Cassandra

by Mr. David R. Dorrycott

It was a rancid smell that greeted the vixen Cassandra, when she finally woke. That, and a throbbing headache the like she’d never felt before. “What happened” were her first words, those words often spoken by those who woke in unexpected pain. She tried to rub her aching head, only to discover her arms seemed nerveless. Slowly, as she further woke, another pain came to her attention.

Something was trying to cut her in half. Her stomach was sending signals of distress the like she’d never experienced before. Again she tried to move her arms, still with no result. Finally, against her better judgement she decided to open her eyes, though what her maligned senses reported was less than helpful. Only darkness greeted her. Darkness, and that stench.

Rotted wood, dampness too long left unattended, fresh-water mold and something else. Something vaguely oily. With only her sense of smell giving any useful information Cassandra decided to try her hearing. Not that she had any special control over her senses, only that since waking she’d only been able to process one kind of input at a time.

Footsteps on wood, high above her. A groaning of old wood against old wood. Occasional thumps, unintelligible shouts and finally the sharp clang of a bell. “I’m on a ship” she realized. But why? What had happened to her? How had she gotten here? “Work it through girl, there’s nothing else you can do right now” she growled to herself, the words sending jagged shards of pain through her brain.

Last night, Patricia’s baby shower. She’d come by cab. Cassandra remembered that the driver had abused his horse, she remembered berating him for it and he’d said something about high born do-gooders. Not that Cassandra was High-Born. It was her best dress. Patricia was a school friend. So what if Patricia was High Born. Cassandra remembered his cab number, 278. One she’d vowed never to take again. Nothing unusual about the party that she could remember, two dozen or so women giving gifts to a mother to be, the off-color jokes, giggles. No alcohol of course, not with nearly a half dozen women already swelling and another third hoping. That was something Cassandra couldn’t look forward to for some time, not since her husband had died in the plague just a year ago. She’d barely finished grieving, no time for even a lover yet.

The ship tacked, causing her to swing slowly, ropes digging into new flesh causing bright spots of pain before her eyes. A sharp pain at the base of her tail informed her she was held there too. “I’m hanging?” she croaked. Her predicament brought back to the fore. ‘Hell-of-ah-way to travel’ she thought as her diaphragm spasmed, warning her not to talk. Begging her not to breath. She forced herself back to her thoughts.

A normal quiet cab ride home. Leaving early because her mood had darkened. A different cab, woman driver this time. She treated her horse kindly. Cassandra remembered commenting about the difference, giving her driver an extra coin for the horses feed. Then... Walking through her gate. No servants, she couldn’t afford any on a widows stipend. Walking to her kitchen. A glass of cold water to clear the dust from her throat. Then lighting a lamp to sew by. Nothing unusual. No wait, a noise. In her husbands study.

Someone yelled far above, the ship tacked hard this time. She felt a jerk as the ship sped up, her pain centers instantly went into overdrive. For an little she thought her tail was coming out by its root. A soft moan of agony escaped her lips. Something to get her mind off this pain before she went mad. ‘More sail’ she thought, remembering her husbands stories about life on the sea. She wished he was here now, it was so frightening alone. But last night...

She remembered setting her sewing down. Standing to investigate. There had been a pain, like an insects bite. She remembered, remembered looking down to see a tiny dart in her left hip. She remembered reaching for it in wonderment. Then nothing. ‘So that’s it, I’ve been kitnaped” she realized. But why? She had little money, not on a Naval Widows pension. Even her house belonged to the Admiralty. She would lose it if she married any but another naval officer with the rank of Captain or above. She knew no secret information, she couldn’t be used to pressure anyone. Well maybe her family, but what use pressure against a Guild Printer? No one she knew could afford much to ransom her, as a widow it was obvious she wasn’t a virgin. That meant she was useless to a flesh marketer. She giggled, not a virgin in any way she could think of. Who would want her? She swung again as the ship started crashing into waves instead of crossing them. A constant lift and drop slowly pushed her under again as her pain from the ropes increased.

Two decks above her was controlled chaos. Her ships master, a huge grey streaked bear, had hoped that his slipping out before sunrise would let him sneak by the patrol ships. That way he’d avoid a possible search. Though the majority of his cargo was completely legal, Cassandra obviously wasn’t. Slave running would fetch him a long stretch in the salt mine. There was no other way to explain the battered and bound woman hanging in his rope locker. Life in the salt mines, if they didn’t hang him first, considering she was a naval widow he’d be lucky not to be keelhauled as well. “Release tha mainsail” he called, watching as a smaller ship fought to reach them.

His second mate, a ragged wolf missing one arm came up. “Captain, we still be in tha narrows. With full mainsail we could be crushed!”

“Mister Jalkar. If that there patrol ship catches us, we may well be crushed.”

Looking back the wolf hissed. “Throw ‘er over sir. She’s not worth it tah anyone, not tah me. Honest to my mothers grave she’s not worth it.”

“Yer mothers still alive Jalkar, and still running that sewage pile you call a restaurant. I don’t know if Lady Willow wants her, but her golds good and by all that’s unholy I aim to get it. Now loose the mainsail.”

Cursing the first mate turned back to his men. “You heard tha Captain. Look alive now.”

With her mainsail catching the morning breeze the creaky old merchant temporally outdistanced her smaller pursuer. It was cold comfort for those aboard, in a long haul they’d be caught. Still their destination was just over the horizon. A tiny island owned wholly by a young mink known only as Lady Willow. It was rumored she dealt in the dark arts of forbidden Science. If so, their cargo below was more than likely in for a very bad time.

A bucket of icy lake water woke Cassandra. She sputtered, opening red rimmed eyes. Two men stood before her, a burly bear and a smaller wolf. “Two hours yer Ladyship” the bear laughed. “Then we be rid of ye ferever.” He reached forward, caressing her cheek. “Pretty one, keep ye meself if GODS!” he yelled, jerking his hand back. Cassandra had managed enough energy to snap at him, her teeth sinking through filthy fur into flesh below, and beyond.

“Mind your manners” she husked, fighting for breath. “I’m.. no... street... tart.”

Laughing the bear reached forward again, ripping a section of her blouse away. She glared in hate as he bandaged his wound with her dress, her right breast now hanging free for any to see. “Two thins LADY” the bear growled. “One, yer no Lady noh. Yer ah slave. Two...” She never heard two as his huge paw slammed into the side of her head, nearly breaking her skull. “Ye ever strike ah me again I’ll have yer meat on my table, slave. Jalkar, see tah tha cargo. I don wan be here longer need be. Tha cutter’s foresail dinah catch fire bah accident.”

Cassandra woke to a throbbing headache and more pain than she’d ever felt. Forcing herself she opened her right eye, to a blue painted ceiling with glowing stars deep set within. ‘Off ship’ she realized, opening her eye fully. No sound, she appeared to be alone. Her bladder was the first to demand relief, foolishly she tried to sit up, only to nearly faint from pain. Moving slowly she was able to lift the blanket covering her. Her naked body lay beneath, a massive dark bruising creating a belt across her stomach where fur had worn away. “Slowly then” she whispered. Following her own advice she was able to crawl to an attached bath. Sitting was impossible, she found herself discovering a new way to relieve herself. A bit messy, but it worked. Beside her a shower beckoned. Considering her state of undress, the obvious filth on her fur, she accepted the invitation. Afterwards she’d discover her captor and kick his teeth in.

Three hours later, wearing a thin robe she’d discovered, Cassandra found herself following the sound of a woman’s voice. Still barely able to stand she forced herself along a long wood paneled dusty hallway.

“Seba, nek ka solaf jo ehallah” she heard as she reached her destination. Until now she’d hardly noticed her surroundings, now leaning against the door she noticed an electric lamp. “Gods no” the vixen prayed. “Not Science.” Pushing back from the door she opened it, throwing it wide in her haste. What greeted her was a scene from her worst childhood nightmares. Electronic equipment was stacked everywhere, in front of her a dark furred mink was talking to an unseen face on a screen in front of her. “GODS” Cassandra cried, the sight of such black evil more than her battered physic could withstand. Falling to her knees she whimpered once, then collapsed as her near ruined stomach muscles failed.

“Looks like your visitor woke up” the image commented.

Lady Willow turned slowly, glancing at the vixens unconscious form. “Cassy never was one for surprises” she answered, standing slowly. “Gods I don’t need this. Damn forever that brain dead brother in law of mine. Forty hours without sleep already...” She pulled the draw rope from her dress, kneeling next to Cassy’s form. Gently straightening the taller woman’s body she carefully tied her paws behind her.

“That enough to hold her?” the other asked. “She’s what, a third of a meter taller?”

“Masses probably a third more too” Willow admitted. “It’ll hold. With the plague madness I’ve had enough practice to do it right the first time.” She returned to her chair, ignoring Cassandra for now. “What am I going to do with her? All I wanted was Thomas’s books, not his wife too.”

“That’s your problem, back to basics. You’ll have the beacon repaired in time?”

“All I need to do is test it, when are you sending me those supplies?”

“De-orbit is in three hours. There’s a storm front headed your way. It should arrive a few minutes before the carrier. Anyone see’s anything they’ll take it for wind blown rubbish. Look. After you lock down the carrier why don’t you take a few days off. Your doing the work of six, you look like hell.”

“Out here, anyone see’s anything their target for the laser. Can’t take time off, but I’ll slow down a bit. All right, that’s it then. Anything else?”

“Nope, we’re good for now. Until next time.”

Willow cut the transmitters power, leaning back to relax when Cassandra cursed “Filthy SCIENTIST! I’ll kill you.”

“Doubt it Cassy, your in no condition to do more than hurt.”

“Cassy? I only let my husband call me that. It’s Lady Cassandra to you filth.”

With a sigh of one knowing there was no choice, the mink lifted one leg, kicking against the consol in front of her. That forced her chair to roll back, turning as it moved so she ended up facing the enraged, and now sitting vixen. “And me Cassy.”

“Sandy?? Shandra Willow? You... but..” Cassandra looked around her at all the forbidden technology. “What turned you to such evil?”

“Ah, you know the reasons Cassy. Power, infinite wealth, total control of the masses. All that neat stuff.”

“Your not doing very well Sandy” Cassandra noted, relaxing a bit now that she realized her captor was an old friend. “What’s the truth.”

“If I tell you, you can never leave.”

“You’d let me leave?”

Shandra nodded, crossing her legs. “Next ships in six months. You can be on it, as a freed slave being returned. You’ll have a rough time of it, no worse than before, but you’ll end up home. I’ve already arranged for your home to be sealed, everything will be as it was. You can forget this like it’d been a bad dream.”

“I’ll have to report you to the Council you know. They’ll come. You’ll burn over slow coals. It’ll take days to die. I don’t want to do that to you.”

“Won’t happen Cassy, that I can promise you.”

“Why”

Standing the mink walked to her captive, kneeling close to her she reached out, touching Cassandra’s cheek much as the ships Captain had. This time the vixen didn’t bite. “You’re the first person I’ve seen in over six months Cassy, the first non-human I’ve said more than ten words to in a year. If I tell you more than that, you can never leave. If I don’t, I lock you in the East wing for six months, then send you home. You have no idea what my life’s been like since High School, no idea what your asking me. Trust me, I won’t be bothered by the Council, Science hunters or bounty hunters. Period.”

Cassandra found herself pressing into the minks hand, shocked she jerked back. “Dammit Sandy you were my best friend. Now you are everything we were taught to hate, fear, destroy. What in Meias name happened to you. Why do I have to hate my best friend?”

“Can’t tell you. Honest. Look, I’ll fix you a light dinner. You promise not to break my neck and I’ll free you. I put everything near your size in your room. Can you make it back alone?”

“No” Cassandra admitted. “Can you help me?”

Laughing Shandra stood, bowing slightly as she indicated her chair. “Your carriage awaits my sweet.” At Cassy’s sour face she knelt again, carefully untying the rope holding the vixens paws. It took a bit of second guessing, massing nearly a third more than her mink companion the vixen had trouble getting into her ‘carriage. Finally though she managed, finding herself pushed slowly along the same hall she’d so painfully traversed only a little time ago.

“So who were you talking to? Another secret?”

“Like I said, humans” Shandra answered, dodging a low table. “Their in orbit, watching everything.”

“Tell me another lie.”

“I’m still in love with you.”

“You’re a Scientist, I’m a Gods fearing widow. There’s not a chance in the world. Never was.”

“Yeah, Robert told me you still hated me. Always wondered why. Because I was the first one to kiss you or..”

“SHUT UP! Don’t you ever talk about Robert. He was an honest man, not worth your breath Scientist.”

Shandra stopped pushing the chair, turning it so Cassandra was facing her. “You want the truth? I’ve never lied to you in my life. I couldn’t if the choice was to have my pelt pulled off me one slow thin strip at a time. Your life’s been hard since the plague took Robert and a quarter of his ship. It took everyone here but me. I’ve lived alone for almost a full year, attending everything here. I’m lucky to get four hours of sleep in three days. Dammit Cassy I’m exhausted, and if you don’t get a life I’ll damn well tell you the truth. Then you can never leave here. So shut that beautiful mouth of yours and leave me alone!” Spinning the chair violently Shandra hurried the last few meters, slamming Cassandra’s door behind her as the chair rolled through.

Cassandra quickly found herself lying on the floor in a tumbled pile. She lay in pain, unmoving for almost half an hour until her throbbing stomach finally allowed her any sort of self motivation. During those long silent minutes laying on cold poured stone Cassandra had plenty of things to think about. High on her list was the truth. Shandra had never lied to her. So knowing the truth was dangerous. Then there was the minks attitude. Cassandra had only seen her like this once before, when her mother died. She’d had to handle school, three siblings and a household while her father pulled his own life back together. Something was wrong here. Could she be telling the truth?

When Shandra finally arrived with her promised food Cassandra had just managed to pull herself into a different, wheelless chair. Quickly setting up a small table the mink sat a plate and mug on it, followed by a pitcher of some kind of drink. She gathered her few items, throwing them in the rolling chair before turning to leave without a word, when Cassandra’s will finally broke. “Sandy... Please” she nearly begged.

“What” the mink asked, her hand reaching for the door, her back to the vixen.

“Why am I here?”

“It was a mistake, a damn fool mistake. You weren’t supposed to be back so soon. All they wanted was Roberts communications gear, and a few books you never knew about. Half an hour later... You’d probably never have known.”

“But.. They knocked me out. I would have woken knowing only that I had been robbed.”

Shandra took a deep breath before answering. “The man who took you... First Mate Jalkar. He fancied you. Informed his Captain you saw him. Maybe you did, maybe you didn’t. Doesn’t matter now. Jalkar has a thing about vixens, a thing that is very.. very dark. He leaves them shattered, hardly worth selling as street slaves. Captain Bannon only took him for this one voyage. He took you away from Jalkar, congratulated him for bringing you as I’d pay for your capture. He’d forgotten to tell him. Paid him bonus for making right an error. I had to make good that bonus, plus extra.”

“So you did have me kitnapped” Cassandra hissed. A growl was beyond her right now. “Why.”

“I didn’t. I never wanted to see you, see anyone I’d known before. Logically Bannon should have left you to his first mate, left you to a fate worse than the plague. But he knows me, kinda cares about me. I guess he decided I needed a companion, not that he didn’t know that we used to be friends.”

“Why would this bear give a damn about some black souled scientist” the vixen asked.

Shandra shrugged, her back still to her vixen companion. “Maybe because he’s my brother in law. I guess he wanted me happy. He was wrong, there can be nothing between us anymore. Enjoy your food.” Moving quickly Shandra opened the door, leaving while a stunned Cassandra could only watch.

It wasn’t until she made her way to her ‘dinner’ that she realized how bad things must be for her one time friend. Salted Tapur meat, ragged lettuce and steamed carrots filled her plate. No other salt, the meat would hold more than enough for anyone’s taste. No butter, nor cream met her eyes. No sugar, pepper... Nothing to cover the horrid Tapur taste. “Oh Shandra, what’s happened to the woman I used to know” she asked herself. “I loved” she finished in a softer voice.

Three weeks later found the vixen sitting on an ancient poured stone wall. Her fur blew gently in the light wind, her bushy tail lay behind her at rest. Since finding (from the doors corroded condition) a near forgotten access she’d spent the last week out here, rain or sun, staring towards where her home must be. So close, it’d taken but a day, two at most to sail from her home port to this damned island. No more than two hundred miles at best, if the winds had been light. That she remembered. Further than she could hope to swim, even if lampreys didn’t infest this islands shallows. In winter the water would kill, in summer... In summer... She watched a froth in the ocean. Being slowly sucked dry of blood wasn’t any way Cassandra wanted to die.

Reaching down she picked up a small drawing board from beside her, taking up a charcoal Shandra had provided she studied what she’d drawn so far. Obviously this island wasn’t natural, though it must have been at one time. Too many sharp angles. Both at the waters edge and below. Those strange shapes below the waters surface were intriguing. Mainly domes, circles, several obvious piers. One upon which was built the rough pier she’d apparently been delivered to. Shapes of what once must have been cargo ships here and there, though of a size that dwarfed anything the fox had ever imagined. Whatever this place had been, was, it was painfully obvious no race living now had anything to do with its design or construction. Too many curves, too many odd angles that made the mind shy away. Beginning to draw again Cassandra admitted to herself that she had been delivered to the island of the damned, and that there could be no escape for her. Wondering to herself what had she done to deserve such damnation, the vixen continued her work.

As darkness fell Cassandra realized she’d missed lunch, in fact there hadn’t been any breakfast waiting either. Having been confined within a handful of chambers and this one odd patio the vixen had no idea where the kitchen might be. She’d been totally dependent upon her once friend supplying her meals, sparse as they had been. Along with food, Shandra had brought anything else she might need. Gathering her few drawing materials she returned to her room. There she found no evidence Shandra had visited since last evenings meal. Setting her materials aside she considered her options. Water she had in plenty, what with the attached bathroom. It would be easy to survive several days without food. Absently she pressed her hands against her stomach, feeling its slight paunch. Even after so long on rough rations it might do her some good to go without food a few days. Still, she was already hungry. Obviously if she waited too long she’d be too weak to help herself. Then there was Shandra’s strong warning to remain here.

“So I learn something I shouldn’t” Cassandra told the empty room. “Big deal, I’m damned anyway. Maybe if I learn enough I can destroy this place. One less cesspool of evil to endanger my world.” Making her decision she left her room, turned right and headed down the hallway.

Nearly five hours later and more horrors than her worst nightmares she found Shandra. Laying flat on her stomach on hard cold concrete the mink was unconscious, obviously had been for a long time. As to why, even Cassandra had no difficulty in discovering. Twisted behind her Shandra’s right leg was obviously broken. Though no bone showed through her flesh, a large lump indicated the break, and how bad it had to be. Returning to a nearby water fountain Cassandra filled her cupped hands, hurrying back her injured friend. It was easy to wet the minks facial fur, using her small amount of water to slowly bring Shandra back to consciousness.

“How?” was Shandra’s first question.

“Process of elimination, how long has it been since this place had a through cleaning anyway.”

Shandra tried to for a smile, an expression that quickly became a grimace of pain as her leg shifted. “Six, seven months I guess. I’ve tried, but there’s just too much to do.”

“Your leg?”

“Fell off a ladder trying to replace a light” the mink admitted. “Tail too I think, don’t know. Leg hurts too much. Better straighten that leg before it dies. I can survive without a tail.”

“I don’t understand, I never..” Cassandra stopped, admitting to a Scientist she never took first aid because it conflicted with her dance class.... “I don’t know how.”

Shandra grimaced, “Makes sense, you were always too busy for the important stuff. Roll me over on my back, put one foot against my crotch and hold onto my ankle. Then pull with everything you have until the bone slips back in place.”

“But.. Its going to hurt an awful lot.”

“Foxy... Not half as much as talking you through cutting my leg off. Just check my tail first okay? I kinda don’t want to lose it if I don’t have too.”

True to Shandra’s fear her tail was broken, about half way down its length. A sharp pull by Cassandra popped it back in joint, through both knew without professional help chances were she’d lose half her tail. Even with both of them being as careful as they could Shandra passed out from pain half way through her repositioning. Cassandra used the minks faint to quicken the job. It was impossible to cause her more pain while she was already unconscious. By the time Shandra woke again Cassandra had managed to pull the bone back into place and get her to an empty bed in a long empty chamber.

“You could have killed me” Shandra commented as she watched the fox set a makeshift splint. “Why not?”

“Could have, should have. But my stomach reminded me I’ll die without you. Your kitchen is a mess, and honestly Shandra... I saw more than I should have. Even if I do learn enough to destroy this place, I know too much now. You warned me, finding that radio hookup to the Council Chamber told me more than you ever could have. They won’t have any choice, they’ll have to burn me too. When’s the next supply ship?”

“Three months from now, about.”

“Too long, we need a doctor for you now. A week will be too long, that legs swollen and your precious tail...”

Shandra giggled, “My pride and joy. Haven’t had time to do much about caring for it. Kinda ragged huh? There’s only one option, one I’ve been putting off.”

“What’s that?”

“Let the humans send down a repair crew.”

“Humans don’t exist any more.”

“Wanna bet a night in bed on that? Help me get back to the radio room you found me, that first day. I think your going to be in for a bigger shock than anything you’ve ever seen in your life. Today included.”

Less than an hour later a stunned vixen had to admit her old friend was right. She’d been lied too, her whole world had been lied too. Humans still existed, and they weren’t the blood drinking fire breathing demons of her nightmares. They were... kinda cute. In a pudgy sort of way. They were coming to her island within a few hours to fix things, including the minks shattered bones.

They were also in a war with some alien race.