Page 3 of No Strings Attached

Gagnor and Flot both took a step back away from the pod as if they suddenly understood that, too. Apparently, they were getting the visuals she was trying to push into their minds. Or maybe it was that Vi was making a strangled screaming noise around the tubes, a vocalization of purest animal rage that she only then became aware of, so it was possible that they were responding to the sound, instead. If her limbs weren’t so tightly restrained, they would have been thrashing. As it was, she could feel her muscles tensing and bunching as she pushed against the restraints even though they were digging deeply into her body.

Gagnor looked at Flot in terror, and Flot stared back angrily.Close the fucking lid and activate the statis gas now, you imbecile…she’s gone feral!

As the lid closed, Vi shut her eyes and restartedThe Wallwith “In the Flesh?” exploding within her mind.

Five: The Consistency and Persistence of Terrible Things is a Balm on the Soul

QUICK REACTION FORCE TOTHE CARGO BAY. NOW!

Trak had been showing him the finer points of shock stick operations when the intercom bellowed. He hurriedly shoved the stick into Bahbi’s webbed hand and took off towards the training area exit.

“Gotta run, can’t wait to see what the ruckus might be!” He flashed an impish smile back at Bahbi as he went through the door.

Bahbi smiled back and shouted, “Good luck!”

Then he simply stood there, looking down at the stick, and sighed. Now he could effectively deliver immeasurable pain to one of the poor creatures in the cages.That’s…just…fucking…great, he thought and then laughed a little because his thoughts sounded more like Trak’s than his own. On the other hand, adding Trak’s cynicism to the sentiment had somehow lessened the weight on his heart at the thought of causing pain to another living creature.

Shit, I’m not cut out for this work, he thought and sighed again.

A red flashing light started strobing in the room and the intercom boomed again: QRF ALTERNATES TO THE CARGO BAY, NOW! RIGHT FUCKING NOW!

Bahbi looked around the empty training area nervously and then double-timed it to the bunk room. He didn’t want to be alone in this room if things had gone sideways on this asteroid, and the hysteria in the intercom voice certainly suggested that things had.

About an hour later, 20 disheveled Trallians started filing back into the bunk room. A few minutes after that, Trak appeared sitting cross-legged in the adjacent top bunk with a swollen eye and a grin on his face.

“Did I miss chow?”

“I have no idea, how do you know when it’s chow time? More importantly, what the hell happened in the cargo bay?”

“Our final captive arrived. Female. No fur except on her head and cunt. No sharp teeth or claws, either, but she packs a wallop.” Trak grinned.

“Did she do that to you?” Bahbi asked, pointing at Trak’s eye.

“No, that’s from the elbow of one of our esteemed colleagues. It took seven of us to grab her and carry her into the cage. My hands still smell like her, because my grip was up at the top of her right thigh. Wanna smell some alien female?” Trak held out his hand, but Bahbi just shook his head.

Trak shrugged and gave ayour losslook, “I don’t think she seriously damaged any of the Trallians in the bay. She was onlyhell-bent on getting to either of the two Ulus that brought her here. I overheard,” and here he tapped the side of his head with his index finger to indicate the Ulus’ telepathic communication, “one of them explaining to Qlu that she was immune to the stasis gas. So, she made the whole trip here in a stasis pod, with the whole mess of tubes, lines, and respirator in her, wide a-fucking-wake.” Trak’s face showed amusement and amazement.

“No. That’s…that’s…no. How long was the trip?” Bahbi was horrified; he couldn’t imagine anyone surviving that way for more than a few days.

“Just under a month.”

Oh, sweet mother of all things holy, Bahbi thought. “Did she calm down in the cage?”

Trak waggled a finger at him. “Don’t rush the story, boy. I’m a QRF alternate, so I was just hanging back and watching until we were officially ordered in. From what I saw and from what I overheard from the cargo team and from the surviving Ulu explaining to Qlu, they had opened the pod before arriving to make sure their merchandise was intact. That’s when they realized that she was awake and assumed that they had forgotten to use the gas when they grabbed her. So, those geniuses then closed the pod up again and activated the gas, right before arriving. When they opened the pod on arrival, everything seemed normal, and she seemed to be asleep. After they removed her tubes and restraints so that the regular cargo team could lift her out and place her in her cage, she attacked.”

“She was faking it?”

“Yep.”

“What did she do?”

“She let herself be lifted out of the pod by the cargo team and then launched herself out of their arms at the Ulus. She grabbed a surgical cutting tool off a nearby table of instruments and started slashing and cutting pieces off the Ulu closest toher. It was brutal. I saw what was left of him lying in a corner. Apparently, she did that in just a matter of seconds, then got the other Ulu in a headlock while he was standing around gaping and pointed that cutter into his ear cavity. That’s when the first QRF team was called in with the almighty Qlu in tow.”

“Oh fuck, no.”

“Oh fuck,yes. Qlu started trying to talk to her. Apparently, she’s worth potentially more credits in the auction than the other nine…except maybe the Garoxian. Qlu was talking to her like you talk to a skittish wilg, and her reply was to smash her elbow into the back of the head of the Ulu she was holding hostage, which dropped him on the floor. She then grabbed him by his ankles and swung him in a full arc before throwing that poor bastard at Qlu.”

“Damn. They’re not very heavy, butstill.”

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