This ongoing sci-fi series will contain non-consensual elements.
***
The cold was still biting and the air nipped at the end of my nose as we made our way back to the yacht. Juno had already been taken ahead of us, and was waiting on the ship.
A walkway had been constructed, giving us easier journey through the snow. I could see why they had to do it. Residual heat from the ships was melting the snow. A river of cold icy water flowed next to us, and it would only get worse as the ships fired their engines for take off.
"How long will the station be here?" I asked Orton.
He told me it would be here for about two weeks. It moved around, stopping in different locations to attract more customers.
It was such a relief to get back into the warmth of the yacht. Orton asked me if I enjoyed our trip.
"So much." I said, to him happily. It had been very memorable. Even my indiscretion was a nice memory.
As we entered our suite, things only got better. The crew had put all my purchases on the table, filling it up. The rest was scattered near the couch.
"How much did you spend?" Orton said, incredulously.
"Probably less than you." I said, muttering as I went to inspect my things.
Orton came over at one point and swapped my collar for the thinner one. I sort of missed the heavier golden one.
I was still looking through my bags when the ship took off. Some of the things I didn't even remember buying. Orton sat at his desk with a disapproving look on his face.
There were heaps of dresses, some more winter outfits. Plenty of jewelry, and lots of hair products.
After a while Orton came over and said that he needed me to do something. I got a bad feeling, and suspected what he was going to ask.
"You should go and talk to Juno, it will be difficult for her," he said, as he sat on the couch next to me.
I nodded reluctantly.
He seemed to register my fear and stroked the hair away from my eyes. "She just needs a friend. She will love you."
I asked him why he was so keen on buying her, and that another choice might have been better.
He shrugged. "When I see something I want, I just buy it."
That made me feel a bit better. He had bought me, so his decisions couldn't always be bad.
There was that nagging question hanging over my head though. It was probably the right time to ask.
"She isn't just a playmate for me is she?"
"No. Once she had learned her place, I will take her to bed. Don't worry though, she isn't here to replace you," he said. His words were reassuring, and I was glad of his honest. I gave him a big hug, and thanked him.
Before I left, he let me know what room she was in, and then gave me some important information.
"If you say the word 'sunfire.' It will have an effect on her collar. It will paralyze her. It won't hurt, just stop her hurting herself or another."
He told me it was just a safety feature, and told me the effect would only last an hour or so. She would be aware of her surroundings, but couldn't move.
I stayed in my zip up top and tight pants as I made my way to her room. I liked the outfit, even though it wasn't at all revealing, and thought I might wear it more at home. Especially now that the weather was turning colder.
On my way I stopped at the medical store for a few things.
At her door I took a deep breath and said the word Orton told me a few times under my breath, so I wouldn't forget.
She was sat quietly on the floor in the center of the room. I was a bit underwhelmed. I expected her to be a bit more active.
"I've brought some things for your face." I said, holding up the medical kit I brought.
There was a quick nod. I smiled and went to sit next to her on the carpet. Her eyes danced quickly over me. She was nervous, but was doing a good job at hiding it.
I took out a cooling patch, and went to apply it to her black eye, as I told her it would help with the swelling. She pulled away from my touch.
"Take it." I said, and handed it to her.
Being so close to her now, I could really appreciate how slight her body was. She had a bit of definition on her legs, but the rest of her looked skinny. Her very short hair and flat chest made her look very boyish. I thought though, that once her face healed she might look pretty.
As a slave killer, she wasn't really frightening me. Nothing about her seemed very dangerous at all.
She was wearing something, I think they gave her at the auction. It was a simple shirt and trousers.
"My name is, Cara." I said, expecting her to say her name, but she just nodded again.
"Your name is, Juno?" I asked, with a smile. Again there was just a slight nod of her head.
She could speak the same language as me, at least.
As I scratched my head thinking of how to engage with her, she finally spoke.
"What is going to happen to me?" She asked, with a shaky voice.
I told her that we were going home. It wouldn't take us long.
"Are they going to torture me again?" she asked.
I told her, absolutely not. As I reassured her, she reached over taking the medical kit.
"There will be stuff in there for your lip." I said, and got a friendly nod back.
As she rooted around in the bag, she told me about how she had been treated. It sounded horrific.
I could see tears forming in her eyes.
"I just don't want to feel afraid anymore," she said, looking up at me pathetically.
It broke my heart, and I embraced her. I whispered that it was going to be okay.
I felt her hand reaching up across my chest, and grabbing my collar tightly. It was too tight, and made me jerk forward. Her other hand was quick, and was suddenly against my face.
There was something shiny grasped between her fingers. It was a pair of scissors.
"It will be okay," she said. "You are going to take me to the bridge right now. Or I will take your eye."
I could hear the venom in her voice. She had tricked me. The tears were gone, only to be replaced with a determined look.
"Sunfire." I said, and just as suddenly, she collapsed into my arms. Thankfully the scissors dropped away harmlessly.
She looked asleep. Orton had told me that she would still feel and be aware of things happening around her.
I wanted to scream at her, and tell her that I was only trying to help. That didn't seem the best course of action. Even though I knew she had played on my emotions, I didn't doubt her time before now hadn't been hard.
"I'm sorry, you had to do that." I said, to her un-moving body.
I removed the scissors, and left her with the rest of the medical supplies.