by Poppy Rhys
“Whatever do you mean, commander?” Light and airy, light and airy, don’t let your voice wobble.
“Return all of my property to me and I’ll consider sparing your life.” Ta’Ra’Enn’s snort said all Lucia needed to know. They had plans for her and sparing her life was definitely not one of them. The conceit lacing Ta’Ra’Enn’s voice made Lucia want to chop his ugly snout from his face.
“Commander,” Lucia began in a diplomatic tone. “There’s nothing more I would love to do than give you back your property. Slave 892 has caused me nothing but trouble. Please hold while I set connection to your ship.” Cutting the comms, Lucia threw a glance at Soren who still held the blank expression from moments ago. His eyes were glued to the floor and Lu’s heart did a summersault that he really believed she intended to give him back. She wouldn’t, couldn’t. He was a giant pain in her ass, but he was now hers. Lucia didn’t have time to debate about the why.
“Soren, strap in,” she pointed at one of the chairs and sat down in the command perch. “Hurry!” He did as he was told; probably still thinking she planned to give him up.
“Wade, NOW!” she yelled.
The ship whirred into action, shields going up and engines propelling them forward. The element of surprise would give them just a tiny head start, but it was better than nothing. Lucia knew what kind of technology the Treps had. Their ability to fail warp, and their weaponry that ate through shields like no one’s business, was something to be feared.
“Four minutes until landing, captain.”
The ship shook and the lights flickered as the first of the Treps weaponry hit the shields. A large blue blinking number lit up the screen in front of her, displaying the remaining health of the shields.
Eighty percent.
Another quake.
Sixty percent.
Two more hits and the Treps would give her the choice of surrender or annihilation. They were very predictable, and at that moment, Lucia was thankful for what to expect.
Another hit.
Forty percent.
“Entering Sanru rotation space, captain. We are being hailed by control tower.”
“Control tower here, please state your intentions.” The whiney, mewling language of Za filtered through and if Lucia wasn’t so bent on outrunning the Treps, she would groan with loathing.
“I seek asylum!” she shouted over the next quake of the ship. The lights took longer to stop flickering that time. Twenty percent. “I’m being pursued by a hostile Trepnil ship and I need to land planet side.”
“Is your craft carrying any hostile, invasive or endangered species or plant life?”
“No,” Lucia responded truthfully, as nothing in the ships manifest her and Soren had gone over previously fit that description. “This is a merchant ship, carrying mostly produce and raw materials.”
“We are scanning your ship now and have requested your pursuers cease combat, or be held in violation of peace treaty 90046.”
Agonizing seconds ticked by as they loomed closer to the planet’s surface.
“You are free to land.”
“Thank you!” Lucia gushed as comms disconnected. A shaky breath deflated her lungs. “Wade, how far are we from control tower?”
“Control tower is on the opposite side of the planet, captain.”
Lucia rolled her eyes. Of course. “I don’t think it’s wise we circle the planet, Wade. I want to get grounded immediately. The longer we’re out here, the bigger the chance the Treps fire on us despite the treaty! Find a place to land.” Lu wouldn’t test the patience of the Treps. They’d shoot first and deal with the coalition later. It was a miracle they hadn’t done so yet.
“Yes, captain.”
Lucia’s eyes darted toward Soren again. He was still strapped to the chair off to her left that was designated for cargo controls. Still a mask of nothingness as he stared ahead, and it had her scowling. He’d been a very curious, contented presence last night while assessing the cargo, so this lack of anything was very off-putting.
The craft breached the atmosphere and the green clouds misted over the ships view. Lucia had never been to Sanru, so she really had no idea of what to expect. Her fingers rubbed over her lips nervously when the clouds dispersed and they continued descent. The closer to the ground they got, the more she noticed they were landing near a small, rural town. She couldn’t make out very much tech, as normally there’d at least be transports traveling the roads or buildings of business and leisure.
“Sanru natives don’t eat humans, do they Wade?”
“No captain,” he responded and Lu was almost positive there was a lilt of amusement in Wade’s synthesized voice. “Sanru is dominated by the Sanruki, a bipedal sentient race that prizes scholarly and agricultural pursuits. Their diet is largely herbivorous. We are landing in the town of Yu’Lem, known for their prized seetkut plant. It is their time of harvest, as the plant is almost ripe.”
The craft softly landed and Lucia extracted herself from the chair to inch closer to the shields view. “Wade,” she swiveled her head to and fro, taking in the landscape. “You landed us in a field; a purple field, at that.”
“Yes captain. Yu’Lem does not have a port of any kind, as it is a remote town. Transportation consists of dek beasts and wagons.”
“Oh god,” she groaned. “We’ve landed in Hickville is what you’re telling me, Wade.”
“I detect your sarcasm, captain.” Lucia’s lips twitched. A computer could understand sarcasm, but Soren couldn’t. She had much to teach him.
“Are there any nearby predators to worry about, or is it safe to exit the ship?”
“I do not detect any predators within range, captain. This region is home to three predatory species; lome, re’uke and wasnee.” None of those sounded familiar to Lucia.
“Thanks Wade.” She suddenly remembered she still didn’t have on any pants. Turning toward Soren, who was statuesque in his chair, she snapped her fingers in front of his face to get his attention. He blinked, eyes sweeping to her. “Are you alright? I wasn’t going to give you back to Ta’Ra’Enn, Soren. I just had to make him think that so we could get away.”
Soren’s eyes lit up in surprise, which kind of flipped Lu’s stomach in pity at the poor creature. He really did think I was going to give him back! “Why, Loo-Sha?”
“Because,” she said lamely, waving her hand around in the air. “Because I’m not heartless. Ta’Ra’Enn is a plight on the universe, so I certainly wouldn’t willingly send you back. Or anyone, for that matter.” When Soren’s eyes softened, Lucia reached out to rub his jaw. His pupils had a seizure before the lids drooped and a deep rumbling rang out around them, like marbles rolling around in a wooden ball. “Is that- are you… purring?”
Lucia pulled back her hand and the noise stopped. Soren looked up. She scratched under his chin the next time. The noise loudly permeated the room, and Lu fell into a fit of laughter. “This is ridiculous,” she gasped, her other hand reaching up and scratching at his neck. The scales were very glossy and smooth to the touch. She rubbed and scratched, Soren’s purring getting so loud she thought he’d choke on it. “You are a very strange creature…” Soren grunted, purred and grunted again when Lucia withdrew her hands. She shook her head in amusement.
“Natives approaching the ship, captain,” Wade interrupted.
Lucia’s eyes bugged, remembering again she had on no pants. She booked it to the cabin to snatch them up, nearly tripping over her own two feet as she rushed to pull them up and over her bum. They were filthy too and she inwardly sobbed that the Treps intrusion snatched her of a shower earlier. Dried sweat made her scalp itch and all she wanted to do was stand under hot water.
****
Soren felt strange things. His reactions were unnatural.
I am a slave, he agonized in his mind. I must not feel.
When Lucia did not send him back to Commander Ta’Ra’Enn, he felt surprise. He felt elation that they would not eat her. He felt.
This was not good. If Lucia found out he was feeling and thinking, she would think he was a bad slave. Soren didn’t want to disappoint her.
But she had touched him. She had smiled and laughed and touched him again.
Why does she do this?
Most importantly, why did Soren like it and crave for her to touch him again?
****
“Soren,” Lucia waved him over to the door once she was back in the galley. He stood at her back as she swiped the panel to the main door. It slid open in a whoosh and the ramp extended. Three individuals stood back patiently at a polite distance while she and Soren slowly descended. She hoped her implanted translator knew the language of the land. The control tower attendant spoke Za, but it was one of the trade languages; every control tower operated under a trade language.
Or that they understand you. Who knows if this country bunch even has translators?
True.
“Hello,” Lucia waved and smiled. “I hope it’s alright we landed here. We seek temporary refuge.” The ship’s ramp receded once they were on the ground. Its door closed and the individual in the middle stepped forward and smiled in return. Lucia was very happy to see non-threatening, mostly flat teeth. She assumed it was a woman, as she was wearing something similar to a dress. Swaths of comfortable looking cloth hung against her androgynous frame, the cream color a bright contrast against her rusty orange skin. A wild platinum mane hung down her shoulders and the texture almost appeared fuzzy. Her eyes were slanted almonds and the irises a florescent green.
What a strange combination.
“Welcome to Yu’Lem,” she nearly sang, voice very soft but full of energy and warmth. “This field will do fine for your craft. You have come just in time for the harvest and we could use any help you are willing to give. Come, come,” she waved as she and the two males at her side turned to go back from whence they came. Lucia tossed a glance at Soren over her shoulder, who looked wary, but she shrugged and began to follow the trio.
Wade said these people don’t eat humans.
Trying to comfort yourself, I see.
“I am Re’Len, a healer.” She gave a nod, encouraging Lucia to respond in kind.
“I’m Lucia and this is Soren,” she hitched a thumb over her shoulder. “We’re… antiquity merchants.” Okay, so that’s a smidge elegant for what I really do, but it’ll work. Thankfully Soren didn’t say a word, even when Re’Len smiled at him. “I thank you for allowing my ship to stay here, and we will help you however we can.”
“The harvest is a joyous time,” one of the males piped up and tilted his head in greeting as they continued to trek the field. A warm breeze wafted through the terrain and set the knee high, waxy purple blades to sway. “Our day has just begun. The town will gather in the forest to harvest the seetkut plant and enjoy each other’s company. Tonight, a festival will be held and many friends and family members will come from surrounding areas to celebrate another good year.”
“You must join us,” Re’Len nodded. “Much food and dancing to be had at the seetkut festival.”
The expectant and eager look on Re’Len’s face had Lucia nodding, unable to say no to the woman. She really couldn’t have asked for a more hospitable welcome and she’d feel bad if she chose now to be antisocial. “We’d be happy to, thank you.”
Lucia looked up at Soren over her shoulder. His eyes were wide and lit with fascination as he surveyed his surroundings, unable to even keep up with the conversation without getting distracted.
Big baboon.
Chapter 4
Lucia, Soren and their group walked a red clay path through the melodious forest and Soren’s intense fascination with everything around them was contagious. Lucia found herself just as enraptured with the sounds alone. Colorful birds of gold, aqua and shimmery silver sang chipper songs that mimicked the loveliest soprano. Their long, wispy feathers danced as they perched on branches or took flight. Animals howled out to each other and fuzzy white long limbed mammals scurried through the trees or hung from branches, watching them pass.
Sanru’s beautiful.
The path opened up into a canopied clearing, filled with Sanruki people of all ages. Younglings zoomed through the shorter purple grass with ribbons trailing behind them as their high pitched squeals of delight pealed through the air. The large, blue barked trees soared to the sky above, shading everything below it from the green clouds and most of the dark orange sun, though a number of rays snuck through to speckle the clearing. The trunks were immense. Ten men of Soren’s arm length in circumference, at least. Every trunk was covered in reaching, winding electric blue vines that sighed each time its fruit was plucked. It was almost unnerving to hear it and Lucia wasn’t sure that’s what was really making the sound until Re’Len confirmed.
“The seetkut vines tremor, that is what you hear,” Re’Len nodded. She picked up a basket for herself and swept a hand toward the stacked pile for Lucia and Soren to do the same.
“How peculiar,” Lucia mused and accepted one of the woven baskets Soren had picked for them. Setting it down momentarily, she pulled the band from her wrist and bent forward, allowing her springy curls to tumble. She gathered them with both hands, smoothing them into a bundle as best she could and wrapped the band around a few times into a ponytail. Much better, she thought as a breeze tickled the back of her neck upon rising.
“Please, start anywhere,” Re’Len ushered with her hands as she began to walk toward a tree on the far side of the clearing.
Gathering the basket, Lu headed to the far right of the clearing and tentatively reached out for one of the green globes that were slightly glowing. When she plucked it, the sigh sung out and the glow in the fruit died. Soren mimicked her action, picking a fruit higher up on a thicker vine. Its sigh was a little deeper and the strangeness made Lu’s lips pull up in a half smile. She could hear it then, as her eyes circled around. There was a slight shift in the tone of the sighs, depending on the size of the vine.
Soren turned into a picking machine, eager to hear the musical sighs of the fruit as he plucked it and Lu couldn’t help but laugh. His speed and enchantment caught the eyes of a few younglings who’d stopped twirling in their long ribbons. They inched closer and closer, Soren completely unaware, to watch the big, blue, four armed alien. Lu slowly plucked more seetkut, splitting her attention between picking and watching Soren.
****
Soren enjoyed the sounds of the seetkut. He couldn’t remember hearing such beautiful sounds before. There were never beautiful sounds with the Trepnils. Even their music was painful to his ears.
Soren liked Lucia’s laugh but couldn’t understand why she laughed at him. He was picking quickly so she wouldn’t have to do more work. He was being a good slave. He wanted to tell her to stop picking seetkut altogether, but it was not his place.
He picked faster.
****
Sometime later, Soren circled their tree, looking for any missed fruits within reaching range. He’d filled eight baskets to her two, with his speedy skills. His golden eyes fell upon the fruit just out of his reach, even with his ridiculous height.
“Lift me up onto your shoulders,” Lucia said, raising her arms. Soren wrapped a set of hands on her waist and lifted her smoothly, like nothing. She gripped his wrists as her legs draped over the front of his chest and curled to him. She quickly kicked off her boots so she wouldn’t get red dirt on his suit and her fingers slid over his bald head, the textured skin feeling oddly relaxing. It wasn’t smooth or shiny, but matte, warm and dry. Lu kept one hand on his head and the other started picking. Soren’s first set of arms held onto her thighs while the second set held onto the empty basket. Each fruit she picked, she passed down to him and he deposited.
Soon the younglings joined in, singing, giggling and bringing Soren more baskets as they filled them up and rotated around the tree. One was very fascinated in his tail, which spooked him at first, causing him to nearly topple over with her still on his shoulders. She�
�d yelped and clung for dear life whilst her fingers covered his eyes. He swayed this way and that in an attempt to regain his balance while temporarily blind, loaded down with fruit and a jittery human. It had been quite the show apparently, because once Soren regained his equilibrium, the younglings yowled with laughter, falling all over themselves and causing some of the adults to chuckle too.
Lu’s heart settled once more and she rubbed Soren’s jaw, eliciting a purr before she went back to picking. The next time the youngling touched his tail; he remained calm and started teasing them instead. He’d raise his tail, whip it back and forth and tickle their faces. By the end of the day, the group of small ones gravitated toward Soren and the poor guy just didn’t know what to do.
****
She did it again. She let him touch her.
She feels nice. She smells good.
Soren liked touching her.
Why?
His inner battle was conflicting. One moment he reminded himself not to feel anything, the next moment he was taking deep breaths as her scent surrounded him while she was so close. Her pheromones were an assault on his senses. It was hard to concentrate on not feeling when that’s all he could seem to do.
Feel conflicted.
Feel good.
Feel agony.
Feel.
Think.
The small ones that surrounded them made him feel things too. He liked their cheerful wonder and wide, curious eyes. He had never seen a youngling; none that he could remember. They made him feel playful.
I am too big. I do not want to hurt them.
Soren stood as still as he could around them and moved slowly, deliberately when he needed to. They liked his tail. It had never been touched before. He found that he took pleasure in teasing them with his tail, even if their cries of laughter made his ears hurt.
****
As the sun sunk lower in the sky, the quiet hum of a happy people was shredded when a bloodcurdling scream rung out around the clearing, followed closely by screams of a different, beastly kind.
