Chapter 2
Dr. Zina Smith
I tossed and turned on the uncomfortable dirt floor of our temporary shelter, unable to sleep despite the trouble Rax had gone to in order to make sure I had enough of the billowy fronds to have a decent amount of padding on the ground.
I couldn’t believe the situation I was in. Why had I allowed myself to be vulnerable, even just for a moment? I had been surviving just fine by staying out of sight. It had worked out really, really well. But all it had taken was for me to make one wrong move and search for water without scouting out the area first.
That one small, stupid act had been enough for me to fall prey to the wiles of Keldon Marcsu. He seemed to think very highly of himself, being the son of the Emperor of some obscure planet that I probably would never have heard of if I hadn’t worked in the most esteemed scientific establishment on Earth. We had some Raither technology there, or else I never would have even recognized the name of the planet he touted as being so lofty. He was very proud of himself for being born as the son of the planet’s leader. He thought highly enough of himself that he believed he could take whatever he wanted with no repercussions. It was sickening.
I didn’t give a shit if he was royalty or not. He was an asshole. I wished more than anything that I had never met him at all. He seemed to think that I should be glad to have met him or something. As if his presence in my life was somehow an honor to me. It was a spoiled and selfish attitude to have, and it made me hate him more than I had ever hated anybody before.
That resentment came out full force when I had seen Keldon Marcsu raise his hand to strike me. If he would have, there would have been no accounting for what happened next. I had been well trained in the art of self-defense, at least as much as I could be trained on Earth. It had gotten me this far at least, and I had been surviving for months on end on this terrifying planet. And if that asshole thought that he could bully me around, he would have another thing coming. Even if I ended up being killed, I wasn’t going to be subdued without a fight. Submission wasn’t in my nature.
Fortunately, it hadn’t come to that. Out of nowhere, a man had emerged, a Raither man who seemed just as disgusted by Keldon Marcsu’s attitudes and actions as I was. He had prevented the fight from escalating. And to be truthful, I was very relieved about it. I knew my temper would get me in trouble one day, but it was a grim reality if that same hot-headedness ended up being the death of me. Literally.
No matter how well I could defend herself, I was well aware that the Raithers from the planet Yala were impressive warriors, bred and trained from birth to protect their planet and take whatever they wanted to take. Even if it was a human like Zina.
“Human, you should be sleeping. We have a long way to travel tomorrow. If you are going to be in this group, then you are going to have to make sure that you are at your best. I have a mission to accomplish, and I will not tolerate any stragglers.”
I was startled by the sudden, deep rumble of Rax’s voice. I hadn’t realized that he was still awake, keeping a watchful eye over the shelter as I, and Keldon Marcsu, were supposed to be sleeping.
“I’m sorry, but it’s been hard for me to sleep lately. Even before that shit over there tried to abduct me.” I glared across the shelter at Keldon Marcsu, who was snoring lightly, his obnoxious face smooshed into the folded frond he was using as a pillow.
Rax raised his brow, and for a moment, I was afraid that he was going to chew me out for insulting the royalty of his planet. Instead, Rax nodded.
“I can imagine that it is difficult to rest in a place like this. But, Keldon Marcsu is right. If you stay with us, you will come back to the planet Yala, where you will ultimately be safe from the creatures on this planet.”
“But will I be safe from him?” I asked, nodding my head toward the sleeping figure of the Emperor’s son.
Rax sighed, shrugging slightly. “I didn’t say that it was going to be easy, and I didn’t say that it’s going to be entirely safe for you either. There is no telling what a spoiled man might do when he thinks that nobody is looking. Especially one who seems to think that everybody around him owes him something.”
I studied the strange Raither, the way his handsome, serious face darkened as he spoke. It seemed as if he had some sort of bitterness toward the royalty of his planet. Why would that be?
I had always heard of great things about the planet Yala; it was quite an economic hub in the universe. There were even a few products that I could find on earth, at least in laboratories, that had been purchased from there. It seemed strange that this Raither might possibly have something against his own royalty.
“Well, it definitely won’t be easy. And honestly, there is no way that you could ever fathom just how difficult it will be. I am just a commodity to this guy. Just something he wants to toy with and take home and then break,” I said, sighing heavily. “You will never know what it’s like to be a woman. Especially a weak and defenseless one, like a human. We do what we can, but it’s usually not enough.”
“Regardless, you are going to be put in the lap of luxury,” Rax said. His multicolored eyes shone, even in the darkness, and I felt a hot flush creep across my cheeks. Why was it that I was so drawn to this Raither? I had never had a good experience with an alien, not in all of my time being a scientist.
Then again, I had never really encountered very many. Women, at least human women, weren’t usually allowed to go out into space. Our female bodies and reproductive systems were often used as currency in some of the more dangerous areas, and it was a risk that the leaders of earth were not generally willing to take.
“Trust me,” I sighed, sitting up to look squarely at Rax. “There is nothing luxurious about being stuck with Keldon Marcsu for the rest of my life. So please don’t try to butter me up about it. You aren’t helping, even if it is well intended.”
The Raither studied me, an expression on his face that was difficult to pinpoint. I caught his eye, and he held my gaze, another wave of heat electrifying me as he examined me. He seemed able to look right through me, and somehow, I found it intriguing rather than invasive. What the hell was wrong with me? Why was I eager for more of this confusing attention when the other Raither I had encountered made me want to beg my own planet to go to war with Yala and boycott any of its goods?
“I understand that you are upset, human. But even you must admit that sleeping in a real house, with a real bed, without monsters prowling around ready to tear you apart, is going to be better than lying on this dirt every night.”
He had a point there. Still, I was angry about the whole situation. I would almost rather stay stuck on this planet and live out my life by taking my chances than admit defeat and go to Yala with Keldon Marcsu.
“Well, it would be nice to sleep in a real bed again,” I admitted.
“I am sorry that you and your kind are stuck here,” Rax said, his heavy gaze causing me to shift under it. “I slept in a bed just last night. I cannot imagine how difficult it must be for you and the other females here. But please, try to take heart. The Federation is working hard on relocating the humans to a better place.”
“There is no better place for me. I’m going to be stuck with Keldon Marcsu. And that is something I will never be excited about.”
Rax side, turning his attention away from me and toward the entrance of the shelter. He looked very lonely in that moment, it was almost concerning in a way. I would have given anything to know what it was that he was thinking. But he wasn’t the type to share his feelings willingly. I could tell just by looking at him. He, and probably everybody in his race, were stoic and guarded about the way they felt. How could I blame them for that? Sometimes, it was the only way to survive.
“Regardless of what happens between you and the Emperor’s son, it will be better for you away from this place. I do not see why anybody would want harm to come to you. But if you stay here, it surely will. One way or another, I feel that this place is exceptionally dangerous. We should finish this mission as quickly as possible so you can be relocated to a safer place.”
I had the absurd desire to come closer to him, to make this random, late-night talk a little bit more intimate. Surely it wasn’t safe for smart be speaking loudly to one another. Our shelter was supposed to be concealed from any threats. And yet, it seemed that neither of us were taking the importance of our silence into consideration. It had been my silence that had kept me alive up until this point. My silence and my wits.
“Come human,” Rax said, breaking into my thoughts. “It is time for you to sleep. Please, it is the only way for us to do what needs done in the time that I am allotted to do it. If you are unable to focus, it could be a danger, not only to you but to us as well.”
“I think I’m willing to take my chances,” I said, looking meaningfully over at Keldon Marcsu. Rax chuckled, a pleasant, almost musical sound that came from deep within his chest. I had the bizarre desire to make him laugh again. Perhaps, make him laugh many more times. But why would I do that? I didn’t even know a thing about him. I was probably just starting to let the stress and pressure of the situation get to me. I would have to be stronger than that.
“Regardless, I am not,” Rax said. “Please, human. It is time for sleep.”
And with that, he turned his back on me and settled in on his own sleeping fronds, both of us lying in silence, acutely aware of the other’s presence.
***
Rax turned out to be right, and in the morning, I was definitely unprepared for the toils of rolling out of bed and heading through the cold, dew-filled forest. There was a chilly moisture in the air and I shivered, holding my arms close to my body with my hands.
“Are you all right, human?” Rax asked, raising an eyebrow at me. Somehow, I had the feeling that the question came more out of utilitarianism rather than concern. He wanted to make sure that I wasn’t going to hold them back and take them off schedule.
I nodded, although on the inside, I was miserable. If I had a choice, I would’ve slept much later, probably until about the time the sun was at its highest point in the sky. It had served me well enough in the past. After all, I was still alive, wasn’t I?
But now, I was on Commander Rax’s time. There was no choice in it for me, because now I had gotten myself caught and claimed by Keldon Marcsu, the son of the Emperor on the planet Yala. From now on, all of my choices were going to be severely limited, and the bleak reality of my situation was crushing.
“I have to go to the bathroom,” I said suddenly. Maybe, if I was able to make a break for it, I would be able to escape and remain free. But there was a lingering doubt in my mind as to whether or not this was the best course of action for me to take. I didn’t want to give up my only opportunity of happiness and safety. As much as I couldn’t stand Keldon Marcsu, the promise of having a real home and real meals again was almost too much for me to resist.
“Humans are such crude and primitive creatures,” Rax said, shaking his head and exchanging a knowing glance with Keldon Marcsu. I jetted my chin out, irritated and a little bit embarrassed by the comment.
“Like Raithers are so great,” I snapped.
Rax just chuckled and shook his head. “Please, don’t be too long human. We have the schedule to abide by. Stay within earshot. I will know if you are trying anything funny.”
I felt frozen in place for a moment as the reality of Rax’s grasp of the situation weighed heavily on me. He knew that I would do anything to escape the claim that Keldon Marcsu had on me. And Keldon Marcsu probably knew it too. They were going to keep a close eye on me. I was going to have to play it safe. At least for a little while longer. At the very least, it would give me the chance to really consider whether or not retreating from this prison planet and onto another was going to be worth it.
“I won’t try anything,” I promised, disappearing into the bushes.
When I reemerged, I paused. It seemed as if Rax and Keldon Marcsu were fighting about something. They were speaking in a strange dialect of the Raither tongue. It was something that I couldn’t translate. Languages had never been my strongest suit. Fortunately, I usually didn’t need much help, considering the training that I had been given during my Academy days. There was a simplistic sort of pattern that one could usually detect an alien language, and most of the time understanding and discovering that pattern was something that my brain was very good at doing.
“She’s back,” Keldon Marcsu.
Rax turned around, eyeing me coolly. I couldn’t help but feel a little bit hurt by the expression on his face. For some reason, I wanted to be on his good side. Maybe it was because he had done his best to protect me from Keldon Marcsu, or maybe there was more to it than that. Either way, knowing that he wasn’t happy to see me hurt for some reason.
“You are quite finished?” Rax asked.
“What were you two talking about?” I blurted. I cringed inwardly, knowing that I probably should have pretended that I hadn’t seen the conversation in the first place.
“Oh, nothing. I was just letting commander Rax here know how things are going to run. I’m in charge, even though he is the one who is supposed to be getting us out of here. I am the son of the Emperor. And as such, I will lead the way.”
I was surprised as Keldon Marcsu took a swipe at the device in Rax’s hand. Rax pulled the device quickly away and reached for a weapon that was in his belt.
“You wouldn’t dare,” Keldon Marcsu said with a sneer.
“You are not to interfere with my job,” Rax said, his voice cold as steel. “It is not your right. No matter who your father is, I am supposed to honor my duty. And I am duty-bound to do what he told me to do. And that is to make sure that you are safe. If I surrender this device to you, we are severely limiting our chances of returning back to our home planet. I am not willing to risk that. And unless you are comfortable with the idea of staying stuck here for the rest of our lives, then you are going to stop pressuring me to give up the only thing that I have that will make our return to Yala possible.”
Keldon Marcsu considered this, clearly reluctant to lose any display of power he might have was supposed to be his. I watched him struggle with the dilemma, and ultimately turn his back on Rax.
“I understand that a person of such a lowly rank as you would feel protective of something as silly as this, so I will let you have it for now. But when we get back to our home planet, you are going to regret the day that you defied me.”
I almost laughed at the irritated expression on Rax’s face. It mirrored my own feelings toward Keldon Marcsu exactly. He arched a brow at me and I nearly let out a loud chuckle. Fortunately, I held back just in time. I was elated to see a smile creep across Rax’s handsome face, and I gazed at his lips briefly, wondering at their taste.
I snapped out of the thought at once, horrified by my own mind. Why was it being such a traitor right now? I had so many things that were more important to worry about then something so base and inappropriate. I couldn’t allow myself to succumb to such a ridiculous distraction. Especially not right now.
And so, we continued walking on in silence, a noticeable strain between all three of us. Although it was better than moving through the planet by myself, at the same time, it was almost more disturbing. It almost felt like a death march, as if by staying with these two, I was sealing my fate, whether I liked it or not.