Alien Breed: A Sci-Fi Alien Romance

by Penelope Woods

Turin breathes. “Do it,” he says.

  He flips the switch on the generator. The entire facility makes a vibratory noise. One by one, the lights turn on.

  Zakar slides against the floor, away from the server room.

  “No,” he whispers, weakened.

  The servers turn on next. A solid hum generates. The noise shifts in frequency as it searches for a connection.

  Zakar twists in agony, screaming. His teeth shoot out of his mouth, biting the air.

  His eyes are wide with fear. His head grows large and small. “I can’t die,” he croaks.

  The sound grows louder. I cup my hands around my ears. “Eat shit!”

  I can see the moment before he dies in his eyes. There is horror and anger, a true resentment toward humanity. But it does not last.

  Turin shields his body around me.

  His head explodes.

  Yeah, his entire head.

  Sometimes, the truth is hard to believe. What I know to be true? I’ll be having some interesting nightmares after this.

  Fourteen

  Turin

  “Is it over?” Naomi asks, unshaken.

  She stares away from the carnage that is Zakar’s undoing. Nudging her head into my abdomen, she sighs. “Is it really over?”

  It’s hard to trust that it’s over and done with, but it is. Zakar is dead. I did what I had to do to the Captain. There are no enemies to face anymore.

  Wait…

  “Fassbender,” I say.

  Roy groans and rubs his back. He can barely walk. “Oh, shit.”

  As Naomi runs through the cracked hallway, the rest of us follow.

  When we’re outside, Naomi is stopped near the trail. “Guys,” she says.

  Fassbender is standing at the other end, wielding a knife. “It doesn’t matter what you do to this place,” he says. “You’ll never escape.”

  Naomi inches back. “Fassbender. Zakar is dead. We have the weapons. You have no choice, but to give up.”

  Fassbender heaves another breath. “There are more, you know,” he says. “More missions like this. Earth Federation isn’t just a project. It’s the next stage for mankind.”

  As long as I’ve been held a prisoner here, I’ve never given that a thought. Perhaps selfishly, I thought we were the only intergalactic experiments. If he’s telling the truth, we have no chance at besting them.

  Maybe it doesn’t matter. Maybe I can’t change the universe, but I can choose to change my life.

  I can choose to live a normal life with Naomi. And if Earth goes against us, I’ll die knowing I found something real in a universe filled with so much deception.

  “You failed the mission,” Roy says. “Earth Federation might’ve fucked us over, but they’ll never accept you back now. Not after all you’ve cost them.”

  A screeching noise goes off in the distance. Naomi glares at me. “The Captain?”

  I did what I had to do to the Captain. Meaning, I subdued him with some tranquilizers.

  I let him live, so Fassbender could have the match he yearned for.

  I take a deep breath and smile. “Goodbye, Fassbender,” I say, snatching Naomi into my arms. “And good luck. You will need it.”

  Fassbender shivers as he drops his knife.

  We walk away, headed toward the shoreline.

  “You kept the Captain alive. Why?” Naomi asks.

  “Because he was a part of your crew. And maybe he wasn’t a good leader, but he tried his best. I just wish he heeded my warnings,” I say, sighing.

  “Is that why you let Fassbender live?” she asks.

  “Fassbender won’t be a problem for us anymore. He is injured,” I say.

  He was the man responsible for my life. But he was not my father. He was a fool who made two devils. A devil I once trusted would lead me out of here. And me – someone able to see more. He thought we’d work together, but he was wrong.

  All of us were used and lied to. All of us were treated like we were worthless. But in the end, this planet is ours.

  And now we must say goodbye.

  I take Naomi’s hand.

  “Why are you leading me to the shore? There’s nothing over here for us,” she says.

  Pulling her toward a canopied area of the beach, I say, “There’s something I want to show you.”

  The rest of the crew follows, silent and worn out.

  They have been through a lot, and I feel it’s worth showing them one more place.

  I push through and hold the leaves away as they walk through to a small section of the jungle where the trees have been uprooted, and the land has been dug up.

  Sizable piles of earth hide what is buried underneath.

  This is Zakar’s doing. It is the site of our shame and undoing, a place I never wanted to return to.

  Yet, here we are.

  The bodies of the scientists rest underneath the soil. These are the atrocities Zakar committed, hidden but never forgotten.

  Zakar is not the only one to blame. I bare some of that, too.

  I stood and watched as he murdered them. I could have helped, but my rage was too strong. I couldn’t get it under control.

  Even now, as I glare at the graves, I feel that rage. Except, it’s starting to slip away. Maybe not fully. Maybe a part of that anger will always remain. But I’m learning how to ignore it.

  I’m learning how to forgive.

  Naomi squeezes my finger. “What is this place?” she asks.

  “Avalon Cemetery,” I reply without thinking.

  There are two open graves where Zakar stole the alien corpses. I walk forward and look down to see the fuel barrels, stacked inside.

  I can’t believe it. Zakar didn’t dump the fuel. He hid it here, thinking I wouldn’t ever come back.

  “It’s the fuel barrels,” I say.

  Roy rushes forward, stopping at the edge of the open grave. “No shit. So, the son of a bitch didn’t drain them after all?”

  He reaches in and shakes one barrel. The liquid splashes loudly inside.

  “Apparently not,” Hugh says.

  Naomi isn’t staring at the fuel. She couldn't care less. Instead, her attention is fixed on the graves.

  “So this is it,” Naomi mutters. “The first astronauts to land on another habitable planet.”

  “Yes,” I say.

  She steps forward and kneels before large pile of soil. “You know, back home, these people were regarded as heroes. There were people who disagreed with the outward expansion into the cosmos, but they were generally thought of as crazy. Now, it’s so obvious.”

  “I feel for them,” I admit.

  It’s a tough pill to swallow, but I do it anyway. I have to move on from this. Otherwise, it’ll haunt me forever.

  All this pain, this endless suffering I thought would swallow me whole, was not all in vain. I met Naomi.

  This was the path I was supposed to take.

  Naomi gives me a queer look. “You really feel for these monsters?”

  I nod. “They were programmed with behaviors, too. Everyone is.”

  Naomi’s hands form a fist in the soil. She’s shaking. “But they beat you, Turin. They tortured you to comply with their wishes and needs,” she says. “They were evil.”

  “They did worse,” I say. “And I still forgive them.”

  Anger causes her cheeks to turn red. “Why?”

  I take her in my arms. Closing my eyes, I nuzzle my cheek against hers. “Because I found you.”

  She sighs as tears drench her face again.

  “Stop crying, baby,” I whisper. “It’s okay. We’re going to find home.”

  I know how afraid she is to do this, to leave planet Avalon. I was afraid once, too. Zakar kept me here for years, and it took one special woman to make me realize I needed to change.

  She can do this. She’s the best captain in the universe.

  I trace my fingers around her belly button. “I know you’re worried. I know how hard it’s been for you. But you
can fly that starship,” I say. “You just have to believe in yourself and trust that everything will end up as it's supposed to.”

  “I’m scared,” she murmurs against my chest. “The system command differs from what I’m used to using. What if I fail?”

  I lean forward and brush her hair from her eyes. “You won’t fail,” I say. “You are not what happened to you. You hear me? The accident is not who you are.”

  “Then what is it?” she cries.

  “It’s something that happened. Something you can’t take back. But you can move on from it. There are things that make this life worth living,” I say.

  “Our baby,” she whispers.

  “Our darling child,” I repeat. “And she will have it a hundred times easier than we did.”

  Her eyes stare into mine. “I believe you,” she says. “Because I trust you.”

  “You can achieve anything, Naomi. Anything,” I say. “I love you.”

  “I love you more than I can explain,” she says.

  This might be the first time I’ve ever taken something so serious. What we’ve made defies all of the expectations of life for an alien like me. It is a miracle, and now, my final journey will be to make sure that child comes to fruition.

  I look up from the graves, staring at the three moons in the sky. It’s daylight, but they are still visible. I will miss the site of them, but I’m sure Earth is a much safer view.

  Fifteen

  Naomi

  The sun reflects a golden hue over the ocean. Its rays dip below the water, softly wavering away.

  As we sail to the starship, we all sit in silence, staring at the jungle that will always remain an anomaly.

  This place wasn’t supposed to exist. We were used. There’s a lot to come to terms with here, but we’ll get through it.

  At this point, I’m pretty sure we can get through anything.

  I reach into my pocket, tracing my fingers against the rough edge of the photograph of my parents. I pull it out and gaze at it, unsure how it really makes me feel.

  I used to think of it as my blanket. It was an object to house all my melancholia and frustrations, so I wouldn’t have to keep blaming myself for what happened. It kept me safe. In the end, that blame still found its way inside me.

  It made me do stupid things. It made me turn on those I trusted. Worst of all, it made me fear the unknown.

  I’m still scared. I still haven’t learned the lessons that I should have. We’re leaving this hell-hole, and I’m worried that I’ll pass my sadness and pain onto my child.

  I have to make a choice to let the past go for good. I can’t keep pretending to be better when it still feels like shit.

  My sister isn’t coming back. None of those people are. But they will always be a part of me, and I should be glad I had the chance to know them.

  That day at the diner was the best day of my life.

  I look away from the photograph. I let go of the corners. I watch as it flies away, and I feel a great weight lift from my shoulders.

  There is a new day waiting for us back on Earth. And when we get there to see and experience it in all its glory, our wounds will be healed.

  For the first time, we will be whole.

  Turin massages my shoulder. “We’re here,” he says.

  I blink my eyes and realize the entrance to the Starship Tera Earth-373 is right in front of me. Everyone is on board, waiting, except for Turin and I.

  “Come on, Captain,” Hugh shouts. “It’s time to head on home.”

  Roy leans against the metal railing. “You sure you’re ready?”

  Fassbender is dead. The Captain is, well, he’s somewhere deep in the jungle now. We’ve really lived through the unbelievable, haven’t we?

  I stand and salute, feeling prideful. “You have been the best crew anyone could have ever served beside.”

  Roy chuckles and salutes back. “Shucks. You too, Naomi.”

  We didn’t complete the job. On the contrary, we failed the mission. But by failing, we actually won. We made sure they didn’t get their way.

  Maybe we didn’t shut down all of Earth Federation’s operations. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if Fassbender was right. But we did what we had to do, and we survived.

  No one will remember what we did. It won’t be written about in any great historical textbooks. Our story will end up as it should – forgotten.

  We own this story, and that’s the way we want it to be.

  I step on board our ship. The door shuts behind us, and the interior lights with neon reds, blues, and greens. Finally, I can breathe a sigh of relief.

  Back to the familiar.

  “Welcome back,” the control center states.

  Cautiously, I step into the captain’s chair. The seat automatically buckles me in. The hydraulics push my butt into the air.

  The computer issues a pleasant tone. “System command on stand-by.”

  I glance back at the crew. They are weathered and weary, hurt from battle. None of this should have happened, but in a year, we’ll be home. We’ll stumble out onto Earth and breathe the oxygen we know and yearn for.

  They buckle up and sit back.

  Before Turin follows, I grab his hand. “Can I do this?” I ask.

  He smiles and kisses my forehead, trickling his fingers down my back. “You’re going to do so much more than command a starship, Captain.”

  I smirk. Because of his confidence, I believe in myself.

  I take a breath and close my eyes for one brief moment. All of this will be in the past. Soon, we will be one among the stars again.

  I exhale. “Okay, system command. Clear off stand-by. We’re going home,” I say.

  The control panel lights with color, and all the ship’s vital signs display on the screen in front of me. Everything appears to be normal.

  “System command, ready for take off.”

  I hit the buttons to turn on the thrusters. I wait for the engine to roar before hitting the release on the rockets. “Ready for take off,” I whisper.

  A great, familiar roar resonates outside of our window. Suddenly, I can hear the light tapping of someone running toward us.

  My chest tightens as I scramble to see what is outside.

  Roy curses. “Shit, it’s Halloway.”

  On the display, I can see the mutant running toward the ship. He dives into the water, out of sight but not out of mind.

  Hugh starts to hyperventilate. “Naomi, get us off the water.”

  I try to remember the commands, but the system is completely different from what I’m used to working with.

  “Ready for take off,” I shout.

  “System command, ready for take-off?”

  “Dammit,” I yell and turn to the crew for help.

  “He’s almost to the entrance hatch,” Roy shouts.

  The Captain jumps onto the hatch, screaming like an ape. He pounds and dents the metal, trying his hardest to get inside.

  He runs to the side, drags his nails against the windows.

  He’s not the Captain I knew. He is infected.

  I panic. “Turin, what do I do?”

  Turin leans forward against his belt straps. “You’re going to lead us out of here,” he says.

  That’s not what I intended to hear, but as soon as he says those words, it clicks.

  I ignite the rockets and feel the starship weigh forward before the velocity of its take-off pushes our bodies back against the seats.

  The Captain screams and holds on as we soar across the ocean.

  “He’s not letting go,” Roy says.

  I glance at the camera display. The Captain flails his arms, punching the ship’s exterior. The dents grow larger with every punch.

  “Naomi, turn on the defense systems,” Hugh says. “Blast him with an energy field.”

  My finger hovers over the button.

  He’s right. I need him off our ship, but he was once a person.

  “I really thought he’d be coming
home with us,” I say.

  “He’s not one of us anymore,” Hugh replies, voice solemn with grief.

  I press the button.

  An electrified stream of blue neon forms around the ship. The Captain screams as it paralyzes his body.

  He drops back into the water, eyes open. Alive, but destined to die on a ghost planet.

  I salute him, and feel the ship rocket upward. Soon, we’re in the sky, tearing through clouds and rough atmosphere.

  I follow the instructions the system gives me, and within a few minutes, we’re blanketed by the darkness of space once more.

  I disengage manual control and lean back, chest pumping sterile oxygen. Closing my eyes, I take a moment to not only reflect, but to withdraw from the experience entirely.

  There are no more tears to shed. I’ve seen what I’ve needed to see. I met the alien of my dreams.

  And you know what? That doesn’t even sound weird to me anymore.

  I feel his presence come behind me. His hand rubs and cups the back of my neck, fingers lightly kneading away all of my tension.

  Opening my eyes, I breathe and smell his masculine scent. I love him, no matter what they do or say back at Earth.

  “You did it,” he says.

  I laugh and ease forward, unbuckling. I wipe the sweat from my forehead and nod. “Only because you believed in me,” I say.

  “Your accomplishments have nothing to do with me. You were forced to make a decision, and you chose to lead,” he says.

  I stand and kiss him, pressing my head firmly against his. I nuzzle our noses together and look him in the eye. “We’re having a baby,” I say.

  “Earth’s bio-weapon,” he says, smiling.

  I frown. “Don’t say those things.”

  He traces his palm across my belly, resting above my navel. I glance down and reflect on my body’s growth. I hadn’t really noticed it until now, but there is a slight bump.

  “If it comes from us, he or she will be good,” he says.

  I feel my heart rush, and smirk. “She?”

  “Anything is possible,” he says.

  We have one year up here. One year to decompress. One year to forgive.

  We’ll never forget what happened here. But Earth will. Probably already has.