Zern Read online

  “The others have been behaving, master,” Phoebe said, fixing a sensual grin on the Bardan. “We decided to let them sleep. The three who have not joined us yet will still make great workers. They do not have to bear your children. We will do so, and gladly.”

  I gaped in shock as Phoebe lifted the robe and exposed her jutting, and very pregnant, abdomen. She rubbed it lovingly and smiled again at the Bardan, a sickening, saccharine grin that made me nearly throw up right then and there. So they had volunteered for this? Did they think it was some kind of honor? Or were they really that desperate to escape? Either way, it was giving me the creeps, and I tried to back away and leave the cavern.

  “Not so fast, human. This is your place now. It is time to get you initiated. Come, and stand in the center of the circle. The females will ensure that you are prepared for the following with a ceremony.”

  “A what?”

  I was shoved forward, horrified not only by the situation, but also by the thought of once brilliant women being reduced to singing superstitious chants summoning forces in the universe that, as far as any rational mind was concerned, were pure and utter bullshit.

  “Grab her!” Phoebe shouted.

  I yelped in surprise when the cold hands of three other women gripped me, and I was being held still as Phoebe grinned at me. I gaped at her, sure now that the evil gleam in her eye had been there just as I had suspected it had was when I had initially been taken away from the tunnel by the Bardan.

  “You are going to honor the Bardan’s request, whether you like it or not. These men are of a superior intellect to those of us from Earth, so I don’t expect you to understand. But this is for your own good. If you want to survive this and make the universe a better place, then you will allow your body to become an incubation center. Their army will ultimately take over the universe anyway. We might as well embrace it.”

  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, but before I could speak, Phoebe turned away from me and gave a loud cry, and the women stood in a circle around me and began swaying their hips and chanting ominously. The Bardan was grinning, and I could see his eyes glowing eerily through the cavern.

  “Now it is time for you to become one with the Bardan’s goals.”

  I was frozen in fear as the room began to reverberate with the sounds of their chanting, and I knew that I was about to be in some big trouble.

  ***

  The ceremony seems to take hours, but in truth, I knew that it had only been maybe fifteen minutes. Either way, it was too long. Especially for a scientific mind like my own to tolerate.

  I couldn’t believe that the women I had been working with side-by-side for so long, who had seemed to understand the world just as I had, would find themselves falling prey to superstitious and irrational beliefs simply because they thought it was more convenient that way. I could understand that desperation could change a person, but going this far and turning against another human was inexcusable.

  When it was over, the Bardan dismissed the women back to their cell, and Phoebe went along with them, acting as their leader. I suppose it was pretty clever in a way. The Bardans had found a way to control the humans without having to actually do anything themselves. All they had to do was pull the strings of the one human who seemed to have the utmost faith in their schemes.

  Now, I was left alone with the Bardan, whose eyes were glittering with malicious intent. I tried to run after the other women, hoping against hope that maybe I would be allowed to leave and return to the cell with the other humans. Unfortunately, this didn’t seem to be the case, and the Bardan gripped me by the back of the neck, preventing me from moving forward any further.

  “And just where do you think you are going to go? You have already proven yourself unfit to mingle with your own race. They don’t want you there. We have a different plan for you.”

  I yelped in surprise and fear as the Bardan shoved me ahead of himself, and once again, I found myself walking down the terrifying black labyrinths of their tunnel system.

  “So what are you guys doing with all these tunnels anyway?” I mumbled. “It isn’t going to do you any good. What if you encounter more of those freaky magma worm things? You’re basically just making it easy for them to find you.”

  “That is none of your concern, human,” the Bardan said, stopping abruptly and opening the door to a new cell. My thoughts were on Zern, and I found myself fearing the worst. What was going to happen to me? And what had happened to him? Where was he? Have they already gotten rid of him? It wouldn’t surprise me. There seemed to be nothing but hard feelings between them.

  “Well, it’s not going to work. Whatever you’re planning is stupid and shortsighted. Even if Phoebe and everybody else thinks that you’re going to be doing something wonderful, we both know that that’s not the way it’s going to work. If your plans were that smart, you wouldn’t be here on Hexa in the first place.”

  The Bardan fixed a dark glare upon me and then slammed the door to the cell shut. I could hear his heavy footfalls as he walked away, and I found myself filled with more dread than I had been since my capture. They were going to try to get me to incubate one of their freaky alligator babies. How in the hell was I supposed to get out of this one?

  I couldn’t stomach the thought of being forced to breed with a Bardan. It would be the most violating thing that ever happened to me in my life. I couldn’t let that happen. It was almost as if I was being punished. Had they found out that Zern and I had…?

  The thought horrified me, and I immediately set to work trying to plot my escape. The walls were made of the same material that we had been mining before. They didn’t realize that I had managed to pilfer one of the shards of metal that I had found while I was digging and had planned to find a way to use it as a weapon. Zern had kept the knife that I had stolen from Parra’s quarters. Otherwise, I would’ve been able to use that as a way to dig myself out.

  Fortunately, I had a strong mind and quickly fashioned the piece of metal into a tool that I was able to use in order to unlock the door’s strange mechanisms. I had to work fast. There was no telling when the Bardan would return, and whether or not he would come with reinforcements. I had to protect myself, no matter the cost. And so, I let my mind go on autopilot so that I could escape this horrible situation once and for all.

  ***

  It took an eternity, or so it seemed, but I soon found myself pushing through the silt of the doorway. I hadn’t been able to unlock it necessarily, but I was able to pry apart the lock and disassemble the intricate brickwork that had bound me to the hollow crevice of rock. By the time I was finished, I was filthy and miserable, but more than that, I was scared.

  When I emerged into the dark tunnel, I had no way of knowing which direction would be the safest for me to travel. I could go back the way I had come, and risk running into another Bardan, or worse, the entire group of humans who would immediately tell them about my presence, or I could turn and go into the unknown.

  I let my mind to weigh the options for only a brief moment and then turned on my heel to run in the opposite direction from the way I had come. I couldn’t help but be afraid of encountering another magma worm, but it was a risk that I had no choice but to take. Zern was in trouble, and the only way to get us out of this mess was to take risks. I couldn’t believe that I had gotten us in this situation just because I wanted to rescue the other humans. They had completely turned on me, and as far as I was concerned, totally deserved whatever fate they had coming to them.

  I stopped running suddenly when I saw a light begin to flicker at the end of the tunnel. Somebody was up ahead, and there was no way of knowing just what it was that I was going to encounter.

  I walked cautiously forward, gripping my piece of metal tightly in my hand. If nothing else, I would be able to protect myself at least a little bit.

  “Come forward, child,” a deep, spooky voice rang out to me.

  Fear curdled in my chest, but I couldn’t help but do as the
voice commanded. It wasn’t that it seemed unfriendly, but it was definitely something that I hadn’t expected. I knew that wasn’t the voice of a Raither or a Bardan, and I was worried that maybe I was being tricked. Still, I couldn’t seem to stop myself from following the strange voice.

  “You are a human,” the voice said. I looked around, frowning. At first, I didn’t see anybody, even though the area was lit up. And then I saw what appeared to be a speaking rock. It had soulful eyes and a serious disposition, and on its chest was a small fixture that put out light in front of it, wherever it turned.

  “Yes, but I’m afraid I don’t know what you are.”

  “Oh, I am a native of this planet. One of only a few of the ancients that are left. We keep to the underground, but I found this tunnel curious, so I thought I would explore. Where have you come from?”

  I really didn’t want to trust this creature, and yet some part of me was compelled to step forward.

  “I have been wrongfully imprisoned, and now I am in great danger,” I said, taking the greatest chance I had ever taken. “Can you help me?”

  “My name all is Shen,” the creature said with a gentle bow. “And I am at your service.”

  Chapter 7

  Captain Zern Krechan

  I was getting tired of these dark rooms in Parra’s prison. Everything about it was making me feel agitated and restless. I wanted to fight, and yet, I knew that I was at a disadvantage. How was I supposed to get out of this without some sort of miracle? Being trapped infuriated me.

  “Zern, are you in there?”

  And now I was hallucinating too. That was just great.

  “Answer me if you are, or we are going to leave you here.”

  I sat up and went to the door, now fully aware of Lila standing outside. She had been consuming my thoughts all this time, and I was unbelievably glad to know that she was all right.

  “I’m here, but you should be getting yourself out of this place. It’s dangerous.”

  “He’s in there,” Lila said, completely ignoring everything I said. In a few short moments, the doorway to my small cell had been forced open, and Lila was standing outside the room, smiling at me. “This is Shen. Shen, this is Zern. Now we have to get out of here. They will be back anytime now.”

  I was shocked to encounter my very first Olpa. The Olpa were an ancient race, thought to be extinct by most in the universe. They had been rumored to live in the center of many planets, much like the magma worms. The difference was that they were a peaceful and wise species, who kept to themselves and remained neutral in all affairs unless personally affected. Apparently, Parra’s vast tunnel system was starting to affect them. It was the first glimmer of hope that I had had for quite a while.

  “There is no time for formalities,” I said. “We need to find our way out of here. Olpa, can you show us the way?”

  The Olpa nodded. “There is a way out of this labyrinth. But you will have to go it yourself. We do not see the light of day and avoid easy detection. It was by chance that the human found me. Come and follow; I can take you to a safer place.”

  We followed the large creature silently as he led the way. He seemed disgusted by the place. And I couldn’t blame him. Although it was somewhat impressive for Parra to have figured out a way to utilize the planet this way, apparently it was interfering with everything that the Olpa stood for.

  When he stopped suddenly and then hefted a huge boulder out of the wall, Lila and I were both shocked. It was a tunnel that glittered with beautiful minerals. The Bardans and the Raithers clearly had not created it.

  “I will take you as far as the fork, but I cannot travel into the light. It is forbidden.”

  Shen moved forward laboriously until we came upon the area that he had been speaking about.

  “I trust the two of you can take it from here,” he said. “Safe travels.”

  And with that, he left us staring at him as he disappeared into the darkness.

  ***

  “You really shouldn’t have come back for me, you know. He could have taken you here without me.”

  The human looked hurt by my accusing tone, and I sighed, softening my features as much as I could. Still, I was angry. All I wanted to do was ensure her safety. Why did she keep risking her neck for me?

  “I don’t care what he could do. I’m not leaving without you. What would the point be?”

  “Maybe the point would be to make sure that you are safe. What happens to me does not matter. You should take care of yourself and yourself alone.”

  “What, like you do?” Lila asked, raising her brow at me. “You do a really good job of practicing what you preach. No, and let’s get the hell out of here. We don’t need to be fighting about this. It’s stupid. Both of us are just going to keep doing whatever we want to do, and that’s the end of that.”

  I sighed but nodded curtly. We were just wasting time bickering like this. If we spoke too loudly, it was possible that we would be overheard by the Raithers or the Bardans. It was lucky that they were so few in number and so busy attempting to make their plans work out that they had nobody to guard any of the prisoners.

  And yet, I could not shake the feeling that there was still danger. I could not place it, but it was there nonetheless.

  “There,” Lila exclaimed, pointing ahead. “I see the sky. We’re almost out of here. Come on!”

  I couldn’t help but be affected by her enthusiasm, and we ran forward without caution, eager to finally escape this hellish underground tunnel.

  But as soon as we emerged, smiling and laughing and sucking in deep, gratifying breath of fresh air, somebody stepped out in front of us and cast a shadow over our happiness.

  “Well, look at that. So the Olpa found you, did they? I was going to let them live, but now, those pesky little rocks are going to regret ever having interfered.”

  I glared up at Parra, who was standing beside his entire army. And although they were few in number, we were surrounded. It seemed hopeless.

  “Go back in the tunnel, human,” I shouted. “And stay there until I call you. Now!”

  I was relieved when, for once, the human actually listened to me without a complaint and disappeared into the tunnel.

  I didn’t wait for any more formalities and immediately began my attack. I grabbed a Bardan and held him in front of me as the others began to fire. He acted as my shield, crying out in pain as the pellets struck him. I managed to grab the gun out of his holster and fire at the enemy shooting at me, aiming for their eyes. Cries of agony filled the air as the Bardans dropped their weapons and I continued onward, taking out everybody but the three Raithers, who were already aware of my strategy and preparing themselves to retaliate.

  I was attacked by the first group of two Raithers, who came at me, one from in front and one from behind. I thrust the body of the Bardan at the Raither in front of me, and they both fell to the ground. I quickly shot the Raither in the head and whipped around just in time to get a hard punch to the face. I stumbled backward as I was struck by the Raither’s bullet and then quickly dodged another blow. I wrenched the gun away from him and caught him with a bullet to the throat. He began to gargle in pain and dropped to the ground.

  Parra watched the whole event with interest, smirking the entire time. He didn’t seem too keen on helping his comrades, and a surge of fury washed over me. Why would a man like this have so many followers? It made no sense.

  “And you wonder why I was hoping to recruit you,” Parra said, shaking his head approvingly. “Well done. Now let’s see how you do up against a real fighter.”

  I was suddenly on the ground with the wind knocked out of me. The gun that I had managed to grab from my enemy was flung for my hand, and I was left defenseless. Parra’s attack had been impossible to detect, and part of me was holding myself back. All those years I had been vowing to myself that if I ever encountered Parra again, I would apologize for our past misdeeds and try to find some peace. But peace was no longer an option. I ha
d to protect the human. There was no other choice.

  A deep growl began to rise in my throat, and I got back to my feet, taking the knife from my belt. Parra’s eyes grew wide. Apparently, he recognized it.

  “I’ve been looking for that,” he said, lunging toward me.

  I managed to slice him in the legs as I dodged his attack, and I was hit once again with another hard blow. He grabbed the gun out of his holster and shot at me, and I cried out in rage and pain. It had struck my shoulder, but I managed to keep a firm grip on the knife. I switched it to my other hand just as he was coming in for one more attack, and plunged it deep into his chest.

  “Zern…”

  He gasped in pain and crumpled to the ground, and I closed my eyes, plunging the knife into his back one last time. He collapsed, and I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I was never going to deal with him again.

  I ran back into the cavern, my eyes searching wildly for Lila. We had to get out of there. There was nothing left for us.

  “Lila, come on,” I hissed. She stepped out of the shadows, her beautiful face racked with concern and fear.

  “I had no idea what was going to happen,” she said, taking a deep breath. “I’m so glad that you’re all right.”

  “Yes, but it is time for us to get out of here. Come, we have to go back to the ship now. I have to call the others for help, otherwise, we will be trapped on this insidious planet forever.”

  Lila’s eyes grew wide, and I took her into my arms, consoling her with a brief hug. “We cannot waste any more time here. It is time to leave.”

  Lila nodded, and we left the underground prison, leaving all memories of the tormented and corrupt species behind us.

  Chapter 8

  Dr. Lila Andrews

  We ran as quickly as we could to the ship, both of us instinctively knowing exactly where to go, despite our toils. When we arrived, Zern raised his arm to his lips and attempted communication with his ship. All that happened was a strange mechanical gurgling noise, and I sighed, taking his arm in mine and pulling the mechanical cuff toward me.