Species XD-63

The Briefing

Lola became hyperaware of his dark presence, causing her to squirm in her seat. The man dwarfed Lola, at least two heads taller. But she had to concentrate on the stage as the briefing was just starting.

The letter that had been sent out originally was void of any detailed information, only stating that it was a breeding programme linking the two species. So, hopefully, the material she was about to receive would fill in the blanks of her mind.

The speaker took a step away from the front of the stage and his colleague stepped up, crossing his arms over the front of his chest. He must've been the doctor, at least he held himself like a medical man.

"You must listen up. Everyone." The Xyon doctor's voice was low and guttural - his stance imperious.

He held everyone's attention in the room, his presence like a magnet.

"I'm going to explain everything that you need to know. Being part of this breeding programme, you are supporting the Xyon race to succeed. You will carry on this generation," His voice held so much enthusiasm, Lola found herself feeling proud of joining, "After this briefing, you will enter the pods to be sent to our ship. At the moment, our ship is simply orbiting your planet and it will be your home for the first few months of the programme. Each female and her mate will share accommodation on board - allowing time to get to know each other. You will have 3 months of bonding time and by the end of it, you are expected to be pregnant. If not, insemination will be the other option. If bonding is difficult for you and your mate, sessions will be offered to speed up the process."

Lola found it difficult to imagine bonding with the statue sitting behind her, but looks could be deceiving. Maybe he was a sweet little teddy bear who loves cuddles and long walks on the beach.

Yeah, no.

He was the best warrior from his section and the pearl scar across his face certainly proved that. The man could break a neck with the flick of his wrist if those muscles proved anything; a danger. Compared to him, Lola felt immensely dull. She wasn't tall (around 5'4") and certainly wasn't a lot to look at. She didn't have the scars, the blue skin and the threatening aura that he possessed. They said that their partners had been matched and they were perfect for each other. So what do they have in common? So far, not much.

"Does anyone have any questions?" The doctor asked.

One girl shot her hand up immediately, waving it furiously so the doctor would notice. Of course, he did.

"Yes, you."

"Um, well, you said that you matched us. What did you use to match us with, exactly?"

It was like the girl read Lola's mind. What did they use?

"That's a very good question. We used the information you gave us on the forms you filled earlier on. We deciphered your personality to the best of our ability from the information you gave us and simply matched. The Xyon who had a personality which clicked was chosen. Simple."

She didn't want to knock the Xyon's ability to play matchmaker completely, but there seemed to be little similarities between her and Egris.

"Any more questions?"

No one else raised their hand, causing the doctor to take a step back and stand next to the speaker.

"Alright, make your way to the back of the room and towards the double doors. We will be entering the pods soon. Two couples per pod, please. And all Xyons, you must stay with your mate. That's an order." The speaker boomed, finishing his command with a star glare the males on the second row.

There was the screech of chairs and patter of feet as everyone stood up. Lola lifted her case from the ground, stumbling slightly from the weight of it. From the corner of her eyes, she could see the aliens helping the girls with their bags. She turned towards the direction were Egris was sitting, but he had already left the row and was making long strides towards the double doors.

Well then. That's nice.

Letting out an aggravated sigh, Lola resorted to dragging her case instead across the laminated floor. This earned a few looks from the Xyon men who noticed the lack of her mate. They stuck to their chosen female like glue, offering any assistance they could. But Lola didn't mind too much. After all, they had just met and she didn't know what to expect from a man like Egris. so far, not much.

She finally pulled up to the double doors and wiped away the sheen of sweat building up on her top lip. Lola didn't know why she packed so much, but she was heavily regretting that decision now. Egris was at the front of the line, checking a small device on his wrist every minute or so. He didn't once look back at her and Lola preferred that. She really didn't know what to say to him. He was an alien for god sake! What were you meant to say in situations like these?

The sound of determined footsteps caused Lola to whip her head back. The Doctor and Speaker were marching down the strip in the middle of the chairs, their hands dug deep into their pockets. The Speakers eyes immediately darted from her to Egris.

"I thought I said all couples stay together?" he scolded, looking directly into the pupils of Egris.

The Xyon didn't say anything but shot the Speaker a warning scowl as he slipped from the front of the line. He took slow, haunting steps towards her, desperate to drag out the time as long as possible.

Was she that bad?

When he stopped by Lola's side, she could finally take in just how tall he was. She had never met someone with such an impressive height and it caused her to cower slightly. Egris took one look at the case behind Lola and darted towards it. She jumped back, unsure of his intentions, but sighed in relief when he grabbed the case. He lifted it off the ground like it weighed nothing, which to him, it probably did.

"Lola, right?" his deep, gravelly voice caught her off guard.

Lola lifted her eyes up to him and paused for a second, her voice tightening around her throat. She was talking to a man from space. And it was not like films or books, it was surreal and caused her palms to sweat. 

"Yes?" Lola croaked, inwardly cringing at the sound of her voice.

He nodded once and turned to look at the door just as it slid open.