Caveman Alien's Ransom

by Calista Skye

  It's a cave with a small opening and a roomy interior. The rock is white and has dark bands shooting through it from the ceiling to the bottom. It's a natural formation, but I'm pretty sure it has been widened with tools after that. At the far back of it is another opening into a huge cavern, at least as tall as a skyscraper. Clean water falls down in little waterfalls and pools, and I notice that young boys are swimming in the bottom pool and that there are many openings from the other caves into this cavern deep inside the rock. I totally understand why the Rexvi tribe has settled here. These caves they live in have natural running water. This village has to be one of the most spectacular wonders of nature on this whole planet.

  Jax'zan's cave is decorated with simple rugs and furs and dinosaur skins, and colorful pictures have been drawn onto the rock walls. I think I recognize some of the figures from the cave where he found me. He might be a real artist, this caveman of mine.

  He has a big stand with various weapons and blades. Right by the entrance is a place for a fire for cooking, and various pots and pans are stacked there. He has no furniture, just heaps of rugs and furs. It's clean and kind of bare, but it's a cozy place which exudes the warm personality of the person living there.

  I ponder the whole situation. There's no electricity, but it's a warm planet and he has some primitive lamps and candles. There's no bathroom, but there's running water in the back. There's no internet, but just surviving would probably take up all your time anyway. There's no coffee shops or convenience stores or cars.

  Can I see myself living here?

  Maybe. At its best, it would be like camping. At its worst, well ... yeah, it'd be pretty damn miserable. On average, I could be probably be content here. More or less.

  From time to time.

  For the rest of my life.

  With Jax'zan.

  My feelings are so mixed I only know of one thing to do, the thing that's always right with this man. I place my arms around his neck and pull him down so I can kiss him. I feel desperation at the edge of my consciousness right now, and I need him to reassure me in a very concrete way.

  He senses my need and pulls a thick dinosaur skin curtain over the opening to the cave. Only a thin ray of sunshine lights up the white wall and I let my new skirt and shirt fall to the ground, then untie his kilt and grab his cock.

  We make love on the furs, in a cave. It's so primitive it turns me on further, and Jax'zan's spectacular equipment soon has me coming hard.

  But the act has a tinge of uncertainty to it. We both suspect and fear that this could be our last time together.

  - - -

  I lie on his chest and feel his slow heartbeat, letting my finger trace his red tiger stripes. “The sun is about to set. The tribe will decide soon.”

  He just grunts. I think he's nervous about it.

  I would hate to leave this guy. As in, resent for the rest of my life. But this is all so wild. “Will you let me go if I have to?”

  “Jax'zan will not mate with unwilling woman.”

  “Uh-huh. Will you help me even if the others won't?”

  I can hear his heartrate picking up, just a little. “Defying the tribal council is punished by death. Treading on forbidden Bune is punished by death.”

  And not helping my friends when they need it the most is punished by jerking off into plants for the rest of your life, I think to myself. “So much death on this planet,” I say out loud.

  “It's a harsh planet,” he agrees. “If the tribe splits apart, all will soon be dead. Only as a tribe can we survive. Obedience is vital. Unity is vital.”

  “Yeah, I get that. It's tough here, even if you have caves like this. Why is Bune forbidden?”

  “A sacred place, guarded by flying Bigs. The Ancestors live there.”

  “They do?”

  “Yes. Mostly invisible. Not always. Sometimes have feasts that light up the sky. Warriors stay far away then.”

  Right. I have a feeling this religious stuff can get a little old. But I suppose that's part of life for this tribe. Still I want to change the subject. “You mentioned something called 'the plood' earlier. What is that?”

  His face darkens. “Dirty little beings that come here from time to time. Messengers from the Darkness.”

  “The Darkness?”

  “The enemies of the Ancestors. The Ancestors represent light, their enemies represent the Darkness. All that is wrong and evil is Darkness. The Plood are its servants.”

  “Uh-huh.” This sounds like a way a primitive people would describe aliens and wrap it up into a religious thing that suits their worldview. I don't think any of it is literally true. But at least our kidnappers aren't unknown here.

  “Did the Plood maybe take your women?”

  He is silent for a good while and I worry that I've offended him. Then he sighs deeply. “Yes. Well, the Darkness did. And the Plood aided them.” He gets to his feet, and I admire the feline limberness of his powerful, naked form as he pushes the curtain aside and looks out. “Twilight. The tribe will decide the fate of your friends now. I will speak for helping them.”

  A bunch of butterflies take off in my stomach. So much depends on this. “I appreciate that.” I watch him put on his kilt and place a thick fur over his shoulders. I suppose that serves as formal wear in this tribe. And it makes him look even more like a caveman.

  I get up too and put on my dinosaur-skin clothing. I'm not missing this.

  He checks his sword and sticks it into his belt. “It might take some time. This is the most important thing to happen on Xren for many generations. The deliberations must be thorough.”

  23

  - Sophia -

  And boy, are they ever thorough. Their council meeting place is a ledge on the face of a cliff. Fifteen guys, mostly older ones, sit on animal skins in a ring and are attended by some young men who stand ready with food and drink to serve any council member that lifts his earthenware drinking vessel or plate.

  I sit a little aside and I keep the translator off. I have no idea how much charge its battery still holds, and I'm not sure it's worth it to translate this whole debate.

  But even so, I realize that there are two sides and that the discussion is very heated. One side is Jax'zan's. Or probably mine and the girls'. The other side is the shaman's. He talks a lot, and Jax'zan speaks much more rarely. But when he does, everyone listens. I'm impressed. He's the youngest one there by decades, probably. But he seems to hold his own just fine.

  I finally have the chance to really observe the men here. They look more like cavemen than Jax'zan does. They look more primitive, they have more scars, they're more sinewy, less muscular. They've had tough lives, absolutely. So has Jax'zan, of course. And he looks stronger and more vital than even the younger men serving the food and drink. The idea that he's born from an egg in a plant doesn't appeal too much to me, for some reason. But looking around here, I start to wonder. Despite what he says and thinks about it, I'm not sure he comes from the same place these other ones do. He's too different. The glow in his eyes is too intense. Can a clone seem this unique? It's just a gut feeling that's probably clouded by the feelings I have for him. But none of the other males here attract me at all.

  I shake my head. I'm not making much sense. Well, I was always good at wishful thinking.

  I estimate that one hour goes by, then two. Sometimes one of the men looks over at me, and sometimes they all stare openly at the same time when someone has made a point that concerns me very directly.

  I look up at the sky. The sun has long since set, and the soft light from the fire in the middle of the ledge can't overpower the dazzling spread of stars from horizon to horizon. The evening air is balmy and the many exotic sounds from the jungle settle down. Only the soft tinkling from a nearby waterfall can be heard. It's a good location, this. Very idyllic. If it turns out that I'm stuck here, I suppose I will sometimes be able to trick myself into thinking that it's a back-to-nature resort.

  The discussion heats up a
nd I realize that they're getting close to the end. The shaman seems to sum up his points, and Jax'zan follows up with a passionate speech that has to make an impact on them. With his clear, calm and deep voice it sure makes an impact on me, and I don't even know what he's saying. But I'm moved that he's obviously really making an effort on my behalf. And the girls'.

  God, how are they now? I feel a sting in my heart when I think of them. I've enjoyed Jax'zan's protection for days, while they've been stuck in not-dactyl central with not even a gun. I hope they're doing okay. The shaman seemed to think that they are already killed by the many dangers on the planet, but I don't think so. We Earth girls are more resilient than we probably thought ourselves.

  A metal ring is passed around the circle of tribal councilmen. When they receive it they say something, one after the other, probably taking a vote.

  A silence ensues. Then the shaman says something that sounds like a question. They all look at Jax'zan. He glares at the shaman and then grunts something. It doesn't sound like agreement, more like angry acceptance.

  I feel for my gun. Shit. It sounds like I lost.

  Jax'zan slowly gets up and comes over to me. He takes me by the arm, gently, and leads me to the other men, who are still sitting down. He doesn't look me in the eyes.

  I switch the translator on with fingers that shake. I'm afraid now.

  “Mother of Xren,” he states with a neutral face that scares me. “The council has determined that the Prophecy has come to pass and that you are the Mother it speaks of. You will breed with the warrior who found you in the waters of Bune. You will be revered as the Mother of the planet.”

  I stare at him. This was not the bad part, although I don't care for the tone at all. But now I see a wince on his face. The next thing he says will be bad.

  He takes a deep breath. “The tribe has also discussed the other women at Bune. It has been determined that they are the Treasure as spoken of by the Prophecy, brought to us by the Mother. They are not Mothers, but they are alien females who are unlawfully treading on Bune's sacred soil. They have thus made themselves lawless. However, the tribe will consider to let them remain alive if they agree to give themselves over to the tribe. They will help the tribe repopulate naturally. They will serve the tribe and breed with any warrior who demands it for as long as they are fertile. A message will be sent to them to that effect.”

  He quickly snatches the squeaky translator out of my hand. “This device will be used when a warrior gives them that message.”

  I get the idea. The girls have to give themselves over to the tribe for slavery or these guys will kill them. Or at least let the planet kill them.

  “They'll never agree,” I state with a voice that shakes. “They'll rather die. And so would I.” Shit. This is turning out much worse than I thought.

  “The tribe does suspect that,” he continues, and I can see the pain in his alien face. “In order to secure their cooperation, it will be stated to them that if they don't comply, the Mother will be put to death. If they agree to be bred by the tribe, you will be spared.”

  I'm genuinely stunned for a moment. This is beyond disastrous. “You can't do this,” I state as loudly and calmly as I can. And I try the only argument I hope will work on these guys. “It's pure evil. Your Ancestors will get angry if you treat the Mother like that. You're giving in to Darkness.”

  The shaman gives a bark of laughter. “The Mother is a sacred woman, but she is still a young female without any knowledge of the Prophecy. There is no Darkness in this. The Ancestors are smiling at us even now.”

  I look Jax'zan straight in the eye. “If you think I'll breed with you after this, you are completely mistaken.”

  He juts his jaw out. “The Mother is sacred,” he says, whatever he means by that. And then he turns his back to look out over the village below the ledge with his arms crossed over his chest. He has clearly done his duty as the Chief, and now he's finished with the whole thing.

  The hurt I feel is probably not rational. He has no choice. But he seems so much larger than life that I can't help but feel that he should do more for me.

  Tear sting my eyes, but I won't weep openly. I have some pride, too.

  Strong hands grab me and I'm dragged away by two young warriors.

  They place me in another cave that's considerably larger than Jax'zan's and has the same access to the underground waterfall in the back. But it's also impossible to leave. They remove a ladder, and then there are sheer cliff faces both upwards and downwards from the opening. I'm thirty feet above ground.

  I'm trapped. This is a prison cell.

  And I'm being held for ransom.

  24

  - Jax'zan -

  I stare at the cave where she is. The opening is dark, and I shudder to think of what she must feel now.

  The tribe is unwise sometimes. This was the wrong decision.

  And yet, I'm the chief. I had to do my duty to the tribe. Without the tribe, we're all lost and dead in this impossible world. Defying the tribal council would never cross my mind.

  Until now.

  Defiance is always met with death. It can be no other way. Only unity protects us. None of us can survive for more than a little while without a strong tribe. A refuge, a support, a home, a place to belong. Alien women desecrating our forbidden mountain must not be allowed to divide us.

  I consider the shaman's points in the discussion. He's smart. And his arguments were good. The alien females could be spies sent by the Plood. Or saboteurs, tasked with breaking our tribe, making us weak for the Plood to attack us once more from the sky. After all, the container they came in was definitely a Plood construction – round and simple and ugly. They might even be here against their own will, but as agents of unrest. Their presence alone has already created some difficulties between me and the shaman. The tribe is obviously weaker than it was only yesterday.

  Her cave is still dark. What is she thinking? About me?

  I groan involuntarily. No, it doesn't bear thinking about. My heart splits if my thoughts even touch upon it. She can't possibly hold me in very high regard now. And I do feel like a traitor.

  She made me a new man. She opened my soul for such emotions and experiences that I will never be the same again. The love I feel for her has taken over all of me. The urge to go to her now and to protect her is overwhelming.

  And yet I can't. At best, it would make me an outcast. The tribe has spoken. And it wants her captive. Held for ransom to force her friends to give themselves up for mating.

  Anything I do to help her will mean that I lose the tribe. And losing the tribe means death.

  For Sophia. For her friends. And for me.

  25

  - Sophia -

  There are soft skins and a pile of food and even clothing of the same kind that Jax'zan made for me, except these have been colored blue. Probably they were made for a young boy of the tribe.

  I'm so disappointed I bury my face in the skins and cry for a good while.

  Damn. I really thought they'd help. Or at the very least that Jax'zan would take a stronger stand in my favor. He's supposed to be the chief. You'd think he could pull some strings.

  Well, he spoke forcefully, but he was clearly outvoted and I guess he had no choice after that. But still ...

  I punch the skins a couple of times and calm down. I'm supposed to be the happy-go-lucky one, the cheerful one who always thinks everything will turn out okay. This is probably as good a time as any to practice what I preach. I think it will feel better than to just give in to black depression.

  I examine the cave more. I can't see any guards, but the reason is obviously that I can't escape in any other way than jumping to my death. The waterfall in the back of the cave also gives me no way to climb up or down.

  I have to escape. I have a feeling there's no time to lose. If these guys get to the girls before I do, then the girls will be surprised and may well give in to the demands if they think I'll die otherwise. Then they'll
be stuck in what sounded a lot like sexual slavery. I have to get there first so the tribe doesn't have that hold on them.

  We'll defend ourselves as well as we can. I still have the gun. And I've learned a few things about this planet from walking through the jungle alongside Jax'zan.

  I lie down on the skins again, curl up and yawn. It's been a long day. There's not much I can do in the darkness. I'll just wait until morning.

  A sharp noise from the cave entrance startles me awake. I get hold of my gun and tiptoe over there.

  Hm. Someone's put a ladder up to the ledge above, the one that the two young warriors hoisted me down here from. I shake it, and it doesn't rattle much. Seems stable enough.

  Is it a trap or is someone helping me escape?

  Well, I can't get any more trapped than I am right now, so there's not much for me to lose.

  I climb up to the next level as quietly as I can. It's a deserted ledge with no cave opening. But there's another ladder leading further up. I climb that, then the next and so on until I'm on the top of the cliff and the whole village is underneath me.

  Huh. That was easy.

  I can see the flickering firelight from some of the caves. Jax'zan's is dark. Asleep after our strenuous walk through the jungle?

  No, of course not. Someone put that ladder back, and while I'm not the smartest person alive, even I realize that it had to be him. He's probably close by, and he's probably watching me right now.

  An insane part of me wants to go to his cave and get him to come with me. I have a feeling he might want to. But he would lose a lot if he did. I think that shaman asshole has a better grip on the tribe than he does. Being that much younger than the other authority figures is probably a weakness, even for the chief.

  Jax'zan probably did what he could. But I can only guess that in this tribe, acting on his own is out of the question. Being outcast on a planet like this, having to always fend for himself against dinosaurs and huge centipedes and not-dactyls and I don't know what, is certain death. Despite everything, I absolutely understand how tough that would be. I can't force him or guilt him into that.