A hush fell across the room as we entered and people stared at me with looks of curiosity and others with open hostility. The news spread quickly that the Minister’s daughter was on the ship. I was used to being stared at in Palasium as Robert Miller’s daughter, but this was different and I felt uncomfortable as I followed Arianna to the counter dividing the mess hall from the kitchen. I was handed a plate of scrambled eggs and a thick slice of bread by an old woman who looked entirely normal until I noticed a second pair of arms extending from her body. Another alien. I tried hard not to stare at the way she could move all four her arms at the same time, spooning food onto plates and handing them to people waiting in the row. I stayed close to Arianna, but the whole time I was intensely aware of people whispering behind my back.
“Don’t let them get to you. In a couple of days you’ll be old news and they will not care if you stroll around naked,” Arianna said and sat down at an empty table. She spooned a huge heap of egg into her mouth.
I pushed the egg around on my plate with my fork. I was hungry, but I never could get used to the taste of the eggs. They came from a white bird like creature, called Pale Zinnia that were as big as an ostrich and had razor sharp teeth in its beak. It was an animal originating from Vargon. The eggs had a bitter taste and a sharp pungent smell. I longed for ordinary chicken eggs but as far as I knew chickens was extinct along with most other earth animals. We had to make do with what we could find on this new and peculiar planet we lived on now. I took a bite of the bitter eggs, not wanting to seem ungrateful, but I preferred the bread. At least it still tasted like bread.
“Shouldn’t she be locked up?” a shrill voice said behind me and I stiffened in my chair. I glanced over my shoulder at the girl. I barely recognized Emily. Bronzed legs stretched endlessly beneath an incredibly short denim skirt and her tight fitting white shirt showed more cleavage than was socially acceptable. She looked like she belonged on the beach wearing a bikini instead of inside a mountain.
“And why would we do that?” Arianna asked annoyed and gave her a look that could wilt a plant. Emily looked unperturbed and glared at me down her nose.
“I’m just saying she doesn’t belong here.”
“Emily…I’m sorry. I didn’t know they would…I didn’t know.” Tears stung my eyes. She was furious with me. It was my fault she was here. It was my fault the Vandelrizi thought she was a traitor.
“It’s too late to be sorry now.” She spun around and stomped off to a table in the corner.
“Ignore her,” Arianna said and gave me a little smile.
“She has every right to be angry at me. I got her into this.”
“Give her time. She’ll get over it. Half the girls here are jealous of you.”
“Jealous of me? Why?” I racked my brain, but couldn’t come up with any reasons why anyone would be jealous of me.
“Chai.” Arianna looked at me as if I was slow. “Of the time you’re spending with him.”
Oh. Oh…… “Does he have a girlfriend?” I tried my best to sound casual but it hurt like hell to think of him with someone else. Until know I didn’t even consider that he probably had a girlfriend, not if I thought of the way he kissed me. He had spent a lot of time with me; no wonder a girlfriend would be angry. I pushed a huge forkful of egg in my mouth and I nearly gagged. It tasted terrible.
“No.” I was relieved that Chai and some other girl weren’t together. Arianna leant back in her chair and I noticed that a few male admirers watched her with keen interest from other tables. They drooled every time she moved. Arianna looked totally oblivious to the effect she had on the opposite sex. “Apparently he likes puny little girls,” said wickedly. She laughed loudly as I blushed furiously.
“Is she torturing you?” Gaios said as he pushed back a folding chair and dropped a plate, filled to the maximum with eggs, on the table. He swung his long legs under the table and gave me a boyish grin, showing a hint of dimples. What was it with these aliens? Were they given steroids at birth? All of them were built like Greek gods.
“Nah, she doesn’t scare me.” I replied and grinned back at him. He had one of those faces that made you immediately feel at ease.
“Where’s Chai?” Arianna asked and my fork stopped in mid-air. The mere mention of his name left me breathless.
“He’s still with Bill,” Gaios answered with a mouth full of eggs. Table manners wasn’t apparently on the list of things they were taught. “He’ll be here soon.”
I tried to focus on my food and made a pyramid with my eggs. I had to get a grip on myself. If I wasn’t careful, I was going to join the list of girls that had a crush on Chai - if it wasn’t too late already.
“I haven’t thanked you yet,” I said and cleared my throat.
“Thank us for what?” Arianna asked confused and wrinkled her perfect symmetrical nose.
“For rescuing me yesterday. You didn’t have to help me…and yet you risked your lives to save me. I’ll never forget what you did for me.” I unfolded and refolded my napkin on the table. “Thank you.”
For once Arianna was quiet and I swore her eyes were misty, but I must have imagined it, because she gave me a kick with the tip of her boot under the table. I yelped and rubbed my ankle.
“Don’t mention it,” she said and grinned at me. Gaios shook his head and stole a piece of bread from Arianna’s plate. He leant back in his chair and took a bite from the bread, staring speculatively at me.
“Chai’s in so much trouble,” he said after a couple of seconds. I didn’t understand what he meant, but both he and Arianna laughed loudly.
“I don’t get it,” I said at a loss. I didn’t understand what was so funny to them.
“You’re his prijatelj,” Arianna said and I felt even more confused. I didn’t get the chance to ask her what that meant as Chai plopped down on a chair next to me.
“Why do you look so serious?” he asked me and Arianna giggled uncontrollably.
“We’re just telling Lexie that she’s your prijatelj,” Gaios answered and grinned at Chai.
“Yes, she is,” Chai said and gave a sheepish smile.
“What does it mean?” I didn’t like being left in the dark.
“It means that you are very special, little one,” Chai said and Gaios choked on a piece of bread, trying hard not to laugh. I had the distinct feeling Chai wasn’t telling me the whole truth. It was a pity I didn’t have a microchip in my head that could teach me how to speak Epsilon. For now I would let it go, but I was determined to find out what prijatelj means.
We finished our breakfast, or Gaios finished my plate for me. He had the appetite of a baby elephant and finally there was nothing left for him to eat. Chai slung an arm casually around my shoulder and pulled me closer.
“I have something to tell you,” he said and I could feel a heaviness emanating from him.
“What’s wrong?” I asked hesitantly. I wasn’t sure I had the energy for bad news.
“I have to leave.” My heart sank and my breathing sped up. I wasn’t expecting this or the terrible way his words made me feel.
“Where are you going?” My voice was barely a whisper and I clenched my hands on my lap.
“It’s only for a couple of days. I have to go to the CSS Přízrak. It’s one of our other ships still in orbit of earth. My commander wants to see me straightaway,” he explained and I relaxed a bit. A couple of days were not that bad, besides I was a big girl, I could cope with being on my own. It would be a good thing and give me time to work through these feelings inside me, I reasoned with myself. I had to get clarity on what I felt for him. I didn’t even know what exactly he felt for me.
“When are you leaving?”
“Half an hour. A truck is already on standby to take me to the pick-up point.” He sighed and pressed his face in my hair. “I hate leaving you like this.”
“A couple of days aren’t that bad,” I said and tried my best to sound cheerful.
“Gaios and Arianna will look
after you while I’m gone.”
“I don’t need babysitters. I can look after myself, besides its safe here.” I didn’t want him to see me as helpless and pathetic.
“I know, little one, but it’ll make me feel better, knowing they’re here with you.” His fingers played with a strand of my hair. “I trust them with my life. They’re my family.”
“It’ll be fun,” Arianna said with enthusiasm. “I have a lot of plans for us. We can have slumber parties and you can tell me all about these silly human customs about dating and weddings.” I scrutinized her face to see if she was teasing me, but she genuinely looked stoked about spending time with me.
“And I’ll protect you from Arianna,” Gaios added and ducked as Arianna tried to punch him. “I’ll even tell you all of Chai’s deep darkest secrets.” I laughed as Chai jumped from his chair and the two of them mock wrestled like two teenage boys. People were giving us strange looks, but it didn’t bother the three aliens in the room. When the time came for Chai to leave, he pulled me in his arms and whispered in my ear: “You’re my prijatelj. And when I get back I’ll tell you exactly what it means.”
Chapter 8
Arianna wasn’t joking when she said she had a lot of plans for us. She reminded me of these gumballs my mother used to buy for me when I was little. They were hard on the outside and if you sucked them long enough you reached the soft chewy center. Arianna was all tough on the outside, but inside she was like any other girl. She wanted to talk about boys and clothes and all the other normal teenage girl stuff. It was fun to be a normal teenage girl for once. We did have a slumber party and although I explained that traditionally only girls were allowed to attend, Gaios joined us. He brought real Epsilon snacks and he was more than welcome after I tasted the zemiačiky. It tasted like potato chips and I was in heaven. Only one thing was missing – my best friend.
I found Emily in her room. She was wearing another ridiculously skimpy outfit. Her short brown curls bounced as she opened the door, the smile disappearing from her face.
“Hi.” I wiped the palms of my hands on my jeans.
“What do you want?” She stood with her hands on her hips, her eyes narrowed into thin slits.
“We’re having a slumber party. Sort of. Gaios is there too. He doesn’t understand it’s for girls only.” I was rambling. “Why don’t you come?”
“No thanks.” Emily laughed bitterly.
“Please Ems. You can’t stay mad at me forever. I said I’m sorry. I never meant for this to happen.”
“If it weren’t for you…always meddling…I’ll be in the city now.” She pressed her lips into a thin line. “I’ll never forgive you. I had a life. A life! Now I’ve got nothing. Go back to your party.” She pressed the button on the console next to the door and it slid shut.
I missed Chai with a ferociousness that I didn’t thought was possible and I repeatedly caught myself thinking of him. I missed the way his eyes lit up like the sun when he smiled, the careless way his hair fell over his face, the way his body moved when he walked. Hell, I missed everything about him.
Arianna and Gaios took turns in spending time with me in between the other tasks they had. Arianna was a lot of fun to be with and made me laugh, but it was Gaios that surprised me. He was more serious, but it was his vast knowledge of books and poetry that amazed me. He was very interested in earth – the way earth was before the terraforming. He constantly bombarded me with questions. He never got bored of hearing me speak of how things were before the invasion.
I enjoyed watching them train the rebels. Arianna was determined to get them combat ready before the galactic fleet arrives and was a fierce teacher, training them in all the intricate details of hand-to-hand combat. Gaios enjoyed the sparring sessions, but his true forte was explosives. I swear he could build a bomb using only chewing gum.
People still stared at me and I heard whispers behind my back more than once. Most of them still felt uncomfortable having me around. I couldn’t believe I thought the rebels were dangerous, now I knew they were ordinary men and women trying to survive the circumstances they were given. None of the vicious rumors I heard in Palasium were true.
The only person on the ship that truly upset me, were Emily. She would say something nasty as soon as I was near and more than once she shoved me with an elbow as I walked past her. It was clear she wasn’t going to forgive me anytime soon. She hated me. She had reason to, the fact was that it was my fault she was plucked from Palasium and ended up here. I hoped that with time we could get past this. I missed my friend.
I decided to explore the rebel base; it wasn’t every day that your new home was on board an alien spaceship. The ship was divided in five decks, one on top of the other. Cylindrical elevators, dispersed among the corridors, stopped at each deck.
Deck A was the heart of the ship. It was more commonly called the flight deck. The enormous windows covering nearly two thirds of the deck had a view of the uneven rock walls of the humongous cave the ship was nestled in. It also had the only exit from the ship leading into the caves of the mountain. All the controls for flying the ship were on this deck. A very friendly four-armed alien, Zalzi, gave me a tour and tried to demonstrate how the myriad of controls worked, explaining that at top speed the ship could travel a couple of light-years in mere hours. I didn’t understand everything he was saying, most of the technical information was lost on my human mind. I would rather leave the flying of the ship in the hands of the experts.
Deck B was off limits and armed aliens quickly escorted me back to the lift, but not before I saw the computers and screens used to survey the outside world. They were keeping a close eye on the cities and the Vandelrizi. The aliens on this deck were not so friendly, although painstakingly polite. A couple of them seemed almost human, they must be Epsilon, but I noticed a few that reminded me of the abominable snowman.
Deck C was where the weapons were kept under lock and key and Gaios promised to show me around later.
The living quarters, mess hall and infirmary were on deck D. The humans were given rooms separate from the aliens on the other side of the deck. Most of them preferred living among their own kind. I was the exception. I didn’t want to know who Arianna had to bribe or threaten, but she managed to get me a room wedged between her room and Chai’s.
The whole of deck E consisted of the engines of the ship. Arianna showed me around, but I was more interested in the alien mechanical crew working down there. Physically they looked human, except that they were the size of elementary school children. Arianna explained that due to their size the, Brakalorn, were ideal for the job as they could easily crawl into the smallest of spaces.
Most of the alien crew of the ship didn’t care who or what my father was unlike the humans. They treated me the same as anyone else and for once I felt like I belonged.
I tried to find Erich, but Arianna told me he went back Palasium. He was their eyes and ears in the city and Robert didn’t suspect a thing after he explained how he miraculously survived the attack on the convoy I was in. I hoped I would see him again soon and get the chance to thank him for what he had done for me. I liked the boy with the unruly curls.
It was on the second day on the ship that Bill summoned me to his office. I felt apprehensive as I stood before the metal door with his name in black lettering on the door – Major Bill Stanton. I hadn’t seen him since I left the infirmary two days ago and was nervous why he wanted to see me. I hoped he hadn’t changed his mind about having me here. I didn’t have anywhere else to go. I could never return to Palasium.
Bill sat behind a practical white desk, made of the same shiny material as the walls. A battered rusty cabinet against the wall seemed out of place in the white sterility of the room. Papers were scattered across the desk and he shoved a pile of manila folders to the side as I entered. A framed picture of him and Erich caught my eye. They both were smiling broadly at the camera, arms draped around each other’s shoulders.
Being here remin
ded me of all the times I had to go and see Robert. It usually entailed that I did something wrong and had to be punished. Bill smiled and leant back in his chair when he saw me standing in the door. Again I had the feeling that I’ve seen him somewhere before. I racked my brain, but I couldn’t remember where or when we’ve met before.
“Have a seat, Lexie.” I didn’t want to sit, but it would be rude to keep standing and I hesitantly took a seat as far away from him as possible. The seat of the chair was covered in a white foamy substance and it buzzed underneath me, the foam molding to the contours of my body. I widened my eyes; it was very comfortable and creepy at the same time.
“How are you?” Bill asked and interlaced his tanned fingers on his desk. His lively blue eyes watched me keenly.
“I’m fine,” I answered and wondered how many times I’ve repeated the same words in the past couple of days. Everybody assumed that I was going to fall apart at any moment after what happened to me.
“How’re you fitting in?”
“Gaios and Arianna are going out of their way to help me. Others…I think a lot of people feel uncomfortable having me here,” I answered and hoped he wouldn’t be offended by my honest answer.
“It’s understandable. They know who you are. They need time to adjust and see that you’re not a threat to us.” His face was grim. “But I’ll not let anyone on this base treat you badly. This is your home now.” I was surprised at his words. He really seemed to care about how I was fitting in, someone he barely knows.
“Why’re you nice to me?” I blurted out impulsively. “I’m the daughter of Minister Robert Miller and he’s a tyrant and a monster. He’s done terrible things and everyone knows how he treats the slaves in Palasium. Why do you care what happens to me?”
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