Since it's Tuesday and, if you're like me, we're all fully into the weekly grind, I thought it might be fun to share a peek at how a day in the life of an Underworld dolly, like Petri, can go. It's always good to remind ourselves that things could be worse. 😉 Enjoy!
The foursome escaped the Janus wasp hive with much less
difficulty than Petri would have predicted. There was only token resistance
from the remaining JWs, and Petri wondered where the rest of them were. Hives
of less than fifty cult members were unusual. It was only when Sadaka whispered
in her ear that Daji had fought off more of the wasps before she and Chessie had
arrived that it began to make sense.
Janus wasps weren't known for being reasonable or allowing
reality to interfere with the pursuit of their goals, so the fact that the Paka
had been able to run them off still disturbed her. Normally, if the wasps thought
they were under attack, they killed all the victims they had in custody. If
they had thought it was a hive-burning, they should have converged on her and
Chessie and taken them to the altar room.
But watching the big Paka fight, she had to admit the JWs
had good reason to be scared. When she added in the fact that Daji had already
taken the fight to their altar room, she thought it was little wonder that the
JWs had chosen discretion as the better part of valor. The cult members had
probably decided they weren't ready for their high priest to be the next
sacrifice, especially since it had been clear that sacrificing their remaining
victims wouldn't be possible.
The Paka was like a machine, tearing through anyone who
stood in his way with a cold ferocity. In some ways, he was much like a guard,
except unlike the mechanicals, he obviously had the capacity to temper his
response based on the situation. Petri had never met anyone quite like the
alien before, and she looked forward to learning more…assuming she didn't end
up having to kill him.
In spite of the strange procession they made when they
exited the hive, no one bothered the four of them as they made their way to
Daji's ship. Never having seen the spaceport before, Petri was a bit
disappointed by the fact that it just looked like another neighborhood in Under
City. Old, semi-dilapidated buildings lined crowded streets. Merchants hawked
their wares from carts and storefronts, and dollies and dust pushers plied
their trades on the corners. Here and there, music could be heard coming from
one of the clubs that never closed. And neon signs flashed over their doors,
trying to entice passersby to enter. Overall, except for the dank smell that
permeated everything, and the fact that both the merchandise and the shoppers
were more varied, they could have been in any central area of Southern sector.
Chessie, on the other hand, didn't share her friend's let
down. Petri watched as the taller woman tried to look everywhere at once. She
seemed fascinated by all the off-world goods that were on display, and her
fingers twitched as if they were itching to touch all the exotic treasures. She
was still carrying Sadaka, but if Petri had had a free hand, she would have
taken one of Chessie's.
Her friend was a part-time pickpocket and shoplifter, but
the people in this market were all too alert for any of her games to work. The
last thing they needed was for her to get caught stealing. They didn't know
enough about whom it was safe to rob in Western sector, and taking chances like
that just weren't worth the risk. Petri managed to catch Chessie's gaze and
gave her a look, but her friend just rolled her eyes.
Fortunately, Chessie managed to control herself and they
passed through the marketplace without incident. Beyond, the buildings thinned,
and Petri caught a glimpse of the night sky high above. The haze and murk
obscured the stars, but she could just barely make out what she thought was one
of Upworld's three moons. The smell was also stronger here, and she searched
for the water that was supposedly the source.
The ocean remained out of view, but a loud, rhythmic whooshing
sound was audible, which Sadaka informed her came from the water hitting the
land. Petri tried to picture such a thing, but her imagination wasn't quite up
to the task. Spaceships of all sizes and models dotted the ground, and Petri
wondered which one was their destination.
The Paka led the way to a small ship that was nestled in the
shadow of two larger freight transports. The lines of the ship were elegant and
flowing, almost as if it was meant to move through water and not vacuum. The
metal exterior was black, and it was shaped vaguely like a teardrop.
Before they had left the hive, they had found Daji's missing
possessions stacked in the room next to the altar room. He had reclaimed his
tools and supplies, and now he drew a wand-like object and pointed it at the
ship. A ramp lowered from the narrower end, and he gestured at them to board.
Petri led the way up the ramp, but she was forced to stop
when she got to the top. A locked door blocked the way, and she had to wait
until Daji joined them before she was able to enter the airlock. The Paka
grimaced as he looked at the three of them, his hand poised over the lock to
the interior door.
"You will all need to cleanse yourselves immediately. I
fear you are infested with parasites, and I do not want them on my ship."
Petri's eyes widened at the insult, and she opened her mouth
to fire back a fitting retort, but Chessie put her hand over her friend's lips
and said, "Sure, sugar, I think I speak for all of us when I say we'd love
a shower."
Nodding, Daji pressed his hand against the lock, which
beeped. "Welcome aboard the Ruba."
The interior door retracted and warm, dry air rushed into
the airlock. Petri noted that the stench of the water was absent and a burn in
her sinuses she hadn't even been aware of faded.
Putting Sadaka down, Petri took the girl's hand and led her
forward. As they stepped into the room beyond the airlock, a black ball of fur
dropped down onto the child's head from above. She shrieked and tried to run,
but Daji caught her and held her still.
"Kivuli!" he growled.
Two enormous eyes emerged from the ball of fur, which
resolved itself into the shape of an animal Petri wasn't familiar with. The creature
sat on Sadaka's shoulder and plunged both of its tiny hands into her hair.
"Hey!" squeaked the girl, but the animal ignored
her protest.
Almost immediately, the furball plucked something from
Sadaka's head, which it held up between two of its fingers. It studied its
catch for a moment, and then ate its prize with an audible crunch. Petri
looked at Daji in astonishment.
The Paka shrugged, "This is Kivuli, which means
'shadow' in my language. She is a tessa. They eat almost any type of prey that
is smaller than they are. As I said, you all need to cleanse yourselves."
Sadaka reached up to touch the creature, who seemed to be
quite comfortable on her shoulder, and she smiled. "She's soft!"
"Yes, tessa fur is known for being soft and
exceptionally warm. She will not harm you, little one, you need not fear."
Kivuli leaned into the child's caresses and purred. Sadaka
giggled in delight, and Petri couldn't help but smile.
"You're sure she isn't dangerous?" Petri asked
their host.
"Yes," Daji assured her, "Kivuli is quite
tame, and she likes people. If you were to attempt to hurt her, she would
defend herself. But she will not attack."
Nodding, Petri said, "We should let someone know about
the hive. You didn't kill all of them, and it won't be long before they start
looking for our replacements."
"I killed none of them, though some may be permanently
damaged. They are mad and dangerous and should receive appropriate medical
care, so that they do not harm themselves or others."
Chessie made a noise in the back of her throat, and Petri
shot her a look. "Well, that won't happen, but we should still report
them."
He nodded, "I will contact someone I know here while
the three of you wash."
They nodded in agreement, and Daji showed them to his
refresher unit. While they bathed, Sadaka told the two women how the JWs had
been getting ready to chain her to the table in that room of horrors when the
Paka had appeared and saved her. He told her he had heard her scream and had
followed them into the hive to rescue her.
The girl's face was solemn when she informed them that the
wasps had tried to capture him and had stolen his equipment. But he had fought
them off and they had run away. Petri smiled at Chessie. It was clear their
young charge had a crush on the handsome alien.
Once the child ran down, and they had all dressed in the
shipboard coveralls that Daji had provided, Petri said, "You never did
tell me how old you are, sweetie."
Looking away, Sadaka shrugged. "He said I was almost
ten," she mumbled.
The two women exchanged a confused look, and Chessie knelt
down in front of the girl and put her hands on her shoulders. "Who said,
honey?"
Another shrug.
Petri studied the child now that she was clean. Her
white-blonde hair gleamed in the well-lit lavatory, and her big, blue eyes were
almost as striking as Daji's. She was just a skinny, little thing, as skinny as
Petri, but there was already a hint of the figure she would have when she got
older.
Everything about the kid screamed future high-priced dolly.
She was exactly the kind of girl the houses turned into sweetie dollies, or
even sold as permanent companions to the ultra-rich in Upworld. Such
arrangements weren't common because of the extreme expense involved, but
sometimes, family members wanted slaves they wouldn't have to share. Sadaka was
exactly the kind of child who might end up in such a situation.
Petri's felt nauseous at the thought. In some ways, the life
of a permanent companion was easier than that of a house-dolly. They usually
had better food and accommodations than most dollies, were only passed around
if their owner wanted to share them, and they weren't expected to hustle to
attract clients. But there was no escape for them either.
On occasion, a house-dolly might save up enough to buy their
freedom once they were no longer of use to the house. Or failing that, if they
proved themselves to be smart and hard-working, they might be offered the
opportunity to manage the other dollies once they were no longer able to make
money as a dolly themselves.
But permanent companions didn't have those options, and the
working-life of people in the sex trade was usually short. The kind of Upworld
citizen who would purchase a permanent companion didn't need the money that
would come from their sale or allowing them to buy their own freedom. And
people who operated at that level in Upworld always had secrets. They would
never allow someone who had spent years in a position where they might learn
intimate details about their owner the chance to tell anyone what they knew.
House-dollies who the houses had no other use for were often
sold to the grinders, and permanent companions who were past their prime
generally shared that fate. Petri had a sneaking suspicion about how Sadaka had
ended up on the street alone. Under City was a harsh place, and any adult with
a child as attractive as this one promised to be would face enormous pressure
to sell her.
Pulling herself away from her thoughts, Petri forced herself
to concentrate on the here and now. Sadaka stood with her arms wrapped around
herself; her bottom lip was trembling. For all the girl's strength and the
tough front she presented to the world, she was still a child.
Kneeling down next to Chessie, Petri opened her arms. Sadaka
flung herself into Petri's hug and buried her face in the woman's neck. Petri
felt hot tears spill over her shoulder and down her back.
"Shh now, baby, it's okay. You're safe now."
"He was goin' t'sell me," whispered the girl.
"I heard 'em talkin', he was goin' t'sell me."
"I believe you, sweet heart. Did you run away?"
The small face nodded against Petri's shoulder.
"Okay, well, it's over now. You're going to be okay.
All right?"
Sadaka leaned back and studied Petri's face frankly.
"Are ya really Mgeni?"
"Ugh." Petri rolled her eyes. "I'm only telling that story once. How about we go find our host?"
Biting her lip, Sadaka nodded.
Petri and Chessie removed all the food they had stashed in their clothing and put all their dirty clothes in the refresher unit on the wash cycle. Once they had returned the lavatory to its previous tidy state, they set off in search of the captain of the ship.
Want to find out more about Petri's story? Grab your copy at the link below. Happy Reading! 😊
