Chapter 14 - Foreign Soil
Moira was the first to notice the shift in gravity. It was only slight, but
years of travel had made her able to tell the difference between the gravity of
a planet, and the artificial one of a ship.
"We're almost there," she announced in a low voice. Lyn stirred nearby, both of
them wedged in amidst the unmarked boxes sitting in the cargo bay.
"Yes, but where is 'there'?" Lyn asked, lazily uncurling herself from her
resting position and sitting up.
"Your guess is as good as mine," Moira told her, sounding annoyed. She hated not
knowing things.
"What now?" Lyn rubbed her eyes and squinted in the twilight.
"We hide these blankets and sneak out the moment we're on the ground."
"Sneak out? We don't know where we are! We should stay here, and steal the ship
or something whilst they're unloading!"
"We're sneaking out," Moira said firmly, already stuffing the blanket she had
been lying on down between two crates.
"But why are we leaving? Why won't you tell me what you're doing?" Her
companions silence for most of the extremely boring trip had worn her
self-control thin, and she was having trouble containing her frustration.
"Because if I'm wrong," Moira hissed angrily, "you want to be able to sleep at
night." Having finished hiding her blanket, she strode off into the darkness of
the cargo bay.
"What… What's that supposed to mean?!" Lyn called after her, but there was no
reply. "Why can't I make that decision? Damn you!" She pounded her fist on the
steel crate underneath her, and instantly let out a yelp of pain.
"Oh, fuck you," Lyn muttered, and began angrily shoving the blanket into a gap.
If Moira wouldn't tell her, she would have to find out for herself.
Sleep held no refuge for Jessica, trapped in the warm darkness of her prison.
Her dreams were filled with claustrophobia and a constant feeling of drowning,
leaving her exhausted and weary.
She awoke slowly, uncertain what was real and what was made by her subconscious.
The long hours of silence and deprivation wore heavily on her mind, and she
could feel her grip on reality slipping, senses dull and distant.
I'm going crazy, she thought to herself. Even the small currents that had been
gently running over her bare skin were gone, stealing yet another small amount
of stimulus from her. She yearned for something solid, something hard and firm
that she could cling to and be certain it was real. But everything around her
was soft and slippery, designed purely to keep her safe and secure without any
care to her mental health.
She hugged herself in an attempt to feel something, but even the touch of her
own skin felt unreal. She brushed her fingers over her soft nipples, but she
felt almost nothing, and it both frightened and confused her.
Gritting her teeth, she violently pinched the nipple in her fingers. There was a
slight resistance, and then as clear as daylight she felt the sharp pain of her
nails biting into the soft flesh. It hurt like hell, and she began roughly
massaging her breast, cringing in pain even as she felt the joy of knowing she
was alive.
But it still didn't feel right. Her nipple throbbed angrily, but as she rubbed
the soft flesh she didn't feel the expected touch of her own skin. There was
pressure, but no contact, and it confused her for a moment.
Still feeling her breast, Jessica's heart sank as she realised there was
something covering her skin, like a thin layer of something slimy. She could
feel it covering her fingers when she rubbed them over the nipple she had
pinched, and she felt both disgusted and violated by her new torment.
Her jaw rigid with determination, she began clawing at her belly, nails slicing
through the film easily. Her now exposed skin felt strange to her, and she
realised that the slime was the reason her sense of touch felt dull, not because
she was loosing contact with reality.
She began laughing in relief as she cleared the slime from her fingers, bringing
the reassuring touch of her own skin to her. As she cleared her breasts she
could feel the freely floating slime brush against her bare skin. She smiled and
moved her hand quickly through the cloud, relishing such simple sensations as
the tiny pieces hitting her palm.
She breathed in then, sucking in a chest of liquid. The cloud shifted towards
her face as she did, and with a cold feeling she realised that she would now
have to breathe the liquid she had polluted. Her lips snapped shut and she held
her breath, desperation welling up within her. The liquid meant she couldn't
hold her breath as long as in air, and it only took seconds before she started
to feel dizzy. With no other choice, she took a deep, shuddering breath, grimly
trying to catch the bigger pieces with her teeth.
But the slime that floated freely around her rapidly dissolved, and soon she was
unable to feel it with her fingers. The knowledge provided Jessica with no
comfort though. Even if she was to clear her entire body it wouldn't help; as
soon as she lay still it would start covering her again, insulating her from the
real world and stealing her only remaining sense.
Curling into a ball, she began crying softly, the realities of her prison too
much to bear. She yearned for freedom, but she had no idea how long a rescue
would take, or even if she would be sane enough to notice.
She pushed the thought away, telling herself firmly that she would stay herself
as long as it took. She could count sheep… or spend time thinking about her
Kevin…
Gritting her teeth, Jessica shook her head. She was fairly certain that Lyn was
outside somewhere, and was hopefully searching for a way to help her out. All
she had to do was survive until then, and everything would be fine.
Her thoughts stopped as with no warning her world lurched, throwing her
violently against the soft side. She barely had time to panic before another
jolt sent her bouncing off the roof. Their softness meant it didn't hurt, but
the sudden unexplained motion terrified her, and it took several seconds before
she was able to brace herself with her arms and legs.
Her heart thumping, she tried not to cry as she curled up in the darkness, knees
and elbows wedged against the roof. Her helplessness was terrifying, but not
knowing where she was being taken scared her even more.
She felt like a fish, being shaken about in a plastic bag on the way to its new
home.
Crouched near the entrance to the cargo bay, Lyn and Moira watched as the man
with a forklift-like machine manoeuvred in for the first set of containers.
"Where are they going?" he called to his partner, who was busy using the crane
that ran the length of the bay to move a large, steel crate.
"Just stick them in the usual place," he shouted back. "Oh, and they want one
set aside for use immediately, so get one ready when you're done."
"Got it; I'll use one of these." The forklift whined as it lifted the first two
containers into the air, wobbling briefly as their contents sloshed around
inside.
"Get ready to move soon," Moira whispered, her eyes following them over the top
of the pile of crates they were hiding behind.
"Do you even know where we are?" Lyn whispered back hotly, still continuing her
quest to get information out of the Mistress.
"I have a few ideas," Moira replied, her tone warning against any more
questions.
"That's really helpful," Lyn muttered.
"Right about now," Moira said to herself, staring intently at the crane.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Lyn hissed through gritted teeth.
As if on cue, the crate which was previously swinging gently from the crane
suddenly dropped, slamming to the ground with a deafening crash.
"FUCK!" someone yelled over the din, and seconds later the man with the forklift
was running up the ramp into the cargo bay towards the crane, its cable rapidly
unwinding from the winch to pile up on top of the crate.
"Let's go," Moira announced, vaulting over the crates to dash for the open bay
door.
"D…Did you…?" Lyn spluttered in shock, staring as the two men tried to work out
how to stop the sabotaged winch. "W…Wait!" Scrambling to her feet, she leapt
over the crates after her.
"Quickly," the red-eyed Dominant hissed, crouching low at the top of the ramp
and looking over her shoulder. They hadn't been seen yet, but it would only take
one glance and it would be over.
"Calm down," Lyn whispered to her once they were together again.
Moira gave her an indecipherable look before hurrying down the ramp, the thick
rubber soles of her suit almost soundless against the steel. Lyn followed
closely, her eyes widening as she surveyed the loading bay.
It was a large, rectangular room, easily encompassing the bulk of the cargo ship
at one end. Above them the roof was closed, the powerful motors that moved it
still cooling after their effort. Powerful lights were spread evenly across its
surface, illuminating the entire area. It wasn't the fact that the bay was empty
of other ships that made Lyn uneasy, but the fact that it looked like there had
never actually been any other ships in it.
The grey walls were featureless excepting a large cargo door at either end,
lacking the usual ramps and catwalks that allowed quick access to a ship for
repairs. There were no terminals, no machines, no guards, nothing. As she
reached the bottom of the ramp, she realised that if the cargo ship were to
leave, the entire room would be completely empty.
"There's no cover here," Moira said shortly, already heading directly for the
nearest door.
"What the hell is this place?" Lyn hissed, having to work to keep up with the
pace Moira was setting.
"A landing bay," she replied.
"You don't believe that any more than I do," Lyn replied hotly.
Moira reached the heavy steel door first, and went straight for the small panel
beside it. Lyn barely had time to reach her side before she had the front of the
panel off and was peering behind it, studying the arrangement of wires behind
it.
"This place is weird," Lyn muttered. "It looks more like… like…"
The panel in Moira's hands beeped loudly, and with a low hiss of hydraulics the
door began to slide open.
"Like it's a façade?" Moira suggested, carelessly shoving the panel back into
its socket.
"Like it was built yesterday," Lyn finished, leaning in to study the panel that
was now glowing an angry red.
Moira sniffed dismissively and strode off to the slowly widening gap between the
two halves of the door. She knew she would have to tell Lyn what was happening
eventually, but she still maintained a small hope that she was wrong, that Guy
had heeded her advice.
"It wasn't built yesterday was it?" Lyn asked, walking slowly to the entrance.
"No," Moira said softly, eyeing the gloom beyond.
"Finally, an answer!" she exclaimed in mock triumph.
Moira stepped through, triggering the lights by her presence. There was a
momentary flicker, and then they shone brightly, illuminating the passage in
sickly green.
"Why are the lights green?" Lyn asked slowly, shivering at the horrible colour.
"You can still get back to the cargo ship," Moira told her, the green lights
hiding the sudden paleness of her face. "It'll be safer there for you."
"I'm not a child," Lyn snapped, anger briefly overcoming her unease. Moira
turned and stared at her, and Lyn felt herself go cold at the deadly seriousness
she saw in her eyes.
"I'm coming," Lyn said slowly, surprising her self with the steadiness of her
voice.
Silently Moira nodded, and together they stepped into the passage.
Trying to keep herself from worrying about Susan, Julie walked slowly through
the gardens that surrounded Simeon's home. The air was cold and sharp, and she
found herself looking up at the clouds that covered the sky, wondering if it
would snow again. She doubted it though, as it was almost at the end of winter.
She glanced sideways, a slight frown crossing her face as Celina brushed against
her shoulder. The other girl didn't seem to notice though; her eyes remained
wide and searching, trying to absorb everything at once. Julie couldn't help
comparing her to Kate who, whilst seeming brighter now that she was outside, was
nowhere near the bubbly friend she remembered.
"Is it normally this noisy outside?" Celina asked suddenly, glancing across at
Julie.
"Noisy?" Julie turned in confusion.
"Yeah… noise from the trees." She imitated the sound of a bird chirping.
"Oh! That's just a bird!"
Celina looked thoughtful for a moment. "They fly, right?"
"Yep," Julie replied weakly. The gaps in Celina's knowledge of the world still
surprised her. It was hard to believe she had never been on a planet before.
Having avoided the gardens ever since her encounter with Shadow, it came as a
shock to see a painfully familiar fountain come into view right in front of her.
Seeing past it to where she had lain with Trig, the fragmented memories of that
terrifying night took on a new clarity. Everything looked so different during
the day and without any snow, but she knew exactly where it was, and the
thoughts made her shiver.
"What's that?" Celina asked, gesturing to the concrete construction.
"It's called a fountain," Julie explained distractedly. "It's… a decoration."
"It's great!" She left Julies' side for the first time since coming outside and
began to walk quickly around the edge of the pool the fountain sat in, her eyes
sparkling as much as the water was.
Julie sighed to herself, letting the gentle ripples in the water distract her.
Kate came up and put an arm around her, sensing her Mistresses mood. Coming here
reminded her of Shadow, and of what she could become if she chose to.
Slightly on edge, she looked up from the pool as something moved out the corner
of her eye. She half expected it to be Shadow returning for revenge, so it came
as a surprise to see the tall, strong figure of her father step through the
trees.
Once she recovered from the initial shock, she noticed that the serious look he
had on his face wasn't directed at her. Following his gaze, she found Celina
staring back at him from the other side of the fountain, her face pale.
"Celina…" Julie said slowly, and then turned back to Seth. "…Dad?" The word felt
strange as it came off her tongue. She felt Kate's arm around her tighten
slightly, but whether it was possessiveness or because she had never met Seth,
Julie was uncertain.
"I'm glad to see you're all okay," Seth said, smiling suddenly and looking over
to Julie. Crouching down, he sat the stack of folders in his arms down on the
paving around the fountain.
"Hello Kate," he said with a smile. Kate mumbled an inaudible greeting in reply,
studying the man who was her Mistresses father with a mixture of fascination and
fear.
"How is Susan?" Sitting down on the edge of the pool around the fountain, he
patted the paving and looked expectantly at his daughter.
"She's been better," Julie told him, approaching cautiously. She had a strong
feeling like she was being watched, and it was growing with every moment. The
air seemed strange, the skin at the back of her neck prickling, and her tension
was showing in the way Kate was looking around nervously.
"She'll be okay in a day or two, don't worry. Just give her time."
"What's going on?" Julie demanded suddenly, looking directly at him. He laughed
gently, but it sounded forced.
"Your mother was always good at telling when there was something wrong."
Julie stared back silently, and after a few seconds Seth sighed heavily and
looked down at the paving.
"I'm going to have to stay here for a few days," he told her levelly.
"What?!" she exclaimed, immediately thinking of Simeon's reaction to her father
being in the house. "Why do you have to stay here?"
Seth looked up at her for a moment, gauging her reaction. Perhaps he shouldn't
tell her about the others just yet…
"Because Guy, the leader of the station you were on, is currently in the process
of destroying my previous residence." He sighed inwardly; it had never been a
home for him, just somewhere to stay.
Julie narrowed her eyes at him. "Why would he want to do that?"
"Because…" He glanced sideways at Celina. "Because I'm one of the leaders of a
group who oppose what he's doing," he explained.
A million questions came into Julies' head. What were they opposing exactly? Why
did this 'Guy' want with her?
"Where is the rest of the group?" she asked flatly, the strange feelings
suddenly making sense. Was she sensing the portals opening and closing nearby?
Seth looked up at her and smiled sheepishly.
"I hope your boyfriend doesn't mind too much."
"I…" she began, trailing off. Her shoulders slumped, and she sat down heavily
beside him with Kate.
"Why can't the world leave me in peace?" she whispered.
"I'm sorry," Seth said sincerely. "I've tried my best to protect you, but… there
are things that are more important."
"Like what?" Julie asked, on the verge of tears. "What's so important that you
have to… to attract the people who want to… who want me!"
"I can't tell you that," he told her sadly. "I can tell you that you're safe
though."
"How?" she sobbed, and looked up at him. "How can you be sure?" Seth smiled
wryly.
"We're safe because they're having troubles getting their portal generator to
work."
"But…" Her expression brightened slightly as she realised he was probably
responsible for the sabotage. "Can't they use a ship instead?"
"They could," Seth conceded. "But ships need big portals, and that size is
easily detectable from here. By the time you were in any danger, we could be a
safe distance away."
"R…Really?" she stammered, wiping the tears from her eyes with her sleeve. "You
mean… I've been worrying for nothing?"
"You didn't look too worried, out here just the two of you," he pointed out.
Julie looked suddenly very worried.
"Oh no, I didn't tell Trig I was coming out here!" She scrabbled to her feet,
looking at him urgently. "If he sees any of your friends, he's going to panic
when he can't find me!"
She dashed off in the direction of the house, shoes slapping loudly against the
paving.
"Julie!" Kate called out, and ran off after her.
"Wait!" Seth cried at the departing girls, glancing at his wrist device. It only
took a moment to see that the trip from the base to Earth had depleted most of
its remaining energy, and it would take a few hours to be able to go anywhere
with it.
"Can you help me with these?" he asked Celina, leaning over to pick up the
folders.
Her face white, Celina stared at him for a long moment. Then slowly, she
approached and took half the pile from him.
"Thanks." Standing slowly, he maintained eye contact with her.
"Do you have any idea what is in these?" she asked slowly.
"I've had a brief look at one or two," he said knowingly.
"Will you tell her… about me?" Celina looked like she was on the verge of tears
again, preparing to beg and offer anything to keep her secrets.
"You know," Seth said slowly, "if they were to lose the picture in this file,
they would never know it was you…" Lifting the top folder off the stack, he
casually swapped it with one from Celina.
Celina stared at the folder in silence for a second, before slowly opening the
top. Her cheeks turned red at the image of her naked and standing tall that was
clipped to the very top. It was a clear shot, but a quick flick through
confirmed it was the only one of her in there.
She glanced at Seth once, and then being careful, she folded the picture in half
and then pulled it free to slot it quickly into her pocket.
"Thank you," she whispered, forcing calm into her voice.
"My pleasure," he told her softly.
"Do… do you really think I can start a new life here?" She looked up at him, her
eyes glistening with tears.
"I hope so," he told her, trying to keep the uncertainty he felt from his words.
The knowledge she had was undeniably dangerous, but as far as he could tell from
the information they had intercepted, Guy didn't care that she was missing, and
it confused him. Was she a ticking time-bomb, waiting to betray them all? Or was
it something else?
Shaking his head slightly, he shifted the weight of the folders and started off
in the direction Julie had gone. Celina patted her pocket to ensure the photo
was secure, before following after him, her expression brighter.
--
Big thanks go out to slavelucy
--
