by Luna Hunter
Glowing stars and luminescent moons fill my panel.
There’s a whole world out there, an entire universe, and I spend most of my days training in the grueling heat of New Exon’s lush jungles, all for… for what, exactly?
I should go see the Kazimir, the Sacred Mothers when I return. Perhaps they will have the answers that I seek, though I barely know how to formulate the questions.
A Dithra Ceremonial Procession blocks my path. I could fire up my engines and force my way through, and risk a diplomatic incident. Better to wait.
Not like I have anywhere else to be.
Setting the vessel to autopilot, I rustle up a meal in the small kitchenette until I can pass.
Hours later, I can finally continue on my journey. I stop at a pocket-moon station to fuel-up, and I can’t help but gaze curiously at all the different types of aliens and their ships as they pass through here. This station is but a tiny, insignificant blip compared to Corlis, yet there is already such… variety of life.
I wonder if the Trade Sectors on Arcor are like this. I’ve never been there myself, but perhaps I should go…
Not like Helios would give me the time off.
Early the next morning, I finally arrive on Corlis Station. My vessel sits in another, exhaustingly long line, and I bide the time by looking out my panel, taking the bustling Station-life in. There’s all types of aliens to gawk at, from Rathnids to Vechin and from Dithra to Marbits, but it’s a human that catches my eye.
A beautiful, curvy, pink-haired human female. Just looking at her makes the Zorashi symbols on my wrist glow, and my heart squeeze. She’s finding her way through the crowd, slipping past people on the busy walkways that surround me on all sides here in the Port District.
I also notice two shady men following her…
Chapter Five
Anaya
Thirty minutes earlier
This morning, I’ve decided to add a handful of tranquilizer pellets to my Glug feeding routine. Cuddles is a non-issue today, thank the stars.
I got home safely last night, and despite all the excitement, I slept fairly well. Whoever those guys were, I hope I don’t see them again. I don’t need any added anxiety to my daily grind, thank you very much.
Maybe I’m just fooling myself, but I’ll cross that perilous bridge when I get there.
I push my way through the alien crowd, on my way to work, a day like any other, except…
Except it’s not.
My senses kick in — hard.
My entire vision lights up, and somehow, I just know I’m being followed. Again.
I whirl around, my fists balled up, ready for anything. I see… nothing.
No signs of the oafs this time. I glance left and right as I duck into the boutique district, every face in the crowd a possible threat.
The glaring neon sign of a SynthNail salon buzzes so loudly it nearly overwhelms my heightened senses, adding to my already high anxiety. With my powers kicking in, I can hear and feel everything times ten.
It makes the short walk to the train seem excruciatingly long. Every snippet of conversation I catch, and every body that brushes past me I feel. My mouth turns dry when I see SINTRA Corp. scanners installed at the tunnel entrances.
This can’t be a coincidence anymore. They’re increasing their presence, ever since the Rift appeared.
I know in my gut those scanners aren’t there to automatically scan tickets. No, they’re recording information, sending it all back to SINTRA headquarters for… nefarious purposes, undoubtedly. I don’t like it. My father taught me to trust my instincts, and my senses are going off big time.
My mind buzzes, my fingers itch. I’m tempted to telepathically hack the scanners and see where that rabbit hole leads me, but I can’t control my powers that well yet. I might set them on my trail instead.
Even the small things I’ve done — turning back the clock, calling Mikael — have cost me a tremendous amount of effort. This might be out of my league.
I put my game face on and continue on my way to work. Whatever is happening to me, I refuse to let it get the best of me.
It’s all the fault of that damn Rift.
It appeared on the edge of space a few weeks ago. A swirling, gaping hole in the fabric of space itself, appearing out of thin air. Despite all our technological advances, no one could explain this.
Ever since, my moods, my very thoughts have been affecting the machines around the station in unpredictable ways. It’s taken me a few weeks to figure out that they don’t malfunction if (and only if) I’m super calm.
That’s a tall order when you suddenly gain the ability to hack machines with your mind, I can tell you.
Affirmations and the NeuraBeats app have been my friend. I’ve created a little routine for myself, and so far, I’m keeping it cool. However, those shady guys following me are not helping.
Because of my partial Zoran heritage, I’ve always been different. I’ve always been able to ‘feel’ the very surface of people’s thoughts, but I couldn’t influence them in any way. Now though…
Now, I’m afraid I can do that and more. That kind of power is dangerous. I do not intend to flirt with it. No sir.
Everything happens for a reason, but the universe didn’t exactly give me a manual when it opened up the Rift and triggered my telepathy into something I don’t even have a name for yet.
If everyone could just leave me alone while I figure this whole thing out, that would be great.
Chapter Six
Theros
I can’t help myself.
I ditch the scheduled pick-up and exit the long cue of pods and delivery vessels, forfeiting my place in line. Instead, I park my vessel as close to the transit tunnel the stunning woman entered as possible.
The two thugs on her trail slip out of sight the moment she turns around.
She knows. Good.
I catch a brief glimpse of her face, but not enough to sate my curiosity. I shadow her to her place of employment, keeping an eye out for those two thugs on her trail.
Even from afar, she seems to have a strange effect on me.
It is as if my abilities are reacting to her aura.
Ever since the Rift appeared, I’ve been experiencing strange… occurrences. I’ve harnessed them in my practice, but I’ve yet to get a full handle on them. My senses have never been stronger, and a few times, when my focus has been strong enough, I’ve been able to pass through walls.
Just like that.
This is not something I can tell my commander. If they knew I was different, they’d have their stick and they’d beat me with it. No, I keep this secret close to the vest. The only person I’ve told is Doya, a Kazimir Sacred Mother. The Kaz are the peacekeepers, the arbiters between the warriors and the merchants classes. I know my secret is safe with them. She’s been helping me in training and I have gained a semblance of control over my powers, but our progress has been slow.
The energy I feel right now, in such close proximity to the human female, is familiar beyond my bones. It shoots straight down to my root DNA. I feel as if I know her somehow, on a level that defies time and space. I can’t shake that feeling, even though it makes little sense.
When she passes into her place of employment, I decide to linger and partake of the amenities this station offers. Corlis is a strange place, filled with highly unusual aliens I’ve heard of but never encountered in person. Another poignant reminder of how sheltered life on New Exon truly is.
Besides, I tell myself, I need to know who this stunning woman is. Why does my body react so strongly to her?
And what do those thugs still lingering about want with her?
Chapter Seven
Anaya
I arrive at work unscathed, thank the stars. Today I find it exceedingly difficult to cage my frustrations. This whole being-followed-by-creeps thing is working on my last nerves.
Even my perfected customer-service smile is twitchy. My first customer is a Ratiki,
who takes the better part of two whole hours to make a decision on what accommodation he prefers. The yellow-skinned, six-eyed species are known for their indecisiveness, and this one is doing that reputation proud. I have to repeat myself, over and over again, as he talks to himself as one would with another person, repeating the information and verbally weighing all the pros and cons.
Normally, I don’t mind the Ratiki. They take up a lot of time, sure, but that’s time not spent being yelled at by Vechin. However, today I’m not quite myself. And my manager glaring at me my whole shift from his cubicle is not making it any better.
I’ve memorized the Corlis Station manual, taken all the alien-cultural classes, passed my people-person test with flying colors, but old Kovachs likes to put me in the most menial positions he can find, like he’s the conductor in a particularly mean-spirited game of musical chairs.
Most days I just smile my way through it all. However, today it takes everything I have to keep from zapping my manager with that time-clock he’s lingering under. He flips through the digicards on his desk with a mean grin, like he’s looking for someone to throw on the grill today for a made-up infraction.
Lunch is finally here, and I sigh a breath of relief — but that quickly turns to worry when Mikael doesn’t show up. That’s out of the ordinary for him. I was hoping to continue our game of Marbitian Checkers, and vent my heart out, but instead I eat my lunch alone. I try to call him, but he doesn’t answer his comm either.
Instantly, I think the worst. They must have followed me to his house, they must have…
No, calm down, Anaya. You don’t know where he is. Maybe he’s getting a tune-up. Maybe he matched with someone on Techster and they hit it off right away. I’m sure there’s a perfectly good explanation for this.
I take a deep breath, tell myself everything is going to be okay, and proceed with my day. After another slog of an afternoon I clock out and take a different route home, hoping I can keep the drama — I know in my bones is coming — at bay…
Chapter Eight
Theros
She emerges from her info booth. The mysterious, pink-haired female. The moment I lay my eyes on her my heart instantly starts racing again.
I must know her.
I’ve spent the entire day browsing through the alien shops and strange boutiques that litter this promenade. It’s a shoppers paradise, but I am a warrior. The only thing I care about on this vapid station is the human female.
I shadow her to make sure she’s safe. Like clockwork, the two thugs I saw this morning appear as well, following her into a crowded transit tunnel. They are still far away, but I catch the glint of a concealed weapon.
I must act.
Following my instinct I step out of the shadows right in front of her, barring the female’s way. Our eyes meet, and I am overcome with intense emotions.
Where my eyes are flecked in silver, hers are flecked with gold — a perfect pair.
I reach out to touch her arm protectively, and suddenly, we’re both electrified by the pure, swirling energy surrounding us both. Our very thoughts seem to merge for a brief second, as if a telepathic link has been established.
The Zorashi symbols do not lie!
There’s been much speculation about the Mating Star Prophecy on New Exon. I’ve always been a believer, though I never thought I’d be one of the Chosen.
Her brow quirks.
“Who are you?”
Her beautiful features have made me forget all about my manners. I straighten my posture and introduce myself.
“I’m called Theros,” I say. “I saw your Zorashi symbols, and the men following you, and —”
“My Za— what? Where? Where are those bastards?!”
The human female narrows her eyes, her dainty fists balled up, ready for anything.
As adoring as it is, I need to get her out of here before those thugs catch up. They wouldn’t be a match for me, of course, but I’d rather avoid a diplomatic incident if I can. My rank in the Warrior Regiments is already too low for my many accomplishments, and if someone gets hurt in a space-station brawl, well, it would give Helios the perfect reason to demote me.
Of course I would sooner kill anyone than let them hurt this human female. My hand has only slightly brushed her soft skin, but already I feel a deep, profound connection.
She must be a Chosen as well.
“Follow me,” I say. “I will lead you to safety.”
“You?” she says, sizing me up. “I don’t know you.”
“I am Theros, and I—”
“Yeah, you said that already. What did you mean by Zorashi symbols?”
“You have Zoran blood,” I say. “As do I.”
Her gaze lingers on my large biceps for a moment.
“I can see that,” she mutters.
The other commuters bump into us, though none dare to complain to my face about the space we’re taking up in this cramped tunnel. One of the perks of being a Zoran.
The two men following us are gaining ground by the second.
“They are close,” I say as urgently as I can, my hand reaching out for hers again. “Follow me.”
The gold flecks in her eyes take on a faint glow when we touch. It’s clear she’s overcome by the sizzling energy between us as well. I can sense how badly she wants so break out in a run, and how equally rebellious her feet are as our energy fields mingle and expand.
“Very well,” she says with a lopsided grin. “Take me away, soldier.”
Before she finishes her sentence I’m already pulling her along, jostling our way through the crowd. A small nook on the side of the tunnel catches my eye, and I make my move.
Without saying a word I gently push her into the corner and press my frame right up against hers, shielding her from view completely.
The two thugs pass us by, completely oblivious to her presence. Meanwhile, the close proximity of our two bodies awakens a passion inside of me, one I’ve restrained all my life, but that is now terribly close to breaking free…
It is as if our two bodies know one another, on a level of spirit and soul. I want nothing more than to reclaim this knowledge, to experience every single inch of her curvy body…
Chapter Nine
Anaya
The lights in the tunnels flicker widely as his hand touches mine. When I pull it away, the lights stabilize, and my eyes widen with wonder. Who is this guy? And why am I not running away?
“What is your name?” he asks.
“Anaya,” I answer.
His eyes glow with silver light and the magnetism between us intensifies. I find myself absolutely mesmerized.
As if this is a good time for distractions!
And oh my, he is a distraction alright. Beautifully Zoran, with his deep silver skin, his hair an inky waterfall flirting the ends of his massive biceps. His tattoos are inked in strange, Zoran symbols I remember from my father’s books.
He’s a Thaboist. A Warrior, and a Zoran Traditionalist.
That makes me pull away from him instantly. They’re not a fan of humanity. I can feel his thoughts intruding on mine, and I fumble internally, looking for a way to push him out of my mind.
“Stay out of my head,” I whisper angrily.
“I’m not sure that’s possible.”
“What are you talking ab—”
The clatter of steel-enforced gravity boots make the nape of my neck heat up.
“They found us!”
Theros grabs my arm and pulls me away as the sounds draw closer and closer. We run through the tunnel, the large Zoran carving a way through the crowd, and we sprint across a ramp as whoever is chasing us draws closer and closer.
My senses expand further as I try to get a grip on the situation when I realize there’s an opening in the air, just in front of us.
A vortex? What in the stars?!
The growing circle of light opens wide the moment we draw close enough for its magnetic pull to suck us in. We tumble through time and
space for the briefest of moments, before the vortex closes behind us with a loud snap.
“Wh-what just happened?” I stammer, looking around, absolutely befuddled. After a moment of confusion I realize we’re in an empty alley on a different level of the station.
“A portal opened for us,” the gorgeous warrior answers with an ultra-literal tone.
“Well, yes, but why?!”
“Do you live close by?” he asks, his hands resting on his waist in a gladiator-like bend. His radiant eyes scan the tunnel around us. A Zoran warrior like him is totally out of place on Corlis, but I have faith in him, as strange as that sounds.
I barely know this man, yet I feel in my very bones I can trust him.
“I don’t know you well enough to answer that question,” I say, my gut winning out on my trusty bones.
“I’m no stranger,” he says. “The Rift, or perhaps something even more ancient and powerful, has reunited us.”
“Re-what now?”
“Your blood is partially Zoran. The Zorashi symbols, those glowing at the nape of your neck, match those that were drawn up at my birth by the Sacred Mothers of the Kazimir. Look.”
He pulls up his sleeves and shows me the tattoos on his wrists. And true to his word, those tattoos match the symbols on my neck perfectly. My parents have always told me they were just birthmarks, nothing special, but this guy has a completely different interpretation.
“Okay, that’s a little freaky,” I mutter as I stare at the tattoos.
“We are fated.”
My hand instinctively touches the hotspot on the back of my neck. I have no idea how to process such an over-the-top claim. The last thing I expected was for a seven foot tall, tough as nails Zoran to appear and declare me his fated.