The music in the extraction room failed to drown out the sounds of slaves dying. How could it? The screams, after all, were coming from inside Jocelyn’s head.

Sometimes, memories were a terrible thing.

“Are you alright?” Rose asked.

Jocelyn ignored her.

After this morning’s massacre, she was in no mood to talk to anyone, especially those who were in service to the Xaksu. Jocelyn was emotionally drained and all she wanted was to get through her shift and bury herself underneath the blankets of her bed.

“About this morning,” Rose began.

Jocelyn carefully pried open a piece of ore and then exhaled. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“It was the only solution,” Rose said bluntly.

Her words set Jocelyn off. She set the ore down gently on the table and folded her arms across her chest, giving Rose a heated look that could thaw glaciers.

“You’re an idiot if you think that,” Jocelyn stated bluntly.

Rose took the insult in stride. “Then I’m an idiot. The numbers support what the Overseer did. If he hadn’t removed thirty percent of the working population, it would have been impossible to give you the full amount of food you needed to continue working.”

Jocelyn’s nostrils flared. “Let me ask you a question. What did you have for breakfast?”

Rose raised her brow. “What?”

“Your breakfast,” Jocelyn repeated. “What did you have to eat?”

“Why does it matter?”

“It matters. Now answer the damn question.”

“Arroyo eggs, a bit of plandarian bacon, and two slices of toast,” Rose replied. “All synthesized of course.”

“Sounds delicious.”

“It wasn’t bad.”

“Do you know what I had for breakfast? Do you know what the rest of us slaves ate this morning?”

Rose shook her head.

“We had a single spoonful of protein-laced porridge, left over from yesterday’s dinner. That’s it, one single spoonful. It’s supposed to curb our hunger until lunch time,” Jocelyn said. “It never does.”

Rose genuinely looked surprised.

“Usually around this time, my belly will start growling. Today’s an exception. I’m still full from the serving of piss and vinegar I received after witnessing the massacre from this morning. To tell you the truth, I probably won’t be able to eat for the rest of the day.”

“Well, if you do get hungry, I can always bring you something from the kitchen,” Rose offered, “There might be some left overs.”

“There probably are,” Jocelyn said, “But only for those that bend their knees to the Xaksunian Empire in unflinching loyalty.”

“I’m trying to offer you food,” Rose pointed out. “Your anger towards me is unnecessary.”

Jocelyn sighed.

Rose was right. She wasn’t the one who pulled the trigger. It was the Overseer and it was best to save any anger for him instead.

“Look, I appreciate the offer for food, but I’m not hungry.”

“You can save it for when you are.”

Suddenly there was a knocking on the door.

“Come in,” Rose said.

It was Jaks.

Rose immediately saluted her commanding officer.

“At ease,” Jaks said. “You are temporarily relieved. Come back at thirteen hundred hours.”

“Yes sir,” Rose confirmed as she scooped her helmet off her chair and headed for the door. Just before she exited the room, she gave Jocelyn a nod of reassurance.

Jocelyn gave a weak smile in acknowledgment.

With the door shut, Jaks removed his helmet.

“What was that little exchange about?” Jaks asked.

“Rose wanted to sneak me some food.”

“She needs to be more subtle about things,” Jaks pointed out. “If it was any other guard besides me, she would have been questioned. There’s a lot a simple ‘nod’ can give away.”

“She’s still new,” Jocelyn said. “She’s nice.”

“I’m glad the two of you are getting along.”

“Why are you here?”

Jaks mouth thinned into a line. “This morning was a travesty.”

“He killed Ol’ Shanny. God, he killed so many people.”

“Have you thought more seriously about my offer? Are you ready to escape?”

Jocelyn nodded. There was no hesitation this time.

“The Overseer has requested your presence for dinner tonight.” Jaks’ tone of voice was all business.

“My presence?”

“Probably wants to ensure you weren’t harmed during this morning’s round of ‘layoffs.’ Or maybe he wants you to reconsider his offer to work on Kymera.”

“I’m not going there,” Jocelyn said, adamantly, “And I’m not going to have dinner with the Overseer either. Just the very sight of him disgusts me. I’d be lucky to keep my food down.”

Jaks grinned. “He likes you, you know.”

“Gross.”

“Not in the way you think,” Jaks continued. “He’s in awe of the work you do and the value you bring. The Overseer sees himself as a businessman, an entrepreneur, if you will. He expects high efficiencies and return on investments. There are some days where I see him just sitting there, computing mathematical models over and over again trying to determine the best way to optimize productivity. I think he has aspirations to one day own his own business on Kymera.”

“I can only imagine what he’d sell and the number of people he’d murder to sell it. It makes me sick knowing he’ll have an eye on me until I’m six feet underground.”

Jaks smiled. There was something in that grin of his. “Not if everything goes according to plan.” He leaned in closely and whispered into Jocelyn’s ear. “If everything works out the way it should, we won’t see him or this place ever again…after your dinner with him.”

Jocelyn’s mouth dropped. “What do you mean?”

“Tonight, you’re going to subdue the Overseer, rendering him unconscious. And then we escape.”

Jocelyn took a step back and shook her head. “No, no way.”

Jaks walked over to the music box and turned up the volume. The heavy beats of “Dance the Thunder” filled the room, drowning out the sounds of their conversation, in case anyone was eavesdropping.

“Jocelyn, you’re going to do this. It’s the only opportunity we’ll have. I’d do it if I could, but the damn inhibitors they’ve installed in the base of my neck prevent me from attacking him. The second I draw a weapon, I’d freeze.”

“They didn’t install these devices on the slaves?” Jocelyn asked.

He shook his head. “The inhibitors are expensive. The Overseer is arrogant as well. As long as he has his drones, he feels invincible against the slave workers.”

Jocelyn frowned.

“I know it’s asking a lot, but if we are going to escape—if we’re going have a chance at saving you—it has to be done. You’re going to have to incapacitate him.”

It was a risky proposition. If she failed, she was good as dead. But then again if she did nothing, she was as good as dead anyway.

“What would you have me do? He’s stronger than I am and even if I did manage to dent him a little, his drones would annihilate me.”

“You’re going to use his weakness against him and drug him.” Jaks replied. “The one thing about the Overseer, that the slaves don’t know about, is that he’s narcoleptic. There are times he’ll give us orders and then suddenly fall asleep mid-sentence.”

Jocelyn’s eyes widened with curiosity. “How long is he usually out for?”

“Sometimes thirty seconds. Sometimes five minutes. There was one time he slept for a solid hour before waking up and finishing his daily morning reports.”

“So I wait until he falls asleep and then slip something into his drink?”

Jaks nodded. “I have a vial of Halycon extract, smuggled from the black markets,” he whispered. “It cost me a fortune, but it’s the only thing strong enough to knock him out. When he falls asleep, pour the contents of the vial into his drink and then wait. Once ingested, the effects of the extract should sedate him for the entire night.”

“Where’s the vial?” Jocelyn asked. “I want to see it.”

Jaks shook his head. “You won’t be able to enter into the Overseer’s dining hall with it on you. I’m going to have to smuggle it in,” Jaks said. “I’ll hide it underneath the old stone clock resting on the fireplace mantle. It’s right across from the dining room table, where you’ll be eating.”

“He won’t have a guard in the room with him?”

Jaks shook his head. “The Overseer doesn’t enjoy having guards around while he eats. He prefers the company of his drones, or in this case, you.”

“While he has one of his narcoleptic spells, won’t the built-in AI of the drones know I’m doing something suspicious?”

“They shouldn’t,” Jaks said. “Their sensors are registered to pick up weapons—guns, blades, bombs, that sort of thing. He also has them programmed to mitigate any forms of potential kinetic energy targeting him. Sleeping potions doesn’t fall into either category.”

Jocelyn took a deep breath. She was already trembling.

“There’s one more thing you need to know. The Overseer sleeps with his eyes open,” Jaks said.

“What?”

“He doesn’t close his eyes when he’s asleep.”

“So how do I know if he’s sleeping?”

“Two ways,” Jaks said. “The first is the corners of his eyes will begin tearing up, like he’s crying. Following that will come the snoring. It will be loud and furious, like a barrage of cannons going off.”

“Geez.”

Jaks was failing miserably at reassuring her of his plan. There was a lot of uncertainty surrounding it.

“I know it’s a big risk you’re taking,” he said, “But it’s the only way. Meanwhile, I’ll take care of all the other guards.”

“You’re not going to go at them guns blazing are you?”

Jaks shook his head. “No, I have Halycon for them as well. I’ll use it during the guard’s supper. Once you’re done with your task, we can escape to the command center, deactivate the drones patrolling the air space, steal a ship, and then live happily ever after.”

“Happily ever after,” Jocelyn allowed the sentence to roll off her tongue. “You think so?”

Jaks nodded. “I know so.”

Jocelyn closed her eyes and when she did, she saw the vivid image of Ol’ Shanny lying on the ground along with Horia and a few others. They were all dead, their bodies soaked with their own blood.

She shuddered and immediately opened her eyes.

“Okay,” she said. “I’ll do it. I’m as nervous as a prostitute in church, but I’ll still do it.”

Jaks took her hands in his. “When this is all over, I’ll promise you the Universe.”

Jocelyn smiled. “I don’t need the Universe. A kiss would be nice.”

He kissed her then and there, despite how awkward it was for him.