Alien Breed

“You know, Earth isn’t what you think it is,” she says. “The good outweighs the bad. Maybe it doesn’t seem that way to you, but the good is everywhere.”

“I want to believe,” he says.

I lean against him, knowing that we have limited time. I make it quick. “Our days here are much longer than those on Earth, and to get here, we had to travel part of the way at the speed of light. When we get to Earth, it’ll be a different decade, a different time period altogether. Maybe

it’ll be even better. Maybe Earth Federation will have failed.”

“I hope so,” he says. “Because without you, life is not worth living.”

“I won’t let them hurt you,” she says.

He laughs, muscles bulging. “You’ll protect me?”

My face heats, and there’s a major part of me that just wants to be alone. I can’t explain the emotions that I’m feeling. Love conquers all, but sometimes, it feels hard to breathe.

From the corner of my eye, I see the captain hobble back from the inner corridor. He stands in the shadow, breathing in huge, loud gulps of air.

He starts to weep.

“Captain?” I ask. “Where did you go?”

Without a word, he stumbles into the starship’s hazy blue interior light. He’s shaking, dripping with a luminescent slime. “I don’t mean to interrupt, but—“

He gulps and vomits on the floor.

I try to run to his aid, but Turin grabs me. “Don’t touch him,” he roars.

I struggle against his tight hold. “Captain, what happened to you?”

Halloway stands and takes two steps toward them. Turin growls, “Stay back.”

“The fuel is gone,” he says. “The barrels were empty. I thought I could find more, deeper in the cargo hold, but something struck at me. It was an alien. He opened his jaw. I thought he might bite right through me, but he sprayed me with this… this goo.”

Turin whips around. “Zakar. He’s here.”

I clench my mouth shut. Suddenly, I’m trying to move away from the captain. I search for a second exit, but I’m not familiar with this particular starship model.

Turin’s body glows red like hot magma. “Leave the starship, Naomi,” he says. “Do as I say. Now.”

Is he crazy? He wants me to leave and end up alone in the jungle? Hell no. I’m staying.

“I’m not leaving you,” I say.

I hear wild and tapping footsteps. They’re coming from above, and within seconds, the sound has nearly caught up to our position.

It’s Zakar, and his hurried, screeching reverberates throughout the starship. Suddenly, I’m thinking Turin might be right.

I should leave.

The brutal alien drops from the ceiling, landing right in front of me. As soon as he opens his mouth, I can smell his rotting, putrid breath. Up close, his teeth are horrifying, but his eyes are even worse to look at.

“Pretty pet,” he whispers, sniffing near my neck.

I take one step back, but he just follows my lead. “Pretty, pretty cunt,” he says, voice growing louder.

I keep walking back until I sense a wall. I’m stuck. “Pretty, pretty worthless princess,” he shouts.

I may be a lot of things, but I am not worthless, nor am I a princess.