I stared up at the grey sky above me and shook my head. There was nothing pleasant or beautiful here. It was as ugly and bland as the creatures that populated the land before my sisters’ arrival.
Let’s get this over with.
I got to my feet to see the disgusting earth sticking to my amethyst colored blood and I growled. I looked at the stone wall to see that no one had started to advance. I tilted my head curiously, my eyes searching for some sign that they were there. I pulled one arm against my stomach to give me the wounded look, while my other arm hung by my side as I cautiously walked closer.
My newest wounds burned with the dirt that covered the ground. I despised this planet. Who covers their planet in chemicals that burn? They deserve what happens to them. I shook off my anger, knowing that I needed to look helpless if they were going to lower their guard enough for me to get in.
All I had to do was get close. That rock wall would not hinder me at all. I loved a rugged, challenging terrain. Unlike my sisters, my body was built for it. They may have an advantage having an extra arm, four extra eyes, of being tall, strong, and flexible, but I had the advantage of agility, endurance, and speed.
“Stop!” a harsh, male voice yelled in the Earth language.
I looked around in the area away from the wall that the sound of the voice had come from, but I did not see anyone.
“You are not welcome here, turn around and go back.”
I stopped looking there, and looked back towards the wall again. Whoever was talking was not out here. He must have a device to move his voice. The information I had been watching did show that their technology was not as horrible as I would have expected from their inferior civilization.
Ahh, there he is. Standing in the shadows, half way up the stone wall, was a male. I forced myself not to smile at how easily I could get to him, especially since he hadn’t fired already.
“They do not want me,” I told him honestly as I continued to search the wall.
I moved my hands away from my body to show that I did not have the long fingers that all the others they were fighting had. I slowly tucked my short hair behind my ear and looked up, in an attempt to appear helpless. I took another step and then three more before I saw more movement in several places.
“Place your hands on top of your head, and turn all the way around slowly,” the voice commanded.
I did as I was told, smiling when my back was to them. They were going to let me in and I knew it. I put my best pathetic face on as I turned back around.
“Walk forward without deviating from a straight line until you’re five feet from the wall.”
Interesting, but okay.
I slowly walked forward, allowing myself to feel the pain in my legs so that I was walking in a slight hobbling sort of way. I stopped a few feet away from the wall.
“You’re too close, back up five steps.”
I looked down at my feet and shuffled back five steps. When I looked up, there were two men standing in front of me, dressed in camouflage that matched the wall behind them. They both had guns pointed at me, their faces very serious.
“What’s your name,” the man on the left asked.
“Karissa,” I said softly in my best Earthly accent.
“You’re not human,” he stated.
Duh. What gave it away, my dark emerald green skin, the Amethyst fluid that was mixed with your dirt, or the fact that my eyes were a vibrant unearthly blue? “No.”
“What do you want?”
“To be away from them,” I answered honestly, adding a little fear to my voice for affect.
“She doesn’t look like the others,” the other guy said.
“I can see that,” the first said irritably. “She definitely looks more… human,” he agreed.
I almost lost my calm demeanor. I quickly reigned in my anger because I had yet to meet the male I was after.
“The President wants to talk with her?” the other guy said in surprise. “Okay,” he said a moment later and I realized he was talking into a small device. “Understood. Yes, I’m going to search her. Put your hands on your head,” he ordered as his eyes focused back on me.
I did as I was told, preparing myself to stay in control of my defensive nature. He put his hands on my forearms, and then his hands skimmed over them and down my biceps. His hands moved down my torso too slowly, his fingers sliding over every inch of me. It took everything I had not to turn and rip his head from his shoulders.
When he finished sliding his hands over my body, he raised his gun back up and nudged it into my back. It was extremely hard to not kill them immediately. I took a deep breath and started walking in the direction that I was supposed to. They both moved slightly behind me, but were staying closer than I felt they needed to.
I focused on the goal of finding their alpha, assuring myself that nothing else mattered. These creatures were surprisingly distracted by how I looked, which was going to make this even easier. I smiled to myself. It was amazing that they were still alive at all. My sisters were noticeably different from them, but the creatures found the curves of their bodies alluring and my sisters almost annihilated them. And now they were allowing me into the only place they could have survived in.
I was confident that once inside I would be able to grab their alpha, get him to my ship, and take him to Omatha, leaving my sisters to fend for themselves. This, with any luck, would put me in better graces with Omatha.
We were about a foot from the wall when something came over my eyes. The men grabbed my arms and pulled me up so that my feet were off the ground. I struggled as fears from my past began to enter my mind. Maybe I underestimated them.
No. No, I wasn’t going to overreact. These creatures were weaker than me. There was no acceptable reason for the fear. They let me in for a reason. I quickly concentrated my energy on their movements so that I would know how to get out of here.
They let go of my arms when they stopped walking and what sounded like a metal door slammed shut an instant later. I grabbed what they had put on my head and pulled it off. I was in a dank, small… room? There was no window, just four walls, a light on the ceiling in the corner, a door and a… male standing in the room.
He was on the other side of the room from the door, staring at me fearlessly. He looked more focused than the other men and I immediately looked at the ground between us, so that he wouldn’t think I was aggressive.
“I wanted them to kill you, immediately,” he informed me, and I knew he was serious.
I held back my anger, and forced myself to keep my eyes down. This was not the time to show my strength. This creature seemed most likely to be their alpha - he had a commanding presence about him.
“However, the President wants to talk with you.”
Yes! Too easy. Wait, he is not the alpha? I couldn’t wait to meet the creature that I was going to bring to Omatha. If this creature is not the alpha, then Omatha is going to be very pleased.
“I am not about to allow that,” he growled.
What?!
“You look nothing like those that have practically destroyed the human race. You look extremely enticing, especially to the men that have seen nothing but war. But I’m not fooled. You wouldn’t have come here, unless it was planned. Those aliens are quite strategic.”
I slowly looked up at him blankly.
“What’s your plan, Karissa?”
I did not like hearing my name on his tongue.
“Why are you here?!” he said louder.
I just stared at him.
He stepped closer to me. He was taller than me and his shirt clung to his broad shoulders and muscular arms. I stared into his eyes, understanding he was trying to intimidate me. He stepped closer so that his tense body was only a few inches away from me, his eyes never looking away from mine.
I fought the urge to grab my blades because he was going to be the one to give me the alpha. I knew I needed to stay calm. I focused on relaxing my muscles, but I would not cower away from him.
He walked to the side of me and then behind me, stopping when he was back in front of me. “So, your injuries are self-inflicted?”
Yea, because I love my blood on the outside. Stupid creature.
“Why are you here? Is your name really Karissa? Is this really what you look like?” he asked, standing uncomfortably close again.
I stared into his angry eyes. His hand slid onto my side. I grabbed his hand and pulled it away from me. He smiled and I let go of his hand, casually wiping my hand on my hip. What was he hoping to do? Get himself killed.
“I thought so. You’re not as helpless as you look, are you?” he commented, with an irritating smirk.
I wanted to push him away from me, but I knew that was what he wanted. This male was playing a game, and I did not like it.
“If you don’t talk to me, then you don’t talk to the President.”
I took a step away and he stepped closer, moving his face even closer. I forced myself to relax a little. I breathed out slowly when I realized I was holding my breath. I tried to not breathe in his disgusting scent, but it was hard with him standing so close.
“Is your name Karissa?” he asked again quietly, but his words did not lose their strength.
I wanted to slam my fist into his face that was too close, but I nodded instead.
“Why are you here?”
“Because I was forced to come,” I said quietly in my best attempt at the Earth language without an accent. I could usually imitate new languages perfectly, but this one was a little more difficult.
I watched his eyes become big at the sound of my voice. He moved away a little bit, and I relaxed a little more. His eyes searched mine before he spoke again.
“Why did they force you? Don’t you want this planet? Isn’t that why you’ve come?”
I shook my head and almost laughed. I wanted nothing from this planet, but to leave. He ran his finger over the cut that was across my stomach and I flinched – more so at his touch than the pain that I felt. Why did these males insist on touching me?!
He looked up at me with uncertainty. He then turned his back on me and walked over to the door. When it opened he walked out, and it slammed shut.
Now what? How had I not expected this? I walked over to the door and pushed hard on it. Of course, it didn’t budge but I had to give it a try.
I thought about the man that had attempted to interrogate me. Who was he in respect to the creature he called President that he was protecting? It was surprising that there could be another more commanding creature than the interrogator. I was quite impressed with that creature. He seemed the perfect gift for Omatha.
I looked around the room more carefully, looking for another way out. I looked up at the low ceiling, but there was nothing but rock. My anger began to rise, I was smarter than this. I should not have underestimated the creatures. Now I was trapped in here.
I wondered if they were ever going to let me see President, or if they thought that by capturing me that they were going to have a bargaining chip with my sisters. That was an amusing thought, since Sarsa was hoping that these males would torture me to my death.
When no one entered the room, I became impatient and began to pace around the room. I wondered if they had locked me up to forget about me. Did they think that I would die without food? Ha.
After a while I decided to inspect the walls. I ran my hands over every bump and indent, looking for whatever I could find. Unfortunately, there was nothing to be found. I worked myself back over to the door. Nothing.
This is ridiculous. I was not going to stay in here. I looked around the small room again. My only way out was the door.
I walked back to the other side of the room and was about to charge the door when it opened. I watched as the interrogator and three other males stepped in. I tilted my head curiously.
The interrogator and two other males walked over to me. I crouched in defense and their guns came up.
“Gentlemen, I think you’re frightening her,” came an insincere voice.
“Mr. President, I told you not to be fooled by her womanly looks,” the interrogator warned.
“Thank you, Jack, but I’m sure she isn’t any match for you and your two best,” President replied as Jack walked behind me. Jack put something on my wrist before he grabbed my other wrist and this time I allowed his touch.
“I know that you are the enemy,” he whispered curtly in my ear after he had bound my wrists together.
“Jack, back off a little,” President said politely.
“Mr. President…” Jack began as he stepped back in front of me, facing me. His eyes were focused and his face tense.
“Jack,” President said in the same polite tone.
Jack continued to stare at me as he slowly backed away. I appreciated Jack’s concern. He seemed unaffected by the fact that I was not male, that I was bleeding and looked helpless. Experience has taught me that a great warrior can see a person for what they are, not how they appear.
“Jack,” President said again.
Jack stepped to the side and there was a weak looking male standing in front of me. He was the opposite of Jack. Jack was about a head taller than me and had a strong build - broad shoulders, a thick chest, and flat stomach. His face was scruffy looking, and his dark brown hair was short, but longer than President’s. Jack’s serious eyes matched his dark hair, where as President had hair that was a yellowish-white color and dull green eyes that looked tired. President’s face was totally hairless, his shoulders were narrow and his stomach protruded from his abdomen.
Why did Sarsa want him, and not one of these other males? They at least would be fun to battle.
“Karissa, is it?” President asked in a kind voice, and I nodded. “I’ve been informed that you understand and can speak our language.”
I nodded again. Only an inferior species would attempt an attack without knowing the language.
“We have mixed feelings about your presence here. The fact that you do not look like the others puts a lot of us at ease,” he said and I watched his eyes move down my body and then back up. I looked over at Jack whose eyes were always on mine.
“You’ll have to excuse Jack. He doesn’t like anything about you.”
“He told me,” I said.
“Don’t worry, he will listen to me.”
I looked back over at President. I wasn’t worried about anyone I had met yet.
“Sorry to have to keep you in here, but this is the safest place for you to be, for our sake. If the other aliens try to come for you…”
“They won’t,” I interrupted.
“You sound so confident, but we do not trust you.”
I shrugged my indifference.
“Why are they here? They have us trapped in this area. The Earth is theirs to do with as they please.”
“They do not want this planet,” I clarified. I saw movement from Jack, and I looked over at him. I watched as understanding moved across his face. Jack looked down at me, eyes narrowed, and his muscles tensed.
“They want us all dead?” President asked incredulously after a few moments, and I glanced at President.
“That is irrelevant,” I answered.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
I looked at him in confusion. How could he claim to be the leader of these creatures, when I have to hold his hand to lead him to the right answer?
“What do they want with… us?” Jack inquired overly calm.
I looked back at him. Perhaps I would deliver President to my sisters, and take Jack as my gift to Omatha. I stared into Jack’s serious eyes. Yes, he will be my gift to Omatha and then, maybe, Omatha would not find the need to discipline me anymore.
“They want us?” President said in shock. “For what?”
I looked from Jack to President, and then back to Jack because he was the creature who intrigued me. President was not strong, he reeked with fear as he wondered what my sisters wanted with him, and his intelligence did not impress me.
“You like Jack? I can see why.”
I glared at the President. “Jack is not of interest,” I stated seriously.
“Why is that?”
“He is unimportant to them,” I informed him and President smiled.
“Jack, will you excuse us.”
“Mr. President, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Jack stated as he focused irritably on me.
“Jack, I gave you an order.”
“I’ll be right outside,” Jack said tensely, staring at me as President waved him out without looking at him.
I watched as the other two men followed Jack out. Before the door closed I saw Jack look at me, but I couldn’t decipher what his expression meant.
