“Governor Marco proved that Earthling females are compatible. She wants to avoid public disgrace, and this will ensure it.” Galen knew that humiliation came in many forms. What he wished to propose was just one of those forms.
“A Vendu female would submit without resistance to this ordeal. What if she disobeys you?”
“She will learn the consequences. The whipping stands, I’m not reducing the sentence. It will be administered as I see fit.”
Adris nodded. “Then I would suggest you retrieve her from detention. Swiftly, sir.”
“Have her brought back here to my chambers for sentencing.”
Adris left.
Galen finished his tepid coffee. She could refuse. But if her eyes were any indication of her feelings, he doubted she would.
* * *
They’d let her wash the tears from her face before locking her in a cell. She’d cried all the way from the courtroom to the detention center two streets away. Bundled into a shuttle with an unsympathetic guard, she wanted to curl up on the seat and disappear. But she couldn’t. She had been shackled around the ankles and wrists for the duration of the short journey. For a civilization with advanced technologies, the Vendu were woefully archaic when it came to their treatment of prisoners.
Alone in a small cell, she waited. There was a wide bench, which she perched on. The cold steel made her shiver. They’d gone to fetch the medic. What he had planned for her, Zara wasn’t sure, but it was guaranteed to be unpleasant and degrading.
All this because of a few bottles of liquor. Her friends back in New Phoenix had sent them as a birthday gift. What she’d failed to notice was the alcohol content: double the usual strength. A nice idea to reduce the cost of shipping the stuff, except she’d given it to her Vendu colleagues; women with whom she hoped to cultivate a friendship. They’d drunk it like water.
The little musical concert they had performed on the street by the fountain was hardly a serious offense, although she had discovered the Vendu weren’t especially good at singing. After that things got a bit hazy. Had she been that appalling? Once a Vendu is captured they should obey their captors and not make a serious escape attempt.
She had let so many people down: her mentor, the enthusiastic man who had guided her through the training program, her Vendu language professor without whom she would never have become fluent, and above all else, her family. Her mom and dad. Her little sister, April. Each day April battled to stay alive while an incurable disease racked her body. The program’s coordinator had no inclination of Zara’s other mission, the one her parents had put great hope in Zara achieving.
The door opened and she jumped to her feet. Three men! One was a burly guard with a shaved head covered in tattoos, the other an officious-looking man with a disdainful expression, and the third had to be the medic. Dressed in a white tunic and face mask, he carried a case. Laying it on the end of bench, he opened it and began to place objects on the surface. Metal things with tubes and what looked like a thin speculum. She guessed they were probes and sensors.
“You need to undress,” the official said.
She froze. Undress! The reality of the dire situation sank in. What if she resisted? Would they rip her clothes off?
The doctor patted her shoulder. “Once you’re naked, I want you bent over the bench for a thorough inspection.”
Behind her, the guard snorted gleefully. “Your first human, Doctor?” he said.
The medic pivoted to face the two men. He ignored Zara. “Yes. I’ve read up on their anatomy. I’m especially keen to see her external clitoris. I gather it is highly responsive to stimulation.”
“What!” Zara shrieked, snapping her knees together. “You can’t touch me there.”
“Clothes off, Zara Webb,” barked the guard. “The doctor can examine you as he sees appropriate. I expect he’ll give your ass a good oiling too, then when I give you your first spanking—”
“You?” she stuttered. “Spank me?”
“A tempering procedure,” the official explained. “To prepare you for the whipping. Each spanking will desensitize you and teach you not to tense. We don’t want any permanent harm.”
“Each spanking…” She stepped back, away from the guard.
“With my hand.” The guard flexed his wrist.
She turned to the medic. “Please, sir, you can’t let them do this.”
“It is the authorized procedure. It’s for your benefit. After a few spankings, you’ll develop a continuous sense of warmth. It’s not that unpleasant. If you clench too much, we can insert a plug in your anus to teach you to keep your buttocks apart.” The medic tapped the bench, his impatience growing.
The blood drained from her face. Now she felt like vomiting. The tears she’d chased away were rapidly reforming. This was just the beginning. She still had the public whipping to endure.
Her back hit the wall. She’d nowhere to go.
The door swung open and a perspiring guard barged into the room. “Good, I’ve caught you in time,” he panted. “You’re to stop. The judge wants her back for resentencing.”