Exile by Al Sarrantonio & Donato Giancola

Author:Al Sarrantonio & Donato Giancola [Sarrantonio, Al]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Space Opera, General, Fiction, Science Fiction, American, Imaginary Wars and Battles, Twenty-Fifth Century
ISBN: 9780451455215
Publisher: Roc
Published: 1996-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

On his fifth day as a woman giving birth, Dalin Shar was visited by Erik.

There had been three more visits by the authorities, two in the last day alone, prompting more birthing performances and necessitating that the king remain constantly in bed, ready for another performance at a moment's notice.

"It is no longer safe for you to be here," Erik said brusquely. Dalin had the feeling he was being brusque so that Dalin would not challenge him.

"I can't argue with you, Erik," the king said, patting his prosthetic womb. "I don't know how many more times I can give life to that." Dalin pointed to the rubber doll's head, splashed in fake blood, which lay propped on the bed table like a guillotined horror.

To Dalin's surprise, Erik completely ignored his levity.

"It has been decided that you will be transported elsewhere," Erik said, as if the king had not spoken. After a moment he added, "Offworld."

"Offworld! That is impossible! How am I to fight my enemies if I am not here? No—I won't hear of it!"

Erik now looked at him.

"It is not your decision, Your Majesty."

"Of course it is my decision! What you do for me is my decision! I am your king!"

Erik spoke slowly. "It has been decided that you would be safer in another place, off the Earth. I have been ordered to help that take place."

Dalin's voice rose to an indignant shout. "Ordered? By whom? Who has decided these things?"

"I am sorry, Sire," Erik said.

Behind Erik, an unsmiling Porto, along with the dour young man with hooded eyes, whose name Dalin had yet to learn, entered. The nameless man held a hypodermic tube firmly in one hand and now had a wry little smile on his face.

"Do what you must," Erik said, leaving the room as Porto took hold of Dalin's shoulders and held him firmly.

Raising the hypodermic, the dour man said, "Gladly."

Dalin awoke in darkness with a headache and a feeling of weightlessness, which was something he had never experienced. For a moment he panicked until he realized that he must be in the hold of a shuttle.

However, his explorations in the dark did not support this. His first discovery was stubble on his chin, which told him that he had been unconscious for a number of days. He seemed to be dressed in some sort of jumpsuit, which was secured with elastic bands to one side of the enclosure, keeping him from floating free.

After some fumbling he was able to undo the straps,, which allowed him to explore his surroundings.

There was not much to find. He was enveloped in a hexagonal box, barely wider than his own height. Four of the six walls were perfectly smooth. One was recessed with what felt like a window covering, but which was impervious to his efforts to open it. The sixth proved fruitful, for it was encased with what felt like a Screen and which proved, indeed, to be just that.

When Dalin ran his hand over the engage strip, the screen blazed into life, blinding him.

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