The Interstellar Slave

Chapter 8: By Twos Or Threes

So, he’s really abducted?

Bituin’s throat went dry, and she had to gulp some spit to wet it.

“I was in the elevator, going up to my apartment on the fourth floor,” Rhett began to tell his own story, “and then, it just stopped. I pushed the emergency button, but nothing happened. Then, it shook, you know? I was like a rattled rat in a cage. I held on tight at the bar, and the elevator dropped.” The twenty-eight-year-old American paused to cuss, reliving that experience.

The ex-underground fighter listened carefully. And it seemed that all the others did, too, as the entire room was quiet except for Rhett talking with matching hand gestures.

“And then it was like hauled up before it stopped again. When the elevator opened finally, I stepped out. But I didn’t know I was already transported to someplace else. Maybe on a different floor because I live in a ten-story apartment building. And just like that, someone in a hoodie came up to me and injected me with something. I was knocked out for several hours or maybe even days. I still don’t know up to now. Then I woke inside that cage.”

Bituin let her breath out slowly. She could relate to the last part.

“You must be traumatized by that elevator experience,” Shanice concluded in a gentle voice, sympathizing with Rhett.

“Well, maybe. For now, I definitely won’t ride anything like an elevator. Uh-uh,” the gym instructor murmured, shaking his head. “So, how’d you get here?” he asked the dark woman, peering at her over Bituin’s head.

“I… went out of the hospital, where Nana—my grandmother—is confined. She had a stroke last week. I-I think it’s last week. D*mn! I don’t even know what the date is now!”

“Right,” Rhett drawled. “None of us know.” He looked around, hoping someone could negate it. But none said so far.

Great. We don’t even know if it’s already taken us years to get here on this planet, Bituin pondered bitterly.

“So, you were going home then?” Chao wanted to know the rest of Shanice’s story.

“No. I was going to meet my ex-boyfriend. He said he wanted to talk, so I told him we could meet at a coffee shop nearby. It was just around eight in the evening. I was thinking of meeting him for a bit before going to my graveyard shift starting at ten. I was texting him while walking on the sidewalk. And… I didn’t notice these three guys. I can’t even remember their skin color. The two just grabbed each of my arms, and the third one pressed a damp handkerchief against my nose. After smelling it, I just felt so groggy until I blacked out. The next thing I can remember, I was holed up in that cell!”

Bituin blew her face. She was unconsciously pinching her nose in an agitated state.

We’re all kidnapped in one way or another, she reflected.

An unnamed woman also shared her experience. “I was talking with this gorgeous guy in the club. And then, I suddenly felt rather sleepy. I-I had been struggling with drinking, but I swear I didn’t even take a sip of alcohol that night.”

Shanice frowned. “You were hypnotized?”

The auburn-haired woman nodded. “Yes. It’s all I can think of, even though I don’t really believe in that kind of sh*t.”

Oh, God. These green b*stards are really something! But what does Dr. Smith have to do with them? Does she know about what’s happening in her research facility or is she also hypnotized to give her subjects away?

Bituin took a deep breath, pinching her nose again. She now got conflicted on how to feel about Dr. Smith. Was she wrong about her? Hadn’t the researcher any idea what was going on in the research facility? She wanted to know. And yet, she knew it was impossible at the moment. There was absolutely no way for her to be able to contact Dr. Smith and ask her. But she promised herself that if the scientist had something to do with this, she swore she’d go back to Earth and close down the facility, make those people there pay for what she was going through now and protect the innocent people from these green malevolent ETs.

“Well, what about you? How were you abducted?” Rhett asked Bituin, looking intently at her face.

Bituin snorted and chuckled, staring at him in the eye. “Do you think everyone’s just walking around and is abducted just like you people?” There was obvious bitterness in her voice. If she weren’t paraplegic, there was no way she would be in this position.

I would’ve been better off as a blissful ignorant that ETs are real than to know they actually exist and am taken away from my home planet, she seethed.

The people closest to proximity frowned at her while the others were curious about her answer. Or more like outburst.

She stood up quickly, not wanting to talk with anyone. There was no use talking about how she suffered for over six months and to end up here. There was even no telling if they could ever go back to Earth.

But I will try my hardest, she vowed. She still wanted to see her parents again. Even for the last time. Her eyes stung, feeling the heat that she blinked fast.

The door suddenly hissed open. All those that were seated rose to their feet, backing off. Three green humanoid reptilians came in and grabbed one prisoner each in random.

“No! No!” the Black guy that Chao had a row with earlier protested. He punched and kicked the alien but these were futile.

“W-where are you taking us?” the auburn-haired girl shrieked. She was easily dragged by the green guard.

“Don’t touch me! Let go!” another woman cried. She was the third one that was dragged out of the black room.

As soon as they were out, the rest of them let go a sigh of relief, but worry and concern were painted on their faces. True, they didn’t know each other, but they wouldn’t want anything to happen to those three that were taken away.

“What do you think they will do to them?” Shanice asked in a whisper. Fear was written all over her face.

“We might know about that sooner or later,” Rhett’s reply. His eyes surveyed Bituin, whose back was against the wall, covering her face.

About half an hour later, two green guards came in and dragged another two of their fellow prisoners. There were struggles and shouts but were for naught. The cold ETs just simply kicked them out of the black room.

“Sh*t! The first three haven’t returned, and now, they took two more?” Shanice looked even more alarmed. “What if I’m next?”

“Or me?” Rhett and Chao almost chorused.

They looked at Bituin.

“Or her?” the two guys said in unison and exchanged glances.