storybook—from a nightmare, maybe.
“I understand what you’re saying.” I took the cup from him mechanically. “What escapes me is why they are like that?”
“Some of it is in their blood. It’s the characteristic of their species.”
“Not exactly.” I shook my head. “All of them initially came from the same world I did. And I’ve never heard of any race being inherently brutal or violent like that. Errocks are an intelligent, civilized nation, for example. And that head-eating thing that you said ognats do...” I flinched, bringing it up. “It would not be tolerated anywhere in the modern world.”
“Then it must be a better world out there now.”
“What was it like when they got here?” I asked. “How long have you all been on the Dark Anomaly?”
“It depends. Malahki was the last sentient being to arrive here before you. That was about five years ago. I’ve been here for over two decades now. That’s about six thousand universal years.”
“What?” I stared at him, flabbergasted. “Six thousand years? That would be before the beginning of recorded human history!”
“Yours must be a very young race then. Many of the others have been here for much longer than that, twice or even three times as long as I have.”
“That would be like traveling through time.”
“Except that no one actually travels anywhere.” He huffed a bitter laugh. “All of us are staying put.”
I took a drink of tea, suddenly no longer feeling like talking.
All of what Vrateus had said was excruciatingly depressing.
He crouched in front of me.
“I have re-arranged my schedule for tomorrow. Right after breakfast, I will have one hour to show you around. Crux, Wyck, and Nocc will come with us.”
I snapped my gaze to his, shocked by his offer after the speech he had just given me.
“You will take me for a walk, after all?”
“With an adequate escort,” he said with an emphasis. “You’re never to step a foot outside of this room alone. Do you understand?”
I nodded, afraid to believe he was giving in.
“There are benefits to familiarizing yourself with the Dark Anomaly. You need to know your surroundings in case of an emergency.”
“Thank you,” I exhaled with relief and genuine gratitude.
He hovered his hand over my knee for a moment, before tentatively placing it on it. “You’re welcome.”
I covered his hand with mine, my fingers sinking into the soft fur on the back of his hand.
He blinked, slightly discomfited for once.
“Just, um... Make sure you stay close and do exactly as I say, Svetlana. Please, make it easier for me to keep you safe.”
Chapter 9
IT WAS ONLY A WALK through the rumpled corridors of the junkyard of spaceships compacted together by the unexplained force field in space. Yet from the moment I woke up, I felt excited as if I were six again and my grandma was about to take me to the fair.
Being forced to stay in one room had made me eager to see anything outside of it.
“Morning,” I greeted Vrateus the moment he walked in with breakfast. “I’ll be quick.” I grabbed the tray from him.
“Take your time. You have fifteen minutes for breakfast, then an entire hour for the walk.”
His days seemed to comprise a string of time intervals, each with a specific task assigned to it.
For the next hour and fifteen minutes the task was me.
“Where are you taking me today?” I stuffed a spoonful of the watery stew into my mouth. The food on the Anomaly lacked not just taste but also variety. I’d had a slight variation of the same thing for every meal.
“We’ll take a walk in the opposite direction from the mess hall.”
“Oh, good.” I wasn’t too eager to see the mess hall again, anyway. “What’s there?”
“The library and the gardens.”
I was hoping for an airlock, the exit to the surface. However, seeing more of the layout of the habitable sector of the Dark Anomaly would still be beneficial. Besides, I might find some information I needed in the library.
“Sounds good.”
“Today, we’ll go to the library. The gardens will be next week. I also have a visit to the kitchen scheduled, two days from now.”
“Really?” I perked up, surprised but even more excited now. It appeared I was about to see a lot of this place.
“This won’t happen often.” He toned down my enthusiasm. “I’ll try to find time for more walks in the future, but I can’t promise anything definite yet.”
“I’d love be able to walk as much as possible, please,” I asked nicely. “Everybody needs regular exercise, right? How