The Broken Peace

Tasso lost track of time since he was brought aboard. When he woke up, he could only see a sparsely apportioned gray room with a solid metal door. The only human contact Tasso had was an opening big enough to slide a food tray through to give him his meals three times a day. When he finished, it opened again, and he handed the trey to whoever was on the other side. The person on the other end of the door never spoke, no matter how much he tried to communicate.

His days consisted of sitting in his confined space. Tasso passed the time best he could, exercising and reciting poems and movies that he remembered. The silence was nearly intolerable. The routine of his day never changed. The only way he could tell if it were night or day was when the lights came on in the morning and dimmed when it was clear his hosts wanted him to sleep. Otherwise, every day was like the last.

Finally, after what he believed was a week, the door to his cell opened after his morning meal. A man in an officer’s uniform walked in and motioned for him to follow. Tasso left the cell and noticed the two other guards waiting for him. They escorted him to a compartment with shower and dressing facilities. On a bench just outside the shower was what appeared to be a white uniform. The compartment was otherwise empty.

“I am authorized to tell you that we will arrive at our destination soon, and you are to bathe and put on that uniform,” the officer in charge told him.

“Just where are you taking me?” Tasso asked in response.

“That information is classified. You are instructed to clean yourself and put on the uniform. All other information is restricted.”

“And if I refuse?” he asked, confident that he already knew the answer.

“Then these two men will force you. Conscious or not.”

Tasso threw his hands up sarcastically, “Fine. I could use a bath anyway. Got a towel?” The officer only pointed to the shower area. Shrugging his shoulders, Tasso stepped into the shower. The water never reached above lukewarm as it flowed down his body. Looking over his shoulder, he noticed the two men were still watching him. “You guys enjoying the show?” he called out to them. He could not help but laugh at that.

After finishing his shower, he dressed in the uniform and was escorted back to his cell the way he came. It struck him odd that they did not pass any other personnel either on the way to or back from the shower. He reasoned that maybe the ship had a segregated area where they kept prisoners. Then again, they could have kept the crew away from this area just because he was here. Either way, he found it strange that he did not see anyone else.

When they returned to his cell, the officer opened the door to admit him. He then told Tasso that they would arrive at their destination in a few hours, and he was to be ready to depart. Tasso resisted the urge to tell him that he did not have anything to pack. The door closed behind him as soon as he stepped into the cell.

The guards were not lying to him. He did not know how long precisely had passed, but the door to his cell opened again. Three guards came to the door and ordered him to exit the cell. Again he resisted the temptation to make a joke at his host’s expense. Walking down the corridors again, he saw no crew or guards other than the three that escorted him. Eventually, they reached a hatch that opened into the hanger bay. He saw that the ship he arrived in was being prepped for launch. Again he made his way up the ramp and was seated inside the cabin.

Looking around, he spotted the blonde-haired woman he had arrived with days before. Seeing her, he could not help but remark, “Good to see you again. You look lovely in that uniform. Not as flashy compared to what I was used to but still, you wear it well.” She made no response. “Come on, nothing? At least tell me if there’s an in-flight movie on this thing.” Again she made no response but took the seat across from his.

“You know this is a little awkward. You know my name, but you haven’t told me yours. Is that some Krypteia thing?” Again, she did not remark or even acknowledge his presence. Two more men dressed in the uniform of the Krypteia boarded the shuttle shortly before the entrance ramp closed. “You know you guys have much to learn about courtesy when you have a guest. I got to say I may have a few complaints to make to the manager.”

“Lieutenant Sutter,” she finally spoke, “would you please do the honors?” She fished out the black stun device that Tasso remembered so well. Before he could even raise a word in protest, Sutter pressed it to his chest; that was the last thing he remembered.