Page 10 of Alien on the Moon

“All right then. Let’s get this back to the lab and start testing,” Rylan said, placing the sample in a sealed container along with the other samples they’d been collecting.

Elena’s eyes felt heavy, and she rubbed an ache in her back. “Caffeine first. Please tell me you have caffeine?” She looked up at him with big, pleading eyes, making him huff a laugh.

“We have caffeine,” he confirmed. “We should probably grab something to eat, too. We’ve been out here for hours.” He gestured to the darkening sky.

Elena gaped. She hadn’t noticed how much time had passed.

Time flies when you’re having fun with an alien scientist.

Chapter 4

Rylan

Elena was not at all what Rylan expected her to be. When he heard that the crown prince’s sister-in-law was coming to help with the mission, he was struck with a wave of dread, picturing a spoiled brat who thought she knew more than she actually knew about terraforming.

But Elena was a bright mind who thought outside of the box and seemed eager to learn. In some ways, she was brighter than most of their coworkers, and he found himself seeking out her advice even before some of the senior scientists.

Even stranger, he found himself seeking her out for reasons unrelated to the work.

“What are you looking at?” he asked.

She smiled and glanced up from her computer. “I patched myself into Earth’s databases to study our agricultural techniques and see if any of them could apply to Kheros.”

“Does your planet have terraforming technology?” he asked, pulling up a chair.

“Not exactly. At least, not to the same degree as your operation here. But we’re capable of surviving in some of the least hospitable places on our home planet.” She pulled up an image of a village in an ice-covered wasteland. “For example, humans have thrived in places where few plants can grow because of the frigid temperatures.”

“Fascinating.”

“I’ve also been looking into desert agriculture on Earth.” She pulled up a picture of a land covered in dust with no water or plants in sight. “There isn’t a one-to-one parallel with Kheros being terraformed, but it seems like a good place to start.”

“So, where did you live on Earth?” he asked. “Snow or desert?”

She blinked. “Oh, um, neither really. I mean, we got snow from time to time, but my sisters and I lived in a temperate area. We had warm periods and cold, but it’s not nearly as extreme as the ones I mentioned, so we had plenty of greenery around for us to farm and eat.”

He nodded. “You’ll have to tell me all about your home planet sometime. It sounds fascinating.”

Laughing, she shook her head, making his heart twinge. Was that no because she didn’t want to talk about Earth or because she didn’t want to talk to him?

“I’ll be honest. Outside of Arccoo and Zaraq, I’ve never seen a Thryal take an interest in Earth. I know, compared to your tech, we’re like backwoods hicks. You’re the first person I’ve met who says he wants to understand more about Earth. Do you really want to know?”

“Of course.” It didn’t hurt that it would give him a chance to spend more time with her. He glanced around the room. Most of their coworkers were already on their break, but she and Rylan were overworking as usual. “How about over lunch?”

She grinned. “Lunch sounds fantastic right now.”

Once they got their food, they found a quiet corner of the cafeteria. Rylan ignored the way the other scientists whispered and snickered among themselves. He knew there were rumorsabout the two of them dating, but he didn’t dignify them with a response.

Why would he? Doing so would only lend credence to them and might make Elena uncomfortable. And if there was anyone he did not want to be unhappy, it was the prince’s sister-in-law. He tried to tell himself it was just for that reason rather than having any real attraction to her.

But he’d never been good at lying, especially not to himself. When they sat down and she looked up at him with those bright blue eyes, he felt his heart palpitate.

“So, what is Earth like?” he asked.

Elena laughed softly, a small smile curling on her lips. “That’s sort of like asking me what my star system is like. Earth is complicated and incredibly diverse. Some people dedicate their whole lives to studying just a fraction of our history and cultures.”

“Thryal has been culturally united for the past several centuries.” He took a sip of his Jolt, letting the energy drink wake him up. “The planet is under a single government. It’s not like that on Earth?”

“God, no.” Laughing, she shook her head, her smile as dazzling as the stars in the sky. “Our geopolitical system is constantly evolving, with old countries absorbing others or new countries declaring independence from their mother country.”

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