Penny watched him go, feeling oddly disappointed. She shook it off, turning back to where the rest of the team was already digging through the box.
"Oh hey, they brought my books!" Cho said with a grin, lifting out a stack of paperback novels with scifi titles.
"I don't know how you read that stuff," Salome shook her head, "The science is terrible."
"Some of the concepts are really cool," Cho pouted, "The world building in the leather goddesses series is spectacular."
"At least, it's something to do while we're stuck in here," Rivera picked up Leather Goddesses and flipped it over to read the back, "Did you bring the first one in this series?"
"More importantly, is it safe to take off our helmets?" Ian asked, frowning.
"I think so," Cho answered, picking out a food packet, "The atmosphere is pretty similar to Earth's. The only real concern is potential pathogens and allergens. But since we've had such limited contact with the aliens and they're keeping us isolated and indoors like this, it's probably okay for a little while."
Rivera went first, pressing the button under her jaw to withdraw her helmet and taking in a few experimental breaths.
"Seems breathable," she said, "A little thin, like being up in the mountains."
After a few moments watching Rivera for a reaction, they all slowly removed their helmets as well. The room smelled strange, like sugar and warm plastic, and the air tingled on Penny's skin, a little too cold to be comfortable.
There was another long, uninterrupted period of waiting. Rivera calculated how much food they had and planned how they would ration it, assuming this planet wouldn't have food they would be able to eat. After all, if the human body could have fatal allergic reactions to perfectly edible plants from their own planet, what were the chances it would react well to food from a different solar system?
Luckily, the mission had planned for that and given them a surplus of food. As long as the aliens kept bringing it over from the ship, they'd probably be fine. Probably.
After prying at the walls some more, they discovered panels like the one Tau had produced the table from and found narrow, almost cradle like furniture which they took to be beds. They also found something which, with a little experimentation, they discovered to be a toilet, which was a relief to everyone.
What felt like a full day passed with no sign of the aliens. Penny began to worry. She lay in one of the strange cradle cots trying to rest and wondering what Aiten Tau was doing, and if he would ever return.
Chapter Five
He did, the next day. By this point, the team had begun to get fairly tired of their cell and if there was a panel in here that had a shower behind it, they hadn't found it yet. Everyone wanted a change of clothes and something to do besides reading Cho's romance novels.
Penny smiled in undisguised relief when she saw the door open and Tau enter, rushing to put her helmet back on and greet him. She paused, distressed, when she realized he had a squadron of men behind him. Tau tossed Penny's chip to her and she caught it reflexively.
"Tone of authority," Tau spoke, "The queen regent of the invaders will come with me."
Penny was caught off guard by this sudden change in attitude.
"No," she said firmly, "We stay together. I thought I made that clear before."
"It was not a request," Tau waved the six man squad forward and they surrounded Penny at once, cutting her off from the team, who had leapt to their feet to defend her.
"Hey!" Rivera barked, stepping forward as though she were ready to fight the aliens herself. Instead of recoiling like they had from Penny's voice, they just closed ranks around the Ambassador and struck Captain Rivera hard across the head with one of their armored limbs.
Penny gasped as Rivera hit the floor, bleeding, and the other three hurried to her side, pulling her away from the aliens. Penny, horrified, tried to go to her Captain as well. The alien soldiers blocked her way.
"Why did you do that?" she rounded on the one that had done it and saw him shrink from her reprimand, "She was just trying to help me! Let me go to her. We will not be separated!"
Tau stepped between them smoothly, guarding the cowering soldier from her shouts and forcing her back. He was wearing his helmet, but she could imagine that frown of thin lipped disapproval on his face.
"Tone of resolve. The unit acted because I ordered it to. You will not punish it."
Penny frowned back at him, as confused as she was frightened.
"Please," Penny said, trying always to remain diplomatic, "I know we don't understand each other well yet, but we are doing our best. I know you can only be doing your best as well. But for my people, this is cruelty, being trapped in one place like this, being hit. You hurt her. We are afraid to be separated. We are afraid to be hurt. Do you understand?"
Tau was silent for a moment. Then he disengaged his helmet, removing it and handing it to one of the other men. His expression was lined with concern, his eyes intense.
Then, to Penny's shock, he reached for her, touching the spot under her jaw that retracted her helmet. He touched her face so gently that for a moment, she thought he would kiss her.
"Tone of sincerity," he said, his voice soft, "Penny Allyn. You will not be harmed. I am here to defend you. Please do not resist."
Faced with such unexpected tenderness from the stoic man, staring into those incredible eyes, Penny couldn't help but nod obediently. He stepped back then, taking his helmet and putting it back on. Penny reactivated her own helmet, looking back at her panicked team nervously.
"I'll be back as fast as I can," she promised, "Stay together."
They watched her leave in obvious worry. Tau led her out of the room she'd been in for day and down the long corridor outside it.
"You are to be brought before the Queen and regency," Tau explained, "To answer for the crimes of your people."
"You still haven't told me what those are," Penny pointed out with a frown, "We haven't hurt anyone. At least not intentionally."
"Your crimes will be listed before judgement is made."
"Shouldn't I have time to organize a defense?" Penny protested, "I barely know your language. This may only be a misunderstanding that can be corrected if we sit down and explain it to each other."
"I am here to defend you," Tau repeated, "You will not have any other defense."
"But that hardly seems fair," Penny tried to insist, "You barely know me! You don't know anything about my species or our motivations-"
"You will cease speech now," Tau cut her off as they neared the end of the hall approaching a six sided door.
"Why?" Penny asked stubbornly, thinking he was just trying to shut her up.
"You will hurt the workers," he answered to her surprise and, curious, she obeyed and the door slid aside.
They passed through a wide, domed hall, webbed with a network of hallways, some ground level but many more above, some going directly up through the ceiling among wide glass windows which let in bright, blue sunlight.
The area crawled with aliens, none of them like what she'd seen so far. Where the winged men were almost human and the soldiers somewhere in between, the workers were not remotely humanoid. The size of large dogs with golden shells they scuttled in multitudes across the hall, crawling through tunnels, over walls, occasionally bursting into short, noisy flight to reach a high tunnel.
They looked like nothing so much as ants crossed with spiders, their wings brown and dull, their legs scrabbling and covered in tiny hairs. Penny recoiled from them instinctively, then quickly regained her composure. She was a diplomat. She couldn't act like the people she was trying to understand were disgusting, even if they did look like giant bugs.
On the other side of this strange thoroughfare, Tau brought her to a room lined in black hexagonal panels.
"Tone of command. Remove your helmet and any other inorganic material," he ordered.
Penny eyed him like he'd grown a second head, which he might for all she knew.
"You must be decontaminated before being presented to the Queen," he explained.
"In my culture, it's not polite to be naked in front of strangers," Penny tried to explain.
"I will not take offense," Tau said, misunderstanding or being deliberately difficult, she couldn't be sure which. Still, she didn't think she had much choice in the matter. It did make sense that they would want her clean before presenting her to their royalty.
She took a deep breath, then retracted her helmet and unzipped her suit, peeling it off quickly. One of the silent squadron Tau was leading took it from her.
"I'll want that back when I'm done," she told Tau firmly. When he nodded, she continued. She'd been wearing a sports bra and underwear beneath the suit and she wiggled out of them now, trying not to think about the aliens staring at her.
Even if they did look humanoid, there was no telling if their biology was even remotely similar. It was very unlikely they'd get anything out of watching her bathe. It was more like when she watched experimental subjects, rats or mice, running around their cages, living their lives. She was just a curiosity to them. The thought wasn't as reassuring as she had hoped it would be.
She stood there, naked and awkward, the air stirring the dark curls over her vulva, as she waited for Tau to pull out one of the panels, extending it into a spout not unlike the shower heads she was used to. When water began pouring out of it, he stepped away and she stepped in, glad for the opportunity to rinse herself.
"Don't let it get in your eyes," Tau advised, "The liquid carries a disinfecting agent. Tone of concern. It will sting."
"Thanks for the warning," Penny muttered, but did as he said, keeping her eyes and mouth shut as she cleaned herself. She only dared glance over at Tau and the others once, and found them watching her, shamelessly and unwaveringly.
She wished Tau wasn't wearing his helmet so that she could gauge his expression, feeling a sudden, inane worry about her weight, which she shook off quickly. She was just self-conscious.
The water shut off abruptly, indicating that she was done whether she wanted to be or not. In its place, a blast of warm air caught her by surprise, making her jump and Tau and all his men move in response.
When she realized it was a dryer, she relaxed and they followed suit. Once she was dry, Tau stepped forward and handed her a white garment rather than her suit.
"I'd rather have my own things," Penny tried, but Tau shook his head.
"You will wear this to meet the Queen," he insisted, "Your clothes will be returned to you after."
Penny restrained the urge to grumble and accepted the new clothing, which turned out to be a flowing robe not unlike the ones the winged males had worn yesterday.
She struggled momentarily with the confusing ties, until Tau, surprising her, took them from her and tied them himself, fastening it so that it emphasized her waist and draped over her hips like something from a painting of ancient god.
"It suits you," he said as he stepped away, and again Penny found herself wishing she could see his face.
"Thank you," she replied, looking away, and he said no more, leading her on out of the decontamination room and through a short hall.
"Through here is the cathedral," he explained, "You will speak only if asked a direct question. You will not shout. You will stay where you are placed. Try not to appear threatening or emotional, it will weaken your case."
"Makes sense," Penny agreed, taking a deep breath, "I'm ready."
The doors to the cathedral were a split hexagon, guarded on either side by black armored soldiers in their chitinous helmets as always. They opened as Penny approached and Penny stepped into the cathedral in undisguised awe.
The room was vast. Certainly the biggest open room Penny had even been in. Even the NASA hangers weren't this big, nor were their ceilings so high.
This must have been the building she saw when they were landing, she thought. Sure enough, looking up she saw the huge wound in the roof, no longer so ragged. A handful of the golden, insect like aliens she'd seen in the hall before crawled over the hole, repairing it with deft hands.
The walls, where she could see them, were white and papery as a wasp's nest, with alcoves open to expose golden comb. Wide columns of that same golden comb carved into abstract patterns climbed towards the roof like strange towers.
A massive round stained glass window stood at the far end of the room, and she could see the colored light of others higher in the cathedrals vast ceilings. It was the only place she'd seen a color other than white, black, or gold. The windows glittered with rich reds and royal blues as well. As Tau led Penny across the great cathedral, she saw there was a crowd assembled to meet her.
The winged males she'd seen before were there, along with others. Three sat in high, backless chairs before a raised dais. On the dais was a golden hexagonal shape which, as Penny approached, she realized was a single cell, as in a beehive, and a massive larva the size of a human child was growing within it. She suppressed a shudder.
"Why isn't it bound?" one of the winged males asked, the words translated a second behind by Penny's chip, "Why isn't its blasphemous mouth sealed?"
Tau tipped his head back respectfully and spoke in the humming, mouthless drone language. The chip didn't seem capable of translating that, remaining silent as he spoke. Whatever he said, it mollified the winged males.
Tau turned to Penny, guiding her to a place between two of the pillars before the three winged males, pushing her down to kneel before them. He stood beside her, his hand on her shoulder.
"These are the regency," he murmured to her quietly, "They will judge you while the queen is in her infancy."
Penny, confused, looked again at the white skinned larva on the dais. Was that their queen?
"Commander," the center winged male, who seemed to be the more senior of the three, turned to Tau, "Have you learned how this species is addressed? You make speak the word."
"Human." Tau replied.
"Human invader," the winged male turned his gaze them to Penny, "You are brought before us to bear judgement for the crimes of your people, here under the infant gaze of our new queen, whose predecessor you so cruelly slaughtered."
Penny opened her mouth, wanting to protest, but Tau squeezed her shoulder and shook his head minutely. She had no one else to rely on, so she obeyed.
"Your human race has invaded our sovereign territory and committed regicide, destroying much and killing many in the process. You use the Queen's speech though you are neither Queen nor holy male, and wielded it against our soldier. When we searched your craft-weapon, we found documents that reveal you have read and copied the sacred writings of the ancient queens, a sin so dire we have never conceived of a punishment fitting for it. The council asks you- Why? Why has your kind declared war on us?"
Penny glanced at Tau to make sure she was allowed to speak before she did.
"You're wrong," she said, and saw them all recoil, hissing in offense, "Humanity has not declared war. We came in peace, with only the desire to learn more about you. We did receive and read your signals. We didn't know they were sacred. We thought they were messages, searching for other life in the universe as we are, which is why we followed them to you. But we did not kill your queen! So far as I know, we haven't destroyed anything. Please believe that we are only here in the spirit of friendship and exploration."
"Enough of your blasphemy," the winged male on the right shouted, wings humming in agitation, "This creature dares to lie, in the presence of Queen and regency! To lie in the Queen's own sacred tongue! It is a savage beast that cannot be trusted. It should be destroyed."
"Or dissected," suggested the one on the left, "If more of its species intend to attack us we must be prepared to defend ourselves."
"But we have learned nothing," the middle regent shifted anxiously, "The public demands answers. A narrative they can understand. This unscheduled judgement will raise enough sus
picions as it is."
"The public don't want a narrative, they want swift action! We have captured the thing that killed their queen and killed it and all is safe now!"
"The opinions of the public are a minor concern compared to the spiritual turmoil of allowing this heretic to continue defiling the voice of the departed queen!"
Penny, listening in mute horror, thought somewhat absurdly that maybe this species wasn't so different from humans after all.
"A balance is struck," the one in the middle said loudly, cutting the other two off, "The human queen regent will be executed publicly for the peace of mind of the hive. The others will be interrogated and dissected to better understand our enemy."
Before Penny could react, Tau spoke in his harsh, humming language, loud and assertive, forcing the winged male's attention.
"We are the Queen's regents!" one of the males said, buzzing with irritation, "It is our duty to judge in her absence!"
"The commander is not wrong," said another reluctantly, "To make a decision of such impact without her judgement..."
"Dealing with dissidents is perfectly within our rights as regents!"
"But potentially declaring interstellar war with a species whose power and technology we know nothing about-"
"But we must act quickly!"
"A balance is struck!" the one in the middle cried again, silencing the other two, "The queen will reach her second instar in 7 cycles and should then be prepared to pass judgement. Until then, Commander Tau, since you have taken such an interest in the false queen's life, it will be your duty to interrogate the creature. Learn the invader's motives, and the scope of their offensive capabilities. It is in your care. May it complete you."
Tau tipped his head back respectfully again, then pulled Penny to her feet. Penny, dazed, followed as he led her quickly out of the cathedral and back down the halls.
"What was that?" she asked as she began to regain her senses, "We killed a queen? They're going to declare war on earth? Tau, what just happened?"
Alien Romance: Caged By The Alien: Scifi Alien Abduction Romance (Alien Romance, Alien Invasion Romance, BBW) (Celestial Mates Book 4) Page 5
