(July 31, 2008)
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'C-c-cold. S-s-so cold.' Shivering, Brody slowly became aware of his surroundings. His head slumped to the side, pressed uncomfortably against something hard and ice cold. A fiery ache pulsed in his head and chest. Disoriented, he tried to open his eyes. Darkness met his vision. Panic rising, Brody tried to bring his hands up to rub his eyes. His hands didn't respond either. At that moment Brody realized he couldn't feel his hands or his feet.
Blood pounding in his ears, Brody started thrashing. His face immediately smacked a wall in front of him. Everything whited out.
When Brody came back to himself he stayed still for several minutes, trying to keep his breathing even. Assured he wouldn't pass out again, Brody slowly leaned back from the wall. Harsh clanking coming above him. With that sound realization hit, along with pain flooding his body. His shoulders, knees, torso. All pulsing in rhythm with each other.
Breathing heavily, Brody tried to force his thoughts to focus. He could move his head and torso, but why weren't his limbs responding? After the stars exploded across his eyes, Brody could say with growing confidence his eyes were open. So he was just somewhere dark. And small. Gently extending his neck forward, he only went a few inches before his forehead rested against cold metal. He found it to be the same when he leaned to either side.
More clanking sounded with the movement and Brody finally had the presence of mind to realize his arms were suspended above his head. That explained why his arms weren't responding. Agony ran through his shoulder joints with every shifting movement. The same could be said for his lower legs, which he now felt folded at the knee under him. He must have been there a while for everything to hurt the way it did . . . unless he'd come into whatever this was already injured. That felt more right, but Brody's fuzzy brain couldn't quite pull together the details of what happened before this.
He grit his teeth. While each day brought its own fun, courtesy of his captors, this was not how he'd expected his day to go.
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Several hours earlier
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"Come on, Brody. I know you can do it. What's seven times four?"
Brody stared down at the paper in front of him. Talking about resuming school had seemed like a great idea initially, but now looking at the column of math problems Mick prepared, not so much. Brody grumbled under his breath. He almost wished they hadn't finished the cameras already.
"I'm sorry." Mick asked, a little too innocently, "What was that?"
"Twenty-six" A pure guess at this point.
"Not quite." Mick set down the camera shell in his hands and looked over Brody's sheet. "Remember how I showed you to find the answer?"
"But it's long and boring." Brody crossed his arms over his chest, not meeting Mick's eye.
"Uh, huh." Giving Brody a knowing glance, Mick leaned back in his chair. "Is it boring or confusing?" He didn't get a response. "It's okay if you don't get it right away. It's been a while since you looked at this concept which makes it harder. However, learning your times tables lays the groundwork for the math needed to program these babies." Mick held up the camera in front of Brody.
"But why does it have to be so hard?"
"It just takes practice. Here," Grabbing a handful of screws, Mick laid them out on the table in front of Brody, "put them in seven groups of four." Slowly Brody complied. "Good, now count them."
"One, two, thr-"
"No, no, no. Count by fours."
Brody pulled a face. "M'kay. Four, eight, twelve, sixteen, twenty, twenty-four, twenty-eight." He looked up at Mick. "Twenty-eight?"
"See, I knew you could do it!"
Brody turned his head to hide a small smile tugging at his lips. Moving to the next problem, Brody picked up his pencil when the door burst open. A kudabot walked in, heading straight for Brody.
Mick quickly intercepted it. "What do you need?"
The machine let out a series of whirs and clicks. Though Mick had started teaching Brody how to understand the robots, he only picked up the word 'need.' Brody didn't like that or the worried look Mick sent in his direction. He slouched in his seat, trying to make himself look smaller.
"Then I should go too so it gets done faster."
'Get what done?' Brody wondered as the robot shook its head. It clicked out another sequence and pointed to Brody. Mick didn't move and the robot pushed him aside, making Mick stumble against the desk. Letting out a small whimper, Brody brought his arms up just as the robot reached him. It grabbed Brody's elbow and pulled him out of the chair.
"M-Mick!" Brody cried out.
Pushing himself away from the desk, Mick planted himself in front of the door, blocking the robot's exit. "At least let me explain to him what's going on."
The robot shoved Brody toward the doorway while making more noises. Mick grumbled something but turned his attention to Brody.
"More of the contestants are arriving today and tomorrow. They want you to help get the rooms ready."
Brody felt the blood drain from his face. From Mick's warnings and the few glimpses of contestants that Brody had seen, their quarters and the Warrior Dome were places he'd hoped he'd never have to go. A completely unrealistic hope since he had no control over his life anymore.
Mick glared at the robot. "Most of the participants aren't here yet. So it's just cleaning out the rooms. For those already here, their stuff should already be taken care of so you shouldn't have to interact with them."
"O-okay."
The kudabot made a loud beep and Mick reluctantly moved to the side. "You'll be fine. Just do exactly what they tell you and stay an arm's length away."
Before Brody could respond that he didn't know enough 'gear talk' to do exactly what they wanted, the kudabot took Brody's arm again and dragged him from the room. He attempted to keep track of the way back to the lab, but in the twisting halls he quickly lost track. Despite being on board for so long now, his world usually consisted of the cell block and Mick's workshop. Trying to ignore the fear squirming in his stomach, Brody peered into the passing rooms. Most of the doors were closed, but the few that were open made Brody's jaw drop. Large beds, painted walls, private bathrooms- and those were the smaller rooms. Brody wouldn't have been surprised if ten of his cells fit one bedroom.
The kudabot pulled him to a stop at a closed door. It pulled out a rectangular box and waved it in front of the handle. A beep came from the keypad and the door slid open. Brody stepped inside. The room looked similar to others that they'd passed. A large bed rested against the back wall next to a wooden wardrobe. This particular room also had a desk next to the bed. Another door along the far wall led to a private bathroom.
Brody stared longingly at the bed, even if it- and everything else in the room- was covered in a thick layer of dust. The pallet in his cell barely offered any cushion from the cement floor. Shaking his head to clear that line of thought, Brody realized the room didn't appear to have had anyone in there since the last contestant used it. However long ago that was.
Rumbling noises came from down the hall. Brody turned to see another robot pushing a cart filled with various cleaning supplies. Brody's escort shoved him toward the cart and gestured to the room. Getting the picture, Brody nodded and dragged the cart inside. The door clicked shut behind both robots.
Letting out a small sigh of relief at being left alone, Brody turned to examine the contents of the cart. A variety of containers akin to squirt bottles, some rags, a broom and mop, and several sets of clean linens spilled about. 'Great.'
Though Dane had the kids do their fair share of chores at home, Brody didn't know how Galvanax wanted it done. He picked up one of the bottles and frowned. The labels were written in caricatures he couldn't read. 'That's even better.' Maybe Mick would know what was what. With little alternative Brody tapped the walky-talky function on his watch.
Seconds later Mick's voice came through the com, "What is it Brody?"
"Yeah," Brody wouldn't admit how much the concern in Mick's voice meant to him. "I don't know what all they want done. And I don't know what these labels mean."
"Can you read them to me?"
Brody eyed the symbols. "Uh, no. Not really." It might as well have been the Greek alphabet. Mick had talked to Brody about learning to read and speak Karlec, but they hadn't started that process yet.
"That's something I need to fix . . ." Mick mused, more to himself than Brody. "Anyway, can you describe them to me?"
"I can try." Brody picked up the first bottle. "This one looks like a crescent moon with a circle around it . . ."
After several awkward relays Mick managed to explain which bottles were used for what. Brody surveyed the room and screwed up his nose at the mess. This would take a while. Deciding to get it over with first, Brody headed to the bathroom. Cemented gunk and grime stuck to the toilet and the floor. Doing his best to pretend it was just dirt, Brody managed to clean it without gagging- too frequently. He squirted, wiped, washed and mopped. The large bed left him feeling like he'd been in a wrestling match when he finally got the sheets on correctly. It took nearly an hour before the room was acceptable by Brody's standards. He just hoped those were the same as whoever'd be checking the room.
Standing in the middle of the room, Brody didn't know what to do next. The kudabots weren't ones to explain much, not that Brody knew enough of their 'language' to work with what they did communicate. With no better idea he hesitantly tapped the door. It slid open. Brody flinched back when a kudabot walked in.
The robot did a visual sweep of the room. It grabbed Brody's arm and his breath caught in his chest. Did he not do a good job and it was going to hit him for it? It wouldn't be the first time a robot extended a form of punishment for failure to meet their standards. But it pulled him to the next room and shoved him in, the cart following soon behind.
'Alright.' Forcing his muscles to relax, Brody started on the next room. The process continued for five more suites. Brody's stomach rumbled pitifully, but he didn't dare ask for anything. Past experience warned against it. However as the waking hours dragged on his pace slowed. Finally, after he finished the sixth room, a robot gave him a bowl of the green gunk. After all the manual labor it barely made a dent in Brody's hunger. So with practiced ease he ignored the dull ache in his gut and went back to work.
By the time he finished the seventh room Brody hoped the robots would take him back to his cell, or at least let him go back to Mick's workshop room. He needed rest, unlike the mechanical automatons. However when the door opened the massive red body that filled the doorway was most certainly not a kudabot. Brody let out a squeak and backed up a pace. The giant curled up its snout as he examined Brody.
"Who are you?"
"B-Brody." He shrank further under the monster's piercing eyes.
"Don't care about that. Who are you on the ship?"
"Uh, w-whatever I'm t-told?" That was the safest answer Brody could think of.
The beast grunted. "You'll do. I need you to unpack my belongings." He didn't give Brody a chance to respond before dragging him down the hall.
Mick's warnings blared through Brody's mind, but he wasn't really in a position to say no. Gritting his teeth, Brody hoped this would be over with quickly. They entered the first room Brody cleaned and the contestant let go of the terrified boy. Brody shrank back in a corner, trying to put as much space between them as he could.
"Start unpacking." The order lashed out like the crack of a whip.
Brody scurried to the trunks sitting in the middle of the room. Heaving one of them open, Brody gagged as a dank, musty smell rose into the air. He pulled out an armload of clothing, holding his breath all the while. 'What is this stuff made of?' The material had a leather quality that made it way heavier than it looked.
Tugging open the wardrobe, Brody saw drawers lining the bottom while a bar with several hangers took up the top half. Brody glanced doubtfully at the clothing in his arms. Unsure what the giant wanted where, and not inclined to ask questions, Brody opted to hang as many of the items as he could.
A humph came from behind him. Glancing over his shoulder, the contestant glared at Brody appraisingly. Brody withered under the gaze and hurried to finish with the clothes. He had just reached for the last couple items of the second truck when something clunked heavily against the side.
The contestant leapt to his feet in an instant. "Be careful!" Brody flinched. "My trophies are at the bottom. If you damage them you'll be sorry."
Nodding shakily, Brody set the bundle down and began to unravel the cloth. The clanking came again, though much softer this time.
"I said watch it!" He cuffed Brody on the head, almost sending him falling into the trunk.
"S-sorry." His now throbbing head did not help the situation.
And it wasn't like Brody wanted to hurt the trophies. The stupid trunk stood too tall for Brody's small frame to easily reach all the way to the bottom. Too scared of bumping them again, Brody scooped up the whole bundle in his arms. He'd almost pulled it completely out when his grip slipped. The edge unwound and Brody watched a gold figurine fall in slow motion. A dull thud sounded through the room like a shot. Brody froze, his horrified gaze sliding to the large contestant whose face turned as red as his fur.
He exploded from the bed and towered over Brody. "You did that on purpose."
"No! I-I'm sorr-" Brody's words were cut off by a devastating strike to the face. He fell to the ground, seeing stars.
"I'd expect Galvanax's slaves to be better trained." The brute snapped.
"I-I'm sorry." Brody whimpered, protectively throwing his arms over his head.
"I don't want your excuses!" He reached down and yanked Brody up the collar. Brody cried out in fear but the contestant shook him so hard it rattled his teeth. "Shut up."
Brody choked back a whimper as he was literally dragged from the room. Halls passed in a fuzzy haze, but he started to recognize where they were. The entrance to the main control room. Brody's thoughts jerked around like a startled deer. Galvanax would kill him for being disturbed like this.
The contestant didn't slow, even when two kudabots stood in front of the doors. They didn't stand a chance. With barely a cursory glance they were swept aside as if they weighed nothing. The red giant wrenched the door open and tossed Brody inside. He landed with a thud, the fall knocking the wind out of him.
Struggling to regain his breath it took him almost a full minute to realize Galvanax wasn't in the room. Ripcon strode toward them from where he'd been standing near the display screens.
"What's the matter, Stalofur?" Ripcon's voice had an oily politeness to it that Brody had only heard him use with Galvanax.
"Your slaves need better learning." Stalofur kicked Brody who still lay inert at his feet. Brody sucked in a yelp.
Ripcon curled his lip at Brody. "What do you mean?"
"He tried to destroy my trophies."
If Brody wasn't bracing for Ripcon's wrath he would have laughed at the whining tone this giant used. The look that crossed Ripcon's face made Brody curl tighter together on the floor.
"I apologize. I didn't realize he'd accessed a used room during his cleaning assignment."
Stalofur grunted. "I took him to finish unloading my trunks."
Pursing his lips Ripcon looked back at Brody. "If you think he didn't do an adequate job would you like to deal with the matter? I can follow up with making sure the slave knows his place when you're done."
Brody paled.
Stalofur cracked his hairy knuckles. "I think I can manage."
Waving them off, Ripcon turned back to the screens. Then almost as an afterthought he called over his shoulder, "Don't break anything. There's still things we need him for."
Stalofur yanked Brody up again. He raised his fist and Brody could only watch in horror as it flew toward his face.
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'Oh, right.' Brody only remembered three blows but the way everything hurt there'd probably been more. He didn't remember being shoved into this hole so he must have been unconscious for that part. There was no telling how long he'd been in here already, but a thick numbness encased his lower legs. Tugging at the shackles holding his wrists, he tried to leverage himself to his feet. Chains on his ankles snapped taut, causing Brody to lose his grip. His knees slammed into the ground. The jarring sent every nerve aflame. Brody let out a cry of pain and frustration.
Hot tears slid down his face, stinging unseen cuts in their wake. Brody let out a shuddery sigh and slumped against the wall again. The cold felt mildly soothing to his aching face. 'How long are they going to leave me here?' Brody shivered at that thought and at the cold. If his hands and feet weren't already numb from blood restriction, they'd probably be numb from the temperature.
His watch beeped, startling Brody from his thoughts. 'Mick!' It wasn't like the mechanic could do anything for Brody, but at least talking to him would ease the darkness pressing into him. Squirming, Brody flopped his heavy hands trying to reach the button. He quickly realized his wrists were anchored in place to something above him. 'No, please no!' Why? Why couldn't he at least have that?
The pitch blackness suddenly felt suffocating. It pressed into Brody until he struggled for breath. 'I can't- I can't-'
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Brody must have passed out again because the next thing he knew light filled the hole. Eyes smarting, Brody quickly clamped them shut. Heavy footsteps came from behind him. Blood pounded in his ears as he was acutely aware how vulnerable his position left him if the person wanted to inflict more punishment.
Something bumped Brody's arm and he flinched. But a loud click came from above him and his right arm fell limply to his side. Brody hissed in pain as the feeling of pins and needles started to trickle down from his shoulder. Seconds later his left arm followed suit. More clicks came from the shackles on his ankles.
Brody managed to pry his eyes open as a set of hands dragged him backward, out of the confined space. Someone stood him upright, but Brody's legs immediately folded under him.
Brody didn't remember the impact.
Angry voices swirled above him. Blinking away the black dots, Brody saw two blurry faces staring down at him. It didn't take long to make out Ripcon's scowl.
"I hope you learned your lesson rat bait." Ripcon nudged Brody with his foot. Brody's ribs cried out in protest. "You'd better listen carefully because if you start angering the contestants, especially that one- I'll make sure you wish you were dead, got it?" Brody nodded numbly. "Don't you forget whose you are, slave. Get him out of here." Ripcon waved his hands at the kudabots around them.
They pulled him up by his arms. Brody's vision went fuzzy again. When his vision cleared the kudabots were still carrying him through the corridors. As long as it was away from that place Brody didn't care where they took him. A couple minutes later the kudabots shoved him through the door of his cell.
Brody lay in a crumpled heap, too stiff and in pain to move. Forcing back tears, a pathetic gratitude rose within him to be back in this room. The cell now felt like a penthouse compared to that hellhole.
He had just started drifting off to sleep when his watch beeped again. 'Mick must not be down here.' It'd be hard to miss the sight and sound of a child being dragged through the cell block, even if Mick's cell wasn't adjacent to Brody's.
For a long minute Brody hesitated to answer. He didn't remotely feel like talking right now, but Mick was probably worried out of his mind having been kept on radio silence for so long. With a groan Brody fumbled for the coms button.
"Yeah?" He rasped.
"Brody?" The relief in Mick's voice brought a sudden lump to Brody's throat. "Oh, thank goodness! Where are you? What happened? Are you okay?"
Brody's brain sluggishly processed the barrage of questions. "I-I'm back in my cell."
Mick's voice took a second to respond. In a slower and more controlled tone he asked again, "Are you okay?" Brody didn't know how to respond. The obvious answer was a solid 'no,' but something within him flared with embarrassment to admit that to Mick. "Brody, what's going on? Are you okay?" Mick's voice became insistent.
"No." Pressure clogged Brody's throat, but the word slipped out. "No. I-I'm not."
"What happened?"
"I-I was cleaning a room then some guy came in and told me to help him. I did but I dropped his trophies- and I didn't mean too!- but then I was in this tiny room and- and everything hurts." Once words started they didn't stop. Tears came fast and furious by the end of his rushed explanation.
"What hurts?" Something in Mick's tone brought a pause to his sobs.
"M-my back, stomach, wrists- but mostly my head."
"Anywhere else?"
"N-no?" It came out as a question rather than a statement.
Mick let out a deep breath like he was relieved, but Brody didn't understand why. "Okay. I'm sorry Brody. I'll try and grab ice for you on my way back. I'm only in the lab for another hour or so. I haven't been able to reach you for two hours."
Only two hours? The time had felt much longer. "O-okay"
"I'm so sorry Brody." Brody could hear the anger and helplessness in Mick's voice.
"Me too." He responded thickly.
Brody released the talk button and Mick didn't try to call him back. Curling gently into a ball, Brody lay shaking on the floor. Hot anger boiled in Brody when his thoughts turned back to the trunk. The trophy barely fell a couple inches. No way it would have scratched it. That hadn't stopped Stalofur and Ripcon from tearing into him. More tears rose in his eyes. This was hopeless.
The door creaked open and adrenaline briefly shot through Brody's battered body. He looked up but relaxed when he saw Mick entering the room. Had it been an hour already? A flicker of surprise rose within Brody that surprised Mick had actually been let in Brody's cell, especially since Brody had just been 'punished.'
"Here." He handed Brody a cold cloth and, to Brody's shock, something that looked like an apple. "I managed to snag that in the kitchen."
"T-thank you."
Mick helped him sit up and grimaced as he looked at Brody's face. "You're going to have quite the shiners tomorrow. I'm glad they didn't get your nose. I can look up a lot on the computer, but resetting bones is not something I am practiced in."
Brody managed a weak smile but immediately winced.
"Keep the ice on as long as you can. It'll help keep the swelling down." The kudabot made a noise. Brody flinched. Mick sighed but, surprising Brody, gently pulled him in for a hug. "Beep me if you need to talk."
Brody nodded and watched as the kudabot led Mick from the room. Crawling to his pallet, Brody lay down and put the makeshift ice pack on his face. Brody let it numb both his face and his emotions. Ripcon had shown- once again- it didn't matter what Brody did. His existence now was to serve at the whim of masters who delighted in reminding him of his lack of worth.
Despite the cold seeping into Brody's bones, another tear trickled down his cheek.