Her Alien Commander

by Mira Maxwell

  I take a few deep breaths and try to get control of myself. Of my runaway emotions and my churning thoughts. When I’m finally collected, I slowly open my eyes and look outside.

  And I see the most wonderful and awful thing.

  “Cardyk, there’s someone out there.” My voice is barely above a whisper. He doesn’t respond. He probably thinks I’ve lost my mind. I wouldn’t blame him. But then he’s at my side, pretending to nuzzle my ear as he steals a surreptitious look outside.

  “Do you see him?”

  “I do. Among the trees.”

  “Yes. It looks like he’s wearing camouflage of some sort. He blends in with the snow remarkably well. I happened to open my eyes right when he moved, otherwise I don’t think I would have noticed.”

  “I’m glad you did,” he says and there isn’t a hint of sarcasm in his voice. I cringe inwardly. He just proclaimed his love and I’ve just accused him of theft. Wrongly accused him.

  “You stay inside. I’m going after him.”

  “That doesn’t seem safe,” I say.

  “That’s why you’re staying in here.” He gives me a sad smile and then he’s gone.

  I don’t know what I should do. I want to stand at the window and watch, but I’m afraid I’ll blow the whole operation. I should sit at the table, do as I’m told, and wait for Cardyk to return. But I have to watch and make sure he’s safe. I settle for a compromise: I stand near the window so I can see any movement through my peripheral vision. And I wait.

  It doesn’t take long.

  I see a flash of movement and churning of snow. And the chase is on. I can’t tell who’s who through the spray of snow. The suspense is almost more than I can take. I place my hands against the cold glass and lean closer until my nose is almost brushing up against the glass. I squint, struggling to catch a glimpse of him. I'm desperate to know what's going on.

  I expect to see a fight but it's more of a chase. The other person flees deep into the woods and I watch as Cardyk follows. I stand there for several minutes willing them to reappear but they don't. I sink into the sofa and rest my head in my hands.

  I've made such a mess of everything. I should've known it wasn't Cardyk, he wouldn't steal from me, not when he knew everything that was at stake for us and when he spent so much time helping me. I knew in my heart it wasn't him but my mind raced ahead, just like it always does.

  I hear a noise outside and I rise to my feet and move closer to the door. My heart is racing. I peek at the monitor and see Cardyk approaching. I fumble to open the door quickly and wave him inside.

  “He got away.” His voice is thick with disappointment.

  “Who was it?” I ask. “Did you at least get a good look at him? Is it one of the other warriors? Or someone else entirely?”

  “Mina, give me a moment to collect my thoughts,” he says. I hurry to the kitchen and get him a glass of water which he drinks in one gulp.

  “It was not a warrior,” he says. “I didn’t get much of a look.”

  “Who do you think it was? How are we going to find him?”

  “I don't know how to find him.” I know he hates admitting it out loud. “He disappeared right before my eyes. His camouflage was amazing and his mastery of the terrain in this environment put mine to shame.”

  I rest my hand on his arm. “Can you trace his tracks? There's a lot of snow out there. We have to be able to follow where he went.”

  He shakes his head. “I tried,” he says. “You don't know how much I want to capture him. Probably more than you do. The men would've seen me as a leader again if I would've been able to capture a stranger who has stolen from us.”

  “How do we know who we’re even fighting against?” I ask. “Was it some creature you’ve seen before?”

  “I…” His voice trails off. He seems hesitant to speak.

  “Just tell me,” I say. “I trust you and I’d believe anything you’d tell me.”

  “Just like you did when I told you I didn’t steal from you, right?” Touché. That one stings a little. He pauses, carefully considering his options. “I think it may have been one of the wanderers,” he says.

  “Wanderers?”

  “People who have been exiled from the city. Usually for refusing to join the guard, but it’s a punishment delivered for other infractions, as well.”

  “How can the exiles even survive out here?”

  “Those in the city believe that the exiles quickly perish when forced to survive in this vast wintery wilderness. They believe it is a just punishment for refusing to join the guard, or any other misbehavior the Minister wishes to punish or make an example of.”

  “But you don't think that's what happens?”

  “There've been rumors that some of those exiled have survived. That they've banded together and survived by sheer force of will and wits.”

  “How would anyone survive out here without your special abilities?”

  “By becoming experts in the skill set that would enable them to survive. We've heard they are scavengers of the first order. They can strip anything left behind unattended or unwatched and transform it into tools for their survival. Most of them were learned men or women from the city who rebelled in some way, so it makes sense they would use their brains in order to reason their way out of the problem. Become masters at camouflage in using the environment to their advantage.”

  “Have you ever encountered them before?” I ask.

  “No, not personally,” he says. “Avoiding detection is their number one strategy for survival. This is the closest I've ever gotten to one before. We should return to the camp tonight, explain the situation to Mallyk, and see if we can all come up with a plan.” He stands and begins to collect his things. I’m not so convinced.

  “We could do that,” I say. “Or, we could approach things a different way. That might result in a more beneficial outcome for you and your reputation.”

  He looks curious, so I continue on.

  “I have an idea,” I say. “A way to capture this wanderer on our own, and elevate your position within the guard.”

  He looks at me like I'm crazy, but then a slow smile begins to creep over his face.

  Nine

  MINA

  The next morning, he watches as I bundle up in my winter gear and strap on my snowshoes. It’s time to head towards the mountains.

  I'm almost positive we’re being watched. The thief would've had to monitor us for several days in order to sneak in and steal the Eclaydian while we were gone. At first, I was relieved to discover the unprocessed Eclaydian tucked safely in the pack where I'd left it. There was plenty left to process and I was overjoyed we wouldn't have to send Diana back into the mountains to collect more.

  Then I realized we got lucky. The intruder thought he got everything; he didn't even see the unprocessed material in the knapsack. He thinks he took everything from us and that we’ll have to go back to the mountains in search of more. I'm sure that's no accident. Maybe it was the plan all along. Why be satisfied with a few tiny rocks when we could lead you right to the source?

  We’re going to use that to our advantage. Cardyk borrowed a few climbing supplies from Diana, claiming that we need them to make modifications to the lab and for getting around safely in the snowy environment outside the lab. Instead, we’re using them to dress me up as a decoy. I’m not as talented at climbing as Diana is, not by a long shot, but I’m hoping I only need to get 20 feet off the ground before the man we’re tricking reveals himself.

  The plan is for me to go out by myself, at least at first. Cardyk is furious and threatened to disallow it, but I stood my ground. I owe him after my baseless accusations, and taking a chance with my personal safety is going to be my payback.

  Besides, it's not like I'll be entirely on my own. Cardyk will be following me from a distance, in the shadows. He’ll wait until I'm well on my way and then try to pick up the trail of the wanderer who has been watching us. Turn the tables on him and see if he likes a dos
e of his own medicine.

  I try not to think of the possibilities, of all the ways this could go horribly wrong. I could be attacked by some horrible creature while Cardyk is behind in the lab, waiting for me to get a head start. There could be multiple wanderers shadowing us, and I don't know how we would fare if it's not an even fight. Just because he was alone yesterday doesn’t mean he’ll be alone today.

  I push back against the fear swirling in my gut as the door to the lab closes behind me. I begin marching through the snow. The mountains aren't far off, maybe half a mile at most, but it seems like an insurmountable distance to me. At least I won’t be truly alone; we’ve rigged the security monitor above the lab door so that it's pointing at the snowy landscape I need to cross, so Cardyk can keep me safe and watch for any movement from the wanderer trailing me.

  I focus on keeping my breath even as I march at a steady pace. The snow pulls against my ankles, slowing my progress and tiring me quickly. Luckily, since this is all a ruse, I don't need to actually hike to the mountain where Diana found the Eclaydian. I'll start climbing the closest slope I find, Cardyk will capture the thief, and we’ll make it back to the lab in time for lunch.

  My hope for a quick resolution dims when it takes over an hour to reach the closest icy slope. Part of me hoped I wouldn't even have to start ascending the mountain, but everything is quiet and there's no sign that Cardyk has apprehended our target.

  The cold air burns my lungs, and I know it's only going to get worse. I pull the ice axe from my pack and thrust it into the icy rock with all the strength I have. I use the spikes on the front of my boots to slowly climb the mountain, quickly settling into the rhythm we practiced with Diana back on earth, when she gave us all beginner climbing lessons.

  Fortunately, it doesn't take long. I'm only about ten feet in the air when I hear the sounds of a scuffle behind me. I twist around in the air and see a spray of snow and then a tangle of limbs flying everywhere.

  I don't worry. There's no way Cardyk is letting this guy get away twice.

  I quickly rappel back down and race to his side, but he doesn’t need my help. He has the wanderer subdued by the time I reach him.

  “Does he have the Eclaydian?” I ask. “Is it the same guy?”

  “Yes and no,” he says. He reaches forward and rips the white camouflage hood from his captive, and I’m suddenly face-to-face with the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. She’s about my age, if I had to guess, with long black hair pulled back in a braid. Her skin is marked with some sort of tribal tattoos and she wears white leather and furs as camouflage.

  Cardyk seems thrown when he realizes the thief we’ve trapped is a woman. He recoils and she almost escapes from his grasp.

  “Bind her hands and feet,” I say. “We need to get her back to the lab and find out what she knows.”

  He quickly recovers. He binds her wrists and ankles with leather straps and ties a makeshift gag over her mouth so she can’t scream and attract attention. We hurry back to the lab and it takes everything I have to keep up with him. His stamina, even while carrying another person over his shoulder, is amazing. We retreat into the warmth and security of the lab and he deposits her unceremoniously onto one of the dining chairs. I fully expect her to make a run for it and Cardyk reads my mind: I hand him zip ties and he secures her to the chair. She’s not going anywhere until we get some answers.

  My language barrier is going to be a problem when it comes to an interrogation, so I let Cardyk take the lead.

  He removes the gag from her mouth and barks questions at her in their harsh native tongue. Her face is twisted into a mask of fury as she answers with what I can only imagine are taunts and insults. It goes on for several minutes until he walks away in frustration.

  “What did she say?” I ask him. I hand him a glass of water and then cross my arms over my chest. We need answers and we need them fast.

  “Lies,” he says. “She denies taking the Eclaydian. Or that she has been watching us in order to steal.”

  “Does she think we’re stupid?”

  “She claims that she’s just been watching us in order to see if we are a threat.”

  “Why would she think we’re a threat?”

  “This outpost has been abandoned for decades,” he says.

  “And now it’s crawling with warriors and strange visitors from another planet. I suppose it makes sense,” I say.

  “I don’t believe her for a second.” His face contorts into a grimace of anger when he speaks, and I realize there’s no love lost between the warriors and the wanderers.

  “Of course not,” I say. “I don’t either.”

  He kneels by her side and, careful to stay out of biting range, searches her coat and pats down her clothing. “She doesn’t have the Eclaydian anywhere on her. She must’ve already delivered it back to her people.”

  “Do you think they’re nearby?”

  “Yes. She’s alone and traveling with hardly any supplies. They must have a home base of some sort nearby.”

  “How many are there?”

  “I have no idea. Dozens instead of hundreds would be my guess. There aren’t a great number of citizens who choose exile over joining the guard.”

  I nod at our captive. “How did a woman like her end up with the wanderers? I assumed they were mostly men?”

  “Most of them are, as far as I know,” he says. “Sometimes women will willingly walk into exile with the men in their life. Mothers will leave with an only son. Sisters will leave with a beloved brother. But, I can’t imagine that they would send out their mother or sister to spy on us. Or to steal from us.

  “What are we going to do with her?” I ask.

  Let’s carry her inside the walls and deliver her to Mallyk. We’ve never had the opportunity to speak with a wanderer before and I’m sure there’s much to be learned from a thorough interrogation.

  I watch her the entire time he speaks. If she’s scared, she doesn’t show it. She seems more resigned than anything else. She doesn’t fight it when Cardyk cuts the zip ties and tosses her over his shoulder. It’s time to head back inside the walls.

  Ten

  MINA

  The gatekeeper shouts to the other warriors in the outpost as we pass by with our captive. The yard is deserted when we arrive, but the men whip themselves into a frenzy in the space of a few minutes. The commotion soon reaches a fevered pitch.

  I feel a little uncomfortable parading our prisoner around like this - slung over Cardyk's shoulder like a valuable prize - but he clearly has no such misgivings. I can tell he loves the way the men are gathering around him, anxious to see a wanderer in the flesh. He’s focusing on the status and notoriety he’s sure to gain, while I can’t stop thinking about what I lost. All that Eclaydian will need to be processed again.

  He spins near me, to give all the warriors gathered around a view of the wanderer, and I catch a glimpse of her face as she passes by. I first noticed how beautiful she is, but now I’m impressed by her bravery. She may have stolen from me but she doesn't look the least bit scared among all these giant warriors. I admire her for that.

  Mallyk must have heard the ruckus; he emerges from his quarters with Diana following closely behind him.

  “What have you found, brother?” He asks.

  “I’ve brought you a gift,” he says as he crosses the yard, his prize in tow. When he reaches Mallyk, he shrugs his shoulder and dumps her unceremoniously onto the dirt. She hits the ground with a grunt but doesn’t miss a beat. She’s on her feet in seconds and stares at the men with hatred in her eyes.

  “Relax, woman,” Mallyk orders. “No one will hurt you here. As long as you cooperate.”

  She shouts at him in a language I don’t recognize, and it’s clear cooperation is the last thing on her mind.

  “Mind your manners, wanderer scum.” Cardyk grabs her arms from behind and pushes her closer to Mallyk.

  Mallyk steps into her personal space and looks her over from head to toe, si
zing her up. “You’re a guest here, and you’ll be treated as such. But don’t try my patience.”

  His declaration doesn’t win her over; she spits in his face. I worry things are spiraling out of control, but he calmly wipes his face with his cloak before ordering a warrior to lock her up in the cage. I have no idea what that is, but it doesn’t sound good, and I feel a stab of pity for her as the young warrior grabs her arm and hauls her roughly away.

  I look around for Cardyk, anxious to get back to the lab and start processing the Eclaydian. We don’t have any time to waste, and I need to think of a way to make more in each batch. Or make each synthesis faster. I’ve lost all hope of recovering any from the captive, and I don’t really want to mention the possibility of recovery, anyway. I don’t know how they plan on making her talk, and the less I know, the better.

  I finally see Cardyk, in the middle of a crowd of warriors with a mug of spirits in his hand. He’s not looking for me. I don’t think he’s aware of me at all. He’s busy soaking up the adoration from the men. Even Mallyk appears impressed, lifting his own mug in a tribute to the former leader. I see a long night ahead, starting with the story of her capture, followed by other tales of bravery as the men consume copious amounts of alcohol. I feel left out in the cold, literally and figuratively.

  It’s all too much, and I start to feel lightheaded. Savannah appears out of nowhere, hand at my elbow, and I lean back against her.

  “You’re looking a little peaked, Mina,” she says. “You feeling ok?”

  I give her a wan smile. “I’m ok,” I say. “Things just get really overwhelming sometimes.”

  “Amen,” she says as I lean my head against her shoulder. “It looks like they’re going to be at it for a while, do you want to stay in our quarters inside the wall tonight?”

  “A sleepover with the girls sounds like exactly what I need,” I say, “but I really have to get back to the lab and start running the reaction again.” I’m in the kind of mood where I wish I didn’t have the weight of the world on me right now. An evening with Diana and Savannah, just being one of the girls, sounds so perfect. A little gossip and girl talk is always a good balm for the soul. But I have to go back and get to work.