Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 130081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 130081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
They passed through rooms with giant machines working, their gears grinding and clanking, and long dark hallways lit only by the occasional dim glow. But they didn’t meet anyone until they came to a vast area filled with row after row of enormous tanks that appeared to contain murky green liquid.
Inside the liquid of most tanks, amorphous dark shadows floated. Davrik couldn’t tell what they were, but they all looked huge and menacing. Lan’ara sucked in a breath and then coughed it out again—unsurprising since the air was heavy with the reek of chemicals.
“The Flesh Tanks—the Vats,” she whispered to Davrik, her purple eyes wide.
“What?” He frowned.
“This is where most of the Scourge warriors come from. They’re a dying race—they killed their planet with pollution and toxic chemicals—and now they have no choice but to reproduce through cloning and gene manipulation,” she explained in a low voice. “They grow the clones in these tanks. That’s why most of their warriors are basically mindless fighting machines. They have no emotion and no purpose other than to serve the All Father.”
“Which is how it should be,” a new voice behind them said.
Davrik whirled around, his finger poised on the trigger of his blaster. He was surprised to see a female rather than the hulking male warrior he’d been expecting.
But though she wasn’t huge, she was clearly a Scourge. She had the definitive red-on-black eyes and gray skin tones like his own. Her long black hair was pulled up into a high ponytail at the crown of her head and hung halfway down her back. The severe hair style served to emphasize her sharp cheekbones and angular jaw.
“Who are you?” Lan’ara breathed, obviously startled enough to forget her status as a “prisoner.”
“I am Xairna—daughter of the AllFather,” the Scourge female snapped. She narrowed her red-on-black eyes at them. “And I could ask the same—who are you and why have you brought a strange female on board the Father Ship?”
She was talking to Davrik, who was still staring down at her in surprise. He had never seen a female Scourge before. Indeed, in his own universe all the Scourge females had been wiped out.
“I am bringing this prisoner to the AllFather so that he may feed on her negative emotions,” he said, trying to make his voice brusque and businesslike. “But they seem to have moved the holding cells since I was last aboard the Father Ship. I would appreciate it if you’d point me in the right direction.”
“Moved the holding cells, you say?” She narrowed her eyes even further. Watching her made Davrik’s own eyes itch. The thin lenses that covered his entire iris and sclera were extremely irritating—they made him feel like he had sand or grit in his eyes. Grimly, he ignored them and held the Scourge female’s gaze.
“I’m a long range scout,” he said. “I haven’t been aboard the Father Ship in some time.”
“Hmm…I see. So you come bringing a new prisoner and hoping that you will win favor with my father by presenting her to him?”
“My business is my own,” Davrik snapped. “Will you point me towards the holding cells or not?”
“I’ll do better than that—I’ll take you there.” She gave a decisive nod of her head which made her long sleek tail of black hair bounce. “Follow me.”
Davrik exchanged a quick look with Lan’ara behind the Scourge female’s back but what could they do?
Hoping that she was fooled by his disguise, he started off after the AllFather’s daughter with Lan’ara right beside him.
FIFTY-NINE
LAN’ARA
Lan’ara kept an eye on the Scourge female as they walked behind her. She had said her name was “Xairna” and had claimed to be the Allfather’s daughter, and Lan’ara saw no reason to doubt her words. She carried herself with poise and confidence that seemed to back up her claim.
Also, she clearly knew her way around the Scourge ship. Without hesitating, she led them through several long corridors and down a lift and then around several corners. Lan’ara hoped that Davrik was keeping count of their twisting, turning route—they didn’t want to get lost in the vast, shadowy Father Ship!
After walking what felt like a very long way, they at last reached a row of cells lined with bars made of some greenish metal. Inside were several humans that had clearly already been mind-raped—they sat with their hands hanging limply between their legs and their heads down. When Lan’ara was able to glimpse their faces, she saw their eyes were dull and uncaring.
The sight made her shiver when she thought of what Nate had endured. He had put up a fight though—the AllFather hadn’t been able to completely break him. Unlike these poor souls who were clearly past the point of saving.
There was one exception, however—a human female with long, brownish-blonde hair and bright blue eyes like Nate’s. Lan’ara’s heart jumped when she saw her—that was Madison! It had to be!