Chapter One - Suffering
Serilda turned, unprepared for the fist that struck her face, sending her flying to the stony ground. The water from the buckets she had just filled splashing on her as her hands involuntarily released them from her grasp. Her shoulder, absorbing most of the impact screamed with pain. The images that filled her mind of the impossible ship that travelled the stars immediately vanished as she looked up at the man that had assailed her, his dark grey uniform glistening in the winter sun.
He looked down at the girl he had assaulted, “You are a disgusting bitch, you walk around this camp as if you are better than the other Zoons. What do you think you’re doing out of your hut at this hour?”
Serilda, shaking on the floor, attempted to meet the yellow eyes that pierced her, “We need water, Major, half of the people in my hut are dehydrated.”
“Do you expect me to care about you or the other vermin that inhabit your hut. Or any other hut for that matter?”
Serilda’s hands shook violently as she stayed on the ground, “No Major”
“Then why do stroll around this place as if it were your own palace? Do you think because you are a half breed bitch that I will treat you better? Perhaps you think because your father was Flaxen, you deserve better treatment?”
Before Serilda could respond, he kicked her in her torso, she coughed and gasped as the strike left her lungs absent of air.
She tried to control her breathing, each breath causing pain, as another man’s voice could be heard from across the courtyard, “Major what’s going here?”
Serilda watched as the Major turned. She knew the voice instantly. It usually grated through her body like a dull knife, but for the first time she was happy to hear it. It was the Colonel, head of Camp Skadi.
He looked at the major, his yellow eyes cold, his demeanor authoritative, “Why did you strike this girl?”
The Major bowed his head, a required display of subordination in the Flaxen military, “Colonel, I have seen too many displays of defiance from this half breed, we need to discipline the Zoons.”
The Colonel looked down at his subordinate, although Major Damien Scenery was over seven feet tall, the Colonel was taller than even he, “And for what infraction was this discipline necessary?”
Serilda saw the Major trying to hide his look of disgust, “The sun is setting and yet she finds it acceptable to collect water. This is a clear breach of the rules imposed on these vermin, Colonel.”
The colonel retained the contact of his yellow eyes with the major, who’s eyes glared back with equal color. “I believe, since the mines are currently closed, the Zoons are free to roam within the permitter of the camp until the sun has set?”
Damien looked to the sky, “But it has nearly set, Colonel, there is perhaps ten minutes of day light left.”
The Colonel’s face remained expressionless, “But it has not yet, so the girl has breached no rules.”
Serilda had been keeping her gaze fixated on the Major, she could see the disgust on his face. The Colonel had no longer being showing the proper discipline to the subhumans that infested Earth, and she knew the exact reason why, despite the Major clearly having no such knowledge. Even in her perilous situation, this amused her. She watched from the ground as the adversarial conversation continued.
“But Colonel, this bitch has been nothing but trouble. She needs to understand the consequences of defiance.”
The Colonel pulled his pistol from his waist and aimed it directly at the Major’s face, “This is beginning to sound like insubordination to me. You know as well as I do, I can pull this trigger. Anyone of the rank of Colonel or above can execute those of inferior rank summarily. The judgement of the crime is mine to determine. Is that what you wish, Major?”
The Major bowed his head again, “No Sir, I apologize if I have overstepped my authority.”
The Colonel stared at him in the eyes for a few more seconds, “Then you are on latrine duty for the next week, am I understood?”
The Major briefly looked at girl he had assaulted, before returning his eyes to his superior, “Colonel Flint, this is an indignity that cannot be tolerated. Latrine duty is for the Zoons.”
The Colonel pulled back the cock on his pistol, “And yet these are my orders. Obey me now or die.”
Major Damien Scenery looked at his commanding officer, “Yes, Sir I understand.”
“Good, then leave now before I change my mind.”
The Major raised his fist into the air, “For Flaxus”
The Colonel mimicked his gesture, “For Falxus” he retained his gaze on the major for several seconds, “Now leave my sight. I suggest you start cleaning shit immediately, if you value your life.”
The Major walked away saying nothing more.
Colonel Jaakobah Flint turned his gaze to the half-breed on the floor. He extended his hand to assist her. Serilda pretended not to notice his gesture and raised herself with both arms. Her shoulder hurt but she at least now knew it was no serious injury.
“My apologies, Serilda. I expect better of my men.”
She hated it when this vile creature used her first name. It was given to her by her mother, a woman of such kindness and love, she cried for her memory each night. To hear it sullied by this towering monster before her caused such fury within her, she usually needed every fiber of her strength not to spit in his face. Although the salvation brought upon her from this man she despised, somewhat diminished her desire to do so.
She raised her head to meet his eyes, “No problem, Colonel. It was just a misunderstanding.” She forced a smile and turned to walk away, leaving her bucket behind.
Jaakobah grabbed her by the wrist when she turned. He caressed her arm as he looked her in the eye once more, “I’ll be seeing you tonight, of course. At the usual time?”
Her forced smile widened, “Of course, Colonel Flint.”
He released her and she walked slowly back to her hut. Several hours later, she returned to the trough of stagnant water, her surreptitious reconnaissance having confirmed no yellow-skinned menaces lurked within its vicinity. She filled two buckets and hurried back to hut seven, a name she considered inadequate to describe the suffering within its thin metal walls.
As she entered, she placed one bucket next to group of prisoners in a stack of bunks near the door, two or three slept in each, although they were barely big enough to accommodate a woman of average stature. These people were the most infirm and riddled with disease. The other inhabitants had debated amongst each other and concluded they must be segregated, lest their disease infect them all. Not even Serilda objected to this, although she had inherited her mother’s compassion and value for all life, she was also the product of her father and from him, she had been passed pragmatism and a strong desire to survive. She no longer noticed the stench that permeated the air like an invisible fog. When she first arrived, all those years ago, it would keep her awake at night. She had imagined that if it had a color, it would be a deep brown-green that infested all it touched. Harder to ignore, were the cries and moaning. They filled the air with a viscosity equal to the smell and equally perennial.
She hurried to her friend at the other side of the hut. Megan was purely human and Serilda envied her for this, the persecution she had endured from some of the inmates for her heritage paled in comparison to the chastisement she inflicted on herself each day. After all, half Flaxen meant full Flaxen amongst some of the less enlightened within the place of suffering they all inhabited. She forced the retribution she had encountered from her mind as she attended to her friend.
She lifted her friends head onto her lap and forced her to drink three cups of water, it spilled down her chin as her head shook from the effort.
“Look what I have, Megan; it’s dried meat. Beef, I think. I got it from the colonel last night. There’s enough here for both of us.”
Megan looked at the food, then once more at her friend’s face, her eyes wide with shock. “Oh, Serilda, that bruise on your face! Was it that bastard again? When I’m better, I swear to God, I will kill him, and I will gladly burn in damnation for the pleasure.”
“Don’t worry about that, my love. You know how quickly I heal. Now, how about some of this beef?”
The half-Flaxen broke off a piece of the brown meat and put it to Megan’s mouth. Her friend refused to eat. Her voice was soft and weak but it had a musical quality that Serilda had always loved. “I need to know; are we still safe? Will the red circles still not glow? Are they safe?” she gestured to the sickly prisoners at the other end of the hut.
Serilda couldn’t contain her tears. Not only for the compassion displayed by her friend but for the need for her to have to say such a thing in the first place. She thought about the place called Hell that Megan often talked about. She wondered if its misery could compete with Camp Skadi. She wiped her eyes with the cloth that had wrapped their food. She had, for a moment, tuned out the crying and moaning of the people who endured eternal suffering around her.
“Yes, Megan, I promise. As long as I’m here, the circles won’t glow. I have him under control. Now, eat. Please, will you eat?”
Megan smiled as her deep brown eyes shone brighter than before. Her soft, sweet voice filled the small hut like a harp, “You were sent by God, Serilda, and I will spend my days asking him why he sent you to me.”
Serilda held Megan in her arms as she waited for her to sleep. Then she thought of the strange ship and the man that commanded it that seemed to travel the stars. These obscure images had infiltrated her dreams for over a week. She knew change was coming and the nature of that change eluded her, for it may not be the solace she hoped it would be. She had never believed, but for the first time, she prayed to Megan’s god that it would reach them before the red circles did.