Arantxa

by T. J. Quinn

  “We’re in this together. I can’t leave you behind,” Samantha insisted.

  “We’re getting ahead of ourselves. It’s not like you have chosen a male…” she started to say, and Samantha’s sudden stiffness told her the truth. “You have chosen. Why didn’t you tell me so?”

  Samantha jumped off the couch where she had been sitting all morning, staring at her phone.

  “Because I didn’t want to make you feel bad about it,” she confessed as she paced the room, not looking at Arantxa. “This guy… I don’t know… I just feel happy when I look at him or when I speak with him… I’ve never been attracted to a man like this before,” she added in a low tone as she stopped at the window and stared at the sky.

  “You want to go meet him.” It wasn’t a question.

  She nodded. “I do… I know it’s still too soon… but there’s something between us… like some sort of bond, I guess…”

  “What are you waiting for?”

  “There’s no rush. I can wait a couple more weeks. It will give us a bit more time to really get to know each other,” she said firmly, returning to the couch and letting herself fall into the soft cushions.

  “You’re stalling because of me,” Arantxa scolded her, from her seat in front of the couch.

  “No… not entirely, anyway. I just want us to go together in this adventure,” she admitted.

  “Then, I’ll make sure I’ll only look at the males from his planet. Even if I don’t travel with you, we’ll meet again there,” she said, with a forced bright smile pasted on her face. “Show me this guy. I want to know all about him.”

  That was enough to distract Samantha for a while. She spent a very long time talking about Djorg, a male from Valkyr, one of the planets they had selected. He was humanoid, though his skin was greyish, his eyes had no white in them, and they were bigger than an average human eye, and he only had four fingers. He also looked taller and bulkier than human men, but there was some kindness in his eyes that made you overlook that.

  “He does look like a good person,” she said when Samantha finally stopped talking.

  “I know… I thought so too. There’s so much kindness in his eyes… I can’t wait to meet him face to face,” she said, with a bright smile.

  “Then, do it,” Arantxa encouraged her.

  She shook her head. “Not before you find someone. We can wait a little longer.”

  “Promise you won’t jeopardize this relationship on my account.”

  “I promise, I promise. We have to focus on getting you a male. There has to be one out there. It’s a big planet,” she said, with a smile as she picked up her phone.

  They spent a couple of hours scrolling through the hundreds of males pictures posted on the app, and though she didn’t find anyone she found appealing to her, she ended up selecting a few, just because she wanted to go on this adventure with her friend.

  A few days later, she finally received a few answers from the Valkyrian males she had contacted. Samantha was thrilled, and she had to admit she was happy too. One of them looked like a great guy, and she decided to give him a chance.

  “Now that I’m talking with Biurk, there’s no reason for you to keep Djorg waiting,” she told Samantha a few days later. “I still have to get to know Biurk better, but that’s no reason for you to wait up for me.”

  “How do I know you really will follow me?” Samantha asked, with a frown. “You were reluctant about this whole thing, and I’m afraid you’ll back out if I’m not here,” she admitted.

  Arantxa cradled her friend’s face. “Hey, you’re the most important person in my life right now. I will follow you as soon as I’m sure this guy is worth the trouble. And if he isn’t, one of the other guys might be,” she assured her.

  Samantha hugged her. “You know how excited I am about meeting Djorg, but I won’t live on another planet if you’re not on it,” she said, in a firm tone.

  “You won’t, I promise.”

  After that talk, things seemed to rush, and a few days later, Samantha was boarding a vessel that would take her and a few other women to the planets of their future husbands.

  Arantxa watched her leave with a heavyweight in her chest. They hadn’t been separated for more than a few days, in over twenty years and she would miss her a lot.

  Things with Biurk were going alright, though there was something about him that made her feel a little uncomfortable, she guessed it was due to the distance between them.

  He still hadn’t invited her to fly over to Valkyr so they could meet, but she was confident he would do so in no time.

  The first days without Samantha around were hard, but soon, she went back to her routine, knowing she would be meeting her friend soon.

  Conversations with Biurk were going as expected, and a week after Samantha left, he finally asked her to go for a visit.

  “I believe we’re a good match, so you should plan to visit my planet, don’t you think?” he said, in his arrogant tone that always set her off.

  That was one of his traits she didn’t like so much. He acted as if he owned the universe and as if his opinion was the only one that mattered. But he didn’t act like that too often, so she figured she might be misunderstanding him. A video chat was hardly the best way of getting to know someone.

  “Yes, I would love that.”

  “I’ll arrange for one of my ships to pick you up next week,” he said, with a victorious grin on his face.

  “Your ship? Why not take one of the agency’s ships?” she asked, intrigued.

  “There’s no need to use them. One of my ships is near your planet on a trading mission, they can pick you up on their way back. My ship is faster, and you won’t have to put up with all the stops on other planets,” he explained, in a firm tone that didn’t accept any more arguing.

  She shrugged. “If you say so. When should I expect them?”

  “In a week from now. I’ll let you know when the ship lands on your planet. Please, be ready by then, so that you can leave at once.”

  She nodded. “I will don’t worry.”

  He smiled at her. “Perfect. I’ll be in touch.”

  Arantxa ended the call and stared at the screen, not sure how she truly felt about going on his ship. She would prefer to use one of the agency’s ships to get to Valkyr, but she couldn’t tell him that. He would probably take it for what it really was, a lack of trust on her part.

  The following morning, she presented her employer with her resignation letter, but she worked all the way until the last day. She didn’t have that many things to pack, and though she was leaving as if she had no plans to come back, she still didn’t own that many things.

  The apartment was rented, as well as the furniture and most of the things in it, so basically, she only had her clothes and a few personal items she wanted to take with her.

  Samantha had contacted her upon her arrival to Valkyr, and she was thrilled with Djorg and the planet.

  “I can’t wait for you to get here. I’m sure you’ll love this place,” Samantha said, with her usual enthusiasm.

  Arantxa chuckled. “I can’t wait, either. Biurk has arranged everything, and his ship should be about to get here to pick me up.”

  Samantha frowned. “His ship? You’re not traveling on the agency’s ship?” she asked, intrigued.

  She explained the whole situation to her. “It, shouldn’t take me that much time to get to Valkyr.”

  “That’s a good thing. But it’s also odd. I’ll ask Djorg to find out more about Biurk. Not many people own a ship able to travel all the way to Earth’s quadrant,” Samantha explained.

  “That would be nice. Let me know whatever Djorg finds out. I should be leaving in a couple of days, according to what he told me.”

  “I’ll call you before that. Make sure you don’t forget the things I asked you.”

  After deciding she was staying in Valkyr with Djorg, Samantha had asked Arantxa to buy a few things she loved and that she couldn’t find o
n her new planet.

  “I won’t, don’t worry.”

  Biurk’s vessel arrived as scheduled. He sent his crew to pick her up, and for a moment, she considered calling the whole thing off. The four aliens at her doorstep were nothing like the Valkyrians she had seen so far.

  These males were tall, bulky, and bald with an ugly shade of gray skin tone, not to mention the huge mouth, filled with sharp teeth and the long tongue that constantly extended and receded like a snake’s would. They were scary people, and she could see the wary look on her neighbors’ faces as they walked by her apartment.

  “Arantxa Millers?” one of them asked, with a devious smirk on his ugly face.

  “Yes?” she asked, praying they weren’t the males sent by Biurk.

  “My name is Vulk, and we’re here to pick you up. Biurk sent us,” he replied, confirming her fears.

  She forced herself to smile at them. “Ah yes, I was expecting you.”

  “We were told you had baggage. My crew can carry your things to the vehicle we rented,” the same male told her.

  “Thank you, that would be great,” she said, stepping aside for them to come in.

  Susan, one of her neighbors, walked by her door and stopped with a deep frown. “Arantxa, is everything alright?” she asked, with a faint smile, as she looked at the males entering Arantxa’s apartment.

  “Yes, yes… I’m moving out today. I’ll be meeting Samantha on Valkyr, a planet in the second quadrant,” she.

  “Oh… that’s great. I’m sure you’ve missed her a lot,” Susan said, with a brighter smile. “I guess these men are from the Agency?”

  “They are…” she lied. It was easier to let her think they were from the agency than explaining the whole thing to her.

  She stepped forward and hugged Arantxa. “I wish you well. You deserve all the luck in the world,” she said, with a kind smile.

  “Thank you, Susan.”

  “Send Samantha my best regards. If you ever come back, come visit me, I would love to see you again,” she added.

  “We will.”

  Susan waved goodbye and entered her apartment.

  Chapter Three

  The males were already coming out of her apartment carrying the bags and boxes with her things.

  “Is there anything else?” the male in charge asked.

  “No, that would be all.”

  “Perfect. Can we go now? There’s a long journey ahead of us, and I would like to leave as soon as possible.”

  “Yes, of course. Just give me a minute, and I’ll be right out,” Arantxa asked, as she walked to the bathroom with her cell phone in her hand.

  Samantha hadn’t called her back, and though she tried to contact her, it was impossible to establish the call. She had a bad feeling about these guys, and she wished she could get in touch with her friend before she left the planet with them, but it was impossible.

  She sent her a message and hoped she would be able to call her back as soon as possible.

  She retouched her makeup and taking a deep breath, she finally joined the aliens at her door.

  “I’m ready now,” she said, with a faint smile.

  “Perfect.”

  Vulk escorted her out of the apartment, and she locked it up, and on the ground floor, she handed the keys to the doorman. He would deliver them to the apartment’s landlord.

  “Have a safe trip, Arantxa,” he told her, after a quick hug, as he glanced at the aliens accompanying her with furrowed eyebrows.

  “Thank you.”

  The male opened the door to the huge SUV parked just outside, clearly hurrying her, and she had no choice but to enter it. The males accompanying him were already inside, in the back seats. Her luggage was already piled in the SUV’s trunk.

  He jumped in next to her, and the driver immediately drove away towards the airport.

  An awkward silence fell between them.

  She cleared her throat. “So… you too are Valkyrians?” she asked, with a polite smile, not sure she liked the way he was staring at her. It gave her goosebumps… the bad kind.

  “No.”

  His curt answer should have discouraged her, but she decided not to let them intimidate her.

  “Have you known Biurk for a long time?” she asked.

  “Yes, we’ve been working for them for several sun rotations now,” he replied with obvious impatience.

  “How would you describe him?”

  Vulk let out a burst of somber laughter that her a l le s a good boss,” he said, with a devious grin that sent chills of dread down her spine.

  She definitely, didn’t like these guys, and the idea of being trapped with them on a vessel for several days was not very appealing. Twice she picked up her phone to call Biurk, and twice she put it away.

  He wouldn’t appreciate her doubts, she was sure of that, and she was probably exaggerating, judging them by the way they looked.

  “How long will it take us to get to Valkyr?” she asked, doing her best to calm herself.

  “Seven spans, more or less. We have to make a short stop on the way, but it shouldn’t take us long.”

  Samantha’s journey had lasted ten days, so Biurk had been right. This way, she would get to Valkyr faster.

  “That’s wonderful.”

  They finally reached the airport, and soon they were boarding their space ship. Vulk took her straight to her chambers and invited her to make herself comfortable.

  “We’ll be leaving in a few minutes. Use this in case you need anything.” Vulk handed her a small device, similar to her cell phone. “This is a large vessel, and it’s easy to get lost in it, so I advise you to stay in your quarters as much as possible.”

  “Thank you for warning me.”

  “Your meals will be sent here, and if you get bored, there’s an entertainment room right next to your room. Feel free to use it,” Vulk instructed her as he walked towards the door.

  Arantxa looked around when she was finally alone. Her quarters were small but comfortable. She had her own bathroom and a small living room area with a table she could use to have her meals on. She was happy she didn’t have to eat with the crew. No matter how hard she tried, she still couldn’t feel comfortable around them.

  Something in the way they looked at her, especially Vulk, gave her the creeps. She could tell they felt attracted by her, but fortunately, other than the lustful grins, they didn’t act upon it.

  Three days later, she was ready to climb the walls of her quarters. She had barely seen anyone during her journey, and she was as bored as hell. Even using the entertainment room was boring if she had no one to share it with. She couldn’t wait to get to Valkyr.

  That night, when Vulk brought her dinner, he notified her were going to land on a planet called Endora.

  “We have to pick up some merchandise, but we’ll only be there for a few hours,” he explained.

  “Do you think I could go for a walk?” she asked, hopeful.

  “That’s not a good idea. Endora is a dangerous planet. Definitely, not a place for a female,” he warned her, in a harsh tone.

  “I see…”

  “Just stay in your quarters,” he snarled at her impatiently as he walked out.

  Arantxa closed the door and walked to the small window. She could see they were already approaching the small red planet, and she sighed.

  It was a shame she couldn’t explore it. She was tired of being locked up between the four walls of her room.

  As she was watching the vessel approach the planet, she suddenly saw another ship coming their way. Before she was able to react, a loud explosion shook their ship.

  They were under attack.

  A siren went off in the ship confirming her suspicions, and another blast sent her to the floor.

  More scared than ever in her life, she crawled towards the bed that was as far away from the window as possible, though she knew she wasn’t safe anywhere. If her room were hit, she would be flushed to open space, and she would die imm
ediately.

  A few more blasts shook the vessel, and she wondered if she should stay where she was. There might be a safer place to be, but she hadn’t been instructed about it, so she had no idea what to do.

  She could tell her ship was fighting back, but she had no idea who was winning. Time went by excruciatingly slowly. After a while, the fight seemed to end, and a strange silence took over the spaceship.

  Trembling and still scared as hell, she crawled back to the window, eager to find out what was happening.

  Though she was hoping not to find the other ship anywhere around, she saw the ship even closer to the one she was traveling on than before. In fact, they seemed to be preparing to board, but she had no idea who was boarding who. A metallic tunnel was being stretched to lock on their vessel, and a few moments later, the whole process was done.

  Wriggling her hands nervously, she tried to decide what to do. Should she try to hide? Were they being boarded? What would become of her and the ship’s crew?

  A few minutes later, she heard heavy footsteps on the hallway, as if a small army were marching through it, stopping at each door before proceeding to the next.

  They had lost the battle.

  ****

  Korben scratched his skull absently as he looked at the message on his communication device, trying to decide whether he wanted to even read it. Biurk was always bad news, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to put up with more of his shit.

  He looked over the green fields of his farm and sighed. He had worked hard for rotations to gather enough credits to buy this place. After countless rotations wandering around the universe, he had finally settled down on the planet Gaeshlai. Its diverse colonies of people from all over the universe made it a refuge for those like him who didn’t feel they belonged on their home planets.

  Back then, he was tired of not having a place of his own he could call home. The life he’d been living since leaving his home planet and his friends and family behind seemed empty.

  Unfortunately, the dream of owning a place like his farm was better than reality. When he used to walk through the huge house, he had built by himself, though he was proud of it, he still didn’t feel like he belonged to it.