Prologue
Sky
"Hey! What are you doing?"
I froze as the angry words thundered through the tiny room.
"Nothing," I forced myself to stay calm, searching desperately for any way to explain why I was hunched over a computer station in the restricted-access research department. "I was just trying to figure out how to adjust the temperature in the nursery pods." I focused on breathing slowly. "I can't find Cal and the pods are overheating."
The guard glared down at me. "Those controls aren't computerized."
"They're not?" I asked weakly. "I didn't know…"
"Sure, you didn't," the monster hulking over me snorted. "Just to be sure, why don't we find you a nice, quiet place to wait for the boss to get back."
Fuck, fuck, fuck!
"Okay," I agreed meekly, offering my wrist for the handcuff he was tapping against one palm. One thing I knew for certain was that angering the security guards could easily be a fatal mistake.
"I really wasn't doing anything wrong," I tried again. "Can you make sure that Cal knows as soon as he gets back? He's going to be angry if we lose another batch of potentials."
"Yeah, whatever," he growled snapping the cuff on my wrist, none-too-gently. "Let's go."
By the time Cal arrived at my cell the next day, I'd perfected my story and was almost positive that it gave me a, well, slight chance of surviving. Fortunately – or unfortunately, depending on your point of view – Cal had already moved onto other things.
"Sky, Sky, Sky," he murmured, shaking his head. "What have I told you about your snooping?"
"I wasn't, Cal," I rushed to assure him. "I swear I wasn't! I tried to tell the guards…the nursery pods were overheating.."
Yes, I'm aware." Cal narrowed his eyes at me. "Unfortunately, you were right. We lost the crop."
I sighed and dropped my eyes, hoping he took my elation for distress. "I'm sorry, but.."
"Yes, yes," Cal huffed over me. "Youtriedto warn us."
Something in his tone set my teeth on edge.
"Regardless," Cal said smoothly. "Something really must be done about your propensity to be where you don't belong." His oily voice made me cringe. "So, it's been decided to move you to the other side of the operations." He gave a cruel chuckle. "After we strip you of the remaining skills you offer to the production process."
I froze, my head jerking up to stare at him. "What does that mean?"
"Don't you worry your little head about it," Cal scoffed, stepping aside when the guard opened the cell door to allow two orderlies to pass. One lifted a large hypodermic needle and waved it menacingly in the air as they closed in on me.
I bolted between them, but there was nowhere to go. The guard knocked me to the floor with one massive fist and they closed in, pinning me as the injection stripped me of the ability to fight back.
"That's better," Cal chortled with a disturbing glint in his eye. "Now, get him prepped for the procedure."
When I woke, I was naked and tied spread-eagle to an exam table, the waxy paper under me dripping with blood. My abdomen throbbed and when I tried moving, excruciating pain seared through me, causing me to vomit.
Sitting in a chair a few feet away, Cal was watching with a satisfied smile on his face. "Coming around, are you?"
I started to respond only to have an even worse pain tear through my mouth. A shriek tore free of my throat, followed by another wave of pain.
"Oh, yes. I suppose I should warn you," Cal said, his tone mocking. "As we can't be certain what you learned poking through the computer, it was necessary for us to ensure that you couldn't repeat it to anyone. Your jaw has been, for lack of a better term, wired shut."
What the fuck? How was I supposed to eat?
"You aren't." Cal had apparently guessed what was running through my mind. "You'll be used to serve our clients' more carnal needs until you are no longer of use." He shrugged. "Then you'll be added to the compost pile with the rest of the trash."
