Page 15 of My Alien Bughead
“What the…”
D’Aakh stops so abruptly I run into his back. It’s firm and muscular and for a moment, I forget why we were running in the first place. Then the sound of running water reaches my ears and I actually peer around him into the massive room we’ve arrived at. My eyes widen and my jaw drops to the floor as I stare at the sight before me, unable to utter a single sound.
Hearing a waterfall inside a spaceship is never a good thing. Unless there’s anactualwaterfall inside the ship.
Chapter 10
D’Aakh
I am the mostintelligent person on this ship. Maybe even this sector of the galaxy. It might sound cocky and vainglorious but it doesn’t make it any less true.
It’s not often I am surprised by something I wouldn’t have expected in my wildest dreams. Today? I’ve been shocked twice in less than ten minutes. It makes me think the stims I’ve been taking are really doing a number on my brain.
The first time was when I heard Lucía explaining both the inner workings of a space cruiser and the current state of thisship. Her earlier statements, I could have brushed off as lucky guesses but the way she spoke just now…
There’s no denying it anymore. The human does have some knowledge. Just how much? I don’t know but she’s far from the clueless, brainless pest I considered her to be a few minutes ago.
My conscience rears its stupid head, reminding me that I’m an asshole for how I’ve treated her so far. Stamping it down, I remind myself that she’s still an intruder on my ship and I won’t let her mess up the Supernova more than it already is.
I work alone. Lucía Nores has to leave. End of story.
The human female might be intelligent, skilled and strong and— I stop myself before my thoughts run riot in the wrong direction. She might be all that but she’s not staying. And if me being mean gets her off my ship faster, then I shall continue doing so.
Getting back to my original thought process, the second shocker of the day is an even bigger face-slapping surprise. I can’t even begin to comprehend the stunning sight before me. Lucía runs into my back as I’ve practically frozen mid stride. Her hands press into me as she rights herself. Even through my combat uniform and the chitin plating, I can feel her warmth, her electromagnetic field modulating to a frequency that seems to be reaching out straight to my ahni.
No.
Stepping forward, I swiftly move away from Lucía, thankful that she doesn’t follow. She’s clearly too taken aback by what the Serramorphs have done to this place. Truth be told, so am I.
It’s like stepping into another world. My crewmates’ superior hearing wasn’t wrong. A waterfall does cascade down what appears to be rocks on the opposite side of the room. An actual waterfall with some not-so-actual rocks. We don’t haul stones around in space, so the Serramorphs have creatively turned what looks to be old cargo containers, scrap metal, and universeknows what else into a craggy structure resembling a rock cliff about twice my height.
The water cascades into what is either a small lake or a large pond, not sure what the difference is. It’s also made out of pieces of metal carefully welded together. The sides are smooth and gently sloping, offering safe and easy access to the water like a swimming pool. The soft lapping of the waves underlies the sharper rush of the waterfall, the sounds combine to create a very relaxing backdrop.
It’s not even the freaking waterfall that is most surprising, though. It’s the greenery.
“Holy fucking shit!” Astra exclaims from behind us. Heedless of her own safety, she pushes between Lucía and me, entering the large open space in front of us. “Since when do we have a park with a waterfall and a plunge pool?”
“We don’t,” I say. “Or didn’t, at least.”
Some larger ships have biospheres, open spaces with real plants and water features where the crew and passengers can relax and soak up some simulated sunlight. Those ships are massive, though. Like battleships housing thousands of soldiers, generational ships that entire species live in, or luxurious cruise ships. Not something as relatively small and utilitarian as the Supernova.
Tareq rushes to Astra’s side, stopping her from touching a vine crawling along the wall. Like all the plants here, it’s still small, only reaching up to my waist, but if left unchecked, it will completely cover the walls within a few weeks. A thin layer of soil covers the floor around the pond with grass and flowers sprouting from it. Improvised planters of all sizes line the walls, holding saplings of plants I’ve never seen before. Bushes and trees, presumably.
“Don’t touch anything,” Tareq admonishes Astra quietly. “It could be poisonous.”
“But it’s so beautiful.”
I roll my eyes. How humans survived evolution, let alone became a dominant species on their planet, is a mystery to me.
With a groan, Zarkan squeezes himself through the tight passageway and stands next to me. “I’m not going back that way,” he grumbles, stretching his arms out. As usual, his body language is perfectly controlled. The only thing betraying his surprise at our surroundings is the slight widening of his vertically slitted pupils. “Hmm,” he grunts, scratching at his chin. “Didn’t know we had such large rooms in the ship's underbelly.”
“We don’t. Or rather, didn’t.” I point out at the lines on the wall a few feet away from us. “There used to be a bulkhead there. And there. This probably used to be a workshop or maybe a research lab for the engineers. Surrounded by storage rooms. The Serramorphs removed all of the non-load-bearing bulkheads to create…” With a shrug, I throw my hands out. “Well, this. Whateverthisis.”
Something in the air changes. Tingles of awareness run down my spine. Automatically, I grip my assault rifle and raise the barrel. Unconsciously, I step in front of Lucía to shield her from danger…because she’s an unarmed civilian in a potentially hostile environment, of course. Not because I care about her specifically.
There’s no skittering. The layer of soil on the floor makes the Serramorphs’ approach soundless.
“Three on the left,” I announce, my voice tight as I take aim at the closest insect.
