Starport: Zeta Prime (Alt)

by S. A. Jackson

  Faron saw the man with the dark skin–Jillian’s friend. He finished talking into a square device and clipped it back around his middle. Before moving on, the man looked out into the forest for a loaded moment. Faron ducked between branches, but there was no need, the man hadn’t seen him. He looked sad as he stared, and Faron saw him draw a deep breath before continuing with his work.

  “They are still too busy to worry about her. Do you agree?” Faron turned to his men.

  Camil and Charin both agreed, after watching for some time they saw no signs of the invaders having entered the forest, they only seemed focused on their task of re-building.

  Fully satisfied—for now, Faron instructed them to go hunt, and they pounced majestically from tree to tree in search of the giant birds.

  * * * *

  By late afternoon, Jillian was sweaty and covered in dirt as she plucked the crops from the fields.

  “Some of us are going to the pool to cool off.” Shana invited her. She gratefully accepted, needing to get clean and happy to finish the tiring day’s work.

  A small troupe of them traipsed back to the village and down to the woodland path where Jillian had been taken the day of the ceremony. The lake that she had been washed in before looked even more delicious than it had done before, the water clear under that shade of the hanging trees.

  The aliens stripped down naked right away, they were definitely not a shy race, and dove into the pool like seals. Jillian followed suit, and walked to the edge–looking in. She jumped back as she saw a dark shadow swim underneath. It had been long and big, and her heart started to race at the thought of what peculiar creatures could be lurking at the bottom.

  “Come on then.” Shana called from the centre, swimming around happily. Jillian hesitated as she peered down. She had no knowledge of the water creatures that may be, or how safe they were and she had to admit to feeling scared. The group of females all stood and stared at her, baffled by her reluctance. She though she must look stupid to them–they were all enjoying the water with no thought to potential monsters–and so should she. With an almighty splash, she jumped in.

  The water was so refreshing, she was glad she had. They swam around for a while, before floating comfortably on their backs in companionable silence–listening to the rush of the tree tendrils in the breeze.

  The smallest female, Cara, swam up beside Jillian.

  “Do your people have a pool,” she asked?

  “Sort of. But we have it inside and mostly only go in it one at a time.” Jillian described the tub she used to have at the colony.

  “Weird.” Cara frowned.

  “Do you eat the same food as us?” She continued after consideration. Jillian laughed softly and answered all of Cara’s many questions about the humans. She’d been talking for some time when she realized all the other females had gathered around her, just as interested.

  “Why did you come and live on our world?” Shana plucked up the courage to ask. Jillian explained about the overcrowding on Earth and the human’s move to many colonies on many planets as best she could. As she was explaining, she noticed how arrogant and selfish her people sounded–destroying their own planet and simply taking over others to potentially do the same. With no permission from the natives, no invite. Just an over-developed sense of entitlement and brute force. Jillian was ashamed to call herself human. She had been just as arrogant and expectant. This was not the human’s world to conquer and rule–Zeta Prime belonged to the cat-people. The humans were the aliens here.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Jillian kept her concentration sharp as she talked—stopping every now and then to clarify the translations of certain words through mime, but the conversation was a revelation to her. The cat-people were so interested about her kind, and rightfully worried about the human’s invasion upon their world. She omitted the part about the gateway, about how the building of it would enable ever more humans to come, to take over. She felt that the reconstruction of it was so many years away that she would have plenty of time to warn them when the time came.

  She had been just the same as the others, assuming her right to take residence on another’s planet, just because they had the technological advancement to travel there. Jillian was grateful for the chance to have had her mind set correctly.

  As the questions died down, Jillian flipped to float on her back once again–arms and legs spread like a starfish. She lazily waved goodbye to a couple of the females who said that they were heading back and relished the gentle lapping against her skin, closing her eyes from the small pinpoints of light that beamed like lasers through the treetops.

  “Jillian. Are you coming with us?” It was Cara that spoke after some time. Jillian had been aware of movement around her, but was far too relaxed to move from her position and look up.

  “I’m going to stay a few more minutes. I’ll catch you up.” She called to her new friends. The peace at the lake was like nothing she had ever known, a glorious hush of nature and calm. The creature that swam beneath her was no longer of concern. Indeed, the females had laughed at her initial worries–Shana even picking up one of the snake-like fish and poking her finger inside its mouth to reveal a toothless gummy hole. She figured that being gummed to death was highly unlikely and thought no more about them.

  The sun was starting to lower, the jigsaw of patches of sky above the woven branches beginning to flush pastel pinks and lavender as it set.

  “I guess we’d better go and help with the meal for when the men return,” Jillian said aloud, still making no attempt to move from the water. She was met with silence. Frowning, she dipped her legs below the surface to bring herself upright and that was when she realized that she was all alone. The other females had all left. Cara must have been the last to go, and hence why she had called to her.

  She did not feel afraid, but she sure as hell didn’t want to be stuck in the forest when the sun finally dropped below the horizon. Being in the wilderness in the dark was just asking for trouble, and she cursed herself for getting so carried away in daydreams.

  Swimming over to the edge, she lifted herself out and began dressing quickly, not bothering to dry her damp skin—eager to be on her way back to the village while she could still see the path.

  A loud crack made her heart stop and she froze for a second–a myriad of bad scenarios running through her imagination. Pulling on her skirt in double-time, she got ready to run.

  “Leaving so soon? I thought we could get to know each other.” Jillian spun round to see Misha emerging from the darkness of the trees. She stood at the opposite side of the lake and put one hand on her hip. The way she had just appeared felt sinister to Jillian, who almost wished that the noise had been a beast or bird–anyone but her.

  “It’s getting dark. Perhaps we could talk on the way back to the village?” Jillian suggested, not wanting to sound unfriendly but feeling apprehensive about being alone with her. Misha slunk her way around the pool to where Jillian was waiting without speaking.

  “There’s nothing wrong with being out here. My vision is better than yours. I’ll be able to see the path back if darkness falls,” she said once she was in front of her.

  Yes, you might be able to see the pathway, Jillian thought, but will you show me where it is? Ignoring her fears, she didn’t want to show Misha any signs of weakness and folded her arms across her chest defiantly.

  “What do you want to talk about,” she asked, keeping her voice steady and confident?

  “Why don’t we talk about Faron, and how you stole him from me?” Misha spoke slowly and started to circle Jillian, like a lion stalking prey. Not about to be intimidated, Jillian stepped backwards so that the water was licking her heels to stop Misha’s pacing.

  “I think you’ll find that Faron picked me to be his mate. He wasn’t stolen from you–he made his choice and you weren’t it.” She hit back.

  “Faron used to be mine. Don’t think you know everything about him, bitch.” Misha hissed
at her angrily and turned her back to continue talking. Jillian could have run in that instant, she could have gotten a fairly decent head start if she was quiet enough, but there was no way she was going to give Misha the satisfaction of having spooked her, so she continued listening.

  “When we were younger, Faron and I were sweethearts. He promised me I would be his forever. You are just novelty to him, do you know that? A new toy he will soon get bored with and discard. Why don’t you just save us all the hassle and go back to your own kind? Faron can have an unbinding ritual and come back to me–the person he truly wants to be with.”

  “So how come he didn’t make you his mate before I came along then, Misha? It seems he had plenty of time to do it if he’d have wanted. You’re just going to have to accept that he didn’t want you and he wants me. He has yet to show signs of being bored, the exact opposite when we are in bed together, in fact.” Jillian knew it was a cheap shot but wanted Misha off her case–and her man—once and for all.

  “He was biding his time. He doesn’t want you–how could he, look at you. You are short and small-eyed. You are not one of us, Jillian. It’s time you realized that and left us all alone.”

  Jillian had heard enough. At one point, she had been inclined to feel pity for Misha, she knew how hard unrequited love could be. But, boy, was she handling it badly.

  “You’re embarrassing yourself. He doesn’t want you, and who could blame him with the poison that comes out of your mouth. You need to deal with it and move on. I am here to stay, and while I don’t expect us to become friends, you need to accept that.” Jillian started to walk towards where she hoped the path started, wanting to get back to the village and into the arms of her husband.

  With relief, she found the path easily, although the dusk was quickly moving into night, walking quickly, she weaved her way onto it.

  “Go back to your people, alien. We don’t want you.” Misha sprang out in front of her, blocking the path.

  “Give it up, Misha. You lost. Time to step down gracefully, before it’s too late.” Jillian made to barge past her.

  “No. You lose.” Misha snarled and leapt on top of Jillian, knocking her to the floor and then pinning her down.

  “Silly alien. Staying out past dark in the wilderness. They will think a beast has ravaged you – and you would have deserved it, not going back with the others.”

  Jillian tried to twist and struggle underneath her, but Misha was too strong. Did she intend to kill her, here in the woods?

  “Don’t do this, Misha. Think of how upset Faron will be. Think of what it’d do to him.” She didn’t want to, but Jillian found herself pleading, not wanting to die alone in the woods at the hands of a jealous bitch. After all she’d been through, this was not how she wanted it to end up. It was true, the others probably would think she’d been ambushed by creatures, and Misha would get everything she wished.

  “He will not be upset when I start comforting him, he’ll be glad you’re gone.”

  Jillian knew this wasn’t true. She knew that Faron really cared for her, she was secure about their love and he’d be furious if he knew she’d been trapped here in this way. Misha would be in line for serious punishment, and with cold dread, Jillian knew that she was aware of that. Her only option now would be to kill her. Leaving her alive would mean she’d be banished from the tribe when they found out, she just couldn’t risk it.

  Knowing that her only way out was to fight and get back to the village, Jillian abandoned any further discussions. Misha was not here to bargain and she needed to save her oxygen for getting away, not wasting it on useless words.

  Her wrists were held tightly to the floor by Misha’s grip, and her body being slowly crushed by the weight of her straddling her. Jillian tried to raise her hips in an effort to throw her off, but it was no good–she was too strong.

  In one fluid move, Misha jumped to her feet, still holding on to Jillian and pulling her upwards with her. She released a wrist and drew her hand back. Jillian seized the opportunity to lift her arm and yank at a fistful of hair, just as Misha’s sharp nails made contact with her cheek. She felt it open and tasted the hot, sticky blood as it began to trickle to her mouth. It stung, but she clenched her jaw against the pain, keeping her fingers tightly around the hair she had pulled from her scalp. If Misha was going to kill her, she was going to make damn sure that she got the appropriate blame and punishment for it.

  Yelping, Misha clutched her head with one hand as she growled and took another swipe with the other. This time the slash was on Jillian’s navel, and she stumbled back with the momentum of the hit. Regaining her balance, Jillian launched a kick. She was aiming for Misha’s face, thinking a few bruises may alert the tribe to foul play–Misha was not going to get away with this if she could help it. But she was too quick for her, and the kick landed on her shoulder. It didn’t stop her in her tracks as she stormed at Jillian, face contorted with rage.

  She dove and rolled across the floor, missing the next swipe narrowly, but determination thrust Misha on. She had to win this fight for her own survival, and she jumped into the air, picked up Jillian from the ground and then flung her like a rag doll against a solid tree trunk. The impact of the landing made Jillian’s bones feel as though they had splintered into thousands of pieces, and she lay crumpled and numb, unable to move as Misha came for her once more. She screwed up her eyes tightly as Misha’s arm raised to lay the final blow.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Jillian waited for the sting of a hit that did not come. Instead, she heard a shout. Male voices and the thunder of feet pounding the floor. As she prized open her eyes she saw Charin and Camil seize Misha by the arms from her sideways view on the ground. And Faron. Faron was coming for her. He scooped her into his arms and she was carried back to the village, the sounds of Misha screaming filling her ears. Faron was talking to her the whole way but she couldn’t make out what he was saying. Now she was safe, now he had her, she relented to the pain. Her gashes throbbing and her body battered.

  Jillian was carried into the village, the pain was making her confused, she heard voices around her, whispering. She thought she heard Cara and Sennan, but it was like she was listening underwater. She couldn’t understand any of the words and was too tired to respond. Plus she felt cold–really cold, her skin still clinging onto the dampness of her earlier swim.

  She was laid on a hard surface and covered with gloriously warm furs. As heat began to filter into her extremities, she found herself becoming more aware of her surroundings. A searing burn at her face shocked her into full consciousness, as she cried out. The healer was looking down on her, a soaked cloth between his fingers.

  “Sorry, I just need to clean this up.” He explained.

  Faron was at her side, stroking her hair. She managed a weak smile at him.

  “Jillian. How do you feel,” he asked? She wriggled her fingers and toes, checking they were all functioning as they should. It hurt, but mostly she just felt bruised.

  “I’ll be okay.” She reassured him and tried to sit up. The healer gently pushed her back down.

  “Once your cuts have been cleaned, you’ll be free to go. Until then, you need to stay still.” She winced as he dabbed her cheek with the cloth again but the sensation soon went away.

  “How did you find me?” She questioned Faron.

  “We were on our way back from hunting. It was Charin who saw you first, he spotted you from the branches as we travelled. He said that he saw Misha strike you, but we were still a fair distance away then. We moved as fast as we could. I’m sorry we were late.”

  “You weren’t to know. I’m just glad you came. I think … I think she would’ve killed me, Faron.”

  His face hardened, the muscles tense.

  “I will deal with her appropriately later. You are safe now, let’s just get you better.”

  After the healer had finished with his swabs, Jillian was given the all clear. She had cuts and bruises that were already beginni
ng to turn purple but no permanent damage had been done. Faron helped her down from the table and supported her as they left the hut. She hobbled but was able to walk, dismissing Faron’s insistence to carry her.

  “I’m going to visit Misha now. I want to know what the hell she was thinking.” He told her.

  “I want to come with you. Really.” Jillian could be stubborn when she wanted to be–she had to be there to make sure that Misha told a truthful version of the events, having a strong suspicion that she would try and manipulate the story to her favor somehow. She knew Faron would see straight through it, but she wanted at least the dignity of being able to speak up for herself against Misha’s lies.

  Faron led her towards a familiar looking hut–it was the place that she had been held when she thought she was prisoner. As they got closer, his pace quickened and his mouth set into a hard line. He burst through the door.

  “I want an explanation from you and I want it to be truthful.” He raged. Jillian had never seen him so angry, he was frightening–his eyes set with a cold glare. Charin had been sitting in the hut with Misha, and even he sprang back with the force of Faron’s fury. She was chained, as Jillian had been, and scuffled against the wall–cowering from the tribe leader and his wrath.

  Jillian wanted to be just as angry, but seeing Misha tremble, bunched up on the ground invoked sorrow in her. Misha’s eyes were full of tears, of fear and despair that her life as she’d known it was over. She shook violently as she cried, looking for all the world like a tragic child. Jillian knew how it felt to be looking at the end of everything you knew. She had been subject to it when her parents had died, when her first love broke her heart, when her own people turned on her and most recently–when she thought that she had been kidnapped by a hostile race.