Alex smirked slightly,
"Well, no, not dragging. But I guess this would help a bit."
He knelt down and removed the ankle chains off from Misao' ankle' cuffs so she could walk.
"Well, now, she's all yours! Just try not spilling any bodily fluid -such as blood, everywhere on the floor. Last time that happened, I had a misery cleaning it up personally..." Alex shook his head and went away, giving one last look filled with hatred to Misao,
"Well now, enjoy your time with your new owners, noble rat..."
He too departed, and went up.
Misao looks up miserably at Saito, barely able to see anything through her tears, her voice broken by emotions.
"W... why! Why are you doing this to me...!"
Saito looked down at Misao, smirking sadistically.
"Why?...Why? because you are nothing but a lowlife piece of trash from a wealthy family, it's your fault that so many of the poor can barely manage a living for themselves, and it's My job...to make sure you get the treatment you deserve!" He laughs in her face.
"Now come on..."
Saito tugged at her wrist chains a bit.
"I don't want to stay around here much longer, so come, Dog"
"a.. aaah!!"
Misao cried slightly in pain as the cold metal bite in her skin,
"y.. you have no right to do that!!! I.. I'm not your dog, let go of me!! Let go of me, all of you!!!"
She tumbled as she was tugged away, falling on her knees painfully.
Saito stopped and looked over his shoulder, glaring coldly at her.
"Get Up!"
He yanked hard on her chains.
"And Don't talk back to me! do you want another beating?! Do you!?"
"N.. "
Misao shut herself up quickly as she got up on her feet, rushing after Saito, breahting uncontrollably, shaken by all the sudden turn of events and the physical beating she just received. She has never been assaulted on her own flesh yet, having always lived in the cocoon of security that her family provided her, and it hurt her pride to be chained up and beaten so shamelessly...
Saito laughed toward her as he continued to walk, holding onto her chains, leading her down the corridor toward the elevator.
"Good girl...you do learn quick!"
Misao looked down at the floor, trying to restrain her whimpering, wiping her tears from her face. She has never felt so ashamed and so terrified of her life as she realized this wasn't even close to a joke, this was, truthfully, slavery, she was being sold as a mere object to slavers...
Her mind was too busy with her suffering of the moment though, to understand the full extent of all what it meant...
The ride to the surface in the elevator was a short one, once they reached the top and the doors opened up they were met by the two armed guards from earlier, Saito nodded to them and they moved to either side of Misao, lifting her up by her under arms.
"Alright girlie..let's go! hehehe"
The guards laughed as they began to drag her toward the large, imposing black ship that was The Heavy Metal Queen, Saito could be heard behind her, laughing for a moment while Kaisha just watched quietly, a worried look still on her face.
Unable to control herself, Misao began yelping again, helplessly. She hoped wildly perhaps the guards would take some sense or someone - there had to be someone! around, that would come and save her from these cruel flesh seller, and she began kicking and fighting against the strong arms of the guards dragging her along, a completely useless fight against stainless steel chains and hardened militant guards..
Kaisha looked on for only a moment with pity before looking away from their new Worker and walking over to Saito.
"So...Saito you know if we're going to..use her as an escort pilot...she needs to be..relatively healthy"
Saito grumbled softly and spat toward the ground.
"Yeah Yeah I know, but don't expect me to go too easy on it tis just a noble piece of trash after all...can be easily replaced"
Kaisha nodded softly.
"Right...well as long as she's healthy enough to fly..."
Kai looked down at the ground and then walked back toward the ship, following the guards -- and Misao up into the innards of it.
Misao looked desperatly at Kaisha,
"Please, please let me go!! I beg you madam...!!!"
She was still fighting as hard as she could against the guards and her restrain, until one of the guard finally decided to knock the back of her head slightly with his blaster.
She screamed in pain but remained conscious although her vision went foggy and she did calm down, her voice still crying out for help,
"I.... b.. beg... you...!!"
Kaisha looked down, almost ashamed but then she looked back to Misao, and then the Guards.
"I can not release you..you see?...you are now quite a valuable piece of...Property..." She found the word terribly hard for her to say....
"..To the crew of this ship..we can't have you running off.."
She glanced to the Guards.
"take her to the infirmary, we need to make sure she's healthy..before we toss her in with the others.."
Misao was quite defeated at these revelations, crying all the tears out of her body til her mouth was left dry and uneasy and even then, her gasped in her pain and humiliation here and then, as if, despite having no more tears, her sorrow still fueled itself somehow...
She was pushed in the infirmary violently by the guard, and forced to lie on her back on one of the medical bed. She didn't have any energy to fight back anymore, and just laid there, refusing to look at anyone...
After a while Saito boarded the ship, and the whole crew knew it too, because of the loud metallic shrieking sound made by the loading door closing which echoed through the ship, it wouldn't be long before they lifted off into space now.
Kaisha found herself wandering into the medical bay, where she found Chelsea -- the ship's kind hearted doctor with a drug problem, tending to the bruises left by Saito. After the medbay door closed behind her she turned toward Misao and asked in a soft tone
"So..your name is Misao right?..I hope that..Saito wasn't too rough on you..."
Misao didn't answer at first, unbelieving a voice was actually being soft with her... she took a few seconds to fully calm down, so her voice wouldn't come out as a total mess, and turned around on herself, her shackles restraining her movement, she nearly fell off the bed.
"... you... you have purchased me like one purchase jewelry..."
She took a deep breath, the sorrow easily read on her young face,
"w.. what am I now... you... you are destroying me!"
"Calm yourself!"
Kaisha's tone was suddenly rough, but as she began to speak again it went back to being soft.
"Just because I now hold your life in my hands..does not mean that I wish to abuse that power, You will find...that I will treat you well..as long as you do what you are told...Now answer me.." A bit of a commanding edge returned to her tone. "Saito, he didn't hurt you too badly, did he?"
Misao bite her tongue gently, the pain forcing her to calm down slightly. Panicking like a little girl was useless. She had to accept her slavery...to live...
She recalled her father... "No matter how many battles one lose... one only needs to stay alive in order to win the war for his life to be meaningful..."
She retained herself from crying once again at the memory of her past, now permanently erased...
But father was right... she had to adapt, quickly...
And with a shaky voice, she answered,
"N... no... t.. the man you call Saito... was... wasn't too hard with me... "
Misao bite her tongue gently, the pain forcing her to calm down slightly. Panicking like a little girl was useless. She had to accept her slavery... live...
She recalled her father... "No matter how many battles one lose... one only needs to stay alive in order to win the war for his life to be meaningful..."
She retained herself from crying once again at the memory of her past, now permanently erased...
But father was right... she had to adapt, quickly...
And with a shaky voice, she answered,
"N... no... t.. the man you call Saito... was... wasn't too hard with me... "
Kaisha nodded softly.
"Good..well, I came to tell you that once you are healthy..and once we have finished...Modifying.. your Sabre...you will begin to fly as the escort for our ship..I know you are probably asking yourself -Why- we would let you do that...but, I assure you, you'll see in due time...and, think of it this way, the more time you spend in the Sabre, the less chances Saito has to beat on you..."
Kaisha just looked at Misao silently, as if waiting for her to say something in return.
Misao breathed heavily, trying to bring her head to think of something before saying something completely stupid that would get her into even more trouble...
How did a mere question turned her from a free girl... to a slave...
"I... I... why is he so cruel toward me... I.. I have done nothing to anger anyone like this...! All I ever did... was trying to help the Kusari people..."
She covered her face in her shackled hands,
"Heaven has damned me for leaving home...!"
Kaisha nodded again
"Well I...really can't say much about Saito...but he bitterly hates all noble types..regardless...think of it like this...when we are in space, you will mostly be in your Sabre...which will make you relatively safe from Saito..and from having to work in our..Engine Room..trust me, you don't want to go there, so try not to mess up and we won't have to send you there!"
Her tone was almost a joking one, but her eyes were deadly serious.
"Make no mistake..I will treat you proper and decent, so long as you do what you are told, You will still be my...Worker...but I will treat you well, I don't believe in the same theory of needless beatings that Saito does, but I do believe in Order..this you will learn..."
Misao was somewhat terrified by those eyes, but was soothed to calm down...
She nodded slightly,
"I am not willing... but I have no choice do I... I... I will do as I am told..."
She sighed for a long moment, her eyes and throat sore of crying so much. Now, all she felt was a great void within her, still tainted by sorrow and shame, but, it didn't had anything to fuel it.
"H.. how should I call you, miss...?" she finally asked, a hint of her noble woman life coming back, always politely inquire on the identity of those one didn't knew...
Misao was somewhat terrified by those eyes, but was soothed to calm down...
She nodded slightly,
"I am not willing... but I have no choice do I... I... I will do as I am told..."
She sighed for a long moment, her eyes and throat sore of crying so much. Now, all she felt was a great void within her, still tainted by sorrow and shame, but, it didn't had anything to fuel it.
"H.. how should I call you, miss...?" she finally asked, a hint of her noble woman life coming back, always politely inquire on the identity of those one didn't knew...
Misao nodded again,
"Mistress then... I... I'm sorry... I'm afraid of this place... of... you, your crew... this whole situation..."
She hesitated a moment,
"w... what will you do with me now... mistress?"
She rubbed her cuffed wrists, obviously uncomfortable with all this, but still, the fact she began taking back conscience of her bodily' feel was a good sign enough she was at least trying to remain calm and normal...
"Well, for the time being You are allowed to rest here in the Medical Bay, we're working up a way so that you don't need to go around in chains either..we need our ..Workers..able to move around"
"As for how you feel about the crew...the ones you need fear the most are..Al-Said...hopefully you'll steer absolutely clear of him..for as long as you can, if you know what's good for you...and Saito, they both feel it to be their personal duties to keep all the slaves..."In line" and I can only do so much, but as far as I go? So long as you do what I say, you will not be mistreated by me..."
Kaisha was trying to ease some of Misao's worries, while still making it clear who was in control, she looked over to Chelsea
"And this is our medical officer, Chelsea Hagan, she's in charge of the medbay...and creating our little...projects..which you'll learn more about later on..."
l.. little project...? Misao thought for herself, but she still nodded politely.
"If you let me go around freely... wouldn't you be afraid I'd escape...?" she asked hesitantly.
She didn't really cared about her own freedom - not for the moment.
The panic passed, her mind told her to gather as much information as possible on her situation... she had to know, just how would she be kept...
"Well..."
Kaisha nodded to Chelsea, Chelsea then produced a series of very mean looking collar-like contraptions, ranging from Collars with blades on them to collars equipped with cyanide laden syringes to collars with shotgun shells attached to them.
Chelsea then spoke up.
"Well dearie...with one of these, my very own inventions"
Chelsea laughed, almost child-like.
"W... what... by Amaterasu, what are these... things... ?!" Misao couldn't help but ask in horror, seeing the intimidating devices, which seemed indeed...
to fit exactly around her neck...
Chelsea smiled a bit, it was a genuine pride-filled smile toward her work.
"Well you see! unlike average Slavers..we don't want our workers running around in clumsy, bulky, heavy chains and locks...so I came up with a less bulky, lighter way of keeping them...well...relatively loyal!..."
Chelsea smiled a bit, it was a genuine pride-filled smile toward her work.
"Well you see! unlike average Slavers..we don't want our workers running around in clumsy, bulky, heavy chains and locks...so I came up with a less bulky, lighter way of keeping them...well...relatively loyal!..."
At that moment the medbay door slid open and an slim olive skinned man with thick black facial hair and a heavy accent entered the room, laughing gleefully.
"Oh dearie...this is no nightmare...it is in fact...very...very real, Oh yes! you won't be leaving any time soon!"
The man walked over to the counter where all the collars were laid out, looking over each of them, toying with them a bit until finally he came to the one with the two shotgun shells and what looked like a small makeshift firing hammer attached to the back of it.
"Ahaha! Yes! I think this one will do perfectly for our new Slave!"
The man laughed hard again and then turned to face Misao.
"Welcome to hell, dear..."
Misao forced herself to open her eyes to see the newcomer, and she could only look, helpless as the man locked the collar around her slender neck...
It didn't took a soldier to understand that the hammer, once hitting the shell, would make it detonate...
And would it ever happen... she can say good bye to her head.... literally.
She could only agree, weakly...
"I... am in hell..."
The man laughed a little bit more and stepped back, tilting Misao's head up slightly, as if to admire the collar.
"aha! it fits nicely I think!, the color of the collar is perfect too!...why...it almost matches your hair!"
He laughed sadistically and let go of Misao's chin.
"w.. who are you..."
Misao was disgusted by the man' brutal manner, but was too weak to fight or protest. But she didn't brought her hand upward to touch the collar softly...
It was made of a solid leather, tightly tied around her neck, yet loose enough to allow her to breath normally... and there, in the back, hidden behind her long black hair... the... "device"....
The man laughed again.
"Me? Haha..I am Mamoud Ari Al-Said! ex Coalitioner, I'm also head of security and the radioman aboard this fine old ship!"
"C.. coalitioner...?" Misao whispered weakly, confused as her head became sleepier...
"Mmm that's right girlie! those Communist Revolutionaries out in the Omegas? I was one of em!"
"I... I heard of you people... I thought you people thought of yourselves... humanists..."
She wasn't able to continue much as her eyelids kept sliding shut, her body commanding her to get some sleep..
"Hah! Humanists?!...tsch! must be the weaker elements of our cause!..Either way, that life is my past now...Ah...and I heard you were a noble brat?! eh? Well I do so hope they'll put you to work in the Engine Room! then we can have some real fun!"
He laughed his sadistic little laugh again before turning on a pivot and walking out of the medbay, he could be heard laughing as he walked down the corridor, the sound of his laugh eventually fading from earshot.
The ship jerked slightly as it's massive engines roared to life, from this deep inside the ship though, the engines only sounded like a distant, monotone hum, the ship lurched forward once again as it lifted off and began it's ascent toward the atmosphere of Kyushu.
Misao by then already had her eyes closed, her arms clinging after her own body, seeking for her own heat or to comfort herself... and the distant laughter sounded nothing more than a bad nightmare indeed in her head...
A few minutes later, she was fully asleep... and a little inocent smile formed on her lips, despite her bruised body...
She was dreaming... and for the moment...
Even shackles couldn't restrain her freedom.
Kaisha looked to Misao and sighed softly, standing up, she walked out into the corridor and headed for the forward area of the ship, going as far forward as she could, she was in the forward bridge now, which had been converted into an observation deck and lounge for the crew, she sat down at one of the seats and watched quietly as the clouds high above Kyushu slowly began to part, revealing the quiet tranquility of space before them now.
"Damn...this has been one hell of a long day..." Her thoughts were interrupted by Saito placing his hand on her shoulder, leaning down and whispering coldly into her ear..
"Don't get close to that merchandise, Kaisha...if you know what's good for you, She is a Slave, Remember this or it will only complicate things, and compromise your position of leadership..Keep that in mind..."
Kaisha nodded a little bit, almost timidly.
"Saito...I'm not...Just because I'm...being less brutish than you are...doesn't mean I won't treat her like what she is.."
She looked up at him, her expression just as serious as his was.
"She's a human being...if she doesn't screw up, I won't treat her like she has, it's that simple..I don't care what you think, -I- am the Captain of this ship!.."
Saito glared angrily at her but did nothing but clench his fist and storm out of the Observation room, headed to his quarters.
Kaisha sighed softly and tried to relax again, moving over to the long sofa that was leaned against the right wall, next to the observation window, she let out another soft sigh and continued to stare out into space.
...How the hell did we even end up in...this line of work?...
"Oh father, I want to learn and become a pilot!"
The old man laughed softly and trimmed his long beard, a beard more and more silvery by the years.
He was Dai-taisho Daitetsu Mitsurugi.
"Misao, you are too young for that..."
There, up in the sky was her brother, flying an imperial fighter craft, along with several other young boy enlisted in the imperial academy.
"Beside, you are a little girl. Even if I gave you my permission, few instructors would accept you..."
"Ooh... but father, that is unfair...! I'm about same age as brother...!"
Daitetsu laughed gently, patted the little girl' shoulder,
"In this country, we would say, give a toy sword to the boy infant, and a doll to the girl infant..."
"But... but why can't I chose..."
"A slave doesn't chose...."
"Huh...?!"
Misao woke up suddenly in the darkened room of the infirmary. She couldn't see much, and the only light that came in was a faint blue glow from a small viewport; the reflected light of a nebula.
She wondered for a moment where she was, until she tried to move her hands around, and then understood...
Remained still for a few seconds, her emotions rushing up once again in her head...
She felt herself in pain as her sorrow and humiliation came back.
There were no one else in the infirmary, not for the moment anyhow... she decided after several minutes, incapable to sleep, to stand up and go next to the viewport.
She lifted her arms, contemplating the silvery chains that were now bounding her...
No more freedom... free will... will to live...
She remembered the "passengers" of that other Pilgrim class vessel.
It was barely if they were still alive, mere shells of their former self, abused by the harsh work they were put to, and forbidden to speak to each others. Forgotten, the sense of decency as everyone awaited in line in their rags, forgotten, that they had to take care of their wound and illness, forgotten too, that there might be a hope to freedom.
She stared at the chains in silent horror...
She felt, regret.