“There are faster ways to get down, of course,” Richter muttered beside her. “This is the back entrance, only because no one uses it for floors this low...”
Jet listened to him, but didn't answer.
His fingers loosened somewhat on her arm as he added, “Behave yourself, kitten. I mean it. Even this will be a hoop to jump...you don't want to piss off the bureaucrats on this rock, trust me on that score...”
Rock? she wondered silently.
To him, she only snorted a quiet laugh, shaking her head at his serious tone. His fingers tightened painfully when she did, forcing her to look up at him.
“I mean it,” he growled. “I'll have Laksri sting you again, the second you step out of line. Hell, I'll let them all go to town on you...they like stinging, if you hadn't figured that out yet. It feels good for them. It's like a little rush, every time they do it...”
Jet felt her stomach drop a little, queasy at the idea.
“...So you'll do exactly what I tell you,” Richter added harshly. “...You got me, kitten? You'll listen to me, and you'll do as you're told. You'll answer questions...you'll smile and nod and walk where I tell you to walk and do what I tell you to do...right when I tell you to do it. You'll behave, in other words, or you'll be drooling for the next week or two in an assimilation tank with a few of their house guards for company...”
Jet felt herself stiffening in fury as he spoke. She was about to answer him, when Richter cut her off, as if sensing where she was about to go.
“...And let's not forget your little friend, Anaze. They've had a lot of fun with him for the last day or so, but they could do a lot worse. Believe me...”
Jet didn't answer, not even to nod, but she glanced at Anaze, in spite of herself.
His expression still looked glazed, not quite at home.
In the blue running lights, he looked overly pale again, ghost-like, and faintly at peace as he followed the direction of his Nirreth keeper's fingers, and likely his mind, too. She wondered how many times they'd stung him, to get him to look like that, even after a full day...then decided she didn't really want to know. When Richter gripped her arm tighter again, as if demanding an answer, Jet found herself nodding, her jaw hard.
“Fine,” she said. “I'll be good...for now.”
“You'd better,” he growled under his breath.
They were nearly to the lit entrance. Jet watched it approach, feeling her chest tighten with nerves or fear or maybe something else. When they finally walked through the opening, leaving the dark of the tunnel behind, she found she could barely force out breaths.
The space opened up so quickly and dramatically, it shocked her...then disoriented her. Her eyes scaled a domed ceiling painted sky blue, in a round room filled with tree-like plants, only about half of the breeds of which she even recognized. A canal ran around one half of this new room, too, even so far down. Jet's eyes also saw a thin sheen of water running down a tile mosaic of the Nirreth's home planet on one wall. The image was familiar to her, the same one that graced the flags she saw painted on the sides of most Nirreth cullers. The planet itself was usually depicted in black, with a rim of white around it and a second circle of white in the center. At the top, off-center from the planet itself stood three small suns...or maybe stars...nestled in a blue background.
Jet still didn't know if the image meant that their planet had three suns, or if those were simply important stars for some reason. She also didn't know if the planet itself was actually dark, or if they'd merely depicted it in shadow for some reason. Focusing on a few of the more exotic-looking trees rimming the side of the room where the canal didn't flow, Jet found herself wondering if those trees were even native to Earth.
She'd half-expected crowds, large numbers of Nirreth, but the space was cathedral-like, and deathly quiet outside of their little group. Above, a glass dome shone light from somewhere. If Jet hadn't known they were a few hundred...if not thousand...feet underground, she might even have been fooled into thinking it was sunlight.
Richter tightened his hand on her arm and pulled her directly up to the solitary desk that stood directly under the glass dome. Jet let him pull her along, still looking around for doors, for any sign that someone was in the room besides her and Anaze and Richter and his Nirreth goons. She didn't see anyone and when they reached the desk, Richter simply placed his hand down on the smooth surface, fitting it right over a lighter-colored oval etched into the black metal.
The response was immediate.
Doors opened in the previously unmarked walls.
Jet felt her stomach drop a little as five large Nirreth walked into the room, wearing what she had to presume was some form of “civilian” clothing. Instead of the heavy suits worn by Richter's men, these lizard-skins wore lighter clothing on top, and form-fitting leggings below that showed off their muscled legs. Most of those leggings were black, but the one in front wore them in a metallic blue color, with a long sheath of gold over it that was belted at the Nirreth's narrow waist. Instead of the military anti-grav boots, they wore what looked like enormous sandals, made of a heavy leather-like substance and designed for their two-toed feet.
Some had colorful stones embedded in the leather, Jet noticed, and one Nirreth wore what looked like an anklet, as well as a number of rings on its jointed, four-finger hands. The one with the blue leggings wore a heavy necklace, too, and a jewel embedded in some kind of shoulder harness around the Nirreth's relatively thin shoulders.
By relative, Jet realized, she meant compared to the ones hulking behind her, the ones who worked for Nirreth.
Compared to Jet herself, the Nirreth was still enormous, of course.
Somehow, seeing them like this, instead of carrying guns and wearing uniforms covered in shields, made Jet feel like she'd been transported to a different planet entirely. She felt like she was the alien, maybe for the first time in her life.
The Nirreth with the blue leggings seemed to be their leader.
It stopped in front of Jet and Richter, but it didn't smile.
After a pause, however, it nodded to Jet in a kind of greeting, the eyes slightly less aggressive than what she was used to seeing. Jet distinctly got the impression that the Nirreth was female, even though she had no way to tell the difference, apart from its slightly different clothing.
It walked to the other side of the desk and continued to study her, looking at her in a glance from her feet up to her hair, then focusing on specifics...her hands, her arms, her legs, her torso. Jet found her jaw hardening the longer the creature stared at her. It didn't help when Richter let go of her arm, and indicated with a twirling gesture of his fingers that he wanted her to turn around.
Gritting her teeth, Jet only glared at him until Laksri raised his tail.
Then she made a single circle.
The Nirreth walked closer to her while she turned. When it got close enough, it gripped her arm, holding her still as it walked around Jet instead.
Jet noticed its black eyes had a faint rim of gold around them. She wondered if that was cosmetic too, or if that's where Nirreth's eyes actually had pigment.
After making another circuit around where Jet stood, the well-dressed Nirreth turned to Laksri, letting out a series of low hisses. The hisses were followed by a string of sounds that seemed to have no vowels at all, only hard consonants.
Laksri answered whatever she said, hissing back with no change in expression. Then Laksri turned to Richter, speaking in its stilted English.
“She want price. How much.”
Richter laughed, shaking his head. “Tell her no deal. This is special commission. Royals only.” Snapping his fingers to the Nirreth guard who was holding Jet's sword, he took it from the midnight-blue claws when the creature stepped forward and held it towards him. “Tell her this one fights. Tell her this one fights good enough for the Rings...that she'll beat any of her fat, lazy slaves without even trying.”
Laksri turned to the female, repeating Richter's
message.
The female Nirreth hissed a low, displeased sound. Then she motioned towards the sword, speaking to Laksri again.
“Not here,” Richter said, before Laksri could translate. “She's already cut my men. If you want a demonstration, you'll have to ask the Royals if you can attend...I'm not giving this back to her unless we're in a controlled environment.”
The well-dressed Nirreth hissed again, but after examining the bandage on Laksri's chest, she seemed to concede the point. She pointed them towards the wall from which the five of them had appeared, and spoke to Laksri again. That time, Laksri's lips pressed together. It was an expression that made Jet almost think of smiling, only without those frighteningly bared teeth.
“She say come. Quarantine here. They handle us first...consideration for Royals.”
Richter chuckled a little, but bowed politely to the tall, female Nirreth. If she noticed the humor at her expense, the Nirreth didn't let it show in her expression...at least not that Jet could tell. As they were walking towards the doors that appeared once more in the smooth, round walls, Richter leaned towards Jet's ear, speaking in a low murmur.
“Have to ham it up a bit, kitten...hope you understand. They'll want you all the more if they think you're dangerous. That means more money for me...”
“What makes you think I wouldn't hack off a few limbs if you give my sword back to me?” Jet muttered back through gritted teeth.
Richter laughed aloud at that, clapping her on the shoulder.
“I'm counting on it, pet,” he smirked. “I'm very much counting on it, in fact...”
They were entering the next room as he spoke, and once Jet's eyes adjusted, she felt her breathing grow shallow once more. The new room was a fraction of the size of the one they'd just left, but also round, and rimmed with low cabinets. Where Jet could glimpse their contents, they looked like materials one would see in a doctor's office. Gauze, tape, instruments of various kinds, vials, what looked like test tubes and different-sized bottles and liquid containers that might hold medicines. In the center of the room was a single, metal table.
It was like something out of one of her worst nightmares.
Without thinking, Jet began to struggle.
“No!” she managed through her teeth.
She caught both Laksri and Richter by surprise, and almost managed to get free.
Writhing out of Richter's tight hold, she jerked her body sideways and back, towards the direction of the domed room they just left behind. She managed to loosen Richter's grip, but he recovered in an instant, snatching at her arm with his other hand.
Feeling like a dog on a chain, she strained with all of her might for the door, only turning to fight when he wouldn't release her. Kicking his shins, knees and thighs didn't do much through the armor and her bare feet, although he staggered back when she got him hard in the chest.
She aimed a kick at his head, but Laksri was the one to block her that time, grabbing her from the other side with his tail and then his jointed hand.
Between him and Richter, they began dragging her towards the table.
As they approached it, Jet saw the instruments laid out on a nearby tray and let out a scream. Throwing her whole weight sideways and back once more, she managed to create enough space that she kicked Richter again. She slammed her whole leg and weight as hard as she could into his shin, then immediately kicked him again in the crotch.
Letting out a surprised, “Ahhhh,” he released her, and half-fell to one knee.
Jet whipped her body back and forth, trying to get free of Laksri's claws, too, but the Nirreth was a lot stronger, and when she kicked him in the legs multiple times, he only flinched but didn't loosen his hold on her. She tried to get him in the crotch too, but the Nirreth caught hold of her with his long arms before she could. She ended up in front of him, his strong arms around her chest, holding her back tightly against his body. His arms tensed into rock, locking her own arms to her sides like an iron cage. She could feel him breathing against the back of her neck.
“Sting?” Laksri asked Richter.
Its voice was low, almost a growl.
Richter was slowly climbing to his feet.
Glaring angrily at Jet, he waved Laksri off.
“No,” he said. “I need her coherent. You can sting her all you want after the demonstration, my blue-skinned friend...that's a promise.” He glared at Jet, his brown eyes showing an open threat. “...At the rate she's going, I might let you do more than that.”
Laksri's arms relaxed somewhat.
It occurred to Jet, looking back, that he'd already had his tail poised, the stinger unsheathed where the tail hung over her in a circular arc. Looking up at his elongated, feline face, Jet could have sworn she saw disappointment in his expression.
Richter seemed to notice Jet looking, and laughed.
It was a harsh laugh; clearly he hadn't quite recovered from Jet's well-aimed kick.
“Yeah, kitten...he wants to sting you. They all do. Remember that, if you decide to try this crap again...” His voice was angry, but he was vertical again, motioning for Laksri to bring her over to the table.
Jet immediately went back to kicking and trying to writhe free, but that time, her feet never found their mark. She couldn't get enough leverage with the way the Nirreth held her. Her arms were useless, pinned entirely now, so her kicks fell on empty air, both behind and in front of her. She threw her weight backwards a few times, trying to knock the Nirreth off balance, but it was like throwing her back into a rock wall.
Richter stood over her angrily once they reached the table, waiting impatiently as two other Nirreth appeared from openings in the walls. When Jet saw them, she let out another yell, fighting harder against Laksri's hold. These new Nirreth wore what looked like lab coats, only they were bright yellow and fell almost down to their clawed feet.
“No!” she said, panting. “No...please...don't let them cut me. Please!”
“Is that what you're worried about?” Richter retorted. He rolled his eyes, his voice holding disbelief. “For the love of the gods. It's an examination, Jet...would you relax?”
“Please!” she said, trying to pry Laksri's fingers off her. “Please...don't let them do this!”
“Strap her down,” Richter told Laksri, motioning for him to translate for the lizard-skin doctors. “Tell them not to sting her either...” Grinning down at her, Richter kept his eyes hard when he added, “Don't worry, kitten...they won't hurt you. Much. They just want to make sure you're not going to infect anyone in the Green Zone with any diseases...” His smile turned more predatory. “You don't have any diseases, do you, love?”
Jet felt her panic worsen when the four Nirreth, including Laksri, pinned her down and began taking off her clothes. They cut off her shirt instead of unlocking the handcuffs, and Jet screamed, fighting the whole time they struggled to get her arms and legs locked to the metal table. Once they had her there, she screamed again...until one of the Nirreth laid a blue hand over her mouth, silencing her.
It wasn't until she looked up that Jet realized it was Laksri again. His eyes held a strange expression, what might even have been sympathy, if she could have read such a thing in those black and indigo eyes. He kept his hand there while the others began poking and prodding at her skin, and Jet yelled out with every breath against his hard, jointed fingers.
After awhile though, she ran out of air for screaming.
Looking up, she just lay there, panting, staring at Laksri's face as the doctors continued their work. They took a few vials of her blood, snipped off strands of her hair and a piece of her skin on her arm. They checked every inch of her skin...although for what exactly, Jet had no idea. One of them put some kind of ointment on the bruise from where she'd been stung the day before, and a different one on the scrapes and cuts she'd gotten fighting the Nirreth, and being dragged up into the culling ship by her ankle. The medicine hurt, stinging worse than any antiseptic her mother had ever put on her, but Jet onl
y gasped, laying there without moving.
The worst part, really, was being naked in front of Richter. Being naked in front of the Nirreth didn't mean a whole lot to her at that point...it bothered her, but not in the same way as having Richter's eyes rake over her like she was a prime animal in his own personal herd.
When it was finally over, she felt exhausted, like she'd just run a marathon.
But Richter had been right.
It hadn't hurt. Much.
When they finished, a spigot appeared over the table. Three humans came into the room then, causing Jet to stare. All three of them female, and somewhere in the range of their thirties, wearing clothes exactly like what the Nirreth wore, only in a smaller size.
The Nirreth doctors stepped back from the table as the humans approached. Laksri stepped back in the same moment, giving her a warning look before he removed his hand from her mouth. Before Jet could even ask what the hell was going on, hot water streamed down over her, shocking but not hot enough to hurt. Even so, she yelped out in surprise, fighting to throw up her hands although the bindings stopped them. Once the water switched off, the three women stepped forward. Jet noticed only then that they were carrying brushes and sponges, and that the water had soap in it. Jet winced and bit her lip as the two women bathed her, washing her hair and her body. The Nirreth even helped them to flip her over at one point, pinioning her wrists and ankles while they washed her back and even behind her ears. It was humiliating, but Jet couldn't do much about that, either. She did what she could to block it out instead, to hum songs in her head, to pretend she was somewhere else...anywhere else but here.
In the process, she tried to pretend it didn't matter.
All that mattered was getting free. And maybe killing Richter.
After they'd washed her and rinsed her a few times, heated air came from another spigot-shaped tube overhead, drying her skin. The humans disappeared back into the wall, and the Nirreth doctors reappeared, to put more ointment on the cuts and scrapes, and then a bandage over the cut from the stinger, along with more medicine.
Alien Apocalypse: The Complete Series (Parts I-IV) Page 8