by Olivia Myers
The ship shuddered a little before it rose from the ground. The take-off was shaky. They hovered a bit within the atmosphere of Earth before the vessel began to wobble and vibrate dangerously.
Kimi gripped the steel arms of her seat tightly. In a snap, all her muddled up thoughts and feelings of confusion about her sexual relationship with Lee 5 flew from her mind. All she could think about now was her life, at risk thousands of miles above the mildly less dangerous ground.
"What's going on?" their other teammate Ned, also a scientist, whispered. He was a veteran of such missions and also the oldest in the group, but still his voice shrilled with alarm.
Suddenly, the ship swayed and then plunged forward. Kimi screamed, her voice blending with the other sounds of fright and panic. Her heart stopped while the world around her turned upside down. She could feel them plummeting back to Earth in top speed.
We're going to die. This was her thought right before the ship abruptly stopped, causing her to lurch forward and recoil backward due to her seatbelt.
A few seconds of silence followed. Kimi's breathing was raspy as she tried to absorb what had just happened. She didn't dare move, somehow awaiting some sort of aftershock.
"Thank God we're alive!" Lia suddenly exclaimed, taking off her seatbelt slowly and gulping in deep breaths.
Kimi was still in shock. She waited for her breathing to slow down and her dizziness to subside before she removed her seatbelt and attempted to stand up.
Before anybody could say anything else, Raissa and her husband Tim came rushing out of the cockpit with anxious looks on their faces. "Is everyone okay?" Raissa asked with great concern.
Everybody nodded wordlessly. Even Lee 5 looked a little pale.
Tim appeared to be shaken up. He moved sluggishly and then leaned against a wall. "I'm sorry…" he started in a soft voice. "I don't… know… what happened…"
Everyone was too shaken to answer him or even ask questions.
"It was like an invisible force… pulling hard… yanking us back to Earth…" Tim said in an unsteady voice, shaking his head in disbelief and shock. "I did what I could to land us safely…"
"You did really well," Raissa assured him, giving him a quick embrace.
"Yes, you did," Ned agreed. "We owe you our lives, Tim."
Kimi also whispered her thanks along with the others, although she still had not fully recovered from the incident. "What should we do now?"
Lee 5 immediately stepped forward, his face set in a grim expression. "Tim, Ned, and Lia can check the computer system and see what went wrong and how this can be resolved. Raissa and Kimi, contact the base and ask if they can assist us. I don't think it's safe for us to spend another night on Earth, with the Mongarians still pissed off with us. We should most definitely leave as soon as possible."
"Maybe those aliens did this!" Lia shouted, her tone a fusion of anger and fear.
"That is likely," Lee 5 answered. "These Mongarians may look a bit barbaric, but their science and technology are as advanced as ours."
Dread spread through Kimi's body as she remembered the intimidating aliens who had occupied and settled on Planet Earth, and had been unwelcoming to returning humans like them. They were obviously threatened by the team's presence and purpose.
She pictured the frightening chief Mongarian who had tried to rape her in the woods. She winced at the image, but struggled to calm herself so she could think straight.
"I will have a look outside," Lee 5 said and marched toward the exit with his laser weapon.
Everybody went to do their own tasks. Just a while ago, they were celebrating the success of their mission. But now, the prospect of getting home seemed bleak. Nevertheless, Kimi took a deep breath and used their special communication device to contact the main base back at The Dome's space port. Raissa did the same but utilized a personal gadget she had brought along. To their dismay, they could not get in touch. It seemed the frequencies had been disrupted.
After many more attempts, Kimi threw her hands up in frustration and stepped outside to get some fresh air. The chilly night wind slapped her face harshly while tons of stars twinkled in the evening sky. She wrapped her arms around herself as she slowly began to walk around the ship, looking for Lee 5.
As she rounded one of the ship's corners, a tall, looming figure suddenly materialized in front of her, making her gasp. Even in the darkness, she could make out the alien's menacing glare and flashing reddish eyes. She took in his high forehead, the shiny black hair pulled back in a ponytail, the bulky chest and shoulders partially covered in a medieval-like armor, and the muscular legs that she knew could run like a tiger in the forest.
"Hello again, Kimi." The voice was low, deep, and rumbling with controlled anger.
Kimi's face drained of color as she found herself staring at the chief Mongarian who had attacked her before. Fuck, she thought. I'm dead.
***
Her instincts told her to turn around and run as fast as she could. She didn't even have the chance to take one step away, as strong brown-skinned arms wrapped around her waist and jerked her back. She slammed hard into the Mongarian's chest and got a whiff of his putrid scent.
"Let me go!" Kimi screamed as loud as she could, kicking her legs wildly and pounding on his arms with all her might.
He clapped one stinky, dirty hand over her mouth to muffle her screams. Her eyes widened in terror as she continued to thrash about.
Suddenly, she heard scuttling feet coming near and fast. Somebody lunged at the chief, causing him to release her. She fell hard on the cold ground with a painful thud. Ignoring the throbbing in her leg, she raised her eyes to find Lee 5 being tackled by two other monstrous male Mongarians.
"Kimi! Lee 5!" Lia shouted. She was running toward them, along with the rest of the team. Tim and Ned dove toward the Mongarians and tried to help Lee 5 fight them off. Meanwhile, Raissa and Lia hurried to Kimi. But before they could get to her, about thirty Mongarian women blocked their way and made them halt.
"Don't come near!" Kimi shouted. "They're going to tear you to pieces!"
Raissa and Lia stopped in their tracks. The ferocious female Mongarians moved back slowly, their flaring eyes not leaving Kimi’s two colleagues. Their ponytailed black hair swung left and right as they treaded backward.
Kimi scrambled to her feet and started to dash away. But the Mongarian women nearest to her lifted her off the ground before she could escape. One of them easily held her on her shoulder while her partner tied Kimi’s feet and hands together and then placed a long piece of cloth over her mouth.
Behind her, the male Mongarians repeatedly punched and kicked Ned and Tim. Raissa and Lia screamed and begged them to stop but the aliens wouldn’t listen. Lee 5, who had pulled out his weapon, was knocked down by the chief. He clambered to defend himself and the team but there were too many opponents. Even with the help of the other humans, they were still outnumbered.
As Kimi was dragged away, she saw the Mongarians finally leave her male teammates alone. She hoped against hope that they were going to be okay. At the same time, she wondered with great trepidation why the hell they were taking her captive.
Eventually, as they moved far away from where the space ship had landed, she was blindfolded so she would not be able to commit to memory the route they were taking. She could feel them moving deep into the forest, though, as more branches and leaves seemed to brush against her skin. She could hear the sound of crickets merging with the crunching of dry leaves and fallen twigs under heavy feet. The aliens, on the other hand, remained quiet. Once in a while, she could hear them whispering in their odd-sounding language. She didn't understand a word, of course, and had no clue where they were taking her and what they were planning to do with her.
Soon, to her relief, she was placed back on her feet. They untied her legs and then guided her across rough terrain. Even through her solid, hardwearing boots, she could feel the bumpy rocks beneath her feet. At one point, she even had to crawl
along a jagged, rocky surface while blindfolded. Throughout this time, she knew there were two Mongarians on either side of her, leading and assisting.
Soon, she could hear the mounting noise that indicated more Mongarians all around her, engaged in conversations in a language she could not comprehend. Her blindfold was removed, but not the cloth wrapped around her mouth.
It took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. When she finally got the chance to observe her surroundings, she figured they were in a compound similar to The Dome where humans lived on Planet Venora. However, while The Dome was an enclosed structure with thick, tough metal walls, this facility had been created inside a series of caves deep in the forest. She saw a small community made up of stone edifices that housed families of Mongarians as well as various buildings necessary in running the entire commune.
"Welcome to the Mongarian community," an ominous voice whispered to Kimi. She whipped around and found herself staring into the bloodshot eyes of the chief Mongarian. "Now the two of us are going to have some fun."
Kimi shuddered as she imagined what he meant by that. The chief shouted some command to the other Mongarians who reluctantly left them alone. Other passersby looked at them curiously while there were some who deliberately shied away upon seeing the chief.
His eyes flashed with obvious lust as they swept across her body from head to toe. Kimi trembled in fright, but she did not make any move. Her mind was busy going over her options to get away from this creepy alien. She could make a run for it, but she doubted she'd get far. It seemed like the ordinary Mongarians in the community were not as evil, so she could maybe find someone to help her.
At that moment, the chief grabbed her tied hands and hauled her toward a much darker corner of the cave. Squinting into the shadows, she could barely make out a door where she knew he intended to take advantage of her.
"Chief!" A loud, deep voice suddenly called, making him stop and turn around. "What are you doing? Where are you taking her?"
Kimi saw an irritated Mongarian whose features resembled the other aliens, but in a gentler way. His shoulder-length, wavy black hair flowed freely around his chiseled face and neck. He only wore a thick, cream-colored toga around his lower body instead of the usual armor.
Kimi hadn't realized she was staring at his exposed beefy chest, broad shoulders, and burly arms. She reddened a bit, but he did not seem to notice. His intense brown eyes were fixated on the chief.
"She's my captive," the chief said menacingly, stepping in front of Kimi as the other Mongarian approached.
"She is not," the other one said firmly. "I did not even ask you to take part in this forced arrest because I know you have malicious intentions. You do not deserve to be our chief at all, which is why you were replaced while you were away."
"What are you talking about?"
Kimi watched the exchange in fascination. The other Mongarian looked quite cool and much more reasonable. He was even fine-looking, unlike most of the male Mongarians she had seen so far. Perhaps he would actually help her get out of this situation.
"You had not been here for a while," the Mongarian in the toga said matter-of-factly. "You have shirked your duties lately, to frolick in the woods in search of women you can lay your hands on. The rest of us decided to vote you out of your position while you were away. And you know it is allowed in our society."
The cruel Mongarian was fuming. "You have no right!"
"Of course we have," the other one answered. "We already did. You can go and ask the council."
In an instant, the chief stomped awayand was lost to Kimi’s sight. When he was gone, the other Mongarian turned to Kimi and untied her hands. "I trust you will not run away, Kimi Wilson," he said.
Her heart pounded as she gaped at him. She didn't know if it was because she was nervous or if it was due to their proximity. He was, after all, good-looking in a rugged, sort of primitive manner. And his muscular, half-naked body didn't help her weakness toward such men. Though he wasn't as handsome as Lee 5, he had a sociable and pleasant aura that attracted her. Maybe being the captive of this Mongarian won't be so bad, she thought.
***
The strange yet interesting alien introduced himself as Khan-Min, one of the doctors of the Mongarian community.
Despite the fact this civilized and respectful doctor was apparently the one who had asked for her to be kidnapped, her curiosity got the better of her. Hence, she followed him quietly as they walked across the vast complex inside the caves.
“I’d like to show you something in the infirmary,” the doctor said. “It’s important and I’m sure you can help.”
As she followed him, she couldn't help gawking at all the muscular Mongarians they passed. The male aliens had a relaxed manner, wearing plain togas and showing off their bare torsos. Most of the women wore short, primitive-looking dresses made with different animal hides. in spite of their grisly appearances, they seemed calm and friendly . These ordinary Mongarians did not give as violent an impression as those she had encountered outside the caves.
Khan-Min spoke up when he noticed her observing his people. "You might be surprised to find that we are actually similar to humans. Those who attacked you before were good soldiers poisoned by the former chief. He offered them gold and gems to gain their loyalty and following."
"Oh," was all Kimi could utter. That explains it. Eventually she began to relax too, feeling that Khan-Min was telling the truth about his kind.
"I am sorry you had a bad first impression of us," he added as he stopped in front of double boulders. "Here we are now."
Kimi stopped too and looked on in astonishment as he pressed a spot on the boulders, causing them to part. They opened gradually, revealing a large hall filled with crude beds. Each bed was occupied by a Mongarian patient who looked weak and in pain. Several doctors and assistants were attending to them.
Kimi gasped as she took in the pitiful scene. Many of the patients were elderly, pale and thin. One was crying in obvious pain while another whimpered quietly, his face buried in a pillow.
"Every single day, more patients are becoming inflicted with what we call The Plant Syndrome," Khan-Min said. "After twenty years of living on Earth, it's only now that we are experiencing health problems. At first, we thought it had to do with the planet's changing atmosphere and our ability to adapt to it. But later, we were able to confirm it relates to the plants we consume as our daily diet. It seems the makeup of the Mongarian body is not suited for such food."
Kimi understood why she had been chosen. She was a botanist, after all, who had been studying the Earth's flora for quite some time. In the past, she only had books, videos, and digital research materials. Recently, she'd been sent on a mission to collect samples from Earth so they could see if the planet was fit for human habitation after a thousand years.
Khan-Min continued. "Twenty years ago, our scientists believed that the Earth was the next plausible place for our kind to live. When our own planet began to deteriorate until Mongarians could no longer survive there, we had no other choice but to transfer to this planetThe plants were abundant even though there were no animals to consume for meat. However, the Mongarian scientists had failed to double-check the compositions of the plants. I believe they were not yet fit for consumption. This is why most of those who lived here for a long time were affected by the syndrome. Eating the unsafe plants over the years finally took a toll on their health"
"Oh, my…" Kimi whispered as her heart went out to the poor, innocent patients.
"Today, we are doing our best to screen all the plants. There are new species that are less dangerous."
"I'm really sorry to hear this," Kimi said sincerely. "But what does it have to do with me?"
Khan-Min faced her, his intense brown eyes burning a hole into hers. "You, Kimi Wilson, will help us test the plants and discover the foods that match our body makeup. This is what you do in Planet Venora for the humans, right?"
"Yes, but---"
"Please…" he pleaded, taking her hands in his. "We need you. I know you don't have any obligation to us, but I'm appealing to your humanity, kindness, and generosity."
"Let me think about it.," Kimi pulled her hands away. She could not deny the fact his touch had an affect on her, and that she felt sorry for the patients and for the plight of their future here on Earth.
That night, she was so exhausted that she did not have the energy to protest about anything. She did refuse to eat, but gladly accepted the clean room they offered her. It was a tiny one with raw, cave-like walls in gray tones. The only furniture inside was a bed made of wood. At least it had a comfortable mattress covered with a soft fabric made of animal skin.
Immediately, Kimi fell asleep and got lost in a dream world filled with half-naked Mongarians dancing among the plants of Earth.
***
She didn't know why, but an invisible force seemed to draw her toward Khan-Min, especially after she was able to observe him at work. His passion for his work combined with his genuine concern for patients' wellbeing was admirable. After a whole day of observing and assisting him, she came to a decision.
"I'll help," she told him at the end of the day. "But I have three conditions."
"Fire away!" Khan-Min said excitedly.
"First, please inform my teammates that I am safe and will help out with this mission for a while until you guys can take over."
"Consider it done," he instantly quipped.
"Second, I cannot stay for more than a month. I have a family waiting at The Dome in Planet Venora."
"Sure thing," he said.
"Third, I must be treated with respect at all times and as an equal. I don't want to be a prisoner here."