Chapter 9: Inquiries

Charlie, Nicole and Sarah were blindfolded and guided by the robed people through a door and down some unknown stairway. Then, the echoes of a long hallway could be heard, and next was stone grinding against stone. One by one, first Charlie, then Nicole, they were picked off and then Sarah was the only one remaining.

The towheaded young woman wept, terrified of what was to befall her, so terrified in fact that her legs felt as though they'd turned to jelly and she could no longer support her own weight. She was lifted from both sides and carried along. “I've never done anything bad in my life! I haven't even squished a fly! Please! Please don't hurt me!” she screamed.

Nicole heard Sarah's anguished cries and this encouraged her to fight back in order to protect her friend. “Don't hurt her!” she demanded as she drop kicked one of the people escorting her, sending the robed person crashing violently to the floor. She only got five feet before she was grabbed by an onslaught more of them and carried, kicking and screaming, forcibly into a cell.

Charlie heard the commotions as well, and he pulled against his captors to no avail. “Sarah! Nicole! Nooo!!” he enjoined clamorously as he was being pushed into his own room.

�™

Cold water splashed on Pen's face, jolting him awake. He sat up with haste, the world around him swaying. Before he could get his bearings, he was forcibly brought to his feet and guided through the door of a moderately sized gray room with a domed ceiling and cold lighting within the walls. It was barren but for two stools that were bolted to the floor. He was sat down at one of the stools and only then managed to glance at his captors. Two red robed figures even taller than himself stood silently on either side of him, their faces hidden behind the shadow of their cloaks.

His heart beat hard as a thought came screaming into his mind.

'I've been caught! No, I refuse to do this again. I can't!'

From behind the mad scientist, another cloaked figure entered the room, feet delicately padding against the floor. These red cloaks were all entirely the same, simple deep red fabric containing borders of decorative words sewn with golden thread. The third individual sat at the only other stool available and crossed delicate hands in her lap. Pen looked down at her feet, glowering with hatred.

“Remove his binds,” she ordered. One of Pen's eyebrows quirked momentarily before he reset his face. The cloaked person to his right used a small, round and white device against the collar and it fell, clanging to the floor. He hadn't realized until that point just how heavy it was. His neck suddenly felt exposed and unprotected as the air hit it.

“Why did you take it off?” he wondered as he lightly stroked his bare neck, savoring the unfamiliar sensation. The woman removed her hood, revealing herself. He stood up, heart sinking, but was forced back down by the two guards. “Maita?!”

She smiled at being recognized and greeted him kindly, “Hello Pen.” He didn't return the sentiment. Maita continued the conversation regardless. “Who are you, really?”

The man looked at her as if she were stupid.

“What's your name?” she specified.

He gave a derisive laugh. “Don't you know?”

Maita sighed with patience, maintaining her pleasantry. “No, unless your name really is Pen, which I highly doubt. You're not in any systems. Not your name, your genetics, finger print, nor your iris. You don't exist.” The prisoner looked surprised but quickly masked it, instead mockingly shrugging his shoulders at her. “That's odd.”

“Odd, and suspicious,” she declared, watching him. He nodded in agreement, “Yes, very suspicious I'd say.” She acknowledged his answer. “Alright, fine. If you want to play it that way, I'll ask something else. How did you get past security onto New Holborgon?”

He again shrugged his shoulders, this time with a growing grin of self-satisfaction on his face. She looked away and pinched her nose, sighing with a little less patience. “Eeek says she saw you falling from the sky. What happened?”

The madman smirked. “Sky diving.”

♍

“What's your name?” came an effeminate voice just ahead of him.

“Charlie,” the redhead croaked as his blindfold was removed. He looked at his captor but he could not discern a face under the red hood.

“We'd like to ask you a few questions Charlie. Will you answer them and behave well?” the female cloaked figure requested.

Charlie's face distorted into a mix between fear and confusion, “Yeah, I guess so.”

“How did you get past security?” she inquired.

Charlie's eyes widened. “What security? I didn't mean to do anything illegal,” he contended.

“Just how did you get on this planet?”

“I'm sorry! I didn't mean to break any laws!” the redhead entreated. “I'm not from here! Ask Pen how I got on this planet. He's the one who got us here! I kept telling him to bring us back!”

♏

“What's your name?” requested a stern male voice just ahead.

“Nicole Serrano, and don't you forget it!” the raven haired girl bellowed.

“How did you get to this planet?” asked the voice.

“I walked! Show yourself to me, you coward!” Nicole warned.

The man plainly scoffed at her. “No.”

♊

“Calm yourself. I'm taking off your blindfold,” cooed a modest sounding hooded figure. Sarah bawled hysterically as she was made to see again.

What's your name?”

Hardly understandable, she sputtered “Saraaah!” between sobs.

“How did you get here on New Holborgon?”

The blond shook her head and wiped at her wet cheeks. “I don't, I don't, I don't knoooow! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!”

⚵

Maita leaned in close, challenging Pen with an ominous look in her eyes. “Do you think I'm playing with you? That this is some sort of game? I want answers.” With a foolish grin, the nutcase clapped his hands in merriment. “Games? I love games! What are we playing?”

Maita grabbed him by his hood and threw him off the chair in one swift motion. He fell to the floor, catching himself with his hands, all the while laughing like a gleeful maniac. She loomed over him threateningly, any semblance of nicety long gone. “Who do you work for? Tell me!”

Pen snorted, his laughter subsiding. “Is this some kind of trick question?”

She took a deep breath and regained her composure. “No.”

He looked up at the domed ceiling as he shifted to be comfortably seated on the floor. “The universe! I can't work for anyone else. I just can't. I'm a scientist, not a warrior. Don't get me wrong, I love what you've done with the place, much better than the other one, but I just can't stay here. I've got places to go and people to see! Or was it people to go and places to see? No, I think it was right the first time. Yeah.”

Maita gritted her teeth, “Just answer the question!” Pen groaned, “Are you deaf? I did! I said 'the universe'! I only work for the betterment of life, not for war hungry idiots such as yourselves!” Her anger subsided, replaced with growing confusion. “War hungry idiots?”

Another robed figure came into the room and headed for Maita, “May I have a moment?” she requested. Maita rubbed her face in frustration. “Can't you see I'm in the middle of an interrogation? This had better be important.” The other woman took her aside and they had a word out of earshot as the prisoner was brought back to the holding cell by the two tall and silent body guards.

Author's Note

Some of the symbols breaking the scenes aren't showing properly. I'll have to replace them with ones that work, but for now, any off looking symbols like "TM" should be disregarded.