Cyborg Heart

by Anna Lewis

  “It’s me,” he whispered. “You know me. You’ve seen me. You’ve felt me.”

  She shook her head.

  “This can’t possibly be real,” she replied.

  “But it is,” he insisted.

  A croak came from his feet and he looked down to find Fenneck reaching up with a tentacle to pat his arm.

  “Sire, we must be going. It’s getting late,” Fenneck said.

  The prince looked back at Melody who was still in a daze, her eyelids growing heavier.

  “Very well,” he said. “Take us home, Fenneck.”

  Slurping in response, Fenneck rolled to his chair and began pressing the buttons for their coordinates. He pushed a large lever forward and the ship began to move. Melody’s eyes went wide, looking around without moving her head.

  “Don’t worry, Princess. It’s just us moving,” Prince Tezod assured her.

  “This is so unreal,” she said. “I still don’t understand.”

  “In time, Princess,” he said. “In time.”

  ****

  The whirling of the engine steadily slowed as Melody gripped the edges of the chair she occupied. It was dark outside the window. Little lights popped into view and she stared in awe at the sight before her.

  Where darkness had once been, the sky emerged. A number of colorful clouds floated over the glass and around the ship, parting carefully to reveal a great expanse of land that seemed to stretch for hundreds of miles. The land was a bright green. It was much brighter than she had ever seen, the hills seeming to roll on forever over the expansive land.

  In the center of everything was a massive castle made of steel. It shimmered under the two suns in the sky, winking at her as they landed nearby at a docking station. A metal sheet came down over the window and Melody turned to the prince who was discussing something with Fenneck.

  “Send the guards to prepare her room,” the prince informed him.

  “What about the task at hand, Sire?” Fenneck asked.

  “We will discuss that later with the counsel,” the prince replied.

  “Very well, Sire,” Fenneck said.

  He rolled away without another word, Melody following him with her eyes. She looked up at Prince Tezod who extended his hand. She eyed him carefully. After a moment of thought, Melody extended her hand and stood with the prince. He led her out of the main control room and down a metal hallway where they exited the ship and stepped out on a red carpet.

  A crowd had formed in the time since they landed, a crowd of blue aliens all lined up and waiting in anticipation to witness their arrival. Over the speakers, an announcer said something in a foreign language and Melody blushed. She wasn’t used to being in front of a crowd. Timidly, she waved at the roar of applause and raised hands.

  She looked at Prince Tezod who wore a warm smile, seeming to be at ease in front of them all.

  “How can you do this?” she asked.

  “Do what?” he asked.

  “Stand in front of a crowd,” she replied.

  Prince Tezod shrugged lightly.

  “I’m used to doing it,” he said. “Ever since I was a child, I’ve been in the spotlight. It’s what I’m accustomed to doing.”

  “I can’t even stand in front of my boss without shaking,” Melody admitted.

  “Well, you don’t have to worry about that anymore,” he said.

  Melody shivered. The thought of never seeing the people she knew—even someone as insignificant as her boss—made her feel hollow. As they walked down the red carpet into the entrance of the castle, the crowd hummed with excitement. They were met instantly by a group of blue men inside the doors, each of them reaching out to touch Melody’s hand. She recoiled.

  “Stop it,” she commanded.

  All of them stepped back immediately, dropping their heads out of respect. Melody was shocked at their sudden obedience and she turned to Prince Tezod with her eyebrows raised.

  “The princess and I have matters to discuss,” he announced.

  Melody rolled her eyes.

  “I’m not a princess,” she whispered when the men dispersed.

  “There is much I need to explain. Please,” he said while gesturing towards the stairs. “Let’s get you settled in first.”

  Melody followed him up the carpeted steps, marveling at the portraits hanging all over the walls. They were incredible, practically reaching all the way up to the ceiling while boasting decorated aliens in each one.

  “Are these of your family?” she asked.

  Prince Tezod nodded.

  “They are, yes. We stretch back as far as your own Earth’s history. I was reading about your people during my trip. They seem to be a rather violent species. Always at odds. Always at war,” he explained.

  “We have quite a history,” Melody said.

  “As do we,” he said.

  Melody continued to follow him until he stopped at a door, holding his palm over a digital display. It beeped twice and the door unlocked, revealing a great room with a four-post bed. She followed him inside with her mouth agape. She had never seen a room that size. The sheer majesty of the items it held were overwhelming, her eyes washing over the colorful curtains, blankets, and lavish collection of bottles sitting on the dresser.

  “This is amazing,” she whispered.

  “It’s all yours. You can have whatever you like. I’ll replace anything you find doesn’t suit your needs,” he said.

  “That’s just too much,” she said.

  “How so?” he asked.

  “I’ve never been treated like this. I would never allow a stranger to kiss me, much less dote on me,” she replied.

  “But I did kiss you,” he said.

  “Which, by the way, probably won’t happen again,” she said quickly, averting her eyes to the large mirror behind the dresser.

  She studied her reflection. Prince Tezod remained a fair distance away from her, his eyes watching her movements closely. She had admittedly enjoyed the kiss. It had been months since someone had given her such a passionate embrace that it had aroused her senses. Maybe Lauren was right. Maybe she needed to get laid.

  When she turned around, the prince smiled warmly and bowed his head.

  “I’ll leave you to settle in. If you need anything, feel free to press the button next to your bed. Fenneck will respond immediately and see to your needs,” he informed her.

  Melody nodded.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  With a smile, the prince bowed deeply and walked to the door, closing it carefully behind him. Melody was left in silence. She looked around the room again, still overwhelmed by the wealth he possessed. There wasn’t an item that didn’t seem to be made of some expensive material.

  She ran her fingers along the elegant silk sheets, savoring the sensation of them between her fingers. The pillows were extra soft and she fluffed them before lying down on the bed. Everything felt real. It all looked real, too. It had to be real.

  “This can’t be a dream,” she whispered to herself. “It can’t possibly be a dream.”

  ****

  After she had spent time settling in, the confused Melody pressed the button next to her wall. The tentacled creature appeared and she reeled back from the screen.

  “Oh,” she said, startled.

  “My apologies, ma’am. Did you ring?” he asked.

  “I did,” she replied.

  “What can I get you, Princess?” he asked.

  “Please, don’t call me that. Could you tell Prince Tezod I’m ready to see him?” she asked.

  “Of course, ma’am,” he responded.

  His image disappeared from the screen and Melody squinted to study the contraption. Within moments, a knock came at the door and she stood to answer it, holding on to the knob as the door slid seamlessly open.

  “Ma’am,” the prince said with a slight bow. “Are you ready to go to the conference room?”

  “Conference room?” she repeated.

  “Yes. It is
where I will explain everything to you,” he replied.

  Melody nodded hesitantly, hugging her own shoulders. It was such a strange place and she felt out of place in her silky dress. She looked down at it, realizing she hadn’t even changed.

  “Do you have anything else I could wear?” she asked.

  “Oh, yes. Of course! How rude of me not to even ask!” the prince replied. “Come with me.”

  He led her to a closet in the corner of the room and tapped against the door. It slid open. He gestured towards the closet and stepped aside as Melody stepped in, her eyes wide at the bountiful collection of lavish clothing. Everything was made of silk and ranged from all the colors of the rainbow to ones she had never before seen. She plucked a yellow dress from a hanger and raised it to her face. It was as soft as a feather.

  Still in awe, she turned to the prince who was smiling in the doorway.

  “You can wear whatever you like, Princess. I will wait outside your door,” he said.

  The sound of him calling her a princess didn’t bother her in that moment. In fact, it made her feel warm. She had never been treated so well, or at least she had never encountered anyone with such wealth. When he left, she felt her thighs tingle in response to his absence, wanting to pull him back into the closet to repeat the kiss from earlier. It had felt so familiar. Everything about this place was familiar, even down to the way the air felt against her skin.

  Maybe it was true.

  After staring at the empty space where the prince had been standing, Melody turned around to the large mirror at the end of the closet and began stripping out of her party dress. She pulled on the yellow mermaid gown, smoothing the fabric while admiring it in the mirror. When she reached behind her to pull the zipper, she found herself struggling.

  She felt her face flush. It was tempting to call for the prince who was only ten feet away, waiting patiently outside her bedroom door for her to be finished. It was tempting to test her ability to trust him, but she also felt like it might be inappropriate. She went to the closet door and peeked around the corner, eyes full of wonder.

  “Prince Tezod?” she called.

  A blue head appeared around the corner of the bedroom door.

  “Yes?” he asked.

  She cleared her throat and brushed her hair nervously.

  “Would you mind zipping me up?” she asked.

  Timidly, the prince stepped forward and kept his head low while Melody turned around. She felt his hand rest on her shoulder and listened to the sound of the zipper slowly rising up her back. The metal was cold and rested between her shoulder blades, her eyes fixed on the carpeted ground. He was warm. His hand didn’t move even though he was finished and she found herself turning slowly to meet his green gaze.

  Her hand came up to meet his cheek. The blue skin twitched beneath her touch, his eyes fluttering briefly while she traced the skin over to his ear.

  “I know you,” she whispered.

  “I’ve visited you a thousand times or more,” he said.

  “I just can’t believe this isn’t a dream,” she said. “I’ve had the same dream since I was a child and I just thought my brain was imbalanced.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with you. Everything about you is perfect, Princess. I’m going to show you that,” he said.

  Melody sighed, her eyes slowly trailing down his chin, his neck, and his chest to the gold buttons of his vest. He was wearing purple satin inlaid with gold designs. She found herself tracing them with a red nail, the colors bright and blazing in the afternoon light. A blue hand rested over hers and brought it back up to his face.

  “I assure you I mean no harm and that everything I will show you is absolutely true,” he said.

  She watched his green eyes the entire time. They weren’t lying. Without hesitation, she leaned forward to taste his lips again, the sensation filling her gut, telling her that it was utterly right. Electricity grew in her belly and traveled through every limb, making her shiver with excitement at the touch of his hands against her hips. His hand smoothed around her hip to her back where it rested, gently pulling her into an embrace.

  An explosion in the distance broke them apart and Melody ran to the window, looking out at the great expanse of land. Smoke billowed in the distance.

  “What is that?” she asked.

  The prince stood beside her with a grim look upon his face, his eyes dim with worry.

  “That’s what we need to talk about.”

  ****

  “Our people have been at war with the Gluons since before you were born,” Prince Tezod explained.

  He stood over a glass desk, the display showing different pictures and documents about the history of the Eflorians. He enlarged an image with two fingers and then waved his hand, bringing it up into the air to be displayed in three dimensions.

  “This is Orwellgo Artnoak. He is the current leader of the Gluons. Our ancestors fought centuries ago and it’s been a blood bath ever since. He insists that we yield and give our planet to him and his counsel for safe keeping,” he explained. “But his intentions are not benevolent. This is what he’s done to our people thus far.”

  Melody stared in shock at the images Prince Tezod pulled up, some of them so graphic that she had to turn away to save the contents of her stomach. It growled loudly as she covered her face with a shaking hand.

  “That’s horrible,” she whispered.

  “It is, Princess. This is why we need you,” the prince said.

  “I don’t understand,” she said. “What does this have to do with me?”

  Prince Tezod took a deep breath.

  “You were taken from us at a young age. Your mother was an Earth woman who retreated during a time of war. Her husband at the time was Memnak the Great, a war veteran who had served much of his time defending us,” he replied. “You were part of the royal family before your mother disappeared with you. We’re not sure where Memnak has disappeared, but we presume he’s dead.”

  Melody looked up from the ground, the image disappearing back down into the desk. She raised a red nail to her lips and held it between her teeth, trying hard not to bite down into it. Her hand was shaking and she closed her eyes while gripping her knee to quell the panic rising in her chest.

  “How do you know all of this about me?” she asked.

  “My counsel located the diary of your mother. While we don’t like to breech privacy, it was necessary to discover the secrets of your whereabouts,” he replied.

  “This is so much to take in,” she said, fanning herself.

  “I realize that, and I am so sorry I have to tell you this way,” the prince said.

  “It’s just...” Melody trailed off, standing from her chair while hugging her shoulders. “It’s unbelievable. I mean, just yesterday I was designing a logo for a successful corporation and now I’m here on this foreign planet talking about war.”

  “I’m sorry I took you away from your career. Were it not for fate, I wouldn’t have disturbed you,” he said.

  “You know, I’ve spent my life wondering about that dream, wondering why it felt like it was supposed to happen,” she said. “And it feels right to be here. It all feels familiar and right.”

  “It comforts me to hear that,” he said.

  Melody looked down at the ground, her eyes growing dark.

  “But I’m scared,” she admitted.

  “I understand completely,” he said while walking around the desk.

  He held out his hand to Melody who took it immediately.

  “I don’t even know what else to say,” she said.

  “That’s all right. We can stop for now, but I want you to start training tomorrow morning,” the prince said.

  “Training?” she asked.

  The prince squeezed her hand, raised it to his lips, and kissed it, rubbing his fingers over the ridges of her knuckles.

  “The prophecy foretells a lost princess returning to her home with the power to defeat the enemy. It is a power hid
den within the blood of the royal family, but it skips a generation and always hides within the princess,” he explained. “You are the generation that has inherited this power.”

  Melody shook her head.

  “I’ve never felt powerful. How could I have powers? What would they be?” she asked.

  “They would be cosmic powers that would reveal themselves in time,” he replied. “That’s what the prophecy says.”

  Melody scoffed.

  “That seems so silly,” she said. “I just don’t see myself having any kind of power.”

  Prince Tezod placed his hand on her chest and gently pushed.

  “It’s here,” he said. “You have it here. It will come to you.”

  Flushing, Melody looked down at the blue hand covering her chest. She waited for it to move, even willed it to smooth over her breast, but it didn’t. Slowly, she withdrew her hand from his and turned to the large windows overlooking the land. Little houses dotted the area and fields filled with all sorts of agriculture covered every inch. It seemed to be a thriving planet.

  “You farm even though you have all this great technology?” she asked.

  “We have developed techniques far beyond the capabilities of less blessed planets. Our turn around rate with crops is a thousand-fold what it once was. What you can grow in a year can be grown here in a week,” he replied.

  “That’s incredible,” she whispered.

  “It’s what we’re good at. We trade with a number of neighboring planets, at least when we’re able to leave,” he said.

  The prince appeared at her side and placed his hand on her shoulder, the warmth comforting her skin.

  “Melody, I wonder if you would care to dine with me tonight,” he said.

  A wide smiled crossed her lips.

  “I would really like that,” she replied.

  “I would be such a happy Eflorian to have your company at my table. My troops have been able to stave off the dreaded Gluons for at least the next few days and my people are safe temporarily. We should celebrate such a small victory,” he went on.

  “I think that sounds wonderful,” she said.

  “I will have the cook prepare any traditional meals you prefer,” he said.