Page 78 of Alien From Ashes

“Oh no…”

The last time I had to check on Raina’s farm, I rushed over in a panic, only to realize that a stray wildebeest had crossed into her property. The thing nearly head butted my skimmer into scraps, and I had to call DJ to come help me chase it away.

“Rutting yes!” Raffa punches the air and swallows his snack. “Today was boring anyways. Do we have a wildebeest to chase?”

I’m glad he’s excited. I have half a mind to tell him to stay here and not get hurt, but I’m coming to the unfortunate realization that he’s not a little boy anymore. Not that he was ever little, but he and his friends spend their time trying to hop on the backs of wildebeests for fun. So there’s really no point trying to protect him from one in the first place, no matter how much I yelled at him the last time he came home with a bruised ass. He grabs for his air-whip, a tool that creates an airstream that he has learned to use as a lasso.

“And I didn’t even get dinner started,” I grumble.

“We can cook the wildebeest,” Raffa says with a grin.

“Very funny.”

I hop in my skimmer and Raffa decides to take his air bike, which he often uses like some space cowboy to chase the wildebeests like DJ taught him. The sheriff might’ve been skeptical about our situation, but he’s taken a liking to Raffa. Since Raffa befriended DJ’s nephew Apollo, the three of them have been thick as thieves. DJ takes them on hunting trips when it’s the season for it and takes pride in showing the boys how to keep the wildebeest population from getting out of hand without harming the proper population levels. Raffa thought the whole thing was crazy, not having much interaction with natural worlds for the majority of his life, but he quickly grew to love it. He and Apollo work on their air bikes together and practice lassoing. They’re gearing up to participate in a wrangling competition. I tried to tell him the competition was for eighteen-year-olds, which he vehemently argued was a human standard, not a Kar’Kali one.

We stop at the section of the property line that shows the breach on my security system map. I’m expecting a clear-cut path to the wildebeest, considering they flatten any vegetation they come across with their big hooves or they chew their way through an area they consider tasty. But when we come to a stop on the boundary, I hover the skimmer over completely untouched grasses and wildflowers. The weeds have taken over Raina’s farm, and I’ve let them grow. If we ever make a plan, at least her soil will be enriched in the meantime, and we can always bring some cattle to eat it down or have some bots take care of the rest if she wants to return or sell. Those yummy weeds are what attract the beasty intruders, but it’s clear there haven’t been any around here today. Raffa comes to a stop beside me.

“No wildebeest, then?” He looks around, disappointed.

“I guess not.” I land the skimmer on the border of Frankie’s property and Raina’s. I know there’s no one at Frankie’s, so it’s not like anyone would’ve walked through. I glance up at the sky, wondering if there’s a downed delivery drone or something else that penetrated the border via the air rather than the ground. The security system is programmed to ignore bird life, otherwise it would be beeping all day, every day.

“I’ll take a walk toward the house to check for downed drones,” I suggest. “Why don’t you take a lap around the border just in case we missed something?”

He nods, always so cute with his goggles on, squishing his fluffy hair. “It’s a plan. See you in a bit.”

As I land the skimmer, he zooms off. I make a zig zagging walk through the field that’s been turned to meadow. It’s actually quite beautiful, so I enjoy it at a leisurely pace, watching the ground for any signs of what caused the breach. Peaceful moments like this, appreciating the blooms and the buzzing alien bugs that inhabit EC-12, make me wonder what it would be like if Kalla could be by my side. Wouldn’t it be that much nicer to be here with him?

I make it all the way to Raina’s doorstep without finding a single indication of what would set off the stupid alarm. I huff, realizing I might have to call a tech in to check the system.

Then I hear something; the shuffling of an intruder and the distant sound of a deep voice speaking an alien language.

I pause at the open door.

It’s not a drone, not a wildebeest, not an oversized bird. It’s someone that’s not meant to be here. I fumble for my comm, silently typing a message for Raffa to drive to the sheriff’s office immediately. Just as I hit send, footsteps stomp my way. I throw my body behind the open door and hold my breath.

“Nothing, I said,” grouches the intruder as they come close enough for my translator to catch. “No one’s been here.”

“You’re the one who thought it was a good idea. Whatever’s going on with Niko La’Nira’s little human isn’t leading us anywhere… No, the neighbor’s place is abandoned too. … Oh, was she? Well, I could stop by there, but I should get out of here.”

I can’t see him, afraid to move a muscle for a peek, but I see a red tail flicking. It must be a Zaledian.

“Bounty’s higher than ever. So, it’s fine. It’s worth it from that perspective. I don’t smell anything else here but humans, so I don’t think anyone else has tried checking this lead. Alright, it was a decent idea, but there’s nothing here. La’Nira might be out of our hands as an option for information on the mark. He and his female dropped off the radar. They’re likely with the rest of the Kar’Kali now.”

The mark?Knowing that Niko almost died because of his connection with Kalla, I only need one guess to assume this bounty hunter is looking for my man. I pray that he leaves soon and doesn’t catch a whiff of Raffa. Nothing would pique his interest more than a random Kar’Kali living on an Earth colony.

“Hang on, I’m getting a scent. Lemme go, I’ll call you when I leave this dust pile.”

With sweaty hands, I ready my gun. I’ve never taken a liking to practicing shooting like Raina, but I won’t hesitate. The bounty hunter became silent once he realized there was another scent around, and I can’t see his waving tail. But I can imagine him prowling slowly towards me…

I hear the hissing flick of a snake tongue. It’s dangerously close to the door, and I realize he’s smelling with his mouth.

Just as I lunge from behind the door, he moves to slam it back. If I hadn’t moved in time, I’d have been squashed there with no escape. With a squeal I can’t contain, I aim and shoot before thinking. It hits him, but glances off his shoulder. He growls and launches at me. It’s indeed a Zaledian, with red skin and hulking, as large as a Kar’Kali. He’s covered in armor, so stunning him might prove more difficult than expected. I make a run for it, slipping away from his grasp as I sprint around the corner of the house.

“Female, stop!” He shouts. “I just want to talk!”

I know he can outrun me on a straight shot, so I decide to chance it inside Raina’s house. I’ve been here a million times, and the layout is the same as my own home’s.

“I’m with Alliance investigations!” He calls out to me.

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