by Maia Starr
I landed on the rock ledge outside my home. It was completely dark now, and I was glad for the cover of night. I picked up the human and carried her inside my home. She moaned again in pain, but she did not wake up. I poured some water into a cup and pressed it against her lips.
“It is water. Here; drink,” I said.
This made her stir. Her mouth opened but her eyes did not. I poured some water into her mouth, and she drank it. I did it a few more times until she could not drink anymore. She laid down on her back again in the bed.
“You are safe here. Can you hear me? You are safe; do not worry. I am going to go get a doctor for you. Just stay here,” I said.
I left my home, locking the door behind me. I walked out into the trails that went up and down the mountain on different levels. We made our home along the mountainside. This made it very safe from invasion. I went down to the home of Malaya. She was a doctor and a very good friend. I had known her since we were children. I knocked on her door.
“Trent? It is always good to see you; please come in,” she smiled.
“Hello, Malaya,” I said, walking in. I closed the door behind me.
“Do you have company?” I asked.
“No, I am alone,” she smiled again.
“I need your help, but I need it in secret,” I said.
“That sounds very serious. Of course you can have my help; what is it?” she asked, gently putting her hand on my arm.
“I need your expertise to help a wounded. They need medical attention now,” I said.
“Oh my, I will get my things,” she said moving to the back of the room. She grabbed a bag and draped it across her body.
“We must go quietly and say nothing of it if we run into friends along the way,” I said to her in a very serious tone. She nodded her head in agreement.
I led her out of her home, and we walked to mine. I unlocked the door and let her in.
“She is on the bed,” I said.
“She?” Malaya asked as she walked over to the bed and then she gasped. “Is that a…?”
“That is why I need your secrecy. I found her lying in the outer lands. I think she must have escaped from the city. She must have been running for miles. I think she exhausted herself to the point of danger. Will you please see to her?”
“We can get into a lot of trouble for this,” Malaya said.
“I know. If we are caught, I will not mention your name. If they know, I will say that I forced you to. Do not worry; you will not get in trouble for this,” I said.
“I don't want you to get in trouble for this either,” she said.
“Malaya, please. There is no time to waste or argue,” I said looking at the human.
Her shoulders dropped, and she sighed. “Fine, for you, I will do it.”
She put her bag beside the human and opened it. She began to use various devices to check on her. I walked back and forth waiting.
I had so many questions. But, Malaya was right; we could get into a lot of trouble for this. Of course, I would not let her get in trouble, and I would take the fall, but this was very dangerous territory. What was she doing so far from the city? If she had escaped, then she was very strong to get so far on her own.
“I don't know much about humans, but she does seem a lot like us. As far as I can tell, she is going to be fine. She just needs a lot of water and perhaps a little bit of salt, just a pinch in a large cup of water. She needs enormous amounts of sleep as well,” Malaya told me.
I nodded and went to put a pinch of salt in a very large cup of water. I put it by the bedside.
“As soon as she wakes, I will give it to her. What else?” I asked.
Malaya seemed to be in deep thought as she looked at her device that she had scanned the human with. Then she said, “Do you really think she came from the city?”
“I know that she did. Look at this,” I said showing Malaya the human's arm. “That is a slave tattoo. They all get them to show who owns them.”
“I see. I think that she will be fine once she gets plenty of sleep. But you do know that you cannot keep her, Trent. You will have to tell the superiors at some point so that they can decide what to do with her. Maybe they will even help her get back to Earth,” Malaya said.
“That is a good point. I will think it over. First, I will do nothing until she is healthy again. She shall stay here so that she can recover. Can you promise that you will speak of this to no one?” I asked as I put my hand on her shoulder. She looked at my hand and put her hand on top of it.
“I promise. I told you I would keep your secret. We are in this together,” she said.
“Will you come back tomorrow to check on her?” I asked.
“Yes, I will,” she said as she grabbed her stuff and left.
I watched over the delicate human with the red hair all night. I could not take my eyes off of her. She fascinated me.
Chapter 3
Samantha Gaines
I opened my eyes. I looked around. I was in an unfamiliar environment. I quickly sat up in a panic. Had I been found by the Zenkian and they took me back to the city? I looked around, and things looked different than what I had seen in the city. Where was I?
“You are awake. It is all right; you are safe,” I heard a deep voice say. I turned around to see the Zenkian that I had seen out on the rocks. I could see him clearly now. He was blue-skinned and this let me know right away that he was a rebel. His long dark hair was down to his shoulders. He moved toward me with his tall body and strong shoulders. I flinched. He put up his hands up as though to show me he meant me no harm.
“It is all right. You do not need to be scared. I will not harm you. My name is Commander Trent Qoln,” he said.
“Commander Trent Qoln?” I asked. It couldn’t be. How was it possible that the sworn enemy of Jenku Vade had found me?
“Yes, that is right,” he said.
I was silent as I looked at him. He was the opposite of Jenku Vade in every way, and I understood why they were enemies. But this was so unreal; what were the chances? Trent gave me a look and I did not want to linger on his name or he would know.
“Where am I?” I asked.
“You are in the Grantsion mountains. I am a Grantsion Zenkian. I found you out in the outlands and brought you here for medical attention,” he said.
“The Grantsion mountains? I made it,” I said.
He looked at me confused. “You were trying to come here?”
“I did not know where else to go.”
“You ran away from the Waysaw Zenkians. You are a human slave,” he said.
“I am. Please do not send me back there,” I pleaded.
“I will not do that. We do not think the same way as the Waysaw Zenkian do. We are different here,” he said.
“So I have heard; that was why I came in this direction. I had no other place to go. I do not know your strange planet. I was brought here against my will, as I'm sure you know.”
“I do know. I apologize for what you have suffered by the hand of the Zenkian in the city. As I said we are not like the Waysaw,” he said gently.
“Here, this is some water with a pinch of salt. The doctor ordered that you should drink it when you woke; it will help hydrate you,” he said moving toward me and getting the cup off the table next to me. He handed it to me. I smelled it; I smelled nothing. I took a small sip; it was salty water, just as he said. He looked at me and arched an eyebrow at me, amused at the fact that I was not trusting him.
“Why would you not trust me? If I were going to harm you, wouldn't I have done it while you were passed out? If I wanted to drug you, I could have done so. If I wanted to kill you, I could have done so,” he said.
“That is true,” I said. I drank the water. He grabbed the cup and then poured me some more water from a glass container. Then he set it down beside me.
“I have told you my name, human; will you not do the same for me?” He asked.
“My name is Samantha Gaines,” I sa
id to him. My eyes grazed over his large blue-skinned body. He was wearing a tight gray uniform, almost like the ones the Waysaw wore. I guess it made sense since they were once the same. It was very fitted on his strong, broad chest and hard abs. I turned my eyes from him and looked at my own tattered and shredded white dress. It was a slave dress meant to be pleasing to the eye, not something to swim in and cross vast lands.
“I will fetch you a new dress. I must ask you to stay here and do not wander off. I could get into great trouble if anyone found out that you were here. You see the Grantsion Zenkian do not allow any interactions with humans. I am breaking the rules by having you here, but I could not leave you out there,” he said.
“Thank you for taking the chance then. I greatly appreciate it. I would be dead if you had left me out there to die,” I said really feeling some appreciation toward this blue alien.
“You are welcome. There is one that I have entrusted with this secret. She is a doctor, and she has already seen to your well-being. I didn't have a choice since I did not know what kind of condition you were in. Her name is Malaya; you can trust her. I am going to go catch her and send her to you while I go find new clothing for you. Again, you must remain here,” he said.
“I understand,” I said. He walked out of the room. I was surprised at how much I actually trusted him. I think it was because if he were brutal, he would not be hiding it. I had been face to face with brutal with Commander Jenku Vade, and this blue alien soldier was not like that at all. Even his eyes looked kinder.
I stood up and looked around. It was very different than the rooms of the Waysaw, yet similar in many ways. The technology was the same, only the room itself was obviously carved into the rock. Instead of glass walls, there were rock walls, except for the side that faced out. I walked to it and looked out the massive window. Outside was a large ledge of rock almost like a balcony. There was a speeder parked there; I assumed it was the property of Trent. I was grateful to him. Again I thought about how he seemed very different almost immediately; there was a kindness to him that I was not used to form the Waysaw Zenkian in the city. Why was I thinking of this Zenkian named Trent and his kindness over and over again?
As I looked out the window, I wondered if I truly was safe. I wondered if the Waysaw would look for me far and wide. Would they send someone to see if there were any humans in these mountains? I had so many questions, and I didn't know how to obtain the answers. Maybe this could just be a pit stop, and Trent would know a better hiding place for me somewhere else on the planet. Or maybe they could help me get back to Earth? That would be the greatest thing of all.
A few minutes later, the door opened. I froze in place, not knowing if this was someone that did not know the secret.
“Samantha?” I heard a female voice say. I came out of the corner where I was standing into the middle of the room. There was a very tall Zenkian female. She was obviously a Grantsion Zenkian. She looked just like them with the same blue skin. She had brown hair that was up in a braided bun. She had blue eyes, and she was actually quite beautiful. I was impressed by her elegant demeanor and grace when she walked toward me.
“Yes, I am Samantha,” I said.
“My name is Malaya. Trent sent to me to you to check on you. I am a doctor here,” she said as she looked at me up and down. I suddenly felt like I was trashy due to the torn clothing.
“I understand. Thank you for your help,” I said.
“Please sit down so that I may look you over,” she said as she put her bag down. She pulled out a few devices, some that I had seen before in the city. She used them to check me and my condition. I felt fine, now that I had rested, but I did wonder if she knew. Was my secret about to be exposed?
“Samantha, I am no expert on humans. In truth, I have only examined one before you, several years ago, but you seem to be in good health. You were only suffering from exhaustion and dehydration, but that is all,” she said.
I sighed in relief. “Thank you, doctor. That is good to know.”
“And your child seems to be fine as well,” she said.
I looked at her with wide eyes. I had been busted.
“I, it is just that...” I tried to say something but I couldn't.
“Is that why you ran away?” she asked.
“Please do not say anything. I mean the Zenkians no harm. I cannot have my child raised by the monsters there in the city. I just want to go back to Earth,” I pleaded with her. I could not have this secret out. If Jenku Vade found out that I was with child, he would definitely not let the hunt for me ever stop. He would want this child. I would be punished, of course, and probably locked in a cell. This female Zenkian held too much valuable information, and she was a stranger to me. Perhaps it would have been better to still be out there in the outlands wandering around. At least then no one knew my secret but me.
“I think that going back to Earth is an excellent idea. You put Trent in a lot of danger by being here. I would not like to see him suffer because he helped a strange human. The sooner you leave here, the better,” she said with a tone of anger that let me know she really cared about Trent. Perhaps they were even lovers; I didn't know anything about him or her or where I was.
“I understand,” I said not wanting to egg her on in a fight.
“Do you? Our superiors do not even allow us to communicate with humans. Everything of Earth is forbidden to us; Trent is breaking the law by harboring you. I am helping and would be punished as well, though not as severely as him. I don't know or care who the father of this child is, but you should make plans to leave this place before it is obvious that you are with child.” She stood up and grabbed her things. I could tell that she was very angry. I did not want to stir the pot considering I had no leverage or knowledge. I stayed quiet as I watched her walk out. She was obviously pissed, and I figured it was much more than just my presence that was making her angry; she had feelings for Trent.
There was something about her that I did not trust. But I had no say in that. Trent trusted her to keep the secret that I was there in his home, so that was all that mattered. I did not see this female Zenkian betraying Trent, so that was good enough for now, and for now, I was happy. I had successfully escaped from Jenku Vade in the city. But I was still on his planet, and I would feel safer if I could get back to Earth. But how could I do that? These rebels did not want anything to do with humans. They did not go to Earth the way the Waysaw did on a routine basis. But maybe there was a place on this planet that I could hide and live in peace, with my child, or some other planet. I just needed to get far away from Vade. I hoped that Trent would help me in my mission. If he didn't, I would be on my own, but that would be no different than before. I was strong. I could do this.
Chapter 4
Commander Trent Qoln
“The human checked out well, as far as I know. I believe she was just suffering from exhaustion and dehydration and nothing more. She is up on her feet and moving around and the color has even come back in her pale skin,” Malaya said to me.
“That is good news. I was worried. I would not know what to do with a sick human,” I said as I walked back and forth inside her home.
“As opposed to what to do with the healthy human? What are you going to do with her, Trent? She cannot stay here with you; you know that,” she said.
“Yes, I do know that. I just need a few days to figure some things out. Maybe she has a plan and just needs help with it. I could help her get to where she was going,” I said to her.
“A few more days? That long?” Malaya said.
“When things are done in haste, that's when mistakes are made. There is much for me to find out before I can make a plan. Besides, I want to question her. She was living with the Waysaw in the city. She could have valuable information for us about them that only someone living there could know. She is a tool of war as far as I'm concerned,” I said to her.
“What if she is a spy?” Malaya asked.
“I doubt that. I don't t
hink she would put her well-being on the line the way she did. She was running from something. I will take this clothing to her now. Do not worry Malaya; this will all be over before you know it. Just keep your secret and say nothing to no one. I will take care of the rest,” I said as I walked out.
I walked along the elevated cliffside paths to my home. I was glad that the human was all right and happy that she was speaking. I was fascinated by her. I wanted to have a real conversation, not just about what she knew about the Waysaw, but about humans as well. They had been forbidden to us; that only made it more fascinating to me. I wanted to know more about her and see more of her.