Survivor Planet III: Devolution

By Juliet Cardin

Ayres and Amanda have returned to Planet Taleon to exact revenge on Calixtus. Tired of running for their lives, the pair is joined by an outcast scientist and together they devise a way to rid themselves of their nemesis—for good. Though their plan goes slightly awry, the outcome they desire is soon achieved, but with devastating, unforeseen consequences. Now they must return to Earth and fight for mankind's very existence, before another game takes place—one more terrifying and brutal than the one played on Taleon. A game that will end humans, all for the sake of an alien world's grisly entertainment.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Torrid Books
• Release date: Dec 22, 2015
• ISBN: 9781633558007

Juliet Cardin

Juliet is an award-winning author of several bestselling novels and short stories. She lives in Ontario with her husband, cat and dog. You can check out Juliet's website to see what she's been up to. http://JulietCardinWebsite.Yolasite.com

Book preview

Chapter 1

I couldn’t feel my toes.

There they were stretched out in front of me wiggling like crazy, but I wasn’t the one making them do it. How could I when I felt numb from the knees down? My hands worked okay. My fingers bent on cue, and that was all me. But something had possession of my toes. I took inventory of my body, starting with my head, and worked my way down. Everything moved the way I wished, until I got to my knees. Then, nothing. Zilch. Nadda.

How the hell was I supposed to get up?

Straw poked me in the ass. The entire floor of the eight by ten cell was covered in the stuff. Across from me, stretching from the ground to the ceiling, was a steel door made up of vertical bars. Six in fact. One barred window rested in the wall behind me, high enough that I could stand—when I could stand—on my bare feet comfortably and peer outside. It allowed the sun or darkness to creep within, telling me whether it was day or night. Another way to gauge time was the three meals they brought me a day; sunrise, high noon, and dusk.

Breakfast ended about an hour ago so this was the beginning of another day. I reached for a small rock resting beside me and picked it up. Leaning over far as I could, I used the pointy end of it to scratch a line through the four lines I’d already made on the wall.

So this was day five.

I can’t remember much about how I came to be here. I’m dressed in a plain brown gown that ends just above my knees and knots at the top of one shoulder, letting the other one go bare. I wear nothing beneath it. The material’s strange, feeling soft, yet almost rubbery between my fingers, and the way it repels dirt and dust suggests it isn’t your typical run of the mill cotton and polyester blend. It appears similar to a toga, and if I had to fathom a guess I’d say that’s what it was intended to be. Made perfect sense considering the man that brings me my grub wears a skirt to his knees comprised of long, brown leather strips, and a leather vest overtop a white shirt, along with high leather boots—appearing to be a Roman from days of old.

From the long looks I’ve taken outside my window the view reveals roadways made from interlocking stone, a huge coliseum, and sandal-clad men, women, and children wearing various colored toga-like apparel, with long pieces of fabric fitted overtop, belted at the waist. So, either I’ve time traveled, or I’ve gone insane.

I prefer to believe the former.

My guard won’t give anything up. His entire demeanor reeks of standoffish, bored, hostile indifference. As though I deserve less attention than the sand or straw beneath his feet. He at least brings me decent food to eat, so someone must care if I live or die. An old woman, bent and smelly, wearing a gray worn out frock empties my slop bucket every morning. She never speaks, but when she smiles I’ve noticed she has no teeth and I’m beginning to think she’s sworn to secrecy or lacks a tongue.

When I peer out through the bars of my cell into the passageway I can count at least ten more cells, guessing that for every one across from me there’s another one on my side of the row. They’re staggered, so I have a hard time seeing who’s in them. I have caught glimpses of long swinging hair from the closest ones, and heard faint cries, so I’m thinking they’re women. Perhaps all the cells are filled with women? I have no clue.

Did I do something wrong, I wonder? Something to justify having me sweat it out in cramped quarters, isolated almost to the point of hysteria? Or is this someone’s idea of a joke?

I am not amused.

My knees tingle and feeling slowly returns, allowing me to gain some semblance of control over my wiggling digits. A few deep breaths later and when I attempt to cross my legs I’m successful. At least now I can fidget respectably and find some comfort. A few more minutes and I may even attempt to stand. I suppose I shouldn’t be annoyed. Without my bodily quirks to distract me I might actually go crazy.

Yelling would get me nowhere. I figured this out the hard way. Any type of noise above muffled cries or whispered speech would gain the attention of the guard. And he doesn’t like to be bothered. My second day here gained me a good zap in the gut with a long steel wand that he waved around like the good fairy. It shocked me into silence pretty effectively and I haven’t given him cause to use it on me again. Come to think of it, that’s when all the problems started with the bottom half of my legs.

Although, it also happens to my arms on occasion; from elbows to fingertips.

They’ll wave or sway or punch up over my head or around my body. Sometimes I find myself saluting several times, making me feel pretty stupid, but there’s nothing I can do to stop it. It feels as though someone turned me into a marionette and pulls my strings for kicks. It’s got to be that zapper wand. He fried me and damaged my body somehow…that must be it.

Loud voices and rustling suddenly sound from the far end of the passageway where the guard always disappears to. Shimmying over to the wall, I used it for leverage to get to my feet. I didn’t want to be sitting on my ass if something was going down. Sure enough, the sound of several pairs of booted feet began stomping in my direction. They started with the cells before mine, and jingling keys and clanging steel doors flinging open reach my ears.

So do the girls’ screams.

Unmistakable slaps rang in the air followed by silence. At least until the next cells are opened. Then it began all over again. They were getting closer. I backed against the wall and felt a slight breeze against my bare shoulder from the window. A lot of excitement was going on outside judging by the shouts and happy squeals I heard. If I weren’t so concerned with the passageway I’d turn around and check it out. I wondered if the two scenarios had anything to do with each other? Maybe we were being brought outside to witness or join in some kind of festivities?

Another cell banged open.

Now they were at the one beside me. I could see guards swarming about dressed similarly to the one who frequented my cell. From where I stood I counted six of them, or more. Since I didn’t see the girls they plucked from their cells I assumed they’ve each disappeared with a guard. They’re huge fellows who’d probably have no trouble handling lone females by themselves.

Now a guard unlocked the door to my cell. It wasn’t possible to back away any further than I already had. Whatever fate awaited me would come to pass regardless of my actions. The empty cells before mine attested to that fact. They would take me from here, one way or the other. The choice was mine on how I wished to meet this fate.

I took a step forward.

Chapter 2

Come, the guard said, gesturing to me. In his hands he held a rope. I moved up before him and put out my arms in front of me. This was not a man I’d seen before, not the dour faced fellow I’d seen daily. Not the man who’d zapped me with that metal wand. This one, pleased by my compliance, winked at me and tied my wrists together. He was gentle and despite the rope being heavy and rough, it didn’t overly rub me raw.

All right in there? another guard called from the passageway.

Fine, my guard said.

Now secured, he guided me into the hall where mayhem resounded. Walking past a few other prisoners and beefy guards he led me down the long passageway. From what I could see and hear I assumed I’d been correct about the other cells containing only women. Some of them were ahead of me and I could see them, barefoot and brown-toga-clad, heads drooped in defeat. How sad. Soon we broke free of the dim walls and stepped outside. Sunshine hot and bright felt glorious on my face.

I needn’t ask where we were going. The coliseum loomed ahead. From the path we trod I knew it to be our destination. Even from a good distance away I could already hear the crowds who even now flocked inside the huge double wooden doors set at intervals around the massive circular structure. A jolt of realization hit me. The coliseum, several stories high, with its walls accented by arched openings, was fully intact. This was no ruin.

But how could that be?

Had I time traveled then?

My gaze swept the landscape. All the buildings I spied were pristine as though newly or recently built. I wracked my memory trying to find some semblance of an explanation. My name is Lara. I am twenty years old. I live in…

Remember…

For some reason my mind failed to register any more information. The deeper I dug, the higher the wall I encountered. My steps faltered and when I felt the slight tug on the rope at my wrists I sped up. The shadow cast upon the ground by the coliseum was vast. Desperate for the feel of the sun I tilted up my head toward the sky, deep blue with fluffy white clouds. A glorious day. And then the sight of two giant moons floating in the vast sea of blue startled me.

So I’d been wrong.

I had neither time traveled or lost my mind.

I was on another planet.

Flashes of memories bombarded me. Darkness all around, running through a forest, and then a bright glowing light descending from above. A spaceship perhaps? I shook my head, forcing the blurred images aside. They only confused me, and I needed to stay focused on the present. Wherever I was, something big was happening. And the pit of dread in my belly was telling me we were about to be at the centre of it.

Soon we’d be within the coliseum and, greatly fearing what was inside, I wanted to linger as long as possible. I slowed my steps, being careful since I still stared upward. Behind me was a line of more women. We had to pause for a moment when we reached the coliseum. I heard many of them exclaim in dismay over the sight of those moons, which had been hidden from our limited view from our small prison windows. My guard led me over to a small unremarkable door away from the ones the public used. Inside, a huge barrel-chested man stood guard. He allowed us to pass. His gaze roved over me, his tongue flicked out to lick his upper lip, and his hand rubbed against the front of his tunic suggestively. My guard scowled at him.

Though I had a million questions running about in my head I remained silent. Upon entrance we’d moved steadily downward, the dirt path leading us into the bowels of the structure. The assault to my nostrils was strong, the sweet aroma of straw mixed with the sweat of what seemed a hundred animals. Before us opened up a vast area filled with a labyrinth of corridors.

The guard veered to the right and moved us along a wide passageway. Overhead I could hear the tread of many feet. Heavy wooden beams ran along the walls and overhead, absorbing the weight from above. Sawdust danced in the air, lit up by stray pinpricks of sunlight shining in through the walls.

The corridor got wider as we walked along and what appeared to be animal stalls lined the right side of the wall. There were also cells similar