Ethereal Lives: A Romantic Sci-Fi Novel

Chapter 3

Ariane's speed increased as she paced between the bed and table in her current prison. None of this made sense. People didn't get kidnapped by aliens. Alright, some people claimed to be. You saw them in the tabloids, next to women who said they were having Bigfoot's baby, but everyone knew they were residents of crazy town. She paused her pacing and glared at the four white walls. Her eyes ran to the small window, showing the stars outside. It appeared she was now a resident too, complete with a bus pass, library card, and straightjacket.

Ax had changed into a tall grey creature. The more she thought of it, the more her mind rebelled against what she'd seen. It wasn't possible. Her hand shot to the injection site on her neck. Maybe she was hallucinating or still asleep. Yes, that's it, she must be asleep, and the heat from the beach was giving her crazy dreams. All she had to do was wake up.

Rushing to the bed, she lay down, closed her eyes, and counted to ten in her head before opening them again. The same white ceiling was above her. Sitting up she fluffed the pillow, then tried once more. This time, she lay down, closed her eyes, and counted to twenty. Unfortunately, she still wasn't greeted by clear blue sky when she reopened them. Trying one last attempt to wake herself, she pinched her own arm as hard as she could. The pain she felt confirmed she was awake.

It could only mean Ax was telling the truth. Earth was destroyed. Surprisingly, she didn't feel as upset as one would expect. Yes, she had lost her home but what else? An admin job she didn't much like. She didn't really have any friends to speak of. There were a few acquaintances she was sorry to lose, but after a childhood of being passed from one foster home to another, she'd learnt not to get too attached to anyone or anything.

She had no pets, no family to miss. The only thing that really made her sad was the loss of her house. She'd just decorated it exactly as she wanted after getting a mortgage. It had been her sanctuary, the one place she wouldn't be forced to move from, and it was gone. But then, she was the lucky one, she survived. Dampness developed in the corner of her eyes. She quickly blinked it away. Dwelling on everyone else's fate wouldn't help her now.

So, she was the last human, a prisoner to be sold to the highest bidder. Not really a future to look forward to.

A small smile curled her lips. On the other hand, being the last of her kind made her rare, expensive, and even priceless. The aliens wouldn't risk hurting her. She was worth too much to them. Perhaps her future wasn't quite so bleak after all, and if she could find a way to escape... the sky, or rather the universe, was the limit.

Climbing off the bed, she worked her way along the wall feeling for hidden panels. It wasn't long before she came across her first. Giving it a push, it popped open, with a click, to reveal clothes. They were men's trousers and shirts, both white. What was it with these people and white? How did they keep everything clean? Well, anything was better than being stuck in a swimsuit and sarong. Pulling the trousers on she tied her sarong around them as a belt to keep them up, then slid the shirt on over her swim suit, tying it loosely at her waist.

She continued feeling along the wall. By the time she completed a full circuit she'd discovered bedding, various items of clothing, a mirror, one of those nifty panels that changed the light colour, and a number of other unidentifiable things.

She returned to the panel by the door. Pushing didn't open the doorway so it must be locked. The buttons beeped as she pressed a few experimentally, she jumped in surprise when a voice suddenly asked, "What are you doing?"

"Ax?" she asked, scanning the room.

"Press the yellow button," he said in an exasperated voice.