by Zara Zenia
I, on the other hand, inherited my talent. It came from my mother, a being so vastly special that she could create any talent she pleased. Yet she only chose ones that could be good for the planet, ones that would benefit others before herself.
When I came into being, she chose a talent for me that she said suited my personality. She waited until I was old enough to form opinions and congruent thoughts before she sat me down and asked:
“Benzen… What do you want to do when you are older?”
I thought for a second, looking into her opal eyes before I answered:
“I want to be able to move anything anywhere, but with my mind.”
I remember watching her sit back in thought for a moment before she raised her hands and declared:
“Very well,” she held me. “I will give you the ability to have a mind that transcends the body.”
“All of us Orbans are also warriors by nature. We only use our training when our race is threatened by another group of lifeforms.”
Now, inside the ship, I wish that she were here to guide me through the ability she had gifted me. It has been so long since I used it, but I'm sure that deep down, I have not forgotten its inner workings.
“Crew, you must support me for a moment. Stay calm and remain quiet.”
They all look at me as though I am not behaving in the most appropriate way. Yet they're quite used to this, as I'm always the one that strays behind the rest. I’m smaller than they all are, but not by much. I am six feet tall, but they are only a few inches taller. I act in different ways at times, but they now see that I can do something most extraordinary, and that there is a great happiness that comes from being peculiar.
I have been alive for 24 years thus far. Victorinth was born after me, but by only one year. The rest are a few years older than me. I will eventually be as tall as them, but it just takes some more time to grow to their height.
I crouch at the window and look to the man outside. The look of terror has not left his eyes, and I knew that at any moment, it could only get worse.
“Stay calm, Benzen,” I whisper to myself. “You can do it.”
Focusing my mind, I put all my strength into remembering my mother as I look at the man and… transfer his clothes from his body, through the ship and onto me.
“Well done, Benzen!” Victorinth cheers.
“Quite the talent!” Jarick slaps me on the back. “Now all you gotta do is find five more of these creatures so you can camouflage the rest of us.”
Click HERE to continue reading Benzen: A Sci-Fi Alien Romance
The Blue Alien’s Mate: A Sci-Fi Alien Romance
“Ok troops, we’re cleared for landing.”
“Roger that,” a crackled voice came through my earpiece. “Brace yourself. It's going to be a bumpy landing.”
Traversing through a planet’s atmosphere is always a tumultuous experience. Often there are vast temperature fluctuations that can create chills across your skin. They are so frigid it can feel as though your limbs could snap with the cold. Other times, the descent to a planet can be raging hot with temperatures so high blisters would form across our bodies if it weren’t for our protective suits.
This landing was not to be any easier. One thing you have to get used to is the speed in which you plummet to the ground. It sends shock waves through your body as the velocity batters off your organs. You have no choice but to grit your teeth and grip your fingers into the armrest to steady your body as it tumbles through the air at the speed of light.
I looked across the craft to the ship’s pilot. As per usual, he was taking it in stride, his face steady and stoic with a grim determination pursing his lips together. He focused on the screen in front of him, ready to maneuver the ship at the precise moment. His eyes were steely and gray with concentration. He turned his head at the last minute and touched his fingers to his temples.
“Ready captain,” his voice came through my earpiece once again.
Up here, in the ship amongst the stars, you can be within an arm’s reach of one another but still not hear a word. Outer space speaks its own deafening language of crashing space debris and chaos. To remove one’s earpiece is to hear nothing but static and jarring metallic chattering. Up here, without our earpieces, we would go crazy.
“I hear ya,” I saluted the pilot. “When you’re ready.”
He nodded at me then returned his eyes to the screen.
“3.”
He pulled the lever beside him.
“2.”
He spun the wheel.
“1!”
His voice bellowed as he swung the ship into a steep decline. It roared downward, the air gushing past the windows with such ferocity, I wondered if the glass would break. But it never, ever broke. I’d traveled to other planets a thousand times with this pilot and never, had a single thing gone wrong. He was the best and that was why he was my pilot.
Wild turbulence shook the ship from side to side as we plunged our way down further and further into the atmosphere. Then, out of the stardust and clouds came the ground. It loomed up at us, red and barren. I could see the force of our approaching ship kick up the arid sand into a dusty tempest as we landed. Then the loud crash came, cacophonous like thunder and at last, everything was still.
The sand drifted across the windshield as I got my bearings. My heart thudded hard in my chest and I held a hand to my stomach, took a deep breath, then unlocked the belt that had been holding me into my seat.
I watched as the dust settled and fell around the ship. It was night time but the stars were bright and they illuminated each particle with a glittering radiance. Through the gritty mist, figures began to form on the horizon. They appeared to be growing, coming closer with every passing second. Then they were upon us, my troops, coming to retrieve their leader.
The side door was flung open and the smell of a new land permeated the cabin. The troops were eager to show me their alliance, saluting me the moment they saw my face.
“Our leader,” the biggest one said. “We don’t have much time. We need to transport you to the battlefield immediately.”
“Yes,” I stepped out of my chair and looked out the open door. “We must hurry.”
As I placed an intrepid foot down on the alien soil, I felt the excitement of a new world with all its new smells and textures. But it was not to be my new home, nor was it to be a place I would have the chance to explore. Rather, I was here to save it from invading forces.
The X’Sorians… The bastards. They are a fascist race, one hell bent on conquering what is not theirs. They arrived on this planet with the intention of invading it, of taking it away from our system but that was not to happen. I had arrived to fight back and with my reinforcements by my side, we would soon defeat them. As I was taken from the ship to the battlefield, my Shocktrooper Elite Force surrounding me, I had fire in my heart, a burning desire to crush the X’Sorians.
“Tell me,” I pointed into the distance as I addressed the nearest lieutenant. “How many are there?”
His expression was grim but honest.
“There are thousands,” he bowed his head. “Too many to count.”
His words sent a shiver down into my gut.
“Ok,” I held a clenched fist to my chest. “It does not matter how many there are, what matters is the quality of the warrior. We are the finest, we are the best. Isn’t that so?” I bellowed.
“Yes!” they roared back.
“We are the best because you are our leader,” said the lieutenant.
“Thank you,” I touched a hand to his shoulder. “Your loyalty will never be forgotten.”
In a convoy, we drove fast across the desert with the sound of missiles and explosions becoming louder as we traversed the arid landscape. The battlefield soon came into view with the bright lights of the bombs blinding me. I held my arm over my face to shield my vision.
“They are desperate,” the lieutenant spoke at my right side. “They are taking extreme
measures and if I may be permitted to express my opinion, I would say that means they are scared. They are not confident in their own fighting skills so they have resorted to blustering bombs.”
“You are right,” I turned to him. “They may be scared but I also think they are powerful,” I leaned in closer to him. “Don’t spread the word, but I think… I think, we will need to ready ourselves for a colossal fight.”
He looked worried, pulled back and blinked at me.
“It’s true. This will not be as easy as the others but we are strong and you must remember that every challenge changes you for the better. It makes you tougher, stronger, a more valiant warrior.”
“What doesn’t challenge you, doesn’t change you,” he thought out loud as he glanced at the upcoming battlefield.
“My thoughts exactly,” I slapped the side of his arm. “You have been trained well.”
The truck screeched to a halt on the edge of the field. My gun was by my side with my sword secured tightly in the sheath on my belt and my lucky club secured to a strap around my waist. I thought of everything we had to fight for and took a deep breath. I was ready.
“Troops,” I stood up, hanging from the side of the open door with my rifle hanging from my shoulder. “We must advance!”
The battle cries roared in my ears as we ran. The X'Sorians, mighty people almost twice our size, were fearless and angry. It had been so long since I had seen one in person and there was a flutter of fear in my chest as I looked up at the nearest one and saw the look on his face; dark, twisted, sadistic. He was here for the love of death, for the lust for power. His muscles rippled as he waved his ax above his head, his skin red and glistening with sweat. The ax crashed down on the ground beside me and I rolled to escape it, tumbling across the ground as I fired shots up to him. I swung my club and saw as it connected with the side of his head. He bore his teeth at me in rage. They were sharp, dripping in the blood of his victims but I’d hit him square in the chest with my barrage of bullets and he was wounded, screeching in agony. As he staggered from one foot to the other, he stumbled to the ground, but not before he pulled a grenade from the strap across the chest and yanked the pin out with his teeth.
He threw it at me and I glared wide-eyed as it landed a few inches from my face. I ran, sprinting for my life as it exploded behind me, sending a cascade of X’Sorian parts scattering around me.
“Advance!” I yelled to my Shocktroopers.
Now that my first taste of battle had taken place I was truly ready to fight. I wiped the X’Sorian warrior’s blood from my eyes and ran forward, shooting every red being that stood in my way. No matter their size, no matter their will to win, I tackled them. The fighting was desperate with every X’Sorian slain, a Shocktrooper going down beside him. Manic firing and hand to hand combat plagued the field as our bodies became quickly exhausted.
Soon, we were in the center of the battlefield with no way out but to fight our way to freedom and safety. If we ever wanted to return home, see our friends and families and take a breath of Ura-Than air again, we had to win.
The bayonet of my rifle was deep into X’Sorian flesh when I felt it, the rumble in the ground. Then it happened so fast I blinked and it was over. My fellow soldiers were on the ground, lying damaged and in pain on the blood covered soil. Psionic attacks… I had heard the X'Sorians were capable of such a feat but I had never experienced it before, but then… why wasn’t I affected like the others? As I glanced around in horror I saw I was untouched, unlike my brethren who were pained and near death on the ground. What was left of my Shocktrooper Elite closed ranks around me and we proceeded.
We attacked once more, working as a solid unit but once again, as soon as we neared the X’Sorian Elite Squad, my troops were held back, pushed against the ground with a psionic force. All I could do was watch as I stood tall, unaffected by the mysterious rays of psychic attack.
“Advance!” I screamed.
The troops who could, stood up defiant and we carried on pushing our way through the hordes of X’Sorian slave warriors. But again, there was the force. It rung in my ears and made the ground tremble as it shook the airwaves. My troops were sent flying back, scattering amongst the fallen corpses of other soldiers. Yet again, I stood without being harmed.
All I could do was push through and do it alone. Immune to their psionic attacks, I persevered, running with all my might with my sword drawn, swiping at each enemy that came close. It wasn’t long until I had fought my way through the crowds of brutes that were so intent on seeing me dead. Then the slave warriors were gone and it was just the Elite Squad facing me. Once more, they sent out a psionic attack but I lunged at them, swinging my sword until all their heads rolled and there was no one else but me and the enemy commander.
He looked at me with shock and horror etched across his face. I could see his hand quivering by his side. The man, who I expected to be as intimidating as his soldiers, was shriveled and old, crouched down below me with a meager pistol in his hand. Judging from the fear in his eyes, it looked as though he never fought but rather, left the dirty work to his men.
“Be- be quick,” he stammered. “If you must kill me, do it now.”
I narrowed my eyes.
“With pleasure.”
There was a slicing noise, the severing of his spinal column and then he fell like his troops, headless and defeated. A silence reigned across the battlefield. It shrouded the war zone in an eerie sadness. The smell of blood rose from the ground, soaking into my clothes, my hair, and my skin. The smell of death never left you but at least it faded before the memories did.
The enemy commander’s head lay at my feet. If it weren’t for the fact it wasn’t attached to his body you’d think he was asleep. I picked it up by the dry, bristly, yellow hair and held it in front of me. To be so close up to an X’Sorian was a peculiar experience. I ran a finger over his cheek, felt the red skin with the coarse hair. I looked at his flat nose that was so different in shape and size to mine. I wondered if his experience of life had been so different to my own.
In front of me stood a sand dune littered with rocks and dead bodies. Blood ran down one side of it, viscous and crimson. With the head tucked under my arm, I climbed it, sinking my tired, calloused fingers into the dirt to haul myself up. At the top, I looked down at the battlefield. All eyes were on me as I raised the head up high and yelled.
“This is the end of the X’Sorian rule on this planet!”
Back home I lay in my bed, exhausted by my injuries. During the battle, I was not aware of all the cuts and bruises, or even of the broken rib, but now they caused me much discomfort. From where I lay I could hear the victorious chants outside the palace that were emanating from the city. They cheered at my chamber, shouted that they thought I was a hero. Somehow, however, I didn’t feel like one.
The psionic attacks had played on my mind since the return. They had injured, even killed so many of my troops but why was I spared? Surely I should have been the last person to be shown mercy. My thoughts were soon interrupted by a knock at the door.
“You may enter,” I announced.
The door glided open and one of my servants entered with his head bowed and his footsteps humble and shuffling.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Sorry to bother you. I just wanted to bring you some libations. I hope this drink will make you feel better. It is crafted from the finest herbs found on the dark side of the Gotan Peninsula.”
“Oh… that is kind of you. Thank you.”
He brought the jug of over and poured me a glass before holding it to my lips. I sipped thirstily, not realizing how parched I was.
“Thank you,” I gasped as I pulled my mouth away. “I feel rejuvenated already.”
“No need to thank me, master,” he waved his hand at me. “It is my honor to serve a hero such as you.”
Hero. That word again. I’d never heard it so much in my life.
“It is my duty to protect all planets
within our system,” I explained.
“But you are a hero! All other battles against the X’Sorians have ended in defeat, but you are the first leader to bring us to victory. Your arrival home must be rejoiced, master. It must be!”
I paused for a second, remembering the details of the battle. I remembered the club as it hit the X’Sorian on the side of his head and how his teeth were spat from his mouth. I remembered the sound of the gunfire and the explosions, the screaming and the terror.
“I’m sorry. I’m weary and I feel I must go back to sleep.”
“Yes, master. Sorry to disturb you.”
I watched as the servant scurried away through the sliding doors. The chanting was still continuing outside although the sky was becoming dark. I rolled over and faced the wall. Unable to shake the psionic attacks from my mind, I thought about them in every minute detail. The noise they made as the ground shook and the sound of the force hitting my troops.
“Why wasn’t I affected?” I whispered as I rolled back over and stared up at the ceiling.
At the bottom of my bed lay all my weapons. When I returned home I had torn my suit from my body and left my weapons where they lay. I could see the butt of my rifle standing up against the bed frame with my sword propped up beside it. In the distance, my club was on the floor amongst my strewn clothing.
I remembered the day I carved it myself from the most peculiar of rocks. I’d found it and was immediately struck by its beauty and strength. From the moment I saw it I was enamored with its texture and had carved my beautiful club so I could walk around with a piece of its beauty forever. Often, it had felt like a good luck charm and when I thought back to the psionic attacks, it certainly feels that way more than ever.