Toby heard noises around him as he started to come awake. Where was he? What had happened? He felt a massive headache coming on as he tried to open his eyes. Not a good idea. Not yet, he thought as he closed his eyes and tried to fight the queasiness in his stomach. After months in deep space, he should have been used to coping with changes in gravity. But it was a long time since it had been as bad as this. Had the gravity changed somehow?
Then he remembered something else. They had been boarded. The alarm had sounded, and he had rushed to his station to fight off any intruder who dared to enter their ship. But it had already been too late. None of their shields or weapons had been useful against the alien enemy. They were far more advanced than they were. Knocking down the resistance before they could put up a fight.
But the aliens hadn’t seemed keen on killing them. Instead, they seemed to take great care to keep them alive, only knocking them out one by one. The thought chilled Toby. He fought hard against the enemy, refusing to give them anything for free. But then everything had turned dark. He lifted his hand and felt along his head. A small bump on his forehead told him he’d hit something. Had he knocked himself out? How embarrassing. His fellow soldiers would love to nag him if he had run into a steel beam and not been knocked down by the enemy.
“You can open your eyes now,” an unfamiliar voice said. “I’ve given you something for the pain.”
Toby felt a sense of euphoria rushing through his body. Painkillers, indeed. Had they drugged him? He opened his eyes and stared at the man who’d been talking. Or man was probably to put it lightly. He looked humanoid but was way broader and taller than a normal human. His skin was a light grey colour, but the size of him and the bulge on his crotch told Toby all he needed to know. He was definitely a man, and there was no doubt that he was much stronger than Toby. It wouldn’t be easy to escape him. Toby needed to bide his time and search for a chance to slip away instead of going for a frontal attack.
“Who are you?” Toby asked.
“I’m Saxon. Your owner.”
“My what?”
The smile on the man’s face told Toby that he enjoyed watching his confusion.
“You’re my new slave, human,” Saxon said.
That word Toby could understand. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Less talk. It’s time to join the others. The breeding has started.”