Warning: This story is rated NC-17 for heavy language, violence involving blood and gore, and graphic and mature sexual themes.
The ominous drone of motion and industry resounded through the immense enclosure. Plumes of smoke and fire billowed forth from various apparatuses, blinding showers of sparks raining down from above as workers toiled away at their tasks. The grubby individuals littered the walls like insects against the towering mechanical fortifications at every side, giving the massive complex the look of some sort of human ant colony. Taking a breath in the dank, murky environment was a punishment in itself; little more than a sniff of the toxic atmosphere and your throat was blazing. The population of the locale seemed largely unfazed, though, undoubtedly due to prolonged exposure. All the same, the coughs and wheezes resonating through the busy visage were a constant. Put simply, the peculiar milieu was both nauseating and captivating at the same time, as was readily apparent by the bewildered faces of a poorly clothed group of humans being led through the frightening chasm of steel and fire.
A young female stumbled over a bit of metal, receiving a painful jab in the back of her ribs in return. She cringed weakly, regaining pace with the others behind and before her. The girl’s striking yellow eyes scoured the expanse around her, wide in a cocktail of curiosity and horror. The dreary song of tarnished chains ground against her eardrums, the ancient shackles literally grinding against her burning ankles. An amplified verbal bark sounded out nearby, snapping the girl and the ones around her out of their listless trances.
“Pick up the pace!” A gruff male voice bit out over the deafening white noise.
She groaned helplessly, quickening her step with the others. A man in grimy and outdated battle armor motioned the group ahead with a heavy firearm laid in his arms. His face was only half visible; a bizarre metal breather slung over the lower half of his face, rust and oxidation painting its plating. A menacing scar ran over his bare scalp, coming to a gruesome knot above his right eye.
The assembly shifted suddenly as a younger looking male staggered out of line and into a dash. Somehow he had undone one of his foot’s restraints and was now scampering away with the unlocked cuff flipping wildly behind his left. The masked man turned towards the commotion with a wicked gaze, his weapon immediately trained on the fleeing captive. Without a second thought, he pulled the trigger, a flash of light dazzling the young woman’s eyes as it tore out towards the runner. A wail of pain bubbled forth from his vocal chords as the bolt seared through a leg, sending him tumbling face first into the floor. The armed man muttered something to one of his partners before breaking off towards the fallen young man, spouting an inaudible string of remarks at him before kicking him in the side and rolling the poor man over to his back. A large woman shifted into the girl’s line of vision and she leaned to the left on her tiptoes to get a better look at what was going on.
A violent of exchange of words reached her ears, followed by a pair of gunshots. Her stomach rolled as her eyes caught a glimpse of the scene before her; the armored male storming away from the other, now motionless and swimming in a pool of vile fluid. She turned her head away as a wave of nausea cut through her belly and a wash of vomit poured out her mouth and onto the ground in front of her.
The girl wiped back a stray lock of deep brown hair and resumed pace with the rest.
A pair of tired golden eyes drifted up towards a lowering loading ramp against the belly of a dark, brooding vessel. The nightmarish ship soared above the girl’s head, sinister and foreboding in the dim ambient lighting; this was her next destination, or prison. She received a nudge from behind and started the march towards the landing pad.
A few minutes passed before the group was stopped abruptly. A checkpoint of some sort seemed to be looking them over before sending each on towards the gloomy silhouette in the distance. The girl exhaled wearily and took few paces forward to keep her place in the queue, letting her eyes fall.
She was about to take another step forward when an arm wrapped around her shoulders suddenly, pulling her out of the waiting line. Her head pivoted left, startled; the masked man stood before her, an unreadable gaze on his face. What was going on? She parted her lips to speak, but the large man brought a finger to her lips, undoing the breather from his mouth and nose with his free hand. A wave of halitosis brushed against her face as he grinned slyly, laying both his forearms idly on her shoulders.
“Well, hello there love.” He wheezed, grazing a finger across her cheek. “You’re just a little too ****able for this lot, aren’t you?”
The young woman shifted backwards, but he took hold of her arm with a powerful squeeze. He brought his other hand around the back of her auburn veiled skull and forced his face against hers before she could react. She whimpered in response, pushing against him uselessly and stifling back a gag as his tongue slid down the back of her throat. Her face burned slightly in embarrassment and friction as the man’s heavy stubble chafed against her chin and lips, his other hand traversing areas that sent a wave of fear and confusion through the girl.
“Handling the produce before sale, Phoon?” A male voice interrupted. “I expected as much.”
Phoon grunted and shoved the girl away from him, keeping one arm in his grip as she stumbled to the floor. “This one stays.” He spat back, returning the newcomer’s stare.
She looked up cautiously towards the new one, bringing herself to a hand and her knees. The man looked young, no more than twenty or so, with a deep tan and hair that she couldn’t decide was either platinum blonde or simply white. His eyes hung languidly upon the man with the mask dangling from his neck, a discerning look hidden beneath the fa?ade. After a pause, he replied.
“Just cross her off the list then, I see.” He nodded emotionlessly. “What do you think about that, dear?”
She choked on her own words as the man’s eyes turned down to her own, just managing an enthusiastic no with a shake of her head.
“She’s rather pretty, this one.” He smirked vaguely in her direction before looking back towards Phoon. “What might you suggest make up the difference?”
The large man hacked once and spit in reply, sending a glare his way. “She’s one in a sea of many, don’t be ridiculous!”
“Ah, just another fish in the sea, no? Why don’t you take the one over there, then?” The light haired man nodded towards a large and particularly unsightly woman in the line. “More your size, as it seems.”
Phoon grumbled and tore the girl to her feet, grabbing the back of her neck forcefully. “She’s mine until I decide she’s not, so **** off, Carsten.” He chuckled and snapped at her neck in a manner that might have seemed playful if not for the circumstance; the young woman squirmed and let out a yelp.
“Alright, that’s quite enough.” He stepped forward in apparent irritation, his left hand subtly lowering to the right of his belt. “Let go of her, Phoon. I’d venture a guess she’d rather keep her lunch.”
A glimmer of metal flashed at the peripheral of the large man’s vision and he heaved the girl back to the ground as his right hand shot to a plasma blade at his waist. Carsten stood calmly before him, a glimmering golden dagger held defensively at his side. Phoon immediately grasped the heavy weapon’s hilt and flicked the power on as he heaved it upwards.
A blood curdling scream ripped through the air as the girl caught her wind back after slamming into the ground, turning towards the scene just in time to hear a loud buzzing noise increasing in volume. Her eyes shot open in surprise as a brilliant arc of crimson energy spun towards her head; a plasma blade. She instantly ducked out of its path and to her right, but a crippling wave of heat slashed across her cheek anyways. She dropped to her side as the weapon skittered across the rusty metal plating lining the floor, her hand reflexively going to her cheek. Her fingers glided against slick flesh and she winced in pain, looking to her soiled fingertips.
“Tch.” Carsten sniffed, taking an exasperated breath as if someone had just further complicated his workday by putting a stack of papers on his desk.
Phoon stood before him, one arm hung frozen at his side, one dismembered and twitching mildly on the ground, his eyes locked in unbelief on the figure before him. He attempted to gurgle something out, but his vocal chords failed him, a glistening blade placed neatly through his throat. The younger male skirted past him casually, leaning over the girl and proffering a hand to her.
“Hello there, my name is Carsten.” He smiled as he sheathed a second dagger before pulling her to her feet gently. “What might be your name?”
“S-Sidney.” She replied through her teeth, still grimacing over the burning in her cheek.
“A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Sidney. Now then, let’s get that checked out.”
A cool draft of air gently flowed out of a vent above Sidney as she sat soundlessly upon a modest bed, running a finger idly over the patch of soft gauze covering one side of her face. Her ankles were snug in light bandages wrapped around them, glad to be free of the course metal shackles. She took a breath of the pleasantly cool air, rubbing a shoulder against her bare cheek; the lack of a layer of dirt across her body felt good; the girl couldnt remember the last time she had been able to clean herself up, let alone actually bathe. She lay back against the padding and closed her eyes.
Her mind drifted to the past few days, albeit involuntarily. Sidney had seen as much blood and debauchery as she could handle within a very short period of time, in some cases personally. At this point she had come to the reluctant realization that going with the path of least resistance was the only reasonable option available to her; rebelliousness usually ended up in more pain, or worse. She shuddered as a salvo of horrific memories shot through her psyche, making an effort to steal her concentration with something else.
The past day was confusing, to say the least. The man passionately referred to as Phoon had had Sidney in captivity for a few days; before that, she had been doing menial labor on a Junker vessel; before that, she couldnt remember. Whether the lack of memory had a more direct cause, or was simply a defense mechanism to block out events that shed rather not call to mind, she couldnt say. For the moment, anyways, she was surprised, if not a bit excited, to be lying in a cool bed, clean and patched up soundly. She rubbed herself below her stomach, sore, clearing her slightly raw throat as she rolled over on her side.
Might as well get some sleep She murmured to herself quietly.
A metal click sounded from the door and the knob twisted. Sidney shifted at the noise and brought herself to the edge of the bed, a man slipping through the doorway. He brushed a curtain of shining tresses out of his eyes and tucked them behind an ear, smiling mildly towards the girl and clasping his hands behind his back.
How is the cheek feeling, my dear? He questioned politely.
Her perception turned to the dull pain evident on the left side of her face, nodding timidly in response. Better; it doesnt hurt so bad anymore.
Good to hear. He smiled, taking a few steps forward. I truly am sorry about before; I never did enjoy that ones company. Carsten muttered, shaking his head. I had done business with him in the past, but his conduct earlier was simply unacceptable. I apologize.
Sidney shrugged fractionally, head down. I-Im used to it She turned her gaze upwards nervously. Thank you, Mr. Carsten.
Please, just Carsten. He raised his hand in an easing gesture, turning ninety degrees to his left in a motion to leave. Ill let you get some rest; well talk later.
Sidney nodded and forced herself to wave goodbye as he exited the room. Carsten was a very odd one, she already had decided. She knew full well that he was a slaver just as much as Phoon was, but for some reason he wasnt acting like he was. Her mind was too tired to look at the situation that deeply, but she didnt have a clue as to why he was treating her like this; like a human being. The girl gave up the thought and pulled herself back to a comfortable position on the bed. For now, she had a nice soft place to shut her eyes for awhile. She wasnt going to let that go to waste.
An inhuman scream quaked through the air, over the deafening crackle of the inferno with an ear piercing tenor. The girl tottered through the room desperately, stumbling over a fallen rafter and smashing into the floor. Her head connected with something solid and she spun to her side, inhaling smoke and fighting unconsciousness as she lay panting on the ground. She brought a hand to her head, her fingers coming back before her eyes wet with blood. She moaned helplessly and shut her eyes; she just needed to rest for a second.
Her body was suddenly soaked, a rush of liquid spilling down from the ceiling and quenching the flames to an extent. She gagged on a mouthful of water and fought to push herself above the ebb, but her arms wouldn’t move. Her head was still spinning from the contusion; body dead to her control. She gasped hopelessly as the water rose, taking in a horrible breath of half water, half smoke and air. The shallow tide slipped above her mouth and nose and her thoughts went into overdrive. Second after second passed as she held her breath, lungs ablaze as they pleaded for oxygen. A rush of h2o swished through lips and nostrils and into her airways as she surrendered, down her chest and into her lungs; the girl coughed and choked uselessly as the moments clocked by. Darkness flickered in and out as she grudgingly accepted it, her mind shutting off one pathway at a time.
Suddenly, her shoulder cried out in pain, snapping her into clarity as she was heaved upright and dragged towards a doorway. She gagged again, wheezing for air as water spilled out of her stomach and lungs. Her eyelids blinked a few times in an attempt to focus, a trickle of pain induced tears sliding down her cheek as her left side burned in agony; the thought crossed her mind that the jolt had dislocated her shoulder. She turned her vision to the unknown being, her heart skipping a beat as the blurry figure turned its head towards her, fiery eyes gleaming a demonic red as it trudged through the shallows. Her mind willed her to faint, but the searing ache tore her back to reality. She shivered as it towed her into another room.
The young woman flew through the air at the being’s might, bouncing into a jumble atop something that gave to her weight and sprung back at her collision. She rolled over to her back and made a note to keep her left arm limp, bringing her gaze back to the silhouette in the glowing doorway. The figure lurched forward, its eyes ripping through the girl’s countenance as it raised a leg onto what she know identified as a bed. Her thoughts were in panic mode now; fighting to move, she heaved herself over and grasped a large shiver of wood lying to her side, raising it up and thrusting it into the dark stranger’s chest.
“Aghh!” She squealed in surprise and pain as the makeshift spear hit its chest and stopped cold; painful splinters driving themselves into her hand, she dropped the instrument and withdrew her arm.
Her eyes squeezed shut reflexively in response to the stinging haze, oblivious as to her next move. A shadow slipped over her body and she shuddered in terror, waiting for the unknown to tear her apart. She sniveled as a razor sharp jab sank into her skin, starting at the bottom of her throat and gliding down her chest, belly, then between her legs. The girl choked out a scream as her garments were torn to either side, leaving her bare and bleeding beneath the living nightmare. She smashed her eyes together and sobbed as the event drudged by; her pupils rolled back under their lids, her heart willing it all to end.
The being lifted itself, bringing those seething eyes to her own as she opened them slowly, despite her mind telling her not to. A slather of noxious saliva dripped down onto her face, searing her lips and chin with what felt like thick acid. A midnight black limb drew back suddenly, glistening spikes extended and hovering above her head. The girl swallowed hard and shut her eyes for a final time as the air shrieked with motion and the daggers fell.
---
Sidney’s eyes shot open, wide and bloodshot, her body drenched and wet. She bolted upright, surveying the room in an instant. No fire, no smoke, no demon; she breathed a sigh of relief again. The dreams; or nightmares, rather; wouldn’t leave her alone. A gentle rush of air rustled her hair as she flopped back down on the mattress.
The door clicked again and opened slowly, Carsten entering with something over his arm. He smiled a greeting and hung it on a wall to his left.
“Sleep well, I hope?” He spoke quietly in realization that she had just awoke. “I’ll leave you to it, but please, come out if you will when you’re ready; someone will show you the way.” Carsten offered. “And wear this, if you would. I think it would be lovely on you.”
With that he turned and left her alone again, wondering what on earth he was talking about. She hopped to her feet and gingerly stepped over to the hanging object, unzipping its face to reveal a crisp and beautiful indigo dress, long and flowing with a vibrant shimmer. A smile couldn’t help but find its way to her lips as she lifted it out of its case carefully. What was going on? She had no idea, but all she could do was play along.
She stripped quickly, tossing her clothes to floor, and carried the garment to the bathroom with her to get cleaned up.
