by Pixie Moon
Sesien min, really? With him handing me this unit it’s obvious that he is my sesien min. The mate just doesn’t get it. I would have to get the slow alien.
Seeing that he’s waiting for a response, I say, “No worries. I got it. It’s not real.”
He brushes his lips across mine and then stands. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He points a long purple finger at the unit. “That should keep you busy. If it’s too hard you can just relax until I return.”
I don’t care how hard it is, I’m not about to sit here for hours looking at the soft glowing lights on the ceiling.
I hold up the unit. “Thanks for letting me use this.” Sesien min, I silently add. It’s a good thing he can’t read minds.
He nods and a few strands of midnight black hair come close to covering his right eye. I love how his dark hair complements his skin tone. I watch as he leaves. His ass is so tight and fine. At the door he turns. I look up into amused eyes. Damn, I just got busted.
“See you soon, sesien min.” With that said, he steps out into the corridor and the door whooshes closed.
I fume when I hear him locking me in. Alien bastard. On the up side, he is a hot alien bastard.
Turning to the unit in my hand, I press a mission icon. Holy crap! A hologram leaps before my eyes. I place the unit on my lap and read through the directions and then I practice using some of the command buttons that are now at the lower portion of the screen.
Seeing beings in motion and unimaginable settings is breath taking. I’m thrilled when I quickly understand how it works. It’s fun but I’m not so absorbed that I can’t tell it’s a pretend mission. Maybe this thing works differently on dagrinian brains. I can’t stop the snicker that comes from me. Humans must be superior in this matter. I make a mental note to tell Klimen that.
When I’m good and ready, I press the icon that leads to a real mission.
I read the message in dagrinian and then press a command button. My job is to get an Intel chip from a shop owner in a market. Piece of cake.
CHAPTER
11
~ Kanda ~
♥
The image flickers and then I see a market a little distance down a slope. There are paths all through the market. Each is lined with open venders and wooden shops that are made of a multitude of colors from cotton to tangerine to daffodil yellow.
The mission is on. In my head, I immediately start walking. It feels so very real as the market gets closer and closer. I can’t feel the unit in my lap. That worries me. I look down and see that the unit appears to have taken on the shape of a wide wristband. It is now a locator and scanning device mixed into one. This is good shit. I should be mad at Klimen for keeping this from me but I’m just so excited to have it now.
I catch a glimpse of my feet. No way! I can see that I’m wearing badass boots, black cargo pants, and a long-sleeved caramel colored shirt. I wiggle my arse and feel the soft golden material beneath my still naked cheeks. I’m glad I get to wear clothes in the mission world. I wish I could see my face but I can’t. My red hair may be a mess or it may look awesome. I choose to believe the latter because it makes me feel better about myself.
I press a button on the band and look at the map. My brain starts forming a plan on the fastest route to the vender I need. From the map it appears that my target is the only one selling utensils. Excitement and a touch of anxiety swim around in my bloodstream. I feel a little fear of failure but I squash it as I get closer to the market.
While looking at my map I stumble. Looking down, I see that the ground is covered in clumps of red grass. I was so busy studying the market that I didn’t pay attention to the ground. That was a big mistake. What if I’d fallen into quicksand or a pit of acid? You have to think big when on another planet.
As I straighten and get ready to slip into the market I hear laughter coming from the left of me. My gaze quickly cuts that direction. A fuzzy rainbow colored alien no taller than my knees is pointing at me and laughing.
Holy crap! He can see me. This changes everything. I change course and begin skirting the last row of shops. From the shadows I see a few dark maroon beings with hot pink lips. I remember the male I was caged near and hope he is happy. The pretty group are talking among themselves as they browse a shop with colorful material. I remember going to a few shops similar to that one myself when I was on Earth. Looks like some things are the same everywhere. All beings like to look as good as possible. That makes me feel a little better. Humans can fit in with others.
The pitter-patter of small feet behind me has me grinning. Is there an alien baby behind me? I look back to check it out. Fuck, the rainbow being is following me. I hiss in his direction just like I would at a pup following me when I’m heading out to go hunting. He jumps back but he doesn’t yelp. I wait for him to disappear into the crowd of scary and non-scary beings and then I move on.
When I see a three-legged yellow alien being dragged through the red clump grass by a six-armed rust colored being I shudder involuntarily. This place is too close in looks to the one I was sold from. I need to get that Intel and get out of here.
Moving on, I scan the crowd and freak out when I see a four armed green alien pinning a red humanoid being with white hair to an tangerine colored wooden wall and fucking her. My steps falter as I debate helping her. When she cries out and shudders with a look of ecstasy on her face relief soothes my nerves.
I painfully force myself to remember that I’m not here to save beings. I’m here gathering Intel. Now I understand how so many beings ignored me and Niya when we were being sold. In a place like this it is hard to know who needs saving. I glance around and see many happy, neutral, and sad faces. It would be impossible to save all of the ones that want to be rescued and set free somewhere else.
With an aching heart, I step down the path that will lead me directly to the shop I need. All types of beings call out to me as they try to sell their goods. There are many humanoid beings with skin colors of peach, cherry, blueberry, lemon, and charred marshmallow.
They don’t spook me as much as the three-eyed gray scaly beings or the six-eyed slimy lime green beings that are bullying everyone near them. I step deeper into the shadows of a shop that is selling what I hope are spices and not dried ground up people. My shoulders sag when I watch them pass the shop and head into one on the other side of the path.
Fur rubbing against my hand has me squeaking and nearly leaping from my skin. I look down and see the rainbow alien. His crooked smile has the hairs on my arms standing up.
“You pretty and sweet smelling,” he says as he reaches for my hand.
I slap his hand and he howls like I’ve stabbed him. I frown and run from the shop. I look back to see him still standing there holding his hand. What a creepy little wuss.
Seeing a light flashing on my screen, I press it. Warning: I see a picture of a rainbow being like the one I just slapped. I read the message. Dangerous: One bite from a raktikian will cause your system to shut down giving the raktikian a chance to eat you.
Fuck! This place is horrible. I slow down and stick to the shadows as best I can. I blow out a relieved breath when I see the utensil maker’s shop. I step inside and peer around. The dark tan wooden walls are lined with some useful looking forks, spoons, spatulas, knives and then there are some sharp two pronged things that are as long as my arm. What the hell do beings do with those? I shiver at the dark feeling that comes over me.
I jump when I hear a shuffling noise behind me. Is it that furry rainbow fucker again? I may need one of those pronged things after all. With great care, I turn and nearly cry when I see the baby blue colored humanoid I’m supposed to contact.
I pull up the info screen again and after glancing over it, I say, “I’m looking for a seasoning knife with a special handle that no other being has. Do you have what I need, Blamot Flit?”
His sunny yellow eyes flicker and then brighten. He nods and goes behind a rough metal counter. He comes back with a
fat handled knife with a flat dull blade that is tinged with red. I don’t even want to know how it got that red tint. I watch as he twists the handle and reveal a chip buried in the hollowed out handle. He grins and twists it closed before holding his hand out.
As my info screen directed, I dig in my cargo pocket and pull out a cobalt jewel the size of my fist. We exchange goods and his smile widens revealing sharp fangs.
“Thanks for your business. Come back again in two moon cycles,” he says in a strangely polite voice for someone who has scary pronged things hanging on the walls.
I nod and put the knife in my pocket. I squeal when blue flames surround me. I raise my arms like that will protect me. When I don’t feel burned, I blink and I’m back on the couch. The market is gone.
Holy crap! That was amazing.
I see a pink light flashing on the practice unit so I press it. A message appears before my face.
Congratulations! You have succeeded!
Pride zips and zings through my chest. I put the unit on the couch and leap to my feet. I do a little dance and laugh out loud. That was so exhilarating! I want to do it again. My dry mouth has me getting a quick drink of water before I go on my next mission.
I wish Rogan could see this. He would love it. My heart sinks for a moment. I only wallow in the feeling for a bit. Knowing he wouldn’t want me to be sad any more than I want him to be sad, I blow out a breath and get another drink. I eat a bit of sindot fruit and then go back to the couch. It’s time for another mission.
I press the far right corner of the screen and then the next mission icon. With the unit in my lap, I rub my hands together as I start reading the specifics of the mission. I notice for the first time that there is a list of weapons that I’ll have on me. I skim the laser gun, knife, and explosives directions. They don’t seem difficult.
Next I look over the mission. Oh, now we are getting somewhere. I get to save a dagrinian female from a group of beings called lowdretians that are holding her for ransom. They are in the shit now.
I press the screen and the world pops up. Shit. Ebony grass that is taller than me is blocking my view. I move some aside but all I see is more dark grass. I’m glad I get to wear clothes while on missions. Naked skin would be chaffed by this thickass grass in no time. Maybe I can get some of these badass clothes for real.
I pull up my map. The scan button is flashing but I need to know where I’m going before I start scanning. The map shows…
Grrrrr. That’s all I get before I see sharp black claws, dingy yellow fangs the size of my forearm, blazing coal eyes, and dull brown fur. I scream and throw my arms up as the beast strikes. My heart is getting in as many beats as it can before it stops forever.
I scream again as death comes for me. Red flames surround me. Ahh, fuck! I’m going to hell. I can’t recall doing anything that bad. I blink a few times and to my amazement I’m back on the couch.
I scowl at the unit I’m clutching. As my heart slows, I realize that humans are not superior to dagrinians in this matter at all. The unit had me believing I was in another world. That sucks. So does dying on a mission. I wonder if I can keep that fact from Klimen.
A red flashing light catches my attention. I press it and a message appears in front of me.
You failed! If you had scanned the area you were in before you checked your map you would have seen the bryon beast coming and you could have shot your laser gun through the grass and stunned it.
“What a fruit loop I am. I didn’t have to die. Lesson learned.” To shake off my death, I get up and roll my shoulders a few times. I get a drink and go back at it. I have to save that female.
This time when I appear in the thickass ebony grass, I hold up the wristband unit and scan the area. No beastly heat signatures turn up on the screen. Whew, that’s good news. I have no intention of being killed again. Black claws and dingy yellow fangs are not the way to go.
Using my hands, I push the tall ass grass aside and make my way closer to my target. On top of a slope where the grass is shorter, I get a glimpse of colorful huts that look like they are made of mud. The rich colors can’t be normal mud. The ray of hues goes from the palest pink to a rich rosy terra cotta.
I point the unit at the village and smile when one of the pink salmon huts lights up. Got you. I start down the slope and once I’m closer I scan for heat signatures. Damn, there is one being in front of the hut I need to go in. This means I have to create a diversion.
I think about the weapons I have and search my pockets until I find the explosive and the detonator. I quietly make my way through the dark grass. Without the bright sun overhead I wouldn’t be able to see a thing.
Voices carry on the wind every so often. I hear what sounds like a person hammering. Good all of the sounds will make it harder for the lowdretians to detect me.
Raising my unit, I scan the area and see a hut on my screen. Two heat signatures are in it. I have no desire to blow anyone up. Creeping through the grass, I move on to the next hut that is far enough away from my target to give me a chance to complete my mission.
I scan it and do a little dance when I see that it’s empty. Pressing forward, I advance until I’m at the back of the terra cotta hut. I set the explosive as the screen said and head back to my target through the grass from hell. On the way I do a scan to make sure I’m not being stalked. No vicious beasts are after me this time.
Confidence flows through my veins. I will succeed. When I’m near my target’s hut I pull out the detonator. I don’t want to destroy anything, but damn it, they shouldn’t have kidnapped a dagrinian. Plus, these beings need to pay for not making the grass safer. Those beasts should have been eliminated from the planet a long time ago. I shake my head in disgust. Lazy, that’s what these beings are.
I scan my target again and see two heat signatures. One outside the hut and one inside the hut. I grin as I flip the switch on the detonator. A second later rosy terra cotta dirt flies. Voices raise and the guard takes off running toward my distraction. These aliens must be a little slow-witted. That works in my favor.
Slipping into the pink salmon hut is a piece of cake. I see the dagrinian female chained in the corner. She is dirty and thin but otherwise she looks healthy. I hold my finger to my lips. Her eyes widen and she looks over my shoulder and then back at me and nods.
I quickly look the lock over and retrieve my laser gun. After setting the lock as far away from the female as possible, I send a blue glowing beam through the lock. It makes a snapping sound that has me looking at the door. My shoulders sag when nobody rushes in.
I press my finger to my lips again and then help free the female. Taking her hand, I lead her out of the hut and into the ebony grass. Angry and confused voices fill the air. Keeping a good grip on her hand, I forge a path through the swaying blades. When I stop to scan for beasts blue flames rise up around me.
I blink a couple of times and find myself back on Klimen’s golden couch. What a rush!
The pink light flashes so I press it. I smile as I read the message.
Congratulations! You only died once and then completed your mission flawlessly!
Sooo, now I know this unit keeps score. I ignore the part about my death as elation pumps through my veins. I put the unit on the couch and jump to my feet. I do a little dance and then a big one.
Needing to wet my tongue, I get a drink and then snack on some fruit. Once I’m satisfied, I sit down and ready myself for another mission. Where will I go this time?
This is so freaking fun!
CHAPTER
12
~ Kanda ~
♥
After reading up on my latest mission and what weapons I have, I press the mission icon. This time I’ll be buying some type of medicine. It’s probably something to save children.
I gasp when the new world appears. I’m among the largest trees I’ve ever seen and couldn’t have imaged in my wildest dreams. They are magnificent. A breeze blows across my face snapping me o
ut of my daze. Not wanting to die, I scan the area and don’t get any signs of danger.
