The Copernicus Deception (The Human Chronicles Saga Book 15) by T.R. Harris Page B

and ten high, with a tangle of long, white teeth—each measuring a foot long—jutting from an extended mouth.
    In the blink of an eye, two of the native workers were snatched up by the beast. The massive head angled upwards as the mouth opened wider, sending the unfortunate victims sliding down the long throat, their cries of pain and panic cut off as the mouth suddenly clamped shut.
    A series of brilliant flashes lit up the evening gloom, shooting out from two of the balls resting atop the thin towers. Crackling bolts of electricity converged on the head of the beast, causing its smallish yellows eyes to open wide, while a loud, painful roar erupted from its throat. The dinosaur stumbled and fell back into the jungle, the bolts of electricity still connected to the writhing body. But then it rolled over, regained its feet, and dashed off into the darkness.
    Adam could both hear and feel the stomping of the creature as it fled deeper into the jungle, having survived the shock.
    “That’s not something you see every day,” Riyad said calmly.
    “Look at the guards and the prisoners,” said Copernicus. “It’s like nothing happened.”
    He was right. After only a brief pause, the guards began ordering the prisoners back to work, as another cart raced off toward the building Adam and his group were nearing, ostensibly to collect replacements for the prisoners who had just been eaten.
    “You will soon join the clearing crews,” said one of the squatty guards. Her eyes sparkled as she spoke, as if the recent event had stirred her sexually.
    Copernicus smiled at the guard. “Looking forward to it. Back home, I have a beast like that for a pet. You just have to let them know who’s the boss.”
    The native blinked several times, not knowing how else to react to the comment. Eventually, she shoved the trio forward.
    At the wooden landing of the nearest building, more prisoners sprayed water on their mud-caked boots before allowing them to enter, yet even with the quasi-cleaning, the inside floor was covered in a combination of wet mud and dried dirt. Two older Visidorans sat at a counter. The Humans hovered above the guards.
    The supervisors wore dirty, once-white striped shirts, while the other guards wore uniforms with orange stripes. One of the seated officials had a red circle sewn onto the top stripe. She looked up from a computer screen and surveyed the new prisoners.
    “This indicates you to be Humans?”
    “That’s correct, we are Humans,” Copernicus replied.
    “We have never had Humans here before. As a fact, I have never seen a Human before in true life. Are the markings on your face some form of camouflage?”
    “No, those are bruises, a gift from your Juirean masters.” Copernicus threw out his chest in a show of defiance, wearing his injuries as a badge of honor.
    The native guard huffed and glanced at her counter-companion. “Yes, the Juireans…but they are not our masters,” she said with a frown. Then she grinned. “As Humans, it will be entertaining to see if you are all your reputation claims you to be.” She looked back at Copernicus. “From my first analysis, I would say the stories have been…embellished.”
    “We wish to cause no problems while here,” Adam said before Copernicus could reply. The starship repairman was angry and eager to boast about the superiority of Humans. Adam knew that was not the smartest tact to take in this situation. “We are not responsible for the stories you have heard. We are just simple creatures who wish only to get along with other species.”
    The guard frowned. “Yet the Juireans fear you enough to have you sent here.”
    “You know how the Juireans can be,” Adam said. “Always trying insert themselves into other people’s business.”
    The native nodded, as did her partner. In their eyes Adam saw not only fear, but also contempt. The Juireans had that effect on people, no matter what species you were.
    “That alters not the fact that you are