Creature Worlds: Solar Slick

by Juliet Cardin

  Would I ever get used to such bliss?

  “Minka, my love,” he whispered.

  I met his heated stare and startled when I caught a glimpse of his bared cobra-like teeth. They seemed to make an appearance whenever we were in the throes of passion. “Don’t bite me,” I reminded him.

  “Pleassse,” he hissed.

  “No, piss off.” I winked at him to take the sting out of my words.

  He winked back. “Sssoon,” he reminded me. It was true, in a moment of weakness, I’d agreed to let him bite me every two or three months, just to keep the scent of him fresh upon me. What a weird mating ritual.

  It was kind of cute the way he lost control of his words and his teeth when we joined as one. He was definitely growing on me. How quickly he had found a way beneath the high wall around my heart. Now I couldn’t imagine my life without him.

  Afterward we fell asleep in each other’s arms until the autopilot alarm sounded, letting us know we’d reached our destination. I’d been to Zenet before. It was a frequent vacation place for my family throughout my childhood. About one fifth the size of Earth, Zenet was a lot like my home planet, being a combination of bodies of land and water. The different climates were also similar to Earth, offering skiing in the mountains or sunbathing on several beaches. In fact, Zenet was what many considered to be a vacation hot spot. It was vastly popular with its enchanting landscapes, offering unification of nature and modern comfort. Native species on Zenet were gentle, adorable animals and insects resembling butterflies and ladybugs. There were no annoying pests such as mosquitoes, nor were there dangerous animals on land or in the water. Unlike Earth, there were never any terrible storms, earthquakes, volcanoes, tidal waves or tornados to fear. Rain fell from time to time, in mild, short interludes or gentle sun showers, nourishing the abundant plant life. Yes, Zenet closely resembled paradise.

  My family had a charming private home on a sandy beach close to the water. We were able to land Tigg’s spacecraft right on the sand outside the beach house. Tigg jumped down, stumbling when he landed in the sand.

  “What is this, Minka?” he asked in wonder, lifting his booted feet up one at a time and carefully replacing them.

  I smiled at the awe-filled expression on his face as he gazed around at the vast strip of beach and beautiful blue ocean. “It’s sand. And that’s the ocean. Just like on Earth. Although not polluted.”

  “It’s beautiful.”

  He helped me out of the craft and I frowned when I stood beside him and noticed the slight protrusion of my belly. I was growing larger every day and starting to feel the effects of pregnancy, such as tiredness, raging hormones and hunger. “Let’s go inside and eat,” I said.

  Tigg agreed and helped me across the deep white sand and up the steps to the deck of the house. The key for the sliding back door was hidden under a little statue and soon we were entering the house. It was a comfortable, two-bedroom, open-concept layout, much like the home we had on Earth.

  “I’ll see what there is to eat,” I said, heading for the kitchen. I had the vial from Dr. Jeneva in my pants pocket and I placed it behind a bag of frozen ready-meals in the freezer.

  “Too bad we couldn’t stay here,” Tigg said. He was standing before the big picture window that looked out onto the ocean. The view was amazing.

  “I know. Once Clay’s out of our lives we can come back whenever we want.”

  “I’d like to stay here forever,” Tigg said, his voice sounding far away.

  That was startling. “I thought you loved Treox.”

  He shrugged. “I do, it’s my home. But it’s changed so much since the others arrived; the domes and all the mining going on. It’s not the same.”

  I knew exactly what he meant. I’d seen the same thing happen to the big cities of Earth, all in the name of profit and progress. Zenet was owned by a handful of multi-millionaires from all over the galaxy who had strict rules against aggressive development. They had a council in place, making sure the planet kept its innocence intact. State of the art science facilities were situated in beautiful buildings around the planet, researching innovative and undamaging ways to harmonize man and nature. It was in one of these buildings that my parents met and fell in love.

  “I wish we had more time, but unfortunately Clay’s expecting us soon and when we fail to show up he’s gonna come hunting.” Tigg still had that giant knife in his boots and I knew that if it came down to protecting the baby and me, he wouldn’t hesitate to use it. I couldn’t let it come to that. This baby needed both parents. Especially the one who knew what to feed him—or her.

  “The vial is hidden?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Then we can leave for Ventillia.”

  The tone of his voice betrayed his misgivings. I walked over and wrapped my arms around him, resting my head against his back. “Four months isn’t long. It’ll fly by, you’ll see.”

  But several hours later, as Tigg’s little ship entered Ventillia’s atmosphere, I felt a terrible wave of dread. Was this a huge mistake we were making? What if something went wrong or something bad happened to Tigg? Regardless, I didn’t see what other choice we had except to go forward with our plan.

  As expected, considering the tight security on the planet, Ventillian ships flew up to intercept us and escort us in. When we landed in a secure zone, a stern voice came over the little ship’s radio transmission and started firing instructions at us.

  “You are to come out slowly with your hands in the air. You will surrender yourself to our officers with no resistance. I repeat—no resistance—or you will be fired upon.”

  I turned in my seat and looked at Tigg’s grim face. “Welcome to Ventillia,” I said with a smile.

  We stepped out of the craft as instructed. Tigg had the foresight to remove the deadly blade from his boot and left it behind on the ship. With our hands high, six heavily armed officers rushed up to meet us. They immediately conducted a search of our bodies with hand held scanners. Tigg watched me closely, seeming ready to jump to my aid if the need arrived. I winked at him despite the tremor of fear inside me.

  Once satisfied we weren’t packing weapons, we were led toward a huge stone fortress I would best describe as a medieval castle plunked down in the middle of a desert. I’d seen pictures in history class of such structures, created several centuries before my time. We walked over an actual drawbridge that spanned a moat. I looked down as we crossed and searched the black water for signs of crocodiles. We were led into a courtyard, surrounded on all four sides by vast stone walls appearing ten or more stories high. Tigg loosed a low whistle and I knew he was impressed. So was I. It was like stepping back into time, right into history.

  We came to a stop, surrounded by the soldiers, in the middle of the courtyard. Before us, set against the far wall, was a set of double doors, arched and made of sturdy wood. Iron rings acted as handles and two uniformed men who’d walked ahead were now pulling these apart. Once opened wide, we saw a tall, grandly dressed man revealed. He stood still in his magnificence and when every man present went down on one knee, Tigg and I did the same.

  I’d told Tigg before our arrival that Ventillia, which was almost the same size as Earth, was divided into four kingdoms. We’d aimed our landing for the place my father had resided in. In his time here, the king had been Ayon, an old, but fair man, my father had told me. The man now striding grandly towards us, wearing the crown of kingship, was young. Ayon’s son perhaps?

  He stopped before us and smiled. “Welcome to Malenea, first kingdom of Ventillia,” he said. Though his lips curled and his eyes twinkled as he assessed us, appearing genuine enough, I couldn’t help but feel the return of foreboding. Try as I might to dismiss it, it was there. I returned the king’s smile and forced away my wariness. Like it or not, here we were, and here we would stay until the time was right. It was the only place I knew to be safe from Clay.

  Chapter 11

  We were bid inside by invitation of the king
. He led us through the high double doors, introducing himself as King Ranox, Old King Ayon’s son.

  “My father died about three months ago,” he explained.

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” I said. “Though I never had the privilege of meeting him, my father said he was a good man.”

  He perked up at the mention of my father. “So your family was from Malenea?”

  “Yes, my father was. He met my mother on Zenet. They were both scientists.” I thought it best to refrain from telling him my mother was from Earth.

  He raised an eyebrow. “They were?”

  “Yes, they’re both dead.” I hoped the tone of my voice relayed that I didn’t want to discuss it further.

  Being astute, King Ranox nodded delicately and let the matter alone. He led us down a winding stone passageway, a rash of guards following behind at a discrete distance. We passed many doors, all shut tight against our curious eyes until we entered a large room, one that I believe would be called the great hall.

  Taking the exalted seat at a long wooden table upon a raised dais, the king bid us to sit with him. No one, besides the half-dozen or so guards and a handful of servants were in the room. It seemed strange, this giant castle, practically empty from what I’d seen so far.

  Probably sensing my curiosity, King Ranox waved his hand about the room. “As you can see, we are but a skeleton crew here. We don’t get many guests I’m afraid.”

  I smiled politely but refrained from commenting. When the silence dragged on I decided to say something. “Is there a village nearby? One named Eithur? It’s where my father grew up.” Tigg and I would have liked to go there directly, but being new arrivals and therefore viewed with suspicion, our escort brought us directly to the kingdom. I should have figured as much.

  The king smiled immediately. “There is a village by that name. Right on the edge of Malenea and Tasure, the second kingdom. I have been there.”

  No doubt keeping an eye on future recruits. “My father said he enjoyed growing up there.” I was being polite. He had enjoyed his earlier years, he’d said. But at the age of fifteen he’d been drafted into Malenea’s army. It’d been a terrible dose of reality and brutality for the starry-eyed young man who’d dreamt of peace and uniting the worlds. Both of my parents had shared the same dream. It’d been what had drawn them to each other.

  “What was your father’s name?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

  Oh boy! Me and my big mouth. Please don’t remember him…please don’t remember him. “Haddon Bain.” My father had served his tenure and—when other Ventillians were making the army their life career—high-tailed it out of here as fast as he could. He’d had grand visions of himself as a scientist and hadn’t been shy about his dreams. Going to university far away on another planet was next on his agenda. Nothing would sway him from his path. His choice wasn’t well received in this military world. He was called a traitor and branded an outcast by some of the men he’d served with. He’d vowed never to return.

  And he hadn’t.

  “Hmm,” the king pondered. It’d been over twenty-five years since my father had left. Hopefully long enough to be forgotten. “No. I can’t recall the name.”

  I kept my relief in check.

  Servants began bringing out what I assumed to be the evening meal. The light had been dimming when we arrived, the time here being near evening I assumed. It was hard to keep my days and nights straight, having been on four different planets in the past couple of days. When I had a moment, I’d have to figure out how much time we actually had left before Clay became suspicious. Not that it mattered much, since we weren’t going back.

  One of the servants stood before the table with a tray laden with food, which thankfully did not look to be flies. Whatever it was, it appeared more appetizing than the freeze-dried stuff we’d been forced to dine on. Tigg dug in with gusto after a wave of encouragement from the king. I tentatively picked at my own plate, my nervous stomach dampening my appetite. Why was the king being so considerate? I wondered. I knew this place to be a military stronghold, one of the fiercest kingdoms on this planet, and yet the king of Malenea himself was entertaining us. My instincts were telling me that all was not as it appeared to be.

  “You said your parents met on Zenet?” the king asked me. “And they were scientists?”

  “Yes,” I agreed uneasily.

  “Were they working on something specific?” he probed.

  Part of me felt he already knew the answer to his question. Damn it! Why had I added that little detail? I seemed to feel the need to jabber on when I was anxious. “They never said.” I met his gaze unflinchingly.

  “They’re big on harmony between man and nature on Zenet,” Tigg said, recalling what I’d told him. “They probably worked on stuff like that.”

  The king shrugged his shoulders. “I guess we’ll never know.”

  “No,” I agreed.

  When we finished the meal, the king insisted we stay at the castle. Not wanting to remain, I tried to tell him it wasn’t necessary, but he said there was a curfew on aircraft. It was conveniently too late for us to leave now. We were shown to a single room—the king obviously deciding we were a couple—and bid ‘goodnight’ by a servant.

  Tigg went over and sat down on the large bed that dominated the small space. “Is it just me or does this place give you the creeps?”

  I went over and sat down beside him. “No, it’s not just you.” His arm came up around my shoulders and he pulled me close against his chest. Like a child I nestled up to him, inhaling his familiar scent and drawing strength from his nearness. “First thing tomorrow, we need to get out of here. We can head for Eithur, the village my dad grew up in. He said it was decent there.”

  “Think they have an inn or someplace we can stay?”

  “I dunno. Money is a problem though. We don’t have any.”

  “I can work. Maybe I can get a job?” Tigg said. I could feel his eyes on me. “You seem extraordinarily concerned.”

  “If they find out I’m half-human I’m afraid what they might do,” I whispered.

  “Why are you whispering?”

  “What if they’re listening? Someone could be shrunk down and hiding in a crack in the floor right now.”

  Tigg looked around guardedly. “You think they’d spy on us?” His voice was lowered to a whisper now too.

  “I dunno. The king seemed to be unusually accommodating for some reason. I think he’s suspicious of us—or at least of me.”

  “Even if you are only half Ventillian, you’re still partially one of them. That should count for something.”

  “I suppose,” I agreed. “But, my father was drafted at fifteen into the Malenea army. Once he’d served his mandatory tenure he decided to leave Ventillia altogether. That was practically unheard of, so he was mocked and treated like an outcast. Though the king says he doesn’t recall his name, he could be lying.”

  “Why?”

  “To lull me into a false sense of security so I may slip up and reveal something.”

  “Like what your parents were working on?” Tigg guessed.

  “Exactly.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  I put my lips to his ear. “The cure would mean a great deal to Ventillia. Have you noticed that no one seems to be shifting here?”

  “I did notice,” Tigg agreed.

  “That’s because they can control it here. Probably lots of other places too. The only place for sure that I know they can’t control it is on Earth.”

  “Really? That’s fascinating.”

  “Yeah, I don’t know why, but that little glitch is probably what saved Earth from being completely run over by Ventillian’s.”

  “I don’t know anything about the war,” Tigg said.

  Keeping my voice low and my eyes wary of any signs of movement in the room—tiny though it might be—I told him what I knew. “Ventillia greeted a small ship of humans over twenty years ago unaware they had been on Earth’s
radar for some time. Earth had been checking out Ventillia because of its ideal atmosphere for human habitation. They tossed the idea around about colonizing, thinking it was a vacant planet, but the closer they looked, they noticed it was inhabited. The medieval appearance was appealing because they figured the planet was primitive and could be conquered easily. When they got here, however, they saw that they were wrong. Ventillia’s technology rivaled Earth’s, and the Ventillians, though hospitable enough, made it clear they would not welcome an invasion. The humans weren’t aware of the Ventillians’ ability to shift from man to spider. So when the ship returned to Earth, they unknowingly brought along a few castaways. The Ventillians, not trusting of humans, had decided to see what they were up against. While on board they learned the humans planned to return with force and take over Ventillia. The Ventillians didn’t plan on being exposed on their stealth excursion, although, they were unaware of the effects Earth would have on them. They shifted back and forth, unable to control it. But before they were discovered and caught, they did a lot of damage, sabotaging stuff, making it difficult for humans to return to Ventillia. Once the Earth ships were repaired, the first thing they did was return the Ventillian bodies to their home planet. That’s how the war began.”

  Tigg remained silent for a moment or two as he digested my story. “Oh,” he finally said. “That explains a lot.”

  “So you can see what could happen if the Ventillians discover our little secret?”

  “It could start the war all over again,” Tigg theorized.

  “Yes. No doubt with devastating consequences for Earth.”

  Chapter 12

  Tigg and I curled up together under the blankets on the bed. We refrained from making love in the chance that prying eyes may be watching us. Our conversation was kept to whispers in each other’s ears for fear of exposure. Even despite being warm and cozy wrapped in Tigg’s arms, I still couldn’t quite shake the feeling we were being watched.