Page 58 of Tricked By the Alien Prince

“All this time I could have spoken out and told others that I was struggling, you know? I could have asked them for help, but I didn’t.” I trace a pattern in the dust on the floor. “Why? Maybe my pride. I don’t know. I had this stupid belief that I had to be the strongest person around, taking care of others. I was putting myself under pressure for no real reason.”

“There’s no shame in asking for help,” Zoran tells me, his usual humor gone. “Even a warrior must learn when a foe is beyond their own skill level.”

“There’s no shame in asking for help,” I repeat those valuable words, closing my eyes and internalizing what’s got to be the most important lesson of my life. I never ask others for help, but that’s about to change.

“I was always afraid,” I tell them, opening my eyes to meet their gazes. “All this time, I thought I was being strong, taking my destiny into my own hands. But it was always the fear driving me. I ran from it back on Earth. I could have said no to my own father, or told the authorities what he was pressuring me to do, but I didn’t. I didn’t speak up loud enough when Ariana went missing. And I ran from the colony rather than confront Walter and the council directly; all because I was so terrified that I would fail. I didn’t need more evidence; I had all that I needed. I was just so afraid that no one would help me. I really, really didn’t need to do this all on my own.”

Even knowing that I can and should ask, doesn’t make it any easier. A life-long mental issue isn’t just solved overnight. I’m a work in progress, and that’s okay.

It’s that very reason why I can’t find it in myself to blame the King. Not fully. He’s clearly trying to work around trauma... and he really needs professional help, but obviously can’t get it. He’s doing the best he can, even if that is a bit misguided.

I open my eyes and look at my two companions. They stare back at me, attention riveted. The sound of the arena has grown louder, closer. Time is running out.

“I’m...I’m asking now. For help. Please.”

“How can we help?” Melvall asks, his voice quiet from the other side of the cell. He doesn’t hesitate to offer his support, and I’m beyond grateful for that.

I place my trembling hands in my lap. I can still feel the weight of my tablet in my pocket. It’s a comforting presence; a connection to my beloved mother, and a gift to define my own freedom and life.

No one thought to search the defenseless female. Little do they know...

“I’ve got a plan. It’s time we broke out of this place and saved the day.”

Computer engineer to prison escapee in three easy steps. Great career move, Maya.

A beat goes by, my dramatic proclamation settling in.

“You are just as mad as the rest of them,” Melvall sighs, but a smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. “But whatever. If you can get us out of these cells, then let’s do this.”

“Finally!” Zoran exclaims, cracking his knuckles. “I’ve been ready to break some heads!”

“I said break out, not break heads,” I correct him, but I can’t help smiling.

I could laugh. I could cry. But what I’m really going to do is finish what I set out to do—punish the villains and save my colony.

ChapterThirty

MAYA

Ihiss through my teeth as I squint at my tablet screen. Lines of code scroll before my eyes… and it’s frustratingly slow. My nerves are shot, every little noise making me feel like I’m on borrowed time. And those noises? Over the last few minutes, they’ve gotten increasingly louder. The King said that we were going to be thrown into the arena, and I am starting to fear the games are just beginning.

“When you dramatically declared we were escaping this place, I kind of figured you’d have a key or something,” Melvall complains from beside me. His face is pressed to the metal bars, nose squishing through, as he attempts to look down both sides of the corridor for the wayward patrolling guards.

“I do. Kind of,” I tell him. “Hacking isn’t like it is in the vids, okay? They make it look so easy. Just start an app or press a button, or maybe even two people can type on a keyboard at once and it somehow just magically works,” I scoff.

“This is hacking?” Zoran asks. “Using this device with the glowing screen? I’ve heard about them, but never seen one in person before.”

I slap his wrist as he reaches for my tablet, curious fingers questing.

“No. Hacking is much more complicated than just ‘using the device’. You have to understand encryption protocols, authentication layers, and system vulnerabilities. I’m trying to find a security backdoor that will let me override the lock mechanisms,” I explain, my fingers flying across the screen. “I was right! They’re using an outdated access control system down here. If I can bypass their authentication sequence, then I should be able to trigger the unlock protocols and...”

My fingers type across the screen, my brain screaming at me why I didn’t bring a keyboard as well. As soon as I get the opportunity, I’m going to get one of those fold-up ones… or maybe one of those projection models, though they’re more prone to typos than anything.

“What do you think is going on out there?” Melvall asks, craning his head. “It’s getting awfully loud.”

“Maybe a famous fighter?” Zoran replies. After a moment, he snorts. “Nah. They would have cheered that loud for me if it was.”

I ignore them, my mind focused on the data appearing before me. A jumble of command lines and access codes appearing, yet in my mind, I can visualize it all; pathways going to gates, splitting off from one another and even circling back, all interconnecting with other devices on the network. Each junction point, each security node is a vulnerable spot that I might be able to exploit.

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