Confrontation (Baldwin's Legacy Book 1) by Nathan Hystad

Author:Nathan Hystad [Hystad, Nathan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Woodbridge Press
Published: 2019-12-14T16:00:00+00:00

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“This is food?” Penter asked, picking up the bowl and setting it down hurriedly. Some of the slop dripped over the edge onto the metal table. Thousands of Bacals were inside the space, each eating their rations for the day.

There were barrels of water along the outer walls, and Brax assumed this was all one spark of illness away from turning into a cesspool of filth and death. The slaves drank the gruel from the bowls, not being given any utensils. A few of the people attempted to speak to the armor-wearing Statu, but not once did Brax hear a reply.

No one made a move against their captors, not since the first five had been killed as an example. The smell inside the huge room was overwhelming, far worse than even the room on the ship had been. Brax was amazed at how quickly an advanced race could become nothing more than despondent animals in a pen. It was terrifying. Some part of him clung to the hope of rescue by the Constantine crew, but he knew it was a long shot.

Brax sighed and ate the rest of the flavorless food. Abbil was beside him, her hair pulled into a long ponytail. She was a tough woman, but that was about all he knew of her.

“Abbil, you said you were in town watching the Regent’s speech. What did you do for a living?” Brax asked her.

She didn’t even look up from her bowl. “I’m a teacher. I suppose I was a teacher,” she said.

“I don’t think you’ll ever stop being one, then,” Brax told her. “Just like Penter here will always take his training as a guard with him everywhere he goes, right?”

“That’s right.” Penter nodded firmly. “I thought you looked familiar. Did you teach at the Northern Institute?”

Abbil smiled finally at the mention of the school name. “Don’t tell me I taught your children,” she said.

“No. My kid wasn’t old enough yet. I did security there a few seasons for extra pay,” he told her, and she nodded.

“I worked at my husband’s bakery on weekends.”

“Not uncommon for our people to work every day of the week, is it?” Penter asked, and Brax found he was enjoying the normal conversation, even if the setting was dire.

“I imagine that won’t change now that we’re… slaves.” Abbil pushed her half-full bowl away.

“You should eat it,” Brax suggested. “You’re going to need the energy.”

“So I can do what?”

“I…”

“Be a slave for these masked freaks?” Abbil appeared ready to sound off, so Brax grabbed hold of her arm, keeping her in the seat.

“Shhhh. We’re going to figure this out. Together. I need you to stay calm and listen to me. I’m going to get us out of this,” Brax said quietly. She resisted at first, but he felt her posture go slack; her arm dangled loosely beside her.

An alarm rang out, three quick blasts of a terrible noise, and it was over. Penter stood up and peered around the room. “I guess that means the dinner party’s over.

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