Stolen

by Evangeline Anderson

  “Goodbye then, dearie,” Nurse Zoone said brightly and closed the door behind her, leaving Penny to stand there in the sunshine filtering through the atmosphere dome as she tried to get a handle on her emotions.

  “We have to get away,” she whispered to herself again, shivering helplessly. “We have to escape!”

  Sixty-Eight

  “Excuse me, your attention please, workers!” The self-important voice of Head Gardener Poone rang through the greenhouse. V stopped trimming the fleezum tree he’d been working on and turned reluctantly to see what his supervisor wanted.

  He’d been on edge all day, he admitted to himself. It was getting close to quitting time and he just wanted to go home and see Penelope and make sure she was all right. In fact, he’d wanted to go check on her during their lunch break but that little orange asshole Poone had gotten a hair up his ass about the placement of the partha roots, which were on the East side of the green house. He had demanded they replant all of them on the West side so they could get better light.

  The replanting had taken all but ten minutes of V’s lunch break and he hadn’t had time to get to the Marketplace and back without being tardy and receiving another black mark on his permanent record. Normally, he wouldn’t give a fuck for black marks, of course, but he already had two of them and a third meant instant recycling.

  Since he was trying to stay alive until he and Penelope could get out of the Compound, that meant he had to be careful and mind his Ps and Qs in a way he hadn’t had to worry about since his early gang days.

  But black marks weren’t on his mind right now—Penelope was. What had they done to her at the Breeding Center, he wondered distractedly? Was she all right? Would she be there when he got home?

  “Attention, workers!” Head Gardener Poone called again, cutting through V’s thoughts. “I have an important announcement to make!”

  Swear to the Goddess, V thought, grinding his teeth as he stared at the NeverBreeder Supervisor. If this little fucker tries to make us stay late to work, I’m gonna pound him into the ground, black marks or not. I need to get home to Penelope!

  “As many of you may know,” the Head Gardener began, once he had everyone’s attention. “Our Glorious Leader has been ill lately—a very sad event.” He bowed his head for a moment in reverence before continuing. “But I’m happy to say, that he has fully recovered now and will be recommencing his inspections of the various production sites around the Compound. And—this is so exciting—he has decided to make the greenhouse his first stop!”

  A cheer went up from the hypnotized breeders—a cheer V did not join in on. But though he kept his face impassive, he couldn’t help feeling a thrill of excitement. Finally, that white-wearing fucker was coming to the greenhouse! Finally V would get a chance to pick his pocket and get the Master Control!

  “When’s he coming?” someone shouted as the cheering died down.

  “This very day! Right now, in fact—can you believe it?” Head Gardener Poone, bobbed his head excitedly. “Of course, this is why I have been so exacting lately—because I suspected we would be honored with our Glorious Leader’s presence. And now we will all be rewarded for our hard work for I am told that he is on his way this minute!”

  Another cheer went up and then everyone scrambled to get into position, so they would be ready to greet the GL properly. V cracked his knuckles to limber up his fingers and made sure he was at the front of the group.

  The minute the “Glorious Leader” was even a little bit distracted, he was going to make sure that the Master Control found its way out of his pocket and into V’s.

  We’ll be out of here by tonight, he thought, feeling a surge of excitement. Can’t fucking wait!

  At that moment, the doors to the greenhouse were opened by two NeverBreeder guards and the great man himself came in. He was, as usual, dressed completely in white from his gleaming white collar down to his shiny white shoes. V thought it was a piss-poor clothing choice for a place where dirt was one of the main components, but he kept that thought to himself and cheered along with the others as their “Glorious Leader” came up to greet them. It wouldn’t do to abstain from the general excitement now—he wanted to blend in.

  “Well, well—my children!” The GL said, smiling brightly—his teeth were as white as his suit, of course. “I’m so honored to be here today, among all my hardworking breeder workers and our fine NeverBreeder supervisor.”

  This was Head Gardener Poone’s cue, apparently. He came bustling up importantly and bowed low before the GL.

  “It is we who are honored, oh Shining Star,” he said, looking up at the GL reverently. “Our humble greenhouse is blessed by your presence today.”

  “Well, you and your crew are doing an excellent job!” the GL exclaimed. “Why, I understand production of partha roots is up thirty percent since our last quarter!”

  They went on trading compliments that way, with the GL standing in the middle of a ring of admiring greenhouse workers. V had positioned himself just behind the great man on his right side. He was eyeing the right outer pocket of the GL’s jacket, where he had seen the cult leader put the Master Control before.

  Everything had to be just right before he made the pick, but he could feel the moment coming. All eyes were on the “Glorious Leader” as he extolled the virtues of hard work and told all of them how proud he was of their productivity. The hypnotized breeders were eating it up, the light of fanaticism glowing in their eyes as they gazed adoringly at the GL.

  The sight disgusted V. He was pretty sure the “Glorious Leader” could shoot any one of his loyal followers dead right in front of all the others and they would still love and adore him and make excuses for his violence. They were brainwashed—deaf and blind to the awful things their leader had done and was still doing to them and nothing he could do or say would change their minds at this point.

  Disgusting, V thought. But actually, their fanaticism was working for his benefit. Since everyone was looking at their “Shining Star,” V had an opportunity for the perfect pick. He was just reaching his hand forward, about to slip his fingers into the GL’s right-hand pocket when the great man stopped talking and said,

  “Oh, I almost forgot,” and slipped his own hand into his pocket.

  V watched in frustration as the “Glorious Leader” pulled out the Master Control.

  “If you’ll just excuse me for a moment, I need to make an announcement,” he said to the workers. “You see, there’s a brand-new batch of female breeders coming in this moment and so, of course, we have to let them see what our little community here in the Compound is all about.”

  V had an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach as the GL brought the Master Control to his lips. Pressing a button on the side of the control, he began to speak into it and his voice was amplified and sent out to all quarters of the Compound via the speaker system.

  “Attention everyone,” he announced. “We have a new batch of breeders coming in today. Let’s welcome them properly—I declare a Public Breeding in the Marketplace!”

  Sixty-Nine

  “But I always get a loaf with extra tinga seeds!” the woman in front of Penny was protesting angrily. “Do you even know who I am? I’m second in command at the Garment Factory. You’ll be in trouble if you don’t get me my loaf!”

  Penny bit back a sharp retort. Even in an egalitarian commune where everyone was supposedly equal, there were still people like this woman—people who demanded special treatment because they thought they were more important than everyone else.

  She hated people like her present customer, but it was too late in the day to deal with a fight or a complaint. After what she had seen in the Breeding and Conception Center, Penny didn’t have the emotional reserves for either.

  She decided to grab a fresh baked loaf, hot from the ovens, and pretend it was exactly what the “VIP” woman was demanding. That ought to satisfy her—at least Penny hoped it would. She’d had a long, long day and she just wan
ted to go home and melt into V’rex’s arms. A warm hug from the big Hybrid would make everything better, she was sure.

  “Fine,” she said, smiling politely at the woman. “I’ll just go check if we have any loaves with extra tinga seeds in them.”

  “See that you do!” the woman huffed. “And hurry up about it! I don’t want to be late getting home.”

  “Right away, Ma’am,” Penny assured her.

  She turned to go into the bakery and happened to catch a glimpse of the butcher shop next door as she went. What she saw made her heart skip a beat.

  Skrug was standing there glaring at her with hatred in his yellow, slitted eyes. There was so much malice emanating from the big blue alien that Penny could almost feel it on her skin—like the poisoned rays of some malevolent sun shining down on her alone.

  Feeling uneasy by this open show of animosity, she slipped into the bakery, very glad to be getting out of the huge blue alien’s line of sight. She’d caught Skrug staring at her in the past, but only in passing. This was the first time she’d seen exactly how much he hated her and wished her harm.

  She went to the back of the bakery where the ovens were, grabbed a hot loaf, fresh from the racks, and wrapped it in a piece of crackly brown paper. She was just turning to take it back to the storefront when an announcement came over the loudspeaker system.

  “Attention everyone,” came the voice of the Glorious Leader. “We have a new batch of breeders coming in today. Let’s welcome them properly—I declare a Public Breeding in the Marketplace!”

  Penny froze where she was, feeling like her stomach had just dropped through the floor. Oh God, the thing she’d feared and dreaded had finally come to pass! She gripped the hot bread to her chest, not caring that she was squashing it, and looked around herself wildly.

  Everywhere, there was a flurry of commotion.

  “All right, girls, all right,” Head Baker Goone was shouting as people ran here and there, trying to finish baking projects and cover their dough. “You know the drill—get all the loaves out of the oven so they don’t burn during the breeding, cover the dough with damp cloths, and then everyone outside. Let’s go, let’s go, come on!”

  There was some grumbling among the bakery workers, but none of them was actually protesting, Penny saw. In fact, they all seemed being resigned to the Public Breeding, like being raped by strangers who came to their workplace for that exact purpose, was no big deal.

  Well, it’s a big deal to me! she thought, feeling sick. But she knew if she was caught resisting or running, she would be automatically recycled. What was she going to do?

  “Come on,” someone said and nudged her. “Let’s go—you heard Head Baker Goone.”

  It was May’bell, the woman who had trained Penny on her first day. She pushed past her now with a frown on her face, filing out of the bakery along with everyone else.

  Since Penny was at the back of the bakery, she was also at the end of the line which had formed. She followed along with the rest, feeling numb and terrified at the same time. What was she going to do? How could she get out of this?

  As she shuffled along, her eyes caught on one of the huge silver mixing bowls sitting on the floor by one of the workstations. The bowl was empty except for about a sack’s worth of dark blue flower at the bottom. There were more stacks of flour bags on the table beside it and one had been partially opened. Clearly someone had been in the middle of mixing up a fresh batch of dough.

  Penny stared at the huge bowl, remembered how she had thought on her first day that it was big enough to hide in.

  She had nearly shuffled past the bowl but she stopped abruptly right beside it, the idea caught in her numb mind like a fishhook.

  Big enough to hide in. It’s big enough to hide in! whispered a desperate little voice in her head. You have to hide!

  Penny looked around carefully. She was at the very back of the line and nobody was looking at her. They were all facing forward, filing out into the Marketplace like good little brainwashed breeders, waiting to get bred.

  But not me, Penny thought. Not this time! I’m not going anywhere!

  Quickly and quietly, she slipped over to the bowl and climbed inside, trying not to cough as the blue svetty flour puffed up around her. Then she crouched low, turning herself into a ball. She would wait until the Public Breeding was over and then climb back out and mingle with the others when nobody was looking, she told herself. And nobody would know the difference—she hoped.

  As she crouched in the mixing bowl, Penny felt at least partially safe. She had no idea that someone was looking for her—someone who wanted to hurt her and make her pay.

  Seventy

  The minute the GL made the announcement about a Public Breeding, V felt the blood in his veins turn to ice. He barely heard the “Glorious Leader” consoling the greenhouse workers and telling them that he knew this wasn’t a good time for them and that they couldn’t get to the Marketplace in time to join the Public Breeding themselves.

  “But never fear,” he told them, slipping the Master Control back into his pocket. “We have a new bunch of male breeders coming into the Compound in a day or so and I promise I’ll let your supervisor know in time so that every one of you will be able to participate in the next Public Breeding.”

  A cheer rose from the assembled group but V was silent. Blood rushing in his ears, he stepped forward as the others pushed around the GL and slipped his hand into the cult leader’s pocket. All the time, he was eyeing the door, hoping that he could slip away while the others were occupied. He had to get to the Marketplace and find Penelope!

  “And now, Head Gardener Poone,” the GL was saying. “If you’d lead me on a little tour, I’d love to see what’s changed in the greenhouse since my last visit.”

  “Oh, of course, Glorious Leader! I would be thrilled to give you a tour—right this way, please!” The NeverBreeder supervisor bowed obsequiously and led the way deeper into the greenhouse. The other workers followed, crowding around their idol as he nodded politely at the plants Head Gardener Poone was pointing out.

  When all of them were headed away, V saw his chance and took it. He secured the Master Control in his right hip pocket and quietly slipped out of the front door of the greenhouse. Then he set off for the Marketplace at a dead run.

  Hang on, sweetheart—I’m coming, he thought fiercely.

  It was going to be a race to see if he got there in time. He just hoped Penelope had been able to hide herself away somewhere safe.

  Because if anyone hurt her, V was going to fucking kill the bastard!

  Seventy-One

  As Penny crouched low in the huge silver mixing bowl, she listened to the confused noises from outside the bakery and tried not to breath in the flour that still floated around her head.

  There were grunts and shouts and squeals, no doubt from some of the women being taken forcefully. She could also hear the sound of flesh slapping against flesh with loud enthusiasm—clearly the men out there were really enjoying themselves.

  Then she heard another sound…a sound that made her stomach knot in terror…a sound that was coming from inside the bakery. Footsteps—heavy ones, as though from a very large person—were slowly making their way towards the back of the room.

  Penny froze. Who could that be?

  She wasn’t in the dark for long. Because the next thing she heard, was a deep, hoarse voice calling her name.

  “Penelope? Oh, Penelopeeee,” the horribly familiar voice called. “I know you’re in here, girly! I saw you go in just before they called for the Public Breeding but you didn’t come out. So you have to be in here somewhere and I’m gonna find you!”

  It’s Skrug, Penny thought, feeling sick. Her stomach was twisting into a knot and if she hadn’t been crouched down, her knees would have been knocking. He’s coming for me, she thought. Coming to rape me and hurt me and there’s nothing I can do about it!

  She had the urge to jump out of the mixing bowl and run away—but wh
ere could she go? Even if she got out the door of the bakery, the whole Marketplace was just one big rape-fest. It would be like jumping from the frying pan into the fire.

  So she crouched lower, trying to make herself tiny and invisible, hoping and praying the huge blue alien would pass her by.

  Oh please! she thought wildly. Oh please, oh please, oh please!

  Skrug had stopped calling her name but there was a new sound now, to accompany his dull, thudding footsteps. It was a high, awful scraping—the sound of metal on metal, Penny realized with a shiver.

  A horribly vivid image formed in her brain. The humpbacked alien, walking along, dragging the huge butcher’s cleaver along the surfaces of all the silver tables as he passed them. The blade would gleam dull red in the glow from the ovens and when Skrug found her he would use it on her while she screamed and screamed and screamed…

  No—no, she had to stop thinking like that, Penny told herself. But the high whining shriek of metal against metal was driving her mad, stretching her nerves almost to the breaking point. It was so loud and awful and it echoed in the empty bakery so that she couldn’t tell where it was coming from or where Skrug was. How close was he? Was he on the other side of the bakery…or right beside her?

  Suddenly the scraping sound stopped and there was complete silence for a long…long time.

  Maybe he left! Maybe he’s gone! Maybe he decided I’m not worth the trouble. Maybe, maybe, maybe, chanted a little voice in her head.

  After what felt like an eternity, Penny finally dared to look up…

  Only to see Skrug’s yellow, slitted eyes glaring down into hers.