Chapter 30. Dark corridor
Gradually, he woke up and faced the cruel reality again. That sweet dream of safety and inner peace burst like soap bubbles in the wind. It was replaced by the pungent stench of feces and vomit. Nausea spread in his throat. His body longed to throw up some of what was left in his stomach. But he gritted his teeth and resisted stubbornly. Now he can't waste nutrients. Who knows what else to eat next time.
Slowly opening his eyes, he saw - nothing. It was too dark to make out anything. Not even an outline. Nothing at all. But he didn't need to see anything. He knew that the ceiling was ten centimeters away from him. He saw it when he was locked here. It can also be described in other words. His hands and feet are tightly bound by metal chains. So short that he could barely move. Although this is primitive, it is also very effective. This is how the crew of the Republic is placed on multiple levels. They lay on the cold metal floor, with only a few centimeters of space above, and then the next level down.
From the start, he was reminded of one of the darkest pages in Earth's history. Slavery. and the associated trafficking of people all over the planet and from Africa to the Americas. Entire villages of villagers were captured and kidnapped by slave traders just to get rich by selling them off. This is an act of cruelty and savagery among humans, almost unique in the universe. The white colonial powers of the time behaved like gods who could control life and death as they pleased. Even the most ordinary person feels powerful once he can dominate a slave. And the slave itself is worth less than trash. Now they are suffering the same fate. This is a slave ship. Just as cruel and inhumane as it was five hundred years ago. At their destination, they will likely be auctioned off to the highest bidder.
Somewhere someone was crying quietly. He couldn't blame the man. It was also the most difficult moment for him that he had ever experienced in his Starfleet career. If they are to survive in good health, they may need months, even years, of psychological counseling. But now, they must persevere. He had to admit that Demon Flame's method was perfect, and this method of transportation could even break a slave's will, as almost everyone would suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder after such treatment.
There was almost silence except for the crying man. Everyone still seemed in shock and scared to speak. Who knows what these evil demonic flames will do to those who draw too much attention to themselves.
How long has he been here? How long has this been going on? he does not know. He lost any sense of time. He cleared his throat deliberately and asked, "How long have we been here?" Hope he didn't start the conversation. Because if everyone started talking now, it would be a mess. And even a few whispers in this low room were as loud as thunder.
Fortunately, the room was still quiet. It was so quiet, no one answered. Then, a voice beside him answered. "Eighteen hours and twenty-four minutes, Captain."
Noah breathed a sigh of relief. The gentle Martian's voice broke his brief panic. He is their captain. His crew always relied on him. They will be hoping that captain Noah can find a way out of this predicament. But in order to do that, he has to stay calm. Panic only interferes with thinking. So Jeffrey's presence helps him become calm, even though it may sound illogical.
"Captain, is your head okay?" Vader's gentle voice asked from the other side. This reminded him of his unpleasant encounter with the Demon Flame Weapon. But at least now he knew the cause of his headache.
"It's okay. Thanks for your concern," Noah replied briefly. His health doesn't matter here. To dwell on this would only impede his judgment.
Vader didn't answer again. Noah wasn't sure if Vader was offended. He doesn't understand the people of Big Bear. Now Noah even felt sorry for cutting her off so briefly. But he had no time to regret it now. "Mr. Jeffrey, what is your analysis of the current situation?" He really hoped that the Martian had some positive reports. They need good news now.
"If you mean the possibility of escape, Captain: I don't see any realistic possibility of escape at the moment. The Demon Flame has an exceptionally efficient security system. Apparently, they already have strong and extensive hunting experience."
Suddenly, a light projected in, interrupting Jeffrey's words. Somewhere a door opens. The heavy footsteps of the Demonic Flame Warrior reached Noah's ears. Then, the lights in the room suddenly came on. Shine it directly in the prisoners' faces. The harsh light dazzled Noah. He didn't close his eyes in time and tears poured into his eyes. Blinking, he tried to regain clear vision while dealing with the harsh light.
Moyan said nothing. They gave no orders or explained what was happening. The demonic flames left their prisoners completely unaware of what was coming next. Like livestock transport, they don't tell the animals what happens next and where they are going. For Demon Yan, this slave transportation is obviously no different. And it further weakened the morale of the slaves, which was their goal.
Noah strained to listen to what he could hear and tried to correctly interpret everything he heard. But it's not that easy. A lot of scraping and grinding sounds, mixed with muffled screams. Then there were footsteps again, but not just the footsteps of Demon Flame. Have they reached their destination? Were they taken off the ship? Where to go? What will they encounter? Question after question popped up in Noah's mind, but he had no answers. He was devastated, feeling panic rising within him but unable to do anything about it. As the captain of a ship, he usually has everything under control. He has a complete understanding of everything and can decide what should happen next. He knows what's going on. But here he was helpless. They made decisions about him without regard to him. He has lost control. He didn't know what was happening at this moment. He had no idea how many of the crew were captured or killed. He had no idea what condition his ship was in. He doesn't even know what happened to his daughter. And ignorance is the most terrible thing about this situation. He had a responsibility to all these people and yet he failed. He leads them to the worst fate imaginable. It's not even clear if he'll ever see any of them again. Perhaps these words exchanged with Jeffrey earlier were the last conversations he would ever have with him. Panic gripped him so tightly that he thought he might go crazy. But maybe madness is the only way he can endure this helplessness.
Tiny was roughly pulled up from the hard metal bunk. She could barely stay standing. She has been handcuffed here for nearly 19 hours, unable to move. Now she was jerked to her feet. Her legs were numb and she struggled to stay standing even though her legs were shaking. She never wanted to kneel down. She wanted to maintain her dignity and her dignity as the captain's daughter. But her circulatory system nearly collapsed. The darkness blurred her vision, trying to embrace her with a deceptive sense of security. But she managed to stay awake. She couldn't lose consciousness. She couldn't pass out now. She closed her eyes and enjoyed a moment of peace.
Suddenly, a sharp blow hit her back, and she screamed and almost fell down, because the tight shackles barely allowed her to make a balancing movement. But she still managed to keep her balance. The demon warrior standing next to her saw that she had regained her balance and gave up hitting her again. Slave keepers did not want to damage the merchandise before delivery.
Tiny was trembling all over. She was scared and didn't know what was happening. During the time she lay here, her imagination ran wild. She imagined every possible scenario, each one getting worse. She was gripped by the fear that she might go crazy. How did she get into this situation? She was originally just looking for her father, initially to tell him the truth. But then everything changed and he wasn't the jerk she thought he was at all. On the contrary, he was very nice to her, even when she said all the insults she said to him. Could this be her punishment for her unfounded hatred? Are her ancestral spirits guiding her into this trial to show her the dire consequences of treating others unfairly? As much as she wanted to believe it, she doubted it. Because every trial eventually comes to an end. But it may not end so easily here. Maybe she is just one of the many helpless souls in the universe. No one can help her, and she can only struggle in the cracks of various forces. Her personal fate, like that of so many others before her, will be lost in the sweep of history.
Ahead of her, other crew members were hauled to their feet. She couldn't see clearly, but there were about fifteen people. They were all connected together with heavy metal chains. It's almost like the Middle Ages. If it wasn't so real, people might think it was just a nightmare.
A push from behind staggered her, but the chains stopped her from falling. Slowly, the slave procession began to move. The concentration at the moment prevented her from thinking deeply. It also pushed the fear back a bit. She had to pay attention to what was going on around her, that was all that mattered. Not because she believed there would be a chance of escape, but simply because a moment of inattention might lead to her being punished, but she was keen to avoid that.
They left the room, exiting the ship first through a windowless passage and then immediately into a second long dark passage. The passage was just wide enough to accommodate them passing through one after another. One demonic flame warrior leads the front, and the other follows the team behind. They were so confident in their hold that they used only two warriors to monitor fifteen prisoners. Tini knew that this passage was their chance to overpower the demonic flames. After all, they have the advantage in numbers. But how should she implement it? Her wrists were tied together, leaving her feet with very little room to move. Additionally, she was chained to the prisoner in front. All kinds of crazy ideas came to Tiny's mind. She searched desperately for an idea. She had to figure out a way. And fast, or they would leave the passage and she would miss her chance. She may not get a second chance to pass through such a passage.
The passage was pitch black, making people nervous. Tiny became increasingly desperate. This is her last chance. But she let time slip away little by little. She nervously tried to turn her head to look at the demonic flames behind her, but she couldn't see anything because it was too dark. What if she had directly tried to attack him? She knew it would just be an act of desperation. But she had to do something. She couldn't simply accept her fate. The panic in her heart engulfed her consciousness bit by bit. It was pitch dark, she could see nothing, and she was bound by chains, facing a terrible fate. Her nerves were crushed and she could no longer think rationally. She was about to give in to panic. She cursed inwardly and tugged slightly on the chain that bound her. But only gently, because every tug hurts the person in front of you. Still, she'll try everything next, trying to attack the guards behind her.
Suddenly, a desperate scream came from the front, and then the whole team trembled, pulling Tiny forward. Suddenly, they all stopped. Tiny clung to the back of the tall, powerful prisoner in front of her in confusion. She needed time to understand what was happening. If she attacks the demonic flames behind her now...
Another bloodcurdling scream came from ahead, causing her to panic. Her heartbeat stopped and her blood felt like it was almost freezing. It was a human scream of agony that ended as suddenly as a nightmare. Then there was deathly silence in the passage. Everyone held their breath in shock. Tiny didn't know what was going on. Her heart was beating violently, and the passage was filled with an atmosphere of fear. She managed to stay calm. Screams, darkness, chains, uncertainty. All of this was eating at her nerves.
Tiny felt the prisoner in front of her slowly begin to move again. The chains pulled her forward. Still in shock, she just followed slowly. The vague hope she had before, the plan to overpower the demonic flames, suddenly vanished. She felt exhausted.
Her foot suddenly hit something on the floor. She had no chance to get around it, no time to look closely. She was pushed forward inexorably. She had no choice but to step on the thing and keep going. Under her uniform boots, the thing was a little stretchy and a little soft. A chill ran down Tiny's back. A scary thought crossed her mind, but she chose to ignore it. However, when she heard a soft sound under her feet, she had to accept the terrible truth. She stepped on a corpse. At her feet was a body. Most likely the officer from earlier who screamed horribly. He must have launched an attack on the demonic flames and paid the price with his life. Fear rose again in Tiny's heart as she realized what this meant. If the officer hadn't struck her first, she would be lying here now. She stepped away from the body as quickly as she could. But the disgust she felt for the corpses still lingered in her mind. And her realization that she just narrowly escaped death. Whether this is a stroke of luck, however, only time will tell.
Suddenly, a dazzling light shines into the passage. Tiny blinked and tried to turn her head away. But she can't. The entire passage in front of her seemed to be made of bright light. Tears welled up in her eyes and her vision became bright. She tried to blink to get used to the brightness. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She couldn't find any way to block the light from her eyes.
Despite the harsh light, the prisoners continued on. They have no choice. After a few meters, they stopped. The light softened. Tiny found it pleasant now. Finally, her eyes could take a break. She heard the clink of chains ahead of her, then lone footsteps. She can't see anything yet. Then everything fell silent.
Slowly, Tiny was able to make out the outlines around her. They were in a large room, although Tiny couldn't see an exit or entrance, there was no door. But there must be an exit. They must have come in from somewhere. And the demonic flame also walked out from somewhere.
A glimmer of hope surged into Tiny's heart. Tini immediately realized that this was an opportunity. She noticed, however, that they were still lined up. No one dared to move. And they are still connected by chains. But maybe acting together they can succeed. She is the captain's daughter. She's sure others look to her for guidance.
As she considered how to express her thoughts succinctly, a hidden door opened and three demon flames entered the room. Silently they unchained the front prisoner, then seized him and dragged him out. Then there was silence again.
For a few seconds, everyone was in a stalemate, and no one dared to breathe. Maybe if they didn't move, they might be ignored by the demonic flames. There was silence, and they stood still like pillars, victims of their own fears.
