Worlds Away

by J. L. Hendricks

  “Sheila, would you really consider becoming a mate instead of trying to get back home?” My jaw dropped, as I stared at her with wide eyes, and shook my hands while wishing they were around her neck.

  “Oh yeah, have you seen them? They are hot. Besides, I have a feeling there are a lot more of them than we think. If they have been doing this for a while, they’ll know how to handle us.” She licked her lips as she checked out the three different warriors who stood guard inside our jail house.

  I looked her up and down and considered her statement, “Hmm, you might be right.” I slumped back down on the ground and ran both my hands through my hair and sighed. “How are we going to get home if we can’t overpower them?” I looked up to her, almost resigned to being a slave for the foreseeable future. There was no way I would live out the rest of my life this way.

  “Patience Paris, we play their game and hopefully things won’t be so bad on their planet. Maybe we can even get a ride back to Earth someday soon.” She looked back at our jailers and smiled at one of them. “I don’t know how long this trip is. Do you?” She looked back down at me with furrowed brows.

  “All I know is what Venay told me, and he said that we could become slaves or mates. It was a long trip to his planet and most of the women here would become mates before we made it to their home.” I sighed and looked up at the ceiling, which was weird. It had diamond shapes carved into the material they had used to create the ceiling. It looked like metal of some sort, but I couldn’t be sure since it was very shiny and glittered. It almost looked like the ceiling was made from diamonds the way it shone. I moved my head around and the light from the fixtures on the walls seemed to dance around the peaks of the imitation gems.

  “On a first name basis with the Commander, huh? Are you sure you don’t want to mate with him?” Sheila laughed at me, but Natalie gave us both a tear-filled, evil eye.

  I narrowed one eye and pursed my lips, “Not a chance! I want to go home. Life wasn’t the best, but I had a pretty good setup on the beach, and I miss my dog. I have no idea who will feed her now that I’m gone.” I hung my head as I thought about Lola.

  “Hey, I’m sure your family or friends will take care of Lola for you until you get home.” Natalie tried smiling but she was still wiping tears away from her face.

  “Nope, they won’t.” I didn’t want to go into details, but just thinking about what I had lost made my heart ache. Even though it was a phantom pain, I still rubbed the area over my heart.

  I needed to change the subject before anyone got too nosey. “So what are we going to do? Fall in line and mate with our abductors? Allow them to sell us into slavery? Or find a way to get home?” I whispered the last part, hoping the aliens couldn’t hear me. But it seemed as though they did. What, were they descended from Superman or something?

  Another warrior came over, “Hey, I know this has to suck for you, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. The journey will take almost five Earth months.” He walked away laughing and then looked into another cell, “One of you just might fancy me before we get home.” He raised his eyebrows up repeatedly as he checked out one of the other women in another cell. She stood up and walked to the bars closest to him and looked him up and down.

  All of the women in the room, and even the human men, were deathly quiet as she whispered to the alien warrior. I couldn’t hear anything, but I saw her smile at him. He walked closer to her and opened the door. She walked out and right into his arms. He kissed her right there in front of us all, and she kissed him back, quite eagerly too. The room went from total silence to hisses and cat calls.

  The guy put her back in her cell, and she yelled, “What the heck! I thought we had the option to mate with you guys?” He locked the cell and smiled at her.

  “I am still on duty. I can’t take you back to my quarters until I am relieved.” He looked her up and down. “What is your name?” He still smiled at her and reached for her hand through the cell.

  As she let him take her hand, she said, “Lisa… what’s yours?”

  He kissed her hand, “Nice to meet you Lisa. I am called Rotna. After tonight, you will spend the rest of the trip in my quarters. They are much nicer than these cells.” He looked around to the other women and said, “If any of you are as smart as my new mate, Lisa, you will allow the warriors to claim you. Your living conditions will be vastly improved as well as your meals. And once we are home, you will have the chance to earn the ability to roam around our world freely, as our mates. No one will harm you once you are mated. It is against our laws to touch another warrior’s mate. You will live a good life with us. It is time to forget about your old life and look forward to the new and exciting life of a warrior’s mate.” He winked at Lisa and walked back to his post.

  “But, if you choose to be a slave, be prepared to live a very hard life. One where you will work the equivalent of twelve to fourteen Earth hours a day and six days a week. Our time is measured a bit differently than yours on Earth. Our human slaves have told us that a V’Zenian day is about 1.5 hours longer than an Earth day. But we do have 7 day weeks. You will have one day off per week, if your master allows it. Slaves never have enough food or decent clothing. Your life will be difficult, and you may never be allowed to mate with a human male.” He looked over to the males in the cages on the other side of the room and shook his head. He mumbled something, but I couldn’t hear it.

  “Sheila, did you hear what he said to the guys?” I really wanted to know, it could be important.

  “Nah, I didn’t hear him. But he does seem somewhat nice. I think we should pay close attention to Lisa and what happens to her. If she is treated well, I think I’m going to try and nab me a nice big alien hunk of meat!” She giggled as she eyed the other warrior who hadn’t spoken to us since I entered the room. She started flipping her ponytail and smacking her lips. She was pulling out all of the stops to get his attention. But he wasn’t buying it.

  Later that night, I was given an extra portion of what they considered protein for my evening meal. I looked down at the plate in my lap. I guess Venay was making good on his word, he told me I would be taken well care of, and then told the guard to make sure I got a good evening meal. Not sure if this stuff is good, but at least I have a larger portion.

  I sighed and used my fork to pick at what looked like a chalky jello mold, and it tasted pretty much like it looked. This was going to be difficult. But at least it was nutritious, or at least that is what they told us. If I could just get some muscle on I might be able to find a way to get back home. The only way to get home would be to fight, so I was going to have to get back in shape again. I realized that Sheila could help me too, she looked to be the kind who worked out a lot.

  As much as I didn’t want to, I started to think I might need to consider using Venay as a way to get back to Earth. If he was the one who always captained the ships that went to Earth and abducted women, maybe I could go with him as his mate on the next voyage. The idea that I would give myself to him as his mate just to get home wasn’t pleasant, but maybe I could stall the whole mating stuff until later. That might give me enough time to get back home, untouched. I was a virgin and had no plans to give that away to anyone except for my future husband. I had saved myself this long; what was another couple of years?

  My high school boyfriend wasn’t too happy with waiting. If my senior year had ended differently, then I might have given it to him. As it was, well… best not to dwell on what happened and what might have happened. Life turned out very differently for me than I ever thought it could.

  Chapter 4

  The next morning, or what we thought was morning, came too soon. The warriors turned down the lights and told us to go to sleep a couple of hours after we finished what passed as a meal, but if the noise level was anything to go off of, not many slept. I heard plenty of people crying and talking. Some were just whispering about the people back home they missed, others were trying to come up with a plan to escape. None of
us could come up with anything good. These aliens were all taller and stronger than any of us. I finally realized why they picked us; none of us had combat experience. Sure, some had taken some self-defense classes, like me, but none of us had the kind of knowledge or experience we were going to need.

  Sheila was doing some sort of exercise or stretching regimen that fit inside this tiny cell that caught my attention. “Hey Sheila, can you show me what you’re doing? I think I’m going to need to get in better shape and fast.”

  She looked me up and down, taking in my size and body type. She scratched the back of her head while seeming to examine me. “Yeah, I think I can work with you. Don’t know if you knew this, but I’m a personal trainer back home. I think I could help get you into shape if what they said was true. But it will take the entire five months of travel to do it, and you will have to do everything I tell you to do. No wimping out either.” She started to play with her ponytail. Her hair was long, past the middle of her back, and red. Not the kind from a bottle either. It was a natural red with some lighter highlights. Her body looked like that of a bodybuilder; she had huge muscles all over. But it all made her look a bit like a man instead of a woman. I took a closer look at her and realized that she would have been really pretty if she was just a bit softer. But I guessed that some men probably liked their women tough. These warriors would probably like her, a lot.

  “Whatever you say, I will do. I’m serious about getting back into shape. A few years ago I was very healthy and would have been considered fit. But living on the streets will change your body.” I momentarily thought back to the way I looked when I was in high school and sighed. I was tall, about five feet eight inches. Well, tall for a human girl. I had longer auburn hair that had a very silky sheen to it. My hairdresser used to tell me all the time how lucky I was to have such beautiful hair. Living on the streets tends to ruin most everything. Now my hair was dull and frizzy from not taking care of it. What I wouldn’t give for a bottle of my old shampoo and conditioner again.

  “The streets huh? I guess that’s why you keep talking about fighting back. Did you have to fight back a lot? I mean, did umm…” Sheila was getting antsy, she kept bouncing back and forth between her feet and wouldn’t look at me. She even rubbed the back of her neck as her face twisted with worry. I knew what she was thinking.

  “I was fine. There were a few times where it got a bit dicey, but I was always able to fight my way out of it. Thankfully I had taken self-defense classes in PE the entire time I was in high school. I have some pretty mad skills, but I need more muscle. Just adding weight in general will help me to be able to take on one of these guys.” I nodded to the warriors on the other side of the room. They tended to keep to the male side of the room more than our side. That was strange considering they wanted to pick mates out of the women they abducted. “Why do you think they mostly stay on the other side with the guys?”

  Betsy spoke up, “They probably have been warned to keep away from us for now. Look at what happened with Lisa last night. She’s already been claimed, and she had only met the 3 aliens. My guess is that they are supposed to wait until all of them have had a chance to meet us then they can pick who they want and fight over us.” She had this dreamy look in her eyes, like she was in some faraway place.

  “Isn’t it romantic to have an alien warrior fight over us? I wonder how many of them are on this ship? How big is this ship?” She let out a little giggle then covered her mouth so that no one could hear her.

  Natalie looked at Betsy and squinted her eyes and shook her head. “What happened to you Betsy? Last night you were crying and trying to be as small as possible, and today you seem eager to mate with them. What’s up with that?”

  “Hey, I just happened to realize the situation. We are never getting home... I don’t want to be a slave. Instead, I would rather have a warrior fighting for my love who will take good care of me.” Betsy looked over to the three new guards we had today. None of them were looking our way. They had all picked out women in other cages to admire.

  Lisa walked in at that moment with a tray full of what appeared to be our breakfast. It looked like we were going to get chalky jello mold again. I really hoped that wasn’t on the menu for all of our meals this entire voyage.

  She handed small trays of food to the girls in each cell as she made her way over to us. “Hey Lisa, how was it? Did he treat you nicely?” Natalie asked.

  “Are you happy with your choice? And what’s the rest of this ship like?” I asked as I reached out to take my plate, which again had a larger portion of protein on it.

  “Rotna’s a very nice man, or alien, whatever. Anyway, he kept his distance and let me get a good night sleep. This morning I was able to take a hot shower and eat food that is actually edible.” She looked down at what she was handing us and made a face, like she was disgusted with what she gave us. “They have these machines that make food, kinda like in those sci-fi movies. And you can program different foods too. They even have Earth foods! I had bacon, eggs, hash browns, and coffee for breakfast. You all really should choose a mate as fast as you can.” She moved to the next cell, the one she had been taken from, and spoke with her old cell mates.

  I walked over to the other side of my cell, the side closest to her, “Lisa, how many aliens are on this ship? Did you get a good look?” I was holding onto two of the bars with my forehead leaning against the cold metal cell.

  “I didn’t see much, Rotna took me straight to his quarters where I fell asleep pretty quickly. This morning, he took me to their version of a mess hall where I got to eat anything I wanted. Then we went to another room where they were preparing your meals. Sorry this is all you get. I might be able to get them to let you guys eat something a bit better, in time.” She shrugged her shoulders and turned back to her friends who also asked her how many aliens were on the ship.

  “I didn’t count, but I think there are more of them than there are of us. Trying to fight them won’t work. The sooner you realize the situation you are in the better off you will be. Also, not all of the aliens are handsome. Some look more alien than others.” She looked around at the women in the cells nearest her, and then her eyes roamed over toward the alien jailors who were watching her like a hawk.

  “I better hurry up. I don’t want Rotna to think I’m not doing my part. But trust me when I say that so far you have seen the best looking male specimens on this ship. Don’t take too long to grab one. Or you might be stuck with a real alien instead of a hybrid.” She turned and walked to the other side of the room where the men were kept.

  “What did she mean by hybrid?” I looked over to Natalie, and then back at Sheila, as my eyes widened. “Lisa, come back over here!” I yelled out to her. What she said about the aliens was sinking in, and my mind was going to strange places.

  One of the warriors looked at me and said, “Be quiet and eat your breakfast.”

  I sat back down and ate what was on my plate, looking forward to the time when I would get to use the facilities. They took us in batches to use the restroom and clean up. Another group of aliens came in that we hadn’t seen, and it appeared that Betsy might be right. They seemed to be taking turns monitoring us while checking us out.

  Natalie looked up from her breakfast, “Sheila, do you see anyone here that tickles your fancy?” she looked at Sheila and smiled while raising her eyebrows up several times.

  “Oh yes, there was one guy last night, and then two today. The one that really has me hot is the Commander. He’s one sexy specimen! If Paris isn’t going to take him, then I’m going to try claiming him as mine. Something tells me that he would take really good care of me.” She started laughing and sat back down on the floor while checking out the remaining aliens in our jail.

  “I can’t believe you guys! How can you be thinking of hot aliens and how well they’ll take care you? Why aren’t we planning our escape instead?” I threw my hands up in frustration at them all.

  Sheila scooted over and wh
ispered in my ear, “They can hear us talking, so be careful what you say. But don’t worry, we are going to get out of here.” She winked at me, and I gave her a half smile.

  That got me thinking, maybe I should play up the Commander angle. If he were to give me another chance, then I could use that to get more information and maybe find a way out of here, for all of us.

  A few hours later the guards changed, and Venay came in with them.

  He walked around and looked at everyone, including the men. Then he made his way to my cell last. “Paris, have you enjoyed the food and accommodations?” He gave me a small smile and put his hands behind his back.

  “Honestly? I have not. Even though it is warmer and seems relatively safer than where I was, I think I still wish to go home.” I stood up and walked over to where he stood and took in his appearance. He really was a good looking specimen of an alien. Could I do this? Could I really agree to mate with him in hopes of getting my freedom? But that would mean I would be agreeing to marry him. I always thought that I would be in love with the man I married and it would last forever, not just long enough for me to trick him and run away. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

  “However, I am starting to realize that my life is no longer mine. Can I still take you up on your offer? I don’t think I’m made for slavery.” I reached out of the bars and touched his arm, then looked up at him through my eyelashes, “I know that I’m not going home now. Maybe I can make a life with you instead?” Then I slowly and lightly ran my hand down his arm while biting my lower lip.

  He stood still and eyed me as he thought about it. His eyes moved up and down my body, or at least what there was of it. I knew I looked like I could use many hot meals, maybe this would get them for me. “Alright, I will give you a chance. But I don’t want to hear any more about going home, and you are not to try and break free.” He pointed a finger at me as he spoke.