by Webster, K
Rekk.
Aria better know what she’s doing.
My heart squeezes at the memory of her eyes lighting up with fierce fire as she bravely protected females she doesn’t even know. Her dedication is admirable and her expertise is needed if we’re going to make this work.
“This meeting is adjourned. Aria is hereby officially deemed Madam Commander and Alien Liaison.”
They all nod.
Even Calix.
14
Aria
For days and days, I’ve hovered over the girl’s bed, frowning like a mother over a newborn. My hand goes to my stomach as my thoughts flit to the life growing there. Everything has changed so much, so quickly, I haven’t had time to think about what it’ll mean when this one is born. I should be frightened. I’ve never given any thought to becoming a mother—not any real thought anyway. Most of my life has been spent surviving.
Now, I can’t help but feel like I have two lives to fight for.
The girl shifts restlessly and I amend that thought. Now I have my child’s life to protect, as well as the lives of all the females stranded on this lost planet.
Now, I admit to myself, it had been selfish, reckless even, to move the girl so quickly. In my rash actions, I could have cost her life instead of saving it.
“She sure looks funny,” Hadrian observes from his vantage point on the far side of the room. His words are hesitant, but he can’t take his eyes off her.
“You don’t need to stare, Hadrian,” I bite out, then soften. “She needs rest.”
But I fidget with the blanket. I’d been so sure of myself with Breccan at my side, so certain. He’d given me strength I’d never known I could possess.
Breccan, who’d come by each day since my departure to beg entrance, but I hadn’t allowed Hadrian to let him past the door.
I glance back at the girl who hasn’t woken up since we got her cleaned and changed three days ago. Her sunny yellow hair has turned limp and her pale skin has gone sickly white. I remember how ill I was after they woke me, but that was due to the miscarriage. My hand clutches the material of my dress at my stomach, my thoughts going back to my baby. The aliens had medicine, those bots, that could help her. It’s selfish of me to keep potentially life-saving medicine for my own stubbornness.
I sigh. Breccan makes being a leader look so much easier than it is. This girl’s life is in my hands. I can’t let stubbornness, or pride, color my decisions like I had when I’d brought her here. If I am going to lead—alone or alongside Breccan—I have to start by realizing when I’ve made a mistake.
“We should have Avrell take another look at her,” I say to Hadrian. Once they realized we not only woke her, but also took her, Avrell came to the rescue and he attached some machines to keep an eye on her.
“Do you think she’s sick? Could she already be carrying a little mort?” I can’t tell if he sounds hopeful or disappointed.
“I’m not sure. Maybe humans react to cryosleep differently. She doesn’t look well,” I admit reluctantly. “We should have taken her directly to the medical bay instead of bringing her here. That’s my fault. I made a big deal about saving her and I won’t let her die because of me.” Avrell wasn’t pleased at having to come to the sub-faction to look at her but he didn’t argue. Simply did what he could and then left, but not before urging me to bring her in if things got worse.
“Do you want me to carry her there?”
I glance back at the girl’s weak form. “I don’t think we should move her right now. I’m worried it may be too much for her.”
He stares at her a second longer, his face set, then turns to me and squeezes my shoulder “I’ll hurry, Aria. We will fix her.”
Smiling in gratitude, I say, “You’re a good friend, Hadrian.”
“A good mate,” he corrects as he backs toward the door.
That makes my smile widen, even as it trembles with worry. “You’ll make the best mate someday. Now go, hurry please.”
I can do nothing else to help the sleeping girl, so I leave her in her quarters until Hadrian returns with Avrell. I have to keep busy, otherwise my mind races and I grow so depressed I don’t want to get out of bed. But I can’t languish the days away getting high and letting my life pass me by. I have people depending on me. Not only my baby, but this girl too, and all the women in cryo.
The morts have treated me well, that is undeniable. But they’re still unused to humans and the women will need my help. The one not a few feet away needs me now. I will make up for what I’ve done, both to Breccan and to the new girl.
I head to the common room at the center of the navigation wing. It used to be what I assume was the main crew deck for the building before it came to be the facility. Since the morts’ numbers are so small, they no longer need it. The large room serves my needs perfectly. With Hadrian’s help, I’ve transformed it into a living room for when we wake the others.
Hadrian took furniture from the other living areas around the facility: a couple long, sleek, mod-looking couches and armless chairs. We arranged them around a low, thin coffee table with a large dish of goldenroot candies in the middle. He even fashioned a fireplace out of an old laser ray emitter to make the room feel homey. The effect works. Or, it would if I weren’t so worried about the new girl and Breccan.
I pass through it now, on my way to the last of the living areas. There are six rooms, three on either side. One I’ve set up as a library of sorts. There are a ton of old manuals and a few history texts Hadrian managed to scavenge. I also stocked the shelves with blank tablets and paper, art supplies, and drawing implements for the future inhabitants. I hope it will be a soothing hobby for the women once they wake.
The other five rooms each contain small cots, a night table, a cabinet for clothes, and a small closet with a shower tube for cleaning. I still haven’t gotten used to taking such intense showers that make you feel like a layer of your skin is missing afterward, frankly, but being clean is better than nothing.
I think Hadrian’s enjoyed preparing the rooms for more people. He’s mentioned on more than one occasion how happy he is to have more people joining the sub-faction.
Forcing myself to stop thinking, I go through each room, straightening things that don’t need to be straightened and telling myself it will all work out. It has to.
The swoosh of the door alerts me to Hadrian’s return. I make sure to move slowly out of one of the rooms. Going too quickly seems to trigger my upchuck reflexes. It doesn’t take much these days, apparently.
“Did you get Avrell?” I ask as I move as quickly as my changing body will allow.
“I did,” he answers hesitantly and steps out of the doorway to reveal not two, but three morts filling the entryway to the living quarters.
My eyes immediately narrow to Breccan’s towering form. “What are you doing here?”
His expression is hard and unreadable, and I’d be lying if there wasn’t a part of me concerned at his lack response. He’s always looked at me with affection and desire, even in the beginning. I feel the loss of it like a punch. Not only had I risked the life of the girl I was trying to protect, but I’d alienated the only man who’d ever cared for me.
“I’m still the commander of this faction. All of its members, including the alien ones, are my responsibility.”
Hadrian steps in front of him and I hear his sub-bones crack menacingly. Breccan growls in return. A part of me softens even further at Hadrian’s need to protect me. He’s almost like the younger brother I never had.
“I don’t want you to upset her,” Hadrian says. “She’s carrying the future for all morts, not just you.”
Not wanting a fight and knowing it’s important Avrell see the girl as soon as possible, I wave them into her room and give Hadrian a quelling look. “Now is not the time. This way,” I add in Avrell’s direction.
“Why haven’t we done this with our living quarters?” I hear Avrell ask Breccan in a muted voice as they pass through
the living areas.
“Hush,” Breccan instructs, but when I peer back at them, I see his eyes roving appreciatively over my improvements. But none of the pretty decorations will mean anything if there is no one alive to appreciate them. I ignore him as his eyes land on me once he finishes his appraisal. I can’t bear to see the disappointment from my reckless behavior.
The girl is awake for the first time since we brought her to the navigation wing. Her big blue eyes widen when the aliens come into the room. Her breathing quickens and I frown at the wheezing, rattling quality of it. Have her lungs been damaged by the cryotube?
Doubt burns at me relentlessly. Had I caused the damage?
“What’s…going…on?” she asks around gasping breaths. Her wild eyes search the room, her breathing worsening as they land on Breccan, Avrell, and Hadrian.
Remembering the fear that had overtaken me after I woke up, I step forward in front of them, giving them a side eye to back off a little.
I take her hand in mine, careful of the monitors Avrell insisted she be hooked up to. Hearing her breathing now, I’m grateful he did. “Don’t worry. I know everything feels scary and confusing right now, but we’re here to help you. These are my friends. They won’t hurt you.”
“Where…am…I?”
“You’re in a safe base on what I like to call The Lost Planet. My friend Avrell here is going to give you a scan—don’t worry, it’s painless—just to make sure you’re healthy.” Her breathing is still erratic, but her eyes aren’t as wild as they were. “I’m Aria. What’s your name?”
“E-Emery.” She doesn’t take her eyes off Avrell as he steps forward with his portable scanner unit, but she also doesn’t stop him as he examines her, even though her body trembles. From shock or fear, I’m not sure.
“You’re safe here, Emery,” I assure her. “I’m going to make sure of it.”
Breccan rests a hand on my shoulder and I reach up automatically to take it. My heart twinges painfully in my chest when I realize what I’m doing, but I don’t pull away for fear of further scaring Emery, who barely submits to Avrell’s scanning. And if I’m being honest with myself, I’ve missed his hands on me. Missed his reassuring presence at my back, his kisses soothing away my pain. Truthfully, even though I doubt it’s physiologically possible, I almost sense our child growing in my womb misses him, too.
Avrell concludes his scan and gestures for us to talk outside. My stomach revolts at the possibility that he may have bad news.
Emery makes a sound of surprise as we all start to file out, and I go to her side. “Don’t worry. You’re safe here in this facility. I know this is overwhelming, but please try to stay calm and rest. No one here is going to hurt you. I promise you that. I’ll keep you safe.”
“Who are all of you?” she asks, and relief floods through me at the even sound of her breathing.
“I’m Aria,” I repeat. “The tallest one, Breccan,” I gesture over my shoulder, “he’s kind of like my husband. He’s the commander of the…aliens here.” I’m not sure how much information to give her. I don’t want to scare her more than she already is, but I also don’t want to keep her in the dark. One day at a time.
If possible, she blanches even more. “You’re married to one of them?”
“Yes, sort of. There’s a lot to explain, but we’ll save that for later. I’ll have one of them bring you something to eat and then you should rest for a while.”
She takes my hand and I realize how much I’ve missed human touch. The morts have been welcoming, but I can’t deny how good it feels to have someone like me here, too.
“I’m scared,” she whispers.
“It’s okay. I will protect you. Rest now.”
She nods and is already dozing by the time I leave the room.
I find the three of them waiting for me in the living room, having made themselves quite at home on the cozy furniture.
Hadrian stands immediately at my entrance, a scowl on his face, but he keeps his mouth shut at a gesture from Breccan, who nods at Avrell.
Avrell merely sighs.
“How is she?” I ask him, ignoring the other two.
“Her O2 stats are a little concerning. I won’t be certain of the cause without further testing, but there’s no need for alarm until we have more data.”
“So, she’s going to be okay?”
He gives me a stern look and I bite my lip. “What you did was dangerous, Aria, but I don’t believe it’s the cause of her condition.”
“Thank you,” I say and leave it at that. I’m not going to argue with him about the severity of my actions. I have a feeling I’m going to get enough of a tongue lashing from Breccan.
“Stay with the alien,” Breccan commands Hadrian. “Call for us if she wakes.”
“Where are you going?” Hadrian asks, clearly torn over the man who raised him and his desire to help me. “I believe I should be near Madam Commander.”
Breccan only seems mildly bothered by Hadrian’s defiance. “You’ll do as I say, Hadrian, or we’ll have you for dinner instead of rogcow.”
Hadrian shoots me a questioning look and I give him a nod. “It’s okay. Give us some time to talk.”
“I’ll take the scan to my office to see if there are any other anomalies. When she’s feeling up to it, though, she should come for a more extensive analysis.” Looking uncomfortable, Avrell nods at no one in particular and then excuses himself. Hadrian reluctantly makes his way back over to Emery’s room leaving me alone with Breccan for the first time in days.
The silence before he speaks threatens to overwhelm me, but there are no words left in me, no explanations. The truth was, I’d panicked and overreacted.
“Come with me,” he finally says and holds out a hand.
I hesitate, but only to glance at Emery’s room, where I can see her sleeping form, so still. “What about Emery?”
Was it just my imagination or was he trying to hide a smile?
“Hadrian will call for us if there is any change.”
I place my hand in his and he tugs me from the navigation wing to an area of the facility I had only seen in passing. The chamber is full of suits and gear with a gigantic door that could only lead to the outside—a place I both fear and dream about. The freedom I’d coveted for so long now seems terrifying.
“Breccan, what are we doing here?”
He releases my hand to study the heavy duty suits hanging from the wall. After a few moments, he selects one and brings it to me. “Lift your leg,” he instructs without answering my question.
I do as he says and he helps me into the suit, which fits a little loose, but doesn’t fall off once he tightens all the straps. He dresses in his own and arranges helmets on our heads. A microphone screeches to life in my ear with a squeal.
“Uvie,” Breccan says into it. “What are the R-levels today?”
“Plus point three, Commander,” Uvie replies.
He finishes snapping us into our suits. “Prepare for an excursion.”
“Where are we going?”
“I’m showing you my world, little alien. Now keep up with me, don’t stray. If I tell you to do something, you do it right away. This world is dangerous, but I’ll keep you safe.”
He takes my hand as we leave through the doors and out into the brilliant outside world. A harsh wind kicks up dust and I’m thankful for the thick, tinted visor. Despite what looks like a dust storm, I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed the open space. Breccan tugs me along a path carved into what looks like a mountain.
I don’t speak, I can’t, because I’m too busy taking in the sights around me. My senses are completely overwhelmed and the realization that I’m not home anymore hits me all over again.
I wonder if it will ever stop being a shock.
Up above the section of the mountain where the facility juts as proud and defiant as a mort brow ridge, Breccan pulls me to a stop at the peak. His voice is smooth as the finest liquor in my ear. I’m so distracted by ho
w much I missed it, I don’t even notice the words until he says, “Are you listening to me, mortania?
I glance up at him, the brilliant yellow haloing around his face and glinting off his protective gear. My stomach drops and tears prick at the back of my eyelids. They overflow and one drips down my cheek.
“I’m listening,” I say, but my throat closes on the words.
“You’re not listening, you’re leaking, mortania,” he says as he gestures to my tears. “Is your suit hurting you?”
Laughter mixes with tears. “No, I’m fine. Say it again?”
I hear his smile even over the communication device between our suits. “I knew you weren’t listening.” He tugs me in front of him so that I can see down the mountain and all the way across the horizon. The dust glitters in the whistling wind and sends sparks up into the golden light. I’ve never had much stock in magic, but he wraps his arms around me and I wonder to myself if it might be real.
The radio crackles and hisses, followed by his voice. “Do you want to go home?”
I want to turn to look at him, but he tightens his arms around my waist and he points to the highest point of the sky where the gold fades to white, then bursts into royal blue. Twin, pale ghosts of white float equidistant apart. If you squint, they appear to be two halves of a whole.
“Moons?” I ask in disbelief.
“The orbs, yes. I don’t know of ‘moons’. But beyond that is your world, yes? Your family. If this is what you want, what you’re missing, I will find a way to give it to you.”
This time I turn in his arms and he lets me. I search his eyes, but they’re unreadable. He brushes a hand along the side of my mask and I yearn for his contact. “What-what are you saying?”
