Percy followed the Rayune pair out of the examination room.
"H-He's healthy. Everything checks out." The first doctor said, struggling not to hyperventilate.
The sentries looked at each other. "You okay, doc?"
Percy glared at the Rayune. He avoided his gaze and his companion answered for him. "He's fine. He received a disturbing holo a few minutes ago."
The guard was skeptical. "Are you sure? I've never-"
"I'm sure!" He snapped. "We have a room full of patients to process. If you'll excuse us." They fled.
The guards' eyes lingered on Percy before forcefully leading him away in the opposite direction of the waiting area. They entered some codes at the exit at the end of the hallway, revealing another elevator. They boarded and whisked off.
Percy shifted, feeling air currents in all the wrong places. "So when do I get my clothes back? It's freezing in here."
"Suck it up." Was all they said.
Percy had mind to mouth back but fought down the urge. He had to cool down. He felt a sense of dread at what he had just done. Even more dread at how easy it had come to him to assume the persona of a god. And then even more at how he didn't really think much about it. If he didn't keep that under the tightest of leashes, he was afraid of what he could turn into. And he didn't think that was an exaggeration. It was one thing to threaten someone as equals, as mortals. It was another to literally attack someone with their own blood while proclaiming yourself a deity. He shivered.
The ride took a few minutes but eventually they exited into an even brighter, whiter, cleaner hallway. The lights here were white, not blue, adding to the illusion. They led him through the maze and he lost count of the turns they took. Eventually, the narrow hallways widened into a vast room full of naked aliens. Along the walls to the left and right, from bottom to ceiling, was an advanced locker system. Panels were attached to the square doors and aliens in black jumpsuits input codes, waited a few seconds, and retrieved their items. It seemed straightforward but the buzzing and whir of ten thousand gears could be heard. Clearly, the true number of lockers was in the hundreds if not thousands.
The guards walked him up to yet another central support column, this was one barely wide enough to accommodate the Rayune. This one wasn't as done with life as the hospital administrator. "Welcome. Name?"
"Percy Jackson."
"Spell it." Percy did. A few taps and moments later, he seemed surprised. "Wow, your Grimbardian citizenship is new. Are you familiar with mining colony procedures?"
"No, sir. This is an out-of-world experience for me." More than you could ever know. "This is actually my first time in Grimbard so I'm still trying to learn all the rules."
"Okay, I'll be sure to update your holopad with some general information along with a map of AR-31, of course. So this room will be marked on your pad as Sorting Center Three. This is basically just to keep any belongings you wouldn't want to carry around or leave in your dorm. Not to cause any alarm but sadly, we've had problems with the cleaning teams; Personal items, especially achym, has been known to disappear after a cleaning. That is why we recommend storing anything important here hassle-free and of course enrolling in our AR-31 savings account. But it says here you already signed up which is great."
Percy blinked. Incredible. His first truly pleasant exchange with a Rayune. Aside from the first receptionist. "Any advice for a newbie?"
The Rayune smiled. "Just work hard and avoid trouble, really. This is a fantastic opportunity and any broken rules or inappropriate behavior will be swiftly punished. We're all here to make some money. Let's keep it professional, right?"
"Right."
"Excellent. I'm sure you'd rather be on your way," He gestured at his hands covering his genitals. "Your locker number is 3738 and the combination codes will be found on your holopad under Sorting Center. See you around, Percy."
"Thanks, man." Percy figured this would be his last good interaction and appreciated the Rayune's kindness.
They were off again. Percy started to think of this place less as an alien asylum and more of a hotel. Or camp.
The route was much more direct now. They took the first left and just went straight into a long, long tunnel. Floating over the ground where rails would be, a mini-transport like a subway waited for them. It was open to the air and had no seats. They grabbed onto the railing and zoomed away. Percy felt like his skin was being peeled away, how fast they were going. A few seconds later, Percy's hair now a chaotic mess, they stepped off and entered another long hallway. This time though, he could actually see where it ended. This one had no other automatic heavy doors. They walked and walked until they came to a stop at room number 413.
The guard entered a code and the door sank swished into the ground, swallowed up in the blink of an eye with a hiss. Percy frowned. It was empty.
"Am I supposed to sleep on the ground?"
The guard to his right tightened his grip and Percy found out how strong these Rayune really were. He tensed up, ready for a rough-up but the guard just stared him right in the eye. "I don't know what you did to the doc but I warn you...pull anything else like that and I'll start spending my nights with you."
Percy considered. "I don't know buddy. You see my size; you sure you can handle this monster?"
The guard rose to his full height and got real close but the other sentry put a hand on his shoulder. "Leave it alone. He gets the message."
The Rayune was inches from his face but Percy wasn't backing down. "You heard him. Go find yourself an oasis or something, you walking camel."
The guard looked a moment away from throwing the first punch. Then suddenly, he backed up. "Okay. We'll see who's who, boy."
"I'm all eyes."
The sentry let out a nasty laugh as his friend dragged him away. Percy watched him all the way. Already making enemies on his first day. Very familiar. You could say this was the third time he'd entered a camp stirring up a storm.
Percy entered the room and the door snapped back up. The room was a perfect square the size of a common living room back on Earth. Ten feet tall, maybe. The walls, floor, ceiling were all colored white. This was actually an asylum, wasn't it? He would go crazy in here. Suddenly, a 3-D hologram flared to life. The figure was faceless, hairless, featureless but resembled a human body with a robotic feminine voice.
"Welcome to Colony AR-31. I am here to provide an introduction to the facility, your personal quarters, your daily routine, and all other questions you may have. What would you like to call me?"
Percy just went along with it. What else could he do? He blurted out, "Siri!"
"As you wish. I will now provide a basic introduction. Please hold all questions until the end."
Siri raised her arms and gestured around herself. "This is Room Four One Three. Your chambers. Here, you will sleep and spend any free time after work. Unfortunately, considering Colony AR-31's status as a drifting work station so far away from the core systems, we provide no extracurricular activities. There are no other areas to spend your time such as gyms or entertainment centers except for the Pits program installed 25 standard years ago. We apologize."
She walked towards Percy and he instinctively took a step back, bumping into the door. She simply activated a button and the color of the walls morphed black. That's when he realized the light was coming from the lines where the walls met as well as the floor, like one continuous LED strip. "This is the control panel of the room. Temperature, color, brightness, and so on. Your resting area can be summoned as well as any other functions for bodily needs you may have. We accommodate most species and though we don't have an exact match for yours, sentients share many similarities. Modify as desired."
"Okay...this is pretty fucking awesome, Siri." Percy had the mad urge to laugh. That's how he knew his mind was fracturing. It could only take so much.
"Hmm. Your psychological readings are alarming. I also serve as basic therapy should you require it."
Percy did laugh now. "I'll let you know."
"As you wish, Percy Jackson. While on topic, what would you like me to call you?"
Percy had a moment of madness. "Perseus." He had no idea why he said that. Maybe he didn't like the idea of an alien A.I. refer to him so casually. Maybe it just felt right. Maybe he was just crazy. But now that he said it, he found himself reluctant to correct himself.
"Agreed. Now that you are familiar with the features of your personal quarters, I can move on. Our biological records report your body to have extreme levels of stamina. Therefore, you have an advantage over most sentients. The mandatory time you must work on a daily basis is 37 standard hours. For every minute after, you can earn double. This puts you in a position to earn a Colony AR-31 average worker 5 day's worth of income in just two days comfortably. You are at complete liberty to begin working whenever you want as long as you are putting in the required hours a day."
Percy was trying to crack the code but realized without a foundation, he would be completely lost. "Hold up, pause. I don't know that we're talking about hours the way I'm used to them."
"I refer to the galactic standard."
"Yeah, but what is that standard? Or, you know what? I'll just break it down for you: one second for me is like this-" Percy waited a second. "There, that was a second for me. 60 seconds make a minute and sixty minutes make an hour where I'm from."
"I understand. To translate time, the galactic hour is equivalent to 3.14 of your hours."
Percy almost died on the spot and yet made a subconscious note of pi showing up where he least expected. Coincidence? "You guys expect me to work over 60 hours a day?"
"I do not understand. Your body is capable of so much more than 60 hours."
"In one day? So, a galactic day is three of mine?"
"Correct."
Percy ran a hand through his hair. "How am I supposed to do that? My body is on a 24 hour schedule."
"I do not understand." She repeated. "Your biological readings indicate your body has enough energy to comfortably work continuously under mining conditions for much longer than 37 standard hours or 12 of your hours."
Percy thought about it. He guessed since acquiring ichor, his biology had changed dramatically. That was the only thing that made sense. If his body had so much more energy, he supposed he could learn to change his sleeping pattern. On the bright side, he would technically be sleeping an entire day at a time. Or who knows? Maybe his body could regenerate energy faster now. This galaxy was insane. Oh, how he missed Earth. But then the lightbulb went off. Siri said he could earn double for every hour after 37. And if she was right, he could work for longer stretches at a time. He did some quick math and saw 37 was about 12 regular hours. Did his body have enough energy to go for 24 hours straight? If he could do that, he could buy the ship he needed to return home twice as fast. Maybe faster.
"Fine. Keep going."
"As you wish, Perseus. Now that you are familiar with your job-related obligations, we can move on to fees. Once every 70 standard days, your rent is due. The total is 3000 achym. Should you want additional luxuries, you will find a shopping page on your holopad. Be aware, I am also implemented into the holopad itself with another detailed introduction on navigating and using the device to its full potential. You can purchase luxurious food and drinks with ease. Be aware, alcoholic beverages are only purchasable every 5 standard days.
"A few additional notes: every 5 standard days, a special event is held named the Fighting Pits. It is an organized gathering where workers compete against each other in a physical match. Here is the only time you can legally gamble your hard-earned achym as a viewer. If you choose to participate in the matches, you can benefit 20% of all bets placed on you. If you lose, you can still benefit 10% of all bets placed on you. Should you be interested in joining, you can enter your name into the lottery on your holopad. Be warned, you will personally cover any medical expenses such as injuries."
Percy rubbed his face. "Listen, Siri. I've had a rough couple of months. A rough few years actually. I just really want to sleep. Where's the button for the bed?"
"Access the panel and it will be located under 'Slumber'."
"Great. Can you dim the lights for me, please?"
"Of course, Perseus. Have a peaceful slumber. Be aware, once I am disactivated, I may only be accessed with your holopad."
"So you're just gonna disappear?"
"Correct. My purpose in this current form is to introduce you to Colony AR-31. However, should you decide you want an A.I. companion, I am available for purchase on your personal holopad."
So we have to pay for everything? "Don't tell me there's a surcharge on the air I breathe."
"It is included in the rent, Perseus."
"Oh, yes, of course."
"Am I dismissed?"
"Yeah, sure. I appreciate your help, Siri."
"Yes, sir."
She disappeared leaving Percy to figure out how to change the settings for the bed. He finally got the damn thing to spit out a mattress which he was grateful for. At the very least, a real mattress to sleep on. He lay down, wondering where he would wake up. Back home in paradise, back home in hell, or here in this strange nightmare.
He closed his eyes. Then they snapped open. Did Siri say there was gladiator arena in here?
Two Months Later...
Percy and Bregamar left the mine for the day, the latter stretching his muscles. "Aren't you tired?"
Percy shook his head. "Not really."
"By Emergarst, what are you humans made of?"
"Everyone is always mentioning Emergarst. Who is that?"
Bregamar waved a hand dismissively. "Creator of the universe, blah blah blah. We have some things to discuss."
"Are you finally gonna tell me what you hired me for?"
"Perhaps. It's dangerous to disclose the details in such a public space. What's your room number?"
"413."
"I'll be there in a few hours. Best for people not to see us together."
The Rayune sped up and walked off alone. Percy didn't see the harm but it was probably the only free time he'd have so he didn't complain.
A day had passed since they met. The Rayune gave little to no indication throughout the day that yesterday's conversation ever took place. He thought it a little extreme. What else could the workers around them see if not two coworkers developing a friendship? There was no way they knew the details. Regardless, Percy followed his lead and focused on his work for 37 continuous hours until the Rayune approached him.
Everyday after work, Percy took the same route back to his room. He wasn't so paranoid yet about maintaining a predictable routine. Now, as he turned into the 4th corridor, he realized how mistaken he was to think he was safe here. Standing halfway down the hallway was a sentry backed by two other guards. A familiar sentry. The Rayune looked very proud of himself. Percy froze, thinking maybe he should do a 180 until he sensed someone behind him.
Another guard. "Keep walking, human."
"Four on one? Cute." He did as he was told. Percy and the very same sentry who threatened him on his first day stared each other down.
"What? You thought I forgot about you? Verequi never forgets. He just waits."
"Well, keep waiting. I'm busy tonight. Maybe some other day."
The sentry laughed. "Be grateful you're not on the Other Side. There, Verequi would have his way with you morning, noon, and night."
"Okay, pause. Why are you doing that Verequi shit? You think it's cool to refer to yourself in third person?"
The alien just laughed again. "I'll sow that mouth shut at my first chance, believe that. I've heard you've made a name for yourself in your first fight. The 66th being to have zero bets placed on him. Very impressive."
His guards snickered but Percy only grinned. "I still won the fight."
"Yes, you did. Here's a secret, human: Verequi has a hand in the matchups. Yes, he waited and the opportunity presented itself."
Percy didn't respond immediately. What exactly was he threatening? Could he really influence his future fights in a significant way? The worse he could do was stack the deck, right? Match him against the toughest opponents. Or...mess with his prize money.
Percy took a step forward and the guards around Verequi whipped out their strange weapons, sparking with a violent electricity. Verequi's boastful facade was replaced with a fierce scowl, almost hungry. "Give me a reason, I beg you."
"Why don't you step in the ring yourself? Scared?"
"Very amusing. You and I are not equals. I prefer to wait the three days. Just three days. Of course...on the Other Side we would be allowed to compete. Every match is to the death in my world. Unless you are the one who is afraid."
Percy scowled. "The Other Side?"
Verequi squinted and abruptly broke into laughter. "Oh, you don't know? Oh, poor baby angel. You think AR-31 is-" He couldn't finish his sentence, bending over in shits and giggles.
"Laugh it up, walking camel." He didn't get it. What was Verequi talking about?
"Let's go boys. You'll get what's coming for you, boy. Just three days." Percy watched them leave once again. Every time he thought things could start looking normal, shit like this happened. He leaned against the wall of the corridor, sighing. He had been so focused these last two months. So certain Colony AR-31 was his ticket home. Now, he was lost again.
...
There was a heavy knock on the door. Percy roused himself from his pool of misery and gathered his composure. The door hissed open, revealing Bregamar. "Step aside." He pushed past him. "Close the door, quickly."
"You know this is unnecessary, right?"
"You don't understand boy. Part of my plan involves nobody knowing of our partnership. Just follow my lead, yes?"
"If you say so. So spill the beans. What's this plan of yours?"
Bregamar paced the room, a hand on his chin. "Spill the beans?"
Deja vu hit Percy like a bag of bricks. "It's an expression."
"Sure. I hired you as more than just muscle. I mean, mostly muscle but a few other jobs considering your display of speed."
"I get that you think you're helping me understand your motives but you're really not. There's a square one and you're not on it so let's take it back. Just tell me what in Hades you're doing here working when you have all the money you could want."
Bregamar opened his mouth but Percy raised a finger. "Don't you dare. It's another expression."
"Sure." He kept pacing, hands clasped. "You're new not just to Colony AR-31 but to the galaxy as a whole, right? So you wouldn't understand how our mining colonies work."
Percy frowned. "What's to understand? It looks pretty straightforward from what I've gathered these two months. They hire aliens from all over the galaxy, rent them homes in the place they work for efficiency, make profit. Easy."
"No, Percy. Mining colonies are the single most important resource a government owns. They need one for everything: metal, water, minerals. If they can't find the material to build things such as transports, the potential for growth halts. Their colonies must be manned. That's why the pay is so great. They need the workers more than the workers need them. Therefore, a government will do whatever is required to man these ships."
Percy nodded slowly. "I don't like where this is going."
Bregamar's eyes had a twinge of anger in them. "Neither did I. Tell me, Percy: what is your opinion on prison labor?"
He blinked. "Are you serious?"
The Rayune nodded, glowering fiercely. "Colony AR-31 is a prison."
"If that's true, where are the prisoners? Or are we the prisoners?"
"What? Are you hearing yourself? That's an idiotic conclusion. No, we're not the prisoners. They're locked up on the other side of the colony. Didn't you ever ask why the map only shows three sections on a ship this large?"
Percy turned red. "I assumed-"
"Wrong. You're not accustomed to using your brain. Period."
"Okay, enough with the roasts. I think I understand what's going on here. You're here to break someone out."
"I'm here to rescue someone." Bregamar corrected him. "My brother. He was accused of murder and sentenced to life in jail. He doesn't deserve this."
Percy sat down against the wall and rubbed his face. "Why not appeal the case? This is an extreme measure, Bregamar."
"It's not. There was enough evidence to convict him. There's nothing I can do for him legally."
"Well, who framed him? Instead of hiring me to break him out, we can track down the killer."
The Rayune was puzzled for a second. "Oh, you assumed he was innocent. How cute. No, he killed the guy. I was there."
Percy raised an eyebrow. "If you're so smart, then you can guess what I was about to ask next."
"I am and I can. The murder was justified, believe me. I would've blown his brains off, too, given the chance."
"That puts me at ease, thanks. Listen, I'm not sure I can help you knowing I would be letting a killer go free."
"You want to go home, right? I can help you get there. All you gotta do is help me liberate my brother."
"Wrong. I can get home by myself. All you would do is help me get there faster."
Bregamar knelt in front of him and Percy stood, refusing to feel vulnerable. They saw eye to eye. "Lose the ego, Percy. It doesn't suit you. You have no idea where to point the ship once you get your hands on it. I can help you with that."
Percy crossed his arms. "You keep saying that and yet I don't hear an explanation. How exactly are you gonna find it?"
Bregamar groaned. "Damn you! Where's the trust? If you don't trust me, trust the achyma. Here," He pulled out another bundle but Percy slapped it across the room.
"You're asking me to break a murderer out of prison. I need proof or there's no deal."
The alien was silent. He turned, hands on his hips, and bowed his head. He turned, rubbing his chin. "Very well. Give me a few days. By the time you finish your second fight, I'll have half the evidence you seek. The other half, I'll keep until the job is done. Do we have an accord?"
Percy stared at him, trying to gauge his honesty. But all he could realistically do was wait. In three days, he would know what Verequi alluded to and he would know whether Bregamar was telling the truth. He nodded.
"Excellent." He walked to the door. "Same as before. We don't know each other. Also, keep the achym as a sign of good will. Get yourself some alcohol or hire a lady friend for the night."
Percy pretended he already knew about the prostitutes. "Maybe I will."
Bregamar left, leaving him with the oddest of feelings. Maybe it was his last comment but Percy missed Annabeth now more than ever. He summoned his bed and threw himself on it. He covered his face and reached out with his heart. "What do I do, Wise Girl?" He tried not to imagine what she was going through. Whatever it was, it had to be worse than this. And here he was, powerless to help. Not able to be there for her. He realized he had broken his promise. He told her they would never be separated again and here he was, lightyears away. He didn't know if he could do this but he imagined his strength shooting across the vast ocean of stars to her, lending his soulmate energy and all his love.
Life was funny. And Fate was more than just a hoot and a half most of the time. It definitely had a strong sense of humor. For how else could Percy's power actually have reached Annabeth? And right when she needed it most. Funny indeed.
...
Percy awoke from his usual nightmares screaming. His hands were squeezed around an invisible throat. He gasped in breaths. The LED strips around his room were glowing faintly. Everything seemed quiet and calm but something was off. He could feel it in his bones. He looked around the empty room. Nothing. Nothing except a patch of darkness in the corner. Blacker than black.
Someone was there.
Percy found himself laying back down. His eyes were wide as saucers. He had not told his body to move at all. The thing in the corner...its presence was stronger than ever. And it was walking towards him. Percy could do nothing but try to control his panic. He tried to talk, to demand the person reveal itself but his mouth didn't work. The thing in the corner crept closer and closer. Its shadow entered his peripheral vision and Percy's body twitched, fighting to break free.
Suddenly, his eyelids forced themselves closed and he could feel the presence breathe on his skin. Percy's heart raced faster and faster and faster-
His eyes flew open and he sat upright roaring. He twisted this way and that like a maniac. Nothing. The clock said it was morning, a few hours off from his shift. It had been a nightmare within a nightmare. Except...the walls were completely scorched, blackened with soot. Only, there was one area still white. One human-shaped area in the same corner where the presence in his nightmare had been standing.
O_O ...
Guys, seriously the amount of support these past few days is amazing! I'm glad you're enjoying the story! I don't have anything else to say, really. I appreciate all the comments. I read everything, believe me. On another note, I don't want to edit! I'm just gonna say fuck it and hit publish. If I see any mistakes later on I'll update the chapter. I know for a fact my math on the Earth hours to Grimbard hours is gargled somewhere. Let me know what you think and don't forget to fav/follow
Next chapter is most likely centered around what happened on Hanaku. See you next time! ;)
P.S. HellRaider, add a 'bitch' to your next review. Lol, for me please. Pretty please?