Chapter IV

"Ready?" Mr. Garcia asks. In the past few hours you reached the Star Canyon, shaped as a perfect star with five points, the edges sunken to the ground by solid ninety degree walls. At the start you had doubts you could guide him here. But it turned out you remembered every detail perfectly. Even your small detour couldn't throw you off course.

The place’s origin serves as a mystery not just to you but the entire world. Perhaps it was aliens. Perhaps it was a natural catastrophe of some sorts. Either way: It doesn’t matter. All that matters is that the five identical points and the deserted nature of the area makes it perfect for a hiding spot. The prize you are both after waiting for you somewhere.

Over the course of centuries there were numerous artificial caves created across the canyon. Some of them used to hide money. Others to hide art pieces or other valuables. In fact what you are after is a statue. It was stolen by a gang of pirates from an UCS museum over a century ago, however the UCS got mad, and they sent commandos after the poor souls. It took decades for them to calm down. But now the artifact can be retrieved to serve display at a crime lord's hiding spot. Except that if is up to you, you will sell it someone else, getting twice the profit.

"Are you sleeping, darling?" Mr. Garcia asks. In your mind you couldn’t use his surname. Randy. What kind of name is that? You could argue that is is just a name. Just like any other name you came across. But this is the Randy who captured you, trashed your ship, had sex with you, whored you out (albeit he claims not intentionally), and now wants to keep you as a slave for the rest of your life. How the hell are you supposed to call him Randy? As he was just an ordinary person instead of the destroyer of your world. No. Mr. Garcia is the furthest you could get. Perhaps later on this could change when you have found a way to reverse the situation. Because yes, after this, revenge is the minimum!

"Kira, are you awake?" Mr. Garcia asks. You look down on the sand, over the fifty feet of rope that was pulled from the man’s backpack, one end held in his hand, the other end connected to the ropes around your body. Yes: In the absence of an easy way down, this is how he thought you should cover the fifty feet distance between here and the bottom of the canyon.

"Mhmm!" you nod, your mouth stuffed by a ballgag. It turns out he had one with him from the start, salvaged from the wreckage of his ship like the ropes, just in case he has to shut you up.

"Take a step then, my dear," the man says, the other end of the rope held in his hand.

In the end you sigh, and decide to go under, the ropes around your body yanked heavily as your one hundred and ten pound weight gets entirely supported by the rope. Of course: It hurts like hell!

"Mhmmmm!!!!" you yell into the gag as you feel the pain from your skin. With another thought, you wouldn’t call him Randy. Even if you return the favor, and manage to enslave him. Instead you will call him Footlicker!

"Alright, starting to get you down," Mr. Garcia says, and in a slow, albeit determined fashion you indeed begin to get down.

“Mhmmmm!!!!” you yell again. And again. And again. But finally your two feet does touch the ground beneath you. That fucking bastard! you think afterwards. Yes, Footlicker! This is who he is going to be. The man who is destined to lick your feet for an eternity!

In the following minutes the man rivets an iron anchor to the ground, and uses another rope to climb down. As he gets to the ground, with his back towards you, you think this could be an easy way to get free: Knock him out against the rock with a single movement of your foot. But it's too risky. One shot from that weapon, and that marks the end of your journey in this world.

"That wasn’t that hard, was it?" Mr. Garcia asks, a huge slap landed on your ass.

"Mhm!" you shake you head. In the meantime the man removes the rope used for your descent. You expect that he would unlock the gag. But he chooses to keep it in.

"I presume you still have all the telemetry data in your head," Mr. Garcia says.

You nod.

"Good. Every time we get past a cave where you think we could find the statue, start making sounds," the man says, and your humiliating task begins.

For some time you thread forward in silence. You pass the first cave, but you remember that was already robbed a few years ago. You pass the second one. It collapsed. You remember it just as perfectly as you would still be in cockpit. Stars, it seems like a decade ago! But it was actually today, you realize, before all this madness started. When you reach the third cave you start to "Mhm!!!", as you recognize it as one of the small caves that could indeed have the statue.

"Good pet," Mr. Garcia says, and he escorts you inside the cave, a flashlight used to guide you.

It is not a long way actually that you have to make. In fact it is only about a hundred feet. Then you can finally see it: The statue! You wouldn’t think it would worth much. In fact, any other race would say it has no notable value. But for somebody somewhere it does, and that is all that matters.

Mr. Garcia takes the statue in his hand, and starts inspecting it.

"Mission accomplished," he says. To your surprise you are pushed on your knees, and he starts unlocking the ballgag. "And now comes a reward from my other prize here," he adds, his erect cock whipped out in front of you.

In his eyes you can see he expects a moment of pause. But you open your mouth, and get ready, without any hesitation. At this point you see no point to resist him. Nor you really want to.

It is the sound of a gunshot that takes you out of this expectation, the bullet passing through the air before you, ricocheted to the ground from the cave’s walls.

You were followed here, you realize. Perhaps it is another group who wants the statue. Or some folks from the town who set their sights on you.