The Interstellar Slave

Chapter 17: Cyborg Nurse

Wyatt disappeared, and Bituin watched the spectators that seemed to have satisfied looks on their faces. She noticed that the pebbles and stones stopped falling, which made her look up.

“Level A, sublevel three ends. Winner: SF98889.” The male AI’s voice sounded in her ears. In a split second after that, the gate slightly creaked open.

Bituin’s attention was caught by it. A ramp appeared from the side of the elevated cage, so she followed it. She thought there was no need for her to confront the audience at the moment even if she wanted to. In her rational mind, she knew she wouldn’t win against them. If she wanted to stay alive to go home, Colt was right. She had to do everything she could. And maybe someday, she might find a way to go home. To her parents. To see them and to be with them even if her family may not be whole again. But at least, it would be close to that than to be alone out here in a different galaxy and had her life in constant danger.

She reached a dead end, barely aware of the narrow hallway she followed after passing through that ramp. She had no idea what happened to Shanice and Chao. She could not see the stadium now, when she looked over her shoulder. She could not hear anything. It was too quiet, and the temperature was comfortable, unlike what the AI had said about the drop of it to below zero.

The lights coming off to guide her were on either sides of the floor. Still, she could not see bulbs or whatsoever. Just plain light as if it was from the sun.

The door hissed while sliding to open for her to get through. She had no choice but to step into the room. As soon as the door closed behind her, she realized it was another cell.

You’ve got to be kidding me! she mused with new irritability.

She saw the bunk to the left, which just appeared. This time, she saw a small shelf with books. Now that was surprising. Then, to her right, a door opened. She was kind of relieved when she realized it was a bathroom. She immediately stepped into it.

The orange button of her neckband lit up without her noticing it. It took off every single cloth she had on. A tube emerged from the floor to enclose her and cleaned her up. She went into the same routine until she was done. She could not almost believe the shower soothed every aching muscle she had. She also noticed that every wound, scratch, bruise or broken bone she had gathered in her body was tended.

She was dressed in a yellow overall. Gone was her fight robe that was all bloody and torn. She then stepped out of the bathroom to sit on the bunk. Refreshments and food were pushed from the wall. She took the water first since she was so thirsty. The cool fluid that ran down her esophagus gave instant relief to her parched throat.

Bituin stared at the food, which was quiet appetizing. There were both Filipino and Korean cuisines: pancit palabok (rice noodle dish with chopped green onions, tuna flakes, crushed chicharon, shrimp sauce and others), chicken inasal (grilled chicken), garlic rice, gimbap, bulgogi, hoeddeok (sweet syrupy pancake) and some side dishes.

She wondered who cooked all this food, though.

Did they abduct chefs, too, to feed the slave fighters their favorite food? Huh, maybe. Chao is a chef. Just that he’s busy in the cage fighting for his life than fighting against jumping oil.

She could not help but eat her favorites. She never thought she was starving until she finished all the food in front of her. And yet, she didn’t mind how much calories she had had. She thought she would shed them anyway if she was going to fight three games like that, without even having breaks. She couldn’t imagine how someone like Chao or Shanice was able to endure it that long without nanites in their system.

***

Bituin’s cell door opened while she read a thriller book, one of her favorite genres. Since she had nothing better to do anyway than to seethe for being used by the ETs like this, she just decided to read. She had flipped a few leaves when she heard some steps. She looked up, and her jaw slackened. A humanoid cyborg alien stood in the doorway.

“Hello, SF98889. I’m Nurse BetaZed.”

Bituin still stared at the now moving cyborg nurse, whose left arms and legs were robotic. Her face and body was like the green ETs and devoid of emotions.

When the ET approached her, she dropped the book and dashed to the open door, shoving the ET aside. She ran down the hallway, not knowing where it will lead her to. She noticed that she passed by other cells. Rhett, Chao and Shanice were being examined by the same type of cyborg nurse in their own cells. She hadn’t seen or noticed the Black guy who caused a fight with Chao earlier, as well as the girl who shared her experience when she was abducted and the others. She could only guess what happened to them.

“Bituin!” Rhett yelled.

She didn’t listen to him and went on ahead. The hallway seemed endless though. When she looked over her shoulder she saw Nurse BetaZed follow her in hurried steps. The floor thudded

“SF98889, go back to your cell!” A green guard suddenly appeared in front of her that she bumped into him and bounced, propelling her to the spotless floor.

Bituin bit her lip as her bottom hurt upon hitting the floor. She glared at the green guard, who looked down at her.

“Go back!” He raised a finger to point the direction of her cell.

“And if I don’t?” she challenged, lifting her chin up.

“You’ll put your life and the others’ at risk!” There was a warning in his tone.

She tried to tear the neckband from her neck but she couldn’t take it off despite her growing strength, which she had noticed earlier. She could easily bend the fork she used earlier to test it, since she felt stronger like never before. And she was right. She couldn’t bend a thing that easily before she came here. She also kicked the bars of her cell, and thought it was bent more than she could have done some time ago.

Maybe I should test my strength more, she thought, glaring at the green ET before her.

“You will not dare escape, SF98889!” he warned her firmly.

Maybe not at the moment.

She stood up only to kick him in the nuts.