AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Diagnostic report,” said Jini again.
“What system?”
“External access, key scans only,” said Jini.
“What time frame?” said the AI.
“Past two hihors, indicate to whom keys are registered.”
“One key scan, Grilin Hollek,” said the ship’s AI.
Jini blanched.
“He’s dead,” I said. “He’s very dead, and—”
“He said he lost it,” said Jini. “We set down on the planet, and he was acting kind of strange, and he left to go and look at the ship, he said, but when he came back, he said he lost his key, and he took mine.”
“Well, they found it, then,” I said, gesturing at the dead donens.
“Or he gave it to them,” said Holston.
“Why would he do that?” said Jini.
“You said he locked you in a closet?” said Holston. “Stunned you?”
Jini nodded. “Yes, but why would—”
“Let’s say you’re in a fertility cult,” said Holston. “Let’s say you think that you should mate in the old way, up here during Star Season. Let’s say you have no trouble convincing a bunch of donen men to join your cult.”
“But I bet you don’t get a lot of female volunteers,” I said.
“Not so much,” said Holston.
“But it’s worse for men,” I said. “You guys have to fight each other, and—”
“We have antlers,” said Holston. “What chance did that woman we saw get gored stand against that vvoln? What chance atall?”
“Even so, how do you get men to volunteer for this?” I said.
Holston shook his head.
I hugged myself. “But they did seem…” The men who’d come after me, who’d tried to force themselves on me, they did seem on board with it, and they did seem like volunteers. “Men are just stupid, is that it?”
“Maybe they aren’t into it at first, and then they go off their suppressants, and then…” Holston shrugged. “Then it’s like all your higher-level thinking stuff is muted.”
“Oh, that’syou?” said Jini, looking at him with wide eyes.
“Don’t worry,” said Holston to her. “I thought I was a sociopath, but I’ve honed in on her and I’m not nearly as bad as I was. I won’t touch you, that’s for sure. I’ve got a vested interest in her at this point. Sunk cost, all the seed I’ve dumped in her. Instinctively, I’m more drawn to keeping her alive than fucking anyone else. You’re good.”
“You know what?” I said. “I can do without—”
“Okay, whatever with you two,” said Jini. “I’m still confused. You’re saying that Grilin was part of this and he brought me and Panna here to be raped by this fertility cult?”
“I think so,” said Holston. “I think that’s exactly what happened.”
“Why’d he shoot us, then?”
“He tried to stun you and keep you captive, but when you fought back, he defended himself,” said Holston.
