With the back end of the ship mangled by the explosion, I can barely steer, but I keep us on course to miss the settlement site by half a mile.
It figures: the first time I’m flying in years and I’m going to crash. Sure, it’s intentional. But still.
We hit the forest going fast enough to shear through the trees like a razor. Muffled by the hull, our destructive swath sounds like a dull grind, then rapid thumps, and then slow beats of a drum as the ship finally comes to a stop. For a time I still hear a heavy pounding, but find it’s in my chest. My hands are so white they look gloved, and sweat drips from the control stick.
“Everyone okay?” I shout, releasing my harness.
“All good!” Dani replies. “Very smooth, Lex. Barely felt a thing.”
“Yeah, sure,” I mutter, though I smile.
Well done, Prust adds. Are you ready? They’re coming.
You bet.
I stare out the cockpit window, looking up into the sky. He’s up there somewhere, ready to do his part.
Go, he says. Knock ‘em dead.
* * *
Fire suppression systems throw jets of icy foam around the escape hatch. Dani and I explode out the door like cannonballs.
“Help! Somebody help!” I shout, sprinting toward the settlement.
“Please!” Dani screams. “They’re coming!”
Within seconds we see the colonists running toward us, their faces belying both relief and terror. Ed and Steve lead the response, weapons in hand; Dani and I run into their arms, nearly tackling them to the ground.
“What is it? What happened to you two?” asks Ed.
“Vahree and his men captured us!” Dani replies. “They tried to make us slaves!” Real tears slide down her cheeks. I wish I could have told her Prust was on board Vahree’s ship the entire time, waiting for the right moment to strike.
“We managed to get away, but his people are coming!” I add. “They’re coming for all of us! At least a dozen of them. They have lots more ships and weapons! We need to go!”
“Go where?” says Steve. “Won’t they find us?”
“I don’t know! Maybe we can hide. There’s no time, let’s go!”
We rush back to the settlement, where everyone has gathered to find out what’s going on. Smoke from our crashed ship still hangs in the air, slowly dissipating. Dani and Ed hang back to tell everyone the situation while Steve and I raid the armory. We pass out every single gun we have, but there’s not enough for everyone.
Terrified, panicked voices fill the air. Some people grab their belongings, others just run, disappearing into the forest. Most stay put, waiting to be told what to do or where to go. When the first of Vahree’s ships flies past, screams rise in a bloodcurdling crescendo.
“They’re here! Open fire!” I shout as another craft descends from the sky until it’s hovering right over us.
Gunshots ring out, but the bullets bounce off the ship’s armored hull like hailstones hitting a tank.
“It’s not working!” Steve shouts, barely audible over the deafening chaos.
“Keep firing!” I reply, clearing a spent magazine and loading another.
“Alexis, we have to go!”
More Venai ships descend, forming a corral surrounding the colony. They rake the ground with bolts of energy, scorching the soil and igniting the small buildings on the outskirts. People try fleeing, but there’s nowhere to run.
“What do we do?” asks Ed, still aiming his handgun upward.
“I don’t know!” I shout, flinching as a ship fires on a house, blasting it to splinters. Howling in fury, I take a shot at the ship, though it won’t matter.
“Alexis!” Dani screams. “We’re all going to die! We need to do something!”
My ears ring, assailed by voices, explosions, and gunfire. Jeanne and Martina hug each other, crying in their final moments. Vincent Robertson and his family hold hands, staring up into the sky with resignation. Tim Savage takes one-eyed potshots at the Venai from his wheelchair, a fighter to the end.
Then a voice bellows like thunder, “Humans, lay down your weapons and surrender!”
The roar dies down quickly, a few final gunshots popping off before going silent.
“Surrender, and you’ll be spared,” the voice adds.
Several drop their guns; others turn to me.
“Should we?” Tim asks.
A Venai warrior jumps out of one of the ships, a rocket pack on his back easing his landing. His face hidden by a helmet, the tall fighter marches straight toward me, gun pointed at my chest.
“Surrender, now!” he barks. “I’ll count to three, and then I start killing.”
My people—the ones who trusted me enough to leave Earth, the ones I betrayed by falling in love with Prust, the ones who only wanted to be free—start to put down their weapons. Empty hands rise in the air, and soon the surrender of New Earth is complete.
“You think we made our point?” says the Venai, holstering his gun. Pulling off his helmet, Prust grins at me, surveying our handiwork.
“Yeah, I think so.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
“You can put your hands down now,” says Dani. “The drill is over.”
“Drill?” Tim replies. “What are you talking about?”
“This is what an alien invasion looks like in the Blight,” Prust says, stripping off his borrowed Venai combat suit. “No warning, utter chaos, lives ruined. Except if this were real, many of you would be dead.”
Tim turns to the smoldering rubble of what used to be a storage shed. “What about—”
“Empty,” Prust interrupts. “No one was hurt during the drill, I promise.”
“But all the ships,” says Jeanne. “How did you—”
“All controlled by remote,” I explain. “Look, if I have everyone’s attention, I’ll tell all of you what just happened to me and Dani, and we can discuss what to do next.”
* * *
On my recommendation, Ed, Steve, and Jeanne break into our luxury ration reserves, passing around boxes of snacks and candy: beef jerky, chocolate bars, popcorn, and peanut butter cookies. After everyone’s had a chance to settle down—and in some cases, shower and change clothes—Dani and I tell them everything. Sparing no detail, Dani illustrates how the Venai allure felt clouding her brain with affection for Vahree. I start from even further back, detailing how Prust changed from my enemy to my mentor, and eventually my lover. I admit my mistake in doubting Prust at the worst possible time.
“None of this would have happened if I let Prust shoot Vahree immediately,” I say. “I wanted to believe his people had good intentions. I wanted to be right, but I wasn’t, and people I care about nearly paid the price for my mistake. Everything I’ve built in the last six years could have been destroyed in less than a day. So Prust and I staged this attack to show you what could have happened if he hadn’t protected us.”
“We killed Vahree and many members of his clan, but there could be more out there,” adds Prust. “They could know where we are. If they do, they’ll want revenge for the loss of their people.”
“And that’s just the Venai exiles,” I continue. “The Blight is home to thousands of clans, factions and fragments of peoples who will do anything to survive. We may not be attacked by the Venai tomorrow, but someone else will find us in the coming years. I hate to say this, but the next attack on our colony won’t be a drill.”
I give the crowd a minute to digest our warning. Prust takes my hand and gives it a squeeze. I lean against his shoulder, comforted by his strength. I may be safe in his embrace, but my heart races. At times like this, I really miss flying a fighter jet. Back then, I was always in control. Now a thousand lives are at stake, and there’s little I can do but lay out the situation and hope everyone believes me.
With the help of Ed and Steve, Tim stands up. Shaky on his still recovering leg, he grips the armrest of his wheelchair to stay up. “What are we going to do about it?” he asks, eliciting
a chorus of agreement from the colony.
Here goes.
“Unfortunately, I think the best option at this point is to evacuate Piskiron and return to Earth.” I pause, expecting an uproar, but am actually met with silence. I add, “What’s the point of being free of the Dominars if some other group of aliens will show up and treat us even worse?”
Tim points to the Venai ships. “What about those?” he asks. “We have their ships. You’re an ace pilot. Next time we could defend ourselves!”
I never thought of that. Turning to Prust, I ask, “Is that true?”
He nods. “It is. You would be able to turn away a small incursion like the one we faced today. But against a true assault, you would be vastly outnumbered and outgunned. Plus, you would suffer significant casualties with each battle. This is a colony, not an army.”
“I agree,” I say to Tim and everyone else. “These are shuttles and cargo haulers, not an armada of warships. And I don’t want to lose any of you fighting battles we can’t win.”
“That is why a Dominar mothership is on its way here now,” says Prust, cutting through the rampant chatter. “We will take back to Earth anyone who wants to go. You are free to remain and take your chances in the Blight, but we won’t be back. If you stay, you’ll be on your own, forever.”
I wait for everyone to quiet once more, then say, “I want to go home to Earth. I was wrong to bring us all out here. This colony was born out of my arrogance and pride. I see that now. But this was my mistake, and I am responsible. So, if anyone wants to remain here, I will stay and help you out in any way I can.”
“Lex!” Dani shouts. “You can’t! What about—”
“I know,” I reply. “But I can’t abandon my people. You have family on Earth, and friends. You should go. And I hope that when the time comes to leave, we’re all on board.”
“Prust, order her to come home with us!” Dani growls.
He smiles, pulling me into his grip. “I’ll think about it.”
“Thank you, everyone!” I call out to the crowd. “I know you have a lot to think about, and a lot of questions. Please think about what the future will mean if you stay here, and what we could have back on Earth.”
Dani, Prust, and I watch as the audience disperses; most go home, though a few stay to put out the remaining fires.
“I’m gonna go change,” says Dani, looking down at her loose Venai clothes.
“That sounds good,” I reply, starting to follow her when Prust grabs my wrist.
He hoists me up into his arms, carrying me as easily as a pillow. “No, you’re coming with me.”
* * *
Prust carries me all the way back to his residence. I give up fighting his grip before we’re halfway there. Surrendering feels good anyway; pressed against his hard chest, I look up at his beautiful smile and tingle in anticipation.
He sets me down on his bed and rips off my stolen Venai shirt. Looking down at my exposed breasts, I see my nipples have hardened into points. Prust then unties the rope belt keeping up my pants and yanks them down, nearly pulling me off the bed.
“Alexis, we need to talk about something.”
“What’s that?” I ask, smiling despite his dark tone.
“You didn’t tell me you would offer to stay. That puts me in a difficult situation.”
My heart sinks. Maybe I should have told him, but this was my decision to make. How can he hold that against me? “If you don’t want to stay with me...”
“I do,” he says, taking my hand in his. “But I have a responsibility to all of humanity, to the entire galaxy. If it’s just you and a handful of others living here, I’d be obligated to return to Earth or the Council. I’d rather be with you, but I’m not sure how I can, unless everyone agrees to come back to Earth.”
“I see.” I wish I had an answer for him, but I can’t even pretend to understand the factors at play: Dominar laws and traditions, Prust’s allegiances and desires... Only he can make sense of it all. “If you have to go, you could visit me,” I offer. “You’ll know where I’ll be.” A set of telerings emerges and flies toward my wrists and ankles.
“Yes, I will, because one way or another I’m not letting you out of my sight,” he says. Groaning, I watch them lock in place. Then I howl in shock as Prust picks me up by my hips and turns me upside down, lifting my feet high in the air.
“Holy crap!” I shout, unable to dismiss the fear of falling. The telerings hold me securely, though, keeping me hovering a couple of feet above the floor. “What the hell, sir?”
Prust picks out a whip and softly swats my ass. “You didn’t come to me about this decision, even though you belong to me. I have to punish you for that, pet. This time, I don’t want you to forget it.”
Considering I’m suspended in midair, I’d say that’s mission accomplished.
Holding stone-still, I gasp and moan as Prust whips my backside. He swings harder and faster than usual, swatting with precise, deliberate strokes. His smacks smart, and he makes sure not a single inch of my ass goes unpunished. Screaming from the pain, I can’t help releasing tears that fall down my forehead and into my hanging hair. Prust pauses to let me finish howling, but then begins again, granting me little respite.
“What do you say when you’re disciplined, pet?”
“Thank you, sir!” I shout, staring at the floor beneath me. Back in the Air Force I heard a lot of “Don’t look down!” jokes—being suspended a couple of feet in the air shouldn’t fill me with such dread, but staying calm is hard when bound and helpless, held aloft by the ankles.
Prust tosses the whip aside and rubs my ass, massaging my sore orbs. I wince as he inflames the pain. My ass burns like crazy, radiating heat like a five-alarm blaze. Then he takes a step back and undresses.
I smile at the sight, even if I am watching it upside-down. His cock doesn’t look any smaller from this vantage point—in fact, Prust uses the telerings to raise me up higher, until his massive member rests at my eye level.
“If I have to leave here, I’m putting a chastity device on you and you will wear it until I return,” he says, slapping my swollen pussy. “I could be on the other side of the galaxy, it doesn’t matter. You’re still mine.”
“Yes... sir,” I mumble, trying to close my legs to protect myself, but it’s no use.
“From now on, you will tell me when you make a decision that could affect the rest of your life. Is that clear?” he asks, as a set of yckjer clamps float over and attach themselves to my nipples. With my breasts already sore, their grip hurts like crazy.
“Yes, sir.” I force myself to stay still, to not try to dislodge the clamps by shaking—I already know it won’t work.
“You know why I’m punishing you, Alexis.”
“Yes, sir,” I reply, staring shamelessly as his cock hardens.
“Then show me you’re sorry.”
“Yes, sir,” I say, licking my lips.
He takes his cock in hand and guides it to my mouth. I open wide and admit his bulging shaft, moaning at his manly taste.
Sucking hard, loving the feel of his hot cock filling my mouth, I squeal in shock as Prust reaches around and slaps my ass with one hand while pinching my nipple with his other. Yet, I keep my lips firm around his girth, and don’t bite.
“Good, Alexis. Keep going.”
He keeps up the spanking and tugs at my clamps as I suck, making sure to punish both sides with equal cruelty. His rod throbs in my mouth, and he grunts blissfully. I’m so wrapped up in my effort and the pain coming from my ass and chest that I barely feel my legs slowly spread. Cool air settling on my sopping pussy alerts me to my new exposure. Then Prust stops spanking me and starts fingering my sodden folds.
Enraptured by the feeling, I lose my concentration. Prust grabs my hair and forces me to bob my head on his cock until I pick up the thread and keep going. My face heats in humiliation at being used so obscenely, but with his fingers thrusting back into my pussy, I don’t care. His thick digits f
eel too good, erasing the pain of the spankings, and by focusing on worshiping his cock I don’t think about my fear of falling.
I keep sucking, gripping him with my tongue, but I’m writhing with hunger, desperate to come. I don’t want to climax until I’ve brought my master to his peak, but I can’t hold out any longer. His cock muffles my euphoric howls until I’m heaving for air, my head feeling light.
Gravity shifts and the telerings disengage, then I fall into Prust’s arms. He tosses me on the bed and immediately pounces, forcing my legs apart and pinning me down. He drives his cock, slick with my spit, deep into my ass. Still glowing from my orgasm, I moan with wild carnality, blissed out of my mind.
Prust pounds me with hard, powerful strokes. He probes my pussy with several fingers, finding my sweet spot and launching me into subspace. His cock feels enormous, filling my ass, pumping me into submission. Orgasms explode through my body as his every movement electrifies my senses. Sweat glistens on my skin, and my master’s musk fills the air. With my face pressed into his bed, my tormented nipples rubbing the sheets and Prust’s rigid member penetrating my tender rear, I wail in abandon, lost to the exquisite throes of ecstasy. He yanks off my clamps as he hits his zenith, releasing his hot essence with a sonorous groan that nearly drowns out my pained shriek.
My head swims for what feels like an hour. I bask in the glow, my master’s body under mine, until I regain my composure.
“Thank you for your discipline, sir,” I say, turning over on his chest.
Prust smiles and kisses me. “Alexis, I never thought we’d end up like this.”
“Me neither.”
He brushes back my hair. “When you said you would stay behind if any of your people refused to leave Piskiron, it was very noble of you.”
“Thank you, sir, but it’s just my duty. I... don’t want to, but I have to. You know?”
He nods. “I do. If that happens, I will find some way to stay here too.”
“Really?”
“Yes, Alexis. I can’t leave you. I love you.”
He pulls me into a hard kiss, wrapping his arms around me and twirling his tongue around mine. For the first time in six years, I feel nothing but satisfaction, happiness, and hope. No fear—no regret or doubt. No matter where I find myself living in a week, I won’t be alone—not ever.
His Human Subject Page 17
