“This,” said Irvn, “is the Ship’s bridge, or control centre.”
Gemma looked around her.
It was a large horseshoe-shaped area, maybe 20 metres across at its widest point, dominated directly ahead by a panoramic view of space that curved round on both sides. Facing this, arranged in a matching shape, were a number of consoles, like large desks, inset with illuminated switches and glowing displays - and behind each of these was an anatomically shaped seat. It reminded her a little of a large TV studio, with a constant stream of images - pictures, symbols, text - cycling across every screen.
To get here, she and Irvn had left the ship’s main wheel and entered the central axis. As they negotiated a succession of walkways and hatches, Irvn told her more about the ship.
“Everything that matters most is in this central core,” he said, “ propulsion engines…life support systems…the control centre…”
He stopped at one hatchway - larger than the rest - and opened it to reveal a huge hangar-like space, with what were obviously two small space craft, parked side by side. They looked a little like the locomotives on high-speed trains, with steeply raked nose sections that slanted rearwards into coach-shaped bodies, stubby wings on either side and skid-like landing gear below.
“Ship’s shuttles,” he said, closing the hatch and striding on so quickly she almost had to trot to keep up.
He stopped at another and opened it. Inside she could see racks of silvery space suits.
“Why so many?” she’d asked, doing a rapid count that reached 30 before he closed the hatch.
“Crew numbers are usually ten,” he explained, “then - in addition - there are scientists, technicians, military…”
“Military?” she repeated.
“I suppose you’d call them Marines,” he said, “like you’d find on any large surface warship on Earth.”
“So what’s their purpose?” she said.
“Protection…defence…” he replied awkwardly, “…you never know who you might…run into,”
“Tell me about it,” she’d said, just as they’d reached a final hatch that closed off the walkway and opened directly onto the bridge.
When she’d done looking about her and taking it all in, Irvn led her over to what looked like a circular table, but turned out to be a horizontal screen about a metre in diameter.
“I think you might find this interesting,” he said.
He touched one of many controls around the perimeter and the screen came to life.
“This is your Solar System,” he said.
Gemma looked down and saw an image of the Sun, surrounded by all the planets, their orbital paths marked by thin glowing green lines. As she watched, Irvn zoomed in on the third planet from the Sun which was instantly recognisable as Earth.
She felt a tug of emotion as she realised she was looking down on her world. A world she’d been snatched from barely 24 hours before. Somewhere down there, school was going on as usual, someone else presumably taking her class of hormonal adolescents in her absence - while Brian bored the socks off his.
“What do they imagine has happenedto me?” she said out loud.
“They’ve been told you had to leave suddenly - a family matter.”
“Who told them?”
“We took care of that,” said Irvn, “they received emails and texts…” he hesitated, “…which they understood to be from you.”
“You really are manipulative bastards,” she replied.
“We have done everything we could to make sure nobody was worried or alarmed.”
“Apart from us four women,” she reminded him sharply.
Irvn dropped his gaze and turned his attention to the controls.
“Let me show you the route we’re going to take,” he said.
As she watched, a glowing green line snaked through the 3-dimensional image of the Solar System connecting various points, marked by flashing red blips.
“We will head first for Mars, then swing around it to head on first for Jupiter and then Saturn.”
“That’s a great SatNav you have there,” she said, “I must get one for my Fiat.”
He smiled.
“Think about it: you’re going to be seeing - with your own eyes - what nobody from Earth has ever seen before.”
She was struck by the enormity of what he’d just said. Whatever the circumstances, however unforgivable their abduction, she and the three other women were embarked on an incredible adventure, with no idea of the outcome, relying only on the assurances of their kidnappers that they were in no danger.
She had to confess to being quite intrigued. Like it or not, she and the others were unwilling ambassadors for their planet. The decisions they made in the days ahead might have huge consequences.
“So - ,” she said, “ - tell me more about this planet of yours. To start with, what do you call it?”
“Sacmis,” he said.
“How different is it from Earth?”
“Not very. Two moons, slightly heavier gravity - which makes us physically stronger in lower gravity environments like Earth. And we’re around 500 years ahead of you in technology and evolution.”
“Ah, so we’re just primitives to you?”
“Hardly. 500 years is nothing in the life of a planet. Genetically, we’re 90% compatible.”
“Are things on…Sacmis…really as bad as you all say?”
“Sadly, yes. If we can’t find a solution, then the planet faces extinction.”
“And your solution is to find women elsewhere - and abduct them?”
“That’s the course advised by our leaders who - incidentally - are all women.”
“So you really have evolved,” she said tartly.
“It was inevitable. As the number of women went down, so their influence became greater. They became our ruling elite.”
“And these women - your leaders - were in favour of forcibly abducting other women? Hardly a positive vote for the sisterhood.”
“The way they saw it, there was no choice. Without women, there can be no children. Without enough children ofboth sexes - extinction.”
“But why take women against their will? There might be many women who’d like the idea - if you asked them nicely. A new life in a far off galaxy… with a tall dark stranger….”
“That - ” he said slowly, “ - is exactly why the four of us left. These ships were built with one purpose only: to capture as many women as possible and bring them back to…serve.”
Gemma looked back at him, appalled.
“So these women wouldn’t be equals?” she said.
“Not the way many of our people see it. There are two factions on Sacmis. Those who believe any women brought back should only be second-class citizens. And those who believe they should be equal with us.”
“And you guys are part of the second group?”
“Yes. But we’re part of a small minority.”
“So what the majority of your people have in mind is no more or less than…slavery?”
“Yes.”
“Abducting women for sex and childbirth. Presumably with some housework thrown in for good measure?” she added sarcastically.
Irvn said nothing.
“It’s the most obscene idea I’ve heard in a long time.” She paused to think, then asked: “How many ships like this do you have?”
“Just ten so far,” said Irvn, “but more were being built.”
“So your fleet has the potential to snatch as many as 40 women?”
Irvn took a deep breath.
“More than that,” he said. “The four of you are using vacant crew quarters. There is other…accommodation…in the ship’s central wheel.”
“For how many?” she asked, the hairs on her neck rising slightly.
“200.”
© Adriana Nicolas 2014