Hi, Mom, hi, Dad, I say when I get close enough for them to hear.
We’re glad to see you’re okay, says Mom.
Dad nods, his face impassive. He doesn’t say it, but I can tell he’s disappointed. After all my years of preparation, the first and probably last battle for our world ended in minutes.
Staring at Prust, my lips twist at the unbidden memory.
“Can you elaborate?” asks Avyria.
“Sure. A great leader once said ‘A house divided against itself cannot stand.’ I think you know who I mean,” he says, flashing a playful smile. “I want what’s best for humanity. I want you to prosper, united as one people, living in peace here on Earth.”
“That’s what we want too,” I cut in, though my heart thunders. I can picture his smile every time I blink. “We just don’t want the Dominars telling us how.”
Prust nods. “Unfortunately, the fact is you need us. That’s why we’re here.”
“So you say, but I disagree.” I shift in my seat, trying not to be intimidated by Prust’s gaze. “I believe humanity can thrive without anyone’s help, on Earth or anywhere else, and I’m prepared to prove it.”
“How so?” asks Avyria. Sabine turns to me for the first time, finally interested.
I smile, ready to drop a bomb. “I have a list of one thousand AAL members who are willing and eager to start a new life on another planet. Councilor, if you will give us passage, we are prepared to start a colony free of Dominar control. We will show that we can survive without anyone’s help.”
Stroking his chin, Prust leans back in his seat. “I want to respect your wishes, Ms. Miller,” he says after a moment. “I could find you a suitable world, though it would have to be outside of Dominar space. You are aware of what the galaxy is like in the Blight?”
“We’ve heard about it, yes,” I say. Last year’s human abduction scandal made Earth abundantly familiar with the dangers of the galactic region outside Dominar jurisdiction. “But if we wanted to live on a planet controlled by you, we would just stay here.”
“You would be free of our interference, but we would not offer you any protection,” Prust adds.
“That’s fine by us,” I counter. Does he think I’m going to back down? If he knew me, he’d know better.
“You could encounter hostile, dangerous aliens out there,” he warns.
I stare him in his pretty gray eyes. “I’m encountering one right now.”
Prust sighs. “So be it. Gather your people, Alexis Miller. You leave in one week.”
Chapter Two
When the night’s excitement finally ends and my adrenaline rush peters out, I crash into a deep, blissful sleep. I wake covered in sweat, though, my bed’s many pillows strewn about the room. Prust invaded my dreams; I can only recall flashes of the memory, but his face is clear. My nocturnal muse attempted to construct how he’d look without that suit, and the way his strong hands would hold me while we...
Dammit, that is not something I should be thinking about. It’s bad enough the aliens took over Earth—they are not going to rule my subconscious. Yet, I wish I could say this was the first time I’ve had such a dream. I know what my mind is not-so-subtly trying to tell me: clearly I need a boyfriend. Yeah, thanks, I got the message.
Groaning as I strip off my still-damp panties, I find my phone and turn it on. I had to shut it off overnight—the alerts kept coming in nonstop. After last night’s show I posted, One week? I’m ready to go now! and the avalanche didn’t slow for hours.
I meant it though. I really am ready; me and nine-hundred ninety-nine others.
Did Prust think only having seven days to prepare would deter our departure? He doesn’t know who he’s dealing with. We’ve been ready to pick up and go for months, able to mobilize on short notice for a situation just like this. Though we assumed we’d be exiled from Earth rather than leaving it willingly, one way or another we’re leaving.
I swipe away all my notifications except for one text.
That was awesome!
I grin and write back, Thanks, Dani! Drinks tonight? We gotta celebrate!
Haha, last night on Earth tour? You bet!
It’s weird to think about it, but she’s right—it’s really happening. I’ve been building myself up toward it for so long, but it’s crazy to think that a week from now I’ll be standing on another planet, starting a new life, free of Dominar interference.
Sure, there will be things from Earth I’ll miss—late night sushi and bubble tea, seeing movies in a packed theater, singing ‘Wannabe’ at karaoke night... At least my parents will be there, and Dani—that’s all I really need. I can give up a few earthly pleasures for humanity’s future—but I will enjoy as much as I can before leaving.
So for a week Dani and I pack up our apartment by day and hit up the clubs by night. Instructions from the Dominars come by email, which I disseminate to the rest of the AAL participants. The ship taking us to the planet Piskiron will have enough cargo capacity to take years of supplies and personal belongings. It won’t take long for it to feel like home—especially when we start calling it New Earth.
Inevitably, a handful of our thousand drops out. I don’t blame them—it’s a big decision. Though we interviewed our applicants and verified their commitment to the cause, we anticipated some would flake and selected more than enough alternates to make up the tiny shortfall.
“Can you imagine being on the other end of that?” Dani asks me over martinis the night before our journey. “A week of anticipation, waiting for the phone to ring asking if you can come with us?”
I shake my head. “If all goes well, they’ll join us before long.”
The whole time we spend at the bar my phone doesn’t stop vibrating. Interview requests have poured in since my appearance on Our Earth. Now the outlets I turned down are trying one last time before our departure.
“Hang on,” I tell Dani.
To my platform I post, For everyone wanting an interview, relax! It’s not like we’re dying—we’ll be in contact with Earth!
I’d like to think that will help, but I doubt it.
“Now, where were we?”
Dani raises her glass for a toast. “To New Earth.”
I smile and touch my glass to hers. “To New Earth.”
* * *
“Lex, there you are!” Mom says as I get off the Dominar shuttle bringing us to the staging grounds.
What certainly looks like a thousand people have assembled themselves and their possessions across an expansive, grassy field an hour west of New York City. Its location has been a closely guarded secret—I didn’t even know it until boarding the shuttle. As a result, the media isn’t here to witness the massive alien vessel hovering high in the sky. They told me the colony ship Bountiful Harvest would be enormous, but I couldn’t conceive of its size: it must be at least a mile long. Dozens of shuttles are funneling people on board, while materials are loaded straight up by energy lift.
“Mom!” I shout, jogging to close the distance. I grab my mom in a big hug, inhaling her rich perfume. Looking over her shoulder, I nod at Dad. “Hey, how are you? How was your trip?”
“It was fine,” says Dad. “Over before we knew it.”
“That’s good,” I reply. “Come on, let me show you to our boarding zone. We’ve got priority cabins—”
Dad interrupts me, pulling us into a hug. “Sweetheart, I’m so proud of you,” he says. “You really did it.”
“Thank you,” I say, my hands suddenly shaking. “I know leaving Earth wasn’t Plan A, but—”
“It’s fine, Alexis. It’s the best we’re going to get.”
He pats my back. I blink fast, my eyes burning.
“Come on, let’s go,” I say.
* * *
I would have liked to post a picture of Earth in the distance as we took off and started our journey, but Dominar ships go too fast. We exit the atmosphere in mere seconds. The former fighter pilot part of me goes queasy at how ma
ny Gs we would have pulled if not for Dominar technology shielding us from the change in momentum. If only the Dominars came here as peaceful explorers, rather than powerful conquerors—I’d have really enjoyed learning about their spacecraft.
Our trip to Piskiron is only going to take two days. On the first ‘night,’ such as it is in space, Prust requests our presence in his ship’s main deck, a massive chamber capable of seating far more than just a thousand people.
“Thank you for joining me,” says Prust when we’ve all settled in. He’s wearing a tight white shirt with a gray vest and pants that match his eyes. “I won’t keep you long. It is my duty to provide a little orientation for your journey, and I will take any questions you have.”
Oh, here we go.
I try to pay attention as he gives us some of the basics we already know: we’ve got a lot of essential supplies to get us through the first few years, everything from food and medicine to construction materials and equipment. We have military-grade deployable tents that will provide shelter, but we will be responsible for building proper homes and facilities. The planet has the right conditions for humanity to survive, but like Earth, it has its fair share of dangers.
“My plan is to live on Piskiron with you for a time to observe the situation,” notes Prust, eliciting some groans. “It is my duty to report back to the rest of the Council how you fare, for better or worse. I do not intend to interfere with the colony, but I will render general assistance if asked.”
He pauses, letting his words sink in. I’m not thrilled that he’ll be staying—the idea was to live on a planet without any Dominars. But, if he’s not telling us how to live our lives, I suppose his presence isn’t a big deal—and hopefully I won’t have any more dreams about him.
“Okay, that’s all,” Prust concludes. “Enjoy the voyage. Get some rest, and good luck.”
* * *
Everyone on board plasters themselves to the windows as we arrive. We watch Piskiron turn from a green marble to a lush expanse of forest with palpable excitement. People vie for position to be on the first shuttles to make landfall on our new home.
Prust chose a clearing a bit more than a mile wide for our landing, perhaps because it would make for a decent settlement site. Part of me wants to find another location just out of spite, but I’d rather get to work. It’s going to take days just to finish unloading the ship.
“Lex, you gotta give a speech,” Dani says as we disembark the first shuttle. “This is like your Neil Armstrong moment.”
“Good idea,” I reply. “Round up Ed, Steve, and Jeanne. Tell them to keep everyone close for a brief ceremony.”
“On it!”
An hour later, everyone has gathered, waiting for me to speak. When Dani returns, she and Ed carry a stepladder they’ve gotten from the building supplies.
“What’s that for?” I ask.
“There’s no stage,” says Dani. “How is anyone going to see you?”
She’s right—I’m on the short side. Plus, it’ll look great for my first social media post from New Earth.
I climb up a few steps and project my voice out to my people. “Good afternoon, everyone! Welcome home!”
The applause goes on for five solid minutes. My hand even gets tired from holding onto the ladder’s top rung.
“Thank you!” I shout. “I don’t have much to say right now. I’m sure we’re all excited, but also a bit nervous. Not gonna lie, this is a bit scary, don’t you think? We have so much work to do, and it’s not going to be easy. But we’ve got what it takes, right?”
They cheer again at that, giving me a second to take a breath. My head is starting to ache, probably from the volume of sound thundering around us.
“We’re going to show this planet... that humanity belongs... and the Dominars... don’t...”
I let go of the ladder as my vision blurs. The last thing I see is the ground rushing toward me.
Chapter Three
“Lex! Are you okay?”
I groan, opening my eyes. Looking down at me are Dani and Ed, my parents and Prust.
“What happened?” I ask, trying to stand up. My right arm and wrist really hurt, but I can’t worry about that now.
“You fainted and fell,” says Prust, holding my shoulders to keep me on the ground. “Take it easy, Alexis. You’ll be okay.”
“Get away from me,” I snap, attempting to throw off his grip.
“Where’s Doctor Green?” Dani shouts.
“Hey, don’t,” I growl at her. “I’m fine.” I don’t need everyone fussing over me, I need them to get Prust to let me go.
“I can offer medical aid,” he says. “I’m fully versed in human anatomy and treatment.”
Of course he is. Dominars just love to download every bit of information in the galaxy directly into their brains. How wonderful for them.
“I said I’m fine!” I shout, trying once again to get up. I make the mistake of pushing off the ground with my bad hand, and cry out from the jolt of pain.
“Everybody, if we could please give Ms. Miller some space,” Prust says to the crowd. “You heard her, she’s fine.”
“Yeah, why don’t you all start settling in?” adds Dani. “Work on the colony starts today, folks!”
A few people clap, and then they head off, ready to set up their temporary shelters, preparing land for farming and sending up drones to map the territory.
“Thanks, Dani,” I say.
She gives me a slight smirk, showing her dimples. “You’re welcome. And thank you, Prust. That was kind of you.”
What?
“Kind? You call this kind? Whose side are you on?” I turn to Prust. “Would you get off me already?”
He lets go, but stays crouched beside me. “You need to have that wrist seen to. It could be fractured.”
“Screw that,” I say, using my left to push myself up. “There’s no way the history books are going to say I sat out the first day on New Earth.” It’s bad enough my speech ended with me unconscious on the ground. What a mess.
I march over to a pallet stacked with sacks of rice, trying to ignore the footsteps I hear following close behind me.
“Lex, would you stop?” asks Dani. “I know he’s an alien but he’s probably right. You should see a doctor.”
“Later,” I mutter. Reaching down to pick up the first sack, I try to sink my hands underneath but my bad wrist explodes in fresh pain.
“Stop it, Ms. Miller,” says Prust.
I swing around and shove a finger—from my left hand—in his chest. It feels as hard as granite. “Hey, that’s enough. You said you weren’t going to interfere, so do me a favor and fuck off.”
Prust waits for me to finish, then grabs my good wrist and starts walking. He nearly yanks me off my feet, but I keep up. It’s all I can do, really; I can’t break his grip.
“Hey, what are you doing?” shouts Dani.
“We’re going to have a little talk,” Prust grunts, his sudden ire stopping her in her tracks. “I’ll have her back soon.”
I should be screaming at him to let me go, but I’m dumbstruck by the fire in his tone. He’s always come across as patient and good-humored; I’ve never seen him so fired up. My warmth aches for a moment, reminding me of my recent, unwelcome dreams. He’s absolutely smoldering, and I can’t take my eyes off him.
He leads me to a dome-shaped building located at the outskirts of the settlement. When we get inside, I see it’s a combination residence and operations center: he’s got areas for eating and sleeping, but also numerous Dominar terminals and fabrication units.
“Sit down,” he says, finally letting go.
“What is there to talk about?” I reply, opting to stand. He’s got five seconds before I walk out of here.
“Nothing. You’re going to let me patch up your hand, and then you can go,” he says, retrieving a small scanner device from an equipment cabinet.
“Oh, then I can go? How very generous of you,” I counter, turning to le
ave.
I don’t get more than a foot before Prust grabs me again, this time by the hips. He lifts me up and sets me down on a chair in his kitchen. With his powerful hands hoisting me like I weigh nothing, I feel like some kind of doll.
“Are you fucking serious?” I say. “You are not using your tech on me. That’ll never happen.”
Prust sets the scanner down and walks up to me slowly. He reaches for my right hand. I gasp, wincing at the pain.
“If you don’t get this fixed, it could get infected, or fail to heal properly. Is that what you want, Alexis?”
Blood rushes to my cheeks. How dare he talk down to me like that?
“I don’t need your help,” I seethe. “And if you don’t let me leave right now I’ll—”
Prust twists my wrist just a tiny bit, but the pain short-circuits my brain.
“You’re in no position to make demands, human,” he says. “Cut the shit. I understand you want to help your people, but that hand will take weeks to heal on its own.”
My panties cling to my thighs with growing warmth. An aching from my pussy distracts from my wrist, but I’d rather suffer the pain than think about Prust in such a way... “So be it. Now let go of me.”
Prust scowls, tightening his grip. “You would rather be useless to your people than swallow your pride and accept a Dominar’s help? Typical.”
“Screw you, Prust!” I try to pull my hand free again, but the throbbing intensifies until my eyes water. I know he’s right about my hand, and how it will affect me for some time to come, and there’s not much I wouldn’t do to be out there with my people at such an early and critical stage of our colony. Would it be so wrong to accept a little favor? I can’t have history frame me as all talk and no walk. Still, he’s being such an ass; I doubt a single person on this planet would fault me for turning him down.
“I guess I’m deciding for you, human,” he says, shifting his grip to my upper arm and lifting me to my feet. Prust sits down in my chair and pulls down my black leggings and panties at the same time, exposing my ass to the cool air of his residence.
Gasping, I move to cover myself, feeling my cheeks burn in shame. Is he expecting sex? Is that it? Are the Dominars just as driven by their cocks as humans? I make a token effort to pull free of his grasp again, my core continuing to throb.
His Human Subject Page 2