The basement of the grand house seemed to be given over completely to the slave business.

Twenty-Five led her to a guard station with one bored-looking soldier, sitting at a desk. He was one of the red-skinned aliens, tall and bulky like the goons who’d captured her. Vi tensed in aversion.

The soldier glanced up, and he had the same black, beedy eyes, so common on this planet. “Hey, two-five,” he said with a smile. “What have you got for me? This the one causing all the hub-bub?”

“Yes, Krayath. Lady Vardon would like you to run a records check on any of her markings. I’ll return in a few minutes with my findings.”

The man glanced over at Vi. He had a slightly sad look on his face which Vi was surprised to see. Of course, why should all of them be the same level of horribleness. But if he really felt so bad, how could he work here?

“Yup, I’ll be here,” Krayath said. He reached under his desk to press something and went back to typing. A door ahead opened to reveal the slave quarters beyond.

Once the doors slid closed behind them, Twenty-Five looked over. “That one is all right, but be careful. No one can be trusted, no matter how kind they seem. There are eyes for her Ladyship, everywhere.”

Vi nodded her head and looked around. It was a large room, broken into glass-walled, smaller rooms which lent no privacy, but at least gave the illusion of different areas. The one exception was a room directly in front of them. It seemed to have real walls and a door, giving it the appearance of privacy.

Twenty-Five gestured to the door. “This is our medical/processing room. You are not allowed here without an escort.” He turned back to face the main door and waved at a small camera Vi hadn’t noticed before.

Vi heard a click from the door ahead, and Twenty-Five reached over to open it. So, the guard outside monitored and controlled all comings and goings from this horrid place.

“Don’t get excited by the walls that seem to give this room some privacy. Everything here is monitored by cameras, but they did not want this area as easily accessible or viewable to the other slaves.”

The room was set up like a mini-doctor’s office. There was a long counter, a sink, medical supplies in several cabinets, and a large bench chair, complete with stirrups.

Vi took a deep breath and shook her head.

“Let me have a look at you. See what I have to work with.”

He rooted around in some cabinets and pulled out a tablet.

“Let’s get your weight, height, all of those basic items.”

It was weird to watch him holding the tablet with two of his hands, but yet he could also direct her with his other two hands.

After that was done, he said, “Sit right here. Let’s see your markings.”

“I don’t have any of those. My Master didn’t want to brand me.”

“But surely, the ones he bought you from did.”

“His crew, they were the first to get me. He didn’t have them brand me. I have markings from my home world though, but they aren’t from being a slave.”

“That would be very irregular, but okay, let’s see.”

Self-consciously, she showed the leaf at her wrist and slid her dress to the side, to show the one on her collarbone and the other on her shoulder blade.

“These appear artistic. What company do they represent?”

“Only myself. I wasn’t born to this. Merely… stolen, I guess.”

“Okay, take off the robe, so I can verify, then you can put on our more typical garments.” Noticing her pained look, he seemed to take pity on her. “Most of the slaves, here, have no reservations at this point. Let’s get this over with, and you can get dressed.”

Vi did her best to strip. She covered her breasts with her arms.

“Underwear, too.”

Vi’s face colored as she removed the last of her clothes.

He looked her over, almost as clinically as a doctor, even turning her head around to check her hairline and behind her ears. Next, he made her open her mouth, so he could inspect her mouth with a flashlight. “Close your eyes.” After a moment, he said, “Open.”

“You can get dressed now. You seem to be telling the truth. Master will be very pleased that there is no paperwork to sort out. You are designated as Eighty-Three, here. You will answer to that name only. Let go of any other names, or declarations, that your previous owner called you.”

He made a few notations on his tablet.

“We’ve paired you with Seventeen. I will take you to see her. Study her behavior and make sure to emulate it as closely as you can. If you want to be comfortable here, you will both depend on each other’s compliance. I expect you will do your best to learn quickly and quietly, to save her from repercussions as much as possible.” He eyed her. “I will let the Boss know that you are untrained. Perhaps, she will decide to train you properly, once things are sorted with your old Master.

“Now, tell me about the other slaves on board. Can you draw or describe their markings?”

He handed her the tablet, but Vi shook her head.

“My Master kept me apart from the slaves, almost from the moment I was brought on board. I slept and lived near his quarters.”

Vi tried to keep her answers as brief and as close to the truth as possible. She knew at any moment that a conflicting lie was going to pop out of her mouth.

Twenty-Five shook his head. “That should be enough. Here, let me fix your face. Close your eyes.” He sprayed a cooling mist on her face. “It will help with the bruising. In an hour, they won’t even be visible.”

He led her out of the room and down the hallway to the glass-walled slave pens. It was the best way she could describe them, each filled with several slaves of all different alien species, males and females of various colors, shapes and sizes, and extra or missing appendages. Their outfits did little to hide their bodies.

“This Master of yours, did you know his crew or ship name?”

“I can’t remember ever seeing or hearing it.”

“But yet he implanted you with a translator?”

“He wanted me to be with him when he went land-side to show me off to potential customers. I guess he wanted me to be able to converse with them, but really, I think he didn’t like me to be far from him, in case he needed something.”

“All that, and yet, he didn’t train you?”

“I think they were just creating a route, so perhaps they hadn’t gotten that far yet.”

“Seventeen, a moment, come here.”

One of the slaves stood up and came forward. As the woman walked, Vi noticed an almost ethereal quality to the woman, almost as though she floated over the floor. She was a very pale yellow and almost unnaturally tall and thin with a long neck. She had two antennas that grew out of the top of her head, and wide, unblinking eyes.

The woman knelt on the ground.

“Eighty-Three, you will observe her posture and obey in all things. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Seventeen, you will provide Eighty-Three with remedial training. I’m not sure, at this time, how long she will be staying. Do you understand?”

The woman nodded her head without looking up.

“Good. Eighty-Three, take your place in Seventeen’s cell. Forty-Five and One-Hundred-One, you’ll be needed upstairs to assist by now.”

Two women got up from the ground and left their cells.

Seventeen pulled Vi into her new home and went to the floor with bowed head.

Vi did her best to copy it. After a few minutes, she heard the sound of the door closing behind Twenty-five and the others.

“You can get up now,” Seventeen said. “Let me help you with your outfit.” Her voice was light and musical, and it sounded as though she held back a laugh. “You need to tie it this way instead.” She adjusted it with gentle hands, so that it fit under Vi’s chest better.

“How did you end up joining our number, little one?” Seventeen asked.

Little one? Vi was so used to being the tall one in most groups that it seemed funny to hear anyone call her that. But yet, the young woman’s torso was so long and thin that Vi barely reached her shoulders.

Vi groaned. “The Master, here, stole me from my Master. Were you also stolen from your Master?”

Seventeen shook her head. “My people, the Yuulestians, are prized amongst the slavers. My mother was a slave, and I’m sure her mother before that. When she turned twenty-eight, they mated her in quick succession, and she bore five daughters. Then they discarded her. I only know there were five of us because that was my designation with the First Master, and my mother was no more after that.

“Her daughters… we were all sold to different companies by the time we were eight. Sometimes, companies like to keep sisters together for the kink factor, but in our case, no. My race is very expensive, too expensive to keep together.” She gave a pained look. “Maybe it’s better. Easier not to know your sister is the one screaming in the other room during the training. Easier to imagine one of them found a nice Master.”

“I had a nice Master; I really liked him, in fact. He will come back for me, whatever the cost.”

Seventeen smiled, a gentle smile that pierced Vi’s heart. It held no hope or expectation, only deep acceptance of whatever came.

“That must be nice,” the woman said, a faraway look on her face. “Maybe when he comes to buy you back, he would wish to add me to his collection? It would be nice to go to someone who is as you describe.”

Vi stared at the door of their little prison. She could picture Haze flying through the air, freeing them all. She would never be so happy to see anyone.

She laid a hand on Seventeen’s arm and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Don’t worry. My Master will take one look at you and not be able to bear leaving you here.”