She watched me through the only window in this room every day. Her face looked pained, as they performed the tests on me. Sometimes she came into the room with the others. Sometimes she came in alone. I liked those visits the most. While I pretended to be asleep, she’d talk to me. Just listening to her intelligence, permeating her one-sided conversations, told me she was a perfect candidate. In that moment I decided that today was the day. I was going home, but not alone.
The female, whom I’ve learned is called Jocelyn, stepped in with the usual group of humans that performed the tests.
“What have we got today?” One of them asked.
“Maybe just some photographs today,” another replied. “Jocelyn, can you please detach him? Carefully.”
Jocelyn leant over the table, her fingers finding the clasps attached to my wrists, and loosening them. I looked around at the others, watching and waiting. Their weapons were drawn, but I knew I could take them, with careful calculations of course. Finally, I was able to sit up after days of being restrained. My muscles contracted and then relaxed with their newfound freedom. I could see Jocelyn looking at me, assessing my body up and down. Perhaps she was also needed to choose a mate; however, my only focus can be on escaping, unfortunately. As she helped me get to my feet, I wanted to cover my private areas, mainly so as not to disturb Jocelyn. As another suited figure stepped forward, the ones with the prodding sticks followed, drawing closer to me. One of them held another device. An image-capturing device, although it looked as if it was made of primitive materials. A bright light flashed, stinging my eyes. I shrank back, which startled the group, including Jocelyn.
“Careful!” One of them warned.
“No funny business!” said another. I was not sure what that meant, but I could only assume it was a warning.
I was not particularly fond of transporting my molecules to other areas, but it worked in a pinch. I could definitely say this moment counted as a pinch. I took the opportunity to swing at one of the armed figures. The rest of the group panicked, shouting their worried chatter around the room. I took down one of the weapon-wielding males and threw him across the room.
Earthmen were much lighter than I had anticipated; must be the gravity or something. The rest of them closed in on me, but I took them out one by one. I heard a loud siren go off, and found myself engulfed in the red swirling light of an alarm. More will come, but they’ll be too late. I searched for Jocelyn in the chaos, and pulled her towards me. She shrunk under my grasp, her arms tense against my chest. She called out to the woman that looked like her, crying out to someone whom I assumed was her mother. The woman called Marie.
We didn’t have time for goodbyes though. We had to escape. I collected all the remaining energy I could muster, I felt the both of us surging with energy as I began the teleportation process. Jocelyn’s mother rushed towards us, only to fly backwards as we disappeared into a cloud of red fog.
CHAPTER 3: SELECTION
JOCELYN
The last thing I remembered was my mother’s panicked face as I was ripped through some sort of strange vortex. Everything else was in fragments: the space man grabbing me, a horrible shaking sensation spreading through my entire body, flashes of stars shooting past us, as we traveled into an inky blackness.
And then, here I was, in a glass observation room, surrounded by what appeared to be other women, although I couldn’t tell for sure. All of them had brightly colored skin. Some had tendrils spreading down their faces. Some were short, or tall, thick or thin, but none of them were human, and none of them spoke my language. As I glanced over the alien women, I felt as if I was in some sort of horror movie, surrounded by fearsome creatures.
I immediately began to search for a way out, running my hands along the glass walls, feeling for any sort of point where I could slip out. I slammed my hand against one of the walls, which sent me flying onto my back on the floor, a surge of electricity pulsing through me. Some of the women looked down at me, somber.
“It’s no use,” one of them said to me, “We’ve already tried.”
“How can you speak to me?” I asked. The woman, with deep-red skin and a long tail, pointed to one of her butterfly-shaped ears. On the back was a small silver device, almost like a hearing aid.
“Universal translator,” she explained, “Only a few of us in here have one.”
“What are we doing here?” I asked.
“We’re prisoners,” she said, “I am Teela.”
“Jocelyn. Whom exactly are we prisoners of?”
“The Avroxee. We’re their potential mates, but only if you are selected, though.”
“Selected?” I inquired. The females nodded at me.
“We were each taken from our homes, some of us are even offerings to the Avroxee. Their rituals for mating have proved to be…more intense, than other practices in the galaxy.”
Another woman, this one green-skinned and catlike, studied me.
“She’s a human,” she purred, “Not too many of those all the way out here. Your people have such simpler reproductive systems. I can only hope your offspring will survive the conditions on this planet”
“What do you mean? How are we supposed to get out of here?” I asked
Teela shook her head, just as somber as the rest of the women. “You can’t leave Avrox,” she said grimly, “It is an all-male planet, full of fierce and hostile warriors. When they have finished mating with us, they will wait, to see if we produce a healthy offspring. And if it doesn’t survive…” Her face contorted. The catlike woman comforted her. “They’ll dispose of us,” she finished, worried.
My insides twisted, matching Teela’s face. I felt lightheaded, and I had this raging urge to get out. How could anyone treat these poor women this way? Keeping us locked up until they needed to use us, only to toss us aside once they’re finished, not caring if we lived or died? I could feel the anxiety taking hold in my chest; so many questions were wrapped around my brain that I needed answers to. Was that spaceman we’d uncovered one of the Avroxee, or whatever they’re called? Would I be meeting the same fate as the women before me? I knew I had to get back home. My mother must be worried sick about me. I would be too if some crazy spaceman had disappeared into nothing with my daughter.
Then again, I had probably got the worst end of this situation. Where was this spaceman, though? I hadn’t seen any sign of him since I’d ended up in this hellhole. The only thing I could see through the glass walls was strange plant life, surrounding the box, and a dirt pathway leading into some kind of jungle.
Suddenly a cluster of blue-skinned men with leathery hair marched up the pathway, carrying strange jagged spears. Purple energy floated around the tips, and I immediately decided I wasn’t going to find out what they were used for. The men were exceptionally large, with thick muscles, which were glossy from hints of sweat. They wore thin loincloths around their waists, with their pectorals peeking out from colorful tunics. They approached the front of the box, and one of them, in a large leafy headdress, stepped forward and shouted something in a strange humming language.
Teela sensed my confusion, and leaned closer to me. “They’re saying we must go with them now,” she translated. The soldiers barked orders at us again. I stayed close to Teela, both of us bound together in this unfortunate circumstance.
They lined us up. Teela translated everything to me to make things easier. Once we were lined up, the men placed tight shackles on our wrists before prodding us down the dirt pathway. The group of women and I stared at the tropical flora and fauna that surrounded us. Strange birdlike creatures jumped from tree to tree. Large bugs camouflaged themselves on top of enormous leaves. These specimens were all incredible, and for once I wished that I was back in a lab so I could study some of them. Then again, I wasn’t sure if I would ever be back in a lab again. As we progressed down the path, we found that it wound through a small city, hidden amongst the jungle plant life. Blocky clay houses lined the streets. Avroxee men eyed us as w
e passed, assessing the quality of our hips and our breasts for any sign of fertility. If I hadn’t been in fear for my life, I would have said that I was actually enjoying the attention, a bit.
The road ended at the mouth of a large arena. Thumping and shouting could be heard on the other side, and a strange foreign chanting, low and melodic. As we passed through the gate, I was immediately aware of the thousands of Avroxee watching us from the stands. A cluster of them waited in the middle; our potential mates.
As our group came to a halt, I was able to pick out one of them from the group of men in front of us.
My spaceman.
CHAPTER 4: THE DUEL
KRULT
Before the selection ceremony, I knew that I had to meet with my chief to discuss my plan with him. I had hoped that if I were to convince him in time, I could spare Jocelyn and the others before the ceremony could even begin. When I stepped into his chambers, he was waiting for me, perched high above, on a seat made of sculpted clay and glass. He was the oldest Avroxee male on the planet, which made him our chief. The old were respected the most here, since they had been granted long lives, a luxury amongst our people.
He slammed down his staff, as I entered. I knelt before him, and made the Avroxee sign of greeting with three fingers in a crisscross motion.
“What is your business, Krult?” He demanded.
I stood, and looked right into his grey eyes. “Your Greatness,” I said, “I’ve come to discuss an important matter with you, regarding the selection ceremony. I would like to propose an alternative, perhaps one that could save our people, and our connections with the other worlds.”
It was rare for an Avroxee to go against what we had been brought up to believe for so long, but I was determined to change the course of history, now that I finally had the key to do it.
The chief examined the glass bulb adorning his staff. “You know, the Avroxee mating tradition has been a part of our culture, since our people were established on this planet,” he sneered.
“I understand,” I said, carefully, “However, the tradition of gathering mates that may or may not be compatible with our planet’s conditions…can only lead to an uncertain future. Wouldn’t you prefer the Avroxee to thrive? We have lost thousands in battle. We cannot produce enough soldiers and citizens to thrive, if every offspring is a gamble for us.” My words hung in the air, echoing in the chamber.
The chief leaned forward, his brow furrowed. “Krult,” he said, sternly, already letting me know what he was about to say, “The planet continues to live because of the deeply-rooted traditions of our people. If our system is so flawed, then how are there plenty of Avroxee men still here today? The world works because of life and death. We need death to make way for life, isn’t that a harmonious balance?” He finished with a smug smile, making me well up inside with rage.
He pointed his staff towards a corridor. I could hear shouting, and the chanting of other Avroxee from the other side. I knew it was coming from the arena. “Take your place, Krult,” the chief said, with an air of finality.
Begrudgingly, I followed a group of Avroxee who were already heading towards the corridor. I looked back at the chief as he was assisted from his throne to follow us out. He may have rejected my plan, but I still believed there was a way I could convince him, and I was determined to prove him wrong.
That was just moments ago. Now, I found myself scanning the group of potential mates in front of me. I hated this part of the process. We had already made our choice, before the ceremony, only to have to prove our worth through one more test. Some faces were familiar; species from other planets, who had been captured before. They all started to look the same after a while. I was actually afraid to choose. I hadn’t had any fortunate results yet, whenever I had chosen a mate, for the offspring I had helped produce hardly ever lived past their first few quarters of life. Through the crowd, though, I could see a pair of familiar eyes looking at me, worried to death. Worried about death. Jocelyn. She pleaded with me, as if I was her only escape, and it was true, I really was. She looked out of place in her white lab coat, a bright blip amongst the sea of colorful specimen. She was my key to salvation from the humans, and, now, in a twist of fate, I was hers.
An Avroxee announcer stood on a pedestal nearby. He called us one-by-one, to step forward and choose. Some chose right away, others inspected the women for a short amount of time. Once a mate has been selected, another Avroxee may intervene, if he also wanted that mate. Then the two must fight until a winner is allowed to claim the female. I had yet to fight any of my brethren, mainly because I tended to choose the smaller of the females.
So, when it was my turn and I stepped forward to take Jocelyn’s hand, and her desperate eyes were thanking me, I was surprised to hear another Avroxee yell, “Contest!”
Jocelyn and I froze. I turned to see Pelos, a brazen warrior with a sculpted face, marked with a fierce scar over his eye.
“You wish to contest with me?” I asked him. He beat his chest with his fist three times and stepped towards me.
“I too, would like this mate,” he grunted, “she has great potential. I can smell her fertility.” He looked Jocelyn over; hungry. A horn sounded, and the arena flooded with cheers. The duel was about to begin.
The Avroxee and female groups spread out further, making room for us. I glanced over at Pelos, and then at Jocelyn, and saw her eyes were panicked. I’d brought her this far, and I was not going to let him claim her this way. I removed my tunic. Pelos removed his clothing as well, and two Avroxee assistants approached us with small clay jars. They spread buengie oil, a thick flowery-smelling substance, over us to lube up our limbs and torsos and to make the fight more even. As soon as he was covered in the grease, Pelos lunged for me. I dodged his first attack, and he tumbled to the ground with a thud. He swept a large leg at me, knocking me down to the ground with him. The crowd oohed and ahhhed with every attack, as Pelos and I intertwined ourselves into a ball of muscle and limbs.
I swept my arms in between his legs, gripping him firmly. The oil made it hard to hold onto him. He slipped through my grasp and grabbed me around the waist. We slammed onto the ground together, rolling in a heap, our chests sliding against each other. His breath was hot against my neck. I could hear him grunting sharply as he held on to me, reaching for my throat. He choked me; his tightly wrapped fingers dug into the sides of my neck. I looked at Jocelyn, who had retreated further into the crowd, and who was watching us in horror. This sight, alone, filled me with unexplained rage. I wanted to show her I was worthy.
Using what was left of my strength, I broke free from Pelos’s grip, and wrapped my legs around his waist. I turned, taking him with me until he was under me. I pummeled my fists into his cheeks; sweat dripping from my brow onto him. His eyes rolled back in his skull. A horn blew somewhere but I couldn’t hear it, I was lost in my rage, taking all of it out on Pelos until I had to be pried off him. I was declared the winner. Out of respect, I reached out to help Pelos up, but he shrugged my hand away, disappearing into the back of the Avroxee group.
Jocelyn stepped towards me, out of the female crowd, unsure. Through my blood and sweat, I managed a weak smile for her. I was surprised to see her return it. I was allowed to take her with me for now, until the mating ceremony took place tonight, and we would be officially bound to one another to create a future Avroxee warrior. But, what Jocelyn didn’t know, was that I had had an entirely different purpose for her this whole time.
She was going to help me save my people.
CHAPTER 5: THE PROPOSAL
JOCELYN
After our experience in the arena, I was immediately taken to the spaceman’s home, a humble clay loft-type building over what appeared to be a small market. He guided me over to his bed, which was made of soft piled up cushions and woven blankets. I watched him rinse the remaining grease and blood from his body, wiping the grime away with long even strokes. He removed his loincloth, water dripping down his firm blue buttocks an
d thighs. I averted my eyes, too shy to take in such a sight. I’d never seen a man naked, outside of a laboratory of course. I was tempted, though, and sneaked a peek just before he turned around.
He said something to me in a strange language. At first when I didn’t respond, he repeated himself, but louder. I still didn’t understand, and once he realized that, he wandered over to a drawer, and pulled out a small golden cuff. He walked over to me, and I almost cried out in fear as he held the cuff in front of my face. I stopped though, when I realized he was attaching it to my ear and adjusting a setting on it. “Is that better?” he asked, which I understood perfectly. I nodded, remembering the universal translator that Teela had. I wondered if she was okay.
“I was glad I was able to choose you first, before anyone else could,” he said to me, ducking behind a screen to put on some clothes. I was not sure what was supposed to happen at this point. Was this where the mating ceremony began? I wished I still had someone from the glass room with me, but they were off with other Avroxee. The thought of where they could end up if they mated unsuccessfully lingered in the back of my mind, and I tried to distract myself by twisting the fibers on one of the blankets.
“So,” I began, finally, “Are we going to do this? Uh…mate?” The spaceman laughed. Not in a rude way. I could sense a hint of charm, and that he was entertained by me, somehow.
“You can call me by my name, Krult,” he said. He approached the bed, and I shrank back, pulling my lab coat closer to my body. “I was not going to harm you,” he said softly, “I know my people are…not the friendliest species in the galaxy. However, I’d chosen to not live like them.”
The Avroxee Mates Series: Boxset Bks 1-3 Page 2