Read Riss Series 5: The Riss Challenge for Free Online Page B
Authors: C. R. Daems
Tags: Science-Fiction
happen.
she sent as the soldiers drove one spike after another through her hands and feet.
"Talk to her, or I will skin it alive," he snarled at the standing Riss. When he got no response, he motioned to one of the guards. "Skin it."
Thalia sent.
It didn't help. As I watched the skin being peeled from her...vehicle, I laughed. Neifeh spun around, arm raised, but he stopped before the blow landed.
"You think that funny? You won't when it's you."
"I think it's funny you think force is the answer to everything. You could make me talk to the Riss with force, but you cannot make the Riss talk to me through force. Look, she died before your butcher began cutting. They know you are going to kill them, so they have nothing to lose. Like me. So get on with it." The moment of truth. Had I pushed the idiot past sanity?
He stood quiet, looking back and forth among the staked-out Riss, the one Riss standing emotionlessly, and me. Through my connection with Thalia, I could feel his shifting emotions: rage, anger, frustration, and finally fear. The realization that he could fail finally hit home.
"You have a solution," he asked, "to dying?"
"I'm old and no longer afraid of death, but...I'm not in a rush. I need medical attention, since I think I'm bleeding to death. In the meantime, take off the collars, get tables and proper food to eat, bedding to sleep on, and toilet facilities. Then in a few days, when I've recovered, I'll talk to them. That should give them a reason to talk with me. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain." I said, mentally crossing every appendage.
Neifeh stood quiet for a minute. "Pray it works, Ioana." He turned to Henrick. "Do as she says, and have her back here in three days." He stormed back to his shuttle and was gone in minutes.
"Eventually, the Admiral is going to make you pay for this," Henrick said, almost to himself.
"There is only today, Lieutenant. Tomorrow and eventually may never come," I said, still reeling over the death of the Riss, Gentle forest stream in the spring time. I spent a few minutes with Henrick, explaining the Riss were vegetarians and how to make them more comfortable. I had to admit, he was receptive to my advice, probably curious to see if my non-forcible approach would work.
* * *
"I'm losing weight worrying about you with those thugs. Of course, I'd have done something stupid, like killing the bastards. He could have shot you in the head instead of the knee." Terril's voice rose with each word. Ni'Shay sat quietly on the other side of my bed. The doctor had removed the shards, stitched the torn skin, and bandaged the knee, leaving Thalia to repair the internal damage.
"He does have a bit of a temper," I said, smiling. "I'll bet he dreams of killing me every night. The only thing keeping him from losing it is the thought that eventually I'll be proved worthless, and he can do all the disgusting things he's been dreaming about."
"Then I can kill him," Terril said, smiling for the first time since I arrived.
"What do you want us to do, Elder Ioana?" Ni'Shay asked.
"Nothing for now. I'm sorry it's taking so long, but I think a reasonable solution can be reached within the next week or two. One that will stop or at least significantly reduce the abuse your people are receiving."
"Our people, Elder Ioana. As with the SAS, we are willing to die to the last individual rather than be slaves."
"Yes, our people, Ni'Shay. Freeland is going to be busy again, helping our JPU masters get what they came for. Though I doubt they are going to like what they get."
* * *
Using crutches, although it was barely necessary as Thalia had managed to fix most of the damage by now, I followed Lieutenant Henrick out of the hospital to the waiting shuttle. When we arrived, he was told Neifeh was an hour from arriving. At
"Talk to her, or I will skin it alive," he snarled at the standing Riss. When he got no response, he motioned to one of the guards. "Skin it."
It didn't help. As I watched the skin being peeled from her...vehicle, I laughed. Neifeh spun around, arm raised, but he stopped before the blow landed.
"You think that funny? You won't when it's you."
"I think it's funny you think force is the answer to everything. You could make me talk to the Riss with force, but you cannot make the Riss talk to me through force. Look, she died before your butcher began cutting. They know you are going to kill them, so they have nothing to lose. Like me. So get on with it." The moment of truth. Had I pushed the idiot past sanity?
He stood quiet, looking back and forth among the staked-out Riss, the one Riss standing emotionlessly, and me. Through my connection with Thalia, I could feel his shifting emotions: rage, anger, frustration, and finally fear. The realization that he could fail finally hit home.
"You have a solution," he asked, "to dying?"
"I'm old and no longer afraid of death, but...I'm not in a rush. I need medical attention, since I think I'm bleeding to death. In the meantime, take off the collars, get tables and proper food to eat, bedding to sleep on, and toilet facilities. Then in a few days, when I've recovered, I'll talk to them. That should give them a reason to talk with me. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain." I said, mentally crossing every appendage.
Neifeh stood quiet for a minute. "Pray it works, Ioana." He turned to Henrick. "Do as she says, and have her back here in three days." He stormed back to his shuttle and was gone in minutes.
"Eventually, the Admiral is going to make you pay for this," Henrick said, almost to himself.
"There is only today, Lieutenant. Tomorrow and eventually may never come," I said, still reeling over the death of the Riss, Gentle forest stream in the spring time. I spent a few minutes with Henrick, explaining the Riss were vegetarians and how to make them more comfortable. I had to admit, he was receptive to my advice, probably curious to see if my non-forcible approach would work.
* * *
"I'm losing weight worrying about you with those thugs. Of course, I'd have done something stupid, like killing the bastards. He could have shot you in the head instead of the knee." Terril's voice rose with each word. Ni'Shay sat quietly on the other side of my bed. The doctor had removed the shards, stitched the torn skin, and bandaged the knee, leaving Thalia to repair the internal damage.
"He does have a bit of a temper," I said, smiling. "I'll bet he dreams of killing me every night. The only thing keeping him from losing it is the thought that eventually I'll be proved worthless, and he can do all the disgusting things he's been dreaming about."
"Then I can kill him," Terril said, smiling for the first time since I arrived.
"What do you want us to do, Elder Ioana?" Ni'Shay asked.
"Nothing for now. I'm sorry it's taking so long, but I think a reasonable solution can be reached within the next week or two. One that will stop or at least significantly reduce the abuse your people are receiving."
"Our people, Elder Ioana. As with the SAS, we are willing to die to the last individual rather than be slaves."
"Yes, our people, Ni'Shay. Freeland is going to be busy again, helping our JPU masters get what they came for. Though I doubt they are going to like what they get."
* * *
Using crutches, although it was barely necessary as Thalia had managed to fix most of the damage by now, I followed Lieutenant Henrick out of the hospital to the waiting shuttle. When we arrived, he was told Neifeh was an hour from arriving. At
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