Plutonian

Chapter 34

The chants of the humans and Plutonian's pound against the walls outside, I can feel the angst in their cheers beat into my skin, shaking me down to my bones. The crowd is wild today and it has barely been two matches.

My fingers tighten around the smooth fabric of the seat I am on, knowing that my match is after the next.

"Did you sleep well? You look more tense than you were before the last match," Cassandra states and points one of her dainty fingers at my eyes.

Just like last time, she was brought to keep me company before my match today and I was utterly thankful. Sitting here alone waiting for my turn would have driven me mad.

I look at her calm and rested face and think of last night.

Did I sleep well? Surprisingly yes. After admitting the monstrous things Lucian has been up to, he had held on to my hand and slept like a baby. No nightmares, no out bursts, not even a slight shake. It was almost as if him admitting his plans and reassuring me that he was going to save the humans made him feel better than I did.

Thinking about him made me remember the Plutonian's horrible plans to bring in two thousand children within these next few weeks. The thought of so many children being hauled up in the slave quarters at the North gates made me sick. Not to mention this so called virus on Earth which had been unleashed and were killing humans at this instant.

I couldn't help but think of my family. What if they were infected? What if they died before I could ever see them again?

The thought caused a bubble of fear to form in my chest. It was all too much. I couldn't bear not knowing.

The sound of a whistle blowing told me the next match has started. Mine was next.

I grab Cassandra's hands, startling her in the process.

"Wha---," She begins but I quickly shush her.

I look at our human attendant who is standing by the door, a young boy who is clearly listening in on our conversation.

"Can you excuse us for one minute?" I ask him in a firm voice. Thankfully he is much younger and my stern expression makes him quickly nod his head and leave the room through a small tunnel that leads to the other waiting rooms.

"Did you know about them bringing in a thousand humans next week?" I ask her in a whisper, unable to keep it inside anymore. Hopefully, her master would have told her.

She stares at me with a shocked expression and then she slowly nods her head. "Siphus told me they're going to announce it today."

Her admission surprises me. Why does she look so calm?

"There's a virus on Earth. Apparently it's killing many humans," I choke out the words as images of my parents and brother flit through my mind painfully.

"Yes, that's why they're bringing as many as they can here," She says in a soft voice and I look up into her green eyes wondering if she believes her own words.

"Cassandra, that's two thousand. Two thousand slaves who will be tortured, enslaved and killed," I say angrily. Her calmness about the whole situation makes me feel even worse.

"Not all will die. Look at us," She says and I am at a loss for words.

"How can you not see how wrong this is? What if it's all a lie? A ploy to bring more of us here to be tortured? Have you forgotten your slave days already?" I rant on in a harsh tone and she quickly covers my mouth with her hand.

"Are you insane? Talking like that will get you killed," She hisses and then she looks around in paranoia. "I don't believe Siphus would lie to me. He has treated me well so far and he genuinely cares for the humans. The Plutonian's are going to be saving all those children. They can't catch the disease if they're here and yes some of them - the weaker ones- might die along the way but the stronger ones will survive just like we did. It will be an honor for them to serve our predecessors like we are. Imagine living on Earth, never knowing about our origins, about the extent of the colonization of the Great Plutonian empire. Imagine going through life never knowing how vast the universe is."