Everyone, including Alan, is staring at her. Quickly, she pulls her arm back, afraid she’s done something wrong. “What?” she asks, her heart racing, afraid under their heavy gaze.
“Nothing,” Alan clears his throat, “Sorry.” When he looks away, she waits for the others to start eating before grabbing something else to put into her mouth.
When everyone finishes their meal, Toran leans back in his chair and folds his arms across his chest. “We have never encountered your species before.”
Maybe it is because she is clean and for the first time in months, she has a full belly. But whatever the reason, Catalina feels more like herself.
Before she can stop it, she snorts loudly and immediately slaps a hand over her mouth. Red stains her cheeks, and she mumbles through her hand, “Sorry.”
Alan glances down at her, his face wide with a genuine smile before he turns back and addresses Toran. “The…”
“Tureis,” Toran supplies.
“The Tureis kidnapped us from our planet and held us prisoner. We are from a planet called Earth.”
“I have never heard of this planet.” Toran glances to the other two, and they shake their heads no.
Catalina shrugs, “As far as I know, we haven’t traveled very far yet.” Her eyebrows draw close, and she looks at Alan. “The moon. Maybe Mars?”
“I’m not sure if anyone’s traveled to Mars,” Alan supplies. “I think they’ve sent drones, but I don’t really know.”
“Me either,” her face scrunches in thought before she turns back toward Toran and shrugs again. “Sorry, we’re not very helpful.”
“So, you can’t tell me where your planet is located?”
“Nope. But I wish I could.” To set foot back on Earth would be comforting. Catalina didn’t leave it under the best circumstances. Dirty and hungry all the time, while trying to hide from the aliens. Not knowing where the next meal would come from, if it would come at all. But at least there, she knew the rules. Here, she’s fumbling like an idiot trying to catch up. It’s like foster care all over again, but to the nth degree.
Jarek leans forward, his elbows on the table, but he focuses on Toran. “We should have them examined.” Catalina stiffens before she grabs Alan’s hand under the table.
Toran narrows his eyes when he sees her reaction and is quick to reassure. “He means an examination to make sure the Tureis did not do any damage.”
“And to make sure you do not have any pathogens to contaminate us with,” Sans interjects.
Toran faces the two of them. “With your permission, of course.”
Wait. What? Is he really asking for their consent? The Tureis did whatever they wanted, when they wanted, without a thought for either of them. Catalina’s tears want to spring forward, and the nonexistent respect she held for aliens in general just grew for the Curazins.
“What do you think, Catalina?”
She turns fearful eyes toward Alan, and in a small voice, she says, “I don’t want to.” She widens her eyes, trying to convey how badly she disagrees with anyone examining her ever again.
Alan turns toward their host and shakes his head. “Sorry, but after what we’ve just endured, Catalina is not ready for another examination, and neither am I.”
“Rest assured, we hold females in the highest regard…”
“We said no.”
4
____________________
Catalina
The talk during last meal put a damper on her mood. The Curazins insisted they at least look at the medical bay, but they left the decision up to them. Now they are following Sans down the corridor, and Catalina is fighting the urge to run away, to get as far away from medical as possible.
“This is a bad idea,” she grumbles to Alan under her breath. He reaches over and gives her hand a reassuring squeeze.
When they walk through the door, it is easy to tell that they are in a doctor’s office or a mini-hospital. There are sterile walls with a small surgical table, lots of machines, each in its own spot. A blue alien with a dark green lab coat walks out of another room and spots them standing there.
After a stunned pause, he rushes over and smiles. “Sans, how may I help you?”
“Jasock,” Sans inclines his head, “I am just giving them a tour.”
“But…” The medic’s eyes dart to Catalina and Alan before landing on Sans again. “A general examination, perhaps?”
“They have refused.”
“But we must know if they carry any pathogens that can harm us.” He sounds incredulous, almost as if he can’t believe there’s a choice in the matter.
Catalina’s shoulders relax as she realizes she will not be forced.
Alan steps forward with his arms folded across his chest. “You may examine me.”
“Alan,” Catalina grabs his arm, “are you sure you want to let them do that?”
“No,” he smiles. “But it will be okay.”
The doctor steps forward, flashing a friendly smile. “I am Jasock.”
“I’m Alan.” Nodding toward her, he finishes, “and this is Catalina.”
Jasock inclines his head. “Shall we get started?”
“Will it hurt him?” Catalina’s heart pounds hard in her chest. Just being in this sterile room conjures up a panicked feeling.
The doctor smiles a soft, kind smile, reminding her of an older man. “No, it’s a simple test.”
Her insides quiver as Alan heads toward the small metal table. She shoves her shaking hands into her pockets and watches everything the doctor does.
Alan turns around and sits down, his feet resting on the floor as he waits. Jasock walks over, carrying a small instrument.
“Now, if you can just lie back on the table…”
Cautiously, Alan does as Jasock asks, eyeing every move his hands make.
He brings a long thin machine down until it stops inches from Alan’s body. It runs the full length of him, and for some reason, a modern-day MRI pops into Catalina’s mind.
It doesn’t take long before Jasock says, “All finished.” He grabs an odd-looking object from the table. “Now, I just need to take a sample of your blood.”
Alan holds out his arm, but Jasock only smiles and gently grabs his finger, placing the long cylindrical tube to the end of it. When he finishes, he lets Alan’s hand go and announces, “Thank you; you may go.”
He places the tube on the table, then turns toward Catalina and says, “How about you?”
Catalina swallows hard and offers an odd-looking grin. “Not today, maybe later.”
“Very well.”
Jasock escorts them to Sans, who stands right outside the door, ready to escort them back to their room. It has been a long day.
~~~~
Stretched on the left side of the bed with Catalina on the right, Alan kisses her forehead and whispers, “Goodnight, Catalina.”
“Goodnight, Alan.” And for the first time in forever, her eyes close in a restful sleep.
They sleep through first meal, and by second meal, she is famished.
When second meal ends, Catalina isn’t ready to go back to their room. They spent so much time locked away in the tiny cell on the Tureis’ ship that she wants to look around, stretch her legs a little.
“I would love to look around, if that’s okay?”
“If you wish,” Jarek answers in a polite, deep voice. It is still hard to get used to. His lips don’t sync with the words that she hears.
“Catalina,” Alan rubs his forehead, “I know we just slept a lot, but I’m still tired, and my head is hurting. How about we look around tomorrow?”
Catalina swivels her neck and looks at Alan. The lines of worry are etched around his eyes. He looks as though he’s aged five years since she first met him.
“Okay, we’ll wait.” She flashes him a sympathetic smile. Anything for Alan.
“I can show you around if he wishes to rest,” Sans offers.
Her eyes dart from Sans to Alan as
she mulls over his offer. In truth, she doesn’t want to leave Alan, but he needs the rest.
Maybe it’s time to start distancing herself from him, just a little. She knows that he won’t always be by her side. One day, they will separate, and he’ll set out to find his sister, which he should. Catalina just doesn’t know if she would want to go with him. The idea of traipsing around the galaxy doesn’t seem very appealing.
“I promise, you will be safe,” Sans says in a warm, reassuring voice.
Her lips twitch. Looking at Alan, she says, “Go take a nap. I’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“I am.” She shoots him her best smile and the most at-ease look she can muster, reassuring him that there is no need for him to worry constantly about her.
After escorting Alan back to their room, Sans shows her around the ship, walking slowly by her side. There isn’t much to see. Not until he shows her the training room.
Her eyes zero in on the two sweaty aliens fighting in the center of the matted arena.
When Sans spots the two, he tries to quickly usher her back out.
She tears her gaze away from the match, and while looking at Sans, she asks, “Can we watch?”
With an incredulous voice, he asks, “You want to watch them train?”
“Yes, if that’s okay.”
With a dip of his hand, he motions her to the right toward some steps. Up three steps, she settles into a chair that overlooks the arena and watches two blue guys fight hand to hand.
They are dressed in the ubiquitous loose white cargo pants, no shirts; a sheen of sweat glistens on their muscled torsos. They circle each other, a punch here, a kick there, both brutal in force.
She can’t tear her eyes away from the fighters, even when she asks, “Do they always fight without weapons or gloves?” A quick glance his way, and she sees the hint of a smile.
“Why would they use gloves?” he asks, humor in his voice.
Catalina’s eyes widen to saucers as she watches the brutal force behind each kick, each punch. Light blue blood drips from split lips, but they never slow their assault on each other.
“I don’t know. So maybe they won’t kill each other…”
Letting out a boisterous laugh, Sans quickly quiets himself. “They are merely training.”
Whatever, she wants to say. It isn’t a stupid question, and they could definitely hurt each other.
“Is everyone like this on your world? Is this normal?” She nods toward the two fighters, still astonished that they trained so fiercely.
Sans still has a smile on his face. “Yes, training is a normal activity. It is also vital for the survival of our clan.”
“Clan?” Catalina says with surprise, her curiosity piqued. “What do you mean?”
Sans watches the two trainees while he answers her question. “Our world is divided into two major clans, the North and South. Within those, there are several smaller clans.”
“How does that work? Who leads your world? Or clan?”
“One family has always led the Southern Clan. The smaller clans nominate one or two representatives to attend a meeting once a cycle to discuss any changes that need to be added or subtracted from the governing rules.”
“A monarchy,” she muses.
“I am unfamiliar with that term.”
“Never mind,” she shakes her head and tries to discern what he is telling her. “So why is training vital to the clan’s survival?”
He glances her way, probably trying to figure out how much he should tell her. Maybe he has told her too much already. Without answering, he changes the subject.
“Tell me about your world. What was it like before the invasion?”
She stares at the arena and watches the aliens train, even though she isn’t really paying attention as she thinks about his question. What was it like on Earth? Lonely? Yes. Happy? Sometimes.
One side of her mouth tilts upward, but it isn’t quite happy. “It is everyday people trying to do the best they can. I went to work every day, then came home to Whiskers, my cat. My dream was to visit Paris, and I almost had enough money saved up for the trip.”
His mouth gaps slightly, and he looks perplexed. “What? Females work?”
“Yes, they do.”
He shakes his head, his mouth in a tight line. “That would never happen on Curaz. Females are to be protected at all cost.”
“Whatever.” She scoffs and waves a dismissive hand at his archaic statement. Just let a man try to treat a woman like that, and she’d lay him out just on principle. “On Earth, at least in my country, a woman is only protected if she chooses to be.”
Shaking his head, he insists, “Females should not have to protect themselves.”
“Look,” her voice grows irritated, “I don’t know what it’s like where you’re from, but on Earth, women are treated as equals. We fought for that right, and there is no way you or anyone else will convince them to give up that right. Most women are just as strong as the men.”
His eyes run the length of her and then he bursts out in laughter. “Stop laughing!” she demands, fire sparking in her eyes.
He moves his arms, and his face seems one of surrender. After the laughter dies down, he says, “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to offend. Our worlds must be very different.”
“Apparently,” she answers, the anger abating with his apology. “Why do you need to protect the women, err, females?”
A somber look descends over his strong face. “They are so few on my world. Or at least there are in the Southern Clan. I’m not sure how the Northern Clan fares.”
“How few?”
“The female-to-male birth ratio is 1:100.”
“What?” Catalina sits up straighter, looking incredulously at Sans, who still watches the two males train.
His sad eyes briefly catch hers. “What about Earth?”
Catalina laces her fingers together as she thinks of home. She never really noticed if there was a shortage of one gender. “I’d say it’s 50:50, and we have…” her lips tighten in anger before finishing, “we had billions of people before the invasion.”
“That is remarkable,” he says incredulously, shaking his head.
They sit in silence, but Catalina is no longer interested in the training. She tries to imagine a world filled with mostly men, but it is hard to do. Just thinking about it terrifies and excites her until she glances at Sans and wonders if he’ll ever find anyone to love.
The two of them don’t talk anymore, and when the training ends, Sans escorts her back to her room. She finds Alan resting on the couch, his arm slung across his forehead.
5
____________________
Catalina
“Hey, you,” Alan says with a grin when she walks in.
“Hey,” Catalina smiles as she strolls into the room, doing a double-take at his newly transformed face. He looks completely different. “Feel better?”
“Actually, I do.” He sits up and places his feet on the floor, giving her room to join him. She plops down next to him. “What about you? Did you enjoy looking around?”
“I did. Sans is very nice. He took me to the training room. You should’ve seen it, Alan, it was brutal.”
“How so?” He leans back and stretches his arm out along the back of the couch. Catalina leans over, placing her head on his shoulder.
“They fought with their bare hands, kicking and punching each other. If they held back, I couldn’t tell. There was blood flying everywhere.”
“Now that I’d like to watch.”
His voice sounds enthusiastic, and she chuckles. “You just miss watching the fights on TV, or maybe you miss fighting the bad guys.” She raises one eyebrow in question.
A smile stretches across his face. “Maybe it’s both.”
“I’ll ask Sans if he’ll take us back there tonight or tomorrow.”
“Friends now?” he teases.
“Maybe.”
“Okay then,”
Alan says. Catalina likes the way his voice sounds genuinely happy. “Sounds good to me.”
The two of them sit in silence as thoughts of the past collide with hopes for the future. At one point, she thought her life was over, but Sans kindled a sliver of hope that maybe one day she’ll get a chance to find someone to love, a place to call home. Where exactly, she doesn’t know. But things are looking a little brighter.
When the silence grows too long, Alan asks, “Hey, what’s got you so deep in thought?”
She glances up and catches his warm gaze, concern marring his stoic face. “Nothing, really. Just thinking that our situation could’ve been so much worse.”
Moving his arm from the back of the couch and wrapping it around her shoulder is his only response.
After a few more minutes of staring at nothing, Catalina asks with curiosity, “What do you think will happen now?”
“I don’t know,” he says and places a kiss on top of her head, “but we’ll figure it out. Try not to worry so much.”
“Okay.” She stands and rubs her stomach at the same time it rumbles loudly. “I think it’s about time to eat again.”
“Sounds like it. Toran said he would bring food to us tonight.”
Catalina’s face splits wide. “We’re eating in?”
“Yep, if that’s okay with you.”
She plops back down on the couch. “Perfectly.”
It isn’t long until Toran brings the trays of food. After talking to Sans today, she’s seeing things a little differently. Like the way Toran always pauses, just to watch the two of them. Now she wonders if he wishes he had someone of his own. The thought saddens her.
~~~~
After eating her fill, she rubs circles over her full tummy. “Okay.” Letting out a long, deep breath, Catalina continues, “I think the bed is calling my name.” Standing up, she looks down at Alan. “You coming?”
“Yes. I think I will. I could sleep for a month and not make up for the sleep I’ve lost.”
“I know what you mean.”
The two of them head for the bed. Still dressed, Catalina crawls onto the left side, Alan crawls onto the right, sliding under the covers.
Theon Untamed: First Contact (Untamed World Book 1) Page 3