A New Reason To Fight: An Intergalactic Romance

by T. J. Brandow

  “I’m going to bandage this up, to protect the new skin underneath,” he narrated. “Now, don’t pick at the scab at all and don’t uncover it yourself. I’ll change your bandage when necessary.”

  He spread a white, elastic bandage over the scab, its edges sticking fast to Lane’s skin. After he’d finished, he reached into his medkit one more time and pulled out a dermoshot. He pressed the device against her skin and released its contents. Lane was surprised how she recognized all the equipment from her own doctor’s office. She’d never witnessed Apkallu using Human technology before, but she supposed it made sense since Jinn was treating a Human rather than an Apkallu.

  “For the pain,” he said. “I’m sure you have a headache to accompany that burn.”

  Nys Akari watched the entire procedure with obvious interest. Lane found it unnerving how the Apkallu didn’t speak or make any attempt to communicate at all. She wondered if they were carrying out an entire conversation with Jinn telepathically. She had no way to know, since Jinn didn’t give any indication of it, either. So Lane kept silent, focusing on keeping her entire body from tensing up. The last thing she wanted to do was appear weak in front of the Apkallu before they’d even begun interrogating her. First impressions were everything. She knew that much about negotiation at least. She suddenly wished that she’d gone through the interrogation survival classes required for military recruits. As a scientist, she guessed they didn’t expect her to be interrogated by enemy forces.

  “Is there anything else you need looked at?” Jinn asked, breaking Lane out of her thoughts.

  “Oh, no, I don’t think so. Thank you.”

  “As you wish,” Jinn answered. “Nys Akari wants you to know that they’ll be returning shortly to ask you a few questions. They wanted time for the medication to start working before they started the questioning.”

  “How thoughtful of them,” Lane said.

  “In the meantime,” Jinn continued as though Lane hadn’t commented, “do you require any food or water? I know that Humans eat quite frequently and require copious amounts of hydration.”

  Lane hesitated. She definitely needed food and water, but could the Apkallu be trusted to not tamper with it?

  “I see you are hesitant to say yes,” Jinn pointed out. “I promise that we’ll keep you in good health and not administer any drugs without telling you first. We want to keep you well. We’ve shown our good faith by fixing you already.”

  “But you also attacked a defenseless station and abducted me,” Lane shot back. “And now you’re holding me against my will. I’m not sure how far your ‘good faith’ extends.”

  Jinn shrugged in a practiced way, as though he were merely mimicking the gesture instead of actually using it as a reaction.

  “That is your choice,” Jinn said. “We will bring the food and water regardless. It is obvious that you require it.”

  Without another word, Jinn and Nys Akari left.

  Lane, alone once again with the guard, went back to the cot and sat down with a sigh. She kept thinking about the others, about Maggie, and wondering if they were going through something similar. She did find it strange that she was the only prisoner in this particular cell block. How many of the scientists had escaped? Where were they being kept? Were they all going to be interrogated? Had Maggie made it away from it all?

  Lane kicked at nothing, wracking her brain for a solution to her predicament. She was still thinking when an Apkallu came with food and water for her. She didn’t stop turning the problem over in her head until Nys Akari returned to interrogate her.

  Chapter 3

  Lane hadn’t thought ahead enough to wonder how Nys Akari would present themselves when they returned to question her.

  Nys Akari entered the cell block, immediately commanding Lane’s attention with a measured stride. They took the form of a Human male, over six feet tall and sporting a shock of red hair like the tuff in their Born form. His broad-shouldered, muscular body was scantily clad, just as he’d been in his Born form, but his dark brown eyes exuded far more intelligence and curiosity than his pupil-less Apkallu eyes had. Lane couldn’t help but find him immensely attractive.

  “Nys Akari?” Lane asked, standing from the cot and approaching the forcefield.

  “Yes,” he answered, his voice low and smooth. His tan skin and boxy build reminded Lane of the photos she’d seen of Native American warriors. With that one word, he struck a chord of respect in Lane’s chest.

  He turned to the guard and the guard left the room, their seat still spinning slightly from their hasty exit. Nys Akari brought the abandoned chair close to Lane’s cell, sitting down and making himself comfortable as though they were going to discuss literature instead of military secrets. Lane remained standing and fought the urge to pace the short space of her cell.

  “I can’t tell you anything, because I don’t know anything,” Lane said.

  “I didn’t ask you to tell me anything,” Nys Akari replied. “Although, I would like to know a bit more about you. Abgal Station’s records label you as a physicist. Your full name is Lane Delilah Akins and you have more than one degree from University.”

  “That is all true,” Lane said. “Although, I don’t see how it’s relevant.”

  “What’s relevant is that you weren’t a high-ranking officer on the station and therefore most likely don’t have the information that I need.”

  Lane tried to hide her expression of relief at the statement. She didn’t have much time to relish that moment, because Nys Akari continued talking.

  “However, that doesn’t mean that you don’t have useful information. You are a talented and experienced scientist and you must know what the Humans are working on.”

  “Why do you need me for information?” Lane asked. “The Jupiter Treaty requires us to share all military information with you. What could I possibly know that you don’t? It seems that you’re a high-ranking officer, Nys. Surely, you have all the information you need about Human technology and science.”

  Nys Akari stared at Lane in surprise. He wasn’t good at hiding his Human expressions, as he’d been at hiding them in his Born form.

  “I’m impressed that you recognize my title,” he said. Lane just looked at him, not answering.

  “So, when are you going to let me out of here?” Lane asked. “This seems like a futile exercise to me, with a lot more for you to lose than to gain.”

  “You are decent at negotiation, for a Human,” Nys Akari commented. “And I don’t mean to keep you in a jail cell for long. I just needed to know that you wouldn’t hurt anyone. Humans are so unpredictable when it comes to acts of violence.”

  Lane pushed up her sleeve, showing off her skinny arm.

  “I don’t think you have much to worry about from me,” she said. “I can’t build muscle even when I try.”

  Nys Akari watched her carefully, as though a bit confused by her reaction. He stood from the chair, moving toward the control panel at the middle of the room and shutting down the forcefield on Lane’s cell. Now Lane was the one who couldn’t hide her surprise.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  “You’ve made your value very clear,” he said. “Come, let’s have dinner.”

  “What?”

  Nys Akari stared at Lane, confused yet again by her response.

  “Did I not make myself clear?” he asked. “You are to come have dinner with me. We’ll finish our conversation there.”

  This definitely wasn’t anything like the interrogation techniques Lane had expected. She’d watched enough movies and heard enough stories to know how interrogation scenes usually went. Yet, here she was, being let out of her cell and invited to dinner by her interrogator. She couldn’t make any sense of it, but she tried to hide her confusion behind a show of anger.

  “Is this an Apkallu tradition?” Lane asked. “For the interrogator to share dinner with their prisoner?”

  “Not especially,” Nys Akari replied. “I’m just ti
red of this room and you’re obviously no threat to me. It is my dinner time. Why shouldn’t we change venues?”

  Nys Akari waited quietly, not offering anything else in way of explanation. Lane slowly stepped out of her cell, waiting for it all to be a trick. But the forcefield stayed off and Nys Akari merely extended an arm in a gesture of invitation. Lane watched Nys Akari carefully, but he just watched steadily back.

  “Show me where to go,” she said.

  “Run and I’ll break your leg,” he replied.

  That was more like what Lane had been expecting from her interrogator. She almost smiled with relief at the flash of familiarity.

  “Fair enough.”

  Chapter 4

  Lane walked with Nys Akari through the grey halls of the Apkallu spaceship. Apkallu in various forms walked by them along the way, always inclining their head toward Nys Akari as they passed. The overhead lights cast off a strange orange-yellow color, painting pasty shadows across everything. The surreal nature of the entire situation hit her all at once and she felt the tiniest bit lightheaded.

  Nys Akari grasped her arm, his grip strong and warm. It felt more caring than aggressive.

  “Are you alright, Lane?” he asked, his words almost a whisper. “Are you ill?”

  “I’m fine,” she assured him, wrestling out of his touch. She started walking again, Nys Akari close by her side.

  “Is it overwhelming to be here, surrounded by so many Apkallu?”

  “Why do you ask?” Lane asked instead of answering.

  “I’ve found that the Humans who live with us often take time to adjust to this.”

  “You mean the Abzu?” Lane clarified, referring to the Humans who were bound to an Apkallu telepathically. The Abzu’s existence was widely debated and highly controversial among Humans. Some saw them as slaves to the aliens and others saw it as a romantic gesture between partners. Lane wasn’t sure what to think. She felt she didn’t have enough information to come to her own opinion, which was the only one that really mattered to her.

  “Yes,” Nys Akari answered.

  “Do you have an Abzu?”

  The moment the question was out of her mouth, Lane wished she hadn’t asked it. It seemed intrusive and personal in a way that she didn’t want to be with her captor.

  “I do not,” Nys Akari answered, his voice wavering slightly.

  Lane felt air rush out of her lungs in relief. She wondered at her body’s reaction, trying to figure out how she felt. Was she glad that she wouldn’t run into another Human, an Abzu, in Nys Akari’s presence? Was she glad to avoid the inherently awkward situation that she’d be put in? Or was she somehow jealous of Nys Akari’s hypothetical Abzu?

  As though he could read her mind, Nys Akari asked, “Why?”

  “I don’t want to meet one,” Lane lied.

  “I see,” Nys Akari said, turning them into a less crowded hall of the ship. “Do you detest them for their alliance with us?” His question sounded more careful than the others, as though he actually cared how Lane answered. Lane thought about it for a moment before answering.

  “Not particularly,” Lane admitted. “I just would find it…strange.”

  “I see. As it turns out, we have no Abzu on this particular ship.”

  Nys Akari stopped in front of a door and pressed his hand against it. It opened, revealing brightly-colored living quarters within. He gestured for Lane to enter.

  Lane took a moment to stand in the doorway and take in Nys Akari’s living space. Provocatively vague paintings took up a majority of the wall space and intricately patterned rugs covered the otherwise grey floors. Shelves lined one of the walls, filled with artifacts and sculptures that Lane couldn’t begin to recognize.

  “You’re surprised?” Nys Akari asked.

  Lane turned at Nys Akari’s question and her heart stopped still when she saw that Nys Akari had changed their form yet again. Now she was a Human female, her long auburn hair curling down her bare back and her brown eyes round with interest. She had the prettiest heart-shaped face.

  “Wait,” Lane sputtered, “you’re…?”

  “I generally identify as female when I take any form beside my Born form,” Nys Akari said. “I just like to present as male when I first meet Humans, since they’re generally so sexist.”

  “I see,” Lane said, still reeling from the change. Nys Akari was still taller than her and she still had a broad build, beautiful and strong in the soft indoor lighting. She wore a simple, backless dress that stopped above the knee and exposed more skin than it covered.

  “You don’t like clothing much,” Lane commented.

  “It’s a waste of energy,” Nys Akari answered flippantly. “Besides, I like to feel the elements around me.”

  “No offense,” Lane started, “but you’re more of a poet than a soldier.”

  Nys Akari frowned at Lane, her thin eyebrows drawn together.

  “You misunderstand,” Nys Akari said. “I’m not a soldier. I’m a diplomat with a military rank. It’s the same way that you’re a scientist with a government position. Surely, you’re not actually part of the government?”

  “No,” Lane admitted, wondering if it was wise. She suddenly realized that she had let her guard down and her entire body stiffened. She stood in the middle of Nys Akari’s living room, unsure what to do next now that she’d exposed a bit too much.

  Nys Akari noticed the change and took a step toward Lane.

  “Are you afraid?” she asked.

  “What makes you say that?” Lane deflected.

  “Your body changed,” she said, circling Lane slowly. “I know that Humans tense their muscles when they’re nervous or afraid. Do I make you nervous?”

  Lane couldn’t help but notice how gentle Nys Akari’s voice had become, how close she was standing, how beautifully her nose sloped inward, how her lips curved upward ever so slightly at the corners…

  “The entire situation puts me on edge,” Lane said. “Can you really blame me?”

  Nys Akari paused, as though unsure how to answer. She pressed her lips together, but didn’t reply. Instead, she walked toward the doorway to the next room, gesturing for Lane to follow her.

  “You must be hungry,” she said. “Let’s eat something and perhaps you’ll forget your anxiety.”

  Lane followed the alien, shaking her head. She couldn’t begin to guess what was happening. All she knew was that she didn’t have an appetite and this was the strangest interrogation she’d ever heard about.

  “Sit, please,” Nys Akari said. “I’ll arrange everything.”

  Lane went to sit at the dining room table, but stopped at the last moment, feeling dirty and out of place in her work jumpsuit. She realized that she hadn’t changed in a day and worried about angering Nys Akari by messing up her upholstered chair.

  “Are you sure?” Lane said. “I don’t know how much this chair is worth, but I think it’ll depreciate rather quickly after I’ve sat in it.”

  Nys Akari made a strange clacking sound that Lane guessed might be an imitation of a chuckle.

  “Just sit,” Nys Akari said. “I’ll get you washed and changed soon enough. For the meantime, I don’t care much what happens to my chair. I’m sure it can be easily remedied.”

  Lane blushed at the thought of Nys Akari getting her “washed and changed.” The Apkallu noticed this and frowned in confusion. But instead of asking, Nys Akari stepped into the next room and Lane took the moment to collect herself. She waited and then heard some clanging of metal.

  “Do you always take in your prisoners and treat them like guests?” Lane asked, speaking up so that the woman in the next room could hear her. She couldn’t guess if this was still part of the interrogation or if Nys Akari truly wasn’t a tyrant like she’d imagined.

  “I’ve never had a prisoner on my ship before,” Nys Akari answered. “Sure, I’ve dealt with them, but never on my own terms. It was always part of some larger situation that didn’t require much from me besides
a routine negotiation.”

  Lane couldn’t help but wonder if by “negotiation” she meant “interrogation.”

  “Did you show them your female form?” Lane asked. She wasn’t sure why this was important, but she felt it necessary to ask.

  “They were usually Apkallu prisoners, so I didn’t have to take Human form at all.” Nys Akari appeared in the doorway again, an empty plate in her hand. “But when I did have Humans to deal with, I always took male form. I don’t mind, really. It doesn’t make any difference to me.”

  Nys Akari disappeared into the other room again and Lane took the moment to think. She found it strange how easily Apkallu traded genders. She supposed it had to do with being born agender and having the choice to present as one gender or another. Either way, it fascinated her scientific brain in a way she hadn’t expected.

  “I’m almost done,” Nys Akari called from the other room.

  Lane waited, feeling the tension still sitting behind her breastbone. She couldn’t get a handle on the situation, or what any of it meant, and that bothered her more than anything. She ran her fingers through her messy, shoulder-length hair, pulling it into a ponytail before realizing that she had lost her hair tie a long while ago. She let her hair fall back down and tried to fix her straight bangs next, wondering just how bad she looked overall. It wasn’t every day she ate dinner with an alien.

  Nys Akari walked into the room, balancing two plates on her arms. She placed one down in front of Lane and the other in front of the chair next to her. As Nys Akari went back and forth for utensils, cups of water, and napkins, Lane just kept thinking about how the Apkallu planned to sit right beside her as she ate. It was almost…companionable. The entire scene felt a little too domestic for Lane and she couldn’t stop stressing about what it all meant.

  Finally Nys Akari sat, her gestures graceful as she pulled in her chair and picked up her utensils. She started eating without comment, poking at the bite-size pieces of meat on her plate. Lane just watched, all thought of eating lost in the chaos of the strange moment.