by Luna Hunter
“Breakfast,” Koryn says as he hands both Kelly and I a plate. A quivering, jet-black bar of an unknown substance is the only thing on there.
“Eat.”
Kelly wrinkles her nose as she takes a whiff. “It smells like dirt.” She takes a bite. “Tastes like dirt, too. Koryn, don’t you have anything else? Something fit for human consumption, perhaps?”
“Quino is not dirt. Is nutritious. Eat,” he says.
“I don’t think he’s budging,” I say. I take a bite of the gooey bar. It’s by no means a treat, but I can stomach it. It tastes like a slimy granola bar.
“How did you sleep? I heard you toss and turn all night, something keeping you up?” Kelly, asks.
“I slept fine,” I lie. If I tell her about my dreams I’ll never hear the end of it. My mind drifts back to those intense mental images, and my cheeks are instantly flushed. I pray Kelly doesn’t notice. “You?” I ask.
“I couldn’t sleep. You know, it’s strange. It took me months to get used to the constant buzz of the different support systems on the Vonnegut, but I’m so used to that now that I can’t sleep without it. This ship is so quiet, it’s eerie. I keep waking up thinking all the power is off and we’re aimlessly drifting through space.”
“We’ll get used to the silence soon enough.”
Kelly pushes her plate away, her black breakfast bar barely eaten. “I’m done.”
“I don’t know when we’ll be fed again, let’s just stomach it. I’m not sure the Zoran are familiar with the concept of lunch.”
Kelly slumps in her seat, pushing her plate around. “What about brunch? Or high-tea?”
“Don’t count on it,” I laugh. “For some reason I don’t picture Vinz relaxing after a hard day of killing with a cup of tea.”
“What is tea?” a low voice grumbles behind me, and I swivel around so fast I nearly drop my plate. The general stands in the doorway, his large frame barely fitting in the passage. His ebony suit of armor hugs every muscle his body perfectly, and my eyes are inadvertently drawn to the sizable bulge between his legs.
I wonder if his member is as big as I dreamed it is. If he’s really that skillful, it would be a crime not to ‘advance human-Zoran relations’. After all, that was my mission, right?
“It’s a drink,” Kelly replies, while I stare slack-jawed at the general. Now that I see him in the flesh my dream rises up with intensity, and I find it hard to look away. Or close my mouth.
“A human beverage?”
“Yes, general. A beverage.”
“One I would consume after murdering? Is that what you think of me, Dr. Archer? Do you take us Zorans for mere murders?”
His face is like granite, unmoving, and I can’t get a read on him.
“O-of course not,” I say. I didn’t mean it like that.”
“We are excellent killers, this much is true,” he says. “We have to be. Tell me, have you ever seen a Ygg?”
“A what?” I reply blankly.
“Humans,” he says with a sneer. “The galaxy is more terrifying than you can even imagine.”
Vinz turns and strides away, his loud footsteps echoing down the hall.
“Do you think you hurt his feelings?” Kelly says.
“I think so,” I reply.
“I didn’t know he had them,” Kelly says.
Watching Vinz storm off tugs at my heartstrings, even though, for all intents and purposes, I am his prisoner. “Let’s get back to the lab,” I say. I feel like we’re on the cusp of a breakthrough — for real this time. Kelly is right: with the help of the Zoran and their technology, we should be able to finally devise a cure.
It also meant I would have to stay on Vinz’s good side, which is a whole different can of worms. I might even have to ask him for help. I’ll cross that bridge when we get there.
We spend the rest of the day in our lab, browsing through a seemingly never-ending stream of data. Although most of is just meticulously detailed reports of every battle they’ve ever fought, a pattern seems to emerge. It is their physiology that gives the Zoran their prowess and strength. If I can get just get my hands on a DNA-sample, I might just be able to blow my research wide open.
6
Vinz
“How are our human guests doing?” Dimtri asks me.
“Fine,” I answer. “All their needs have been taken care of.”
I am standing on the one place on my ship I loathe — the High Command Com Center. Dimtri is sitting on a throne in the circular room, while all around me I see the holographic faces of the others who make up the so-called High Command — some are senators like Dimtri; all are cretins.
They designed this set-up after the last great war to intimidate the generals, to remind them who wields true Zoran power. It’s all bullshit. Their throne is wobbling. If the sudden decline in birthrate hadn’t shocked our society to its core, they would have been long gone already. Now, in such uncertain times, the people value stability over all else. As long as this crisis endures, their reign continues.
For now.
“What have the humans learned so far?”
“Nothing of interest,” I answer.
Dimtri snarls. “You might want to pay better attention to your guests, General. I thought keeping our species safe was your number one priority?” The snake taps a button and a multitude of screens all around me come alive.
It are all recordings of the research labs, and live feeds from Jillian and Kelly’s personal computers.
“It seems the humans have an extraordinary interest in Zoran biology,” Dimtri says. “Looking for our weaknesses, perhaps?”
“Nonsense,” I growl. “They’ve only accessed the data we provided them. And why the hell do you have access to the security feeds on my ship?!”
“Your ship?” the holographic face of senator Gorgi mutters. “My, my. Your entire fleet is provided to you by us, paid for by us, and we can take it away just as easily.”
“I’d like to see you try,” I say defiantly.
“Calm down, everyone,” Dimtri says. “Let me handle this. General, we expect you to keep a tighter leash on our guests. We need the humans docile. Needy.”
“I remember you saying the humans were ‘weak and stupid, unable to learn anything in a thousand years, let alone a female’. Ring a bell, Dimtri?”
His yellow eyes shoot fire at me. “They’re not as weak as I had hoped,” he says. “I’ve accessed all of Dr. Archer’s previous research data, and she’s dangerously close to finding a solution for humanity’s pollution problems. If the humans are no longer reined in by their past mistakes, they could become a force to be reckoned with in the eons to come. This must not come to pass. Sabotage her research, General. That’s an order.”
“The humans are not our enemies,” I say. “The doctor is doing merely what is best for her people. Is there no honor in that?”
The senators snicker. “Are you sick with mating fever?” Dimtri jeers. “You’ve grown weak, too trusting for your own good. Every species in the galaxy is a potential threat. It’s our job to squash them before they can rise up and challenge the Zoran.”
Challenge the Zoran? You mean challenge you.
“The humans are no threat to us,” I state again. “They’re no match for us, and we don’t need their species dying of illness to ever defeat them. What is the purpose of this mission, anyway? Why are you so obsessed with Dr. Archer?”
“That’s none of your concern, General.” Dimtri bristles. “It’s your duty to follow our orders. This conversation is over. You are dismissed.”
I storm out of the room. The veins in my neck throb in anger as every suspicion I’ve had in the past is confirmed. The High Command serves no interest but their own, and they’ll gladly sacrifice humanity to the Ygg if it would means an extra meal for them. Furthermore, this mission was never about the chocolate, or any other human goods. Dimtri is up to something.
I’m going to keep my eye on Jillian at all times.
Jillian
The jet-black doors of the General’s quarters whiz open in front of me. I’ve slowly adapted to the poor lighting conditions over the last few days, and already I’m not stumbling around as much as I used to.
“Come in,” Vinz’s low voice commands. I step in, tentatively, unsure what to expect. His quarters are as sparse as I imagined they would be. Only a large bed, with sheets as black as the night, and a desk with two chairs adorn the room.
“You called for me?” I say.
Vinz walks in the room in from his bathroom, and I damn near faint when my mind registers that he’s buck ass naked. His muscled frame is dripping with water, big drops of it gliding down his silver chest, all the way down to his…
I can’t look away. His member is bigger than I dared to imagine. Just as impressive and intimidating as Vinz himself.
“Aren’t you going to cover up?” I ask, covering my face with my hands, while still peeking through my fingers.
“Why would I?” Vinz says. “These are my quarters. Or am I making you uncomfortable?”
You’re making me a whole lot of things right now.
“I don’t know about you Zorans, but humans don’t casually wander around naked, no. Most of the time.”
He wraps a towel around his waist and motions for me to sit down in the chair across from him. His cock may be hidden from sight, but his broad chest is only a few feet away, begging to be touched. Intricate tattoos cover his arms, and I can’t help but stare. I recognize the Zoran symbols for strength, power, and virility. My research so far tells me they’re awarded after battles, like medals back on Earth. However, in my studies I’ve yet to encounter anyone so highly decorated throughout his species’ entire history.
“Why did you ask me here?” I ask, finally tearing my eyes away from his muscles. “I’d like to get back to work.” That is a lie, but being all alone in a room with a barely dressed, scorching hot Zoran makes my chest tight and my stomach feel funny.
“I’d like to know more about you, doctor,” he says. “You are the first human I’ve seen, and I’ve yet to make a proper assessment of your species. Tell me about yourself.”
I run my hand through my thick curls. “Where do I even start?”
“At the beginning,” Vinz says. “Tell me about your family.”
“I’m an orphan,” I say. “My parents died when I was young, and I had to take care of my little brother, Michael, all by myself. He lives on Earth, with his wife Sophie, and his child, Claire.”
Just thinking about Claire fills me with regret. I had to pull every string I could to be able to get a shuttle flight down to Earth and visit Michael after she was born. I’ll never forget the feeling of holding that little bundle. I’ve had to make do with photos and videos ever since.
Vinz reaches out and brushes a strand of curls from my face, and the touch sends a jolt through me. “Are you okay? You seem distressed.”
“I’m fine,” I lie. “I don’t see my family as much as I want to. Or should.”
“What about your mate?”
I look at the gray alien quizzically. “What do you mean?”
“Your mate?” he repeats. “Is it Tobias? He is the alpha human, yes?”
I can’t suppress a laugh. “Heavens, no. Tobias is my boss, yeah, but an alpha male he is not.”
Vinz frowns, and I hate myself for finding it so extremely sexy.
“I don’t understand,” he says. “How is he your leader then?”
“Probably cause he’s a good suck-up,” I say. It feels good to say that out loud for once. “We humans choose our leaders, with middling results. How do the Zorans do it? How did you become a general?”
“Did you not read the files? I’ve slayed my superior in hand-to-hand-combat,” he replies casually, as if it is the most normal thing in the world.
“That’s barbaric,” I gasp. “You killed him?”
“I defeated him in combat, yes. It is the most honorable way to die.”
“And you consider yourself advanced?” I laugh. “On Earth that’s considered pre-historic.”
“Death is part of life,” Vinz says. “It is the one certainty we have in this world. I’ve noticed from my own research into your kind that humans prefer to gloss over this fact. They pretend it isn’t so. That they possess eternal life. They do not. The Zoran embrace death, as it is part of nature’s cycle. Leaders must be replaced, by the strongest and most able.”
“Are you the strongest Zoran then?”
“Yes,” he replied, full of confidence.
“Are there other generals?”
“Of course.”
“So who is the strongest general then?”
Vinz smirks. “The High Command keeps us separated for that exact reason.”
“Is senator Dimtri in the High Command?”
Vinz’s smirk turns into a scowl instantly. “Don’t speak of him,” he says. “He’s a snake. But that is none of your concern. I want to get back to the matter at hand. You don’t have a mate?”
“Correct.”
Vinz raises his eyebrows. “None have claimed you? Why not?”
“Claimed me? Is this more of your species’ Neanderthal nonsense?”
“I do not know what you mean, but on Exon Prime, the most eligible females are claimed by the most powerful men.”
“I figured. On Earth, men ask women if they want to be mates. And women can say no. A woman can even ask a man out, imagine that! Besides, what makes you think I’m such an eligible woman?”
“Your beauty and intellect,” Vinz replies. “You are head of your division, among the most capable scientists humanity has to offer, and your body is extremely well-suited for bearing children. What other criteria are there?”
I can’t help myself — my cheeks flush a bright pink at the general’s compliments.
“Now that I’m here, there’s something I wanted to ask you,” I say.
“Go ahead.”
I swallow the lump in my throat. Here goes nothing.
“Are you aware of the nature of my research?”
“Yes,” the general answers. “You are a geneticist, and you try to cure human diseases.”
I nod. “That’s the gist of it, yes. As you know, Earth is very polluted.”
“You have poisoned your own planet,” he says.
“Right. This causes major illnesses on Earth. If I discover a way to fight this, that means millions, or even billions of humans will live longer, healthier, happier lives.”
“A most noble mission, yes.”
“I need a Zoran tissue sample,” I blurt out. “The answer to the cure may lie in your genetic make-up. If Zorans are as close to humans as they appear, then—”
Vinz’s face is stony and cold, his lips pulled into a thin line. “You wish to study our DNA?” He shakes his head. “Perhaps Dimtri was right,” he mutters under his breath.
“If you do not trust me, then why am I even here?” I protest. “Allow me to help my own people! Is that not something you understand? Do you not serve Zorans?”
“Yes,” he says. “That is why I deny your request. Many species have tried to steal our secrets. None are around today.”
The general stands up. “I need time to think. It’s time for you to leave, doctor.”
8
Vinz
My gut tells me to trust Jillian.
Among other things. It’s also telling me to bury my hands in those thick, brown curls of her, to rip that lab coat from her body and mate with her against the wall, her curvy thighs wrapped around my waist, over and over again until her belly swells with our child.
I don’t know what’s come over me. No species in the universe is biologically compatible with us Zorans. Despite it all, I feel an overwhelming need to be around Jillian at all times. Her smell reminds me of home – and I don’t mean my ship or my quarters, but the home I grew up in, the one I haven’t seen since I joined the military decades ago.
I never realized I missed it until I breathed Jillian’s scent back on the Vonnegut. Now I dream every night about living a simple life with her there, our many children playing carefree in the lush fields of grass surrounding my father’s farm, Jillian forever barefoot and pregnant.
Maybe I am sick with mating fever, I think as I rub my temples. I’ve always known what to do. I’ve been 100% certain of every life-or-death decision I’ve ever made. And then I met Jillian.
I do know one thing for sure: That dream will never become a reality. Taking her means directly challenging the Emperor. Our life would be anything but simple. It may even start a war.
It would be worth it.
We’re due to arrive on Exon Prime in a matter of days. I have no intention of handing her over. On my ship I call the shots, but planet-side it’s a different story. Time is running out.
The doors of my quarters open and Koryn strides in, rousing me from my thoughts.
“General. Message from Earth, for Dr. Archer. From a Michael Archer. Wanted your permission to patch it through.”
“That’s her brother,” I say. “It’s fine. Don’t leave her side again.”
“Why, sir? Something I should know?”
“I don’t trust the senators,” I say.
Koryn smirks. “What else is new?”
For the first time in days I crack a laugh. “Dimtri is up to something. Keep an eye on Jillian and Kelly at all times.”
“Permission to speak freely, sir?”
“Anytime, Koryn. You know you can say anything to me.”
“Why do you care about the humans, sir?”
I rub the back of my neck while I think it over. I don’t even know how to answer that question. “We’ve underestimated them, Koryn. Their women are strong, resilient, determined. They show more spine than many Zorans ever do. Even now, lightyears from home, they’re working around the clock to complete their research.”
