"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked, frowning at me. Even her frown was beautiful.
How to put all my thoughts and feelings into words? I wasn't an eloquent man, yet right now, I wished I was a poet who could tell her what I wanted to convey. Instead, I just said, "You're strong. I like that."
She looked up at Vuk as if she wanted him to confirm that I was behaving weirdly.
He smiled at her. "Yes, I like that too."
Wren made a cute sound with her lips. "You're strange."
I chuckled. "So are you. A strange litt- beautiful alien."
"In my book, you're the aliens. I'm human."
"And for us, humans are aliens," Vuk said with a small laugh. "But you should rest. Do you need anything? Food? Water? Is the room warm enough? Is there some sort of sleeping ritual we can do?"
She stared at him; her mouth slightly open. "A ritual?"
"On Tradrych, back when our females were still alive, we had a way to see them off to bed," Vuk explained.
"There were words that we said, and then we gave the female a special drink, something sweet, that would help her sleep. As children, I'd watch my father do the ritual with my mother and I always hoped that one day, I'd be able to do the same."
She looked at us, her frown conveying her apprehension. "Maybe not today," she muttered, lowering her gaze. "I just want to sleep now."
I bowed my head. "Of course. If there is anything you need, press the button by the door and one of us will come."
"There's a button?"
Zut, we should have shown her that right at the beginning. I kept forgetting that it was her first time on a spaceship. The first time as a guest, anyway. I walked over to the door and pointed at a small panel on the side. It blended in so well that if you didn't know it was there, it was easy to overlook it.
"Press your finger there," I explained. "You can then talk to us, or you can order the door to be locked."
She stared at me. "I can lock the door?"
"Of course you can. We want you to have your privacy. I'm sorry, we should have explained that earlier. It might make it easier for you to sleep if you know that nobody can enter the room without you knowing."
I didn't mention that I had an override code for emergencies. I'd never use that unless it was necessary, of course, but I didn't want to worry her. She was only just starting to trust us.
I opened the door and stepped outside, waiting for Vuk to follow me.
"Sleep well, my Queen," he muttered and I quickly repeated his words. This was almost as good as the ritual.
A smile curved her lips and then the door closed behind us, leaving us separated from her.
I exchanged a look with Vuk and saw the same worry in his eyes. I hated leaving her alone, even though I knew that she needed her space.
He took a deep breath. "This is going to be so much harder than I thought," he said with a sigh. "Back to the bridge to watch her from there?"
I nodded. "I'll get us some drinks and snacks. After eating all those leaves, I need some junk food."
The transmission woke me and I jerked up in my chair, realising I'd fallen asleep while watching the human curled up in her nest. Vuk had left, probably to look after his plants, now that there was demand for them.
I pressed the button and Za'Rok's face filled the screen. He was one of the few other Trad pirates and I considered him a good friend and ally. We'd not talked in a long time, so it was good to see him again.
"Rafaz."
"Za'Rok. How can I help?"
"I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, my friend. We intercepted an Athion transmission ten clicks ago that will be of interest to you. They're looking for two Trad pirates who have kidnapped a human female. And when I say 'they', I mean every zutting Athion in the vicinity."
I gaped at him. "Kidnapped?!"
"That's what they say. I got your earlier message so I know what really happened, but the two Athion kraktz you were searching for must have reached one of their kind's ships and lied about what happened. Who knows what story they've come up with, but they've portrayed you as the villains. Obviously, the Athions would trust their own over your words, so you better disappear, and quickly."
"Zut. Those lying, thieving abominations." I let out a stream of Trad curses. We were too late to catch the two Athions and bring them to justice. The tables had turned and now we were the hunted.
"I'm going to monitor their communications and will pass on anything relevant," Za'Rok promised. "And you might want to send another message to the other pirates to let them know what's happening. It's better coming from you than me. Stay safe, friend."
He put a fist to his forehead in the pirates' greeting, then ended the call. I stared at the black screen, not sure what to do next.
We were in danger. Our female was in danger. To protect her, we'd have to run, but where to? Athions were everywhere. As pirates, we were used to staying hidden, but as long as we didn't threaten Athion ships, they usually ignored us. With them all searching for us though, it was an entirely different matter. We might be able to outrun them for a while, but as vast as the universe was, eventually they'd catch up with us. They thought we'd stolen a human and that went against everything they stood for.
Zut.
I lifted my communicator. "Vuk. We have a situation."
Chapter 13
Wren
Something was different when I woke up. I felt lighter, somehow, and incredibly refreshed. As if a weight had been lifted off me. Weird.
I had no idea what time it was, but whatever sleep I'd got had been enough. I was bristling with energy and ready to leave this room.
I checked that the door was still locked and then took a quick shower before slipping into the same clothes the Trads had given me yesterday. If it was yesterday; for all I knew, this could still be the same day. I needed a watch. Did they even have twenty-four-hour days in space? Life here wasn't determined by the course of the sun. There were so many things I didn't know about how things worked here. The teacher in me was desperate to find out.
I walked back to the door, but hesitated for a moment. Was I ready to face the aliens again? Their shock therapy - Rafak showing me his dick - seemed to have worked in a strange, unlikely way, but I still wasn't comfortable with the idea of being alone with them on this ship for goodness knew how long. I had to get away from them and every other alien in this galaxy. I just wanted to go home.
I took a deep breath and held my index finger against the tiny scanner. Instead of using the intercom, I let the doors slide open and stepped out into a corridor. Exploring the ship seemed a much better idea than being with the Trads again. Some time alone that wasn't spent in this room.
Slowly, I made my way along the corridor. This ship had an older feel to it than that of my Athion kidnappers, but it also had more personality. Some panels on the walls were brand new while others were full of scratches and flecks of rust. A patchwork spaceship. I kind of liked that.
The floor told of many people having walked over it, but even though the ship seemed old, it wasn't dirty or neglected. Vuk and Rafaz were taking care of it, repairing what needed fixing.
Most of the doors along the corridor were closed and by the time I'd passed ten identical doors, I knew I wasn't going to recognise my room again. There were definitely too many rooms for just two people, if all of these were bedrooms like my own. This ship was built for a much larger crew. Had the Trads not always been alone in here? I added that question to my mental list of things I wanted to ask them later, once we got to know each other further.
I stopped in my tracks. There wasn't going to be a 'getting to know each other'. I was going to get off this ship as soon as an opportunity presented itself. At a crossing, I turned left and ended up in front of an elevator. Well, it had a button with an arrow up and down on it, so I assumed that’s what it was. I tentatively pressed the button. The light blinked red but nothing else happened. Maybe it was locked to the Trads’
fingerprints.
I turned back and wandered around, not meeting anyone. The doors were all locked and none of them responded to my fingerprint. Exploring was getting a little boring. Finally, I got to a large room full of tables bolted to the floor, with cupboards and strange devices lining the room, looking a bit like vending machines, except a lot more high-tech. The chairs were a random assortment, barely two that looked the same. Like the Trads had pirated them off several different ships. I kind of liked it. Made it feel homely rather than a functional, cold spaceship.
I studied one of the machines. Lots of buttons with symbols I didn’t recognise, and a hole at the bottom where the food would presumably end up in. If this was a vending machine and not some sort of…alien torture device. Who knew? Maybe the Trads put their tails in those holes to be cleaned.
With a shrug, I pressed one of the buttons. What was the worst that could happen, right?
The machine started to vibrate, humming softly. Lights flashed; words appeared on a holo screen shimmering right above the buttons. And then hot, blue liquid squirted out of the hole and right onto my belly.
I screamed as it drenched my shirt and burned my skin. I staggered back, away from the machine that was still spurting liquid. It hurt but at least it hadn’t been boiling. I lifted my shirt to inspect the damage. My skin was red, but hopefully it hadn’t been hot enough to give me blisters.
Footsteps sounded in the distance. Damn. So much for exploring the ship without the Trads noticing.
Vuk burst into the room, in his Trad form again, his tail flicking dangerously from side to side. As soon as his eyes found me, he stormed towards me, a strange expression on his face.
“What happened? Were you attacked?”
His voice was loud, too loud. For a second, I lost my composure and fell into that cesspool of memories. Other shouts. Pain. So much pain. I wrapped my arms around my chest, barely managing to resist the impulse to run and hide. The burn on my belly paled in comparison to the echoes of pain racing over my skin.
“Zut. I’m sorry.” Vuk slowly backed off, his hands raised as if to show me that he meant me no harm. I kind of knew that, deep inside, but I was starting to shake, nonetheless. Part of me was still rational, able to analyse what was happening, but the rest of me was falling apart.
He came closer, crowding me.
“No, give me space,” I managed to say, my voice faint.
Vuk nodded and walked back again, his tail thumping on the floor. His tail. Maybe that was the key to getting through this. He was so different from the Athions who’d hurt me. The two horns on his forehead, bent backwards. The reddish scales on his chest, peeking out from where his shirt was unbuttoned at the top. The large, muscular tail that seemed to have its own personality. The curve of his fingers, reminding me of claws. He was a monster, a beast of strength and power, but he was not Athion. He’d not laid hands on me. He’d been kind.
I kept repeating that. He was one of the good guys. Not Athion. He’d given me food. He’d told me stories about his home. He’d cradled me in his arms after I’d fallen apart in the shower.
My breathing calmed the longer I focused on Vuk. Slowly, my muscles relaxed a little and I was able to let my arms fall to my sides. My mind cleared and the memories ebbed away.
I took a deep breath and stepped forward, towards the Trad. The alien who no longer scared me.
His tail stilled, then wrapped around Vuk’s waist like a snake.
We stared at each other. His eyes were kind but still filled with worry.
“Sorry about that,” I muttered, giving him a small smile. I pointed at the blue puddle on the floor. “Do you have a cloth I can mop this up with?”
He raised an eyebrow. “No.”
“You don’t have a single cloth on this ship? How do you clean?””
“No. Yes.” Vuk sighed. “We do but I’m not letting you do this now. We have bots for that. Show me your stomach. How bad are you hurt?”
“It’s fine. The water wasn’t hot enough to do damage. But I could do with a new shirt, if you have one.”
He smirked. “As long as you don’t use it to mop the floor.” He took a step towards me. “And here’s a secret: I can tell when you’re lying. Show me.”
Was he just making that up or could he really do that? I sighed and lifted my shirt, just enough for him to see the redness of my skin.
Vuk frowned. “Med bay. Now.”
I let my shirt drop. “No, it’s fine. Don’t worry. Just give me a cloth with some cold water.”
“So you can clean?”
I sighed in exasperation. “No, to hold it against the burn. It helps reduce the pain.”
“Med bay. You just admitted you’re in pain.”
Seriously? That alien was worse than my mum had been.
Luckily, I was saved by Raf barging into the room. He looked human, no tail, no scales. His expression was wild though and I wouldn’t have been surprised if his horns had suddenly sprouted from his forehead.
He gave me a surprised look before turning to Vuk. “We have a problem.”
Vuk pointed at me. “Me too. She’s refusing to let me heal her.”
Rafaz stopped in his tracks. “Heal? Is she injured?” His eyes roamed my body, panic spreading across his beautiful face. “What can I do?”
“I’m fine,” I said firmly. “Just some hot water. Ignore it, it doesn’t even hurt anymore.”
I was lying. It burned and my skin was starting to itch.
“Do humans lie a lot?” Raf asked me.
Was he serious? Was he able to do the same trick Vuk had professed to?
“When we have to,” I snapped. “Could you stop behaving like mother hens? All I want is a clean shirt.”
“You’ll get one once we’ve taken a look at your injury,” Vuk countered. “Are you going to come voluntarily, or do I need to pick you up?”
I blinked. He was about to go full caveman on me. This was getting ridiculous, but it seemed I was running out of options. No way was I going to let him throw me over his shoulder and carry me. Him Tarzan, me Jane. No way.
I held up my hands in defeat. “Alright, lead the way. But I’m telling you, it’s nothing.”
The Trads exchanged an exasperated look, before they led me out of the room and along a corridor I hadn’t been to yet, until we reached a shiny, sparkling room. I dimly remembered it from when I’d first woken up on this ship.
Raf pointed at a large chair that wouldn’t have looked amiss in a dentist’s surgery, except that it was bigger. I sighed loudly to make it clear that I wasn’t doing this voluntarily and sat down. The material moulded to my body, hugging me from behind. Creepy and comfortable at the same time.
“Lift your shirt,” Raf instructed.
I shot him an annoyed look, but did as he’d said. I gasped a little when I saw my skin. Blue blisters had appeared across my belly, the colour of the liquid I’d spilt over me. Damn. That wasn’t supposed to happen.
Raf groaned. “Of all the things you could have chosen, you had to douse yourself in krudi juice.”
“What’s that?” I asked in apprehension.
“The juice of a flesh-eating plant on Trad. When cold, it’s poisonous, but it loses those properties when warm. It’s an acquired taste but many of our warriors drink it to train our stomachs to deal with poison. The more often you drink it, the harder your stomach lining becomes.”
He took a weird metal tool that looked a bit like an oversized magnifying glass and held it over my skin. Green light shone onto my abdomen and the device beeped a couple of times.
“Good, we don’t need to put you in a pod,” Raf said, relief lacing his deep voice. “The poison hasn’t penetrated deep enough. Yet. You should have let Vuk take you here earlier.”
“I thought it was just a slight burn,” I mumbled. The itching was getting worse. I leaned back, refusing to look at the creepy blue blisters again.
“I’m going to deactivate the poison. It might tingl
e a bit, but it shouldn’t hurt. Then I’ll put on a salve to soothe your skin and a bandage to keep your clothes from rubbing against it while the blisters heal. If it doesn’t work, we’ll put you in a pod but that will make you unconscious for a bit and I’d rather avoid that. Let’s hope human physiology is similar enough to ours for this to be effective.”
The light of the tool changed to red and he held it closer to my skin, moving it back and forth. Warmth spread across my belly and the itch lessened immediately. I sighed in relief.
“Good?” Raf asked.
I nodded. “Thanks.”
Vuk groaned. “You’re too stubborn. From now on, promise you’ll be honest with us. If something hurts, you tell us. If you’re hungry, you tell us. If you’re sad, you tell us. If you’re-“
“I get it,” I interrupted him. “But you have to understand that I’m used to looking after myself. I’d be much more comfortable if you simply show me how things work. Where do I get food from? How do those machines work? What’s safe for me to eat and drink? That kind of stuff.”
Raf cleared his throat. “Sorry, but we have something important to discuss first. I just got a transmission from Za’Rok. We’re being hunted.”
Chapter 14
Vuk
Raf’s words made me want to snatch up the female and press her against my chest, protecting her with my life. The urge was so strong I balled my hands into fists. My feelings for this little human were all over the place. I shouldn’t get attached to her, but I was starting to think that it was too late for that. I’d fallen for her, head over tail.
Wren looked a little pale after hearing the news. Anger filled me. We’d promised her that we’d bring her Athion captors to justice. Now, we were running from their kind with no chance of going on the offensive.
“Have you spotted any Athion ships yet?” I asked Raf, pulling my mind to the issue at hand.
He finished wrapping a gel bandage around Wren’s waist and straightened. “Not yet, but we should return to the bridge to make sure none have appeared on the sensors in the past few clicks. We need to come up with a plan.”
Stolen By Them: Page 7