My heart wants to pound out of my chest; I smile so wide it hurts. Relief, happiness, and fatigue hit me like a half a bottle of schnapps.
Kaizel snarls, and two contoured plates extend out of his armor to form a helmet. He draws his blaster and points it in our direction. Forta draws his too and moves again to shield me—this time from the alien.
“What are you going to do?” Forta asks. “Attack a member of the Dominar Empire? Are you prepared to fight another honor duel? You won’t win another, I promise you.”
Kaizel rises a few feet in the air, hovering in place. “You’re a fool,” says Kaizel. “You’d throw away your home for a filthy human? Fine. So be it.” He rockets up into the air as his shuttle arrives; Forta and I watch until Kaizel gets in and disappears into space.
“I’m sorry,” I say, tears flowing once more. “I didn’t want this to happen.”
“I know,” Forta replies, hugging me. “You tried to fix it; you wanted to so bad. If Kaizel kept his word, you’d have succeeded. This is on him.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Now he kisses me. It starts off tender and soft, but soon he’s gripping me tightly, our faces pressed together until it hurts. I can feel the anger in his kiss, but it’s not directed at me—I drink it in and share it back. Together, we weather it down into relief, and soon into contentment.
Though I could enjoy this moment forever, once the hum of Kaizel’s shuttle fades completely, the stirrings of the crowd rise higher.
“You promised a prize!” shouts Ivan, staring right at me.
“Yeah, give her to us!” calls another fighter. “Or we’ll take her!”
Forta fires a shot into the air. Bright as a bolt of lightning, it makes everyone else flinch. “You are all giant assholes,” Forta says. “If you try to touch my pet, I’ll burn you to dust. But you were promised a prize, so I’ll give you one.”
Forta points into the sky, as his own shuttle arrives. When it lands, the hatch opens and a crate floats out, soon lands in front of us. Forta opens it and beckons for the fighters to have a look.
“The fuck is this?” Ivan asks, pulling out a long, dark brick of some kind.
“High-density ration bars,” Forta says. “A single one of these can feed a man for a year. They will buy you time to build your town, or you can save them in reserve for a bad winter. They don’t spoil, and there’s enough in here for everyone.”
Keeping my head down, I try to hide the giant smile on my face. I can imagine what my dad would say: Forta, you’re a real son of a bitch.
“Screw you, you alien fuck!” Ivan spits. “We want the real prize!”
Forta steps forward, getting into the man’s face. “This is the most precious gift someone of my kind is ever going to give you,” he says. “Take it or leave it.”
Ivan takes a step back, shaking his head. Then he raises a fist in the air and screams, “Let’s kill these motherfuckers!”
Adrenaline kicks me into gear, and I turn to flee as the men roar and rush as one.
I shout, “Forta!”
The world seems to explode as he fires another warning shot, this time into the earth, blasting soil and grass in nearly every direction. Then I feel myself being lifted, as if I’ve been shot out of a cannon, and I scream even louder as the world falls away below me.
“Easy, Melody,” Forta says, holding me in his arm. “We’re okay.”
Below me I see the assembled fighters looking up, and I realize we’re terrifyingly high in the air. With his free arm, Forta grasps a pair of thick telerings, lifting us both into the air toward his ship. Not a bad way of escaping an angry mob, I guess. In a few seconds we’re safely aboard his shuttle, and I exhale.
“Thank you,” I say as he sets me down next to him in the cockpit.
“You’re welcome, Melody,” he replies, activating the ship’s navigation system. He works his way through a series of holograms, bringing up a star chart of the Milky Way. It zooms in on one of the arms, eventually resolving into an image of Earth. Then the ship rises into the atmosphere.
“We’re going home,” I say, almost not believing it myself.
“Yes, we are. I have to get back to work.”
Taking his hand, I nod. “I understand. Our deal is done.”
“I can’t tell you what you mean to me, Melody,” he says as we rise out of Cetaski’s sky and into space. “I’ll never see humanity the same way again. But when we reach Earth, we can’t stay together. I need some time to reassess my life—everything I used to believe has come apart very quickly. I haven’t had time to grieve for my home world; I don’t want you to suffer if the loss hits me hard.”
I nod, trying to stay strong, but the tears come anyway. Our deal was going to end eventually; I knew this already.
No, that’s not true.
We had much more than a deal. Only, we left it on Dokkedex, and it’s not coming back with us.
Chapter Twenty-Three
I ask to leave the cockpit so I can be alone; Forta doesn’t stop me. All I want to do is cry, but I only allow myself to shed a few tears. I try getting excited about returning to my relatively normal life. It had an unfortunate detour along the way, but I’ll move forward. I should be excited to be going home, and I am—sort of.
When I get there, I’m only going to have an empty house to greet me. Dad’s in jail, Clara’s moved by now. I’ll be free to hop in bed and sleep for a week if I choose. Maybe bring a pint or two of Ben & Jerry’s, put on some sappy movies. Then I can cry some more over how bored I’ll be working at a battery factory in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere.
No, I’m not working there forever. I’m getting out of Ontego, no matter what. I may never go back into space, but there’s a whole world for me to see. Reminding myself of this makes me feel a bit better, and when Earth appears in the window, relief rushes through me on a primal level.
Home.
I don’t care what the Dominars think of the place—at least I belong here. I won’t have to worry about condescending aliens or exiled human criminals or anything. And if I can handle a month dealing with all that, there’s nothing Earth can throw at me that I can’t handle.
Forta takes us down on the night side of the planet, so I don’t even recognize my street until we land.
“Melody Grant, you’ve fulfilled your end of our contract,” says Forta, as stiff as can be. “I will uphold mine. Your father will remain on Earth, and for at least ten years I will not institute off-world imprisonment except in cases of mass murder and terrorism. You are hereby released from my custody.”
“Thank you, Consul,” I say, failing to keep my voice steady. “I... wish you luck... in the future.”
I expect him to pivot on his heel and head straight back for his ship, but he hugs me. My body shakes against his, and tears drip from my cheek to his tunic.
“You can stay with me,” I whisper, holding onto him as tightly as I can.
“I want to, but I can’t,” he says. “For the first time in my life, I’m not sure what comes next. I need to find out.”
“But I can help you!”
Forta kisses my forehead, then takes my wrists and pulls me off of him. “Not if I hurt you. I don’t want that. Make yourself a good life. That’s how you can help me. Goodbye, Melody.”
“Goodbye, Master,” I say, watching him go. I don’t move an inch until his ship disappears into the night sky, just one more star among millions.
And then I’m alone, standing in the middle of the street—I’m wearing my old clothes for the first time in a month. If someone drove by, all they’d see is a young woman staring into space.
When I’m sure he’s not coming back, I go inside and let the tears flow.
* * *
I wake up dressed and figure I cried myself to sleep. For a bit I feel like Dorothy at the end of The Wizard of Oz; if someone told me it had all been a dream, there wouldn’t be much evidence to the contrary. It’s too surreal to even process.
On the one hand, the last time I was here seems like years ago; on the other, my month with Forta went by in a flash. More important, though, is the fact that I can’t even consider myself the same person anymore—not after such a journey. How can I be the same Melody who agreed to go see a visiting alien consul just because I thought he was hot? It’s almost laughable. I’d been told that traveling is the ultimate learning experience, and I’ve traveled farther than I ever imagined.
Still feeling cried out from last night, I figure I’ve got a life to resume. My house smells musty; there’s dust everywhere. Without Dad here, no one has been around since Clara presumably stopped by to take out the trash, clear the dirty dishes, and raid the fridge of its perishables. I open some windows to let the house air out while I vacuum; I find the work makes a good distraction.
After a while I get hungry, but the fridge is down to margarine, mustard, and Dad’s seltzer, so I go out. I try to drive, but the car’s been dormant too long and the battery doesn’t start, so I ride my bike down to Saturn Diner. The irony isn’t lost on me that this is where Dad tried to shoot Forta, but it’s open and the food is cheap.
I order eggs and bacon and find I still like them just fine. No knock on the cuisine from Dokkedex, but Earth’s food has a familiarity that just feels right.
Eating slowly, I watch the other patrons like they’re exhibits in a living museum. It’s weird to think their lives have gone on as normal while I’ve been away. I’ve sat in this booth dozens of times, and it’s still the same. Maybe the diner was total chaos the night Forta visited, but not anymore. Looking around, you wouldn’t even know it happened here. There’s no police tape, no framed newspaper clipping on the wall—I guess ‘site of failed alien assassination’ isn’t something one advertises. So then, back to normal.
It’s then that I realize that I may be changed, I may have gone through uncertainty and loss, but in time my life will return to normal too.
* * *
It takes a week for Dad to be transferred to the local county jail. I debate calling, but I don’t think I can, or should. I need to see him in person, and to let him know that I don’t care what he did, he’ll always be my father. A phone call is not the right way to deliver that message.
In the meantime, I take the plunge I always knew was inevitable: I claim a job at the battery factory. Thanks to my nanites, my work training takes less than a nanosecond. In less than an hour, I’m already fully skilled in a job I’m only going to keep until I figure out my next move. I’ve already made plans to see Clara in Poughkeepsie; as far as travels go, it’s not very far, but I’ve never been there, so I’m excited. A month ago I’d probably have been nervous, but now I suspect it’ll seem kind of quaint. Trans-galactic journeys have that effect.
As soon as Dad’s transfer goes through, I visit. When he comes out wearing a denim prison uniform, I have to fight not to lose my composure—it’s an unfathomably sad sight. Still, I’m so happy to see him, nothing else matters. We hug for what feels like an eternity.
“Melody, are you okay?” Dad asks, taking a seat.
“Yeah, I am.”
“You look older,” he says as I sit across from him.
I’m still getting over my time with Forta; tears are not uncommon. It must show.
“I’ll be fine. What about you? Are they treating you well?”
He looks over to the guards—they’re mostly human, but there’s a Dominar warden in charge.
“I’m fine now, sweetheart. Before, when you hadn’t visited me, I thought you hated me for what I did.”
“Never!” I practically shriek. “Why would you think that?”
Dad points a thumb at the guards. “They told me you left Earth with one of them. Swore up and down it was true. I thought they were full of it at first, but they stuck to the story. Melody, is it true?”
Oh, boy.
I knew at some point I’d have to tell him the truth—at least, some of it—but I’d hoped it could wait a few months... or years.
“Yes, it’s true,” I admit. “I did some... traveling with Consul Forta. It was the only way to keep you here on Earth, instead of a prison planet.”
Dad holds out his hand for me to take. He smiles at me the way he used to when I was a kid. “I think it’s fair to say that’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me. I never ever would have asked... I mean... You didn’t have to.”
“Oh, trust me, I did,” I say, laughing. “I visited the prison planet, and I promise you, it sucks. Like, really. It’s the worst. I’m not sorry about what I did. I’d do it again.”
As I’m saying it, I feel its truth like the light of dawn peeking out over the horizon. I’d take that journey again in a heartbeat—I wouldn’t even have to think about it. Granted, I’d make a few changes—I wouldn’t let Kaizel get to me. If somehow he and Forta ended up at odds, I’d demand Forta let it go. Of course, if I did all that, he might never learn about loss... which is something he clearly needs. I’d find a way, though.
“It wasn’t awful, being with the aliens?” Dad asks.
“No. Actually, it was mostly wonderful,” I say, blinking too much. No crying now! Keep it together!
“Consul Forta is... a good man. We learned a lot from each other. He’s going to do a lot for Earth and humanity.”
“I’ll try,” says an unmistakable voice.
I spin around so quick I nearly fall out of my seat. “Forta!”
He’s really here, decked out in his finest white consular uniform. It’s only been a week, but I rush to him like he’s been gone a year. I hug him so hard my momentum pushes him back a step.
“What’s going on? What are you doing here?” I ask.
“I needed to see you,” he says, stroking back my hair. “I couldn’t stay away.”
He feels so good, I could melt. But, I shake my head. “Didn’t you need time to figure it all out, to make sure you don’t hurt me? Is one week enough?”
Chuckling, he kisses me. “It’ll have to be. My future is here on Earth, with humanity. And there’s no other human I’d rather be with than you, Melody.”
“There’s no other human you’d rather be with at all,” I counter, trying to play cool while my heart slams around inside my chest.
He laughs. “True, but I’m serious. I love you, Melody. Will you take me back? Will you help me?”
“Yes!” I shout, pouncing on him again. I’m dimly aware of the other inmates and their families staring at us, but I don’t care. “I love you too, Forta. I’ll help you any way I can. As your love, your friend...”
...Or your pet.
He takes my hand and presses it to his lips. “All of them. I want you for all of them.”
“You have me,” I say, letting the joyful tears fall.
We kiss, and the world around us disappears for a while. I don’t think either of us minds, even though we’re making a pretty big scene. When Forta lets me go, his smile makes me dizzy. Then he turns to my father, who’s watching with a mixture of horror and pride.
“It’s good to see you again, Mr. Grant,” Forta says, heading toward Dad.
“Is it?” Dad asks, understandably skeptical. The last time he saw Forta, it was for an interrogation.
“I’m serious, yes. You’ve raised an incredible daughter.”
“Thanks,” Dad mumbles. “What do you want?”
Forta pulls up another chair and sits down with us. “To do what we should have from the start. We’re going to talk.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
My dad and Forta speak for hours. They talk about our trip in broad strokes—the details aren’t really anything we all need to discuss. They have a long conversation about the Dominars’ intentions for Earth and humanity, about the history and practices of the Dominar Empire. By the end, my father feels a bit better about the invasion, though he still misses his old job. Most important, Forta forgives Dad for trying to shoot him. When they’re done, they have an understanding, and they agree t
o keep meeting and learning.
Although I’m sad that Dad has to serve out his sentence, I promise to visit often. Plus, with good behavior he may get out early, and even take sporadic furloughs.
“Thank you, Forta,” I say, kissing him on the cheek as we leave the prison. “I’m grateful.”
“No, thank you. Without your influence on your father and me, we wouldn’t have found any common ground.”
I smirk. “That’s true. You’re welcome.”
“Come here,” he says, lifting me off my feet and holding me to his chest. “Time to thank you properly.”
* * *
He flies us back to his residence on the Spire, and we’re barely inside the door before we’re throwing our clothes off. I’m barely undressed when the familiar telerings fly out of a wall and snap around my wrists, ankles, and neck. Throughout the past week I’d felt naked without them; it’s a relief to wear them once more. They also remind me of what Forta can and will do to me, eliciting a surge of warmth in my core. Yet, something’s not quite right.
“Wait!” I say, holding up my hands. Looking around, I realize his residence has been completely redecorated: all of his alien plants are gone, and the furnishings are new. Ultra-modern in a minimalist style, they remind of Forta: Spartan, but pleasant. “I like what you did with the place. But, why?”
“Everything I had was from Dokkedex. I didn’t want the reminders,” he explains. “I thought a fresh start would be best.”
“That’s smart,” I say. “Maybe for us too?”
Forta nods. “I’d like that. Let’s make a deal, Melody Grant.”
Blushing, I bite my lip. “Okay. What would you like?”
He approaches, forcing me to step back until I reach his bed, which feels impossibly soft against my calves. “Help me better understand the human condition, and I’ll show you the galaxy. Be my pet, and I’ll be your master. Love me, and I’ll love you back, forever.”
I pause, pretending to have to think about it. “Okay,” I say at last, pursing my lips. “I accept, Master.”
His Human Pet Page 16
