My eyes glaze over the script and I try to calm myself as I read the words that have been prepared for me while a public relations officer fusses about my make up and dressing.
One of them is busy fixing the collar of my army uniform and another Plutonian is rubbing my cheeks complaining that I look too done up.
Lucian sits on the opposite side of the glider and he is studying my face like a hawk.
I try not to look so angry at the ludicrous script they have written as my speech to the humans.
Each line is a lie, designed to dupe the human slaves that the life of a fighter is glamorous and wonderful.
It is almost as if Lucian knows that this will piss me off and is studying my microexpressions like it is a textbook.
I pretend like I'm trying to memorize the lines and ignore him the whole journey. The closer we get to the human quarters, the more nervous I feel.
When we finally reach the North City gates I exit the glider after he does. He places a hand on the small of my back and I gaze up at him.
"Nervous?" He asks me and I nod my head slightly.
"You'll be fine." He leads the small group of us into the human quarters and numerous guards flank our sides as we walk through the building.
I almost laugh at all this protection. Do they really think the humans are dangerous enough to assault us?
The all too familiar grey walls and the smell of the horrible cafeteria food wafts through the air. It floods my senses and my mind with all those memories of waking up in this place to yet another miserable day.
I peer into one of the bunk rooms that we pass and see the many rows of beds that take up most of the room. Some of the blankets are made, some are strewn to the floor.
It brings me back to the days where the alarms used to force us to wake up and get ready for a long day's work.
We reach the end of the corridor which leads to the courtyard behind the human quarters.
I've rarely been to this part of the city before. We are usually too tired to do anything but sleep once we get back from our duties and are brought to our dorms immediately which locks from outside.
One of the public relations team members opens the doors while the others fiddle with some contraptions on their shoulders to record everything.
My breath catches in my throat when I see that the whole courtyard is packed to the brim with humans. They stand shoulder to shoulder, the size of the large courtyard is barely enough to squeeze in so many people.
Everyone turns to watch us walk in and head for the make shift podium at the side of the yard. The sheer number of humans in front of me causes a surge of panic to flood my veins.
All their unrelenting gazes threaten to crush me under their weight.
We step up onto the podium and a PR team member forces the piece of paper into my hands.
Someone adjusts the speaker stand in front of me and asks me to test my voice by starting.
I clear my throat and the scratchy sound it makes reverberates through the air like grating sandpaper.
I hold up the piece of paper and look down at the words. I can't help but sneak a look at the vast number of humans gathered here.
My eyes briefly scan the faces in front of me but I don't recognize any of them. The faces here are so young, the girl standing right in front of me can't be more than ten years old.
My heart squeezes in pain as I wonder if she is one of the newcomers, recently snatched away from her family on Earth.
"You can start now," One of the Plutonian's behind the recorder says and I notice Lucian leaning behind the group by the wall. He is hidden in the shadows, drawing little attention to himself but I can see his eyes narrowed on the sheen of sweat on my forehead.
I quickly turn back to the crowd and start to read in a shaky voice. The last thing I need is to blow my cover and my primary goal to escape.
"My dear colleagues, my name is Aria and some of you may know me as seven two zero three. I was a slave like you till about four weeks ago, before I made a decision that would change my life for the better."
"From the time I came here, I knew the Plutonians always favoured bravery, hard work and perserverence. These three traits are essential for a fighter."
"Of course being a fighter wasn't my primary goal when I made my choice at eighteen. I wanted to join the army and have wanted to serve the Plutonian's since I was a young girl."
"With bravery I made the choice to pursue my goal, with hard work and perseverance I fought and won my first three matches and was nominated into the army as an officer. Now I am able to serve the greatest army in the galaxy and I have only our great protectors to thank."
The sheet of paper in my hands shake ever so slightly. My heart is racing, my blood is boiling and bile is inching its way up my throat as I lie through my teeth to the unsuspecting children watching me.
"I am here today to tell you that being an officer in the army is one of the biggest accomplishments in my life. Some of you may know about the recent incidents and difficulties that I had to face but nothing great comes without some resistance."
"I urge you... " I can't help but pause as the bile inches further up my throat. "I urge you all to take my perserverence as an example. If I can do it, so can you."
I swallow hard and finally turn my attention away from the paper in my trembling hands.
Something dark and angry spreads from my chest to the rest of my body like the venomous branches of a withered tree. I feel nothing but pure self hatred and all I want to do is tear the piece of paper into shreds and chuck it at the people recording me.
What makes it a hundred times worse is the way the crowd of children are staring up at me with nothing but hope and adoration in their eyes.
Unlike me, they bought every word of the speech. Someone somewhere starts clapping softly and soon the whole courtyard rumbles like thunder under their applause.
All the humans are looking up to me like I'm their hero and it makes me sick that they are cheering for a fraud like me who had received help from none other than someone from the Trinity.
My eyes search the crowd frantically. How many of them will now choose to join as a fighter because of that speech? How many of them will die because of it?
I can already taste the sour bile at the back of my throat. I am about to turn around when my eyes catch the face of a young boy standing right in front.
His face is plump with baby fat and the dark circles under his eyes are proof of the many sleepless nights he has had. There is a blatant misery in his face, I know the look, I've seen it on many slaves faces before.
My fingers tighten around the stand of the speaker. He looks so young, he must be around eight to nine years old. His lips quiver and his eyes light up with lost hope as he stares at me.
I wonder how much he has suffered since he has come here and how many like him will buy into this fantasy of success I have provided.
I can't stop staring at the boy, even though a member of the PR team has now walked up to me and is urging me to leave.
I ignore the Plutonian and stare at the boy who seems so familiar. His dark hair and face that has gone pale from the weather reminds me of the boy in the wagon who died the day before I turned eighteen.
This unassuming boy smiles at me and for some reason it makes me bend over and vomit all over the podium floor and the Plutonian's shoes.
As soon as that happens the cheers stop and the humans fall silent and I am whisked away by an angry PR team.
***
Lucian is silent during the ride home. I glance up at him a few times but he doesn't make eye contact.
It is only when we reach his mansion and walk into his room does he finally talk to me.
"What happened back there?" He asks me.
"I was nervous. There were so many of them," I answer and then I walk into the washroom and wash up.
He walks in too which is something he's never done before, it startles me.
"I don't believe that," He states and then he takes off his shirt and grabs his towel.
"What happened to the rioters at my match?" I spit out the mouthrinse and turn to look at him.
"Who dressed you up today?" He deflects the question which angers me even more.
I cross my arms over my chest and frown at him. "The PR team. Lucian what happened to the rioters?"
"You want an honest answer?" He asks me and to my dismay he undresses fully and walks into the shower.
"Strip and join me. Then you'll get one." He turns on the shower and I'm left outside in a frozen state. This is the first time I've seen all of him.
I am so filled with anger that I don't know what to do. Why do we have to talk in there?
"Why? Is my suit bugged?" I ask him but I get no answer.
Lucian showers by himself while I deliberate on my options. I finally peel the uniform off, and take out my underwear.
"Soak all of it in water." Lucian instructs and I do as he says while cursing at him under my breath.
The speech, the PR team. All of it must be his doing.
I get into the shower and stand as far away as I can from him. A part of me is thoroughly susprised that I am comfortable enough to do this.
Thankfully the place has misted up considerably, I barely make out his naked body through the fog of vapour.
"The rioters were punished as was deemed fit," Lucian's broad back faces me and he runs his hands through his wet hair.
"Punished how?"
"They were executed."
"You mean they were killed?" My back hits the cold wall behind. I have to lean back to steady myself.
Those people who fought for Rosie and I are all dead?
"But it wasn't their fault. Lazarus was the one who broke the rules," I say.
Lucian turns around and looks into my eyes. He walks up to me and the tension is so thick that I barely notice how close our naked bodies are.
He looks down at me, his cold eyes deadly serious, they send shivers down my spine.
"Lazarus was a fool. He was rash and what he did openly resulted in resistance. People like order, when you change things too drastically there's bound to be a backlash. I had to do damage control and assaulting a Plutonian official is a crime punsihable by death."
"You ordered the execution?" I stutter.
"Hope is dangerous, Aria. Just a sliver of it is enough to make people do stupid things."
He doesn't wait for my reply, instead he walks out and exits the bathroom.
I stay in the shower under the thick and stifling steam. The door shuts and I shudder.
I can't help but wonder if that was a threat.
Heyy hope u enjoyed :) :) let me know ure thoughts. I know some may be mad at Lucian but please remember he is a Plutonian leader. It won't make sense for him to be too nice to humans.
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