Flying sounds pretty nice right now, she considered wistfully, thinking of cold air and screaming winds free of the stench of so many different perfumes. Even though she was against the breeding program, she still thought the Preor were beautiful in the sky.
Sasha put a hand to her temple, the throbbing getting worse by the moment. Her throat was dry, and she would have begged for a glass of water if anyone were around to offer.
We’re stuck in here like cattle! she thought furiously. All of us jammed in here like beasts before the killing chute!
She had meant the thought to be flippant, but it affected her. What if they were just objects to the Preor? Empty wombs, ready to grow their half-breed babies. Sasha shuddered. She was getting sicker by the minute the more she thought about the situation.
She pressed her fingers against her purse, reassured by the feel of the hard edge of her phone deep inside. She wanted to take a few shots of the chaos in this room—it would be a good setup for their piece—but she resisted the impulse. Sure, seeing women pressed together and herded like animals was exactly what they needed. The trouble was, it looked like they weren’t allowed to use their phones and she didn’t want anyone to take the device from her.
Why no phones? Why no press? she thought suspiciously. If it’s all wonderful and harmless, why no records?
She scowled, looking around for some of the winged nightmares so she could direct her hatred at the appropriate parties. A flurry materialized somewhere near the front and she gripped her phone, ready to pull it out for a quick shot. The excitement settled once again and she realized they hadn’t yet opened the doors. Two women had simply scuffled over who got to go in first.
Even though this was good footage—the women in this room were certainly sacrificing their dignity—they were still here by their own free will. No Preor were in the area and she certainly couldn’t say the girls were being herded or harmed in any way.
How do I make Mother happy? she thought with some desperation. I need to get proof that this ‘Knowing’ thing is all bullshit, but how?
If some alien mind melding force was at work, she had no idea how to film the phenomenon.
The earpiece her mother insisted she wear suddenly crackled, making Sasha straighten as if it were an electric shock.
“Sasha,” her mother said eagerly. “I think they’ll start letting you in soon. There is movement outside. Get ready.”
Sasha sighed and tried not to cough when she got a mouthful of perfumed air. It was like Jenna’s voice was actually in her head and she doubted she would ever get it out of there.
“Don’t try anything too fancy,” her mother chattered. “Maybe just a shot or two of the big ugly bastards leaning over women. Anything we can spin to make it look like they’re being coerced.”
She tried to ignore her mother’s voice, the tinny sound leaking into her mind and making her headache worsen. This was not the kind of work she did—sneaky, undercover-type stuff. Sasha was used to being on the other side of the camera, laughing and joking and making her audience feel good while she reported the light news. She hated news that made people feel bad. Far too much of that was going around already.
Up ahead, the massive double doors swung open and the murmur of noise in the small space increased sharply as the women’s voices rose in excitement. As the mass of women moved, Sasha let herself be swept up and carried toward the meeting room.
When she spied two Preor standing just inside the doorway searching people as they entered, she panicked and tried to turn away.
Damn. I should have known there would be a media blackout.
She didn’t bother to try and contact her mother. She’d simply tell her later. Disappointment filled her as she realized they’d be able to say that something strange was going on—why else ban devices—but they wouldn’t get the big scoop the station manager hoped for.
When she reached the doors and the two Preor stopped her, she was frightened but fascinated by the vision before her. Their wings almost had a sparkle to them, not just a sheen but something that seemed to glitter in the meeting room’s lighting. The colors were deep and gorgeous, patterning over the membranes of their massive wings.
They easily detected her earpiece and took it as well as her bag with her phone inside. She tried to argue, but the Preor smiled politely and hung her bag with a bunch of others, explaining that such devices were disallowed. They didn’t question her about the earpiece, though, and for that she was grateful. How was she to explain that to them?
Free of her mother’s direct influence for a while, at least, she made a beeline for the snack table as soon as she was granted entrance by the Preor guards. She poured herself a cup of cold punch, downing it quickly before replacing it with another. Her headache immediately receded, and she took a moment to look around the room for the first time.
Two women next to her held hands and giggled excitedly as they watched the Preor gathered on the other side of the room.
It’s almost like the first junior high school dance, Sasha thought wryly. Everyone standing on opposite sides of the room too scared to go over and dance with the opposite sex.
One of the women nearby looked over her shoulder at Sasha. “Hi,” the woman whispered. “Don’t they seem imposing? I was so excited to come but now I’m just nervous.”
Sasha smiled gently. “I know what you mean. They are much taller—bigger—than I thought.”
“I know!” the other woman gushed. “All of them are drop dead gorgeous, too! I hope one of them picks me!”
Sasha moved into the small group
