stripe across the stripper’s back. “Bow!”
Kailey and the others fell into the deep bow again. This time, the stretch came a little easier. Anna glared at Kailey as she righted herself. The stripper had been the best dancer in the class, but now she had fallen, and Kailey hadn’t.
“Amongst yourselves, you will only speak the blue tongue. No English. No earthen tongues. Understood?” Mbnath asked.
“Yes, mistress.” Kailey studied the floor in front of her and the tan heels of the girl in front of her.
“You are to be presented to the Honored Ones in eight days. Your dance, your balance, and your speech must be perfect.” Thwap. Mbnath struck Anna on the back of the thighs. “Or you will dishonor not only yourselves, but me. If you dishonor me, you will be punished.”
Eight days until she would be presented to the red skulls? Kailey swallowed hard. Mbnath meant eight days until Kailey and the others became red skull whores. If she were lucky, none of them would choose her. If she wasn’t lucky… Kailey didn’t want to think about what would happen. She’d never even kissed a boy before.
FIFTEEN
RACHEL
“Teachers, childcare providers, anyone who works with children, form a line here!” Rachel shouted, pointing directly in front of her.
Guards stood behind Rachel, their weapons at the ready in case the earthens in front of her rejected her commands, or in case she had problems controlling her walker again. But today Rachel felt at peace with herself. For the most part, the earthens divided themselves by profession, as she demanded. Even when a few had dared shout at her, she put them in their place with no trouble. Nate was alive and safe thanks to her choice, and that was all that mattered. Even her walker-self was satisfied. Whatever else happened to these people, whatever the Queen demanded of them, they weren’t starving, and they were in service to something greater than themselves.
“Food preparation. Chefs and that sort of thing, here!” Rachel commanded, moving a pace to her left.
“She’s one of them. Don’t listen to her!” shouted a man in the back. “She’s a traitor!” He pulled the cooks from their line and yanked some of the younger girls out of the childcare line.
“Traitor! Traitor!” the man started chanting. A handful of the others joined him.
“You!” Rachel shouted over the chant, pointing at him. “What’s your profession?”
He just kept chanting. She wasn’t a traitor. She had saved Nate. She had saved herself and Nate and protected them from starvation. Doing what needed to be done didn’t make her a traitor, and it had earned her the Queen’s honor.
“Stop now or I’ll stop you,” Rachel shouted.
She had lost control. Other older men began shoving the others that were in her orderly lines. They took up the chant. She couldn’t let this happen. She wouldn’t fail again. Her bond was stronger now. She stepped forward to stop the man herself, but Guard *Jo grabbed her shoulder.
“It is not safe,” Guard Jo said.
As he said it, the crowd surged towards her and her Honored Guards.
“Neutralize them all,” Rachel said. “Send the aggressors for further training.”
Lightning arced out of the guards’ weapons into the crowd. Two blasts hit the man who had initiated the rebellion. Then, it spread through him to those he touched. The guards moved their weapons side to side, the lightning crackling through the whole room until only Rachel and her two guards remained standing.
When the blasts stopped, Rachel stalked into the room. She kicked the leader.
“This one needs conditioning. Do not let him out until he loves the Queen as much as we do.”
SIXTEEN
JORDAN
“Atten-tion!” snapped the drill sergeant.
Jordan dropped the undershirt he’d been folding on the bed and twirled to attention. He stared at the recruit across from him. He hadn’t realized she was a girl until now. She’d clipped her dark hair short like the boys. He could just see the faint curve to her body through the uniform.
Jordan swallowed. He’d heard there was a girl recruit who’d been refused her own quarters, even though the barracks were nearly empty. The argument had been against special treatment, but Jordan suspected they wanted her out and doing cook duty with the other non-military women. Now, looking at her, Jordan was sure she’d lied about her age just as much as he had, or maybe more. She looked young. The other seven or eight recruits stood at attention at the feet of their beds, in two neat lines for the sergeant to inspect.
“Times are tough,” the sergeant snapped. “None of you would be here if they weren’t. You kids got a long way to go before you see any action.”
Jordan swallowed. He was ready to smash Al into the dirt. Bring down Al’s ships and get revenge for whatever they’d done to his parents. Jordan studied the girl, her nametag said Mason.
“I know you’re all probably gunning for revenge. Truth is, we need people to help protect the refugees. The few people who are still out there that Al hasn’t swooped down out of the sky to get, and none of you has the discipline yet to do it.”
Mason’s eyebrows drew together in a micro-frown for just a moment before she blanked her face again. Looked like she thought the sergeant was full of it, too.
“All right, recruits, time to whip you into shape.” The sergeant led them out of the barracks and into the hall at a brisk jog, downstairs that seemed to take forever. They traveled deeper and deeper into the bowels of the mine. The entire complex was massive and hidden so far below the ground that Al, hopefully, wouldn’t find them. They ran down and then back up, until they were dripping with sweat and ready to drop. At least the air here was cool, not like outside.
After what seemed like hours, they finally stopped. Sweat dripped into Jordan’s eyes. The sergeant put them at their ease and let them use the one water fountain that they’d magically stopped by. Jordan was so turned around he’d never be able to find his way back to the barracks from there. He couldn’t imagine how the sergeant could remember the base and where they were or how to get them anywhere.
Compared to Jordan, the girl was barely sweating.
“Hey,” Jordan said. “Some run.”
She laughed. “Not really. The stairs were fun, though.”
“Fun? I almost lost my lunch on the stairs, and you think they’re fun?” Jordan asked. Who was this girl? Was she nuts?
“Yeah. We used to do stadiums at track practice. It’s a lot cooler down here than it ever was in the sun.” She shrugged.
“Gotcha. Well… I’m Jordan.” He held out his hand to shake.
“Mason.”
“I—what’s your first—” Jordan stammered.
“Atten-tion!” shouted the sergeant again.
Jordan awkwardly dragged himself to attention at the base of the stairs. The girl turned away and towards the sergeant.
“While you all were lollygagging, I talked to the quartermaster. We’re going to issue your guns today and get you started with taking care of them. While you are here, you do not leave your gun unattended. Your gun is your baby. Your lover. You don’t leave her alone. You take her with you, you clean her, you do everything for her. Understood?”
“Yes, sir!” the recruits bellowed.
SEVENTEEN
!ESTRAITH
“I just don’t get it, !Omas. Nith and the others are running and playing, but this Calvin—” !Estraith pointed at the boy, who sat alone cradling his dolls “—why does he just sit by himself? I can’t get him to play with the other kids.”
“He barely speaks the language.”
“He’s a toddler. He barely speaks anything,” !Estraith said as they passed another pair of mothers walking the perimeter of the large play chamber.
“He’s mourning,” !Omas said. “The Queen’s plan tore him from his family.”
!Estraith fought the urge to roll her eyes, but she couldn’t deny that when Calvin played with his dolls, he gave them earthen names and pretended they were an earthen family.
“You know it’s true.”
“It’s just…” !Estraith glanced behind her and lowered her voice so no other mothers or Ih could hear. “I’m not happy with the Queen’s plan lately either.”
“Sister!” !Omas gasped. The words bordered on blasphemy.
!Estraith whispered so no one else would hear her. Even though no Honored Ones were around, the other mothers and Ih could report her for what she was saying.
“I was only supposed to be a pilot while everyone was gone for the invasion. Now that they’re back…” !Estraith sighed. “I feel like there’s only more work and less time for me to spend with my daughter and husband. Then, the Queen gives me the ‘honor’ of this sullen, earthen boy. Nith needs my attention now more than ever, and here I am trying to keep Calvin happy.”
“You should be honored that the Queen thinks so highly of you.”
!Estraith snorted, but quickened her step. Another pair of women were close behind them. “I hear that these earthens curse the Queen.”
“The Queen’s plan is not making for a happy life for the earthens. Their whole way of life is gone, but they are adjusting. The Queen is wise.”
!Estraith sighed. !Omas was right. The Queen was wise, and She had the wisdom of all of her Honored Ones.
“*Gri and Father brought the boy to me,” !Estraith said.