into Mat's ear in a low, threatening voice that everyone in the block could hear: "Look what your beautiful Federation has done to me, you bastards. You invaded my world and turned me and my people into slaves for your mighty army." He spat in Mat's face.
But Mat didn't even flinch. Instead, he glared at the pirate in contempt and said calmly, "And now you are a traitor and pirate scum," in his gravelly voice, before spitting in Gor's face.
Furious, Gor slapped a button on the side of the slave block, and the seats on the device folded down. The bars holding their arms and legs in place didn't. Their wrists and ankles snapped like dry twigs; but the crackle of bones fracturing from the pressure was overwhelmed by their loud screams of pain. Gor roared with laughter, his mad eyes never leaving the three prisoners as they hung from the stocks in helpless agony. When he moved over to Alec and Andrew's side, he stared at them with a cold glare, nothing human left in his eyes. Alec swallowed, a chill running down his spine.
Suddenly an alarm sounded from the slave block's life support system—but it was nothing near as loud as Myra's curses as she rushed into the hold, trailing both a guard android and medical android. The guard android quickly slid between Gor and the prisoners, as the medical android plugged an arm into the slave block, accessing its records and returning the bench to its original position. Myra arrived, her face flushed bright green, and slammed Gor into a bulkhead. "What the hell are you doing, you useless fuck!" she screamed. She shook him until his teeth rattled. "Answer me, before I have you skinned alive!"
Gor shouted back, almost incoherently, "Their evil federation put me and my people through hell! It's my right, it's my..." He gave out a mad scream and flung himself on Myra, who was so taken by surprise that she crashed to the floor with Gor on top of her. He grabbed one of the short but heavy leather whips from her belt and yanked it away; it had a wicked-looking hook at the end. Before Myra could react Gor leaped up and slashed away at Alec, tearing away part of his left eyebrow. Alec screamed as blood gushed down his face, obscuring the vision in that eye...but he never moved a centimeter, lest the collar activate.
Myra smacked Gor off his feet with one huge hand, sending him crashing into the two Oman guards who had just arrived to subdue the altercation. All three crashed to the deck, and shortly Myra was on top of them. She shackled Gor and subdued him with a hard punch to his face.
"Take this crazy fool and throw him in the brig," she ordered, "and have Lieutenant Hughes charge his account for whatever credits this mess is gonna cost by the time the butcher is finished with them. And get her down here ASAP."
Some of the crew had already started to attend to the injured prisoners. Andrew, the only one who wasn't injured, growled, "The butcher?"
Myra rolled her eyes. "The medical officer, dear. Did you think this little medical andy would be able to fix you up all by itself?"
After the attack by Gor, the Nastasturus cadets received better treatment. Even the Captain himself came down to see them—but he was only making sure that his cargo remained intact and undamaged. He looked with pride on his prisoners. Most of them sat staring back at him, still defiant—except for one of the young prisoners, who was slumped in his stock with downcast eyes, and seemed almost to be whimpering. Zuzack shook his head in disgust and contempt, then loudly told the android guard to secure the slave block to prevent any unauthorized access.
After that, Alec and his friends were allowed to talk to each other without any punishment. Probably every word they said was being recorded, but they talked anyway; somehow it made the long hours go faster. Still, time crept by very slowly. They were attended once a day by a medical android, which impersonally clamped a large hose to
But Mat didn't even flinch. Instead, he glared at the pirate in contempt and said calmly, "And now you are a traitor and pirate scum," in his gravelly voice, before spitting in Gor's face.
Furious, Gor slapped a button on the side of the slave block, and the seats on the device folded down. The bars holding their arms and legs in place didn't. Their wrists and ankles snapped like dry twigs; but the crackle of bones fracturing from the pressure was overwhelmed by their loud screams of pain. Gor roared with laughter, his mad eyes never leaving the three prisoners as they hung from the stocks in helpless agony. When he moved over to Alec and Andrew's side, he stared at them with a cold glare, nothing human left in his eyes. Alec swallowed, a chill running down his spine.
Suddenly an alarm sounded from the slave block's life support system—but it was nothing near as loud as Myra's curses as she rushed into the hold, trailing both a guard android and medical android. The guard android quickly slid between Gor and the prisoners, as the medical android plugged an arm into the slave block, accessing its records and returning the bench to its original position. Myra arrived, her face flushed bright green, and slammed Gor into a bulkhead. "What the hell are you doing, you useless fuck!" she screamed. She shook him until his teeth rattled. "Answer me, before I have you skinned alive!"
Gor shouted back, almost incoherently, "Their evil federation put me and my people through hell! It's my right, it's my..." He gave out a mad scream and flung himself on Myra, who was so taken by surprise that she crashed to the floor with Gor on top of her. He grabbed one of the short but heavy leather whips from her belt and yanked it away; it had a wicked-looking hook at the end. Before Myra could react Gor leaped up and slashed away at Alec, tearing away part of his left eyebrow. Alec screamed as blood gushed down his face, obscuring the vision in that eye...but he never moved a centimeter, lest the collar activate.
Myra smacked Gor off his feet with one huge hand, sending him crashing into the two Oman guards who had just arrived to subdue the altercation. All three crashed to the deck, and shortly Myra was on top of them. She shackled Gor and subdued him with a hard punch to his face.
"Take this crazy fool and throw him in the brig," she ordered, "and have Lieutenant Hughes charge his account for whatever credits this mess is gonna cost by the time the butcher is finished with them. And get her down here ASAP."
Some of the crew had already started to attend to the injured prisoners. Andrew, the only one who wasn't injured, growled, "The butcher?"
Myra rolled her eyes. "The medical officer, dear. Did you think this little medical andy would be able to fix you up all by itself?"
After the attack by Gor, the Nastasturus cadets received better treatment. Even the Captain himself came down to see them—but he was only making sure that his cargo remained intact and undamaged. He looked with pride on his prisoners. Most of them sat staring back at him, still defiant—except for one of the young prisoners, who was slumped in his stock with downcast eyes, and seemed almost to be whimpering. Zuzack shook his head in disgust and contempt, then loudly told the android guard to secure the slave block to prevent any unauthorized access.
After that, Alec and his friends were allowed to talk to each other without any punishment. Probably every word they said was being recorded, but they talked anyway; somehow it made the long hours go faster. Still, time crept by very slowly. They were attended once a day by a medical android, which impersonally clamped a large hose to
Similar Books
