by Keri Kruspe
“I do not know, Master.”
When the alien bowed again, U’unk had an unobstructed view of his splotchy, khaki bald head and lack of outer ears.
“If it pleases you, Master, may I put his communication through to your personal vid?”
“Granted.” U’unk accessed his conference channel. “Be sure to shut the door behind you when you leave.” The last directive was unnecessary since the double steel doors closed by themselves, but it was important to remind the groveling simpleton he was not welcome as his betters talked. U’unk kept the ruling Erkek waiting. He signaled one of his operatives deep within the bowels of the palace dungeon. Satisfied when he received an affirmative response, U’unk blinked to access the implanted OCVU to join his caller in a virtual room.
After another few nanoclicks, the holographic image of the Volvode dictator appeared. The Erkek sat on an ostentatious “throne,” complete with a rare gold frame and deep-khaki-green fabric denoting his royal status. His thin body was draped in the usual see-through vest combined with thick pantaloons in a rich umber made of the finest wisp of Wyht silk.
“Yes, Potentate. What can I do for you?” U’unk kept his voice bland. He sprawled back in his chair and forced his expression to remain smooth.
The ugly visage of the despot was no less repulsive by reality video. Thin, cruel lips in a permanent scowl offset his flat nose.
“Chancellor.” The Erkek dipped his head in a slight show of respect. “I have not heard from you regarding the Earth situation for quite some time.”
A long habit of maintaining one expression helped to hide U’unk’s anger. Who did this puntneji think he was talking to? He wasn’t some minion to jump whenever the Erkek felt like calling. “You have me at a disadvantage, Potentate.” Not a muscle moved in his face and body; he kept his breathing rhythm slow and steady. “I was not aware I had an obligation to report to you.”
The Erkek’s face darkened to an unattractive yellow shade. His thin lips disappeared as he sucked on them with the first word. “Not true, U’unk.” His body leaned forward as he clenched his pincer fingers together in a clicking sound. “You know you are to keep me apprised of everything going on with the human cultivation process. It’s only because of our agreement we’ve left that backward planet alone.” His orange pupils narrowed. “I warn you, U’unk, not to renege on our agreement. I will withhold our support and go ahead with our earlier plans about that marginal planet.” He leaned back and opened his two fingers on each hand, showing he assumed U’unk wouldn’t push back.
“I see.” U’unk kept his voice low and unresponsive.
The smile on the Erkek’s face reached from one side of his head to the other. It was obvious he believed he had U’unk at a disadvantage. With his mouth open wide, it showed his toothless gums surrounding his forked tongue. “Do you?” His lips creased as if he tasted something sour. “We both know your illegal slave trade has recently taken a severe hit. You can’t afford to lose another source of revenue.” His mouth now folded in a small sneer. “I can assure you we will withhold any further funding or military support unless you comply with my demands.”
U’unk relished the upcoming lesson he’d prepared for the Erkek leader. “My dear Potentate…let me assist you in understanding exactly whom you are dealing with.”
He transferred them into a new reality room. There they had an unobstructed view of a bound and gagged young Erkek male, one who was just past puberty and on the cusp of adulthood. The lack of light made it hard to tell where the male was, but the twisted pain on his face was clear.
His naked body lay prone on his side on a dirt floor, his hands restrained behind his back and attached to his wrapped ankles. His black eyes filled with orange tears, sliding down his dirty, murky green cheek that was mottled with several bruises. His mouth had a large gag ball settled between his gums and held in place by a filthy rag.
Towering over him was a semi-naked Zerin male whose body was bare except for a minuscule loincloth that bulged at the crotch. A full head mask covered his features except for open slits at the eyes, the bottom of his nose, and one that exposed his thin, cruel lips. His pea-green dual eyes were bright as he caressed a leather whip with a loving hand. The most alarming thing the Zerin had on was the lascivious smirk that twisted his mouth as he gazed down at the hapless male. The jailer’s intention was clear as his tongue came out to wet his lips.
A deep well of intense satisfaction warmed U’unk’s belly as he relished the shocked, panicked expression crossing the Potentate’s face.
“ULV!” The high-pitched screech out of Václav’s mouth caused U’unk to shiver with delight. The leader of the Volvode jumped as if to reach over and rescue his captive son. Being the only heir of the Erkek Empire, Ulv was a most useful “guest.”
“You monster!” Václav screamed at U’unk. His wide-eyed gaze darted between his bound heir and U’unk. “Give me back my son!”
Unfazed, U’unk continued to sit in the virtual room and placed his fingers in a steeple as he considered the distraught alien ally. “Now, Potentate, I believe with the right motivation we can come to an understanding. Agreed?”
The Erkek tore his eyes away from U’unk to focus on his suffering son. He took in a deep, gulping breath before directing his hate-filled glare back in U’unk’s direction. “What do you want?”
The words came out in a whisper, but U’unk had no trouble hearing the anguished cry behind the words. “Why Potentate Václav, you will find that I am a most agreeable Zerin.” His voice remained steady, absent of any emotional inflection. That was a talent he took decades to perfect. “For now, you will allow our advantageous relationship to continue as before. You will not withdraw any funds or the personnel you’ve furnished. You will resist the urge to conquer Earth or any other system without my express permission.”
Václav’s breathing deepened as his virtual body sat down with a heavy thud. “Is that all?” His pale khaki lips and chin trembled as his black eyes filled with bright-orange tears.
“Going forward, you will report all your interstellar dealings to Fritjof on a weekly basis.” U’unk curled a lip and narrowed his eyes. “Plus, you must refrain from ever contacting me personally again. If an emergency arises, you will go through Fritjof. Now let me make myself perfectly clear.” He allowed his rage to deepen his tone. “If you ever interrupt me again with your ridiculous demands…I don’t have to tell you how your son will fare then, do I?”
Václav’s homely face blanched. The pasty, white pallor amused U’unk. “Please, don’t hurt him. I will do anything you ask.” The last word came out broken.
It amazed U’unk how the vilest of despots fell docile once their weakness was identified. A small inclination to be magnanimous prompted him to give the other male an emotional rope to grasp. “To show you my generosity, I will have Ulv removed from his current accommodations to a more, shall we say, hospitable environment.” He shook his head as if to show sorrow at his next statement. “I don’t know how I’m going to break it to Z’den, though. He will be most disappointed I’m taking away his new toy.” Enter the phony smile. “No matter, he will get over it.”
U’unk allowed Václav to see his normal, cruel smile. “Ulv will remain as my ‘guest’ until I deem it appropriate to release him. I will ensure he is treated with the respect and care due to his station.” He rested his palms on the hefty armrests of his chair. “I will allow you to vid him during your weekly conversations with Fritjof, but mind you, your time will be limited. Remember this, I may discontinue that privilege at any time.” He inclined his head to stare at the trembling Erkek. “I trust there will be no further misunderstandings between us, no?”
A sickly green tone flushed the Erkek’s skin. “Yes, Chancellor. Quite clear.”
“Good,” U’unk rested one thigh over the other as he rubbed the smooth silk of his robe between his thumb and fingers. “I’m so glad you contacted me to have this conversation. Aren’t you?”
>
* * *
LORA
One potato, two potato, three potato, four…
Blah, blah, blah. Bored…bored…bored out of her mind, Lora resorted to childhood ditties. Breakfast had come and gone, and dinner wasn’t for several hours, so with nooothhiing to do…
When the force field dropped and a guard walked through, she was sure it was the nervous sentry from the night before. It was a pleasure to see how his snug uniform highlighted his lean, muscular build. Jeez, she was so bored she was checking out his masculine body as if the alien wasn’t a threat. She cocked her head. Something about him nagged at the back of her mind. Did she know him? How could she?
“You will come with me.” His voice came out in a wobble as if he breathed helium through a tin can.
She couldn’t help it, she giggled. You’re wacked, Lora. You’re supposed to be afraid whenever the bad guy comes into your cell to tell you to follow him. Not giggle like a foolish little twit. She cleared her throat and smoothed the smirk off her face. “Sure, handsome. Anything you say.” She got off the cot to face him. “Where are we going?”
“No talking,” the thin, reedy voice continued. He waved a small, pistol thingy toward the opening. “Out the door.”
She shrugged. “Okeydokey, handsome. Anything is better than staying in this room pretending I’m a mushroom.” She walked down the narrow, dim hallway. The air was cooler out there and it gave her a chill. If they were going to the end of the hallway, it would take a while. Lora didn’t want to go to wherever they were going, but if she had to stay in that stupid, tiny cell any longer, she’d go nuts.
“Why a mushroom?” The metallic voice behind asked a few minutes later.
“Huh?” She glanced back to stare at her distorted reflection in the matte, triangular helmet before turning back around.
“You said you were pretending to be a mushroom.”
Lora gave a quick laugh. “Oh handsome, you’re so precious. A mushroom is an Earth fungus that thrives by being kept in the dark and fed tons of bullshit.”
She’d swear the alien snorted in shared laughter. Okay, definitely not a robot.
All the other cells down the hall were empty, their open rooms a black hole in the sides of the corridor. The low lighting emanating from the pores of the walls made her rub her hands over her arms in nerves. It was spooky going down the dim hallway. If she was the only prisoner, she’d be the only one big, bad, and scary had to play with. A quake of fear shuddered through her and she gripped her upper arms. Hold it together, Lora. You can do this…whatever this is.
Their journey ended at a blank wall. The guard reached over her shoulder and waved his gloved hand to reveal a small room about the size of an elevator. They stepped through and the wall closed behind them. A slight movement pulled her to the right. Lora put a palm on the wall to steady herself as the small enclosure turned out to be an elevator or something similar. Then it went down. Oh God, they weren’t going to a basement, were they? Nothing good ever came out of going down to a basement.
The guard put his chest near her back. She shivered. He was too close for comfort, or maybe not; a sudden stream of heat wisped over her body. Putting a hand over her thundering heart, she stepped away and glanced back at him and his massive height. Well, his height shouldn’t shock her. Practically everyone was taller than her. She eyeballed him and enjoyed the tempting view. He must be at least six foot three or four.
*Sigh* Watching him made her girly bits want to come out and play. God, now she’d lost it. She was reacting sexually to…whatever he was. Even so, she’d love to discover what was underneath all that temptation. Humph, idiot. He could have a face that resembled a pile of crap for all she knew. Who was she kidding? What difference did it make what he looked like or how tall he was? He was one of the bad guys.
Searching for handsome aliens was the last thing she needed to do. She’d better remember where she was and hang on to any wits her delusional mind let her keep.
The elevator wall opened and the guard gestured with his pistol for her to walk in front of him. This hallway had better lighting than the one they’d come from. Plus, this one had Zerins and other aliens walking in and out of bright rooms. The Zerins wore uniforms of long flowing light-blue lab coats over skintight dark pants tucked into low-heeled black ankle boots. The other hodgepodge of eclectic aliens wore something similar if they were humanoid. If they weren’t, sometimes it was hard to tell if they wore anything at all. Like a couple of aliens who walked past her. One was a gelatinous blob that slithered alongside a being with various tentacles. Their apparently nude bodies bugged her. What was with aliens running around naked all the time? It always bothered her when she’d watch a sci-fi movie and the alien had nothing on. What…species were smart enough to travel in space but clothing was beyond them?
All appeared to be absorbed in whatever they were doing, ignoring the human escorted by an armed guard. Some were reading tablets, walking without looking where they were going. Others were in intense conversations in small groups as they walked past without making eye contact.
Lora sniffed. Huh…that’s it. Ignore the prisoner. She peeked into the doorways they passed. Oh…she was in a hospital or some medical facility. She shivered and stopped. This place gave off a really bad vibe, as her hippie foster parents would say. Her lizard brain kicked in as her body froze.
The guard bumped into her before he stepped back. “Don’t stop.” He remained too close for comfort.
“Um, where are you taking me?” She didn’t expect him to answer, but hey, she had to try. Anything to stall. Maybe she should rethink the whole “staying in her cell and being bored thing.”
The barrel of his weapon pushed between her shoulder blades. “Keep moving.”
“Look, I’ve changed my mind.” She tried to turn around. “Let’s go back to my cell.” Don’t panic…now wasn’t the time to panic…she’d panic later…would there be a later?
The guard holstered his gun and gripped her upper right arm. “Female, please keep walking. I will not hurt you.”
“Oh, good. You’re on my side, then.” She tried again to turn around but his firm grip kept her in place. “Let me go. I know what happens in places like this. I’m going to become someone’s idea of an alien autopsy. No, thanks.”
After a few seconds when he didn’t push her further, she glanced behind her at the dully-reflective helmet.
He stood there in an inflexible stance; only his chest moved with each breath.
When he gripped her upper arm tighter, she jumped in surprise.
“Come with me. In here.” He gestured to a darkened doorway and pulled her in with him. He let go of her arm and waved with the hand holding the exotic gun to close the wall behind them.
They were in a small supply closet. At least, there were things in it she’d expect to find in a medical office. Neat stacks of medical supplies and cleaning materials filled the small shelves in a tiny space. A medicinal smell stung her nose.
She wrapped her arms around her waist before she confronted the guard. Her muted reflection blinked in confusion before he took off the ugly gray, matte helmet.
He stared at her with a nervous expression, eyes wide, and his upper lip thinned, which caused the lower one to plump.
Holy shamoka! It was the hunkalicious guy from the StarChance—the male Zerin she’d fantasized about ever since she’d seen him coming out of Aimee’s cabin that night so long ago. Now he was up close and personal, less than a foot away from her.
The blazing intensity of his gorgeous dual-colored turquoise eyes caught her. Up close, she could see the difference between the two irises. The inner circle was a dark, rich blue-green while the outer ring was a tad lighter with white flecks intermingled with the blue-green blend. His iridescent pupil widened and the dark-green-and-black mix captivated her. His tanned face was overlain with a rainbow-like sheen that offset his scraggy five o’clock shadow.
Plastered against his skull and pul
led up in a man bun was his magnificent multifaceted, tawny hair. A small braid at his right temple was tucked behind his ear. The tiny points of his ears were free of jewelry, something the Zerin females aboard the StarChance wore. He held the helmet in a tight, three-digit fist.
“It’s you!” Astonishment couldn’t begin to describe the shock of seeing him standing in front of her. She frowned at him. “Why is it you?”
His masculine lips formed a panty-wetting smile, framed on each side by two deep, dangerous dimples. Oh good Lord, he’d better stop doing that or she’d have to do something drastic.
Like jump his bones.
Down girl, keep the inner hussy leashed.
“You remember me?” His face lightened with a small smile. “I wasn’t sure if you would or not.” Before she answered, he frowned as he continued. “Listen, I know this looks bad, but I’ve only got a few microclicks before they start to look for us.” He dropped the helmet and gripped her upper arm with his free hand again. “But trust me; I’m going to find a way to get you out of here. Until I can do that, you’ve got to go along with whatever they want. I’m sure they’re not going to do anything now but run a couple of tests. So, all you have to do is cooperate until I get a chance to figure something out.” He squeezed her arm in a gentle hold.
Great, she was in a closet with a gorgeous but crazy alien. “No offense, but why would you want to do that?” She wanted to trust him, she really did. But come on! A hero coming to the rescue was more of a fantasy than say…a sexy alien hero coming to the rescue.
“I’ve got to figure out why the Chancellor wants you. In the meantime, I’ll find the best way to get you out of here and back to Zerin.” He loosened his hold on her arm. “I had no idea a human female was here until I saw you last night. Now everything has changed.”
