Sirein: A Dystopian World Alien Romance

by S. J. Sanders

  Pulling out a small med-scanner, he sat it on her chest and activated its bio-scan. It glowed for a moment as it ran diagnostics before clicking off with one last bright flash. The med-unit lashed around his arm hissed as a side panel popped open, revealing a small green vial. Ji’wa drew it out with his claws and popped the seal from the top.

  He was uneasy giving her Sirei medicine, but the med-scanner had recommended it. It had never failed him before in emergencies. Besides, although her wounds were not serious for a sirein, if he did not administer it, she would likely die. According to the scanner, two organs were punctured and an infection from the venom was already setting in. The solution concocted would correct both problems over a period of two days while she slept.

  If it worked, she would wake whole and hungry. Without it, she would die.

  The choice was obvious.

  He tilted the vial’s contents into her mouth and massaged her throat to coax the fluid down. He stared down at her helplessly for several minutes, his dorsal fin quivering as he waited for some response. Any response.

  When she drew in a deep, relaxed breath, he felt his own anxiety slowly unwind. He smiled down at her as a protective urge rose within him. He wanted to guard her, to see her wake and hear her voice speak to him. He wanted it all as he felt the first glimmer of something awakening with him.

  He stilled, his smile widening with excitement. His future looked far more interesting than it had in revolutions.

  First, however, he would need to obtain a lengthy leave without drawing suspicion, and he would have to see En’il about a translator for her. He longed to speak with her so much that it was well worth the risk of the severe reprimand he courted from the High Council.

  Leaning in close to her, her drew her scent deep into his lungs. It was so sweet, and he was certain that he could track it anywhere. There was a uniqueness to it. As he drew closer to the warmth of her body, he felt a strange quickening as a tingle zipped through him, heating his blood all the way to the tip of his tail, pooling enticingly in his internal seed sack, pulsing with a growing intensity. He moaned a low, reverberating song deep in his chest as he felt instinct rise within him.

  He closed his eyes tightly and forced himself to pull away.

  Now was not the time. In any case, he was more than just his instincts. He would make himself available to her and court her… somehow. But not now. Right now, she needed to heal. He clicked in irritation. He had to return, but he did not want to leave her to sleep alone on her ship where she would be left completely vulnerable. What if someone came upon her and tried to hurt her without him there to protect her? It would be best for all concerned if he took her with him. He could return her before she woke.

  Wrapping her in a blanket from her bed, Ji’wa carried her out onto the deck, drawing her tight against his chest as he climbed over the side. He plunged a peg armed with a tracker into the wooden hull of the vessel. Satisfied that he would be able to return her without any obstacles, he adjusted his grip on her and dove back into the water.

  Upon diving below the surface, he sealed his mouth over hers and snapped his tail fin open to propel them back toward the dome city. He resolved not to be gone long. A fire was already kindled and had begun to burn within him. One that he knew would not be sated. The sooner he returned her, the sooner he would be able to begin their courtship. He would not tell anyone in command of this encounter. He did not want anyone to interfere with his interest in the female.

  He wondered what her name was, and what things gave her pleasure. He was still smiling to himself when the light of the colony dome came into view.

  Chapter 8

  Ji’wa held the female close to him, his mouth sealed over hers so he could breathe for both of them. It made him a bit lightheaded, since he had never employed the method and it reduced his own air more than he’d been prepared for.

  He was grateful for the lifesaving methods that had been a part of a basic training program that had remained unaltered from Sirenx. He was utilizing Lesson 122: rescuing a stunned sirein from the sea. Since a stunned sirein couldn’t breathe in the water any more than a land-dweller, he figured it would work about as well to force air into her lungs while he descended to the dome.

  His arms tightened around her possessively as the water around them lit up from his bioluminescent randin markings. He desperately tried to stifle the mating signals issuing from his body. Not only were they inconvenient, but any sirei in the waters nearby would have known exactly what was happening just by looking at his randin. That finally, he had a found a mate.

  It was only a small matter that his mate wasn’t one of his own species, but her unusual appearance did not matter to him. To him, she was perfect just for being who she was. Perhaps it was the mating hormones flooding his body speaking—he could not say for certain. He only knew what he felt.

  His tail fin fanned out and swept around her in an instinctive mating roll through the currents. They drifted for several minutes before he caught himself and redirected himself toward the dome. What was he doing? A proper mating ritual in the sea would have to wait. The spines of his fins twitched with interest, but he ignored it. He would have to be patient. Although he had his translator implanted many revolutions ago when he assumed his position within the command, she would need to be fitted with a translator and her wounds seen to by the medic just in case the medication did not work correctly.

  His dorsal fin flared aggressively at the thought of the male near her.

  En’il was another of his pod who had not yet found a mate. Discomfort filled him at the idea of exposing her to another male. The intensity of his territorial feelings was somewhat alarming.

  Sirei were an extremely social species, forming close familial pods within the communal pod. Although males and females could be protective of their familial pod, they were rarely aggressive toward those of the same community. Lines often blurred between friend and sibling, and occasionally even between mated pairs who were particularly close. It was not unusual for mated group families to form, or for a male or female who lost their mate to be invited to join to another mated pair.

  Ji’wa had been a rarity among his own kind, showing possessiveness and territoriality that earned many concerned remarks in his youth. His sire, Gan’thro had excused it as a phase brought about by being the only male offspring in their nest which had inadvertently encouraged his protective and possessive nature. Gan’thro had been certain that Ji’wa would outgrow it in time and as he never felt any inclination to mate, it had never been an issue. Unfortunately, the very sharp feeling zinging through him told the opposite tale. The idea of another sirei touching his female made him want to hide her behind his fins.

  With a rapid sweep of his tail fin, he propelled deeper, arching through the narrow entrance that led to the drainage chamber. He held her in place as the door latched behind them and the water slowly ebbed out of the room. Her body was limp within his arms, but that was expected. Not only was the medication keeping her sedated, but breathing for her gave her just enough air to survive. Even if she had been unharmed, she would not have remained conscious. He crouched so that he could continue to breathe through his gills for her until the water dropped low enough to clear away from her mouth.

  Once the water dropped below her chin, he broke the seal between their mouths and took his first ragged breath of air. His lungs burned with relief, and the sound of her own thin gasp was sweet to his ears. He held her as they breathed together, his body drying as the lingering drops of water rolled off his scales. He was concerned with how wet and cold she felt and wrapped his arms tighter around her, drawing his energy out into his bioluminescence, knowing that it would bring up his body temperature and hopefully warm her.

  He was relieved when her chilled skin gradually warmed and the shudders wracking her body subsided. He allowed his bioenergy to slip back into normal range, confident that she would continue to remain warm now that she was no longer so cold.

/>   Carrying the female, he strode through the familiar halls of his pod unit turned colony dome. After several days since landing, it was still strange for him to see the soft illumination of water over him rather than the darkness of scattered stars in space. Instead of cold emptiness, life pulsed all around him.

  Heavy footsteps and the click of claws drew his attention to a connecting corridor. Ji’wa stiffened, prepared to defend himself against any accusations and sharp demands that might come from his co-command. He knew that he had been gone for nearly the entire day cycle. That was bound to draw attention his way and cause some scrutiny toward his actions. His lips instinctively pulled away from his teeth as a low hiss erupted from him.

  Ger’se stepped into view and froze, his dorsal and tail fin snapping down close against his body as he stared from where he stood on the other side of the hall. His mouth gaped for only a moment before closing in a disapproving frown. The scarlet-finned male strode forward to his side, his entire frame rigid with anger and worry.

  “Ji’wa, what are you doing with that thing?” he hissed. “It does not belong down here. If High Command found out you had a land-dwelling creature within the dome, they would revoke your status and either imprison or exile you—if they didn’t insist on your execution for endangering the welfare of the pod.”

  “She is injured,” Ji’wa snapped impatiently. “You would have me leave my mate to die in the sea just to satisfy males a great distance away?”

  Ger’se’s eyes widened in horror. “That thing is your… mate? Impossible. It is not one of our kind. It couldn’t even survive in the waters down here.”

  Ji’wa bristled and spun on the other male, his tail fin unfurling as his dorsal fin raised in a clear challenge. “Do not address my female as a thing! There is nothing wrong with her.” He turned away and continued down the hall, his dorsal quivering as he spoke in a low voice. “It is not as if I am blind… I know she is different from us. All I know is that in my eyes she is perfect. All I ever wanted is this, and it distresses me that I cannot hear her voice or speak to her. More than anything, I am angry at myself for not being able to prevent these injuries. If not for that, I would not endanger her by bringing her down here.”

  He gave his friend a sidelong glance. “Besides, I should hardly be the one who needs to remind you that we are creatures of land and sea. We are not meant to live forever beneath the waves, either.”

  His longtime friend and second-in-command raised his hands, palms up in entreaty. “My apologies, Ji’wa. I didn’t intend to insult you… or… uh… her. And you are right, of course. It is just… We barely survived a disaster in space and now you are tempting fates by bringing a stranger amongst us. We cannot risk losing you. I do not wish to see my friend punished.”

  Ji’wa growled in frustration, raking his friend impatiently with his eyes. “Then help me. All that matters is her. Help me ensure that she is healed, and a translator provided, and I will make my escape with her.”

  “You would run away with this female and flaunt your desires against the will of the High Council?” His friend gaped once more. “That is a death sentence!”

  “No. I will come back and work out a way to legally return to her side or get around the High Council’s ruling.”

  Ger’se sighed, one hand running over his face wearily. “There might be a way. Let me make some discreet inquiries.”

  Ji’wa smiled at his friend. “Please do.”

  “It might not be the safest route,” his friend cautioned. “Do you really want to risk that? I mean to say… are you sure that this is the mating call and not something else? We do not know anything about this species…”

  “And what if we were brought to this planet after so long because they are meant for us?” Ji’wa interrupted. “A number of our males and females in our pod never mated. I would argue that an entire generation growing into adulthood where over thirty percent do not find mates would have something to contribute to the epidemic plaguing our species. Why should we not embrace a mate where we find them and bring hope?”

  Ger’se fell silent beside them as they walked down the corridor. “What exactly are you going to do with her from here?”

  “Nothing more than what I already indicated. I am taking her to En’il. I will get her fitted with a translator and see to her injuries. From there… I do not know. I never thought I would find a mate and never paid much attention to the proper way to establish a tie to a female.”

  “I think the only part I paid attention to was the one that involves my cock. I can’t say I remember much else of the subject,” Ger’se remarked wryly. “In my defense, the mate education seminars were dull.”

  “Then I shall grieve for whatever female brings you into maturation,” Ji’wa returned as he sidestepped in a side hall to avoid several males passing by, carrying long poles laden with large-finned water-dwellers. As soon as they passed, Ji’wa made his way down the remainder of the west corridor and entered into the nearby medical unit, keeping the bedding wrapped securely around his female, hiding her from sight.

  It was a good thing that he had the foresight to do so. At their entrance, several sirei looked up in surprise but scattered at his glower. En’il, never one to be intimidated, hastened up to the medical bed as Ji’wa settled his mate upon it. Once he was sure that they were alone save for Ger’se, he pulled the blanket back from around his female. She was not yet his mate, not until she accepted the bond—but she was still his.

  “What is this?” the medic exclaimed as he grabbed her forearm and turned her hand this way and that in curiosity.

  Ji’wa growled and snatched her hand away and laid it gently beside her. “I discovered her on the surface. She is land-dweller.”

  “Well, clearly,” the male huffed. “She has no gills, no scales, no thick protective tissue covering her body. Just thin skin and tiny claws. The lack of fins and a tail gave it away at first glance. But why is she here?”

  “She was injured by one of the native predators.”

  “How unfortunate,” the medic said as he glanced down at the red puncture marks and scratches on her torso. The flesh was marred by bright red streaks that looked incredibly painful.

  The medic nodded as he looked her over. “I see that you have given her a treatment solution. It appears to be working well. I will do a full examination, just to make certain, and will keep her sedated. This shouldn’t be difficult to finish mending in our healing pod. I think I can even adjust the schematics for an artificial mouthpiece, based on the ones used by our young whose gills haven’t finished properly developing when we need to evacuate them during emergencies. I do believe that the similarities in our physiology will benefit her when you return her to the surface without her even waking.”

  En’il glanced up and lifted a thick brow. “You are returning her, I presume…?”

  Ji’wa took a deep breath. “Yes… but it is not that simple.”

  “No?” En’il asked absently as he continued to look her over. One hand plucked at the fabric covering her breasts, and Ji’wa growled and snapped his hand over that of the medic’s, meeting the other male’s startled gaze with one that threatened retribution.

  “She is mine,” he hissed.

  The medic jerked his hand away as he sucked in a breath. “Oh… Oh! That does make it different.” That he met Ger’se’s gaze did not slide beyond Ji’wa’s notice, but he understood they had good reason to be concerned. Bringing her to their dome could upset High Command and cause a ripple effect in expunging all current leadership into minor roles. While Ji’wa was the only one who might possibly face death, Ger’se and En’il would be seen as collaborators and duly punished.

  “Please, just get a translator implanted, heal her, and I will return her to the surface while I figure out my next steps,” he murmured.

  “Do you think she will accept your mating?” Ger’se asked, doubt clear on his face.

  “I don’t know, but I have to try.”

&n
bsp; “Very well,” his second muttered. “I will look into the matter I mentioned.”

  Ji’wa nodded his thanks as he moved the female from the bed into a healing pod while En’il stood to the side preparing the translator injector. Brushing her filaments from her face, he smiled down at her and arranged her in what he assumed would be a comfortable position. His gaze remained fastened to her until the lid of the healing pod slid closed, obscuring her completely from his sight.

  Now there was nothing for him to do but wait.

  Chapter 9

  Ji’wa paced the short distance provided in his private study, tracing out exactly thirty-five steps one way, and twenty-nine the other way at the room’s narrowest point. It had been days since he returned his female to her vessel and his frustration was rapidly mounting, and so he had taken to pacing in his office. Attached to his private chambers, his office was his one real retreat where he could think, and worry. And worry he did, so much so that the faint smell of crushed flowers and comfortably warm air did little to soothe or distract him from his turmoil. Even the pale green hue of the room, selected specifically for the restfulness of the color, didn’t help.

  With a low growl, he stopped in front of one of several shelves anchored to the walls. He allowed his eyes to fall restlessly upon the various pieces of unfamiliar tech and the random personal mementos he had collected throughout his life traveling through the stars. Usually, looking at them stretched out across the shelves gave him joy. He picked up one hand-carved zithnilian glowstone shaped like an exotic flower and cupped it in his hand. A rosy glow slowly seeped out from it, illuminating the shadows cast by his fingers.