Supernova Blitz

Chapter 14: Prisoner, But Still Alive

Dzor snaps his eyes open. His gaze clears and falls on a blue-painted surface with trapezoidal waves in its surface. The structure and paint are alien to him. It's certainly far from the sleek and elegant surfaces of his or any other Fievegal warship.

He instantly looks around. He's in an enclosure with no apparent openings or viewports. He isn't alone, though. Khla's hatchling is sitting against a wall across the length from him. She's calm and collected, but he notices her ankles and wrists are bound together.

Dzor looks at his own wrists and ankles. Strange, metal loops interlinking each other are wrapped around his wrists and ankles, same as hers, but his are also anchored to the floor. Additionally, insulated cables snake their way up the links, connecting to fabric pads at his shoulders and hips.

The technology of his captivity COULD suggest a few known races, but the pungent odor surrounding everything like a thick moss fog is unmistakably mammalian. And, given recent events, it is a scent that will always raise his blood pressure.

Dzor growls, "[Craw, are you awake?]"

She opens her eyes and smiles gently. She replies warmly, "[Yarjen, you're okay. I'm relieved.]"

"[Relieved?]" he growls. "[We are captives! How long?]"

"[Three days, Yarjen. According to the humans.]"

He grumbles angrily, "[It's likely a trick. We must try to collect our senses.]"

Khla replies hesitantly, "[I... don't think they intend to deceive us, Yarjen. They haven't interrogated anyone, as far as I know.]"

"[There are others!? How many!? We may yet flense these pathetic...]"

"[Yarjen!]" urges Khla desperately. He halts long enough for her to say cautiously, "[At least one human can understand our speech. But, more importantly, they saved us from our doomed wrecks.]"

The Baskylla Jardzen growls, "[I don't care if they birth the next Saurmynnyka of their own free will. They are beasts, livestock. The fact we had to stoop as low as attempting to harvest viable children from this race of ALL the races in the universe disgusts me. I REFUSE to be their captive.]"

Dzor yanks to rip his pathetic shackles from their anchors with ease. 'Clink!'

The metal links jingle, but the anchors hold. Surprised, Baskylla Jardzen Dzor flexes his well-rested muscles. Perhaps this task won't be QUITE as easy as he thought. He shifts his body, readying all of the strength of his back to pull.

'Thump-creak!' The linked metal loops still won't give, nor the anchors. Only Dzor's buttocks armor on the floor screeches lightly as he slides.

Dzor is baffled. These filthy apes should have no idea how strong he is. Khla urges, "[Yarjen...!]"

He roars, "[Silence!]" Dzor begins to thrash, snarling and growling as his frustration grows. He will not be captive, slave, or livestock to these barbaric, hairy animals. He flops and writhes, making calamitous noise as he tries every angle he can get on the bindings.

Metal screeches. Dzor halts long enough to inspect his shackles and his surroundings. In that time, he sees the wall to their enclosure seemingly open like a hinged door. Dzor realizes that this low-tech box is simplistic, but does contain a way out. Excellent.

Three humans are standing at the opening, casting shadows against the bright light beyond. Dzor waits for the center human to step inside. The tiny mammal takes a few steps, inspecting both Grodrrns.

In a blindingly fast ambush movement, using all of his power, Dzor launches his jaws at the human's pathetic head. His jaws snap shut with a thunderous pound of his teeth. The two flanking humans, one armed with a Grodrrn blaster and the other carrying little more than a small stick and white leafing, fall as they leap back in surprise.