“She must have immense willpower,” one scientist, Able, said. “And possibly a genetic predisposition to drug intolerance. If she is truly the one Korda told me about, then this is a great sign.”
“I see,” Zander said, pressing his hand against the two-way mirror. He gazed at Pria lying on the table, strapped down as if she were some kind of prisoner. It made his heart ache. The poor woman had no idea what was going on. He wished he could stay in there, soothing and comforting her. It was the only way he could find peace within himself about what they were doing to her.
“How are her readings?” Zander asked finally, turning away from the helpless woman. If he continued to stare at the way her flowing auburn hair lay on her delicate shoulders, and the way her ample bosom rose and fell against the wires connected to her chest, he wouldn’t be able to get anything done for the rest of the night. He had never been so entranced by another being before.
“They’re sensational,” Able said, shaking his head in disbelief. “I can’t believe a creature like this exists in the universe. I want to send a sample of her blood to Korda and Capt. Kane right away.”
“All right, leave that to me. I’ll be going in tonight for the next round of testing, but it will require complete privacy. I’ll get a sample of her blood then. But I don’t want anybody else going in that room, is that clear? Just because she might be immune to the virus, doesn’t mean she is immune to the communicable diseases from our planet. And I’ve been hearing you sniffling this past week, so please just stay put. She’s far too valuable.”
“I understand, of course.”
“Not even in the suits, do you understand?”
“Anything you wish, Captain.”
“Thank you.”
“She trusts you, Captain,” a scientist who was usually shy said. Krill’s face was flushed when she said it and she was repressing a knowing smile. He had always suspected that she had a crush on him, but he didn’t have time for romance and she had never been bold enough to make a move, so everything was all right. It shocked him how Pria was holding his attention. He’d never been particularly fixated on anybody specific before.
Krill’s words sent a jolt of excitement through Zander’s chest. The first human he had ever seen actually trusted him. Krill had it in her charts, documented proof that the human was responding to him biologically and mentally much the same way he felt he was being pulled toward her. They ignited each other’s pleasure centers. Hopefully, that would still be the case when he admitted the truth to her about where she was and how she had gotten there.
“Great job, everybody,” Zander said, ignoring what Krill said and tucking it away to secretly examine later. “Don’t give her any more drugs. There are things I need to talk to her about. You’ll all be dismissed at L-300.”
“Yes, sir,” Able said with a dutiful nod. Zander nodded formally at them as he left, his mind occupied with what he would tell Pria that night when he went to administer more tests. Hopefully nothing would go wrong.
***
That night, Pria was sleeping soundly when she heard the door to her room slide open. It must have been a pretty high-tech establishment they had her holed up in if the doors had such a quiet mechanical whirr. She felt apprehensive until she heard the comforting and familiar musical voice of the handsome man she had seen earlier in the day.
“Good evening, Pria,” he said, standing beside her bed. She was surprised to find that her neck was free of the hold that the drugs had over her while she had been sedated. She swallowed hard and tried her voice, but it was dry and squeaky.
“Try this,” Zander said softly, handing her a small glass with a clear liquid in it. Pria had assumed it was water, but when she tasted it she crinkled her nose. It tasted like alcohol and went down harsh like a shot of liquor. However, when it was down, all of her discomfort faded and she felt better than she had in years. There wasn’t even any aftertaste.
“What the hell was that?” she asked, raising her eyebrow at Zander.
He didn’t answer for a moment. His eyes were fixed firmly on her, taken aback by the sound of her voice. It was brazen and husky, but feminine at the same time. She was a fighter, he decided, and a uniquely stunning one at that. No wonder she had been able to fight off the sedation so quickly. She needed to take care of herself and she was going to do that however she could.
“Seriously, was it a magic potion of some sort? What are you feeding me? And where am I?”
Her voice was different than the women from his planet. Lower, more sensual. The accent with which she spoke was captivating. Pria noticed Zander staring at her and raised her eyebrow.
“Why are you looking at me like I’m from another planet or something?” she asked, shifting nervously on her bed.
Zander laughed despite himself and shook his head helplessly. He didn’t really know what to tell her or where to start.
“Maybe you are,” he said.
“Yeah right. And I suppose you’re actually feeding me a magic potion that can make me feel all better.”
“Well…it’s not magic actually. It’s science. Much more advanced than what you’re used to on your own planet. But I don’t think I can explain that very well right now.”
“Wait, are you being serious?” Pria asked, suddenly concerned. Here she had been thinking that she was the crazy one, being shipped off in an armored car. But maybe she was wrong. Had she been kidnapped by a group of psychos?
“I don’t have an easy way to tell you this,” Zander said, shifting nervously. They usually had a protocol for speaking to the abductees, but since Zander had been the head of his class when it came to diplomacy and human relations, he had been given the difficult task of breaking the news to her. But he had never actually spoken with a human before, and now he was feeling like his interest in the classes had been a huge mistake. He was nowhere near prepared enough for this. He ran his hand through his hair nervously and looked down at the floor.
Pria watched him closely, her perceptive blue eyes flashing thoughtfully as Zander tried to gather his thoughts. She sat upright, finally feeling like her old self again.
“Where you are…it’s called the Legend. It’s our ship. I would like to give you a tour of your room. It will explain all you need to know. Please, follow me.”
Zander approached her and offered her his sculpted arm. He had a body unlike any she had seen on Earth; firm and broad like the sculpture of a Greek god.
Pria got shakily to her feet and looked around the room for a first time. It was huge and metallic, and the bed she had been laying on was surrounded by strange looking machines. She had never seen anything like it before. But what really startled her was when Zander led her away from the machines and toward a huge window that looked out into an oppressive black sky full of stars – the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.
“Look over there,” Zander said. “Do you see that round, shimmering ball of light?”
“Yeah,” Pria breathed, her hand on the glass that was separating her from the abyss outside.
“That’s Earth. Your planet. My captain, Kane, he took the data from the hospitals on Earth and had me find you. We abducted you while you were sleeping. You’re our only hope. We have no future without your help.”
“What are you talking about?” Pria asked, closing her eyes and rubbing her temples. Everything out of this man’s mouth sounded ridiculous. She was clearly in space, but how could this be happening?
“What I mean to say is, you’re special,” Zander said, his handsome brow contorting in worry. “Your body has a special genetic sequence that can fight a virus that has been wiping out several species. These people are going extinct, and quickly. Without your help, the Codans will enslave the survivors of this plague. And that includes the people on your planet. So you can sort of see how you might have a stake in this…”
“You know what? I must be dreaming,” Pria said, laughing. “That’s the only way this makes sense.”
“I wish we were all just sharing a collective nightmare,” Zander said, his large, full lips tugging downward in a frown. His otherworldly eyes were pensive and he looked away from her, out the window and into the vast array of stars. “I had a younger sister. She was the joy of our family, born after I was already a teenager. My older sister and I vowed to protect her, but she was the first one of my family to be taken by the virus. We vowed to avenge her, but my older sister also contracted it, though it was a less serious strain. She was offered relief by the Codans, who, sensing an opportunity, turned the odds in their favor by manufacturing a drug that eased the symptoms. But it is highly addictive and makes those who get their hands on it slaves to it. The Codans are the most scientifically advanced race known in the universe, and they are the only who have such a solution. They see the potential to herd the masses under their thumb and refuse to develop any technology that might get rid of the virus once and for all. So we have taken it upon ourselves.”
“The Codans?” Pria asked.
“They’re vicious, nasty creatures. They want to enslave us all. They’re hungry for power. It wouldn’t surprise me if they were the ones who had manufactured the virus themselves, just to thin out the population and consider the universe theirs for the taking.”
Pria frowned. Since when did she start dreaming in Sci-Fi?
“This is what the Codans look like,” Zander said, holding his wrist in front of her and pressing a button on a band he wore around it. A holographic screen shimmered in front of them and the ugly face of a Codan began circling in the air in front of them. Pria was impressed with the technology and repulsed by the face of the rival alien race Zander was talking about. They were ugly. Their faces looked like they were melting, and their skin was a woody brown color. The back of the Codan’s head rose up in a crown that was similar to that of a triceratops.
“If you see anybody who looks like this, run. Call for me. Call for anybody. Just stay away from them. If they learn who you are, and why you’re so valuable, they will either kill you or use you for far more evil. You wouldn’t want to live with yourself.”
“I…” Pria shook her head helplessly and frowned. If she was going to believe anything this man was saying, she would have to open her mind more than she ever had before.
“I know this is a lot to take in right now. Maybe you would like to sit down. I promised you answers, and I’m really sorry that they’re probably not answers that you would have liked to hear.”
Zander put his hand gently on Pria’s elbow, and she felt an involuntary surge of pleasure from his touch. His eyes were gentle and kind, and he led her carefully back to her bed.
“There’s one last thing I need to do tonight, but I need your permission to do it. I hope I can count on your compliance, but if not I understand.”
“What do you need from me?” Pria asked, her voice barely above a whisper. She fixed her striking blue eyes on Zander, and he shifted nervously.
He was silent until they arrived back to the bed, where he motioned for her to take a seat. She did, and gazed at him. This was all just getting weirder and weirder, but if it truly was a dream, then she would have to take it in stride and hope for it to be over soon.
“Well…it’s a little…unorthodox,” Zander said, pulling a chair up beside her bed and perching awkwardly. He looked embarrassed and flustered, and Pria did her best not to smile. He seemed reluctant to say what was on his mind.
“And…?” Pria prompted.
“Um…part of the plan to fight the Codans is to create hybrids,” Zander said, raising his hand awkwardly behind his head and looking away from her. She could swear that sweat was rising from his brow. She almost felt sorry for him, at least until her mind fully wrapped around what he was trying to say.
“Wait. What do you mean by that?” Pria asked, fixing a hard look on him. “If you think you’re going to sleep with me right now, you’ve got another thing coming.”
“No! No, nothing like that,” Zander cried, his face growing beet red.
“Then like what?” Pria asked, trying not to laugh at him. He was clearly miserable. She wondered how he had gotten the unfortunate job of breaking the news to her.
“It’s just…tests,” Zander said, his voice an exasperated whisper.
“What sorts of tests?” Pria asked, crossing her hands over her chest. Zander swallowed hard, shifting on his seat.
“Um…we need to understand your body’s rhythms…how it, uh… responds to stimuli…things like that.”
“You’re kidding me,” Pria said, her voice flat. Zander fixed his tortured, beautiful eyes on her and pursed his lips.
“I’m afraid not. You could be our only chance of saving our way of life. And we’re willing to do whatever it takes…but we need your permission to learn about your body. It’s an anomaly. But it’s one that could save us all. I’ll go now and give you some time to think things over.”
Zander stood and Pria watched him head toward the door.
“Feel free to treat this space as your own for now,” he said. “I would like to give you as much free will as possible. That’s something I can offer on my ship. But if you fall into the hands of the Codans, or even my captain, I’m not sure you will remain so lucky.”
And with that, Zander disappeared through the doors, leaving Pria staring behind him in disbelief.
Chapter Four
Zander retreated immediately back to his private chambers, his heart hammering in his chest. He was glad he had dismissed the scientists who were observing Pria. He hadn’t wanted to make a fool of himself like that in front of the crew. He had been instructed in his Human Relations classes to keep explanations as simple and direct as possible. If he was straight and to the point with humans, they were likely to assume he was the authority and submit. Their societal structure did half the work for him. They were eager to listen to authority figures and assume they were helpless in every situation.
But he had forgotten all of his training with Pria. She was such a direct person herself that he almost felt as if she was leading the conversation. And he was still so insecure with all of his authority. He knew why they were doing what they were doing, but he couldn’t help but treat her like an equal. Why should he treat her like she was just some sort of lab rat? The way she spoke was natural and inquisitive. Who was he to lie and pretend he had the ultimate authority over her body? But it wasn’t so simple. They couldn’t simply release her and let her go. She would have to make the right choice, or things might get ugly. One way or another, she might find herself being used in this cosmic fight for liberation.
As soon as the Codans knew what the Driads were up to, they would unleash a torrent of attacks unlike any other. It was almost fortunate that their planet had already been destroyed, because that meant that he couldn’t fear a concentrated attack on his people. However, if the Codans waged war against the Driads, it would mean that no Driad ship would be safe. That was something they were already worried about after Kane defeated one of the most lethal groups of Codans in the galaxy. It might only get worse from there.
But he couldn’t worry about that. Not right now. What he needed to do was focus on the task at hand. He needed to try convincing Pria that it would be worthwhile to volunteer her body to science. If they were able to create genetic hybrids, part-Driad and part-human with the ability to carry the virus rather than suffer from it, they may be able to create a new race of people who could survive whatever form of warfare the Codans might be planning. There would still be hope for the people of the universe to keep going. That was something he would risk his life to do.
***
Pria got up from her bed and paced around the large room after Zander left. She couldn’t believe her situation. Zander seemed so sweet and kind, and he was so unbelievably handsome. But he was asking the impossible of her. And even if he wasn’t requesting her to stay in space and somehow contribute her body to creating a new alien race, how was she supposed to believe that she was a
nything special?
She studied the machines that surrounded her bed. They were flashing different colors and strange symbols were engraved in the metal. She traced one of them with her finger and shuddered before turning away and heading toward the giant window of the room.
She gazed out at the billions of stars as the ship soared silently through the empty space. It was beautiful; she had to admit that. Peaceful in a way. She had always loved the feeling of surrendering control, and knowing that she had no way of helping the fact that she couldn’t go to work or deal with her crappy relationship problems was pretty gratifying. Although she knew she should be stressed out about losing her job, it didn’t feel that important anymore. Not when the Dryads were telling her that everyone on Earth could be wiped out by an evil race bent on universal domination. Small beans.
And what about her strange attraction to the alien leader? He looked so different from other men. He was vaguely humanoid, sure, but wasn’t it a little bit odd that she found herself holding her breath every time he entered the room and doing everything she could not to let her eyes wander just below his belt, to where the forbidden and generous curve of his groin was?
What was she supposed to do? Something in her felt impossibly drawn to Zander in a way she had never felt for another being before. But was that because she had been drugged up and vulnerable? Had they somehow manipulated her mind? It was impossible to say.
But she couldn’t shake the feeling that her attraction to him was real and Zander was being sincere. He didn’t want to hold her against her will. But apparently his people had been compromised and they didn’t appear to have much of a choice. Should she help them? Or should she demand to go back home to Earth? More to the point, if she didn’t help, how much longer would Earth even exist?
Chapter Five
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