[scifan] plantation - books one to three

by Stella Samiotou Fitzsimons

  first Sliman I have seen that looks old. Not old like a human would be, but there are some

  unmistakable telltale signs. His eyelids are droopy, his shoulders hunched and the tattoos on his face have shrunk to the point where the numbers cannot be read anymore.

  The third Sliman introduces himself as Ludik and then immediately asks for my permission to

  go.

  “Of course,” I say totally confused. I have no idea why he’d ask for my permission, or why he

  was here in the first place.

  “Finally,” starts Zolkon with his hoarse voice as he raises his glass of wine. “I can now say that

  I have met the magic girl.”

  I notice that he has several gold rings on his fingers. Alien gifts.

  “Do you think you can change the receptor so that it stays undetectable?”

  “I will do my best, my girl,” he says. “And my best is usually enough.” He laughs at his own

  words before gulping down his wine.

  “Freya has made tremendous progress with the receptor,” Wudak says and it’s nice to see he’s

  in my corner.

  “We better not make her angry then,” Zolkon says and his laugher follows once again.

  He turns to me. “Tell me, Freya, would you be willing to lead a dark legion of Sliman? Would

  you fight with us against the aliens and their tyranny?”

  “I would do anything that needs to be done to free Earth,” I say cautiously. “Anything that’s

  within my power.”

  “Don’t worry about that, it is well within your power,” he says with an enigmatic smile on his

  face. “Alright, let’s get started.”

  He takes the lid off the plate in front of him and reveals a roast with golden potatoes and apples.

  Biscuit would have given anything for the recipe, I think as I taste the succulent, tender meal.

  “You haven’t tried your wine yet,” Zolkon says.

  “I’ve never had wine before,” I say and that causes a new bout of laughter from Zolkon.

  “Never had wine? My dear girl, how do you deal with this world then? Go ahead, have a sip.”

  I look at Wudak. He nods but I can tell he’s still very unhappy about something. I give it a try. I

  take a sip.

  “Well?” Zolkon asks.

  “It’s bitter and sweet. Not bad at all,” I say as I take a second sip. “When are you going to adjust

  the receptor?” I say. I cannot forget this is the only reason I’m here.

  “First thing tomorrow morning. Wudak will let you know.” He hesitates for a while. “Can I see

  it?” he asks.

  “Why not? What’s the point of hiding it now if you’re going to hold it in the morning?”

  “No point. No point at all,” he reassures me.

  I have fastened the receptor around my calf so I have to reach under the table to get it. When I

  resurface, I think I catch a look of complicity between Zolkon and Wudak. Maybe I’m just imagining

  things. In any case, I have to be extra careful.

  I let Zolkon admire the receptor while I hold it in my hand.

  “Yes,” he says. “An OS-1456, just like I thought.”

  “What does that mean?” I ask.

  “It’s one of the most advanced models. It can create energy out of almost nothing. A speck of

  dust. A dry leaf. A butterfly’s wing. It is a mega-projector, it turns wishes into energy commands.”

  It all goes above my head but I don’t want to sound stupid. “It’s the one good thing that came out

  from all their experiments,” I say.

  “Yes, yes. Good for us. For them, not so much.” He starts laughing again. Every time it gets

  more and more irritating.

  “Freya should rest,” Wudak says.

  “Of course, where are my manners? Sleep well, dear girl. I will see you in the morning.”

  There’s something very disturbing about Zolkon that I can’t quite put my finger on, something

  besides the obvious flaws in his personality and I am glad to get out of there.

  *

  MY HEAD FEELS HEAVY as if a rock presses against it. I try to turn but the pain is so intense

  that it locks me to the pillow. I force my eyelids to open and get an annoying buzz in my ears right

  before the nausea kicks in. I’ve never felt worse in my life.

  I search for the sensory receptor and find it under the pillow. When I touch it, I have a weird

  sensation, almost as if I am being watched. I sit up and spot Wudak sitting on the armchair across

  from my bed. I let out a cry of shock as it takes me a second to realize it’s him.

  “What are you doing in my room?” I say pulling the covers on me.

  His eyes are darker than ever when he locks them with mine.

  “I’m sorry,” he says. “It was not my intention. It was not my plan. I didn’t have all the facts. But

  as it is, I have no choice.”

  “What are you talking about? You’re scaring me, Wudak.”

  He gets up, walks to me and extends his hand. “Here,” he says, “you can touch me. I won’t shy

  away.”

  “I don’t want to touch you.”

  “Take my hand, Freya. It’s an order.”

  “I don’t take orders from you,” I say as I rub the receptor in my palm.

  He grabs my hand and holds it for a few seconds with his eyes shut.

  “You’re freaking me out,” I yell fighting to pull my hand from his lethal grip.

  “There, it’s done,” he says and he lets go.

  “Wudak, what is all this?”

  “Don’t trust anyone,” he whispers. “Not even me. You have to find a way to get out of here.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask but he’s already gone.

  19

  I try to get out of bed but everything spins. I sit down and close my eyes trying to recollect my

  thoughts. Something’s wrong with me, that much is obvious. But what? And why?

  I look around for my clothes. They’re either gone or maybe put in the closet. Who knows who

  did that or when. Wudak was here, that’s true, but he doesn’t exactly strike me as someone who

  would want to clean up.

  I drag myself to the closet. I discover a number of dresses, sweaters and fancy shoes but my own

  clothes are missing. I’ll have to get one of those damned dresses on if I want to get out of this room.

  I pick the one that seems to be the least conspicuous. It’s a blue dress with long sleeves and it

  goes just above the knee. I choose a pair of blue shoes with two-inch heels. I have no idea how I am

  going to be able to walk about in them. I’ll demand that my clothes are returned to me or I will blow

  the whole place up.

  I start taking off my nightgown and then I realize that I don’t remember putting it on. The

  dizziness returns along with an intense feeling of nausea and I barely have time to run to the bathroom before throwing up.

  As I clean my face and mouth at the sink, I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that this is not

  good. I have been misled by Wudak and Zolkon is not someone to trust. He’s not my ally, he has his

  own agenda. And he made me sick for some reason.

  The hallway is dark. The doors and windows are closed. I fear I have been locked in but the

  door to the balcony opens easily and I tiptoe outside. It’s the break of dawn and the sky is a beautiful mix of orange and violet. I step inside the room with the view to the garden trying to figure out how to get down there. As I press on the glass with both hands, I feel it give in and take a step back unsure of what is going on. Then the whole paneling moves out a few feet revealing a staircase between the

  glass and the floor.

&n
bsp; I go down the stairs and almost slip twice so I take the stupid shoes off and carry them in my left

  hand. The right hand is clutching onto the receptor. Something doesn’t feel right about the receptor,

  but then again nothing feels right.

  The garden is absolutely silent and the fact takes me by complete surprise. The fountain turns out

  to be an illusion, there’s no water flowing, just the projection of water, almost like a mirage. Nothing stirs and nothing makes a peep. There’s nothing here but synthetic, rigid vegetation. When I touch the plants, it feels like I’m touching rocks.

  Then I hear something. It’s ever so slight and I rub my ears hard to make sure they’re not playing

  tricks on me. A few seconds later, I hear the same sound. This time it’s a bit louder and I can pinpoint its location. It’s coming from the trees in the back.

  I drop the shoes and walk towards the direction of the trees.

  *

  I SIT IN THE ARMCHAIR where I found Wudak during the night. The spinning sensation has

  subsided and I start to feel like myself again. I won’t let Zolkon and Wudak know that I feel better. I will play this out as best as I can. I have to figure out what their plan is before I leave this place. And they can’t do anything to stop me. Whatever they have in store for me, I will outsmart them. All those years of living in the wild have not been for nothing. I am resourceful, I am patient. Most of all, I’m in control of my feelings and, therefore, of my receptor.

  My receptor. I like the sound of it. For the first time since I got the receptor, I don’t feel like a

  misfit. I feel privileged and honored. I am ready.

  I wait patiently for him and when he knocks on the door, I let him in with a sigh of pain.

  “Good, keep that painful look on for Zolkon,” he says. “As for me, I can see right through you.”

  I am taken aback by the confidence in his voice. “Fine,” I say. “If that’s how you want it, that’s

  how we’ll play it. Why did you come to my room last night? How long did you stay? Who poisoned

  me? Who put me in bed? Why?”

  “You will soon find out, but I am not allowed to say anything.” He comes closer to me, his face

  turns dark again. “Your life is in no immediate danger, I can assure you of that. On my honor. On the

  revolution. Do not fear for your life.”

  “What should I fear? Is Zolkon hoping to steal the receptor from me? It won’t work. Thanks to

  you, I know what to do.”

  “Let’s go,” he says. “Zolkon’s waiting.” Before we exit, he pauses and whispers, “Remember

  what I told you last night?”

  “Which part?” I say but I know what he means. I have to find a way to get out of here. And I

  will. After I am done with Zolkon.

  *

  WE FIND ZOLKON waiting for us in a semi-dark room much like a lab. There are devices that

  I don’t recognize, but also microscopes, scanners and monitors. Zolkon fiddles with a test tube

  containing some light blue fluid when we enter. He puts it down immediately and opens his arms.

  “Here you are, dear girl,” he says. “How was your night?”

  “Terrible,” I reply. “Something I ate, I guess.” I touch my forehead as if my temperature has

  risen.

  “Sit, then, sit,” Zolkon says and points at an old desk chair. “We don’t want you to get sick, do

  we?”

  I sit on the chair and steal a glance at Wudak. Whatever his thoughts might be, they are

  impenetrable.

  “Did you have anything to eat yet?” Zolkon says.

  I shake my head. “I don’t think I could hold anything down.”

  “Let’s hope you’ll feel better soon,” he says. “Now, where’s that beautiful OS-1456?”

  I show it to him but as he moves in to reach it, I close my hand around it. “You know what,” I

  say. “I think we shouldn’t do this when I feel this lousy. Let’s wait until I feel better.”

  “But of course, of course,” he says. “You should rest. You know, I know a few things about

  medicine and biology. Not too much, the aliens wouldn’t trust me with such vital knowledge, but they

  did show me how to test blood for infections and parasites. Here, see?” he says pointing at an

  automated microscope. “We’ll draw the blood, put it under the lens and we’ll know what’s wrong

  with you.”

  “No, thank you,” I say and get up. “Wudak will walk me back.”

  “Ah, but that won’t do, that won’t do at all,” Zolkon says.

  “What do you mean?”

  “What I mean is that I need a blood sample from you.”

  “Well, you can’t have it,” I say impatiently and walk away. My nerves are alerted to a danger I

  cannot quite understand.

  “Get her,” he orders. Wudak doesn’t hesitate. He grabs my arm and forces me to sit back on the

  chair. I will the receptor to turn on but nothing happens. I try to turn it on manually to no avail.

  “In order for it to work, you would need this,” Zolkon says as he takes something out of his

  pocket. It’s so small, I can barely see it.

  “Beautiful, don’t you think?” he says as he turns it around in his palm. Now I understand. It’s a

  microchip.

  “Don’t you worry about your indisposition,” he goes on. “You’ve been drugged, it will soon

  pass.” He picks up the test tube with the blue fluid and studies it. “It won’t mess with the test,” he says. “It will all go according to plan.”

  “What plan?” I yell while Wudak holds me down on the chair.

  “Yes, what plan, good question,” Zolkon says. “You see, dear child, I need you. There’s no

  other way to put it. If you do as I say, everything will be alright. You will be free to go back to your friends, and you and I will be allies forever. You will be able to count on me.”

  He picks up a syringe. “Roll her sleeve up,” he says to Wudak.

  It’s pointless. I can’t fight him, not physically, not with my hands. So I sit back while he’s

  rolling up my sleeve.

  “What happened to the receptor?” I say.

  “Let’s just say I couldn’t trust you with it. I knew you might try to use it on us. Wudak disabled it

  on my command.”

  He sinks the needle in my vein and the blood starts flowing inside the syringe. I let him go on

  with his account of the events as I’m having trouble forming the right words to say.

  “I have no interest in the receptor,” he says. “Just you. You are the real weapon in the war. My

  weapon.”

  I turn and face Wudak when he lets go of my arm. “What did you do?”

  Zolkon looks at me amused. “He got you to trust him, didn’t he? Beautiful, just beautiful. I

  should take lessons from him.”

  “What did you have him do?” I say and I can feel a knot in my throat.

  “Having you in the lab with the receptor was no option,” Zolkon says. “Something had to be

  done about it. There’s a chance the receptor would react to your nerve impulses even when you were

  asleep which is why we gave you the wine. I believe it worked great, don’t you think, Wudak? I

  mean, you don’t have any recollection of him taking the receptor from under your pillow and

  removing its core chip, do you?”

  Now it all makes sense. Everything. I have been trapped. I’m as good as dead. The thought of the

  arrogance, the nerve and stupidity of my actions freezes me.

  “How did he do that?” I whisper.

  “It’s really easy, do you see that tiny slot on the side of the receptor?”

  I turn the receptor around.


  “Right there,” Zolkon says.

  I see it. It’s the tiniest slot. I don’t know why I never noticed it before.

  “That’s where the chip goes,” Zolkon says.

  I guess that’s why.

  “Once you know how to retrieve it, it’s a matter of seconds.”

  “And the receptor is useless without it,” I murmur.

  “Oh, yes, quite useless. It’s like a human without a nervous system. Or a Sliman. Anything

  really. No nervous system, no functionality. You can go to your room now. I’ll see you again

  tomorrow when I return from the plantation. And don’t even think about escaping. The fortress is

  guarded on the outside and the inside. I wouldn’t want you to get hurt.”

  “No,” I say. “I won’t go until you tell me why you need me. Are you going to negotiate with the

  aliens over me?”

  “No, no, far from it. You, my dear, will help me get the Sliman from under the alien grip. In

  return, you and your little friends will be spared and will be able to live however you want.”

  “How are you going to use me?” I insist.

  “All in good time. You will know soon enough. Wudak, take her back.”

  *

  “IS THAT WHAT YOU WERE sorry for?” I ask Wudak right before he leaves me in the room.

  “That and more,” he says.

  “I suppose you’re not going to tell me what ‘ and more’ refers to.”

  He shakes his head.

  “Yeah, I didn’t think so.”

  “You have every right to be angry with me,” he says.

  “You think so? I should have known better than to trust a single word that came out of a Sliman’s

  mouth.”

  “I will protect you. That hasn’t changed.”

  “Oh, yeah, and I should believe that because your word is as good as gold.” I sit down and look

  at the receptor. “It’s a useless toy now. All this effort for nothing. Why didn’t you just take the whole thing?”

  “So that you wouldn’t be alarmed. Remember what I said,” he says but he doesn’t look at me.

  “What, you want me to escape? How do you propose I do that? Are you going with me? Will

  you fight all your Slimie friends around the spooky castle?”

  “I can’t do that. I’m not going to lie to you anymore.”

  “Too little, too late.”