Lazet

by Arcadia Shield

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Lazet

  Vortex Alien Warriors, Volume 2

  Arcadia Shield

  Published by Arcadia Shield, 2017.

  This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

  LAZET

  First edition. May 7, 2017.

  Copyright © 2017 Arcadia Shield.

  Written by Arcadia Shield.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 1

  Melody slammed the flat of her hand against the metal door barring her freedom. It wasn’t just the door; it was what stood behind it that was also the problem. But one step at a time. First, she had to get past the door, then she needed to kill every Fraken out there.

  She grimaced as a strand of dirty red hair fell across her face and shoved it out of the way.

  It had been two weeks since the attack on the Capella starship, and since then, the Fraken had not given them access to washing facilities, barely enough food to survive, and clean drinking water was a luxury.

  Melody sighed and leaned against the door, catching Grace Connelly’s eye as she did so. Grace’s dark hair was as filthy as her own, but her brown eyes held a spark of life in them as she watched her.

  Grace gestured for Melody to sit. “What’s on your mind?”

  “Escape.” Melody walked over and sunk to the ground next to Grace.

  “Against the Fraken?”

  Melody nodded. “I hate being trapped in here.”

  “Remember what happened to Sonia?”

  Melody gritted her teeth and stared at the cell ceiling. Everything was grey, and only a faint trickle of light showed through the thin, slotted windows overhead. “They killed her.”

  “She shouldn’t have run.”

  “Better to try to get out of this hellhole fighting than die as Fraken entertainment.”

  Grace touched Melody’s arm. “The Intergalactic Council may still save us.”

  Melody snorted. “No chance. Council members place their own bets on the games. They don’t want this stopped. A few lost women aren’t going to change a thing the Council does.”

  “Eloise was on the Council.” Jessie Keenan sat opposite Grace and Melody, her light brown hair hanging in limp strands, hiding her dark eyes and freckled nose.

  “She worked with them, but she wasn’t influential,” said Melody. “From what she told me, Eloise did the grunt work when Council members couldn’t be bothered to read the documents sent to them.”

  “I hope it was a swift end for her,” said Grace. “I liked Eloise.”

  “So did I,” said Jessie. “And she tried so hard with Sonia.”

  “Sonia couldn’t handle this space.” Melody’s bright green gaze flashed around the small, sterile room.

  “All she talked about was escape, too.” Grace shot Melody a warning look. “It didn’t end well for her.”

  “Eloise tried to convince her we needed more time before attempting an escape,” said Jessie.

  “It didn’t help, though,” said Melody. “Do you remember how Sonia used to cry in her sleep?”

  “We’ve all done that,” said Grace.

  “Being shut in terrified Sonia,” said Jessie.

  “More so than being killed by a Fraken,” said Melody. “But I still want to get out of here.”

  “We’ll all have our own game to face soon,” said Grace.

  Melody scowled. “That’s hardly an escape.”

  “It is in a way. And if Eloise was up against a Vorten in her own game, it would have been fast,” said Grace.

  “That’s true. Vorten don’t play up to the audience, despite the Fraken wanting a blood bath every time.” Melody was not proud to admit she had watched a few Fraken games. She’d even placed a bet or two. And it had never been on any of the prey, something she now was.

  “That’s a small mercy for us all,” said Grace.

  “If anyone can figure out how to get themselves out of a game alive, it will be Eloise,” said Jessie. “She never gave up trying to negotiate with the Fraken. She asked for water, more food, and warm conditions.”

  “All of which they didn’t give us,” said Melody.

  “But she kept trying,” said Jessie. “She might have found something that interested her predator enough to keep her alive, rather than kill her.”

  “You’re living in a dream if you think that,” said Melody.

  “And this is more of a nightmare,” said Grace.

  “It’s a possibility.” Jessie dipped her head. “I like to think she’s out there, somewhere safe.”

  “Why would a Vorten fighter keep Eloise alive?” asked Melody. “He might have his fun with her in the game, but you know the rules; the prey has to die or the warrior does. It’s why the warriors are so successful.” Eloise Harper had been dragged from the cell a week ago, forced into a futile attempt to escape a Fraken game. Once you were in a game, you were as good as dead. It was only a matter of time.

  “Eloise can’t be dead.” Jessie’s voice was barely a whisper.

  “She is. So, we need to fight back to stop us from going the same way,” said Melody. “We can’t let them keep taking us like this.”

  A pain-filled scream echoed past the cell door, and they all flinched.

  “They may decide to let us go if they realize humans are not good enough prey for their games,” said Grace. “We don’t have special fighting skills. If we’re too easy to kill, it won’t be any fun for the audience.”

  “The Fraken will find a way to keep their audience entertained.” Melody grimaced at her memories of watching Fraken games. Sometimes, they sent in creatures that looked like they’d been tortured, sent mad, so they’d be as destructive as possible when they discovered their prey.

  “If Eloise has survived this long,” said Jessie, “then she might be okay. Perhaps she’s beaten the game.”

  “Not necessarily,” said Grace. “The Fraken may simply have other prey lined up for the next few games. We could have a long wait in here until they have their fun with us.”

  “They could even forget all about us,” said Melody. “They don’t have a basic understanding of what food we need. Those pills they give us help keep us alive, but only just.” Once a day, a Fraken delivered a nutrition pill to the c
ell. It had a gritty, aniseed taste, and staved off starvation, but nothing more. Melody was convinced the pill also had some kind of sedative in it. She would sleep for several hours after she’d taken it, fighting it every second for fear of what the Fraken might do to her when she was unconscious.

  “I hope they do forget about us,” said Jessie. “Then there will be more chance of a rescue. The longer we’re away, the more people will miss us.”

  “We’re not being rescued,” said Melody. “None of us are important enough.” She’d gotten to know the women over the two weeks they’d been in the cells and knew none of them would be missed back on Earth. Jessie did some sort of research job in a library, cataloguing the remnants of paper books that still existed. Grace had medical training, so she might be missed by somebody. Eloise worked at the Intergalactic Council as an assistant to Council members. That would raise some eyebrows when she didn’t show up, but not enough to hunt for her across the galaxy. Melody ran a black-market bar. The only people who’d notice she had gone were the individuals she helped get so drunk they could barely stand. They were never going to be the most motivated people when it came to a search and rescue.

  “So, what do you think we should do?” Grace regarded Melody with calm eyes. “Do you think we can fight back against the Fraken?”

  “We can try,” said Melody.

  “And be shot in the back like Sonia?” whispered Jessie.

  “If we attack together, it will give us more of a chance,” said Melody.

  “We have no idea what’s on the other side of that door.” Grace pointed at the grey cell door. “Most of us were unconscious when we were dumped here. There could be a maze of corridors and barriers. And the doors probably need Fraken authorization to get through.”

  Jessie nodded. “They have imprint scanners. I’ve seen the Fraken use them when they open the door. You need a Fraken palm scan to access them.”

  “I don’t mind hacking off a Fraken hand if it means we get out of here,” said Melody.

  “With what?” asked Grace. “After you attacked that Fraken with the pill tray last week, they don’t even leave that behind. We have nothing to attack them with.”

  “I’ll use my teeth if I have to,” said Melody.

  Grace tilted her head to one side. “We need to be practical about this. The Fraken are armed when they come to the cell, and they never spend more than about twenty seconds handing over provisions. It doesn’t give us enough of an opportunity to see what’s behind them and figure out the layout of the cells. We could be running towards a bigger danger.”

  “Or towards freedom.” Melody tipped her head back. “I remember hearing voices when we were dragged into this cell. Male voices. It wasn’t Fraken.”

  “Could have been the predators,” said Jessie. “There’s an area where elite warriors spend time before they enter a game.”

  “How do you know that?” Melody looked over at Jessie. She still hadn’t figured her out. Jessie spent hours sitting in silence, staring into space, but there were smarts behind those dark eyes. “Have you watched the games?”

  Jessie shook her head. “I’ve never seen a real one, fortunately. But in the archives I look after, there’s information about the games. When the Fraken first made contact with Earth, they shared some of their history with our leaders. It was a way of showing they were friendly. It’s stored in the alien archives. They talk about the games being a way to test strength and loyalty.”

  Melody thumped her leg. “More of their lies to trick us into accepting their offer of help.”

  “And our leaders still let them come to Earth,” Grace sighed, “even knowing the Fraken ran these games. We really were desperate back then.”

  “We still are,” said Melody, “the three of us more so than ever.”

  Grace nodded at Jessie. “Go back to what you were saying about the warrior room. We could use that information.”

  “It sounds like some kind of rest area or maybe a training area for Vorten warriors.” Jessie shifted her legs. “But it’s only for the elite squad, the warriors who have served the longest and are popular with the gaming audience.”

  “I’ve seen some of those warriors,” said Melody. “I mean, I’ve seen them on the comms channel when the Fraken send out promos. There’s this picture of their famous warriors. They’re all muscled beyond belief and carrying weapons. It’s no wonder they always win.”

  “They don’t give us anything to defend ourselves with, do they?” asked Jessie.

  “Only your wits,” said Melody.

  “It might not come to that.” Grace gave Jessie a sympathetic smile. “And if it does, no warrior will be able to do you harm. You’re far too sweet for anyone to want to hurt you.”

  “I don’t think that’s going to save me,” said Jessie.

  “It won’t. The audience will love seeing someone decent torn to pieces,” said Melody. “We need to save ourselves, fight back while we’ve still got a chance. I’d rather take on a Fraken than a Vorten.”

  “Fraken all carry those lightning sticks,” said Grace. “You get hit with the cudgel end or struck by a laser blast if you challenge them.”

  “We need one of those sticks,” said Melody. “Even things up a bit.”

  “What about their claws and teeth?” Jessie wrapped her arms around her knees. “They’re natural fighting weapons that have evolved over time.”

  “How do you know that?” asked Grace.

  Jessie shrugged. “I like to read. My research work is fascinating. It’s believed Fraken evolved from a race of lizard, much like the dinosaurs we had on Earth. But rather than dying out, they evolved over millions of years into what they are now.”

  “That information isn’t going to get us out of here,” said Melody. “What do you know about Fraken prison camp layouts?”

  “I never read anything about that.” Jessie looked down at the ground. “Guess my knowledge isn’t all that useful after all.”

  Melody suppressed a sigh, not wanting to upset Jessie. “Anything could be helpful.”

  “It is useful,” said Grace. “Any information we can get on the Fraken will help.”

  “What do you know of the Vorten?” Melody asked Jessie. “We need to know as much as we can about them. They’re the ones we’ll be fighting against when we get into the game.”

  Jessie’s chin wobbled as she looked up. “They’re bred to be incredible fighters. They didn’t evolve through natural selection. They’ve been genetically engineered to be killing machines. Many of them have had their emotions suppressed, and some take medication to ensure their feelings are kept under control.”

  “They sound more like cyborgs than humans,” said Melody.

  “They could be,” said Jessie. “It was deemed by their Elders that they needed to define themselves within the intergalactic region. Before their modifications, Vortens were not dissimilar to us, but it was decided they were to become a warrior race. The genetic modifications and experiments began, followed by developments in their drug regime. And they only keep infants if they are deemed strong and worthy enough. As soon as they can stand, they begin to school them in the ways of the warrior. A Vorten’s whole life is taken up with training and dedication to being lethal killers.”

  “Which gives us absolutely no hope.” Melody tapped her broken fingernails on the cold floor. “Don’t they have any weaknesses?”

  “Not that I know of,” said Jessie. “They have a few Vortens they keep alive, who aren’t meant to be warriors. They train as negotiators and diplomats, much like Eloise. She might even have met them when doing her work for the Intergalactic Council.”

  “That is a weakness in a way,” said Grace. “Vortens have made themselves too specialized. They don’t have the scientific or technological skills they need to sustain a healthy and successful population. It’s why they rely so heavily on the Fraken for resources.”

  “And I bet the Fraken just love that,” said Melody. “They love hold
ing people to ransom. They did an excellent job with Earth.”

  Grace grimaced. “To begin with, they seemed like they could be trusted.”

  “I never trusted them,” said Melody. “That scaly skin and those cold, yellow eyes. I knew there was something going on behind the false charm.”

  Jessie jumped to her feet, panic filling her gaze. “Somebody’s coming.”

  Grace and Melody joined her, and they looked at the door as it opened with a gentle hiss. The sound always made Melody’s blood pound in her ears, because it signaled trouble.

  A Fraken walked in, carrying his lightning stick. He sneered at the women, his sharp teeth stained and chipped in places. “Put your backs to the wall.”

  They shuffled into position, hands by their sides and legs apart. They knew the drill.

  The Fraken’s gaze started on Jessie, moved to Grace, and stopped on Melody, and he pointed his lightning stick at her.

  “What do you want? Lotion for your scales?” Melody refused to drop her gaze, knowing how much the Fraken hated being challenged.

  The Fraken snapped his teeth in her face. “You’re up. Time for you to play.”

  ***

  Lazet spun the gun in his hand, twirling it in a lazy loop. He yawned and rolled his shoulders, his gaze shifting around the warrior room. Although he hated being part of the games, one of the worst things was the waiting. The Fraken were terrible at keeping them informed as to what was going on. And you never knew when it was game time until they came to collect you.

  Bladen looked over at Lazet and grinned at him. “You know you can’t take that into the game.”

  Lazet stuffed the laser gun into his weapons belt. “It would speed things up. One shot and it would all be over, and I could come back here and enjoy your company some more.”

  “As lovely as that would be, the Fraken would hate your game to be over so quickly.” Bladen strapped on his own weapons belt and began going through the contents.

  “I live to annoy the Fraken,” said Lazet.

  Bladen shot him a cautionary look. “Best not say that too loudly.”

  “They love to snoop where they’re not wanted. But they know the rules; the warriors’ area is strictly for Vorten.” He raised his voice. “No stinking Fraken allowed.”