Madison looked in the mirror. This wasn't her, Retulm had said he was sending her to somewhere she'd be content and never want to leave. Obviously he knew nothing about her. Her hair now tickled her back in loose curls and no matter what she did it stayed perfect. Her clothes where almost none existent and were so girly you it wouldn't even cross your mind that this woman knew the difference between a warp drive and coolant. That was the plan, on the pleasure planet the guests only required obedience. Another quality Madison had yet to master.
At least you've got rid of the chains even if the clothes are just glamorous rags. Madison thought to herself as she turned from the mirror. It was midday and there was a guest coming in. She's give then half an hour before going to their room. Her duty as a Risen slave was to give massages to quests at the Cliff Top Hotel. Agony for her, pleasure for them. It could be worse. She thought to her self. They could ask for more. All but one settled for the massage, and she paid the price for putting that majority of one in his place. She recalled the incident a few days ago and shivered at the thought. her hand drifted over the scar left the beating.
Her thoughts automatically returned to Malcolm, even if he had found her here there was nothing he could do. Escape was punishable by death and she valued her life. The only possible way off the planet was as a corpse and that did not appeal to her one bit. She coughed so hard her body violently shook her to the ground. Retulm must have been giving her the drug again, if only she had the means to get rid of the addiction. Perhaps she'd just have to ride out the affects. Perhaps they would subside in time.
A knock came at the door. Madison shouted for the person to enter. A stocky blue man stepped into the doorway. He glowered at Madison who was picking herself up off the floor.
"What? I'm trying to get ready-" She answered confidently. A little cocky for one who was talking to her master.
"What for. You missed your appointment." He towered over her, his three eyes boring into her. "Second time Madison." He hissed, his forked tongue briefly touching her cheek.
"I'm sorry Nova. But-" Knowing what was coming. A punishment worse than a beating.
"You've left me no choice." He handed her a ball of red and purple material. "This is what you've got to wear."
"It's nothing more than rags!" Madison unravelled it. "I'm not wearing it." Nova immediately gabbed her by the roots of her hair and smashed her face against the mirror. "I can't do it now." She whimpered triumphantly as he rubbed her cheek into the broken glass, blood pouring from her face.
"Get yourself to Fresca. And be there at 60." He dropped her to the floor, her hair still as perfect as ever.
*********************************************************
"Just don't be so fiery." Fresca suggested as she cleaned up Madison's wound. Fresca was a Grunge. A humanoid of the third moon that encircled Riser. Her species was near extinction and she was one of only 150 left in population. Her Skin was smooth multi-coloured speckles. It made Madison wonder why she wasn't on the entertainment circuit and her skin was so hypnotic. Possibly because she would be seen on earth as over weight, but on Riser beauty was not so superficial. Madison intended to get to know Fresca better, knowing she'd be spending many a day in her company.
"Pretend to be something I'm not?" Madison questioned mournfully breaking her train of thought realising that was why she was in this mess.
"If it keeps you alive Madison. This is the third time I've had to do this." A blue light was scanned over the rapidly receding wound. "Just keep yourself quiet." Fresca like Madison, she had once been a slave herself and recognised Madison's unbreakable spirit. Fresca also knew that Nova couldn't break her spirit, but he could break her!
"I try to. But, I shouldn't be here-"
"All slaves say the same thing." Fresca reassured her patting her on the back, she'd said the exact same thing when she first came to the planet. She wasn't about the let Madison know, after all she was human.
"I'm sure I'm better suited elsewhere. I'm an engineer not an entertainer." Madison checked out Fresca's work in the hand held mirror. Her face was a network of pale scars that no one but herself could see. She never let anyone else close enough. Her mind wondered to Malcolm and his smile. After a moments trance she focused upon Fresca. "I'm neither suited as a singer, dancer or a-"
"All the more reason to work hard and keep your head down. Keep yourself on Nova's good side and he'll free you soon enough."
"Great. That sounds fair." Madison snapped sarcastically. "Never mind the fact that I didn't choose to be a slave. Or that I have a life, people waiting for me. Outside this planet!" Madison got off the table. "Thank you Fresca." Madison stormed out regretting snapping at her only friend.
**********************************************************
"To Madison?" Trip held up his glass in a bar on Riser. He had a feeling out of all the bars this would be the one she would have liked most. Although he thought she wouldn't like the planet at all. She was so much more adventurous than him. And she'd have seen that it was no achievement to have everything handed to you on a plate.
"Madison." Malcolm nodded in agreement as the house lights went down and a spotlight illuminated the curtain.
"Ladies and Gentlemen... The Voices." A man shouted over a microphone and a piano-like instrument started up.
"Lookin in your eyes I see a paradise, this world that I found is too good to be true..." A young, green skinned man sang to the girl who had her back to the audience. Her slender figure seemed familiar to both Malcolm and Trip. Perhaps it was wishful thinking that was adding to there increasingly drunken state. They drowned out the mans voice as the girl began to sing;
"I'd it'd seem we're crazy..." Malcolm couldn't believe it. He waited with baited breath as she slowly turned round. "Put your hand in my hand baby don't ever look back." She'd seen Malcolm collapse in a heap.
*******************************************************
"Our song?" Trip questioned Madison as Malcolm was placed on his bed an hour later. "You singing our song." He brushed her cheek. She flinched because it was still raw from earlier. "Sorry." He automatically responded.
"It's the only song I know. Besides singing in English is a novelty for them." She spoke from the kitchen, retrieving ice for Malcolm. The shock of Malcolm's collapse had meant that Trip had completely forgot he was talking to a ghost.
"Madison?" Trip questioned, leading her out onto the balcony. He'd never saw her so beautiful. He wondered if it was the alcohol or the dress, he concluded it was both. But why was he thinking of Malcolm's reaction to his thoughts of Madison?
"Yes Trip." She answered, looking into the eyes of the man she once loved. One thing was made clear to her, she had no loving feelings for him, they were all now reserved for Malcolm.
"Just making sure it's you." A single tear escaped his blinking eyes. "We thought you were dead."
"Then why are you here? I thought you'd followed the ships signature." Madison moved closer to him, but not so close that it gave him the wrong impression forgetting that Trip knew her better than anyone else.
"Your wake." Trip answered his eyes scanning all the feint scars that were all over her body. The untrained eye couldn't see them. But for Trip, who knew her body like the warp drive, they stuck out. They added to her beauty even though he knew they must have caused her great pain. "I'm sorry for what I've put you through." He kneeled at her feet, weeping loudly.
"Trip Tucker." Madison giggled softly. "Don't give yourself credit. This was my fathers doing-"
"But, if I'd been strong-" He hugged her legs, he'd missed the contact of her warm unblemished skin, although now he could feel where her skin had been ruptured and even were her leg had been broken. He cursed himself for knowing her body so well as he felt as if he'd taken it for granted.
"-It's better this way. I'm a better person for it-" Madison pulled him up, biting her lip not to say that if she was destined to have been with Malcolm, which she thought she was, she didn't want to have hurt Trip by having an affair.
"We found your remains at the transport site-" Trip looked dumbstruck.
"Didn't you run a DNA scan?" Madison sat upon the wall of the balcony. Trip flushed at the memory of how he had treated the remains.
"They were destroyed... When me and Malcolm had a fight." To this Madison began to howl with laughter, a true smile creeping upon her face. "What?" Madison, drunk on laughter kissed Trip quickly on the lips and returned inside for two glasses of green alcohol.
"Karl James, may he burn in hell." She held up her glass, when Trip's glass didn't meet hers she resorted to telling him how when she had mocked that Enterprise would find her no matter where she went Retulm had charred her fathers corpse and transported it down to the planet.
"Your fathers dead?" Trip asked placing his glass down and standing opposite Madison where she sat on the wall. "And you're happy?"
"The man condemned me to a life of humiliation, torture and Rape... He stood by and watched. Why would I not be happy Trip?" Madison flushed at the memory. "Malcolm did tell you I was a slave didn't he?"
"Yes, it's just-"
"You didn't believe him... Or was it me you didn't trust?" Madison implied.
"I thought you were sleeping with him to get revenge on me... Why trust either of you?" Trip spat.
"Fair enough. But it was a spontaneous moment, do not blame Malcolm. I wasn't as venerable as he thought... Not that he was taking advantage, but... I'm going to shut up."
"Thank you!" Trip smiled sarcastically. "Why Malcolm?" He kicked the wall. "Why my best friend."
"Would you have preferred it to have been John?! Jesus Christ, if it was anyone but you, you'd have been pissed. Least with Malcolm, you know there was something there. He wouldn't betray you for a quick shag and you know it." She looked into the open window where Malcolm was peacefully sleeping. "But it doesn't matter anyway... I can't leave here."
"What makes you think Malcolm's going to accept that?"
"You can tell him it wasn't me! He can't know."
"What makes you think I'm going to accept it-"
"I don't love you Trip... You have no need to protect me." Madison wished he could save her.
"That's fine by me. The feelings almost mutual..." Trip paused to accept her raised eyebrow. "There's... someone! I kinda got sidetracked when I heard about you. You never forget your first love-"
"Samuel-" Madison dreamed, Trip coughed. "Sorry."
"I'm still not going to leave you here, John will have me court marshalled if he ever found out-"
"There you go again, It's all about the job! Might I remind you that this is what got us in this mess. You tell anyone... I'll hunt you down and kill you." Madison left without a backwards glance at Trip.
At least you've got rid of the chains even if the clothes are just glamorous rags. Madison thought to herself as she turned from the mirror. It was midday and there was a guest coming in. She's give then half an hour before going to their room. Her duty as a Risen slave was to give massages to quests at the Cliff Top Hotel. Agony for her, pleasure for them. It could be worse. She thought to her self. They could ask for more. All but one settled for the massage, and she paid the price for putting that majority of one in his place. She recalled the incident a few days ago and shivered at the thought. her hand drifted over the scar left the beating.
Her thoughts automatically returned to Malcolm, even if he had found her here there was nothing he could do. Escape was punishable by death and she valued her life. The only possible way off the planet was as a corpse and that did not appeal to her one bit. She coughed so hard her body violently shook her to the ground. Retulm must have been giving her the drug again, if only she had the means to get rid of the addiction. Perhaps she'd just have to ride out the affects. Perhaps they would subside in time.
A knock came at the door. Madison shouted for the person to enter. A stocky blue man stepped into the doorway. He glowered at Madison who was picking herself up off the floor.
"What? I'm trying to get ready-" She answered confidently. A little cocky for one who was talking to her master.
"What for. You missed your appointment." He towered over her, his three eyes boring into her. "Second time Madison." He hissed, his forked tongue briefly touching her cheek.
"I'm sorry Nova. But-" Knowing what was coming. A punishment worse than a beating.
"You've left me no choice." He handed her a ball of red and purple material. "This is what you've got to wear."
"It's nothing more than rags!" Madison unravelled it. "I'm not wearing it." Nova immediately gabbed her by the roots of her hair and smashed her face against the mirror. "I can't do it now." She whimpered triumphantly as he rubbed her cheek into the broken glass, blood pouring from her face.
"Get yourself to Fresca. And be there at 60." He dropped her to the floor, her hair still as perfect as ever.
*********************************************************
"Just don't be so fiery." Fresca suggested as she cleaned up Madison's wound. Fresca was a Grunge. A humanoid of the third moon that encircled Riser. Her species was near extinction and she was one of only 150 left in population. Her Skin was smooth multi-coloured speckles. It made Madison wonder why she wasn't on the entertainment circuit and her skin was so hypnotic. Possibly because she would be seen on earth as over weight, but on Riser beauty was not so superficial. Madison intended to get to know Fresca better, knowing she'd be spending many a day in her company.
"Pretend to be something I'm not?" Madison questioned mournfully breaking her train of thought realising that was why she was in this mess.
"If it keeps you alive Madison. This is the third time I've had to do this." A blue light was scanned over the rapidly receding wound. "Just keep yourself quiet." Fresca like Madison, she had once been a slave herself and recognised Madison's unbreakable spirit. Fresca also knew that Nova couldn't break her spirit, but he could break her!
"I try to. But, I shouldn't be here-"
"All slaves say the same thing." Fresca reassured her patting her on the back, she'd said the exact same thing when she first came to the planet. She wasn't about the let Madison know, after all she was human.
"I'm sure I'm better suited elsewhere. I'm an engineer not an entertainer." Madison checked out Fresca's work in the hand held mirror. Her face was a network of pale scars that no one but herself could see. She never let anyone else close enough. Her mind wondered to Malcolm and his smile. After a moments trance she focused upon Fresca. "I'm neither suited as a singer, dancer or a-"
"All the more reason to work hard and keep your head down. Keep yourself on Nova's good side and he'll free you soon enough."
"Great. That sounds fair." Madison snapped sarcastically. "Never mind the fact that I didn't choose to be a slave. Or that I have a life, people waiting for me. Outside this planet!" Madison got off the table. "Thank you Fresca." Madison stormed out regretting snapping at her only friend.
**********************************************************
"To Madison?" Trip held up his glass in a bar on Riser. He had a feeling out of all the bars this would be the one she would have liked most. Although he thought she wouldn't like the planet at all. She was so much more adventurous than him. And she'd have seen that it was no achievement to have everything handed to you on a plate.
"Madison." Malcolm nodded in agreement as the house lights went down and a spotlight illuminated the curtain.
"Ladies and Gentlemen... The Voices." A man shouted over a microphone and a piano-like instrument started up.
"Lookin in your eyes I see a paradise, this world that I found is too good to be true..." A young, green skinned man sang to the girl who had her back to the audience. Her slender figure seemed familiar to both Malcolm and Trip. Perhaps it was wishful thinking that was adding to there increasingly drunken state. They drowned out the mans voice as the girl began to sing;
"I'd it'd seem we're crazy..." Malcolm couldn't believe it. He waited with baited breath as she slowly turned round. "Put your hand in my hand baby don't ever look back." She'd seen Malcolm collapse in a heap.
*******************************************************
"Our song?" Trip questioned Madison as Malcolm was placed on his bed an hour later. "You singing our song." He brushed her cheek. She flinched because it was still raw from earlier. "Sorry." He automatically responded.
"It's the only song I know. Besides singing in English is a novelty for them." She spoke from the kitchen, retrieving ice for Malcolm. The shock of Malcolm's collapse had meant that Trip had completely forgot he was talking to a ghost.
"Madison?" Trip questioned, leading her out onto the balcony. He'd never saw her so beautiful. He wondered if it was the alcohol or the dress, he concluded it was both. But why was he thinking of Malcolm's reaction to his thoughts of Madison?
"Yes Trip." She answered, looking into the eyes of the man she once loved. One thing was made clear to her, she had no loving feelings for him, they were all now reserved for Malcolm.
"Just making sure it's you." A single tear escaped his blinking eyes. "We thought you were dead."
"Then why are you here? I thought you'd followed the ships signature." Madison moved closer to him, but not so close that it gave him the wrong impression forgetting that Trip knew her better than anyone else.
"Your wake." Trip answered his eyes scanning all the feint scars that were all over her body. The untrained eye couldn't see them. But for Trip, who knew her body like the warp drive, they stuck out. They added to her beauty even though he knew they must have caused her great pain. "I'm sorry for what I've put you through." He kneeled at her feet, weeping loudly.
"Trip Tucker." Madison giggled softly. "Don't give yourself credit. This was my fathers doing-"
"But, if I'd been strong-" He hugged her legs, he'd missed the contact of her warm unblemished skin, although now he could feel where her skin had been ruptured and even were her leg had been broken. He cursed himself for knowing her body so well as he felt as if he'd taken it for granted.
"-It's better this way. I'm a better person for it-" Madison pulled him up, biting her lip not to say that if she was destined to have been with Malcolm, which she thought she was, she didn't want to have hurt Trip by having an affair.
"We found your remains at the transport site-" Trip looked dumbstruck.
"Didn't you run a DNA scan?" Madison sat upon the wall of the balcony. Trip flushed at the memory of how he had treated the remains.
"They were destroyed... When me and Malcolm had a fight." To this Madison began to howl with laughter, a true smile creeping upon her face. "What?" Madison, drunk on laughter kissed Trip quickly on the lips and returned inside for two glasses of green alcohol.
"Karl James, may he burn in hell." She held up her glass, when Trip's glass didn't meet hers she resorted to telling him how when she had mocked that Enterprise would find her no matter where she went Retulm had charred her fathers corpse and transported it down to the planet.
"Your fathers dead?" Trip asked placing his glass down and standing opposite Madison where she sat on the wall. "And you're happy?"
"The man condemned me to a life of humiliation, torture and Rape... He stood by and watched. Why would I not be happy Trip?" Madison flushed at the memory. "Malcolm did tell you I was a slave didn't he?"
"Yes, it's just-"
"You didn't believe him... Or was it me you didn't trust?" Madison implied.
"I thought you were sleeping with him to get revenge on me... Why trust either of you?" Trip spat.
"Fair enough. But it was a spontaneous moment, do not blame Malcolm. I wasn't as venerable as he thought... Not that he was taking advantage, but... I'm going to shut up."
"Thank you!" Trip smiled sarcastically. "Why Malcolm?" He kicked the wall. "Why my best friend."
"Would you have preferred it to have been John?! Jesus Christ, if it was anyone but you, you'd have been pissed. Least with Malcolm, you know there was something there. He wouldn't betray you for a quick shag and you know it." She looked into the open window where Malcolm was peacefully sleeping. "But it doesn't matter anyway... I can't leave here."
"What makes you think Malcolm's going to accept that?"
"You can tell him it wasn't me! He can't know."
"What makes you think I'm going to accept it-"
"I don't love you Trip... You have no need to protect me." Madison wished he could save her.
"That's fine by me. The feelings almost mutual..." Trip paused to accept her raised eyebrow. "There's... someone! I kinda got sidetracked when I heard about you. You never forget your first love-"
"Samuel-" Madison dreamed, Trip coughed. "Sorry."
"I'm still not going to leave you here, John will have me court marshalled if he ever found out-"
"There you go again, It's all about the job! Might I remind you that this is what got us in this mess. You tell anyone... I'll hunt you down and kill you." Madison left without a backwards glance at Trip.