Discipline, page 3
“Dammit!” She heard Old Tom yell. The monster tumbled and shrieked as hard jolts pummeled her. She heard ripping sounds and something pounded her hard in the back of her head.
Chapter 3: The Outpost
“I think she’s coming around,” a soft voice said with the same funny way of saying words as Old Tom.
Lexi opened her eyes and winced at the light. Her head hurt and she felt sore all over. A woman came into focus. Sheets of dark hair fell from either side of the almost white face.
“It’s about time,” a gruff male voice said. She saw a man’s face appear. His coloring matched the woman, but he had short, blond hair and a scruffy beard.
Lexi sat up from the bench she’d been resting on. Her surroundings made her think she lay in the belly of another metal monster. This one was more crowded and cluttered, and it smelled different too, stuffy and sweaty. Chests, canned provisions, and many other strange things filled the space, barely leaving room to move.
“Scoot over, Maggie. I want to talk to her,” the man said.
Maggie didn’t budge. “Give her some time, Adam.”
“What happened to Tom?” Lexi asked.
“If you mean the old guy, he’s dead,” another male voice said.
Dead? Tears burned at Lexi’s eyes, but she blinked them back and tried to show discipline in front of the strangers.
Adam turned toward the new voice. “Hey, Devon, you don’t suppose that’s Tom Gault, do you?”
Lexi caught sight of the other man now. He had a clean-shaven face just as pale as the others. His wavy, black hair was neatly parted in the middle and he wore a light shirt with buttons down the front, the top couple undone.
Devon furrowed his brow. “Who is Tom Gault?”
“He’s that rich guy who they say actually got an ancient transport working and flew off toward the day-side. It has to be him, probably tried to home in on the same beacon we did,” Adam said.
Devon shrugged. “That transport sure as hell won’t be working again. Still, damn good luck picking up his distress signal. The power-core from that bird still has half its energy, that’ll pay for this expedition.” He nodded toward Lexi. “And we got her too, never seen anything like that skin before; she must be a day-sider. Exotic, young, and pretty; we’ll get something for her.”
Lexi peered at their pale faces in turn, confused. “A marriage price?”
“Sure, that’s right, Sweetheart, a marriage price.” Devon laughed. “She’s got one hell of an accent, doesn’t she?” He turned toward Adam and the laughter died. “Get the crawler back to the outpost. I’m not ready to give up on that place.”
Adam slipped through a narrow passage and disappeared from sight while Devon came over to Lexi. He leaned down and smiled.
“What’s your name, Sweetheart?”
Something in his eyes made her nervous, but these people had saved her and she should be respectful.
“Lexi,” she said softly.
With a groan, the whole room shuddered and started to vibrate.
“Well, Lexi,” Devon said, ignoring the commotion. “We’ve some work to do before going home. Once we get there, I know a nice man we can… marry you to. Understand?”
She nodded.
“Good.”
Devon turned toward Maggie as a hard jolt made them all sway. “She’s a mess, get her cleaned up. I’m going to make sure Adam doesn’t wreck this bucket.”
Halfway into the slim exit, he turned to Maggie again. “Find out if the merchandise has been sampled.” He disappeared, leaving Lexi alone with the other woman.
Lexi watched Maggie go fetch some water and a towel. She felt more comfortable being with her than the men, but she missed Old Tom. This time she couldn’t hold back the tears, and she felt them streaking down her cheeks. The judgment of the clan leaders had taken away her true father and mother further back than her memory could go. Now the sky spirits had taken Old Tom away from her too. What have I done to make the spirits hate me?
“What’s wrong Lexi?”
“It’s Old Tom, I liked him.” She realized what she had said, and quickly added, “Not that I dislike you and the men.” The truth was that she didn’t especially like any of them, but to say so would be disrespectful.
Maggie wiped at her face and arms. “Where do you come from?”
“Clan-hold 47.”
“What’s that?”
“A habitat in the desert,” she used Old Tom’s description, and it made her cry even more.
“Did you have a man back there?” Maggie finished cleaning, and Lexi watched her rummage through a trunk.
She finally managed to stem the tears and wiped her nose with her arm. “Like a husband?”
“Sure, or a lover.” Maggie brought over some clothing.
“No.” She didn’t want to explain being a third-born daughter. Maybe they wouldn’t let me have a husband if they knew.
“Let’s get you changed,” Maggie said.
Lexi took a nervous glance toward the narrow passage. “What–”
“They won’t come back here until we stop.”
The other woman helped her undress, taking off the stained and torn travel robes. “I think we may just throw these away,” Maggie said.
Naked and cold, Lexi quickly sorted through the strange new clothes. Maggie pulled an article from the pile. “Start with these.”
“Have you–” Maggie’s question died when Lexi turned her back to don the undergarments. She felt a cool fingertip trace a line down her back.
“Where did you get these scars?” The other woman’s words came soft and slow.
Lexi felt her face heat, and wanted to lie, but that would be wrong. “From my father’s lashings.”
“Oh.” The other woman paused for a long moment. Maggie helped her finish dressing: a skirt, a blouse, and a sturdy vest with two columns of buttons running down the front. Then, she looked into Lexi’s eyes intently.
She spoke in a whisper and Lexi had to listen very hard to understand. “Devon isn’t going to find a man to marry you; he’s going to sell you to… some bad men. But don’t you worry about that, I’ll help you get away before he can.”
More than the words, the expression on Maggie’s face scared her. How bad were these men? Lexi nodded.
“Don’t try to run away until I help you. It’s very dangerous out here and there’s nowhere to go. Once we get back home I know people who can help you.”
“They’ll keep me away from these bad men?”
“Yes, they will.” Maggie put her hands on Lexi’s shoulders and glanced toward the passage the men had disappeared into. She talked in a low conspiring whisper. “It’s important you let me help you, there aren’t many people who can be trusted where we come from. Do you understand?”
Lexi nodded. She didn’t like the sound of these people’s home, but Maggie would help her. Devon had already tricked her, and she felt sure Maggie wouldn’t need to do it too.
“Good.”
After much bouncing and jostling, they came to a stop and the men returned. Devon turned to stare at Lexi and she lowered her eyes reflexively.
“She cleans up real nice,” Devon said. “Get us something to eat, Maggie.”
“Get it yourself,” she shot back.
Devon shrugged, and then smiled. “Always worth a try.”
He took a step toward the back of the small chamber, but stopped and turned to Lexi. “You go take care of it, Sweetheart.”
Lexi fell into the chore almost by reflex. Their provisions appeared the same as Old Tom’s and, after a little hunting, she had a meal for each of them and cups of water.
“Thank you,” Maggie said when Lexi handed her a plate. The two men said nothing.
“What’s the plan? We’ve been in that ancient outpost once, nothing’s there,” Adam said over the clinks of metal utensils.
“Something is keeping that beacon going,” Devon said. “We’ll be sitting pretty if we can get another power-core. That’ll be two and the… marriage price. Hey, Maggie, you find out what I wanted to know?”
“She’s never,” Maggie replied.
“I’m kind of disappointed; I wouldn’t mind having a sample myself.” He gave Lexi a hungry smile. “But it’ll mean a bigger price, maybe a lot bigger.”
Devon’s expression made Lexi’s stomach churn, but she kept the feeling out of her face. She gave him a small smile in return—no less deceptive than the ones she gave her father while her insides quaked with fear. Nobody knew better than her how to remain respectful no matter what emotions roiled under the surface.
“I don’t know,” Adam said. “Selling power-cores is one thing, but…”
Devon turned on him. “What do you think will happen if we just turn her loose, Adam? You think a wild day-sider like her is going to end up working in a damn factory?” He laughed. “We’ll make some money and she’ll go high class, maybe some high-flier will want to keep her and she’ll live better than you or your sister,” he glanced at Maggie, “can dream of.”
“I guess you’re right, Devon,” Adam said.
“I’m always right.” He turned to Lexi and held out his empty plate. “Clean up, Sweetheart.”
Without hesitation, she got to work collecting the plates and cups. But being ordered to do chores felt different somehow, no longer comforting. Old Tom had told her to do things, but she never felt it had been under threat of punishment. She felt a threat in Devon’s tone she didn’t like. Lexi pushed back the rebellious thoughts; she had to keep her discipline.
Devon and the others got out a pair of lanterns and pulled out a rifle and some smaller guns from a chest. She spied Old Tom’s weapon before they closed it, and a lump formed in her throat at the reminder.
“You take the rifle, Adam,” Devon commanded. He handed one of the smaller guns to Maggie. “Take a revolver. Keep sharp, there are nasty beasties out there.”
“Sweetheart, you’re coming too, take this.” Devon held out a lantern for her.
She hurried over and took hold of the handle. “Good girl.”
Adam handled the door and they rushed out into the pounding rain and shrieking wind. Lexi dared a look back as she ran with the others. It was another metal monster, only bigger and lumpier than Old Tom’s flying one.
They hurried into a door hidden by plants. Once again, Adam opened the door and closed it after they went through. Maggie helped to light Lexi’s lantern to reveal a round corridor with the same smooth, white surface that Lexi remembered from her home.
“Let’s go,” Devon said.
The corridor went on for a long time before spilling out into an open space. Lexi’s lantern fought against the darkness, but it gobbled up the light before the flickering illumination could reach the walls.
“Where to?” Maggie asked. “We’ve been all over this place.”
“Yeah, well that beacon means we missed something. If Adam hadn’t picked up that distress signal from the transport, we would’ve stayed until we found it,” Devon said. He took a deep breath. “Let’s go back to the upper level.”
He led the way with Lexi next to him to provide light. They came to a set of metal stairs and climbed. Lexi’s sandals made little noise but the others wore heavy boots and clanked as they walked. A distant noise came from behind her–something thudding against something else. The others didn’t seem to notice; maybe they didn’t hear it. More likely, they know it’s nothing to worry about; they’re clever people and wouldn’t want me bothering them. She stayed disciplined and kept quiet.
An opening to another white corridor was near the top of the stairs, and Devon directed them into it.
“Shouldn’t we try someplace new?” Adam asked.
“I have a theory,” Devon said.
Up ahead, Lexi saw a dim light. Her heart trembled as she imagined what might be waiting for them. The lantern in her hand stayed steady despite her fear; she’d been given a chore.
When they reached the end, she saw the light came from little dimly glowing glass panels near the top of the wall. Not counting the hall they exited, two corridors led away from the empty room. The chamber appeared to measure about the same as a dwelling’s living space, but there were no furnishings of any kind. Lexi didn’t like it, why would nobody be living in a shelter like this with the rains providing so much water?
“Where to, esteemed leader?” Maggie asked. Lexi caught the disrespectful tone in the woman’s voice. She had used that tone once with her father, and he had made her pay dearly for it. Any man in her clan-hold would be furious if a woman addressed him like that.
To Lexi’s amazement, Devon didn’t react. Instead, he pointed to a small opening near the top of a wall. “There’s some light coming from that, so there has to be something in there.”
Lexi saw Adam give her a sidelong glance. “You’re thinking the day-sider is skinny enough to fit?”
“See,” Devon said, “you’re not as stupid as you look.”
He turned to Lexi, “Put down the lantern, Sweetheart, you’re going to do something for me.”
She did as he said, and he took out a piece of paper from a pocket. “You’re looking for a round door about this big,” he made a circle with his hands, “and colored red with this,” he pointed to the symbol on the paper, “on it. Got it?”
She nodded.
“Good girl.” He turned to Adam. “Help me get her up there.”
Lexi moved over to the wall and peered up at the dim light coming from the small hole. The thought of squeezing into a small space didn’t seem so bad–no worse than a hiding spot–but, this looked really narrow. She jumped when Devon came up behind her and placed his hands on her waist. “Up you go.”
The two men gave her a boost. One of them ran a hand under her skirt as he gave her a foothold.
“Look at those legs,” Devon said. “If she gets the power-core for us, I might be willing to take a hit on our profits.”
Lexi scrambled into the opening, just managing to fit through. A narrow shaft let away, thankfully lit by dim lights.
“Maggie, stay here with the girl.” She heard Devon command from behind her, his voice sounding faint. “Adam and I might as well check out the rest of this level while she’s in there.”
“Hey, what was that sound?” Adam asked.
“It was nothing. What? Are you afraid of ghosts now?” Devon replied.
Lexi heard a bang on the wall behind her. “Hey Sweetheart, we don’t have forever here. Get crawling.”
She turned her attention ahead and saw that the shaft opened into something a good distance away. The passage squeezed around her too tight to crawl, so she wriggled forward like a snake.
It opened into a very small room, not even tall enough to stand in. Wires, cables, and lights covered the walls. Old Tom would have liked this room. No, she shouldn’t think about him, that would only make her sad and she had orders to follow. She needed to be disciplined and get her work done like Devon had told her to.
What would happen if I didn’t obey him? The thought tantalized her, a little thrill traveling up her spine. No, there was something about Devon that reminded her of her father; he’d make her pay. Maggie will help me run away and I’ll never have to worry about my father or Devon again; she’s not afraid of him.
Lexi hunted around the little space and spotted it, a round red door with the symbols Devon had showed her. Excited by her find, she struggled to turn around, she needed to go back and tell them. Her knee banged into something followed by a hiss. The red door had opened, and she saw a handle behind it.
Biting her lip, she tried to decide what to do. She felt sure they’d want the thing with the handle, and she didn’t like the idea of wriggling back again. With a hard yank, the object came free and the lights blinked off.
“What happened?” She heard Maggie’s voice travel down the shaft.
“I’m coming back!” Lexi yelled.
In the darkness, she examined the object she’d pulled out. It felt like a cold, hard cylinder about the length of her forearm, but twice as thick. She pushed the heavy thing in front of her as she wriggled through the narrow way toward the flickering light of the lantern.
Halfway there, she heard a scream followed by two sharp cracks. Gun shots. The sounds were followed by thumps, one more scream, and ripping noises. In the distance, she heard a man yelling Maggie’s name.
Lexi stayed frozen in the tight space, trying not to breathe. Something bad is happening and Maggie is in trouble. She gathered her courage and struggled forward as quickly as she could; Maggie might need help.
Another crack echoed; this one further away. A man screamed.
This time Lexi didn’t stop. She pushed the heavy object ahead of her until she reached the end. Now she had a problem; there wasn’t enough space to move herself past the cylinder, but she didn’t want to drop it to the floor and make a loud noise. She took a strong grip on the handle and scooted forward, holding onto the cylinder as she pushed it out the opening.
The weight hurt her arm but she managed to get far enough forward to see into the room. Near the opening, the lantern still flickered where Lexi had set it on the floor. In the dim light, she saw fresh, red blood glistening. She pushed out a little further and the sight made her gasp. What used to be Maggie lay in a heap of mangled clothing and shredded flesh. Startled, she slipped and the heavy cylinder pulled her down.
Bang! The object slammed into the floor below, followed by Lexi. For a moment, the room swayed as she recovered from the impact.
Rapid, padding steps came from one of the hallways leading away from the room. The pain in her shoulders and head vanished, driven out by her thumping heart. She sprang to her feet and snatched the lantern before sprinting to the passage that led to the stairs.
At the end of the corridor, she turned back to see sleek muscle, fangs, and eyes that glowed in the flame’s light. Lexi hurled the lantern to the floor of the passage with all her strength. Oil and fire burst out from the impact to fill the narrow space. Without looking back, she pelted down the stairway to the big open room, the way lit by the fire above. Errant flames had caught her skirt and she ripped it off when she reached the bottom of the stairs. More loud cracks echoed from behind her, but she ignored it.
