Page 52 of Fresh Flesh

Maisie

The big truckrattles my bones as it thumps along the dirt road. I bite my tongue and curse, unworried the Grengoran guards will hear. How could they hear anything over the loud engine?

I’ve been on the road for days now. I think we passed into what used to be Utah this morning. We’re going by some lovely buttes with red and yellow striations on their columns. The heat is relentless, the sun beating down on us inside of the open air truck bed.

I’m not the only one being transported. Several other pregnant females are also on board. Some of them are really showing, and must be close to coming to term.

I look down at my own baby bump. It’s just big enough to show. Probably I could hide it and most people would just assume I have a bit of a tummy. That won’t be the case for long.

The captain sold me off to a human breeder. Of course, he didn’t tell them that I was pregnant with a Grengoran’s child. I guess that would have put my price lower or something.

All I know is, sooner or later the secret is going to come out…literally. When they lay eyes on a green scaled baby, there’s going to be no more secrets for me.

I wonder what will happen then?

The truck comes to a bend in the road, and I get my first look at the breeding farm. The fences aren’t quite as high. I guess they don’t have to be. Humans consider themselves relatively lucky to be sent to a breeding farm. It’s better than ending up on the menu and then inside of a Gren belly.

I start looking for possible means to escape. I’ve escaped every farm they ever put me on so far, so why should I stop now?

The only problem is, this farm seriously lacks a lot of the features that aided my previous escapes. For one thing, there’s next to no vegetation in the area. There are fields of crops surrounding the breeding farm, but mostly low growing foodstuffs like potatoes. Nothing that I can use to hide my escape.

In fact, there’s nothing for miles around. The nearest landmark is a butte miles away from here. If I tried to make for it, I would stand out against the desert like a sore thumb.

They offload us inside of the borders of the not so high fence. I soon realize it doesn’t have to be all that high. The desert itself is our prison.

I have to figure out a way to escape, and soon. Before my belly swells out further and makes moving awkward. I’ve heard stories of native American women who rode horses into battle the day before they gave birth. Fine for them, but I’m not sure I want to exert myself while carrying a hybrid baby.

The corral has numerous shaded areas, created by muslin cloth stretched between high wooden poles. The poles are too far away from the fences to shimmy up and use to escape. I feel a burning need to get back to my men. I’m carrying a child that belongs to one of them for certain.

After a day or two in the Utah breeder farm, I give in to despair. There doesn't seem to be any way out of here. My only hope would be to somehow get out of the fence and steal a vehicle. From what I’m told, they can easily track their vehicles. Which is why I never stole one on my previous escapes.

Now though, I might have to consider it. It seems impossible, though. And I wouldn’t even know how to pilot one of the vehicles from the Gregoran home world.

I could try and steal the old beat up truck, but how far would I make it in that jalopy when there are so many faster vehicles parked around the farm?

The breeder farm Overseer assigns the pregnant women light duties. Today I’m out in the fields, watering the crops with the irrigation hose. I put my thumb over the end of the hose so it will spray further. The fan shaped water refracts the bright sunlight and turns it into a micro rainbow. I wish I could feel some cheer at seeing it, but I cannot.

As I work, I notice a dust plume coming from the west. I figure that it’s another load of breeders for the farm and go back to work. Then I realize it’s not a truck, or a shuttle. It’s a Gren on the back of a zoomer hover platform.

My eyes widen when I realize he’s not alone. There are two…no, wait, three of them. Three Grengorans on zoomers…could it be? No way. I don’t dare allow myself to hope.

But then I see Lurg on the lead zoomer, and my heart leaps for joy. I drop the hose, still spurting water, and run through the crops. I trample the food I worked so hard to irrigate, and I don’t care.

My men have come for me, and god willing, I’m getting the fuck out of this camp.

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