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He turns the craft and slows down as we reach a mountainous region where the rocks curl like malevolent waves. We hover down into the center, and he parks inside of a small cave.
He gets out, opens my door, and holds a prod over my head.
"Out," he commands. I hesitate before he adds, “I won’t ask again.”
The air rushes around us. The soil is a deep purple, and light blue crystals cover the rocks.
"Where are we?" I ask.
"You are sick," he says. "Infected with the injection I gave you. I need to quarantine you."
It was Xygo fever. I didn’t forget. I feel my forehead with the back of my hand. It’s hot. "I'm fine. Really, I am."
He prods my neck, forcing my body into quick convulsions.
"Get the fuck out," he says.
He grabs the leash near my neck and pulls me out instead. I slide across the dirt and quickly jump to my feet. I stumble and walk in front of him.
"There," he points.
Inside the cave is a small walkway. We walk for what seems to be a few minutes before another sliver of light pokes through the back end of the cave.
"Keep going," he says. "Almost there."
As we walk through to the other side, we come to an opening. I see a water reservoir with a ladder fashioned to the inside. At first, I think to myself, "Well, at least we have access to clean water." Yet, as he stops and points at the ladder, I realize this is where he's quarantining me.
"Inside," he says.
I look down into the blackness, the infinite abyss that is supposed to be my new room. This is pure isolation. It's torture.
At least there’s no water inside.
"I... I can't do it," I say.
"Don't make me hurt you. Your sickness will ruin your faculties if we don't act fast. Do you want to die?" he asks.
No, I don’t want to die. But I’m not exactly fond of living like this either. Still, I make the decision to comply.
I step onto the ladder and lower myself down. He stands over me, watching intently as each step brings me further and further into the dark domain.
He has drained the water from the bottom of the well, but the air is freezing. A small mattress has been set. It’s almost like he knew I’d be coming here. Like he was preparing for me.
As soon as I touch the mattress, I realize it is a bundle of hay with a sheet thrown over it. Not very comfortable, but it’ll have to do. I’m too tired to protest. I’m weak and feeling feverish.
Everything about this situation is a nightmare, but it could be worse. They could have locked me in one of those cages, forcing me to breed for the Syndicate.
Another thought runs through my mind; the slaver will want to breed me, too. Will I have to comply?
Obviously, I will. I'll have to submit to his demands, over and over again.
Inside the water reservoir, I am far away from him. That's one thing I can be happy about. I'm also sick. He's not going to touch me. I could die.
Maybe there's still time to get out of here. It's possible that he bought me purely to make a deal with Earth Federation. Maybe he wants to buy his way to freedom. That makes the most sense. I have to be worth more than ten thousand measly krowns.
His silhouette hugs the top of the reservoir. "Sleep," he commands. "Your thoughts will only bring you false truths. You are thousands of miles away from home. There is no escape."
He slides the ladder out of the reservoir and tosses it aside. He then drags a cement covering over the top.
