“I was processing… and I had to tell Kayn first, sorry. I had to find out from him if it was actually possible. Not that I doubt Shar’s medical expertise or anything, but you know... I was in shock.”
“Of course you were, and you had every right to be.”
“Well, I was pretty shaken up after telling Kayn.”
“Was he mad?”
“No, like I said, he was pretty proud of himself. It’s just that... he was asking me about birth control, you know. The way he was questioning me… Anyway, I feel better now.”
“Did he make you feel better?”
“Hah, no! But he did let me leave early.” Alyssa toyed with a sparkly streamer. “Actually, it was going to town and having some time to myself to think about things. Oh, and I might’ve made a new friend.”
“You’re not replacing me, are you?” Jess squinted at Alyssa with suspicion, a smirk turning up the corners of her mouth.
“Never!” She raised her hands in surrender, grinning. “No, actually, I met this guy at the café—”
“A guy? Aly, you’re pregnant and involved with the commander!”
“Stop the hysterics, girl.” Alyssa tossed her head back and laughed. “I wasn’t trolling for guys at the pub. Seriously, Jess, you know me better than that.”
“Okay, fine. Out with it.”
“Well, I was scarfing down my salad like I hadn’t eaten in years. Just as I was about to shovel another enormous forkful into my mouth, this guy asks if he can sit with me. It was sooo embarrassing!”
“Oh no, you weren’t!” Jess guffawed.
“Oh yes, I was! I forgot to eat breakfast—and lunch.”
“Well, missy—” Jess wagged a finger at an eye-rolling Alyssa “—you can’t do that anymore.”
“Anyway, he seemed nice. New to the area, and well… different. Kind of like Granny. Not as proper as the Szu’Kara prefer us humans to be.”
“Interesting… What did he want?”
“Nothing... really. He wasn’t flirting with me. Not that I would know, or care how guys our age flirt. We just chatted a little while, then he left. Gave me his number, though.”
“Huh. I’m surprised you talked to him.”
Alyssa shrugged, looking away. “He sat down before I could stop him. Honestly, it’s not like I’m scared of men. I just don’t… trust them, you know…”
“Aly, it’s been years. Alec was an asshole—”
“Not just Alec…”
“Okay, so you had a bad run with guys in school. We were all immature back then. They just got a taste of Valene and lost interest in us regular girls.”
“All of them? At least you had a boyfriend for a while who wasn’t a complete Valene junkie. Every one of the guys I dated dumped me when they got a bigger taste of Zion.”
“Well, it is Zion, and you were always picking guys who were near or at the next age bracket. You seem to have a thing for older guys.”
Alyssa smirked, thinking about Kayn. “I do, don’t I?”
“Uh, yeah! Kayn is what? A few hundred years old?”
Alyssa tried to recall if he’d ever mentioned his actual age. “Um, I guess, maybe.”
“Well, anyway, are you going to call this guy?”
“I thought it might be nice to take him to Granny. I think she’ll get a kick out of his attitude.”
“Maybe I’ll tag along.”
“Sure. Granny loves when you visit her.”
For the rest of the evening, Alyssa put the baby out of her mind, and focused on her friend. Jess talked about what a softy Lorn, her Szu’Kara boyfriend, was and how he did this and that for her. Lorn’Sefa worked as a scientist at the lab, and was kind of a geek. He was also the shortest and softest looking alien on the compound, and although he worked long hours, he doted on Jess with more love and affection than any other alien Alyssa ever met. It sometimes made her envious that Kayn wasn’t as attentive. That’s what I get falling for the commander…
Chapter 2
The next morning, Isa called, informing Alyssa that Kayn wanted her to go straight to the prenatal clinic for a checkup before work. Perturbed that Kayn couldn’t be bothered to call personally, Alyssa dressed in her angry outfit.
The fuchsia silk blouse had a low V-neck, conveniently displaying a generous amount of cleavage, which made Kayn growl deep in his chest when she accidentally-on-purpose leaned forward a little too far. Her tight, mid-thigh, black pencil-skirt with sequined, black lace overlay, promised to irritate the general. And last, but certainly not least, she slipped her feet into her prized possessions, a pair of three inch—because three was her max for work shoes—black stilettos with shiny silver heels.
With her hair pulled up in a severe ponytail and wavy strands of loose locks framing her face, Alyssa drew on some black eyeliner and accentuated her full lips with a glossy sheen. Feeling fierce, she headed to the clinic, breathing in the misty morning air and feeling optimistic about the future, stopping by the cafeteria on her way, for a bagel and a juice. No bad parenting today.
When Alyssa arrived at the clinic, several women were sat in the waiting room. Some of them were obviously pregnant, but she couldn’t tell with the others. The receptionist, the only Szu’Kara female in the vicinity, checked her in with speedy efficiency.
Alyssa sat in a chair next to an anxious-looking woman, who appeared quite young, and most definitely pregnant. She grabbed a magazine and started flipping through it without really paying attention, but with a sigh, set it back down and looked at the young woman. “How far along are you?”
The woman glanced at her with startled green eyes, answering with a soft, timid voice. “Five months.”
“Really? I thought you were like eight months along. You’re pretty big—” Oops! “—I mean... Sorry, I’m not trying to call you fat.”
“It’s fine.” The young woman looked down at her lap, long oily strands of ink-black hair hiding her pallid face.
“Are you having twins?”
“No.”
“Okay...”
“Miss Lee, Mrs. McGregor, Miss Rose, and Ms. O’Hare, please follow me.” A human nurse waited by the front desk, clipboard in hand.
Filing through the door, the nurse led the women to a large room with several hospital beds lining the walls, each with a tray full of supplies and medical devices posted next to it. “Pick a station, please, ladies. Shar will be in momentarily.”
Alyssa sat on the bed next to the strange young woman, curious how her belly could be so big. Maybe she’d be able to glean some pertinent information if she listened in on Shar’s evaluation.
The woman sitting on the bed across from Alyssa cleared her throat, waving when she had her attention. “Hey, I’m Katie. Katie O’Hare.” Blonde, maybe early thirties, Katie had a soccer mom look about her.
“Hi, I’m Alyssa Rose.” She smiled politely.
“This is Angie McGregor—” she pointed to the woman on the next bed over “—and that’s Kora Lee.”
“Hello, Angie. Kora.” Alyssa smiled at each of the women.
Angie smiled back and waved, but Kora only wilted at the attention.
“Kora’s real shy. Don’t let it bother you.” Katie looked at Kora with pity in her eyes.
“There’s another girl, but she skips a lot of checkups and classes. Fine by me though.” Angie leaned back on her hands, looking pleased. Late thirties, early forties, Angie had a touch of backwoods vibe to her with clothing that appeared to be older and threadbare in places.
“Yep.” Katie grimaced. “I don’t miss her when she’s gone either.”
Alyssa quirked up an eyebrow and the corner of her mouth. “That bad, huh?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Angie bobbed her head. “That girl thinks she’s something special, I tell you what!”
“Pipe down, Angie. You’re going to scare Kora.”
Alyssa peeked over at the young woman, who stared at the floor with dull eyes.
“You okay, Kora?”
<
br /> “Yes.” The word came out so quiet, Alyssa strained to hear it.
“Kora’s had a rough go.” Katie said, mewling sympathy. “We try to look out for her.”
“She said she’s five months along? Is it normal for her to be so... big?”
“Yeah, that’s normal. It’s the mixed genes that do that. We’re all here because we’re carrying mixed babies.”
Blown away by this revelation, Alyssa ogled each of the women and their growing bellies of varying sizes. Holy cow. Alyssa choked back a slew of questions that would probably sound rude.
“I just found out I’m pregnant. I don’t even know how far along I am.”
“Shar will tell you. She’s good.”
“How far along are you?”
“I’m five and a half months in, and Angie is six months. She’ll be ready to pop in about a month.”
“At seven months...? Oh, my...”
“Yep. Seven months is all it takes. Then we all get shipped off to the Nursery.”
“The what?”
“The Nursery.” Katie answered with a cheery voice, as if talking about some pre-war amusement park. “That’s where all alien and half-breed babies go—with their mama’s, of course. It’s safer there.”
Alyssa scrunched up her nose. “Safer from who?”
“The rebels.” Katie dragged out the words as if they were the most obvious answer ever.
“Oh, I see.” Not really… “I suppose that’s good.”
Alyssa gritted her teeth, aghast at the idea of being shipped off to some strange place. I’m going to talk to Kayn about this, because it’s so not happening.
When Shar arrived, she checked on Katie and Angie first, taking their vitals and drawing blood, so Alyssa took the opportunity to try connecting with Kora. “So, are you excited about the baby?”
“I guess.” Kora gave a listless shrug. “I don’t know.”
“What about the father? Is he happy?” Someone’s got to be happy about the baby…
“Yes, he is.” Her words came across with a hint of fearful hesitation.
“How long have you been here? I haven’t seen you around.”
“About a month.” Kora’s thin fingers tugged on the frayed threads of her oversized T-shirt. “When I started showing, they sent us here.”
“Where are you from?”
“Florida.”
Alyssa smiled to herself. The other women were nice enough, but something about Kora made her feel protective. Maybe it was her age or her fragile appearance. Do maternal instincts kick in this early?
“What’s your partner’s name?”
“Sen’Tasi.”
“Are you two married or mated?”
“No.”
“How old are you?”
“Nineteen.”
“Do you like living here?”
Kora shrugged again.
It’s like pulling teeth! Teenagers, ugh.
Relief washed over Kora’s face when Shar interrupted to examine her. Alyssa pretended to study her fingernails while eavesdropping, but several minutes of terse conversation had Alyssa yawning, so she absentmindedly listened in on the meaningless chatter between Katie and Angie.
When it was her turn, she watched intently as Shar checked her blood pressure and drew two vials of blood. Shar’s lithe hands were cool and gentle, and her cerulean blue skin shimmered faintly in the clinic lighting. Fringed with long pale lashes, her solid cream-colored eyes contrasted beautifully against her dark complexion.
“How far along am I?”
“I believe you are four to six weeks along,” Shar said as she taped a cotton ball to the inside of Alyssa’s elbow.
“Well, that sounds about right. The first and only time. How lucky am I?”
Shar stopped to look Alyssa in the eyes. “You are unhappy?”
“Oh, no.” Why can’t I keep my big mouth shut? “I didn’t mean that, Shar, really. I’m just frustrated. I didn’t think this would happen with Kayn. I thought I was safe from this kind of thing.”
“Yes—” Shar turned back to the tray of supplies, disposing of the used needles “—you should have been safe. It is a rare occurrence.”
“How rare?”
Shar swept her arm out, pointing at the other women. “Currently, all the humans impregnated by Szu’Kara, in the United States, are in this room, except for one.”
“So, five, in the entire country?”
“Yes.”
“Where are the children?” Alyssa narrowed her eyes, scanning her memory. “I’ve never seen a Szu’Kara child, much less one born to a human woman.”
“They are too precious to be left unprotected. The children, along with their mothers, are sent to live at an isolated, secure compound. They receive excellent care.”
“I see…but why have I never seen a young Szu’Kara? Everyone that comes to the compound appears to be full-grown adults.”
“Our offspring develop quickly into adulthood, compared to humans, but we also have extended lifespans. Your child will, as well.” Shar smiled sweetly at Alyssa.
“When will I start showing?”
“During the fourth month.”
“Okay. Thanks, Shar.”
“You are welcome, Alyssa. If you have more questions, you may ask Ela, our obstetrician, when you meet her at the prenatal class. The schedule is available at the front desk.”
Shar finished gathering all the samples and left. Readjusting her skirt and blouse, Alyssa pretended she hadn’t noticed Kora watching her. The other women had left already, and Alyssa was anxious to get to work so she smiled at Kora and waved goodbye.
***
After a full day of finalizing Arrival Day preparations with Isa, Alyssa yearned for some nice, normal family time. When she entered her parents’ quarters, she kicked off her shoes as she watched them setting the dinner table with her favorites, spaghetti and garlic bread.
“Heya, kitten.” Alyssa’s father, James, beamed at her.
“Oh, dear, you’re wearing your angry outfit...” Her mother, Melina, eyed Alyssa with a raised brow and amused smirk.
“Yes, I was a bit irritated with Kayn when I got dressed.”
“Anything you want to talk about?”
Yes! “It’s not important.” She waved the topic away.
“Did the outfit do its job?”
“It performed spectacularly, as usual.” She stood, arms akimbo, sporting a wicked grin.
“Oh, kitten, you shouldn’t tease the poor commander.”
Alyssa stuck out her bottom lip. “He asked for it, Daddy.”
“Well, as long as he asked for it.” James chuckled and winked, tweaking Alyssa’s chin.
“I think you look fabulous as always.” Melina planted a quick peck on Alyssa’s cheek in passing.
She watched her loving parents work in sync while arranging the dinner table. James danced around Melina, plates and silverware in hand, and dropped a kiss on her cheek. Alyssa inherited her hair color from her Hispanic mother and her fair skin from her Caucasian father.
In the last couple of years, James had put on a few pounds around the waist, but his height evened out his body shape so he only appeared a little thick in the middle. His reddish-brown hair brushed the tops of his ears, in need of a trim. Melina, on the other hand, was quite petite. She stood a whole foot shorter than James and just an inch shorter than Alyssa. Her black hair and olive skin gave her an ethnic beauty Alyssa had envied as a teenager when she couldn’t get a decent tan if her life depended on it.
“Daddy, Kayn asked if you would display your painting of Zion on stage, instead of in the art display, for Arrival Day. He says it’s his favorite.”
James’ eyes widened with shock. “He did?”
“Well, he said ‘Your father’s painting is the most accurate depiction of Zion. He captures the details masterfully.’ For him, that’s pretty much adoration.”
Snickering, her father ambled over to the painting displayed over the li
ving room mantel, wiping a non-existent smudge from the corner as he admired his own work. Alyssa and her mother exchanged knowing looks and joined him to gaze at the perfection of Zion.
Her father worked as an electrical engineer, assisting the aliens with preventative maintenance for all the main ships, but outside his career, he spent many hours on his passion of painting. This painting of Zion was by far his best.
Nothing on Earth could compare to the wonders of Zion. Eventually, all humans would be able to ascend to Zion permanently, but actual Final Asen’Sha was not yet possible for everyone.
In the twenty years since the Szu’Kara arrived, only a few people had been granted Final Asen’Sha. A select number of Earth-bound, favored humans could visit with those lucky few who now populated Zion, and after their privileged visits, those people were held in high esteem, leading religious congregations and sharing their new-found knowledge of life in Zion.
Asen’Sha had influenced the human perception of religion, spirituality, and the world in general. This influence played a huge part in the art world, and depictions of Zion in visual art were highly sought after by humans and Szu’Kara alike.
“It would be my greatest honor to have my painting on the stage with the commander.”
“Great, Daddy. I’ll let the decorators know.”
Alyssa smiled up at her father, her heart swollen with love for her parents.
***
“Students, Miss Rose is here to answer some of your questions about Asen’Sha. Please pay attention.”
Alyssa smiled at Mrs. Jeffries, the director of the elementary program. The small population of children from the town and the compound required only one large school. All ages attended, with the students split into separate age groups to cover the different levels of education.
“Who wants to go first?”
Several hands shot up, fingers wiggling.
“Miss Rose?”
Alyssa glanced at the boy’s nametag. “Yes, Robert?”
“Do I have to do Asen’Sha?”
“No, Robert. Asen’Sha is voluntary. If you’re nervous or scared, don’t be. Asen’Sha is harmless and very enjoyable. Zion is heaven, after all. It’s a place of pure joy and everlasting love.”
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