“How is this possible? It’s just ink,” she wondered aloud.

“Not ink. Pigment,” the alien corrected. “Living color, extracted from very powerful plants, bonded to your flesh to provide certain enhancements.”

“Hang on. You’re saying this is magic ink—I mean, pigment?”

“Magic? Hardly. It is a core power of the universe, harnessed by a few certain species of plant life from their contact with sunlight and galactic energies, condensed into pigments that can enhance a person’s natural abilities when combined with the correct runes to direct its power. And in return, the host’s own life force keeps the pigment alive. It is a very beneficial, symbiotic relationship.”

He rolled up his torn sleeve to reveal an even more muscular and defined arm than she had envisioned. From the back of his hand, black and brown lines traced his muscles, small symbols, or runes as he called them, interwoven into the flowing design as it ran all the way up, disappearing under the cloth.

Darla found herself wondering just how far those designs went. They were beautiful. Alien. And as she looked at the faintly moving ink under his skin, she felt something far different than fear in her belly.

“These are power runes,” he said, pointing to his arm. “This one gives strength. And this one endurance.”

Without thinking, Darla reached out and touched his arm. As her fingers traced the design, the warm fluttering inside her grew even stronger, moving lower and lower. She shifted in her stance, clenching her legs together tightly in a little shimmy as she lifted her hand free and stepped back from him.

No way, Dar. Don’t even go there. He’s an alien, she chided herself.

She turned to Maureen and Diego. “So, we’re just some alien’s snack, is that it? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Maureen looked at her apologetically. “You’re new. I wanted to ease you into it.”

“And this is just some normal thing for these Raxxians? How come no one noticed? Why didn’t the military do something?”

“They’re aliens, Darla. Human technology doesn’t hold a candle to what they’re capable of. From what I’ve gathered, they’ve been harvesting from Earth for longer than anyone could imagine. Using the planet as a sort of pit stop to fill up on supplies as they fly through the galaxy.”

Diego nodded in agreement. “Just think of how many people go missing every year. Who knows how many of those were snatched up?”

Darla’s mind was racing, but she was actually taking this information fairly well. Rather than freak out, she had slipped into problem-solving mode. It was why she was everyone’s go-to call when the shit hit the fan back home. She was the fixer. Only now she was the one needing help, but no one was coming to her rescue. Even if they knew she’d been taken, there was nothing they could do.

“I guess it makes sense in a way. Sort of like a Predator setting us up for a hunt.”

Diego laughed. “Oh, you’re funny. You also watch too much television. There’s no elaborate hunt. No games.”

“Wait a minute. Are you speaking English?”

“Nope. I’m from Argentina. I thought the big guy just went over this.”

“He did. I’m just processing, here. This thing behind our ears, it works for every language?”

“Seems that way,” Diego replied.

The alien nodded his agreement. “He is correct, though with your weak pigment there is the possibility it might not work for every race. He is also correct that you are not part of a larger game scenario. Do not flatter yourselves with such delusions. The Raxxians do not play with their food, and your kind are not worthy of combat.”

Darla cocked her head at the enormous alien and put her hands on her hips. “Okay. Fine. We’re weak and useless, thanks for that. But what about you? Why are you in here with us if we’re just livestock?”

He opened a small pouch on his waist and withdrew a box, opening it carefully. Inside was a set of fine needles with what looked like some sort of mechanical handles. Next to them, securely tucked into its own compartment, was a little container of dark pigment.

“I apply the runes,” he said. “It was a hobby on my own world, something I studied in my leisure time, but one I became rather proficient at. Here, the hobby makes me valuable, and I am better treated for possessing this skill. Not many know how to properly apply the markings.”

Darla pondered his words a moment. “Are there others like you here?”

“Like me? No. I am the only one with this skill. But captives? Yes, there are a great many captives aboard this ship. The Raxxians have a long history of warring across the systems and have taken many prisoners in their conflicts. Most serve as labor—”

“But you said there were no slaves.”

“No. I said your kind were not slaves. Others are of far more value to the Raxxians alive than in their bellies.”

“But where, then? I don’t see any other aliens in here.”

“Aliens. How quaint. You are the aliens here, little one. A human minority far from your world. Though your time is short, it would do you well to remember that. To answer your question, we are aboard a Raxxian long transport. It is a rather large vessel, comprised of many compartments like this one, the prisoners spread out among them, the sections interlocked for the journey. Eventually, they will head to one of the Raxxian controlled worlds to offload their cargo to sort for shipment to their final destinations.”

“They segregate the different parts of the ship? Why?”

He assessed her a long moment, his violet eyes quietly sizing her up. “Security,” he finally replied.

“Security? What, they’re afraid we’ll all fight with each other?”

“No,” he said with what she could have sworn was a little wink. “Against them.”

OceanofPDF.com

CHAPTER FIVE

After that little eye-opening conversation with the hunky but kind of dickishly aloof alien, Darla made a point to walk the compartment and check every last bunk space to see if there were any other unexpected companions lurking in their shadows. One alien surprise was enough for today.

It turned out there weren’t any more of them, but she did manage to annoy a handful of additional human captives who were lamenting their situation in as much privacy as they could find in the otherwise wide-open holding area.

Livestock, Darla couldn’t help but think as she introduced herself to everyone in turn. We’re just animals to them.

This in turn made her wonder about the Raxxians’ feed ball thingies. If they were all destined to be food, it only made sense that whatever they were being provided would be high in nutrition, designed to plump up the herd.

Herd.

The thought of the word made her shudder with disgust. These were people, and all but one her fellow humans. At final count there were thirteen women, herself included, and five men. And the alien, of course.

Under any other circumstances she would have questioned how such a diverse group of people had wound up together, but seeing as they were on a spaceship and all understanding one another despite being from all across the globe, she just took it in stride. In any case, this was a survival situation, and it was important to get to know her fellow prisoners.

“I’m Darla,” she said to a woman with warm ebony skin that looked flawless in the ship’s unusual light.

“Nyota,” she replied. “That’s Angela, Sabine, and Carolina,” she added, nodding to a redhead with an impressive case of resting bitch face, a brunette with long, curly hair that looked like it hadn’t seen a brush or conditioner in weeks, and a dirty blonde with a bright smile and cheeks and eyebrows that could only be called mountainous.

Darla couldn’t help but imagine that Carolina would be ridiculously photogenic with her features. Unfortunately, high cheekbones wouldn’t keep her off the Raxxians’ menu.