Embarkment 2577 Read online

  Her mind wanted to hear “Stax” as “English.” Maybe it was a glitch in the translation.

  “What were you doing with William? Did he give you anything? It’s very important that you tell me his plans.”

  She stared at him, dumbfounded. She could understand him just fine now, but the sentences still didn’t make any sense. The name “William” was just like “Stax” – it sort of sounded like he said something else, but her brain insisted on hearing “William.”

  The man frowned and looked at the device, and she heard a metallic voice echo from the walls. “Maybe her brain isn’t developed enough for the programming to work?”

  Patricia tensed, wondering who spoke; she couldn’t see anyone else in the room. Was there someone behind her, or was someone watching them?

  Her warder said in an even voice, “Shut up, computer,” and turned his attention back to her, demanding, “Do you understand me?”

  She nodded carefully, afraid to try to say anything. She wanted to live. She didn’t want to anger him. He seemed completely uninterested when he continued, “Good. William, the man you were with when I landed, how did he contact you? How long have you known him?”

  Still afraid to speak, Patricia shook her head, and he continued, “There’s no use denying it, I know you know him. I saw you together. He was helping you out of your vehicle before it caught fire.”

  Trying to formulate a coherent sentence in this new language seemed a daunting task, but once she really tried it wasn’t all that bad. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Please let me go!”

  A memory was trying to make itself heard. She saw her car skidding off the road, reaching a wall of snow and rolling over on the roof. Maybe she’d had an accident and this William, whoever he was, had tried to help her? Maybe that was the man who had appeared in the middle of the road. The thought that this could all be a big misunderstanding, easy to clear up, filled her with relief.

  She tried to get that thought together into a sentence, but before she could open her mouth, the man shrugged. “Fine. Have it your way. I’ll take you back to Central. They have ways to find out about your friends.”

  The metallic voice made itself heard again, with words that made Patricia yelp, “Commander, why don’t you just torture her yourself?”

  She started to plead with him to let her go, promising she didn’t know anything. The man looked at her impatiently, as if wondering why she made so much noise, brought out a brownish rod about a foot long and an inch in diameter, touched it to her temple, and after experiencing a brief but searing pain, she was back in darkness.

  Read more in Kidnapped, available now

  from Desert Breeze Publishing.

  Table of Contents

  Copyright

  Brand New World

  Acknowledgement

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  High Gravity

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Adam and Eve

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  About the author

  Excerpt from Kidnapped