Alien Soldier's Baby (Scifi Alien Romance) (Zoran Warriors) (3 page)

“
P
lease wake
up and return to your seat. You will arrive at your destination shortly. Please wake up…”

I open my eyes. Or I try to. They feel welded shut. The sleep-inducing drugs are still coursing through my veins, and I’m in dire need of some caffeine to get me up and running. With a loud, prolonged moan I stumble my way out of the sleeping pod.

Cryogenic sleep is the
worst
.

While rubbing the sleep out of my eyes I stumble towards the food dispenser.

“Coffee please,” I mutter.

“Unknown input!” the mechanical voice responds.

“Coffee!”

“Unknown input!”

“Argh!” I hit the device with the palm of my hand. I’m in no mood for its robotical sass this morning… or afternoon… or whatever time it is.

“Unknown input!”

“
Kuia
,” Koryn’s low voice says from behind. The machine whirrs and serves me a hot cup of… alien liquid.

“It’s not like coffee, but it’s the closest thing this machine will make,” he says. “Did you sleep well?”

I turn and stare at the purple alien. I mutter a quick thank-you as I gulp the drink down, nearly burning my throat, and I return to the land of the living as the synapses in my brain fire again.

I realize with horror that I’m standing in front of the alien warrior wearing nothing but a long T-shirt. My hair must be a total mess, and I don’t want even want to think about my breath right now.

My cheeks burn bright with embarrassment as I slam the cup down and sprint towards the bathroom, keeping the bottom of my shirt tucked down so I don’t accidentally flash him all the goods.

I’m thankful for this ship’s shower – I feared the military vessel would have a cramped space, but it’s a veritable Valhalla in the washing room. The shower is made for a seven foot tall Zoran, so for me, it’s like being in the middle of a tropical rainstorm.

As the warm water caresses my skin I let my mind wander to the kiss we shared. I can still picture Koryn’s shocked face.

Truth be told, I feel a little guilty. I just wanted to tease the stoic warrior, get him out of that armor-plated shell of his a bit; lighten the mood.

And I admit that perhaps a small part of me just wanted to kiss his full, dark lips.

He’s an excellent kisser. Even though it lasted a mere moment, I can tell he’s skilled at more than just fighting… but I have no intention of finding that out, of course. I’m on a cleanse! No matter how much Jill laughed at me when I told her, I’m sticking with it, damn it!

However, that hurt look in his honey-colored eyes when I pulled away and slammed his hand down on the table? That crushed me. I have to make it up to him somehow.

Without giving him the idea that I’m in love with him or anything. I don’t care
what
Jillian says, but I’m not going to cuddle with him next to a smoldering fire while we gaze at the stars.

I just needed a taste. A quick fix. I could only stare at his chiseled jawline, his broad shoulders, or the veins running up his muscled, amethyst-colored arms for so long without… you know.

The only problem?

Now I want more.

I strap myself into my seat next to Koryn, freshly showered and actually wearing clothing this time.

“Just in time,” he says. “We’re about to arrive on Zenus, so I’ll have to use the engines to slow us down. It’ll give another kick, just like the launch did.”

“Great. Can’t wait,” I answer, securing the strap that’s keeping me in my seat a little more. Not that I have to. The landing will feel like an elephant is sitting on my chest.

“Here it goes,” Koryn says. He hits a few switches, and it starts. The entire ship rumbles and rattles as the engines fire, the intense pressure on every part of my body returning instantly. My eyes hurt – everything hurts actually. I see dark spots, and the sound seems to drift away, and I realize I’m fainting. I hold my eyes open, staying conscious by sheer will alone.

I don’t want Koryn to see me faint. He thinks humans and females are weak, and seeing as I’m both, I’m dead-set on proving him wrong.

The uncomfortable – and that’s putting it rather lightly – feeling subsides when Koryn kills the engines. An enormous emerald orb set against the black backdrop of space sits silently in front of us.

“Zenus,” Koryn says.

“It’s gorgeous.”

Our ship nosedives down towards the surface, and the planet gets closer and closer until it’s all we can see. It’s several times the size of Earth, and mostly uncharted – because it’s in hostile space. The Ygg’s home-planet is only a galaxy away. Far enough away that it’s not an immediate concern, but close enough to make me anxious.

“Are we alone here?”

Koryn peers down at his scanners.

“Seems like it.”

“We haven’t been spotted?”

The mauve man turns to me. “No. Not unless they’re staring at us through binoculars. Which I don’t think they can. No thumbs.”

Did I just catch him making a joke?

A sea of trees rises up from the surface of the planet to greet us. It stretches out as far as the eye can see. I stare open-mouthed at the splendor, and I feel humbled. We could very well be the two first intelligent lifeforms to ever see this beauty up close.

“We need a clearing to land,” Koryn says, “but I don’t see any.”

He takes us down low, until we’re hovering above the canopy of the ancient forest. There’s no man-made structure anywhere on this rock, and I wonder if this is what Earth would’ve looked like if we humans hadn’t been around.

“There,” he says. Ahead there’s a small pocket of space, and Koryn guides the ship down into the darkness. The trees are so thick, their leaves so plentiful, that they blot out the sun.

The ship lands silently, and with a deep sigh I unstrap myself.

This is it.

One small step for man…

“Put this on,” I say as I hand Koryn a spacesuit. I have to carry it with both my hands, for the thing is damn near twice my size. I looked in the locker, but unfortunately, there’s no human-sized spacesuit on board. I could try to slip into the Zoran-sized suit, but I fear I’d look like a baby in there: totally engulfed.

Koryn laughs at me, shaking his head. “What do you mean?” he says as he hits the button that will open the outer-hatch.

“The atmosphere!” I say, panic gripping my voice. “Who knows what’s out there?!”

“We have the readings, it’s safe to breathe,” he says. “Come.”

He pulls the suit from my hands and throws it back in the locker. He grabs my hand and lifts me off my feet, pulling me outside and into the unknown.

I know I volunteered for this mission, but now that I’m a single step away from setting foot on this alien world, I have to admit I feel a slight sense of trepidation.

In other words, I’m scared shitless.

“Open your eyes.”

Koryn places me on the ground, which feels soft under my feet. I feel leaves, grass, moss. Twigs break under my weight, and I sink into the high grass with every step. The air is heavy with pollen and more different scents than I can place, each one more alluring than the last.

I take a deep, long breath, letting the air flow through my lungs. I don’t think I’ve ever had air this clean before. I feel it in every pore in my body.

The trees that surround us on all sides are immense; so thick I think Koryn would struggle to wrap his arms around them, and their branches reach so high I have to crane my neck all the way up to see. Down here it’s not as dark as I thought. My eyes quickly get used to seeing in the dimly lit forest.

It’s not bad here; nothing threatening yet, anyway. But there is something unsettling about this planet, something that takes me a moment to put my finger on. And when I finally do, I can’t ignore it.

It’s the silence. I expected to hear insects rustling in the leaves, birds chirping in the trees, wildlife scampering through the high grass. But the only thing I hear is our own breathing.

Did our incursion scare everyone off, or is there something else going on?

The planet’s teeming with plants, so other forms of life can’t be far off. Koryn doesn’t seem disturbed, though.

“Time to get the scanner going,” he says as he unloads several crates. He opens them to reveal a multitude of drones.

“Will those help us find the cave formations?” I ask.
Evides
is only located in water that is deep underground, and short of starting a massive excavation, a cave would be perfect for me to run my tests on.

“Exactly,” Koryn answers. He hits a button on his remote and the drones spring to life, hovering obediently in the air a few feet above us. A second later they whir away, each one of them going a different direction.

It still surprises me how they can navigate through the dense woods at such high speeds without bumping into any trees. I know it’s nothing special – after all, we just crossed half the galaxy in a few days – but sometimes it’s the little things that can astound you the most.

“How long will this take?”

Koryn shrugs. “Depends. A few hours. A few days. Want to get us something to eat?”

“Sure thing.”

I head inside and order the food dispenser to whip us up a nice, hearty meal. I’m not too crazy about Zoran cooking in general, and this robot’s food in particular, but the convenience of it all beats slaving away over a stove. Not that the ship has one to begin with.

I’m already looking forward to one of Jillian’s home-cooked meals.

A minute later I head outside carrying two plates of steaming hot meat stew. Koryn told me it’s his favorite and, seeing as he got us here safely, I think he deserves a nice meal.

He’s standing in a beam of light, one foot resting on a tree trunk, as he stares off into the woods. The glittering light makes his purple skin take on a violet-red tone. I don’t call for him yet – I want to enjoy the sight for just a second longer.

Maybe cuddling up next to a fire with him wouldn’t be so bad after all.

“
T
hank you
,” I say as I accept the plate.

Kelly sits across from me on a tree stump, her legs crossed as she picks at her food.

“Is it not to your liking?”

“It’s okay,” she says. “Could be worse.”

I glance at my com, but the drones haven’t found anything worthwhile yet. With the immense size of this planet, our mission could take days, weeks, even months if we’re incredibly unlucky. Fortunately we have everything we need to survive right here on our ship.

Darkness falls, and without the sun shining down on us, the temperature drops rapidly. Kelly shivers and rubs her arms. “Do you mind if we go inside?”

“Of course not.”

We continue our meal inside, in silence but for the ship’s systems humming silently in the background. I turn the thermostat up a notch for Kelly’s benefit, as I know how easily humans get cold.

“How did you meet Vinz?” she asks.

I lean back in my chair, stretching my arms above my head. “That’s a long story.”

“It seems we have the time.”

“That we do. Very well.” I pause for a second. How do you tell someone a lifetime’s history in the span of a few minutes?

“I’ve known Vinz since we were recruits, back on Minkel V. That’s where the Zoran military trains their men.”

“What was he like when he was young?” Kelly asks as she takes a sip of
kuia
. I think she’s starting to take a liking to the hot stuff.

“Brash. Reckless. Cocky.”

Kelly raises her eyebrow at me. “That doesn’t sound like the Vinz I know.”

“That’s because some things happened. Things that can change a man.”

“Is that how you got your scar?”

Unconsciously, my fingers were tracing the outline of my scar. It runs straight down my face, from my scalp to my chin, across the right side of my face.

“I’m sorry,” Kelly says when she sees the look that must have been on my face. “I didn’t mean to pry.”

“It’s okay,” I say. “You’re right. Do you want to hear that story?”

She nods.

“If we’re going to swap tales, we’ll need a proper drink as well.”

I walk up to the food dispenser and grab two cups of
cuhla
, the Zoran alcoholic drink of choice. I hand one cup to Kelly and she takes a whiff. Instantly she shoots back, her face contorted.

“Oh my god,” she says. “I can feel it burning in my nose! What the hell is this?”

“
Cuhla
,” I say with a laugh. “A soldier’s best friend.”

“You can’t seriously drink this, right?”

I put the cup to my lips and take a small sip of the spicy, jet-black liquid. It heats my throat, and I can feel it sliding down, warming me from the inside. A pleasant buzz courses through my veins.

“Take a sip,” I tell her. “You’ll like it.”

Kelly takes a deep breath, gathering all her courage. “One sip. No more.”

I nod. “Go on.”

She brings the cup close, but backs away when the smell hits her nostrils. Keeping her nose pinched shut, she throws the cup back, downing it like a shot, and instantly moans regretfully. Her face is scrunched up and she waves her hands around, as if she’s fanning the flames inside her mouth.

“It’s so awful,” she groans. “It tastes like a muddy leather shoe!”

Meanwhile, I can’t stop laughing.

“It’s like molten glue,” she complains. “Oh god. Stop laughing!”

Her hands clutch her stomach. “It’s like a war is taking place in my stomach now.”

I wipe the tears from my eyes. This has been suitable payback for her little ruse earlier.

“Nice, isn’t it?”

Kelly groans. “It’s the most awful thing I’ve ever tasted.” Her cheeks are flushed bright red: the alcohol doing its work.

“It’s an acquired taste,” I say. “You’ll learn to love it.”

I grab her a cup of
kuia
, so she can get the taste out of her mouth. “Drink this, it’ll help,” I say. Kelly gratefully accepts, knocking the entire drink back in one go.

“How do you feel?”

Kelly burps, her face turning even redder, this time out of embarrassment. “I feel like I’m floating.”

“I’m sorry,” I say, trying to keep from smiling. “I couldn’t resist.”

“How strong is this stuff anyway?”

“Pretty strong.”

“How strong is that?”

“Strong enough to knock a Zoran off his feet, if he’s not careful.”

She looks at me, her blue eyes filled with disbelief.

“You’ll be fine,” I say. “You earned your story. You handle your drink like a true warrior.”

Except that Zoran warriors don’t look quite so cute with their faces all scrunched up.

“Hoorah,” she says, her hands still rubbing her stomach.

I get her another cup of
kuia
as I go over the details in my mind. Every time I see myself, I’m reminded of that fateful day when I saved Vinz’s life – and nearly paid with my own.

“It happened on Cotonia VI.”

I take another sip of
cuhla
, swirling it around my mouth, the spicy blend making all the synapses in my brain fire. I realize I’ve never actually
talked
about this day to anyone before. Vinz and I have an unspoken agreement, and no Zoran ever asked about my prominent scar.

Sharing is not the Zoran way.

“It was our first combat mission. The Ygg had invaded, without warning; without reason. They indiscriminately murdered thousands of Zoran. We underestimated those bugs… and thousands paid the price. You ever seen one?”

Kelly shakes her head.

“No, of course not. If you did, you wouldn’t be around. No offense. They’re tough bastards. Come in all shapes and sizes. Some of those insects are as small as a dog, and some as big as an elephant. Covered in armor plating, all jaws and fangs. Their mandibles can crush a man in two, and they can shoot acid that’ll melt through damn near everything. The winged ones are the worst – they can drop in at any moment.”

Kelly’s eyes grow wide, and I realize I’m scaring her. Good. She ought to be terrified of them.

“They seem to have a hive-mind intelligence. We dismissed them as mere bugs when Zorans first encountered them, but they somehow evolved the ability to travel through space itself. Life’s cruel joke.”

Kelly watches me talk breathlessly. It feels good to get this all off my chest. I’ve had to keep it all stored away inside, and getting it all out there feels… relieving.

“Vinz led our squad into battle. He was our captain. We were all anxious to give those bugs some payback for what they did. A lot of us had family on Cotonia VI.”

I pause for another sip. I don’t feel comfortable sharing how I lost my mother quite yet. Maybe someday… but for right now, sharing one war story is more than enough.

“However, we were outgunned. Outmatched. Our weapons couldn’t pierce their armor. Meanwhile, they cut through us like a knife through butter. It wasn’t a battle. It was a slaughter. Retreat was the only option, but Vinz was reckless. Overeager. Desperate to prove himself worthy of command. He pushed on, and we followed.

“Soon, it was just the two us left. Our squad had been torn apart in front of our eyes. We were surrounded on all sides. It was hopeless. I tackled Vinz and dove into a cave formation. We fell into the darkness, tumbling down for what felt like miles. I hit my head and lost consciousness.”

I stare straight ahead, looking right through Kelly. I feel like I’m back in that cave. I can feel the cold on my skin, smell the fungi in the air.

“When I opened my eyes, I saw the largest Ygg I had ever seen had Vinz pinned down to the ground. It was the size of an elephant. It looked different from any other beast I’d seen before. Its armor glowed bright green, and its great stinger was pointed straight at his heart.

“I didn’t think. I just charged forwards as the stinger came down, and I arrived just in time. The stinger came down across my face, hence the scar. Blinded, I staggered forwards, and in a final, desperate attempt, I pulled out a dagger and stabbed the giant beast.

“By a stroke of luck, I hit the beast’s soft belly, and cut open a main artery. A foul green liquid burst out, dousing us both, and it collapsed. Turns out that beast was a Ygg Queen. Having lost their leader, the Ygg disbanded and retreated instantly.”

I take another sip of my
cuhla
. Silence envelopes the room, the soft, gentle whirr of the ship’s life-support systems the only thing making any sound.

“Vinz owes you his life,” Kelly says.

I nod. “Yes. This is not the story I told the generals. Vinz would have lost his command. Instead, I told them that Vinz had heroically saved my life. He was promoted, and I’ve served by his side ever since.

“Never tell anyone a word of this,” I say after a short pause. “I’ve never told anyone before.”

Kelly nods, holding her cup tightly as she listens to my story. “My lips are sealed,” she promises. “Thank you for sharing.”

I shrug. “Thank you for asking. It felt good.”

I unclench my fist, letting my body relax. Unconsciously, my entire body had tensed up as I relived that disastrous battle.

“If you ever want to talk, I’m here,” Kelly says, reaching out and touching my arm. I look down at her small hand. Her touch is soft; feminine, but firm.

The beeping of the scanners interrupts the moment. I get up to check, and I’m delighted to see that one of the drones has found a suitable cave. It’s a day’s march west of here.

“Good news,” I tell Kelly, and I show her the data. “We’ve got ourselves our first cave. We should head to bed, as we’ve got a long day ahead of us.”

“What do you mean? Can’t we take the ship?”

I shake my head. “I want to preserve our fuel, and there’s no guarantee we’ll find a suitable landing spot near there. We’ll have to walk. Don’t worry, it’s only twenty miles.”

Her widening eyes tell me Kelly doesn’t consider that a brisk walk at all.

I close and lock the ship’s hatch, doing a routine check of every system on board, just to be safe. I’m positive we’re alone on this planet, but you can never be too safe. Once I’m satisfied, I turn off all the lights.

Tomorrow, we’re getting to the bottom of this planet.