Chapter 3
When Tom awoke he was in the dark. He didn't know where he was or how he got there, and wherever he was it was too dark to see anything that might help. His head was pounding, and when he tried to touch the spot where all the pain came from he discovered that his hands were tied together in front of him. He slowly leaned forward and put his hand to the back of his head. He felt something sticky and was pretty sure it was blood.
He felt around and leaned against what felt like a wall and used it to push up to a standing position. It took a moment for the world to stop spinning, when it did the boy started feeling around his space. He was pretty sure that it was a small, maybe 10 foot wide square concrete room with nothing else around him.
There was the sound of trickling water so he was probably underground. Just as he had started to notice the feel of cold air against his skin the door opened and a young woman walked in carrying a torch. Through the shadowy light the torch cast against her face, Tom could tell that she wasn't human. She was of a race he had never seen before. A tall man for the same race came in just behind her. He was tough looking, with the build of a soldier. Both wore dark scaly looking clothing that seemed to be tight fitting. The woman had long flowing black hair, while the man's was tightly cropped to his head. They both had scaly ridges on their faces that framed their forehead and in the center was a circle with a bump.
They didn't look nice. "Who are you?" Tom asked trying to keep his voice from shaking. He got the feeling that any weakness would be a bad thing. This might just be one of those situations his father had always warned him not to show emotions.
"Silence, boy! You will not speak until we allow you to!" The woman said as she knocked him to the ground with a powerful slap across his face. Tom looked up at her, his face already bruising. He was careful to keep the rage he felt concealed behind the mask that his father had taught him. "Katat, take our guest to the lab and have Dr. Moset run his tests. Then make sure he is properly dressed and then send him to me. I have a few lessons I want to teach him before we take him to Cardassia. Have Dukat prepare the shuttle. We leave tomorrow, first light. And make sure the imager is fully functional. I want to make sure Starfleet thinks our shuttle is one of theirs." The woman reached over and cradled Tom's chin in her had. "Such a beautiful face, when this is done I might just keep you. I can always use a new pet." She laughed at the defiance she read in the lad's eyes. "Yes, you will make a fine addition to my collection. Katat, I would like you to see if you can find a slave collar and wrist guards for him as well." With that, the woman turned and left the room.
Katat grabbed Tom by the collar of his shirt and started pulling him down the hall. The Cardassian's stride was so much longer than Tom's; he had to run to keep up. In his effort to keep from falling, Tom was unable to get any kind of idea of where they were going. A few moments later they entered a science lab filled with scary looking gadgets. In the center of the room there was a table with straps that resembled something out of that bad Frankenstein movie he had watched recently. There was some kind of standing restraint system that looked like a whipping post. Next to the table there was a medical tray with wicked looking knives and needles that looked like something out of the history books. Along the walls were computer consoles that apparently recorded all of the activities and research the doctor did.
"Moset!" Katat shouted. "I got a live one for you!" The doctor came out of the room next to the lab.
"He's human. That'll be a nice switch. Did she say how long I get to keep him?" the doctor said as he circled Tom.
"No, but I would assume that you would have until we clear the Terra system. You will have to be gentle though, doctor. She wants him back to add to her collection. When you're done with him he will need to be sent back in proper slave dress, and I would limit any marring of the flesh. Tenderize, but don't pulverize." With that the soldier turned and left the room, and the doors closed behind him.
****
When Tom awoke he was in the dark. He didn't know where he was or how he got there, and wherever he was it was too dark to see anything that might help. His head was pounding, and when he tried to touch the spot where all the pain came from he discovered that his hands were tied together in front of him. He slowly leaned forward and put his hand to the back of his head. He felt something sticky and was pretty sure it was blood.
He felt around and leaned against what felt like a wall and used it to push up to a standing position. It took a moment for the world to stop spinning, when it did the boy started feeling around his space. He was pretty sure that it was a small, maybe 10 foot wide square concrete room with nothing else around him.
There was the sound of trickling water so he was probably underground. Just as he had started to notice the feel of cold air against his skin the door opened and a young woman walked in carrying a torch. Through the shadowy light the torch cast against her face, Tom could tell that she wasn't human. She was of a race he had never seen before. A tall man for the same race came in just behind her. He was tough looking, with the build of a soldier. Both wore dark scaly looking clothing that seemed to be tight fitting. The woman had long flowing black hair, while the man's was tightly cropped to his head. They both had scaly ridges on their faces that framed their forehead and in the center was a circle with a bump.
They didn't look nice. "Who are you?" Tom asked trying to keep his voice from shaking. He got the feeling that any weakness would be a bad thing. This might just be one of those situations his father had always warned him not to show emotions.
"Silence, boy! You will not speak until we allow you to!" The woman said as she knocked him to the ground with a powerful slap across his face. Tom looked up at her, his face already bruising. He was careful to keep the rage he felt concealed behind the mask that his father had taught him. "Katat, take our guest to the lab and have Dr. Moset run his tests. Then make sure he is properly dressed and then send him to me. I have a few lessons I want to teach him before we take him to Cardassia. Have Dukat prepare the shuttle. We leave tomorrow, first light. And make sure the imager is fully functional. I want to make sure Starfleet thinks our shuttle is one of theirs." The woman reached over and cradled Tom's chin in her had. "Such a beautiful face, when this is done I might just keep you. I can always use a new pet." She laughed at the defiance she read in the lad's eyes. "Yes, you will make a fine addition to my collection. Katat, I would like you to see if you can find a slave collar and wrist guards for him as well." With that, the woman turned and left the room.
Katat grabbed Tom by the collar of his shirt and started pulling him down the hall. The Cardassian's stride was so much longer than Tom's; he had to run to keep up. In his effort to keep from falling, Tom was unable to get any kind of idea of where they were going. A few moments later they entered a science lab filled with scary looking gadgets. In the center of the room there was a table with straps that resembled something out of that bad Frankenstein movie he had watched recently. There was some kind of standing restraint system that looked like a whipping post. Next to the table there was a medical tray with wicked looking knives and needles that looked like something out of the history books. Along the walls were computer consoles that apparently recorded all of the activities and research the doctor did.
"Moset!" Katat shouted. "I got a live one for you!" The doctor came out of the room next to the lab.
"He's human. That'll be a nice switch. Did she say how long I get to keep him?" the doctor said as he circled Tom.
"No, but I would assume that you would have until we clear the Terra system. You will have to be gentle though, doctor. She wants him back to add to her collection. When you're done with him he will need to be sent back in proper slave dress, and I would limit any marring of the flesh. Tenderize, but don't pulverize." With that the soldier turned and left the room, and the doors closed behind him.
****
