Alien Bride, page 2
part #2 of The Alien Series
Eventually, we get to a hallway that looks to be made out of some new type of material. The ship we are in is mostly just tarnished metal, but this hallway gleams. At the end is yet another door. I wonder how these aliens keep track of where they are going. The woman leading us marches to the door, and our chains dictate that we follow. She punches a code into a keypad in the center of the door and it opens. The guards move to continue following us.
“Thank you, that will be all,” she tells them authoritatively.
“Would you like our assistance until you have secured the females?” a guard asks her.
“I said ‘that will be all,’” she repeats without giving the guards a second glance, and marches through the doorway, shutting them out.
Instantly, I understand that we have now entered an adjoining ship. The two ships are connected by the hallway, which, I imagine retracts when the ships part ways. This vessel is nothing like the last. The passageways aren’t just barren metal walls, there is actually decor here, and not in a Star Trek: The Next Generation sort of way… but in a truly luxurious way.
I notice decorative paneling covering the walls, and every few feet there is a painting or an inset with a statue or sculpture of some kind. Where the last ship was all sharp edges and hard corners, this ship seems to be filled with smooth and curving lines.
The lighting is different here, too. In the last ship, it felt like I was under those awful fluorescent bulbs that you usually only find hanging over a cubicle. Here, the lighting is warm and inviting. A glimmer of hope flickers in my belly. I pray these aliens are good to us, that they rescue us. I quickly try to squash that little voice inside me. There is nothing like getting your hopes up and then being let down. I think I would die of despair if I got my hopes up only to find out we are going to be raped or eaten. Wait, death by despair might actually be better in comparison, I think morbidly.
Our march continues and I feel like a baby duck scrambling to keep up with its mama. This alien woman is much taller than us, and each stride of her long legs gets her to where she is going that much faster. Somewhere along the way she must have picked up a tablet-looking device and she types wildly on it as we march along.
At first, we don’t pass anyone else, but as we get deeper into their ship more and more aliens appear. Most are humanoid, in the sense that they walk upright and have the right number of arms and legs. But a few pass us that… vary. I notice everyone we do pass either blatantly stares or does a double take. The woman leading us motions for them to back off and they hurry to get out of her way. I venture a look back and see we have gained an entourage. That’s when our leading lady stops abruptly and I nearly plow into her as I scope out what’s going on behind our group. It appears we have reached our destination. She turns and leads us into a room.
“Get these collars off them,” she commands, and two young men hurry around, snapping the collars off with bolt cutters.
“It seems there has been a cultural misunderstanding,” she announces. “The Islerian people would like to express our deepest apologies for any inconvenience this has caused you or your families. Please take a seat,” she encourages, sounding like a stewardess letting us know our flight is going to be delayed. And though her tone is cold, her words are somewhat hope inspiring.
I take in our surroundings. It seems as if she has brought us to a comfortable reception area, with sofas and a few small tables. Following her command, I move to sit, but remember I’m basically just wearing a rubber band around my hips. If I sit I’ll be flashing my hoo-hah to everyone in the room. My fellow captives and I eye the sofas.
“Denna, blankets please,” our stewardess says to one of the aliens who joined our little parade. A woman brings over a stack of blankets and passes one out to each of us. I quickly wrap mine around my body. The blanket is surreal, not only because I have been butt naked for so long, but because the material is softer than baby kittens. It also seems to be covered with an artistic and intricate woven pattern which shines under the room’s warm lighting. Now covered, my fellow captives and I sit, albeit trepidatiously.
Our stewardess speaks again. “We are in the process of notifying our government of the circumstances of your trafficking. We will do all in our power to locate your planets of origin and return you safely to your homes. Additionally, you will each have an opportunity to lodge a formal complaint against the Makaan at trial once we have returned to Isleria.”
She looks to us expectantly but is met by silence.
“Damn Makaan… did they even spring for translators? Doctor Jas, will you please perform a scan to determine what they’re equipped with? Log any concerns that will require medical attention too please,” the stewardess tells another alien.
The doctor approaches and scans us each from about five feet away. I’m grateful for the distance she keeps. I think I’d freak out if I had to go through more medical procedures that I neither asked for nor agreed to.
“They all have functioning translators, Anu,” the doctor announces.
The woman, Anu, looks at us perplexed. “Can you hear me?” she says loudly, making an effort to enunciate each word. “We are going to take you home,” she continues, searching our faces for recognition before looking to her shipmates, confusion and frustration written in her features.
“Are we allowed to speak?” Deer Woman whispers.
“Yes, of course you are allowed to speak,” Anu huffs, tossing her hands in an exasperated gesture. “We will need to gather information from each of you to determine where your home worlds are, among other things, and you will certainly need to speak for that.” She lets out a long sigh, regaining some of her composure. “But first, we will provide you with proper garments, food, rest, and accommodations. During your stay with us, you will each be paired with a host family who will care for you and see to your needs. When the time comes, you will be transported to Isleria, where you may then give testimony regarding your treatment and any crimes committed against you.”
“They said they would kill us if we spoke,” Deer Woman sobs.
“Yes, that will be important for your testimony on Isleria. Let’s go ahead and move the group along. We’ll get you bathed and dressed. I’m sure Doctor Jas will want to ensure you’ve all been properly vaccinated,” Anu says dismissively, already moving to exit the room. I suddenly get the impression that we are more of a task on her to-do list than people.
Purple Barbie stands now, and she is as tall, if not taller, than the Islerian women. She towers above me, and her posture reminds me of a warrior. “More doctors? More shots? More strangers bathing us?” She spits on the floor at Anu’s feet. “You are no different from the last.” She rips her blanket from her shoulders and throws it hard at Anu, who bristles. The room suddenly goes completely silent and the tension is practically a physical thing. I’m quick to stand up and I take a place at Purple Barbie’s side. Although we have never actually spoken before, her cell was next to mine, and out of anyone, I feel closest to her. So, I stand to back my girl up and the others join us without hesitation.
“I understand you have all gone through an ordeal, but let’s please work to behave in a civilized manner,” Anu says, tossing the blanket to the ground like a piece of garbage. “We are offering our help.”
“Well, Anu, as gracious as you have been up until this point, I think my friends and I are going to have to apologize if our trust has to be earned,” I say as civilly as possible while I shoot her daggers with my eyes.
“I have no doubt that what we can provide you during your stay will far surpass any treatment the Makaan bestowed upon you,” she informs us smugly.
“To be fair, that wouldn’t take much. They didn’t set the bar very high. I would hope that as your guests, rather than your slaves, we would be treated with respect,” I say, reaching a moment of clarity. This woman… these people, they aren’t our heroes, our white knights bursting in to save the day. They just happened to stumble across us and don’t give a shit about everything we’ve been through. This woman is nothing more than some self-important bureaucrat who thinks she just laid the golden egg when all she’s showing us is a pile of shit.
Anu takes a deep breath and schools her face in a near perfect impression of someone who really gives a damn. “Again, we apologize for the circumstances, and I’d like to remind you that our government will do everything in its power to put right what the Makaan have disturbed. I think you will all find yourselves quite pleased during your stay. Now, let’s head to the med bay to run a few more scans, then each of you can be off to your retreats.”
“They all wish to bathe us and none will feed us. I can see how pleasing this will be already,” Purple Barbie scoffs.
“Follow me,” Anu says, ignoring Purple Barbie as she heads out the door again. We resume our impressions of baby ducklings, scurrying along after her.
Chapter 4
Alessandra
Anu leads us to yet another waiting room, where they begin taking some basic demographics. Now that we know these aliens don’t plan on hurting us we feel increasingly more comfortable expressing our outrage. To be fair, it is the Makaan we are mad at, not these people. But we’ve been treated like animals for too long, just to be herded like cattle by these supposed rescuers. Unfortunately, before we can really rally against their efforts to bathe us and do whatever else they have planned, we each get assigned something like a lady-in-waiting and are separated. At first, I’m hesitant to follow, but then the girl assigned to me asks if I have eaten… and I decide to follow her anywhere she wants to take me.
“I am Ara,” the woman tells me. “I will assist with your retreat.”
“I’m Alessandra,” I reply. She smiles pleasantly at this but says no more. When she doesn’t continue, I fill the silence. “What’s this ‘retreat’ about then?”
“You have never had a retreat?” she asks, looking puzzled. “I will take good care of you, Alessandra. Tomorrow you will want nothing more than an eternity of retreats.”
“I’d settle for an eternity of treats… did you say there was going to be food involved?” I ask.
“Patience. We must begin the first session.” She leads me into a dark room. It’s so dark I can’t tell if there’s anything in it. The door slides closed behind us and we stand in pitch black darkness.
“Ara! What the hell?” I screech, but a dim light slowly begins to fill the room. It isn’t a lamp… it’s more like stars. They increase in intensity until I can just make out Ara standing next to me. Her pearlescent skin seems to glow in the starlight and she smiles at me. She has this peaceful yoga thing going on, which is nice and all… but it feels super incongruous with the current situation.
“What is this?” I ask, staring at the walls of the room that now look like a vast ocean of stars.
“This is session one. The walls here are holograms, there is nothing to fear. The programs have been set to maximize your experience of pleasure and relaxation. Please disrobe,” she says in a serene voice.
“Look, I’m not emotionally attached to this outfit or anything, but I want to make sure that when I’m done here I’m going to have some clothing to put back on,” I tell her.
“You wish for me to save these… garments for you?” she asks, attempting to sound polite, but her disbelief permeates her words.
“No,” I laugh. “I’m mean I’d prefer something else if you have anything available, but if not, I’ll wear this opposed to walking around naked,” I explain.
“A selection of clothing is already being assembled to be sent to your quarters. I have something much more suitable for you to wear after your retreat,” she tells me while giving me a sleepy smile. “You may go ahead and disrobe now.”
“Okay then…” I hesitantly begin to remove the strips of fabric that the Makaan pretended were clothing. I’m happy to be rid of anything that reminds me of those monsters, but I’m feeling a little awkward being nude in front of this stranger—regardless of her peaceful yoga vibes. Ara ignores me, though; her back is to me and she kneels in the center of the room. I hear the gentle tinkling of water.
“You may get in now, Alessandra,” she informs me.
“Wait, is this another bath? I literally just had one on the other ship…” I begin.
“This is not for cleaning, but for cleansing. Soap washes away the dirt, this will wipe away all the rest. I will return at the end.”
“Um… okay. Thanks.” Ara leaves the room, spraying a flash of light in as she does. I see the large tub more clearly now. I resign myself to getting in, even though my stomach growls in its impatience. Before I get in the water I explore the room a bit. The walls are magnificent, like something out of a dream. I reach my fingertips out to touch the holograms but chicken out in the end, opting to instead preserve the illusion of floating through space.
I dip my toe in the tub. The water feels steamy hot against my skin. It is kind of nice. I sink into it. As I do, the water itself seems to light up and cast its waving reflection into the image of space around me… it is like light dancing away into the heavens.
Once submerged, I’m instantly aware of all the aches, pains, and tension in my body. It’s like my insides are tied up in knots and the water is slowly releasing me from my bindings. Sleeping on the floor of a cage sure did mess with my back, I think to myself… but it’s a thought I can’t seem to hold onto. All the pain and negative energy is escaping from my body. I feel at peace. I lean my head back and breathe in the steam rising from the water… I swear I can see my breath curl up into the room and dance away with the stars. Time passes and I lose track of it.
“Your second session has been prepared.” Ara is suddenly standing before me and the light from the doorway behind her cascades into the room.
“Oh, did I doze off?” I mumble and start to climb to my feet, wiping my mouth in case I was drooling. Ara just smiles pleasantly.
“What is this bath thing anyway? It wasn’t just warm water, right? Because that was practically a hypnotic experience,” I say as she helps me into a silky robe. I worry I’m going to soak the thing through, but it’s oddly absorbent. Definitely not Earth silk.
“Did you enjoy it?” she asks.
“Yes and no. It felt good, but I don’t think I’m in the right frame of mind right now to have any hypnotic experiences.”
“Were you able to relax completely?” she presses.
“Yeah… I guess… but there’s a whole free will component that is kind of missing for me right now,” I try to tell her. Ara is nice enough and she radiates this peaceful vibe, which is lovely, it really is, but she just doesn’t seem to be getting what I’ve been through. I just want to be fed and to have a room with a door I can lock and a soft bed that I can sleep in for the next 15–20 hours. All this spa stuff feels borderline insane.
“Look, I appreciate all that you and your people are doing to help, but I’m tired and hungry. Can we just cut this short?”
“The second stage of your retreat involves a meal,” Ara explains. My stomach growls in anticipation.
“Oh! Awesome, okay. Let’s do that then. Thank you. Will any of the other girls be there?” I ask, missing the alien ladies I think of as my friends—even though we haven’t even truly spoken to one another.
“Retreats focus on the individual,” she tells me.
“Oh, okay.” Disappointed, I follow Ara down a short corridor into a room with a chaise lounge-type chair and a small table beside it. Ara motions for me to sit, and I struggle to get into a comfortable position. I smile weakly at her expectant gaze. Another person enters the room with a tray and sets down a fragile-looking glass filled with a golden liquid and a small bowl containing three “grapes” and a cube of sugar. I frown at it, disappointed.
“Um… what’s this?” I ask, and Ara’s yoga vibes visibly begin to wane. She is starting to look a little confused by me, perhaps even slightly irritated. She motions for me to eat. I tentatively pick up one of the grape-like things and bite into it. It is definitely not a grape. It feels like paste or a cold, mushy noodle in my mouth and it’s got a very sweet flavor, but it’s kind of a sickly sweet. On a different day it might make a pleasant enough dessert, but today I’m looking for the main course. Ara can see my displeasure.
“Mmmm…” I say as I try to force a smile.
“Perhaps you would like to try your Pana or Vhett?” she offers, and I can hear her voice losing that peaceful quality she seemed so schooled in. I pick up my glass and try to take a gulp of the beverage to wash down the sweetness, but the fluid is nearly as thick as honey. I shake and tilt the glass in an effort to get a big glob to fall into my mouth. It’s about as sweet as honey too. I cringe. I mean, I have a sweet tooth as much as the next girl, but this is ridiculous.
“If you have not had Vhett before, you should drink it slowly…” Ara begins to stammer. I’d do a spit take, if this stuff wasn’t lodged in a ball in my throat.
