Wanted: Handsome Alien Abductor

by Myra Nour

  Amber gasped, wondering if David was about to slay Goliath in the dinosaur world. But then the big T. Rex raked the smaller one's stomach with its long, clawed back feet.

  The severely wounded dinosaur released the other T.Rex's throat and shrieked in pain. The big beast jumped to its feet as if its bloody neck didn't hurt, and ripped his attackers wounded stomach. Long shreds of red meat was torn from its belly.

  Amber looked away, feeling sorry for the smaller dinosaur. She put her hands over her ears, trying to cut out its screams. Unexpectedly there was total quiet. She glanced at Ryja. She'd forgotten he could control noise, and even odors.

  "Better?"

  "Yes, thank you.” She knew he was recording the event, and she hoped she hadn't ruined it for him.

  "I'm going to beam us back."

  "I've messed up your report."

  "Don't be silly. I can come back later and record the whole fight."

  Amber turned and wrapped her arms around his waist. The push back was less

  stressful, maybe because she was clinging onto Ryja. Once back in the jump room, her legs felt like jelly. The experience with the warring T. Rexs’ had been terrifying and upsetting. She was startled by the abrupt appearance of the empty shield on the second pad. Amber had forgotten about it.

  "You need something to eat,” he said gently.

  "I don't think I could."

  Ryja took one of her hands after they changed, strolling with her to the dining room. The garden scene was still there, and he didn't alter it. Amber knew it was due to her loving it so much. A warm glow spread through her, warming her chilled skin. He was being so sweet and thoughtful.

  Ryja pulled out a chair for her. Almost immediately, Mica came through the hidden door carrying a tray. He had impeccable timing. When he set the tray down, Amber had to admit it looked scrumptious. One platter was piled with finger sandwiches, the other with bite sized assortment of fruits. Her stomach growled.

  "Please,” Mica waved a hand with gracious ease. “I sweated and slaved over these little sandwiches."

  Amber couldn't imagine the android sweating and didn't know if he could. Then she realized he was joking and glanced up at him. There was the slightest smile at the corners of his perfect lips.

  She smiled back and picked up one sandwich, and took a bite as he watched. Cucumber. “It's delicious.” She finished it in two bites, then picked up two more with different mixtures inside. One was tuna, while the other was bacon and cheese. She looked over at Ryja, who was eating with gusto. His plate was filled with little sandwiches.

  Three more sandwiches later, her stomach was content. But there was still room for dessert. She selected one each of the juicy looking fruits. There were large strawberries, pineapple, peach, pear, apple, melon, and cantaloupe. They were fresh and tasted home grown. She suspected from her conversation at breakfast, Mica had bought these fruit from a farmer's market.

  After lunch, Ryja told her he was going back to record the dinosaurs fighting. Amber was wondering what she'd do while he was gone, and when she expressed this, he took her to a small room.

  Two comfy looking chairs sat near the far wall, with a delicate table between them. The room had blank white walls but then Ryja said, “English library,” and the room sprang to life.

  Three walls were filled floor to ceiling with columned bookcases, packed with books, while the fourth wall had a fireplace with a crackling fire. On either side, more books and shelves filled the space, while the chairs were placed on either side of the fireplace. A small object, that looked like a book sat on the table.

  "The library."

  "I see.” Amber walked toward the chairs. “It's amazing, but I wished those were real books."

  He strolled over to the table and picked up the thin, metal piece, about the size of a Kindle. Ryja handed it to her. “Better than a library of books."

  "It's an electronic book?"

  He nodded. “But more advanced of course."

  "How does it work?"

  "Say the name of a book."

  "The Good Earth.” The screen on the eEader popped to life, and a list appeared. The titles were all The Good Earth, but after each it said what language it was available in.

  "English,” Ryja spoke.

  The list cut down to a short one, with availability in Braille and large print.

  "English, normal print,” Amber stated, understanding the system now.

  The book tile page popped up. “Neat. But how does it know to turn the page?"

  "Two ways. Either say turn page, at which the page flipped to the first page of the novel. Or read down the page.” He grinned at her. “Go ahead, read."

  Amber was a fast reader, and when she read the last word, the page flipped to page two.

  "Wow."

  "It's pretty simple,” Ryja said. “If you want to go back say previous page. The reader responded by going back to page one. “You can also ask the book for written or spoken instructions."

  "How do you search for books?"

  "Kind of like your search engines on the web. You like history, so let's do a search.” He paused, then said, “Search Earth history, Jurassic period."

  A long list appeared, and catching on, Amber said, “Page two.” When the next page of lists came up, she said, “Predators of the Jurassic.” The book she wanted became highlighted, and then the table page popped up.

  "Ryja, thank you. I certainly won't get bored."

  [Back to Table of Contents]

  Chapter Six

  Smiling, he took his leave. Amber spent almost an hour simply looking around the massive book list. She finally chose a book about Washington she'd been wanting to read.

  After a few hours she was ready for something less text book like, and chose a romance. She was deeply engrossed in the novel and didn't even notice the door opening. Ryja stood there.

  "You hungry?"

  Amber put the high-tech book down reluctantly and realized her stomach was grumbling. “It's dinner time already.” It wasn't a question, but a statement. She joined him at the door. When Ryja stuck out his elbow, she slipped her hand into the crook.

  Upon entering the dining room, Amber was pleasantly surprised by the table setting. An elegant white tablecloth was draped over it, while a silver candelabra sat in the center. The lighting was subdued, with only the five pronged centerpiece throwing light on the table.

  "I think Mica's a romantic,” she commented as Ryja pulled out her chair.

  When he smiled, she realized it was Ryja's doing.

  "Arrak scene at sunset."

  She gasped as Ryja's homeland appeared on the walls, at least a small part. They were surrounded on three walls by craggy mountains. It was impossible to tell their color, for they were shadowy brown and black shades. The fourth wall was a deep purple ocean, its spray crashing against a rocky shore.

  The sky was black except for a huge moon over one of the mountains, and a deep magneta over the ocean. A spectacular sunset strewn with yellow, rose, green and orange spread across the whole wall above the water. It could have been a sunset on Earth except for the large size of the moon, and the bold colors of the sunset.

  She realized the midnight sky was sprinkled with dozens of tiny stars. Nothing in the constellation looked familiar. Her uncle Herb had been interested in astronomy, and she had watched the night sky many a time with him. She had become familiar with Earth's constellations.

  Ryja had sat silent while she gazed around. “It's so beautiful."

  "Wait to you see the daylight scenes."

  Mica chose that moment to enter. This time the door was hidden between the mountain ranges and impossible to spot. Amber's mouth watered as a fragrant odor drifted toward them. Setting the tray on the side table, he took her plate and started filling it.

  When Mica set the plate in front of her, Amber's stomach growled loudly. A large lobster tail with butter dripping off the sides, took up most of the plate. A loaded baked potato was in the spac
e left. The android gave Ryja a plate, and then set a bow of delicious looking salad next to their glasses.

  Amber took a bite of the lobster. So fresh. Next she had a forkful of the potato. Melt in your mouth good. The salad was crisp and as delicious as any four star restaurant she'd been to. She glanced over at Ryja, who was eating the food with enthusiasm.

  When they finished, he asked if she wanted to watch a movie. It was too early for

  bed and she was curious about Ryja's movie viewing area. They entered a small room which could have been a duplicate of the library, except the two chairs were different. They resembled the reclining chairs in many home theaters.

  They were black leather and once seated, extremely comfortable. Amber ran her fingers along the material. It was much softer than Earth's leather, the closest she'd felt was lamb's leather. She didn't bother asking Ryja about it. He'd tell her the name of some strange animal from some other planet.

  The lights dimmed when Ryja asked the room's computer to lower them. The wall in front of the chairs remained white, while the three other walls darkened to black.

  "What movie do you want to watch?"

  "I have no idea."

  Ryja looked thoughtful, and then smiled. “Earth movie, Jurassic Park."

  Amber laughed. The choice seemed appropriate, and it had been years since she saw it. She enjoyed watching it again, especially after their experiences today. She was surprised just how close the movie producers had come in getting the facts correct. Sure, there were some differences in coloration and stripes on the dinosaurs, but the major points were similar.

  "Did you get your recordings?” She asked after the movie finished.

  "Yes, and some other interesting life sequences."

  "More fights?"

  "No,” he chuckled. “A pair of Brachiosaurs were mating. It was quite a show."

  "Sorry I missed it. I can always watch it on the recording later.” Amber yawned. It had been a long day.

  "Bedtime.” Ryja pulled out her chair graciously. They discussed dinosaurs on the way to the room.

  "Earth, sunset over the ocean.” He spoke when they entered the room.

  Amber was pleased. It was hard to say which ocean was depicted, but the water was a beautiful aquamarine, turning darker near the horizon. The sky was a deep blue, making a lovely background for the multicolored clouds strewn across the wall behind the bed.

  The other three walls were of sandy beaches, the waves gently lapping the edges. The odor of ocean water pervaded the room and she breathed deeply, loving that rich nature scent. The splash of the waves was soothing and hypnotic.

  "I can sleep like a baby,” Amber plopped on the bed, and stretched out, letting the ocean experience flow through her senses.

  "I had something more active in mind,” Ryja said softly, sitting next to her. He ran one hand up her thigh.

  Amber grabbed his hand and sat up. “Wait a minute. I'm not your plaything."

  "Uh.” He looked puzzled. “But we had sex yesterday. Might I remind you how great it was."

  She swiped a strand of hair out of her face. “Of course it was, but you forget I thought it was a dream.” Amber glanced around the room. “Somewhere in the middle of our Jurassic adventure I realized this all was real."

  He stared at her. “So, you can only give yourself freely in a dream?"

  "No, that's not what I meant.” She stood up and paced the room. “I'm not some wild woman who falls in bed with someone the first night.

  At his confused expression, she tried to explain. “ I'm a woman who is looking for a serious relationship. I don't do one night stands."

  "I think I understand. I don't think you're a loose woman, if that's what you mean."

  "Something like that."

  "I will still respect you,” Ryja smiled.

  "Oh, wait.” Amber held up both hands. “That pisses me off."

  "Why, that I respect you?” His expression was puzzled.

  "No, that you'd use such an old cliche line."

  He folded his arms. “I don't understand you Earth women. I used a phrase I heard in a movie. It sounded nice to me."

  She sighed in exasperation. “All right, I concede there seems to be a language or cultural barrier. But that doesn't change the fact that I'm not going to jump in bed with you."

  His face was bland, covering whatever emotion lay beneath. She didn't know what he was thinking.

  "I have loved our time together, and the historical jump was unbelievable. But I'll leave if you wish.” She crossed her fingers behind her back. Every particle of her being did not want to leave, not yet.

  Ryja stared at the wall over her head. “No.” He looked at her. “I like you and

  we share the same interest in history.” He sat down on a nearby chair. “We seem to be at a stalemate, so what do we do?"

  "Can't we continue as before, just without the sex?” Amber asked.

  "We could...except I'll always be thinking about our lovely experience.” His eyes raked her body.

  I'll be thinking of it too. Amber knew she was being hard on Ryja, he was a man even though he was from another planet. But she had her personal standards.

  "Amber, what do Earth men do, to get you in bed?"

  If it'd been a man from Earth who asked her that, she would have been aggravated. But, it really was a simple, straightforward question, considering his origins.

  "The men date me and after...about ten dates, I may sleep with them."

  "So, the men court you.” Ryja looked thoughtful.

  She smiled at such a quaint way of putting it. No telling what movie he'd watched to pick that up.

  "Wait, why ten dates?"

  "No particular reason, just kind of my standard. I figure if a man hangs around that long he's interested in me, not just sex."

  Ryja nodded. “And the choice about whether you sleep with them or not?"

  "Depends on if I like them well enough."

  "You should know that by ten dates."

  She grinned. Now he was getting it.

  "So what consists of a date?” Ryja stood up and faced her.

  "You know,” she waved a hand. “Dinner, a movie, dancing."

  "That's it.” He looked surprised.

  "No,” she had to chuckle. “Many things can comprise dates. A girl likes to be surprised.” She walked by him, headed for the bathroom. “Call it research."

  "Wait,” he stopped her with his word. “What about today? We had dinner and

  watched a movie."

  "That's right.” She turned back, “I'll count that as one date. A date a day is the way I look at it.” She arched an eyebrow at him. “As a matter of fact our adventures could have counted as a date if it wasn't on the same day.” He didn't look too pleased by her teasing.

  After she got ready for bed, Amber realized all she had to sleep in was the t-shirt. When she came out of the bathroom, Ryja stared at her, his jaw clenched tight. She knew she was testing his limits.

  "Can you behave if we sleep together, or do you need to show me the guest quarters?"

  "I'm a gentleman,” he threw over his shoulder as he walked toward the bathroom.

  She knew he meant it, but he didn't look very gentlemanly.

  Amber confused him. He stared into the dark. She was asleep, her soft breathing soothing to him for some reason. Yesterday she'd been magnificent. Her sensual nature was hot and she'd freely given her response.

  Today had been fun and interesting. The Jurassic period was fascinating to watch

  and would make a good addition to the Galactic Library. Sharing it with Amber had made

  it special. She had a bright mind and their conversations were stimulating.

  Lunch and dinner had been enjoyable as well. With their mutual love of history, they had not run out of topics to discuss. He smiled as he thought about Amber's sense of humor. Another notch that edged her toward being the perfect partner during his stay here.

  But then, tonight, she'd
put a halt to their sexual journey. Ryja thought about her

  date requirements. It was not something people back on Arrak worried about. If you met someone compatible, you moved forward in all aspects, including sex. During his studies of Earth, he realized many women of this planet were hesitant about falling into a sexual relationship when they first met a man. Perhaps it was the fault of the men and the way they treated their partner.

  When Xartor III chose Amber, he didn't think this would be an issue. Now he realized, only because Amber thought he was a dream, did she make love with a stranger with complete abandonment.

  She was so achingly beautiful he couldn't imagine sending her back. Add to that their shared love of history, her intelligence and sense of humor—she was his perfect match except for the “no sex” requirement.

  Ryja sighed, resigned. He was simply going to have to woo her. Maybe taking a break from his time jumping wouldn't be so bad. It'd been years since he'd gone on vacation. Truthfully, he considered jumping into history to be a vacation.

  His memories of all the lovelies he'd partnered with through the years flitted through his mind. There had been one occasion where “no sex” for a particular reason had come up too. He'd forgotten that. He'd been on Ossibara and a beautiful green skinned Wooztis maid had required extra attention before she'd partake in love making. It wasn't her own standard though. The Wooztis people loved to dance, and it was woven throughout their society and its customs.

  When a man wanted a relationship with a maid, he had to learn a courtship dance. If the Wooztis man did not impress the girl with his dance, then there was no sex. Ryja had been taken with the girl, Zuta, so he'd consented to learn the dance. Never having danced before, he didn't realize he was so inapt. It'd taken him seven days to learn the intricate steps. Maybe he wasn't as bad as he thought, or he'd learned well, for Zuta had fallen into his arms afterward.

  Now Amber required ten dates. No, nine. If he took a break from recording, he could take her out every day. Nine days would be torture, but worth the wait. He desired lovely Amber like no other being he'd met before.

  As he drifted to sleep, Ryja thought that visiting present day Earth might be a good idea. He usually buried his nose in studying a planet's history. But, the current time period would have its fascinating facts as well. And technically, the next day it would be history too, as would the next hour that passed. He was just used to jumping into the past for study. Maybe it would help him understand Amber better too. Ryja yawned. Okay, it was a done deal. Amber was going to be the object of his study, at least for the next nine days.