| |
From inside the prison cell, Noah’s voice called out, “Ah, damn it. You sure don’t look like you’re here to rescue me.”
“We are not.” Squee acknowledged Noah’s question with a shamed bow of his head.
The guards moved aside to let Squee fit through the cell door. With Noah and Javi in there as well, space became very cramped. The two small cots that lined the walls were sized appropriately for either of the others, but neither would be able to accommodate his size. Nor would he be able to fit onto the floor very comfortably.
Behind Squee, the cell door slammed shut with a clanging sound. The other Rokma leaned in close to the bars, “Don’t try to break the door. You probably could do it, but not before the guards can respond. Their bullets can pierce even our skin.”
“Thank you for the warning,” Squee said with a nod of his head.
The Rokma and other guards all walked away. Squee turned back to face Javi and Noah, unable to avoid brushing against them as he maneuvered. He apologized, but the two did not appear to notice.
“The captain give them a fight or get caught with her pants down? Noah asked.
“We were caught unaware. We saw only Olivia on the security feed and unsealed the ship.” Javi answered.
“Yeah, I figured that would happen. But Ariana surprises me sometimes.”
“She would not let me fight. We would not be in this cell if I fought.” Squee said.
“You may not be here, but that’s because you would be dead.” Javi said, “As would Olivia and Ariana.”
Squee sighed regretfully, “You are probably right. But there would be many of them dead too. I detest slavers.”
“Yes, they are a particularly vile sort of creature. It makes me wonder how we caught their attention.” Javi said turning his eyestalks toward Noah. Squee followed the gaze and stared down at the human.
Noah gave an uncomfortable shrug of his shoulder, “I pissed them off. Slavers aren’t exactly ones to let bygones be bygones.”
“That’s not very forthcoming.”
“I’ll tell my dark secrets when you tell us yours. Cause I’m not buying that whole ‘stole secret plans from a terrorist group just to deliver them to the government out of patriotic duty’, story of yours.”
Javi bent his eyestalks low before saying, “Fine. It doesn’t matter anyway. How do we get out of here?”
“Several of my people are traitors and work for these scum. That will make our escape difficult.” Squee said, feeling the rage as the thought bubbled through him.
“I wouldn’t be too quick to judge them,” Noah said.
“Why not? Anyone who works with slavers is the lowest form of scum.”
“Even odds, those Rokma are slaves themselves.”
Squee frowned at this, but considered the possibility. Before he could reach any conclusions, the door to their cell once again opened. Four guards, including the Rokma from before, stood outside. All had stun sticks, and beyond them, four more guards held rifles.
The Rokma said, “Master Gerald has requested your presence immediately. You’re to be tagged and then brought before him. Any trouble will result in severe harm and possible death.”
Squee listened to all of this while looking over his shoulder. When the Rokma finished speaking, he slowly turned himself around, knocking into Javi again, and followed directions to exit the cell. The guards parted, and he made his way carefully down the corridor.
They reached a large room that they had passed through before that contained several tables, most of which looked like they were used for eating. Various pieces of equipment were connected to a few of the tables. Squee could not ascertain their purpose, but they did not look pleasant.
The three were told to stand in the middle of the room. Squee awaited his fate with as much patience as he could muster.
From the table beside him, Noah said, “You’re looking a little twitchy there big guy. Starting to think I’d be safer over on the torture table.”
“I am comporting myself with patience and dignity,” Squee said irritably.
“You just crushed that seat back.”
Squee looked down and saw that, indeed, he had crushed the seat back he had been resting his hand on. Embarrassed, he took his hand away, “Should I offer to pay for it?”
Javi and Noah exchanged a look and then let out a furious burst of laughter. Squee felt his slim grasp on his rage begin to slip. But he caught the chair in his line of sight, and it suddenly occurred to him what he had just said. He let out a boisterous roar of humor as well.
The trio carried on like that for another moment, the guards looking on with confused expressions on their faces, before the Rokma returned. The Rokma bore a sad expression on his face as he stopped in front of Squee. Seeing this broke the humor, and he straightened up.
“It is good for you to laugh. This will be the last chance for that for a long time.”
There was no menace in the Rokma’s voice, only resignation. Squee thought about Noah’s words and studied his captor more closely. On his arm, he had a bulky metallic band. It was similar to one that he held in his hand.
“Yes, this is your compliance device. I will place it on your arm. If you disobey, it can be used to punish you. If you flee, it can be used to track you. If you threaten your master, it can be used to kill you.”
Beside him, other guards were attaching a collar around Noah’s neck and Javi’s eyestalks. The two glared at their guards, but offered no resistance. With so many of them, it would have been pointless.
The feeling of hopelessness fueled Squee’s pit of rage. Quietly he said to the other Rokma, “When I escape from this, I promise you will either go free, or lie dead at my feet from honorable combat.”
“You do me a great honor, great Caleek.”
Squee glanced toward the Rokma, finally taking in the others identity The Rokma, Latten, nodded his head respectfully. The moment of familiarity passed, and the Rokma stood straighter, offering an apparent threat.
“Now, you will all come with me and learn your fates.”