A Curvy Gift For The Alien Warrior: Holiday Novella (Kyrzon Universe)

by Luna Voss

  A Curvy Gift for the Alien Warrior

  A SciFi Romance Holiday Novella

  Luna Voss

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Author’s Note

  Also by Luna Voss

  Chapter One

  “Come on, Bella!” I call, tapping my foot impatiently next to the door. My little dog Bella comes running over excitedly, her long white fur rippling, and then decides to do another lap around the small apartment that we share.

  I roll my eyes. She always does this. She gets so excited about going out that she starts releasing energy before we even get outside, and it can turn leaving in the morning into a lengthy process. Normally, I find it charming, but right now, I’m running late.

  “Got you!” I yell triumphantly, grabbing Bella as she comes around the corner. She quivers with excitement as I fasten the harness around her little body, and then attach the leash. We head outside, and I lead her to the hover-cart that is my livelihood.

  “Up, girl,” I say to Bella, patting the passenger seat of the cart. She jumps up eagerly. I unclip the leash and attach Bella’s harness to the much shorter one that attaches to the hover-cart. I almost always take Bella to work with me. I won’t say she helps, exactly, but she keeps me company, and I know she enjoys it more than being home alone.

  I work as a cargo runner, and I haul freight all over Human Territory on Planet Kyrzon. At 27 years old, I’m finally in the position that I’ve spent most of the last decade scraping and saving for: the owner-operator of my own hover-cart. It’s not a very big cart, just a two-seater with space in the back for cargo, but it’s mine. And what it lacks in size allows me to move faster, taking jobs on shorter notice, often with a higher price for a faster delivery.

  I climb into the front seat and power on the vehicle. It whirs to life, floating up about three feet from the ground. I glance at Bella, sitting happily on the seat next to me, and zoom off to the cargo dispatch.

  The hover-cart hums aggressively as I push down on the acceleration pedal. I’m driving faster than I normally would. If I don’t get there soon, all the good jobs will be gone, and that’s if there’s even anything left. The only thing in my favor is that it’s the day before Christmas, which means a higher volume of shipping than usual.

  Holidays on Kyrzon are interesting. Our ancestors crashed-landed on this planet hundreds of years ago, and now, generations later, most of what we know about our origin has been lost. What we do know has been pieced together from recovered data archives, primarily the “Earth Media Collection, Years 1500-2000.” In that collection are dozens of holiday movies, mostly Christmas movies, some of which are now considered human classics on Kyrzon. It is from these movies that we’ve developed our holiday traditions.

  We know that on Earth, major holidays would usually take place during the winter season. Our ancestors wanted to continue that tradition, and so when they adapted Earth’s calendar to Kyrzon’s 375 day-orbit, they made sure to put Christmas, the best-represented holiday in the Earth media archive, right in the middle of the coldest month of the year.

  I’ve always loved the holidays. Life on Kyrzon is a constant struggle for survival, the winter season cold and dark, and our observance of Earth’s rituals brings a much needed warmth and sense of community. In New Byzantium, the human settlement in which I live, we put up a big Christmas tree in the middle of the town square every year, which shines brilliantly at night. I remember it being a fixture of my childhood, and to this day it’s something that I look forward to.

  This morning, though, I pay it no heed as I zoom past it in my hover-cart. Next to me, Bella hunkers down in the passenger seat, looking content as she watches the settlement flash by. She loves riding in the hover-cart. To her, this is just another adventure.

  But I’m feeling stressed. We’ve been in the midst of a minor snowstorm recently, and so the opportunities to work have been more limited than they normally would be during the holiday season. I’d really like to take Christmas off tomorrow, and I won’t be able to afford to do that if I don’t bring home a good paycheck today.

  I pull into the dispatch lot, set my hover-cart to idle, and run over to the booth where the dispatcher sits.

  “You’re in luck,” the dispatcher says as I approach. “I’ve got one job left.”

  My heart sinks a little bit at his words. One job left? That doesn’t bode well. The pay is probably shitty.

  I raise my eyebrows. “Oh? What’s the job?”

  “It’s a run to New Sutter,” the dispatcher tells me. “Big load of wheat. For making Christmas cookies, probably,” he says with a laugh.

  I try to hide my disappointment. Great. So not only is this job not going to pay well, but it also means going all the way out to New Sutter. New Sutter is the capital of Human Territory on Kyrzon, the first settlement our species founded when we landed here, and running cargo there isn’t unusual for me. Making a run there wouldn’t be that big a deal if I were leaving earlier in the day. Unfortunately, I’m already leaving late, and this time of year, as the days get shorter, I know I won’t have time to make it to New Sutter and back before dark.

  And humans do not travel on Planet Kyrzon after dark. Not even within Human Territory. This planet is brutally treacherous to our species, filled with all sorts of monstrous creatures that like to eat us. And that’s not even to mention the warring tribes of native aliens.

  If I accept a job running cargo to New Sutter, I’ll almost certainly have to spend the night there. So now, I have to factor the cost of lodging into the payout I’m getting for the job.

  “What’s the purse?” I ask the dispatcher.

  “It was 500 power units this morning, but they raised it to 700 because no one was taking the job. I guess New Sutter really wants their cookies.”

  I bite my lip. 700 power units is a really nice paycheck. Almost as much as I would get for two ordinary jobs. That sweetens the deal. That sweetens the deal a lot.

  “I’ll take it,” I say with a sigh.

  Back in the hover-cart, Bella lets out an excited bark.

  I’m going to regret this, I think to myself, shaking my head.

  Chapter Two

  I stroke Bella’s ears as we watch two male workers use a hover-dolly to load the last crate of wheat onto the back of my cart.

  “Thanks, fellas,” I say, walking over to slam the tailgate shut, and then climbing back into the driver’s seat. Bella follows me with her eyes all the way until I get back into the cart, and then focuses her attention back on the workers, who line up to scratch her ears before we drive away. They both keep their eyes on her as we leave, grinning and waving.

  “See ya, Tessa!” one of them calls out behind us. “You and Bella have a safe trip!”

  “Such a little flirt,” I tease Bella as we turn a corner. “I hope you’re enjoying the attention, because I don’t think those guys even noticed me with you around.”

  My little dog grins at me, her tongue hanging out of her mouth. I chuckle, shaking my head. I’m mostly joking, but there’s an uncomfortable core of truth to my words. The
sad reality is, I’m not sure I’ve had a guy pay attention to me since my last relationship ended three years ago. Not that I’ve noticed, anyway. For a while, it was fine, but lately, I’ve really been craving some affection.

  I’m tired of spending the holidays alone.

  Sure, there’s mom and dad. I love them, and I’m sure we’ll have a perfectly pleasant Christmas together.

  But I want somebody special.

  Maybe it’s just that I work as a cargo runner, which tends to be a male-dominated field. But really, wouldn’t you expect that to increase my opportunities? A lot of days on the job, I’m the only woman around. Maybe the men I work with are looking at me as just one of the guys, rather than someone with romantic potential?

  Who knows what guys think. In any case, I’m lonely.

  At least I have Bella.

  I run my fingers through her fur, feeling affectionate as I drive my hover-cart through the streets of New Byzantium. I can’t exactly blame her for stealing all the attention. People are powerless to resist her charms. As far as I’m concerned, she’s the cutest thing on Planet Kyrzon.

  * * *

  As we drive to the outskirts of the city, an idea starts to form in my mind: there might be a way for me to deliver to New Sutter and then get back home to New Byzantium before dark after all.

  In fact, I know there’s a way.

  But the thing is, it’s dangerous. And it’s not something I’ve ever done before.

  Cargo runners more experienced than myself speak of a route between New Byzantium and New Sutter that shaves almost a third of the distance off of the run. They say that it’s a much faster route, and that it’s the best way to go when time is of the essence.

  The only problem is that the middle section of this route passes directly through Kyrzon Territory.

  And passing through Kyrzon Territory is, shall we say, not a very good idea.

  Especially for a young, fertile woman like myself.

  The Kyrzons are the brutish, hostile race of aliens that are native to this planet. They live in tribes, constantly battling with each other over resources, land, and women. The only thing that stops them from invading and conquering Human Territory is an agreement our ancestors made with the tribes hundreds of years ago, a pact between our two races that has successfully maintained the peace ever since humans first arrived on this planet.

  You see, the Kyrzon race is dying. Or at least, it would be, without a steady influx of human women. We don’t know whether it’s a genetic problem or something else, but the fact is that Kyrzon women are extremely rare. Those that do exist, I am told, are unable to reproduce.

  And so to the Kyrzons, human women are extremely valuable. So valuable that in order for my ancestors to guarantee the safety of their species on this planet, they were forced to pledge that one in every ten human women would be sold as a bride, destined to be mated to a Kyrzon warrior and bear his children.

  That custom continues to this day. At the age of 13, every human female on Kyrzon draws from a lottery, and 10% of them are designated as Kyrzon Brides, to be sold at auction when they reach the age of 20.

  I, of course, was lucky enough to avoid that fate. And as far as I can tell, the best way to keep avoiding it is to keep my ass in Human Territory. In Human Territory, the rules of the pact keep me safe.

  But as soon as I cross into Kyrzon Territory, I’m fair game for any alien I come across.

  The thought makes me shudder with dread. I had a friend growing up who was a Kyrzon Bride, and I still think about her sometimes. I wonder how she’s doing, what her life is like, how she’s faring with her enormous, muscular brute of a husband. It’s hard not to fear the worst, but I hope she’s happy.

  As much as I may miss her, I have no desire to share her fate.

  But at the same time, I do desire to make a bit of extra money this holiday season. And having to pay for lodging in New Sutter tonight is definitely going to eat into my profits from this job. Plus, I hate spending the night in New Sutter. I would much rather wake up in my own bed on Christmas morning.

  Taking the shortcut can’t be that dangerous. Lots of older cargo runners I know do it all the time. Granted, they might have all just gotten lucky, but really, what are the chances of that? If it was actually that much of a problem, wouldn’t I have heard horror stories? Everyone I know who has told me about the shortcut has come back safely, after all.

  Fuck it. I’m not going to be the only cargo runner in New Byzantium who is too scared to cut through Kyrzon Territory every once in a while.

  I turn to Bella. “Ready to take a risk, girl?”

  Bella beams at me happily. She gives my elbow a little lick.

  I grin at her. “Okay, let’s do this thing. Kyrzon Territory, here we come.”

  Chapter Three

  A little over an hour later, we reach the border of Kyrzon Territory. It’s drizzling lightly, the raindrops thick and cold. I’m just glad it isn’t snowing, as it’s been doing on-and-off for the last couple of days. Riding my hover-cart in the snow is no fun at all.

  I stop just before the border and gulp, apprehensive. I’ve never left Human Territory before. Not once. Growing up, it was repeatedly drilled into me that humans who enter Kyrzon Territory don’t return.

  “Are we sure we want to do this, Bella?” I ask the little dog sitting next to me.

  She grins and wags her tail.

  “Okay then,” I say under my breath, and drive the hover-cart over the border.

  For the first time in my life, I have officially entered the land of the aliens.

  I drive carefully, unfamiliar with the landscape. I know where I need to go, having had the route explained to me many times by other cargo runners, but I’m still nervous. Most of the routes I usually drive are so familiar to me that I barely need to pay attention to where I’m going. This is different. I’m not just keeping my eyes peeled for landmarks, but for any of the terrifying creatures that inhabit this planet. Even in Human Territory, I need to be on my guard, but at least the road is familiar. Out in the Kyrzon wilderness, I have no idea what I might encounter.

  And that’s not even to mention the risk of coming across an alien warrior, or more likely, a group of them. Inside Human Territory, I’m protected by the pact between our two peoples, which no Kyrzon would dare to violate. Outside those boundaries, I have nothing to protect me. If I were to be discovered by a traveling clan, there would be nothing whatsoever to stop them from kidnapping me and claiming me as their own.

  So even though I’m driving carefully, I also make sure not to drive too slowly. I’m safe if I keep moving. Slowing down is dangerous. Stopping is potentially fatal.

  The less time I spend in Kyrzon Territory, the better.

  I push down a little harder on the acceleration as I hear a raptor call in the distance, a horrible, howling wail. Where there’s one raptor, there’s likely to be more. Although I know from experience that if I need to, I can outrun them in my hover-cart, I have exactly zero interest in taking that chance. One other time, I was chased by raptors during a cargo run, and to this day I remember it as one of the scariest experiences I’ve ever had.

  Bella starts to howl in response to the raptor call, and a moment later, more wails ring out in the distance. They’re coming from all around us. Shit, that’s scary. I quiet Bella down, stroking her fur nervously as I continue to drive.

  “No raptors for us today, please,” I whisper, scanning the woods around our cart.

  The raptor calls die down, and soon, it begins to snow. Lightly at first, and then harder, big flakes wafting lazily down from the sky in every direction. I sigh in frustration. My hover-cart doesn’t even have a roof, much less a windshield to keep the snow out of my eyes. Every time I have to do a run in the snow, I remember how much I hate it. I’m probably going to end up spending the night in New Sutter no matter what the time is if the weather keeps being like this.

  Perfect. Just perfect. So basically, I took a sketch
y, dangerous shortcut into Kyrzon Territory for no reason.

  “Okay, Bella, let’s get back into Human Territory as soon as we can,” I say, driving faster. The snowflakes are starting to stick to the ground now, forming a layer of wet, icy mud on the already marshy landscape. My cart whirs as it glides over it, the hover-engine only barely disturbing the slush below. Big flakes of snow begin to land on my face and in my hair. If I wasn’t in the middle of a cargo run, I would actually consider today to be the perfect time for weather like this. There’s something classic about getting snow on Christmas. Like in the Earth movies.

  I yell in surprise as all of a sudden, my hover-cart loses power. The vehicle immediately falls out of the air, crashing down to the ground with a wet crunch. I cling to the steering wheel through the impact, my seatbelt holding me in place, and then check on my dog as soon as the cart stops moving. Thankfully, Bella is unhurt.

  “What the hell just happened?” I ask in exasperation, petting Bella’s ears to calm her down. “We can’t have run out of power. I just charged the cart up yesterday.”

  Bella smiles at me and wags her tail, snowflakes starting to stick in her fur. I lean over the side of the hover-cart and see that the bottom of the vehicle is wedged deep in the muddy ground.

  Fuck. There’s no way I’m going to be able to get out of the mud by myself. Not if I can’t get the power back on. I start pressing buttons on the dashboard, desperate for my cart to come back to life.

  It doesn’t. I bury my head in my hands in frustration. What the hell am I supposed to do now? I’m stuck in the middle of Kyrzon Territory while a storm grows around me, with no way to recover my vehicle or salvage the cargo I’m hauling. Even if I were to just take Bella right now and start walking in the direction of Human Territory, there’s no way I would make it back to any settlement before dark.