There was a pounding in my head, sharp and intense as I started to stir awake. My eyes flew open, which I regretted immediately as a strange blue light sent specks of black across my vision.
Rubbing them with the backs of my hands, I yawn and realize that the pounding was actually some sort of alarm in the room I was in. Which didn't make any sense, was I not still in my cryostatis chamber aboard Jenko Galatic?
Looking around I took in my surroundings, confused at the silver metal bunks and cold stony floors. There were a few open toilets and one sink that I naturally assumed was shared between everyone here. It was designed in a circle sort of like the dormitories back home on Earth, which ment little privacy.
Most of the other bunks were occupied by various species of aliens, some of whom I had not yet read about or met before. They were all wearing uniforms made of some sort of brown material, some just waking up like me while others were already heading towards a door at the 5 o'clock side from my bunk.
Confused I tried to remember how I had gotten here. I was suppose to be on Jenko with Fenyal, Kiko, Jareld, Sasha, Professor Winston, and our engineer Orion. We were the first team of scientists being sent to study the metal properties of Kufier, an alien planet of the Drogo Astroid galaxy whom we had recently made successful contact with and a fragile alliance.
Kufier was one of thousands of planets Earth had made alliances with since the discovery of galactic life nearly two centuries ago. Earth had healed from its over-pollution as advance technologies and foreign materials repaired the ozone layers and air quality. Many things had changed for the better, and I had always been inspired by how intergalactic relations had saved our planet from extinction.
I, Freya Tettra, was proud to of accepted the mission to Kufier, even though it ment leaving everything behind and never seeing my family again. Space travel was dangerous, and cryostatis kept you frozen in a sleep-trance for as long as the journey took.
You wouldn't age even if it took decades to reach your destination, but it ment your family would most likely pass away before you ever returned. I have left behind my parents and older sister, but it was going to be worth it to bring honor to our name.
But that doesn't seem the case, as I have somehow ended up here in this strange place! Looking down I see that my space suit has been replaced with the same brown material clothing as the others, which is surprisingly soft and tough at the same time.
What the hell? I wobble to my feet and turn around to see if I can find my shoes. I'm sorely disappointed as I find a black mesh material shoe instead of my baby-blue Nike's.
Glancing at the alien next to me, I realise she is a Myrian and feel hopeful that perhaps I am somewhere with an Earth alliance. Myrians have pastel body colors, generally taller in height averaging 6ft in human measurement. This one was a pastel purple with silver cat-eyes, her shimmery violet hair cut to just below her shoulders.
"Hi, do you speak in Earth english?" I gush out in Myrian as she glances over at me, her eyebrows raised as she slips on her shoes.
"I know some but would prefer if you know better my native language human," she replied sharply, glancing around at the gathering line at the doors.
"What is your name?" I asked as I straightened my blankets and turned to face her. I hoped she might be able to shed some light on where we were.
Grunting, she stared down at me with a raised eyebrow before answering, "Lalcorett," and attempted to evade me by quickly going to her place in line.
I followed her with determination, noting how rigid her stance was. Shaking off the obvious attempt to lose me, I leaned forward on my tiptoes to whisper, "Where are we and what is this place? I was on-".
"Shhh human before you get us punished!" Lalcorett whispered quickly before the doors opened and the line moved forward.
Considering the fact I may of been abducted from my ship by space raiders or gladiator slavers, I shut up and attempted to keep pace, doing my best to hide my face as I attempted quick studies of the corridors we were marching through. On each side of our line there was an armed guard bearing beam reflector rifles, which suggested that I was definitely in a prison of some sort.
I took a deep breath to keep myself calm, the reality of the situation tightening my throat as fear ran through me. Where was my crew, our ship? What happened and how had I ended up here? And most importantly, why couldn't I remember anything? These questions rang in my head as the cold floor raised up into a huge steel looking door, loud conversations buzzing behind it as our line was stopped in front of it.
Two guards at the entrance started to run their hands over each person, moving down the line. I figured they must be looking for weapons so I relaxed as they made their way closer to me. The one who reached me was a male, which was only given away by his bulging shoulder muscles and huge horns poking from his helmet. He pulled back the sleeves of my shirt and scanned it with a tint electric pulse device, which I quickly recognized as a code scanner.
I shook as he grabbed my other arm and repeated the action, growling at me as he put the device away and jerked me from the line by my shoulder. He spewed a jumble of growls and clicks which I couldn't understand, so I just gave him the best facial expression of confusion I could muster and said in English, "Sorry but I don't understand you sir."
The guard tried a different language which I halfway understood, Uldried, and I got a gist of what he was saying. Which was somewhere along the lines of what had I done with my identification codes. Confused, I replied, "I have an identification chip in my right frontal lobe, and there must be confusion here because I am no criminal."
He hissed and barked orders to his partner in his native tongue, which I guess my translator was not programmed with, and I shook as he roughly pushed me towards a smaller red door. I looked back at Lalcorett as he took me away, watching as she stared after me with furrowed eyebrows. Defiantly not a good sign. Looks like I would have to find a way to speak to someone in charge before I got shot or worse around here.
I was forced to look ahead as he opened the door with a thumb print, shoving me in front of him and blocking the view of the others off completely. There were red lamps along the walls that blinked rapidly, showering everything in the errie glow. Shuffling forward, I sighed as we made our way around several corners, occasionally taking other side doors that just led to more hallways. Eventually we arrived at a halogenic pad, which was basically just a silver metal flat square you climbed onto and floated up on like an elevator.
Surprised, I looked around and noticed there were finally others around us. Most were guards but I spotted several persons who seemed well dressed. Various species where present, which ment I was on some sort of intergalactic planet or ship! Even if this was an enemy territory, I could hack the system and get a rescue from the nearest Cyber force! My relief was short lived as my stomach tried to heave itself at the sudden rise of the pad, the speed much faster than the ones at home. The gravity force actually forced me to bend my back, which was just another question added on to my list. Would have to try a gravity test later at my bunk if I survived whatever was about to happen.
The guard who had walked me snorted, which I guess was his way of saying I was pathetic. As the pad came to a halt at the 87th floor ( I kept count in case it was important), I stiffened my back and swallowed the bile in my throat, refusing to look any weaker than i was. Naturally I was a scientist, not a fighter, and even though I had a strong spirit form, my physical body couldn't withstand my powers. At least on Earth it had been this way. I came from a long line of druids, which was why I had such a clever mind at the sciences. However our people were hated upon by other humans and so we tried to blend in with society. This was why I hoped to be successful, and finally give my bloodline honor in the eyes of all humanity.
I was still young however, and I was learning how to use my gifts as they came. No two druids were ever the same. Right now I was just super smart and able to throw my enemies with twice the force of my physical body which wasn't much to begin with. So really I was no better than the average smart human. And right now I was really out of my element, cluelessly stumbling for mental fortitude.
Lost in thought, I grunted in surprise when the guard shoved me in front of him and off the platform. I stumbled trying to regain my balance, glaring back at him only to see him roll his eyes in annoyance. Oh the things I wanted to say to the ugly grey skinned oaf! He wasted no time and moved us away from the halogen pad, taking a right turn down a very wide and busy hallway.
Unlike from where we came from, this area was heavily trafficked by people. Several stalls were strewn along the sides selling what smelled like food. Sniffing the air, my stomach growled at the sweet smells invading my nose. How I wished I was having French toast stuffed with strawberries and cream cheese right now back on my ship!
These thoughts of food distracted me enough that I hadn't realized where we had somehow started up a flight of stairs. I tripped on a step, my arms flailing as I let out a surprised shriek. I actually screamed as a grey arm wrapped around my waist, the shock leaving me tongue tied as the oaf threw me over his shoulder. How embarrassing this was! I beat my fist against his back, even though I knew my hits were absorbed by his amour. He growled at me, clicking out his weird native tongue before he threw in some phrases my translator could pick out. "Stupid female, pain in my ass, should of just done this earlier, such a slow thing." Offended at his obvious rudeness, I refused to let up my fists as he hauled me the rest of the way to our destination.
I couldn't see where we had stopped since the brute's shoulders blocked everything out above me. It felt like an eternity as I felt his shoulders tense up, his hands pulling my legs to help me off of him. He caught me mid fall, but the impact still hurt my heels so I stamped out the pain. He gave me a strange look, which I returned before I turned around to see where he had taken me. My eyes grew into huge saucers as I read the sign above the elegantly carved door, the language raising my hope as I recognized it as Kufierian!