Chapter 13

Lucian was led by his arm. The path seemed to go in circles. Left then right, then another one. By the fourth time he was lost and just let the woman drag him behind her. First few minutes walking were made in relative silence, not even his inside voice was saying anything. The woman stopped.

“Go slave.” He was pushed up front.

What did we get ourselves into? Lucian thought.

Hey, hey, there is no us here, this is all you baby. his inner voice laughed.

I do not even know what you are, how do I call you even? Lucian asked.

Yeah you do not. Would you care to reflect on that? the voice asked.

No. Lucian briskly answered.

Then why ask?

Honestly, I think we are about to die and I do want to know the voice that’s been droning on and on in my head. I cannot keep calling you ‘Hey you’ every time I want to talk. Can I? Lucian said.

Call me ... Ishmael. The voice said.

Are you serious? Lucian asked.

No. a brisk answer came from the voice.

They stopped beside another door, same as the last. The woman whispered few lines and the doors quickly opened and folded in on themselves.

Again, fancy the voice quipped.

Truly! Lucian agreed.

As the doors disappeared, Lucian was blinded by a bright light. He was gently pushed out. Since he had his eyes closed, instead feeling the familiar metallic feeling of the floor, he was gently surprised that there was sand beneath his toes.

He blinked. He was actually outside, no longer in a ship. But actually outside. In the wild.

Well I will be damned. the voice said.

“Finally, Yeah baby!!” Lucian screamed.

I know you wanted to see the light, but damn man. I feel ya. Being locked up for that long is nothing to sneeze at. How long were you inside? a sarcastic tone could be heard coming from the voice in his head. Lucian could swear he could see the voice wipe a stray tear from his face.

Very funny. Lucian said.

Bitch. voice jeered.

Finally. The smell of nature was in front of him. The sounds, he took his sweet time and enjoyed every passing moment. As if it were the situation he was in interrupted him his silent meditation. The soul was quick to heal. Rattling of mechanical doors or wheels opened his eyes.

In front of him was a rising platform from deep, deep in the ground.

Weird he thought.

Lucian never felt he was on a planet, let alone a mechanical factory of some kind.

Think those platforms up there have something to do with it, bud. the voice silently warned.

Lucian looked up and around. Platforms the voice spoke about, held a gun nest. He seemed to recognize the type of gun the four platforms were holding. Gatling guns.

What are they for? Lucian asked.

I think they are for us my boy. Maybe for those that go out here to deal with whatever that is, they misbehave and ‘brrrrrrrt’. Game over. I actually admire the concept of making quick minced meat. the voice said.

Expensive, but effective. Lucian added.

Lucian could recognize a giant elevator when he saw one. As it finally reached the end of its climb, he saw that there was a large orb like structure riding on it.

What’s that? Lucian asked.

A ball of steel, maybe? the voice answered.

No, duh, I can see that. I was asking what its purpose was. Lucian corrected.

Ooooh. Well that’s easy. the voice said.

Lucian waited for few tense moments. The 20 feet tall metal ball slowly started to move. It started to open up holes all over its surface.

WELL? Lucian was anxious for the answer.

Well, what? the voice grinned.

The purpose? Lucian almost screamed.

To kill us. Hahahahaha. the voice laughed.

“I swear to God, I will kill you.” Lucian was sick and tired of the voice.

He finally snapped shaking his fists towards the heaven. People who were monitoring the situation, waiting for the result to appear glanced at each other worriedly shaking their heads.

“He can’t do anything. Focus on your task. The experiment is about to begin.” The man walking around warned everyone.

“He is just venting his frustrations. All bark and no bite.” He grimaced while looking at Lucian’s sweating form.

“I do not know Master, he is acting odd.” One of the women working on her console commented.

The man hulking over her studied the video for few moments, “It seems he is chattering to himself.”

“How fascinating.” He added.

Lucian on video was grabbing his head as if he was in pain. The man watched the screen. Every Lucian’s action was scrutinized by him. He had a small smile on his lips, licking them occasionally.

“Lieutenant, record his every move and reaction.” He ordered.

“Yes, Master.’ Came the brisk reply.

Back outside; Lucian was clawing at his head in frustration. The voice just would not stop.

Are you sorry now you did not smash that poon? He took a few moments then laughed, and you told me I was mad.

I just thought... Lucian was in deep thought, thinking about the past.

What?! Thinking about your girls? You couldn’t get it up ‘cause you thought it would betray their trust? the voice huffed, Let me ask you something. How do you know they do not have their cunts full of space meat as we speak.

Lucian gritted his teeth. He did not want to even think about the possibility of his women betraying him. Mechanical buzz made him re-focus his thoughts on the problem at hand.

Looks like it is starting. Whatever it is that they are looking for. Lucian thought.

The voice was quiet for few moments, Lucian thought he finally left, Tough luck. the voice responded, I am just thinking about what they were talking when they escorted you out here. Something about an experiment. Voice added.

Black metallic ball was the size of a house. Lucian just could not stop gaping at its scale. The giant metallic black ball started to gyrate and the buzzing became louder with every passing second, Lucian waited.

The ball suddenly stopped to gyrate. The buzzing stopped.

What now? Lucian wondered.

As if reading his mind the balls started shooting lasers in all directions. Bright yellow lasers that sizzled the ground. Lucian could not see any damage but was sure the lasers emitted high amounts of heat and energy.

Run. The voice simply said.

As they were outside, in a ring of sorts, Lucian could run circles around the ball easily. The area was well lit and the sand gave traction. So he was not going to slip. However, the speed was greatly reduced so he had to waste more energy to get more speed.

The lasers had specific firing cycle, they launched their attacks only when they had clear shot of Lucian and only in his direction. As he was running around he discovered that the area had little pockets of terrain where he could use the terrain as a cover from the shooting. Using one of those obstacles he found out that the lasers did not shoot. He postulated, from more annoying noises from his inner voice, that the ball only shot when it had a clear shot of him.

Thinking he could use these covers for however long he wished for, he would duck and hide behind them. Trying to catch his breath. However, unexpectedly the covers would soon retract into the ground or as one simply fell apart into sand right before he managed to take a breath or two.

Again he started to run. Kicking the sand with the toes of his feet. It was twice as hard for him since he was missing his left arm. Often stumbling and falling over. He would use these awkward falls to dodge the bright yellow lasers just right as they would burn and sizzle the ground.

A particular violent tumble left him wheezing and gasping for air, when the voice finally screamed in his mind Move you dip shit!!!

Now you speak. Can you let me do the work here? Lucian gasped for breath.

He kept running. Kept jumping. Kept falling.

He forgot how long he was there, but his body became more bruised with each passing second. He was feeling the fatigue coming. His frail body could manage so much. Lucian did seven, eight maybe nine tours around the large ring. He lost the exact number.

We can only run. the voice said.

Are you reminding me? Lucian spat the dirt out of his mouth.

Still behind one of the covers. Taking few precious moments to breath more evenly and prepare on another round of running.

Just voicing the situation we are currently in. His inner voice slowly said.

What now? Lucian asked.

I do not know, if they wanted us dead I doubt we could run. Maybe they are just testing us how much we can run.

We? What’s all this talk about us? I seem to do all the hard work. Lucian asked in wonder.

Well if I could I would. the voice laughed. Taking over is my end goal. Now if you could just stand there and let the laser burn you, that would be the best, thanks. the voice drawled.

Ashole. Lucian spat.

Inside the viewing room, they were silently watching Lucian’s every move. “Zoom in.”

A voice interrupted the profound silence, continuing it spoke, “The subject will not stop, it says a lot about his own tenacity.”

“Great Master, when is it going to end?” Anya asked softly.

“Soon my pet, for now we watch and probe his every action.” He spoke slowly.

On the screen Lucian was almost hit by a barrage of several lasers. Never too late to dodge them he was looking more and more labored but never relented.

“Prepare for phase 2.” He ordered.

The room of five people started tapping and working on their screens. Talking between them they engaged the next phase of the plan, the master of the room smiled broadly. This will be his victory.

Al’Jafar was watching his men. All of them were extremely tired and needed sleep badly. Several men and women were taken by fatigue and passed out while standing.

They have been guarding the vicinity for the last 72 hours. Everyone was on edge and being crammed inside a cantina was not making them feel any better.

“Sir.” A tired man approached Al’Jafar.

He took a long look at the man, he was barely standing. “Yes private. You may speak.”

“Team seven is not back from their rounds.” The man was shaking.

“Another one? How many does that make?” Al’Jafar asked.

“Twenty sir.” The disheveled man said.

“God damn it.” Al’Jafar cursed.

He felt every time one of his men would die, but so far he was missing twenty and did not know where or if they were alive. It made him question his every move.

“These beasts will be the death of me. They move without a thought, but once you think you have them figured out they do something that make me question everything.” He sat on a crate.

A light shined on his face. The visage of a stoic and proud man was no more. There sat a drained man. Of happiness, strength and determination. He wanted to surrender and get the entire thing over with. However, he was not alone, but in command of fifty people enacting his every command.

He took a deep breath, Al’Jafar spoke in a tired, drained voice “Did the doctor discover anything about them?”

“They recovered few bodies and sir...” The man paused, haunted look on his face.