Chapter 5
CHAPTER
FIVE
“Fifty years ago, the government began to hear disturbing rumors that whole cities and towns in this remote region were disappearing overnight. Security personnel sent to investigate never returned. Eventually, the government sent their best troops and scientists to see what was causing the disruptions. It emerged that what had been considered a barren planet, ripe for colonization, was in fact home to a native species who were in a hibernation phase many miles underground.”
Kai Mexr looked up from his obviously prepared speech, scanning the assembled trainees. Aled tried to wrap his mind around what Kai had just said. Native species?
“The heat from the cities and towns and the growth of the current population into this region stirred the original inhabitants from their deep slumber. Fearing they were under attack, the species began exterminating what they considered vermin on the surface of their world.”
Kai paused again to let the muttering die down, then continued.
“The original species, the Ungrich , have the necessary strength to obliterate us completely. Our armies threatened to use their weaponry to take out the core of the planet and blow it into a million pieces, but it soon became obvious that they didn’t have enough power.
An agreement was finally reached. The Ungrich insisted they were a peaceful race, and asked only that colonization in this area should stop and that they should be allowed to study our species in more detail.
In return for the Mitan providing specimens for them to examine, they promised not to destroy any more emerging colonies in other areas. ”
Aled shifted uncomfortably in his seat and Kai continued.
“Once a year, on Tribute Day, we honor that promise. And for their part, the Ungrich have kept to themselves and destroyed no more of our colonies. The Ungrich are not humanoid. Their species has no correlation in our world. Their appearance is . . . unusual. They exist in an atmosphere that contains less oxygen than our own, which is why we base the training camp here at this altitude, to help you acclimate. If you accept what they wish to do to you, don’t struggle, and obey their commands, there is a high possibility that because of your training, you will remain intact and will be delivered back to this facility after approximately a week.
Your trainers are evidence that you can survive.
When you emerge from the Ungrich environment, you will be given every tool you need to move on from the experience. ”
After Kai finished speaking, Aled glanced around at Graif, who was sitting beside him.
“Aliens ?”
Graif shrugged. “Apparently, we’re the aliens. The Ungrich got here first.”
Aled raised his hand. “Can you tell us what these Ungrich look like, sir?”
“No. We don’t have any images of them. You don’t need that information. Do what you’re told by the Ungrich and you will be returned unharmed.”
“So we’re basically their science project?”
A muscle twitched in Kai’s cheek. “Price, shut up.”
“I just wanted—”
“Shut the fuck up. Do you want to be gagged, or would you prefer to enjoy the dinner your grateful government has provided for you to celebrate your heroic service?”
Aled subsided into his seat. Kai sounded like he hated the words he was saying, which wasn’t inspiring.
Aled still didn’t understand how the training he’d received would have any bearing on what was to come next, but it seemed he would be getting no answers.
He followed the others into the dining hall and sat down between Kai and Malke.
Their small group of eight barely took up a quarter of the long table.
Graif whistled as the food was delivered and everyone started eating. Aled picked up his tankard and almost gagged when he realized he was drinking kvas and not water.
“Vas .” Graif leaned over to touch his mug against Aled’s. “To tomorrow and whatever the gods wish for us.”
“Vas .” He drank the contents down in one. If he was going to die tomorrow, he might as well enjoy his last night. Whatever the Ungrich were, they weren’t going to make survival easy. He had a sense that a Mitan death would mean little to them.
Beside him, Kai drank his kvas and stared into the distance, his expression remote, his mouth a hard line.
“Do you think I’ll survive?” Aled asked abruptly.
“I damn well hope so.”
“How many usually make it?”
Kai took another long slug of kvas . “You don’t need to know that, Price.”
“How many?”
Kai turned to face him, his green gaze somber. “Not enough, and with only four of you going in . . . your task will be much harder.”
“Our task to do what?”
“Give the Ungrich what they need.” Kai’s mouth twisted as he stood up. “Now go to bed, Price. You’ll need your sleep.”
Aled instinctively rose to his feet as well. “Are you coming?”
“Not tonight. I have to liaise with the council and the Ungrich ambassador.”
“But you will be there tomorrow when we go in?”
“Of course I will.” Kai raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong? Do you want me to give you a good-bye kiss?” He nodded and walked away.
After a stunned second, Aled went after him. Kai spoke without turning around.
“What is it now?”
“You are fucking impossible.”
“I am what I need to be.” Kai sighed, the sound echoing in the stone passageway. “What do you want to say, Price?”
“I wanted to thank you.”
“Thank me.” Kai stopped dead. “For fucking what ?”
“For what you’ve forced me to become.” Aled swallowed hard. “If I don’t survive, I suspect it will be my fault, not yours.”
Kai shook his head, his back still to Aled. “You’ll survive.”
“I want—” Aled stopped speaking, his throat too tight to continue to try and communicate with a man who simply didn’t want to listen. He saluted. “Good night, Commander Mexr, and fuck you, sir.”
Aled shivered as the vast, metallic, circular door was opened and Kai nodded to the four of them.
“Gods’ speed, Tributes. Remember we will be here waiting for your return, so do whatever it takes to survive.”
Aled studied the space beyond the door opening. It looked like a small pink box, or . . . He squinted as the walls seemed to undulate and shine. It looked alive.
The clang of the door closing behind them made him jump and bang shoulders with Graif, who grinned uncertainly at him.
“Weird eh?”
“Not— Graif, look out!”
Behind Graif the wall exploded, and within seconds his friend was disappearing beneath a rippling band of what looked like tentacles of various sizes. Even as Graif tried to yell, a long pink limb latched on to his throat and thrust inside.
Everything in Aled froze, and he watched as if in slow motion as the walls disintegrated entirely and became warm, flowing entities.
When the first extrusion wrapped itself around his throat and went in his ear and up his nose, he didn’t scream.
His last thought before the second probe stabbed through his skin just above his jugular vein was that he finally understood the sexual part of the training.
This was like being penetrated a million times simultaneously.
At that thought, his composure deserted him, and he moaned low in his throat. The strands of whatever had him in the chokehold echoed the vibration. It was almost as if it were laughing . . . and then he was dragged backward and lost consciousness.
The next time he opened his eyes, he was floating in some kind of murky soup, and he struggled to breathe until he realized that the thing attached to his throat was breathing for him.
His gorge rose and he wanted to vomit, but somehow he knew that if he tried to dislodge his parasitical visitor, it would kill him.
“Very wise .”
Could the Ungrich understand Mitan, or was he now part of their consciousness? His mind was too tired to tell.
“Human .”
There was a second voice. There were two of them enmeshed with him. He forced his eyes to scan the space and saw the other three Tributes also surrounded by the glistening pink tentacles. These were hardly lab conditions, but he sensed that was exactly where he was. But what did they want?
He forced himself to stay calm and study the Ungrich and his environment more closely.
Whatever he learned would help him survive and give him information to take back with him when he was set free.
If he survived. A shock of mixed pain and pleasure shot through his cock.
Looking down, he saw a tendril wrapped firmly around him, milking his erect shaft until he started to come.
Another, thicker probe swelled inside his ass, forcing his shaft to regenerate. How many times had that happened since he’d lost consciousness? From the ache in his balls and the pain of coming, he guessed it had been going on for a while. What did they want with his semen?
“Seed.”
The first voice sounded as if it had answered him. Aled groaned as his dick was ruthlessly pumped again. This time the tentacle in his mouth also expanded and thrust downward, making him gag. There was a bitter taste that settled in his gut like acid. Did they think he could . . .?
“Males can’t gestate seed.” He concentrated on the thought.
“Female.”
“Yes.” Gods, it worked. The Ungrich understood him.
“Unnecessary.”
He tried again, his cock burning as he strained to produce come he no longer had. “Male and female together make young.”
“Primitive.”
Oh gods, he was going to pass out if they kept pumping his cock and ass like that. Even as he thought it, he was gone again, floating away on the pain and the struggle to endure.
Aled watched the endless stream of tendrils of all sizes float by him. It reminded him of a vidscreen movie he’d once seen of a species called jellyfish that moved in a similar way and also had a nasty sting in their tails.
“Show me.”