“Tai, don’t let your pants out of your sight.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asks.
“Just trust me on this, and never say I didn’t do something nice for you.” I wave him out of the room, anxious to enact my plan.
He slips out the door while I collapse into hysterical laughter.
SIXTEEN
Tai
Iwind my way back down to the dungeon, keeping to the shadows and quiet tunnels. It’s a perfect opportunity to get a sense of the layout of the colony. The dungeon appears to be the lowest level. It’s unclear how many levels there are in total, but each one has a similar layout with random offshoots, and each room is either a bedroom or a prayer room. The main level, the one where Bri is currently, also has the dining room and kitchen. On one of the lower levels, I find a dark tunnel that dead-ends with a wide shaft down in the center of the floor. The smell of decomposing food hits me when I lean over to look in. It’s a garbage chute going straight down to a smelly pit.
A bell approaches, and I’ve got nowhere to go. I climb down into the chute and hold myself up by pushing my back against one wall and feet against the other. A steady stream of electricity runs through my arms, vibrating my entire body. I squeeze my eyes shut and wait.
A handful of wilted vegetables drops on my lap. I hold my breath to save myself from the smell and to stay completely silent. The electric current from the cuffs radiates hot electricity and getsworse the longer I hold myself there. The bell recedes, and I shimmy my way up and out.
That was close. The Oo’rahim are already suspicious that I’ve got plans for their goddess. If they caught me slinking around in the shadows, it’d be over for me.
The sleeping guard at the top of the final set of stairs snores lightly, unmoved from his spot earlier. He snorts and shifts when I step into the light. I bolt down the stairs. No point in standing there waiting to get caught.
I wrestle off the robe awkwardly with my hands bound together and earn a few extra shocks. I kick it into a closet for safekeeping—who knows if I’ll need to use it again.
Something on the bottom shelf catches my eye. I shake my head and laugh. Amateurs put my pack and my blaster unsecured in the closet next to my cell. This is going to be easier than I thought.
It goes against every instinct, but I lock myself back in the cell. The control panel hangs uselessly from a few wires. The drive is irreparable. I push it back into place and hope no one notices.
Hours drag by. My mind races, trying to think of every possible way Bri and I can get out of the colony. Which route we would take, how far we could get before they realize we are gone.
Every minute ticking by brings me closer to losing my shit. Why did I agree to come back down here and wait for her to get me out? I know better than to put my survival in the hands of another. I resolve to break back out of my cell when the door swings open and an Oo’rahim steps in.
“You lied to the brethren,” he says while removing the cuffs.
“What’s going on?” I sound confused—because I am. He didn’t seem to notice the control panel was broken.
“The Goddess told us she was separated from her Tilak servant in the desert. She asked us to find him.”
I inwardly groan. Of course she would make me her servant. I finally understand why humans say, “Always read the fine print.”
“Follow us. Her Eminence awaits.”
He leads me to a crowded dining hall where everyone’s attention is fixed in the same direction. On a platform at the other end of the room Bri lounges on a cushion while an Oo’rahim drops fucking grapes into her mouth. What kind of bullshit is this? I’ve been down in the dungeon pissing in a rusty bucket and huddled under a dirty blanket for hours while she’s being hand-fed grapes?
An Oo’rahim fans Bri with a giant palm frond. She finally notices me, and when our eyes meet, I can see laughter in them. She bites her cheeks and waves away the brethren.
As I walk over to her my eyes drift to the smallest shirt ever made. In the dimly lit bedroom, I only got a hint of her clothes. Now I get the full effect—in a room full of strange little brethren. Bri always looks good, but this outfit is next level.
“My eyes are up here, creep,” she says and glares at me. The laughter is gone. Her eyes are now full of fire and brimstone—and I’ve never wanted to be burned until now.
“I’m sorry, I, uh…” I shove my greasy hair back away from my face, suddenly aware of how dirty I am from the last few days. I hate this feeling.
A voice carries through the room. “Magnificence, is this the servant that abandoned you in your time of need?”
I snort at the ridiculous title, and her scowl deepens.
“Yes, dear Brethren. This is him.”
You have got to be fucking kidding me.
