Asteroid Mate (Cosmic Alien Sci-Fi Romance Series Book 1)

by S. J. Talbot

  "Well don't look directly at it!" she warned. "Wouldn't we have heard about it before now?"

  As she spoke, the sunlight that had been streaming through the windows dimmed. She looked up at Tausson, and he had to fight the urge to hold her close, to rid the fear from her eyes.

  She began to make her way through, and he followed. The sea of people parted for them, although Tausson thought it was as much to get away from him as it was out of respect for Miss Dawson. Her warm body pressed against his side in the tight crowd as she gave no more than a quick glance outside. Her eyes locked on his, and he realized he'd been staring, but found that he couldn't look away.

  "That's not just a regular eclipse," she said. It wasn't a question, but Tausson understood what she was asking.

  The people around them fell silent, awaiting his response.

  "No." Maybe it was the darkness, or the anxiety of those around him, but Tausson felt an ominous dread settle over him as he spoke. "That is the Relican fleet."

  11

  Tausson returned to his ship immediately. Chief Raleth would be among the new arrivals, and he would want a status report from both Tausson and Carterra. Meanwhile, Tausson expected the Chief to be bringing him a message from home -- a verdict on Tausson's request...

  Carterra was in the conveyance chamber when Tausson arrived.

  "When is he coming?" he asked, stepping down.

  With a grim nod, she gestured to the already illuminating platform behind him. Tausson quickly stood at attention by her side.

  "Not wasting any time, is he?" he mumbled.

  "How is it going with the Americans," she asked as the Chief's red mechasuit, indicating his rank, began to come into focus before them.

  "Slowly," he whispered. "You?"

  "Same. He's not going to be happy."

  Tausson took a deep breath, grateful that at least all of this activity was distracting him from thoughts of Miss Dawson. The feel of her body bumping against his had been almost too much, bringing back visions of the two women, and flashes of her smooth body bare beneath him...

  He pushed the relentless images down and took another deep breath. Not only was he back on the Irral, where Aspri could monitor his biorhythms, but the Chief was on his doorstep. Getting caught lusting after a woman like a frenzied teenager was grounds for recall, let alone demotion.

  Chief Raleth completed his conveyance. As Tausson stepped forward to welcome him, extending his fist and turning it over to show his open palm, the Chief, his bronze skin glittering in the bright lights, frowned and held up his hand.

  "Save it," he said. "I've been watching the Earth waves, and things are not going well. What are you doing to prevent another Yarkinda?"

  The name froze Tausson's tongue, and a glimmer of satisfaction in the Chief's eye revealed that he had been hoping for such a reaction.

  "Chief Raleth," said Carterra, "we are following all of the prescribed scripts, and we anticipate full cooperation within the required schedule."

  "Never mind the scripts," said the Chief. "Are you all mindless sludge, unable to think outside the mine? This race will be eradicated if you fail, and that is unacceptable." He glared at both of them to drive his point home. "Failure is unacceptable."

  "Squad, Chief," Tausson and Carterra said in unison.

  Appearing slightly mollified at their deference, he locked his eyes on Tausson. "Who are you dealing with? I haven't seen any waves with you and the American President side by side. That proof of solidarity is critical for winning over the public."

  "President Freeland is traveling her country to personally bring the message of unity and urgency to her citizens. She selected her First -- they call it Chief of Staff -- Tierney Dawson as my point of contact."

  His bronze lips -- almost brown -- curled into an even deeper frown. "According to the Culture Report, the Vice President is the next-highest ranking American, and he's been very vocal on the Earth waves in support of us and our mission. Why aren't you dealing with him?"

  The mere thought of spending hours on end with that disingenuous sycophant made Tausson's skin brittle. "My impression is that Vice President Grant is too high ranking to deal with the detailed logistics required for coordinating the evacuation."

  And I want to see Miss Dawson again.

  Chief Raleth evaluated his answer, and Tausson's pulse quickened with fear. The few hours he had spent with Miss Dawson that morning had been a test of his control, and he'd passed. That moment in the cafeteria had been a fluke -- she'd simply caught him off guard by unexpectedly moving so close. He'd be more mindful in the future.

  "I can understand that," the Chief finally answered. "Well, things better start moving along now that we're here. The cart is complete, adjusted to match your most recent specifications. I'll meet you aboard for inspection in twenty minutes."

  "Squad, Chief," said Tausson, a weight lifting from his chest.

  The Chief gave a sharp nod to both of them and touched his sleeve to convey back to his vessel.

  "Chief," Tausson said, "have you heard from Control regarding my request?"

  Chief Raleth paused. "Request?"

  Though Tausson was certain the Chief knew exactly he was talking about, he clarified. "My reprieve from pairing. I requested to be without a mate for one cycle."

  "Ah, yes, yes. Your request was rejected," he said without a trace of sympathy. "You should have known better to request it in the first place, with your background. You will select an Asteroid Mate and breed." He began tapping his sleeve again, and just before his form began to blur, he added, "You should be pleased. You're the only one who gets to choose."

  Rejected.

  As the Chief's figure disappeared, Carterra moved in front of Tausson and put her uncovered hands on either side of his neck.

  "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I thought for sure they would approve. Your lineage is apparently more important than either of us believed."

  She was trying to comfort him, but for some reason he again felt relief. Why would he be relieved? He'd been dreaming of his freedom for years -- no more invasive monitoring, no more nightly pairings even when neither mate had the energy, no more burden of rebuilding the Relican population. He'd gotten a taste of it this past year, since Carterra was confirmed to be gestating, although Aspri still insisted on observing his mechasuit readings since he was commander. But his time had been his own, and it had been a liberating experience, one he didn't want to end.

  Now, however, he found that he welcomed the news, and it only took a moment to understand why.

  "It's fine," he said, keeping his expression stoic. "Go ahead and continue your negotiations. I need to notify Miss Dawson of my delay. She was expecting me to return."

  A spark lit in Carterra's eyes, but it was gone in an instant, and she smiled warmly at him, replacing her gloves.

  "Squad, Commander."

  Tausson waited until Carterra was out of the room before accessing communications through his mechasuit. A small square image of Tierney's office projected above his sleeve, creating a video interface between her phone and his transmitter.

  Her phone must have been in that device -- a charger, she'd called it -- she kept on her desk, because he was looking straight at her breasts. They bounced a little as she speedily typed into that antiquated device they called a computer, and Tausson couldn't help hesitating before calling out.

  "Miss Dawson?"

  She stopped typing. "Hello?" came her nervous reply.

  "Miss Dawson, it's Commander Corwin. Can you see me on your transmitter -- I mean phone?"

  Her hand filled the screen, and Tausson lamented losing his perfect view. But then her face appeared -- her smooth skin, her red lips, those riveting dark eyes -- and he no longer regretted speaking up.

  "Commander?"

  "Miss Dawson, I must delay our meeting. Chief Commander Raleth of the Relican Squad Cosmic Vessel Nowhi demands that I examine the cart before your delegates inspect it. My deepest apologies." Loo
king at her, he truly was sorry.

  He thought he saw a flash of disappointment, but it was gone so quickly, it could have just been a flicker in the video.

  "I see. I have lots of calls to make anyway, so it's just as well. Can we schedule a time to meet tomorrow, though, to avoid any unexpected appearances?"

  Her lips curled into a delightful smile, and Tausson once again thought of the two women, pressing their lips together. Did all Earth women enjoy such an activity? Or was it specific to women who desired other women? He'd have to research that further.

  "What time is acceptable to you?"

  She looked away, in the direction of her closet. Tausson wondered if she was planning on sleeping in her office again. He remembered how she'd looked that morning when she opened her door -- her hair, a cascade of rich, earthy brown, tumbling around her soft, beautiful face. It was the only time he'd seen her hair free and wild, and he liked to think that he was one of few who had seen it that way.

  "I'll be here early," she said, "so we can do 8AM?"

  Nearly three hours after sunrise was considered early? That seemed interminably late to him, but that was probably just because he wanted so much to see her again.

  "I accept," he said.

  "Sounds good. See you then. Oh, and Commander?"

  She pursed her lips, appearing uncomfortable. His mind swirled with possibilities of what she could be about to say. "Yes?"

  "With all due respect, our phones are designed to allow us the option of answering a call or not. I don't anticipate declining a phone call from you," she added quickly, "however, there may be some moments when I require privacy and am unable to answer for one reason or another. If you could program your..." She struggled for the right words. "...communication program to integrate that function, I'd greatly appreciate it."

  Feeling rather deflated, Tausson said, "Squad, Miss Dawson."

  Her eyes brightened, and she smiled as she said, "Thank you. You should probably let the rest of the Relicans know so we can avoid any unpleasant incidents. If the general public found out that you had the capability of spying on them with their own phones, they'd be even more trepidatious."

  "I see. Goodbye, Miss Dawson."

  "See you tomorrow, Commander."

  12

  "This was a prank, pure and simple," the President said, speaking from her plane. "My phone was stolen by someone who is accompanying me on this tour, and they used it to send that offensive email. Though no one has confessed to the crime, our team is looking into it, and I will be more careful with my personal belongings in the future. What the American people must keep in mind is that this is a distraction from the more important issue of planetary evacuation..."

  Tierney shut the TV off. She'd already watched Nelle's complete remarks a few times, each time wishing she could wring Jonas's thick neck.

  Of all the times for a power grab, now was the worst possible choice. According to the polls, half of the country still didn't believe the Relicans were even really aliens, and the majority of those who did believe didn't trust them enough to put their fates in the Relicans' hands. At least the Vice President was helping on that front -- he was more than happy to go on any show that would have him and talk about how he'd "looked the aliens in the eye" and "seen Earth from their ship." He took every opportunity to praise the Relicans and their advanced technology, no doubt hoping the aliens would reward him somehow for his early acceptance of them.

  Tierney reluctantly finished the last swig of her bland protein shake dinner and went back to her computer, but the words blurred in front of her. Even if she'd gotten more than a few hours' sleep, she'd still be wiped from answering frantic emails and phone calls from governors all day.

  Her phone rang, and she eyed it warily, but it was Clementine. She still hadn't returned her little sister's call from the night before, so she picked it up.

  "Hey."

  "You were supposed to call me!" was Clementine's reply. "This is insane! Tell me everything! Are they nice? Are they telepathic? Do they have holodecks? Do they really have five penises?"

  "What? Who said that?"

  "Some idiot I met in bio last semester. I told him you'd know."

  Tierney lay down on her couch, considering calling it a day. "To answer your questions -- in order: kind of, not that I'm aware of, kind of, and I'm pretty sure no."

  "Pretty sure?"

  With a laugh, she said, "Well I didn't see any of them naked, but you saw the super tight uniforms they wear. I think that if they had have five penises, we would see evidence of that."

  Fluffing up her throw pillow, she said, "How are Mom and Dad? Are they okay with all this?"

  "Dad was freaked out at first, but after the press conference -- how much of a tool is Grant, btw? -- he was totally psyched. He can't wait to go on their planet-ship thing and see the new Earth."

  "And Mom?"

  "You know how she is: suspicious, skeptical, but even she felt a little better after seeing you on TV. She totally spazzed when they said you were on their ship! Dad's so jealous."

  Tierney yawned and was about to end the call when her sister said, "Stephanie lost her virginity today."

  Tierney froze. "Stephanie? Your best friend, Stephanie?"

  "Yeah. She said it could be the end of the world and she doesn't want to die a virgin and all that."

  "Okay..." Tierney wasn't sure how to process that information. Sure, her sister was nineteen and technically an adult, but the idea of her having sex was almost as crazy as... well, aliens being real.

  "I told her I'm still waiting. Maybe I'll sign up to be an Asteroid Mate."

  There was a grin in her little sister's voice, but Tierney shot up. "Don't you even joke about that. The whole idea is revolting."

  "Why? That commander's hot. If they all look like him, I wouldn't be completely averse to the concept."

  "Hot? He's silver! He's literally almost half metal."

  "Really? That's good to know. I wonder if that makes the sex even better."

  "Clem!" Tierney cried.

  "And so what if he's silver? It's just another skin color."

  Tierney was speechless. Even her baby sister was considering subjecting herself to the Relicans' sexual whims. Before she could say anything more on the matter, her sister changed the subject.

  "There are a bunch of big rallies planned tomorrow to welcome the Relicans. Me and a bunch of my friends are going to the one at City Hall."

  "I don't think that's a good idea," Tierney said, finding her voice. "There are a lot of frightened people out there. If you watched the press conference, then you know that some people even think that the President and all of us are under Relican mind control. All it takes is one crazy guy with a gun to make a peaceful rally like that a bloodbath."

  She could almost hear Clementine rolling her eyes. "That's what Mom said, but I think it's important to show the aliens that we're not all intolerant xenophobes."

  "Don't go, Clem, please. Promise me."

  "If you trust them, then we should all trust them," her little sister protested. "It's a show of support for Nelle as much as it's for the Relicans."

  "It's not a matter of trust." Tierney pressed her forehead against her palm. "They're telling the truth about the asteroid, and we need their help to get us to safety, but they could still have bad intentions. The President is working on contingency plans in case that happens, but in the meantime, we all need to be careful. Besides, the Relicans aren't the only dangerous people around."

  Her sister didn't reply.

  "Clem? Can you please promise me you'll stay home tomorrow?"

  She wished her family were closer, so she could drive home and keep an eye on her sister. But the reality was that even if they were five minutes down the road, there was no way Tierney couldn't be in the office tomorrow, not with everyone going on.

  "Fine," Clementine said with a groan. "But you have to swear to text me if you find out any other juicy tidbits about these guys."<
br />
  Letting out a silent sigh of relief, Tierney said, "I swear. And don't sign up to be an Asteroid Mate volunteer either!"

  "What? Wait, you're breaking up."

  Tierney couldn't help but laugh at her sister's fake white noise sounds and mock signal drop.

  "Tiern-- can't he-- alk late--" The call ended, and Tierney stared at her phone.

  Hot? Her sister thought Commander Corwin was hot? Sure, Tierney had noticed his immaculate physique and soulful eyes and mesmerizing skin... but he was still an alien. An alien. They could be lying about everything.

  Although, Tierney was surprised to find that she was starting to trust him. Maybe it was the epic planning session they'd had. Even though he'd seemed kind of on edge the whole time, everything he said had the ring of truth to it. His reaction to that fake email was a point in his favor as well, both repulsed by the content and shutting down Jonas's attempt to slander Nelle.

  And then there had been that weird moment in the cafeteria. Tierney closed her eyes, breathing in the memory of his metallic scent.

  What am I doing?

  She shook her head clear of all of the conflicting thoughts and feelings, and plugged in her phone. Shutting her computer off, she pulled her overnight bag out and got ready for bed. Double-checking that her door was locked, she undressed and climbed under her blanket. Lying on her side, she stared out her windows at the starry night, still hardly believing that there were thousands of Relicans looking back down at her, watching the Earth spin.

  Even though she wouldn't have admitted it to anyone -- even herself -- she felt better knowing that Commander Corwin was one of them.

  He needed to see her again.

  All day, Tausson had gone through the motions -- speaking with the Chief, inspecting the cart, sitting in on a briefing with Control -- not to mention all of the mundane tasks related to being a vessel commander. Throughout all of this, Miss Dawson had remained with him, a ghost, following him wherever he went, whispering in his ear. Twice he'd caught himself fantasizing about her so vividly that his body had threatened to reveal him. Both times he'd managed to escape into the disposal chamber and calm himself with an icy shower.