I search the helicopter, and sure enough, the female is still on board, but unconscious.
Shit.
I touch my hand to her forehead and instruct my nanites to pass through my skin and into hers—a number of the microscopic machines comply, passing through her cells and into her brain, where they can begin replicating themselves to spread throughout her body. Once enough have taken residence, they perform an anatomical scan: she’s concussed, but alive. I instruct them to begin repairing the damage immediately. It shouldn’t take more than a few seconds for the machines to do their work.
Watching the woman carefully, I find myself smiling; her face is so pretty, I can’t help it.
Then she wakes, shouting and shaking in fear.
“Hey, hey,” I say. “You’re okay. Just relax.” My scan confirms the injury to her brain has been completely repaired.
“Did we… crash?” she asks in a groggy, throaty voice that’s so sexy, I want to rip her dress right off.
“Sort of. But don’t worry, it’s okay now.”
She takes a deep breath and looks at me more closely with her bright, blue eyes. “You have purple skin,” she says.
I laugh. Fixing the concussion is one thing; she’s still in shock.
“That’s right, I do,” I say. “Don’t be afraid, okay? I’m not here to hurt you.” Getting up, I help the woman to her feet and remove the metal cuffs binding her. “What’s your name?”
“Jillian,” she replies, rubbing her wrists, which are no doubt sore. The nanites will fix that soon. “Thank you,” she adds.
“Of course. I’m Commander Vol.”
She nods, blinking repeatedly. “Vol. Purple… skin…”
Reaching out, I grab hold of the woman before she falls. Grinning, I lift her in my arms—she’s not the first being to faint after meeting an alien for the first time.
Leaving the downed helicopter, I start to walk to my ship, which has landed on the tarmac that was once occupied by the humans’ warplanes. Destroying them without killing any of the pilots took some careful targeting, but my crew has lots of practice. Fortunately, it makes the rest of the mission fairly easy, as the humans present flee or surrender.
Not all, however: dozens of the humans at this base—which our intelligence on Earth indicates is a secret installation—are now my captives. And, of course, Jillian.
Few Dominar commanders would bother joining in on missions such as these, but I enjoy the task; it earns me respect from my crew and my direct involvement ensures my exact parameters are always carried out—in particular, the absolute necessity of avoiding fatalities. I’m not foolish enough to expect the humans to like being conquered, but hopefully they will accept it, in time. If they look back at the invasion and struggle to find examples of humans being killed in the process, I will consider the mission a success.
The humans we’re detaining watch me with stoic faces; they’re clearly brave men and women, though they are afraid. It’s only natural. I don’t smile at them as I walk past with Jillian cradled in my arms, but I do wear a face of calm and authority.
“Commander Vol!” comes a voice at the end of the docking bay. I turn to see Agent Briette, one of the Dominars initially responsible for this invasion. She’s striding toward me, grinning.
“I take it you found Agent Kest?” I ask, interpreting her expression. Finding him was a secondary objective of our invasion, but for her personally it was the top priority.
“Yes, Commander. Alive and well, with his human.”
“Good. I’ll want to see them later.” I look down at Jillian. “For now, this human should be taken to the infirmary to rest. I gave her nanites; they need a little more time to fully propagate.”
Briette nods. “Of course. I’ve already summoned a medical team. In the meantime, the base is secure. We’ve detained sixty-two humans. Many Dominars were attacked by the humans, but their shields were fully effective against human weaponry, as expected. No lives were lost on either side.”
So far, so good.
“Thank you, Agent Briette. Well done.”
“Thank you, sir.”
The medical team arrives and I set Jillian down on a floating platform; I watch as they take her away, sorry to have to send her off. I’ll check in on her as soon as I’m able, I promise myself.
I smile and nod to Briette. “Go see to your friend. I’m going to address the detainees.”
She thanks me, then turns to go. I take a deep breath and make for the detention center on the lower level of Redeemer. It’s not a large space, and the dozens of captives are fairly cramped in the facility, which consists of one general holding area and a series of singular cells intended for particularly dangerous individuals. There are no bars, but energy fields keep the prisoners locked in. It’ll do for now, but they’ll either have to be transferred to a bigger ship or be released. Fortunately, more of my fleet is already in route to Earth.
Whispered conversations taper off as the humans notice that I’ve arrived. I can feel their gazes, and on their faces I see their conflicting emotions. Fear saturates the room—it’s more than a smell; it’s practically an energy of its own, dark and cancerous. It’ll cause lasting psychological damage to these people if they are not somehow put at ease.
Not wishing to speak to the humans from a distance, I stride into the detention area, passing through the center’s energy fields, which shimmer in my wake. Unconcerned about being surrounded by the humans, I rake my eyes across the room, making sure I have their attention.
“My name is Vol, and as you can plainly see, my people and I are not from Earth. In time, you will learn all about us, the Dominars. For now, I understand you are scared. Let me set your mind at ease: we do not intend to kill any of you. In a short matter of time, you will be returned home. While you are here, we only ask that you remain calm and not act out violently. You will be fed. You will not be experimented upon. You have my word on this.”
“Your word?” one human cuts in. “And who are you?”
I recognize this person: he’s the one from the helicopter who authorized an attack on my ship. I already told him exactly who I am. Maybe this time his memory won’t be so short.
“I am commander of the Dominars’ Forward Delegation. I specialize in conquering planets, and doing so without unnecessary harm to its indigenous people.”
“Bullshit. I’m Corporal Dutton Bradley, and you nearly killed me and two others when you shot down my helicopter.”
Unbelievable. I could argue with this man, tell him that I did not ‘shoot’ down anything, and if I’d done so, there’d be nothing left of him but ash drifting on the breeze. I’d like to tell him this, but it won’t help with allaying the humans’ fears.
“Everyone with you is alive and well,” I assure him. “Isn’t that your pilot, standing next to you?” I ask, pointing to the man.
Bradley sneers, but nods. “Where’s the woman who was with us? Where’s Jillian Wexler?”
So that’s her name. Jillian Wexler.
“She is in our infirmary, recovering from a fainting spell. She will be fine.” I swallow my indignation at the fact that she’d not have been in any danger if Bradley hadn’t fired on us. “Now, you tell me: who is she? She wore civilian clothing; is she with your military?”
“Don’t tell the aliens anything,” Bradley calls out, turning around to face his people.
Enough’s enough. I grab Bradley and clap my hand against his forehead to transfer over some nanites. In an instant, I can peer into his thoughts.
Jillian Wexler… analyst… International Space Governance Agency. Recruited for expertise… space threat assessment… and foreign relations. Responsibilities to include… coordination and liaising… with world governments… throughout invasion.
I release Bradley, who shakes his head and stumbles backward, dizzy. “What did you just do to me?” he asks.
“Relax, Corporal,” I reply, rubbing my chin and thinking about the human female. “
I just needed a little information on Ms. Wexler. Thank you for bringing her here. She will help smooth relations between the Dominars and the humans during this time of transition.”
I turn to leave, passing back through the energy field as I go. Bradley attempts to follow, but the field brightens, warning him back. He pokes a finger at the barrier, earning himself a mild shock.
“I demand you return Ms. Wexler to us immediately,” he seethes, flexing his numbed finger.
I haven’t met many humans yet, but I hope they’re not all as annoying as this man. I’d laugh at him, but I don’t want to appear petty.
“You brought her here to work as a liaison, and that is what she will do,” I say, glaring at Bradley in warning. “Don’t worry. She will be perfectly safe working for me.”
Chapter Three
Jillian
When I wake up, I don’t just feel fine—I somehow innately know that I’m in perfect health. The bed I’m lying on is not my own, but it’s impossibly comfortable; soft and warm, with a trace of floral aroma I can’t place. I’d love to go back to sleep, but something tickles at the back of my mind. Did something happen, or did I just have an extraordinarily bizarre dream?
Opening my eyes, I get my answer: I’m in some kind of facility—a laboratory, if I had to guess. Equipment I can’t identify lines the room, with holographic displays hovering in midair. Then I notice a worker in a white uniform examining one of the three-dimensional images; in this case, it appears to be a set of human lungs. The worker seems preoccupied, but then turns around to face me and I see that he has light green skin.
He’s an alien.
That’s what had happened. I saw a man—an unbelievably handsome man—with purple skin. An alien.
“Ms. Wexler, please relax,” says the technician.
I look in the other direction nervously and see another alien, a stunningly beautiful woman, tall, with long blonde hair and pale blue skin.
“Jillian,” she says. “My name’s Briette. I’m an agent of the Dominars. I’ve contacted Commander Vol to inform him you are awake. He will be here shortly.”
I try to get out of the bed, but discover I’m somehow bound in place. Encircling my wrists and ankles are small metal rings. In a panic, I try to take them off, but they’re stuck to my skin. I try again to get up from the bed, but the rings stop me from getting too far.
What the hell?
“Please, Jillian,” says Briette. “I can’t release you just yet, but you’re not in any danger.”
“What’s going on?” I say at last, my voice scratchy with thirst.
Briette sighs, sitting down next to me and clasping her hands in her lap. “The idiots you were with tried firing weapons at our ship, so we disabled your helicopter. You were slightly injured in the crash, but the nanites in your body have repaired the damage.”
Nanites?
I start to wonder what they are, but as soon as I do, the answer is already in my mind: microscopic machines implanted within me. Capable of healing damaged tissue, transmitting information, and regulating bodily functions, the nanites will replicate as needed and improve my quality of life. At the moment, they are allowing me to understand whatever language it is these aliens are speaking. I hadn’t even realized it wasn’t English until now.
The idea creeps me out a little, but I have far bigger concerns at the moment.
“What about the others I was with? Are they alive?”
Briette nods. “They’re fine. They’re in custody.”
What?
“If I disable your telerings, do you promise not to run?”
In a flash, I comprehend that the telerings are the restraints around my wrists and ankles.
“If you can turn off the rings, can you remove the nanites? I don’t want alien technology inside me. I didn’t agree to that.”
“Sorry,” Briette replies. “You’ll need them to understand us and to communicate nonverbally.”
“And what’s to stop you from affecting the way I think, or making me do things I don’t want to?”
Briette makes a sound between a snort and a sigh. “Trust me, we don’t need the nanites for that—you’re a human, and you will do as you’re told.”
“Excuse me?” I will not do as I’m told, you bitch, I think to myself.
Rolling her eyes, Briette seems to create a hologram in her hands. I wonder, is that even really there, or is it just the nanites projecting the image?
“This is Redeemer, the ship you’re on,” Briette says, setting the hologram on a slight spin. “We traveled here from the other side of the galaxy in just a matter of days. Our species has dominated the stars for hundreds of thousands of years. We create planets and conquer worlds. If we want an inferior species to do something, we tell them. We say what we’re thinking, and act as we please—the same way humans do with their animal pets.”
It’s a good thing I’m still restrained, because I want to smack the arrogance right off this woman’s perfect blue face.
“But you have our promise that the nanites will never be used to directly affect your personality or make you act against your will,” she concludes. “That would go against our ethics.”
“Fine,” I grunt. I’ll worry about the nanites later.
Thankfully, I feel a loosening of pressure in the rings; though I am unable to remove them, I do find they are no longer exerting any force over me, and I can get up off the bed. I smooth out my dress, which is a mess.
I hear a soft whoosh, and turn to see that a man has entered the medical center: it’s him, the purple-skinned giant from the helicopter. At the time, his face was obscured by the dark of night, but now I can see him with complete clarity—and I nearly faint again.
“Ms. Wexler,” he says, heading straight for me. “I’m Vol, commander of this mission. I hope you’re feeling better.”
“I’m fine.” I turn away, not wanting to look directly at him for some reason. He regards me with bright lavender eyes that match his skin. When I take a quick glance, his face breaks into a beautiful smile, and for a second I can’t help returning it. I tell myself it’s a gut reaction to his breathtaking, regal beauty; I force myself to look away from his high cheekbones, pink lips, chiseled jaw, and slight cleft in chin. His short black hair is thick and voluminous, and when he speaks, his deep voice vibrates in my chest.
He wears an elegant black uniform with blue stripes rising up his legs and forming a series of chevrons across his chest. The outfit clings to his striking physique, which is uniformly muscular the length of his towering height. He’s got to be at least seven feet tall, a block of solid muscle. His torso is as thick as a tree trunk, and his arms look like they could punch a hole through the side of a building. He held me in those arms, didn’t he? The memory is a little hazy, but I know it’s true: I fainted, and he’s the one who held me and kept me safe. Either through the nanites or just my imagination, I can feel the incredible strength in those arms—they lifted me like I weighed nothing.
God, he’s so handsome. Even if he is an alien.
“Y-yes,” I stutter. “I feel fine, thank you. Are you the one in charge here?”
He cups his hand under my chin and lifts it until I have no choice but to look at him. “That’s exactly the right question for you to ask. Yes, I’m in charge. In fact, you will be working for me now.”
I push his hand away, shake my head, and fake a laugh. “Thank you, but I have a life and I’ve got to get back to it. My organization will want to know where I am, and what I’m doing—my job there will be more important than ever now. I demand you provide passage off your ship immediately.”
Vol sighs. “No, Jillian. I’ve decided that you are going to remain here, with me. I need a human in my presence, one who can learn about the Dominars and present this information to the rest of humanity. By chance, you are also well-versed in the affairs of your planet and possess connections to governments around the world. You are, perhaps, the most qualified human for this positio
n. I expect you to serve brilliantly.”
I’m not so new to politics and ego that I can’t pick out the command from the compliment, and see both for what they are. “I’m flattered, but I will not. I serve the people of Earth, not its alien invaders.”
“Are all humans this strong-willed?” says Briette, chuckling to herself.
“You bet your ass, Smurfette,” I retort. “We don’t like being told what to do.”
Vol nods happily. “Jillian, your loyalty to your species is laudable, and your fearlessness is nothing short of remarkable. You’re a credit to humanity.”
“T-thank you,” I mumble, unable to help enjoying being praised by such a being.
“However, you will learn to show us respect. I expect disciplining you will be a pleasure,” he says, raking his gaze over my body. “Jillian, do you know why we’ve come to Earth?”
“To take over the planet? To control humanity?”
Vol takes my hand and directs me back to the infirmary bed. He motions for me to sit down, so I comply. Though I expect him to sit as well, he does not; he looks down at me, and I feel inescapably aware of his power.
“That is correct; you know the what, but not the why. My people came here because of a report indicating Earth’s imminent destruction. They deemed humanity incapable of self-recovery, and only our intervention could prevent a calamity that would doom both your species and this world.”
The nanites in my brain say he’s telling the truth, and instantly I become aware of the report he mentioned: a Dominar agent, after observing Earth for decades, roused his people to invade and save the planet before it was too late.
“How can you be so sure he’s right?” I ask, speaking softly, not wanting to believe. This is my home, and my people—I know we have our problems, but we’ve always figured them out.
His Human Conquest Page 2