by Maia Starr
“I have business to attend to. Please do as I asked and get the human some decent clothing.”
“Of course, sir,” Trillis said, bowing her head as I left the room.
It took all I had not to slam the door of my hovercraft once I got inside. Who did that female think she was? How long was it she had been on Jenal’k? Was she an expert on our weather now that she had stood under the suns for five minutes waiting to join me in the hovercraft? Why didn’t she seem to get that I was only trying to protect her?
No, she wasn’t going to believe that for a second. To her, I was nothing but a lowly captor who only wanted to use her for my own selfish ends. It didn’t matter what I really thought or felt. When did it ever? We all had our place in this world, and mine was apparently to quietly accept that everybody around me was simply going to make up their mind about what I was, whether I felt like I was that way or not.
I was still in a huff when I burst through the palace doors.
“Where have you been?”
I glared at the ground before meeting the eye of Grath, Aloitus’ right-hand man. “Taking care of personal matters.”
“That won’t do. Supreme Leader Aloitus had choice words for you this morning.”
“Of course he did,” I mumbled under my breath.
“What was that?” Grath asked.
“Nothing,” I said, finally looking him in the eye.
“Never mind. Please follow me. The Supreme Leader is awaiting your arrival.”
I followed Grath through the winding hallways of Aloitus’ palace, eyeing the decorative statues and art lining the walls. Aloitus had very expensive taste, and some of the most prominent artists in the galaxy were featured on his walls; pieces that likely cost money that Aloitus had taken right out of the pockets of citizens of Jenal’k.
“Zerk’k! Where have you been?”
“Attending to personal matters,” I repeated.
Apparently there was an echo in the palace.
“Personal? Nothing is personal here. You took a human without permission! I hadn’t assigned anybody yet. What’s the meaning of this?”
Aloitus pursed his lips at me. I could have punched him in the face for the power trip he was obviously on. Nothing I was doing seemed good enough. He just wanted to cause trouble. Was being the leader of Jenal’k really so boring that he had to cause needless issues with those beneath him?
“I made my selection early on. You told me you had full confidence in me before I left, and to choose whichever female I wanted. As Second in Command, you’d think I’m owed that much at least.”
Aloitus stared at me for a moment and dismissed his guards with the nod of his head. My stomach dropped. That usually meant he was going to say something he didn’t want anybody else to hear. And that was generally a very bad thing.
“You can tell me the truth, Zerk’k. We’re friends here. You probably couldn’t wait to see what it’s like to copulate with a human.”
I cringed. Luckily, before I answered, Aloitus resumed speaking.
“I’ll tell you the truth. I couldn’t wait either. I snagged one of those little creatures myself last night. What did you think? It’s way better than our own females. They’re so exotic!”
Ah, so that was the real reason Aloitus had called me in. He wanted to compare notes and pretend he had a real friend to “guy talk” with. I was used to this and did my best to remain polite.
“The human females are quite different,” I said, trying not to let myself get pulled back into the memory of the night before. In truth, I had never even hoped to experience anything so sensual and fulfilling as what I had shared with Lain. But knowing that she wasn’t happy to be on Jenal’k, or with me in general, just made my insides swirl painfully.
“How did it go?” Aloitus asked, lowering his voice and coming in close to me, a sickening grin twisted on his face. “I have to admit, I’ve never felt that way before.”
“No, I haven’t either,” I said truthfully, though it felt wrong to speak about something like this with Aloitus. The feelings I was experiencing for Lain were hard for me to understand and accept. They seemed far too personal to gossip about. Especially when I knew I’d be in huge trouble for taking a fixation with a human too far.
Nobody saw the human females on Jenal’k as suitable partners in the long term. They were just here for breeding purposes. Then, if all went well and we knew we could trust them to keep our secrets, maybe they would be allowed to return back to Earth. Although I had to admit, the chances of that happening were very slim. Perhaps if we got our hands on one of the serums that the Vellreq used to wipe the memories of their victims clean.
Regardless of what ended up happening with the humans, Aloitus would waste no time in punishing me for needlessly complicating things with them by developing inappropriate feelings for one of them. I was having a hard enough time forgiving myself. I was almost ready to welcome the punishment for my conduct and get the whole thing over with.
“You know, Zerk’k, I’ve been meaning to ask you, what do you think the hybrids will look like? I think it’s funny that the two of us are probably going to be the first to find out. I should delay breeding for a few weeks to guarantee it. Wouldn’t that be something? Then our spawn would have a higher chance of getting good roles on Jenal’k.”
I cringed inwardly, still uncomfortable reducing my experience with Lain to this base chit chat.
“With all due respect, sir, the population situation is severe. We should begin breeding as soon as possible.”
Aloitus waved his hand in the air dismissively.
“Of course, of course. It’s just nice to have something that nobody else has, isn’t it?”
Again I was forced into a memory of the sweet feeling of Lain’s skin; the soft warmth of her breath against my body. The sickening smile returned to Aloitus’ face for a brief moment, but almost as soon as it appeared, it was gone again and replaced by a stern expression. I knew it was time to get back to work.
“I need you to go patrol the lines. I promised the people an announcement today. We have to get the females assigned. I know there are going to be problems; some people have certain…preferences, if you will. And I know the humans are going to be upset. Most of the Thressl’n don’t want to bring home a limp bride, so we are going to try to do this without any sedation.”
“That’s bold,” I said quietly. I felt a sudden surge of pity for the females who would be forced into situations such as the one I was in with Lain. What a strange experience they must be having. And although Thressl’n men had certain physiological features and scents that would make the arrangement worth their while, it still seemed a bit crass. I hadn’t thought anything of it before meeting Lain.
“I know there will be problems. That’s why I’m assigning you. I’ll be busy attending to other, more private matters.”
The sickening smile creased his face for the last time before I turned my back and walked to the doorway of Aloitus’ office.
“Of course,” I said over my shoulder, unwilling to meet his eyes again.
***
I headed to the camps on the other side of Mount Zennith, my thoughts consumed by the night before. Why was it that I could feel so strongly for this human when no female of my own kind had ever kept my interest? More baffling of all, she was so volatile and defiant; these were features thought to be most unattractive in Thressl’n females. But somehow, in this tiny, serious human, they managed to be tolerable. Almost attractive.
And yet I was fairly certain that we were incompatible. There were things about her that made me feel more furious than I had ever felt before, defying my orders and doing whatever she felt like, and we had only known each other for such a short amount of time. And I was sure she couldn’t stand me. We had barely been able to look at each other during breakfast. I could only imagine how angry she must have been at me. At least as angry as I was at myself.
These thoughts were quickly rushed from my mind wh
en I caught a glance of the campground from the sky above. Huge Thressl’n bodies were being swarmed by the tiny pink females. Through the thick glass of my hovercraft, I could hear the commotion. It was a mess, but despite it, I couldn’t hide a smile. Apparently, human females were all capable of more than even the males on their planet were aware of.
“Commander!” Jerd exclaimed, pushing through the crowd to meet me.
“What happened?” I asked, my eyes searching the crowd.
“The females want nothing to do with the Thressl’n men. Please tell me you came with orders for sedation.”
“I’m afraid not,” I said. “I’ll do my best to handle this without it.”
“Attention!” I exclaimed in our native Thressl’n tongue. The human females balked in fear. They couldn’t understand what I was saying, but I had a lot of practice with commanding the attention of large masses of people, and I was adorned in distinct armor bearing the Thressl’n crest. I’m sure I was an intimidating sight.
“The Earth females are going to require some patience on our parts,” I said. “If you cannot get your female to agree to come home with you using their native English, then you will just have to visit them in the camps until the mission is accomplished.”
The men in the crowd groaned collectively, clearly agitated by the lack of submission. They hadn’t had any personal experience with the humans the way I’d had with Lain. The perfection of her features as she gasped on top of me was a memory that had been following me all morning.
“There is a short courtship process that the humans require before they will be willing to come to your homes voluntarily. Otherwise, you risk having a volatile creature in your home that is difficult to control. I recommend coming to visit the humans at the camps as opposed to trying to bring them home; at least for now. Once they are ready to breed, they will let you know.”
“How will we know?” one man shouted.
“There will be signs,” I said, trying to keep my voice even as I thought back to the way Lain’s soft fingers had grazed my body. “You should be able to sense the shift of energy around them. And if you’re still not sure, consult the nurses. They should give you their pheromone readout.”
I hadn’t spoken to the Thressl’n females who had been charged with looking after the humans, but I already knew that they were going to be furious. They had been thinking that attending to the human camps was a temporary arrangement. I hadn’t even consulted Supreme Leader Aloitus yet.
But the path to success seemed obvious to me. Breeding with the humans couldn’t be done until they were in heat, but each human’s biological cycle was different. As their captors and caretakers, it was up to us to make sure they were physiologically and mentally prepared for the breeding process. And despite our press on time, that meant we would have to be patient.
Now, it was time to address the human females, who had been fighting impressively to avoid leaving with the elite Thressl’n men that had been given their choice of the first females. I would have been in this crowd myself, had I not already claimed Lain the night before.
“Females of Earth. This is Commander Zerk’k Arkti speaking.”
There were a few mumbles in the crowd, but nobody dared to move. My armor had been designed to strike fear in the hearts of all who laid eyes upon me. Why hadn’t it seemed to affect Lain?
“We have brought you here due to dire circumstances on the planet Jenal’k. If all goes well, your needs will be heard and attended to. For now, I’d like you to return to your beds in the camp. Give the Thressl’n men who request it your identification. That’s the card you received upon entry. It is either obey or face the consequences.”
The crowd dissolved into murmurs.
“Everybody line up!” I barked, first in Thressl’n, then in English. “One at a time. Go to your chosen female and request her information. The most we can do for now is to work out a good system. Breeding should commence within a few days.”
The Thressl’n men were obviously angered about having to wait, but they knew they had no choice but to follow the rules. It wasn’t in our nature to object to the orders of our superiors.
“You will have to make yourself available to visit your human and provide her with the stimulation required to put her into heat. Only then can you return to your homes with them; we will also set up a copulation area for breeding purposes right here in the camp in case of unforeseen circumstances.”
The human females all looked dubious, angry, and scared, but they cooperated remarkably well. I’m sure they realized that they had no other choice. I felt bad; I knew I was lying about getting them back to Earth. There really was no telling just how long the fragile little planet would last under human supervision. Especially with the Vellreq speeding things along. But still, there was a slight chance we would figure something out.
I wondered what Lain would have done if she had found herself in the line with the other females. I’m sure she would have been the loudest and most outspoken of them all. She had showed no fear of me, despite my armor.
And even with her big mouth going, it seemed impossible to me that any of the Thressl’n would be able to resist her. I felt a huge wave of relief knowing she was safe and sound with Trillis, away from this place. That was how it was going to stay.
Chapter 13
Dr. Lain Brosseau
“Perhaps it was a mistake to bring you here,” Trillis said with a sheepish laugh.
I glared at the ground as Trillis led me through a winding shop that was full of bright objects and clothing unlike anything I had ever seen. It was apparently the equivalent of a shopping mall on Earth. The Thressl’n in the shop couldn’t keep their eyes off me. I felt like an animal in a zoo.
“I told him I’d rather just wear my own clothes,” I mumbled. I hated the way he tried to throw his weight around. “That would have been good enough.”
“He is just doing what’s best,” Trillis said. I glowered. Why was she so blindly loyal to that man? Couldn’t she tell that he was just an asshole? I couldn’t believe I had allowed myself to sleep with him. What would happen if I ended up pregnant?
“Here, this one would look nice on you,” Trillis said, taking a gown off one of the shelves and holding it up for me to look at. I frowned. It looked a lot like the one I had worn the night before, when, for some reason beyond my comprehension, I had surrendered to a bizarre chemical desire that had driven me past the point of no return.
“I don’t like it,” I said, embarrassed by the memory of Zerk’k, finding himself so easily inside of me.
“You are going to have to settle on something, dear. Or I’ll just have to pick it myself. Your human clothing will not suit you for the weather here. Zerk’k is only trying to protect you. That’s how he has always been. It is why he was chosen as Second in Command.”
I didn’t want to be suited for the weather on Jenal’k. I wanted to go home. What made them think that any of this was okay? I had been at the height of my career when I’d been abducted. And now? I was just some breeding toy for a man who liked to order me around and expect perfect compliance.
“Look,” Trillis said when I didn’t reply to her. “We don’t know how long it’s going to be before the situation is in your favor. You might need to rely on a little bit of patience. At the very least you can make the best of the situation you’re in until you are given a chance to return to your home. Zerk’k is a reasonable man. I’m sure he’s working on a way to return the human females after the population crisis has been averted. But it really is safer on Jenal’k.”
I knew Trillis was trying to help, but somehow her words just seemed to make everything feel even worse. Yes, I could handle patience. I was a scientist for Christ’s sake. Patience was in my blood.
I gasped, suddenly realizing that I had been putting my personal feelings ahead of my real mission: gathering intel about this new planet so that once I could finally get back to Earth, I would have all the information anyone could p
ossibly need about the Thressl’n. I’d better get back to taking notes.
“Can I try that one?” I asked, pointing at one of the shapeless gowns in the corner of the rack. Trillis beamed.
“Of course.”
As we were checking out, I noted the elaborate coins that Trillis handed to the overseer of the shop. They looked as though they were made of platinum, and were imprinted with a beautiful design. It appeared to be a representation of foliage, though I hadn’t seen much lush green space on this planet.
There was a hint of a forest of some type far away, but the settlements were in an area that struck me more like a red desert. Off in the distance was a mountain range where the camp of human women was located. I stared hard at the coins until the image was burnt into my head. I would make notes of them when I got home.
I was met with an unexpected wave of pure heat once we left the shops. It was almost enough to make me collapse; for a moment I felt like I couldn’t catch my breath at all.
“Are you all right?” Trillis asked.
I nodded.
“Those clothes you have on are far too heavy,” Trillis said, shaking her head. “You would be miserable in them. Let’s hurry into the hovercraft; we’ll get you home. You can change clothes there.”
This place was not my home. The confusing labyrinths of Zerk’k’s hovel would never be my home.
“Okay,” was all I said.
Trillis didn’t need to be let in by my internal monolog. For some reason, I was far less angry at her. I’m sure she had done all she could to keep the breeding crisis at bay. As far as I was concerned, the females of this planet were victimized just as much as the women on my own planet were, by our own men and the Thressl’n. Where in the universe could we find a planet where women were as highly valued as men were?!
“The Commander will be pleased,” Trillis said, beaming happily.
Although it annoyed me that her thoughts seemed only to lie with what Zerk’k thought, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. It seemed that her only role in this world was in serving Zerk’k and worrying and caring about Zerk’k. Where did she fit into the grand scheme of things? He was old enough not to need a caregiver anymore.