Desert World Savages: The Complete Series by Lisa Lace Page B

Rev.
    "Flush her tank and get her on the table. We'll start with her then."
    "Yes, doctor," said Rev.
    With a heavy heart, Rev emptied Carol's tank and pulled her naked body out. He laid her on the table and wiped her body down from the stack of large disposable towels on a cart nearby. Carol was beautiful, but in a different way from Tracy. Carol had full breasts and nicely shaped hips but he just didn't feel the same way about Carol that he did for Tracy.
    He supposed such things were relative to each sentient.
    "Fastened her down," said Grenta dispassionately.
    Rev moved around the table, hating everything that he did, but securing her arms and feet so she could not move.
    Carol stirred, and gasped, taking in a huge breath of air. Her eyes open wide and she looked around confused.
    "Where am I?" And then her eyes lighted on Rev. "You! What are you doing to me! Where is Tracy?"
    "Tracy is fine," said Rev trying to reassure her.
    "Why am I naked. What you going to do to me?" Carol looked around for something to cover herself up. Finding nothing, she positioned her hands as strategically as possible.
    Grenta walked to her table. "Everything is going to be fine," he said.
    "When people say that, it's a sure sign that everything is NOT going to be fine. Why is your mouth moving funny? It doesn't match your words."
    "The translator is putting my words into your language. The disorientation is only temporary."
    "Your language? If you don't let me off this table, I'm going to scream."
    "If you do that I'm going to have to gag you. I can't give you sedatives until the conversion process has taken hold."
    "Conversion!"
    "Cax, get the gag."
    "No! I'll be quiet."
    "Good girl. Get the first injection from storage." He pointed vaguely to a box at the left wall. Rev searched in the box until he found a syringe that looked correct, retrieved it and handed it to Grenta.
    "These are implanted memories. Cax, what's wrong with you today? Get the other injector, the blue one."
    "Implanted memories!" squeaked Carol.
    "Yes, doctor." Rev found the blue injector and handed it to Grenta.
    "You really won't feel a thing, at first."
    Grenta held the auto-injector to Carol's stomach, and she grunted.
    "That pinched," she complained.
    "You did well," said Grenta soothingly. "Now for this one."
    He picked up the auto-injector and held it to the back of her ear.
    "Ouch!" she said.
    "That wasn't so bad, was it?" said Grenta.
    Rev, who'd seen training films on this process, knew the real horror hadn't yet happened, and he didn't want to watch it. He felt bad enough that he had not stopped this madness, but he was one man among many here. If he interceded for Carol, he wouldn't be allowed to help Tracy.
    Rev vowed that when he finished his testimony he'd come back for Carol and the other women. The Aligned World doctors had made many advances in reversing the conversion process. He hoped Carol would be one of the lucky ones on which it worked.
    He'd come back to get her.
    Carol screamed and twisted in her restraints. It would be the first of many cries of pain as the conversion took hold.
    Finally Carol passed out, and Grenta instructed Rev to put her back in the tank. Already Carol's skin had turned a pasty blue. As Rev moved her, her hair fell out in chunks, and nubs that would develop into quills stuck up from her hairline.
    "Remember," said Grenta, "Her Staukub name is Grubba. Call her that from now on. It will help reinforce her implanted memories."
    "Awful name," said Rev.
    "The Staukub aren't known for their witty names. I'm getting some lunch. Get the other one ready while I'm gone."
    "Yes, doctor," said Rev, gritting his teeth.
    In his mind he had formed a plan. He emptied two syringes and filled them with the healing gel from Tracy's tank. He was wiping them clean when he heard a voice.
    "What's going on here?"
    Rev recognized the voice, and turned to face Bris. He casually set the injectors down on a metal tray.
    "Getting ready for the next