by Ruby Winter
“I suppose if we have to,” she said grudgingly.
“Yes, we have to,” I nodded.
“Did you mean what you said last night?” she asked, wrapping the sheet around her as she got up from the bed.
“Which one?” I asked, tilting my head.
“You said you care for me deeply,” she murmured, blushing brightly, and I smiled at her and nodded.
“Yes, I meant it. I care for you very much, Jennifer,” I told her.
“Then what do we do about this?” she asked. “Can we do anything?”
“There is nothing we can do,” I said morosely. “We have to keep what we did a secret. You will get in trouble with your humans, and I will get in trouble with the Captain if this leaks out. It is unprofessional and not worth the risk, and I don’t want you to get into any sort of trouble because of me. It must stay a secret. Promise?”
“I promise,” she sighed, her shoulders dropping. “I’ll keep it a secret. But you must promise not to leave until tomorrow. We still have tonight together, yes?”
“Yes, I can stay one more night only,” I said with a smile, already looking forward to being with her again. She smiled back at me, and then went inside the bathroom to get ready for work. I continued to get dressed as well, and we left for another day of discussions.
As the meetings began, the humans continued to ask a lot of questions. They informed us of their gathered forces located to defend the city. The description of their tanks and guns and positioning pleased the Captain greatly. He wanted to be sure humans were well-prepared before we left, and this eased his tension.
Meanwhile, I couldn’t stop thinking about what I did with Jennifer. I kept replaying it over and over in my mind, and it was distracting me from the conversations.
I wished there was a secret space in this building for us to meet so I could kiss her again. The best I could do was to keep giving her looks throughout the day, which she reciprocated in kind, and only the two of us could understand.
As the day went on, I kept thinking, how was I going to live without her once I returned home? I mean I could barely even get through these last few hours without her in my arms.
Finally, the meetings had come to an end, and the Captain and President exchanged their final goodbyes one last time. I continued to escort Jennifer out of the building, feeling extremely grateful and happy I would get to be with her one more time.
As soon as the door closed behind us, Jennifer jumped on me, her arms and legs wrapping around me like a snake.
“I wanted to do this all day,” she said, before placing a million kisses on my chest and neck.
“I have wanted to kiss you so badly,” I told her.
“Are you truly leaving tomorrow?” she asked sadly, and I nodded.
“I have to. Our mission is complete, and we’re being summoned by our Council to return. There is nothing I can do,” I explained, feeling equally distraught.
“Well, if this is our last night together, then let’s spend every single hour making love,” she whispered.
Her words hit me to my core. I wanted to do everything she said, but I also didn’t want it to ever stop. I must claim her.
BOOM!
Out of nowhere, a large explosion rocked through the city, making Jennifer jump out of my arms. I ran to the window and she followed me.
“What is it?!” a human soldier stationed in the hall shouted as he came storming in. Together, all three of us stared out the window as the chaos spread.
“It’s happening,” I said with an angry sneer. “It’s the Compiers. They have arrived.”
“Is that their ship?” Jennifer asked, pointing upward. “Oh my God, it’s my agency’s building!” she shouted. I looked towards the direction she was staring at, as the building was rocked by another explosion.
“They must have homed in on the messages we were sending,” I surmised. “Come. We must get out of here. Soldier turn off the lights!” I bellowed. He went over to the switch to heed my order, when I heard communications coming through my belt.
“Captain, come in!” I shouted.
“We’re coming for you. Meet us on the terrace!” he shouted.
I looked outside and saw our ship hurdling fast through the buildings towards us.
“Soldier, join your men downstairs. They will need you. I will protect Jennifer!” I ordered.
The soldier nodded and ran out of the apartment. I grabbed Jennifer’s hand and ran out onto her terrace where our ship was hovering, and we climbed up the ladder and into the belly of the ship.
“We have to get out of here now!” Captain Weko shouted over my intercom device. “We’re going to be mistaken for a Compier ship by the humans and be shot down if we stay here any longer,” the Captain shouted.
Explosions were going off all around us, and we could see human tanks shooting missiles at the Compiers. Our ship darted forward just as the door closed, swerving and moving fast, making Jennifer grab onto a bench. I leaned over her and fastened her seatbelt.
“It’s going to be fine. Just hold on,” I told her, and she took my hand before I could move away.
“No!” she cried, her eyes wide and frantic with unshed tears. “Don’t leave me!” she shouted.
“I have to see what’s going on. They may need me on the gunner. I have to go, Jennifer,” I told her, trying to sooth her.
“Please don’t go!” she cried, hugging my arm close to her chest. I could see how terrified she was. She started shaking, and tears were starting to pour down her face.
“I’m here. Jennifer. Look at me,” I said, tilting her chin up with my finger. “The Captain is a fierce pilot. We have fought the Compiers many times, and outrun them many times, as well. This is no ordinary ship, and he’s no ordinary pilot,” I reassured her.
The ship suddenly jolted forward very fast, and I recognized the movement. My eyes widened as I landed on top of her. Shit.
“Are you alright?” I asked, “Are you hurt?” she shook her head.
“No, I’m fine. Did something hit us?” she asked.
“No,” I said, shaking my head. Maybe worse. I swallowed heavily as I looked at her in fear. “I believe the Captain pushed us into hyper speed. Into space.” I said calmly.
“Space?” she repeated, blinking her eyes in disbelief. “We’re in outer space? But I can’t leave Earth! I can’t—Oh my God.”
“I have to go see. I don’t think he knows you are on the ship.”
“Okay, go!” she cried, finally letting go of me.
I ran to the flight deck and cried out. “Captain! Captain!”
“Do not worry. We have made it out. I do not see any Compiers out here, I think we are out of trouble,” he said, maneuvering the ship fast and deep into space.
“No, Captain! The human female! Jennifer Rose. She is on this ship!” I shouted.
“What?!” he roared, turning to face me. “Why is she here?”
“Because I was protecting her as you requested!” I answered. “When the bombs hit, I took her with me to the terrace. I thought her building would be hit, and the quickest way out was on this ship. I wasn’t going to leave her behind, Captain” I said sternly.
“I assumed you left her there with the human soldiers.” He said.
I looked at him dumbfounded, “We must take her back. Not to that city, but anywhere else on Earth.” I pleaded.
“No. Impossible,” the Captain said firmly, shaking his head once. “We cannot get near Earth now. We got lucky in our escape, but I doubt we’ll be lucky a second time. She will have to come with us to Harpo,” he said.
“But Captain--,” I protested, but he cut me off.
“I will not risk this ship and our lives to take one human back to Earth when it is being invaded by our enemy. We have already been summoned home by the Council.”
“But…,”
“That is final! Now go to your post!” he shouted, turning his bac
k towards me.
“Yes, Captain,” I sighed, walking away.
I must tell Jennifer she will never see her home planet again, and that she was taken against her will. But worst of all, she would find out the terrible secret I was hiding from her.
Chapter 7
Jennifer Rose
I was so overwhelmed I couldn’t stop shaking.
I never asked to leave.
Finally, Axon came back, and I turned to him eagerly.
“What is it? What’s going on?” I asked, feeling dread as I noticed the grim look on his face.
“The Captain confirmed the Compiers launched a full-scale attack on your city, and your Earth is now locked in a war against them,” he revealed.
“My God,” I said, covering my mouth with my hand in shock.
“We needed to get out of there as soon as possible,” he said.
I looked at him in confusion. “What are you trying to say?”
“I’m saying the jolt we felt earlier was us leaping into hyper speed,” he said, looking sad. “I am so sorry, Jennifer, but we are very far away from Earth now,” he stated.
“What? No! How can that be?! W-We just left my building a couple of minutes ago!” I cried. “I can’t be taken away from Earth! You can’t just take me! Please take me back!” I pleaded.
I unbuckled my seatbelts and stood up, feeling dizzy and struggling to regain my balance.
“There’s nothing that can be done, Jennifer. It was a mistake. The Captain didn’t know you were on the ship with me, but we cannot take you back. We have to return to our planet,” Axon took me in his arms and held me gently. “I am truly sorry. I didn’t mean for things to end up this way.”
“How can this be?!” I said, my tears flowing down my cheeks. How can this be happening to me? Axon pulled me closer trying to console me, but it only made me angrier. I pushed him away, my eyes flaring with determination.
I stomped down the hallway looking for the front of the ship. There I spotted Captain Weko standing in front of a wide screen.
“Weko!” I yelled, “Take me back to Earth now! You cannot take me against my will! I can take care of myself no matter where you drop me off,” I insisted.
“It is not possible, Jennifer Rose,” he said stiffly, keeping his eyes on the screen. “I am sorry, I didn’t know you were on the ship, but it is done. You are a passenger now, and I am the Captain. It is too dangerous for us to enter Earth’s airspace. We don’t know how many Compier ships are patrolling between your planet and its moon, and I will not risk my crew and my ship under the circumstances. We could all die attempting it,” he said.
“But what if—,”
“No!” he roared, frightening me. I hadn’t seen him this angry before.
“Don’t shout at her like that! She has been through enough!” Axon shouted as he quickly got in front of me, shielding me from the Captain.
“Lieutenant, take her to the guest living quarters now. That is an order,” the Captain said gruffly before turning his attention away from us. It was then, through the windshield, that I saw the emptiness of space. Well more of a blur of light and dark due to our speed, but it was beautifully magnificent and yet terrifying at the same time.
“Come, Jennifer,” Axon sad, grabbing my arm and leading me off the flight deck.
I allowed him to lead me to a room on the ship, where he opened a door and walked me in, sitting me down on a small padded bench. It was a very minimal room with a small side table, a light, and nothing else.
I was now the alien going to this other world, against my will.
“Look at me,” he said as he knelt on the floor in front of me, watching me with his beautiful yellow eyes and vertical pupils. “We are going to get through this together. If you weren’t with me, you would be running through a city in chaos right now,” he said, holding my hand. “You could be in the hands of the Compiers right now, or dead. They would do unspeakable things to you, Jennifer. Please think about this and put your current situation into perspective,” he continued.
“You are on a ship far away from the battle and safe, and you are with me. I understand you’re being taken away against your will to my home, but we can deal with that when we arrive. Perhaps in time, the Council will grant you a return to Earth, but for now, I need you to understand that you are safe.” He said.
He put his hands on my face, and his words began to sink in. He was right. If I hadn’t gone with him, I could be blown to bits by now, or worse, captured by the enemy. There was a lot to be grateful for.
“You’re right, Axon,” I said, nodding and summoning my courage. “I’m just in shock, that’s all. I don’t know how to process everything. It’s almost too much. A week ago, I didn’t even know intelligent life existed outside of my world, and now look at me.” I clarified.
He kissed me on the forehead and told me to breathe slowly, helping me calm down. He was very gentle with me, and very sweet.
He stood up and walked over to a panel on the wall. It slid open and he pulled out a decanter of liquid which he handed to me.
“Here, take a few sips of this. It’s just like wine, it will calm your nerves,” he explained. “Careful though, it’s very strong,” he warned.
I grabbed the decanter eagerly and took a drink, my face wrinkling as the liquid burned down my throat.
“I warned you,” he said, clicking his tongue against the back of his teeth in admonishment. He grabbed it from me and took a swig before placing it on the side table. He then grabbed a large cloth from the panel wall before wrapping it around my shoulders.
“We are used to these temperatures. I know it can be cold on this ship for humans,” he said.
“The Captain wants to see you, Lieutenant,” a voice radioed into the room. He walked over to a button and pressed it. “I am on my way,” he said, and then he opened the door and quickly walked out.
The way he mentioned the temperature made me think that maybe humans had been on this ship before, but how? Did this happen centuries ago? Why has my department never been privy to this information? My mind started racing a million miles a second.
I stood up and began to walk back and forth in the room, grabbing the decanter and chugging it back. I wasn’t with my lover and protector anymore, and now I was beginning to doubt his whole story. Suddenly, I felt very alone.
I kept drinking more and more of the liquid, even though he had warned me, and before I knew it, I was already fast asleep in bed. I didn’t know how long I was out, but I awoke to the sound of Axon calling me.
“Jennifer? Jennifer, wake up,” I opened my eyes and focused on Axon’s face. “We’re going to be there soon,” he said. He seemed nervous, but perhaps it was just my sleepy state.
“Where?” I murmured, rubbing my eyes as I sat down on the bed. My head felt like it was splitting in two.
“Harpo. We are going to my village Nosiva,” he replied as he walked out the door. It took me a few more minutes to fully awaken, and then it hit me. I was about to be on an alien planet.
I was scared to death and yet excited at the same time. To be able to see this other world would be an extraordinary blessing, and one in which I promised myself to make the most of.
I put my shoes on and went out the door, walking into a long narrow hallway. I remembered the direction to the front of the ship, and as I headed there, I saw a small round window, somewhat like a porthole, and I stopped to look out.
“Oh my God,” I gasped, looking out into the darkness of space. There was a glow in the distance, and I realized it was coming up fast, growing bigger and bigger by the second. I remained standing there, the planet’s atmosphere glowing beautifully. It was blue and green similar to Earth’s color, only there were more greenish parts than there were blue.
“It’s so beautiful,” I whispered in awe.
“Yes, it is,” Axon said as he came up behind me.
“Is that it? Is that Harpo?”
/>
“Yes. Come with me. You can sit on the flight deck. It has a better view from there once we enter the planet,” he said.
I followed him as he walked into the flight deck and stood in the back. He pointed to a seat against the back wall. I sat down, and he fastened my seat belts for me, his body coming very close to my face. He then moved away and stood next to the Captain in front of the windshield.
The ship slowed as it grew closer and closer to the planet, entering Harpo’s atmosphere.
The sky was a magnificent blue with puffy clouds just like Earth. As we flew and descended slowly to land, I could see fields of yellow and blue grass, and vast forests with purple-looking trees.
We flew over a massive field of blue grass, and in the distance, I could see a large village. There were buildings in all colors, shapes, and sizes, and I could see Axon as he turned his head slightly to look at me, gauging my reaction to his home. He looked relieved as I stared in awe.
The ship landed in an airport type structure, and I listened to the crew as they called out different commands. The ship finally came to a stop, and the engine turned off. It was time for us to get out.
“Ready?” Axon asked as he walked over to me.
“Yes,” I said nervously, fumbling with my seatbelts until he helped me to take them off.
I stepped out of the ship’s door, and onto a plank ram that led down to the ground. I could not believe the size of the trees, not to mention the array of colorful leaves, it was all so magnificent looking.
“Come on. I’ll show you to a guest living quarters. You can stay there while the captain reports to the Council,” Axon said, following me down the ramp. “It will be up to the Council whether we can take you back to Earth… that is, if you decide you want to go back,” he said, stopping once he reached the bottom and turning around to look at me hopefully.
He turned back and kept walking, his words making my heart skip a beat. I never had any male make me feel so loved before, and for some reason I started skipping to catch up with him, unable to hide the massive grin on my face.