by Roxie Ray
“I have questions,” Rosa said.
“You can ask me anything.”
“This does not mean I’m interested in coming with you,” she said firmly. “I just… I’m curious.”
Despite her words, I could sense the interest lying just beneath the surface. The program intrigued her despite her initial reservations. She was curious about my kind and the idea of space exploration, and there was something else, too… I sensed a loneliness in her that matched my own sense of longing.
It’s just me, she had said when I’d asked if she had a mate. Those words had been punctured with need, and I sensed that this would be my way of convincing her to come to Svante with me.
“I understand,” I nodded.
“First question,” she started, staring down at her wrist. “How do these cuffs work?”
“They translate the words as you speak them,” Quatix told me. “The cuff you are wearing is only a simple translator. It can only support the translation of a few languages, and these ones have been specially modified to include English. The advanced translators we use on-planet are much more sophisticated, less cumbersome, and they allow us to understand all manner of species in the galaxy.”
Her eyes went wide with wonder. “How many planets exist in the galaxy?”
“Countless,” I replied. “The galaxy is too large to say for certain, but at last count there were three hundred and seventy three explored planets that we are aware of.”
“Three hundred and seventy-three?” Rosa breathed, as her eyes unfocused for a moment. “How many have you been to?”
“I don’t keep count,” I replied. “One hundred, give or take a few.”
“How do you treat your human brides?” she asked, pivoting off in a different direction.
She was interviewing me, something that would be considered disrespectful under any circumstances. After all, I was the King of Svante, but somehow I found myself enjoying the deliberate negotiation. There was something to be said for the way she met my gaze without fear and posed questions without reserve.
“As I told you, females are rare, and that makes them precious to my kind,” I said. “We respect the females of any race, on any planet. The women we take to wife will be afforded places of respect among us; they will be treated with love and respect. They will not be prisoners, but valuable members of our society.”
“Have many of your kind taken human wives?” Rosa asked.
“A few, yes,” I nodded. “It is the success of those marriages that led me to make this agreement with your leaders.”
I watched as she ground her teeth together. What was she thinking right now? If only I could see inside her head, then I would know exactly what to say to convince her to come with me.
“What happens when a Svantian and a human… mate?” Rosa asked. A small blush flushed across her cheeks.
I raised my eyebrows, amused by her self-consciousness. “I imagine they experience new realms of ecstasy and carnal pleasure.”
Her cheeks went from rose pink to velvet. “There’s nothing… different about the way your kind mates?”
“Not as far as I can tell,” I said.
Her question sent a new wave of desire coursing through my starving body. If I could have drawn her to me right then and there and taken her against the crude Earth desk, I would have.
“And what about children born from mixed marriages?”
“The mixed breed children born to our people have been healthy. Some lean towards humans in their appearance, while others lean towards the Svantian people.”
“What if a girl changes her mind and wants to come back to earth?” Rosa asked.
“It has never happened,” I replied. “As I told you, why would you want to leave a place that makes you happy?”
I watched as Rosa closed her eyes for a moment. I gave the outward appearance of patience, but I was desperate for her next question. It was unnatural how much I was enjoying sitting across from her, answering her silly questions.
“What’s Svante like?” she asked, as she opened her eyes again.
“You’ll have to see for yourself,” I said.
Rosa’s eyes flashed to mine. “Okay,” she said, and her voice shook ever so slightly.
“You’ll come with me to Svante?” I asked.
I kept my expression impassive, but I felt as though my heart was ready to jump out of my chest. If she said no, I was lost.
She nodded slowly. “God help me… yes,” she said. “Yes, I will.”
3
Rosa
Had I just signed away my life on earth? Had I just promised myself to an alien? Had I just made another decision I would regret for the rest of my life?
I felt my breathing get heavier and heavier. All I could hear was the sound of my own heartbeat battering against my head.
“Breathe.”
I looked up and caught his eyes — the vertical pupils blinked at me with excessive calm, and the ice blue in them washed over me, pulling me back into the room. One hand rested across his knee. His hands were so large and powerful; all it would take was one swipe to knock me out. He had promised me safety, but what made me think I could trust him?
“Breathe,” he said again.
I blinked. I took a deep breath. I stared at his strange but beautiful features. He was magnificent to look at, but he was terrifying, as well.
“What are you thinking?” he asked, as if to himself. He sounded almost… frustrated.
“I’m thinking… I’m thinking of all the mistakes I’ve made,” I admitted, allowing him to pull a reluctant truth from my lips.
“This is not a mistake,” he said.
His voice was so seductive. It was pulling me towards him, making me lean in. The feeling was not dissimilar to what it had felt like to crave drugs.
I heard Quatix’s voice in my ear… it was the echo of his last sentence. This is not a mistake. He sounded so sure, and a big part of me wanted to believe him.
I had come here determined to get to the bottom of what I was certain was a huge ruse disguised as a legitimate program, but instead I found myself drawn in by the beautiful propaganda. Suddenly, Madeline and Vivien’s decisions to be here didn’t sound so insane. It sounded like an escape I hadn’t realized was an option.
I found myself making justifications for the decision: What did I have to lose? I had no family left. My sister was dead, and my parents were gone. The rehab facility could be run by a number of individuals, each one with more experience than I had. My presence on earth seemed… unnecessary.
There was a sharp knock on the door, and Quatix got to his feet and straightened into a posture of confident authority. I had to crane my neck back in order to take in his full height.
“Enter,” Quatix said, in a tone that was significantly less gentle than the one he had been using with me.
The intimidating crimson-eyed alien who had walked in before with Charles entered. “There’s a human here who wants a word with the female,” he said, gesturing to me.
“My name is Rosa,” I said, speaking up. “There’s no need to refer to me as ‘the female.’”
The crimson-eyed alien looked a little shocked that I was addressing him directly, but he didn’t say a word. I saw one corner of Quatix’s mouth turn up, but he refused to smile.
“Thank you, Terrox,” he nodded. “Send him in.”
Terrox turned and nodded once, and a moment later, none other than William Lancaster walked into the room. His blonde hair had been plastered down to one side of his face and the effect made him look older than his forty-seven years. He walked in with Charles.
“Bill,” I said, taking a step towards him, before turning to Charles. “You ran to my boss to tell on me?”
“Actually, Edward Molley beat me to it,” Charles replied.
Edward… of course, he would have known where I was headed the moment I hadn’t shown up at his office.
“You didn’t have to come all the way over he
re,” I said.
“Actually… I was already in the building,” Bill told me. “The volunteers are required to undergo a psych exam before they can leave.”
I raised my eyebrows. “You knew about this program the whole time?”
“I’m head of the psychology department,” he replied. “Of course I knew.” Then he turned to Quatix and made an awkward bow that ended up looking like a curtsy. “Please forgive me, your majesty. I will accompany the young lady out of your presence.”
There was something awkward and forced about his wording, and I might have laughed if I didn’t feel so marginalized.
“The young lady is staying right here,” I said firmly.
“Rosa, please… you’re not supposed to be here.”
“So people keep telling me,” I said. “But I’m here now and I know everything. In fact…”
I stopped short as I realized that admitting my choice out loud would make it real.
Bill looked nervously between the two aliens that towered over both of us. “What is it, Rosa?”
“I… I’ve just agreed to back to Svante with Quatix.”
I noticed Terrox glancing knowingly at Quatix, but my attention was focused more on Bill and Charles. His eyes went wide with disbelief. “Are you serious?” he asked.
“Yes.” I nodded.
Charles glanced at Bill, both men looked completely dumbfounded. I thought the conversation would end there, but Bill took a step forward.
“You can’t just… leave, Rosa,” he said.
I frowned. “Why not?”
“You work for the government,” he said. “You work for me, and there’s two years left on your contract.”
I felt the sharp sting of disappointment when I realized he was right. I couldn’t just up and leave. I still had responsibilities here. What was I doing, impulsively making a decision to leave my home planet for good? But the fact that I was disappointed at all made it clear to me what I really wanted.
I remembered all those times I had counseled my patients about reckless decisions. It was one of the characteristics of an addict, and I had always taught them to fight it. Now here I was, a former addict, making arguably the most reckless decision of all.
And yet, I could not ignore the need inside me. It eclipsed all rational thought. I hadn’t even realized how badly I wanted this until Bill told me I couldn’t have it. I tried to resist my own desire, but every time I looked at Quatix, it felt impossible. His ice blue eyes seemed to hypnotize me, and every time he moved, I felt my own body respond instinctively.
“Bill… I know this is coming out of nowhere,” I said. “Trust me, I still haven’t wrapped my head around it. But isn’t there a chance you could just… let me out of my contract early?”
Bill glanced back at Charles as though he were asking for help, but Charles’s eyes were fixed on the alien king and his formidable right hand man.
“What is this contract you speak of?” Quatix asked.
“It’s a written agreement, your majesty,” Bill said respectfully. It was obvious that he was terrified of pissing off the aliens. “Much like the one we signed with you. But this one states that Rosa is bound to us for two more years. She cannot leave Earth. Our resources are in short supply, and we need capable, educated men and women to oversee our projects. We need Rosa here.”
“I have chosen her as my mate,” Quatix said, in a tone that was clearly displeased.
Bill gulped visibly. “I… well… the program has seventeen volunteers this time,” he said. “You can choose your mate from among those seventeen.”
Terrox growled menacingly. Bill shrunk back uncertainly while Charles just stood there with the color draining from his face.
“I… I did not mean to offend…” Bill tried to explain himself.
“You did offend,” Terrox snarled. “The king of Svante stands before you, and you deny him his mate?”
“I… I…”
“Do you think it is as simple as picking another female among your kind?” Terrox continued, his crimson eyes flashed with disdain.
“It’s okay, Terrox,” Quatix said, holding up his hand. I noticed thin veins of scale running down his long palm. “The human does not understand our ways or customs.”
“We do them a great service by accepting their women onto our planet as wives and equals,” Terrox said, addressing Quatix but staring fixedly at Bill and Charles.
“I do not need your permission to take her,” Quatix said calmly. He spoke in the tone of someone who knew his own power and was comfortable in the knowledge that he would get his way in the end. “The only permission that matters is her own.”
Bill looked like a ghost, but I was impressed by the fact that he still kept arguing, no matter how politely. “I’m afraid, your majesty, that is not how it works.”
I couldn’t understand why he seemed intent on blocking my departure. It looked petty and self-serving, and I felt the rebel in me rise to the surface, unwilling to be trapped yet again by an unfair system and the whims of powerful men.
“Do Earthlings not have the right to free will?” Quatix asked, taking a step forward. His ice blue eyes glittered, and I felt my body tingle with nervous energy. “Is this a world of slaves and slavers?”
“No, of course not… we abhor… that is not…”
“Speak, human,” Quatix commanded. His voice rose by only a fraction, but his voice felt booming.
“I’m afraid we cannot allow you to take Rosa.”
“Bill!” I said with frustration.
“Are you really so willing to turn your back on your patients?” Bill asked, turning his sunken gaze on me. “They need you.”
I bristled at the silent accusation he was hurling at me. “Don’t do that,” I said. “Don’t manipulate me. Don’t think I don’t see what you’re doing.”
“I’m simply saying —”
“You’re trying to emotionally blackmail me into honoring my contract,” I snapped.
“I would have thought you’d want to honor your contract, as a matter of principle,” Bill countered.
Despite my best efforts, his words had managed to delve into my conscience — not because I felt I owed him anything at all, but because I genuinely loved and cared about my patients. Was I being selfish fleeing Earth when so many didn’t have the opportunity to? I sighed deeply and turned to Quatix.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I know I said I would come with you but… I don’t think it’s possible anymore.”
Quatix eyes fell on me for a moment before turning to Charles and Bill. “You are forcing her to stay here… against her will,” he said.
“She just made a choice, your majesty,” Bill stuttered. “I had —”
“Enough,” Quatix said.
He held up his hand, and instantly, Bill’s mouth snapped shut in a way that suggested he had no control over himself anymore. I turned back to Quatix and saw the easy concentration on his face.
“Are you doing that?” I asked in a small voice.
Quatix met my gaze.
“Are you controlling him?” I pressed.
Quatix nodded once, a small incline of his head, but it was enough to make me have second thoughts. He was so much more powerful than I had ever anticipated, and if he were capable of violent and controlling behavior, I would have no way to resist him if he turned his powers on me.
Quatix moved towards Bill as Charles shrunk back into a corner of the room. “Do you feel that?” he asked. “It feels uncomfortable, does it not? You cannot do as you please because I have you in my control. That is precisely what you are doing to Rosa. I will release you from my hold, but you must offer up a solution that allows her to make a decision free of your influence.”
Quatix raised his eyebrows as though to drive home the point, and then he dropped his hand. Instantly, Bill’s rigid position relaxed, and he massaged his jaw with relief.
“I’m listening,” Quatix said pleasantly.
I was in equal mea
sures scared and impressed, but I did appreciate that Quatix had refrained from explicit violence despite having complete control over Bill. He could so easily have threatened him with bodily harm.
“I… well…” Bill cleared his throat uncomfortably, and I saw embarrassment flush across his face. “If Rosa is willing to buy out her contract with us, then I suppose she is free to do as she pleases.”
I felt the hope curdle in my stomach the moment the words were out of his mouth. I knew instinctively that I wouldn’t be able to buy my way out of the contract. As always, the system was stacked against the working class.
“Rosa?” Bill said, turning to me nervously.
“How much?” I asked hopelessly.
“It’s a two-year buy out,” Bill said, glancing shakily at Quatix. “So… four thousand dollars.”
“Four thousand?” I gasped. I was shocked, even though I had been expecting it. “Are you serious?”
Bill didn’t even answer me. His eyes kept darting between Quatix and Terrox.
“I don’t have that kind of money, Bill,” I said. “You know I don’t.”
“Terrox,” Quatix said, nodding towards his warrior.
The crimson-eyed alien glanced at me with a searching gaze before he left the room. I was standing a few feet away from Quatix, with Bill and Charles standing opposite us. The sting of betrayal punctuated the air. I couldn’t help but narrow my eyes at Bill. He had been my mentor for many years, and now, in a matter of moments, he had completely changed my opinion of him.
There had been a time when he had been a father figure to me. I was used to dealing with disappointment. I had spent most of my life picking myself back up after disappointment had knocked me flat on my face. But this was hard to accept. This was Bill, the man who had championed me through the hardest parts of my recovery and gone to bat for me when I had decided to start my clinic.
Now, when I looked at Bill, I saw a man I knew, but there was nothing familiar about him. It was just another reason why leaving earth was the best option for me now.
“Bill,” I said, meeting his gaze. “How could you?”