Not of This World

by Tracy St. John

  They moved as fast as they could. The humans were sent through the portal with Kren manning the control panel and Nex accompanying the unconscious to Earth. He took them off the saucer once they arrived at their destination and left them in places he thought would be safe and yet conspicuous enough that help would find them sooner rather than later.

  They put the Earthlings on all the available stretchers they could find. The anti-gravity fields employed by the slabs used much less power than the capture fields. Power usage was monitored so that none of the victims would end up crashing to the floor.

  They were halfway through evacuating the Earthlings when Jape returned. He held a huge Monsudan head by its antennae, proudly lifting it high despite the looks of revulsion the elders gave it.

  It was the biggest bug head Kren had ever seen. “The queen?”

  Jape grinned, his sharp canines feral in his smile. “You bet. As soon as we tagged her, the drones attacked the rest of the Monsuda and destroyed them before crumpling themselves into nothing. This hive is done.”

  “Great. Enjoy your trophy. Can you and your men help to set up a perimeter around this place? We may be welcoming uninvited guests before we finish getting the Earthlings home.”

  “More fighting? And it’s not even my naming day,” Jape said with joy. “Let’s go, men.”

  He headed out. With things well in hand and an attack force on its way, the elders followed, heading to the safety of Hahz. “Hurry, Kren. Goodbye, Jeannie,” Notlin said on her way out. “May the All-Spirit bless the rest of your life with peace and joy.”

  Kren’s pleasure at clearing out the hive vanished. He’d almost forgotten he was about to send away the woman he loved.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  It took over an hour, but the line of stretchers on which they’d laid the “pod people” as Jeannie referred to them, got shorter and shorter. Meanwhile, they received reports that the first wave of the arriving drones had attacked. Hahz technicians had gotten eighty percent of the barrier up by that time, so Jape and the men of Cas held off the drones with few problems.

  “They played it smart,” Kren told Jeannie after he’d talked to Jape. “The warriors from Cas took out a ring of forest surrounding the hive with the boom cannons. That allowed them to see the coming assault. Their injuries have been few, none deadly.”

  As she assisted Kren’s squad in evacuating Earthlings to their homes, Jeannie stayed quiet. Her thoughts were occupied with what needed to be done.

  When Kren’s hand settled on her arm as she pushed the final stretcher forward, she started in surprise. She hadn’t noted his approach.

  He tugged her away. “Let the others take care of the last of these. I want to talk to you.”

  Kren ushered her into the corridor outside the portal chamber. He didn’t let go of her, though his expression was resigned. “I spoke to Nex about the best way to send you home. He’s not entirely sure of the manual controls, so I’m sending someone to reclaim your implant from the temple. It will guide you home and then you can give it to me before you leave the ship.”

  Jeannie’s thoughts were racing as she tried to decide what to do. It made it difficult for her to follow what he said. “Give my implant to you?” she asked.

  A sad smile drifted over his face. “I would like to accompany you home instead of leaving the task to Nex. If that is all right?”

  Jeannie thought of going home to her lonely little condo where no one loved her. She tried to imagine saying goodbye to Kren and thought she might choke.

  Bort appeared in the doorway, shoving a stretcher into the hall where more of its like lined the walls. He nodded to Jeannie and Kren and went into the chamber, ignoring the stretcher as it hit the far wall and ricocheted into the middle of the corridor. Its controls were all still lit, making the awful thing somehow horribly festive. After the run from its storage dock to the pod room to the portal, it had plenty of power.

  Staring at it, Jeannie blinked back tears. She needed to know everything. She had to hear the truth now. “Kren, do you feel anything for me?”

  “I feel everything for you.” His voice sounded thick, as if he too drowned in emotion.

  She looked up at him, into those strange, familiar eyes. “Then why are you sending me to Earth? Why don’t you ask me to stay?”

  His face contorted in pain and helpless anger. “Why would you ask me such things? I’m sending you home because I love you. It’s killing me to do this, Jeannie. I feel as if both my hearts will stop the moment I lose sight of you.”

  Her mind reeled at his words. I love you. And yet... “You’re still sending me back.”

  He pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her as if to keep anything from yanking her away. “Your happiness is more important than what I want. I wish you would stay where my hearts tell me you should be. But you belong where your spirit calls. I can’t keep you from the life you choose.”

  He tried to say more. His mouth worked, but no sound came out. He gazed at her with an anguished expression. She stared back, watching him struggle through tear-blurred eyes.

  At last he gave up. Letting her go, he whirled around on his heel and sped into the portal chamber.

  Jeannie stood there, speechless. He was sending her away. Not because he wanted her to go, but because he loved her. Kren loved her.

  * * *

  Kren watched Nex pull the last stretcher with the hive’s final prisoner on board the saucer. The officer-medic grinned from ear to ear, excited as only someone on the adventure of a lifetime could be. Nex had lately toyed with the idea of leaving enforcement and pursuing his scientific hobbies as a career. Going through the portal might have sealed the deal.

  Kren kept his back to the door where he’d left Jeannie in the corridor. He wanted to spend these last fleeting moments with her. Yet he was unable to look at her since telling her the depth of his feelings. The emotional upheaval was too much. He was losing her.

  He’d told her he loved her, blurted it out like a fool. No doubt it had finished the job of scaring her off. She wasn’t ready for such a declaration, especially one handled so clumsily. She probably would prefer he send Nex with her when she went home.

  Kren would have plenty of trouble convincing his legs to carry him on board the saucer, knowing it was to say goodbye. But he had to. Even if she refused to speak to him, he had to have those last few moments with her. Moments he could hold and treasure for the rest of his days.

  Bort and the rest left the room, the evacuation nearly done. Now they would secure the hive for the scientists to go over and learn whatever secrets the Monsuda had left behind. Kren heard his squad say goodbye to Jeannie and wish her well. What she murmured, he didn’t hear. He didn’t want to listen to her farewells to the rest. It was all he could do to cope with the one coming to him.

  His senses reached out to her when the last of the men had gone. Now each shift of air was precious to him. His ears swiveled, homing in on her light step, detecting a hint of her breath. He thought of the wrenching emptiness after the drones had taken her away. He’d come to rely on feeling her near.

  Why had the All-Spirit brought them together only to tear them apart? The spiritual masters at the temple would have an answer, but none of their replies would bring comfort. Insight, perhaps, but never consolation. He was already bereft and could hardly bear it.

  “Bring me home, Kren,” Nex spoke from the console.

  Kren pressed the Retrieve button. The portal made its sizzling sound that heralded the pod’s return. It began to emerge from the golden fire filling the collar. The time had come for him to take Jeannie home.

  The saucer’s engines came on automatically as soon as it cleared the portal entrance, settling itself on its pad. The Monsuda had the system’s timing down to a tee, keeping the ship from powering up and causing an explosion within the portal. Kren felt grud
ging respect for their abilities. He drew a breath as the hatch opened and Nex stepped out.

  He heard the sound of running feet behind him. Nex’s eyes went wide as he looked toward the chamber’s door behind Kren. Kren swung about, automatically going into a defensive crouch.

  He gaped in shock as Jeannie raced past him, her expression fiercely determined, eyes alight with triumph as she shoved a powered stretcher ahead of her. She jerked to one side, avoiding the saucer and going around it. Still running. Straight for the portal, with its seething gold flames.

  “Jeannie! No!” Kren screamed as she dashed for the fiery circle. He ran after her, stretching fingers toward her back. In his mind’s eye, he saw himself performing the same action in the enforcement dome, vainly trying to keep her from being taken by the drones.

  Jeannie stopped, giving the stretcher a final, violent shove that sent it into the portal. The air filled with a high-pitched whine, the sound of metal scraping metal. The stretcher went in. The indicators on its control panel blinked furiously as its power went into overload.

  Powered. The stretcher was powered.

  Jeannie whipped around, her eyes wide. She clapped her hands to her ears to block the awful screeching wail emitting from the portal, then sprinted toward Kren, her hair snapping as wildly as the golden fire that now licked outward from the metal ring. Screaming her name, he grabbed and swung her into his arms. The air tasted electric, and he felt himself buffeted...not by heat, which the flamelike portal suggested, but by cold so icy he couldn’t draw breath.

  Nex was at his side as they stampeded for the door to the corridor. The closing door. Kren realized there was some failsafe mechanism that would seal the rest of the hive in case this very scenario occurred.

  Their legs pumped as they dashed for safety. With a final burst of speed, he and Nex leapt through without an inch to spare. The slamming door caught Kren’s heel as he made it to the corridor, knocking him to one side. He gripped Jeannie hard and rolled, making sure to take the brunt of the impact as they hit the floor.

  The door clicked shut. Half a breath later, an earthshaking boom resounded behind it. Kren held tight to Jeannie as the floor heaved beneath him. He looked at the door in time to see it bulge outward. Black plumes of smoke seeped out around it. He heard the hiss and crackle of unseen golden, freezing fire, but the door held. Then silence descended.

  With imminent danger held off, Kren peered at Jeannie. Her eyes were rounded in shock, her face chalky. Good. She’d scared the hell out of herself. She’d think better of such crazy attempts next time...if there was a next time. Other than the astonishment, she appeared as good as ever. Glorious. Alive.

  “Are you all right?” he asked to be sure.

  She glanced away from the door. A strange expression of jubilation replaced the surprise on her face. “I’m still here.”

  “Good. Now before I decide to shake sense into you, what in the world did you do that for?”

  Before she could answer, the sound of yelling voices coming down the corridor distracted them. Kren gazed beyond Jeannie to see Nex climbing to his feet, his expression distressed. “The gate through the portal! Gone. All that scientific knowledge and her,” he moaned.

  Arga led the charge of the dozen or so Risnarish racing to the scene. “What happened? Is anyone hurt?” he yelled.

  Kren climbed to his feet, helping Jeannie up as he went. She had left all signs of alarm behind. Calm, unruffled, she said, “I overloaded the portal by shoving a powered stretcher into it. This particular gateway is destroyed. Good riddance to it.”

  Everyone stared at Jeannie in shock. Kren was startled when Mekay shouldered his way to the front to confront her. He’d thought his guardian had left, but now he stood before them, his arms flailing. “You were to leave before we destroyed the pathway to your world. Why have you done this?”

  She shrugged. “More hives means more portals. More of my people being tortured. I’m going to ensure you elders follow through with your plans to finish the Monsuda. I don’t leave until the last Earthling goes home.”

  Mekay narrowed his eyes at her. “You know there could be thousands of such places. We aren’t sure how many hives are out there, or how many have these gateways.”

  Jeannie shrugged and looked at Kren. She tried to adopt a grave demeanor, but he could see the smile tugging at the corner of her lips. “You’re stuck with me for a long time, then. I’m sorry to presume on your hospitality.”

  The situation was bad. Jeannie shouldn’t have destroyed the one portal access they’d possessed, not when Risnarish scientists needed to study how the Monsuda had controlled it. Yet Kren’s hearts filled with joy. Jeannie wanted to stay on Risnar. With him. She’d done the unthinkable to make sure that would happen.

  Maybe she loved him too. If not, he now had time to make that happen.

  Mekay looked at them both. He shook his head at Jeannie. “I don’t think you are sorry at all.” He turned away. “Please help Jape finish the job of securing this hive, Kren.”

  “Yes, Elder Mekay.”

  Kren felt relief as everyone trooped out ahead of him and Jeannie, because he could no longer contain the grin spreading across his face. Jeannie was the only one who saw it. She answered with a brilliant smile of her own.

  She was staying.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Jeannie stood before the Assembly of Risnar again, in the temple chamber where they’d questioned her before. This time Kren stood right by her side. He held her hand with a grip that told her he would not let go, no matter what.

  The Monsudan hive had been secured two days prior. The battle with the first wave of drones against the combined forces of Hahz and Cas had been anticlimactic in the end. The attacking Monsudan creations had been destroyed with little fanfare. The few injuries among the Risnarish had been nominal.

  Fighters from two more villages had shown up afterward. Satellite sensors showed the succeeding waves of drones stop and turn around. Those groups retreated to their hives and the fighting was done. For now.

  The time had come for Jeannie to face reckoning for what she’d done. She was certain she would not be destroyed since the Assembly had judged her to be sentient and a product of their All-Spirit. However, they were not pleased that she’d destroyed the portal gateway and remained on Risnar.

  Jeannie was pleased enough for them all. That glorious moment of exultation when she’d sent the powered stretcher into the portal had made her want to burst with fierce joy. In that split second before she’d realized she’d put everyone in the chamber in danger, and after they had all come through safe, she’d found redemption. Those assholes the Monsuda would never use that particular portal to victimize Earth ever again. Her nightmare and the nightmares of so many others were over at last. Maybe she hadn’t personally defeated the monsters that had made her life hell, but it sure felt like she had. In destroying the portal, she’d reclaimed a part of herself, a power she hadn’t realized she’d lost.

  Secondly, she’d given herself the best chance possible to remain with Kren. Temporary for now, but Jeannie was ready to claw for every second she could gain to stay. She would not squander her window of opportunity.

  For that reason, she hoped that she’d be remanded to Kren’s custody. She wasn’t happy sleeping at the temple with the other women. It was too quiet in the tiny room they’d given her. She missed Kren’s warmth and having him near. Each morning, she’d bolted down breakfast as fast as possible and rushed out to the enforcement dome to hang around. Often he was involved in escorting scientists back and forth to the hive, but she was able to listen in on his communications. The tenuous connection was all she had until his shift ended and they could go to the nightly campfire erawots. Jeannie kept hoping he would take her to his home so they could be alone together, but he told her the elders were keeping a close eye on them.

  “Let’s g
ive them time to come to grips with all that’s happened,” he suggested. “This is a huge change in our lives, and the elders are not used to reacting quickly. We’ve been safe for the most part behind our barriers for centuries. Now we see our efforts to preserve ourselves have blinded us to the dangers to others.”

  “And yourselves. The Monsuda are stripping Risnar of its resources and killing the planet,” Jeannie pointed out.

  “There is that. It’s so much to contend with all at once. Earth, Risnar, and you.” Kren smiled at her. “I want nothing more to pick you up and carry you to my home where I can give you all the pleasure we both crave.”

  Jeannie’s body lit. She wanted it too. Yet all he said made sense. The elders, particularly the Assembly, were in turmoil, dealing with a situation they had no idea how to handle. Treading carefully in regard to her relationship with Kren seemed the safest course for the moment. She did her best to wait patiently and not “poke the bear,” as her father used to say.

  Easier said than done. Even though Jeannie and Kren obeyed the dictate that she stay with the women at the temple each night, they had given up most attempts to not show their affection for one another. Elder Yees had come upon them the night before the tribunal, kissing and groping each other as Kren said his goodnights.

  Standing before the Assembly, Jeannie flushed to think of the position the council head had caught her in: up against the side of the dome where her berth waited, her skirt riding up to her waist, legs locked around Kren’s buttocks as he rubbed his engorged cock against her wet slit. Still no penetration yet, but they’d been on the brink when Yees’ startled gasp informed them they had an audience.

  Jeannie didn’t dare look to the left of the Assembly, where Hahz’s Elders Council stood. She did not want to meet Yees’ eyes.

  The moment that Jeannie’s fate would be determined had arrived. Notlin stood up behind the curved table and pressed her palm to her flat chest.