Page 26 of Pandora: Alien Games

“You better lay down. The headache is bad,” she said with the same sweet, sing-song voice.

“Who the fuck are you?”

I doubted my own perception because I couldn’t hear her footsteps. Maybe I died and this is a crazy, mad dream. That’s it. I died. Sorry, Van. I tried. I covered my closed eyes with my hands and wiped the tears accumulating in the corners of my eyes.

“Are you thirsty or hungry?” the same voice asked, only this time she was so much closer.

I took my hands away from my face, determined to look my hallucination in the eye and call bullshit.

“I’m dead, haven’t I? Fucking space rats, I’m dead.”

She laughed, but it was not human. It sounded more like a meowing. “You’re not dead, Pandora Sky. You’re very much alive. What you feel now, the nausea and headache. are a small yet unpleasant side effect of having a universal translation chip implanted. They will go away. In the meantime, let me help you.”

The creature sat next to me. I could feel her hand touch mine, only it was different, like a soft velvet paw. “I am May, I am here to help you.”

Opening my eyes, I could barely suppress a gasp. She was a cat. A cat woman, I mean. She had pointy ears and long, golden hair. Her skin was golden brown with a fascinating pattern. She had whiskers, for fuck’s sake, as well as human lips. Her body and head looked like a happy merger between a human beauty and a cat. Her eyes were huge and painted in gold, blue, and black, and she had the most incredible long pink lashes.

“What are you?”

“Let’s help sit you up first.” She pulled gently and the recliner I lay on adjusted for me. I found myself in a half-sitting position. The elegant cat offered me a golden, jewelry-encrusted cup with a steamy beverage.

“Drink this but take small sips. It’ll help you with the pain and nausea. Don’t worry, I ran an analysis on your blood. You can drink it.”

I took the cup from her and smelled the vapors that floated over the rim. It smelled nice.

“Thanks. May, right?”

“Yes. I want to help you adjust.”

“Where are my friends? Why were we arrested?”

“You’re an alien, Pandora, and there are things about our civilization that you’re not aware of. I assume the Anubis didn’t tell you anything about the prophecy.”

“What in the space rats? The Anubis saved me. I’d be dead without them. They wanted to get a translator and would have explained this. Listen, I’m lost. I landed here by accident.”

The delicate cat lady moved so elegantly. I was fascinated by the way she moved. “I’m only here to help you adjust. You are not from our planet and you are part of the prophecy. Princess Kya and our high priests will explain more. In the meantime, feel free to move around. You’re a guest. But you’re not allowed to leave the house of Princess Kya because it’s not safe for you out there.”

“My head hurts. I want to see Ashok at least. Please?”

May looked down.

“You’re incredibly beautiful,” I said.

“Thank you, Pandora. You are beautiful, too, I wish I had your eyes. I’ll try, I promise. Please drink your tea. It’ll help with the pain. Princess Kya wants to see you when you feel up to it.”

I was ready to go. Ashok was out there and needed me, as well as the other guys. They were kind to me and I would do everything I could to help them. I drank the tea. It tasted sweet and had a bitter after taste.

“See, empty. I need to see this princess if she can show me where my guys are.”

“Pandora, you need rest.”

“May, I don’t know how you do this on your planet but, in my world, we don’t abandon our friends. I’d give my life for my friends, so I won’t let a small headache stop me from talking to your princess. Space rats.”

May smiled and I saw her fangs. “Pandora Sky, I hope that in time you and I will be friends, and you will feel that way about me, too. I would be honored to one day call you friend.”

I took May’s hand and shook it. Or paw. Or whatever. She looked confused.

“This gesture means agreement in my world. We call it a handshake.”

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