“None. I wanted everyone to suffer.”
“What a waste! And from people who treat anti-waste like a religion!”
Reluctantly, I turn away from the glorious, tainted feast.
Back in the previous room, we hear a woman’s voice:
“What are you doing here, you little snoop?”
“Oh, Marjorie!” Neela replies. “They said someone was sick in this section. I came to check before heading home.”
They’re out of sight, behind a wall. Esteban and I freeze, listening.
“Don’t play dumb,” Marjorie snaps. “You know residents’ rooms are the other way. Why are you here in this restricted section?”
“I promise, I got lost. We mountain folks have two-room homes. This Palace is huge…”
Sweet, innocent voice. She’s good.
“You know what? I don’t care!” the woman says. “You’ve pissed me off long enough with your judgy looks. Everyone else is out of commission from that spoiled meat. But not me. I was... otherwise engaged. So now, it’s just you and me. And I finally get to do what I’ve wanted for a long time: I’m going to kill you.”
My heart skips a beat.
My Human is in danger.
16-Neela
I’ve finally finished my rounds. My patients are all lying down now, completely wiped out after emptying their guts. The muscle-relaxing plant will help them sleep it off peacefully.
I did feel a tiny pang of guilt when I saw just how well those herbs worked. I reassured them that the effects were intense but temporary—probably something poorly digested. That is, until one of them whispered, almost too softly to hear, that he’d never eat meat again. So Kiran was right—Palace residents do eat animal flesh regularly.
But now that my official duties are behind me, it’s time for the unofficial ones. Besides my medical satchel, I always carry my little camera. I discover the bones of small animals beside the incinerators. I take pictures, my heart sinking for these creatures who died for nothing, and then I head off in search of weapons. I need to check Vassili’s office.
I’ve been there before, like most of us. He likes to receive colonists in that spacious room, where a projection of old Earth plays on the back wall.
I find it again and slip inside without issue. The hallways are deserted. It’s obvious now—all the residents have violated the Pact. Even if they didn’t kill anything themselves, the fact they’re all sick proves they’ve been eating those forbidden meals.
A large desk dominates the Regent’s office. I run my hands across its surface carefully until I find the trigger. A draweropens silently, revealing a strange weapon. It doesn’t look like anything I’ve seen in Earth movies—or anything like Prax’s two weapons, either. It must come from somewhere else. Bully, maybe?
I snap a quick photo and close the drawer before continuing my search.
I’m inspecting a locked composite block when the sharp voice of the Regent’s advisor cuts through the silence behind me.
“What are you doing here, you nosy little rat?”
Oops. Caught red-handed. My heart hammers in my chest as I scramble for an explanation.
“Oh, Marjorie! I was told someone in this section wasn’t feeling well. I was just checking on my last patient before heading back to my quarters. I’m so glad to see you’re doing okay!”
“You think I’m an idiot?” she snaps. “You know damn well the residents’ rooms are on the other side. Tell me, what are you really doing in a restricted zone?”
“I swear I got lost! You know, us mountain folks only have tiny two-room units. This Palace is huge...”
I turn on the innocent charm and speak in my most soothing voice, but the cruel smile on her face tells me she’s not buying any of it.
“You know what? I don’t even care anymore! You’ve been on my nerves for way too long, with your judgmental little glares every time we cross paths. The others are out for the day—they probably ate something rotten. But me? I was busy… with other things. So it’s just you and me now. And I’m finally gonna do something I’ve wanted to do for a long time: kill you.”
A chill rushes down my spine. Her eyes say she’s dead serious—this isn’t just posturing. I try another tactic.
