Page 37 of Pandora: Alien Games

He stood there like an iron poll. “Go ahead. Pick!”

Approaching the board that had all the weapons, I took a big gulp of air. What the fuck do I know about weapons? Yes, I know how to repair an armor suit. I know how to make a phaser shoot again. I was Miss Fix It All on the space station. But physical work, weapons, and such were never my forte.

My eyes slipped over the wonderful array of swords and spears and whatever else there was. A small dagger caught my attention. My fingers wrapped around it. It was light and felt great in my hand. The handle was small enough to lay perfectly in my palm while the five-inch blade suited me perfectly.

“This.”

“Why?”

“It’s small enough that I can lift it. What do you want me to do, write an essay about it? You told me to pick a weapon and I picked a damned weapon. Fuck you!”

Hass threw his head back and laughed. “Maybe you can talk your opponents to death during the Games.”

I looked down on my body. He was right. I can’t fight and there is no way I’ll be able to learn in a few weeks.

“I have a strength. I’m not useless. I can fix electronics. There’s is nothing that falls into my hand and is broken and I can’t fix.”

Hass thought. “Run around for a while. You need to get used to running at least. If the others can’t catch you, they can’t kill you.”

“How about if I try to escape? What then?”

“Princess Kya will have you killed and will also kill your Anubis friends.”

“They can take care of themselves.”

“Are you a quitter? Are you a failure?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t decided yet. What concern is it of yours? I don’t want this. I don’t want to run. The session is over. Bye, space rat.”

I had enough. My eyes burned with sweat and I was sick of this. I woke up this morning feeling good about myself. Now I just felt horrible, awful. I ran away from the garden, stormed through the doors, and ran headed toward my room.

16

Pandora

The corridors turned into a maze. I landed in front of a tall door made of blue stone. The way the door looked it kept attracting me. I wanted to touch its surface, push it open, and see what hid on the other side. It became impossible for me to ignore the pull. The heat of the sculpted door beckoned me. Music was born inside my mind.

A song.

Words that I couldn’t understand called me. It was a unique music that slipped inside my mind. It was hypnotic, yet I touched the door of my own free will. My left hand pushed it softly. It was much lighter than I assumed it would be. Light invaded my space. It fell the same way it did when my escape pod hit the sand and I opened my eyes under the three suns. This light felt less invasive, more like an artificial light, but I couldn’t figure out the source.

“I knew that you’d find your way to me.”

The voice sounded from all around me. It was warm and pleasant.

Soft footsteps approached me. Still, I couldn’t make out a face because of the light.

“You are indeed fallen from the sky.”

The voice felt like soft, warm velvet against the fabric of my soul. It made me feel warm and secure. My soul was a harp and the voice tugged all the right strings. There was no question the voice that greeted me was male and sensual.

After the training session with Hass, I needed kind words. I was tired of listening to him. That I would die in the Games. I understand my chances are slim but fuck him, couldn’t he be a little nicer?

The creature walked toward me. I could see him now. He was incredibly tall. His face had human features, only it was golden and covered in letters I didn’t understand. And he was tall and slender. His body was free of hair. Still, even though he was thin, there was a strength to his wiry frame that I appreciated.

“I am from the species Ra and I’m your humble servant.”

He bent deeply in front of me. When he straightened up again, his eyes move all over my body from the ankles to the lips and eyes. I was tongue tied.

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