Read Online Slave Empire - Prophecy by T C Southwell - Free Book Online
Authors: T C Southwell
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drink the water. Undoubtedly they
were being watched, and Rayne was sure it would only be a matter of
time before their captors were forced to communicate with them. The
response came sooner than she expected, in the form of a soft
masculine voice that spoke in oddly accented English.
"We apologise
for the quarantine's necessity. Unfortunately, if you wish to meet
us, you must drink the liquid in the glasses."
Rawn yelled
back, "Where are we? What do you want?"
"You are
aboard a space ship called Vengeance, and we wish you no harm," the
disembodied voice said.
"Why have you
kidnapped us?"
"That will be
explained once you have imbibed the medicine."
"What does it
do?" Rawn demanded.
"It is merely
to eradicate unwanted bacteria that could be harmful to our health.
Your world is, unfortunately, an unhealthy place. Once you have
drunk the medicine, you will be released after a set period of
time."
"And if we
refuse?"
"That is not
an option we are prepared to accept. Eventually you will become
thirsty and drink the medication. Obstinacy will merely prolong
your incarceration."
Rawn glared
around at the walls. "I could shoot my way out of here!"
"No. Any
attempt to use your weapon will be countered by an increase in
tranquilliser gas. I urge you to co-operate."
"I'll bet you
do!" Rawn shouted. "But why should I co-operate with you, huh?"
"Because you
wish to leave the room," the voice stated.
"But I don't
want to be bullied by the likes of you!"
Rayne gripped
his arm. "Stop it. Let's just drink the medicine. This is a
pointless argument."
"How do we
know it isn't poison?" he demanded.
"Why would
they bring us here to poison us? They could have killed us any
time."
"Maybe they
want to use us in some kind of experiment, like damned guinea
pigs."
She shook her
head. "I don't think so, but what choice do we have? Like he said,
they'll just keep us locked in here until we get so thirsty we
drink it. Let's rather do it now and get it over with. There's
really nothing else we can do."
"You're too
damned fatalistic, Ray. I could shoot a hole -"
"No you
couldn't, and even if you did, what then? If we're aboard a space
ship, there's nowhere to run, is there?"
Rawn let the
gun drop to his side, his shoulders slumping. "Guess not, if that's
true. But I don't like this. It's all too damned neat and prepared,
as if it was planned. I feel like we're in a damned laboratory. And
I'll tell you this, if I start to feel sick, I will shoot my way
out of here and take a few of those bastards with me."
Rayne glanced
up at the walls. "Will the medicine make us sick?"
"No," the
voice replied. "Side effects should be minimal. At worst, some
cramps and diarrhoea may result."
Rayne picked
up a glass and drained it.
He watched
her. "What does it taste like?"
She shrugged.
"Water."
Rawn drank
his, and they settled down to wait again. This time they passed the
hours in silence, and Rayne dozed against Rawn's shoulder. They
jumped when a door slid open again, revealing a larger bathroom
with two shower cubicles. Two sets of grey one-piece clothing were
folded on a shelf next a pair of fluffy white towels. Rawn glanced
at his sister.
"I suppose the
inference is pretty obvious."
"We
smell."
"Undoubtedly,
but do they have to be so blatant?"
She smiled.
"Well, having cleaned out our insides, they have to do the outsides
too."
The soft male
voice spoke again. "You have already been externally
decontaminated. The cleaning facilities are for your comfort. We
have tried to simulate your method of washing. We hope you find the
facilities adequate."
Rayne gazed at
the showers. "It's been a long time since I had a shower,
especially a warm one."
Rawn frowned.
"Our method of washing? What kind of aliens are these?"
The voice
said, "We are what you would call humanoids, similar to you in many
respects, but we have various means of washing that would be
strange and possibly alarming to you."
"Us
primitives, you mean," Rawn snapped.
Rayne
were being watched, and Rayne was sure it would only be a matter of
time before their captors were forced to communicate with them. The
response came sooner than she expected, in the form of a soft
masculine voice that spoke in oddly accented English.
"We apologise
for the quarantine's necessity. Unfortunately, if you wish to meet
us, you must drink the liquid in the glasses."
Rawn yelled
back, "Where are we? What do you want?"
"You are
aboard a space ship called Vengeance, and we wish you no harm," the
disembodied voice said.
"Why have you
kidnapped us?"
"That will be
explained once you have imbibed the medicine."
"What does it
do?" Rawn demanded.
"It is merely
to eradicate unwanted bacteria that could be harmful to our health.
Your world is, unfortunately, an unhealthy place. Once you have
drunk the medicine, you will be released after a set period of
time."
"And if we
refuse?"
"That is not
an option we are prepared to accept. Eventually you will become
thirsty and drink the medication. Obstinacy will merely prolong
your incarceration."
Rawn glared
around at the walls. "I could shoot my way out of here!"
"No. Any
attempt to use your weapon will be countered by an increase in
tranquilliser gas. I urge you to co-operate."
"I'll bet you
do!" Rawn shouted. "But why should I co-operate with you, huh?"
"Because you
wish to leave the room," the voice stated.
"But I don't
want to be bullied by the likes of you!"
Rayne gripped
his arm. "Stop it. Let's just drink the medicine. This is a
pointless argument."
"How do we
know it isn't poison?" he demanded.
"Why would
they bring us here to poison us? They could have killed us any
time."
"Maybe they
want to use us in some kind of experiment, like damned guinea
pigs."
She shook her
head. "I don't think so, but what choice do we have? Like he said,
they'll just keep us locked in here until we get so thirsty we
drink it. Let's rather do it now and get it over with. There's
really nothing else we can do."
"You're too
damned fatalistic, Ray. I could shoot a hole -"
"No you
couldn't, and even if you did, what then? If we're aboard a space
ship, there's nowhere to run, is there?"
Rawn let the
gun drop to his side, his shoulders slumping. "Guess not, if that's
true. But I don't like this. It's all too damned neat and prepared,
as if it was planned. I feel like we're in a damned laboratory. And
I'll tell you this, if I start to feel sick, I will shoot my way
out of here and take a few of those bastards with me."
Rayne glanced
up at the walls. "Will the medicine make us sick?"
"No," the
voice replied. "Side effects should be minimal. At worst, some
cramps and diarrhoea may result."
Rayne picked
up a glass and drained it.
He watched
her. "What does it taste like?"
She shrugged.
"Water."
Rawn drank
his, and they settled down to wait again. This time they passed the
hours in silence, and Rayne dozed against Rawn's shoulder. They
jumped when a door slid open again, revealing a larger bathroom
with two shower cubicles. Two sets of grey one-piece clothing were
folded on a shelf next a pair of fluffy white towels. Rawn glanced
at his sister.
"I suppose the
inference is pretty obvious."
"We
smell."
"Undoubtedly,
but do they have to be so blatant?"
She smiled.
"Well, having cleaned out our insides, they have to do the outsides
too."
The soft male
voice spoke again. "You have already been externally
decontaminated. The cleaning facilities are for your comfort. We
have tried to simulate your method of washing. We hope you find the
facilities adequate."
Rayne gazed at
the showers. "It's been a long time since I had a shower,
especially a warm one."
Rawn frowned.
"Our method of washing? What kind of aliens are these?"
The voice
said, "We are what you would call humanoids, similar to you in many
respects, but we have various means of washing that would be
strange and possibly alarming to you."
"Us
primitives, you mean," Rawn snapped.
Rayne
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