Lilith

A soft meow brings me back to reality.

I was having the strangest dream, filled with colorful aliens and exotic planets… but I’m glad to be back in my own warm, comfortable bed. Adventures like that just aren’t my style. Sure, they’re fun to dream about. It can be nice to imagine all the different possibilities that await you, the places you can see, the people you could meet… in theory.

But in reality, I’m a bit of a homebody.

Even delivering packages fills me with anxiety. Getting out of bed can be a struggle at times. I prefer to stay indoors, curled up in bed and watching Holoflix. Of course, I’ll never meet that special someone by staying at home alone, but… I’ve never had much luck in that department anyway.

I tried the bar-scene, but it wasn’t for me. The men there were looking for something quick, something meaningless. That’s not me. I understand that with the Zoran flotilla suddenly taking off, leaving Earth without its seven-foot-tall protectors, people are scared and looking for a quick diversion… but that’s just not me.

And even when I meet a guy who could say more than a few cheesy pickup lines, he’d still bolt out the door the moment I opened up… or undressed.

I lost both my parents when I was a baby to a hover car accident. I miraculously survived the wreckage, and my body bears the scars to prove it.

It seems my ‘baggage’, as a rude date called my past, is too much to handle for most guys.

Well, their loss.

Luckily for me, I don’t have to think about any of that stuff. Today is my day off, and I’m going to spend it all day in bed, re-watching The Zoran & The Beautiful for the fifth time, huddled up with my cat, mister…

…my cat…

…I don’t remember owning a cat…

So why is there an incessant meowing next to my bed?

For that matter, why does my bed feel so hard and cold?

I open my eyes.

Meow.

In the darkness, I can barely make out the silhouette of a scruffy cat that’s bumping his head into my shoulder, begging for attention.

Oh-my-god-where-am-I.

I suck in a deep breath, but the air feels very thin, like there’s almost no oxygen in it. Adrenaline starts pumping through my veins and I sit up straight. It’s freezing in here, and all I hear is a vague, distant humming.

My hands rest on my temples as I try to think, try to remember.

What just happened?

It comes back to me in a flash.

The ship.

The closing door.

The entire room shaking like the epicenter of an earthquake.

The facts hit me like a ton of bricks.

I’m the cargo hold of a spaceship, and if I don’t get a move on, I’ll freeze, or worse, suffocate.

I jump up and start banging on the door, but nothing happens. No one’s coming. However, I’m surprised by how calm I am. I figured I’d lose myself in a blind panic, but instead, I methodically check the walls, looking for a way out of here.

It’s so dark in here I can barely see, but with my fingers I feel the outline of a vent. I muster my inner-Zoran and pull as hard as I can, and I’m immensely relieved when the vent gives way and I fall over backwards.

The stray cat scampers away with a loud hiss.

“Sorry, mister… I suppose I haven’t given you a name yet, have I? What should I call you? How about… Peanut?”

“Meow,” the cat agrees.

“Peanut it is. Come, we need to get the hell out of here.”

The cat cocks its head.

“Don’t look at me like that, Peanut.”

Oh man, what am I doing? I’m asphyxiating, and instead of looking for safety I’m spending my last few breaths arguing with a cat!

“Suit yourself,” I say as I place one knee inside the vent. “I’m going now. Really. Not joking. I’m off. Bye now.”

Peanut hisses at me.

Ah, damn it. I can’t leave that furball behind. I hop out the vent and grab the kitten before it scampers away. Together with my animal companion I climb into the vent, looking for some much-need air. The vent system is like a maze, and all I can do is keep on crawling, looking for a way out.

After several excruciating minutes, fresh air fills my lungs, and it feels like a fog has been lifted in my mind.

“The launch has been a complete success, captain. We are well on our way towards Delta Y.”

I freeze in my tracks as the voices reach me.

“Excellent. Tell Woods to report to my office. I want to go over every last detail of this mission one last time. We’ve got to be prepared for the worst.”

“Yes, captain.”

What kind of ship is this? Prepare for the worst? I don’t like the sound of that…

I tiger-crawl ahead, and when I turn a corner I see light up in the distance, through a vent. I whisper at Peanut to stay quiet and slowly crawl towards the light.

I find myself looking into a beautifully decorated room, with a spacious desk, a leather couch, and a stern-looking man in uniform with more pins on it than I can count.

That’s got to be the captain.

With a hiss, the metallic door slides open.

“You wanted to see me, captain?”

“Yes, Woods, sit down. How is your squad doing?”

“We’re fully prepared, captain.”

I lean in closer, trying to hear their conversation… and the metal of the air duct groans underneath of me.

Uh oh.

The vent gives way.

I come crashing down, landing unceremoniously on the captain’s table with a heavy thud, pieces of the air duct strewn about the room. When I open my eyes, I find myself looking into two drawn guns.

“Identify yourself!” the captain screams. “Are you a Nezdek assassin?!”

“W-what?” I stammer, rubbing my sore elbows. “No, I’m… do I look like an assassin to you?”

I don’t know whether to be flattered or offended.

“No, I’m Lilith. Lilith Rose,” I continue.

“What are you doing here?!”

“That’s what I’m asking myself, too… a little medical attention wouldn’t hurt, you know? Or just a hand, really.”

The captain hesitates for a moment, before holstering his gun and extending his hand to me.

“Captain!” the man called Woods screeches as the captain helps me up. “Be careful!”

“Oh, shut it, Woods. If she was a Nezdek assassin, we’d be dead already. It seems we have a stowaway… or two, actually.”

He nods at Peanut, who is peeking down from the broken vent in the ceiling.

“Do a sweep of the ship,” the captain commands. “Every nook and cranny. Go.”

Woods leaves, grumbling, while I take a long look at the captain. He’s older, but good looking, in a silver fox kind of way.

“You have me at a disadvantage, captain…?”

“Ah, yes, where are my manners? I am Captain Shepherd. Liam Shepherd. How are you feeling?”

I dust myself off. “Well, my ego has taken a big hit for sure, but physically I feel fine.”

“I’ll tell the ship’s doctor to give you a full physical, just to be sure, as soon as you explain what you’re doing on my ship. Do you know what you’ve just done? This is a top-secret mission, months in the making… and you just drop in. Unannounced.”

“Yeah, I heard bits and pieces of it,” I admit. “Sounds serious. And I’m not here because I want to be, believe me.”

The captain’s blue eyes scan my frame.

“Is that a…?”

“Universal Postal Service uniform? Yep. I was delivering a package to the cargo load when you guys took off. I nearly died in there, you know.”

The captain curses profusely.

“My apologies,” he says. “All these preparations and one lazy guard screws up… damn it.”

“It’s okay,” I say. “If you can just bring me back home, I won’t mention it to your bosses. Promised.”

The captain cocks one silver eyebrow.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, Miss Rose.”

I knew it was a long shot, but still. I had a sliver of hope.

“We are heading towards our secret objective at a breakneck speed. A spaceship is not like a car, we can’t simply… turn around.”

“Yeah, Delta Y, right? I heard,” I say as I sit down in the captain’s chair, slumping my shoulders.

“Damn it,” Captain Shepherd says. “What else did you hear?”

I shrug.

“Might as well tell you the whole thing, because you’re going there as well now. Yes, we are heading towards Delta Y. As you know, the Zoran flotilla left Earth six months ago, quite suddenly. We believe that this is where they went. However, we haven’t received any message from them whatsoever, which is a bit… disquieting.”

Oh, great. Not only am I part of some secret Federation mission, but we’re looking for a bunch of Zorans that disappeared on some alien world? Hell no. I feel like I’ve seen this movie before — only the thin blonde lives, and I’m none of those things.

Fucking perfect.

* * *

Daruk

My pickaxe hits the rock with a satisfying thud.

A layer of sweat covers my golden frame. The heat on this new planet can be unbearable at times. Luckily, the sun has already passed its high point and has started its long descent.

I have nearly reached my quota for the day, and that’s including Yano’s share. My muscles are sore, my hands cramping up, but there are only a few more strikes to go.

The Council of Elders have decreed we Zorans must return to our old ways, here in New Exon. They have disavowed technology. Our ships, our high-tech weapons… they have all been destroyed.

And so, after training as a warrior my whole life, I find myself swinging a pickaxe and mining for ore, so the smiths can mine them into weapons and tools. I’m not one to question my orders, or my elders, but in the back of my mind there are doubts.

We have given up so much.

Life on the Zoran flotilla was… easy. Luxurious, even. It’s that same luxury the Elders rage against, that they say has made us weak. That our ‘line’ has been ‘diluted’ by interbreeding with the humans.

Not there are any other options though — Zoran women are rare. Mating with the humans was, or perhaps is, a necessity.

Admiral Bast, the leader of our Council, has personally assured all of us that that will change here on New Exon. That the Curse of the Emperor will be lifted, that there will be Zoran mates for everyone, if we find it in ourselves to shed the ‘human weakness’.

I’ve yet to see it.

But then again, perhaps that’s not for me to know, to figure out. I’m a warrior. A soldier. My duty is to protect, to serve. The Elders are there to lead. Our problems are their concern.

That’s what father says, anyway.

Personally, I hoped that a new planet might do wonders for Yano’s health. His cough worries me, but it’s only gotten worse since we got here. If it persists… I’ll have to talk to father, or to the Council directly.

There!

Our quota has been filled. I throw the pickaxe on the floor and pick up the two heavy buckets. The walk back to our camp is a long one, and every muscle in my body hurts. I decide to cut straight through the overgrown jungle instead of using the beaten path. It’s more dangerous, but we haven’t seen snake-people here in months.

I’m tired; it’s worth the risk.

The journey passes quickly, and soon I approach our camp. Right before I emerge from the thick foliage, a familiar voice reaches my ears.

“General Goran, I have just received word from our friend, the Czar.”

Is that… Admiral Bast? What is he doing at our campsite? I know I shouldn’t be listening in on my superiors, but my curiosity gets the best of me. I slowly lower the buckets of heavy ore and peek between the leaves.

The Admiral, dressed in his full, ornate uniform, is talking to my father.

“What did Baros had to say this time?” my father answers.

“Good news,” Bast answers. “They have spotted a human vessel making its way here. It seems we’re in luck — they are heading our way out of their own free will. Preliminary scans indicate several eligible females on board.”

“Excellent,” father answers.

“Prepare an ambush. Keep the young ones out, they are not ready yet. Special Forces only.”

“Of course,” father answers.

“Good luck, general.”

The admiral turns around, and I duck back into the bushes, my heart beating in my throat. What on Exon were they talking about?

Humans?

Eligible females?

Ambush?