"I promise you" I whispered softly, "they are not taking you to a treatment facility for radiation poisoning. They are transporting you to Jupiter to be recycled." I used the human word for execution to try to convince the slánaitheoir that I was just like her, human. Something that I was unfortunately not. Among the alien species of the galaxy, we were the only ones capable of appearing humanoid. I glanced at my watch. Nine minutes remaining.
Samantha's crystal blue eyes widened in fear. "What? You're lying. I am the daughter of the commander. The empire cannot touch me." She waved her hand in my face perhaps in the same way she dismissed her servants.
I grabbed her hand roughly. "Samantha. You have to listen to me. I have been sent here to protect you. We don't have much time before the alarm is tripped." Eight minutes remaining.
"I don't understand. Why would you set off the alarm if you were trying to escape?"
"It allows us to temporarily violate the airlock to enter an escape pod while in warp drive" Again I referenced human television phrases despite my race having more sophisticated terminology for the technology humans stole from us.
Samantha twirled a perfect golden lock between her fingers. "I'm not a prisoner and as long as my mother the great commander of the Silsaq Imperium is alive, no one would dare lay a hand on me. I am not sure which of the men put you up to pulling this prank on me, but I assure you I will double their offer so you can leave me in peace to relax." She attempted to usher me to the door. Six minutes.
I gently massaged my temples. All the years I spent reading about human culture and art of persuasion would be for naught if I couldn't convince her to our cause.
"Samantha look out your window, what do you see?"
She drew the sunshield and peered at the vast immense of space. "I see, a waste of my time"
I rolled my eyes. "Over here" I pointed out the small cluster visible outside a planetary hue. "What are those?"
She grabbed her telescopic glasses and peered more closely. Her voice trembled. "Those are moons."
"Yes Samantha. There is only one planet in the human solar system with that many moons. Did you pack an umbrella? Because I hear the iron rain is lovely this time of year."
Her eyes locked on mine. "Who are you? What do you want?" Four minutes.
"I am your protector."
YOU ARE READING
The Reckoning
Ciencia FicciónIn the aftermath of the Coronavirus plaque, the world fell into unrest. Conflict and nuclear war led to the destruction of most plant and animal life on Earth. With no where to go but the stars, the human race has colonized and exploited the galax...
