Shards

Accommodations

Octavia wakes with a heavy head and the sensation of being on a boat. She's unsure of when she lost consciousness and fears to open her eyes when she's able to. Memories from last night cycle through her head like a dream. She dearly hopes they were just dreams. If they weren't, maybe Squad has recovered her and the rest of the hostages already.

After a while, the world stops sloshing and she realizes she's not on a boat but steady on the ground. As the ocean sensations die down, she feels the sharp pain from a knot in her head, the ache from a bruise on her arm, and sore feet. There's also something on her ankle, aggravating it's already painful state.

Moaning and shifting around, she hears the clatter of metal against metal. Her eyes flutter open as they adjust to the light. A long, thick, slightly rusted chain on her ankle attaching her to a bed, if the metal slab sticking out of the wall could be called one, makes her queasy. Her heart jumps to her throat as she struggles against her increasingly aching muscles to check her clothes. They are all still intact and undisturbed, including her shoes and stockings.

A small sigh slightly slows her heart. This was only a small relief. She wouldn't feel the rest of the relief until she was under the silk sheets of her plush bed and not on this uncomfortable metal sheet cramping up her muscles.

As she stretches and pops her muscles, she notices another metal slab of a bed above her. A table, welded to the floor, is within reach of the bunk. Two chairs adjacent from the bunk and across from each other are bolted to the floor.

A peculiar object hangs in the corner: a plastic cube with a glass front and wires coming out the back of it. Something about it is familiar but Octavia can't place what it is.

A person shifts outside the cell. Octavia notices two Chromies outside her cell, one on each end of the bar wall. The rounds of ammo and large guns strapped to them sends quivers down her spine.

"Where am I?" Octavia surprises herself that she spoke. Her voice is tired. Her tiredness is what probably contributes to her courage. The more tired she is, the less she cares about anything. "Where am I?" she asks louder but just as tired.

With these words, she feels the sandpaper-like film forming in her mouth.

Neither Chromy replies to her.

She grates her teeth. Are they ignoring her? "I know you heard me." The anger she tries conveying is subdued by her stomach growling. She doesn't feel the hunger, but her body makes it evident she is.

A guard either scoffs or lets out a quiet chuckle.

"Is this your plan? To starve and dehydrate me until my parents pay your ransom?"

The Chromies remain silent.

Octavia shakily gets to her feet and makes her way to the bars. Walking feels like she's in a dream. Her head is somewhere else but her body is there, slinking its way towards Chromies. The chain barely reaches. She grips the bars to steady herself.

Looking at the guard to her left, Octavia stares at the guard for a moment to make sure she's seeing correctly. The Chromy is a woman. She has never seen a female rebel from the Chromies. No one ever has. All the feeds showing Chromy activity only ever showed men geared up and attacking.

The woman shoots a deathly glare at Octavia. Octavia shuffles away a little and looks at the man on the opposite end. He keeps his eyes ahead.

Octavia squeezes the bars in her hands. "Why won't either of you speak to me?"

"Because they're ordered not to."

Octavia snaps around. She suppresses a startled scream with a gasp and pins herself against the bars.