INSIDE AN ALIEN SPACESHIP
"Put them in the tanks for tonight," said Grenta. "I'm hitting the sack."
"Yes, doctor," the tall, hunky man said.
Tracy trembled involuntarily as the doctor walked away from the two tables, his footsteps ringing loud and hollow against the floor. Her hands and feet were still handcuffed to the rigid table. The only part of her body she could move was her head. Rev's head turned towards the direction of the departing doctor; he was listening intently. When the solid noise of metal clanging against metal faded to nothing, he started to relax.
The words the doctor spoke only moments before were stuck in Tracy's head.
"We have good news and bad news, Captain. The bad news is that we lost one of the cargo to cellular breakdown. She was unable to adapt to the conversion. But the good news is that both of the new cargo are at seventy-eight percent compatibility with the Kerdos genome. With conversion we can bump that to ninety-eight percent, more than enough for genetic compatibility."
The metal walls around surrounding her looked like a ship. A cold chill ran down her spine. Where were they, exactly?
Was she destined to end up a sex slave in some bordello, or part sheik's harem? She had heard news reports of things like that, and Hollywood made good money from abduction movies.
Because her life was far removed from this kind of horror show or filmmaker's fantasy, the situation Tracy found herself in was almost too much for her to process. Making things worse was the talk of genetic conversion, which she didn't understand at all - biology wasn't her best subject in high school. Combine all that with being bound like a medical specimen to a rigid table, Tracy was very frightened. As adrenaline pumped through her body from her fear, her head started to clear, and she came to understand that she and Carol were in the gravest of situations.
An inquisitive handsome face was staring down at her.
"What's going to happen now?" Tracy said. Her heart raced. She wasn't sure if it was because she was frightened, or because of the way he looked at her. This gorgeous man took in every inch of her, drinking in her appearance as if he spent too long in the desert thirsting for water.
Rev shook his head. "You really don't want to know."
There had to be a way to get to him and leverage her situation so she could free herself and Carol!
"I actually think I want to. Because that was some weird stuff the doctor was saying. A real font of humanity, that one."
"That's the first thing that might be shocking - he isn't human."
"Well, no one talking about me like that would be!"
He shrugged his shoulders and moved his hands on a panel under the view screen, contemplating whatever he saw there. Tracy didn't like him ignoring her.
"Is Carol okay?"
He looked over his shoulder at her friend, then rested his eyes on Tracy for a moment.
"Yes, for the time being."
"So, why don't you tell me what's going on here, big guy. Because I'll tell you, being knocked out and tied up is NOT my idea of a fun date. I know some women are into that sort of thing, but me, I'm as vanilla as they come."
"Vanilla?" he said cocking his head to the side.
"Yes, like the flavor?"
"You taste like vanilla?"
He moved closer to the table, staring at her body. He closed his eyes as if the sight of her was overwhelming. Cax touched her breast lightly with the tip of his finger and ran it down her side to her hips. Her skin tingled and his touch sending shivers through her. She swallowed hard. Whatever was going on with Mr. Hunky, she needed to keep her focus on getting out of this mess.
"Do you think you can unlock me?" said Tracy. "I need to use the bathroom."
"Bath...oh, the convenience. You need to relieve yourself."
"Yes!"
"That is the least I can do for you."
Cax unlocked the restraints on her feet, and then her hands, watching her warily, like he had a lot of training or something. She pushed away from the table to sit upright and
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