Cami

I paced in my room as the harsh sun faded to a light red shadow.  Fear was my only companion as my mind raced with possibilities.  There were only two possible outcomes: it would go as planned or go horribly wrong.  I’m not going to lie, I was scared shitless.  Images of the other females in the fight club… that could be me.  With all the promiscuity on this planet, there was no doubt that the sex industry was alive and well. I felt certain that it didn’t have to be consensual either.  

My hands shook slightly as I picked up the cloak that laid across the pallet.  “Get ahold of yourself,” I scolded.  When I caught my reflection in the mirror, I froze.  The terror shined brightly back at me and I didn’t like it, not one little bit.  I stood up straighter, lifted my chin and schooled my features.  The first thing we were taught on Earth was to show no fear.  No matter how scared you were.  And that’s what I needed to do now. 

I needed to change my attitude, believe in myself.  It had always worked before.  “You can do this Camilla Ryan.”  I took a deep breath, blew out my nervousness, steadied my hands and slipped my arms through the sleeves of the cloak.  Oddle had altered it for a perfect fit.  The hem fell to the top of my shoes, and the sleeves almost covered my hands.  The hood was large; it not only covered my head, but it drooped down in front, helping to hide my face better.

Time to go.  I grabbed the gloves and headed for the main room where both Munic and Oddle waited for me.

“Cami, are you sure you want to do this?”

I faced Oddle and smiled.  “I’m sure.”  I could see the worry in her eyes when she nodded.  I turned to face Munic.  “Don’t worry, everything will be fine.”

“Please be careful.”  He held out his hand, revealing the coins.  I chose the one with the least value and plucked it from his hand.

“I will.  Just like last time, I may not be back until tomorrow night.”

“We will be here.”

I covered my face with a thin cloth, slipped on the gloves, and with one last glance at my friends, I headed into the night.  The final rays of the sun disappeared, blanketing the planet in darkness.  A little light shone in the distance as the drudges of the planet sprang to life.

I’ve left.

Be careful, stick to the plan.

The stars were in the wrong place, but I still smiled.  Thinking about getting home spurred me forward, gave me the drive to complete the mission, and that’s the way I thought about this.  A mission I needed to complete to move forward.

I will.  Just don’t get killed first.  I felt his amusement.  How strange.

Don’t worry about me.  I will win.

Good, because I’m betting a lot of money on you.  My lips tipped upward with his deep sounding chuckle.  That voice made my insides quiver with want.  Only a day ago, I thought him dangerous.  Now?  I considered him an equal, someone who would help me.  A friend, someone to talk to and I craved conversation with him.  Sexy… I wouldn’t go there.  Just because his voice made me feel things forgotten long ago, well, I wouldn’t think about that.  Are you trying to lighten the mood?

Can you tell?

Only a little.  Don’t worry, I know what needs to be done.

I’m not worried.

Bullshit.  I can feel it.  Immediately, his worry disappeared.  How did you do that?

He chuckled, low and sexy in my mind.  I don’t know what you are talking about.

Don’t play coy with me.

I walked with determination, watching as one foot stepped in front of the other.  The lights from the distance grew, illuminating more objects around me.  I tried not to think about what kind of things might lurk in the darkness.  I had enough on my plate.

When my nerves started to fray, I thought of mom and dad’s smiling face.  Not only did I want to tell them I still lived, I wanted to tell them---tell everyone---shout it from the top of my lungs that life on other planets existed.  We were not alone in the universe, only in our galaxy.  

I walked on.  The streets became more crowded but I kept my head down.  When I entered the fight club, I said, I’m here.

Place your bet.  They are about to lift us to the rink.

My hands trembled with the adrenaline rush.  Good luck!

It is not needed.

My lips twitched when I heard his arrogance, but I hoped he spoke the truth.  I didn’t look around, just walked straight to the back wall, and made my bet.  I inserted the one coin, and then changed it to sixty credits.  If winning with twenty would pay for one person to get off this planet, then sixty credits should cover the four of us.  When I retrieved the card, I took my first look around.

Even though I’d seen it before, my breath hitched with the sight!  Male aliens pumping into other female aliens.  Waitresses sailed between aliens and furniture, delivering beverages.  It seemed natural, no one looked unhappy or complained.  Every now and again, shouts of anger could be heard over the roaring music, but I ignored it and kept my distance.

The announcer blared overhead and everyone raced to the rail.  In one corner, a muscular reptile looking creature stood motionless as he stared at Zorvak.  

Zorvak stood in the other, his eyes trained on me.  The dizziness returned, but now at a tolerable amount.  I shook my head, trying to shake off the effects of the connection.  How do you know where I am?

I just know. 

Why do I feel so weak when you stare at me?

When the announcer came overhead and called out Zorvak’s name, he turned his head away and faced his opponent.  One side of his lips twitched slightly as I heard, Maybe… you like what you see.

I shook my head and smiled.  Just concentrate on the fight.

As they circled each other, my heart pounded in fear and anticipation.  Both of them looked controlled and evenly matched.  A punch here, a kick there, I swallowed hard and reluctantly looked away.

I spotted the guard, who stood across the rink at the exit, and knew I needed to somehow get past him.   The dark hallway behind him led to a set of stairs, which led to the cells. At least that’s how Zorvak described it.  But how?  I grimaced as I watched everyone coming and going.  The guard never budged as he held his positon. 

The high ceilings, well over a hundred feet, had small objects carefully placed in equal distances.  Maybe a sprinkler system?  Or something more like cameras?   After accessing and connecting the NI, I scanned the available information.  My attention split between my surroundings and scrolling for information.

I heard Zorvak’s name announced as the winner so I quickly headed to the machine.

Are you ready?

Almost.  I’m trying to find a distraction.   I need to get the guard to move away from the door.  Congratulations on your win.

He didn’t want to fight, so I only knocked him out.

I grabbed my card and slid it into the machine.  Just as I reached for the coins, a long bony hand gripped my arm.  I jumped, surprised, and stared at the hand.  My heart pounded; it felt like my stomach dropped and I swallowed hard.  My eyes slowly lifted, traveling from his hand, up his arm, until they landed on his angry face.

“I caught you, thief,” he said as he yanked me forward, causing me to stumble.  Not that he cared, he kept walking even if it meant he would drag me behind.

All heads turned in our direction as he pulled me toward the looming door, the one I needed to secretly get through.  The Humchin stopped in front of the guard; now both aliens stared at me.  Like a horror movie playing in slow motion, I watched as the guard lifted his hand toward my face.  I turned my head, but he still knocked my hood back.  My long red hair fell across my shoulder just as he snatched the thin covering away from my face.  Their beady eyes widened in surprise before an evil smile spread across their faces.

“Well, well.  What do we have here?”  The one gripping my arm asked with excitement ringing in his gravelly voice.

“Looks like a female of an unknown species.”  They both kept staring, and they weren’t the only ones.  As I looked back, the patrons had stopped and stared as well.  All eyes trained on me.  An involuntary shiver ran down my spine when the guard’s eyes ran the length of my body.  Not that he could tell anything about my form, but…

“I will examine her, check her for compatibility.  I am sure we can make one-thousand times the amount she stole from us.”  His eyes traveled up and down my body once again.

“And after you examine her, I will have my turn.”  My heart pounded in fear as they laughed.  Sweat beaded my brow as my knees grew weak.  The guard stepped aside, and the one gripping my arm dragged me through the door.

I feel your fear, what is happening?

I didn’t answer as tears of fear threatened to spring forward.  My heart beat echoed in my ears, drowning out any other noise. 

Once downstairs, he shoved me inside a room.  After he walked inside, a force field materialized, effectively locking me inside…with him.

He circled me like prey as another one joined him.  Their eyes shined with happy malice.

“What is she?” the newcomer asked.

“I have never seen her species before.”

“What are your plans for her?”

He grinned as he started removing his trousers.  “To get the money she stole back in other ways, then sell her to the highest bidder.  I cannot imagine the amount of currency she will bring.”

Cami, what is happening?  Zorvak’s voice was low, demanding.

They caught me!  Oh, God, they caught me!

One circled around behind me and grabbed my arms, pinning my back to his front.  I could feel the bulge as he pressed himself against me.  The one in front stood naked as he came forward.  I stared with horror at his hard cock.  With its hard shell and spurs at the base, it would rip me apart from the inside out. 

“No!”  I shouted as he reached for my cloak and ripped it off with one hand.

I stood braless in a black t-shirt and boy shorts.  My chest heaved as I tried to snatch my arms away from the one behind me.  No use.  The one in front stepped forward, his bony hand cupped my breast and squeezed. 

“She is so soft.”

“Too soft.  You will damage her.”

“I do not care.  She will learn her lesson.  Put her over there.”  He lifted me up and threw me on a pallet in the corner.  When the two stepped forward with an evil grin. I knew what would happen.  Both Humchins would

“No!”  I let out a loud ear piercing and terror-filled scream when he landed on top of me, pulling at my boy shorts.  The other one clamped his hand over my mouth.  I thrashed, trying to get away but they were too strong.  His long bony finger touched my core, causing my panic to skyrocket.  This could not be happening! 

Something inside me shifted and an eerie calm descended… Something inside me clicked…

  With just a thought, I accessed my NI.  Instead of scrolling for information, it became an extension of my brain.  Something for me to command, to control.  My brain became the computer.

At my command, alarms blared.  The two Humchins stopped, and the one removed his hand. I didn’t stop there.  The force fields to every cell disintegrated, releasing all prisoners good and bad.  The betting machines emptied all the coins, letting them crash onto the floor.  I cut video feed to all cameras, leaving the security team blind to its surroundings.  I did all this while lying motionless on the pallet.   The one on top crawled off me.   The two Humchins gave me one last leer before they glanced at each other and headed out to help with the chaos.