Stolen

ARDAXUR

Walking through the common way of Coror, there is an overcrowding that tricks me into thinking I am far from home. The weather is warm as the spice-filled air swirls around me.

The sensations, noise, and scent make me miss the cold crispness of the world I was raised on, though I was there recently before coming here.

The Cororians, a darker blue than those of my world, are starting to leave the common areas as the binary red stars begin to plunge this side of the world into darkness.

I look up to see that the gas nebula, which is brighter on my world of Sool-Urwa, is still visible here regardless of the lights from the civilized zones.

I continue past the occasional looks of unease that those of Coror still hold for many from Sool-Urwa. Our last war may have ended long ago, but time can only do so much.

If I had my work clothes on, I doubt they would look at me with such unease.

Seeing my destination, and hopefully the end of my vacation before returning to my ship, I find our reserved table and wait for Torgan.

The last time I saw him I was boarding his ship, ensuring that he was following standard universal law and not transporting anything restricted.

While each planet has its own laws and no one would ever dare to interfere there, the universal law applies to all common areas.

And because no planet wants to divert their own resources, they all pay to outsource enforcement of universal law to my agency: Universal Enforcement.

Most of us are there because we’ve seen too many deplorable situations and lives ruined from some of the worst planets. Others are there because they get paid better than any non-law-abiding agency. But everyone enforces what is agreed upon in all standard contracts from all planets.

Many times we simply ensure that biohazardous goods are not transported between worlds.

I look out at the overabundance of lights and think of Roskier, knowing that sometimes those in my work will see and experience devastation. His entire species was the victim of a planet-wide elimination a very long time ago.

The few survivors that were left were then sold into slavery, which is almost unheard of. I have never myself met any species that was once a slave.

He was by my side as we were part of an entire agency-wide fight to ensure every single being was freed. Our ship stayed in space, and I with it, but he was part of the ground crew; he has never been the same.

After freeing them, every being responsible for the enslavement of that species that was involved was executed to ensure the harshest stance. No one has dared since.

No one has ever claimed that my agency is weak or useless. If governments do not like our stances, they do not have to pay for us to help them or protect them.

I see Torgan approach, his hair a silver while my species tend to have white hair. “Torg, I haven’t heard from you in a while. I assume something has happened to your profits?”

He was the one who asked for me to meet him here, and as he climbs in, our table is enclosed as we ascend to see the city below with the nebula above.

He smiles. “It’s good to see you, Ardaxur. I’m certain my profits will increase since your ship is being serviced.”

We look at each other challengingly before breaking, smiling genuinely now. “Can’t a friend miss lengthy conversation with an old friend?” he asks as he stretches his arms out.

I take a sip of the fermented Sursk, allowing the pungently bitter taste to swirl around in my mouth. “I suppose they can,” I look at him sideways, “if they didn’t know each other for so long.

But I know you, and you need something.” I look at him knowingly. “Besides, you’ve always contacted me with our bioware and have never asked me to meet you on your planet.”

I know him enough to know that his twitching lips mean I am correct, as I see his teeth glint in the light. Their teeth are longer than ours now, another subtle telling of the differences that used to not be present.

While my skin is a pale blue, his skin is a dark blue color. Living on the planet in our system closer to the suns has affected them differently than those on my planet, as we are the planet furthest from the suns.

Interestingly, our origin planet, which is between our two worlds, still has much more diversity than both of ours.

War happened, and as they tend to do, all three of our worlds changed in such drastic ways—a war that left three planets isolated after so many generations of space travel.

By the time we gained our independence from being planet-bound again, it was similar to interacting with a different species and not our own.

Torgan, who has become his usual self again, frees me from my thoughts.

“I think some of my crew from a ship that is docked here on Coror are stealing from me, and possibly even transporting goods that could get me into trouble.” He waves the thought away, lost in thought himself.

“I’m hoping it’s nothing. The last thing I need is to be the merchant company known for spreading the next case of stellar pox because we were transporting some unknown being with some unknown contagion.”

I snorted. “I don’t think they call it stellar pox anymore.”

“Call it whatever you want,” he grunts. “If it travels between the different species, to me it’s stellar pox. I don’t care if your bio division can cure it within a week of discovery, it’s a week of torture and pain.”

I rub my horns, wondering where this was going.

“Look, you need transport back to your ship, and the vessel is going near there. This way you don’t need to pay and you can do this favor for me...and be the hero,” he says in an annoying tone.

I scowl at him, “I’ve held my position for a very long time, Torgan. You know I have never cared about the opinion of others.”

“That’s what makes you perfect for this,” he exclaims with too much animation.

“They don’t know you, and as long as you don’t wear anything that indicates your position, no one will notice.

Honestly,” he continued on though I was only half listening, “if they are smuggling plants that harbor this and you don’t go, I’ll make sure they name the next case of stellar pox after you.”

He didn’t even have to threaten me. As much as I wanted to enjoy my ride home, I knew that sometimes the best way to catch someone was not to board them and announce your arrival.

He was right, it didn’t matter if the bio division of Universal Enforcement could cure diseases within several daylight rotations. I’d had the last case of stellar pox, and the pain was stamped in my memory.

***

After finding my room and accessing the secure communications on the ship, made easier because of Torg’s help, I decided to get some fermented Sursk.

He thought that me acting violent would encourage me to be tossed in the cells, which were where many of the imported goods were.

Securing my weapons within the hidden compartments on myself, and then using my shielder to make it look like there was nothing there, was the only smart thing to do.

I needed to be prepared in the cargo area as it was guarded, though I was hoping to not be caught.

The cargo area was probably filled with exotic animals that I’d have to listen to when I am there. Some of those animals make noises that induce nightmares, literally.

It’s a defense mechanism. While not all species are as affected, mine is.

I reach the common area and sit, ordering several glasses of Sursk. It isn’t cheap, and Torgan is paying for everything.

I smile as I take long pulls of the bitter liquid, telling myself that if this is how I end my vacation, I will have a bit of fun.

After my sixth drink, one for each finger on my hand, I realize they must have diluted this drink.

Even if I don’t find the next biological agent, I definitely was going to fine them for this. I was agitated, and this seemed like the best way to be where I need to be.

“Hey, you!” I pretend to be out of control, yelling with my usual deep voice and giving a menacing growl.

“Did you urinate in this drink? Is this how you dilute all your product?” I stalk over to him, keeping my head down and eyes looking ahead.

I was both impressed and annoyed when he immediately hit the panic button, and three guards came to hold me down. I didn’t want to hurt anyone, but I could still keep them up on their skills.

I don’t need to struggle, because my bioware works with my body to increase strength when needed.

Nonetheless, I put enough strength and weight into them to make them fall on the way to the cargo hold. I didn’t want them to think I wanted to be here.

I had also been keeping my bioware a more translucent color so it wouldn’t stand out against my skin.

There is artwork and beauty to the technology that helps enhance my body, but sometimes I have to hide how advanced it is compared to the common types.

The bioware available to my agency was superior to any other. If they saw it, they’d know I would be able to easily escape.

One of them starts growling in their planet’s tongue, which I could still understand because of my implant, but pretended I couldn’t.

She was telling me she’d be putting me in with another screamer, and see how much I liked to be screamed at.

This didn’t sound good, and I braced myself. I hoped whatever animal they threw me in with wasn’t going to be too aggressive, or smell worse than my bioware could filter out.

Coming to a stop, I laughed at their attempts to make me go in but allowed them to shove me in. It was fine. I wasn’t going to stay in here long anyway. Just long enough to look around.

The animal they shoved me in with was huddled in a corner. At least I wouldn’t have to worry about it being aggressive. Unfortunately, it did smell and was filthy.

Shaking my head and looking away, I was disgusted that anything was forced to live in these conditions.

I had been standing and staring for too long, upset because I could still hear that they were too close for me to get out.

Occasionally I look behind me to make sure it wasn’t going to attack, only to see it slowly walking up to me. It’s bipedal, though I can hardly see many features with the filth present.

It sees me flinch away, stops, and sits down. I try to keep it calm, not wanting it to hurt me, or itself. We stay this way, myself using Universal to try and soothe it, and non-Universal to curse my luck.

The animal watches me the whole time. It looks similar to some of the other hairier animals across from this cell. They must be from the same planet.

“Hello.” I hear Universal spoken behind me in a mechanical tone. Turning around immediately to see the animal—is it an animal?—staring at me.

I almost fall in shock, realization slamming me in the face as my rage takes control of my body. I can feel the blood surging through my horns, causing pain and anger. This is not an animal.

While some animals have been known to mimic, they do not have devices and use translators, and they do not look at me the way this being is looking at me.

“How long have you been here? Do you understand me? Have you been stolen from your planet?” I ask it, my voice barely holding my ire inside.

I’m having a difficult time coming to terms not only with what I am seeing but how I initially reacted. I don’t want it to see me to be just as bad as its captors.

The frustration in its eyes shatters any control I have, and I know my look of horror radiates throughout.

I’ve never been this close to a captive sentient being, and I never thought I would. This is a slave. This is beyond my comprehension.

It talks into its device, and the voice it uses, though the words make no sense, is soft and delicate, but there is excitement there.

I think “it” is a female. The thought of what they could have planned for her makes me want to shove my head into the wall.

The device speaks in the same tone. Some type of translator? Most are implanted, so I’ve rarely seen something like this before. Is it hers? Are her species intelligent enough to make them?

“None comprehends I. This translator I made. Help I. I am trapped. I cold, hungry, strength diminishing.”

As the words crash into me like a rock hurtling through space, I hate myself for not seeing her sooner, and I hate what this being is going through. My anger is palpable, and I don’t want it to scare her.

Her translator needs better access, but how did she even make that? How intelligent is she? Such a large part of me is hoping that she is barely even sentient, but I look into her eyes now, and I see it. I see her.

I go to the invisible barrier. “Hey! Get over here now!” I start screaming for someone to come let me out now. I demand it. But no one does. She speaks into her device again, sad, but furious just as I am.

“Not matter. No being will come. Apologies for angering you, I have been here so long. I must try. Myself taken from home world.” She looks away as it speaks, I see shame.

What she says is almost too much to listen to, and watch. I never thought I’d have to witness this. “They say I'm an animal. I'm not. Are you as they are?”

No, no, the idea that any being thinks of me as someone who would do this forces me to go to her side, kneeling in front of her. I try to stay calm, but it’s too difficult.

My body shakes in anger and rage. I feel betrayed that someone I begrudgingly call a friend allows this to happen on his ship.

The muscles in my body tense, demanding action. But there is none, so they are forced to do nothing other than quiver as I point to her device, indicating I want to speak into it.

I do in Universal, telling her, “I am nothing like them, and would never do something so despicable.” It’s interesting to hear Universal spoken in her language.

Universal was made to accommodate many species and their abilities to make noises, so the noises and sounds are not difficult, but also not beautiful.

Her language seems soft, and there aren’t enough soft languages in this universe.

I look into her eyes—there are only two, such as with my species. Two eyes is more common than the four or six that some species have.

The emotions in them are more expressive than the broken Universal that she attempts. I see relief, joy, and a determination so fierce; I can’t see how I ever saw anything other than this lovely being.

But expressive eyes are not enough. She needs to know how to communicate. Though I am now torn regarding her captors. If they find out she is intelligent, there is no way of knowing if they will do foul things with her.

Have they? Will they kill her to ensure her silence? Suddenly my plan to escape and gather information about a very curable stellar pox is so insignificant it doesn’t even bother my consideration.

I need to get her out of here. I need her to learn Universal. And I have probably no more than a day or two to start this before anyone really bothers us in any meaningful way.