AsI'dseenthejobofferonthenoticeboardmymouthhadfallenopen.EvennowasIflewtotheunknownandunchartedsectorofspacethatwaspartofthejobIneededtopinchmyself.

　　Athousandcreditsjusttoflytounchartedspace,spendafewhoursthereandthencomebacktothespacestationagain.Itwasadreamcometrue.

　　AlreadyIwasalmostthere,mylittleshipfast,ifalittleold.

　　ButI'donlybeenthereafewminutes,theshipscanningandchartingthestarsaroundmewhenawarningsounded.

　　Theareaofspacewasfullofdebris,andasteroids,asifseveralplanetshadcollidedherelongago.AsthealarmsblaredItriedtofindthesourceamongthechaos.

　　Theasteroidsblockedmyviewinseveraldirections,buttheradarontheshipclearlythoughtherewassomekindofthreat.

　　FlickingmyjetblackhairbackIlookedatthescannerdata.Onceagainmyjawfellopen.Iwasn'talone.Therewasanothership.

　　Anditwascomingstraightforme.

　　Iflickedoffthesystemchartingspaceandtookoverthecontrolsystemsfromtheautopilotbutitwastoolate.Theshiphadmanagedtosneaksoclose,hiddenbehindanasteroidthathadconfusedmyscanner.

　　Nowitwasalreadycloseenoughtolockontomylittleshipwithsomekindofgrapplesystemandreelmeinlikeafishonahook.

　　ItriedeverythingIcould,butthegripwastoomuchfortheship'senginestooverpower.

　　TherewasnothingIcoulddobutsitandwaitastheshippulledmecloserandcloseruntilmyairlockwasconnectedtotheirs.Igrabbedmygunfromitsusualholderbythepilotchairandhurriedtothesideofthedoor.

　　Whoeverwasabouttoboardwouldhavetofightmefortheship.ThankfullyIhadnocargoexceptforsomesparefuelcellsandfood.Thishadn'tbeenacargorun.

　　Iheardthehissastheairlockdownthecorridoropenedandadmittedsomeoneandtheclankofmagneticbootsontheflooraswhoeveritwascamecloser.

　　AcoupleoftimesIconsideredshootingfirst,butIhadnoideawhoandwhatwasboardingme.Iwasn'tgoingtostartafightIcouldn'tbesureofwinning.

　　ThethunkofeachbootstoppedbeforeIcouldseeanyone,onlyametreorsothroughthedoorbesideme.

　　Itriedtoslowmybreathingsomylocationwouldn'tbeheard,butIwasbothterrifiedandpumpedfullofadrenaline.Whatcouldthisintruderwant?

　　BeforeIcoulddecidetoactasmallcanisterrolledintotheroomandthenthedoorbegantoshut.

　　Themarkingsontheobjectmadeitclearitwasaparalysisbomb.Ineededtogetoutoftheroombeforeitwentoff.

　　Irushedtothedoorcontrols,butI'dstoodontheothersideandbeforeIcouldpressthebuttonitwentoff.AlmostinstantlyIwashitwithawavethatfrozemylimbsinplaceandstoppedmefrommoving.Thankfullyitcaughtmeinapositionthatdidn'timmediatelyseemefallonmybutt,orworse,myface.

　　Unabletomove,Icouldonlytryandbreatheandwaitforwhoeverhadthrownthebombtoappear.

　　Despitenotpressingthebutton,thedooropenedandrevealedmyintruder.ThemuscularformofaFrentinmale.IfI'dbeenabletomovemymouthwouldhavefallenopenforyetanothertime.Frentinmalesweresomeofthemostattractivealiensthatourracehadencountered.Theyweresimilarenoughtohumansthatsomehadevencrossbredwiththem,buttheywerefarstrongerthanhumansandtheyknewit.

　　Iwasintrouble.Bigtrouble.

　　"Ahhh,youmustbeJet,"hesaidashecamecloser,hisvioleteyeslookingoverme."Rosssaidyou'dbethenextpilottocomeouthere."

　　InmyheadIswore.Rosshadgivenmethisjob.I'dbeensetup.Butwhy?WhatdidaFrentinmanwantwithme?Iwasjustacargorunner.

　　Themuscularmancamecloser,hisscentfillingmyhead.InstantlyIcouldseewhysomewomenwerereducedtoquiveringwrecksaroundthem.Theirscentwasintoxicating.ButIwasdeterminednottobeoneofthesewomen.No.Iwouldresistthechemicalpheromones.Iwasn'tgoingtobecaughtupinsomelovelorngame.

　　Frentinmenonlydidonethingwithhumanwomen.Theyusedustoslatetheirdesiresandthenmovedon.Notonewoulddaretocommittoanythingmoreserious.Weweretooinferior.

　　Wasthatwhatwasabouttohappentome?WasIabouttoberaped?Asheranahanddownmyhair,IwouldhaveshudderedifIcould,butIwasfrozenbeneathhistouch,abletofeelitbuthelplesstopreventit.

　　"Ohyes,"hesaidasheslowlywalkedaroundme,clearlyappraisingmyphysicalbody,hiseyeslingeringonmypertbreastsclearundermythinspacesuit."You'regoingtofetchmeagoodamountatthemarket.

　　Market?mymindscreamed.Whatdidhemeanbymarket?

　　Hechuckledashecamearoundtostandinfrontofmeagain.

　　"You'retrespassingonFrentinspace,JetMontrose.Thiscomeswithaheavyfine.Ithinkthirty-thousandcreditsoughttobesufficient."

　　Myeyeswidenedattheamount.Ididn'tevenhaveatenthofthat.Butatleasttheparalysiswasbeginningtowearoff.

　　Helaughedagain."Didn'tthinkyou'dbeabletopayit,butthat'ssortofthepoint.InpaymentofyourdebtyouwillbetakenandsoldatthegreatFrentinmarket.I'msurethereareplentyofourkindwhowillenjoybiddingtoownyourbodyanduseitastheyplease."

　　AshefinishedspeakinghepulledoutasetoffFrentinmaderestraints.Theywerecontrolledbythepersonwhoputthemon,andonewassimplyslappedoneachlimb.Ifthepersonwearingthemtriedtorun,theownerwhohadputtheminplacecouldmerelythinkitandallfourwouldsnaptogether,orjusttwo,andthepersonwearingthemwouldbeunabletomoveorrun.

　　TherewasnowayIwasgettingoutofthis.

　　"Don'tworry,Jet.Theparalysiswillallwearoffsoon.Itwasashorttermone.Thenyoucanwalkyourhotlittlebodyovertomyshipandwecanstartthetendayruntogetyousold."

　　Itriedtoglareathim,butonlypartofmyfacewouldmove.Itonlymadehimlaughevenharderasheremovedmyglovesandpushedupmysleevestoslapthefirstwristlockon.Hefolloweditquicklywiththeother.

　　Icouldonlywhimperinfearashepulledupmytrouserstodothesametomyankles,thenheslippedmyspacesuitbackinplace,lettingitsealoverthetopofthefourcirclesthatmarkedmynewlackoffreedom.

　　Hedidn'tstopthere,however,instead,reachingformyneck.Unzippingthefrontofmysuithefittedafiftharoundtheneck.

　　"Thisonecomeswithamutefunction,"heexplainedashefitteditrightoverthefrontofmyvocalchords."Justincaseyoudecidetoprotesttooloudly."

　　Great.Ican'teventellhimwhatIthinkofhim.

　　Almostassoonashe'dfinishedInoticedmyarmdroop,theparalysiswearingoffmyextremities.Slowlymybodyrelaxedwhilehestoodandwatched.

　　"Right,"hesaid."Timetogetyouonmyshipandtowyourstobesoldaswell.It'sarustbucket,butanyextracreditsIgetforthatIcanuseforsomehumanfuntimeofmyown."

　　OnceagainIglared,buthemotionedformetowalkpasthim.InsteadIliftedmyhand,myfingerscurlingintoafist.Hemerelyblinkedandmyhandwasyankedtoconnectwiththeother,thefistflyingharmlesslyacrossmybody.Themomentumcarriedmefurtheraroundandmystillnotcompletelymobilebodypitchedforward.

　　TheFrentinslavetradercaughtme,holdingmecloseforamomentashelaughedagain,theseeprumbleandheavenlyscentmakingmybodyheatupinaveryunwelcomemanner.Thisjerkhadjustcapturedmetosellme.Iwasn'tgoingtogivehimanysatisfactionofthinkingIwasattractedtohim.

　　Suddenlyhepushedmebacktomyfeetandmyhandsfellapartagain.

　　"Now,walk,"hecommanded,hisvoiceicycold.

　　NotsurewhatelseIcoulddo,Iobeyed,leadingusbothontohisship.