by Riley Moreno
"They are not from here?" Vanna asked.
Lucien gazed past her at some invisible spot on the horizon and sadly answered
"Not many that are from here are left. I am afraid my dear that you are looking at half of the population of Alpha Aquila."
Vanna was amazed "Half?" she asked. Just when she thought that she could not be any colder, a chill ran down her spine, causing her to shiver uncontrollably.
"Oh I am forgetting that you are here now." Lucien said "Now our population has skyrocketed to three." then added "hopefully the numbers can continue to increase at such a rate.
Vanna could not believe what she had just heard. She was one of only three people living on Alpha Aquiline. A planet so rich in history that it was a legend on Earth. She had known that they had suffered from a war with neighboring planets, a war that their bravest warriors had won but then she had heard whisperings of a plague contracted during the war by a soldier on a neighboring planet. He returned to Alpha Aquila and the disease had spread like wildfire. Vanna did not realize just how far-reaching the devastation had been until now. It had almost wiped out an entire alien species.
"It is our greatest secret" Lucien confided, "If any of our neighbors in the galaxy were aware of just how vulnerable we are, we would be conquered and wiped out immediately. I am afraid this is why we insisted that you not have any contact with your home planet after your arrival, even to your loved ones. You will be our salvation. So your majesty and new mother of Alpha Aquila, let's go see your new home."
Lucien had left Vanna to explore her new palace on her own. She was afraid that she would have to get used to being on her own now. As she wondered around the palace, she could not help but notice that although the facade bore a resemblance to the Taj Mahal, the inside contained technology that was not available on earth. The palace cleaned itself. Vanna had discovered this when she first stepped in and a few specks of dirt, that she picked up on her walk from the spaceship, fell to the floor and a motion-activated vent sucked them away. The interior was bright white and utilitarian, clean and sterile like a laboratory. It did not feel very homey to Vanna, who was used to the sound of the fire cracking and the sounds of her sisters laughter. Vanna passed by a grand dining room set for two on her way to discover the location of the kitchen. She was ravenous and although the dining room looked to be ready for the arrival of her fiancé, no one had told her exactly when that would be. He had not bothered to meet her upon her arrival and so she decided to stave off her hunger with a little snack.
Vanna wondered around the empty halls but did not notice a kitchen or a pantry. The majority of the palace was mostly just wide-open space. It made Vanna feel the cold more keenly. She would have preferred a smaller and cozier home if anybody had asked her, but they had not. Vanna opened door after door, only to be greeted by nothing but empty rooms until she discovered what she guessed was meant to be her bedroom. In it was a large bed with a plethora of soft-looking pillows and a pure white coverlet. In fact, everything in the bedroom was pure white. The carpets, the paint on the walls, everything. Vanna's eyes scanned the room and she noticed a pile of earthy worn brown cloth, looking just as she felt, like something that did not belong. She smiled and rushed over to her old clothes. She thought that they had been destroyed. She was so grateful for a reminder of home that she sank to the ground and began to weep with joy. She allowed herself a few minutes to grieve than picked up the pile of cloth to wipe her eyes. When she did she felt a bulge. Could it be? She reached into the pocket and discovered three cherries left over from the stash that she had plucked upon leaving her home. She thought that she had eaten them all but here were three more, looking as ripe and fresh as they had the day 25 years earlier when she had thought she had tasted the fruit from her mother's garden for the last time. Vanna placed one cherry reverently in her mouth and savored the taste. It made her weep again. She felt nourished and comforted by the cherry. Vanna removed the pit from her mouth and placed it back in the pocket of her brown clothes. She was worried that if she placed it anywhere else, the house might think it was dirt and it would disappear forever like the dust from her feet. Now that Vanna felt a little better, she was ready to begin opening the remainder of the doors in the palace, although she suspected that she would find nothing more than emptiness. She got back onto her feet and headed out the door when she heard the faint but unmistakable sound of a doorbell chime. Her dinner-guest had arrived.
Vanna rushed to the door, eager to meet the man that she was to marry. She took a moment to pat her hair into place and inhaled a deep breath as she turned the handle and pushed the door open. What she found waiting for her on the other side of the door was a pair of Emerald green eyes. They were a shade of green that Vanna had not seen before on earth, somehow more vibrant and alive than any tree, or bush, or blade of grass had ever been. They reflected light just as Lucien's brown eyes had. That pair of eyes astounded her for a moment, but the longer she stared into them, the more she realized that they were a deep sadness that made her feel closer to Earth than she did to the man standing in front of her.
"Hello Vanna." a soft, but preoccupied, voice said. "I am Jarab" He bowed formally and shallowly while Vanna stared back at him. She was not sure what to say. She did not know if she wanted him to take her into his arms and kiss her gently on the mouth or grab her by the wrists and escort her back to the shuttle, demanding that she return to earth. "Shall we get on with it?"
"Of course" she answered coldly. She wasn't sure if the iciness in her voice was a direct result of the frigid temperature that had surrounded her since she left home, or a reflection of the frosty manner in which her betrothed had greeted her. "Please come in" She tried again, hoping that some grain of hospitality and warmth would somehow express itself through her words.
If Jarab noticed that she was trying her best to be friendly toward him, he didn't show it. He simply stepped over the threshold and went directly into the dining room. Vanna supposed that he had the floor plan memorized, Lucien had said that Jarab had studied the greatest architecture on Earth in order to design her new home. The sinking feeling that outside appearances might be the only thing that Jarab concerned himself with. Perhaps he couldn't see how cold and lonely she was or worse yet, maybe he could see quite clearly the state of her discomfort but simply did not care.
The table that Vanna noticed earlier now had a steaming covered dish that smelled divine. Vanna had forgotten how hungry she had been just a few moments before but her stomach grumbled, reminding her that she needed nourishment. Lucien glided toward the head of the table, without so much as glancing at Vanna, pulled out his chair and sat down.
"Aren't you hungry?" He asked.
"Yes" Vanna mumbled.
"Then let's eat".
Vanna made her way toward her own chair at the foot of the table but stopped in her tracks. Did Jarab expect her to serve him? She wasn't sure. She did not know if he did not care to follow the rules of etiquette or if rules of etiquette even existed on this planet.
"Sit down." he said "The food will come to you." It's a technology that I perfected last week.
Vanna sat and the serving bowl rolled toward her. Just as Jarab had said, the bowl served her a steaming bowl of soup. Vanna waited while the bowl rolled over to Jarab’s place and served him. When he raised his spoon, Vanna mirrored his movements and she began to eat. The soup was delicious. Vanna could taste familiar ingredients mingled with new ingredients that her taste buds had not yet experienced. The result was satisfying. She ate the contents of her bowl in silence. Jarab was not making eye contact with her. He was not even eating his meal.
"Aren't you hungry?" She asked.
"I do not get hungry" he answered. "The Aquiline no longer require nourishment from other forms of biological life as you humans do. Instead, we have developed a nutrient-filled tablet that we consume upon rising every morning. That tablet releases the exact amount of energy necessary for optimal motor function and brain wave
activity to sustain life each day."
Vanna was amazed. She had never heard of such a thing.
"Then why are you having dinner with me?" She wondered aloud.
"Lucien required me to, as a formality. He thought that it would make you feel more at home."
Nothing could be further from the truth. She had hoped that Lucien's pronouncement that Jarab was preoccupied and busy upon the hour of her arrival would be a temporary one, but she was slowly discovering that loneliness would be a situation to which she would need to grow accustomed to.
"If you are finished, then I shall let you rest. It is imperative that we begin fulfilling our purpose to create new life, to save my race. We need to continue to care for Alpha Aquiline."
Vanna could not believe his blunt declaration. Was there to be no marriage ceremony, no exchange of vows? She remembered the day that her father had told her of the arrangement made by her grandfather. Her grandfather had squandered the family fortune and had been forced to hire himself out as a mercenary in the war between Alpha Aquila and its enemy Rathbus. It was dangerous work and her grandfather had been generously compensated for it. He was cruel by nature, which made him a valuable fighter. Vanna had grown up secretly despising him yet respecting his sacrifice. Yes he had been the one responsible for losing the family fortune, but had fought valiantly and won twice what he had lost before he had returned to Earth triumphant. All respect had disappeared in a flash when her father came to her bedroom weeks after her grandfather had passed away. He fell into Vanna's arms sorrowful and sobbing as he told Vanna what he had discovered. Vanna's grandfather had not made his fortune solely from bravery and heroics. He had also struck a bargain. He had helped the Aquinas win the war against Rathbus but had also seen the effects of the disease that was spreading like wildfire through the planet, killing every Aquiline who was exposed. He had stolen an antidote for the plague and exchanged it for a vast fortune.
"I had always known that my father deceived the Ruler of Alpha Aquila" he admitted, "but I did not know how uncaring his evil heart was." Vanna's grandfather had included a clause in the contract, that if the one and only antidote was to be given to the male heir or Alpha Aquila's ruler, Vanna's own grandfather would provide his own female offspring and they would join together to repopulate Alpha Aquila.
"You know that my father never had a daughter. Her father sobbed. "I always thought that it was a blessing, but my darling child, the contract is iron-clad and very specific. If my father never gave life to a daughter of his own, than Alpha Aquila would wait until a granddaughter blossomed into maturity to fulfill the obligation.
"Does the contract specify that the obligation be fulfilled by the eldest daughter?" Vanna asked.
"It does not"
Vanna was relieved, but this relief lasted for a mere moment. If she did not go than it would have to be one of her sisters. Clarissa or Isobel would have to leave their home forever. They would be burdened into entering a marriage with an alien and have to conceive child after child until the Aquiline were satisfied that the future of their race was secure.
Vanna loved her sisters; she had helped her father raise them since the day that they had been born. It was a difficult delivery and Vanna's mother had died shortly after she discovered that the twins had been born. She knew that the twins could not bear to be separated, that if one sister were to leave the other behind, the life would dwindle from both of them. Her sisters were two halves of a whole. It had always been like that. Clarissa and Isobel had a bond that Vanna did not always understand, and often envied, but also respected. It was because of that knowledge that Vanna told her father, without any misgiving creeping into her voice, "I will be the one to go. It will be a great honor to be the mother of a new race. I will go to Alpha Aquila."
The slam of the door brought Vanna back from her reverie. Back to Alpha Aquila. Back to loneliness. A shiver ran down Vanna's spine. Will I never be warm again? She wondered.
The next morning Vanna arose. The sunlight streamed into her bedroom. Vanna gazed out the window and discovered something that she had not noticed the previous night. What she thought was a window, was not a window at all but a doorway to a barren courtyard. Vanna stepped outside and looked up at the pink sky. The courtyard was small. There was only a small patio and rich dark brown dirt but it excited her. Inside she felt like a bird in a cage, but out in her courtyard, she felt more like herself. She had loved to spend time in her mother's garden at home. She tended to it lovingly. She had learned how to garden by working side by side with her mother, and before she could even walk, she could recognize if a sprout belonged in the garden, or was a weed that should be discarded in order for the plants and flowers to have room to grow.
Vanna stepped outside her front door. She had dressed carefully and wanted to hastily make her way to Jarab's laboratory. Life had taught her long ago that it was just best to get on with things. She knew what her duty was and she would do everything in her power to fulfill it. Even if it meant being paired with another who did not value her. She imagined that Jarab thought nothing more of her than as a vessel to bear his offspring.
"Good morning darling" Lucien said, startling Vanna. "I thought you might like company on your way to the laboratory.
"Yes thank you"
"How did you sleep?" Lucien asked, with genuine care. This is a man who loves deeply, Vanna thought. She recognized a loyal and nurturing spirit in Lucien. He reminded her so much of her mother. She couldn't help but smile at him, even though her reply was not quite what she thought he would be hoping.
"Not very well I am afraid"
"Why is that my dear?"
Vanna wasn't quite sure.
"Was the bed not to your liking?"
"Oh no, nothing like that. I was just a little cold." Vanna answered. "and lonely" she thought.
"I shall place another blanket in your room for you to use tonight. Hopefully that will help."
Vanna was nervous about what the day would bring but Lucien did his best to keep her thoughts from wandering too far as they made their way to the Lab. He entertained her with stories of happenings at the palace before Alpha Aquila had been devastated by first war, then the plague. It seemed like a place that was so full of life. The Aquline seemed to be the complete opposite of what she had witnessed from Jarab last night. More like Lucien than Jarab. She thought.
"Here you are my dear. You will find Jarab on the third floor" He hesitated and then added "He has had a very difficult time you know. I am old and do not have the same burdens as Jarab so it is easier for me to remember happier times. I desperately hoped over the many years that we were awaiting your arrival that you would be able to help Jarab remember what it is like to be happy. How it feels to smile..." He trailed off.
"If only I could." thought Vanna. She had so much love to give. She would devote herself to anybody who would show her love in return but when she thought of Jarab 's stand-offish manner and matter-of-fact pronunciations last night, she did not feel as if he deserved her adoration. Her love was bound to be wasted, like her father's love for her mother. It had been buried along with her mother's body. But at least it had been allowed to grow.
Vanna went through the laboratory doors and got into the elevator. As the elevator ascended to the third floor Vanna found herself wishing that it was the 30th floor, or the 300th. She needed a few moments to calm her rapidly beating heart. Why was she so nervous to see Jarab again? Vanna expected to have to search the glacial laboratory for Jarab, she thought that she would find him lost in his work. She imagined herself standing at his side, patiently waiting for him to turn around and notice her. She was afraid that she might have to wait indefinitely, she did not think that Jarab would find her worthy enough to take his eyes off of his experiments.
She was wrong. The doors of the elevator opened and Jarab was standing there looking just as nervous as she felt. Amidst his vulnerability, Vanna thought that perhaps she had judged him too harshly. He was breathtaki
ngly handsome. Those eyes. If she hadn't thought that they were always regarding her as somehow inadequate, she could get lost in those eyes.
"Greetings Vanna". Jarab said in a clipped manner. What little tenderness Vanna had felt toward him began to diminish.
Again he turned, expecting her to follow and because she had no other choice, no other way of moving on with the purpose she had come here to fulfill, she followed. As they went through the maze of the laboratory, Jarab explained experiment after experiment, technology after technology. All developed by him, all developed to benefit Alpha Aquila. If Jarab was to be a distant lover, at least Vanna could have the hope that he would dispense some of the love that he held for his planet onto their offspring. They were to be his heirs after all, not to mention the salvation of his planet.
Vanna was lost in thought and did not hear the last few things that Jarab had said to her. She almost missed his question.
"I know that it is not how they do things on earth. but it is a much more efficient process."
"I'm sorry, what?"
Jarab sighed. "I was explaining to you the process by which we are to procreate."
"I think that I have an idea, no experience of course," She blushed, "but an idea"
If she didn't know any better, she thought she might have seen Jarab stifle a fleeting grin.
"No Vanna, that will not be necessary. It's all very Scientific. We are not to reproduce in the traditional way. We do not have to become lovers. All I need from you is to harvest your eggs. All the rest will be done right here in the lab. You will of course need to carry and nourish the children once they are born. You will be allowed a brief recovery period and then we will do it again." Jarab sounded to Vanna as if he was reciting the speech from a script. Vanna had had enough. She came here to save her sisters from the terrible fate that was a result of the careless bargain that her grandfather had made. She traveled in space for 25 years all the way to Alpha Aquila. She had come to be the mother to a new race. Not to serve as a lab rat in some deranged lifelong experiment.