Attack Ships, page 4
part #2 of Starwing Elite Series
I was reduced to a small speck of matter that faced the unknown universe. I saw the stars born and die. All the time the very thing that made her a monster happened to me. It went on for eternity. I wanted it to end but it wouldn’t.
“Make it stop!” I howled to the archons that ruled the skies. “You can stop it now why do you let this go on curse all of you for this living hell may you burn to ashes and never know any reality stars make it all stop!”
I felt the thing that had tried to probe me before, but this time it jerked away on contact. It no longer wanted anything to do with me. I was contaminated by something so terrifying that even it was afraid.
Fire burned at my skin and I watched the layers peel away. I smelled the burning flesh as one of Precious’ victims begged her for death. I felt the joy inside her as she watched another die from thirst. I tasted the blood in my mouth as a pimp beat her with an iron bar. How had she survived this long? Why was this allowed to happen?
But through it all, I felt her inner part, her very soul scream out in pain. This was the pure part, that true self that no abuse or horror could ever touch. It was covered by a cloud of dirt that gave it the wrong information. The outer shell made her the monster she became. I reached out and grabbed what humanity was left and pulled her toward me.
She was safe now, but we’d all be dead soon. I felt the fires burn away my flesh that remained.
I saw Captain look down at me. She extended a hand and I took it with what remained of mine, afraid the remaining skin would slip away. My other burning hand held tight onto Precious’ soul.
Sophia pulled. Hard. I began to see light. The light of her face.
And then all was darkness again.
4
"You see?" Captain told Precious as she stroked her face. "It's not so bad when you do it with someone you love." Precious curled up against me and cried. I could feel the tears on my chest. How long had we been lying here?
What remained? What was inside this little woman that the world destroyed? Or was she really dead inside? Captain had pulled something out. I hoped it was the golden nugget of what she was, not something fake. At this stage, I really didn't care. We'd survived the drug, I didn't know how.
"You could've killed us both." For the first time since I'd known her, I'd looked on Captain in a different way. This was the person I'd trusted to get us through so many times? Who was this woman?
Captain leaned back on a pillow and looked at the ceiling. "Relax, Corwin," she informed me. "I never gave you the drug. Or her. Both of you were safe all along."
"What? If you didn't give her or me the drug, what happened? I saw things inside myself I didn't even know. I saw the true nature of Precious. What the hell?"
She rolled over and looked me in the eyes, not more than two inches away. "You always had the ability to go deep into someone's mind," she informed me. "I knew it from the tests and what I've seen. You needed a push, I provided the motivation. Now, that you've seen your inner self and this woman who is so in love with you, do you understand?"
I did.
"It can kill me," I replied. "I feared death for the first time and this is what it took."
"Correct. We need Precious to stay with us. She's awakened something in you, and I have a feeling that we are going to need that gift someday very soon. Things are changing in the universe, even Goat Squad is spooked, and they won't tell any of the captains what exactly is brewing out there in the darkness between the stars. Something is coming Corwin, and it is clear that Precious is important for your development. However, I can't have her here if I have to worry about her killing someone the first time I turn my back."
I looked down at Precious and stroked her hair. "What about her?" I questioned Captain. "What did it do to her? Will she remember it all?" I needed to know what remained of the killer who'd done in so many people.
"She'll remember," Captain told me. "She may not know what to remember, but none of it will ever leave her mind. I couldn't let you go to deep without losing the both of you. You'll remember it all too."
"She's healed?" I asked.
"She's fixed perhaps," Captain responded. "You can never heal someone like her."
"How did you manage to do all this if you didn't use black mirror?" I wanted to know. Precious' small form felt light on top of me.
You're not the only talented one on this ship, Captain's eyes said to me.
Stars and stones, I thought in return. I never suspected.
And you never would've. Having the talent is only a gift if you know when to turn it on and off. Keep it on too long and you'll go mad. I suggest you block it right now.
I closed my eyes and ignored her images. It wasn't that hard. Almost like turning down the volume on an audio feed.
"Both of you can use my quarters tonight," Captain told me as she leapt off the bed. "You don't need an elder in here while you're busy. I suspect the two of you have a lot of catching up to do." She leaned over and kissed Precious on the cheek.
"It's the first time you've ever enjoyed it," Captain told Precious. "Try to let him sleep between rounds." She walked over to the door.
"You are in with the training class tomorrow," Captain informed her. "No more after tonight until you pledge into the pack." The door closed behind Captain.
I don't think I had three minutes of sleep that night.
When we reported in for the morning assembly, Precious and I received some strange looks as she scampered over to the training class and stood with them. No one said a word as Captain was already at the podium when we arrived.
"Last night we made the jump into the Delios system," Captain began. "I'm sure those of you who were awake felt the pulse. It's where we'll be until this drug cartel situation is under control. Like the rest of you, I feel the sooner we get back to our primary function, the better."
"This is the current status," she continued, "and we're not the only ones hunting down drug smugglers." I saw everyone's eyes widen.
"Last night the Grand Marshal of the Orders informed me that there is a pirate ship going after the drug cartels. It's robbing the ships they use and blasting the production facilities from orbit. No one knows where this ship came from or why they've decided to hunt down the Black Mirror people. All we know is that It's called the Thunder Horse."
A hand shot up in the back. It was Vienna, one of the other medics.
"Sounds like the pirates are fighting on our side, Captain," she spoke when called upon. "Why are they considered a threat?"
"Because they don't care who they kill on the way," Captain replied. "I'm not talking the Horde’s methods here, the pirates don't even care whose ships they hit. Last month they took out three UDF corvettes when the navy tried to contact them. I don't know who's inside that pirate ship, but we have to assume they'll kill us just as soon as they'll kill the cartels."
A murmur went through the assembly. We'd dealt with pirates on the outer rim before, but none that killed without reason. Pirates are pirates because they are in it for the money, it did not make sense that they were on some kind of vendetta. There had to be an economic reason behind it, perhaps in-fighting between cartel factions.
I closed my eyes and thought about the vision I had about the pirate ship. It was the same time that the other intelligence reached out and probed me. I'd found myself on board the ship, but unable to do anything about it. Then I faded back to where I'd been before the dream kicked into operation.
The sound of captain speaking faded away and I felt my mind drift. I tried to keep her warnings about blocking receptions in mind when I entered the assembly hall that morning. There were all manner of thought impressions in that room, but I could filter them out to the point where they wouldn't bother me. I felt the confusion about Precious and myself from the women. The men were more curious about me and what happened between us. Even without paranormal abilities, they all new we'd had an assignment together that previous night. It didn't make sense because Precious wasn't part of the pack and relations between packmates and outsiders were forbidden. Captain would need to address their suspicions.
Prior to last night, I’d never been able to probe this deep. It was all changed.
I felt Precious mind. She stared at me from behind and I could feel her focus on me. There was such sadness and confusion inside her. She still throbbed with last night's love, but didn't know how to respond to it. Up until the previous evening, sex equaled pain to her.
But it was the pirate ship that pulled me away from them all. I concentrated and sent my mind across the system to locate the Thunder Horse. It was far enough away, but still in the same solar system. We'd meet very soon. I needed to be ready. I started to panic, hyperventilating, and I needed to do something to shut that down before anyone noticed.
Without realizing exactly what I was doing, I began the meditation Goat Squad had shown me. Soon out of the haze of errant thoughts and darkness I found myself upon the pirate ship, the vision I'd had before becoming a beacon that led me back. I could see the crew for the first time. There were seven of them. All women, but the same black cloud swarmed over each of them I'd felt around Precious. It wasn't as bad on them, I don't think very many people alive had the same level of contamination Precious had known. Still, it was there, the busted shards of damaged souls. However, the captain of the ship wasn’t around, her soul I didn’t know this time.
I watched them run routine tests on the ship they commanded. It was easy to tell which ones were in charge, but not what their responsibilities were. They dressed flamboyantly. I noticed one with a top hat that had feathers in it. Another had silver pierces in her nose. Yet another had her top off; the star tattoos around her nipples were visible. They certainly had the look of pirates.
It wasn't until I saw the code tattoo on the thigh of one of them that I realized that these women were former UDF sex workers. I didn't want to probe too deep, because it might alert someone with the ability to notice I was there. A woman who starred into a screen jerked around when my mind floated past her.
None of them had suffered the same level of abuse that created Precious, but some came close. I blocked the residual memories of a gang rape from my mind as I probed into one woman. She had long, braided hair and wore leather clothes. The woman turned and looked up at my conscious. I could see the anger and teeth, filed sharp, in her face. This was a very dangerous woman.
Another one of them smiled at a pleasant thought. I tried to probe her, but I backed off when I saw what she had done with a knife. Not as gruesome as the average horror inside Precious' skull, but close.
Then I noted the religious imagery inside the ship. What kind of gods did these women venerate? I expected ones of vengeance, but I did not find them. I noted some votive lights in the back of the master control room. I drifted over to look at a small altar.
It was made out of a mixture of recycled metal and wood. Around the main image were many smaller ones, each of the same general idea. Wax covered the base of the altar, left over from the countless dripping of candles. I didn't see any writings or any text on it. Whoever made the altar didn't seem to think it necessary.
The central figure was of a creature with a lion head. I couldn't tell the sex of the figure until I looked between Its legs and saw a very erect phallus. The main body wore metal plates, which I assumed to be some kind of armor. One hand held a spear; the other was raised in the manner of a blessing. Or curse, It's hard to tell the difference when you don't know the iconography.
It might've been made of silver. I couldn't tell, as there was no way for my mind to probe an inanimate object. I watched one of the women remove her boots and walk up to it barefoot. She kneeled and rocked back and forth. I couldn't hear her prayer, but it wasn’t in Galactic. It made no sense to me. The black cloud around her mind seemed to regenerate from her actions.
I probed around the rest of the ships bridge and saw similar icons and medallions that swung from shelves and piping. Most of them appeared to be handmade, although I'd never seen their designs before.
I had no idea what they represented, but the images were powerful to these pirate women. There were many different faiths in the UDF and surrounding territories, but none that I know that worshipped a god with the face of a lion. Why the lion head? Lions when extinct millennia ago on Old Earth. They were only known from the videos taken before the Great Migration.
"I feel it too," I heard one of the women speak. I changed my field of vision.
I found myself in the presence of a tall woman with dark hair. It was hard to tell her race or origin from the many scars on her face. What radiated from her was damaged indeed. This was their captain; the woman I’d met the first time I encountered the pirate ship.
She could feel me again, so I left, not at all feeling prepared for conflict in this form.
I blinked and found myself back in the assembly. Not one second had elapsed between the time I left and the time I returned. The pack was still in assembly formation. I felt the questioning thoughts about me but blocked them out. Captain still faced everyone behind her podium.
"And another thing," she continued. "We'll have to deal with mercenaries. That's right, real mercenaries. I know the UDF admirals tend to look at us that way because we fight for the pack. As of today, we have to work with people who fight for their purse." A grumble arose in the room.
"Just watch what you say around them," Captain spoke to us. "I don't want any fights breaking out between the mercs and us. We shouldn't have to deal with them on an individual basis, but one never knows, boarding actions can get messy. The Grand Marshal requested separate battle formations for Order ships and everyone else. I expect his request will be honored, as I'm certain all the ship captains demanded it from him. However, if it gets serious out there, and I expect it will, the UDF Navy will have to deploy us any way it can. Should that happen, we may have to form ranks with these soldiers-of-fortune. I'll let everyone know if this happens, but there may not be much in the way of warning." More grumbling.
Once again, I felt Precious. Her attention was on me. We needed to have a talk. I don't know how much she'd absorbed from the pack, but the only special arrangements allowed on the mothership were between parents of children raised on board. I remembered her desire to get pregnant by me. I hoped the mesh between our minds had streamlined these desires. If she wanted to be monogamous, things could get awkward very fast.
I turned and looked at her. You have just me, my eyes told her. Every other man on this ship will share you too. That's the way it works. Captain will decide when and if you get to sleep with someone. That is the bargain of the pack. Do you understand?
All the men? The eyes sent her images back to me. Oh, I like that.
Ok then, monogamy not a problem. I actually felt jealous for the first time in ages.
I turned back to Captain. At least that problem was out of the way. I felt something fill the room and couldn't identify it. Then it struck me that Precious was the source of it.
Love. Precious was in love with all of us. What the hell? Captain had done this? I looked at Captain behind her podium. She was silent.
No, Corwin, Captain's eyes told me. You did this. Both you and her. It took your talent to pull her out of the hell where she was imprisoned. I was the guide. She'll latch onto every one of us. Precious will fit into this ship very well. She'll make all the men happy. The women too. I must work Precious into the schedule the moment she pledges. Now stop drifting off and pay attention.
"And one final thing," Captain spoke to us. "There is a matter that needs to be addressed." She looked back across the hall and found what she sought.
"Precious," she called out. "I want you to come up here." Captain motioned to her.
I sensed Precious was caught off guard as she padded up the podium. Precious still wore the shift we'd dressed her in before leaving Captain's quarters. Captain returned that morning to get her cleaned up and dressed. I knew she'd appear before roll call to make sure we would be at the assembly. My legs wobbled a bit as Precious walked by. She turned and looked at me. The last time I'd seen that look Precious was with me in the shower.
She joined Captain at the podium and looked at the rest of the pack. There was still an air of confusion from the whole assembly. They knew who she was, but there were rumors that Precious had a past beyond the Roka when we captured her.
Captain reached out and took Precious by the hand. "You all know about Precious," Captain began. "You all know she was part of the Roka cell that tried to kill us. You all know she was given to us as involuntary tribute by the UDF when we left Ove Station. You've seen her around and wondered what I would do with her, as captives are usually traded off ship. Now, I want all of you to see something."
Captain reached down and pulled the shift up to Precious thighs. I'm sure I wasn't the only man to spontaneous get an excited when this happened. However, the big reason to reveal her shapely thighs was to show what was missing.
The ring was gone. I hadn't even bothered to put it on her that morning. Not that it ever did make a difference.
"Our customs might appear barbaric to those outside of our circle, but the Orders learned long ago to waste nothing. There is redemption in utility for those captives once our enemy," Captain explained. "I spent the night with her and Corwin. She is no longer the Roka hostile we was when first she boarded.”
There was plenty of truth in that statement. I prayed none of my packmates ever leaned what kind of monstrosity Precious was when we captured her.
Captain let the shift drop and turned to the small woman by her side. I expected what would come next.
"Precious," Captain said to her. "What say you?"
There were a few seconds of silence. Then she spoke in a sultry voice that charmed us all.
"I want to pledge," she spoke. "I want to become part of the pack."
I was right.
The silence in the room told me all I needed to know. Finally, a hand went up.
