NASTRAGULL: Pirates (11 page)

Elsewhere, the 17-year-old twins were being forced to have intercourse on a tabletop, while a large circle of pirates cheered them on. The slaves didn't seem to mind too much. Some of the older pirates sat quietly at a nearby table watching the action, being serviced under the table by their own chattel. 

At another table, a male slave crouched on his knees with a rope clenched between his teeth as another slave—prodded at knifepoint—penetrated him from behind. The rope in the kneeling man's mouth was attached to the trigger of a gun affixed to the chair facing him. He made a loud keening sound as he was penetrated, and on the second thrust, he couldn't bear anymore and shouted out his pain, letting the rope slip from his mouth. His eyes widened in horror as he realized what he had done—but that expression lasted only a millisecond before it was wiped from his face by the crackling discharge of the energy gun. The slave behind him stepped back, covered with blood and brains, shrieking.

A small ugly alien shouted to the slave, "Why are you stopping? The bet was to see for how long you could keep going. Back to work, dammit, or I'll lose my bet—unless you want to be a female when we're done with you." The small pirate gestured with a knife towards the slave's groin. With a look of horror and disbelief, he stepped forward and tried to go on.

Sickened, Alexa hurried away from the hellish scene, the sound of the pirates' ecstasy echoing in her ears. She ended up on an elevator with Hughes, who looked at her with irritation and announced, "You're not allowed on the Officers' Deck."

"Mind your own business, and tell the Captain I'd like a word with him."

"Suit yourself, tramp," Hughes replied, smiling darkly. Just as the elevator doors started to close, a pale hand was jammed between them and they bounced open. Nina jumped inside and joined them.

Nina looked at Hughes and said brightly, "Hey there, you little shit!"

"Be careful, you tramp, or I have your—"

"My what, you scaly-skinned dumbass? You couldn't have any of me if you were rich as the Emperor of Narris."

Alexa glanced at Nina, trying to hide a smile. By now, Hughes was trembling in anger. "You just wait and see, bitch. One of these days you'll regret mouthing off to someone important like me."

Nina was about to respond with another cheeky remark when she felt Alexa's elbow in her side. Nina glanced at Alexa, who shook her head slightly. They both faded to the back of the elevator, putting Zuzack's lieutenant between them and the door. Nina made a funny face and stuck her tongue out at his backside, while Alexa tried to stifle a giggle. At that instant, Hughes's head spun 180 degrees—Nina had forgotten he could do that—and he grabbed her tongue with his whip-thin tail. He whispered threateningly, "I warned you. Now let's see what you taste like."

Nina stared at him in horror, her eyes watering from pain. She had to stand on her toes when Hughes lifted his tail, threatening to tear out her tongue.

A short, sharp blade wielded by Alexa suddenly licked out and sliced off the end of Hughes' tail. His head spun back into its original position and he emitted a high-pitched scream; this time, he was the one in pain. His tail whipped around the elevator car, splattering the wall with rosy blood droplets. Nina spat out a small piece of his tail and wiped her mouth on her forearm—then she and Alexa laughed hysterically, till their eyes filled with tears and they had to lean on each other to remain upright. Hughes spun to face them, glaring for a moment, then held his maimed tail in one hand and stared at it with sad eyes.

When the doors opened a second later, he glared at them again, dropped his tail, and limped out of the elevator car with as much dignity as he could muster—which wasn't much, as he managed to kick his damaged tail with his right foot as he went, emitting another loud squeak. Cursing, he grabbed it in one hand and stomped into Zuzack's wardroom.

Nina and Alexa leaned on each other, laughing so hard they could barely see straight.

The elevator doors had opened up into a large, exquisitely-appointed chamber that reminded most viewers of a conference hall, except that the bulkheads were decorated from the floor to the ceiling with all types of loot. Zuzack sat behind a long table at the center, flanked by his senior officers. Two tables along the sides of the wardroom provided seating for a group of lower-ranking officers; they were all attended by several tunic-clad slaves. The mood here couldn't have been more different from the debauched revelry in the hangar below.

Needless to say, Hughes' interruption and bleeding tail quite captured the officers' attention. They looked stunned for a long moment, even Zuzack; but when Hughes managed to trip himself up with his own damaged tail, falling hard to the floor, the room erupted with laughter. Alexa walked in, followed by Nina, both still giggling and wiping away tears. Alexa surreptitiously slipped the razor that had damaged Hughes back into its arm-sheath.

Trying to school his face into the proper serious expression, Zuzack looked at Alexa and Nina, wiping away his own tears of mirth. "Your party's downstairs. What you want?"

Alexa straightened her back and answered boldly, "I want to make a trade, Cap'n."

"We're done trading for the day. Another time, perhaps."

"I will give you my governor family lot, the slaves I took during the prize capture, for the blue-eyed soldier."

Zuzack frowned. "Ha! An interesting offer, but no thanks!"

Maintaining her cool, Alexa added, "And one hundred thousand credits."

Grotech leaned over and whispered something into Zuzack's ear. Zuzack smiled, then replied, "Tell me, Alexa-girl, is he really worth that much to you? You realize that the ransom from the Governor alone can pay off your contract, and you can move on, free at last. I thought that's what you wanted, especially after you left us and joined up with Myra's bunch."

Alexa looked into Zuzack's eyes as she walked towards him, kicking the bruised Hughes aside as she went. He jumped back, cursing Alexa and all females in the universe, to the vast amusement of Zuzack and his other officers. When Alexa reached Zuzack's table, she looked down at him and proclaimed, "You once said that I was like a daughter to you, right?"

"A daughter with certain...perks," he said lasciviously.

"But a daughter, yes?"

Zuzack looked uncomfortable. "What are you trying to get at?" He looked at Alexa suspiciously.

The other officers looked on curiously as Alexa gathered her courage. She knew that she couldn't come across as weak; Zuzack and his staff hated anyone who was weak, and wouldn't hesitate to take advantage. She continued, "When 'adopted' me, Cap'n, you made a promise that you would spoil me for life. I demand that you spoil me for life
right now
and give him to me!" She crossed her arms and glared at him stubbornly, somewhat to his surprise. The officers in the room seemed amused by the spectacle caused by the little female Oman, who only stood there patiently, arms crossed and tapping her left foot, waiting for his response.

Finally he growled, "That was before you joined Myra and her bitches."

Alexa shouted angrily, "Joined them, bullshit! I'm your inside girl—I thought you
knew
that." She hopped over the table and landed in his lap; the officers laughed, and Zuzack looked puzzled and a little amused. Alexa grabbed one side of his braided mustaches and stroked his beard, putting on an innocent face. "You
did
make me your daughter—with perks—and I'm sorry I haven't been around...but you see, I've been so busy infiltrating Myra's crew, becoming your best fighter pilot, and training my little friend Nina here."

Zuzack smiled. "Ah, yes. Nina the little nymph, the slave I gave you as your servant—the slave you turned into a pirate."

"Just like you turned me into one, Daddy dear. But her credits still belong to me. She's not free or anything."

Zuzack placed one of his large fingers over her mouth to silence her. "Are you going to make the soldier boy one of your personal crew, and a pirate too?"

"No no no! I just want a little toy, to practice on for my membership."

The last words she whispered into his ear, breathing heavily and massaging his chest. She caressed his large bat-like ear with her tongue. Zuzack grabbed her by her shoulders and stood up. He was almost twice her height, and he looked down into Alexa's eyes with a fatherly concern. "My little flower, have you finally grown up and become a woman? You think you are ready to join our fellowship?"

Alexa looked up at him with a serious expression, "Yes, Father."

Zuzack melted; all anguish and concern left his expression and was replaced by a delighted smile. He embraced Alexa, who almost disappeared in his huge arms. Nina looked on without revealing her thoughts, as the other officers raised their cups -- the cups made from the skulls of Omans and various transgenics and aliens.

Zuzack escorted Alexa to the center of the room and proclaimed, "Hear this! My adoptive daughter Alexa has asked to become a member of our clan for life. As your Captain and leader, I accept this and ask for your votes in the matter, as the law requires." He looked at his senior officers one by one, his stare meeting theirs in frank appraisal. In response, the officers either drank from their cups, or they poured the fluid within onto the deck. Twelve drank; five spilled their wine. Doc glanced at Hughes, who sat muttering in a corner, and nodded her head. Zuzack pronounced, "Hughes' vote is not required. The majority have voted for Alexa."

Zuzack let Alexa go; she stood at attention before him. "You know the procedure?"

"Yes, Father."

"You know what you must do?"

"Yes, my Father and Captain," she said stoutly. "I shall prepare him, and when we reach Home Base we shall dine on him; and his entire brain shall belong to me so that his strength shall be mine, and forever after I shall drink from his naked skull."

Zuzack looked at her with pride and declared, "So it is written, and so it shall be done, to prove that you are the ultimate survivor in this brutal universe." He took a knife off the table and made a thin cut on her right cheek. Then he kissed the small bloody cut, leaving his lips covered with her blood.

The rest of the officers who had voted for Alexa walked up one-by-one and gave her the same blood-kiss. Then it was the turn of the remaining five, those who had voted against Alexa. From his refuge in the corner Hughes smiled evilly, because he knew what was to happen. Without warning, the first of the nay-saying officers walked up to Alexa and punched her hard in the face, breaking her nose with a sick
crack
. The next kicked her in the ribs; and then the other three moved in, each taking a single brutal shot at her.

By the time it was over, Alexa was on her knees, spitting blood and checking her teeth. She looked up as one last officer walked up to her: Hughes. He lifted his own skull cup towards his mouth, as if to vote Aye; and then, his evil grin broadening, he pulled it away and poured the contents on the deck. Grinning viciously, he kicked Alexa hard in the forehead and she fell backward, stunned.  Hughes spat on her and took his place at one of the tables, handling his tail with great care.

Groaning, Alexa pushed herself up off the deck, stood shakily, and looked them all in the eyes one by one. She ended up locking eyes with Zuzack. "The next time I am in this wardroom," she stated around a mouthful of blood, "we shall dine together on the Silver Guard soldier; and at the end of the night, I shall drink from his skull, which will be my own until the end of my life."

Zuzack nodded, satisfied, and looked at Hughes. "Sign over the blue-eyed male Oman to my daughter."

Hughes asked stiffly, "What is the price?"

"Her governor family lot...and one-quarter million credits."

Alexa looked at Zuzack in disbelief.

Zuzack said dryly, "My little flower, after all, I'm a pirate," with a gleam in his eye. She nodded stiffly, and Zuzack escorted Alexa and Nina to the elevator. He held on to her arm like he was a father walking his daughter down the aisle to her groom.

In the background, a port irised open in the floor, and a table rose up into the center of the room. From the center of it protruded the shaven and oiled head of one of the Nastasturus cadets, a wooden block shoved between his lips as a crude gag. As the doors of the elevator slid shut, Alexa and Nina heard his muffled screams, and the laughter they aroused from the pirates surrounding the table. 

Jack blinked, bewildered, as the bright light opened up in the ceiling, and the odd torture device he was strapped into lurched upward. He'd woken in the darkness just a few minutes before, his body confined, his mouth full of something hard that tasted of wood. What the hell was going on...?

When the thing he was strapped into clicked into place and came to a stop, he found himself surrounded by pirate officers holding cups made of what looked like the brain-pans of men and other sentients. Given the lack of depth perception due to the loss of his left eye, it took him a moment to realize that he was strapped into a kind of table, with only his head protruding above the surface. Panicking, he jerked his head around, and saw that, across the room, the massive pirate leader was ushering two women into an elevator. Suddenly he knew what was about to happen to him, and he started screaming against his gag.