Twisted And Other Tales

By James Scott DeLane

A collection of original short stories featuring the science fiction novella Twisted. A bare knuckle fighter is sold into slavery where he is genetically altered into an arena warrior. He and his fighting mate Cheval, struggle to hold on to their lost humanity. The collection features nineteen unique tales, which will linger in your mind long after the last page is turned.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wings ePress, Inc.
• Release date: Jul 22, 2023
• ISBN: 9781597051972

Book preview

Twisted And Other Tales

James Scott DeLane

A Wings ePress, Inc.

Paranormal Anthology

Edited by: Elizabeth Struble

Copy Edited by: Christie Kraemer

Senior Editor: Elizabeth Struble

Executive Editor: Lorraine Stephens

Cover Artist: Richard Stroud

All rights reserved

NAMES, CHARACTERS AND incidents depicted in this book are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or the publisher.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Copyright © 2007 by James Scott DeLane

ISBN:  978-1-59705-197-2

Published In the United States Of America

Wings ePress Inc.

3000 N. Rock Road

Newton, KS  67114

Dedication

These stories are dedicated to my friend Kultsi.

Futuristic Tales of Imagination

Twisted : A prize fighter falls into the clutches of a powerful and mysterious alien.

Guest: A virtual prostitute encounters an unexpected customer.

Theta Nine: A romance between an unlikely couple.

Snakes: A man fleeing his past meets a sympathetic stranger.

Solo One: Lovers face challenges on a deep space voyage.

Four Hours: A replacement solider meets the enemy.

History Lesson: A professor designs a novel approach for saving history.

Stories from the Human Empire

News: A woman recalls a love affair.

Breeds: A young Imperial officer deals with a difficult command.

Blue Pill: A deep space romance.

Motivations: A military prosecutor searches for answers.

Assignment: A man struggles with the loss of his lover.

Conscience: Assassins make a difficult choice.

Cave: Enemies share a mountain cave.

Sledge: An aged gladiator faces a last test.

Regrets: A medical doctor helps a delusional patient.

Volunteer: A captured warlord accepts an offer.

Contemporary Fiction

Trains: An aspiring artist discovers her family history.

Tales

Twisted

My knuckles throbbed . My right hand was too swollen to close. I hit that guy really hard. He would still be alive if he’d just stayed down. His own people begged him to stay on the canvas, yet somehow, he staggered to his feet. When he stood, I knocked the life out of him. How was I to know he was the governor’s nephew?

Hey Nyman, where are you taking me?

Shut up! he roared.

The big Nyman stomped toward me with his fist raised threateningly over his head. I didn’t want my face smashed, so I quickly closed my mouth. He snorted yellow mucus from his nose and lowered his fat arm. I and nine other men were chained together in the rear section of a dingy Nyman transport. Nymans were such foul creatures. They never bathed. Their ratty black hair and foul breath made me ill. Two large ugly ones guarded us with their punishment shockers at the ready. Each was over two meters tall and weighed at least two hundred kilograms. There was no chance of breaking free from the heavy metal chains. Even if I did break loose from the shackles, there was no place to run. I was trapped under the fat thumb of these ugly Nymans. I elbowed the prisoner next to me. In a whisper, I asked, Hey man, where are we going?

The pasty flesh of this poor guy was white as cotton and he trembled so badly his teeth rattled. The oozing red wound behind his right ear told me he was a bug addict. One of the little black insects had recently been plucked from his skin. What a mess he was. The best he could manage was a weak whisper.

You were sold, he gasped. We were all sold, doomed to hell.

Sold? Sold to who?

The bug addict waited until the Nymans turned their backs. He put his trembling hand over his mouth and spoke in a forced whisper. Twisters.

Twisters?! I shouted.

For opening my mouth, one of the Nymans zapped me with his red-tipped shocker. Shut the fuck up! he roared. A blue electrical arc hit me on the ear. Searing pain jolted my body. When he pulled the tip of the shocker away, he busted me on the chin with his stone hard fist. He lowered his pockmarked face to mine and screamed. Shut up! You stupid human.

My muscles quivered and contracted for several minutes. I clenched my teeth and kept my mouth shut. My brain was dazed. The shocker was painful, but the words of the bug addict rattled my soul. I assumed this shuttle was bound for a work colony. I thought I was headed for six months hard labor in an off-world mine. I had no idea the vindictive governor sold me to a Twister. The defeated eyes of my fellow prisoners confirmed my fears. All hope was lost for us.

After a twenty-hour flight, during which we were given no food or water, the shuttle landed on a dusty planet. The rear door opened, and the guards hustled us into the burning sunlight. We waited in a straight line for an hour, standing perfectly still. The big Nyman who punched me waited for me to open my mouth. If I uttered a word, he would have gladly shocked the life out of me. A hundred meters in front of us was a walled citadel. The heavy stone blocks had been laid in place a very long time ago. We faced two closed wooden doors built into the citadel walls. The sky was pink and there were no birds. The baking sun burned my back but we were offered no water. The trembling bug addict could hardly stand.

The two doors swung open. Four well-armed Nymans emerged, followed by a tall, thin man wearing a black cape. This man was more than old. He looked like he’d been dead for a month. His expressionless face stared straight ahead. In his hand, he carried a black whip. One by one the thin man sealed our fates. With his whip, he tapped each prisoner on the shoulder. Farmer, farmer, farmer, miner.

When the Twister said miner, the prisoner fell to his knees and begged. I never heard a grown man utter such pathetic squeals. His face contorted into an expression of mindless terror. The unmoved Twister didn’t even glance at him. The Nymans shocked the hell out of the poor bastard until he silently squirmed in the dust. The Twister continued down the line of condemned men.

Farmer, miner, miner, farmer, trash.

The thin man stopped when he came to me. He put his grotesque face right next to mine. The odor of his rotten breathe turned my stomach. His cold, empty eyes absorbed the light, like small black holes. The yellow bones of his face were visible through his drawn grey skin. Thin blue veins ran along the top of his forehead and down his neck. He was a walking corpse. The Twister tapped me on the shoulder.

Fighter, he announced.

The Twister returned to the citadel while the Nymans unchained us. Everyone except the bug addict was ordered to march into the city walls. While I walked through the open doors, I heard the loud crack of a pulse rifle. The bug addict trembled no more.

The inside of the fortress was full of metal cages, stacked at least ten stories high. The hot air was still and the stench horrid. The cells were filled with all manner of creatures, many human, others not. Some vainly beat their heads against the bricks; some writhed on the floor clutching their stomachs, while others stared hopelessly through the bars. The guards separated us into groups: farmers, miners, and me. The miners and farmers were escorted down separate hallways. A Nyman, with a nasty scar on his chin, led me up a flight of stairs. He was bigger and meaner than the others. He enjoyed ramming the tip of his rifle into my back.

You’re fucked human, he taunted in his deep Nyman voice. You should have killed yourself.

Nine levels up; he shoved me down a row of dank cells. With the tip of his rifle, he pushed me toward the end of walkway. Hurry up! he barked.

I stopped and whirled around. Drop the weapon, fat boy. We’ll see how brave you are.

For a second, he considered my challenge, and then he put the tip of the barrel under my chin. He stared at me with his black eyes. I don’t have time to kill stupid humans. Hurry up!

All the cells were empty, except the next to the last one. In the dim light, I saw green fingers wrapped around the black metal bars. I had to strain my eyes; I could barely see her in the faint light. She was human, or at least had been. Her skin was a pale green. Around her mouth, and the ends of her fingers, the green was darker. She had short, thick, black hair. Her large eyes were oval and bright yellow. We exchanged a quick glance. When she realized I was human, she timidly extended her fingers toward me. The guard slammed the butt of his rifle against the bars forcing her to jump back. The Nyman opened the last cage and shoved me inside. The heavy metal bars slammed shut. I yelled at the pig as he walked away. Hey Nyman! Give me some water!

Don’t worry stupid human, you’ll be dead by morning, he shouted back.

I inspected the dirty cage and immediately realized there was no escape. Even if I could get free of the cell, I had nowhere to go. I was about to flop on the filthy bed, when I saw her green arm stretch through the bars. Her palm was open, her inviting fingers waving in the air.

Over here, I’m over here, she softly called.

I extended my arm between the cold bars. When I did, she rested her hand on my mine. Our palms came together. When I squeezed her hand, she squeezed back.

What is your name? I asked.

Cheval, she replied softly.

Heavy footsteps echoed down the hall. She quickly pulled her hand away. The scar-faced Nyman returned with his master, the black robed Twister. I had never actually seen a Gene Twister, but I’d heard of them. Most advanced races built machines; the Twisters build organisms. Sometimes they created an entirely new creature. Other times they toyed with the DNA of a living specimen. The prisoners who arrived with me would be twisted into specialized slaves. They would be perverted into mindless automatons and sold at auction to the highest bidder. My fate would be no better. The big Nyman unlocked my cage. Stand still! he barked.

The Twister inspected me like I was a thoroughbred pony. He poked my arms with his white, bony fingers. From his black robe, he removed a small hypo, filled with dark red fluid.

Stick out your arm! the Nyman ordered.

Fuck you! I spat into his ugly face.

I didn’t notice the red baton in the Twister’s hand. He pointed the stick at my neck and pressed a black button. There was a sharp crack followed by a bolt of electricity. The force of the shock lifted me off my feet and hurled me into the wall. The contents of my stomach flew from my mouth, and I defecated in my pants. While I squirmed on the floor, the Twister jammed the hypo into my arm. The Nyman kicked me hard in the ribs. Stupid human, he said in disgust.

They left me shaking and quivering on the damp stone floor. My stomach cramped, and I could barely breathe. A terrible, paralyzing pain penetrated every fiber of my body. Each passing second magnified my torment. My throat seized, and I couldn’t suck air into my lungs. My vision narrowed, and I thought I was going to die. Just when I imagined all was lost, I heard her voice softly call to me. Over here, I’m over here.

Cheval’s hand was waving between the bars. I dragged myself to the front of the cell and thrust out my arm. She tightly seized my hand.

Hold on, you’ll be alright, she promised.

She caressed my hand and told me what to do. Breathe, she said. You must breathe.

My jaws were locked shut, but I managed to draw air in through my nose. In my veins, I felt the Twister’s vile chemicals doing their work, perverting and changing me. My stomach and the rest of my insides knotted and convulsed. Wave after wave of pain rocked through me. As violently as I jerked, Cheval never let go of my hand. Whenever the pain subsided, I called for her.

Cheval, are you still there?

In a soft voice, she always answered, I’m here.

Eventually, I passed out. The next thing I knew, the scar-faced Nyman threw a bucket of cold water on me. He was so disappointed when I stirred to life.

Get up human! he shouted.

Every muscle in my body ached. All my strength was required to stand. The Nyman unlocked the metal door. You’re unlucky, he said with a shake of his fat head. Most humans die the first night, too bad for you.

As soon as the cage door opened, the Twister entered my cell. When he saw me alive, a hint of a smile curled on his thin lips. You are a fighter, he mused in his raspy voice. You want to live, don’t you?

I tried to brush away the filth clinging to my skin. Can I have some water? I asked.

The Twister nodded, and the Nyman handed me a cup of dirty water. While I drank, the Twister spoke. You get two enhancements. Which do you choose?

I drank another cup of water. I don’t want any enhancements, I replied. I want out of this shit hole.

The Twister’s annoyance was obvious. All fighters are enhanced, he said in his raspy voice. Without enhancements, you’ll be dead in five seconds. Quickly, name your choices!

I knew exactly what he meant. Freak fights were a huge attraction; held in giant arenas jammed with gambling spectators screaming for blood. Wild animals and twisted freaks fought to the death. My fate was clear; I was to be twisted into a fighting monster. For the rest of my short life, I would be a passing amusement, a few minutes entertainment for drunks and whores, merchants and money lenders. My death would come in a bloody arena on some forgotten backwater planet. The Twister quickly lost his patience.

Human enhancements are always the same; speed, armor, strength, cunning, or poison. Pick two now! he demanded.

He pointed the tip of his red shocker at my neck. I glared directly into his empty eyes. You’re the smart one; I’m the fucked one, why don’t you select for me?

A crooked smile drew across his lips. He opened his cape and removed two large hypos; one with a bright red fluid, the other was solid black.

Armor and strength for you; speed and cunning you have.

Those hypos really scared me. I didn’t want to be a monster in a sideshow, so I made a last plea for mercy. Couldn’t you just shoot me? I asked.

The Twister slowly shook his head. I paid too much for you.

He slammed both hypos into my arm and injected his wicked fluids. Each beat of my heart rushed his hideous drugs through my veins. The chemicals moved inside me, up my shoulder, down my back and into my lungs. The Nyman and the Twister locked me in my dirty little cage. The Twister’s vile concoction went to work; molding and bending me into a creature I was never meant to be. I crawled to the bars and desperately thrust out my arm.

Cheval? Are you there? Help me.

I prayed she would take my hand. The pain was terrible; I would never survive without her. My eyes tightened and my jaws locked.

Cheval? I gasped but she wasn’t there. I was about to pull my arm back when she grabbed my hand.

Where were you? I cried.

I was here, she softly replied.

I put my other arm through the bars and intertwined my fingers into hers. Cheval, I’m so sick. My head is spinning. I don’t think I can make it.

Squeeze my hand! she shouted. Whenever you feel pain, you squeeze my hand. As hard as you can.

I held her hands and she held mine. She never went to sleep. No matter how hard I squeezed, she always squeezed back.

Cheval, are you there? I asked when the pain lessened.

From the other side of the wall, she always answered. I’m here.

Every fiber, every cell, every part of me was twisted. No torment in hell could exceed such agony. All I had was Cheval. I clung to her like a life raft, and she never let go, not once, not for a second. After endless hours, the pain slowly subsided and I blacked out.

Again, the Nyman drenched me with cold water. When I woke, I felt much better. Power filled my arms and legs.

Eat! the Nyman yelled.

A heaping plate of hot food was offered me. I ate until I was stuffed. The guards brought more and I ate it all. They gave me a thick, sweet drink, which I really enjoyed. When I could eat no more, I rested my back against the damp bricks. The wounds on my knuckles were healed. An old back injury was gone. I felt amazingly good.

Cheval whispered to me. Are you better now?

Her arm was out her cell, her green fingers waving in the air. I couldn’t wait to grab her hand. Her touch was warm and soothing.

I am much better, thanks to you, I replied.

She locked her fingers with mine. Although I couldn’t see her face, I felt her. Our emotions passed through our hands.

Cheval, did they twist you? I asked.

You are over the worst part, she replied. You must take a chance, a big risk. Two enhancements aren’t enough. I’ve seen what’s waiting, you have to believe me; two are not enough.

What should I do?

Ask for three. If he likes you, he may do it.

Heavy footsteps approached. She unlocked her fingers and pulled her hand away. The iron bars to my cage swung open. Two heavily armed Nymans accompanied the Twister.

Stand up! a guard ordered.

I quickly jumped to my feet.

Turn around! he demanded.

The wary Nymans kept their distance from me. Both had their fingers on the trigger. The Twister gave me a detailed inspection. He poked me and felt my arms.

Just as I planned! he gloated The gamblers will enjoy you. Make certain he is well fed, he will need his strength.

The satisfied Twister was on his way out of my cage, when I took the chance Cheval advised.

Hey freak, I taunted. Two enhancements aren’t enough. I want three.

The Twister’s gaunt face immediately filled with anger. The scar-faced Nyman hit me with his shocker but I didn’t even feel it. The speed of my reflexes amazed me. I yanked the shocker right out of his hand. Two aiming lasers instantly appeared my chest. If the Twister raised his hand, I’d be blown in half. His flash of anger subsided. He mused for a minute, and then glanced at the scar-faced Nyman.

Bring the female, the Twister ordered and pointed to the cell next to mine.

The Nyman unlocked Cheval’s cage and threw her to the floor of my cell. She knelt before the Twister, her head submissively bowed. He gently caressed her hair, as if she was a docile pet.

She put you up to this, didn’t she? the Twister asked Clever girl, very clever.

You talk too much freak, I said.

You want three? he asked with a glimmer in his black eyes. Humans can’t handle three. Three enhancements will kill you.

I put my face to his and glared into his empty, black soul. You’ve already killed me, I replied.

He smiled while he petted Cheval. With his thin fingers, he slowly curled her hair. She remained motionless at his feet. After a minute of reflection, he nodded his head.

Three you want, three you get!

He opened his robe and studied the choices. The inside of his cape was lined with dangling hypos, all different colors, and sizes. He removed a small green one.

This will do, he said with a sick smile.

Cheval raised her head just enough to see the green hypo.

No! she shouted.

The Twister raised his hand and slapped her hard on the face. Cheval looked at the freak with submission in her eyes.

Please, she begged. Not the green one.

The evil Twister slapped her again and again, but she never made a sound. If I moved to help her, the Nymans would have blown me in half. After a final hard slap, she kept her face turned to the stone floor. Her voice trembled while she spoke.

I’ll do anything you want. Anything, she promised.

The Twister rested his hand on the top of her head. He petted Cheval for a minute while he trained his empty eyes on me. He saw the rage in my face. He understood I would kill him if I could. He liked to see the fight in my eyes.

Unusual girl, isn’t she? he asked. Lucky for you.

He returned the green hypo to his cape. He examined the other syringes. Finally, he removed a large yellow one. Stick out your arm, he ordered.

Before I raised my hand, the Nyman shoved the tip of his rifle barrel under my chin. Slowly, he warned.

I carefully raised my arm. The Twister rammed the needle into my vein and forced the fluid into me. He left the empty hypo dangling in my arm so I had to pull it out myself. The Twister jerked Cheval up by her hair and led her out of my cage. Tears streamed down her green face, but