Page 36 of Alien's Eternal Mate

“It’s Ligimer fruit. We can’t grow it on the island. It’s very sweet.”

I picked up one of the fruits, finding it had heft similar to an apple. I bit into the flesh and found it had a flavor similar to an almond mixed with a blueberry.

“It’s delicious, thank you. And this?”

“It’s a Photonic flute. You used to have one, until…you, um, broke it when you were angry. They are not easy to find. Only the Engineers of the Red River tribe know how to craft them.”

I nodded, trying not to let my anger show. The mention of the engineers brought up a sore spot for me. Unlike the Sages, the Engineers refused to allow me to petition for membership.

The Engineers were more insular and secretive than the Sages. They jealously guarded their secrets, even from each other. It angered me as a scientist that they would hoard knowledge so callously.

I unwrapped the package, chewing on another bite of fruit. Inside, I found a silver cylinder capped by a walnut sized, clear gemstone. The opposite end held a molded mouthpiece, while a series of different hued crystal buttons covered the shaft.

“This is an instrument?”

I put it to my lips and blew. The shaft grew warmer in my hands, vibrating with my exhalation. A spark of lavender light appeared above the clear gemstone. Startled, I stopped blowing and nearly dropped the flute.

“What was that?”

“The Photonic flute makes light rather than sound. I’m sorry, I should have warned you.”

I held up my hand.

“No harm done, Arael.”

Her twilight hued eyes softened, losing their fear. The instincts which drove her to fear Gro died hard, but they were dying.

“The studs atop the shaft will change the color and intensity of the light,” she said, taking hold of the flute in my grasp. Her fingers brushed against my own and my pulse quickened. “See?”

I nodded, suddenly transfixed by Arael. Her beauty had stunned me at first, but then I’d grown used to it. Or so I thought. I was struck by the fact I could never get used to how hauntingly beautiful I found her.

Arael’s hair had grown to her shoulders in the last six months. A deeper shade of purple than her eyes, it almost seemed like spun midnight. I followed the contours of her slender, graceful neck to the swell of her bosom, barely contained in her halter top.

I deliberately tore m y gaze away from her and tried to play the flute, in order to distract my mind.

“Your brain waves will help shape the light, so you must keep your subject firmly in mind.”

I heard her words, but I was lost in the world of the flute. My fingers moved along the keys, changing the brightness, color, and intensity of the light produced by the flute.

The purple sphere coalesced, grew more distinct. Arael’s face came into being, shaped by my will as much as my traveling fingers and intent exhalations. I could have done the same thing without all the effort using IHC or Alliance technology.

Yet, somehow the image created by the flute had a richness to it that computer generated renderings lacked. I was never an artist on Earth, but I’d always envied those who could capture the essence of humanity with skill and aplomb.

I soon realized the flute wasn’t just about translating my conscious thoughts. The way I felt about what I created directly influenced its appearance. My discovery of this facet of light-based performance occurred in a rather embarrassing manner.

The image of Arael expanded from a portrait of her face into a bust, and then a fully-rendered figure.

A fully rendered figure with no clothing. Not a stitch.

I pulled the flute from my lips, mortified. The image lingered for a few moments more, cupping its breasts and giving me a half-lidded, sultry gaze before it vanished.

“Apologies,” I muttered, not quite able to look at her.

“Gro! Gro!”

Ignio burst into the chamber, sweat streaking his face and staining the armpits of his robes.

“You must come quickly! Gliders from another tribe have traded us the most intriguing device.”

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