“Earther-thers? I had never seen one in person. You say?You say?I’m not impressed. But I can’t judge a cell by its casing. Yes,yes? For all we know, their DNA might hold answers to life itself. Or not-not.” The supreme swept his arms wide, and the entire stadium trilled. Even to my human ears, it sounded like forced laughter mixed in with a tinge of desperation.
Is his voice attached to a megaphone?The whole stadium now watched.
“Too flea-ridden for the sex cages-ges. Too-toowild to mine. But maybe they have potential to compete as you say, my First. What say you,you?” He motioned to the stands.
The arena erupted in squawks and shrieks.
Can’t tell if that’s good or bad.
“Look-look, two more. Just as filthy as the first-first.” The supreme’s plume of feathers snapped up and then settled. “Youdareto stand in my presence-ence!”
Nieve and Querida stood with mouths agape before Nime tapped the back of their knees. They hit the floor and seemed to get the message, leaning in to grovel before the supreme.
With no energy to answer, I looked to Nieve.This is our chance.Use your powers for good. For once! Bullshit this supreme, and get us some perks—or else we’re dead. I shut my eyes in frustration and thought of Valentina and talking to her.Talking.My vid-phone. I looked at Nieve, tapped my palm, and then canted my head toward the supreme.
Nieve sat up on her knees. Hopefully, she could pull this off. I lied fluently but usually ruined the ruse by doing something evil that gave me away. Nieve, on the other hand, could interact seamlessly with commoners and kings. Educated and spoiled, her beauty should have guaranteed a pampered life. Her scarred hands and arms sent her to New Angeles, where she’d learned to race for her life like the rest of us commoners.
After the AI Wars, the population had almost been wiped out by disease and famine. Geneticists glued the human race back together by gene splicing and intermingling DNA donated by all remaining humans. It created stronger genes. Noone was any one ethnicity or race, but if you were lucky enough to win the genetic jackpot—like Nieve with her shining beauty—it was your ticket to fortune and prosperity.
“Perhaps I should use less difficult words. Yes,yes? So, they comprehend. It-itis obvious they have no complex reasoning.” The supreme screeched, causing both humans and warriors to wince in pain. “Do-doyou understand now? Yes-ssss?
Nieve blinked and then seemed to get with the program. “Why, thank you, Your Excellence. Of course, I can understand now. Your speech is perfection.” Nieve bowed as if she were addressing Earth’s High Counsellor.
The alien supreme ate it up. “So true,so true. What are you called?”
“I am Nieve. This is Querida and Hera.” She pointed at me on the floor.
All feeling had left my body. My limbs felt as heavy as concrete—my mind heading toward a factory shut down. I had minutes before lights out.
“She runs fast-fast? You run, too?” The supreme pranced around the stage, disregarding his bodyguards and me lying on the floor. He stepped on my hair,twice, yet gave no sign of noticing. Every once in a while, he’d whip out those rancid-smelling tongues to scent the air. He seemed very interested in Nieve’s mouth. “You run like the dead one on the floor-floor?”
I tried not to take the dead thing personally. Instead, I silently urged Nieve to lie her ass off.
She responded with a quick smile. “We are all strong racers.”
The supreme’s feathers snapped up above his head. “Teeth? Disgusting-ing.” He appeared mollified when she shut her mouth. “Perhaps this will not work.”
“Give them to me!” Freckles popped up out of nowhere, slowly inching toward me.
“No!” Loxo stepped forward, his red eye swirling.
“Calm, brother,” Sunny whispered to Loxo and blocked him from the supreme’s view. He addressed the leader. “They are thefastest I’ve seen. Perhaps we try them in the Great Race? That is what they were captured for, my Supreme. For your pleasure.”
“You-yousupport them, First?” The supreme’s shrewd gaze devoured Xefe.
Xefe tipped up his chin. The equivalent of an alien nod.
“Take-takethem tomorrow to the training center and see if they’re worth the bother. I’m hoping they don’t disappoint me-me.” He ran his eyes over Nieve and winced. “But first, shave their heads-heads. They are infested-ed.”
“No,” my whispered word was directed at Nieve, but the supreme spun around.
“She-shespeaks? Not as dead as I thought-thought?”
With the last of my strength, I used two of my fingers as scissors and shook my head.
Nieve snapped out of her trance and bowed low, her curtsy flawless. “Oh, Powerful One. Please may I speak?”
The supreme narrowed his fiery eyes on her and looked to the crowds. “I will allow it-it.”
