Survivor Planet Series 2-Book Box Set (3 page)

Then he left. Just like that. Only pausing to pull the door shut and lock it behind him. Snatching up the blanket I peeked through the bars and saw that he'd gone into Lissa's room. He hadn't bothered to shut her door after he entered either. I suppose with his great bulk the odds of getting past him were slim to none. The cyborg dude must have yanked off her blanket as well, 'cause I heard her howl in protest. The word ‘pervert' was yelled more than once. Apparently she wasn't as smart as me, 'cause I heard a loud
smack
and then a cry—it hadn't come from him.

Quick as he'd been in my cell, he wasn't much longer in hers. When he turned to leave I ducked down until I heard the click of his boots head off down the hallway. I could hear choking sobs and I knew Lissa was upset. I'd been a little disturbed by the encounter myself. Instead of calling out to her, I curled up against the back wall and wondered what was going on. Just where in the hell was I? What had happened in the cottage? And where were Jack and Danny? Dead or alive?

My mind jumped from one scenario to another hashing out this concept or that one over and over—there was nothing else to occupy me. The next thing I knew the bottom slat of my door slid open and a tray was shoved inside. Dinner I guessed. I stretched out and grabbed it, dragging it back to the wall where I could get a look at it. The food at Lindove had been decent. Much more so than this shit. Whatever it was. A single bowl held what appeared to be watery porridge, or maybe it was stew, with chunks of green stuff in it. The awful sight aside, the smell was enough to put me off. There was a mug with plain water in it. I drank it down much too fast and then regretted not rationing it. God only knew when I'd get more. I poked my finger in the mush and then put it in my mouth. Damn, I was hungry. Couldn't remember the last time I ate. The taste was bland but not terrible. They hadn't bothered to give me a spoon. Using my fingers I scooped up the mush, eating every last bite, then settled back against the wall to see if it'd stay down. When my gut remained calm, I got to my feet and moved to peer out the door.

All was silent across the hall. Lissa was probably gagging down her bowl of crap as well. She'd been here a few days so she was probably used to the hospitality by now. About an hour or so later—I guessed—the single dim light on the ceiling in my cell went out. Judging by the dark corridor I presumed it was lights out and time to sleep. Too bad I wasn't tired. My mind was far too wired.

Once more I pondered my dilemma until sleep finally overtook me. When I awoke, the light over my head was back on again. My bowels were crampy, and I really needed to use the bathroom.

“Lissa, are you awake?” Hopefully she'd know how things worked in this joint. When I saw her head pop up through the bars I sighed in relief. “I gotta go to the bathroom, what should I do?”

“Someone'll come soon to take you down,” she told me.

Damn, I hope so.

Sure enough I heard the heavy clip-clop of boots coming down the hall. The cyborg dude opened the door and I was actually relieved to see him. When he ushered me out the door I didn't hesitate to obey. We walked down the long cellblock and I counted the heavy doors as I passed. Six. There were more in the other direction but I wasn't sure how many. Placing his thumb on a scanner, my guide opened a doorway and led me inside. It was a large room with a row of toilets in it—metal, of course—and a row of metal sinks on the other side. In the back area it appeared to be open showers.

“Knock on this door when you are finished.” He left and shut the door behind him.

Since I was the only one in the room at the moment I had a semblance of privacy. If I hadn't needed to pee so badly the cold metal toilets would have forced that issue soon enough. I glanced around as I did my business and then washed my hands. There were no mirrors so I had no idea how I looked. My blanket was pooled on the floor and I covered myself up before I knocked on the door to be let out. I was surprised when the cyborg led me, not back to my cell, but down a different hall. The scowl he sported made me hesitate to ask.

Hall after hall we traipsed down and then we got into an elevator and shot up a couple of floors. When we headed down another long corridor—this one with windows along the right side—I gaped and had to stop.

Holy crap that's outer space outside!

The cyborg—he might actually
be
a cyborg—noticed I wasn't trailing obediently behind and turned to snap at me. “Come!”

“But...but...” I gestured grandly at the view.

He smirked. “If you look hard, you may spot Earth.” Then he had the audacity to wink at me.

I turned to the window and stared, as instructed, to search for Earth. Generously, my guide even helped to point it out. Yep. There it was. Good ole Earth. Just as it appeared in all those space shots I'd seen on television.

If I hadn't known before, I now knew beyond a shadow of a doubt—I was certifiably nuts.

“Where are you taking me?” He'd had to take my arm to encourage compliance.

“You will see.”

Not much for words, this one. His scowl was back, but I wouldn't let it discourage me from nagging. Not when I was clearly having an Episode. Come to think of it, I'd never actually realized I was
having
an Episode mid-Episode before. Maybe I was improving?

Just when I was about to start with more questions, the cyborg thumb-printed a door, and when the light went from red to green he opened it. Ushering me inside, we entered a vast room, circular in shape. The view from the many large windows was stunning—dark space all around with shiny little stars sparkling everywhere. A table curved around half the wall and seven men were seated. All of them wore the one-piece black jumpsuits from what I could see, except the shoulders and chest area were colored either green or red. Perhaps I was having an Episode on board the Enterprise? I scrutinized the faces staring back at me expecting to see television stars, but I didn't recognize any of them—except for one—Ayres. I wasn't surprised. He seemed to star in all my Episodes. Catching my gaze he inclined his head in way of greeting. Playing it cool I copied his gesture.

Cyborg led me to the center of the floor. “Earthling one-five-six. Under protection of...Ayres.” Was it just me, or did he sneer a little?

“Very good. Thank you, Gol. You may leave us,” said the man with the red shoulders sitting directly in the middle of the others.

Gol the cyborg nodded, turned, and briskly strode from the room, leaving me alone and naked, except for the blanket. The man who'd addressed Gol scrutinized me and I squirmed under his gaze. He must be the leader, I surmised.

“This is your entry?” he said to Ayres.

“Yes, Sir Baynar,” Ayres said.

He nodded his head after staring at me a moment. “She is small like the others. I agree to it.” He turned to the men on the panel. “What say you?”

“Aye,” they all agreed in unison.

“Pathetic little things,” Baynar said.

Ayres shrugged his shoulders. “She complies with the regulations.”

What the hell are they talking about?
And for that matter, why were they discussing me like I wasn't even in the room? God, this felt too damn real. My other Episodes were life-like but kind of fuzzy, as though a dream. This didn't feel like that.

“Drop your blanket,” Baynar said to me. So much for being ignored.

“Pardon?”

His eyes flashed and the hand he rested on the table clenched into a fist. “Can she not hear?”

“She is perfect, I assure you,” Ayres said, turning a hard glare on me.

Episode or not, I wasn't about to show these guys my goods.

Before I could say a word, Ayres got to his feet and was beside me. He took hold of my blanket and wrenched it from my body. I tried to snatch it back but his hands gripped it tight.

“What the fuck?” I snapped, vainly trying to cover my boobs and my bush. Unfortunately, my long dark hair was still in a heavy braid down my back so I couldn't use it for a shield.

“Stand straight and don't move—if you want to live,” Ayres threatened. His voice had been low, just for my ears, but deadly serious. The look in his eyes warned me.

Burying my shame, I dropped my hands to my sides and froze. My chin rose determinedly, but I refused to make eye contact with anyone.

It seemed an eternity before Baynar had his fill. “She is acceptable.” The other men voiced their agreements while Ayres covered me back up. “You may return her to her cell.”

“Thank you, sir,” Ayres said.

As he began to lead me from the room, the leader called to him and Ayres stopped. “I trust you will fill her in on everything?”

“Yes, sir.”

“The tournament will begin tomorrow morning. Be in position...and...good luck to you.”

Ayres nodded and led me from the room.

I spun on him as soon as the door shut behind us. “What the hell is going on?”

“Keep your voice down,” he snapped. He didn't speak to me again until we got inside my cell. The door shut, and with him inside, the room suddenly seemed much smaller. I'd been biting my tongue and biding my time, but now, looking at the giant before me I suddenly grew wary.

What if this was real?

“Sit if you prefer,” Ayres said. “You will listen to what I have to say and then you must rest.”

I sat.

As he gathered his thoughts, I studied him. He was much more lifelike than the other times I'd seen him.
Imagined him.
I corrected myself. Yet, if he was only a figment of my imagination, then how did I know him so well? Ever since I'd lost my aunt and uncle he'd been there. Of course, I'd fabricated the way we'd met, dated, and fell in love. Easily, I'd slipped into another life, one separate from life at Lindove. Over time it'd become easier to do. That Kale—Ayres—would eventually turn into a violent, obsessive boyfriend had been inevitable. Perhaps, in a way, my mind was healing from its turmoil and the only way to get back to reality was to force Ayres away—make him so unlikable I'd have to let him go? My last Episode had me fleeing him in terror. Maybe I was not fleeing Ayres per se, but attempting to escape a return to reality?

But I knew how his lips felt on my body—everywhere. I knew how the rippling muscles on his bare chest felt against my hands. Knew how warm our bellies felt pressed together, and how I rejoiced when he entered me.

How could I if he wasn't real?

Looking at him now, I felt a warm blush on my cheeks, just thinking of him between my thighs...

“The game begins tomorrow. It's more of a tournament, actually,” he said, his deep voice and serious face snapped my mind out of the gutter.

“There will be five couples competing. Each of the males are from my world. The females are from various locations on Earth.”

Though I longed to scoff or snort—anything to make him realize how ridiculous this all sounded—I kept silent.

“On board this ship are all the competitors. We will be sent down to Planet Taleon and must be in position by the appointed hour. From there, each team must survive for a total of zexeudn—or, one earth week. We must battle the elements, the wildlife, the Varlings—inhabitants—and each other.”

“I have to battle you?”

“No. The teams may engage each other in order to increase their chances for survival.”

“Engage in what way?”

“The easiest way to destroy the other team is to maim or kill the female. I must keep you alive in order to win.”

I nodded. “And if I die?”

“Then I cannot win.”

“What do you get if you win?” I asked.

He actually appeared embarrassed at my question. “I will be granted a boon. It is why I entered the game.”

“To be granted a boon?”
Dare I ask what that would be?

“Yes,” he said.

“I see.” Not really, but I could humor him. “What if more than one team wins?”

“The game is not only one of survival, but also a race to the finish. The first team to the Safe Zone will win.”

“And what happens to the others?”
Do I really want to know?

“They do not leave Taleon. Ever.”

Okay then.
“Are there judges?”

“The judges are aboard the ship. We will be monitored and my entire world will be watching.”

No pressure there.

“The game is carried out only once an eundn—a year on Earth. I was fortunate to be worthy. In comparison, it is similar in popularity to Earth's Olympics.”

“Maybe in the early days when people were fed to the lions,” I said. “Our modern games don't entail people battling for their lives.”

He shrugged. “It's how things are done on my world.”

His world.
Was I completely bananas? How had my Episodes gotten so far out of control? I closed my eyes and opened them several times, willing Ayres to disappear, for the cell to disappear, and in its place would be my nice little room at Lindove. But every time I opened my eyes, there was Ayres, watching me with that cold, calculated look on his face.

“Accept your fate,” he told me.

Indeed, I had. I'd finally gone completely over the edge of sanity.

“What is the name of your world?” If I had completely flipped into another reality I may as well accept it. At Lindove, I probably lay comatose in my bed, blankly staring up at my ceiling while the nurses and doctors shook their heads in defeat. That thought was more comforting than worrying I might be acting this scenario out, just as I had the last one. As my Episodes escalated over the past few months, I'd begun to live them, not only in my mind, but with my body as well. I never knew where I was gonna end up when I finally did come out of one. I suppose having vivid visions were better than wandering the darkness of my own mind alone.