Author/pseudonym: Hawk
Fandom: Andromeda
Pairing: Dylan/F(OC ); Beka/ Tyr; Dylan/ M ( OC ) implied
Rating: NC -17
Status: Complete
Archive: Yes to the WWOMB; anyone else - please ask
E-mail address for feedback: studer11@earthlink.net
Series/Sequel: Sequel in progress ...
Other websites: http://www.hawkssorbopages.homestead.com/Hawk1.html
Disclaimers: The usual apply. I don't own 'em... I don't make any money off 'em... yada yada.
Summary: Dylan takes a vacation and all hell breaks loose.
Warnings: This story contains graphic scenes of
torture, slavery, bondage, sex ... you name it, it's in here.
Dylan awoke with a splitting headache. He tried, unsuccessfully, to sit up. It was then he noticed the shackles.
"What the hell…?"
"Hey, Goldilocks. Welcome to hell."
Dylan turned his head a little, seeking the owner of the gravelly voice that greeted him to consciousness. He nearly passed out from the effort and the pain the slight movement caused. He lay back again with a groan. He used all the strength he possessed to ask, "Where am I?"
"Hell, Goldilocks. You are in Hell and it’s here you’re gonna die."
In the gloom, Dylan could barely make out a huddled figure in the far corner of the small, gloomy cell.
"This is just great…" Dylan muttered.
*~*~*~*~*~*
It was a glorious day. The sun was shining, the waves were breaking just right… and Dylan was playing hooky from the Andromeda. He had taken off early in the Eureka Maru and left no forwarding address, so to speak. He wasn’t running away, exactly… it’s just that the past few months had been hard… hell, they’d been brutal… and he needed a little R & R… away from the Andromeda and the crew. A couple of slips and he was far enough away that the crew of the Andromeda would have a very hard time finding him. He was hoping they wouldn’t bother trying, but if they did it would take them quite awhile to track him down.
He tried to rest on board the Andromeda, he really did. It seemed like every time he sat down on the Observation deck with a good book, Trance wandered in and wanted to chat about some new plant she was cultivating and then they would have to go see it and discuss its benefits to the hydroponics garden and to the ship. Or if he was in the gym working up a sweat and just trying to zone out a little, Tyr would saunter in and they would end up beating the hell out of each other on the basketball court. Then there was Harper. Harper was always getting into some kind of trouble and needing Dylan to help him fix it. And Beka? Well, let’s just say Beka was really beginning to get on his nerves. If she didn’t just admit she was hot for Tyr and do it soon he was going to explode at the both of them. The veiled comments and sexual tension were driving him crazy. And Rommie? Well, Rommie was another matter altogether. She was his ship’s avatar and he felt he just didn’t have the right to have feelings for her. Every time he looked at her he felt his growing need inside… and she knew him better than anyone else. It would be so easy just to give in and let nature take its course.
Better to just get away for a few days and work all this out of his system. Where the hell was Rev when he really needed him?
Dylan felt he was at his breaking point. He had to be "the Captain", to do what was right. He had no "down time" and he simply needed some time alone… so he left.
He had left a note on the bridge, right where Rommie or one of the crew was bound to find it. He’d blinded her internal sensors, overrode the Maru’s launch codes and left. At least he knew they would be around when he decided to go back. The Maru was his insurance policy. Beka would never leave without her ship. She was in love with her ship. But then so was he to a point.
His note was short and to the point. It read:
Good Morning.
I need a break so I am doing what each and every one of you has been doing to me for the past year. I’m taking a vacation and not telling you where I’m going. I’ll be back in a week or so. Don’t wreck my ship while I’m gone.
Dylan
And just like that he’d left. Left the Andromeda, his last visage of civilization, behind and gone off on his own to "get his head together". And here was definitely where he needed to be right now. Nobody to bother him. No crises to solve. No planet to save from invaders… ahh…this was just what the doctor ordered.
Dylan watched the waves break on the beach for a few minutes then unlaced his boots, rolled up the pant legs of his khaki pants and started walking. The water felt great against his bare feet and the sun warmed his face. He breathed deeply. About an hour later he pushed the sleeves of his sweater up and began walking back the way he had come.
Dylan peeled off his sweater, leaving only his T-shirt covering his massive chest. Then he lay back on the blanket he had spread on the sand and closed his eyes. This was just what he needed.
*~*~*~*~*~*
And now here he was… in a cell… shackled… and he felt like he’d been stomped on by a planetary warfare bot.
"Great…"
Dylan took a deep breath.
// Shit! That hurts… Okay, broken ribs, maybe cracked… but where are the nano-bots? This is an "easy fix"…//
He tried to sit. It was no use. The pain in his sides was keeping him from using his stomach muscles to sit up. He tried maneuvering his hands around to help himself and then realized his shackles were connected to a belt at his waist. He raised his head a little and nearly passed out from the effort. A fine sheen of sweat broke out on his forehead.
//Breathe, Dylan…breathe. //
Dylan finally got his head raised enough to look at the shackles binding his wrists. He fell back with a groan.
//Damn! What a fine mess you’ve gotten into today, Captain Hunt! //
Dylan smiled wryly.
//Think//
A chain ran from the shackles on his wrists, through a ring on the belt at his waist and down to the shackles on his ankles. Another chain ran from the same belt up his chest. From the feel of it when he tried to move his head, he had on some kind of collar.
Dylan turned his head to look at his companion. "Hey, buddy! What is this place?"
The figure huddled in the corner. He barely raised his head to reply. "Hell. You are in hell," he whispered.
"Yeah. Whatever you say."
// Okay. He’s more than a little messed up. //
"Um… Do you think you could help me sit up? I’m having a bit of trouble."
The huddled figure didn’t move.
"I won’t bite. I just need a little help here… What do you say?"
The man looked around fearfully.
"I don’t think there’s anyone here but us. Can you please come here and help me?"
Dylan watched as the man looked around again and slowly got to his feet. He stood in his corner staring at Dylan. He was a huge man, and he was obviously insane. From the looks of the rags he was wearing he had been incarcerated in this hellhole a long time… a VERY long time. He was shackled much the same way that Dylan was: collar, chain to belt at waist; wrist shackles, again chained to ankle shackles and connected through a ring on the belt at his waist.
// We are in a cell for God’s sake and still they shackle us. This can not be good. //
"Hey. What’s your name? If we’re going to be stuck together here we should at least know what to call each other. I’m Dylan."
"We’re not allowed to talk."
"Oh. And why is that?"
"Angel’s watching."
"Angels? Angels are watching us?"
The man gave a short, harsh barking laugh.
// Okay… messed up is a huge understatement! Man am I in trouble. //
Dylan sighed and shifted on the hard bench he was lying on. He tried once again to sit and as he fell back he felt strong hands grab him gently and help him up. He looked up and his world reeled. The man scuttled back to his corner again.
"Thanks, man. What do I call you?"
"Shh… Angel’s watching."
The man cowered in his corner and covered his head.
Try as he would Dylan could not keep his eyes open and a groan escaped his parched lips as he slipped into unconsciousness once again.
*~*~*~*~*~*
A few hours later Dylan was startled awake by the sound of a key opening the cell. He tensed and looked out from lowered lids. A very large, bi-pedal, lizard-like alien entered the cell. He was wearing a collar much like the one his companion wore (and, he assumed, like the one around his own neck). He wore only a slight breechcloth. His muscles rippled as he moved.
He stopped just inside the cell and looked around.
The large man cowered in the corner, hiding his head.
"You. Ssslave. Come."
The man looked up, the fear evident in his eyes. He stood slowly and approached the alien. Dylan tensed and started to rise.
The alien looked at him quickly. "Don’t. You are in no ssshape to have the crap beat out of you. He isssn’t worth it.
You ressst. Your turn isss coming."
Dylan looked at his companion. He looked away quickly and moved toward the cell door. The alien followed him. He stopped outside the cell door and let the alien lock it behind them. The alien attached a leash to his collar then led him away. He looked back once and was jerked roughly for lagging behind. He did not look back again.
Dylan leaned his head back against the stone wall of his cell once again and waited.
// What is this place? //
When Dylan awoke some time later it was dark. A feeble light entered his cell from the hallway. He couldn’t see more than a few feet away.
"Hey… Are you there?" Dylan hadn’t heard the cell door being opened to let his companion back in but he was hoping he had just slept through it.
"Is anyone here?"
There was no answer. Dylan got to his feet slowly. He winced at the coldness of the stone as his bare feet hit the floor. He was very unsteady, his head reeled and his sides throbbed. He hobbled as best as he could to the far corner, feeling his way there by leaning against the wall of the cell.
//Damn…I feel like I’ve been drugged… and I must’ve pulled a muscle in my leg. //
There was no one there. His companion had not returned.
Dylan made his way back to his bench and gingerly sat once again. He leaned back and soon fell into a fitful sleep, fraught with dreams of running from an unseen enemy.
*~*~*~*~*~*
When next he awoke it was daytime once again. There was a tray of food on a stool by the bars of the cell. He gingerly got to his feet and hobbled over to the tray. The stool was securely attached to the bars of the cell.
// Not even a potential weapon. //
The tray held a bottle of water, some fruit and bread. He looked around then bent slightly and picked it up. He hobbled back to his bench and devoured the contents of the tray. The water felt like a slice of heaven as it sluiced its way down his parched throat.
Dylan passed the remainder of the day in a drug-induced haze. He dozed frequently only to be jolted awake by voices outside his cell and once he thought he heard a man scream. Try as he might he could not stay awake and the fragmented information he was able to store in his consciousness only served to fuel his nightmares. If this was mental warfare, brainwashing… it was working. He was disoriented and unsure about what he was actually seeing and hearing, about what was real and what was dream.
// Andromeda! Where are you? Rommie… //
***
"I’m here, Dylan."
Rommie came toward him, dropping her clothing along the way. She stepped into the shower and ran her hands up Dylan’s dripping chest. He bent his head to claim her mouth with his own. Their bodies molded together as the water poured on them from above. He swept her up into his arms and stepped, dripping, from the shower. He carried her to his bed and gently laid her on the covers. She gazed up at him with her big brown eyes and he moved to cover her with his body. They kissed and Dylan felt his world start to tremble…
***
Dylan awoke, drenched in sweat and shaking from the force of his dream. He tried to focus on what was happening around him. His companion was back. The large lizard-like alien led him into the cell and over to his corner. He sank to the floor with a muffled groan.
// Sounds like he is in pain… and that damn lizard is smiling! //
Dylan couldn’t stay focused on what was going on and before the lizard had left his cell he had passed out once again.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Dylan was alone in his cell again. // Did I just dream that the other man was here? … And the lizard? //
He was beginning to doubt everything he saw and heard. Was there ever another person in his cell? Had he just been imagining everything?
The drug-induced fog he was kept in only served to make him more and more confused. He slept again…
****
He was on the Observation Deck, looking out the window at the Black Hole. Rommie walked up beside him and laid her hand on his arm. "Dylan, I’m sorry you had to leave Sarah behind. She loved you very much."
He turned to her. "Rommie, you can’t understand. I loved her with all my heart."
Rommie had tears in her eyes. "But I do understand, Dylan. I love you with all my being. I am not just an invention of Harper’s. I am a woman, with all the feelings, wants, needs of any woman."
Dylan looked at her as if seeing her for the first time. // By the Devine, she is beautiful… but this is wrong! I can’t be in love with Rommie. It is not allowed. //
Rommie ran her hand gently up the side of Dylan’s face. "I feel you, Dylan. Protocol be damned. I love you. I love you, Dylan…"
As Dylan reached out to touch her she faded away. "No! Rommie! Come back…"
*******
Dylan awoke with a start. Where were these dreams coming from? Sure, he had feelings for Rommie but he’d never had such vivid dreams before.
// I’m so thirsty…//
He looked up and saw a new tray by the bars of the cell. Drugged? Most probably.
// So thirsty… I need the water… //
He walked over to the toilet in his cell. Dirty… and no water reservoir inside the cell. It looked like he had no choice but to drink what was offered.
// Well if they intend to keep me drugged I guess I can’t fight that. I need water to survive… and survive I must. I have to get back to the Andromeda somehow. I sure as hell won’t die like a dog in this cage. //
Bread, fruit and water once a day. By the time the food arrived Dylan was hungry enough and thirsty enough that he had to eat what was left for him… or starve to death. His third day in captivity passed much the same as his first two, except that his companion never returned to the cell. He was alone.
He had a lot of time. Fuzzy, foggy time, but time none the less. He thought about everything. His life - before Haephestus and after. He remembered his time with Sarah - and how her loss had devastated him. The knowledge that she had been the founder of a planet of people, a mother, left him feeling hollow inside.
// I should be happy for Sarah… but all I can think of is that I should have fathered her children. We should have had that wonderful life we were planning. I could almost handle losing her … until I met her descendants. It is so unfair! //
Dylan’s face was damp with his tears. Tears he shed for the life that should have been. Tears he shed for the children that should have been his… his and Sarah’s. Tears for the 300 lost years.
And now Rommie was all he had left of his former life. Was that where these dreams of his were coming from?
Dylan dwelled on his memories of Rommie and how her new avatar had changed their relationship. Was it for the better? He could not say.
He thought of the crew of the Eureka Maru and how they had become like his family.
His thoughts seemed to wander with no rhyme or reason as to what came into his head next.
// I have never been this out of control before. My mind is wandering like someone is sifting through my memories. //
And he slept.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Dylan was startled awake by a blood-curdling scream. He was on his feet before he was even fully awake. He took a step forward and fell. He had forgotten his shackles and they hobbled him. He landed heavily on the stone floor of the cell, striking his head. A sharp cry as he fell was his only sound.
The blood pooled under his head. He was injured and he was alone. Would anyone notice if he lived or died?
// Where are your angels now, my friend… //
Blackness claimed him.
*~*~*~*~*~*
"Dylan? Dylan, are you awake, my love?" Rommie kissed Dylan gently. He murmured in his sleep and rolled over. Rommie smiled gently and climbed out of bed. She bent a retrieved her clothes from where they were scattered. Holding her clothes to her chest, she bent and kissed Dylan once again. "Good-bye, my love," she whispered
***
"Rommie! Don’t leave me! I need you!" Dylan’s dream startled him awake. He was lying on the bench in his cell. By pulling his feet up toward his chest he was then able to lift his hands to his head. He gingerly felt his head where it had struck the floor… nothing!
// How can this be? Am I going crazy? Or have I just lost track of time? How long have I been here? //
He rolled to his side and slowly managed to sit up. He stood and hobbled to the door of his cell. All he could see was a hallway that seemed to go on forever.
"Who’s out there? Where am I?" His echo was his only answer. He hung his head and slowly made his way back to the bench. He sat, leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes.
// What is dream and what is reality? Am I truly going insane? //
"Angel’s watching."
Dylan jumped. His companion was back. "What?"
"Angel sees everything."
"Yeah, whatever."
The large man started laughing… and faded away.
"No!" Dylan stood then slowly dropped to his knees. He looked around his small cell and realized he was utterly alone. He fell to the floor and curled on his side.
// None of this is real. This can’t be real. I’m not crazy. I’m not. Rommie? Where are you? //
*~*~*~*~*~*
"So? Where do we start?"
"Start? Beka, Dylan told us he would be back in a week. We owe him at least that much time."
"Rommie. I am not going to just sit here while he goes gallivanting all over the galaxy in my ship."
Rommie folded her arms. "It doesn’t look like you have much choice. If he isn’t back in a week then we can begin to look for him. Until then, we wait."
Beka gave Rommie a scathing glare and stormed off the Obs Deck.
Rommie turned at the sound of a muffled snicker. "Harper? You have a problem with this?"
"Me? Um… no Rommie…" Harper scuttled away leaving Rommie staring after him.
"I’ll never understand them."
"Humans are… different, Rommie. They are driven by their emotions. Dylan is a big boy. He can take care of himself." Tyr lounged on a bench on the Observation Deck, reading a novel.
"You seem unconcerned about Dylan, Tyr."
"Like I told the boy. Dylan can take care of himself. Besides, he has been gone a few hours at most. There is nothing to worry about… yet."
Rommie looked out the windows of the Observation Deck and wondered just how right or wrong Tyr was.
*~*~*~*~*~*
// Four days? Has it really been four days… or five? God… I have no idea how long I have been here. If I know Andromeda she will have started looking for me by now. How long will it take her to find me? I didn’t exactly leave a trail of breadcrumbs behind. I didn’t think I wanted to be found. //
Dylan paced. Around and around his gloomy cell he hobbled, determined to stay awake and coherent.
// Walk, Dylan… get those cobwebs out of your head. You have to be ready when they come for you. //
Finally he sat. He had been walking for hours around and around in circles. But at least he felt a little more awake and alert than he had since he had come to this place.
He looked up and his dinner was again by the bars of his cell.
// Come on… why is it that I never see anyone leave it there? //
*~*~*~*~*~*
Dylan awoke to the sound of his cell door opening. He looked up through lowered lids, tensing his body, ready to strike out at whomever was opening the door. He was determined to try to make a break for it. He had to get out of here and off this crazy planet before he was so weak from inactivity he couldn’t break free.
"Don’t even think about it, hu-man. Your shacklesss are for your protection asss well asss mine."
Dylan tensed and lunged. The lizard caught him around the waist and lifted him in a bone-crushing hug. Dylan whipped his head back and connected with the head of the being holding him. The lizard pulled his head back but never released his grip on Dylan.
Dylan couldn’t draw a breath.
// Okay, maybe this wasn’t my best idea…//
He writhed in the lizard’s grasp but could gain no footing to continue his fight. As his world began to go black he suddenly let his body go completely slack. His head lolled forward.
The lizard threw him over his shoulder. "He isss unconsciousss. Sshall I bring him to you?"
A sexless, disembodied voice came out of the air. "Argus. He is faking, but please bring him to me all the same."
The lizard dumped Dylan on the floor. "Get up hu-man. You re wanted."
Dylan groaned and got slowly to his feet. He stood with his head hanging, every breath seeming to take a tremendous effort. Then he lunged. The lizard was ready and caught him with a blow to the back of his head. Dylan dropped to the floor, unconscious.
The lizard threw Dylan over his shoulder and made his way out of the cell.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Dylan groaned and slowly opened his eyes. His head throbbed and it was when he reached to rub the back of his neck that he noticed the predicament he was in.
// Oh, shit! This can’t be good. //
Dylan was chained, spread-eagle to an x-frame. His collar was fastened to a crossbar on the upper part of the frame, lifting his chin and effectively making it impossible for him to look around at his surroundings. He was stretched to his limits. He couldn’t move.
"Hello, Slave. Welcome to your new life." It was the disembodied voice from his cell.
"The name’s Dylan…"
Crack! The sound was followed very closely by a sharp, stinging pain across Dylan’s back. It was then he realized he was now shirtless. Dylan cried out.
"You will learn to obey. Think of this as part of your training." The voice was obviously computer-generated and sexless.
Crack! "That’s two…"
"As if I’d lost count," Dylan ground out between clenched teeth.
Crack! "Three…"
"Why the hell are you doing this?" Dylan was breathing heavily.
Crack! "Four…"
Crack! "Five."
Dylan hung in his bonds, gasping for breath. His back felt like it was on fire. There was a pause in his torture. He slowly got his breathing under control and tried vainly to see his tormentor. He struggled against his bonds briefly then fell quiet once again.
Dylan drifted momentarily in his misery.
"You should obey Argus at all times, Slave."
"Who…?"
"Argus will teach you to obey, Slave… Then he will bring you to me. Five more, Argus. That should do it for now."
"No!" Dylan struggled futilely against his bonds.
Crack! "Sssix…"
Crack! "Ssseven…"
Crack! "Eight…"
Dylan could feel the blood begin to trickle down his ravaged back. He struggled to stay conscious.
Crack! "Nine…"
Crack! "Ten…"
Dylan could feel the blood seep into the waistband of his pants. His back felt like it was on fire. Soon he felt hands begin to loosen his bonds and he looked up to see the hands of a lizard.
//Argus //
Argus reshackled Dylan’s wrists in front of him then bent down to unhook his ankles. He left Dylan’s collar attached to the crossbar until he finished chaining Dylan again. Then he attached a leash to Dylan’s collar and pulled him, stumbling, back to his cell.
Argus released Dylan’s leash then spoke. "Sshould I now treat hisss woundsss?"
"No, Argus. Let him be for now. It will help to remind him of his place and make him think about disobeying in the future."
Argus left the cell, locking it behind him.
Dylan slumped down on the bench, wincing from the pain in his abused back. He curled up on his side and soon fell into a fitful sleep.
*~*~*~*~*~*
"Dylan?"
"Rommie! Is that you?"
"Dylan, I’m here my love."
Dylan watched Rommie saunter toward him. They were on the beach and the warm breeze played with her hair as she approached. He held his arms out and she melted into them. They came together in a fiery display of unbridled passion.
Suddenly, without warning, Rommie put her hands on Dylan’s chest and pushed him away. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
"Rommie? What’s wrong?"
She looked at him for a minute then shook her head. "Wrong? You can ask me what’s wrong? Dylan! You don’t really love me… You love your precious Sarah. I will never be more than a pale substitute to you. This is wrong. I have to go." Rommie turned and began walking away from him.
"Rommie!" Dylan tried to follow but was unable to move. He looked down. He was chained and Argus held his leash. Rommie was leaving him and he couldn’t follow her. "Rommie! Help me!
Argus laughed. "There isss no help, Sslave."
****
Dylan awoke with a start sometime later. His back felt like it was on fire. He sat with difficulty and looked around for something to drink. His now customary dinner was on the stool by the door to his cell. He got to his feet with a slight degree of difficulty and made his way over to the stool and his "dinner".
It hurt to move… hell it even hurt to think about moving. Dylan had been left alone since his ordeal in the "training" room. It was as if his tormentors had forgotten of his very existence. If not for the food on the stool he would be sure of this. Someone was at least taking the time to see that he didn’t starve to death. Beyond that he had no clue as to what was going on here.
Dylan shifted on the bench, trying to get comfortable. It was no use. His back was stiff and sore and he was unable to get any relief from the constant throbbing pain. He got to his feet and began pacing once again.
// If I could just stretch I think I’d feel a little better. I’m as sore from not moving as I am from the damn whipping! //
Dylan flexed the muscles in his back as he walked around and around his small cell. He could feel his back start to heal.
Suddenly he stopped.
// How long have I been here? Five days? Six? Damn it! I’ve lost track of time, which is probably exactly what my hosts want. Confuse your prey. Isn’t that what your Nietzscheans teach, Tyr? Well, at least the Andromeda should be looking for me. I didn’t make it that difficult to find me… I hope. I can do this. I can hang on for another day. It won’t take them more than that to find me. //
Dylan walked for awhile then laid down on the bench to get some much-needed rest.
// I have a feeling I may need all my strength to get out of here. //
*~*~*~*~*~*
"Dylan! Dylan, where are you?"
"I’m here, Rommie."
"Dylan? I can’t find you."
"Rommie! I’m right here."
Rommie’s voice faded with each passing minute.
"Rommie! Don’t leave me! Rommie! I need you!"
"Dylan…"
The sound had faded to nothingness. Dylan was really alone. The Andromeda was not coming.
***
*~*~*~*~*~*
Argus returned awhile later. Dylan let him attach the leash to his collar and followed him out of his cell. //Let’s get a look at this place. It will help me plan my escape. //
Dylan followed Argus down a series of corridors. // This place is a maze… great. // Argus led Dylan to the same room in which he had awakened the last time he was out of his cell – the room he had been whipped in. The crossbar stood as a reminder to Dylan, a very unpleasant reminder.
Argus halted halfway across the floor of the large room. He spoke. "Sshall I put him on the cross?"
"No Argus. I want him in the center of the room today. I have something to show our new slave, something very interesting." The voice seemed to come from the air, no from the very walls themselves.
Argus led Dylan to the center of the room and affixed the chain running between his ankle shackles to a ring set into the floor. He then went to a wall panel and pushed a button. Argus was looking up toward the ceiling. Dylan could hear a motor start up from somewhere above his head. He looked up to see a chain descending from the ceiling.
Argus brought it down until it was level with Dylan’s waist then let go of the button. The chain’s descent stopped and Argus approached Dylan. He had in his hand what looked like a modified force lance. Dylan watched his approach, trying to decide how best to attack.
"Don’t try anything, hu-man. This stunner will render you unconscious before you could move a muscle."
Argus stood in front of Dylan with the end of the stunner pressed against Dylan’s chest. He hooked his wrist shackles to the chain that was hanging in front of Dylan then unhooked the chain running between the two sets of shackles. He backed away quickly and returned to the panel on the wall. With a press of a button there the chain attached to Dylan’s wrists rapidly rose into the air, pulling Dylan’s arms with it. The motor stopped when Dylan was stretched to his limits.
Dylan grunted with the pressure of his body being stretched to its limits. He could feel the welts on his back break open once again and the blood begin to trickle down his back. After a couple of minutes his entire body felt like it was on fire from being stretched. He hung like that long enough to begin to wonder if they were just going to leave him there and then someone entered the room behind him. A blindfold was placed around Dylan’s eyes, then this new person walked around him, admiring his physique. He felt this person run their hands over his bared torso. Dylan flinched at the touch but could not move away from the hands. The person chuckled at his obvious discomfort.
"I have something to share with you, Slave." Again the voice was masked.
"The name’s Dylan." The blindfold was removed. Dylan could feel a presence behind him but the person remained out of his sight.
"Argus." Argus walked over to a panel set into the wall. He pushed a button and a large viewing screen opened up in one wall. The voice continued.
"After we brought you here we searched the area for your vessel. It didn’t take us very long to find it. When I decided to make you a permanent resident of my collection I decided to make sure no one would come looking for you. Yes… I know who you are. I know who your friends are. You, however, are now mine. Watch and learn…"
Argus pushed another button and the screen came to life. Dylan saw the Maru leave the planet surface and head into space.
"What did you do with my ship?" He pulled futilely against his bonds.
"Watch and understand, Slave."
Dylan watched as the Maru entered slipstream and eventually entered normal space near Shaharazad. Seconds later multiple explosions ripped through the Maru.
The tape skipped forward to a courier ship approaching the Andromeda, sending a hail to the larger ship. The Andromeda responded and a message was relayed to the ship.
The relayed message was from Shaharazad. It was two days old at the time of transmission. "Andromeda Ascendant. The Eureka Maru entered normal space near Shaharazad in distress. A ship was dispatched to assist but before we could approach the Maru it was destroyed by multiple explosions. All aboard are lost."
The crew of the Andromeda Ascendant was stunned. They replied to the courier ship that they had understood the message. "Can there be a mistake?" Beka asked, visibly shaken by the news.
"There is no mistake, Andromeda. The Eureka Maru is gone."
"Thank you." The connection with the courier ship was broken.
Rommie was visibly distressed. Beka approached her quietly and touched her arm. There was no response. //I can’t promise I will never die, Rommie, but I promise I will never leave you. // Beka walked away and left Andromeda to her thoughts. // The Balance of Judgement had no Captain, the Pax lost her Captain… That’s why space ships have Captains, Rommie. I am your heart… I will never leave you…// Moments later an alarm was sounded on the Andromeda Ascendant. "AP Tank overload in 10 – 9 – 8 – 7 – 6 – 5 - …"
"Rommie! No!"
The Andromeda Ascendant exploded in space and the screen before Dylan went blank.
Dylan struggled in his bonds. "No! What have you done? … What have you done?" Dylan’s sobs echoed in the large room. The person behind him smiled and walked away, leaving him facing the empty screen.
Dylan’s ranting filled the chamber. He struggled futilely against his shackles. After awhile his voice began to crack and eventually he became so hoarse he could no longer scream out his frustrations. It was at that point that Argus returned. He rearranged Dylan’s shackles and led him back to his cell. Dylan fell, exhausted, onto the bench and soon slept. His dreams were filled with images of the Andromeda exploding and Rommie’s final whispered words; "I love you, Dylan."
*~*~*~*~*~*
"Welcome back, Slave."
Dylan opened his eyes and pushed himself to a sitting position on the hard bench of his cell. He looked toward the door, searching out the owner of the voice that had prodded him awake.
A stunningly beautiful woman stood at the bars of his cell. She was slim, dressed all in black leather with long blond hair trailing down her back. She lounged against the bars, studying Dylan with obvious interest.
‘Welcome back?" Dylan let the sarcasm drip from his question.
"From oblivion, slave. Can’t let you wallow in oblivion forever."
Dylan leaned back against the stone wall, grimacing from the pain in his back but reveling in the coolness of the stone against his wounds. He laid his head back against the stone and closed his eyes. He spoke with studied indifference. "And who the hell might you be?"
"The name’s Angel."
Dylan snorted mockingly. "Really? Huh, you don’t look the part."
"Be careful, Slave. Your attitude could be adjusted again. Argus takes pride in his work."
"I bet he does. Do you teach all your slaves to be such good little pets?"
"You’ll soon find out, Slave."
"The name’s Dylan."
"Not any more, it isn’t."
Dylan opened his eyes and turned to the door of his cell. The woman was gone. He was alone once again. He had not heard her leave. // Real or imagined? // It was becoming so hard to separate the two.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Dylan paced, determined to keep alert. As he paced he studied every stone of his cell. // There has to be a weakness here. // He paced off the distance around his cell, the distance from the back wall to the door. // I wonder if I could rush Argus and get out of here? But to where? //
Dylan’s stomach rumbled and he realized that hours had passed. There had been no food delivery tonight. // Is it because I am awake and alert? Food has always been delivered when I am compromised in some way. Or are they trying to "break" me? // He snorted. // Of course they are…//
Exhaustion set in and Dylan curled up on the bench in his cell, cold and hungry and alone with his dreams.
***
"Dylan, you promised you would never leave me."
"Love never dies, Rommie. I will always be with you."
"Dylan? Where have you gone? I can’t go on without you…"
"Rommie! I’m here…"
"Dylan?… no… Dylan is dead… he left me… alone… Initiating AP Tank overload… Critical in 10… 9…8…7…"
"Rommie! No! Don’t do this!" Dylan struggled to free himself from his chains. The Andromeda exploded in front of his eyes and he was alone…
***
*~*~*~*~*~*
"Angel’s watching…"
His companion was back again.
"Still with the angels friend?" Dylan lounged against the wall of the cell. Suddenly he sat upright. "Angel? Angel is watching?" He turned toward his companion only to find him gone once again. // Angel. Angel is real… Well, at least the boogey-man has a name… //
Dylan’s day passed uneventful and solitary. No one came to check on him. No one came to feed him. Hell, at this point it would be great if someone just came to torment him. There wasn’t a sound anywhere. // What if everyone is gone? I have to get out of this cell. //
Dylan was pacing once again when Argus finally came to get him. "Angel wants you."
"She does? Well then Angel can come and get me."
"You will come with me, Slave."
"The name’s Dylan and no I won’t come with you. Tell Angel she knows where to find me."
Dylan sat on the bench and leaned back against the wall, waiting for what would come next. // Two things can happen here. One, Argus will try to take me by force in which case I will fight him and try to get out of here or, two, Angel will come. If that happens she will be pissed and probably open the door at which time I can rush her and be gone. I see no downside here… //
Dylan watched Argus closely. The lizard stood outside the door to the cell for a moment then turned and started walking down the hall.
Dylan smiled. // Leaving. Good. That means Angel will be coming… //
Argus stopped a few paces down the corridor and opened a wall panel. He reached in a pulled something out. He turned and approached the cell once again. Dylan stood in surprise as Argus raised a force lance a shot him. Dylan crumbled to the ground, unconscious.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Dylan awoke some time later. He was back in the "training room" and was once again tethered to the cross. Angel stood before him.
"You will obey my every command, Slave."
"The name’s Dylan."
"Not any more. You are to be known as Slave until I decide you have earned something better. You will respond to that term at all times. Do you understand?"
"My name is Dylan Hunt. I am a Commonwealth Captain, HE 509 5C2 1922."
Angel nodded her head once and Dylan felt the whip bite into his back. He gasped from the sudden unexpected pain this caused. The pain blossomed leaving him breathless.
"There is more where that came from Slave. This toy that Argus is so fond of is built with a nerve stimulator. It will set your nerve endings on fire. You can end this now… or Argus can increase the settings of his toy and we can continue. The choice is yours. Now, your name is Slave until I say otherwise, do you understand?"
"I am Dylan Hunt, Commonwealth Captain, HE 509 5C2 1922."
Angel nodded and once again the lash bit into Dylan’s back. He screamed as the nerve endings in his back exploded in fire. "You are nothing here. You have no name until I give you a name."
Dylan was panting from the pain. "Dylan Hunt, Commonwealth Captain, HE 509 5C2 1922."
Angel stepped around behind Dylan and talked to Argus for a moment. She then stepped back around to where Dylan could see her. She reached out and ran her hand down his bare chest. He shivered from the contact but said nothing. "I have given instructions to Argus that he is to continue this training session until you come to the realization that you are no one here but my slave. You belong to me." She nodded and the whip descended once again.
Dylan clenched his jaw to keep from crying out. He took a deep breath and ground out, "I am Captain Dylan Hunt, HE 509 5C2 1922."
Angel just stared into his eyes as the whip descended once again. Dylan could feel the welts on his already ravaged back rip open. Blood trickled down his back. Dylan hissed in pain. Then the pain exploded once again into pure agony as the nerve inducers did their work. Every inch of his back seemed to be on fire. He writhed in his bonds.
"Captain Dylan Hunt, HE 509 5C2 1922."
Dylan finally passed out from the pain of the severe whipping he was receiving. Angel cradled his chin in her hands, lifting his head. She stared at him for a few minutes, seemingly debating something in her mind. She let his head loll against his chest once again and turned to Argus. The lizard-like being was breathing heavily from his exertion.
"Ssshall I take him back to his cell, Missstresss?"
Angel looked at him for a moment. Finally she shook her head. "No, Argus. When you have your breath back give him a stimulant and continue your training."
"Missstresss?" Argus was clearly shocked by the command.
"Argus. This one is defying me. He is extremely strong-willed and to show any weakness or compassion to him at this stage of his training will render him completely invulnerable to me. Continue with his training as soon as you are able."
Argus straightened. "Yes, Missstresss."
Argus took a few deep breaths, stretched the fatigue out of his muscles and then gave Dylan a hypo-spray stimulant.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Dylan came to with a groan. He blinked his eyes and raised his head. Angel was standing in front of him with her hands on her hips.
"Ready to proceed, Slave?"
The lash descended on the ragged remains of Dylan’s back and he clenched his teeth to keep from screaming aloud. As it was he could not contain the groan that escaped him. Angel merely smiled, waiting for his reaction to her question. Dylan stared at her.
"Are you ready to submit to me, Slave?"
"I am Dylan Hunt, Commonwealth Captain, HE 509 5C2 1922." His breath came in ragged gasps.
The whip descended as he finished speaking. He could no longer contain his cry of pain as the whip bit into his flesh once again. Argus had switched back to the bullwhip. At least the nerve inductor was not being used. Dylan could withstand the bullwhip.
"Submit, Slave."
"Never…" Dylan ground out the one word from between clenched teeth.
The whip connected with his ravaged back once again and he hung in his bonds as if he no longer had control of his extremities. He gasped for air. Sweat ran from his brow in rivulets.
Angel continued to study him. She could see his pain and his struggle to remain lucid and in control of himself. She smiled and lifted his chin. "All you have to do is submit, Slave."
"No!"
The whip bit into his flesh once again. He cried out.
"You are mine, Slave. Admit it."
Dylan raised his head and looked into her eyes. He was having trouble focusing. The pain in his arms and back was excruciating. He fought for every breath he took.
"Just say it. A simple ‘Yes, Mistress’ will stop this forever." Angel reached out and ran her hand down the side of his face.
Dylan shook his head, unable for the moment to voice his disagreement with her wishes. The lash fell once again, eliciting a groan of pain from the captive.
"Say it." Angel pointedly looked at Argus, then back to Dylan. "You can end this now."
Dylan could not even shake his head. He just looked at her, the pain evident in his eyes. She nodded to Argus once again and Dylan steeled himself for the next blow. What he wasn’t prepared for was the nerve inducer… The blow fell and Dylan’s back was immediately on fire. He screamed as the pain blossomed. Argus had turned up the settings and the pain radiated outward from the blow, not subsiding as it went but growing in intensity, radiating up Dylan’s arms and down his legs, leaving his writhing in pain and gasping for breath.
"Submit, Slave. You cannot survive if you do not surrender to my control." Angel looked into Dylan’s pain-filled eyes. He was gasping with every breath he took. She could see that he was on the edge of the abyss. "Say it Slave and all this will come to an end."
Dylan hung his head. "Yes, Mistress." The whispered response was the only thing to pass his lips before he succumbed to the darkness once again.
Angel smiled and walked out of the room. "Take him to his cell and treat those wounds, Argus."
*~*~*~*~*~*
The woman walked around the large steel table, studying the form upon it. She ran her finger up a bare arm and across a firm chest. She laid her hand flat on the chest, feeling the steady rise and fall of relaxed breathing. She looked the length of the bared body that was immobilized on the table before her.
She walked around the head of the table, examining the wires that ran from the large computer to the synaptic-enhancer her plaything was currently wearing.
"Isss he ready yet, Missstresss?"
"Almost, my pet. Almost."
"Will he remember thisss?"
"You mean, will he remember this room? Never. As far as he is concerned this room does not exist. His existence is his cell… his shackles… his submission… to me."
The woman watched the computer screen for a moment before making a slight adjustment to the program running there.
The large lizard-like creature bowed his head. "Yesss, Mistresss."
The woman turned and watched the man on the table as the new program began. Soon his breathing rate increased and his hands clenched and unclenched. His muscles tensed…
"Learn your lessons well, beautiful one."
*~*~*~*~*~*
"The ssslave is uncooperative, Missstressss." Argus paced in front of Dylan, holding onto a leash attached to the collar Dylan wore.
Angel stood with her hands on her hips. She looked at Dylan pointedly. He refused to look away. When she spoke it was with a deadly softness that sent shivers up his spine. "Argus, I believe our new slave needs further training. He is still obstinate and not fit for service here. Until further notice he belongs to you. Do with him what you will. I want him trained and obedient the next time he is brought before me."
Argus bowed to Angel. "Yesss, Missstresss." He yanked on the leash, pulling Dylan along behind him as he strode along unfamiliar corridors. Dylan had no choice but to follow.
*~*~*~*~*~*
"Rommie… "
"The answer is still no, Beka. Dylan asked for a week. He will get a week. Until that week is up we will remain here. If I had the slightest hint of trouble we would be searching for him. Give him this time."
Beka angrily stormed off the bridge. She eventually found herself in the gym working out her frustrations on the equipment there. Tyr found her there an hour later.
"Beka. I understand you and Rommie had… words this morning."
"Is that what you call it?" Beka hit the heavy bag once again, hard.
Tyr smiled and leaned against the doorframe watching Beka work out. She finally stopped and turned to look at him.
"What do you want, Tyr?"
"The answer to a question." He smiled at her again.
"So ask," she said, turning back to the heavy bag. She resumed her workout, fully aware of Tyr’s gaze.
"Dylan has been gone less than a day, Beka."
Beka stopped hitting the bag and leaned against it, trying to catch her breath. "I thought you had a question, Tyr." Sarcasm dripped from every word.
He chuckled. "So. Why are you in such a hurry to track him down, Beka? Do you have feelings for our Captain that I should know about?"
"No. Now go."
"I’m still waiting for the answer to my question…"
"I answered your damn question, Tyr. Now go."
"No. You answered one of the questions. The one about ‘why’ you are in such a hurry to go you haven’t answered."
Beka turned to Tyr. "Call it woman’s intuition. He’s in trouble, Tyr. That’s all I know."
"So. You do care for him"
Beka waved him away. "It’s not like that, Tyr. I just have a weird feeling about this and I think we should go looking for him… now."
Tyr crossed the distance between them in two steps. He swept Beka into his arms and kissed her. She pulled away slightly then melted into his arms. Her arms snaked around him, pulling his tight against her. Their passion flared.
"So. Where did that come from, Beka?" Tyr asked, releasing his hold on Beka.
Beka wiped the back of her hand across her bruised lips and glared at Tyr. "You tell me, lover boy."
Tyr chuckled, a low, seductive sound that sent shivers up Beka’s spine. "I’ve been meaning to do that for awhile, Beka. There’s more where that came from… that is, if we have time to explore our feelings… If we have to rush off to save Dylan, however…"
Beka looked at Tyr with growing amazement. She took off her boxing gloves and dropped them on the floor. "Why, Tyr. Why in the world would we have to rush off to find Dylan?" she asked innocently as she moved toward the Neitzchean with cat-like grace. "I thought he was just on holiday for a few days."
Tyr laughed his approval and swept her into his arms once again.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Dylan reluctantly followed Argus through unfamiliar corridors. They finally reached a heavy door. Argus stopped only long enough to pull it open. Dylan watched the muscles in the lizard’s back bunch and strain at the effort. As Argus was straining at the door, Dylan began to back away from the lizard. His leash fell to the ground and Dylan took the opportunity afforded him. He gathered the leash in his hands and ran. As he disappeared around the first corner he heard Argus bellow with rage.
Dylan kept running, taking corners at random, not caring about anything but putting as much distance between he and Argus as possible. He was weak and he knew he couldn’t hope to outrun the lizard for long. He had to find a hiding place and hole up.
Dylan could hear Argus gaining on him and began to wonder if he would ever get away. He turned another corner and another… and Argus kept going. He’d missed that last turn! Dylan stopped and leaned over, hands braced on his knees. He was gasping for air and fighting the dizziness that kept trying to overcome him. He was a free man at last!
Dylan chuckled and began to make his way cautiously down the corridor. He kept listening for any sounds of pursuit and when he didn’t hear any he began to relax ever so slightly. He continued on his way, searching for a way out of this prison. Once he found his way outside they would never find him.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Argus entered the very next room he came to. Angel looked up from her monitor as he entered. She smiled. "I told you he would run."
Argus stood at her side, his arms folded behind his back. "Yesss Missstresss, you did."
"Now we watch… and wait."
"Wait Missstresss? I do not understand."
"You will Argus. Watch this human and learn. He is arrogant. We will lead him to the outside and then spring our trap. He will be broken. He will be mine."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Dylan continued on his way, unaware of being watched. He tried several doors only to find them either locked or so heavy they could not be moved. Refusing to let despair overtake him Dylan continued onward, searching for his escape. Twice he traveled down corridors to find they ended in unmovable doors or blank walls. His frustrations grew but he retraced his steps and continued on. His determination grew, as did his anger. The third time he reached a dead-end he let his rage overtake him and he bellowed his frustrations to the air. He was answered with a far-away chuckle and he froze in place. //Damn fool, Dylan. Now you’ve given your position away. //
He wiped his sweat-soaked face on his shoulder and took a deep, shuddering breath. //Get ahold of yourself. You have to keep your head or you’ll never get out of here…// He retraced his steps once again to the last corridor then cautiously peered around the corner. He didn’t see anyone coming so he slipped around the corner and took another corridor. He moved cautiously and quietly, trying to hurry while making no noise to alert anyone of his passage. He moved in this manner until he heard slapping footsteps behind him. //Damn! Here he comes. // Dylan broke into a trot, trying to conserve his meager energy and still hold onto his freedom. The footsteps were growing louder as Dylan reached another intersecting corridor. He quickly turned down it without looking back for his pursuer. He broke into a full run, gasping for each breath that he took. The footsteps behind him grew louder. Dylan wrenched open the first door he came to and sprinted through it. He shut the door behind him and leaned against it for a moment to catch his breath. As Dylan moved away from the door he heard echoing footsteps approach. He quickly moved through the door at the opposite end of the room he was in. Dylan missed the low chuckle that sounded as the footsteps slowed before moving on down the hall.
Dylan ran until he could go no further… then he crawled, pulling himself along the wall, desperate to escape the horror his life had become. // Where are you going, Dylan? There is no place to run. The Maru is gone… the Andromeda… destroyed. // Dylan stopped, momentarily overcome by the thought of being totally, terribly alone. There was no one to rescue him… no one to take him away from this planet. // A slave? .. Forever? … // Half-starving and hallucinating from the tortures he had already suffered, Dylan leaned against the wall and hung his head. Approaching footsteps brought Dylan to his senses and he pushed his way through the door in front of him.
Dylan stumbled in the bright sunlight. Shackled as he was he couldn’t even lift his hands to shade his streaming eyes from the assault. After the gloom of the dungeon the bright light of day assaulted his senses and left him momentarily blinded. He floundered in the bright light of the planet’s double suns.
Dylan heard the attack before he saw it. He instinctively turned toward the sound of footfalls and caught an arm across his throat, bringing him to his knees in the hot sand. He choked and gasped for breath as Argus sent him into oblivion with a blow to the back of his head.
*~*~*~*~*
Dylan regained consciousness, the extreme heat and stifling blackness invading his oblivion. The air that wafted across his exposed flesh was blisteringly hot and Dylan could feel rivulets of sweat run down his body. He was still disoriented from the blow that sent him into oblivion and he only gradually became aware of his predicament one agonizing piece at a time. First the extreme heat… then the sweat… the inky blackness. He was blindfolded.
Excruciating pain in his wrists and shoulders told him he was suspended by his wrists. His feet barely brushed the blistering sand beneath him. Sand – he was still outside. His legs were tied to the same poles that held his arms apart. He felt like he was on the cross again. If not for the heat and sand that told him he was outside he would swear he was back in Angel’s training room.
An involuntary groan escaped his parched lips as he felt a pair of hands caress his sweat-soaked body. He was naked, exposed to the harsh elements. The hands were touching his body, wrapping some kind of cloth around his exposed loins. The hands moved with unhurried efficiency, smoothing the cloth and wrapping it snugly.
Dylan flinched at a sudden ripping sound. Then he felt the hands wrapping something around him again, molding it to his loins. Whatever this was it stuck tightly to his exposed skin at the edges of the cloth. He flinched from the touch but the hands continued with their task.
After a few minutes the hands were removed and Dylan was alone again… more alone in the inky blackness than he had ever felt before. He waited, determined to hold onto his dignity… to not lose control and beg to know if he was really alone or if someone, anyone was there.
After what seemed like an eternity had passed Dylan felt hands on his body once again. Soft, feminine hands. He shrank from the touch and heard a low mocking laugh. //Angel. //
"What’s the matter Slave?" She ran her hands over his sweat-soaked body eliciting a groan from her captive. She smiled and reached up behind Dylan’s neck, pulling him to her for a brutal kiss. He fought her but had no leverage to pull away as her tongue forced its way into his mouth. She kissed him brutally until his body betrayed him and he began to respond to her. It was then that she pushed him savagely away. He hung in his bonds, panting from the heat… from the kiss. It was difficult to distinguish between his body’s reactions.
"You ran away from me Slave." Angel’s hands were on him again, tracing lazy patterns on his flesh. Dylan clenched his jaw, determined to give no response to her. Her hands moved slowly over him, possessively. She was showing him that he belonged to her. He was her property to do with as she wished. "Your defiance cannot go unpunished." He felt her turn away from him. "Argus, give him five."
Argus gaped at his Mistress. "Five?" he stammered. Dylan could hear the fear in his voice.
"Five Argus," came the cool reply.
"Yes Missstresss."
Dylan heard a low hum and had no time to tense before the first blow fell. He figured it would be the lash but was unprepared for the nerve inductor. The blow fell, deceptively gentle on his flesh. He felt a sting then the pain blossomed into a burning fire that ran the length of his nerves. The pain flared, along nerve endings, searing the length of his arms and down his back to his legs. His entire body spasmed and then the second blow fell. He screamed as the pain flared once again, hurtling him toward oblivion.
A hypo-spray brought him back to consciousness. He barely had time to draw in a pain-wracked breath when the lash descended once again, this time on his front. He screamed at the touch, arching his back with involuntary muscle spasms. He never thought anything could be worse than the blows to his back… until his front was ravaged by the lash.
Argus stopped with two lashes to Dylan’s front. The debilitating effects of the lash left him sagging into the ropes immobilizing his limbs. He drew in a ragged breath but didn’t have the strength to lift his head. He could feel the sweat running off his body, dripping off his feet onto the parched ground. He was gasping for each breath he drew into his lungs.
"Listen, Slave."
Dylan started at the sound of Angel’s whisper.
"Can you hear them coming?"
Dylan listened, hearing nothing. Presently he thought he could hear the slightest of clicking sounds.
Angel giggled. "They’re coming…" Angel bent and picked something up off the ground. It was a mesh sphere. She walked over to Dylan and placed it over his head. He thrashed, trying to throw it off. "Stop fighting me, Slave. This helmet may be the only thing that saves your life now." She taped the edges of the crude helmet to his neck and then backed away from her prisoner. "You wanted to experience all my planet has to offer. You are about to experience la petite morte… the little death."
Dylan could hear the clicking getting closer. Suddenly something touched his foot. He jerked in response and felt a searing bite. The sting grew into pain, which flared. Dylan’s heel became numb. Now he felt something on his other foot… and his leg.
"The little death, Slave. You will experience this. La petite morte are like the scorpions of Earth. They are attracted to the moisture from your body. They will crawl over you and suck the moisture from your skin. They will bite you, injecting their venom into you. You will feel the fire of their bites… and the numbness of their creeping poisons. They will attack anything that is exposed. That is the sole reason for the loincloth and the helmet. I don’t want you choking on them when you scream."
The scorpions crawled over his flesh and then the feeding began. Dylan screamed until he could scream no more and darkness overcame him once again.