Zander retreated immediately back to his private chambers, his heart hammering in his chest. He was glad he had dismissed the scientists who were observing Pria. He hadn’t wanted to make a fool of himself like that in front of the crew. He had been instructed in his Human Relations classes to keep explanations as simple and direct as possible. If he was straight and to the point with humans, they were likely to assume he was the authority and submit. Their societal structure did half the work for him. They were eager to listen to authority figures and assume they were helpless in every situation.
But he had forgotten all of his training with Pria. She was such a direct person herself that he almost felt as if she was leading the conversation. And he was still so insecure with all of his authority. He knew why they were doing what they were doing, but he couldn’t help but treat her like an equal. Why should he treat her like she was just some sort of lab rat? The way she spoke was natural and inquisitive. Who was he to lie and pretend he had the ultimate authority over her body? But it wasn’t so simple. They couldn’t simply release her and let her go. She would have to make the right choice, or things might get ugly. One way or another, she might find herself being used in this cosmic fight for liberation.
As soon as the Codans knew what the Driads were up to, they would unleash a torrent of attacks unlike any other. It was almost fortunate that their planet had already been destroyed, because that meant that he couldn’t fear a concentrated attack on his people. However, if the Codans waged war against the Driads, it would mean that no Driad ship would be safe. That was something they were already worried about after Kane defeated one of the most lethal groups of Codans in the galaxy. It might only get worse from there.
But he couldn’t worry about that. Not right now. What he needed to do was focus on the task at hand. He needed to try convincing Pria that it would be worthwhile to volunteer her body to science. If they were able to create genetic hybrids, part-Driad and part-human with the ability to carry the virus rather than suffer from it, they may be able to create a new race of people who could survive whatever form of warfare the Codans might be planning. There would still be hope for the people of the universe to keep going. That was something he would risk his life to do.
***
Pria got up from her bed and paced around the large room after Zander left. She couldn’t believe her situation. Zander seemed so sweet and kind, and he was so unbelievably handsome. But he was asking the impossible of her. And even if he wasn’t requesting her to stay in space and somehow contribute her body to creating a new alien race, how was she supposed to believe that she was anything special?
She studied the machines that surrounded her bed. They were flashing different colors and strange symbols were engraved in the metal. She traced one of them with her finger and shuddered before turning away and heading toward the giant window of the room.
She gazed out at the billions of stars as the ship soared silently through the empty space. It was beautiful; she had to admit that. Peaceful in a way. She had always loved the feeling of surrendering control, and knowing that she had no way of helping the fact that she couldn’t go to work or deal with her crappy relationship problems was pretty gratifying. Although she knew she should be stressed out about losing her job, it didn’t feel that important anymore. Not when the Dryads were telling her that everyone on Earth could be wiped out by an evil race bent on universal domination. Small beans.
And what about her strange attraction to the alien leader? He looked so different from other men. He was vaguely humanoid, sure, but wasn’t it a little bit odd that she found herself holding her breath every time he entered the room and doing everything she could not to let her eyes wander just below his belt, to where the forbidden and generous curve of his groin was?
What was she supposed to do? Something in her felt impossibly drawn to Zander in a way she had never felt for another being before. But was that because she had been drugged up and vulnerable? Had they somehow manipulated her mind? It was impossible to say.
But she couldn’t shake the feeling that her attraction to him was real and Zander was being sincere. He didn’t want to hold her against her will. But apparently his people had been compromised and they didn’t appear to have much of a choice. Should she help them? Or should she demand to go back home to Earth? More to the point, if she didn’t help, how much longer would Earth even exist?