I knew it then, but I had already known before. The moment I was inside of Lily, I knew that I loved her. But I knew before that and did not want to admit it to myself. I knew the day that I rescued her from battle. When I saw her run straight into the cross fire with such bravery and confidence I knew that I had to know this woman. When I ran after her, I knew that I had to save her at all costs, but I had justified it with needing the code to the archive. Even then I knew that it was more than that, but I ignored it. I had too. The entire plan relied on getting her and then treating her like a necessary mission for the war.
I stared at her delicate face and ran my fingers through her wild red hair as she slept peacefully on. Shit. I was fucked. I was in love with this damn human female and she was the worst choice that I could possibly make. Why did she have to be my match?
I had to leave her. I rolled out of the bed naked and I pulled on my trousers and boots. I turned back and looked at the naked human female lying in bed. There was confusion all over her face and in her heart. It was also in mine. We should be enemies. We were enemies, but we weren’t acting like enemies. I could already feel it becoming a problem, a very big problem for me and for her.
"It is better that you don't know. Don't forget. You are being watched,” I said as I looked at the camera on the corner of the room, one of many. I was trying to be as cold as possible and go back to the way things were before, when she was nothing more than my prisoner, but I am not sure if it worked. I looked at her. She had a frown on her face, but she quickly wiped it away with pride, as though she didn’t care that I was not being affectionate.
“I will make sure that you are fed,” I said to her just to try to make matters worse. That would make her feel like a prisoner.
“Oh, how kind of you,” she said sarcastically and then muttered some things under her breath.
I walked out of the room and locked the door behind me. I would not be back. I couldn't. Lily was becoming a distraction. When I was inside of her I wanted to do anything for her. I would do anything that she asked me and if she knew about the mission, she would ask me not to do it and I would probably obey her. It was such a strange feeling to be overcome by a human female. It had never happened to me before. I was the leader of the Corillion, and I was not supposed conquered so easily by a human female. It disturbed me greatly.
I moved into my office and took care of some last-minute matters. From now on I would be working out of another room where I could not see her. I would have to get another guard that I trusted to watch her and take her to the facilities when she needed. I went to the wall panel, saying “I need a food tray for a human and large amounts of water supply brought to my living quarters.”
"Right away sir,” was the response. For the next 48 hours, I avoided the human female. I had to. It was the only way that I could focus on the mission.
Then we were off. We set out on a fleet of 100 ships that each had the special batch aboard. This was going to be complete insanity and complete chaos.
"Let's get in and out of there. All ships in stealth mode. Stick to the plan. If you are caught do not reveal any information. Land at each water supply treatment plant under the cover of night. Dump the batch as quickly as possible into the water tanks. As soon as you are done, make a straight shot back to the mothership. Do not linger. You know the drill. Let's go in!” I relayed over the communication device to all ships.
In a matter of seconds the fleet divided, each heading for different cities on Earth. My ship was headed to the capital city, home of the Earth embassy. It would be the most difficult mission of all and that is why I made it mine. Capital city had the largest Earth army base on Earth, although the base was far away from our target, the water supply plants. As my ship neared its target, I reflected on how everything that I had put together for years was coming together. I was proud that it was all coming together as planned, but there was something that I had not planned in the way. It was Lily. I wasn’t planning on dealing with a human female in such an intimate way. I did not expect that it would affect my logic. Now small bits of guilt for what I was doing to her people came and went in my mind. I was not planning on Lily Retron to enter my life in such a way.
"Sir, all ships are in position in the stratosphere above their target cities,” a warrior said to me.
"Hold for a second confirmation from each ship that they are prepared for descent,” I ordered.
"Sir, second confirmation. All ships are in position and waiting for your order to descend,” the warrior said to me.
"Confirmed. All ships descend. Go!" I shouted. The warrior repeated my order into the communication devices. Our ship descended into the darkness of Earth sky. We dropped as fast as we could in order to avoid radar detection. It was almost like falling out of the sky. Then a few thousand feet above ground level, we hit the brakes and slowly hovered over the water plant. We landed inside the secured fence, just as we had planned.
"Affirmative. Batch team ready at the door,” I ordered. My orders were repeated and I made my way to the door with the batch team. Five skilled warriors waited at the door, carrying a large blue tank that was filled with gallons of my secret weapon, which would disburse and dilute into the water treatment plant and go undetected. It was a brilliant recipe and a brilliant plan.
The door opened. “Quietly. We must go unnoticed as much as possible,” I said to the batch team. Then I looked at our armed guards caring blaster guns, shielding us from enemy fire just in case. “Do not fire until fired upon. If we can take them out using just our physical strength by breaking arms, or stabbing, let's do that. Only use blaster guns as a last resort. But let us try not to have any fatalities if possible. We do not need an alert sounded on us,” I said to the guards.
"Go now,” I said as the team skillfully carried the batch out of the doors. They had memorized a path straight to the water tanks. One way the archive blueprints of this water plant had been used was to create a tactical plan leading us straight to the target. They stepped cautiously but confidently knowing exactly where they were headed. I followed them, looking around for any signs that our ship had been noticed.
"There, locking team,” I whispered and two Corillion warriors stepped forward and attached the tank we carried to the large water supply tank with a massive hose. Using the blueprint information, we opened the cavity of the water tank and poured the contents of the tank quickly in.
I watched the gauge needle move from four towards empty as the contents flowed out. Everything was going smoothly; everything was going well, too well. I did not expect it to be this easy. Finally, the tank was empty and the locking team unlocked it from the water tank.
"Retreat. Retreat,” I whispered. The batch team reversed course back along the path with the tank and we quickly made it back to the ship. In seconds, we were inside the belly of the ship and I was on the flight deck.
"Go! fire engines, let's go,” I said. They ship roared to life and shot straight up into the air.
"Sir, 20 ships are still in action on the ground. The rest are in motion heading back toward the mother ship,” he reported.
"No one has come across any resistance. It seems a little unusual. This was a great plan sir, if I may say so,” the warrior said to me.
"Yes, it was very easy. It makes me realize just how unprepared Earth is for an invasion of this type. They concentrate all of their energy and strength on their army expecting to be defeated through battle only. They must put very little faith in our intelligence in order to leave their water supply so vulnerable and unprotected. It is very unwise of them and it will be there downfall,” I responded.
"Sir yes sir. Sir 10 of the 20 ships are now off the ground after delivering the package successfully,” he reported to me.
"Good. Keep an eye on it until every ship is back on the mother ship.” I said.
Soon we were in fleet formation just outside of the Earth’s atmosphere in the blackness of space. Quickly the last few of the ships that we were waiting on appeared and took their position. We were ready to go back to the mothership on the other side of the moon. It had been a success. The batches were planted into the water system and there was no turning back. From now on nothing would ever be the same on Earth. It would be as though it had always been destined to be this way, the Corillion way.
As soon as we docked, I was walking across the landing port. There was much to be done and yet I could only think of one thing. Lily. I needed to check on her. I did not like leaving her on the ship where Yiri was able to get to her. It was too risky.
"Congratulations Zian. Your master plan was executed perfectly," Yiri said as he came up from behind me. He walked with me along the landing report to the main hallway of the ship.
"Don't congratulate me yet. There is much to be done. And it won't be effective until the humans drink the water. It could take months for it to start to show results. It is only the first part of the plan, and now we must wait. We will have to retreat away from the Earth’s moon farther into the solar system, near Mars, where we will not be detected. I will order the retreat in a couple of hours,” I said to him as I walked quickly. I was walking toward Lily in my living quarters.
"Yes, it is only the first part of the plan. That is what I wanted to speak to you about. Phase 2 of the plan,” he said anxiously.
"Not now. We will speak soon. For now, see to the arrival of the fleet and make sure that all those batches have been emptied. We don't have room for any mistakes,” I walked away from him. He continued to speak but I did not listen. I was too busy with my new mission, seeing Lily again.
I entered her room inside of my office. I was surprised to see that she was cleaned up. She no longer had smudges on her face. Her red flaming hair was in a high ponytail. She was wearing skin tight black pants and a skin tight black top to match. Her boots went high to her knee.
"Where did you get those clothes?” I asked her, as I narrowed my eyes in jealousy. Someone had been talking to her. Someone had been meeting with her since I had been on the mission and the 48 hours before the mission that I had been avoiding her.
"Yiri. He brought them to me. He allowed me to go to the facilities to shower and clean up,” she said that she put her hands on her hips.
"Did you allow him to watch?” I asked as I slammed the door behind me. I was jealous. I was fuming with anger that he had been talking to her at all. He wasn't even supposed to know that she was being held in my office. The guards that I had placed to take care of her and tell no one had betrayed me, or at least one of them had. I would have to deal with that later. For now, I needed to know every detail of what happened since last time I had left her, since I had left her bed.
"No! Not that you should care. Where the hell have you been? It has been three days since I last spoke with you,” she said angrily. “What is happening out there? Does this have to do with the archive and the systems in every city? You have to tell me,” she said as she moved toward me.
"I can tell you now because it is finished. Nothing can be done to stop it, but you're not going to like it,” I said to her.
"Of course, I'm not going to like it, I think that would be obvious. But I must know. I have to know what you have done. That is my planet; those are my people,” she said.
"Fine Director, as you wish. We have infected the water supply of every major city on Earth. Soon every human will be drinking the solution that we have added to it. And then there will be no turning back, the day of the knot is at hand."
"Day of the knot? What are you talking about? You are not making sense,” she said as she walked up to me.
"The solution we created, it is my master plan. I came up with it and it is the least hostile way to take over Earth. It is the least hostile way to mate with the human females and ensure the survival of the Corillion forever.
"What the hell are you talking about Zian? Tell me now!” She shouted at me.
"The solution is one that guarantees infertility to all human males. Once they have taken even just a small sip, they will no longer be able to procreate. Their sperm will be sterile,” I said to her.
Her eyes opened wide. She put her hand over her mouth and gasped in horror. “No, it can't be. How could you? How could you do such a thing? This will mean the end of humans…”
"The end of humans and the beginning of Corillion and human hybrids. That is the master plan. It is the least hostile way to do it.” I said to her. I no longer felt the arrogance that I felt when I first started the plan. I should be congratulating myself and yet the look of horror that Lily was giving me made me feel ashamed for what I had done. It jolted every fiber of my being. No, I had to stay focused on this plan. I would not let her make me feel ashamed for something that I had been planning for over two years.
"You are a monster, Zian. I can't believe that I allowed you to touch me. I hate you. Please leave me!” She shouted at me and she began to cry and threw herself on the bed.
"Lily, it is no use. It is done. There is no reason to turn me away now. You will need me in the times ahead,” I said to her taking a step toward her.
"No! Get the hell out of here! I cannot look at you! I am ashamed that I allowed you to be anything other than my enemy! You are nothing but an animal! I was right about the Corillion all along, you are the monsters that killed my father! Now you continue to destroy all the males of Earth without any remorse. You're only thinking of yourselves. We were here first! This is our planet and you are nothing but a locust! Get the fuck out of here now!” She shouted at me with rage. She picked up the pillow off the bed and threw it at me. Her words hurt me, they stung like fire. I did not know why. She was nothing but a human female, she was only meant to breed and nothing more. Yet her tears and her shouting at me affected me. She was looking at me like I was a monster. She was using that word over and over like she would never see me in the same ever again. But this was the sacrifice that I had to make. The master plan was already in place and it would ensure the survival of the Corillion race. My feelings for her could not get in the way of that. She and I were nothing compared to the bigger picture. It was what had to be. I took one last look at her and then I turned and left the room. I stood over my master plan was already in place and it would ensure the survival of the Corillion race, my feelings for her could not get in the way of that. She and I were nothing compared to the bigger picture. It was what had to be. I took one last look at her and then I turned and left the room. I stood over my desk and watched through the monitors as she cried hysterically. She shouted loudly, and it was not a word. It was a scream of anguish. It was anguish that I had given to her, and no one else. The master plan was my brilliant idea and mine alone. Yet, I couldn't shake the feeling. I wanted my master plan and I wanted Lily as well. Why could I not have both? Was there a way? There was always a way. I would just need to give her some time for her new reality to sink in. A new reality where the human man no longer created life, only the Corillion man. It was a lot to take in for her; for everyone. But soon it would just be the way of things and she and everyone else on Earth would have to come to terms with that.
For now, I would need to prepare the mother ship for the retreat. I would need to check on the status of every single system on the ship to make sure that we were on schedule. There was lots of work to do and it was going to be very hard when all I could hear was the word monster echoing in my head. How that word stung. How that word would distract me.