by Celeste Raye
She stopped talking for a minute and looked around the room. They were alone. Alexis, Queen Destiney, and the doctor had given her privacy to speak from her heart. She laid her head on his chest and spoke to his soul. "Ohber, wake up. I don't want to be here without you. I told you once before; you are everything to me. I am irrevocably in love with you. It feels so odd to say that to an alien. Stranger still, I am the alien on this planet. I know I'm rambling, but saying I love you out loud is scary. Come back." She kissed his chest, directly over his heart, and whispered, "Fight for us."
The hand she held gave hers a gentle squeeze. She raised her head and found Ohber's eyes were open. He was very ill, but his eyes were focused. He smiled. Valeri sobbed in relief. He had fought his way back. In a dry, hoarse voice he said, "I will fight for us. It may take me a long time, but I will fight."
"You are home and safe. We did it. No more experiments to torture you. I promise. Forgive me for my part in them. I now realize how wrong it was to use all of you that way. How can I make up for it?' Valeri asked.
Ohber's smile grew bigger. He replied, "You brought me home. The only other thing I need is you. In all my dreams of home, you were there. We walked in the sea, gazed at the moon, and fought side by side. You need no forgiveness. It was you that saved me. You battled for my freedom. You fought valiantly against your own father. Your voice pulled me back from death. I need you. I love you."
Valeri wiped her tears. She clung tightly to his hand. "I love you too."
A gurgling laugh came from Ohber, "I thought I was dreaming when you said it before. How good to know I was not. I need nothing more. I am home, and I am loved. What more could I ask for?"
Valeri grinned, "How about this?" She leaned over and kissed his lips. To her surprise, Ohber deepened the kiss. Their souls met in their lips and rejoiced with the love they found.
Alexis returned. She was smiling. "Well, I see the patient is awake. He must be mending if he can kiss like that." She checked his pulse and listened to his heart and lungs. "You're not out of the woods just yet, but everything sounds better than it did earlier. The doctor will be back soon. His opinion is better than mine. Keep fighting, and you will live. Valeri, let's push his bed to the window. I think he has earned a look at the moons."
Together, they pushed and pulled until the bed was by the window. Tears ran unheeded down Ohber's cheeks as he stared at the four moons. They meant he really was home. He could rest now. Ohber closed his eyes and slept peacefully.
A little girl ran into the room. Alexis put a finger to her lips. The little one tiptoed to her and held up her arms in silence. The child was beautiful. Blonde hair fell to her waist. Her skin was translucent. It reminded Valeri of opals. Her sea blue eyes sparkled with mischief. Alexis kissed her face and said, "Meet my daughter, Nexxa. Sweetheart, this is Valeri. She came all the way from Earth to bring back one of our warriors. Say, hello."
Nexxa jumped down, extended a tiny hand, and said, "Hello, lady. Welcome to our home. Where is my daddy's warrior? He will want him back. He teaches them to use swords. It is not fair. Boys have all the fun."
Valeri burst into laughter. This little girl was so precious. She was beaming with energy and funny as well. Valeri answered, "The warrior is sleeping. He has been very sick. Your mommy has to fix him and then he can go back to your daddy. Is that okay with you?"
Nexxa's face lit up with a smile, "You bet. My mommy can fix anything. She fixes my booboos, and Scyon's too. He is my best friend. Can he meet you too?"
Valeri was more than willing to oblige. If Scyon was as adorable as Nexxa, it would make a perfect ending to the day.
Chapter 11:
Alexis checked on Ohber one more time. She told Valeri, "His fever is breaking. He is sleeping peacefully and will do so for several hours. Join us for a real meal. Queen Destiney and I are anxious to hear your story."
Valeri kissed Ohber's forehead and promised, "I will be back soon. They need to know the truth as soon as possible. I love you." She reluctantly followed Alexis and Nexxa. She didn't like leaving Ohber alone, but it was necessary.
They found the queen trying to convince a small boy to sit down and eat. He seemed to prefer stabbing the furniture with a little wooden sword. Valeri decided that this must be Scyon. Her suspicions were confirmed when Nexxa ran to him and said, "Scyon, this lady wants to meet you. She brought daddy a warrior, but he's sick."
Scyon was a handsome little boy. He appeared to be very human, except for the muscles in his arms: all four of them. Those were obviously from his Milisarian genes. He looked up at Valeri with Queen Destiney's amber eyes. "Hi, want to play swords? Nexxa says girls should be allowed to fight too. Mommy did. She fought a very bad man that wanted to hurt my daddy. Daddy's the king. I'm a prince, but don't call me that. It sounds girly to me."
Valeri was astounded. These children were very intelligent for their ages and already knew much of Milisaria's history. They also talked a lot. She found them enchanting and funny. Valeri answered Scyon, "You can teach me to use a sword later. Let's eat first. The food will make us strong so we can fight." Scyon liked the logic in her statement and sat down to eat.
"Thank you for that," Queen Destiney said. "I couldn't get him to be still. He was born to be a Milisarian Knight. He would much rather fight than eat. Sit down and relax. You have had quite an adventure. We want all the details."
Valeri wasn't sure where to start. If she told the story wrong, it could start a war between Earth and many planets. But, all of Earth wasn't to blame. Mankind shouldn't be punished for the cruelty of a few greedy people. She needed to temper the truth with reasoning. She began, hoping to find the perfect words, "My father is a scientist. I am too. He began an experimental program years ago. He thought that alien DNA held answers to human illnesses. He asked for volunteers. No one came forward, and he lost funding. A clandestine group of Earth's government handed over some unintelligent alien life forms along with the money for experiments. Dad jumped at the chance, but things changed. They started sending intelligent life, like Ohber."
Queen Destiney cut in, "Who in the government is involved? Does the president condone this?"
Valeri was quick to reply. "No, he doesn't. You can't condone something you don't know exists. I don't know who is behind the experiments. It's not the regular part of our government. Its origins are deeply hidden."
Alexis asked, "Where are they getting the aliens?"
"It's not completely clear where they come from. My best guess is that they capture ones that are separated from a group. The small craft we came in only holds four. It would be easy to take it and claim no knowledge of its disappearance. In Ohber's case, an explosion caused terrible injuries. He was taken during his recovery." Valeri was worried about telling them the rest. She gathered her courage and continued, "He isn't the only Milisarian they have. I have seen one on life support. Two more are locked away in the basement of the building. They have not been used in the experiments yet. I'm sure their turn is coming soon. I have seen Voltunis, Reptilarians, and Arkani. There are more that I don't recognize. They need help."
"What is the purpose of the experiments? What are they doing to these aliens?" Alexis was frowning. As a scientist, she knew the experiments were not humane.
Valeri tried her hardest to make the experiments sound less cruel and more worthwhile. She replied, "The scientists know that other species either never become ill or they can overcome any sickness they encounter. They tested blood samples to find out how that was possible. They hoped to use alien blood to make cures for human diseases. They are already on the verge of curing Alzheimer's disease. I got to be a part of some of those tests. It's a miracle."
"You're not telling us everything. Ohber didn't get in that condition from blood tests. During his treatment, you mentioned giving him injections containing illnesses. Please explain," Alexis pleaded.
Reluctantly, Valeri went on, "The more the government paid, the worse the experiments became. My dad and
the other scientists got greedy. They began giving human illnesses to the aliens. If they fought it off, the antibodies in their blood got us closer to a cure. If they didn't, no one cared. Eventually, the money became their goal, not cures. The more information they fed the government, the more money they collected. The aliens were expendable. They did meaningless testing, cruel experiments, and punished the aliens for fighting back. They gave an old Arkani cancer. They forced the Voltuni to electrocute Ohber. She fought against it and saved his life. I was sent away for a while. My dad said I was getting too nosy. Their nurses were gone as well. The aliens suffered during our absence. The Voltuni was denied electrical current. The Arkani had no pain medication. The Reptilarian came close to dying without water, and he had an infected wound. Ohber's wounds went untreated. He scratched them until he was covered in blood. My father had him locked to his bed for insolence. Ohber had tried to get out and help the others."
Valeri's tears brought hugs from Nexxa and Scyon. She had forgotten they were there. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be so graphic with the children here."
Queen Destiney declared, "Don't apologize. We hide nothing from them. They are the future of Milisaria. It's important that they learn early how to deal with such things. Our reactions to these situations teach them more than a classroom can."
Valeri protested, "They are just babies. The history I read says they are three."
Alexis laughed, "It's true, but on Milisaria, the children grow up quickly. Scyon will begin training as a knight when he is just fifteen. He already carries rocks and bricks to help build dwellings. It is meant to build muscle so he may use our heavy swords. Nexxa goes to the lab with me. She can mix a vaccine if given the ingredients. Continue with your story."
"I had to do something to change things," Valeri added. "My brother is a computer whiz. He found out that the government was getting suspicious. Dad was sending them worthless information. I confronted my father and begged him to stop. I asked him to let the aliens go. He said it wasn't possible. He kicked me out and banned me from the building. My brother, Victor, discovered that after the aliens were no longer useful, they were put down, killed. I had to get Ohber out. Victor and his friends used computers to override the building’s locks and cameras. I got Ohber, stole the ship, and brought him home. So many were left behind. They will be punished for what I did. If the government finds out that one alien escaped to tell on them, they will have the others killed. It has been an entire week since we left. Anything could have happened. You have to save them."
The queen considered the information. She looked to Alexis for help. "We have to rescue our warriors. I don't want an interplanetary war. It would destroy innocent lives and possibly entire planets. King Siefer wouldn't want so many to die either. He and Nabvan will find a way to get the knights out, but the whole program must be shut down. Do you have any suggestions?"
"I have friends on Earth that might be willing to help," Alexis stated. "They work for NASA. It will be dangerous for them to interfere. However, they will see the necessity just as we do. I don't know what to do about the other aliens. We are not in control of their planets."
"We are not even friendly with them all," the queen added. "Their planets could start a war with Earth. This is a delicate matter. It must be handled with great care, and fast. Alexis, what time is it on Earth?"
"It's just past dawn. I can send a message to NASA now. It will reach them in about three hours. This will be a long conversation. Sent through space, it may take days." That was a warning to be patient. Alexis knew it would be hard for Valeri to wait.
"It will give Nabvan and my husband time to plan the rescue. They will take a warship. It is fast and will save several days in their journey. King Siefer returns from the villages in the morning. We can begin planning at that time. Send the message, Alexis. I will put the children to bed." She turned to Valeri. "You need sleep also. I am aware of your attachment to Ohber. Don't fret. I have arranged for a bed to be placed by his side for your use. Sleep well. You've accomplished a lot today. We've got it from here."
Queen Destiney herded the sleepy and complaining children to her chambers. Nexxa could stay for the night. Alexis had work to do. Sending messages to Earth was difficult at times. It was seldom done, and specifying a location like NASA would be even harder. It saddened her to know that humans could be so cruel to other species. She loved Milisaria and its inhabitants. Her son was a part of both planets. Earth women had married Arkani men as well. They too had children. Their planets were joined with Earth via treaties and marriages. How could they justify experiments and cruelty toward other species? She was proud of Valeri and Ohber for caring about those they left behind. It was an omen for the future. Relationships, even friendships, could evolve with other species. They just had to see the others as equals and care about their lives. It was a learning process. Scyon and Nexxa weren't the only ones in need of teaching.
Alexis hurried to the communications room. The faster she sent out the message, the sooner the aliens could be freed. The atrocities they had endured were loathsome to her. She was just a scientist, yet she followed the same oath as a doctor: first do no harm. It went against her sensibilities to torture even the lowest of creatures, much less intelligent species.
She wished Nabvan and the king were there. She needed her husband's strong arms to hold her for just a moment. It would make the situation more bearable. They would be back tomorrow. She would have to wait. They would be furious and want to attack Earth. She and Queen Destiney would have to find a way to calm them. They were true warriors, and the answer to most of their problems was war. That couldn't happen. Worlds were at stake.
Alexis wrote the message first. It read: Need your help. Experiments being performed on captive aliens. Earth's government involved. Not president. Deeper and clandestine. Must shut it down. Cruel experiments, deaths. Will you help? Alexis of Milisaria.
Sending it was much harder. It had to be routed through satellites in a way that would go unnoticed by the government. She had to send it directly to her friends at NASA. If it was intercepted, there would be bigger problems to contend with. She worked most of the night, routing and rerouting the message. It went through. She would get an hour or two of sleep while she waited for an answer. Alexis curled up on the floor. When an answer came in, she would hear it. She trusted the queen to take care of Nexxa.
The loud beeping of the communicator woke Alexis from a torturous dream. She was dreaming about those left on Earth and what punishments they might have to endure. The beeping was a relief. Her friends at NASA had answered. Their message read: Always ready to take on government. Aliens are kind of our thing. Need details. Where? Who? When? You sending help? Earthlings of NASA.
Alexis immediately began the next message. She gave them as much detail as she could. They would have to find some information on their own. She realized she needed to get Valeri's brother involved. He could tell them much more. She would wake up Valeri and send the information in the next message. For now, she needed to check on her daughter, take a shower, and see to Ohber. Nabvan would be home soon. She had to prepare for his arrival as well.
All was still quiet as she made her way to her quarters. Nabvan and she had moved to a much larger suite of rooms. Nexxa's arrival had meant the need for more space. She had her own room, which gave her parents more privacy. It was lonely without her family to fill it. She hurried through the shower, grabbed a snack, and went in search of company. Nabvan met her on the way to the king's quarters. Telling the queen that NASA would help had to wait. Nabvan swept her up and carried her back to their bed. He wanted to be welcomed home in style. It was fine with Alexis. She always missed her mate. It might even make him stay calmer for the news she had to impart.
Queen Destiney was faced with a similar situation. She too gave in to her husband's desires. Thankfully, the rambunctious children were still asleep. This was one lesson they were too young to learn. Valeri would have to be told how demanding Mil
isarian warriors were in the bedroom. Maybe it would be more fun if she discovered it for herself.
Chapter 12:
Ohber alternated between watching Valeri sleep and staring out the window of his home world. He had never expected to see either one again. When Reginald had injected the new virus, he had also told Ohber that Valeri was gone and would not be returning. He had resigned himself to dying alone on a foreign planet. Miracles did happen. He was home, Valeri was with him, and his body was healing. Through the big window, he could see Milisarians in the marshes, knights practicing, and children playing. Milisaria looked the same, but felt different somehow. It took some time for him to figure out why. Then he realized, everyone was happy. There was no fear or sadness on their faces. Knights stopped practicing to help villagers load wagons. Children dressed in finery played beside those dressed in hand-me-downs. Even the lowliest of villagers carried communication devices. King Siefer had made Milisaria a new world. It was so much better.
He turned as the door opened. He recognized his savior, Alexis. She appeared shocked that he was standing. He grinned and bowed. "I am a fast healer. My body evolved to the demands placed on it in the experiments. Thank you for your hard work. You are a great healer."
Alexis shook her head, "I just aided the doctor. I'm only a scientist. You look much better, but I know you are not completely well. You must not pretend or overdo it. Sit down and let me check your pulse and temperature."
"I am well enough. I must speak to the king and his commander. There are others, still on Earth, that need help." Ohber sat quietly and allowed Alexis to check him over.
