Trapped: Chaos Core Book 1 (6 page)

“We don’t have much
time,” Larken whispered in a tone that was much more serious than
any he’d used that day.

She kept up, carrying
the drinks as carefully as she could as they cut through one of the
kitchens, where she was tempted to put them down and trade up for
anything being prepared there. Stealing from the kitchen would be
harder than a drink tray, however, the slaves there took more pride
in their work than the servers, and they had paid chefs as keepers
who might notice.

A few turns through the
halls later, and they reached the main rooms, where silent attendants
stood at the ready to serve any of the residents in that wing. All
one had to do was use the intercom inside a room and one of the
platinum and gold clad attendants would assist you with whatever you
liked. The rewards for the post were generous, but Aspen heard
stories about what some of them had to deliver, take away or do
inside the rooms to assist some of the more eccentric and demanding
guests. She would rather de-grease an entire space station’s gear
works than take the job of a household attendant.

Larkin’s room was
lavish, and surprisingly adult. Any artefacts of his childhood were
absent, including the plushie horse he used to sleep with as a child,
or any evidence of fandom. There were no images on the wall, just
their favourite colours – crimson and royal blue – on the walls,
decorating the bed, and in the trimming. The main room had a lavish
bed, an adjacent closet larger than most small shuttle craft, and a
bathroom that was larger than any crew quarters she’d ever seen.

He took the drinks from
her politely, put them down on an end table, then pulled her into his
arms. “Trust me,” he whispered against her lips before kissing
her and slowly pulling her robe down.

Aspen found him
irresistible, especially since there seemed to be much more firmness
in his kiss. She didn’t just relent, she joined him vigorously,
letting her robe drop and pulling at the ties holding his up.

With a sudden jerk that
made her yip and giggle, he picked her up and carried her into the
large shower with him. Warm water sprayed from all angles and a
vibration system forced it to gently scrub their skin. He held her
close after putting her down, and kissed her briefly before smiling
at her. It was a real, open smile, the kind only she could get out of
him. “We can talk here, the listening devices can’t pick anything
up with the vibrating micro-beads running in the shower. The Countess
told me you were killed when the AI’s turned on us. She even showed
me video and had a funeral. I found out you were alive three months
ago, when Master Kort let it slip that he was hunting you. It was so
hard to hide how angry I was, but I had to keep the Countess’
trust,” he said in a rush. He caressed her back and shoulders as he
did so, and she watched him speak. The deluded version of Larken, who
worshipped the Countess was completely gone. “When she told me you
were alive yesterday, that the UCA found you, I finally revealed that
I had known for months. I’ve never seen her so surprised in my
life, but she trusts me even more now that she’s seen that I didn’t
try to escape and find you myself. What was it like out there? Master
Kort tells everyone that it’s a lawless, no-man’s land. He says
raiders attack all the time, and the UCA is losing everywhere.”

“It’s dangerous,”
Aspen said. “But as soon as I met people who needed me, I started
making friends, making money. Do you know what happened to my
friends?”

“They’re in transit
on one of the slow freighters. Safe for now, it’s an out of the
way, numbered system. I couldn’t find out what kind of operation
the Countess has going there. We can get to them.”

“So you want to
escape with me?” she asked excitedly.

“I’m absolutely
terrified, I’m not too proud to admit it, but I can’t stay here,
not with her. Staying when I knew you were out there, alive, and
devoting myself to the Countess and her companies was the hardest
thing I’ve ever done. She has the largest slave trade in history,
and I had to close some of the deals that made it grow. There are
days when I can’t stand myself. I haven’t been able to find out
what she’s planning next, not specifically, but I know it was
important to get you back, and to keep us together.”

Aspen stroked his back.
“We’ll undo what we can, maybe steal some of what’s hers for
ourselves.” The kiss that followed was slow, long and luscious.

“The Fleet Feather is
always delivering and picking people up, it’s our best chance. I
get alerts whenever someone new lands, I’m the Countess’s man for
greeting new guests. I’ve been planning this for months, I even got
a snapshot of the entire estate’s database using General Grave’s
access codes.”

“God, you’re going
to make an amazing criminal,” she said, pressing against him for a
moment before turning around. She kissed him over her shoulder as she
guided his hands to her stomach.

“Why does that sound
so exciting? “he returned her kiss as she moved his hands down
slowly. “I like you more this way, curvy,” he said between
kisses. “Wild.” His touch echoed his appreciation, following her
form down over her hips, then slowly upward.

The shower door was
flung open, and a quick, strong hand yanked her out by the arm. “None
of that, you brats,” she heard Master Kort grunt as he dragged her
from the bathroom. His unnaturally broad features exaggerated his
grimace as he dragged her through the next room then out into the
hall. “What’s this on you? Disgusting slob!”

She knew he was talking
about the dye that had come loose from her skin, but Aspen didn’t
bother explaining. Her worry over what might happen next was the only
thing on her mind. “Let me go!”

“And a slut,” he
said, shoving her through a bedroom door across the hall. Aspen
stumbled and fell at the foot of a massive bed. “I may not have
found you before the UCA, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to let
you ruin the Countess’s plans for you now that you’re here. You
see these guards?” he said, gesturing to the armoured pair standing
at her doorway. “You’re on their leash now. Like their little fat
dog. They will tell you where you have to go and when, what you have
to do and with whom. They report directly to me, and if you misbehave
in any way, I will punish you. It will be savage, and it will be
public. Now wash yourself, and get six hours of sleep.”

Aspen scowled at the
door for long minutes after Master Kort was gone and it was closed.
She was completely aware that, out of most of the slaves in service
to the Countess, her situation wasn’t so bad, but being told what
to do by a master had her raging inside. Aware that anyone could be
watching, she got up and made her way to the shower. It was identical
to the one in Larken’s room. It activated as soon as she was inside
and she stood there for several minutes, letting the vibrating water
spray do the work as Aspen took stock of everything she knew.

What she experienced
with Larken, the change in him while they were alone, and how he
seemed more like himself proved that he was worth trusting. Even
though the encounter was cut short, Aspen found herself convinced
that he was the person she remembered, but grown into a man she
loved. It could all be a trick, the possibility couldn’t be
discounted, but the urge to trust him was powerful.

Even though he was only
across the hallway, Aspen never missed Larken more, the ache she felt
for him was as surprising as it was overwhelming. “Get yourself
together,” she said to herself as she watched the last of the
green, yellow and brown ink slink down the drain between her feet.
The shower deactivated and the drying cycle started. The walls
reflected an image of her that was in conflict with what she thought
she ought to look like. Blonde hair, tanned skin, and a face that
still bore too much colour shifting, an alternative to makeup that
could last forever. Her face was adorned with bronze and light rouge,
it looked garish and wrong to her.

Once she was dry, she
walked to the bed and fell in. The orders were clear, she was to have
six hours of sleep and she knew there was only one way to get it.
Aspen’s frustration combined with her hunger pangs and thoughts of
her crew would keep her up for days, unless she cheated. After
wrapping herself in the thick comforter, she looked around the room
one last time. The bed felt huge, and too soft compared to what she
had become accustomed to on starships. The dimly lit room didn’t
feel safe, Aspen didn’t have the power to determine who could come
in and when, or even to lock the door. There was nothing she could do
about it that night, and it was sure that she would be punished if
she didn’t do exactly as Master Kort ordered. Aspen gave her orders
to the built in sleep assist. “Six hours, sounds sleep, wake me if
anyone or anything enters.”

The sensation of
soothing waves, heat and massage comfort systems overtook her in
minutes, and Aspen slipped into a deep, dreamless sleep.

The morning light stung
Aspen’s eyes as she rolled out of the blanket cocoon she spent the
night in. The results of resting in a Rest maker bed never agreed
with her, it always felt like there were extra cobwebs to shake.
There was a thin, white dressing gown on the end of the bed, and she
left it there on the way to the shower. There was no worry about
anyone looking in through the windows, she could see nothing but blue
ocean and sky. Even still, she was never shy, dolls didn’t get
permission to be.

Aspen emerged from the
shower famished. “Good morning,” said Tinick in a high, sing-song
voice from the bedroom. Pieces of clothing were already laid out
along the bottom of the bed, but what drew Aspen’s attention
immediately was a plate of food on a side table with two tall glasses
of thick fruit juice and a tumbler of tea.

Tinick took her hands
and led her to the table. “Eat everything, I’ll make sure you’re
not disturbed, but I’ll have to dress you at the same time.” A
napkin was pressed into Aspen’s hand along with a large slice of
pineapple. “You must be famished, so just dig in.”

Aspen savoured the
large slice of pineapple, something she hadn’t tasted since she
escaped. Even though it was a little difficult at first, she ate with
a measured pace.

Tinick took her robe
off while she was eating. Before she finished the second pineapple
ring the tall, furred fashion master was pulling a light, transparent
garment around Aspen that stretched from the middle of her ribs to
below her hips. “The Countess wants you in this gown almost two
weeks ahead of schedule, and she wants me to do my best to have you
down to the size you are supposed to be then, only now.” Tinick
looked her in the eye and sighed. “If you ask me, you’re a lovely
young thing, there are so many things I could drape over your form
and you’d look wonderful, but you know how this goes.”

“The Countess gets
what the Countess wants,” Aspen said, realizing what was about to
happen after glancing at the slim purple gown on the bed. She put the
napkin down and finished swallowing her last bite of pineapple. “I’m
glad you didn’t let me finish that plate before this.”

“Are you ready?”
Tinick asked.

“How many sizes am I
supposed to go down?”

“Three. Well, three
and a bit,” she said, activating the garment wrapped around her
subject.

Aspen exhaled as most
of her body was squeezed, almost falling over before it was finished.
Then she tried to inhale and only caught a short breath. “Oh my
God,” she gasped. “To tight!”

Tinick loosened the
garment’s grip on her a little and Aspen was able to get most of a
breath. “I’ve caught people,” she gasped, “wearing these, is
it always this tight?”

“Oh, you’d be
surprised at how tight this could go before you actually passed out,”
Tinick said. “I hope you never find out for yourself, though. At
least you’re not risking cracked ribs or spinal deformity, I’ve
seen both many times when someone is trying to fit into an outfit.
You’d think that would be at and end, but self-adjusting clothing
just isn’t fashionable, I suppose. Try to finish your breakfast
while you get used to that.”

Aspen finally caught a
full breath. “This isn’t worth it,” she said, gesturing at the
dress. “And I don’t know how much of that I’m going to get down
while I’m being wrung out in the middle.”

“Just try, I had to
trade the plate they put together for you for this one. There is a
guest down the hall who is wondering why they are breakfasting on a
melon wedge and a glass of juice. Just don’t sit down for a while
after you’ve finished. I’m sorry to say, standing up straight may
be the only way you can keep it down.”

Aspen did as she was
told since she was still hungry anyway and was part way though her
second slice of melon when she asked; “So, how is it here at the
new palace?”

“I’ve been busy,”
Tinick said. “There are many guests here who are wealthy refugees,
so I’ve had to help dress most of them. The fashion industry has
been just about crushed, since most manufacturing was driven by
computers and machines. I’ve become important again,” she said
with a grin. “You never see them, but I have eight apprentices that
are always sewing.”

“I never considered
how busy you’d be without AI’s running the show.”

“Oh yes, a transport
leaves every week with the clothing I make for the houses that still
have estates away from here. It left just yesterday, should be back
next week for another shipment. The Countess has been generous enough
to let me run my shop from here, but then, it’s only a way to
ensure that one of the last high calibre designers remains in her
service.”

Aspen made a mental
note to watch for that shuttle, it didn’t seem like the kind of
thing that would be under heavy guard. She didn’t like how long it
would be before it would return, however. “Are there a lot of side
businesses running on the property?”