The Experiments of Adem part 5

In seconds liquid began to jet out sending each woman to their feet. Confusion filled the room until the affects of the liquid began to take affect. The liquid smelled of chemicals and singed the skin. Everyone began to scream and run about trying to find refuge from the scorching liquid. Many slipped and rolled in the pain that was coming at them from all sides.
The chaos continued for what seemed like hours. Once the liquid stopped the women were screeching at the door to be released. Finally a cold draft rushed in as one door opened. The women rushed out, but soon found themselves wanting to be locked in the chemical showers forever.

On the other side of the door they were greeted with a collar locked around their necks, and blue robes marking them as slaves once again.
“I think Pneu was right, Etah. The pit may not have been such a bad place,” Rahan whispered pulling her new clothes up to her shoulders.

The white walls that surrounded them was a welcomed relief from the red dirt of the pits, but as the women walked in single file behind another set of Gobs fear returned. Etah knew they were still too far beneath the surface to be in Terranova, but what purpose would they serve now. There were no slaves over the age of thirteen in Terranova, and no one over the age of eighteen in the pits, so where would they spend the rest of their days now?

The Gob came to a stop in a large cavern and Etah was amazed at what she saw. Hundreds of women, shaved and chained, filled the massive cavern. Etah had never seen so many of her own people. She had always thought their pit had been the only one.

Six Gobs in dress of their stations stood at one end of the cavern watching the women from an archway. Each mumbling amongst one another; the largest and oldest of the Gobs held a staff in his stubby arms. He struck his staff against stone at his feet. The piercing noise brought Etah and the other women’s hands to their ears until the echo dissipated.

“Line up,” the old Gob commanded causing the women to scurry into a poorly formed line. “Cife search them all.”
“Why do you get first choice Laebo?” One of the other Gobs asked offended that the prime choices would be taken from him.

“Because I am Master Matchmaker, and my experiments take precedent over your breeding. Go ahead Cife.” The Gob’s short apprentice slithered away from the herd and began to inspect the line. He turned each woman’s wrist where he could see it with his beady eyes.
“What do you think he’s looking for?” Rahan whispered.
“This perhaps.” Etah turned her wrist to show the triangular marking she had never been with out.
“What does it mean?”
“Quiet!” The large Laebo shouted causing is lackey to waddle in front of Rahan and Etah. His slimy hand reached out and took hold of Etah’s wrist. His beady eyes nearly popped out of his head at the sight of the tattoo.
“Laebo, she is here.”

“Bring her and the one next to her.” Laebo’s large frame slowly turned to return into the tunnels. The Gob in front of them latched chains on both Rahan and Etah’s collars, and began leading them to follow Laebo slow trudge.

Etah and Rahan seemed to take but one step every minute as they worked their way down the tunnels. For Etah it was hard to believe the colonies were real. She had thought the colonies a myth. Something the Gobs told them as a threat, not an actually place she would find herself.
“Ah, home sweet home,” Laebo belted out entering a room laced with blue light, and more teks than Etah had ever seen. “Chain them there Cife, and let me look at her.” Cife exchanged Rahan and Etah’s leashes for chains on the wall.

Laebo’s large slimy frame waddled over and he motioned for Etah to stand. She rose, her tall slender frame contrasting greatly from the Gob that stood in front of her. Laebo laughed as he looked at Etah’s wrist.
“It is interesting my child that I placed this tattoo on your wrist when you were born not far from here.”
“What are your plans for her Master?” Laebo’s lackey questioned.

“The experiment of a lifetime my apprentice. I spent my life developing her through years of selective breeding.”
“What makes her so special?”
“Have you not read my papers as I asked of you Cife?”
“There are so many my Master.”
“You will find that this slave is immune to disease. I hope to extract information from her breeding to find a way we Gobs can escape this earth caked prison.”

“But the earth of Adem gives us all we need.”
“Dear Cife, I once saw the bounty of the earth above us, and if we could escape the threat of disease then we could reap that treasure. Come let us gather the sample for testing.”
“Why do you need this other Gouti?” Cife pointed at Rahan’s fearful frame.
“Come now Cife. In all experiments there must be a control specimen. I am tired. Take the samples and place them in isolation until we can find them appropriate mates.”