Page 7 of Soren

The circumstances, on the other hand? No one could have predicted that.

"Prepare for acceleration in 3...2...1..."

The ship launches forward, so fast the seatbelt nearly knocks the wind out of me. The earth flies by in an impossible blur, and with an ear-deafening roar, we're airborne.

I force myself to look out the window. It's the only time I'll get to see something like this, and I want to remember every minute of it. Buildings, streets, cars -- all of it shrinks away as we ascend higher and higher. We reach the clouds, wispy tails of white that fleck dewdrops on the reinforced glass, then climb higher still.

The air filtration and pressurization system kicks in with a low hum, recycling and re-oxygenating the air in the cabin. My ears pop painfully and I wince, doubling over with my hands on my head.

Just get through this, I tell myself through the pain. Ascents and descents are always the hardest part. Once we get into space -- real space -- it'll be smoother. But the roar only continues, driving us up and up and up.

A few perilous minutes later, the very atmosphere seems to 'pop' around us, and just like that, the engines cut to a dull hum and the pain stops. Everything is suddenly...silent. I open my eyes carefully and dare to lift my head.

And there it is. The majesty of space spreads out around us, the Earth a rounded globe growing smaller by the second. Eerie, impossible black floods the viewport, pinpricked by countless stars. It stretches on forever, a sea of shadow and light without any end.

If only Janie could see this.

With that thought in mind, I fish into my bag and pull out my tablet to open the camera app. A photo will never do justice to the sheer magnitude of the universe, but it will have to do.

"Are you okay?"

I blink and look across the cabin. The guard from before stands there, watching me with expressionless eyes.

"I'm...okay." I stammer. That's a lie. I'm not okay.

I'm in space, for crying out loud. I'm going to an alien planet to be knocked up by a warlord. And I'm okay?

"You look a little pale," he observes. "This your first time?"

I swallow my suddenly dry throat. "Yeah. First time on a plane, first time on a spaceship." First time signing up to be an alien's surrogate... "It's...a lot.”

He doesn't move or react. Just watches me. It’s so unlike the friendly banter I shared with Orvox on the way in.

"Ah. It's been a long time since I was..." He stops, frowning over the words. "In your shoes." He tilts his head toward the viewport, eyes glazed over with nostalgia. "I almost forgot what it was like, first time in the black." He crosses his arms and joins me at my side.

By now, the flight is an easy, weightless glide. Space whips by in a dizzying array of black and white. Stars streak past us and leave only lines as their afterimage. I have no idea how fast we're going, but it's faster than anything on Earth goes, that's for sure.

"You will be well on Aesirheim." He says, as if to reassure me. "Do not worry. For now, take in the view that the galaxy has given us." The alien gestures toward the viewport, and I can't help but oblige.

It's one of the most gorgeous sights I've ever seen. I can’t help but hope that Aesirheim is everything that I’ve been promised.

FRESH START

SOREN

The transport's late.

I pace back and forth, clenching and unclenching my fists as I check the port monitor for the fifth time. Aesir ships were always on time when I was the captain. Their pilots must be getting sloppy.

They should have been here by now.

The females that will save our dying people.

It wasn't long ago that our planets entered into an agreement -- they would send compatible females in exchange for our abundance of natural resources. A business transaction, nothing more.

The other Jarls and I put our lives on the line to protect our planet from invaders. We beat back our enemies and conquered all who opposed us, but only just. Because the very edge we needed to win the war had an unintended consequence.

Our best scientists put their heads together and came up with an experimental serum, one that would enhance our fighting capabilities and make us stronger, better, faster.

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