2. Chapter 2 #2
“Does it have separate sleeping spaces?” I asked.
“My resting quarters are large enough to accommodate your nest,” he assured me.
Nest? Did he think I was a bird species? The way he talked about me to the techs made me think he knew what a human was, but it was clear by the way he was surprised by Nadia that he’d never dealt with a human infant. How could he know we smiled but think we slept in nests?
If my freedom wasn’t at stake, I’d probably find the entire situation humorous.
“Here is the infant’s food,” a tech said, walking in with a tray full of jiggly, milky white balls about the size of my fist. I’d seen my mother use one to feed my youngest sibling, so I knew how they worked. “Do you feel strong enough to feed your offspring or should I?”
“I can do it,” I said, taking one of the milk balls. Everyone watched me as I twisted a nipple-like shape into the top of it. Then I brushed the nipple against her mouth. She opened up and latched on, sucking greedily.
The jelly-like substance of the nipple I shaped broke down when it came into contact with Nadia’s mouth, and she was easily able to draw the formula out.
“That’s good,” my new owner said. Purring, he leaned in close to watch Nadia feed.
“I’ll consult with the med tech about Nadia’s dietary needs now and in the future.
That way I can make sure to purchase enough for her at each stage of her growth.
We’ll be stationed at my next assignment for at least two rotations and I can’t guarantee the next station we stop off before then will have what we need. ”
I debated about asking questions, then decided to risk it. “Sir, uh, Master, what do you plan to do with us?”
His purring suddenly stopped and he sat back, looking at me instead of Nadia.
“You can call me Mazorium, although I’ve heard humans will shorten names as a sign of affection so you’re free to abide by that if you feel the urge.
As for your question,” he said, dropping his gaze to Nadia, “my plans for you and Nadia are simple—you’ll belong to me, and I’ll care for you. ”
I expected Mazorium to leave eventually. The chair the staff provided was too small for his large frame. He couldn’t be comfortable.
That would worked to my advantage. Once he left, I was going to escape.
The med bay wasn’t set up to incarcerate anyone.
There were no alarms or locks. When they weren’t treating someone, the med techs all gathered in a backroom to talk and drink tea.
If Nadia cooperated by being quiet, it would be easy enough to slip out the front entrance and disappear into the station.
After that, I didn’t know what I’d do. I had no wealth and no contacts, but I’d figure something out.
The one snag in my plan was that Mazorium wasn’t leaving! He seemed to have settled into that chair and was keeping busy doing things on his Ident. It was a fancy piece of technology that I didn’t see often. That Ident was another example of his wealth, giving me second thoughts about running.
No, that didn’t matter. I needed freedom, otherwise how could I protect Nadia?
He must have sensed me staring because he looked up and met my gaze. “Are you in need of anything, Mika?”
“I, uh, no,” I answered.
Next to my bed, Nadia slept peacefully in a Doringo incubator.
It was big for her but could be set to temperature and oxygen levels that were appropriate for a human baby.
There were two more milk balls sitting on top of the incubator.
They were meant for her next meal and they’d be easy to steal when I left.
They’d also fed me, but I’d been too hungry to save any of that food.
They planned to bring me another meal soon; maybe I should tuck some away for later.
Mazorium started purring again, interrupting my planning.
“You should be sleeping. After undergoing birth and then the stress of being sold, you need plenty of rest. I know this isn’t the best setting but try. Soon we’ll be on my ship and you won’t have to deal with all this noise and chaos.”
As he spoke, he pointed to a med tech checking in on the only other patient in the bay. They were talking quietly, and I couldn’t even make out what they were saying. If this was noisy and chaotic, then this guy wasn’t ready for what a human child could do!
“That’ll be nice,” I lied.
“Yes, very much so,” he agreed. “Now close your eyes and try to sleep. You don’t need to fear anything. I’ll be here at your side the entire time.”
Damn it, that was sweet and problematic.
I laid back and curled up on my side to sleep. The medication the med tech gave me earlier had taken away all the aches and pains I’d been dealing with since I’d been taken into custody by the auction guards.
My exhausted body was eager to rest. I fell asleep to the sound of Mazorium’s purring.
When I woke up, he was gone!
There was a full tray of food sitting on a table next to my bed and more milk balls on top of Nadia’s incubator.
It was now or never!
I jumped out of the bed and shoved everything onto the middle of a thin undersheet. I tied the ends together and hefted the makeshift pack onto my shoulders. My body protested, but I ignored it.
The med techs had dressed Nadia in a brand new everclean suit while I’d been asleep. There was another one folded up next to her, so I grabbed that and added it to everything else.
Nadia made a grumpy sound when I picked her up, but she didn’t fully wake. I wrapped her in another sheet and tucked her against my chest.
Peeking around some equipment, I saw all the rest of the bay was empty except for the other patient, who was fast asleep.
My luck was holding!
I hurried through the end trance and out into the corridor. No one gave me a second glance, as I walked away.
I was free!
Except, now what? Where could I go and hang out that wouldn’t be suspicious?
The area where all the eateries and restaurants were located would be my best bet.
I could find a place to sit and think. No one would think that was odd because many species had to sit for long periods after eating to add in digestion.
Many of the places never closed and I might even be able to sleep there if I found a spot out of the way.
A hand grabbed my arm and swung me around.
“I remember selling you,” the Tulk auctioneer said, eyes full of greed. “But it looks like you might’ve gotten loose. Well that means you’re free to claim, aren’t you? Come on, little human. There are all kinds of things I couldn’t do to you when I had to sell you, but now I can.”
I dug my feet in and tried to pull away, but the auctioneer was bigger and stronger. I wasn’t getting free. I opened my mouth to scream, but he grabbed me by the throat.
“Don’t do that,” he growled, licking his lips. “At least not here. Save your breath for later. You’ll need it.”