by Maia Starr
***
The thuse proved to be far simpler to drive than most machines on Earth, although I struggled at first with translating the written Verian language to operate the controls. Once I had the basics figured out, however, I was able to reverse the machine out of the area Jaize had parked it and sped down the road, sending a wish to every deity who could hear me to get me to my brother safely and help us return to Earth.
Before long, I was zooming at a terrifying speed down the long, deserted roadways, and every once in a while, a Verian would pass on his own thuse and stare at me in shock and wonder. I didn’t have time to worry about their looks though. As long as they weren’t pursuing me, I would focus only on the mission at hand and nothing more.
My heart began to pound hard in my chest as I started to draw nearer to the prison. Every landmark I recognized left me feeling distinctly optimistic. At least, until I realized that I had absolutely no way into the prison.
I almost turned back right then, but the thought of being able to see Luke again pushed me forward. Even if I died trying, it would be better than staying stuck in that house with those horrible people. I wanted so badly to be able to trust Jaize and believe that he was telling the truth when he said he had feelings for me, but if he knew anything, he would understand that the thing I wanted most in the world, no, the thing I needed, was my brother back in my life, safe and sound. No matter what the personal cost to me.
The memory of Luke fueled my determination, and I soon saw the tall buildings on the horizon, first the laboratory, and then the prison itself. I had no idea how to get inside, or where to go once I had, but I had to try something. I had the thuse. We could try to escape civilized Verian life until we were able to find a way to stow away back to Earth. Anything was possible. As long as I didn’t give up, I could make it back home with my brother. I had to believe that.
I quickly dismounted the thuse, hiding it in a pile of scrap metal and trash that looked like it had been there for centuries. If I found Lucas, I would bring him back here, and we would make our final escape.
I crept around the back of the laboratory, formulating the closest thing to a plan as I could. My heart raced as I approached the prison. I could go in and claim that I was sent on an errand to retrieve the boy for Commander Jaize Lorna. Maybe they would believe me. And even if they didn’t, it wouldn’t be worse than what was already happening.
I made my way toward the prison, my legs shaking and my hand pressed gently against the small mound of my belly. The idea of seeing Lucas again was making me feel giddy. That might have been why I didn’t hear the footsteps behind me.
Icy cold hands gripped my shoulders, and I was whipped around, until I was suddenly face to face with Karan, the scientist from the lab. His mouth was twisted in a sadistic smile, and my blood curdled immediately. I couldn’t run or hide; he had me held firmly in his grasp, and there was nowhere for me to go.
“Well look what I found,” he said gleefully, putting his face far too close to mine. I flinched back, but it only made him laugh. “And where is your little guard dog, human?”
I didn’t speak, hoping that maybe if I ignored the question, he would let me go. But he seemed keen on keeping me prisoner a little longer.
“I always heard humans were shy until you plied them with chemicals. Then they like to show off quite a bit. Do you find that to be true?”
Hot tears filled my eyes as Karan’s hand found its way to my hair and he tugged it harshly. “It isn’t polite to ignore a man when he is speaking to you. Then again, I have also heard that humans can be very, very rude.”
“Jaize…”
“Yes, your guard dog, as I said. I see he let you off the leash today, at any rate. One has to wonder who is the lead and who follows with the two of you. You have quite a sharp tongue, human. It’s a shame you’re holding it back. I do love a challenge.”
“Let go!” I shouted. A burst of strength emboldened me, and I twisted out of Karan’s grip, kicking at his kneecap and scrambling away.
“You sly little krocha!” Karan exclaimed. I ignored his words as I ran further and further away, gratitude overwhelming me when Karan stumbled over a piece of debris and nearly toppled over.
I ran with everything I had until I finally reached the door of the prison and dodged inside for shelter, my chest heaving rapidly as I shut the door loudly behind me.
“Hello?”
My voice echoed down the long corridors, and I had a sudden chill. The place was completely empty, or so it felt, devoid of all life. I had the sudden sinking feeling that I was in the wrong place. I wouldn’t find Luke here. But if he wasn’t at the prison, then where was he?
“I’ve got you now, krocha!”
I cried out in fear as Karan reached through the doorway of the prison and his fingertips grazed the collar of my shirt.
“What is the meaning of this?!”
A tall, dark-eyed Verian stepped toward us, seemingly from out of nowhere, with a spear-like weapon drawn upon us.
“Narei! This little human was taunting me! She—”
“Enough, Karan. Female, what is going on?”
I gaped at the man whose weapon was pointed right at my chest, and I held my hands protectively over the place where the child was resting.
“I…the men’s prison…a boy…” I shook my head and slumped against the wall. It had all been too much. I had no idea what I was trying to do here. I should have just stayed in bed where it was safe.
“A boy?” Narei asked, lowering his weapon in puzzlement. “Is she talking about Max?”
Karan shrugged. “She’s mine now; I saw her first!”
“Enough, Karan! We’re lucky to get any of the females back in breeding condition when you get your disgusting hands on them. This one is already with child. I won’t have you ruin the chances of a safe birth.”
“But, Narei!”
“That’s enough!”
A masculine, booming voice suddenly made all three of us jump, and the prison door slammed open. Jaize marched inside, his eyes glowing with fire.
“I told you not to touch her, Karan,” Jaize said, lifting Karan by the lapels of his shirt and slamming him against the wall. The rattle of the metal and Karan’s body was loud and frightening, and I flinched away from them, squeezing my eyes closed. I just wanted to be back in my bed. But nowhere on this planet seemed welcoming.
“Jaize, the human came in here babbling about a boy. Is she talking about Max?”
Jaize looked fiercely at me and then back at Narei with a broad but false smile on his face. “Yes, she is. I told her about how the soldiers were bullying him, and she had this crazy idea about bringing him back to my house to live with us.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Narei said with a snort. “That little krocha is good for nothing. In fact, his execution is scheduled for next week. We can’t waste resources on someone like this, and no doubt if we returned him, he would just grow into another soldier we would have to kill later. Better to think ahead.”
My stomach sank. Max was the name my parents had told Luke to use if we were ever in a compromised position. If what this man was saying was true, my little brother was scheduled to die at the hands of the Verians. Just like our parents had.
“Of course,” Jaize said, chuckling. “It was just a silly notion. But you know humans. Once they get an idea in their heads…”
“Tell me about it,” Narei said, shaking his head. “I work with them day in and day out. And I never get a break since Zaine disappeared. I won’t even get any time off for when Gretchai and I get married!”
“That’s a shame,” Jaize said, taking my elbow and leading me gently past the two men and through the prison doors. “We’re going to head back now. Pregnant humans are always so worried about the young. Maternal instincts; can’t blame her for it. I apologize sincerely for any trouble we may have caused you.”
“It was no trouble at all,” Narei said cheerfully.
I glanced
at Karan, who was staring at Jaize with a fierce glare on his face. I was suddenly beside myself with relief. Jaize was here. He had kept the situation from going from bad to worse. He was going to take me back so that I could sleep in my own bed.
When we were finally out of earshot of the other men, Jaize turned to face me. I thought he was going to be angry, but instead, I was shocked when he embraced me tenderly, kissing the top of my head and holding me close to his muscular body.
“Please, never do anything so reckless again, Yula,” he said. “I thought I had lost you.”
I lingered in his grip for a few blissful moments before it suddenly struck me. Luke was going to be killed. I pulled away from Jaize and looked him square in the eye.
“My brother—”
“I know,” Jaize said, shaking his head. “It’s heartless.”
“We can’t just let him be killed!” I exclaimed. “If you mean anything you said, you will help me get him out of this. Please!”
Jaize’s face looked troubled, and he took me by the arm and guided me to the bubble-like hovercraft he had parked haphazardly on the prison’s lawn. He must have heard me take the thuse and gone out to find me. It had been a stupid plan anyway. I hadn’t been thinking clearly.
“It’s going to be all right, Yula,” he said, carefully avoiding my plea and helping me into the hovercraft. “Let’s just get you home. You need to rest now and save your strength. Everything will look better in the morning.”
Chapter 9
Commander Jaize Lorna
Once I knew that Christina was safely sleeping in her room, I sat back against the wall and sighed deeply. It had been a hell of a day, for both of us. Now, knowing that the young man I had met earlier that day was definitely bound for execution, I had a choice to make.
If I attempted to rescue him, it would not only be a dangerous, probably failed mission, but it would also label me a traitor to my people. It was unlikely that I would succeed, especially considering my disease, but there was something that had been bothering me since we’d come back from the prison. I had lifted Karan easily, as if he were nothing but a tiny child. It almost felt like, at that moment, that I’d gotten a bit of my strength back.
But that was impossible. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling. The whole situation had given me a rush, a taste of the impossible. I couldn’t dare to dream of it being a permanent state, but the possibility of being cured left me feeling elated. It would be nice to feel like a real man again.
“Luke…”
I tensed up at the sound of Christina’s voice. She had been suffering deeply all night long, tossing and turning in a fitful, fever-like sleep. If I could rescue her brother, it would show her that I truly cared about her. That I would rather raise my family on the run from the powerful Verian government than I serve as Commander any longer.
Truthfully, living with Christina had been eye-opening. I had never known that humans could be so…charming. The same was true of young Lucas, who had proven to be quite endearing. The idea that I might have a son like that myself, someday soon, filled me with pride and giddy anticipation.
But the thought of the boy being executed put those feelings to a halt. I couldn’t just let him suffer like that. It was cruel and needless. Surely there was something I could do without compromising everything I had on planet Helna!
But what was it that I had, really? A wife who would be better off without me, a boss who hated me, and a thankless job for a government that worried more about mining resources from innocent people than promoting a peaceful way of co-existing with them? We had anti-human propaganda that had left me feeling, from a young age, that humans were vermin. I had worked hard to reach the top of the military’s career track so that I would have a chance to protect my people from the human enemy once and for all.
And now, I had fallen in love with one. But to love her also meant to love her family. A family my people had viciously torn apart and continued to harm, even as I sat protectively outside of Christina’s room.
I got to my feet, a growl lodged deep in my throat. I couldn’t let them execute Luke. He had done nothing wrong. He was just a child, in the wrong place at the wrong time. A child, not a casualty of war, or some kind of spy with intel on an ambush. And certainly not just a waste of space and resources. That was what was wrong with my planet. Everything was focused on the utilitarian aspect. So rarely were Verians focused on the non-material aspects of life. Aspects like love, or loyalty. The things that Christina needed from me that I wasn’t sure I knew how to give her.
But I knew one thing: I wasn’t going to make the mistake of letting her go so easily. And I wasn’t going to let any young child of mine be forced into a system of oppressive bondage to the Verian army. I was going to fight for the freedom of my family and win Christina’s heart once and for all.
***
I woke up early, after only an hour’s worth of rest, my plan fresh in my mind.
“Please, look after the human,” I asked the Pelin.
“Of course,” he said, with a low nod.
“I need you to drive her to the bay, later in the day. Make sure she’s there waiting for me by 2:00, Earth time. Use this.”
I slipped the watch off of my wrist and handed it to the Pelin. It looked huge in his little hands, and he knelt in acknowledgment of the request.
“You can’t let Malnia know where you have taken the human. She isn’t to do any further damage to her. Understood?”
“Yes,” the Pelin said seriously, and I knew by the sound of his voice that he took this job seriously. It had been unbelievable for Malnia to risk the life of Christina and the child the way she had, and a sobering event for the Pelin, who had taken quite a liking to the human.
I knelt to him, unsure of whether or not this would be the last time I would see him, and then stepped inside the cool guest bedroom where Christina was slumbering soundly.
I gazed at her for a moment, pain wrenching my heart. I lowered my lips gently against her temple.
“I may die trying,” I whispered, “but I will do everything in my power to bring your brother back.”
I left quickly, before Christina could stir and ask what I was doing hovering over her in her sleep, and headed for the prison. My heart tremored nervously as I made the trip. It was one I had made a thousand times before, but this time, I was terrified. Whether the place was understaffed or not, the Doyan was very particular about who worked there. It was under the supervision of some of the most experienced fighters on all of Helna, and the idea of confronting any of them, with the mysterious disease that continued to weaken me, was disturbing, to say the least.
“Jaize, hello!” Narei said, walking toward me when I crossed into the entrance. “I was just—”
“I’m sorry, Narei,” I said. His face flickered with confusion just before I struck him hard. He fell to the ground fast, and I studied my fist in disbelief. It hadn’t just been my imagination. Ever since Christina had gotten pregnant, it seemed I had been regaining my strength again, little by little.
And now, when I closed my eyes, I could almost feel the heartbeat of my tiny son or daughter as their strength urged me forward. I opened my eyes again, thrilled and determined to accomplish exactly what I set out to accomplish. With strength on my side once more, there was nothing to stand in my way.
I knelt beside Narei and dug through his pockets until I found the ring of keys and passcodes. I would find Luke and get him out of this place if it was the last thing I ever did.
***
I could hear the heavy snores of human men once I opened the door to the corridor, and knew immediately that I was in the right place. Narei had led me here once before, to his detriment, unfortunately, and I crept through the hallway as quietly as I could, peering in each cell until I found the one where Luke was sleeping.
“Max!” I hissed. One of the men stirred, but Lucas stayed asleep. Finally, I lost my patience and unlocked the door carefully. If I was too loud,
the men would end up charging out of the cell all at once, and I would lose my advantage.
I crept inside until I was standing just over the sleeping boy. I nudged him.
“Lucas,” I whispered. “Time to go.”
His eyes shot open, and he sat bolt upright, staring into my eyes fearfully.
“Please don’t hurt me!” he whimpered.
I clamped my hand over his mouth and lifted him up. “I’m here to save you, little Yul!”
His brow furrowed in confusion but he stayed silent until we were outside the cell. I sat him down on his feet and fumbled with the keys, peering at the lock.
As I attempted to lock the door behind us, a strong hand gripped my wrist and wrenched the key ring out of my hand.
“You shouldn’t have done that, Jaize!”
Narei shouted from behind the line of hulking Verian warriors, retired from battle and content to work the graveyard shift at the prison.
“Stay down!” I growled to Lucas. He nodded, his brown eyes wide in terror, and I turned to the group of men. They clearly hadn’t seen a good fight in years, and they were ready. I braced myself for the impact, and soon my fists were flying.
It had been almost four years since I had felt like myself, and with every connection my fists made to another Verian man’s flesh, the more alive I felt. Soon, I was giddy with the adrenaline and had knocked out three out of my seven opponents. Narei was watching from the sidelines with fear etched all over his face, occasionally trying to talk some sense into me.
“Think of your ranking!” he would shout, running behind the wall to avoid getting splashed with blood from one of the older men’s teeth getting knocked out. Or, “You have a hybrid on the way! What if their career is jeopardized because of your own foolishness?!”
But I was immune to his words. There was nothing left on Helna for me. Verian society had far more wrong with it than it had right at this point, and until they learned to compromise and appreciate humans, and vice versa, I couldn’t see myself taking either side in the war. There had to be somewhere that we could coexist without having to live in fear. And I was going to find it.