My heart rate spikes, and I let go, trembling.
When I was a young girl, I grew up making jokes about alien probes. Now, when I gaze into the alien’s wicked eyes, I realize that it’ll be nothing like the joke I imagined.
I was so naïve.
“She is ovulating,” the caped alien says through sharp teeth.
“Human sluts. They’re almost always ovulating,” the leader says.
The husky alien yanks my hair, pulling me onto my feet. Instead of screaming, I hold it all in, praying for relief. If I really want to find a way out of this, I’ll need to understand them better.
My journalistic instincts kick in.
“Why me?” I ask.
The leader chuckles. “We received a ping. It brought us to you,” he says.
A ping? I don’t even know what a ping is!
“But I never sent anything. None of this makes any sense,” I say.
“Don’t lie to her,” the huskier alien says. “We took you because you were ready to be taken. We saw you first.”
The leader takes my hands, binding my wrists together with two electrified cuffs. He leads me into a separate room. It’s some sort of control center with blinking lights.
The others follow.
“Keep your eyes down,” he grunts.
Outwardly, I obey. However, as soon as I sense them look away, I take a snapshot with my eyes. There is a large window to the outside universe.
I see a multitude of stars. I see a blue speck. Earth…
I used to think those stars came with wishes. Goodness. Now, I know the truth. The universe is filled with sex-crazed aliens, and they don’t give a shit about love or anything good.
They care about one thing. Owning me.
“Her body is perfect,” the leader says, addressing the others. “We should keep her during the extraction process. We can breed her here.”
The alien in the cape bends his head and twists his jaw. “I thought there would be more women.”
A low growl rolls from the husky alien’s throat. “One for each of us. That was the agreement.”
The leader’s lip twitches, and he takes a step away from me. For the moment, I relax, but I know it’s not over.
He grows impatient. Whatever he’s about to say will not be in my favor. “Fine. Keep her in the isolation chamber. We’ll find out how to deal with her later,” he says, turning and exiting the room.
The two aliens huff and groan, eyeing me with malice. The husky one points near my face. “You, my pretty pet, must stay put.”
“Get some rest,” the caped alien says. “You will need it.”
When they leave, the door shuts. The image of my bedroom lights up once more, and I’m nearly ready to give up when I see something peculiar.
In the room’s corner is a small closet, wedged open. I slide it inches and step inside, glancing up at the ceiling.
It’s wide open. There are metal beams that rise as far as three stories high. If I wanted a way out, it looks like I’ve found it.
The jump is a little far…
I’m not in the best shape of my life, but there’s no time to stretch or lose those ten extra pounds. I grab hold of a plank and lift myself to the first ledge. A row of thick metal pipes leads to a small catwalk.
I hop the barrier and continue walking, now nearing the center of the mothership. Three red beams of light protect a door. It must be an alarm system, so I back away and reassess my position.
Peering below, I see nothing. There is pipe after metal pipe, followed by a long drop into darkness.
“Shit,” I curse.
I walk back and hear the low rumblings of deep voices. Following the path toward the other end of the catwalk, I find a drop-down ladder. Cautiously, I slide it forward, entering an unguarded room. I stop as soon as I hear another voice.
There is a room with a hologram. A green and disgusting alien, even more dreaded than the beings that abducted me, speaks.
I hide behind the wall and listen.
“Lök, where is your crew? We did not receive your daily ping, and our devices do not register your coordinates. I hope it is just an error on our part.”
Lök kneels and eyes the floor. “Emperor Slain.”
“Enough,” he groans. “Stand up. I don’t have time for games. I demand an explanation. Did you or did you not leave planet Ferän?
“Sir, we have begun the extraction of Resnyx,” Lök says. “The miners are nearly ready.”
In a fit of rage, the Emperor spits and hits his fist against the table. “That is not what I asked you.”
I look past the wall. Lök sucks in his cheeks and takes a deep breath, remaining composed. However, something is obviously wrong.
“We have scouted another planet,” he says. “One without life, a rogue with remnants of Resnyx.”
He’s lying. They found a planet full of life. Earth. But why is he hiding that crucial detail?
The Emperor screams and points at him. “You have no authorization to leave. You are not a soldier anymore. You lost your rights when you became a contractor.”
“I can assure you, we won’t let you down. Our workers will get the job done, and when it’s over, we’ll find more of it. You will be the most powerful alpha in the universe,” Lök says.
This seems to calm the emperor’s nerves. Leaning back on his heels, the holographic image ponders this, circling the room.
“We did this for you,” Lök continues. “Everything we do is for the good of the Ubaran Empire. Perhaps we aren’t soldiers anymore, but we fought in the early uprisings.”
“Yes,” the Emperor says, easing his temper. “Your resume proceeds you.”
Lök steps forward, gaining confidence. “I’ll admit, the mining contract was a way out for us. But now, more than ever, I’ve realized the importance of our expeditions. If we are to survive as an intergalactic empire, we need to extract as much Resnyx as we can. The more we attain, the less able our competitors will be.”
“All will bow before me,” the Emperor hisses.
“Yes. The citizens will view you as the one true alpha,” Lök says.
The Emperor exhales, turning toward Lök. Clearing his throat, he cracks his neck and raises his chin. “Forty-eight hours,” he says. “That’s not much time.”
“Yes, sir. I understand. Thank you for giving us time to finish the extraction,” Lök says.
His tone is no longer hurried. Smiling, he bows.
He got what he wants. There was no talk of me. No talk of Earth.
As the conversation ends, he bows. The holograph dissipates, leaving him in silence.
He turns in my direction, laughing. A giant breath of relief follows, and I hear him coming in my direction.
If I run, he’ll either see or hear me.
I close my eyes and hold my breath.
He’s coming closer…
I can smell his masculine scent near me. His heavy breathing grows louder. He’s about to turn the corner, but someone calls out to him.
“Lök, we have a big fucking problem,” he grunts.
It’s the bigger alien of the bunch. He looks worried, and I know exactly what it’s about.
Lök turns and addresses the alien. “What is it, Vraik? I’m busy.”
“The human,” he says. “She’s… gone.”
Lök runs forward, grabbing the edges of his armor for support. “What do you mean, she’s gone?”
“Check for yourself. She’s not there,” he grunts. “She has climbed through the roof.”
Lök shakes. “I thought she’d be too weak to climb.”
Footsteps echo behind me.
I grab the catwalk’s railing, slowly lifting myself over the edge. Glancing down. I see the darkness and red rings of light marking each floor. This mothership is at least twenty stories tall. If I fall, I’m toast.
I lower my body over and hang on, holding my breath.
The alien with the cloak arrives at the other end of the cat
walk. His large feet step near my hands, and he sniffs the surrounding air.
“She is near,” he says.
“Rekker. Did you find her?” Vraik asks.
The other aliens run toward him.
“How could she escape the isolation room? There is nowhere to go,” Lök argues.
“I checked it out. She found a way into the catwalk,” he says.
My biceps are burning. I can’t hold on for much longer.
Lök takes a moment to look around. “Here, pussy cat,” he calls out, sniffing.
I stay still as he clicks his tongue and growls, high-pitched and animalistic. Is he using sound to sense my location?
“She is close,” he says.
When his horrible noises cease, I look ahead. There’s another rung, three feet away from me. That’s not the only thing I see.
If I get to that rung, I can climb down another ladder. Near the edge of that catwalk is a small chute. I don’t know where it leads to, but it’s my only hope at escaping.
Making no noise, I swing my body. The pain in my arms is unbearable, but I’m holding on for dear life.
The motion carries me forward. I need to decide to let go, but I’m so worried I’ll fall. As I rock back, my fingers slip.
I howl with fear, giving away my location.
“There!” Vraik growls. “Stop her before she gets to the extractor.”
I buck and spring to the rung in front of me. When my hands wrap around it and actually hold me steady, I feel my heart flush with relief.
But it’s not over. I drop to the second catwalk and watch as the aliens pounce to my level, circling in front of me once again.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Lök asks.
My emotions hit me hard.
I don’t know the answer. But I know that when things get hard, you just keep running.
That’s what my father always told me. Sometimes, you just have to face the wind and see where it takes you.
“Fuck you,” I growl.
Lök reaches for me, but I drop under the barrier. Arms spread wide, I fall into the darkness, a true leap of faith.
Luckily, my back hits the entrance to the chute. I slide down the curved wall. Lights flash around me. The sound of alarms rings, but there is no one else to alert.
I know too much about them now.
By the sound of that conversation, these brutes are miners, aliens that extract minerals from rogue planets. They don’t have rights. And a part of me wonders if they’re even allowed to invade a planet like Earth.
Whatever the case, Lök looked on the verge of breaking down. They are in trouble. That means, I might have a chance.
My ass hits the bottom floor. I’m inside a small room with one holographic image of a mineral or some kind of element. Alien language scrolls around it. A percentage meter rises with unknown numbers.
I am sure this is the Resnyx their emperor demanded. They have just begun the extraction.
I can hear the aliens running toward the chute. “She is in the extraction room,” Rekker shouts with unquestionable fury.
Near the exit is a red lever. I pull it, and the door shuts, locking me inside the room.
They hit the bottom, banging on the tough metal. “Open this door!” Vraik screams.
Ignoring them, I stare at the element on the screen. It looks similar to mercury, except it is nearly invisible, and it moves chaotically, expanding and boiling like a sun.
We have been sitting on this the entire time, and we didn’t know it. This must be a source of power, of undeniable energy. If Earth got ahold of this, there’s no telling what we could do.
I take a deep breath and soak this in.
There isn’t a being in this universe that should have access to Resnyx.
My mind is made up. “I must stop this,” I say, voice quivering.
The aliens stop pounding on the door, but I can still hear their frenzied breathing and guttural clicking.
“Wait,” Lök says, panicked. “Stop!”
But I don’t do as I’m told. That’s not the kind of woman I am.
Instead of putting up with a lifetime of pain, I ruin their day. I pull the plug on the computerized system and watch as the hologram stops.
The extraction on Earth has ceased.
It’s time for me to call the shots.
Five
Rekker
I pace the control center room, arms wound behind my back. She has barricaded us out, and no matter how many keys I press, the door won’t open.
She hit the fail-switch button.
Our race is the most powerful in the universe, but she has beat us in less than a day. It is all too embarrassing.
We need the extraction to continue. If we don’t get this done in less than forty-eight hours, our entire operation will have failed.
Slain will destroy us.
Veins pulsing with adrenaline, I take Lök by the throat and squeeze. “What have you done?”
Lök kicks and forces his neck free. Stumbling against the door, he catches his breath and runs his hands above his clavicle. “I’ll have Slain kill you for that,” he says, charging me.
He tackles me against the holograph computer, denting its side. The corner sends a shooting pain through my kidneys.
I hammer my fist against his chin. “The next time we see Slain, will be the day of our funeral,” I shout.
Breathing, we circle around the room. “Don’t fuck with me, Rekker,” Lök says. “We will get her to comply.”
“She will do nothing of the sort,” I say.
He has doomed us.
Even Vraik is wary about the whole thing. “You picked the one female who could outsmart us and find a way out. We look weak, and if the Emperor sees our foolishness, we will lose everything we stood to gain.”
Both Vraik and I inch forward, arms flexing. “Lök, it’s time for you to listen to us.”
Lök uses his forearm to wipe the blood away from the side of his face. “I need some time alone,” he growls.
I clench my teeth, nostrils flaring. “Fine. Take your sweet damn time, but understand that she has the advantage now. Not us.”
Vraik and I walk outside the room, toward the outer window of the mothership. Outside, the female’s blue planet is motionless. But inside its rich atmosphere, human armies attempt to dismantle our driller. Who knows? They could succeed.
Both of us stare at the starlit space. “What do you think?” I ask.
A low rumble forms from Vraik’s throat. “He promised me a bride. That’s what I think,” he says.
“Yes,” I state. “Maybe we were getting ahead of ourselves. She is far too cunning.”
There’s nothing worse than agreeing to a trap.
“Maybe we can find another,” Vraik says. “There are other women.”
“And go back to Earth?” I ask. "No. That is not an option.”
Even if it were, I don’t think I’d want to go back.
As much as I disagreed with Lök’s plan, once I saw her, I understood his obsession. She is rarer than Resnyx, and the energy she gives is radiant.
She is the polar opposite of everything I know to be true of my race. Resnyx isn’t our ticket to freedom. She is.
There is no need to step foot on Earth again. We will take their Resnyx, drain their water sources, and get rid of all evidence of its existence.
But we have to persuade her to go against her own people.
“We will just have to share her,” I admit.
“Well, you called it,” Vraik says.
I shrug. “Is it that bad to share?” I ask.
Before females were banished, it was not uncommon for royal elites to share brides. A diverse gene pool provides a family with strength.
It is the way a species can continue to dominate.
“She is defiant and nothing like the women from our planet,” he says.
“She will learn to behave.”
Beneath every stupid plan is a great
idea. Ours just needs a little reformulating. We can make this work.
Before Vraik can utter a response, I realize the greatness of Lök’s idea. If we pull this off, not only will we control the Resnyx. We will be the only lower class scum with children.
I smile and start to laugh.
Vraik’s eyes crease. “What is it?”
There was never a problem with overpopulation. The Ubaran Empire banished the women to force the poor to sign up to mine. We work, believing they will be rewarded with mates. We are naïve.
“Intergalactic law,” I whisper, shaking my head.
“What are you talking about?” Vraik groans.
“If you have a child, you no longer have to work. That’s the law,” I tell him.
Those with kin are granted a life of peace. They are allowed to exist outside the internal mechanisms of our parasitic planet.
Vraik’s eyes light up like a birthday cake. A dumb smile curls across his face. “It’s an automatic win,” he says.
Those who mate, get everything. If we succeed, we will be immune.
Slain couldn’t lay a finger on us.
Vraik’s excitement wanes. “Are we really thinking of bringing her back there?” he asks.
“We breed her here. Once she is pregnant, we’ll have to bring her to Ubara,” I say. “It is the only way.”
Vraik shifts on his heels, clenching his hands together. “Why fly into the belly of the beast when we could use the Resnyx to eradicate Slain, and—”
Vraik cuts his sentence short. I sense Lök behind us.
He finishes Vraik’s sentence for him? “And run? Because that’s what he’d expect us to do. We’d outrun his warships for a while, but they’d find us eventually. On Ubara, law protects us.”
“That’s the thing. It sounds nice, but do we really trust Slain to uphold the law?” Vraik asks.
Lök strides forward. “No,” he admits. “But when the time comes to face him, I believe we’ll have a better sense of what to do.”
Vraik looks to me for answers, but I don’t have any. Lök is right. We’re walking into this situation blindly, and we don’t have a lot of options.
Trusting the female is an issue. But if we hold the Resnyx and don’t give in, maybe we can strike a deal.
“We must speak with her,” I say.
Alien Bride: A Dark Alien Sci-Fi Romance Page 4