Under a Starless Sky novel Chapter 64

Arne, Shen, Uffe, Erico, Orton, and Jerica were each contained in private cylinders. The floor and ceiling of their individual canisters were illuminated. They could make out some of the ‘floor.’ They could see each other. They could hear each other, as there was a speaker system that allowed that much information to pass between them. Their cells allowed them room to stand, maybe sit in the lotus position, but not escape.

“Where are we?!” Erico said.

“Not Kansas,” Shen said.

“One of these days, you will teach me your language,” Arne insisted.

“And me,” Jerica agreed. “I have informed the others we are unharmed.”

“How is this unharmed?” Orton asked.

“We’re alive,” Jerica said.

“Till they drown us?” Erico asked.

“How do you communicate with the others?” Shen asked.

“I can talk to myself,” Jerica said. “Loxy wants to know if your suit is operational.”

Shen executed an audit. It responded: ‘I am Auto-TL, as her awareness was in the other container at the time of separation. I can remain auto, or go full bright- though doing so could result in divergence and sentience.”

“Stay auto,” Shen said. “This is confusing enough for me. Can you scan the room?”

“Most of the system is offline. Universal translator is still on. Psychic amplifier is offline. My sight is limited to visual spectrum only,” Auto-TL stated.

“Tell Loxy, it is operating below minimum standards. The systems that are working suggest tech was used to shut systems down, leaving me with the bare minimum,” Shen said.

“She asks you to speculate,” Jerica said.

“We were either teleported, like transporters, or we were killed and clone, which might explain why we’re in tubes,” Shen said.

“She wants you to describe the tubes,” Jerica said.

“You know how you get money from a teller with a vacuum tube, old school letter exchange thing? It’s like that, only smaller, no apparent door. If I didn’t know better, I would say we are in specimen collection tubes. We are now action figures in a display case.”

“You want me to say all of that?” Jerica asked.

“Yes,” Shen said.

Lights came on. It was immediately apparent that the ‘floor’ was a table. The person entering was a giantess. She was at least 36 feet in height. She was wearing a nighty with white frills and lining, but otherwise bright red as if she were a Christmas cheerleader. She was yawning and stretching as she entered. Stretching revealed her arms were not shaved. Her legs were not shaved. Her hair was straight, shoulder length, blond- not matching her body hair. Her left eye was green, with apparent circuitry and illumination, while her right was blue. Her breast were massive, free to move with the momentum her body gave them, and clearly defined by the silk they pressed into. She was barefoot, knees and thighs exposed. She sat down in modern chair and rolled up to the table to examine her capture. Two of the wall had shelves, with habitats, like hamster cages. There were clearly humans in some of them, maybe all of them.

“I told you there were giants,” Shen and Erico both said simultaneously.

The giantess touched the table and a screen illuminated. Information began scrolling. She pursed her lips, and summoned water. It arrived on the table in a blaze of lights and drank.

“I am interested in your tech,” she said. “Who gave it to you?”

“Well, there’s a story here…” Shen began.

She pointed at him. “Not you, little man.” She pointed to the others. “Sleeper immunity. Who gave it to you?”

“Benefactors,” Arne said. “It is in your best interest to release us, before you anger them.”

She seemed amused. She tapped instructions on her screen and their bracelets went away.

“The underground has no authority here. They can no longer track you,” she said. “I will chip you later. You belong to me now. You will fight in the games, or die. If you are successful, I will allow you to breed.”