Chapter Four: Choose
Everyone was tense that next morning.
Something had changed when they'd come to take Nathan, and now no one knew what was going to happen next. Where was he taken to? Why wasn't he back yet?
There were too many questions and not enough answers. What was worse, there was no way to get answers, short of demanding them, and Abby was fairly certain that no one was going to do that. It was for the best that they kept their heads down and tried not to attract too much attention to themselves.
Breakfast was eaten in silence, and everyone shifted nervously when they were brought their food, almost like they were worried someone else was going to be taken. But no one was. The food was delivered, and they ate, whispering amongst themselves about what they thought was happening.
The problem was, there was no precedent for something like that. Alien invasion was high on the list of things they needed to worry about in this day and age. Mass shootings, fire, and weather phenomena were what they were prepared for, so there was nothing to fall back on with this. Nothing to tell them what to do next or what to look out for. They were pioneers in this respect, though none of them seemed to think it was anything like an honor.
The hours after breakfast were quiet and people started to calm down some. At least until another guard marched his way in and pointed to Abby. "You will come with me," he said and moved to open the door.
Her heart climbed into her throat.
The last thing she wanted was to be singled out. There was safety in numbers, but once she was led away from the group, who knew what would happen to her.
It took her some time to move, and the guard made an impatient noise that was more melodious than it should have been. "Now," he said.
Abby didn't make him ask again.
The room she was brought to was large and mostly empty. It was also beautiful, just like everything else. The carpet was a rich crimson color and seemed to be covering a floor made of marble. The same marble that made up the walls and the arched ceiling from what she could see. It was a pale, ivory color, and shot through with strands of smoky grey and gold. Windows were carved into the walls, allowing her to see that it was daytime. As there were no windows in the prison room, she hadn't known what time it was for days. This was...overwhelming. At the head of the room was a dais, and on the dais was a throne, and that served as the only furniture that could be seen. Abby cocked her head to the side, confused. Who even had a throne these days? What was this?
No one was seated on the throne, but the guard who had brought her dropped to his knees as soon as they were within ten feet of the throne. He prostrated himself before it, arms stretched overhead and forehead touching the carpet. Abby continued to stand there, perplexed.
Why had she been brought here? What were they going to do with her?
For a long moment, nothing happened, and then a door that she hadn't noticed opened in the wall that was behind the throne. Silence reigned and then the most beautiful woman Abby had ever seen stepped through and into the throne room.
She was tall and willowy like all the others, but her hair was wound up onto her head in a fiery red mass, a few tendrils allowed to escape and cascade down her back and around her face. Where the rest of her people had rosy skin, she was alabaster pale, and it made her red lips and hair stand out even more. Her eyes were the same gold, and Abby realized that she matched the room perfectly.
She was swathed in white, the silken looking cloth draped over her body in a dress that went over one shoulder and down to her feet, leaving only one shoulder and arm bare, as well as an expanse of her throat.
Abby had never been attracted to women before, but she couldn't deny that this was the sort of woman who would do it for her.
If it weren't for that whole keeping her captive thing, of course.
She was also the kind of woman who made other women feel frumpy and unglamorous beside her. She was barely in the room good, and Abby already was more conscious of her torn and dirty clothes and the state of her hair.
The woman wore no crown or circlet, but it was clear from the way she carried herself and from the way the guard was acting like she was the second coming of Jesus that she was royalty. Perhaps she was the leader of these people, and Abby was about to get her answers regarding why they were all here in the first place.
No one spoke, and the guard didn't move as the woman walked sedately to the throne. When she stepped up onto the dais, one white foot was visible, all delicate bones and creamy pale skin. She made herself comfortable without a word and then turned those lovely eyes onto Abby.
"You are fortunate, human," she said, and god, even her voice was beautiful. It was lower than she would have expected, but throaty and melodious. A wonderful alto sound. "Not many get the opportunity to gaze upon my visage." She lifted a hand that was heavy with rings and gestured to the guard. "Even my own people do not look upon my face."
Abby realized she was expected to say something in return, but she was drawing a blank, so she just stood there with her mouth closed, unsure.
When several seconds went by without her saying anything, the woman sniffed disdainfully. "I should have known you would be a simpleton. I do not think you're up to this task, mind you, but I have been advised that you meet certain...qualities that would be helpful."
"Helpful with what?" Abby blurted out.
The guard winced from his position on the floor, but didn't move from where he had prostrated himself.
"It's alright, guard," the woman said, waving an elegant hand. "You can inform her of her ignorance."
The guard lifted his face, but only to look at her, not at his leader. "You are addressing Caran Theolette," he hissed, as if it should be obvious.
Abby gave her a blank look in response to that. She gathered that it meant something special, that this woman was worthy of respect, but she didn't understand, and honestly, she didn't care. Caran Theolette, whoever she was, had imprisoned her, and the last thing she was going to do was bend a knee to her. "I don't know what that means," she said boldly.
The guard winced again.
"It's alright," Theolette said, waving her hand once more. "We cannot expect cattle to understand when they are in the presence of their betters."
She bristled at the 'cattle' comment, but kept her mouth shut. This woman was clearly powerful, and Abby didn't want to be killed right here.
The woman leaned forward on the throne and continued. "A Caran, human, is a position of power. It is, in fact, the highest position one can reach in our society. It means that I am in charge by virtue of my power and standing. It also means that I command respect from everyone below me." She again gestured to the guard whose face was back in the carpet.
"I see," Abby said. "Uh...Your Majesty?" she added, trying for respect just enough that she wouldn't get on this woman's bad side.
"Hm," Theolette sniffed. "It will do. Now, as I was saying, you have been selected to help us. You see, we don't really want your people dead. That would be a waste of your particular talents, and if there's one thing my people detest, it's waste. If a species or race proves themselves to be too much trouble, then we eliminate them, but until then, we keep them. Use them. Give them purpose. Do you understand?"
She understood that this woman was probably talking about turning humans into servants or slaves or something, and she wasn't into it. "Yes," she said. "But I don't understand what you want from me."
"Well, of course you don't. Humans aren't really 'bigger picture' sort of people, are they?" Theolette said loftily. "There will undoubtedly be people coming after us. Others from different planets who will seek to save this miserable planet from our clutches. You see, there are some who think we're the root of all evil and will stop at nothing to defeat us. Usually to their detriment, but we allow them to make that choice. When they get here, they will want to speak with humans. They'll want your help to rescue your people. As such, I will be placing humans who are loyal to me with these outsiders. You will report everything that happens back to me, and do what it takes to keep them from succeeding."
Abby furrowed her brow. She wasn't sure if she was missing something here or if Theolette was really just that stupid.
"What makes you think we'd report to you?" she asked. "Wouldn't we want the others to save us?"
That didn't throw Theolette for a second. Instead, she smiled, revealing pearly white teeth that, for just a moment, seemed sharper than they should have been. But it must have just been a trick of the light. "Because, my dear," she said. "There is no way they will win. No one has ever defeated us, and many, many have tried. Even if they all came together with all their power and attacked, we would win. And if I found out that you humans weren't holding up your end of the bargain, the bargain being that you do as I say and I don't destroy you and everything you hold dear, then this planet and everyone and everything on it will be reduced to nothing more than dust floating through the galaxy. Have I made myself clear?"
Abby swallowed hard. Theolette's voice hadn't changed tone at all from the pleasant, lofty one she'd started with, but the threat was still apparent. This woman meant what she said, and could probably do what she said, too. And she'd chosen Abby for this.
That was just great.
Abby agreed to the proposal. Of course she did. Saying no was really very obviously not an option, and she didn't want to see what they would do to her if she was to tell them that actually, being some kind of secret double agent for the people who were hurting her and her kind didn't sound awesome, it just sounded like a good way to get killed.
But Caran Theolette was clearly one who expected to get her way all the time, and Abby didn't want to burst her bubble.
"Tell no one," was the last thing the woman had said to her, before she was clapping her hands and getting the guard to take her away. She didn't follow that up with a threat, but Abby was pretty sure she didn't have to at this point.
Tell no one. Got it.
When she was lead back to her cell and pushed in unceremoniously, everyone was staring at her. It was the same thing that had happened when Nathan had gotten called in the day before, only Nathan hadn't come back.
With growing horror, Abby realized that they must have made the same offer to him, only he'd clearly turned it down. And they'd killed him for it. Probably. That was the only thing that really made sense, and she didn't know where else he could be. Unless he'd agreed to do what they wanted and they'd already sent him out to do Theolette's bidding.
Her heart was still racing from the chilling look that had been in Theolette's eyes when she'd been dismissed, how it had really driven home every threat she'd made in the empty throne room. Now, Abby understood. Most throne rooms she'd seen on television or read about in books were overloaded with fine things. Tapestries and jewels and other symbols of power. But Caran Theolette didn't need any of that. She didn't have to use any props or trappings to display her power. She just was powerful in every way, and it was terrifying.
"What happened?" whispered Tiffany, one of the women in the cell with her. "What did they want?"
"Did you see Nathan?" asked one of the men. "He didn't come back last night."
People on the other side of the room were leaning forward, craning to see her and hear what she had to say. The guards didn't move from their spots, but Abby knew they were all listening, and that they would report back to their leader if she spilled anything they didn't want her to. The pressure was incredible, and she swallowed hard.
"I didn't see Nathan," she answered, because at least that was the truth and she didn't have to make anything up, which would at least buy her some time to come up with whatever she was going to say to their first question. "I don't know what happened to him."
"Probably mouthed off to the wrong guard," Tiffany said. "That's so like him." In the five months they'd been in the same cell together, they'd had time to get to know Nathan pretty well. His mannerisms and attitude, at least.
"You think?" the man asked. "And what would they do to him?"
"What do you think they did to him?" Tiffany fired back. "What are they going to do to all of us?"
Maybe the conversation would turn from her, and she wouldn't be called on to say anything else. Maybe they'd run with their theories and ideas for a while and leave her alone.
"Maybe she knows," the man was saying, pointing at her. "Abby, right? What happened in there?"
Or not.
"I..." God. What was she supposed to tell them? "I met their leader."
A hush fell over the group, and Abby saw the guards leaning in closer. They had no visible weapons, but she wasn't taking any chances.
"And what happened?" Tiffany prompted, obviously impatient.
"They...it was...you know. Intimidation stuff. Threats. Stuff like that." Still not a lie.
"But why?" someone wanted to know. "What are they threatening us for?"
"I don't know. It seemed like...like she just wanted me to know that they could kill us. All of us and everyone we've ever loved on top of that. Just so we'd stay in line or something. I don't know. We didn't do a lot of chatting. Just me standing there and her making threats."
That seemed to satisfy the group, and they broke off into pairs and trios to whisper amongst themselves. One of the guards caught her eye and arched an eyebrow before inclining his head. Clearly, she'd done alright.
What happened next, she didn’t know. These creatures had some kind of a plan in mind, something that would destroy whoever came against them, but the real question was what that meant for the humans and the planet Earth.