Caveman

Aliens Ransom
Calista Skye
Published by Calista Skye, 2017.
This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely
coincidental.
CAVEMAN ALIENS RANSOM

First edition. April 16, 2017.

Copyright 2017 Calista Skye.
Written by Calista Skye.
 Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Caveman Aliens Ransom
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More Books from Calista
Epilogue
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 1
- Sophia -
Okay, lets try one more. Emilia? I try to rub the sleepiness out of my eyes and take
a short step back from the test bench to let the Mexican girl come forward.
Lets see now, Emilia says and takes a second to come up with something. Este es
un buen da, she says very clearly into the little microphone.
These was a belt varnish curtain, the translator machine says in its bright voice.
Groans of disappointment fill the room.
I dont believe this. I clench my eyes shut for a second. I want to bang my head on
the lab table. Its been a long day, and progress has been slow. Now it feels like things are
going backwards.
Dammit! I really thought we had it this time, Caroline says. Theyre going to take
away our grant, I just know it. The blonde Norwegian girl started the day looking radiant,
as usual, but now she looks just as exhausted as we all do.
Its not totally wrong, Heidi says, always the optimist. She pushes her glasses up the
bridge of her nose. It does identify the verb correctly. Almost. Well, kind of. Ill try one.
She takes a step forwards. Guten tag. Wie gehts? she says in German.
Your mothers be an slut, the little machine responds happily.
Heidi flushes and for a moment I think shes going to punch the translator device.
Mist! Thats not what I said! Yes, fine, it is kind of true. Hey, shes been lonely since the
divorce. But thats none of this verdammte machines business! She kicks a chair and it
falls over very noisily.
I totally sympathize.
It struggles with tenses and plurals, Delyah says. The mistranslated words are less
important. Id recommend turning the secondary implicator to a margin of eleven
percent.
For a moment I just stare at her. Im supposed to be the leader of this project, and even
Im not quite grasping what that means. But that girl from Atlanta is smarter than all of us
combined, and speaks seven languages like a native, so shes probably right.
Okay, I say, not wanting anyone to know that Im drawing a blank. Umm could
you do that, please, Delyah?
Sure thing. She gets busy with the setup.
I stick my hands into the lab coats deep pockets so the other girls cant see that Im
balling my hands into tight fists of frustration. Weve been working on the experimental
translation device for weeks, and at first things looked great. The little machine is tiny, just
about the size of a cell phone battery, and its capable of teaching itself all kinds of
languages just by listening to them. But the past few days it seems like weve been going
backwards, and the translator just sounds more stupid than ever.
Lets try the other way around, Caroline says and comes forward. Set it for
Norwegian, Sophia.
I change the setting and she bends down over the microphone. I really like these
boots.
Du vil gjerne spise dette svmmebassenget, the machine replies instantly.
We all look at Caroline.
She sighs deeply and looks at me apologetically. Youd like to eat this swimming
pool.
More groans fill the room. This seems hopeless.
I glance up at the wall clock. One past midnight. I should just let the girls go home. All
this was my idea, after all, and now it looks like it has all been a total waste of time. I look
around the room and try to look upbeat, but I know my smile is tired.
The girls are, too. Theyre all bilingual and have been picked partly because of that, so
that we can test the machine properly. Theyre patient, too. None of them have suggested
we call it a day, despite the late hour.
Okay. One more adjustment, and then we go home for the weekend.
I can feel the atmosphere lighten when I say it. Yeah, weve all had enough of this. If
this thing doesnt work on Monday, this project is officially a failure and Professor
Wilkins will cancel it. The device contains a hyper-advanced computer chip that comes
straight from a university lab, and they cant let me hang on to it forever. Its supposed to
be a long step closer to true Artificial Intelligence, its the only one that exists, and its
worth so much money that Professor Wilkins wouldnt even tell me how much. She was
afraid Id refuse to assist her with this project if I knew.
Well, I can only hope shell be kind enough not to give me a failing grade. Ill work on
the thing all weekend alone, but I just know it wont work. If it doesnt, Im pretty sure Ill
take a hammer and smash the damn device into a thousand pieces. Just to get closure.
After I very carefully take the chip out.
I add a line of code on the computer the device is connected to. How about Italian
this time? Aurora, could you-
The building suddenly starts shaking violently and I have to steady myself on the desk
to not fall over. What the heck is this?
Earthquake! some of the girls yell and dive under the desk.
And thats what it feels like. Everything in the room is trembling hard, and the noise
from all the lab equipment is terrible. But theres a rumbling, too, a deep noise thats
making my teeth rattle as if someone is playing a very bass-heavy tune on speakers the
size of a house. But this sound is sustained and even, not like a rhythmic bass line at all.
 I frown. This is nothing like any earthquake Ive ever felt. And Im from California.
A light fixture falls from the ceiling and breaks into a million fragments in a terrible
crash.
Get down, Sophia! someone is yelling from the floor.
Oops. Im the only one still standing up. I grab the super-expensive translator and
throw myself down.
Just as I dive for the floor, theres a deafening ripping noise and a screech of tortured
metal. It rains dust and wood and insulation material and little fragments of concrete, and
the room is suddenly much darker as the light goes out. I feel cold air on my hands and
face. I just about dare to glance up from under the table I seem to have crawled under.
Ah. The whole roof is gone. But it didnt fall down. It was taken off the building like
the lid off a styrofoam cup. This is one weird earthquake
The other girls in the room are screaming, and Im pretty sure Im doing the same, but
I cant be sure because of the noise around me.
I squint. Whats that outside in the darkness where the ceiling used to be? Its
something big and bright, shining with a light so cold that it freezes my soul. Its round
and ghostly and appears to hover in the air like a helicopter.
No, not a helicopter, I realize. More like a a flying saucer?
Then Im definitely screaming my lungs out as Im suddenly hanging in mid-air,
suspended in a beam of green light that somehow stings my exposed skin. Other girls are
hanging over and under me in their white lab coats as were slowly being pulled up
towards that one saucer like fish on an invisible line.
And beyond oh fuck. I can see at least fifty huge flying saucers spread out over the
city, all with wide green beams coming out of their undersides and little strings of humans
suspended in them.
I notice Im clutching the translator device in my hand as if my life depends on it. But
right now Id hang on to a live tiger with all my strength if it would mean the slightest
chance of all this to not be happening.
But it is absolutely happening. The cold night air in my lungs, the screams, the details
I can make out on campus beneath me, including my rusty bike I feel the sting of
panicked tears behind my eyelids. Whatever this is, it isnt good.
The university buildings are getting smaller under me and when I look up, I see a dark,
round hole in the flying saucer. It glows with an unhealthy sheen that makes me think of
radiation.
Something in the beam wants me to lose consciousness, but Im stubborn and I
struggle to keep my eyes open. Just before I have to give in and let the darkness fill my
mind, I force two thoughts to pass through it.
This is definitely an alien invasion of Earth.
And Im being kidnapped.
 2
- Sophia -
I come to, and at first I feel pretty good. That was a good nights sleep I just had. Im
feeling totally rested. My pillow feels weird, though. Like, all hard and cold and whats
that smell?
Then I open my eyes and sit bolt upright on a metal floor. Oh fuck. This isnt my dorm
room. This isnt like anything Ive ever seen.
Its in half-darkness, and the little light there is seems sickly and yellow to me. The
floor is bare metal, but I have no idea which metal it is. It feels smoother than iron. And
colder.
The walls are made from some different material that reminds me of plastic, but feels
rough to the touch. Its probably white, but the light makes it look yellow and dirty. I peer
closer and try with a finger. No, the wall Im sitting beside is absolutely dirty and leaves a
nasty brown stain on my finger.
Yuck! I try to wipe it on the floor, but its not too successful and just makes dirty
streaks on my finger. Yeah, Im not going to smell that finger. Ever again, probably.
Not the cleanest place, looks like, says someone next to me.
I turn. The blonde hair is dishevelled, but apart from that she looks like herself.
Caroline! They got you, too?
I think they got all of us, she says and points.
And sure enough, all the girls who worked on the translator project are lying or sitting
on the floor of what I can now see is a pretty large room with a low ceiling. Beyond them
are more people. Probably thirty of them, as far as I can tell. All women, for some reason.
Somehow, having the other girls there makes this a little less bad. Not by much. But
still.
Shit, I say, because it seems the most appropriate thing right now. What the hell is
going on?
Caroline sweeps her hair back from her face. Shes very pale and looks drawn. We
got kidnapped.
That matches my own conclusion, but I had to ask so make sure Im not going crazy.
By aliens, I add. In flying saucers. And were in one right now.
Thats what I think, too. Sophia, if this is some kind of science experiment youre
running and the translator was just a front, then its not valid anymore. I just called you out
on it. Cant experiment on people who know theyre being experimented on.
 I shake my head. If this is an experiment, its not mine. You think it might be one?
She sighs. No. I really dont. That beam and the roof being taken off shit,
Sophia, I think were in serious trouble. Her voice is trembling and she sniffles bravely.
I scoot over to her and hug her close. Touching something other than alien metal and
plastic feels good. Shes a warm, breathing human and I cling to her for a couple of
heartbeats, fighting down scared tears of my own.
Well get out of this, I say into her ear. Well do whatever it takes.
I can feel her breath settling down, just a little. You think?
Yeah. Were the smartest chicks on campus. Well, you guys are. Im not quite there
myself, maybe. But Ill do my best.
I dont know where those words come from. Im totally convinced were all dead and
that a terrible fate awaits us all. And still I say things that sound almost optimistic. Well,
its not like theres much left to lose. Might as well believe that it will all work out. And
maybe I should add a belief in fairies and Santa Claus while were waiting for the
inevitable. I mean, at this point it cant hurt.
We both calm down. Better let me go, Caroline whispers. People are looking at us
funny. Theyll think were a couple. Hey, not that I would mind that much, but you know
I dont want to seem this easy.
We giggle and I feel a lot better. Hey, maybe our kidnappers are just kind fairies taking
us on a cool vacation in their fancy saucer.
I glance around the room. Nope. This isnt a cruise ship. This feels more like a cattle
car. For humans. And they did rip the roof off the lab instead of just sending us a nice
invitation in the mail.
Hey, Aurora! Heidi! I call softly to the other girls and wave them over. I want us all
to be together about this. Theres strength in numbers, they say. Im sure well include
some of the other women in here, too, but right now I want faces I recognize.
The girls stand up and have to bend over to not hit their heads on the low ceiling as
they make their way over to us. Then were together, all seven of us. We hug and sniffle a
little and then giggle and joke. It strikes me that these are some cool girls. No one is
screaming hysterically or chanting were gonna die were gonna die. You could go to war
with these chicks. But I hope we wont have to. Just having them close to me makes me
feel much better. Theres the level-headed Caroline, the social Aurora, the active Heidi,
the soft-spoken Emilia, the reserved Alesya and the fiercely bright Delyah.
And me, the stressed-out Sophia who Professor Wilkins picked to assist her with the
translator project.
I think back to some movies Ive seen with people being stuck in a bad place together.
They always have the same kinds of characters, seems like. First theres the leader who
makes everything work out in the end and who survives just fine. Then theres the bitchy
one who gets killed first, theres the coward who also gets killed, theres the stupid one
that everyone likes but who screws up a lot, theres the traitor who betrays them all but is
killed himself and then who else? I dont want to be any of those.
Well be just fine, I state without believing it. Its more like an automatic reflex.
Okay, fine. I decide that my role in this is to be the super cheerful one, the happy-go-lucky
chick, the casual girl who believes that everything will work out fine and who sometimes
survives the movie and sometimes doesnt. Shes usually a little bit of an airhead, too.
That suits me fine. Some of the other girls are so smart they sometimes intimidate me
without knowing it.
I scratch my head. So any idea what this is and how to get back?
As soon as the words are out I clasp my hand to my mouth. Oh no. Big mistake! Thats
not what the cheerful one would say, thats what the leader would say!
And now all the girls are looking at me with some kind of expectation on their faces.
Um, I begin. I should not have said that. Im not the leader. Im the happy-go-lucky
one?
I think, Caroline says slowly and looks around, that we maybe dont need a formal
leader, but that youre the closest thing weve got right now. You led the project, after all.
Ah. She may be the bitch of the story. Im not sure Im even the oldest one, I try.
Whos that? Alesya?
The Russian girl shakes her head. Nyet. In Russia, leader of rebellion usually die very
badly. Or become evil dictator. I dont want to be any of them.
We all look at each other and shrug. Hard to argue with that.
Delyah? I try. Youre the smartest one, too.
Delyah just smiles with blindingly white teeth and shakes her head. Dont even try,
girl. You recruited us to that project. Youre it.
Huh. Two bitches in one movie? No, of course Delyah is the unassuming genius who
no one notices but who saves everyone close to the end.
Well, I say, I absolutely agree with Caroline. We dont need a leader. And if we do,
it isnt me. So. Where are we? And what happened, exactly?
They took the roof off the building and beamed us aboard, Heidi says. Along with a
bunch of others. I saw more saucers, too, as far as the eye could see all the way to the
horizon. I think they kidnapped hundreds of people. Or thousands. I think I saw them blow
up some things too. There were definitely explosions. We might be the lucky ones.
Were all silent for a moment. I hadnt thought of that. Maybe everyone else is dead
and were the only ones left.
Damn. My family might be dead! The shock hits me in the pit of my stomach and I
gasp.
Well, we dont know that, Caroline says quickly. We should probably base
everything on the assumption that Earth still exists. If not, this could get pretty hopeless.
Whatever this is. I suggest that our goal is to get home.
 We all nod in support. Im relieved that she seems to be taking on the leadership role
and not the bitch role.
I notice other women in the room gathering in little groups, too. I smile and wave at
some of them. Were all in this together. And theres a lot of people here. Our kidnappers
cant hope to subdue this many women at the same time.
I feel my spirits lift. So how do we take control of this saucer?
Break out of here. Find the control room, Emilia says. Knock out the crew. Steer
home.
Okay. How do we break out of here? I ask, then realize Im not being cheerful. I
mean, thats the easy part, I add quickly. No problem.
This room isnt that big, Aurora says and looks around with her big, brown eyes.
But I cant see any doors or windows. Feels like a cargo compartment.
Delyah stretches her neck and scans the room. A perfectly circular cylinder, forty feet
diameter, four and a half feet in height. Metal floor and ceiling. Walls of unknown
material. Air with sufficient oxygen to be breathable to humans with no ill effects.
Pressure about one atmosphere. Slight smell of sulfur. No visible windows or doors. One
possible hatch in ceiling.
We all turn to where shes looking. And sure enough, in the middle of the ceiling there
appears to be a round hatch about the size of a manhole. Or rather, a metal circle that
could be a hatch. There are no handles or lock mechanisms on it on this side.
I get to my feet and carefully walk over there, trying to avoid banging my head. I put
one hand in the middle of the circle and push. And the circle gives a little, just a fraction
of an inch before I have to let it back down. Its heavy. But not impossible to lift.
Come and give me a hand, I hiss. Two girls come over and help me push the hatch
up.
Its opening!
Its heavy going, but we gradually push straight up on the round hatch until were
standing on tiptoe. The opening is big enough that one of us should be able to crawl
through.
And now theyre all looking at me again. Damn. They have a point. The happy-go-
lucky one usually does a lot of dangerous stuff. I should have thought of that.
Fine, I say, committing to my role. This will be a walk in the park.
Two of the girls get on their hands and knees so that I can climb up on their shoulders.
I peer into the crack between the hatch and the frame. Its just as dark there as down here,
but the light is less yellow and more blueish. I slide slowly through the narrow opening. I
read somewhere that if you can get your hips through somewhere, then all of you can get
in. But my hips are pretty wide, and the crack is starting to feel narrow.
I jiggle and wriggle like a worm, and suddenly my hips are through and I can pull my
feet up after me.
 And then Im standing on a new floor. I still have to bend over, because the ceiling is
just as low here.
Its a much smaller room than the cargo room below, and the floor isnt metal, but that
plastic material. Its a junction in a hallway. Six corridors radiate out and end in doors.
What do you see? Aurora hisses from the hatch.
I kneel down so I can give my report without raising my voice from a whisper. Its a
junction in a hallway. Six corridors radiate out and end in doors. Can I please have some
company up here?
Soon after, Caroline, Aurora and Emilia have joined me.
Does anyone have any weapons? I whisper. Well try to find the control room. And
Im not sure we can hijack this thing with our bare hands.
We rummage through our pockets, and in the end we come up with six ballpoint pens,
chewing gum and breath mints of various flavors, lab goggles, eight dollars and thirty
cents, two tampons and a bunch of notepaper.
I look at the sad little heap, trying to stay cheerful. Unless theyre extremely allergic
to spearmint, Im not sure this will work. But of course we will succeed. You know, in the
end.
We ask the girls still below to come up with weapons. Anything, I hiss to Heidi
through the crack. Nail files. Scissors. String. Forks. I mean, someone has to have pepper
spray, at least.
I can hear the call going around down there. Surely they must be able to conjure up
something.
In the end I have a surprising amount of string, but no scissors and no forks. I guess
everyone was taken by surprise when they were kidnapped and didnt have time to get
anything other than what they had in their pockets.
Is that it? I hiss to Heidi. String?
Thats what you asked for, she says indignantly. Some of the women here took the
drawstring out of their sweatpants and now they have to hold them up with their hands.
Oh, wait
She disappears and comes up again with something black in her hand. How about
this?
I take the thing in both hands. Its heavy.
Oh my fuck
Its a gun. Very black and matte and ugly. And I cant help but notice that it fits my
hand perfectly. Its pretty small.
Heidi is talking to someone down there and relaying information to me. Glock
twenty-six, she says. Nine millimeter, which I hope is not how far it can shoot what?
Okay, its the diameter of the bullet? Sounds kind of small to me. But whatever. You have
ten shots. She peers up at me. Is that good enough, or do you need more string?
 3
- Sophia -
Im good, I say hurriedly and show the gun to the other girls up here. Their eyes
widen.
That should probably do the trick, Caroline says. Unless these guys are bulletproof.
Or too small to hit. I mean, these ceilings are ridiculously low.
I hold the gun awkwardly out from me. Aurora? Youre Italian, you have some
experience with guns, right?
Hey, not every Italian family is in the mafia, she hisses. Mine are bakers, mostly.
Caroline and Emilia both look the other way when I try to hand off the gun to them.
I sigh. Fine. Ill go first.
Two doors are locked. The third slides aside when I get close to it. Beyond is space,
and for a moment I think Ill die. But theres still air here, and I notice Im looking either
through a huge windshield or at a projection on a giant wall. I see millions of stars against
the black infinity of space.
And I see our kidnappers.
Theyre small, gray aliens with huge heads and spindly little arms. Theyre sitting in
little chairs that appear to grow up from the floor like mushrooms and they have enormous
black eyes with no irises or pupils that I can see. They have two long, bony fingers on
each hand.
Theres only four of them. And theyre all looking at me.
I point the gun at the closest one, hoping they know what it is. Yeah. So this ship is
turning around and going back to Earth. I try to put some command and confidence into
my voice, but I sound more like Minnie Mouse than anything else.
They just stare and dont move.
I look behind me. The other girls are bravely staying on the other side of the door,
looking in with huge, curious eyes. Guys, come in here. Its the control room.
I look at the aliens again. They appear frozen. Theyre not even blinking. I said, turn
this thing around right now!
They dont react. I hope I dont have to fire the gun to get my point across. I have a
feeling actually shooting inside a spaceship may not be the best idea. And I dont like loud
noises myself.
 I can feel the other girls behind me now. Then one of the aliens moves his finger a
fraction and I freeze. As in, I cant move. At all.
I try to turn around to check on the other girls, but I cant. Im frozen with my arm and
gun pointing straight forward, and I notice that even if I could move my index finger
enough to pull the trigger, I wouldnt hit any of the aliens.
The freeze starts to hurt. I dont know if its because of the awkward position or if the
aliens are punishing me for this hijacking attempt.
A wave of intense pain shoots from my feet to my head and back again. Shit.
Definitely being punished. I can hear myself groan. Thats all the control I have over my
body, and that groan was pretty involuntary.
The pain travels up and down me two more times, and then its over. I would scream in
pain if I could, but I cant even draw breath. Am I even breathing?
No. Im not. And now the pain in my chest is not artificial torture, but due to my lungs
being desperate for air.
I fight mentally to gain control of my body, and I definitely panic, but Im paralyzed.
Tunnel vision starts setting in, and the last thing I see before I pass out is the star in the
middle of the huge viewscreen in the control room. I can see planets in orbit around it,
looking like little stars themselves. The star is yellow and reminds me of she Sun, and the
blue point of light in the perfect center of the viewscreen
reminds me of the Earth.
Did they turn the ship around after all?
- - -
When I come to again, the girls are kneeling around me. Some are weeping quietly, others
are talking in very serious tones. The almost light atmosphere from before is gone.
Its the cargo room, of course. I glance over at the round hatch. Its closed again.
Heidi follows my gaze. Yeah, thats well and truly locked now. It wont budge.
I suddenly remember that I wanted to breathe and gasp mightily a couple of times.
There, there, Emilia says and pats my back. Youre not paralyzed anymore.
I take some deep breaths, luxuriating in being able to do so despite the stench in the
room. Where are the others?
The girls exchange glances. Were fine. We were beamed down here again at the
same time you were. You got it worse than us. But
I can see its something bad theyre not telling me. What? Let me hear it now, dont
make me go and dread it.
Its Alesya, Aurora says mildly. They beamed her out of here, then beamed her
right back. And she She gestures to the other side of the room. There is someone on
the floor there. Yes, that could be Alesya, the Russian girl. But she has something over her
face, and everyone is keeping their distance.
 Shit, I say and lay my head back down as I understand whats happened. They
killed her.
Caroline crosses her arms over her chest and shudders. She was dead when she was
beamed back. It can only have been a couple of seconds. She didnt suffer.
Punishment for rebellion, I wheeze, although I really want to scream. She was
right. But she didnt deserve that. She was not the bitch here. Shit, Im sorry.
Im still light-headed from the lack of oxygen, but I feel new tears pressing in my eyes
and my throat is closing up again. A stone has settled in the pit of my stomach.
No one deserved that, Heidi says. We all did our best to escape. We didnt know
what would happen. And youre totally brave. You did the right thing. We just couldnt
know.
This time I let some tears flow without choking it all back right away. I may be the
happy-go-lucky one, but Im still only human. That hijacking attempt was my idea. It was
insanely stupid. And now Alesya is dead because of it.
So what do we do- Aurora starts, but then theres a loud bang and a hard jolt and the
whole room begins shaking. From the outside, theres a droning noise that soon becomes a
roar so loud that we have to shout to talk.
I think were falling down through the air! Caroline yells into my ear. We must be
landing!
If so, its a pretty uncontrolled landing! Aurora screams.
And shes right we all have to scramble to hold onto the floor because the whole
room shakes so bad. Then were all pressed to the floor as it hits thicker air and
decelerates very hard.
I think they dumped us, Caroline shouts. Now were falling through the atmosphere
of a planet. Do you think it might be Earth?
I just shrug. I suppose it could be. But I have a strong feeling its not.
We fall for probably less than two minutes, but it seems much longer. Finally it feels
like were slowly drifting to the ground, and then theres a hard jolt and a bang and then
were down.
We all sit in silence for a while, just waiting for something else to happen.
I guess we landed, Heidi says. And I think we can get out if we want.
She points to a part of the wall where there have suddenly appeared a pulsating circle
of yellow light. Who wants to be first?
I slowly get to my feet on knees that shake. I notice I still have the gun.
And I feel guilty as hell about Alesya. I recruited her to the translator lab group. I
selfishly kept everyone working in the lab when I really should have sent them home
hours before the aliens came. And if Id planned that hijacking a little better, and maybe
waited this out instead of jumping into action the first chance I got, she might still be
alive. I should probably just face that Im not the cheerful optimist of the group like I
wanted to; Im the bitch. Ill go.
Heidi puts a hand on my knee. Dont feel like you have to do this, Sophia. One of the
other ones can go this time.
I give her a smile I hope is at least a little wry, but I suspect its only a hopeless
grimace. Hey, I have the gun. Want to fight me for it?
I get to the door and push a button beside it. It gives easily and then the door slides and
rolls aside to reveal whatevers outside.
Hot air hits my face. The stench of rotting vegetation is very strong. Everything is
green. The sky is blue.
I half-turn my head. You know, guys, this actually could be Earth. Looks like a
jungle.
Then I stiffen. Theres movement among the leaves. I lean out and peer closer.
Two big leaves part and then Im suddenly looking into an eye from very close. Its a
big eye. And beyond it
Shit! I yelp, then stumble backwards and fall on my butt on the metal floor, then I
bounce up again to slap the button to close the door. It clangs shut.
I turn around, my heart beating like crazy in my ears.
All the women are staring at me.
I swallow. This has just gone from bad to worse. On second thought, I dont think this
is Earth. Because I think I just saw I shake my head. No, it cant be. But it was.
What?! Caroline yells.
I take a deep breath. A dinosaur.
 4
- Sophia -
The silence inside the alien cargo compartment is deafening for three heartbeats. Then
they all react in their own way. Some start talking loudly, some start sobbing and some
frown in disbelief.
Emilia is among the latter ones. A dinosaur? Are you sure?
My heart is still beating so fast and hard I can feel it in my whole body. Pretty sure. I
mean, it was huge. And Im not sure how to describe it. Because Im basing my
dinosaur theory mainly on the hugeness and the feeling I got when I looked at it. As if I
was looking millions of years back in time. Well, it looked like a dinosaur, I add lamely.
The girls exchange glances. Okay, Caroline says. The thing is, we dont have
anything in here. No food and no water. Also, theres no plumbing in here and some of us
really have to go. Like, now. Ideally not in here.
I just nod. I understand all of her points. Its all very convincing. Its just that I saw a
dinosaur and Im not super keen on looking into a giant, yellow eye like that again.
Aurora straightens her white lab coat. We really have to get out of here. So we know
more about where we are. We have to somehow do something about her, too. She nods
towards Alesyas dead body. At the very least put her outside before she starts smelling. I
think this room is heating up pretty fast. Hey, I hate having to say it. But someone has to.
All right, a woman calls from further back in the room and comes forward. You lab
coat girls have had your fun. And youve pretty much killed us all with your assholery. Let
the adults take over now.
She comes over to me. Shes tall and probably about thirty-five. I vaguely recognize
her as one of the roaming security guards on campus, but shes not in uniform and she has
no weapon that I can see. Shes just wearing jeans and a t-shirt, like the aliens just took her
out of her own living room while she was lounging. Shes pretty bulky and tattooed, and I
get the feeling that if the ceiling hadnt been so low, she would have towered over me. Im
not usually intimidated by women, but this one is doing her damndest and getting a little
too close for comfort.
You want to get out of my fucking way? she sneers, then pushes me aside and hits
the button to the door. It slides aside and she leans out, looking around. Wheres that
dinosaur of yours, science girl? You dont think it could have been a tree you saw?
She steps over the threshold and pushes some greenery aside. I clench the gun in my
hand. Any second now she will see the creature
But she just stands there and looks in all directions. Come on out, guys. Any
dinosaurs here are just fantasy. Its just plants and trees.
 I stand back as some of the girls come up to the door and look outside before they
gingerly take a step out onto the ground. Its covered in fresh and rotting leaves.
Caroline flashes me an apologetic smile when she passes. When you gotta go, you
gotta go, she says. And thats true, of course. I kind of have to go myself. I take one
careful step out and look around. The dinosaur is gone. Did I just imagine it?
Nope. No way. That was a living eye I was looking into, bright yellow and with deep,
dark pupils. The skin around it looked thick and rough, like elephant skin, except different.
Very different. And I think I spotted some things that looked like feathers.
There are some tinkling noises from all around, and for a moment I think that maybe
theres running water close by. Then Caroline steps out from behind a bush and I realize
that a lot of the girls had to go and are making the most of the opportunity right now. I
probably should, too.
I walk behind a bush of my own and look back at the thing weve been inside. Its not
a flying saucer anymore, just a part of it. Like a giant, squat and shiny tuna can that the
labels fallen off. The aliens just jettisoned us like we were trash. When it crashed, it
flattened some trees and made a hole in the leafy canopy of treetops.
The sky is blue and the sun looks yellow enough, like our own Sun. Except this one
seems larger. Or closer. Maybe thats the way it looks in the tropics? This could still be
Earth, for all I know.
Except for the dinosaur.
I take a chance on using one of the nearby leaves as toilet tissue, and it doesnt appear
to sting me. On the other hand, its not too effective, either.
Finally the kidnapped women are lounging outside. Some are sitting down, some are
standing in loose groups. We six translator girls are standing around in a huddle. No ones
too talkative, and we all keep looking over our shoulders. Things are too uncertain, I
guess. Well, someone has to say something. And since Ive turned out to be the bitch of
the group, I dont really have much to lose.
I put the gun into one pocket, making a mental note to give it back to whoever it
belongs to. Well, the good news is that we have air and that its not too cold. Also, that
were alive. Most of us, I mean. I look towards the door to the can we came in and take a
deep breath. Yeah, I guess Ill start digging a grave for for Alesya. I force myself to
say her name. The guilt is getting worse and I feel all numb inside.
Heidi puts a hand on my arm, and Im grateful for the look of understanding in her
eyes. Well all dig. It just has to be done. And well share the burden. You didnt kill her,
Sophia. Those aliens did.
Damn right, Caroline agrees. Were all in this together. No one blames you for any
of this.
The other girls express support and I give them a thankful smile. Its not making much
of an impact on my guilt, but Im glad theyre trying. Thanks, guys. Shall we just get it
over with?
 Theres a lot of sticks and old branches lying around, and we each find one and start
digging into a flat spot of ground fifty feet from the tuna can we came in. The ground is
loose and pretty easy to dig in, so we soon have a shallow grave ready.
We lean on our sticks and Aurora wipes sweat off her brow. Guys, just for the record:
this is the most terrible thing Ive ever had to do.
Oh, this was nothing, Emilia says. Now we actually have to put her in here.
Heidi scratches her head. Yeah should we, though? I mean, what if this is Earth,
and were just a half mile from a city or a town or some kind? Im sure the forensics guys
would hate it if they had to dig her up again.
Its not Earth, Delyah states flatly. These plants share no characteristics with terran
species, except for the chlorophyll. Theyre entirely alien. And that sun in the sky is about
thirty percent larger or closer than the Sun is to Earth. Further, this planet rotates faster
than Earth. Notice the shadows on the ground moving faster than back home. Finally, the
gravity is slightly lower. Its a little easier to move here. She bends at the knees and then
jumps straight up. Yes, Id estimate the gravity at about ninety percent of the one on
Earth.
We all just look at her in silence for a moment. No one likes the bearer of bad news,
but its pretty hard to dislike Delyah. I can almost see us all sagging a little at the
shoulders. I guess we were all hoping that we hadnt actually left our home planet.
Caroline clears her voice. Well, cant ask for a clearer answer than that. Lets just go
get her. Well feel better afterwards.
- - -
As it turns out, we dont feel that much better when we have placed Alesya in her grave
and filled it back up. We keep sniffling and weeping while we do it. It is pretty terrible and
I can feel that this is traumatizing me pretty bad.
But finally shes in there and theres a mound of alien dirt over her. We dont know if
she was religious, but we place rocks in a cross shape on the mound as a way to mark it.
Should we maybe say some words-
Im interrupted by an excited yell from further away in the woods. The tall woman
who was the first to leave the can for real comes crashing through the vegetation. Hey!
Come here and look!
We all follow her in among the tall trees and the strange bushes until we see what
made her excited. Its the view from a cliff that were suddenly on.
Were apparently on a mountain in the jungle, and from this point we can see the
landscape around. Its all jungle and huge trees, green and purple and yellow all the way to
the horizon.
Pretty nice, I say and shield my eyes with my hand. Looks deserted to me.
Yeah, yeah, the woman says. Its a jungle, big whoop. But this is more exciting.
 She walks to the edge of the forest and points triumphantly. Now, that cant be
natural.
We follow and peer in among the trees. Theres a large pile of rocks, roughly cone-
shaped and very carefully constructed, like masonry. A whole lot of wooden spears are
stuck into its sides, pointing straight out like the bristles on a round hairbrush.
It really cant, Caroline agrees. Some kind of beacon?
Clearly man-made, the tall woman says and walks into the woods again. Im going
to see if theres more. Meanwhile, you lab geniuses should try to get lost. No one will miss
you. She soon disappears in among the trees and bushes.
Delyah takes a step forward and studies the mound from ten feet distance. No, she
says thoughtfully. Its not a beacon. You cant burn anything in it. It has no obvious
practical function. But similar things exist on Earth. Its a message. Sharp spears pointing
outwards. That usually means stay away.
We all look at each other, then at the dense jungle around us. It suddenly looks much
more threatening. If someone doesnt want us to be here
Lets get back to the ship, Aurora says. Its our home base, more or less. We have
to think of what to do. I dont like this place. It makes my skin crawl.
As soon as the words leave her mouth, theres a blood-curdling scream from the woods
and we all freeze. Then theres a flapping sound in the air and something comes flying out
of the woods. Something big.
Oh fuck, I hear myself say before I throw myself on the ground, then turn around to
keep an eye on the thing.
Its a huge bat. No, it reminds me more of the flying dinosaurs with the bat wings and
the long heads and beaks with sharp teeth. Except this one has four wings and two tails
that remind me of sharks.
The beak is long, though. And its clearly more than big enough to comfortably carry
the tall, unpleasant woman in it. Shes still screaming, and I feel a chill going down my
back. Thats the worst sight Ive ever seen and I want to cry.
Looks like a pterodactyl, Delyah says from beside me. Except theyre clearly not.
Completely different in most respects. Very interesting. We might be the first to discover
it.
Them, Emilia corrects her. Because now we can see that theres more than just one.
Theres a whole flock of gigantic not-pterodactyls coming out of that jungle.
The womans scream is cut off like a switch and I see her hanging limply in the beak
of that terrible monster as it flaps lazily away. Then I see that the flock of those things
isnt following the leader. No, theyre circling back. Back towards us.
Fuck, I gasp and scramble to my feet with jerky, panicky movements. Ive never felt
my skin crawl like this before. Run!
More of the girls have had that same idea, and suddenly were all running for our lives
in the direction of our tuna can.
 Then the not-dactyls scream. And I stumble and almost fall headlong into a tree trunk.
Because that screechy noise is the worst Ive ever heard. Nails on a chalkboard is a
soothing Enya song compared to this. It goes through my bones and makes me feel like
death itself is right on my tail. Which of course is totally true.
I can hear the other girls running alongside me and behind me. A couple of them are in
front of me, too, both wearing white lab coats. That means that most of the kidnapped
women are behind me. Im both relieved and frightened by that. Because on one hand the
not-dactyls will eat the stragglers first, but on the other hand I want all of us to make it.
But even I realize that right now, its each woman for herself. I hear someone scream
in terror behind me, but I dont turn around. I know what happened. One of them got
taken.
Then theres another scream of despair, and another. The swarm is descending and
picking us off, one by one.
I run as fast as I can towards where the trees are the densest, hoping that they cant
follow me there. The not-dactyls are the size of big pickup trucks, and their wingspan has
to be twenty feet at least.
I zigzag between alien tree trunks and try to keep my speed up. But my throat is
closing up from panic and sadness and anger and just pure terror, and I was never the most
athletic chick on campus.
Then I have to stop. Theres running water straight ahead. My shoes slide on the
ground and I fall on my butt as I desperately try to break my speed before I fall in. I
manage to stop at the bank with both feet in the water, then jerk them back before any
terrible water monster can bite them off. I dont trust this planet one bit.
I turn around and look behind me. Yeah, the not-dactyls have a little more trouble
flying among the trees. And I can see some white lab coats fluttering through the woods
ahead of them.
I take three breaths and then Im back to running. I can see the metallic shimmer of the
tuna can in the distance and I speed up even more, jumping over roots and bushes and
knowing that I cant keep this up much longer. My lungs ache and my legs protest with
every terror-stricken step.
Then I hear another not-dactyl scream behind me. Close behind me. And I can hear the
beating of its bat-like wings and how it makes the leaves on the trees rustle when it passes
them.
I throw a glance behind me. The beak is wide open, the teeth are ugly and brown and
its gape is slimy and grayish pink. Yep, that one is coming for me.
Then I swear I can feel my heart in my mouth as I spot my dinosaur right ahead of me,
the one I saw from the tuna can. Yep, thats the one. The yellow eye is unmistakable. Now
I can see the rest of it, too. It has three legs and a round, massive body with scales and
feathers here and there. Its about the size of a bus and has a short, thick neck that supports
its immense head. I now understand why that yellow eye made such an impression on me
 its the size of a car tire and its the only one the creatures got. One big eye right in the
middle of its face. Or rather, right in the middle between its two huge mouths.
I scrub with my feet and instinctively make myself as small as I can. Im right between
two dinosaurs, and at least one of them wants to eat me.
Fuck. This is it for me.
I kneel down and hug myself as I wait for one of them to snag me and chew me good.
Im so paralyzed Im not even sobbing.
Theres no way out of this.
Then a flash of an idea goes through my mind: the gun!
 5
- Sophia -
With shaking hands I get it into my hand and untangle it from my lab coat.
But its too late. I hear the not-dactyl right behind me, and the dinosaur in front of me
is slowly shifting its position to pounce on me with one of its mouths. I bend my head
down, making myself as small as I possibly can. I dont want to see this.
Then theres a loud thud, like a huge whale hitting the ground from the top of a
skyscraper, followed by a not-dactyl scream that makes me drop the gun and press my
hands to my ears.
When I look up, the yellow-eyed dinosaurs neck is at least fifty feet long and the not-
dactyl is tumbling through the air away from me, still screaming furiously. It looks like the
dino has head-butted the not-dactyl, because it has no other limbs that could do anything
like it.
The not-dactyl hits the trees far away with a terrible rustle of leaves, and I dont stick
around to check if its okay. I just run, shaking and sobbing.
At least now I know where Im running, because the tuna can is shimmering in the
sunlight just a short distance away. And of course the door is shut.
I scramble over and bang on the door. Hey! Open! Its me! Sophia!
The door slides open and I dive through it, then someone slaps the button again and it
slams shut.
I collapse on the floor and just breathe furiously, and then I break down in panicked
tears of terror and anger. Well, sometimes you just have to let it go. And I guess this is my
time.
Ive had enough. Not only am I the bitch of the story, it looks like Im the coward, too.
Im all the bad ones rolled into one! I sob, and I sense the girls exchanging glances.
Heidi and Aurora hold me while I get to my senses.
I look around, but the girls are blocking my view. How many made it?
Caroline puts a hand on my shoulder. Not many.
How can she be this calm? Norwegians are hard to shake, I guess. I stretch my neck to
look past her.
No one.
The room is empty except for us translator lab girls in our white lab coats. Six. Alesya
was the seventh.
 I count one more time. Caroline. Aurora. Emilia. Heidi. Delyah. Me.
Thats it. All the other women were taken by not-dactyls. Including the woman who
found the mound of rocks. And the owner of the gun, whoever that was.
I lean my head back against the wall. Shit.
Yeah, Emilia agrees. Those flying things just picked them up and well, theyre
gone. We were sure you were, too.
I almost was. I tell them what happened.
Heidi shakes her head. So damn weird, this planet. Giant trees and weird piles of
rocks and not-dactyls and sophiasauruses.
I frown. And what?
Sophiasauruses, she repeats. That dino of yours. You discovered it. And also,
youre the only one whos seen it. Thats the right way to name something, nicht wahr,
Delyah?
Delyah considers it. Not really. But I guess it works. We can do the formal
classification later. Thats typically not done in the field.
I shrug. Its a name as good as any, and I guess I cant expect to have an actually cool
creature named after me. So a lumbering, three-legged ugly dinosaur that throws punches
with its neck it is. Its okay. It saved me from the not-dactyl.
But now we have much more important things to talk about. Were stranded on an
alien planet with deadly wildlife everywhere. We hug each other and calm down. I
probably shouldnt think it, but Im glad Im not here alone.
Emilia asks the obvious question. So. Guys. What the hell do we do?
We sit down and talk for a good while, but we keep going around in circles because we
dont really know anything. And we try to avoid saying the thing thats on everyones
mind: we might be stuck here for good.
In the end we dont make any decisions, except for one: we have to get water. And
since I know where the stream is, because I almost fell into it, I have to go.
Thats fine, I say and get up again, hoping to at least not be considered the coward of
the group. But can I have company, please? Just one is enough.
Sure. Caroline gets up and takes off her lab coat. Well get water. Do we have
anything that can be used as a bucket to carry it in?
We dont, but Emilia claims to have seen a bush with very large, funnel-shaped leaves
right outside.
I open the door and peer carefully out. Nothings moving and the light is more reddish
now than before.
You guys better be quick, Aurora says. Looks like the sun is setting.
I take off the lab coat, put the gun in my jeans pocket and step outside the tuna can.
Its not far. Ten minutes at most if we find something to carry the water in.
 Caroline and I find Emilias leaves right away. Theyre deep and have a waxy surface
that should be pretty water tight. These should hold, what? A couple of quarts each?
Yep, I nod. Enough not to die of thirst. But not enough to wash in, I add to myself.
The jungle is hot, and Im soaked in sweat.
Better not talk too much, Caroline says. We dont know what else lives here.
We walk silently through the woods, trying not to step on dry branches. We find the
stream right away. The bank is muddy, but the water itself flows pretty fast and looks
clean enough. A little further up the bank is sandy and looks a little like a beach, so we
make our way there.
I peer down into it. Think there are any monsters down there?
Caroline scratches her chin. I only see sand.
Thats what worries me. It looks too inviting. But I think I have to step into it. The
water close to the bank is too shallow to fill these things.
I consider taking off my sneakers and my socks, but if I have to run, Id prefer not to
have to put them back on first. But I fold up my jeans as far up my calves as they will go.
I grab one of the cone-shaped leaves, take a deep breath, close my eyes and step into
the stream. The water is cool against my calves and actually feels pretty great. Some
flowers on the bank are sending a sweet fragrance my way, and with the setting sun and
the balmy air the whole episode almost feels pleasant, like Im on vacation in some
tropical paradise.
Except we witnessed at least twenty women taken by terrible not-dactyls just a couple
of hours ago.
I shudder and fill one leaf, then hand it to Caroline on the shore.
She gives me the other one and I fill it with upstream water. Then I lean over to hand it
back, and I slip on a rock under my foot and fall backwards into the stream with a huge
splash.
I splutter and cough and try to get a foothold on the bottom, but the current is pretty
strong in the middle of the stream and I cant quite make it. Its deep, too. I can hear
Caroline yell something from the bank, but Im busy not drowning in this stream that
suddenly turned out to flow much faster than it looked.
Then the bottom just disappears under me and Im sucked down a hole along with
most of the water in the stream.
I panic and try to swim up and against the current, but its just too strong and now
gravity is pulling me straight down, too.
Im dead. I just know it.
Then theres another splash, Im floating, and I realize Ive fallen into a pool of some
kind. I swim desperately, and this time I move the way I want to. I feel air on my face and
gasp with relief, then take many panicked breaths as I keep my head above water.
 Its a cave. I can see red daylight not too far away, and the water flows lazily in that
direction. I can see the rocky shore and swim towards it, then hang onto the smooth rock.
Im exhausted. Totally. The edge of the rock is a half-inch higher than the water level, but
when I try to climb up, I dont even get halfway. I just dont have the energy.
Its okay. Ill just hang here for a while and regain my strength.
 6
- Jaxzan -
I look up. There was something in that splash that was not supposed to be there. And
there was a sound as from a throat. A thin squeal of the kind a grunk may emit when hit by
an arrow.
I sigh, more for the benefit of the Ancestors than because Im truly annoyed. My
prayer has been disrupted, and They would want that to irritate me. But truly I welcome
the break. The Ancestors require long prayers in this location.
I slowly straighten up and look across to where the holy water falls through the rocky
tunnel from sacred Bune. There is movement there, clearly. A Small, of some kind? No
Big could fit through that hole.
I stand as still as if Im on a hunt, moving my hand towards my sword so slowly the
movement is invisible to any creature. Something is splashing in the holy pool, something
that is larger than a Small and yet smaller than a Big. The only thing that fits such a
description is a human, like me.
I frown. A human in the holy pool? He must be an outtriber. Or, since not even our
bitterest rival tribes would ever set foot on sacred Bune, an outworlder. Perhaps a Plood. If
so, this place has been badly desecrated.
I choose to disregard stealth over efficiency and just grasp the hilt of my sword. The
metal is safe and cool in my hand and I move towards the water. Its too dark in here for
me to see clearly, but there is something there.
Yes. A human. Somewhat small, but still. A Plood, then. Except this thing is not gray
like them.
Hes reached the rocky edge of the water and now he has thrown both his hands onto
the shore.
He has five fingers on each hand. The Plood have two. A boy, then?
And there he hangs. I can hear his breath, ragged in his throat like after a huge
exertion.
I grasp my sword harder. Why is he not coming out of the water? Thats very
suspicious. Hes got some scheme in mind, no doubt.
Or is it that he cant? I can see him try to hoist his body up, but he must be extremely
tired. Hes not making it even halfway.
Im almost within range to strike him with my sword. He has dark hair, long and
flowing in the water. Very pale skin. Ah. No stripes. Definitely a boy. An outtriber boy.
 His breath is coming fast and shallow and I can see that his eyes are closed. I squat
down right behind his head and wonder at the fabric that covers his torso. It bulges over
his chest in a way that I havent seen before.
It must be an alien. An alien boy. Well, I suppose they must exist. But they may not
exist in the holy pool of the Ancestors. I will sacrifice his blood to them. Surely they will
not then require me to complete the tedious prayer.
I raise the sword above my head. At the same moment, the boy loses his grip on the
shore and his fingers slide uselessly across the rock. His head falls backward into the
water and I see his face.
In astonishment, I drop my sword and it falls to the ground with a resounding clang.
That face thats not a boy. Certainly not a man. So pale, so smooth, with an beauty
so otherworldly I can feel my crotch spontaneously swelling. That looks like no, that
feels like
Surely not, I whisper in awe as the face disappears under the surface and becomes a
pale spot. Holy Ancestors, surely not!
But in the center of my being I know that it is.
I dive into the pool without even a short prayer. I grasp the alien under its arms and
pull it ashore, then gently pull it up from the water.
I check its breath. Yes, still alive. Some water is running out of its mouth and I roll it
over on its side.
Oh holy Ancestors, the backside is even more enticing than the front!
The alien splutters and coughs wetly. I sit back on my haunches and just stare. Never
have I felt more in awe. And the Prophecy has predicted this!
Because this, what I have just pulled out of the holy pool of Bune, is not from here.
We havent had any of these for eons. This is
I swallow. I cant even think the word.
A woman, I whisper, not sure if my voice can carry that unusual word.
But I must make sure. Does the Prophecy not say that we must not be fooled by those
who would attempt to seem like women, but are not truly female?
I remember the signs very clearly, as every Rexvi warrior would. We all dream about
this when were younger and during the stripening. We all dream of being the warrior who
finds the woman in the water and then proceeds to
I gasp as I remember. To mate with her!
I reach my hand out and gingerly touch her skin. Wet and smooth and cool. So pale
and soft. Truly wondrous.
I must take her garments off to check if the signs are here in full.
The lower part calls to me the most. I fumble with the alien fabric closing mechanism.
It wont come apart! Wheres the drawstring?
 I try to pull downwards on it, and then it parts in some very complicated way to reveal
more fabric underneath. Huh. How very alien and how very arousing.
I keep pulling down everything I can find, and then, finally, its revealed to me. I sit
backward in awe.
A slit. A soft, gentle little slit right where the manhood would be on a male. My own is
throbbing so hard I have trouble keeping it under control.
This is one of the signs. A woman! Its true!
The holy cave spins around me as the implications zoom through my mind. But most
of all, that little slit calls to me. I must worship the Woman, as the Prophecy states. She is
to be worshipped and honored.
I slide her garments further down so I can spread her miraculously soft and hairless
thighs apart.
This will be the best moment of my life.
 7
- Sophia -
I feel totally great. Everything is soft and mellow and there are some insane tingles
coming from my girly parts. My whole body resonates to it and its total bliss.
I stretch luxuriously and lazily crack my eyes open.
Mmm. Nice and dark. It smells nice, too. I guess Melissa bought some more oil for the
aromatizer. Shes a pretty good roommate after all. And Im totally horny and I appear to
be having a good time with myself.
I flex my fingers and another wave of hotness shoots through me from my clit
upwards.
Huh. My hands are nowhere near my crotch.
My sluggish brain tries to figure it out.
Then I have the great idea to glance down my body. I see something, but I cant be
sure, so I check it out with my hand.
Ah. Warm and hard and hairy. And with something that feels a lot like ears.
Yeah, thats a head. Someone is giving me head.
I want to chuckle. A head giving me head. So funny.
Theres less pressure from my crotch and the tingles from my pussy get weaker.
Oh no, you dont. I push the head back in there.
Donth sthop, I slur.
I think as hard as my brain will allow right now, which is not very. Between the tingles
and the sluggishness theres not much processing power left.
Did I pick someone up last night?
Did I go to a bar? Or what? Shouldnt I be focusing on finishing the translator device?
The grant Professor Wilkins
A barb of guilt pierces my happy state and I want to think of something else. Luckily a
delicious sensation from my clit overpowers everything else right then and I buck
involuntarily. Whoever this is, theyre good. There are wet sounds and squelches from
down there as Im being eaten out better than I can recall ever happening before.
I open my eyes again and look once more. Its pretty dark, but I think I can see some
light hair down there. And the hair seems to shine somehow.
 I let my hands wander down from that long, silky hair. Ah. Thats definitely stubble.
And further down
Muscles. Smooth, hard muscles. Just feeling it makes me jerk my body again as the
guy giving me head does something wonderful and another little fountain of bliss shoots
up through my pelvis.
Oh, this guy is good. Seriously, Ive never-
Ah. I get it now. Ive been orgasming for a good while. I just missed the lead-up
somehow. Its a long, low-level climax that I want to go on forever.
I can hear myself moaning in delight and unrestrained arousal. My pussy feels red hot
and dripping wet, and it keeps shooting wonderful sensations in all kinds of colors through
my mind and body.
Then theres another sound the guy is humming, and the vibrations from that are
hitting my clit so perfectly I buck again and whimper as the orgasm gets stronger.
Theres something pressing on my mind. Something that has happened. Something I
should remember.
But I can remember it later. Right now, Im climaxing and shaking and trembling and
bucking and whimpering as the waves of hotness and pleasure flow through me. Nothing
can possibly be as important as that.
I lose track of time. Then the humming slowly subsides, and so do the vibrations. I
groan in protest, but I also feel that my clit is getting a little overwhelmed. I ride out the
aftershocks and prepare what to say to this guy. He has to be the best pussy licker on
campus.
I clear my voice. Ohmigod, I sigh. That was sensational. Yeah, he deserves to hear
it. Maybe it will make him do it again. Soon.
I open my eyes again and look down. I have to see who this is.
Hes getting up on his knees. Oh god thats a nice body he has. All muscle and
maleness. And a good amount of hair, I notice. A very manly dude. So hes probably not
from my university.
He looks down at me.
Fuck! I gasp, then belatedly slam my thighs shut.
Thats not a human man. He has a basic human body, but its all striped, and his face
has the wrong proportions. I cant help staring at his eyes. They have a smouldering, red
glow to them and my hand shoots to my mouth in shock. His ears are small and pointy,
and his nose reminds me of certain big cats. And yet hes still clearly not a feline. He
much more manlike than anything Ive ever seen on the National Geographic channel. But
yeah, hes an alien.
The only thing that prevents me from yelping and drawing away is that he has just
given me the orgasm of a lifetime, so he cant be all bad. Oh, and also that I have to be
paralyzed with shock.
 I check. Nope. Not paralyzed. I actually dont mind this too much. Its all new, but Im
not shocked.
I quickly look around.
This is a cave. And that is a pool with more water falling into it from high above. It
comes from-
My breath catches in my throat as all the recent events suddenly explode into my
mind. The abduction! The hijacking attempt! The tuna can! The not-dactyls and the
sophiasaurus and the stream of water with the slippery bottom! The tunnel! The pool!
Then I whimper. Alesya!
The gun!
My hand flies to my pocket, but my jeans are halfway off and I hurriedly pull my
soaking wet panties and my jeans up again. For a second I worry about whether I was
clean down there. That leaf wasnt the best tissue Ive tried. But of course the water will
have helped with that.
I get the gun and then dont know what to do with it. The guy is on his knees next to
me, just looking me up and down and grunting at the back of his throat with a tone that
sounds like enthusiastic approval. I dont want to point the gun at him. I mean, he might
think I want to kill him. Or he might not know what it is.
I calmly scoot a couple of feet away from him. I have to catch my bearings before I
want to get too close to him again.
He doesnt seem to mind and just looks at me calmly. For a guy with glowing coal for
eyes he has a pretty good face, and I dont detect any animosity in them.
Yeah, so, I begin, then lose myself in a coughing fit. I did almost drown not too long
ago.
Okay, I start again, wiping some coughing tears off my cheek. I just have to think
for a moment. You must have saved my life, yes? Pulled me out of that pool?
He just looks at me and tilts his head to one side like you do when you go awwww
over an adorable baby. Is that a smile on his alien face?
And then you proceeded to eat me out. Is that some kind of life-saving thing on this
planet? I mean, its completely inappropriate and please dont do that again without
permission. But I dont mind that you did it. It totally worked. Yeah, Im babbling. Im
not sure what else to do.
He places something on the floor, then produces a spark so it lights up. Its a very alien
torch that sends a flickering light over our faces. Suddenly Im transported back to the
stone age, when people actually did live in caves and only had fire for light.
Oh yes. Thats what he reminds me of. A caveman. Except different. He has such an
intelligent glint in his eyes that no image Ive ever seen of any caveman fits.
My stomach suddenly growls and the guy gets up and walks a few feet away. His
movements are fluid and powerful, and his thighs are as thick as tree trunks. I can see that
because hes only wearing a furry cloth that looks like a kilt. His body has red tiger stripes
all over it, and they dont appear to be painted on. No, his skin actually looks like that.
Hes alien, but hes also the sexiest man Ive seen.
He bends down and picks up something.
Shit. Its a sword. I clench the gun in my hand, but then he calmly places the weapon
in a kind of belt he has around his waist.
Its a very alien sword, all curvy and grayish. The edge glitters in the darkness and it
looks pretty sharp. But it doesnt feel like he intends to use it. He walks a few steps in the
direction of the caves opening, where I now notice its totally dark.
He picks up a bag of some kind and then returns to me. I keep my eyes on him and
hold the gun innocently, ready to whip it up if he touches that sword.
But he just takes something out of his bag. Its something wrapped in a green leaf. He
unwraps it and holds it out to me.
I peer at it suspiciously. It looks like a piece of nutty cake, or a pat of some kind.
Theres a nice smell coming from it, not unlike a hot burrito. And I am extremely hungry.
I hesitate, and he breaks off a piece of the cake with two big, callused fingers and puts
it in his mouth.
I gasp again. He has some real fangs in there, very white and sharp-looking teeth.
He chews the thing and smiles, then rubs his stomach. Dai leeh, he says, and his
voice is so deep and calm and silky smooth I just want to hear it again. It makes me feel
safe?
I pick off a little piece of the food hes offering me. Should I be eating anything at all
on an alien planet? Wont everything here kill me? But it smells good and I am hungry. So
I hurriedly put it in my mouth and chew very cautiously.
Ah. Its spicy and warm and has the consistency of a very tender piece of chicken. I
cant quite place the spices, but theyre not unpleasant at all.
Hes looking at me expectantly. I just glance up at him, then pick another little piece
off it and eat it. He sticks his chin out in an alien movement that Im guessing is the same
as nodding for us.
Fleeng pee keh. He seems happy enough and hands me the leaf with the food on it,
and then he sits down beside me. A part of my brain notices that he smells pretty good.
I eat more of the alien food and think about my predicament. Kidnapped, then stranded
on a dinosaur planet. And now separated from my friends. Actually, Im probably in better
shape than they are. I have infinite water and at least some food, and I even seem to have
made a friend here. A very big and strong friend who gives head like an expert. That
mouth of his has to be pretty special. Apart from the large fangs, I mean. There has to be
something about his tongue.
The cave smells really good, and some of it is him. A dry, spicy scent that he should
put in bottles and sell. But apart from that, theres something else, too. I stand up on legs
that still feel weak, pull my jeans up all the way and walk over to the water.
 Ah. Thats it. The water has a fruity smell and a note that vaguely reminds me of
alcohol. I squat down and cup a little of the water in my hand, then hold it up to my
mouth.
Before my hand reaches my mouth its stopped in an iron grip. The caveman looks at
me from one foot away, and his eyes are glowing a little more than before. Ee keh brah,
he says very seriously and shakes my hand so the water spills out of it.
Still holding my wrist, he pulls me back to where we were sitting. Then he gets a
leathery pouch out of his bag and holds it out to me. Deh teh ar bedreh, he says and
takes out a cork.
He holds the pouch up to his mouth, leans his head back and drinks the clear liquid
that pours out of it, then wipes his lips with the back of his hand and hands the pouch to
me.
I smell the liquid. That has to be a fruit juice of some kind. But clear? Oh well. I lean
my head back and the liquid splashes all over my face. But some of it gets into my mouth,
and its a tart, fresh juice with a hint of sweetness. I wipe my face, then look at the
caveman and give him a facial expression thats supposed to mean that was surprisingly
good! But of course I dont know if he gets it. Probably not. He gives me another little
smile, so I guess were cool.
He pulls some kind of blanket out of his bag and places it on the smooth, rocky
ground, then sits down and motions for me to do the same.
Fine. Im still tired, and my legs and arms ache from all the running and various
exertions. The blanket is soft and appears to be made from some kind of suede.
So now that Im no longer hungry or thirsty, and just exhausted in every way,
especially emotionally, I guess I have to face my situation and think of what to do. If thats
up to me at all.
What I want to do is a) get back to the girls in the tuna can so that we can b)
brainstorm how to c) get off the planet and home to Earth.
I glance up at the caveman beside me. If I could recruit him to help me with a) and b),
then maybe it would be easier to get to c). He probably knows how to deal with the not-
dactyls and the sophiasaurus and everything else there may be here on this jungle planet
that reminds me more and more of a movie I once saw. Yes, this is definitely a jurassic
planet.
Does he live in here, maybe? Its a pretty big cave. But the rocky walls are bare and I
see no sign of habitation. And of course he wouldnt pack a bag to just stay home. This is
something else to him.
He must have a village, right? Or a cave where he lives? With more of his kind,
maybe?
Seh poh may.
I turn to look at him. I dont know what he said, but that voice has command in it,
even if hes just talking normally. Something about the calmness and certainty and deep
resonance. I guess the patriarchy back on Earth has put its mark on me.
He points his hand towards where his heart would be if he were a human man.
Jaxzan.
Ah. Hes telling me his name. Jacksan, I repeat, and he sticks his chin out a couple
of times. So my pronunciation cant be that bad.
I repeat his gesture to my own chest. Sophia. I say it slowly.
Zoh-peee-eh.
Okay, not a bad first attempt. Sssoo. Fffee. Aaah. I enunciate very clearly.
So. Pee. Ah.
Hm. I guess his fangs make it harder to pronounce the f. I nod and smile and then try
to stick my chin out like hes doing. I point at him. Jaxzan.
He points at me. Zopia.
Now that weve been introduced, I feel the time for stolen glances is over and I can
spend a little while really looking at him. He may be alien, but I find his strangeness
unreasonably attractive. His face looks a little wrong, still, but it has all the features Id
expect from a human. His mouth is wide and has full lips that have a different shape than
any person Ive met, but I still cant help wondering what it would be like to kiss them.
His cheeks are hollow and show the bone structure underneath, and his chin is very strong
and has not one, but two deep clefts in it. His ears are pointy and his hair still appears to
shine with a light of its own.
I reach out to touch it. May I?
 8
- Sophia -
He doesnt recoil, so I let my hand explore his hair. Hey, I have every right to. Hes
explored much more of me than that.
Each hair is a fraction thicker than a human hair, and now I see why it seems to exude
light: it does. It kind of looks like those fiber optic sculptures on Earth, the ones that are a
bunch of strands of fibers that shine in all colors of the rainbow. Except on him, its
natural and much less gaudy. Its pretty cool, actually. His hair can change brightness.
I touch his ear. It feels much like a human ear, except for that elf-like point at the top.
But he doesnt look like Spock at all apart from that.
I let my hand glide down his shoulders and feel the bulging muscle there. He doesnt
have much fat on him, and I can both see and feel scars. Probably its a hard life here on
the dino planet. The stripes have a different texture than his normal skin, and feel like
extremely smooth suede.
My hand slides down his back. I had no idea a back could be that muscular.
For a moment Im tempted to let my hand innocently wander to the front and his kilt-
like loincloth, but he might take that as an invitation for more action than Im ready for
right now.
I yawn. Except for the unconsciousness after the hijacking attempt and the drowning
thing, I havent slept since seven the morning before. However many hours that it. Feels
like a lot. And it is pretty dark in here now, except for his torch.
Jaxzan seems very sensitive to my needs, and now hes straightening out the blanket
and motioning to it as if he wants me to lay down. Which I do want. What I dont want is
for him to get the wrong idea. I mean, if his species eats you out as a way of saying hello,
then who knows what he might want to do as a way of saying goodnight.
I remember his hot mouth on my pussy and the memory sends a nice little arrow of
horniness to my crotch. Maybe it wouldnt be so bad to have actual sex with a caveman
who seems totally nice and has probably saved me from drowning? Maybe it will make
him more eager to help me with my goals?
I yawn again. No, I need to rest now. My mind is totally fried and there are some
things that have happened that Im desperate to not think of right now.
I lie down and make sure that he sees me fastening the zipper on my jeans very
carefully, yanking it up a little extra and then pulling the hem of my shirt down over it. For
good measure I make a denying motion with my hand over my crotch while I look him
straight in his red-hot eyes. No more tonight, okay? Or until I open them myself. Deal?
 He just looks at me and then lies down beside me, just close enough for his arm to
touch mine. Thats fine.
Hes warm and big and I suddenly have an urge to cling to him. This whole planet
scares me senseless. But he seems so damn safe, and hes done nothing to harm me. On
the contrary. Hes the only good thing Ive found here. Everything hes done so far has
been good and kind. Hes shared his food and his drink. And his blanket. And his talented
tongue.
I have an impulse and then carefully take hold of his strong arm, then turn away from
him and pull the arm with me, making sure to keep his hand off my chest. Then I hold on
to the arm, hoping hes like other good men and that he understands that Im asking for his
protection and safety tonight and nothing more. Now hes spooning me and has his arm
around me, and if he thinks this is an invitation to sex, then hes hopeless and I guess Ill
just shoot him.
I feel him adjust his position behind me, and I stiffen. This is it. If he now tries to-
Then I feel his face in my hair and I hear a low humming. Hes humming a melody
into my hair.
And I cant mistake it thats a lullaby of some kind. Its simple and hypnotic and his
deep voice makes my whole body relax.
Yeah, he gets it. He wont do anything more. Well sleep until the morning. And Ill be
safe.
Shit. Hes so great it makes me want him to ravish me now.
Before I drift off into sleep with his deep, soothing voice in my ear I have just one
more thought: this whole experience should have made me more afraid and less horny. I
really have to check what the hell is in that water. And then maybe find a way to bottle
and sell it.
- - -
I wake up and smell something delicious.
I immediately remember where I am and feel behind me on the blanket. Nope, Jaxzan
isnt here. I check my jeans, too. Perfectly zipped up. My bra is still on.
And Im alive. I purse my lips and nod to myself in satisfaction. Looks like this night
went pretty well.
The cave is much brighter now and I can see daylight outside the opening. And the
smell seems to be coming from there.
I rub the sleep out of my eyes, get up and walk over there. Outside is the jungle, with
tall trees and large bushes and hot, humid air.
And Jaxzan. Hes lit a fire and is grilling something. Meat, looks like.
Good morning, Jaxzan I say and smile to him.
He juts his chin out. Zopia. He seems happy enough. He doesnt smile all that much,
but thats fine with me. Guys shouldnt go around constantly grinning to the world.
 I nod to the meat hes grilling. So you got us breakfast?
Go a ren, he says.
Go a ren, I repeat. Is that breakfast or meat or something?
He points to the ground beside the fire. Theres some blood and bones and entrails, and
about half a dead creature that looks like a cross between a pig and a turkey. Its very
dead, of course. The other half is what hes grilling.
Go a ren, he repeats and indicates both the meat and the dead animal.
Oh, thats its name? Go a ren? Okay. I sit down on a boulder beside him with my
back to the slaughtered animal. Im a city girl and I dont like to be reminded where meat
comes from. But I absolutely will eat the stuff hes grilling now.
I take a deep breath of alien air. The bright daylight works wonders for my mood. The
smell of rotting vegetation is still present, but somehow it feels better when Jaxzan is
here.
Today I have to make my way back to the tuna can and see what the girls and I can do.
I dont know how far that underground water tunnel took me, but it couldnt have been
that far. Probably this cave is right under the mountain where we landed and where we
found the spiky rock pile that said to stay away.
Now I see what Delyah meant about the sun being too big it absolutely is. I can see
that now. The gravity being lower I cant feel at all. Well, I was never the lightest girl.
Jaxzan does some cutting with that remarkable sword of his.
Vehl bah kom, he says and hands me a green leaf with a sizzling piece of meat on it.
It smells good. But its an alien animal. The food he gave me last night doesnt seem to
have had any ill effects on me, though.
He gets a slice of his own and takes a bite out of it. His fangs glitter in the sun and I
feel a hot spark down below at the thought that those fangs have been very damn close to
my delicate parts. It doesnt scare me, its just cool.
He chews happily and smiles into the sun and looks so content that I have to smile,
too. I take a little nibble of the meat. Ah yes. Not like a mix of pork and turkey at all.
More like beef. I havent tried that many meats in my life. But the grilling has caramelized
some of the fats, and that familiar flavor helps a whole lot.
I dont chew it too carefully. I need the energy, and being picky about what I eat could
get me starving pretty soon on a planet like this. The other girls probably havent had
anything to eat at all.
Then I have a strong flashback to the other abductees being taken by that swarm of
not-dactyls, and I want to cry again. At the back of my mind is the suspicion that my
hijacking attempt is the reason that we were dumped here. That means that the deaths of
those women is at least partly my responsibility. Ill have to do whatever I can to make it
right again, no matter what the cost is to me personally. And that starts with finding the
tuna can and reuniting with the girls.
 My girls. The girls from my translator project. The girls I forced to work until late at
night, so that they were abducted.
My good mood evaporates and that familiar cold rock settles in my stomach. Shit.
Jaxzan looks at me and frowns.
I force a smile. Sorry. Just thinking about things. You know that Im not from around
here, right? Yeah, and I kind of really want to get home.
Even if he doesnt understand the words, he can probably interpret my sad and
defeated tone of voice.
And even if I dont want it to happen, I cant help a tear or two rolling down my
cheeks.
Jaxzan reaches out and gently wipes them away with one finger. I let him. I like his
touch. I can see that hes probably capable of intense violence, so his gentle gestures like
that are all the more meaningful.
He smiles again, then looks into the fire and finishes eating. Then he starts speaking,
very calmly, and he points up the hill and then in the other direction, towards the jungle.
His language is very melodious, but it has some hard consonants. I really like listening to
him.
Finally he points to the sky, as if telling me that he knows where I come from. When
hes finished he smiles warmly and squeezes my shoulder. And dont you know it: it
works. It makes me feel better. I dont know what it is about this guy, but my gut tells me
Im totally safe with him. And now I think everything will be all right, too.
Almost everything. Because in a flash, I see Alesyas dead face in front of me.
 9
- Jaxzan -
Sophia suddenly seems sad, which I had expected. The water in the holy cave makes
you dizzy and brave and aroused, but the next day you feel a little down for an hour or
two. Its not good to drink much of it, and the tribesmen usually avoid touching it at all
after they try it a couple of times while theyre young boys. Its holiness also keeps us from
drinking it except when something in our lives goes wrong and we want to spite the
Ancestors because of it.
I want her to feel less sad. I know she cant understand what Im saying. But I tell her
about the Prophecy and that the Ancestors have decided that she is to be my mate and that
we will go home to my tribe and that she will marry me and that we will have many
children in the mysterious way that the Prophecy promises, which apparently means the
woman carrying the child inside her for a period of time. In other words, she is the
Mother. The Mother of this planet. The Mother of Xren.
I cant quite see how that will work. But They have promised it by letting me find her
in the holy pool with water from sacred Bune, so its certain. They rarely break promises.
I enjoy looking at her. She is so different from every person Ive ever met, so soft and
round and luxurious. And her slit was just as delectable as I hoped slick and delicate
and pink and responsive. Im glad the shamans educate everyone in how to use our
mouths on a woman, just in case it turns out that one of us is the Chosen one. It was
extremely unlikely and I dont know how many of us took it seriously. But I did my best,
and Im glad I did. Because now it has turned out that the Chosen one is me.
I cant quite grasp it. But shes sitting here, as real as my sword, and she looks and
smells so intoxicatingly enticing that I must rein myself in to not simply enjoy all the
attractions her body has to offer. To continue the worship I showed her immediately upon
discovering her.
On the other hand, she is a sacred being, a gift from the Ancestors. I must be careful
and gentle with her. And she needs my protection. She is so small and beautiful and
fragile, and so much here can kill her. Why, she doesnt even have a weapon!
Well, the Prophecy states it: the Chosen one must protect and worship the Mother and
see to it that her needs are met. I certainly will do that. After all, she is mine.
 10
- Sophia -
This was good, I say and venture a thumbs-up. Jaxzan frowns, and then I wince. I
better be careful with hand gestures. They might mean something quite different here.
I finish the meat. Its not bad, but Im not used to eating steaks for breakfast. Id kill
for some coffee right about now. And maybe a newspaper and a croissant, now that Im
dreaming. Or my cell phone. None of the girls have them here, because we all have to
leave our phones and tablets outside the lab to protect the sensitive equipment there from
their radio signals.
I wonder whats happening on Earth right now. Was that a real alien invasion? I mean,
every news channel has to be blowing up about the abductions, at least. Maybe all us girls
are front page news right now, with our pictures and our names and everything. Or maybe
theres no one left on Earth. It did look like the aliens only wanted women, though.
And now I have to find mine. My clothes have dried out during the night, but I dont
feel too clean.
Excuse me.
I walk behind a large bush for a little while, then back into the cave too see if I can
wash a little. But Jaxzan shouts something and I turn.
Hes on his feet and comes over, not too happy. He lightly takes hold of my upper arm
and looks at me, very seriously. Veek tees tedd, he says.
This is an important place, says another voice, and I almost jump out of my skin.
Jaxzan lets go of my arm and draws his sword in a movement so fast hes just a blur.
We both look around. No one.
That voice was familiar, though. Very familiar. So damn chipper.
Then I remember the translator.
I sheepishly pull the little thing out of my pocket and show it to Jaxzan. I think it
was this.
Yah tro rdehvar de ne, the translator says brightly.
Jaxzans eyes widen and his jaw drops. Its pretty unsettling to look at I mean, he
has eight very pointy fangs and it reminds me that he can probably rip my throat out just
like that. But I get the feeling that he can also protect me really well, and I feel another
nice little tingle down below.
Yeah, this might come in handy, I say, and the translator says something in a
language that sounds a lot like Jaxzans. Except its bright, girly voice is totally wrong for
him. But that cant be changed.
I scratch my head and stare at the flat little translator in the palm of my hand. Sure, it
does use a state-of-the-art chip with AI capabilities, but I had no idea it could teach itself
an alien language this fast. It should need at least a hundred sentences to learn the even the
basic structure of an Earth language. I guess its better than wed thought.
Jaxzan growls.
Alien magic, the translator says.
Hm. Im not sure how smart it is to make him think that this is magic. I have a feeling
primitive people can react badly to that. I know witch-burning was a popular thing on
Earth back in the day. But Im also not sure how to explain the chip and the tech and the
algorithms. But then again, Id struggle to explain that to myself.
Not really, I say, and the translator dutifully translates. Or so I hope. Its just a
tool.
Jaxzan peers at it and then seems to shrug. He places his sword back in his belt, takes
my hand and leads me back to the fire and away from the opening of the cave.
An important place, huh? I wonder if it can mean a sacred place. It did kind of feel
like a church. Or a cathedral.
Jaxzan wraps some grilled meat in leaves and places them in his bag, and then I guess
were ready to go somewhere. I have my gun and my translator and the damp clothes on
my back. And I have a mission.
I point up the hill towards what I think is the mountain where the tuna can crash
landed. I have to get back to the girls. Could you please help me?
He points the other way and speaks. Home. Safe, the translator offers. Chosen one.
Mother.
Im guessing he wants to take me home to his village to show me to his parents.
Which makes a lot of sense. But I cant come.
I point again. My friends are up there. They need help.
He glances up there and says something. Important hill. Forbidden, the translator
says. Bune.
Forbidden, huh? I guess probably he or his people made that pile of rocks with the
spears thats supposed to be a warning. If so, it might be pretty hard to get him to go up
there. Just my luck if the tuna can landed on a holy mountain.
I have to go there. My friends are in danger. They need help. I take a couple of steps
up the hill, so he can see that Im not really asking. Im telling him. I have to do this.
He grunts. Danger. Important hill. Death.
Well, I cant expect him to follow me there if he thinks it will kill him. I have probably
done enough damage to people already. You dont have to come. Ill go alone.
 And I totally will. I may be the bitch and coward of the story, but Im not abandoning
the girls.
Jaxzan is frowning and his eyes are smouldering more than ever. Important place.
Danger. Not go.
I should probably avoid making him angry. I put my hand into my pockets and lightly
grip the gun.
I really have to go there, I say as a last attempt. Its my sacred duty. Maybe
inserting some holiness into this will help him relent.
He considers it and frowns. But he can consider all he wants. This isnt his decision to
make.
I take a deep breath and turn my back, walking up the hill. I put a little extra swing
into my hips. Maybe my ass will convince him when pure reason wont.
I glance behind me. Hes still standing there, frowning.
My heart sinks in my chest. Well, it was worth a try. I walk on with less hip
movements. The hillside is pretty steep.
Then I hear Jaxzan grunt something that sounds angry.
Human waste, the translator chirps. Yes, that sounds like the polite version of what
he said.
And then the caveman comes walking up to me with long, strong strides. He points up
the side of the hill. Friends?
I jut my chin out in the way that I hope means yes. Friends.
He fixes his stare on me and I have a strong urge to flinch and look away, because its
like looking straight into Judgement Day. Danger.
But I hold my own and stare right back. I wont back down on this. Friends.
He takes a deep breath, glances up the hill and blows air out between his teeth in a way
that means damn it on Earth. Then he starts walking up the steep incline.
I scramble after him. He really doesnt want to do this. Its pretty obvious hes doing it
for my sake only. My heart overflows with gratitude and Im so moved I want to cry. I feel
much safer with him by my side and I will absolutely want to reward him for that later.
One way or the other.
His strong back and his powerful legs and his cute little butt flex and move in front of
me, and I keep close to him. I keep lookout upwards. Those not-dactyls scared me almost
to death yesterday, and this mountain is where they came upon us. Probably this is where
they live and thats the reason Jaxzan says its forbidden.
But when the attack comes, its not from above. I see Jaxzan snap his head around. He
yells something that the translator doesnt catch, and in a split second his sword is in his
hand and hes beside me, taking my hand and yanking me so Im behind him. Only then
do I see what hes spotted its a giant centipede the size of a living room couch, just
much longer. It has many long tentacles sticking out from its front, as well as two black
scissor-like blades. It zigzags and slithers up the hill at amazing speed, and I can feel the
blood drain from my face. Thats the worst thing Ive ever seen, and its coming right for
us.
Jaxzan puts an arm behind him so hes shielding me, and then he winds up and throws
his sword. It rotates through the air and hits the terrible creature right in the middle of its
face, cleaving the whole thing in half for at least the first six feet of its body. The rest of
the centipede slowly falls over.
Jaxzan goes down the slope and yanks his sword out of the dead thing, then wipes it
on the grass and comes back up to me with a little grin on his face. Very dangerous, he
says unnecessarily.
Im shaking like a leaf and I cling to him when he gets to me. Damn, that thing scared
me.
He hugs me with one arm and says something more. Danger. But Zopia safe with
Jaxzan, the translator says.
Oh my heavens. If he hadnt come along, and I had been alone here when that thing
charged
I cant finish the thought. I just shudder and cling to him a little more before I let him
go. Thanks. That was a fantastic throw.
He just smirks and we continue upwards, me on shaky legs. The vegetation gets
thicker the further up the hill we get, and I recognize plants that look a lot like ferns. That
makes this place look even more jurassic.
Jaxzan turns around and I reflexively scurry to seek shelter behind his broad back.
But he doesnt get out his sword, just points down the hill. Ehn Stoh hr.
A Big, the translator says.
Uh-huh? I say and look down the valley from behind his back. And sure enough,
thats a pretty big thing hes seeing. Its far away, probably a couple of miles at least.
Ohmigod, thats huge! Its a real dinosaur. Its huge and lumbering and it walks on
six legs, moving just one of them at a time like those huge walking machines in some of
the Star Wars movies. Its easily a hundred feet long and covered in what looks like dirty
feathers. It looks like its walking backwards, because the tiny head is placed on top of an
extremely long neck at the far back of its body. But the tail is right behind there, too, so
thats probably just the way it evolved, walking with most of its body first and the neck
last. Its strangely graceful and its totally mesmerizing to watch it.
Jaxzan puts his hands on his hips and doesnt seem too worried. The dino isnt
coming in our direction, so I allow myself to relax and just admire it. I can hear the ground
thunder distantly each time it puts a foot down on the ground, and it has to weigh the same
as an apartment building.
Why feathers, though? Surely that thing cant fly.
Jaxzan points. Seh.
 Look, comes the translation.
Oh my. Someone is stalking the huge dinosaur. Two smaller creatures are closing in
on it from the sides, clearly about to attack it from either side. Theyre black with yellow
stripes and they look extremely deadly, with large, streamlined heads and mouths that look
very large from where were standing. They have spikes along their spines and a whole
bunch of long, whip-like tails each. They have two legs in front, but I have trouble seeing
whats holding them up further back.
We watch in silence as the two predators close in on the huge dino. Then they pounce,
both at the same time from opposite directions. The victim puts its little head back and
rears two of its front legs into the air, and a second later we can hear its scream a deep,
piercing howl like a foghorn. The two attackers appear to have bitten themselves onto the
dinos sides, and theyre chomping down on it hard. And now I can see their rear parts.
They have huge wheels in the middle of their bodies, and theyre clearly part of them. I
see the reason too, now theyre hanging onto the dino with their mouths, its still
moving, and the attackers can roll effortlessly along with it on their wheels while using
their energy to bite down.
Theyve got it, I state. It makes me sad that huge goofy-looking dino was just
minding its own business, and now I can see its feathered flanks dark with blood. Still the
foghorn noise persists, but the dino doesnt seem to be fighting back in any other way.
Not yet, Jaxzan says through the translator. And now I see why. There are two more
creatures moving in, large and squat six-legged creatures with big, triangular heads and
the same feathery look as the big one. Theyre different from it, but at the same time
theres something very similar about them. They approach the attackers from each side,
and then they ram their heads into the wheels and jam them.
Immediately a lot of dust rises around the altercation as the wheels that are a part of
the attackers stop turning and start scraping up the ground. The foghorn sound stops and
the attackers both lose their grips on the dino. They fall to the ground and the two
defenders immediately pounce on them while the huge goofy one keeps on walking away.
By the end the attackers are slinking off back the way they came, and the defenders trot
after the dino.
Are those its kids? I ask out loud. Theyre totally different, but strangely similar.
No, Jaxzan says, amused. Seh.
 11
- Sophia -
The two defenders catch up with the giant dinosaur and then they seem to climb into
the feathery body of the large one, and then their heads poke up from the front of the body.
Its a three-headed dinosaur now. I guess the feathers must have hidden cavities in the
huge body where they fit perfectly.
Theyre one, I state, because its obvious. Thats actually just one being, but it can
split into three parts. It probably makes no sense. But thats what it looks like to me.
Jaxzan grunts, turns around and keeps walking. Yes.
I guess the shows over, so I follow him as closely as I can up the hill. Its hard going,
because the hill is steep and Jaxzan walks pretty fast.
When we get to the stream I recognize Im soaked with sweat and my breath is ragged
in my throat. But Im not tempted to take a dip.
Bune, Jaxzan says and sweeps his hand to indicate the forest ahead of us. The
translator doesnt offer any suggestions, so I guess it could be the name of this place.
Bune, I repeat thoughtfully. The tuna can is right over that ridge.
Jaxzan looks up and around and places his hand lightly over his mouth while looking
at me. I get it: shut up.
Thats fine with me. This is not-dactyl country and Im not about to attract their
attention.
But its also sophiasaurus country and god-knows-what-else country, so I stick very
close to Jaxzan as we make our way up the ridge. Im half expecting to find Carolines
dead body on the ground, because after I fell into the stream last night she would have
been on her own. And being on your own here in Bune seems very unwise.
We get to the ridge and I see the tuna can glinting in the sunlight. Thats it. I came in
that. And my friends are inside. I hope.
Jaxzan can produce some pretty spectacular frowns, and this one is a real doozy.
Bune, he says. Forbidden.
He points to the ground. And sure enough, right on the top of the ridge theres a row of
rocks of the same size. Just gravel size, really, but theyre all white and round and
carefully placed in a straight line that disappears into the vegetation in both directions. I
may be an alien here, but even I can see that its a boundary of some kind.
But I cant be ruled by alien customs. I have to let my conscience guide me.
I take one step so Im on the other side of the little stones. I have no choice.
 Jaxzan doesnt move. But the look he sends me could probably kill rabbits from thirty
feet away.
Damn it. So near and yet so far.
I have to try. Jaxzan, I would really need your help on this side, too. I understand
that its a boundary you dont want to cross, but this is an emergency. Maybe you could
bend the rules a little this time?
The translator goes on for a good while, but Jaxzans frown doesnt change. He just
stands there like a statue, feet apart and his arms crossed over his chest. Yeah, hes not
moving from there.
Shit. I dont want to lose his help. But I have to go see the girls.
I know this is a lot to ask. But if you wont cross, could you please wait here until I
come back? I need your protection, and the other girls do too, if theyre still alive.
Please?
He looks at me levelly and says nothing. Ive made him angry, Im pretty sure.
Okay, I say. If you have to go, then thank you for everything. I hope Ill see you
again.
And I mean it. Because this guy doesnt just make me feel safe and protected. He also
turns me on just by existing. And I like his quiet confidence, especially since it seems to
be totally backed by actual skills and strength. Hes not showing off. At all. This is who he
is. His movements are natural and powerful, and his alien looks are just the right side of
weird. I never liked the runway model look anyway, and this is a real man. I could totally
fall for a guy like that. Totally. And I think I can see a bulge in his loincloth. Its a big
bulge, and its contours are interesting.
I really dont want to lose him.
And still Im turning my back to him and walking away. Because I guess I have to
accept being the bitch of the story. But theres no way in hell Im going to be the coward,
too.
I can feel his eyes burning a hole in my back and probably on my ass as I walk
towards the tuna can, always looking around for signs of movement. Then I pass on the
other side of a tree, and when I glance back hes gone.
I sigh and force down the urge to run back. Dammit. I really liked him.
I reach the tuna can and knock. Hello in there. Its Sophia.
The translator says something in Jaxzans language and I turn it off. The battery is
good, but it wont last forever.
The door slides open and a pale face looks out.
Its Heidi. Sophia?
I go inside the can and she closes the door behind me. It smells worse in here than last
night.
 Sophia? Caroline gets to her feet and comes over to hug me. I was so sure you
drowned!
Yeah, me too.
The girls are drawn and look both tired and exhausted, like theyve been crying a lot.
And I dont blame them at all. I know what Id rather be doing right now.
I tell them whats happened, glossing over the details of how Jaxzan woke me up that
first time. But Im not sure if hes there anymore. He may have left.
Theyre all looking at each other. Thats the most amazing thing Ive ever heard,
Aurora says. A caveman? Who is hot and protects you? Thats yeah, just amazing.
Emilia taps her lips with one finger. Do you have any of that meat, maybe?
I give them the packets and they unwrap the leaves and eat the meat with much less
caution than I showed the first time. Well, I guess they can see it didnt kill me.
So what happened here while I was gone?
Ohmigod, Aurora says. Weve had the worst time. First the sun set and it got totally
dark and neither you or Caroline had returned. So we opened the door so you could see the
light and you could find this thing. Then Caroline comes and she only has one leaf of
water and shes crying and says that you drowned. And then we all cry our eyes out for a
while because we know were all doing to die here. Then we drink the water. And then we
feel so much better. Except Delyah.
Delyah shrugs. That water reeked of psychoactive substances. I wouldnt touch it.
After sunrise, Emilia continues, we kept the door open for a while and we thought
about going back to the stream and maybe finding some plants to eat. Until we heard one
of those screams. The not-dactyls. So we closed the door again and thats all we know
until you knocked.
I went outside at dawn to collect clean water, Delyah adds. The air here is very
humid and the leaves are dripping with dew all night long. Just a survival tip.
I nod. Good thinking. So. What now?
You know, Caroline says, this can isnt going anywhere. Its like a cargo container
on a ship back home. Just walls and floor and roof. Nothing else. No creature comforts
except some light and the door. And it provides shelter against predators. Thats it.
I nod. We should probably try to get Jaxzan to take us to his village. I mean, we have
nothing left to lose now.
Will they be willing to house and feed us? Heidi asks. I mean, he sounds like a
pretty primitive guy. No offense, but I highly doubt he or anyone in his village has a space
ship that can take us to Earth. Or any kind of emergency communications thing. And even
that could be useless. No one from Earth could reach us here. Its another solar system.
At least four light-years away from Earth, Delyah informs us. It would take the
fastest NASA spacecraft seventeen thousand years to get here. If that sun is Proxima
Centauri and not another star.
 Were all stunned for a moment, and I feel Im welling up again. Were further from
home than I suspected.
Caroline shakes her head. What were looking at is this. As the very best case
scenario. We become members of his tribe and go back to a stone age way of life. Im not
sure thats a choice Im willing to make right now.
If its that or death, then well all choose life, Emilia reasons. We could give them a
chance to help us before we judge them.
Aurora bangs on the wall with her fist. We shouldnt leave this can! This is the only
shelter we have. And its the closest thing to a spaceship. Our only hope to get home is if
the abductors return to pick us back up. I think they might. It could happen at any time.
We dont want to not be here when they come. If were not, were stranded here for good.
Forever.
Again were all silent while the reality of this disaster is dawning of us.
Heidi stares at the wall. Will they take us in, though? That is not a given. They might
be struggling already. Were six useless mouths to feed. I dont think theyll care too much
about our great knowledge of Earth languages and philosophers and social sciences. I
dont know how to hunt mammoths or dactyls or even how to make wicker baskets. Do
any of you?
We can learn, I state. Were not useless. Were six intelligent young women. Sure,
itll be a harder life than were used to. But we can do it. What do you think, Delyah?
Everyone looks at her. She rarely speaks, but when she does, it probably pays to listen.
And now we need some common sense here.
She shrugs. I think we can stay alive right here. Even if the tribe will take us in, Im
guessing that getting to their village will take us through some unknown and very
dangerous terrain. In here, we seem to be pretty safe. We can stay here and learn how to
stay alive on our own. Then, if for some reason we think that village life will be better, we
can go there and ask for their support. Not as a bunch of helpless aliens, but as people who
can fend for themselves and know how to stay alive. Well have value for them then. We
can spend weeks right here cultivating skills that they might need. Im sure we can do
some stuff that they cant or that we know about inventions that they dont have. I say we
should stay here and thrive. And keep in touch with Jaxzan and his village if thats
possible. Its a fertile land. We can live here. I doubt there will be any winters with the sun
that close. This could actually turn into a very interesting field trip.
Were all quiet for three heartbeats.
I think Delyah should be our leader, I suggest spontaneously. Those in favor?
Aye, the four other girls say as one.
Ive never led anything, Delyah protests. Im just stating the obvious.
I place my hand on her brown shoulder. And so are we. Youre so smart and full of
common sense that it would be weird to not give you the final word. Hey, you wont be a
dictator. I tried leading these girls in that translator project for months, and I tell you, its
like herding cats with these chicks.
I roll my eyes theatrically and we all giggle. Delyahs little speech has made us
optimistic. Well try living here. And then we can go to Jaxzan and his people and check
if theyll help us. Or if we can help them.
Okay, Delyah says and gets to her feet. We might as well get started. We need food.
Water we can collect at dawn. So we should probably try to find fruits and berries. Seeds.
Edible roots. If its sweet, its probably okay. If its sour or bitter, leave it alone. We should
explore that stream more, too. If theres fish, we should try to catch some. Well make a
net. But thats for later. Now, we want to make the wildlife here understand that we live
here now. We should make weapons. Sharpened sticks would work fine in the beginning.
Rocks to throw. Still have that gun, Sophia?
I show it. Yep.
That thing is super important now, Delyah continues. It will be the deadliest
weapon we have for as long as were here. We could hunt with it, but I suggest we dont.
We need the ammunition for defense.
Can someone else take it for a while, please? I plead. Or we can keep it in a special
place in here.
Anytime anyone is outside, that gun is also outside and in someones hand, Delyah
states. Outside, were always in pairs or threes. And one always looks up so were not
surprised by dactyls.
I think we elected the right leader, Emilia says and stands up. I feel much better
about this now. Okay, whos with me on berry patrol?
We pair up and go out the door after checking for dinosaurs and centipedes. I hand the
gun to Delyah, pretty relieved to be rid of it. It hasnt really done much good. Then I go
out with Heidi to see if we can see any fish in that stream.
- - -
It turns out to be a pretty good day. We dont catch any fish or even see any, but we also
dont see any not-dactyls or centipedes. The others have discovered some peach-size fruits
that are pretty juicy and taste like blueberries, so we end the day on a pretty happy note.
We didnt need to actually make sharpened sticks, because weve discovered three more of
the rocky piles with spears sticking out of them. Now they have slightly fewer spears in
them, and we have a little pile of primitive weapons made by someone else.
We gather herbs and plants that dont taste too weird. I spot a purple little plant that
smells so fresh I cant ignore it. It has a fresh, acidic flavor, and Im tempted to deem it no
good for eating. But the taste is so wholesome I wave Delyah over. What do you think
about this?
Looks like a herb. She sniffs the little plant, then takes a little leaf and chews it. Its
more tart than sour. I dont know much about pharma, but I think this could be antiseptic.
Bacteria dont like acidic environments. Could be a possible way to treat wounds.
 I nod seriously, secretly thrilled that I may have discovered something useful. Yeah. I
guess well see.
She looks around, always on her guard. Uh-huh. Looks like someones placed flowers
on Alesyas grave. Im not sure we should get too close to it. Its pretty shallow, and it
might attract predators.
I nod again. She thinks of everything.
Throughout the day I keep a very intense lookout. I look at the sky to watch for not-
dactyls, and I look in around the trees hoping for a glimpse of a tanned and hairy warrior
with a big sword and a safe arm to hold around me. But hes gone.
The sun sets and we get in the tuna can and close the door. Weve found some soft
leaves that we want to use as mattresses, while our bundled-up lab coats have to serve as
pillows. We lie awake and chat for a while, about Earth and our families and what could
have happened to them. Theres some sniffling, and then someone cracks a joke and
everyone laughs. Its nice to not be alone here.
But still I miss Jaxzan. I knew him for only a half day or so, but he made an
impression on me with his quiet strength. I never liked the chatty men. My type was
always the strong, silent type with an intelligent glint in his eye. And Jaxzan had that in
spades. I would feel so much better if he was here now.
I feel my eyes closing all by themselves. I have to see him again, I hear myself
mumble as I let sleep engulf me.
 12
- Jaxzan -
I recognized the thing right away. Thats a Plood container, dumped here by one of
their spaceships. And of course they have dumped it inside Bune, the sacred area where
were forbidden to tread.
So Sophia comes from the dirty little Plood aliens, of all places, and not from the
Ancestors. I would never have guessed that. But its obvious, and it puts a damper on my
enthusiasm. Is this really because of the Prophecy? I suppose it could be. The Ancestors
work in mysterious ways. But having the Mother delivered by the Plood seems unusual,
even for them. That alien presence in this would appear to taint her.
I patrol the area around Bune for a while as I consider the implications, making sure
Sophia and her friends arent stalked by any Bigs. I avoid the flying ones, the irox,
because I only have my sword and they tend to come in flocks. I sometimes get a glimpse
of the alien women as they explore Bune and its surroundings. I easily stay out of sight
and observe how they take some of our old spears, probably to use them as weapons. That
should work against Smalls, but no Big will be impressed by that.
I shoo away some predatory Smalls who have smelled the newcomers and are
gathering around, and Im gratified to see a large rammer live not too far away. A Big like
that will not bother the women, but the flying terrors will have no love for that and it
might keep them away from Sophia and her friends.
It boggles my mind to see so many females at the same time. Sophia was interesting
enough, but six women at the same time? Unbelievable. Its like living in an old myth.
What will I do now? I need guidance. I have to pray and meditate. But not here, this
close to Bune.
I walk into the woods.
 13
- Sophia -
Caroline walks over to the fire Im tending and reaches out her wooden cup. Looks
like someone put fresh flowers on Alesyas grave again, but no one knows anything about
it. New flowers every day this week. Maybe some of the locals want to remember her. Got
any more of that tea?
Sure. I pour the rest of it into her cup.
She slurps happily. Thanks. Its not Twinings, but its okay.
The tea is hot water with an infusion of some sweetish leaves we found that Delyah
deemed probably not too toxic for limited consumption. We all crave coffee, but there is
none here, and just slurping something that tastes less than terrible satisfies a little bit of
the craving. I have the feeling its good for us to be able to relax, too, and not just
scramble to stay alive.
We had a good first week or so trying to make our little colony work. Turns out we
have some talents that we didnt even know. Emilia has taught herself to weave baskets
and does so, while Caroline is good at using rocks to hollow out pieces of wood. Thats
how shes made cups for us, and now shes experimenting with making pots from clay.
Aurora remembered that boiling water can be done by placing hot rocks into it. Heidi has
been able to make fire using her glasses as lenses, and now we can cook the things we find
that we hope we can eat.
Which is mainly berries and fruits. Theres no fish in the stream that we can see, we
still suck at throwing spears at animals and none of us are that keen on eating insects. If
we were, wed have no problem staying nourished, because theres a lot of creepy-crawly
things around.
Weve found a way to bathe in the stream that isnt too dangerous as long as we dont
wade to far out, so were able to stay reasonably clean. And I have been looking out for
plants that might have a medicinal use. And many herbs I find have a nice and wholesome
smell, so I experiment with some of them. The girls and I keep getting little scratches and
cuts when we go about our stone age business, and the one antiseptic herb I found is very
promising. No infected wounds so far.
But our spirits are not as high as that first day when we decided to create our own
colony here. Partly its the lack of food, and partly its because for each passing day, it
becomes less probable that the aliens that abducted us will come back and take us home.
So right now, the best we can reasonably hope for is that at some point well be accepted
by Jaxzans tribe.
 Most of the girls dont find that a particularly happy vision of their future. I dont
either, but it doesnt get me down as much as the other ones. First of all I know Jaxzan,
and they dont. Ive felt his arm around me and Ive seen his relaxed and confident way of
handling all the dangers here. I feel that his tribe might be a good one.
And also I think it has something to do with me committing to being the happy-go-
lucky one after those false starts I had. I make sure that I try to say optimistic things and
smile and even whistle as I do the simple tasks that we need to keep our colony running.
Its weird even if I dont really feel all that optimistic to start with, forcing myself to
smile and be cheerful works in chasing away the worst depressive feelings. I guess the
fake it until you make it idea has some merit.
But yeah, Im not mindlessly thinking that this will work out okay. It kind of seems
that it wont right now. Our clothes are dirty. Were always hungry. Were always afraid of
the dinosaurs and the not-dactyls, and were scared to venture too far from the tuna can.
Every time we try nibbling on a new plant we think might be edible, we know it might kill
us. The dew water were able to collect at dawn only lasts until about noon, and were
trying not to drink too much from the stream. It feels good for the first hours, but then we
get depressed and feel hopeless.
But the food is the main problem.
Were doing our best, and were resourceful. In a jungle on Earth, where we wouldnt
have to worry about dinosaurs and huge centipedes, we could probably have survived for
months. But its becoming clear to me that were not going to make it like this.
One morning Delyah and I go for another exploration walk in the direction of
Jaxzans cave. Im drawn to it because I think he might be there. And I have missed him
every day since I crossed the boundary into this place and he stayed on the other side. I
miss the safety he exuded and his strong arms and his calm mastery of this wild planet.
And a strange part of me regrets that I didnt try to seduce him. I suspect he might be
good.
I pick up a dry twig and toss it away, making sure not to make much noise. How do
you think this is going? With the colony and all?
Delyah takes a while answering. Were in the dip, absolutely.
I have flashes of little bowls of spicy sauces to dip potato chips into. My mouth
instantly starts watering and I have to swallow before I can speak. It takes nothing to set
that off right now. The dip?
All new projects have the dip. First theres a honeymoon period when things go okay,
and then after a while you start to see all the problems youre actually facing. You lose
motivation and the task can seem hopeless. Thats the dip.
I nod wisely. And thats when you quit.
Delyah thinks again. Thats when you are better able to see if this project is actually
going to work. Now you know what youre up against. Before you start, you dont really
know. In the dip, you can make a decision about whether to keep going or cut your losses
and go for another project.
 I shift the alien spear into the other hand. Its surprisingly heavy. Should we cut our
losses? Just try to find Jaxzan and see if he even has a tribe?
Delyah likes taking long breaks between each time she talks. I like that. Shes taking
the time to think about problems. The way things are going, I think we should consider
finding allies. We can stay alive here for a couple of weeks. But weve eaten almost all the
fruit that grows close to the tuna can. We have some problems finding enough water.
Some of the animals are becoming brave and are coming a little too close. This forest is a
dangerous place to be. And if we leave it for too long, we might be too weak to find the
tribe. I notice our work days are getting shorter all the time.
I toss another twig away. Ive been thinking the same thing. We can do both. We can
make our colony work and at the same time see if we can find Jaxzan again. We wont
need to go to his tribe, probably. We just need him. If he can help us hunt and show us
some things, then Im pretty sure we can keep going.
It will be dangerous, Delyah says, because of course shes miles ahead of me.
Alone in the woods. Take the gun. I think this mission might be crucial for all of us. She
takes the little black gun out of her pocket and hands it over.
I weigh it in my hand. Weve still not fired a single shot with it, and Id like to keep it
that way.
Ive been thinking about this for a couple of days, and Im surprised Delyah has, too.
Of course I have to go alone. Sending two of us out into the jungle means risking two lives
instead of one. I have very little chance of surviving, but Delyah is too tactful to say it.
We stop on the ridge, right inside the boundary of pebbles.
I stick the gun into my pocket. What will you tell the others?
Oh, just the truth. We need help and you went to find it.
I look around. Id hate to leave the girls. Both for the companionship and for my own
safety. But if anyone is going to find Jaxzan, it has to be the one he already knows and
maybe even kind of likes.
Ill try something first, I say and fill my lungs with alien air. Then I yell. Jaxzan!
I do it three times, one minute apart. He might not be within earshot. The trees really
dampen the reach of my voice. But if he can hear me, hell know that I want his help. Itll
be his decision.
I look around. At least he wasnt hiding behind a nearby tree. He can move pretty
fast. Ill give it one hour. If hes not here by then, Ill go. I have some idea of where he
might be.
Delyah nods. I think I saw a new kind of berries over there. Ill go and check them
out. Good luck.
She turns around and walks into the woods. She was never much of a hugger.
I stand in the shadow of a tall tree and look around, hoping to see a jurassic warrior
coming towards me with long strides and a confident smirk on his alien face. But the hour
passes and its still just me.
 I take a deep breath and feel the bulk of the gun in my pocket. It doesnt make me feel
safe at all.
Then I start walking.
- - -
I want to go straight back to the cave where I almost drowned. Its the only place I know
where he might be. I know its far, but its also mostly downhill.
Im scared and I regret this whole thing. What do I do if a flock of not-dactyls shows
up? Or a sophiasaurus or one of those huge things that attacked the weird giant dino? I
have no idea how to deal with them. I guess Ill try to shoot them, and most of them are so
big I really cant miss. But I have a feeling this little gun wont make much of an impact
on giant dinosaurs. And I dont know how far I can throw this spear.
A huge flying insect comes zooming straight for me, and its wings are so large its buzz
sounds like a giant bass guitar. It looks like a dragonfly, all bright colors and spears and
tentacles. I yelp and direct the spear towards it, but its heavy and hard to handle, and I get
it between my legs and it trips me up. I fall on my face and just avoid the insect as it
buzzes overhead. I turn around onto my back and struggle to get the gun out of my pocket,
but its entangled in the fabric of my jeans and I cant get it out.
The dragonfly is the size of a seagull and just hangs in the air for a moment, waving
what Im sure is its stinger in my face. Then it turns around and continues on its way, its
deep buzzing slowly getting weaker.
I sob once, then get back on my feet. Shit. If that thing had wanted to sting me, Id
have no chance to ward it off.
I take the gun into my hand. If I trip I might end up accidentally shooting myself, but
that spear just isnt much good as a defense. Still I keep it instead of tossing it away.
Maybe seeing it will make the dinosaurs less interested in murdering me.
I keep looking around me and I can feel the tears are not too far away. This is a
desperate thing to do. Any minute now one of those centipedes could come crawling for
me out of the bushes. Or a not-dactyl could come swooping down. Or some other horror
like that dragonfly could suddenly show itself.
I hate this, I seethe, then slap my hand over my mouth to make me shut up. I do not
want to attract anything.
The trees are tall and they create a canopy that the sun rarely breaks through. On one
hand thats fine, because that sun is hot. On the other hand its as dark as twilight down
where Im walking, and its hard to keep a lookout in all directions at once. The jungle is
full of noises, some of them pretty scary, and Im very highly strung. I want to aim for the
cave where I first met Jaxzan, but I must have taken a wrong turn, because I dont
remember this place. But all I can do is keep going.
When something finally gets me I dont even see it before all I know is that Im
horizontal and being carried a couple of feet off the ground. Im being held in someones
mouth, sideways and face down. All I can see are claws like on a chicken, except these are
more blue than yellow. And there are eight long talons on each one. The stench from the
creature makes me retch its like inside the primate house in a zoo, just much worse.
I can just turn enough to see an eye. Its a slitted, orange eye that looks back
impassively as the creature runs in long bounds across the ground and between the bushes.
Something has snatched me in its jaws. Something big. But its only holding me firmly
enough to keep me there its not trying to snap me in half. That may be good news or
bad.
But I can move a little.
A strange calm comes over me. Im in the jaws of a dinosaur, and that means that Im
practically dead. Theres nothing more to lose.
I reach for the gun. Theres intense pain from my shoulder as it chafes against my
captors teeth, but I dont care anymore. I keep reaching until I have the hard object in my
hand. Then I try to pull it out of the mouth. The creatures teeth are cutting my arm, and I
scream. And I feel that it will rip my arm bad if I pull it more. My hand and the gun are
stuck inside the creatures mouth.
The creature suddenly stops and theres an unpleasant screeching nearby. I groan in
pain as the pressure from the huge jaws increases.
Ah. Thats its nest. There are giant, broken eggs with translucent shells and recently
hatched dinosaurs. They look like birds, except theyre much larger and they have teeth.
Very large and sharp teeth. I can tell because I can see straight down into their gapes as
they scream for food.
That food is me.
Fine. The gun is still inside my captors mouth, but I aim it away from myself and then
pull the trigger as many times as I can. The bangs are very satisfying and the gun jumps in
my hand.
The smell from the spent gunpowder is strangely soothing. It reminds me of fireworks
on the 4th of July and New Years Eve back on Earth. Finally something thats not totally
alien. A little slice of home at the end of my life.
The dinosaur jaws squeeze me harder. The world goes silent and black and white, then
recedes from me very fast.
I grin. At least I got a reaction. Dont fuck with Earth, I say out loud, for some
reason.
And then I remember no more.
 14
- Jaxzan -
I snap around as I hear the echo of five sharp bangs in quick succession thunder across
the valley. I have never heard anything like that here on Xren. Logic then dictates that its
an alien sound. Made by an alien.
By Sophia?
I was stalking a Big that I suspected was on its way to Bune to check out the
newcomers, but now my priorities have changed. I draw my sword and run through the
underbrush, swinging the blade to clear my path. This terrain is favored by a type of Big
that runs fast and likes to feed its young living meat, and they are among the most
dangerous Bigs on the planet. Theyre fast and can move very silently through the forest.
Indeed some of my own scars are a result of stumbling across a nest when I was only a
teenager. I have respected them a lot since then.
There are no more bangs, but I know exactly where they came from. My hunters
instinct are honed by a life of surviving here and killing other beings that have been here
for much longer than we humans.
I hear unmistakable screeching and the smell of a nest gets stronger and I crash
through more bushes, holding my sword ready to chop into its owners before they can bite
me in half.
And there it is. A rekh nest with newly hatched brood of rekhs. Theyre already the
size of a grown man, and half of each one is just a large mouth that can hinge open to an
obscene degree.
One adult rekh is on the ground, and underneath
My heart freezes as I realize that it looks a lot like that garment that Sophia wore on
her lower body. And the footwear, too.
I roar in anger and fear, and with a strength I didnt know I had I lift the rear of the
enormous rekh and toss it away.
And there is Sophia, pale and bleeding and unspeakably beautiful.
The newly hatched rekhs screech terribly, and I have a mind to chop their heads off.
But theyre too young to harm me, and useless revenge was never the way of a warrior. I
just bend down to lift Sophia into my arms.
Shes still warm and shes breathing, and the bleeding isnt too bad. But being
squeezed in the jaws of a rekh and then surviving is unheard of. Shes made of strong
stuff, this alien woman of mine.
 She has dropped an alien object of some kind, a black device that smells strangely. I
gently pick it up and place it in my bag, then I carry her away from the nest, quickly. I
worry that some other rekh will come along and take us both. When carrying her, I cant
easily get to my sword.
I would have placed her over my shoulder and carried her like one might carry a
slaughtered Small, but that seems undignified for her and I worry that she may have been
injured inside by the rekh.
After a little while we come to a clearing I recognize and where I have never seen any
Bigs. They dislike the smell from the black and sticky pool not so far away. Here I cant
be surprised by any creature.
I lay her down and check her properly. No bones appear broken, but she has bruises
and cuts where the rekh gripped her. I have to take off all her clothing to check it all, but
right now I feel no arousal at seeing her female shape, only worry and care. Seeing this
wonderful body wounded pains me.
I carry healing herbs in my bag and I crush some to make a paste that will clean the
wounds. The blue bruises where the rekh squeezed her will heal in time, but I must be
gentle with her.
The herbs fill the air with a fresh, wholesome scent and I make sure shes lying
comfortably. Then I quickly erect my traveling tent beside her. The fabric has been soaked
in the sticky, black fluid from a pool much like the one were close to now, and I can be
sure that no Big will come here.
I hold her head in my lap and stroke her hair as gently as I can, feeling a strange peace
come over me. Her head feels heavy, her hair is smooth, the heat from her body is
soothing. She smells feminine and the roundness of her body is luxurious and even
decadent to me.
If this is the Mother as the Prophecy states, then thats well and good. If its not, shes
still mine.
 15
- Sophia -
Nothing about this surprises me. Of course I wake up safe in Jaxzans lap after that
dino tried to bite me in half.
Im conscious for a little while before I let him know it. Lying here in his lap is very
relaxing and comforting, and I feel that I need this right now. Im naked, but that doesnt
bother me. That feels right, too.
Im thirsty and open my eyes very visibly. His red, glowing gaze has taken on a
worried look that almost makes me laugh.
Hi, I say, and he smiles. Then he reaches for his canteen and puts it to my lips.
Because of course he knows exactly what I need. That doesnt surprise me, either.
The juice is delicious, even if its pretty warm. I drink a good amount of it.
Thank you, I sigh and lie back on his lap again. I wish my translator was on, but I
cant reach my jeans. But I can reach my dirty old shirt. I pull it over my crotch so at least
some of me is covered.
Were in a small tent, and while its still day outside, its pretty dark in here. I can see
the gun right beside me. Jaxzans sword is close to him, and I feel the safety right here. I
lie there and feel that my cuts have been treated and that my position is very comfortable.
The tent is warm and I ache all over.
I close my eyes again. I havent gotten the rest I need lately.
- - -
When I wake up again, its dark. I feel much better, especially because I can smell
something being grilled. I crawl to the opening of the tent and carefully peer outside. Its
dusk, and the sky glows where the sun has just set. Jaxzan has lit a fire outside, and hes
busy cooking what looks a lot like skewers with both vegetables and meat on them.
Immediately my mouth fills with water. I pull on my pants and I put my shirt on
loosely. Now he has seen absolutely all of me, and it didnt seem to put him off. Im still
sore, but it feels like the first aid he gave me was very effective.
I walk out to him and he smiles. And yeah, that grin could stop my heart. With all its
fangs and whiteness its both terrifying and beautiful, like a charging tiger. And the
animalistic part of that is a pretty effective turn-on for me.
I switch on the translator. Good evening, I yawn. Thanks for saving me.
Zopia in danger, he says, and my knees almost give when I hear that deep bass
again. Jaxzan find. Hear many- He claps his hands five times like gunshots.
 I nod. I did shoot that thing. Right in the mouth, Im afraid. Did it survive?
He turns the skewers on the fire. Rekh on top of Zopia. Rekh very dead. Zopia almost
dead.
I go up on tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. Thank you, Jaxzan. I can probably never
repay what you have done for me.
He just looks at me quizzically. Repay? Jaxzan not vendor of trinkets.
No, I mean- I stop, then smile and shrug. Its not important.
I look around to make sure its safe, then sit down by the fire.
He notices. Zopia important. And safe, he says through the translator. Jaxzan
placed herbs on fire. Will keep away Bigs and Smalls. And Tinys.
The smoke does smell really good. Tinys are insects, right? And Bigs are the
dinosaurs and Smalls is everything in between.
He shrugs. Zopia no longer at Bune. Walk alone in forest. Many Bigs here.
Yeah, I begin, not really in the mood to talk business right now. It turns out were
not doing so well after all. I mean, were doing fine. So far. But we were wondering if you
might help us.
He examines the skewers and hands me one. I cant wait for it to cool down, so I
gingerly bite off a piece of meat. Its tender and reminds me of pork. It seems to have been
seasoned, too.
I take another bite. This is delicious. Thanks. I feel a sting of guilty conscience. The
girls in the tuna can must have eaten the daily ration of fruit hours ago, and now theyre in
the tuna can trying to keep their spirits up with stories and attempts at singing that tend to
break down into helpless giggling. Im sure theyre talking about me, and I dont mind it.
They expect me to return with help. I think theyll say nice things. Mostly.
Ill do my best, I mumble, as if to send them a message.
I think Ive been pronouncing Jaxzans name wrong. Ive only heard him say it a
couple of times, but it sounds a little sharper and harder in his mouth, with a softer,
sensuous core, somehow. Much like the man himself.
Jaxzan, I say, trying to imitate him.
He looks at me, then juts his chin out like hes nodding. Jaxzan warrior from the
Rexvi tribe, he says slowly and looks into the fire. Many battles and hunts. Often come
to holy cave with water from Bune. Pray to Ancestors for blessings of wars and hunts.
Discover Zopia in water.
He takes another bite of the grilled meat on his skewer.
I assume that his lack of grammar is a feature of the translator. So it probably makes
me sound like that in his language, too. I hope he doesnt mind it.
I clear my voice. Yeah. Im from another planet. I point up, where the stars are
coming out. We were abducted by aliens. Small, gray ones that put us in that thing you
saw. The tuna can. Im a linguist. Well, studying to be one. I suppose thats on hold now.
The translator does its job, but I dont know how much he understands. Does he even
know what a planet is?
He nods slowly in his alien way. I put my head back and look up. According to
Delyah, the constellations are pretty similar to the ones you can see from Earth, so this
cant be that far away from the Earth, astronomically speaking. But were still talking
light-years, further than the human mind can comprehend or process at all. Its possible
that one of the stars I can see right now is the Sun. Theres also a good chance that Ill
never know.
The Rexvi Tribe, huh? I say to take my mind off the fact that Ill probably never
come home again. Is it a big tribe?
Two hundred warriors, Jaxzan says.
Im not sure if Im supposed to be impressed or not. Two hundred warriors, and how
many others?
Two hundred warriors, he repeats. Modest village. But respected.
Okay. I had hoped he would come from a large city. The more civilization, the better
Id like it and the more the girls and I could contribute. But if his home is pretty much a
stone age village, then Im not sure if it will be a match made in heaven. Of course its
possible that it is a big city and warriors are just rare there. But it would be pretty weird to
say that the city you come from has two hundred lawyers or sixty plumbers, as if that
would somehow say it all.
I finish the grilled meat on the skewer with unladylike greed, and Jaxzan hands me
another one. Thanks. Will you take me to your village?
He juts his chin out again. Jaxzan take Zopia to village. Zopia Mother of Xren.
Im pretty sure I didnt catch all that. Whats Xren?
He sweeps his hand all around. All is Xren. Home. Life. Terrain.
Uh-huh. This area is called Xren?
He frowns. All is Xren.
The world? This planet?
He juts his chin and smiles. Planet. Xren.
Okay. This planet is called Xren. And it has a mother?
He looks at me with an enigmatic look on his alien face. Now Xren has mother.
Yeah, I have no idea what he means, but Im sure itll become clear to me in time.
I notice that I cant see any stars, so it must be getting cloudy fast.
I drink some of the juice and Jaxzan hands me another, smaller pouch of the same
type.
 I sniff it. Oh my, you have tequila? Because thats what it smells like. Some kind of
booze, certainly.
Zopia not drink much, Jaxzan warns. Make very crazy. A little makes us happy
and relaxed.
I sip a little and immediately start coughing. Yeah, thats- thats pretty strong.
Its a rougher fluid than the tequila Ive had before, so probably a higher alcohol
content. Not that I mind too much right now.
We sit there in silence for a little while. And its not an uncomfortable silence.
Jaxzans calm demeanor grounds me and makes me feel the first little glimmer of a tiny
optimism. This might work out after all. He has taken perfectly good care of me, and apart
from that first alien way of saying hello hes been a perfect gentleman.
When I think of him eating me out so well, sparks shoot through my pussy and I have
to acknowledge that Im pretty horny where Im sitting. Something about this whole
experience is pretty erotic. Hes a strong and muscular warrior, the fire lights up his face in
flickering orange and I can see that he has a pretty big bulge in front. Its like Im a
woman on prehistoric Earth, sitting at a campfire with my mate. Its a nice thought. And I
guess the not-tequila I drank has removed my last reservations against anything intimate
happening. I feel safe again, and thats because of him. So now I can let other emotions
than just fear and hopelessness seep through and even take over for a while. Its a
primitive thing to feel. But this is a primitive planet.
And just as I think that thought, a raindrop hits my hand.
Jaxzan wraps some of the food hes grilled in leaves like before and then point to the
little tent. Rain. Tent will keep dry.
I crawl back under the primitive fabric and lie down. Its a pretty small tent, but
therell just about be room for Jaxzan too. He places all his stuff just inside the opening
and then crawls in, fastening a little screen of fabric that will deflect the rain without
needing to close the flap.
The light rain drums on the fabric and Im intensely aware of the large warrior now
lying right beside me. His scent is male and fresh and I can feel how his large body heats
up the air in this tight space.
I want to cling to him, but the not-tequila wasnt so strong that I can do that right
away.
Instead I touch the stripes on his chest. Were you born with these?
He frowns and answers. Not born. Come with maturity, the translator chirps, but
now Im able to ignore the weird way it talks and just enjoy his voice. Boys dont have.
Only men.
I trace the stripes with my finger. His skin is smooth, and the stripes have a little more
texture. Some kind of camouflage?
He shrugs. Show that warrior is accomplished. Show wisdom. Protect.
 I let my finger follow the stripes down to where they dive into his kilt. His stomach is
flat and hard and my breath catches in my throat at the thought of what I might find if I let
the finger continue down. I think I can see his bulge twitching. Maybe hes thinking the
same thing.
I dont have any stripes, I say and unbutton my shirt, surprising myself. At the back
of my mind Im thinking that this is being scandalously forward, but on the other hand
theres no one here who can see it. Only Jaxzan. And hes seen all of me already.
Oh, who the hell do I think Im kidding? I really want him now.
He looks at me, but hesitates. I take his big hand and place it on my shoulder. See?
No stripes. No one from my planet has them. Only certain animals. What you would call
Smalls.
He strokes my arm with the knuckle on one finger. Smooth, he says. Pretty.
Its a simple thing to say, and from anyone else I would probably dismiss it, but hes so
serious that I know he means it. It makes me blush a little. Thank you. Youre very
handsome, too.
And he is. Not in the classical human man way, but in a characterful way that his
obvious alien-ness only amplifies and makes that much sexier. I can feel another tingle
down below and I want to speed this up. Its been a good while since Ive had sex. And its
been even longer since Ive had good sex.
I let my finger wander a half inch under the edge of his kilt. You know, youve seen
me naked, but Ive not seen you. I think thats a little unfair.
I give him a coy little smile.
He juts his chin out. Unfair. Zopia should also observe Jaxzan unclothed. Hes very
serious.
I let my hand wander to where the fly would be on pants, and I find what has to be a
tied-up drawstring. I look him in the face to check if its okay, and then I pull one end. The
knot opens easily.
My mouth is dry and the tingles are coming pretty intensely now.
Jaxzan slides the bra straps off my shoulders and then I quickly open the backstrap. It
falls off me and I toss it away.
Then I concentrate on him again and let my hand slide down his flat stomach and into
his kilt. And then I gasp as I encounter something hard and warm. Yeah, hes very ready.
I slide my hand down along the shaft. Oh yes, thats an alien manhood, no doubt about
it. It has ridges and grooves and little bulges that could absolutely stimulate me pretty darn
well. And its thick, of course. More tingles sparkle through my pussy as I realize just how
good this thing could feel inside me.
 16
- Sophia -
Jaxzan cups on of my breasts in a large, warm and callused hand, very gently.
Woman, he whispers with reverence.
Thats right, I reply with a voice thats throaty without me even trying. I cant
remember ever being this turned on before. This jurassic alien does something to me that
makes me want to just give myself to him. How many times has he saved my life now?
Ive lost count. And hes completely decent, except for that first greeting. Which turned
out pretty great, of course.
I stroke his shaft with my hand and he jerks and exclaims something, but I dont think
he dislikes it. Very pleasant, chirps the translator.
Yeah, I dont think well need that right now, so I switch it off and unsnap the fly in
my jeans in the same movement, then yank them down and over my hips. Hes seen all of
me anyway, but still I feel a thrill undressing for him. His eyes are so big and his cock
twitches so hard at my touch that hes probably feeling a thrill seeing it, too.
Im taking charge, and thats fine. Hes probably not dealt with an Earth girl like this
before, and it will be my pleasure to show him what were like. I see no reason to wait, so
I discard my panties too and then he gets the point and almost rips his kilt off.
His manhood springs into view and slaps against his flat abdomen. I cant help
grabbing it greedily in both hands and feeling the hardness and the throbbing. And the
interesting features. Yeah, Im pretty sure Ive seen sex toys a lot like that online. And I
may or may not own one.
Jaxzan places his hand behind my neck and kisses me, first gently like he testing it
out, and then more aggressively.
Oh-kay, I think to myself. Earth girls or not, hes done this before. I respond to his
kisses and I just cant take my hands off his sensational cock.
Ill need to be seriously wet to take him in me. I check with one finger. Um, yes. That
is not a problem.
And now I want it. I want to get fucked.
I place a hand on his chest to let him know that I want him to sit back. The tent is low,
but I think it just might work.
Then I place myself on him, carefully straddling his lap. Its been a while for me and
while his shape is alluring, I want to be in control here at the start. He lets me, despite his
primitive caveman slash warrior aura.
 I place him at my entrance and lower myself, feeling how he splits my lips apart and
hearing how my pussy makes a slithering noise. Goodness, I must be dripping. At my
narrowest point I pause, and then Jaxzan places his hands under my butt to support my
weight.
I come down another inch and feel the pop as he slips inside me. I moan in delight as
my pussy has to stretch a little to accommodate his size, but at the same time the ridges all
along his shaft stimulate me just right inside, and what could have been a little bit of pain
is just a slight little burn that mixes with the pleasure and somehow heightens it,
reminding me that my body is giving in to the intruder and that Im being fucked by a
man. A pretty amazing man.
When hes all the way inside me theres still a good couple of inches left of his cock.
My eyes widen and he notices, then lifts me gently and takes all the load off my thighs. I
draw my breath sharply at the strength of this man how is that even possible? And he
doesnt seem to be exerting himself at all.
I look deep into his red eyes and throw my arms around his neck and pull him close to
me as I impale myself on his cock once more. He supports me and lifts me, and any
thought I had about me being in control here was just an illusion. That suits me fine. I
wouldnt want to be in charge here anyway, not with this alien cock to get to know.
He sets up a calm, slow rhythm with the strokes, and despite his length he knows
exactly how far to lower me without totally bottoming out in me. Theres a wet squelch
with each thrust in, accompanied by the moans and whimpers I just cant keep down. Hes
tall, and even if Im straddling his lap, my breasts slide along his hairy, striped and
muscular chest that stimulates the nipples so they each send a little spark of delight south
with each thrust.
And something is teasing my clit. I dont know how thats possible, but its being
gently stimulated in a way that I realize is going to send me over the threshold to a climax
pretty soon.
At the same time, his ridges and valleys and pulsating hardness are creating so many
wild and delirious sensations deeper inside that I just might come from that alone, too. Oh
yes, hes definitely pulsating inside me, far beyond what a normal cock can do.
And then I cant hold back anymore. Youre crazy,I gasp as I rapidly climb the curve
into a hard orgasm and zoom past the point of no return. Ive never- And then I just wail
in delight as a flood wave of bliss washes through me and turns my whole pelvis into a
red-hot center of sex, and he increases the speed to where I cant tell the thrusts apart and
it all just turns into one incredible sensation of hotness and wetness and hardness and
pleasure.
I ride him fast and hard, and he controls it perfectly, bearing my whole weight in his
strong hands, and right when I feel the wave subside a little, I can feel his movement
becoming erratic and he grunts as he shoots his own hot seed inside me. That feeling
makes me laugh in mindless bliss and I take another orbit of intense climax.
I ride out the aftershocks and put my face to his neck while he slows down and lets me
come to my senses again. Then Im sitting there, still straddling him and still with his stiff
cock inside me. And I dont want to move. Ever.
He says something in a kind, caring tone, and then he lifts me, turns me and lays me
down on my side with my back to him and his cock still inside. Im happy about that,
because I really like feeling him there.
This is crazy, I pant, and Im not sure if I mean what we just did or the whole
situation on an alien planet. Probably I mean all of it.
He puts his strong, warm arm around me and I suddenly feel how sleepy I am.
 17
- Jaxzan -
Her breath turns deep and even and I pull her closer to me.
Holy Ancestors. I have no words for what just happened. I knew mating with a woman
would be nice, but nobody had told me that it would be this wonderful and this
meaningful.
Because this this was mating. Im sure of it, although the position the shaman
clumsily described to us when we were all just giggling teens was different. But my spear
definitely penetrated her slit, and then she seemed to get possessed by an angel spirit of
ecstasy, and then I will need some time to process this.
The whole situation is very strange. I cant understand why she was delivered by the
Plood. The Prophecy doesnt say anything about how exactly shes supposed to turn up at
Bune and then in the pool under it, but the dirty, dishonest and treacherous Plood?
Possibly its an attempt at humor from the Ancestors. They were never very funny. And
the Prophecy certainly never mentions several Women. But Sophia has friends, all pretty
similar to her, as far as I can see.
I bury my face in her long, extraordinary hair. I can feel her heartbeat with my hand,
and her innocence and trust and basic wonderfulness sends a warm feeling to my chest.
She defended herself unbelievably well against that rekh, even killing it. Shes not the
helpless alien I thought she was.
Ive never felt this for anyone before. Shes wondrous and miraculous.
I ponder it. That in itself is a clear sign that she is indeed the woman who will become
the Mother of Xren and who will restore our society and species to glory, giving us the
Treasure. No one knows what the Treasure is, but I suppose it could be that black weapon
she has. Or possibly that interpreter device. Id thought it would be something more
glorious and more obviously valuable, but if the Ancestors are trying to be funny about
this whole Prophecy, then I suppose it could be anything.
I yawn, then check outside to see if there is anything living nearby. Theres not, and
the rain has stopped, so I close the tent flap and resume my position behind her
extraordinarily ample rear.
The feeling and sight of it makes my spear go instantly hard again, but I will not do
anything while shes asleep.
The first moment I saw her in the water, I was surprised and I didnt offer any
resistance to my first impulse of worshiping her. But now I wonder if tasting her holiest
slit while she was not quite there might have been slightly rash. Perhaps not exactly
wrong, but also not entirely in line with warrior honor and manly restraint. Certainly the
Prophecy states that the Mother is to be worshipped as soon as shes discovered, and the
shaman did teach us how, using his wooden model of a female slit. But now I suspect I
should have waited until she was in a position to demand worship.
Well, all warriors learn to let what has been done remain done and to not ponder it
excessively, while adopting ones future actions to what one has experienced. And now I
experience that this delicate Woman must be revered.
Another sure sign that she is the Mother was that she asked about being taken to the
tribe. That was my first plan, but she was adamant about going to her friends, and then she
crossed over into Bune itself and I could no longer follow. Then I had to keep her safe
while she consulted with her friends. The Prophecy is clear about the idea that she has to
come to the village of her own free will, that she cant be forced to come there in any way.
It will be extremely hazardous. There are many Bigs and Smalls between here and our
village, and Sophia is small and delicate. Even if she has that black little weapon, shes as
good as defenseless on her own. Itll be a new experience for me to travel with someone
who cant be counted on to protect themselves. But theres no way around it.
When she gets there, she will become the Mother of Xren and deliver the Treasure.
And that will bestow immense status and prestige on us, the Rexvi.
And for me well, the future is bright. The Chosen one. Nobody knows exactly what
it entails to be the Chosen, but it implies great honor.
I kiss Sophias hair. With this woman, my future is very bright indeed. One way or the
other.
 18
- Sophia -
Again I wake up with the smell of grilled meat in my nose. The memories of the night
before come back to me and I sigh happily. That was sex the way its supposed to be.
Genuinely mind-blowing.
I put on my panties and notice that my pussy is sore and I have used some muscles Im
not used to. But thats a small price to pay for an experience like that. The soreness I feel
everywhere else I blame on the dinosaur that wanted to feed me to its kids. But the herbs
that Jaxzan put on me has worked marvelously well. Im gratified to notice that its one of
the herbs that Ive experimented with, too.
I should worry about getting pregnant. He did come inside me, and I doubt birth
control is easily available on this planet.
This alien jurassic planet with no chance of going home. Yeah, a baby is probably the
least of my worries just now. I have worry overload. And maybe it would help Jaxzan
bond to me if we had a baby together. From a pure survival point of view, that would
probably not be a bad idea. Because Im not on a safe campus anymore. This is a stone
age society, and painful as the thought may be, my main priority right now should be
staying alive. If nothing else, yesterdays experience with the dinosaur that Jaxzan calls a
rekh convinced me of that.
I sigh and button my shirt. Chances are Ill be dead by the time Id have to worry the
slightest bit about pregnancy. I should probably just enjoy myself while I can.
I exit the tent, and theres Jaxzan with more meat and vegetables. He must be a super
good hunter, because it seems like every time I turn around hes gutted and skinned more
creatures. Well, Im not complaining.
I gaze towards the place where the tuna can landed. Now I can see its a mountain with
greenery all over it. I frown. Part of it reminds me of something, especially the top where
the tuna can crashed. But I cant tell what it reminds me of. Something big, anyway.
I hope the girls are okay. With the rain last night, at least they should have no problem
with water for a couple of days.
I turn the translator on. Good morning.
He smiles, a little wider now than last time. I guess he liked our little adventure, too.
Zopia is awake, he observes and immediately hands me a leaf with grilled meat and
some kind of root hes sliced and fried. Its not quite a potato, and not quite a turnip, but
its something in between.
 I ask him how he found it and he shows me the leaves that stick out of the ground
where those things can be found. Its valuable info for the colony back at the tuna can, and
I make a mental note to ask him about all the vegetables he knows. I dont think the other
girls or I will ever be great hunters, so knowing where to find edible plants seems
important, regardless of how this whole thing turns out.
Jaxzan takes down the tent and wraps it into a surprisingly small bundle that he puts
in his bag. I make sure I have the gun and the translator, and then were ready to go.
This clearing seems safe enough, but I know that the jungle itself has all kinds of
dangers. Im going to stick very close to Jaxzan, and Im going to have the gun in my
hand at all times. That seems the best way to at least trick myself into thinking that Im
safe. I dont mind the gun that much now. Without it, I wouldve been eaten by those rekh
hatchlings.
Jaxzan tells me to stay close to him, but far enough away that Im out of range if he
has to swing his sword. Then he walks straight for the jungle, and I trudge behind him.
Im glad I usually wore sneakers to the electronics lab, because theyre pretty sturdy and
comfortable, but they werent made for walking in a jungle. Thankfully the rain from last
night has dried up and the ground isnt muddy.
I can tell Jaxzan walks slowly to allow me to keep up. I suppress a sigh. Already Im
slowing him down. But walking behind him and seeing his strong legs, that round little
butt under the kilt and that broad muscular back-
Ohmigod! I run to catch up to him. Jaxzan, your back!
It has angry, red marks across it, over his stripes and his ordinary skin. Theyre not
bleeding, but they look painful.
He gives me an expression that I can tell is a smirk, because Ive seen those before and
hes not that alien. Zopia enjoy last evening.
I can feel my face go red. Oh god, did I do that?
Yep, that looks like something Id do in the throes of orgasm without even knowing it.
Well, he did fuck me pretty darn good and I did cling to him. Im sorry. That has to hurt.
Pleasure was larger than pain, he says calmly and then keeps on walking.
I scurry after him, both ashamed that Ive hurt him like that and aroused at the memory
of something that could make me scratch his back up without even noticing. Yeah, hes
good.
We walk in among the trees, and I keep lookout upwards and backwards and to the
sides and pretty much every direction. Im jumpy, because that rekh came out of nowhere
and had me in its jaws before I knew it.
At the same time Im focusing on Jaxzan. Both because I think he might spot any
danger before I do and because he is pretty pleasant to look at, even with those marks I
clawed into him. I gaze at my nails. Im definitely hitting the first manicure salon I spot in
this jurassic jungle.
 The day goes on and insects buzz around us, both large ones and not so large ones. I
take a clue from Jaxzan, and any flying things he gets out of the way of, I tried to avoid,
too. Sometimes little rodent-like things scurry out of the bushes and zoom across the
jungle floor, which makes me scratch my head. They look like mammals to me, but didnt
those come after the dinosaurs on Earth? Like, millions of years after? Im not even so
sure. This planet is weird enough if Im not going to make stuff up, too.
The jungle is dense and hot and humid, and when weve been going for a good three
hours or so, Im starting to feel sticky. But the food Jaxzan made this morning must have
been very full of energy, because I feel like I can go on for a good while yet.
Then I hear running water, like the distant thunder from a waterfall. Jaxzan turns to
the left and we walk up a little hill, and then I see one of the most spectacular sights of my
life. Its a large pool a lake, really with crystal clear water and a very picturesque
waterfall at one end.
Its ringed by white beaches and rock pools under the waterfall, and it looks so clean
and idyllic I stop in my tracks, immediately suspicious. Theres going to be a terrible
monster living at the bottom of this, right?
Jaxzan shrugs. Monsters everywhere on Xren. Under water, not seen.
Im not sure if hes telling me that there is one or that there isnt one. That translator
needs some more adjustments, but I dont have a lab here so Im stuck with what Ive got.
Even so, I should probably try to learn Jaxzans language at some point. That translator
has a very good battery, but when its out of charge, thats it. Unless Jaxzans sword
somehow uses micro-USB, its going to be a challenge to charge the device. And before I
see any evidence to the contrary, Im going to be pretty sure his tribe doesnt even have
electricity.
Jaxzan squats down to drink from the pool, and I do the same. The water is cooler
than the air, and it looks pretty tempting.
I peer as deep into it as I can, but I see no monster. Is it safe to swim here, you
think?
He doesnt reply, just places his bag and the sword carefully on a rock and dives in. He
swims underwater to the other side, then back again in a pretty impressive display of
athleticism.
Well, if he can, I can. I place the translator and the gun on another rock, look around
reflexively to check if theres someone watching, and then I strip naked and jump into the
water. I get water in my nose and splutter, and Jaxzan is there in the same moment,
holding me loosely. I get the feeling hes not sure if I can swim.
I shudder. Its cold! The translator repeats it in his language. Were just about within
earshot of it.
He lets go of me, seeing that at least I can tread water okay. Cold water good for
Zophia, he says, and this time he gets the ph sound right. Cool down from strenuous
night in tent with Jaxzan.
 I splash him. I think someone else needs to cool down or hell get splashed more-
hey!
He grabs me by the waist and tosses me easily into the air. I somersault once and
squeal as I fall back from what seems like a pretty big height. My landing cant be very
elegant, because for the first time I hear his laugh. Its deep and unrestrained, just like the
man himself.
I surface and splash him again as a weak revenge and he comes in close, then kisses
me on the lips and unceremoniously places a hand on my pussy under water. The touch
turns me on instantly and I melt into his kiss.
He smirks. Zophia ask if monster in water. Now Jaxzan can confirm there is.
I immediately curl my legs up under me and reach for the shore to get out, but the
gently holds me back. Really? I say with a small voice.
Yes, he says, very seriously. Alien monster. Steal warriors heart straight out of
chest and then claw his back with long nails.
Hes so deadpan it takes me a minute to understand what hes talking about. Then I
splash him. Me, huh? Ill have you know theres already a monster called the
sophiasaurus, and its not me. So there. I splash him once more for good measure.
He comes in close again. Is most dangerous monster of all. Look beautiful. Entice
innocent warrior with female charms. Make warrior behave strange. Then splash with
water! Very terrible.
He tosses me into the air again, spinning wildly, and I squeal in exhilaration and crash
back in with my arms and legs flailing wildly. Ive never been manhandled like this, and it
feels great. Hes insanely strong.
We frolic and kiss for a while, and then we make our way under the waterfall and I just
stand there for a moment as the clean water runs down me. Jaxzan floats on his back and
admires me, and I can see just how much he likes what hes seeing, because his manhood
is sticking up from the water like the periscope on a submarine. Hes just as turned on as I
am.
I slide into the water and swim over to him, then grab his cock in my hand. You ever
heard of something called sex on the beach? Very popular cocktail. As in, your cock and
my tail. On the beach. The translator is too far away to catch it, but thats fine. I think my
purring is an indication about what Im saying. And if it isnt, then I sure hope me stroking
his cock will do the trick.
He looks at me with those luminous eyes and draws me closer to him, kisses me again
and strokes my ass under the water.
I answer by giving his alien cock a kiss, and then I swim to the beach and crawl ashore
on a shady part, looking behind me with my best come hither-look. One part of me
frowns at the cheap tricks Im using, but this whole experience is so raw and real that any
sophistication or playing hard to get went out the window a good while ago. I want his
cock in me again, and this is the fastest way there.
 He gets it. Honestly, if he hadnt, Id have gone back to the girls and suggested that we
turn the tuna can into a convent and just become nuns.
He comes wading ashore and tosses his soaked kilt onto the rocks with a wet splat. His
cock juts in front of him like the cannon on a tank and the water drips off if.
Im wet too, in every way, but the sun is helping dry off one kind of wetness. The
other kind just gets more intense as I spread my knees on the sand and arch my back,
showing all my charms in the most blatant invitation I can think of. This is a primal world,
and Im starting to get in touch with a pretty damn primal Sophia. The danger and the
directness here burns all pretense and coyness out of me and helps me choose the shortest
way to pleasure. And this, openly offering my body to the best man Ive met, feels pretty
pleasant right now.
This position has the added advantage of being the best on a beach, because its the
only one where I can have any hope of not having to pick grains of sand out of my various
crevices for weeks after.
Jaxzan comes up behind me and pushes my knees even wider. Theres no reason to
wait, and he realizes that as well as I do. He slides the head of his alien cock up and down
my slit to wet it, and then he places it at my entrance and grabs hold of my hips. I moan in
expectation, and then he pulls me onto him in a way thats so possessive and sexy I
whimper happily as I feel his cock spear my sex.
Again he gives my body time to adjust to his size, and when he pushes himself into
me, he again stops short of bottoming out. I moan loudly, because now I know what his
cock is like and I know that hes a great lover. And I know that Ill come hard on his cock.
Very soon.
He starts fucking me, and in this position his various ridges and bulbs massage my
insides differently. Just as good at the first time, though, except my clit is left alone
because-
Ohmigod! I dont know how he does it, but hes definitely caressing my clit now.
And at the same time hes holding on to both my hips. My brain cant process it and I just
accept it because everything hes doing is merging to the most sensational feeling,
building up a white-hot spike of arousal that I know will end in spectacle. The sand feels
soft on my knees and the smells and sounds of the jungle around us are so primitive that I
feel like Ive been transported backward in time, to a simpler age where there dont have
to be any games, just sex for its own sake. And Jaxzan does it so insanely well
He thrusts calmly into me, fucking me like theres only the two of us in the world,
stimulating all the parts of me that make me feel good. I lay my head down on my arms in
front of me and just enjoy. Hes got this. Totally.
I cant last long with this going on. I couldnt hold back if I wanted to hes
downright forcing the orgasm from me in such a natural relaxed way that it blows my
mind. How did I ever get this lucky?
I see no reason to hold back, so when the wave washes over me I just scream out my
delirious pleasure and hear the wet slapping as he increases his speed until each thrust into
me feels like just a single continuous fucking.
 He keeps it going for a long time and I dont really come down from the heights until
he slows and Im all hoarse from the screaming and whimpering. He pulls himself out of
me and I collapse onto the sand.
I know Ive said it before, I say breathlessly, knowing he cant understand, but
youre crazy. In the best way I can imagine.
He kneels beside me as I regain control over my mind and body. I suddenly have a
realization. I look up at his crotch. Oh yes, of course. It would have to be something like
that.
Because of course he has two cocks. One thick one with all the ridges and things, and
one thinner and shorter one that looks perfectly placed and shaped to hit my clit in the
doggy position.
I take around both of them. Theyre different sizes, but the same hardness. And it
doesnt look too weird now that I know what he can do with them. Just obvious. Why
cant all men be like this?
Ill never want to leave this planet, I sigh. And at that moment, I mean it.
 19
- Sophia -
We eat something and then keep walking. Im grateful for this little break. For one
whole hour, probably longer, Ive not thought about being stranded. At all. And even now,
when my brain is back to normal and I probably should worry a lot, it feels different from
before. This planet has idyllic and pretty harmless places like that waterfall. And it has
caveman warriors like Jaxzan, with a body thats so perfect that if I had been asked to
design my ideal man, thats pretty much what he would be like.
I long to hold his hand as we walk through the jungle, but that could impede him if we
were to come across a danger. But once in a while he stops, looks around, takes three steps
to be beside me and then kisses me and caresses me so passionately I swoon. Its like he
cant keep his hands off me, for real, and I havent had that happen to me that often before.
And certainly not with a man like this.
We walk silently for another hour or two. Im starting to hope that maybe this wont be
so bad. We have seen all kinds of small animals and birds and insects, but the dinosaurs
dont seem to be too active in this area.
Then Jaxzan slows down and looks around more than before, and I feel my heart rate
pick up. Hes expecting something.
I whirl around as I see movement among the trees. Fast movement, just shadows.
Before I can even yelp, Jaxzan is beside me and his sword is in his hand. And I see whats
coming. Theyre dinosaurs.
They look a little like kangaroos, with huge legs and tiny forelimbs. Theyre a dirty
gray, but they have gigantic orange mohawks on their heads and they run extremely fast
on their hind legs. Oh, and theres a whole pack of them. And theyre the size of rhinos.
And theyre coming right for us with open gapes that have many sets of square teeth, one
behind the other.
I instinctively crouch down, probably because my knees go weak at the sight of the
danger coming our way so quietly. They dont make a sound, just come bounding towards
us in a straight line. The ground shakes with each of their steps.
My gun wont do much against those things, but I clench it in my hand and look up
just as the first dinosaur comes close enough to attack. It look like just a huge mouth
coming towards us, and theres a metallic clang as Jaxzans sword hits the first one, then
another and then a much wetter, meatier thud as he swings the blade into the throat of the
nearest attacker. It immediately collapses to the ground and creates a large barrier that its
hard for the other ones to pass. They have to go around it to get to us, and it buys Jaxzan
time to chop large gouges in two of them while theyre still confused. I notice that their
heads are all mouth and eyes and teeth so that there seems to be no room for a brain.
Confusing them is probably pretty easy.
The wounded ones limp away, still making no sound. But were not done. The dinos
are now attacking from three sides, and I dont know what to do. I dont want to be in
Jaxzans way, but I also dont want to be further away from him than, say, two inches.
He solves the dilemma by pulling me close and then pushing me down on the ground
so Im lying there, curled up. I clench my eyes shut. Theres nothing I can do to help him
now, and hes the expert.
I hear a mighty warriors roar, then clangs and thuds and a sound like from thick fabric
being ripped end to end. I have a vague impression that Jaxzan is spinning in place, but I
dont look up to confirm it.
Then I hear a noise like from a helicopter, chop-chop-chop, it rains cold blood and
slivers of meat and then everything is quiet.
Jaxzan takes my arm and pulls me gently to my feet. Victory, he says, and his teeth
shine white in a face thats so red with dark blood I yelp again.
The dinosaurs that didnt have the sense to run away are lying around us, and
Jaxzans sword is dripping with their blood. Stupid Bigs, he says and wipes it with a
leaf. Fast, but think slow. And never learn. The spinning blade always works.
Im all shaky and Im glad my finger isnt on the guns trigger, or I would probably
have shot the ground many times. But Jaxzan doesnt seem too concerned about what just
happened. I guess I shouldnt be surprised about that this is his planet, and Im sure all
the warriors in his tribe learn how to deal with the different monsters at an early age.
I look down myself. My shirt is splattered with dinosaur blood and I can only assume
that my face looks like Im a vampire whos been feasting a little too hard. Not your first
one?
He juts his chin out. Not my first. Then he comes over and takes me into his arms,
hugging me tight.
Its the first time hes done anything like that, just comforting me after something bad,
and it feels like a completely natural thing. Its not something he does a lot, but I think it
just feels right to him now. I totally melt into his arms. I needed to see this human part of
him. Hes not that alien after all. Ive known guys I understood less than I understand this
simple man whom I suspect has hidden depths in addition to his other talents.
Zophia not afraid. Jaxzan protects.
I bury my face in his warm, hairy, stripy chest. I know. Youre a great warrior. Even a
bunch of charging dinosaurs cant scare you.
He considers this. Can scare. Must fight right anyway. Difference between warrior
and boy is that warrior fights right even when afraid.
I sniff. His constant protection is making me emotional. And difference between
warrior and Sophia is that Sophia is useless.
 He holds me out from him and lifts my face with a gentle finger under my chin.
Zophia most valuable wonder on Xren. Worth a thousand warriors.
For the first time in my life I just stand there and drown in someones eyes. His are
alien and red and luminous like glowing coal, and I cant look away. Yeah, Ive totally
fallen for this jurassic alien. And Im going to assume that hes fallen for me too, at least a
little. What he just said wasnt some rehearsed line; that was a genuine feeling straight
from his heart.
We stand there for a good while, and then he looks down me critically. Zophia needs
new garments.
My shirt isnt just splattered by blood, its also ripped by rekh teeth and dirty from all
kinds of things Ive been through. You know, I think I do?
He bends down and uses his sword to delicately cut pieces from the dead dinosaurs. I
watch in fascination. Hes controlling that huge sword like its a surgical instrument.
When hes done, hes got a good amount of their tough skin in his hands. Its still bloody
and greasy, but I can only assume that he has a plan with it. He wraps the skins in large
leaves, puts them in his bag and then we continue walking.
I feel that hes being more guarded now. He looks around even more and seems to be
on a hair trigger. Im not going to ask why. Im pretty sure Im not going to like the
answer.
But we walk all day and when the sun is getting close to the horizon Im pretty much
done. Even so, Ive been walking in difficult terrain in the heat all day, and I havent
collapsed. Im being forced into better shape, and thats probably a good idea if Im going
to live for a long time on this alien planet. That seems more and more probable.
Jaxzan stops and erects the little tent right beside a cliff of black rock that sticks up
out of the ground. I see why if were attacked, well only have three sides to worry
about, not four.
We eat the rest of the food from that morning, and then Jaxzan lights a fire with some
special tools that he has. It looks like two metal bars that produce sparks when he strikes
them together, and then the sparks fall onto some dry fabric he has with him and produces
flames. It looks so easy, and I make sure to watch exactly how he does it. It would be nice
if I could start pulling my own weight a little here.
When the fire is burning, he takes his sword and scrapes the dinosaur skins, removing
the fats and the meat and blood. Then he makes three sturdy frames and stretches the
dinosaur skins onto them and place them around the fire.
They will dry out, he says, satisfied.
And the way you positioned them, the skins will make the fire hard to see for anyone
else in these woods.
He raises his eyebrows. Zophia understands many things. Yes, best to not be seen at
night.
 Theres not much else to do, so I sit down beside him and lean into him while he
sharpens his sword.
I stare into the fire and feel the tiredness wash over me. Jaxzan, whats your village
like?
Respected tribe, he says. Strong warriors, good and productive Lifegivers. Water.
Food. Safety. Zophia safer in village than in jungle.
I nod, then jut my chin out like he does when he wants to confirm something. Whats
Lifegivers?
Warriors born from Lifegivers. Important part of village. Secure the future, create
warriors.
Ah. Theyre the women? And you call them Lifegivers. Its a nice name.
He frowns at me. Not women. Lifegivers. Different.
I dont get it, but at the moment Im not going to enquire too closely. Probably
Lifegivers are women who have given birth and are honored with that title. Mothers, in
other words. And my translator doesnt quite get it. Thats fine.
I lean my head on his shoulder. You dont happen to have spaceships, do you?
He doesnt answer, just shrugs. Probably the translator isnt quite up to this
conversation. Better keep it simple.
Do you have a wife or something? A fiancee, something like that? A girlfriend?
Yes, he says, and even the translator Ive made should be able to get that right.
My heart sinks in my chest. Of course a man as great as this one has to be spoken for.
Ive let my fantasy run unchecked. And when we come to the village
Will she try to kill me? I mean, we have had sex a couple of times by now
No one kill Zophia. Jaxzan protect.
Yeah, but I mean, if you have a wife, maybe she wont like the things weve done.
Jaxzan not married. No Rexvi warrior married.
Ah. But theres a girlfriend in the picture?
Yes. Jaxzan very fortunate. Respected by tribe. Zopia will be respected, too.
Uh-huh. Probably not by your girlfriend.
He looks down at me and gives me a facial expression so alien I have no idea what it
means.
I suddenly feel cold. The future doesnt look too good after all. Ill be coming to his
village as a total outsider. A stranger. With no skills that they can probably use, but with a
bunch of friends who are equally helpless here. And I will probably have a serious enemy
in Jaxzans girlfriend. Id feel better if there were more of us, if I didnt have to face that
situation alone.
I feel the gun in my pocket. I dont know how theyll react to me. They might be very
different from Jaxzan. I mean, he looks like he might be in his mid-twenties. How much
pull does he have in his tribe? Hes probably not a very senior member. If someone else
decides that I should be imprisoned or killed or something, he might be outvoted.
Well, its not like I have a choice. The girls and I need help. Im sure well be valuable
members of their tribe in time. The first months will be tough.
I feel the old fear growing again. This damn planet
Jaxzan puts his sword down and shifts his position so my face is at his chest again. He
must have heard my sniffling.
Zophia always safe with Jaxzan.
Yeah, I sniffle, so far. But this isnt even my planet! We were abducted by those
little creeps, and now Im here on a prehistoric planet, totally relying on you to keep me
alive. And I have no way of getting home. None.
He doesnt reply, just strokes my hair. Probably the translator is giving him some
gibberish. Jaxzan speaks in short sentences, and I think that makes the interpretation
easier. But the way I talk isnt making things easy for the device.
He rocks slowly back and forth, like he has a crying baby in his arms. It strikes me
from out of nowhere that he will probably be a spectacular dad. Or maybe he already is
one.
I wipe my eyes. Im okay.
Well, better, at least. His chest and his arms around me do make me feel better, even if
hes someone elses man. Ill borrow him for a little while. But of course I cant have sex
with him now that I know hes attached.
Do you have any children?
Jaxzan has no heirs. Warriors must prove strong and survive many days to make new
warriors. Only the strongest warriors may be duplicated. Jaxzan yet too young.
Damn that translator! Im sure his sentence was perfectly understandable, but I dont
think I get the meaning of that. Huh. Your girlfriend doesnt mind waiting? Or what? You
have a way of preventing pregnancy?
Zophia not wait. Mating right away.
I scratch my chin. Is he calling me a slut? Well, it takes two to mate, you know. You
were good and ready yourself. And dont get me started about the way you greeted me the
first time you saw me. Yes, fine, it was great. But a little presumptuous, maybe? I dont
think Im the only slut here.
Im pretty sure none of that is coming through the translator the way it should, but
thats probably for the best. I do not want to antagonize this man.
Zophia use many words Jaxzan not understand. When reach village, Zophia and
Jaxzan wait no more. Only Lifegivers require warrior to be mature. With woman, mating
can happen at any time.
 Im not getting it. But Im so confused I need some fixed point to hold on to. You
mean you and I will mate and have kids?
Yes.
And your girlfriend wont mind?
He looks at me with that alien expression again. Mind?
Hm. I wonder Your girlfriend. Whats her name?
He looks at me again, and this time I recognize the expression which Im sure is the
same all over the galaxy. Its the are-you-crazy-or-just-drunk look. Zophia.
I stare up at him. You mean, Im your girlfriend? Theres no jealous woman in your
village? Thats what you meant all along?
He frowns. Zophia is Jaxzans mate. The Ancestors have promised. The Prophecy
states it. Zophia only woman on Xren.
Its the weirdest thing. I feel such relief and happiness at those words that I can feel
my pussy getting wet, as if I could feel a whole spray of heat and fluid down there. Im
pretty sure he means that Im the only woman in his life. And thats fine with me. Much
more than fine.
Let me just clarify. You have no girlfriend in your village.
Zophia is Jaxzans mate, he repeats and looks confused.
Okay. And do you have any other mate? Like, in the village?
 20
- Sophia -
Jaxzan thinks deeply. Zophia is only woman on Xren, he repeats. The Mother of
Xren. Brings the Treasure.
I never calibrated the translator to specifically interpret loving statements right. Im
sure they can be hard for a machine to understand. Its probably pretty abstract stuff.
Anyway, this all makes me relieved, so I crane my neck and kiss him on the lips.
He kisses me right back and puts his hand behind my head to hold me close while we
explore each other and he gently bites my lips. It feels nice, so I moan a little to make him
increase the pressure. He does, and bites my lower lip right on the limit between pleasure
and pain. Hes very good at this.
We drag each other into the tent and pull each others clothing off. His kilt falls easily,
and I notice that usually only his normal cock stands to attention. That other one I guess
he can control somehow.
Stars, he has two of them The thought overwhelms me for a second and I can feel
my breath going very fast. I lie down on my back and spread my legs so lewdly it turns me
on even more. Of course Im totally ready for him again, hot and wet.
He kneels between my legs and places himself at my opening, then pushes into me
with one firm stroke accompanied by an almost embarrassingly wet squelch from my
pussy. But I dont care. He makes me horny. Where is the shame in that?
He fucks me and I look into his smouldering eyes, like living rubies that glitter and
heat me up. He has an inner fire that he hasnt quite released with me yet. But now I want
it. I want all of him.
Fuck me, I groan, and its the most sincere request Ive ever given anyone.
Thankfully the translator remains quiet. Its tone of voice isnt suited to this situation. I
make a mental note to consult it about what that dirty phrase is in Jaxzans language. I
have a feeling it could be useful.
He seems to get it and now he doesnt hold back. He pins me with those laser eyes and
then he fucks me hard and fast, like a piston just stimulating all of me at the same time.
Now I cant separate the various sensations that are spreading out from my girly bits
they all melt together into one exhilarating, white hot feeling of being fucked.
I lock my legs behind his back, opening myself and keeping him in place. The orgasm
is tugging at my consciousness. Hes turning me into a total slut, coming after just a
minute of being fucked. I both want to come and to make this last, because looking into
his eyes makes me feel so strongly that were one right now. The squeals and groans and
moans and whimpers are torn from me without conscious effort at all. Its all just natural.
Hes forcing me to feel it all. Its like a revelation: oh, so this is what sex can be.
My eyes widen as I just let the flood wave wash over me. Yeeahhhhhhh! I scream,
feeling our bodies meld and his male strength mixing with my female vitality. The result is
beyond anything Ive experienced and Im not even sure what happens, except that this
little tent is clearly the center of the universe at this point. I just go with the flow, not that I
have a choice in the first place. His deep grunts into my ear tells me that he must be
feeling the same thing as we come together in a primal embrace that seems to never end
and provides the perfect escape from everything else in my life. My mind can only handle
this, nothing more. And that suits me perfectly.
I stare deliriously into his alien eyes, my nose full of the scent of our mating and
Jaxzans heat all around and in me.
Thank you, I hear myself say.
- - -
The aftershocks last for a long time.
This planet makes me primitive, and the memory of the university and my project and
my life on Earth is growing distant. I mean, if there was the slightest chance I could go
home, of course I would. But if I couldnt bring Jaxzan, or if I could never come back
here to him, then I would think again. Ive never felt anything like what I feel for him. Im
so deeply in love, and I dont have to worry that hes a player or that what I see isnt the
real him. Hes too transparent. What I see is what I get. And what I see is pretty
spectacular.
I still hate the planet. But I love him.
When I force myself to think of spending the rest of my life here, I dont panic
anymore. Im safe as long as Im with him. Sure, its a fragile security. If anything
happens to Jaxzan, or if he leaves me when hes had his fun, then Im pretty much
screwed. Probably. But until then, Im not going to worry. On a planet this wild, with this
many dangers and things that can go wrong, I have no choice but to take one day at a time.
And this day has been great.
The fire outside crackles and sends a little flickering shimmer of orange light into the
tent. His arm is around me again and he hums softly into my hair. I relax all over and just
melt into him. He makes me feel alive.
For the first time on this planet I smile to myself.
- - -
As always hes up before me, and when I look for my clothes, I find them neatly folded
and placed in a corner of the tent. From the middle support of the tent hangs some pieces
of supple, white leather.
I take them down and examine them. Its clearly a skirt and a top, and Im pretty sure
theyre for me.
 Theyre held together by a very thick and tough thread, and I recognize the pattern on
the leather this is dinosaur skin from the monsters that charged us yesterday.
And the garments fit pretty well, too. The skirt is considerably longer than Jaxzans
own kilt, and goes to just below the knee. The top hangs over my chest and leaves my
midriff pretty bare, but I dont mind that too much. I dont have a mirror, but I assume I
look pretty much like a cavewoman. I notice that the skirt has two pouches sewn into it,
one big and one smaller. I understand it right away. One is for the gun and the other is for
the translator.
When I crawl out of the tent, Jaxzan first stares, then smiles.
Yeah, I say and look down myself. I had no idea youre a tailor, too.
Warrior must know many things, he says simply. Skin is from Big called garg. Last
many cycles.
I stroke the leather. Garg skin. Its supple, but it does feel durable, too. And I get a
primitive thrill from knowing that its from a deadly dinosaur. Thank you. This must have
taken you all night to do.
He shrugs. Warrior learns to delay sleep when something must be done. Now Zophia
looks like Xren warrior. Woman Xren warrior.
Hes made breakfast again, and he must have paid attention to what I like, because
theres more of the roots and herbs and less of the meat. Does he have no flaws?
I sit down to enjoy it in the relatively cool morning air. The sun is rising, but theres
still a little bit of mist. How far away is your village?
Half-day walk, he says without hesitation. Known terrain. Many dangers over. Bigs
dont enjoy come too close to Rexvi tribe.
I detect some pride in that, and I hide a smile. He has a simple, boyish quality to him
thats perfectly balanced by his unshakeable confidence and obvious skills. Im falling
harder and harder for this guy.
I gaze back the way we came. I cant see the mountain where the girls are waiting for
me to bring them help. Its at least a couple of days march distant.
Will your tribe help me and my friends?
He chews and gazes off into the distance. Zophia is Mother of Xren. Friends are
not.
I stiffen. If hes planning to just abandon them to their faith while I become his mate
and whatever else, then I might have some news for him. The tribe must help them, I
say calmly, or Sophia wont become the mother of anything.
He juts his chin out in his nodding way. Friends are women. Trespass on sacred Bune.
Prophecy does not mention.
Uh-huh. Does the prophecy mention the Mother of Xren telling the tribe to get lost
and then going back to her friends?
He glances at me and ponders for a minute. No.
 Then Im not sure your prophecy is worth much. Because thats absolutely what
youre looking at if my friends dont receive some pretty substantial assistance pretty
soon.
He doesnt reply, but I can see that hes thinking. Probably he cant decide that for
himself and needs to get the other members of his tribe to agree. I just might have to prime
him and give him some arguments that he can use in any discussion.
Theyre women, young and beautiful women with many skills. They would be of
great value to the tribe.
He juts/nods again. Women are of inestimable value. Yet, only Mother is mentioned
in Prophecy. Other women not. Mysterious.
They need help. Innocent women, abducted and shipwrecked. Stranded. They may
die if the tribe wont help. Its very shameful for a tribe to let that happen. Dishonorable.
Honor is important to Rexvi tribe, he agrees. The Ancestors also important. The
Prophecy also important.
Huh. I dont feel like Im making much of an impact. And like I said, if they dont get
just the same help that I get, then Ill leave. Theyre my friends. I cant abandon them. I
have my honor, too.
He looks at me for a long time with those glowing eyes. Jaxzan wants to help other
women.
But its not up to you, is that it? You have to consult the tribe.
He takes his time replying. Hes a little like Delyah, thinking before he speaks.
Zophia largest event on Xren. As the Prophecy states. Friends not mentioned. Jaxzan
cannot make decision alone.
And is there a chance that the tribe will agree with you and that they will help my
friends?
He tosses a twig far away and it rouses a little flock of small flying things that screech
and take to the sky on bat-like wings. There is chance. Rexvi tribe honorable and
respected. Alien women big event.
He gets to his feet and theres a finality to his tone. I guess its not unreasonable that he
has to make every reservation about what the tribe might actually do. Hes too honest to
promise me something that he knows isnt up to him. I guess I just have to accept it. For
now, anyway.
I turn the translator off. I have to save its battery for talking the tribe into helping the
girls.
We walk in silence, faster now than yesterday. Jaxzan doesnt look around as much,
and I can tell that this is very familiar terrain for him. He takes us on a small detour
straight to a little spring of cool, crystal clear water, where we drink our fill. Then it feels
like he sets up a straight line for his village.
 21
- Sophia -
Im getting tired, and thats probably why everything happens so sudden Im not on
my guard like I should be.
When Jaxzan suddenly stiffens and whips around, its too late. Strong hands grab both
my hands from behind, and before I can squeal I have someones hand in front of my
mouth. And partly in it. I bite down hard and hear a pained grunt close to my ear, but its
an uneven struggle.
Im surrounded by men with spears. Theyre warriors like Jaxzan, and they have
separated me from him. I see the backs of several men between us with their spears lifted,
clearly threatening Jaxzan. He has his sword in his hand, but even I can see that hes
outnumbered by at least ten to one.
The attackers drag me away from him while keeping him at bay with their sharp
spears. He picks up a rock and throws it hard at the man holding my right arm, and it hits
him in the neck. His grip on my arm weakens, and in my desperation, thats all I need to
grab my gun. I feel the warm plastic in my hand, and then someone else takes hold of my
arm again. It makes it awkward to aim. But before the gun is twisted from my grip, I
manage to pull the trigger once.
The bang resonates among the trees, but my attackers arent surprised enough to let me
go.
The gun falls to the ground, I get someones hand over my eyes and then Im carried
away fast by running men.
I struggle as much as I can, but theyre too strong and they easily hold me still while
they run through the woods.
Shit. This probably isnt Jaxzans tribe. I should have known that there cant be just
one tribe on this whole planet.
Ive been afraid for pretty much all my time here on Xren, but dinos and centipedes
give me a purer fright than this. They just wanted me dead. Humans can be so
unpredictable. I have no idea what these guys want with me, but I highly doubt it can be
something good.
Still, Im totally helpless in their hands, and tiring myself out struggling is probably
not the best idea.
I dont know how long they run, but it has to be well over an hour before they slow
down and then stop in a small clearing.
 Its clear that Im the center of attention. There are some boulders here, and they place
me on one of them on my back. They waste no time in strippng off the garments Jaxzan
made for me.
Then they all go quiet and just stare at me with huge eyes, whispering in what sounds
a lot like awe.
They look me up and down, and I look at them, too. These guys have yellow stripes
instead of Jaxzans red, and where he is muscular and tall, these are shorter and thinner.
Theyre wearing outrageous black and white war paint in their faces and they have some
weird hats on.
And theyre clearly aroused. Theyre all pitching tents in their loincloths, and Im
starting to realize what they have in mind.
One of them is bleeding from a hole in his shoulder, and Im not sure what to think of
that. Because hes got a pretty elaborate hat on, and I do feel that hes the leader of this
gang. And Im pretty sure hes the one I shot.
He looks at me and says something. I sense that it causes some dismay among the
others, but they grudgingly pull away from me and he comes closer. Ah. He must have
said something like Ill go first or something. Because its obvious that Im about to be
raped. Gang-raped, probably.
Tears of panic are burning in my eyes and I writhe like a worm on the ground to get
out of the strong grips that are holding me down. But they dont yield at all.
The leader stands beside me and looks down at me, holding his shoulder. Yeah, hes
not happy.
He barks an order, and I can see that his men glancing at each other, clearly not too
eager to follow that command, whatever it was.
The leader barks the same thing again, very angrily, and pulls a long knife from his
belt. The men that are not holding me back away and the leader approaches me slowly.
He reaches out a hand and traces a cold finger along a breast, down my stomach and
stops right above my slit. I twist and turn and writhe and scream, hoping to take some of
his enjoyment out of this.
He looks at me with red eyes that somehow manage to seem cold, then wets the knifes
blade with the blood from his shoulder and lifts it, saying something repetitive.
The others start chanting in response and my fear reaches unknown heights.
Oh fuck. Hes going to sacrifice me.
He comes closer and lifts the knife over my chest, holding it in both hands with the
point down. That thing will pierce my heart and kill me in a half second.
Im not a virgiiiin! I scream as a last resort, because I know that some ancient
peoples on Earth practiced virgin sacrifice. But of course the translator is turned off. And
Im pretty sure it wouldnt have worked anyway. I shot this guy. Hes angry and he wants
revenge.
 I scream at the top of my lungs.
The leader lifts the knife higher.
And then suddenly he has no head and his body collapses on the ground. Its hard for
me to see what exactly is happening, but there seems to be some kind of whirlwind
passing through the kidnappers, and theres blood and screams and grunts and clangs.
Im suddenly not restrained, and I get down from the boulder and crouch down.
Then I hear the sound of many fast feet running away through the jungle, and only one
man is left.
Jaxzan! Relief washes over me and makes me collapse to the ground in a shivering
heap.
He walks over to me and picks me up in strong hands. Sophia.
He passes his eyes over my front, then turns me around to check my back.
Then he takes me into his strong arms, hugs me hard and kisses my hair like he often
does. He says something in his language that sounds tender, and I dont need to activate
the translator to know that hes just as relieved as I am.
Two of the kidnappers are lying dead on the ground, and the leader is one of them. I
dont like seeing dead people, but after what they were about to do to me, Im not going to
call the cops on Jaxzan.
We dont talk for a moment, just stand there and hold on to each other. Then I notice
my hand is wet.
I gasp. Oh my god, Jaxzan, youre injured!
He turns his back and I see that he has a long gouge stretching from his shoulder and
down to his waist. Hes bleeding pretty bad, and I immediately start to worry. He can
probably handle the blood loss, but the spears those guys had didnt seem all that clean,
and I have to guess that these people dont have a whole lot of penicillin, even at his
village.
But I remember the herb I found, the acidic one that Delyah agreed might well be
seriously antiseptic.
I sit him down and look around the clearing. If I can find some of that and put on him,
it might not get infected.
Sit still, dont move, I say, knowing he cant understand me but trusting that he gets
the meaning. I draw my gun again, just in case those kidnappers didnt get the message.
Its got four more shots in it, and even though it might not be too effective against
dinosaurs, it should work fine against aliens as human as these ones.
It doesnt take me long to find all I need. Those herbs and plants are everywhere,
pretty much.
I rinse the long cut along Jaxzans back with the water from the sack, then crush the
herbs into a paste and apply them to the wound. It has to sting terribly, but Jaxzan makes
no sound and keeps breathing evenly.
 I have no bandages or sticky tape, so I cant do much more. But Im hoping that his
village isnt too far away. And the herbs seem to help stop the bleeding, too. I keep some
of the paste to apply to his wound when needed.
And now I want to get away from this place where I was almost sacrificed. Jaxzan
puts his sword back into his belt and I take his bag. I dont want him to carry it on that
injured back of his. Its pretty heavy, but I can handle it.
We walk on. Im pretty shaky still, but I can handle that, too. And before I know it,
weve walked out of the jungle and were standing in the middle of his village. I cant help
but gasp.
The village is a whole bunch of caves in a rock face, like an old piece of wood full of
wormholes. And its a huge, tall cliff with hundreds of caves all over it. They all look
natural, but some of them seem to have been widened and smoothed. Somehow Im not
too surprised. I did meet Jaxzan in a cave, and I always thought about him as a caveman.
And thats what he is.
Were standing in what has to be the city square. Its a worn patch of rocky ground by
the face of the cliff. Were attracting a lot of attention, and soon were surrounded by
curious warriors who are asking many questions of Jaxzan. He answers calmly, and the
others stay at a respectful distance.
Now that I see them, its clear that Jaxzan is a pretty typical member of the tribe.
Perhaps hes a little taller and wider than most of them, but they all have that straight spine
and the calm movements of men who know who they are and who are okay with that.
Emphasis on men. Because I cant see a single woman anywhere.
I can see boys and adolescent males and grown men and old men. But not a single girl
or woman or even a crone.
We sit down in a shady place and people bring us food and juice. Its weird being the
center of attention like this, like Im a circus act and these people are just watching. But as
an alien, I suppose I should expect nothing else. Theyre cute, though. Whenever I make
eye contact with one of them, whether its a kid or a man, he smiles shyly and gives me a
little wave or friendly gesture. My hope rises. If theyre as cool as they seem to me right
now, Im sure theyll want to take in the girls or at least give them the help they need.
Two of them exchange a few words with Jaxzan, and then someone brings a basket of
jars and various fluids, and they begin treating his wounds. They dont seem too
concerned, and I notice that his injuries appear to be healing already. I guess it makes
sense. On this planet, its probably a good idea to heal fast.
A clearly important person comes striding through the crowd, bows for Jaxzan and
looks at me with no expression on his face. Hes an old man, and he gives me a vibe that
says hes either the chief or some kind of priest. Probably a priest, I decide from the large,
bronze-like pendant that hes got hanging around his neck and the furry cape over his
shoulders. Maybe Jaxzan is higher up than Id thought, if the priest bows to him.
They talk for a while, and this seems to me to be a good time to activate the translator.
the Mother, Jaxzan says, and the translator chirpily interprets.
 Everyone looks at me.
Yeah, its my translator? I hold it up and Jaxzan explains what it is.
The crowd talks and whispers among themselves, but the priest doesnt seem too
impressed.
They get back to business.
As foretold by the Prophecy, the priest states, scrutinizing all of me. Most
interesting. Sensational, even. Yet I dont doubt it. This is clearly a woman. He smiles
and turns around to face the crowd. Who will become the Mother of Xren and give us the
Treasure! he yells.
The crowd erupts in cheers and celebration, and I smile, but of course all this means
little to me. Except it might increase my chances of getting help for the girls.
There is more, Jaxzan says. There are more women. Five more.
A hush descends on the crowd. Five more? the priest asks and frowns more than I
thought any living being could. That is not in the Prophecy.
And yet, they are there, Jaxzan continues. They are on Bune. Five women, just
like the Mother. And they need our assistance. The Plood dropped them there.
The translator has no suggestion for the word plood and just gives the word on to me.
I would have liked to know what it means. My guess is creepy little alien kidnappers
whom I hate with a passion.
The priest frowns even harder. Just like the Mother? Surely not. The Mother is as
much a part of Xren as you or I or Bune or the holy cavern underneath it. Surely the five
others have nothing to do with the Mother and are simply aliens desecrating the forbidden
land.
Im not sure whether to smile or to punch the priest. On one hand, my little device
seems to have adjusted itself to interpreting their speech with proper grammar, which is a
major victory for my project and makes me wish I could tell Professor Wilkins. On the
other hand, it doesnt sound like this guy will support helping the girls.
Jaxzan straightens and looks downright majestic, with a calm fire in his red eyes.
The Mother has herself stated that they are her friends and that she arrived on our planet
along with them. They need our help to survive. Would you deny them this? Would you
deny the Mother this reasonable request?
The priest is just one big frown. Aliens desecrating Bune, our forbidden land, have no
claim on any support. The jungle and the Bigs and the Smalls will take them to their alien
Ancestors before long. Indeed, that has probably already happened.
I dont like what Im hearing. No, it hasnt, I state, and that damn chirpy translator
says it in what I hope is decent Xrennish. Everyone is staring at me, but Im pretty angry
now. They are still alive and thriving as a colony. They have all kinds of vital skills that
would make this tribe both more respected and more powerful. Without my friends, this
tribe will perish.
 Im maybe coming on a little strong. This tribe looks vital enough to me. But these
guys seem to put a lot of importance on respect. Ill use my female cunning if I have to.
Not that I have any cunning, to my knowledge. But this is probably a good time to check
if maybe I do after all.
The wishes of the Mother must be respected, Jaxzan backs me up, or she will
withdraw the Treasure and Xren will be without a Mother for eternity. What will the
Ancestors say about that? Their Prophecy and their sacred Mother discarded by a stubborn
tribe?
The priest is thinking hard. Anyone who treads on forbidden Bune has the death
sentence anyway, he says. Except the Mother, who can freely tread anywhere she wants
on the planet. Certainly aliens must respect our laws or take the consequences. In this
case, the planet and the Bigs will make those consequences as severe as they must be. I am
the shaman of the tribe. The Prophecy and the Mother and the Ancestors are my concern. I
want what is best for the tribe. The Ancestors have, in their infinite wisdom, seen fit to
wrap this wonderful and longed-for occasion in a trap. The Prophecy mentions no other
women. Any other women are not holy. Only the Mother is. And aliens on forbidden
Bune? Do we need a clearer answer?
 22
- Sophia -
Jaxzan hesitates, and I can see that the priests arguments are making an impact on
him.
No one doubts that you want what is best for the tribe, Jaxzan says. Indeed we
both want that. I as the chief and you as the shaman. This is the most important event in
the history of the Rexvi tribe. And in the history of Xren. We must make absolutely sure
that everything we do is right. I repeat: The women and the Mother were dropped on Bune
by the Plood, against their will. They would not knowingly desecrate the forbidden place.
The Mother requests that we help them. I submit that the time of the Prophecy ended when
I found the Mother in the holy cave. And we are now in times that have not been
prophesied about. The Mother is found. Now we must realize that the Prophecy has done
its part, and we must direct our actions from what she wishes.
I want to applaud. Jaxzan is a pretty good speaker. And I can see the priest grinding
his teeth. Even I realize whats going on this is a power struggle. The priest or shaman,
as the translator insists - cant accept that the time of the Prophecy is over, because that
undermines a lot of his authority. He wont want the girls rescued, for the same reason. It
would be like sawing over the branch he sits on. He can talk about the Mother for years
and years, but he never expects her to actually appear. And now that shes here, hes
suddenly not that important anymore. And if his damn prophecy doesnt even mention
more than one chick, then its authenticity isnt exactly strengthened. That will erode his
authority further.
Perhaps I was too quick in accepting this as the Mother, the shaman says. While
she did arrive in the water from Bune, the fact that the Prophecy states nothing about her
having friends, other women, even, might be a sign that she is an imposter.
Jaxzans face darkens and he places a hand on his sword. What was that? His voice
is cold and flat and deadly.
Though I think I was right the first time, the shaman says quickly after a glance at
Jaxzan. I have no doubts about your description of events. And the unlikelihood of any
other woman falling into the holy waters under Bune makes it quite certain that this
woman is the Mother of Xren, as prophesied. But what we will do about the other women
is not to be decided rashly. I must meditate on it and pray, and I will then give my
recommendation.
The shaman bows once to me and once to Jaxzan, and then he strides off with his
head held high, the very image of pomposity. I realize that I dont like that guy.
I take a sip of juice. What happens now?
 Jaxzan sits down next to me. The tribe will decide whether or not to help your
friends.
Uh-huh. Did I hear that guy refer to you as the chief?
I am the chief of the Rexvi tribe, he says. It doesnt entitle me to make large
decisions, except in battle. In the daily life of the tribe, the council makes most decisions.
The shaman is also influential.
But your decisions will be respected, right? And most will agree with you?
He thinks about it. I am respected. The shaman is also respected. The Prophecy and
the Ancestors are very important for the tribesmen.
So this could go either way?
He looks at me. Yes. The daily tribal meeting is at sunset. It will be decided then.
Well, hes being honest. Ive met too many guys who would give me bullshit about
much less important stuff than this, just to make themselves look better.
I look around at all the male faces. All right. Jaxzan. Do you not have any women in
the village?
He frowns. Sophia is the only woman on Xren. Except for your friends.
Yeah, you told me. But I didnt believe it, not literally. Because how do you make
babies? I see kids here. How are they born, if not from women?
They are born from Lifegivers.
And what are they?
He stands up and smiles down at me. Ill show you.
- - -
Thats
I dont even know what to say. Weird? Insane? Creepy? Revolting? Cool? All of those.
But Im supposed to be a university girl, so I go with what we call everything we dont
really understand: interesting.
They look most of all like plants. They have green stalks the thickness of my thighs
and leaf-like things that move a lot more than the weak breeze should indicate. Each one is
the size of a car, about five feet tall and much wider. Its like a snakes nest of green and
purple creepers and branches and vines. And in the middle is a large, orange bud. And
when you lean over to look into it from above, you can see that theres a fetus in there. A
living one, curled up and inside a translucent sack of what pretty much has to be amniotic
fluid.
Jaxzan knocks on one of the sacks with his finger. It gives a hollow resonating sound
and looks hard to the touch.
Yeah, thats an egg. With a little human baby inside.
 The Lifegivers are both clearly plants and clearly animals. A cross between an
extremely weird and exotic bush and a bunch of ostrich-like things, if ostriches had no
heads or wings or legs and about five bodies each. Its weird, is what Im saying. And
insane and creepy and so on. But mostly interesting.
So these are your women, I say when Im able to talk again.
Not women, Jaxzan says. Lifegivers. There have been no women on Xren for
many generations. They were taken from us and all of our kind seemed to be doomed.
Without women, no children. In desperation, warriors tried other methods. It had been
known that the Lifegivers could nurture and gestate other species, but no one had ever
tried with humans. It was taboo. Now, they had to try. And it worked.
Im speechless again. Um how?
One mature warrior who has survived many battles and hunts and who is still in
perfect health may deposit his hmm manly juices inside a small Lifegiver bud. The
Lifegiver then allows the fetus to grow inside it until ripeness, sensing its needs and giving
it the nutrition it requires. The bud opens and the egg cracks. A new young warrior for the
tribe!
He smiles warmly and with some pride, even.
My mind is reeling. So you were born from one of these?
He points. That one over there. They live for a long time, the Lifegivers.
Im not sure how to react to it. But its really not that much worse than the way I was
born myself, the more natural way. Right. I wonder, did anyone ever tell you that you
look a lot like your father?
Jaxzan arches his straight eyebrows. Yes, of course. All warriors look like the man
who donated his juices. Its only natural. A way the Ancestors have created for us to honor
that man.
Clones.
Hmm?
Yeah, on Earth we call that clones? Youre born from the genetic material of only one
person, not two. So of course you look a lot like that person.
Ah. This is a known procedure on your world as well? You also have Lifegivers?
I scratch my head. Not like this. We know the basics and I do believe some cloned
animals have been born. But the old-fashioned method is still preferred. Much preferred.
Yes, Jaxzan agrees and pinches my butt, making me squeal. Much preferred.
I slap his shoulder. Take your hands off me, you sexy brute. But yeah, making babies
the normal way is better for everyone, I think. Something about more variety when you
mix the genes of two people? The babies are more robust? I dont remember. But you
havent given up your juices for something like this? The idea of little carbon copies of
Jaxzan running around here weirds me out a little.
 I have not. And now I never will. He leans in to kiss me on the forehead, which is
probably fine. I dont know how prudish these people are about public displays of
affection, but I guess I better not take any chances.
Unless your tribe decides not to help my friends, I remind him as sweetly as I can.
He glances at me. Perhaps. Would you like to see my home?
Yeah. I really would.
Its a cave with a small opening and a roomy interior. The rock is white and has dark
bands shooting through it from the ceiling to the bottom. Its a natural formation, but Im
pretty sure it has been widened with tools after that. At the far back of it is another
opening into a huge cavern, at least as tall as a skyscraper. Clean water falls down in little
waterfalls and pools, and I notice that young boys are swimming in the bottom pool and
that there are many openings from the other caves into this cavern deep inside the rock. I
totally understand why the Rexvi tribe has settled here. These caves they live in have
natural running water. This village has to be one of the most spectacular wonders of nature
on this whole planet.
Jaxzans cave is decorated with simple rugs and furs and dinosaur skins, and colorful
pictures have been drawn onto the rock walls. I think I recognize some of the figures from
the cave where he found me. He might be a real artist, this caveman of mine.
He has a big stand with various weapons and blades. Right by the entrance is a place
for a fire for cooking, and various pots and pans are stacked there. He has no furniture,
just heaps of rugs and furs. Its clean and kind of bare, but its a cozy place which exudes
the warm personality of the person living there.
I ponder the whole situation. Theres no electricity, but its a warm planet and he has
some primitive lamps and candles. Theres no bathroom, but theres running water in the
back. Theres no internet, but just surviving would probably take up all your time anyway.
Theres no coffee shops or convenience stores or cars.
Can I see myself living here?
Maybe. At its best, it would be like camping. At its worst, well yeah, itd be pretty
damn miserable. On average, I could be probably be content here. More or less.
From time to time.
For the rest of my life.
With Jaxzan.
My feelings are so mixed I only know of one thing to do, the thing thats always right
with this man. I place my arms around his neck and pull him down so I can kiss him. I feel
desperation at the edge of my consciousness right now, and I need him to reassure me in a
very concrete way.
He senses my need and pulls a thick dinosaur skin curtain over the opening to the
cave. Only a thin ray of sunshine lights up the white wall and I let my new skirt and shirt
fall to the ground, then untie his kilt and grab his cock.
 We make love on the furs, in a cave. Its so primitive it turns me on further, and
Jaxzans spectacular equipment soon has me coming hard.
But the act has a tinge of uncertainty to it. We both suspect and fear that this could be
our last time together.
- - -
I lie on his chest and feel his slow heartbeat, letting my finger trace his red tiger stripes.
The sun is about to set. The tribe will decide soon.
He just grunts. I think hes nervous about it.
I would hate to leave this guy. As in, resent for the rest of my life. But this is all so
wild. Will you let me go if I have to?
Jaxzan will not mate with unwilling woman.
Uh-huh. Will you help me even if the others wont?
I can hear his heartrate picking up, just a little. Defying the tribal council is punished
by death. Treading on forbidden Bune is punished by death.
And not helping my friends when they need it the most is punished by jerking off into
plants for the rest of your life, I think to myself. So much death on this planet, I say out
loud.
Its a harsh planet, he agrees. If the tribe splits apart, all will soon be dead. Only as
a tribe can we survive. Obedience is vital. Unity is vital.
Yeah, I get that. Its tough here, even if you have caves like this. Why is Bune
forbidden?
A sacred place, guarded by flying Bigs. The Ancestors live there.
They do?
Yes. Mostly invisible. Not always. Sometimes have feasts that light up the sky.
Warriors stay far away then.
Right. I have a feeling this religious stuff can get a little old. But I suppose thats part
of life for this tribe. Still I want to change the subject. You mentioned something called
the plood earlier. What is that?
His face darkens. Dirty little beings that come here from time to time. Messengers
from the Darkness.
The Darkness?
The enemies of the Ancestors. The Ancestors represent light, their enemies represent
the Darkness. All that is wrong and evil is Darkness. The Plood are its servants.
Uh-huh. This sounds like a way a primitive people would describe aliens and wrap it
up into a religious thing that suits their worldview. I dont think any of it is literally true.
But at least our kidnappers arent unknown here.
Did the Plood maybe take your women?
 He is silent for a good while and I worry that Ive offended him. Then he sighs deeply.
Yes. Well, the Darkness did. And the Plood aided them. He gets to his feet, and I admire
the feline limberness of his powerful, naked form as he pushes the curtain aside and looks
out. Twilight. The tribe will decide the fate of your friends now. I will speak for helping
them.
A bunch of butterflies take off in my stomach. So much depends on this. I appreciate
that. I watch him put on his kilt and place a thick fur over his shoulders. I suppose that
serves as formal wear in this tribe. And it makes him look even more like a caveman.
I get up too and put on my dinosaur-skin clothing. Im not missing this.
He checks his sword and sticks it into his belt. It might take some time. This is the
most important thing to happen on Xren for many generations. The deliberations must be
thorough.
 23
- Sophia -
And boy, are they ever thorough. Their council meeting place is a ledge on the face of
a cliff. Fifteen guys, mostly older ones, sit on animal skins in a ring and are attended by
some young men who stand ready with food and drink to serve any council member that
lifts his earthenware drinking vessel or plate.
I sit a little aside and I keep the translator off. I have no idea how much charge its
battery still holds, and Im not sure its worth it to translate this whole debate.
But even so, I realize that there are two sides and that the discussion is very heated.
One side is Jaxzans. Or probably mine and the girls. The other side is the shamans. He
talks a lot, and Jaxzan speaks much more rarely. But when he does, everyone listens. Im
impressed. Hes the youngest one there by decades, probably. But he seems to hold his
own just fine.
I finally have the chance to really observe the men here. They look more like cavemen
than Jaxzan does. They look more primitive, they have more scars, theyre more sinewy,
less muscular. Theyve had tough lives, absolutely. So has Jaxzan, of course. And he
looks stronger and more vital than even the younger men serving the food and drink. The
idea that hes born from an egg in a plant doesnt appeal too much to me, for some reason.
But looking around here, I start to wonder. Despite what he says and thinks about it, Im
not sure he comes from the same place these other ones do. Hes too different. The glow in
his eyes is too intense. Can a clone seem this unique? Its just a gut feeling thats probably
clouded by the feelings I have for him. But none of the other males here attract me at all.
I shake my head. Im not making much sense. Well, I was always good at wishful
thinking.
I estimate that one hour goes by, then two. Sometimes one of the men looks over at
me, and sometimes they all stare openly at the same time when someone has made a point
that concerns me very directly.
I look up at the sky. The sun has long since set, and the soft light from the fire in the
middle of the ledge cant overpower the dazzling spread of stars from horizon to horizon.
The evening air is balmy and the many exotic sounds from the jungle settle down. Only
the soft tinkling from a nearby waterfall can be heard. Its a good location, this. Very
idyllic. If it turns out that Im stuck here, I suppose I will sometimes be able to trick
myself into thinking that its a back-to-nature resort.
The discussion heats up and I realize that theyre getting close to the end. The shaman
seems to sum up his points, and Jaxzan follows up with a passionate speech that has to
make an impact on them. With his clear, calm and deep voice it sure makes an impact on
me, and I dont even know what hes saying. But Im moved that hes obviously really
making an effort on my behalf. And the girls.
God, how are they now? I feel a sting in my heart when I think of them. Ive enjoyed
Jaxzans protection for days, while theyve been stuck in not-dactyl central with not even
a gun. I hope theyre doing okay. The shaman seemed to think that they are already killed
by the many dangers on the planet, but I dont think so. We Earth girls are more resilient
than we probably thought ourselves.
A metal ring is passed around the circle of tribal councilmen. When they receive it
they say something, one after the other, probably taking a vote.
A silence ensues. Then the shaman says something that sounds like a question. They
all look at Jaxzan. He glares at the shaman and then grunts something. It doesnt sound
like agreement, more like angry acceptance.
I feel for my gun. Shit. It sounds like I lost.
Jaxzan slowly gets up and comes over to me. He takes me by the arm, gently, and
leads me to the other men, who are still sitting down. He doesnt look me in the eyes.
I switch the translator on with fingers that shake. Im afraid now.
Mother of Xren, he states with a neutral face that scares me. The council has
determined that the Prophecy has come to pass and that you are the Mother it speaks of.
You will breed with the warrior who found you in the waters of Bune. You will be revered
as the Mother of the planet.
I stare at him. This was not the bad part, although I dont care for the tone at all. But
now I see a wince on his face. The next thing he says will be bad.
He takes a deep breath. The tribe has also discussed the other women at Bune. It has
been determined that they are the Treasure as spoken of by the Prophecy, brought to us by
the Mother. They are not Mothers, but they are alien females who are unlawfully treading
on Bunes sacred soil. They have thus made themselves lawless. However, the tribe will
consider to let them remain alive if they agree to give themselves over to the tribe. They
will help the tribe repopulate naturally. They will serve the tribe and breed with any
warrior who demands it for as long as they are fertile. A message will be sent to them to
that effect.
He quickly snatches the squeaky translator out of my hand. This device will be used
when a warrior gives them that message.
I get the idea. The girls have to give themselves over to the tribe for slavery or these
guys will kill them. Or at least let the planet kill them.
Theyll never agree, I state with a voice that shakes. Theyll rather die. And so
would I. Shit. This is turning out much worse than I thought.
The tribe does suspect that, he continues, and I can see the pain in his alien face. In
order to secure their cooperation, it will be stated to them that if they dont comply, the
Mother will be put to death. If they agree to be bred by the tribe, you will be spared.
 Im genuinely stunned for a moment. This is beyond disastrous. You cant do this, I
state as loudly and calmly as I can. And I try the only argument I hope will work on these
guys. Its pure evil. Your Ancestors will get angry if you treat the Mother like that.
Youre giving in to Darkness.
The shaman gives a bark of laughter. The Mother is a sacred woman, but she is still a
young female without any knowledge of the Prophecy. There is no Darkness in this. The
Ancestors are smiling at us even now.
I look Jaxzan straight in the eye. If you think Ill breed with you after this, you are
completely mistaken.
He juts his jaw out. The Mother is sacred, he says, whatever he means by that. And
then he turns his back to look out over the village below the ledge with his arms crossed
over his chest. He has clearly done his duty as the Chief, and now hes finished with the
whole thing.
The hurt I feel is probably not rational. He has no choice. But he seems so much larger
than life that I cant help but feel that he should do more for me.
Tear sting my eyes, but I wont weep openly. I have some pride, too.
Strong hands grab me and Im dragged away by two young warriors.
They place me in another cave thats considerably larger than Jaxzans and has the
same access to the underground waterfall in the back. But its also impossible to leave.
They remove a ladder, and then there are sheer cliff faces both upwards and downwards
from the opening. Im thirty feet above ground.
Im trapped. This is a prison cell.
And Im being held for ransom.
 24
- Jaxzan -
I stare at the cave where she is. The opening is dark, and I shudder to think of what she
must feel now.
The tribe is unwise sometimes. This was the wrong decision.
And yet, Im the chief. I had to do my duty to the tribe. Without the tribe, were all lost
and dead in this impossible world. Defying the tribal council would never cross my mind.
Until now.
Defiance is always met with death. It can be no other way. Only unity protects us.
None of us can survive for more than a little while without a strong tribe. A refuge, a
support, a home, a place to belong. Alien women desecrating our forbidden mountain
must not be allowed to divide us.
I consider the shamans points in the discussion. Hes smart. And his arguments were
good. The alien females could be spies sent by the Plood. Or saboteurs, tasked with
breaking our tribe, making us weak for the Plood to attack us once more from the sky.
After all, the container they came in was definitely a Plood construction round and
simple and ugly. They might even be here against their own will, but as agents of unrest.
Their presence alone has already created some difficulties between me and the shaman.
The tribe is obviously weaker than it was only yesterday.
Her cave is still dark. What is she thinking? About me?
I groan involuntarily. No, it doesnt bear thinking about. My heart splits if my thoughts
even touch upon it. She cant possibly hold me in very high regard now. And I do feel like
a traitor.
She made me a new man. She opened my soul for such emotions and experiences that
I will never be the same again. The love I feel for her has taken over all of me. The urge to
go to her now and to protect her is overwhelming.
And yet I cant. At best, it would make me an outcast. The tribe has spoken. And it
wants her captive. Held for ransom to force her friends to give themselves up for mating.
Anything I do to help her will mean that I lose the tribe. And losing the tribe means
death.
For Sophia. For her friends. And for me.
 25
- Sophia -
There are soft skins and a pile of food and even clothing of the same kind that Jaxzan
made for me, except these have been colored blue. Probably they were made for a young
boy of the tribe.
Im so disappointed I bury my face in the skins and cry for a good while.
Damn. I really thought theyd help. Or at the very least that Jaxzan would take a
stronger stand in my favor. Hes supposed to be the chief. Youd think he could pull some
strings.
Well, he spoke forcefully, but he was clearly outvoted and I guess he had no choice
after that. But still
I punch the skins a couple of times and calm down. Im supposed to be the happy-go-
lucky one, the cheerful one who always thinks everything will turn out okay. This is
probably as good a time as any to practice what I preach. I think it will feel better than to
just give in to black depression.
I examine the cave more. I cant see any guards, but the reason is obviously that I cant
escape in any other way than jumping to my death. The waterfall in the back of the cave
also gives me no way to climb up or down.
I have to escape. I have a feeling theres no time to lose. If these guys get to the girls
before I do, then the girls will be surprised and may well give in to the demands if they
think Ill die otherwise. Then theyll be stuck in what sounded a lot like sexual slavery. I
have to get there first so the tribe doesnt have that hold on them.
Well defend ourselves as well as we can. I still have the gun. And Ive learned a few
things about this planet from walking through the jungle alongside Jaxzan.
I lie down on the skins again, curl up and yawn. Its been a long day. Theres not much
I can do in the darkness. Ill just wait until morning.
A sharp noise from the cave entrance startles me awake. I get hold of my gun and
tiptoe over there.
Hm. Someones put a ladder up to the ledge above, the one that the two young
warriors hoisted me down here from. I shake it, and it doesnt rattle much. Seems stable
enough.
Is it a trap or is someone helping me escape?
Well, I cant get any more trapped than I am right now, so theres not much for me to
lose.
 I climb up to the next level as quietly as I can. Its a deserted ledge with no cave
opening. But theres another ladder leading further up. I climb that, then the next and so on
until Im on the top of the cliff and the whole village is underneath me.
Huh. That was easy.
I can see the flickering firelight from some of the caves. Jaxzans is dark. Asleep after
our strenuous walk through the jungle?
No, of course not. Someone put that ladder back, and while Im not the smartest
person alive, even I realize that it had to be him. Hes probably close by, and hes probably
watching me right now.
An insane part of me wants to go to his cave and get him to come with me. I have a
feeling he might want to. But he would lose a lot if he did. I think that shaman asshole has
a better grip on the tribe than he does. Being that much younger than the other authority
figures is probably a weakness, even for the chief.
Jaxzan probably did what he could. But I can only guess that in this tribe, acting on
his own is out of the question. Being outcast on a planet like this, having to always fend
for himself against dinosaurs and huge centipedes and not-dactyls and I dont know what,
is certain death. Despite everything, I absolutely understand how tough that would be. I
cant force him or guilt him into that.
This is the kind of thing he has to decide for himself. He knows Id need him for a
thing like this. If hes not here now, it means hes not coming.
I have no illusions about my abilities to make it back to Bune and the tuna can alive.
There are so many dangers in this jungle, and Ive probably not even seen half of them.
I take the gun into my hand again. Well, I know which way to go. And I know I have
to do it. I owe the girls that much.
Hey, Im the happy-go-lucky one. They usually make it to the end.
Sometimes.
I take a deep breath and walk into the jungle.
- - -
There seems to be much fewer animals and dinosaurs around now. Maybe theyre less
active at night. And the going is much easier, like Ive stumbled across a much-used path
in the jungle that happens to point pretty much straight back to Bune and the girls.
At least I completed my mission. I tried to get help. And the answer was no. Now we
know.
The stars and a weird, blue moon in the sky give me enough light to see by and Im
starting to feel better about this whole thing. Maybe it wont take several days this time. I
might be able to get there in about one whole day.
The thing that scares me the most is well, centipedes, of course. And dinos. But I
worry the most about other tribes. I got a little too close to being sacrificed on a stone
altar, and Im thinking once is probably enough for one lifetime. It was never on my
bucket list in the first place.
The sun rises and I notice that the winding path Im walking is not really a path. The
ground looks just as overgrown as everywhere else, and there are no footprints anywhere.
Still its clearly much easier to walk, as if the worst of the branches and bushes have been
cleared away. Maybe this is what passes for a highway in the jungle.
I must have walked for ten hours when I come to the waterfall with the clear pool. The
memory of the great times I had here with Jaxzan not that long ago send a sharp barb to
my heart. Because I miss him and -
Yes, fine. Because I still love him. I do. Hes the best man Ive met. By far. Totally
responsible and calm and masterful in this super tough environment. Considerate and
warm and honest. I just know I could live the rest of my life with him and be happy. Even
here. Even on this jurassic planet. It would be tough. But it would not be unbearable. And
at times, I could be happy.
So he isnt helping me anymore. Can I really expect it of him? It would be like
expecting someone back on Earth to do something for me that would get him sentenced to
death. No one can expect that of someone else. I understand him. This whole thing was
sprung on him just as much as it was sprung on me.
Hes done okay. I mean, that Mother of Xren thing seemed pretty important to him.
And he has given me up even when he didnt have to.
I drink my fill and take a short dip in the cool water to freshen up. Its a good sign that
Im here already. Im making good progress, and Ill probably be by the tuna can late
tonight. If I survive.
Now I can follow the same path that Jaxzan and I came here by from the other
direction, and since he cleared the path for me back then, I can still walk pretty fast.
Im looking around more, keeping the gun ready. This is the area where the rekh dino
got me.
But I dont see any of them this time. In fact, I hardly see any wildlife at all. Its like
theyre keeping away. I hear some noises once in a while, but mostly its just leaves
rustling in the breeze or some smaller rodent-like things going about their business. Even
the worst of the insects seem to be asleep.
Im sweating a lot, but the dinosaur skin clothing seems to absorb it. Maybe thats why
the dinos keep away? Because I smell like one of them and theyre afraid of what I might
turn out to be?
Or maybe theyve learned to associate the sight of me with some of them dying
horribly. Jaxzan did dispose of a whole bunch of them last time they saw me.
I keep walking, always looking around. Its becoming second nature.
My confidence collapses when I hear a horrendous roar from in among the trees in
front of me. Its a deep roar with screechy undertones, like what youd expect from a
really big monster. The ground shakes and I realize that something seriously huge is
approaching from straight ahead.
I go into a crouch and hold the gun out away from me, painfully aware that if this
thing thats coming is as large as it sounds, I might as well shoot it with spitballs as with
bullets.
I wait and feel the ground rattle with each step the dino takes. It roars once more, and I
wince and expect a huge shadow to fall on me at any time.
Then the ground shakes one more time, really hard, and I know my last moment alive
has arrived. I hear tree branches break and thick trunks being splintered, and a deep,
unearthly groan rattles the leaves on the trees close to me.
Then theres only silence.
I stay down for several minutes after. I dont trust this damn planet further than I can
throw it, and this seems just like the kind of trick itd try to pull. But then I start to feel
silly and I straighten up. Still nothing happens. Its just silent. Not a sound.
I take a few steps forwards and peer in among the trees. Nothing.
I venture a few more steps, expecting to see a giant gape full of teeth at any moment.
But nothing happens. The jungle is as peaceful as ever.
When I finally find the monster, its lying on its side on the ground, having crushed a
whole glade of trees when it collapsed. Its immense, easily the size of a house. And I
cant help but notice that it looks a lot like a T-Rex, giant mouth and tiny forelimbs and
all. Except this one has two tails and dirty white feathers all over it. I cant help but retch
at the smell of it. Its rank.
I cant tell how it died. But its definitely dead. It would have major problems getting
back upright from that position. It died right before it would have seen me and done what
these things usually do when they see defenseless alien university chicks.
I scratch my head and look around. Maybe it saw a glimpse of me and was scared to
death? I know that elephants are sometimes afraid of mice, and Ive seen large dogs scared
out of their minds by much smaller animals. And Ive heard of certain sheep that just faint
and fall over where they stand when theyre startled.
I prod the tough, feathery skin with a stick. No movement.
Maybe it had some kind of heart condition.
I cant figure it out, so I walk a large circle around the beast and find the path again.
I walk for more hours, pacing myself and walking just slow enough to be able to keep
good lookout in every direction. Im getting pretty confident in my ability to survive in
this jungle, and I start thinking about what the girls might have been up to while I was
gone.
I probably shouldnt get my hopes up. When I left they already had to walk pretty far
to find more fruit to eat, and I dont think it has rained more than one night, so water is
probably scarce, too. I should probably prepare myself to see the girls not doing well when
I get there. They may even be dying already.
Would sexual slavery be better than starving to death? Maybe it wouldnt be so bad.
I shake my head. I think I know the girls. And I know myself. We have our integrity.
Were not going to give up. But I suppose I should let the girls decide for themselves.
At least I know more about what kind of plants are edible now, so that should help.
But still being happy-go-lucky may not be enough.
I enter a clearing in the jungle and see that the mountain called Bune is right ahead.
Maybe three hours more and Ill be there. I clear my head of thoughts about the future and
concentrate on being on my guard against attack.
But Im not attacked. Not for my entire trip. Not by other tribes, not by centipedes and
not by dinosaurs. I often hear rustling and distant roars and screeches, but I never see any
movement except for little rodent-like things. Maybe the planet realizes that it owes me a
break.
The sun sets as I climb up on Bune and find the stream, then walk along it until I can
see the metallic sheen of the tuna can in the distance. Im completely worn out, but still I
feel butterflies of excitement in the pit of my stomach. I cant wait to see the girls again. I
dont bring anything they want, not even good news. But at least well be together again.
I walk unsteadily to the tuna can on legs that feel like jelly. My knees could give out at
any moment.
I knock on the door and hear the tinny sound reverberate through the tuna can. Hey,
guys. Its me. Sophia.
I can hear movement inside.
The door slides open.
 26
- Sophia -
Sophia! Youre back! Ohmigod, we were sure you were dead! Again.
Caroline comes out and hugs me tight, then drags me inside. The door slides shut and I
realize its still light inside. Theres a cozy fire burning and the inside of the can looks
much better now. Its almost cozy. It smells good, too.
I quickly count. Six including me.
Youre all here! I sob as the sudden relief overpowers me. I hadnt even dared think
of how many of the girls might be left. Im totally exhausted and my emotions are close to
the surface. Im not playing my cheerful role too well right now, but nobody can be
happy-go-lucky all the time.
Now were all here, Aurora says firmly and wipes her eyes. Weve been worried
sick about you. You keep taking these insane risks.
They all come to hug me and they give me water and fruit and sit me down by the
pretty cozy little fire theyve got going while were all sniffling and grinning through
happy tears of reunion. The smoke goes to the ceiling and out through an interesting
system of pipes made from tree bark, and the fire smells nice and spicy.
The girls look good. Or at least better than I had feared. Theyre not too skinny or sick
looking. They seem to have made themselves new clothes from a rough fabric, and they
look clean enough.
Youve done well, I state as I gratefully lean back against the wall. This place looks
much better than when I left.
Weve been busy, Emilia explains. We took one whole day to just sit down and
pool all our knowledge and resources, and we brainstormed and thought and came up with
a list of things to do. Turns out that between us we can do a whole bunch of things, when
we think about it. And we became a little more adventurous about trying out the plants and
stuff around here. None of them have been all that toxic so far. And we can hunt now. The
pig-like turkey thing you showed us. Not our favorite thing to do, but it helps.
Some of the things grow fast, too, Heidi continues. We wont lack food anymore.
We found roots and leaves and different kinds of fruits. And we made a system for
catching water without having to collect it manually from leaves. Its pretty handy. But
how about you, Sophia? Youve been gone for days! When Delyah came home and told us
that youd gone away to get help, we thought youd die or that at least youd find your
alien hunk and forget about us.
I take a sip of water and give them the short version of everything thats happened.
Theyre totally stunned, even before I get to the end and the ransom. And I guess thats a
decision we have to make now, I finish. Become sex slaves and breed for a tribe or
well, not. Whatever that will mean.
The tuna can is silent for a few heartbeats while the girls react in their own ways.
Emilia gasps dramatically, Heidi goes red with anger, Aurora gets up and starts to pace
back and forth under the low ceiling, Delyah taps her lips thoughtfully with one finger and
Caroline frowns with cold anger and asks a practical question. Will they attack us?
I shrug. I dont know. I didnt get the impression that they will. They wanted to hold
me as a hostage for ransom and then blackmail you. Maybe its because this is a forbidden
zone for them. But they also seem to think that the animals here will kill us sooner or later
anyway.
Aurora puts her hands on her hips and snorts. Do they really? We can probably
survive by ourselves just fine by now. The dinosaurs have stayed away, mostly. I think
theyre afraid or something. The food situation is taken care of. We can weave fabric from
some of the plants. And we have shelter right here. I think we can make it work just fine.
Until the not-dactyls return, Delyah adds quietly. Or the other dinosaurs get over
their skepticism. Theyre coming closer all the time. Thats the main danger and always
will be. In addition to the other tribes here. We dont know if they consider this mountain
a forbidden zone. They might not, and they might have no problem coming here. Things
are looking better than before, but we still need the tribes help. Or a tribes help, now that
our first choice turned sour. We need it pretty desperately.
The tuna can is silent again. Shes right. But unlike the first day we were here, and we
all just wanted to cry our eyes out, this time I see resilience in all the girls. The planet has
hardened us fast.
I hide a yawn behind my hand. Ive been up for well over a whole day straight. Well,
I suggest we take one danger at a time. First well defend ourselves against the tribe if
they try something. We still have the gun. Maybe we can negotiate something. I assume
the messenger or whatever they send will be here tomorrow evening.
Emilia clears her voice. Theres no chance in hell Ill ever agree to sexual slavery to
anyone. They want to breed me, theyll have to use my dead body.
Damn right, Heidi agrees. Ill never give in to that.
We all agree, and then I hold my hand out like Ive seen in some movies. Well never
surrender. Freedom or death.
They all put their hands on top of mine. Freedom or death.
I smile. And screw that tribe of losers. We can handle this. Girls, this will work out
just fine.
I fall asleep with a smile on my face. Im starting to get the hang of the happy-go-
lucky thing.
- - -
The next morning were all up and outside when the not-dactyls finally attack.
Emilia sees them first and yells to warn us all. Dactyls!
 Theres panic in her voice, and I dont blame her. Because while the first not-dactyls
came in a flock, this is a legit swarm that darkens the sun and fills the sky. There has to be
a thousand of them, and they start screeching from pretty far away.
We all drop everything and run in a panic towards the tuna can. I get there first, so I
stand beside the door and count the girls in. One, two, three, four.
I count again, itching to slam the button that closes the door. Four. Plus me. Were one
short.
Shit, wheres Delyah?
The girls look at each other. Didnt see her.
I take a step out of the door. Delyaaaah! I yell, now closer to panic than Ive been
for a good while. Dactyyyyls!
The flying dinosaurs with the long beaks and the sharp teeth are coming closer fast,
zooming straight down from the blue sky with an obvious menace that makes me want to
crouch down. Their screeching freezes my blood and Im shaking hard. Delyaaaaa-
My voice breaks under the strain and it all comes out as a squeal. Only seconds left
now.
I hear something crashing through the undergrowth, and then I see Delyah come
running. But shes still fifty yards away, and I can already see the details on the nearest
not-dactyl. It has brown blood stains around its jaws and reptilian eyes with no emotion
behind them.
Come ooon!
Delyah runs fast. Much faster than I ever could. She doesnt bother looking up to
check how close the attackers are, just jumps over bushes and rocks and tries to run in as
straight a line as possible. Her black hair flows behind her and her fists are tightly closed
as she pumps her arms hard. Shes looking straight at me while she runs. Ive never been
this tense in my life.
Shes not going to make it. The leading not-dactyl is on its final dive, casually setting
up an attack with a laziness thats probably elegant, but which just pisses me off.
I take three steps towards Delyah and raise the gun, aiming for the not-dactyl. Get the
fuck away from her!
I pull the trigger and the gun jumps in my hand. I dont notice the bang I guess I
have enough to focus on. I pull the trigger again. And again. One of the shots hits the not-
dactyl and it breaks off its attack, flaps its wings fast to stop in mid-air and then focuses on
me with its lifeless eyes.
It hangs there for a couple of seconds. Then it comes for me.
I raise the gun again, distantly aware that Delyah runs past me and yells something.
The not-dactyl is a little less elegant as it dives for me with its long, pointed jaws wide
open so I can see the multiple rows of teeth. Large, flat teeth that look like short knives.
 I have just enough self-control to pull the trigger again. And again. And again. But the
gun stays calm in my hand and doesnt jump.
Im frozen in place as the not-dactyl grows very big very fast. Its the center of my
whole existence and Im too scared to even crouch. I just stand there and stare at death
coming for me.
Then two things happen at the same time. A shadow passes between the not-dactyl and
me, and suddenly its falling straight down. It no longer has a head. And then Im looking
at the ground from very close up with the wind knocked out of me.
I feel arms around me and then I realize that Delyah is dragging me with her. Come
on, girl. Back inside the can, she wheezes into my ear.
The dead dactyl hits the ground with a wet thud. And then its like I wake up. I
stumble after Delyah as she pulls me along, and then were inside the tuna can and I turn
to look outside, gasping for air.
The sky is black with huge not-dactyls diving in. Their leader is lying dead on the
ground and they all screech in fury.
And someone is standing there, ten yards away; a large, calm figure with strong legs
and a broad chest and red tiger stripes all over him. He has a huge sword thats dripping
with dactyl blood, and hes looking right at me with a very alien smirk on his face. His
smouldering red eyes look straight into my soul and I can feel the love he sends me like a
physical force. Then he raises his sword slowly to his face in what has to be a formal
greeting.
My knees go weak and I sag to the floor. Jaxzan!
It comes out as an anguished shriek. Because the dactyls are diving for him,
screeching like a million giant nails on a chalkboard, and I know they will kill him.
Someone slaps the button and the door slams shut.
 27
- Jaxzan -
Shes safely inside and I can now go to my Ancestors with pride and honor. I have
protected the Mother until she could get to her friends. The Ancestors will protect her on
Bune, their home.
Another irox dives for me, a flying horror that our tribesmen tries their best to avoid. I
took the first one by surprise, but these are now aware of what theyre up against. They
dont like it, I know. Theyre cowardly in their own way, and prefer to attack in huge
numbers and sometimes flee when they realize that you intend to fight. But Ive never
seen this many at the same time.
I laugh out loud as the fighting spirit fills me. Its a good way to go. I have done what I
can for Sophia. Its proper.
I fling my sword at the nearest irox and cut a wing off. It tumbles to the ground and
tries to crawl away as the next one swoops down and I run to retrieve the blade.
I empty my mind. To fight these things you have to act on instinct. Theyre too fast to
allow you to think and plan each move. Only a warrior acting intuitively has any chance at
all.
I have to fill my conscious mind with other thoughts while my arms guide my sword
with animalistic instinct. And my thoughts are filled with Sophia anyway.
It was the hardest thing Ive ever done. I had to see her safely here without her seeing
me. And of course we were hunted by all kinds of Bigs, even the rare and terrifying xervs.
I had only one chance against that one. I had to throw my sword and hope that it would
penetrate the beasts tiny brain. The Ancestors were merciful and made that happen. Then
they allowed me to spot and neutralize every danger in Sophias way until we were here
and she hadnt seen me. They guided and protected us all the way. Its the clearest sign
Ive seen. The Ancestors support me.
I had no idea the Mother would be this spectacular. In every way. She escaped from
the village the first chance she got. Why? To help her friends! It almost floored me.
When I put the ladder there, I half expected her to stay, realizing that her life in the
tribe wouldnt be bad. I would have preferred it if she had remained, but I wanted her to
have the choice. Something deep inside me rebels at the thought of breeding with a
woman who is only doing it because shes in a difficult situation. It feels wrong. Even if
she is the sacred Mother of Xren and the Prophecy states that Ill mate with her.
In the beginning, it was my opinion that she was mine. That I had ownership of her.
The Prophecy states it, and it seemed right that she should somehow be my property. But
before we came to our village, it dawned on me that shes not mine. Shes her own. I have
no right to own her. Not at all. Having known Sophia for many days, it has become clear
to me that a woman is more more than just a vessel for mating. Shes a full person in every
way. She has ideas, courage, strength, emotions and a deep integrity that Im not going to
breach. And all the things we did together felt much better to my soul when I felt that she
did them because she wanted to, not because she had to.
Sophia is the Mother, of course. But that seems less important now. The main thing is
that shes also a woman I love. I want her to love me back. And if she doesnt well, then
I have to accept it, like any warrior has to accept adverse fate when hes done everything
he can to avoid it. And I did mate with her. More than once, even. I should be content.
My sword is dripping with irox blood. I have slayed a good heap of them by now. My
muscles are sore and Im breathing heavy. But I can take out a few more.
I wanted to honor Sophia by letting her reach her friends on her own. I didnt want her
to know that I helped her get here safely. It would have made her bravery lesser, in a way.
She made her choice when she escaped from the village. It was a choice so courageous my
heart soared while at the same time breaking into pieces. If I had offered to accompany
her, she would have to make that same choice many more times. That would not have
been fair to her.
It was my intention to see her safely here and then to return to the village to offer
myself up to the judgement of the council and the inevitable death that would follow. But
when I saw the flock of irox attack, I had to cross the boundary into forbidden Bune and
protect my love. After this, the village will not take me back. I will not lie to them to keep
my status. I have defied them. And I have stepped on Bune. Both are punished by death.
I picked Sophia over the tribe. I am an outlaw now. But it was the right choice, even
so. I dont regret it at all.
The sword dances in my hand. Im wet with cold, sticky irox blood. And my own. Im
tiring fast. I have taken down many irox, and theyre becoming more careful. I think I may
just be able to chase them away. If I survive that long. Im fighting heroically, but I have
sustained many injuries and I cant feel my hands.
I glance to the side. The round container that Sophias friends live inside is being
attacked, too. I can only hope that it will hold together.
The world is shrinking around me and I can no longer hear the irox terrible screams.
I grin into the sky. I found the Mother. And then I helped her as well as I could. The
Ancestors will welcome me among them. I will be an Ancestor and I will remain right
here on Bune. I will protect Sophia and guide her as a spirit.
And, I decide with evil glee, I will haunt the shaman. He wont have a moments peace
after I die. His idea to force Sophias friends to become involuntary breeders for the tribe
is the worst and most dishonorable nonsense Ive heard. But it was too tempting for the
tribal council to reject. He knows what appeals to old men who are nearing the end of their
lives without having known the embrace of a woman, and then suddenly have the
possibility dangled in front of them.
 I heave the sword at another irox. I cant remember the blade ever being this heavy
before. I accept it. I dont have much longer to live. Even if the irox are clearly losing their
spirit to fight and it will take very little for them to retreat now.
I lose the grip on my sword and when I go down on my knees to pick it up, I dont
have the strength to get back up.
I smile again. This is how a warrior dies. Sophia will see that it was right.
I wet my lips. No one will hear them, but every warrior should have some last words.
And what mine will be is plain.
Sophia, I whisper, making sure to get the sounds of her alien name right. Kra tun
kateh.
 28
- Sophia -
I hiss and curse and scramble and try to claw my way to the door button. I have to help
him!
But the other girls hold me back until I calm down.
Theres nothing you can do, someone says into my ear. We have no weapons.
Youll just get in his way.
I realize that its true, and I take a deep, shaking breath and try to keep from breaking
down into a screaming heap. A sore sob forces its way out of me as my world is filled with
black despair.
Still I notice that the girls are filled with something else.
God, thats him? Thats her boyfriend?
Fuck, hes hot!
Are they all like him?
He just chopped its head off with a single slice. Ive never seen anyone jump that
high!
Yeah, the other girls saw him, too. For the first time, I realize.
I can just shake my head. Theyre definitely not all like him. Not at all. No ones like
him. In the whole universe.
I can hear the screeching from the not-dactyls outside and I clamp my hands over my
ears.
And then the whole tuna can reverberates with a bang so loud Caroline loses her
balance and falls on her butt. We stare at each other.
What the hell?
Then theres another bang, and another. And I realize that the walls of the tuna can are
getting dented from the outside. The dents protrude into the can. Theyre big and pointy.
Like dactyl beaks.
Theyre trying to break in, someone whispers.
Shit, I wonder if itll hold together.
We sit in a huddle on the floor and hug each other, looking up at the ceiling where
more and more dents are forming with loud, rattling bangs. Its like being inside a huge
drum when someones throwing large rocks at it.
 The gun is empty, I whisper unnecessarily in a sore throat. Do we have any
spears?
Just this. Aurora holds out a stick thats only the size of a pool cue. But I think its
pretty much worse than nothing.
The tuna can is now reverberating constantly with bangs, and the dactyls are definitely
sitting on top of it and pecking hard at the metal. Many new dents develop, and the sound
is taking on a strained sound, as if the metal is starting to give in.
Then a streak of daylight appears on the ceiling.
Thats a hole, someone says.
Its not holding.
Fuck, this cant be good.
But I feel a calmness come over me. Im pretty sure Jaxzan is dead. Those dactyls are
fierce, and there were hundreds of them. He cant defeat them all.
This whole thing just has no good outcome for me.
Because its time to get real. We have no way to get off the planet. The Plood arent
going to come back to get us again. Even if we survive this, well be killed by something
sooner or later. And this, being eaten by dinosaurs, is probably better than being kept as a
sex slave by a stone age tribe and better than being sacrificed and better than being slowly
killed one after the other by the various horrors on this planet. Maybe dying like this isnt
the worst thing that could happen. At least well die together. In reality, we were dead the
moment we were kidnapped from Earth. Ive known it all along. I just havent admitted it
to myself.
Dont worry, girls, I say, and I can hear the flatness of my voice. This is going to be
okay. Well, whatever happens, Im going to stay in character as the cheerful one to the
end.
No one replies, and they probably think Ive gone crazy.
Theres a horrendous, metallic shriek as a portion of the roof is being rolled and ripped
off, and a long beak dips down. We all squeal and bunch together up to the wall by the
door.
Other parts of the roof are breaking down too, and pieces of the metal are torn off like
the top of an actual tuna can being attacked by a maniac with a blunt knife in each hand.
Pointy not-dactyl snouts with terrible teeth are being stuck in from above, and now we
can smell them, too. Its a smell like rotting meat and sulfur.
I think this is it, girls, Delyah says calmly. We deserved a better end than this, but
for what its worth, its been a pleasure working with you all.
We all look at each other. Its hopeless, but weve faced certain death so many times
now that we just dont have that many more fucks to give.
We clutch each others hands. Slender, dirty, sore and bruised hands that were used to
lifting coffee mugs and using cell phones and writing on computer keyboards, but that had
to do very different things on this planet. Im proud of us. I think weve done really well.
Even if it ends like this.
Damn right. Its been an honor, guys.
Thanks for everything, ladies. We were the best fucking tribe on this shitty planet.
The best by far. I heard the other ones dont even have women.
Fuck this useless planet and the pitiful loser kidnappers that dumped us here.
Id like to see anyone else do this after us. Earth girls rule. Thanks, guys.
Something makes me get to my feet and the girls are looking at me in puzzlement. My
knees are weak and my movements are jerky with fear, but I know what to do. Jaxzan is
alone out there. He has to be dead already. But I want to go to him.
No. I need to go to him. I will die holding around his dead body. Its right.
You know, Im not sitting here like a trapped rat just waiting for a damn not-dactyl to
decide to eat me. Gun or not, Im going out fighting.
I slap the door button and step outside.
 29
- Sophia -
Just as I exit the tuna can, all the not-dactyls take off and soar into the sky, more like a
flock of giant starlings than a swarm of deadly predators.
I cant count the not-dactyls lying dead on the ground. Theyre too big. But there are
probably at least twenty. The rest are now flying off fast into the distance. Weird. I hadnt
noticed that they had stopped hacking on the roof.
I peer skeptically up to the sky. But it actually does look like theyre all leaving.
Probably theyre not used to resistance. And certainly not the resistance Jaxzan must have
given them.
But where is he? The huge not-dactyl carcasses strewn everywhere make it hard to
find him. But then I finally see him, and my hands to go my mouth. Oh my god!
Hes on his knees and the sword is on the ground. Hes bleeding profusely from many
cuts and slashes and irregular wounds that I realize are not-dactyl bites taken out of him.
I run over with panic rising once more. Jaxzan!
He raises his head and says something. But I dont have the translator and I dont
know what hes saying. The blood is dripping from him and already collecting in a black
puddle under him.
Help! I scream towards the tuna can, because this is more than I can handle on my
own. I never expected him to still be alive.
I see the girls looking out and up to make sure the not-dactyls are gone, and then
Delyah and Heidi come running.
Is he okay?
Shit, he chased them away! Thats insane!
I realize that any place is as good as the other right now, and we can treat him right
here in the shade. Finding him alive re-ignites the hope in me. We need something he can
lie down on. Then bandages. Rip up lab coats into long strips. And take care of him while
I go and find herbs. We have to stop that bleeding. And maybe prevent infection, too.
I run into the woods to where I know there are many different bushes and plants and
herbs. Im still choked up with fear for Jaxzan. I have to stop or slow the bleeding
somehow. If he has internal injuries, I dont think theres much I can do.
I find the herbs I know will clean the wounds and hopefully help slow the bleeding,
and I pick every leaf of it I can find. I run back to Jaxzan, half expecting to see him dead
on the ground.
 Hes on the ground, but hes still alive and even smiling with a face thats so pale I feel
my face scrunch up in fear because his blood loss scares me. But if ever there was a time
when I should be happy-go-lucky, this is it.
I use two rocks to mash the various herbs into a green, fresh-smelling paste and gently
apply it to his biggest wounds.
Caroline and Emilia bring one of the primitive mattresses theyve made for themselves
to sleep on and Jaxzan slowly shifts his position so he can lie down. He says something
with a smirk, and I know hes making a joke. Black humor. That scares me, too. He knows
this is bad.
Caroline goes back to the tuna can to boil water and Emilia goes to get water for him
to drink.
What can I do? Aurora asks.
I show her the medicinal plants Get more herbs like this.
She runs into the woods.
Heidi runs over with a lab coat, then starts ripping it up and carefully puts the strips on
the wounds that weve put the herb paste on. Im sorry if this is inappropriate, but I never
saw a guy this totally jacked. Do they have a huge gym at his village?
I glance up at her. Im not really in the mood to chitchat. Not that I know of. I think
maybe theyre born pretty strong, and then their lives make them even stronger. But not all
of them are this muscular.
She lowers her voice conspiratorially. So did you you know.
I know perfectly well, but shes going to have to spell it out more if she wants an
answer. Did I what?
You know, you and him I mean, theres no women in his tribe and he looks like
this Probably had to be tempting to hook up, right?
I mash up more of the herbs. Despite everything, Heidis light tone about a not-vital
topic is actually perking me up. Theres been too much life-or-death stuff lately.
Probably.
So did you? Hook up?
I cant help a little smirk to play around my mouth. Some hooking may or may not
have taken place.
She grins. Ohmigod I knew it. Umm is he like other guys? I mean, down there?
Because hes only wearing a kilt and I can see, like, straight up-
Yes, I get it, I say before she can go on. No, not exactly like other guys. Or Earth
guys, I guess. A little different there.
In a good way?
It feels totally inappropriate to talk about these intimate matters with him right there,
but Im kind of bursting with pride about it and he cant understand what were saying
anyway. And hes breathing easier now. Hes still pale as a sheet, but hes tougher than
anyone has any right to be and now I actually have some hope that hell pull through.
In a good way, I confirm and smile at the memory. Actually, in the best way you
can imagine. And then some.
Heidi is impressed. Oh my god. And he has a body like this. And hes totally
confident and defeats a million dactyls all alone. Does he have a brother?
I lift a heavy arm and apply more green paste. It looks like his tiger stripes are much
harder and resilient than the ordinary skin around them. Like hes wearing natural armor.
If he survives, thats what saved him. I dont think they have those. Theyre all clones.
Heidi gasps excitedly. Theyre clones? So there could be many just like this one?
Millions? Like those from Star Wars?
Not as far as I know. I think hes the only one whos just like this.
Oh. Well, even so. Heck, forget the brother. Id settle for a cousin or even an
acquaintance of this guy.
Emilia comes over with water and Jaxzan drinks greedily.
It occurs to me that hed probably like that juice he gave me. He probably brought his
bag. Large, green thing made of dinosaur skin?
Ill find it, Emilia says, then hesitates. Is he okay uh, down there? I mean, with
that kilt thing I can see pretty much everything and it kind of looks like-
Hes fine, I state. Hes an alien. Just a little different.
All right. She looks him up and down appreciatively, then gives me a guilty little
smile and saunters off.
Aurora returns with two fistfuls of herbs and starts mashing it all up. Were running
out of bandages and Jaxzan looks like a caricature of a patient from the worlds least
competent hospital. But the herbs have stopped most of the bleeding and he is still awake.
Emilia finds his bag and brings it over, and Caroline brings hot water. We clean the
blood off him while Jaxzan wordlessly offers each of us to drink from his canteen before
hell take as much as a sip himself. Hes so selfless and noble I just give in and fall back
into the happy uncertainty of love. Right there and then. Because what more can he do to
prove himself to me? Not that I needed that much proof in the first place. Ill tell him that
some time.
We carefully clean him and I notice that the girls are taking some joy in it. They can
care for someone else for a change, someone who pretty much has to be a game-changer
for us now. Because with Jaxzan on our side, everything looks much brighter. Well,
almost everything. I dont think he can help us get back to Earth.
Jaxzan is remarkably calm and patient while we finish with him as well as we can. Of
course its the first time hes being cared for by women. Its probably pretty pleasant for
him, despite the wounds and the blood loss. Hes sitting up with his back against a tree,
the center of attention of six young women. He seems to take to that like a fish to water.
 He silently rummages through his bag, then takes out the translator and hands it to me.
He clearly wants to say something.
I turn the device on and kneel down beside him. Hes pale still, and Im sure hell
continue to be for a while. But his voice is as strong and deep as ever.
He says something. It sounds like a question. And for some reason I know what it is,
and its like a bright light goes off in my soul and the day gets brighter.
Will you marry me? the over-chipper female voice from the translator chirps.
I look into his eyes. So alien, but at the same time the most human man Ive ever met.
And I know just enough of his language to reply properly. Toh.
Yes, the translator squeaks and I hear the girls around us gasping.
Theres nothing to wonder about. That would have been my answer since, oh, about
day two of knowing him. Hes saved my life too many times to count. Hes kind and
honorable and intelligent and strong and calm and with a glint in those alien eyes. He
makes love like a champ.
And I love him.
He loves me, too. Hes left his tribe and hes standing on their forbidden Bune. To
protect me. I have a feeling that act will cost him dearly.
Yes, of course I will marry him. Right now. Right here. In the jungle, wearing dinosaur
skins and not having seen a bottle of shampoo for weeks. I dont care about the wedding
being everything I dreamed it would be. I just want to be married to Jaxzan.
He takes my hand and squeezes it in his large, callused one.
The girls let us gaze into each others eyes for a minute before they start whispering
very loudly behind me.
Did she just agree to marry that guy?
I had no idea aliens even got married!
Are we sure it was Sophia he asked? I mean, it could have been any one of us.
Technically.
Did she I mean, with that kilt hes rocking I can totally see most of its just,
does she know what shes doing?
She totally hooked up with him! And hes super spectacular, she says!
They all gasp and go quiet, stunned by the revelation.
Fuck, Caroline says at last. If theyre all like that, maybe we should just become
sex slaves after all.
I finally collect my thoughts enough to sit down beside Jaxzan. I kiss him on the lips
and feel that hes pretty cold. I dont know how long it will take him to recover from the
blood loss. But hell make it. Hes strong as fuck.
 I squeeze his hand. I didnt know youd even heard of marriage. I mean, youre all
males. Do you marry each other, maybe?
He smiles, tired but happy. The tribe remembers life before the women disappeared.
A man and a woman could get married and live together forever. Now, we have difficulties
imagining a life that perfect. Some say it was a fantasy, a fairy tale, something that never
happened. But I remembered it just now and it seemed like the most natural thing to ask.
Is there a ritual or something? I mean, on Earth we have all kinds of traditions for
how to get married.
Im sure there is. The shaman has rituals for everything. But I dont think he will help
us with it. I doubt Im still a member of the tribe after stepping on sacred Bune.
I nod. A man like him wont try to conceal something like that. He will live with the
consequences of his actions. Well, for what its worth, youre more than welcome to be a
member of our tribe. Right, girls?
They all agree enthusiastically.
See? Were the best tribe here, too. Id love to get married pretty soon. But its not
like we can find a minister or a judge to officiate anyway. And that shaman wont.
Were all quiet for a moment. Then Caroline looks around and then slowly raises her
hand like shes in class. Umm I think maybe I can.
We all look at her and I raise my eyebrows. You can?
Well, I dont know about here. But I can in New Jersey. I got a license to marry
people so I could wed my parents.
We all stare. Caroline shuffles her feet and continues quickly. Because my parents
lived together like a common-law couple, but they had a really great and loving
relationship and kids and everything, so one day I asked why they werent married and
they said they just hadnt thought about it, and then I said they should get married because
they might as well at this point and then they said okay, you want that, then how about
you wed us. So we waited until I turned eighteen and then I applied for a license and I got
it and then I officiated and they were married. Its official, too.
A spark of happiness flies through my mind. This is a nice surprise, for once. Will
you marry us, Caroline? I mean, wed us? Shit, how do you say that without it sounding
weird. I mean, could you officiate for us? Will you?
She shrugs. Sure. Its not hard. You should probably think of your own vows. I mean,
what with the alien stuff and all.
I look up at my strong and honorable and spectacular alien warrior. Did you
understand that?
Theres absolutely a smirk on his face. I understand. Get married soonest. The
Ancestors will smile upon me when I wed the Mother of Xren. On Bune, even. Sacred
ground.
 30
- Sophia -
We inspect the tuna can. Its totally ruined and looks more like a colander than a tin
can now.
We cant live in there anymore, Delyah says. It will give us no protection at all. The
dactyls know where we live. I have a feeling theyll be back. And these huge carcasses
will start to rot and be a major biohazard.
And one reason for staying here was that the kidnappers might be back, Heidi
agrees. Now its probably been too long for that. Even if they did come, this thing is
broken and they probably cant attach it to their ship again.
I nod. I want this tuna can to be a closed chapter in my life now. We can do better
elsewhere on the planet. How about that cave where you found me, Jaxzan?
Hes walking around now. Slowly, but still. Hes recovering fast. Tribesmen come
there sometimes. Also the water isnt good to drink. I know about a better place. Further
away, but safer. There are caves. Cleaner water. Trees that bear fruit. Good defensive
positions.
Yeah. Because on this planet, your life is always in danger from someone. Or
something. Its the way life was for everyone on Earth too, not so long ago. But I guess we
have forgotten that. At least we have Jaxzan now. That makes our chances much better.
I totally trust him do know the best way to do this, Fine with me. But we should stay
here for at least another night. Jaxzan is in no shape to walk in that jungle.
Jaxzan shows us how to gather useful stuff from the dead dactyls, like certain parts of
their skins and sharp teeth and talons. Weve toughened up a lot now, and Delyah cuts
huge razor-sharp teeth out of dactyls as if shes done it many times before.
It turns out to be a pretty good evening. We feel safe enough to light a big fire away
from the dead not-dactyls, and we sit in a circle around it and talk and joke and laugh and
enjoy ourselves.
I know we have many hard times ahead of us, but were over the first major hurdle.
The dip, as Delyah called it. Were over the dip, and we made it. More or less.
And some of us made out like bandits. I glance up at Jaxzan. Im sitting as close to
him as I can without stripping naked, and I enjoy the heat from him and the safety he
exudes. The warm light from the fire flickers across his face and makes him look a little
less alien. Hes not beautiful, perhaps. But hes handsome enough. And hes super manly
and has the soul of a lion. Seriously, who could ask for anything more?
- - -
We get married the next morning. Caroline is wearing her lab coat, which I know shes
spent some time cleaning in the stream, using rocks and such. Shes buttoned it all the way
up to look all spiritual, and the girls have made a little altar and saved some of the food
they had for a reception after the ceremony.
The sun is rising and its throwing long shadows. Im in my blue cavewoman outfit
because its all I have, and Jaxzan is wearing his kilt and nothing else, as usual. The girls
have made me a little tiara of flowers, and thats my whole wedding gear.
Youd think it would be ridiculous. No one here can dress right, I dont have a scrap of
lace anywhere on me, theres no best man, there are no wedding bells and no family
members. But I have four bridesmaids, Delyah is my maid of honor and I have the best
groom in history. And Im happily bawling my eyes out before its even started. So its a
real wedding, all right.
Ive spent the night in Jaxzans arms. He couldnt do much more than hold around
me, but thats fine. He quietly told me about his life and his tribe and that hes now an
outcast. All because of me. Hes sacrificed so many things for me its insane. And hes
fine with it! Not one word of blame passed his lips, and his tone of voice was always calm
and matter-of-fact, the way he always is. Joking, even.
And now hes waiting at the altar, a revelation of manliness and strength, even with the
dirty improvised bandages all over him. The tall and blonde Caroline is standing there
looking serious and downright regal and the girls are standing a couple of yards away,
looking at me solemnly.
I walk between them and up to the altar, holding eight red flowers in my hand one
for each of us girls, one for Alesya and one for Jaxzan. Im able to keep the tears down
for this. The light from the alien sun is throwing golden rays through the bushes and
branches of the jungle, and theres a little bit of mist close to the ground. And Ive never
felt more one with everything that is holy than right now.
Nobodys smiling at the simplicity of it all. Everyone is serious. This is my wedding.
Its not quite the way I planned and dreamed about it when I was growing up. But this is
real and to me its totally wonderful.
Jaxzan takes my hand and walks me the last two steps up to Caroline. She says a few
words that sound a lot like they come from a hippie wedding, because theres a lot of
words like blossom and harmony and commonality. But thats fine. And its pretty
appropriate for the situation. She does great.
I say some simple vows Ive thought of, and Jaxzan says something much shorter
which comes across pretty powerfully. Hes not kidding about this.
Then Caroline asks us the important question.
Jaxzan goes Toh! in a powerful voice with a hint of impatience, and then I say I
do as firmly as I can, which is not very. Because Im tearing up again.
We kiss and thats it. Theres no aisle to walk down and no organ to play the
recessional. The girls come in to hug me and congratulate me and now Im married.
 I hold Jaxzans hand while we all munch on fruit and berries and even some meat
from Jaxzans bag, chatting lightly like at a real reception. Then I catch myself. This is a
real reception. And its the best one ever.
- - -
Then its time to leave the tuna can. We pick up the objects we want to bring with us, I
check that the translator is still in my pocket and that I have the empty gun.
We walk over to Alesyas little stone grave. There are fresh flowers there again. Red
flowers, eight of them.
Emilia quietly explains to Jaxzan what happened. We stand there for a little while and
I wipe some tears from my cheeks. I wish she was here. And I sorely wish I hadnt tried to
hijack the saucer.
Im sorry, I think to myself, like I always do when I stand right here. So sorry, Alesya.
Delyah puts a hand lightly on my arm. I know you still blame yourself for this, she
says softly right into my thoughts. I keep seeing you look over at this grave and you take
some crazy risks because you feel guilty. I know youre the one whos been placing
flowers here every morning. But you didnt kill Alesya. That was all them. The aliens. Not
you. Not even a little bit. You can let it go.
The words have all the more weight because they come from her. Delyah rarely
speaks. But when she does, its always a game changer.
Shes observant, too. I thought I was being super stealthy about the flowers.
Thank you, I sob and wipe my eyes.
The other girls agree and pat my back and shoulder. Damn right. If anything, you
probably saved us all from a much worse fate.
The Plood, a deep voice says. Jaxzan is behind me, pondering the grave. It is
known that they take women and kill them. Use for terrible things. Our women went the
same way. Taken from us. They deposited you here as a way to damage us and instigate
confusion. They would have done that anyway. Nothing any of you did had any impact on
that. They are evil.
I feel his heavy hand on my shoulder and I reach up to squeeze it. It does make me feel
better that maybe getting us stranded here wasnt my fault after all. Its been a constant
source of piercing guilt at the back of my mind, and its gotten me to do some brave or
stupid things that Im not sure I would have done otherwise.
All right, Delyah says. Lets go. She starts walking in the direction where Jaxzan
has said that there are caves we can live in.
One after the other, the girls take a last look at the tuna can and our little colony and
then walk after her with their meagre possessions in coarse fabric bags on their shoulders.
I carry Jaxzans bag, because hes still wounded and I dont think hes up to much more
than walking today. Hes not pale anymore, at least.
The girls are gone and were alone at the tuna can. Were newlyweds. We need and
deserve a couple of minutes alone.
 I look up at him. How does it feel to be a husband?
He bends down to kiss me. It feels like an end and a beginning. The old Jaxzan has
become the new. The world has changed. It is better. Brighter. Full of promise. But also
harder. That is the way it should be for a warrior. But now life will be easier for Sophia.
My wife. I will see to it.
I go up on tiptoes to kiss him. I dont need to say anything. Im pretty sure he can see
the happiness in my face.
I look down at the translator. It works much better than anyone had ever thought it
would. That super advanced chip inside it is probably much closer to actual AI than even
its makers suspected. Its pretty much taught itself Jaxzans language all by itself. If we
were still back on Earth, it would be a total sensation and it would be world famous. So
would Professor Wilkins, probably. And maybe even I. But I dont feel it. Its too distant,
too unreal. It almost feels like it never happened. Ive got other things on my mind now.
Like the fact that its battery wont last forever. Its kept up sensationally well so far,
but its a crutch. I have to learn his language now. Im supposed to be a linguist, after all.
Well, I do know a good few words already.
I flick the switch and the little LED dies. I place the translator back in its pocket and
look up at Jaxzan.
I dont think Ill need that anymore.
He gets the meaning and nods seriously. Then he takes me into his arms and sniffs my
hair.
Kra tun kateh, he growls into my ear, sending delighted shivers down my spine and
tingles to my girly bits. And I know those words. Ive practiced in secret with the
translator.
I take a deep breath, close my eyes and smile happily as I squeeze my husband hard.
Its my wedding day. Its going to be a good one, whether this planet agrees or not.
I love you too.
We stand like that for a long time. Then he takes my hand and we start walking.
- - -
Calista Skye 2017
- - -
Make sure to catch the Epilogue at the back of the book!
- - -

Dear Reader,
Thank you for reading my book!
If you want to get an email when my next book comes out, please consider signing
up for my mailing list: http://eepurl.com/bpXN31. It is free and I will only send an email
when Im releasing a book, organizing a contest/special offer, or have important news to
share.
I appreciate all reviews, both good and bad.
Happy reading,
Calista
 More Books from Calista
Browse all of Calistas Books on Amazon!
http://www.amazon.com/Calista-Skye/e/B010JFVQVW
* * *
Fire Planet Warriors Captive (SciFi BBW/Alien Fated Mates Romance)
Harper Evans always wanted to go to space.
Abducted by creepy aliens, and then crash landing on the planet that everyone just
calls the Fire Planet?
Not what she had in mind.
Her only company is an insanely hot alien barbarian warrior who doesnt speak
English, but who seems to have a thing for Harper. Because he keeps the worst of the
lethal predators on the planet away from her while theyre running.
Running from a huge, ferocious wildfire thats catching up with them fast.
The super confident barbarian has some extremely interesting features to his body, and
he turns Harper on like no one else ever has.
Its just that he clearly thinks shes his captive. And Harper doesnt mind that as much
as she probably should
Fire Planet Warriors Captive is a standalone science-fiction romance novel starring
a feisty space colonist and a sensationally hot alien warrior with hidden talents.
Expect steamy scenes, funny lines, alien royals, lethal enemies and the barrier-
breaking love between a BBW from Earth and an alien barbarian whos convinced that he
has finally found his Fated Mate.
Full-length romance novel with no cliffhangers and a happy-ever-after ending!
* * *
Fire Planet Warriors Passion (Science Fiction Alien/BBW Fated Mates Romance)
Standalone sequel to Fire Planet Warriors Captive!
Being carried caveman-style by a huge warrior is probably not the most dignified way
to arrive as Earth ambassador to the secretive Ytter tribe on the planet Acerex.
But Lily Jones doesnt mind it too much, because the warrior carrying her through the
snow and ice is easiest the hottest man shes ever laid eyes on: dark, muscular, mysterious
and with a fiery passion in his green eyes. She knows his name is Ravexton, she knows
hes a Fire Planet warrior and she knows he has no reason to love aliens like her.
 Even so, he has saved her life several times already, and she cant help but notice that
he seems just as taken with her as she is with him.
But before she can explore his outrageous alien body and check if she might be his
Fated Mate, they have to survive attacks by bloodthirsty predators. And then they have to
handle the terrible Freeze that will probably kill at least one of them.
But thats nothing against the deadly traitor who is desperate to tear them apart
Fire Planet Warriors Passion is the second of the Fire Planet Warrior series of
science fiction romance novels. The books are standalone, but should be read in order for
maximum enjoyment.
Expect steamy scenes, mysterious aliens with features like adult toys, deadly planets
and the love story between a BBW from Earth and a sensationally hot alien warrior.
Full-length romance novel with no cliffhangers and a happy-ever-after ending!
Click here to check it out!
* * *

Given to the Alien (Science Fiction BBW/Alien Romance)

Olivia Cooper chose a bad time to become a space marine in the newly formed Space
Force: Just when Earth had been badly defeated in mankinds first battle with the
beautiful, but extremely deadly Ethereal aliens.
The straight-laced space marine sergeant is in the first line of defense, but still Earth
desperately needs help in the looming war against the aggressive aliens. And help seems
to be at hand when the alien General Atoraq and his Braxians offer to fight for Earth. But
even if Atoraq is sensationally handsome and confident to the point of cockiness, he and
his men also seem like primitive barbarian warriors. Can the Braxians really win against
the sophisticated Ethereals?
And Atoraq wont fight for free. His price: An Earth female who can be the mother to
his heirs. Spirited and curvy Olivia fits his tastes perfectly
Given to the Alien is a science-fiction romance novel starring a curvy space marine
and a ridiculously hot alien warrior with a big secret. Expect steamy scenes, alien royals
who need heirs to their thrones, deadly enemies and the barrier-breaking love between a
BBW and an alien warrior with hidden talents
This is a complete, full-length romance novel with no cliffhangers and a happy-
ever-after ending!
* * *
Alien Invaders Baby (Science Fiction Alien/BBW Secret Baby Romance)
Standalone sequel to Given to the Alien!
Dani Smith is the best space marine in Space Force, defending Earth from alien
invaders, just like her parents Olivia and Atoraq have always done.
 But the powerful Space Force only truly fears one alien species: the beautiful, but
extremely deadly Ethereals. When one of them suddenly turns up, its enough to end a
huge battle as both sides retreat in a panic. But the supernaturally gorgeous alien Crixael
seems to only have eyes for curvy Dani.
The last time the playful, intensely cruel Ethereals came to invade Earth, millions died.
Danis own father lost his whole family and his Braxian kingdom.
Drop-dead gorgeous Crixael is tenacious in his secret courting of Dani, and she knows
hes stealing her heart. But can she really allow herself to fall in love with one of
mankinds most lethal enemies?
Alien Invaders Baby is a steamy, standalone full-length novel with a Happy Ever After
and no cliffhangers! Click here to check it out!
* * *

StarSet (The Warrior Princes Claim - BBW Science Fiction

Romance)
A ship breach at the hands of blood-eyed acquisitioners, a bleeding thing on the
8th deck disembodied at the hands of a Teleran prince, and the royal warriors
intense interest in forbidden fraternization with the duty-bound Shala puts the
voluptuous of officer in a compromising position, even as the prince is sure to be
imprisoned for spilling a Tavalar wards blood.
Shala cant wait to get off of Telera One the second it docks and recolonizes the people
of the original Telera. Gruff, ornery, and generally suspicious of outsiders, they havent
made her time easy as an officer of the allied forces. So, when their prince is forced to
defend himself and nearly murder an intruder, and the captain delays reports of it, shes
understandably confused. Especially when despite the no-fraternization rule of the allied
forces, shes invited to one of the Telerans most sacred spirit-revering ceremonies as his
esteemed plus one.
Can she really keep denying how hot the room gets when he enters it, or the not-
uncomfortably invasive way he looks at her? And when he goes all in for the claim, will
she accept an uncertain future as a princess, in the middle of a burgeoning blood feud with
the father of the intruder he bloodied?
It seems like a sure dance with the devil; so why is she making her way toward the
dance floor
A BBW Science Fiction Romance (with a steamy and irresistible HEA)
- - -

StarSet: Alien Seed (A Science Fiction Romance)

Intent on keeping the secret of the blood secure at all costs, Prince Kesh braves a ritual
that is utterly forbidden in the eyes of the Allied Forces. It is one that will bring the
memotics form into manifested being with the very power no one outside of Teleran
culture can know exists. It will mean escaping the royal pod with the hair he plucked from
the head of her corpse. It will mean calling her memotic spirit into his keep. And when he
has raised her, it will mean hunting down the fiends who would drain him of every drop of
blood in his body, down to the bone marrow to recover the DNA theyve stolen, but only if
he can undo the programming binding the coil of her consciousness and convince her to
lead him to them.
Falling in love with her is not a part of the plan.
A BBW, Scifi Warrior Prince Romance (set in the world of Starset and The
Darkanians Claim).
- - -

Gamma Raiders: The Space Pirate Prince: Alien Alpha

Science Fiction Romance
A BBW pilot and a sexy pirate join forces in the exciting debut of the Gamma
Raiders sci-fi romance series!
Never trust a Kamaran
Lana Riley has had it rough ever since the Kamarans took over her planet. The alien
overlords are responsible for her parents deaths, and even with her top-notch piloting
skills she can barely earn the money she needs to care for her seriously ill younger brother.
Especially a Kamaran pirate
When Lana and her best friend and co-pilot, Kira, accept a job flying cargo across the
Gamma quadrant, theyre hijacked by the notorious Gamma Raiders. Out of money and
out of options, they join the pirates crew in a desperate bid to keep Lanas little brother
alive.
Whos too gorgeous to resist
The pirates leader, Adaar, is the last man in the galaxy Lana should trust. Not only is
he a pirate, hes a Kamaran. Despite that, the attraction between them is undeniableand
growing ever stronger.
And is keeping secrets.
When Lana discovers that Adaar has been lying to her about his real identity, will it
shatter the bond between them? Or will they find a way to forge a new, stronger
relationship one with consequences for the entire galaxy?
Gamma Raiders: The Space Pirate Prince is full of action, adventure, humor, and
romance. Its a full-length novel with a HEA and no cliffhangers!
- - -

Gamma Raiders: Storm Squadron Alpha: SciFi Alien

Romance Novel
Can a BBW pilot and a sexy alien warrior find love in the midst of war?
Gamma Raiders continues with a second standalone novel packed with action,
adventure, humor, and romance!
One curvy pilot
Kira Thorne knows its time to take life seriouslyand with the Rebellion against the
Kamaran Empire in full swing, shes eager to do her part. Kiras an ace pilot but when
she auditions for the elite Storm Squadron fighter unit and chokes at the crucial moment, it
confirms all her worst insecurities.
She doesnt think shes good enoughfor the Squadron, or the impossibly hot
Kamaran who leads it. When he makes her a member anyway, becoming her commanding
officer, its time for Kira to conquer her fears and face her desires.
One sexy warrior
Commander Jaal leads the Storm Squadron. He knows the Rebellion needs Kiras
instincts and leadership skillsbut Jaal sees her beauty, and has to fight the instinct to
claim the spirited BBW for his own.
His role is to mentor her, not seduce her but since Kira wants him just as badly, its
not long before temptation proves too much for both of them.
And a life-or-death battle
When the rebels location is betrayed and the Empire attacks, Jaal finds a way to keep
Kira out of the fight but shes not about to let him risk himself alone.
With not only their lives, but the survival of the Rebellion at stake, Kira cant let
herself crack under the pressureshe must find a way to summon the strength Jaal
knows she possesses. Can the lovers lead the Squadron to victory or will their happy
future be cut short by the Empires tyranny?
Gamma Raiders: The Storm Squadron Alpha is a full-length, standalone sequel.
The roller-coaster ride leads to an HEA and no cliffhangers!
- - -

Alphas Uncaged 2 (Paranormal Shifter Romance Boxed Set)

10 HOT Paranormal Shifter Romance Stories
This is a follow-up collection to the bestselling boxed set, Alphas Uncaged.
Authors: Meredith Clarke, Ally Summers, Terra Wolf, Kit Fawkes, Clementine
Roux, James D Horton, Lorelei Moone, JS Wilder, Violet Cooler, Calista Skye
Luck of the Bear
Nine months ago, Paige Matthews boyfriend disappeared. So when the opportunity to
live with her aging grandmother in Salem arises, she decides its time to get on with her
life.
Ultan is a bear shifter in an elite Irish clan. Hes a protector, looking out for the weak
just as his ancestors have. But when his new assignment is a beauty whos life is
threatened, he struggles to separate business and pleasure. He has to have her, but how can
he when she doesnt even know he exists?
Fated Night
Ivys world is falling apart.
She thought she could balance life as a writer and as a witch, but she was wrong.
The only one who can help her is the man who destroyed her world. Her very hot,
magical, shifter ex.
The clock is working against her as Ivy fights to protect whats most important in her
life. She must rely on her time travel spell to reveal the evil pursuing those she loves. But
she cant do it without the man who broke her heart.
Bearing the Storm
Ivy Errickson was looking forward to her vacation, to a secluded cabin in the Alaskan
wilderness. She wasnt expecting to have to save a mans life the first night she was there.
Polar Bear shifter, Cort Olsen knows that there is something different about Ivy the
moment he meets her. Not only is he immediately attracted to her, he also realizes that she
does not know who she truly is.
Scottish Werebear: An Unexpected Affair
Romance novelist, Clarice Adler, has decided to lock herself away on the secluded
Scottish Isle of Skye to finish her manuscript. Upon meeting Derek McMillan there, it
seems shes found her new muse and the words start to flow out of her as if by magic.
Clarice falls for him, hard, despite knowing nothing about the man, except that hes
unavailable.
Temptation
Facing an arranged marriage to the Sundown Packs next Alpha, Elise escapes her
room on a full moon to spend a night embracing her wolf side. When she meets and mates
with a mysterious fellow wolf-shifter, they discover the next morning just how forbidden
their joining is, because Mical is an Omega.
A Shade of Alpha
Rayne is forced to leave her clan to become part of the human world. After a few years
she falls in love with a human, Thomas.
He gains her trust as she reveals her true form to him and gains word from the elder
that it is safe to return. Just when Thomas agrees to join her in the woods, he is nowhere to
be found. A search is conducted as Rayne goes crazy trying to find her true love, before it
is too late.
Wild Bear
 His rage may be too hot to handle
When Joe comes across trespassers in his territory the guns they carry are the least of
the danger. The greatest threat is Laura herself, whos about to steal his heart.
Her Secret Bear Protector
Keeping his hands off the mother of his cub might be the hardest thing he ever had to
do.
Lust. Urge. How long can a bear survive without breaking?
Bearly Brothers
Curvy Shifter Romance author Eva has big dreams and a vivid imagination, but she
never imagined that alpha shifters like those she creates for her novels would come
waltzing into her life in the form of sexy brothers.
Can love conquer all when a couple of Bear Shifters try to claim the same voluptuous
beauty as their mate?
The Darkanians Claim
An emergency landing in the wrong region soon has Peyton scrambling for resources
on an unallied planet she knows nothing about.
Sure shell succumb to death by starvation, elements, and even attack, she never
anticipates what she wakes up to: a shifter prince, hiding out in the wilds.
- - -

My Alien Prince: Claimed by the Derigaz

Hes a prince of the stars.
Shes an ordinary girl from Earth.
Can they be allowed to fall in love?
Jen Sullivan is the lowest of the low in the Earth delegation to the aliens called
Derigaz. Her boss is a junior assistant sub-secretary, and her most important task involves
carrying a bottle of skin lotion everywhere she goes.
But when the clumsy intern stumbles into the Derigaz Prince TarShoc, the most
powerful man in the galaxy, they soon find it impossible to think of anything but each
other.
Can a prince and future emperor really marry a fluffy Earth girl with borrowed shoes
and a tendency to trip over her own feet?
Powerful forces are vehemently opposed to such a union and will do anything to
prevent it, even if it means sending their own children to their deaths
My Alien Prince: Claimed by the Derigaz is a science-fiction romance with majestic
and sexy aliens, funny situations and death around every corner. And a steamy happy ever
after for our chunky and awkward heroine!
 The first installment of the My Alien Prince series of standalone stories!
- - -

My Alien Prince: Claimed by the Atrexu (SciFi BBW Alien

Romance)
He rules the galaxy.
She scrubs toilets.
For some, their love is just too dangerous.
The powerful Crown Prince ArRic of the Atrexu Empire needs to find a wife and
princess. But the women available to him in his Empire are all stick thin, and the Prince
strongly prefers curvy women.
When chunky and sassy Emily Fallon stumbles into his life, he cant believe his luck.
And she cant believe the sensationally handsome alien prince is really falling for her.
Theres only one problem: Hes a prince of the stars, and she scrubs space toilets for a
living.
When they start falling for each other, it soon becomes clear that not everyone wants a
curvy alien as Imperial princess. If they can prevent it, they dont care who dies. Or
how
My Alien Prince: Claimed by the Atrexu is a standalone science-fiction romance with
powerful and sexy aliens, funny situations, sneaky traitors and loyal friends. And a steamy
happy ever after for our curvy and sarcastic heroine!
Part of the My Alien Prince serial of standalone scifi romances with a royal theme!
- - -

The Kalets Claim

Nostalgic for home, Ki struggles with the summoning of the Kalet whose set his eyes
upon her with an intent to claim her mind, body, and soul. New to the ways of the Kalion
people, she strains to adjust to the possibility that she might never see Earth again.
But when the ship is attacked by acquisitioners, and shes rushed into a drop pod with
the Kalion royal, shes no longer able to deny the chemistry between them.
Will she succumb to his claim? Can she say goodbye to the only life shes ever
known?
A steamy, BBW, Science-Fiction romance!
- - -

Seshs Claim (BBW Scifi Romance)

Since her arrival on Tentas Eastern base and crossing paths with the mysterious king of
the planets Eastern region, Genies dreams have been overcome with images of the
strange royal and messages that seem to rise up from the very planet itself that soon make
it impossible to shake the beautiful alien from her mind.
When an invitation to his hovercraft arrives, she hesitates to answer it, though her
heart demands she answer her impossible response to the mysterious stranger. Shes heard
the stories about him, knows the perils of entering his Kingdom willingly.
Can she withstand the legendary allure of the King without losing herself, and when he
tells her shes the Queen of his heart, will she throw away everything and give into his
claim?
A steamy, BBW Science-Fiction romance!
- - -

The Darkanians Claim

An emergency landing in the wrong region soon has Peyton scrambling for resources on
an unallied planet she knows nothing about. Worse, when shes forced to leave her drop
pod to forage food, an errant step in the draining heat of the dark wilds has her swinging
from a tree with both feet caught in the deathgrip of apparently sentient, alien vines.
Sure shell succumb to death by starvation, elements, and even attack, she never
anticipates what she wakes up to: a shifter prince, hiding out in the wilds.
Gruff and seeming to take little romantic interest in her, the man-bear soon fails to
deny the passion burning between them, but will he risk placing her in the crosshairs of
the attack hes sure will come when the Kings soldiers find them? How can he let her go
when hes absolutely sure shes his mate?
When theres nowhere to run, the only way is through. With a mate by his side, he can
take leadership of his people. Will he face the perils that surround their mating, and claim
whats rightfully his?
- - -

Alien Prince Seeing BBW Bride: First Love

A Second Chance Science Fiction Romance
Series: Alpha Mail Order Brides
Whats the best way to move on after bitter breakup? Explore the universe!
Sally still hasnt forgotten her first love, but its obvious hes forgotten all about her.
Thats alright. Her dream was to explore the universe, not pine after the sexy alien who
rejected her. Theres only one problem with her plan: exploring the universe is expensive
and Sally is broke.
 Enter Alpha Mail Order Brides. They promise adventure and true love. Sally couldnt
be happier with this arrangementuntil her teleportation device is hacked and she finds
herself at the mercy of a very pissed off alien prince.
Luckily, shes saved by an outlaw whos hiding more than just a few dark secrets.
Though they get along about as well as oil and water, its obvious hes into her and her
curves. Still, the alien rogue refuses to give in to whatever is building between them and
shuts Sally out.
But some secrets cant stay buried, and some desires cant be ignored. Sally thought
wanted the truth, but can she handle it?
- - -

Saved by the Alien Alpha

Can an aliens forbidden love with an Earth girl save humanity?
Ashley Carter is a fiercely independent Earth girl, with a big heart and a thirst for
adventure. On a mission to save the world from itself, shes committed to spreading a
message that will change the world.
AJakri is the first officer of a TKali ship bound for Earth. Charged with evaluating
humanity, he must determine whether theyre on the cusp of evolution or an existential
threat to the galaxy that needs to be eradicated.
When AJakri discovers that his destiny is inextricably to Ashley through the lifemate
bond, humanitys fate becomes personal.
Getting mixed up with a sexy-as-hell alien wasnt the adventure that Ashley had in
mind. But when a freak accident threatens her life, AJakri beams her aboard the ship to
save her. Will their forbidden love convince the TKali that Earth is worth saving?
Saved by the Alien Alpha is a stand-alone science-fiction romance with sexy aliens, a
lovable heroine, and a deliciously steamy ending with no cliffhanger.
- - -

Fusion (SciFi Alien Romance)

Their love threatens to undo all.
It was supposed to be a simple job. Quick and easy. Yet things never go Cadet Merea
Thesons way not ever.
And when her actions on board the TeVanian Space Station clash with Tekri
VAbens, the Security Commanding Officer the hottest alien she ever did see the
imminent Ambassadorial peace talks are put in dire jeopardy.
Will the force that brought them together be everlasting or will their love crumble at
the first sign of opposition?
- - -
Stars Apart - Stowaway: (Sci-Fi Alien Romance Part One)
When an extra-terrestrial attack on London during her lunch break sees Helen accidentally
beamed on board the ship of a seemingly emotionless alien prince, all she wants to do is
go home.
However, bound by duty to return to his planet for his arranged marriage, Prince
Lanek, heir to the throne of Asiroth, would rather let her out into open space than go all
the way back to Earth.
Persuaded instead to drop her off en route at the nearest space station a couple of
weeks away, he agrees to let her live, an act which will go on to have far-reaching
consequences, because the feelings they develop for each other along the way could
change the course of history for both their worlds, and bring others to destruction.
Part one of the Stars Apart space opera romance!
- - -

Rorie Nebula (A Science Fiction Romance)

Rories not accustomed to visiting the lower decks, but she cant resist her best friends
prompting after the first signs of fount-activation leave her yearning for a mental escape.
Crossing paths with a rogue, dust rider never factored into the evenings plans, but when it
means avoiding a run-in with dastardly aquistioners, she finds herself immensely thankful
that the universe has sent her an escape hatch.
She doesnt count on the near-instant attraction she feels for the rider, or the fact that
shell have to get used to life on the wrong side of the ramps if shes to accept his help.
Is she ready to live the life of a galactic outlaw? Can she even resist the intensity of
her connection with the angelic rider who promises her freedom from the drudgery of
official service and the wild world among the hidden space dust colonies shes been
taught to fear for as long as she can remember?
A steamy sci-fi adventure romance with a satisfying happy ending destined for your
rereading shelf.

***
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 Epilogue
- Sophia -
We walk all day long in a direction thats almost directly away from where Jaxzans
village is located. The terrain is different here, more hilly and with more grassland and
less jungle. We pass clear streams, little lakes and even swamps that Jaxzan walks large
arcs around. Bad things in swamps, is all he will say about it, as far as I can tell. I
understand most of the words, and the rest are pretty obvious.
Im happy. Its the weirdest thing! Im stranded on an alien planet and things really
arent looking that good for us, even with Jaxzan to help. But to me, hes more than just a
warrior and hunter who will make it easier for us to survive. Hes my husband now. And
hes a much better husband than I ever dreamed Id find. A real man. A gentle giant who
has come close to dying for me a whole bunch of times now. Hes beyond anything I ever
thought a man could be, and my mind reels every time I look at him.
Thats my husband.
My brain has trouble processing it. That is my husband!
I find myself grinning happily at random times. With Jaxzan beside me, everything
seems possible.
We keep walking in silence. The tuna can is the only thing that connects us to space
and to the kidnappers and to the only way home to Earth, and now weve left it. Were all
very conscious of it. This is pretty irreversible. Weve accepted that were stuck here.
Stranded on a jurassic planet. The hope of rescue is gone, and now we have to make the
most of it.
I realize that I accepted that a good while ago. When I struck out on my own to find
Jaxzan and his village, that was part of the reason. I knew we were stranded. For good. Of
course, the other reason was that I longed for him to the point where I became reckless.
Well, it worked out. So far.
Finally we climb up onto a rocky hill and Jaxzan points to the opening to the caves.
At first we cant see it at all. We have to go all the way up to it to see that theres an
opening and not just a sheer cliff covered with clinging vines.
Thats good, I state. If its hard for us to see, itll be hard for our enemies to find,
too.
Caroline smiles tiredly. Youre thinking like a native to this planet. We should
probably get used to that.
Its a fertile area, and I hear the tinkling of running water nearby. The trees are heavy
with colorful fruits and the bushes bear nuts and berries. I think food and water will not be
a problem anymore. Thats a big help.
We walk up to the opening in the rock, then stop and look at each other. Were
reluctant to check out the cave. I think were all afraid of what well find. It might not be
everything we want or need it to be.
So this is home now, Aurora says. Its not bad. We havent seen any dactyls, at
least.
We look back at Bune, the place we came from. Its miles away, but its the tallest
mountain here, so its easy to see.
I wipe sweat off my forehead. Well, I wont miss the tuna can. Or the dactyls or that
damn river that we couldnt drink from. Good riddance.
The girls nod and mumble agreement. Were all tired and the others are downbeat. Im
newly married, and Ive decided to feel great today, no matter what. There will be many
opportunities to feel bad, but Ill cherish my wedding day forever. Thats an easy decision
to make.
We pass the canteen around and drink the rest of the juice.
Caroline is still staring back at Bune, towards the mountain where the tuna can is.
Shes got a frown on her face.
Sophia, she says, and her voice has a strange tremble to it. If you look at the top of
that mountain and you squint a little doesnt that look like something else?
The sun is low behind the trees and I shield my eyes with one hand. From this angle, a
part of the mountain near the top is rounded and strangely symmetric. Unnaturally so. And
it has a sharp edge that seems perfectly circular. Theres green vegetation all over it, so I
cant see any specific details. But the color is different than the rest of the mountain below,
lighter and somehow more even.
My hand flies unbidden to my mouth. Ive seen my share of sci-fi movies and then
some. I recognize a rocket engine nozzle when I see one. And Im looking at one right
now.
No, two.
No, six. At least. Theres a whole cluster of giant rocket engines pointing towards us
from Bune. Theyre totally overgrown and must have been there for eons. But theyre still
unmistakable.
And beyond them
Oh my stars. Its enormous. Weve been living right on top of it for weeks without
recognizing it for what it is.
I swallow in a throat that has suddenly gone dry.
Yeah, I say, struggling to keep my voice from shaking. Thats a spaceship.
- - -
Calista Skye 2017
 - - -
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