The Xandra (Book 1): Daughter of the Dark

by Herbert Grosshans

  “Unfortunately not. It is strictly meant for space. Why?”

  “Cunningham told me about your people who are apparently lost on the fifth planet. He also told me that you can’t use your shuttles for a search and rescue mission. I wondered why you couldn’t use that big ship I had seen in the docking bay.” Starfinder touched Beringer’s arm. “I’ve spoken to your captain many times since we’ve come out of deep-freeze, but only a few days ago was the first time we met in private, without others around. He strikes me as a competent man. But I don’t really know him as well as I do you, Beringer. I trust you.”

  Beringer chuckled. “I am honored. I hope I can live up to your trust.”

  Starfinder looked at him with a serious expression on his handsome face. “Whatever you do, don’t send another shuttle to the fifth planet, until this threat has been identified and eliminated. Do not let anyone influence you, Commander. We don’t want to spread the danger to another planet.”

  “I don’t think we have to worry about that.” Beringer smiled. “How about those spheres of yours in the shuttle-bay? Can you take those into a planet’s atmosphere?”

  “No.” Starfinder shook his head. “They are maintenance pods.”

  Beringer searched the alien’s face. “Do you have anyone on the fifth planet?”

  Starfinder hesitated, then he nodded slowly. “Yes, we do. We’ve abandoned them also. We had no choice. There was no time to evacuate them.”

  A thought occurred to Beringer. “What happened to all your shuttles? How did you travel down to the planets?”

  “All of them were on Nu-Eden. We destroyed them, except for one. I assume it is on the fifth planet now.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Somebody had to operate the cryogenic chambers and close down the Station. Four volunteers stayed behind. When their job was finished they were supposed to take the shuttle down to the fifth planet, where they were to join the researchers who were living there.”

  “How many people did you have on that planet?” Beringer asked.

  Starfinder lifted his shoulders and spread his hands. “I’m not sure of the exact number. Approximately 200 or so.”

  “They may still be around, then?” Beringer said.

  The alien man chuckled. “We may be long-lived, but not that long.”

  Beringer grinned. “I’m talking about their descendants, of course.”

  “I know. I see you have a sense of humor. That is good. Another thing we have in common.” Starfinder slapped Beringer on the shoulder. “Come, my human friend. You are just in time for supper.” He laughed when Beringer gave him an astonished look. “You are surprised? Yes, we sit down for supper. We eat, just like you. I don’t think our metabolism is so different that we can’t eat each other’s food.”

  “That’s not what surprised me,” Beringer said, “as far as I know you’ve never eaten our food.”

  “No, I have not,” Starfinder agreed. “I knew that some of your food came from Nu-Eden. We take no chances.”

  As they walked toward the dining area, Beringer studied his surroundings. The new quarters of the Genaar were on the same level as the cryogenic chamber, but further down the corridor. Even though the power was back on, most of the station was still inaccessible. In the interest of good will, Cunningham pulled out all of the personnel who were stationed in the modified area of the corridor. No humans were present on this level.

  The dining room was quite large, with low tables and benches. There were only a few of the Genaar sitting at the tables. Beringer counted five males and seven females. All of them smiled and nodded politely at Starfinder and Beringer, then turned back to their meals and conversations.

  None of them seemed to be surprised to see a human joining them for dinner. Of course, Beringer was not a stranger to them, he visited Starfinder quite a few times in the last couple of weeks. Not for the first time the haunting beauty of the Genaar females seemed to mesmerize him.

  “Are all your women this beautiful?” he asked Starfinder in a low voice.

  The alien man smiled. “On this station, yes. On our home world…” He shrugged. “How does anyone define beauty? It is true, we strive for physical perfection, but that is only on the outside. What’s inside a person is just as important, don’t you agree?”

  “I agree, but it doesn’t hurt to look at a beautiful body,” Beringer said and smiled.

  “No, it doesn’t. I have to admit, the Genaar have always considered physical appearance as important, it enhances the attraction between a male and a female. Pursuing the pleasures of the flesh plays an important role in our society. Is it no so with you humans?”

  “It is.” Beringer chuckled. “There are some among us who would not admit it. They believe ignoring that fact makes it non-existent. What happens in the dark is evil, should not be enjoyed, even though they themselves partake in it. How else would a species continue to exist?”

  “You only copulate in the dark?” Starfinder asked, surprise in his voice.

  Beringer laughed. “I’m only speaking metaphorically. We can have sex any time of day or night. Of course, there are probably some who will only copulate in the dark.” He shrugged, suddenly getting uncomfortable with the subject. He started thinking of Breanna McGuinness, remembering their sexual encounter. She had been the last woman. Before her, he didn’t even remember. Looking at the beautiful alien women made him think again about sex and he was acutely aware of a gentle pounding in his loins.

  Fortunately, Starfinder changed the subject, when he said, “Now, let me introduce you to some of our other pleasures, food.”

  Beringer watched Starfinder walk over to a wall-cabinet and remove a couple of small packages, which he put into another cabinet. After a few moments, he took them out again and brought them over to the table. He smiled when he handed one to Beringer. “Use your teeth to rip it open,” he said.

  Beringer took the offered package and followed Starfinder’s suggestion. Watching the alien, he sucked the contents into his mouth, tried not to flinch when the bland flavor hit his taste buds.

  “We’re still living off ship’s rations,” Starfinder said, “I know our food is not what you are used to, but it is nourishing. Maybe soon we will have our kitchen operational again.” He chuckled. “We do enjoy good food, just like you humans. This is not our regular fare.”

  Beringer swallowed, grinned. “I’m a soldier. Believe me, this is gourmet food compared to some of the gruel I had to eat already.”

  Chapter Thirty-two

  Captain’s Log

  Much has happened since my last entry. We’ve sterilized the water and cleaned up the pond. With the giant plant gone, something seems to be missing. The pond looks empty. Jackson, the caretaker, asked for permission to put in some of the fish eggs we have in cryogenic suspension, but I denied his request. Who knows what still lurks in the water and what those fish could grow into. I’ve had a couple more meetings with the alien man Starfinder. Both, he and Commander Beringer, are against my decision to bring up people from Nu-Eden, but I’m willing to take the chance. The shuttle that is going to bring Tom McClary and his wife, Anina, will be arriving here tomorrow morning. I told the pilot to be careful and not to mix with the colonists while he is down there. Beringer is not the only one who expresses his concerns. All the personnel on the station have been briefed about what has happened in the park. There is a bit of paranoia spreading among the crew and the scientists, and many side with the Commander.

  I hope I’m making the right decision. I can’t abandon the colonists just like that. I have to think about the two thousand who are still sleeping peacefully on the 21st and 22nd floor, waiting to be awakened.

  We don’t have the technology the Genaar possess. They’ve been frozen a thousand years. We’re lucky if we can keep anyone in that state for twenty years. After that, no guarantees. We still haven’t heard from Exploration Team Delta. Brent McGuinness calls me almost every day and asks about news from
the fifth planet. I have to tell him there isn’t any. I wish I could tell him ‘no news is good news’, but I’m afraid it isn’t true in this circumstance. We’ve been in contact with Professor Tennenboum. He and his research team are getting worried. A couple of his people want to come back to the station, but I told him I couldn’t risk another shuttle. The atmosphere on that planet is just too rough and the weather too unpredictable at this time of year.

  Maybe in the spring I will give it a try. I hope that by then Lieutenant Striker and his team will have made it to the research station. If they are still alive. If we can resolve the problem with Nu-Eden. If maybe the Genaar have a shuttle stashed away somewhere inside the bowels of this huge space station. A lot of ifs. We’ll see.

  Chapter Thirty-three

  THE XANDRA

  The Xandra watched through Anina’s eyes. She’d have to be more careful from now on and adapt to new conditions.

  Anina bent down, put her hand into the small pond. She let the tiny seed-pouch slide into the water. If everything went as planned the seed would grow into a plant that could thrive under water, clinging to rocks and other uneven surfaces, invisible to the casual observer.

  “This is so beautiful,” Anina said. “You’ve done a marvelous job, Captain.”

  Captain Cunningham smiled. “Thank you, Mrs. McClary, but I actually had nothing to do with it.”

  Anina laughed. “You are too modest, Captain.” She put her hand on the Captain’s elbow. “My husband will be busy for awhile with that biology-team of yours. This is a welcome vacation for me, with all that’s happened on that planet. It is nice to be back in civilization for a while. How about showing me your quarters?”

  Captain Cunningham raised his eyebrows a fraction.

  She shook her lovely auburn hair and gave him an impish smile. “Are you afraid I might take advantage of you, Captain Cunningham?”

  He laughed, slightly embarrassed by his failure to keep a neutral face. “I’m afraid it might be the other way around,” he joked. “You are a seductive woman,” and added, more soberly, “You are also married.”

  Her laughter was open and without embarrassment. “Keep talking, Jeremy, Captain. By the way, my husband and I have an understanding. Rules have changed since we’ve settled on Nu-Eden.”

  The Xandra detected the man’s elevated pulse through Anina’s hand, smelled the pheromones in his perspiration. The Captain would be the first; he tasted her once already; maybe she could persuade him to bring up Sister Angela and her Angels. All of them were of the Xandra now.

  Conquest of the station would be easy.

  Anina stepped closer. She was almost as tall as the Captain. Looking into his eyes, she put her hand behind his head and kissed him on the lips. Her tongue flicked against his teeth and he opened his mouth to let her probe the inside of his oral cavity. As if by accident, her hand touched his crotch for a brief moment. She laughed into his mouth when his body stiffened. Releasing him, she smiled and said, “Come, let’s go up to your quarters.”

  He nodded, his breath coming a little faster. They didn’t speak in the elevator. Once in the Captain’s rooms they headed straight for the bedroom.

  “Let me undress you, Jeremy,” Anina said and began opening the buttons on his shirt. When she pulled down his pants and freed his manhood, he was already hard and solid. Slowly she sank down, took his penis into her mouth, and began flicking her tongue across the swollen head. He moaned loudly, grabbed her head between his hands, moved his hips back and forth.

  Anina freed his member and laughed. “Easy, Jeremy, this is just a little teaser. Let’s not waste your precious seed like that. Lie down on the bed and watch me as I undress for you. I understand man like that.”

  With agonizing slowness, she began taking off her clothes. Opening her shirt, she bared her full breasts. Then she pushed her slacks past her hips, let him look at the coppery triangle below her smooth belly. The Captain’s eyes were glued to her exposed sexual organ. Between his legs, his penis stood straight and stiff.

  She slid on top of him, rubbed her organ against his hard member. He groaned, put his hands on her round buttocks. She lifted up and let him enter her.

  A loud sigh escaped his lips as he slid into her warm sheath. His fingers dug into the firm flesh of her buttocks and he began to push up with frantic movements.

  She kissed him, dribbled some of her saliva into his mouth. Inside her, she could feel his penis swell and throb. Lifting her head, she said, “Take it easy, Jeremy, we have lots of time. Let us both enjoy this.”

  She sat up and let him look at her jiggling breasts as she rotated her hips in his lap. “”Come now,” she said when it was evident he was fighting to keep from releasing his sperm, “it will be alright.”

  With a roar of pleasure, he came inside her then, but when he was finished, he was still hard. She sensed his surprise and laughed above him. “I told you it will be alright. Now, relax and let me take you to places you’ve never been before.”

  She churned above him for a long time, once in awhile she bent down, kissed him and fed him more of her sweet saliva. He came once more with great force. Then she lifted up, slipped off the bed and bent forward. She didn’t have to tell him what to do. He stepped behind her, spread her white cheeks and pushed his stiff organ between them. Her lubricated sheath opened to let him back into her belly. Standing on the floor, he let his pelvis snap back and forth, his hands on her hips.

  “I don’t know how this is possible,” he moaned behind her, pushing deep into her with forceful thrusts, “I feel like a young stud. I can’t remember the last time I felt like this.”

  She just laughed, wiggled her bottom and squeezed her vagina walls tightly around his rampant penis. He shouted and pushed deep, filling her insides with his warm discharge. Then he pulled out. “I want to feel your breasts on my chest when I make love to you,” he breathed hoarsely.

  She turned and spread her legs wide. He let his fingers trail across her belly, put one of them into her pink slit, then he moved on top of her and with a deep moan he shoved his hard organ into her creamy sheath.

  “Your husband is a lucky man and not very smart,” he said between clenched teeth, trying to keep from coming.

  “Why do you say that?” she asked and moved against him.

  “I wouldn’t let you out of my sight. No man but me would touch you.”

  She chuckled. “You are old fashioned, Jeremy. Lucky for you my husband doesn’t think that way.”

  “Yeah, lucky,” Cunningham almost shouted and let go. His hot fluid shot with great force into her, filling her womb. She sucked it into her, wishing she would have come prepared and brought a seed pouch to capture this precious seed.

  When he relaxed in her arms, she stroked his head and said, “Why don’t you come and visit us on Nu-Eden. We can make love in the grass, under the stars.” She smiled. “There is nothing like it.”

  When he seemed to hesitate, she kissed him fiercely, let him drink from her nectar. She felt his penis grow again. She took him back into her, let her inner muscles caress his rigid rod. “Say yes,” she whispered into his ear.

  He bucked between her spread legs, shouted when he climaxed again.

  “Yes!” he said with a voice gone hoarse. “I’ll come down with you.”

  “Promise.”

  “Promise,” he groaned and thrust into her.

  Chapter Thirty-four

  Exploration Team Delta

  The temperature began to drop rapidly. The first snowfall brought over twenty centimeters of the white fluffy stuff. Most of it melted within a few days, when the weather became warmer again, but they received a taste of what was to come.

  Their new home was sealed off against an environment that was beginning to become more hostile every day, but the cold winds from the north seemed to find every small crack in the ancient walls.

  Windows were a problem, since they had no glass or any other transparent materials, so they installed remo
vable shutters. Fortunately, lighting the dark interior was not difficult. Everybody carried a portable light with rechargeable solar-power-cells. Once fully charged they lasted for a long time.

  There were several rooms, but only the common room held a fireplace.

  One major issue no one thought about was warm clothing. Especially insulated boots. It was Adam who taught them how to tan the hides of a shaggy animal, the size of a small horse. It also provided them with meat. He called it Ikkaraa, but Rhea said it reminded her of a yak, without the horns.

  * * * *

  “I’ve seen a couple of those six-legged cats prowling around yesterday.” Herm Woolf finished wrapping the short pieces of rope around his newly made boots. “Maybe Acram and I should go and see if we can bag them, before they surprise one of us.”

  “Might be a good idea.” Kendrick rubbed his arm.

  “How’s the arm?” Woolf asked.

  Kendrick flexed his hand. “It’s healed well enough, thanks to the med-doc, but I haven’t forgotten the attack. The next victim may not be as lucky.”

  “Take Remington with you,” Striker said. “He’s been itching to use that antic gun of his.”

  “I’ll go, too,” Kendrick said. “I’m good with a laser.”

  “All right, but be careful. We don’t want any casualties.”

  Striker watched them go out into the frigid morning, four men wrapped in furs, like a band of prehistoric hunters; except their weapons were not spears and clubs, but modern lasers. They held the advantage, and yet, Striker felt apprehensive. These hunters were out of their element, their quarry was not.

  He shivered, even though it wasn’t cold in the room. The fire crackled in the old fireplace, not only throwing heat, but also roasting the peace of meat Striker speared onto a long stick. He looked at Sara and Concitta, who were sitting not far from him on a couple of furs, scraping the meat from a yak-skin, getting it ready for tanning. Both women wore vests made from animal-skins; they could have been females from a tribe of primitives on old prehistoric Earth.