Alien Romance Box Set: Romantic Suspense: Alien Destiny: Scifi Alien Romance Adventure Romantic Suspence Trilogy (Complete Series Box Set Books 1-3)

by Ashley L. Hunt

  They all look at me now. I’m not sure what they’re asking me to do, though.

  “I will gladly do it, but how do you know for sure that this thing has a turn-off switch? Isn’t that a bit too convenient?” I say.

  Pyro is the one that replies to me now. “In all the Organization’s files regarding the artifact, the reports clearly state that the destruction of the opposing species was a matter of choice and not a random event. If you can choose to kill someone, then you can also choose to not kill anyone.”

  These were the most words in a row that I’ve heard the man utter throughout this last year.

  This is then, buddy. The endgame, I hear Dark Jay say in my head.

  I can’t help but agree with him.

  “Okay. I’ll give it a try. But do you have any idea how I can do it? Or should I just jump in there and hope that everything plays out well?”

  No one talks. It’s only me and this crazy plan then. Once again, facing impossible odds, I must save a whole species from going extinct. Maybe it’s a bit too convenient. Haven’t the Esuh made their choice when they decided to use the cube many millenniums ago? What if the cube doesn’t accept me as its chosen user because of that?

  “Uhm...I think you have to see this,” Silver suddenly says.

  She tunes every monitor of the bridge to the Grid, playing a video of a human man wearing a black suit, getting ready to give a speech before countless of journalists and politicians.

  “Today is a bad day for humanity. For the second time in our long history, humans have to abandon their home planet and fly away from the paradise named Yaerus. After this act of terrorism, the biological warfare that brought to us the walking corpses, the Council of the United Species decided to authorize the Purge of the human home planet and grant us, the human species, another place to erect the center of our civilization.”

  Alyce is on her feet now, her hand cupping her mouth. Everyone around me is looking at the monitor like it’s the last thing they will do in their life.

  “Where is my father? How did he allow for the Purge to take place? He wouldn’t let any of these to happen if he was there,” she suddenly says.

  They all look at her and then at me. I have to stop something this small from setting off and destroying a whole civilization. For the first time in my life, I feel the burden of failure dragging me down. What if I actually fail?

  You’re weak, Jasih. Let me take over and I’ll make sure to destroy this fucking thing.

  “No!” I say out loud.

  I run out of the bridge. Everything is so messed up right now

  Chapter Fifty-Eight

  Eladia

  Seeing Jay storm out of the room makes me feel uncertain of how our mission will turn out. Being this big and this confused at the same time it’s a dangerous combination. In times like this, Jay changes to his dark self.

  Strangely, I feel eager for that moment. What is wrong with me? I thought I would be happy with him for the first time since we met, Jay, who finally started sharing his feelings with me and all. And it’s a great thing, I know, but it’s always the same routine. No adventures, no passion, no nothing.

  This man, the platinum-skinned Jay, is the one I wanted to be with in the past, the Jay I needed back when I was still a frail woman unable to protect myself. But now, now that I’ve seen the other side of the coin and had my share of adventures, I’m not so sure I can be with him anymore. It’s like the softer he becomes, the less passionate I feel about him. I’m imprisoned into a cycle of denial, a decision that keeps coming back to haunt me in the worst way possible.

  I keep doubting him and his decisions. And with the purge of Yaerus on the table now, we all have to work as a team to actually end this mission.

  Everyone has frozen in place after the announcement the human ambassador, Mr. Terasaka, just made. We’re still five days away from arriving at Yaerus, but to set up a Purge, they will need at least a week. That gives us a time window of two days to infiltrate, solve the Great Mystery that no one else has managed to solve from the beginning of time itself, and then get out of there alive.

  Are we fucking crazy?

  “Don’t worry, Eladia. He’ll pull it through. You know he will,” Silver suddenly says.

  She helps me to snap out of the spiraling chaos called doubt. I smile at her and turn my body to face her. “I know, I know. It’s that...I’m not the same human I was when I first met him. I don’t trust anyone other than myself anymore. I just feel that there’s some kind of barrier separating us, and I can’t kick it down by using brute force.”

  Silver looks a bit shocked by my language. Last time we talked so casually, I was a hesitant, helpless girl that was in no way into this kind of thing. But now, I’m a fighter, a warrior, an assassin. This time, I’m so much more than just a bystander.

  “You don’t doubt him. You doubt yourself. Jasih is the same as before. He just decided to open up to you, to make you the one person deemed worthy to trust. But now you’re the one not trusting yourself,” Zan suddenly jumps into the conversation.

  It still shocks me how perfectly he speaks the language like he’s native or something. Also, he’s taller, his shoulders are broader, and he’s no more awkwardly shaved. He’s a man, the likes of Dale and Jay. Maybe even more so since the kid never lies. It’s in his nature to speak his mind clearly.

  Still, to have such a great insight at his age, it’s amazing. I wouldn’t expect anyone other than him to give me advice like that. It’s like he understands the situation more clearly than us living it.

  “You’re right. It’s probably me that I don’t trust, not him. He’s perfect now, and I’m the damaged one.” I turn and look at Silver. At that moment, I see her staring at Zan. He stares her back and nods. “What’s going on?”

  “Eladia, I’ve meant to talk to you since you arrived. Of course, I didn’t want to bother you since you just met Jay after so long, but there’s something we have to discuss.”

  I don’t think I like where this conversation is going. “What’s going on? You’re making me nervous Silver.”

  Zan turns to face me, as does Silver. Is this some kind of intervention? No, I don’t think so. This is something else entirely.

  “I’m not sure if you’ve noticed it, but since I met Zan, we’re inseparable. He’s the first one I save every time we’re in danger, and he’s the first one I talk to when I learn something. At first, I thought our relationship was based on research interest only, but I’ve seen changes in my code that I never thought possible.”

  “I’m not sure I understand, Silver. What kind of changes?”

  She stops; she actually stops to add a dramatic pause to her narration. Are androids possible of such interaction? Of that level of autonomous thinking?

  “I feel happy when I’m around him, and sad when not. When he’s sleeping, I feel lonely, and my systems don’t function that well. I think that...that I’m starting to evolve into a sentient life form, Eladia” she concludes.

  I feel my head going blank for the millionth time this week. Everything has changed throughout this year. Even Silver has changed radically. He’s a powerful artificial intelligence now, so powerful she’s almost sentient.

  “I...I don’t know what to say, Silver. Maybe you have to get to a repair center and reset or--”

  “I don’t want to reset. I mean, I don’t think it would make a difference even if I did. One year ago, I was just out of the repair center, and then that thing in the Great Embassy happened. Zan was again the first one I saved, even though you were the one closer to me. Do you remember? My system should have reacted differently, but this isn’t a malfunction, Eladia. This is life in the work.”

  Zan is smiling at her. He’s so happy to hear her say all these things. Still, I’m not sure he understands the full extent of what Silver says.

  “Look, I won’t lie to you. I don’t know what’s going to happen to you now that this thing started. If you don’t want to stop it, then
don’t. But be careful Silver. You’re not the first AI that thought it was becoming sentient only to be stopped short by its capacity for feelings.”

  Silver seems to understand, but Zan doesn't. “What do you mean? She can have as many feelings as she wants. Right?”

  “It doesn’t work like that,” I say. “Androids are not built to feel, not even think independently. The user gives them a command, then they process that command and utilize their powers to accomplish it. After the command is achieved, their system returns back to the default state.

  “Now, if Silver starts thinking independently, like starting to create memories for example, and then feelings, her memory won’t be able to handle all that data in the long run. She will start confusing reality from memories, and will even forget you, even if you’re the one closer to her all the time.”

  Silver probably hasn’t said anything to him for a good reason. The boy is in love with her. She didn’t want to hurt the poor boy. And I went on and crudely told him the truth. Still, Silver doesn’t seem mad at me, not at all. She’s just sad.

  “I don’t care,” Zan suddenly says. “I still want to spend the rest of our lives together. Is that too selfish of me?”

  I smile at him and shake my head. “No. Not at all. It’s just another way of being human. That’s all,” I say to him.

  At that moment, it dawns on me. My answer is lying in front of me, on the faces of my beloved friends.

  “I have to tell him the truth. To tell him that I’m in love with his other self.”

  Silver nods, as well as Zan. They both look at me, trying to think of a better way to fix this situation, but I’m certain that it doesn’t exist. It seems like it’s just another day in hell, and I’m the main protagonist.

  “Truth can be liberating, Eladia. Especially regarding you two. You lied to him too many times already. Don’t you think it’s time to start telling the truth?” Silver says.

  That’s exactly what I think when I ride the elevator to his room. I know he’s upset about what happened to the meeting, but if I don’t do it now, then I will never do. It’s now or never.

  Walking down the hallway to his room, every moment we spend together passes through my head. He’s kind, thoughtful, stoic, powerful; Jay is the man that every woman wants.

  But, Dark Jay is something else entirely. He’s something new and shiny, a person that amazes me every time he appears. I don’t know why I choose him over the platinum-skinned man, but it’s my final decision.

  Standing outside his door, I feel like I’m not supposed to be here. It’s like someone else is ready to get in and tell him the truth. I’m not the Eladia that I was the first time we slept together, and it’s certain that I’ll change even more in the future. But, if I want, to be honest with him and with myself, I have to talk to him about my true feelings.

  I knock on the door.

  “A moment,” he says.

  No, I need more time. A minute? Two minutes? Yeah, that would be better. Still, we can’t have everything we want, right? The door opens to reveal a shirtless, silver body. He’s gorgeous, as always.

  “Oh, it’s you,” he says, jovially.

  What the hell are you doing, Eladia?

  Chapter Fifty-Nine

  Jay

  Eladia is standing outside my room. It’s a nice surprise, although I’m not in the mood for a fuck right now. I have many things in my mind that I want to sort out before arriving at Yaerus. Still, since she’s already here, I can’t help but smile and invite her in. My room is her room, and she already knows that, but she seems hesitant to come in for some reason. She’s waiting for me to invite her inside.

  “Come on in,” I finally say.

  “Thanks,” she says.

  I pick up a strange vibe; she’s not in the mood for fucking, too. Although it shouldn’t, it bothers me.

  “It’s nice spending some time with you all alone,” I continue.

  She nods but walks straight into my bedroom. Maybe she’s in the mood after all. I don’t know, I’m confused. Women of all species seem too complicated to figure out.

  I follow her and find her sitting on my bed, her face hidden behind her hands. She seems sad for some reason.

  “Is everything okay?” I ask her.

  She doesn’t reply to me. Instead, she sighs and raises her head to look at me. There’s a storm brewing in her eyes. They’re a red around the edges and deep and somehow hazy. Eladia is looking at me but at the same time, she doesn’t.

  “I...I’m not sure. There’s something I have to tell you,” she says.

  Oh no! Trouble in Paradise, Dark Jay suddenly comments sarcastically on the situation. He picked up her foul mood himself and decided to make matters even worse for me. I swear, sometimes it’s like we’re the exact opposite of one another. I can’t seem to understand how he’s thinking.

  I sit beside her on the bed and look straight into the eyes. She turns away, but I stretch my hand and gently pull her back. Eladia is so beautiful when her hair is down, especially now that she cut them short and can’t gather them in one of those hideous ponytails. It’s so much better this way. Still, she won’t talk to me if I don’t push her.

  “Talk to me. What’s wrong? Don’t you like our plan? There’s still time to change it if you disagree,” I say.

  She gives me a mirthless smile, one devoid of any feelings. It gives me the impression that I have no clue what I’m saying. I don’t like that expression.

  “It isn’t about the plan, Jay. It’s about us. I...I don’t where to start from,” she says.

  My heart stops for a moment. I freeze in place and can’t think clearly. Is she trying to break up with me? To push me away? But, why? We’re so good together. Our sex is perfect, the passion between us is strong. I don’t understand what’s going on in her mind right now.

  And that pisses me off.

  I stand up and move away from her. I’m not sure I want to be sitting next to her right now. I take a deep breath and lean against the door frame.

  “What’s wrong with you? Why are you so determined to always fuck everything up? We’re so good together! I fucking trust you now, more than anyone in this world. Isn’t that what you wanted all this time?”

  I’m angry; anger makes me lose control of my body and right now I don’t want Dark Jay coming out of its hiding. I can feel him stir in there, waiting for the right moment to shatter my defenses. And Eladia is doing a fine job helping him.

  “It has been over a year since we last met, Jay. You can’t blame me for having second thoughts. You’ve...changed. You’re not the same man I fell in love with. I don’t know what I want anymore. I’m happy you trust me, but…,” she says.

  “But? But what? So now I’m the one that isn’t good enough for you? You didn’t seem to have a problem last night or the night before when I was sticking my dick inside you. Is that what I am to you? A toy you can play with?”

  Words come out of my mouth all by themselves. I’m not sure who am I anymore, what I’m saying. I just want to make her feel shitty, the same way she makes me feel right now.

  “It’s not like that, Jay. You know that all the moments we shared were real. But...but I think I’ve fallen for someone else.”

  Numbness quickly replaces anger in my body. I can’t talk anymore. I can’t think straight. I stand still, glancing at her, through her, above her, below her. I’m trying to understand the subtext of this conversation, but I’m not sure I get it.

  “Are you fucking with me, Eladia? Did Pyro make you say all these nonsense? Maybe one of the siblings?”

  She shakes her head. I stride towards her, grab her by the shoulders and shake her.

  “Please! Tell me it was one of them. I will understand, I promise. I won’t get mad. Just please, tell me that this is a joke.”

  I don’t recognize myself. Every minute of my previous life passes through my head, and I don’t remember ever feeling this way. I’ve made a fool of myself in front of a woman, an
d I can’t stop it.

  Tears run down her face. “I’m in love with your other self, your dark self. At least...at least that is what I think I’m feeling. I just want to talk to him for five minutes, to clear things out and then...”

  I release her and hurry into the bathroom. I watch myself in the mirror as I wash my face. I see an old man with black hair and purple eyes; a tired, fool man. I’m trying to see what’s wrong with me for believing that someone could have fallen in love with a monster like me, an alien whose people are long dead.

  But, I can’t find an excuse.

  Her words echo in my head so loudly that I lose the sense of time. Maybe an hour has passed or just a second; I don’t know how long it has been, but I find myself changing into my other self. I see the black matter cover the tips of my hands. I knew that someday I would have to use him to help me, but never in that way. Now, giving him control like that, I know it’s the last time.