Page 4 of My Alien Bughead
“Of courssse. Now that I don’t have to sssit on the egg, I’ll open the food ssstall again. I already ssstarted baking. Here.”
I eagerly grab the roll she offers and take a large bite. The moan that escapes me sounds almost erotic. Damn, it’s been too long since I got laid. “Mmm, this is amazing. We’ve missed your baking so much. Don’t have another egg too soon, please. The station can’t survive without your seka rolls or warpberry fritters.”
Zhuse lets out a hissing giggle. “Worry not, Lusssía. I think thisss little one will be enough for now. Essspecialy sssince Sezasar worksss all thossse extra shiftsss,” she sighs. “Ssso much work. FrenCorp paysss well, at leassst.”
Zhuse’s mate, Sezasar, works in the smelter. Most of the workers in there are Kahzsi. Coming from a scalding hot desert planet, the Kahzsi don’t just tolerate the high temperatures around the furnaces; they revel in it. Even now, heat is wafting from Zhuse’s stall, generated by two large ovens she keeps running even when she isn’t baking anything, just to keep herself warm.
“They do pay well,” I agree. “Thank you for the roll, Zhuse, and congratulations on the little one again. I’ll swing by in a bit but I really have to take a shower now.”
“Sure, sure. Now that you aren’t the only human on the ssstation, you have to presssent yourssself better. Perhapsss you’ll find a mate among them, hmm?”
“Yeah, yeah, as if I have time for a relationship.” I turn to leave, then Zhuse’s words fully register in my mind. “Wait, what did you just say? What do you mean ‘not the only human on the station’?!”
The only ship that docked here in the past several days is the new ship I’m supposed to be fixing. But if they have humans aboard…
A block of ice forms in my stomach. They must be slavers, after all. Fuck!
Zhuse waves the tip of her tail down the marketplace. “They were jussst here. I think they’re shopping for clothesss now.”
“Thanks, Zhuse.” I stuff the rest of the roll into my mouth as I sprint down the street, praying I’m wrong and that by some miracle, these humans are as free as I am. Because if they aren’t, I will have to do something stupid to free them and most likely die in the process.
Then I hear it.
English.
A woman is speaking English on the Alevvo station. Not even in my wildest dreams did I ever expect that.
I’m so taken aback by the rare auditory impression that I trip over a cable. I manage to put my hands out in front of me to avoid face planting on the floor but I do bang my knee. And, of course, attract attention.
As a result, my very first time meeting humans after four years, I’m not only sweaty and covered in engine sludge but also on my hands and knees on the floor. Fuck me, right?
Chapter 3
D’Aakh
“What the fuck, Captain?!”I yell the moment I bump into Zarkan in one of the destroyed corridors.
Nonplussed, he merely tilts his head in my direction. “Good day to you too, D’Aakh,” he rumbles, the twitch of his thick tail letting me know he’s suppressing a laugh.
I, on the other hand, am not laughing. “Good day? How is this a good day?”
“Well, we’re alive. I’d say that constitutes a good day.”
I can’t refute that. Better than anyone on the ship, I know how close we all came to dying. Our chances of survival were prettydamn bleak when the hyperdrive malfunctioned right next to a neutron star. Cai calculated them for me within three decimal points of accuracy. They were miniscule.
Yet, we survived. It wasn’t just thanks to my desperate, yet brilliant plan but I dare say I played a vital role in our escape. Which is why this hurts even more.
“You’re hiring another technician?” I blurt out, masking the hurt in my voice with anger.
Zarkan sighs. “I don’t have any doubts about your technical skills but a ship of this size—”
“I can handle everything on my own! I always have before.” My ahni twitch, their tips glowing bright orange, a sign that I’m about to explode.
“You have,” Zarkan agrees, his tone placating. “However, that was back when we were a regular Voidstalker squad with UGC staff at our beck and call. We’re alone now and this ship is huge. You’re a brilliant technician, D’Aakh, but you’re only one person. Cruisers aren’t built to be maintained by just one person, even if they’re in top condition, which the Supernova is not. Hence, the extra technician to help us with repairs.”
Everything he says makes sense. He knows it. I know it. But the molten pit of anger and despair that’s been burning inside my chest for weeks won’t let me accept it.
Shoving my hands in my pockets probably makes me look like a brooding adolescent, but I need to hide how much my hands are trembling. If Zarkan sees it, he’ll know something is wrong. He’ll order me to rest, to stay away from work, and I’ll lose the only thing in my fucked up life that still makes sense.
