Perhaps, he thought, Kalinda would be in the communal cavern. As much as he could not afford to be distracted by her, the thought of seeing her again stirred his blood and he quickened his steps.
Chapter Three
Kalinda slowly made her way along the rough stone wall of the communal cavern, a large clay bowl cradled in her hands. A series of niches had been carved into the cave wall, each holding its own bowl of food available for anyone to select for breakfast. There was a mixture of meat, mushrooms, leafy vegetables and some kind of oatmeal or porridge though she still couldn’t figure out what it was made from. And all of it—as far as they could tell—was safe for humans to eat, even if it all wasn’t appetizing.
She’d discovered the flavors were bland and foreign without even salt to give everything a little oomph. As far as she could tell, Aterans didn’t use spices or any other kind of condiments.
“I’ll starve to death before we’re rescued,” she murmured to herself and sighed before scooping a bit of the porridge into her bowl. What it lacked in flavor it made up for by the fact that it was pretty filling. If only she could force it all down.
“What I wouldn’t give for a pizza.” Ivy joined her, filling her own bowl. “Or ice cream. Gimme some potato chips.”
Kalinda groaned, salivating at the thought of the snack. “Don’t talk to me about potato chips.”
She added some small beans to the side of her bowl and wondered if the Aterans had any vegetables that were potato-like. Maybe they could make their own version of chips.
She carried her meal to the table occupied by the other human woman and settled into a seat, ignoring the numerous stares focused on her. Every Ateran in the room watched them, not that she could blame them for their curiosity. If she was on Earth and a ship filled with aliens crashed, she would have been damn curious, too. Though on Earth, humans had known about the existence of aliens for decades, ever since humans left the solar system and joined the galactic community. From what she’d gathered, the Aterans had never seen someone not of their species before and they didn’t even try to hide their fascination with the human women.
While Kalinda focused on forcing her food down, her TransComm Implant went to work, translating the alien conversations around her and bringing them to her ears. The aliens huddled at other tables and whispered to each other, only shooting their table occasional looks. They probably thought Kalinda couldn’t hear them—most of the others couldn’t—but her implant was different from everyone else’s. She was an engineer and she specialized in communications tech. She had modified her implant to not only translate foreign languages but to also enhance audio and record it for later playback. Though without a computer to store the files, she didn’t think she’d be able to use the recording feature on Atera.
One of the groups of males at a nearby table discussed the human women in more detail than she’d like. She overheard one say, “I wonder what lies beneath their coverings. Do you think their bodies are like those of our females?”
His companion replied, “The goddess has blessed them with abundant gifts. They must have been sculpted to be pleasing to look upon.”
That had made Kalinda shiver and she pulled her tattered clothing tighter around her body. She still wore the same outfit she’d worn in the stasis pod and she considered it little more than pajamas—a light tank top and thin, generously cut pants. Meanwhile the Aterans wore little to no clothing and didn’t seem to have an ounce of modesty. She wanted to ask them for something clean to wear, but based on her observations, she doubted they’d have anything to offer. Most of the males she’d seen wore little more than leather belts and straps for their tools and weapons. Some of the females wore light, sheer fabrics, but they hid so little the women might as well have been naked.
She kept her head down and picked at her food, struggling to keep her worry at bay. Except the more she heard, the more she became concerned about her safety. None of the Aterans had been directly threatening, but… But every male seemed fixated on the human women. They spoke of their soft pink skin and the curves of their bodies. She didn’t like the idea that so many males obsessed over her body. It made her wonder if one of them would act on his urges.
Kalinda glanced at the others at the table. They spoke in hushed tones, whispering about the strange place they found themselves in and about their odds of getting rescued. She opened her mouth and then snapped it closed, swallowing her words before they could escape. She didn’t want to voice the thoughts that whirled in her mind.
Thoughts of escape.
She remembered the branching tunnels she’d spied on the way to the communal cavern. She had no idea where they led, but she needed to find out. It would be suicidal to simply run through the passages seeking escape, but she could start exploring. If she searched them, she might find an escape. Then she could gather the others so they could all find freedom.
She kept her head down and watched the Aterans as they moved about the cavern. Many of them strode off in a rush, clearly busy with their own business, but a handful lingered—their attention wholly on the human women. Sure, they tried to be subtle by sitting at nearby tables and leaning against the walls, but Kalinda sensed they were all business. Guards no doubt, either assigned to protect the humans or to keep them from escaping.
Perhaps both. Goody.
Her attention on the guards, she remained in place until she spied one of them going off to speak with another group of Aterans. Kalinda rose, bowl still in hand, and headed to the buffet wall. She pretended to study the selections as if she were going for a second helping and nothing more. As soon as she sensed she was no longer being watched, she moved for the exit. She silently placed her bowl on an empty ledge and kept her steps silent as she sought a way free.
She glanced over her shoulder as she made her way down the tunnel, struggling not to make a sound. The strange lights shone down from above, casting long shadows to chase her steps as she hurried down the passage. Every time she encountered another well-lit passage, she took a detour, making a mental map as she explored the various branching paths. She wished she had a comp pad with her, or even a pen and paper, but she hadn’t seen either since coming to the Ateran city.
As she explored, Kalinda found a couple of small caverns filled with sacks and crates. Storerooms of some kind? None were guarded, but she only allowed herself a few moments to peek through the contents. She struggled to memorize which spaces held foodstuffs, water, and any other supplies that might be helpful during an escape. She would have to lead the others back to the area later so they could raid the supplies and carry everything they’d need to survive. The desert was harsh and unforgiving, and they wouldn’t get very far without food and water. Not that she had a clue about their destination. She hadn’t quite gotten there in her plans just yet.
The further she traveled, the harder it became to keep the tunnels straight in her mind and remember her path. The walls were marked with alien symbols she assumed were in place to help guide the Aterans through the complex web of tunnels. Unfortunately, they didn’t do a darn thing for humans. Plus, her TransComm Implant was no help. It might decode language, but writing was another thing all together.
Soon the lights that lined the ceiling became spaced farther and farther apart, lessening the light to illuminate her path. Was she entering a less-used portion of the cave system? There were fewer passages now, and those she found narrow and jagged. Nothing like, the wide, smoothly carved passages so close to the communal cavern. Maybe it was for the best, though. If there was little foot traffic through the area, there was a lower chance of being caught.