Beauty And The Alien Beast

by Zara Zenia

  I wasn't even sure how long I had. There wasn't exactly any information on the internet about what a pregnancy between a Trilyn and a human was like. I could wake up and find my belly triple the size, or give birth in a matter of three months instead of nine. The Trilyn had kept all of that a well hidden secret. I knew nothing. This lack of knowledge only added to my anxiety. But one thing was for sure, I already knew that I would give my life for my child. I had to make sure my child survived and was in a happy place of acceptance once it was born. But how?

  For all I knew, my face could turn olive at some point to match my belly. The only way to distract myself from such things was to come up with a plan, and try to think about nothing else. I tried to not think about the regret I felt at leaving the Trilyn palace ship in the first place. Now that I was pregnant, I would be much safer there. Or at least I would know what to expect. For all I knew, Jake would be cruel about the pregnancy and take the child away from me. I felt like I had nowhere to turn.

  “Andromeda,” a soldier said as he knocked on my door and walked in.

  I stood there shocked. “Yes?” I asked, not knowing why he was in my rooms.

  “I received a message from Leader Gogin. They have requested a meeting with you. They are sending an escort to lead you to them. They should be here in ten minutes or so. I just received the message and came to tell you immediately,” he said and looked at me with bewilderment.

  I could see that it was shocking to him that anyone would be summoned by the Humanity First Council. It wasn't a normal thing. Sweat began to form on my forehead as I felt a true panic. But I had to keep it in check. I couldn't show I was panicked on the outside no matter how much I wanted to freak out and run away on the inside.

  “Oh, I see. Then I’m ready to go now,” I said calmly as I quickly stood up and grabbed a shawl that had been brought to me. I draped it over me, trying to hide my stomach, not that you could see anything with my shirt over it.

  I didn't know why this Leader Gogin was summoning me or who they even were, I could only assume that this was it. They knew I was pregnant with an alien child. My life as I knew it would soon be over. They would throw me in jail and then take my baby away from me once it was born. I held back tears, willing them to go away. I had to be strong. Not just for me, but for my child.

  “Here they come now.” He stood in the doorway looking down the hallway.

  “Thank you for letting me know,” I said giving him a slight smile.

  “Andromeda LaBelle, you have been summoned by Leader Gogin. Please come with us,” a council guard said approaching the doorway.

  “Yes, I’m aware of the summons. Thank you for escorting me,” I said politely, as though I’d been expecting it. Even though on the inside, I knew I was walking toward prison. But I thought I should create empathy with anyone I could.

  I was nervous, but fixed a slight calm smile on my face. Pretending that nothing was wrong. I wanted to faint, but I couldn't. That would be a sign of guilt. Anyone who came to attend me for fainting might see my stomach. I had to keep it together. Keep it together, Andi, keep it together, I thought this over and over as I walked down the halls with everyone staring at me. It was unnerving, as if the anxiety wasn't enough.

  I couldn't blame the doctor for turning me in. I was sure this secret had been putting a lot of pressure on her. I never should have called her to diagnose me, but I truly hadn't known what was wrong at the time. I didn't know my diagnosis would be treason for being pregnant with an alien baby. The doctor having turned me in would give her some sort of free pass of getting out of trouble, as she had only been doing her duty as a doctor after all. The fact that she turned me in would mean that she had showed herself a loyal subject of the council. She would only be protecting herself and I couldn't hate her for that.

  The entire walk to the council chambers I was trying to think of things to come up with in my defense, but I couldn't think of anything. I definitely couldn’t name the father, I didn't want him to get into trouble. He was the father of the child I was carrying after all.

  “Andromeda LaBelle, please have a seat,” Leader Gogin said as I walked into his chambers.

  “Thank you.”

  “I know that you have been through a lot recently. We have found out some information, but I'm sure you know that is why you are here,” he stated looking at me.

  I nodded yes. There was no use in denying it. That would only make things worse. I just wanted to get it over with. I just wanted to know what was going to happen to me and what would happen to my baby. The longer I waited for him to say it, the more anxiety I felt. It was obvious that he knew everything.

  “This information, is very upsetting. We are practicing complete confidence with this information, and we expect for you to do the same. Tell no one,” he instructed.

  Again, I just nodded my head yes. There was no point in making this harder on myself.

  “Good, so let's get started.”

  I took a deep breath, ready to hear my punishment and my fate. This would be my last taste of freedom, sitting here as a free woman.

  “We summoned you because we have the full report of your father’s information on the palace ship and he said we have you to thank for it.”

  I stared at him with wide eyes. Holy crap. I wasn't here because he knew I was pregnant! I felt so relieved. I wanted to jump up and down with joy. But I had to restrain myself. I took a deep breath. I was thankful that they didn’t know I was pregnant, but what he’d just said, that my father had told them about Manzar’s ship… this worried me.

  “I know this is upsetting for you,” he said pushing a box of tissues my way.

  I grabbed one and held it to my face. He had no idea the relief that I felt of the baby, but...

  “We do apologize for taking your father the way we did. But war calls for extreme measures.”

  “Go on.” I nodded.

  “Your father offered us a lot of information that we didn’t have before. Once we had that information, we kept on digging into the data. We then discovered that there is a weakness in the palace ship’s defenses and that is good for us.”

  I was appalled. How could Father do such a thing? Where is he? I had to stay calm. “It seems that my father has served you well.” I was surprised that my voice didn’t sound as harsh as I felt. “I would like to see him. I’m worried about him.”

  “Yes and you will be taken to him. We had to make sure that you were not a spy for Prince Manzar.”

  “No, I’m not a spy. My father and I went to the Prince because we felt we were in danger from Humanity First because of my father’s work, and the Prince offered asylum.”

  “Yes, your father told us that much. Your father has always been a target. However, once we knew you two were living on the ship, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to gain intel on it. In taking him, that is what we did.”

  “This is not my fight, sir. My father and I wish nothing more than to just live in peace. That is all that we ask for.”

  “I understand.”

  “What will happen to us now?”

  “That is yet to be seen. I haven’t made up my mind as of yet.”

  “And you plan to attack the palace ship of Prince Manzar?”

  He remained silent, but his smile gave me all the answers I needed. “You may now go to your father. Take her,” he said to the guards.

  I was so relieved. “Thank you, Leader Gogin.” I said nothing more. I knew when to hold my tongue, though there was much that I wanted to say to him. But first things first. I needed to see my father, then when I knew he was safe, I would have to figure out a way to warn Manzar of the attack. I had to warn the father of my child.

  “This way,” the guard instructed.

  I felt more than glad that it wasn’t Jake who was leading me. I didn’t know where he was and I was all too happy to not know. I had to see my father.

  We walked down a long hall to the elevator. The elevator took us down several fli
ghts. The hall was small and narrow. It was darker than the place I had been before, not to mention dirty and grimy.

  My guard spoke to the guard who stood against the door. “Leader Gogin is allowing this prisoner to visit the other prisoner for one hour.”

  The guard nodded his head and used a scanner to open the door.

  I walked in. “Father!”

  “Andi? Oh Andi! It’s you! What are you doing here?” He was seated on a long narrow cot. The room was cold and sparse. He wasn’t being treated well in the least. He was an actual prisoner. His skin looked pale and sickly.

  “Oh Father, what have they done to you?” I hugged him tightly.

  “Nevermind that. Why are you here? I said for them to leave you alone. That was our bargain!” he exclaimed.

  Chapter 35

  Manzar

  I searched the city for her, far and wide. I needed to find her, there was so much that I needed to tell her. I had been wrong. Would she ever forgive me?

  “Report… anything on the east end of the city?” I asked into the radio of my scout ship as I flew toward the coastline.

  “Nothing on this end, Prince,” was the answer.

  It was not what I wanted to hear. I was running out of options, and territory of New-New Orleans. We had been searching for her and her father with no avail.

  “Where are you, Andromeda?”

  I pushed the lever for the cockpit controls on the scout ship that I had occupied day in and out every day since I’d allowed her to leave. I knew now, I was wrong letting her go the way that I did. But in that moment, I’d felt defeated. I had only wanted to give her what she wanted when I let her go and she’d wanted to search for her father. I couldn’t keep her from doing what she felt she needed to do, not because I couldn’t physically stop her, that I could’ve done, and should have done, but I hadn’t because my heart wouldn’t allow it.

  I had been stupid to think she was a spy, but I had allowed my men to lead me astray and my anger to get the best of me.

  Now she was gone.

  We didn’t have any luck questioning humans in her old neighborhood. They didn’t want to speak with us, ever since the tensions between us and Humanity First had resulted in small battles all over the city, they were very angry with the Trilyn. I couldn’t blame them. I did however, blame Humanity First.

  “Prince Manzar, I request a private channel frequency,” Pakdor said over the radio communication.

  “Request granted,” I switched to the private channel frequency on my radio, and punched it in back to my palace ship headquarters. Only those in the control room on the palace ship would be able to see it and tap Pakdor into it.

  “I’m here, Prince. I have news,” he said.

  “I’m listening. Tell me the news,” I urged as I banked right, flying along the bayou coast of Louisiana. It was swampy and thick with Earth creatures.

  “It has come to my attention, the results of data from the room that Andromeda occupied on the palace ship. The data of the urine analysis of her personal vacuum facilities. I have a readout, something caught my attention that was out of the ordinary.”

  “And what is that? Is there a sign of illness? Is Andromeda sick?” I didn’t want to face knowing that. I couldn’t live without her, this much I knew. She was the one meant for me, the one human female that matched my genetic code.

  “No, my Prince, she is pregnant. She is carrying a half Trilyn child. Your child, my Prince,” he replied quietly.

  I was stunned. I had no idea what to say. Silence overcame me.

  “Prince? Prince Manzar? Are you still there?” Pakdor asked repeatedly until he pulled me out of my thoughts.

  “I’m here, Pakdor. Thank you for this information. I’m returning to the palace ship now. Wait for me in the cargo bay. I want to speak with you immediately.”

  “Yes, my Prince. Right away.”

  Swiftly, I turned the ship around. My body was filled with adrenaline. Andi was pregnant, carrying my child. It had worked. We were a definite match. A big smile came across my face. I am going to be a father. I would love our child more than anything in all of the worlds. We were helping to re-establish the race of the Trilyns. I felt overjoyed.

  But the joy didn’t last long. Andi was nowhere to be found. She could be in danger. I started to panic. She is in danger while carrying my child. I had to find her! For the sake of my love for her, and for the sake of my child which she carried!

  If Humanity First was involved with her father's disappearance and the killing of my guards, then it possibly meant that she was with them. Whether she was with them on purpose, or they had captured her, it didn’t matter. Because she was pregnant with my child, she was in danger from them. They wouldn’t be accepting of our child. They could possibly kill her just for having been with me.

  Rage-filled my body, I could feel the heat of it. If they touched her, I would break out into an all-out war against them. Nothing would stop me, not the council, and not my brothers.

  I flew my ship at almost top speed, as fast as was permitted on Earth. Thankfully, it was as fast as my scouting ship would go. The ship entered the cargo bay of the palace ship. I jumped out as quickly as I could, and jogged over to Pakdor who was waiting for me just inside the door. “Tell me everything, Pakdor, you are certain?” I asked as he walked alongside me.

  “Yes, the data doesn’t lie, my Prince,” he stated.

  “Show me.”

  Together, we walked in a hurry to my office. I opened the door and after a moment, Pakdor projected the information onto the screen. It was true. She was with child, and it was a half-Trilyn child.

  “Thank you for this, Pakdor. This is very important information and I’m glad that you processed the analysis and brought it to my attention as quickly as you did.”

  “Congratulations, my Prince.”

  “Thank you, now all we need to do is find her and my child.” I walked out and headed to the communications room.

  Lieutenant Danja turned and greeted me. “Good evening, my Prince, are we to head to the council?”

  I stared at him for a moment, confused.

  “Have you forgotten that the governor requested a meeting?” Lieutenant Danja asked. “You told me to schedule it for today…”

  In truth, I had forgotten. I had been searching for Andromeda all day, and with this news of her being pregnant…the governor was the last thing on my mind. “Yes, when are we expected?”

  “Within the hour.”

  “Charge my ship again. I will meet you in the cargo bay in half an hour.”

  “Yes, my Prince. Right away.”

  One hour later, I sat across from Governor Edwards at his table, inside the council building.

  “Prince Manzar, of course we are thankful that you were able to meet with us today on such short notice, and in such a short time after our last meeting,” he commented.

  “Yes, you said it was important and confidential, but might we make this fast? I am very busy at the moment with my own important matter. So if we can get to the point of my being here?” I asked. Every moment I spent at the meeting, was another moment that I was losing searching for Andromeda and my child.

  “Yes, I understand.” Governor Edwards nodded. “I’ll get right to the point this meeting is regarding the skirmishes between the Trilyn and the Humanity First that have risen greatly in this city over the last week. There has been too much destruction, Prince Manzar and the people are upset.”

  “We are only defending ourselves. Humanity First is attacking us. We are not going to lay down and let them kill us.” I narrowed my eyes at him. “I hope that isn’t what you’re asking us to do.”

  “I understand and no, I’m not asking you not to defend yourselves. But there seems to be no way to stop the aggression unless we directly speak with Humanity First—” he began.

  My eyes opened wide. Where is this going? “If I were able to speak with the leaders of that movement, I would, Governor. But as you know, the
y are in hiding. They aren’t an easy group to find unless they are attacking us, and I believe they want to keep it that way.” My fists were curling into balls. I was growing very angry.

  “One of the leaders has agreed to attend this meeting. Leader Gogin is the head of Humanity First,” the governor replied.

  I shifted in my seat. If this leader was about to walk into this room I wouldn’t be able to control myself. I would grab him by the neck and press him against the wall until he told me where Andromeda was. I would take him hostage, and not let him go until she was returned safely to me. “This leader is here?” I asked as calmly as I could. I glanced over at Danja.

  He was standing at attention, his hand ready to go for his blaster at any moment.

  We understood each other without a word.

  “No, not physically here. We are to patch him in on the communication panel. But we wanted to inform you first. No surprises. The purpose of this meeting is to ease tensions and to create a ceasefire. Are you willing to participate, Prince Manzar?”

  The coward. Of course, he would only be patching in on a screen. He wouldn’t come in person because he knew the Trilyns were superior. I would crush him with my bare hands. I had to choose my words carefully. Then it hit me. I could not mention Andromeda at all. If I did, he would know how important she was to me, and then they would use her as a pawn in their game more than they already were. No, it was best that I didn’t ask about her at all. “Yes, I am willing to participate. I am ready.” I nodded.

  The governor nodded to his aides.

  The screen opened and a human man appeared.

  “Leader Gogin, we are pleased to have this meeting. Prince Manzar has agreed to participate in these talks,” Governor Edwards greeted him.

  “As am I,” Gogin said.

  “Now, allow me to begin. Leader Gogin, Prince Manzar, we must work together to stop the hostilities in the street between the Trilyns and the humanity first movement. It is best to talk out the quarrel here than to lose soldiers on both sides. Prince Manzar, what have you to say?”