[Danny]

*sigh* okay, you've talked me into it...

this next chapter is EVIL, and i apologise in advance for it.

CHAPTER 27

The revelation of Quiss’s relationship to me was so surprising, that I forgot all thoughts of escape for the next week or so, but there was one incident, on one afternoon during our third week, that reminded me of the importance of escape, stiffened my resolve, and renewed my hatred for our master.

Vint, Ulp, Yan, and Rixx were out checking the nets, under Marlik’s Supervision. Quiss was sleeping fitfully on his bunk, and the rest of us were trying to sleep as well. I must have managed to drift off, because I was woken up later by the slam of the cell door.

“Shh! Stupid bastard!”

“Sorry.”

I rolled over slowly, to see two of the BB Slig guards walking among the slaves, looking them over. They seemed to be heading roughly in the direction of our corner. I watched them, still half-asleep, so I felt no fear. I couldn’t work out what they were doing at first, then I realised that they were looking over all of the females. One of them paused over Laur.

“What about this one?”

The other stepped back beside his companion. “Naa, have you seen her eye?” He walked forward again, then paused, turning back to the other slig. “I don’t know what you’re doing here, anyway, I was the one who caught the escapees.”

The other slig tensed up slightly. I saw the tendons in his neck stand out; he seemed to be preparing for fight or flight. “We both helped!”

“Well, he said I could have the reward. So don’t expect any.” He turned and continued looking over the female slaves. I almost gasped when he paused over Hap. “I like this one.”

His comrade approached and stood by his side. “She’s young. I don’t think she’s been had before.”

“Ooh, a Fresh!” The Bigbro made what I had learned to recognise as a slig smile. “It’s always painful, their first time…” He bent over, reaching his hand out to the sleeping child.

The other frowned. “Couldn’t I go first? You had the last Fresh!”

The hand paused. “I told you, you don’t get any!” He swung the hand round, catching the other slig a strong blow to the face. The other slig looked surprised, and tensed his arm, but then seemed to think better of it, and turned, exiting the communal cell. The first slig froze for a moment, before turning back to Hap, who had been awoken by the noise, and was looking up at the huge form over her. Intense, pure fear radiated from her eyes, and the slig revelled in it, and chuckled. “Now, you’ve seen this happen to the others, so you know how it works.” He grasped her by the shoulder, pulling her up into a sitting position.

She shivered. “No…”

The slig chuckled. “Now, I’ll have to pretend I didn’t hear that.” He pulled her body closer to his, into a standing position. “And you, my dear, will have to pretend you never said it!” On the word ‘said’, he swung his hand round, slapping her hard on the side of the head, knocking her to the floor.

I looked around, amazed that people were managing to sleep through this. To my horror, I saw that no one was actually asleep; everyone was lying awake. I was amazed and shocked that no one was trying to stop the events unfolding before them, or even showing serious disapproval. Gil lay on his side, looking bored as much as anything else. Laur wore a look of wearied but tolerant disapproval, as if the bigbro was an errant child disobeying its parents once again, and she was sick of admonishing it. As for the other nearby slaves, they were watching with emotions ranging between mild concern and – some of them – genuine enjoyment, as if the rape was a circus performance out on for their benefit. I shuddered at the thought.

The slig managed to tear off Hap’s ragged clothes, despite her feeble attempts to resist him. He was desperately fumbling for the catch on his pants. I decided that, even if no one else cared, I at least would not allow this violation to take place before my eyes. I stood quietly, although Hap was making quite enough noise to drown out any that I made. Sneaking quietly up behind the slig, I attempted to harness the part of me that had already killed eight people. Nothing. It was as if the Killer didn’t exist within me. The bastard had deserted me when I needed him the most.

I realised that I would have to do this myself. My hands snaked around the slig’s throat. He was confused at first, then he became angry as he realised what was happening. I managed to pull him off Hap before he threw me from his back. Turning, he swiped his hand at my face, drawing three thin lines of blood across my cheek. As I fell, he returned his attention to the prostrate child. I glanced around desperately for some kind of weapon. As I looked around, my eyes met with those of the other slaves, but all eyes were averted as I met them. I was angry, furious at them for leaving Hap to suffer at the hands of this monster, not even following my lead in trying to save her.

My eyes fell on the slig’s huge pants. Reaching down, I hefting the pants above my head and brought them down on the head of the slig. I hoped that it would knock him unconscious at least, if not kill him. Unfortunately, he seemed to be made of sterner stuff. He did fall off Hap, looking up at me in surprise. As I raised the pants over my head once more, he rolled out of the way, and began dragging himself towards the exit.

“I will have you soon!” He called back, I assume, to Hap. “And you needn’t think you’re getting away with this!” This was probably to me. With that, he pulled himself out of the doorway, and locked the door behind himself.

I crouched beside Hap, to comfort her. “It’s okay… You’re safe now. He’s gone now. You’ll be okay.” I put my arms around her. She shuddered at first, considering the circumstances of her latest close physical contact, but then relaxed as I gently rocked her backwards and forwards. I looked over her shoulder at the other slaves. Those who would meet my eyes were staring in disbelief at what I had just done. “I don’t know what you’re staring at. You’re the ones who should be ashamed of yourselves! Were you just going to let him do that to her?”

Gil looked down guiltily. “It happens a lot here.”

“And that’s okay, is it? Hap’s just a child, for fuck’s sake! She’s only a quarter of your age!” He wouldn’t meet my eyes. “We have to get out of here! For fuck’s sake, we’re working for someone who lets his guards rape us as a reward!”

Snat looked up at me. “Where would we go?”

“What about the natives? We could find a village and join them. Or found our own; we have enough people.”

Laur didn’t bother to sit up. “How would we get there then, if you’ve got this all sorted out?”

I paused. “Well, we just get out of Carthag, and walk. This place isn’t far from the Frontiers; it wouldn’t take us long. Or we could steal one of the ships; there aren’t many guards.”

There was a long pause; then Snat seemed to voice what they were all thinking. “They’d kill us. We’d never get beyond the main cell doors!”

“No, we would. There are over two hundred of us, and only two guards on duty at once!”

“Yeah, but they have GUNS!”

“And what about the people who’re working now? Do we leave them behind?”

I ignored Snat, and replied to Laur. “Obviously, we’d escape at night, when we’re all here.”

Snat was insistent. “What about the guns?”

“Well, I’m sure we could –”

“YOU!”

The argument ceased, and all heads turned to the doorway. The Bigbro who’d tried to rape Hap was framed in the light of the corridor. This time he carried a large machine gun. Which was pointed at me.

“Get your ass over here now! And bring the girl!”

I looked from Hap to the slig. If I disobeyed, he was likely to kill me and take Hap anyway, whereas if I went with them, there was a chance that I might be able to stop him again. I crouched down beside Hap.

“It’s going to be alright,” I whispered, “I won’t let him hurt you, it’s okay…”

“Hurry up!”

I pulled Hap to her feet, and helped her to walk to the door. As the slig grabbed us roughly, to drag us away, I glanced back at the desensitised faces in the cell, and almost cried.

[ July 03, 2001: Message edited by: Rettick ]