Page 16 of An Alien for the Future

My hand freezes on the doorknob and I turn slowly, my heart pounding a frantic rhythm against my ribs.

His words strike a chord within me, a chord that resonates with the echoes of my own past, my own experiences of being judged, of being dismissed for simple things like the color of my skin or the kinks in my hair. And then to be taken from the only world I knew simply for the purpose of being used, abused, thrown away. As if I wasn’t a person, a being, but athing.

I swallow the lump that rises in my throat, the urge to confess, to tell him that I, too, know what it’s like to be seen as“other,” to be feared for what I am, not who I am. But the words remain trapped behind my lips.

“It’s…no big deal,” I manage, forcing a lightness I don’t feel. “Like I said, we humans…we tend to look out for each other.”

I say that even though he’s not one of my kind, hoping he understands it extends to other beings, not just us. But it’s a lie, of course. I’d been alone on Earth for far too long to believe in the inherent goodness of humanity. Seen too much. Saw the results of some of the worst parts of humanity back in the emergency room. But something about this alien, this wounded warrior with a heart that beats beneath those iridescent scales…makes me want to hang on to the ideal.

I give him a ghost of a smile as I open the door and step into my cottage. Closing it behind me, I lean against it and release a slow breath, the weight of his presence, his words, settling over me like a storm cloud gathering on the horizon.

My hand trembles as I slide the bolt home, a flimsy barrier against the unknown. He’s out there, on my porch, wounded, alone.

I close my eyes, pressing my forehead into my palm. For a moment, the scent of the sweet blossoms by my door fills the air and there’s a sudden, unexpected ache for a garden a million light-years away.

But then, a low groan, muffled by the thin walls, brings me back to the present, to the alien warrior on my porch, to the storm that’s gathering on the horizon. And as I turn towards the sound, a sense of inevitability settles over me, a certainty that this day, this encounter, is about to change everything.

5

TOVAN

Ididn’t lie to her…but I wasn’t forthcoming with the truth, either.

Yes, calling a medic to the plains will only waste credits. But it’s not that I’m trying to save after orbits of having nothing to spend on. I just…really don’t need to call a medic.

I pop out my comm anyway, sending a quick note to Arnak to let him know that all is well.

‘Situation under control. No need for extraction.’

A beat of silence, then Arnak’s reply flashes across the screen.

‘Under control? I can scent your lifeblood from here. You’re bleeding out in a human’s dwelling? Should I bring the emergency life-pack?’

‘Negative, Arnak. She has taken care of the wound and her methods are…effective. You can return to town without me. I will get my grav bike later.’

For a few moments, there is nothing on the screen and I’m a bit surprised he’s dropped the matter so quickly. Arnak is usually far more…persistent. I’m about to put the device away when it suddenly lights up again.

‘Just out of curiosity, brother…this human female…does she have a mate?’

Even during a crisis, his priorities remain predictable.

‘I do not believe she does.’But I know why he asks. He’s as interested in her as I am.‘Focus on your surveying, Arnak.’

His next message appears quickly.

‘Tread carefully, brother. They will soon pass a law that we Kari are harassing these poor females. Coercing them to stay in our presence. You have no reason to be there.’

He’s right, of course. I have no reason to be here. And yet, I remain.

‘I will leave soon.’

With that, I switch my comm off. Tucking the device away, I glance at the closed door of the human’s dwelling. I don’t even know her name. That curious, intriguing,lira’an. The word comes naturally, probably because it suits her so much. As if she was sculpted by the very star itself.

A slow grin comes to my lips as my gaze moves around her farm. She’s put fresh wall varnish on the main dwelling. It’s a vibrant blue that makes the lodge stand out rather than blend in. A splash of audacity that tells me this female has a profound misunderstanding of the concept of camouflage.

My grin widens as I grunt.

She…captivates me. The way she tended to my wound without hesitation, her touch gentle, so at odds with the hardness in her tone as she scolded me. It’s been a long time since anyone dared to speak to me that way. Longer still since I allowed it. But from her, it was unexpected. Refreshing.

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