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  …the abyss…

  COME TO ME!

  It was just a dream, a fantastical dream full of wonder and horror. Their crescendo entered my head and picked at my brain. What did they want? Why me? Why did it have to be me? The voices threatened to pull me apart guiding me in two separate directions. The first chorus was distant as if a thick blanket covered the voices, but now another had broken through, a voice that was bolder than the rest. It was a woman; she yelled at me every chance she could get giving me not a moment’s rest.

  But who was this other figure standing before me? The weeping man with the forest green eyes faded from my vision to the sound of the muffled beeping machines.

  I breathed deep filling my lungs with artificial air. The tubes attached to my penis and inserted into my anus were like secondary appendages. The white-clad men and women who stood in front of my watery home every single day used those various machines to tell if something was wrong. A turn of a knob controlled the temperature of the water. Some days it was as warm as a Caribbean ocean and then they turned it up to boiling to see how I would react. Other times they dropped the temps until the water turned to solid ice. The worst was when they sucked the air from the large tank creating a vacuum chamber which caused me to blackout. When I came to, I couldn’t remember anything about my life, but of the life I had lived in some other body, in some other place and time.

  It seemed like that was the result they wanted; they kept probing me about my birthplace and date of birth. They kept giving me names and asking me to put a face to them. I lied and said I couldn’t remember anything. They still didn’t release me from this tank.

  This time, the temps were mild. I watched the distorted figures tap at their screens and mutter about what my every little brain wave meant.

  I remembered a time when I thought they were my family.

  Shaking my head caused the figures to once again convene by the machines to discuss the meaning behind the sudden movement.

  I felt something I hadn’t in a long time, restlessness, like an engine someone had turned on after a long time and purred ready to go.

  Like usual I watched the clock listening to the small rapid ticks which soothed me.

  Tick tock tick tock, it was better than the sounds of a heartbeat.

  I watched the clock and then the men and women as they scurried about, and then I watched the clock again.

  “This is unacceptable!” One of the white-clad men slammed something to the polished floor which rattled for a moment. “Mr. Vitiate is an impatient man! We need results today or he’s replacing me!”

  “Sir, we only have one subject left, we need another shipment before we can proceed—”

  “Cut your fucking excuses!” He pointed an accusatory finger at the woman. “I know you wish to supplant me!”

  “Sir. Please calm down. We all want this project to succeed. This is the next step in human evolution, no one here will ever jeopardize the project.”

  “Shut up, whore, and bring out the last subject.”

  “Fine. As you wish.”

  Ah, so they are desperate. How many children were they willing to sacrifice for power? I had lost count.

  They wheeled the terrified boy into the room, he looked only in his early teens. They gagged his mouth like they did the others, nothing like a child screaming to his death to remind you of what a horrible person you are.

  “Hurry and hook up the machine, monitor his heart, we can’t lose this one.” The man ordered the others to action. “Don’t forget to make sure you seal the containment field you place him in, we can’t lose another doctor like last time.”

  They flipped the switch generating the field of light around the naked boy. They had finished connecting the last of their wires to his body.

  The light blue crystal shard emitted a beautiful soft sheen from within the containment capsule they kept it in. A narrow tube protruded from the container connecting to the containment field.

  “Now expose the subject to the crystal’s power.” The man paced, beads of sweat pouring from his face.

  This was usually when the subject convulsed and spat white foam from their lips before their bodies shriveled into a heap.

  The machine guided the small shard into the containment field, planting it inside the back of the boy’s neck.

  They waited for what seemed like an eternity.

  “Subject stable!” The woman announced. “Subject compatible with the crystal’s power!”

  “Yes!” The man laughed. “We did it! I knew it!”

  “Oh no! Something is wrong!” The woman shouted over the buzz and whoosh of power. The boy inside the containment field began to convulse, his eyes wide with terror as he screamed through the white foamy mush, his body draining and decaying into a shrunken mess.

  “Goddamn!” The man looked me with malice in his eyes as if this was somehow my fault.

  “Dr. Preston. We’ll have a new shipment in next week.”

  “I won’t be here next week you dumb bitch!” He kicked the table knocking over one of the machines which continued its small tasks. “Pack it up for right now. I need to think!”

  June 8th, 2163 10:00 pm New York Standard Time

  “You are finally mine, beautiful one.”

  Who was that? Was that the voice of the woman dressed in white from the lab? The Whore? I opened my eyes and saw the blonde-haired woman standing in front of my tank. Something happened. They must have put me to sleep.

  “Did that bastard think I would let him replace you? Never. I know you’ve got a mind of your own in there. You wish to escape, don’t you?” She removed the white coat until it dropped to the floor before ripping the button off her red shirt exposing her high ample bosom tucked inside her laced bra. “Dr. Preston is a fool, as if Mr. Vitiate would be happy with a substitute. He wants Raziel Cadis back not some random boy.” She whispered, her breathing heavy and fogging against the glass. “But you’re not him either and there’s only a matter of time before they terminate the project, before you are terminated.”

  Terminate? Me?

  I am going to die?

  “I’ll help you escape from here; the power of the crystal will help. I took the last shard for myself; the others were just fakes.” She held out her hand a swirl of dark purplish light radiated off of her. She pushed outward sending a blast of energy which sent a desk flying across the room. “See? I’m not a failure like all the others. Together we can do anything we want, go anywhere. We must leave before the others arrive.”

  She pressed her tongue against the glass, the metal ball in her mouth clanked against it.

  “She needs you now more than ever. Let’s go to her.”

  She stepped back and raised her hands and just before she brought forth that radiating light once more, the door pinged and Dr. Preston entered looking none too pleased.

  “Mrs. Winters. Why the hell are you still here, I told everyone to pack it up for the night.”

  “Mr. Huertas won’t cancel his presentation, he has too many wealthy investors who want to know where their money has gone into. He wants the project transported to the dining hall on 107.” She replied through her crooked smile.

  The man scratched his wild greying hair until he paused and took in the woman’s appearance. “Why the hell are you half-naked?”

  “Why the hell are you carrying a detonator?” She replied arms folded.

  “Get out of here Mrs. Winters. You don’t want to be here for what I’m about to do.”

  “I’ll give you one warning to turn back around and leave.”

  “Mrs. Winters!” Dr. Preston’s body slammed onto the ceiling. The blonde conducted an orchestra of destruction as she slammed him about.

  No! I shivered at the sight.

  Blood tinged the blonde hair pink; the crimson liquid rolled between her cleavage and even stained the white coat crumpl
ed on the floor. “I’ve also wanted to do that too, you piece of shit.” Her wild blue eyes turned to me. “Now let’s get you out of there, my love.”

  CHAPTER FOUR: NANA

  Martian Orbital Station: Dining Hall Level 107

  June 8th, 2163 9:35 pm New York Standard Time

  Icould just about get my unruly hair into a bun, and only because it was one requirement for working here, any length passed the nape of the neck needed to be tied up and out of the way. The hair wasn’t the only requirement. I also had to wear this slutty looking ass uniform. Some short black skirt that just covered my ass with a sharp shoulder blazer with a split down the middle to show off my cleavage. Not that I had much by the way of tits to show off. A golden pin with the letters X and A, which overlapped and pinned to the breast of the blazer was the only trinket we were allowed to wear. No earrings, rings, bracelets yadda yadda. Goddamn, I hated this uniform with every fiber of my being. I could have sworn I felt a draft right up my ass, the heels were a pain and I almost fell a few times, and if anyone thought I was gonna bend over, forget it!

  Despite the pangs of being inside this place, those massive windows had the best view around, that was the only reason I enjoyed a fraction of this work. That large red lifeless ball was a sight to behold…well it wasn’t entirely lifeless. The last I heard some company was building the first colony on the ashes of its failed predecessor over a hundred years ago.

  I placed the napkin wrapped bundle of silverware one after the other along the circular tables. Other workers placed the lovely scented white flowers in the center of each table while others hung the vines in the archways and securing them to the walls. The smell of whatever the chef was cooking was driving me as crazy as this short skirt. I couldn’t remember the last time I actually ate a hot meal or tasted anything other than those damn meal shake flavors. You would think a large space station would serve its workers' good food, but nope. The food was for the elite and the servants got meal replacement shakes in twenty-four fun flavors! Banana Joomba was my favorite flavor, but it was wearing its welcome thin along with my runny shit. I watched the musicians set up on the small stage off to the side, the men and women were all dressed in white.

  My commlink vibrated letting me know that I was getting a call, and I already knew who it was but I also knew better than to answer in front of everyone.

  I escaped to the back-storage room behind the box of dried cranberries and answered while taking a handful into my mouth. What they didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them, right?

  “Good, glad you answered me. Thought it was gonna be another Krush moment.” The petite woman on the other end sighing with relief was my comrade Tamika. A woman I had only known for a year but was quickly becoming my best friend, I guess spending three months on board a space ship alone would do that.

  “What do you mean another Krush moment? He’s okay, right?” I asked her, my heart racing as paranoia mounted. “We wouldn’t be here without him.”

  “Yeah, I think he said something about needing to hide under the station until he contacted someone on the inside who could clear him through the checkpoint and assign a docking bay.”

  “I don’t want to start anything until I know I have a way out of here, you wouldn’t believe how creepy this place is for it to be so fancy.”

  “Girl, I’m trapped in a damn vent overhearing some pretty fucked up shit, I know how creepy it is here.”

  “At least I’m not alone—”

  “Joanne?” My temporary boss opened the door like a parent prepared to catch her child doing something they weren’t supposed to do.

  “Yes, Mrs. Creedy?” I answered.

  “Get back to work! The guests are arriving soon!” She slammed the door.

  “Crap, my so-called boss is having a fit, can’t even be gone for two seconds without her getting on my ass.”

  “Ok, you go be a good little waitress. Just try to be in position when the lights go out.”

  When I exited the room Mrs. Creedy was waiting, her hands on her hips and not at all pleased. “What are you doing? You should be out there right now greeting the guests as they come in.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “You will be if you keep messing up!” Mrs. Creedy walked forward toward the door where the first of the fancy dressed men and women were coming inside. “You have no idea how important these people are.”

  I rolled my eyes, there was nothing I hated more than corporate ass-kissing and up here you got it in spades. “Let me guess, multitrillion credits just oozing out of their rear ends.”

  “Far more than that, love.”

  “Wait, what?” Nana said confused. “Who the hell had more than a trillion?”

  “A person like you who only thinks of money wouldn’t understand.”

  “Oh, so it’s something beyond money?” I laughed. “Since when is anything beyond money out here? Every asshole with a dream poured everything they had into coming up here chasing fame, and fortune, and glory. Most of them can’t even return to Earth.”

  “What do you want me to do? Cry about it? I have a family to feed and I came up here the right way, if they didn’t too bad. Now take your place and look pretty. After all, that’s how you got up here.”

  I sneered at the woman as she left and still took my place with the others. But something wasn’t quite right. They didn’t stand proudly welcoming the guests inside the hall, no, they looked down or off to the side to avoid eye contact, they trembled and fidgeted and their faces grew as pale as a bleached sheet.

  The guests touched their faces turning it this way and that as if appraising them. A hand wandered too close my rear end and before I could protest another had reached for my chin pulling me up to look them in the eye.

  “She’s perfect.” The red-headed bitch laughed before releasing me. “Come and serve us.”

  Just what the hell was this crap?! I watched as the other servants dejectedly followed the ones who beckoned them to their tables.

  What the hell have I gotten myself into? I suppressed my body’s instinct to tremble. I was on edge already and now this amped it up to the next level. The guests grabbed and groped at the timid servants, running their hands along their backside and crotch. A group of women giggled at one of the male servants remarking at how he had grown since they last saw him while one fondled him relentlessly. It didn’t take a fusion scientist to realize why they made us dress up in these slutty uniforms. Even the men were almost shirtless. It was just my rotten luck to end up in some rich people’s crazy sex cult party.

  A fat bastard snatched another poor servant from her post and placed her on his knee like a rag doll.

  “Wait…” I exclaimed when the bald-headed man pawed at me, placing his hand at the cusp of my buttocks.

  “She must be new.” He laughed amused at how uncomfortable he was making me feel.

  “I can’t wait to watch you break her in.” The redhead sultry woman leaned over planting a sloppy kiss on the man’s lips.

  The room began to spin, the contents of my stomach threatened to spill every ounce of that protein-rich smoothie. I closed my eyes to center myself but I couldn’t get the panting sounds and the despairing cries out of my head.

  Another servant dressed in white wheeled a cart to the table and placed the meal on the table. This was my opportunity to escape.

  “Oh no!” I covered my mouth. “Is that…a fly!?” I stood and grabbed the plate of braised steak and loaded mashed potatoes and dashed from the table. “Have to get rid of this and bring you a cleaner plate!” I yelled as I rushed to the kitchen and tossed the entire plate in the trash. “There’s no way in hell I’m going back out there.” I sighed. No one wanted to complete this mission as much as me, but if the price was to be raped at some perverted dinner party, then I was ready to rethink my commitment.

  The last of the cooks scurried from the kitchen leaving me confused about the rush. “No need to leave on my account.”

  “Looks like the
little rabbit doesn’t want to play.” The woman chuckled maliciously while fondling her large breasts through the fabric of her blood-red dress. Now the eagerness of the cooks to leave made sense. The woman licked her dark red lips like a predator looking at a snack.

  “You know I love it when they fight back.” The man entered from the other side. He was tall and lean, like most of the chosen few who lived in space and like all the elites his black suit was clean and well-groomed.

  I weighed the odds of this couple’s fighting abilities. If I was lucky, then these were just two horny as hell rich assholes who can’t take no for an answer. Worst case they were a part of the military and had some sort of combat experience. I wouldn’t have the answer unless I fought back which was fast becoming my best option.

  “Stay the hell away from me!” I backed away as much as I could until I hit the table near the burners.

  “Happy Birthday, love.” The woman paid me no mind. She lunged first coming after me, forcing me to dodge her attempts to grab at the blazer. I kicked her in the stomach launching her onto the table where some lemon tarts lined up for dessert.

  “Sico!” The man yelled and nearly rattled my brain with his flurry of punches. Shit, he was too fast! He had to be military or ex-military. The man and perhaps the woman was cybernetically enhanced. I was used to seeing the remnants of such work, the evidence was in the large and sometimes jagged scars left behind by some back-alley implanter, but this, the work was clean and barely visible, I had to look hard for the cuts along the wrist and neck. The rest were hidden behind his suit. Enhancers were illegal…well on Earth but up here, everything was fair game.

  What the hell was his class? I knew a Hacker or Techie were known for their dexterity builds and it seemed like he poured a shit ton of money into those implants.

  I grabbed a hot pot and slammed it over his head. I was a hacker too, but unfortunately, I was a moron and went with a strength build because I thought it would be cool to lift heavy crap and kick open doors when it suited me. By the time I had realized my mistake, it was too late to build up my dexterity. Enhancers cost a lot of money and Duke just couldn’t afford to buy more. But at least being strong had its own advantages.