Beyond the Rim

Over the next few days, we planned. If our captors were watching, I doubted they knew what we were saying, and probably thought it was just some obscure language. They didn’t bother us at all during that time; we got all our food from the alcove. That was just fine with us.

But on the third day, they came for us. Vane walked in briskly. Behind him lumbered that one-man squadron, the seven-foot Seethe.

Rock stepped in front of me, as if to shield me from them.

Seethe brought his gloved hand down on Rock’s shoulder, and he slumped to the ground.

Then he came at me. I backed into the wall, but Seethe touched me, and I felt a swift electric prick, and collapsed into unconsciousness.

I woke up, alone, hanging from my wrists along the wall of a white room much like the interrogation room, but without any torture devices that I could see. When I stood up, it took the weight off of my wrists, though it was uncomfortable having them just barely above my head.

Before I could fully recover consciousness, the door opened and Vane walked in, tapping a black stick against his palm.

“Hi,” he said. “Kavanau is training Rock; he is partial to him, as are Ranior and Kaza. I, on the other hand, lean towards you. Rock has that raw rugged power, but your face suggests character, sensitivity. Some don’t like that; they don’t want a thinking slave. But, to me, that makes it more intriguing—someone with an intellect trapped in a body that belongs to another. Even as-is, you are by no means inferior. You may not have been much in life up till now, but you will become a fascinating slave, a centerpiece that any well-bred home could be proud of.”

Above all, I hated the gaze of his gold-flecked brown eyes as they studied me. Ranior’s eyes had a hint of lust and possessiveness; Kaza’s had more than a hint; Ed was matter-of-fact about whatever he wanted. But to Vane, I was reduced to a commodity. Something that only had value if he said it did. Not intrinsic value, but mere monetary value, as if I didn’t have a soul. Or as if my soul didn’t matter.

He touched my jaw, looked at me critically as if sizing me up. Then he said, “This room is a training room. If you try to attack me, it will stun you. If you refuse to do what I ask, it will punish you. At the end, we’ll put together what the room records and see if we have enough for a full holodemo. If not, we’ll do another session, until we have enough material to play for our buyers.” He undid the shackles. Pangs slammed through my shoulders as I brought my arms down. I was mostly healed, but I did not want any more pain; I would do what he told me, within reason, especially since I didn’t want to mess up our escape plans. We wouldn’t be able to escape if we were injured. “Survive to resist,” Rock had said in the code-language.

“Now,” said Vane, holding up his two-foot long black stick as if teaching me, “we’ll start with something simple. Please walk in a circle around the room.”

I did so. I tried to turn my mind off at this point, just do what he said, not feel anything. He told me to run in a circle, and walk in a straight line.

Then he told me to lie down. I lay back onto the floor, eyes closed, just hoping this would be over soon.

“Now, take off your robe,” he said. “Try a little acting here. Do it seductively, as if for a client.”

“Hell no,” I snapped.

I crawled to my knees, but before I could get to my feet, a shock jolted me backwards. I slammed into the floor, my neck twisting as I landed.

Vane knelt beside me. “That is what happens when you don’t obey. You’ll have to learn that.

“Take off your robe.”

My head still spinning, my neck aching, I slowly undid the knot of the sash, and stopped.

My half-numb fingers fell to my side. “You’ll have to do it yourself.”

Vane sighed, shook his head. “You want to make it hard on yourself, we can make that work to our advantage as well.

“Restraint mode.”

At first I didn’t know what he meant. Then, a weight pressed down on me, pushing me into the floor. I tried to move, but couldn’t.

Vane tugged the robe out from underneath me, and I was completely exposed. I closed my eyes. I had to pretend that I wasn’t there; it was the only way to get through this.

“As you can see, he is a superior specimen in all respects. Look at that muscling along the torso, there against the ribs. Look at those clean elegant lines. And if you want length and performance, he has it.

“Spread.”

The floor pulled my legs and arms until they were stretched to their limit. Pain ate around my joints.

“Here you can see even more the beauty of this one, a classic picture of perfection. The strength in the shoulders, the powerful legs, the clean-limbed athleticism. He would be a versatile addition to your household—an ideal companion, a magnificent server, a gorgeous worker. Or if you would like to add a little something, just ask! Minimally genhanced, he can be customized any way you desire. As-is, he’s pretty spectacular, though, isn’t he? His red hair is gen-natural, by the way. He is a specimen from the outer colonies of the Core worlds. A former student, he is able to converse on many subjects, if that is what you want. An exotic, sensitive slave for the discerning connoisseur! This one has it all, a one-of-a-kind slave who will give you exactly what you desire.”

Vane looked down at me. “All right, that wasn’t so bad. We can work with that; the holoprogram can fill in the blanks.

“Restraint off.” The pressure slid from me like a cloak. I crawled onto my hands and knees and grabbed my robe, dragging myself toward the edge of the room while trying to pull the robe back on. In a daze, my face suffused with heat, shame overwhelmed me. The sash finally tied again, I huddled in the corner against the cold wall, while Vane spoke into his com.

Hatred tore through me. I hated Vane with all my heart, a burning visceral hatred that merged with the hatred of Kaza for what he had done to Rock. I barely even realized I felt this, until I returned to my room, and the red haze began to fade from my eyes.

Rock sat down beside me. I didn’t even know he was there until then. He grasped my shoulders, a concerned look on his face.

“Are you all right?”

I tried to catch my breath. “We have to get out of here, Rock.”

Rock looked away, face pained. “I know. We will.”

“When?”

His blue eyes caught mine. “Tonight.”