Dante’s Command: Scifi Alien Abduction Romance (Science Fiction Alien Romance) (Survival Wars Book 1) (9 page)

It was impossible to believe that after all she had gone
through, the biggest challenge was suddenly a lack of inspiration.

In the time it took to clean up the remnants of the Mites
after fighting them back, Mariella and Dante, and her two assistants, managed
to rebuild nearly everything that had been destroyed. The room still stank a
little but at least it looked immaculate again.

But, now that the preparations of the Zenith Grid Junior
–the name amused her, though Dante simply didn’t get the joke- were nearing
completion, she’d run into the issue of exactly how she was going to ensure
that they didn’t simply short out from prolonged exposure to the heat.
Actually, they were already having the same problem with the solar panels on
the surface, too. Technically, they worked flawlessly. She couldn’t have been
happier about how efficient they were, and the Drones seemed to be wandering
around in a better mood than before, but they were constantly having to send
out teams back to the surface to unhook the panels so they would cool down.

Back on earth, there was a period of no solar activity for
the Grid to cool off during, but up here, there was nothing.

And down in the lava vents? Forget about it.

But, nothing she had tried so far was working. It was
maddening, nearly infuriating to be stuck so close, but she knew that sitting
there in a fog would only make things worse. There was only one thing to do,
and that was to go for a walk.

If she hadn’t been here all along, she would have noticed
the difference. The lights were a fraction brighter. The Drones walked a bit
slower through the tunnels, as though they were no longer hurrying quite as
swiftly from one place to another. In fact, they no longer spent forever in the
tunnels.

Her walk took her out to the main cavern, where she saw some
children scampering after each other under the watchful eye of their male
keepers. Some others were speaking, buzzing to each other in muted, calm tones.
And others were by themselves, some eating, and the rest just tilting their
heads back to look up at the ceiling.

Mariella wondered what they thought about, but she had no
way of asking.

Suddenly, one of the children fell. Mariella turned to watch
a female alien leap out from nowhere and start buzzing and growling at the
keepers, who backed away submissively. The child was already up and running
around again, but the furious scolding continued.

And then the female smacked one of the hapless males. Anger
surged up in her stomach, her hand balling into a fist, and she started
forward.

“Don’t,” a voice said from behind her.

She stopped, looking down to see Dante’s warm hand wrapped
around her wrist. An instant flush came over her body, tingling down deep
inside her. “Oh,” she said, startled that he was staying so close to her.
“How…how long have you been here?”

“I just arrived,” he said, and it was an obvious lie. She knew
in that instant that he’d been watching her, maybe even following her. The
warmth inside her deepened, but it was strange and not quite attraction. Was it
affection?

He released his grip, and then pointed past her with the
same hand to where the female was still laying into the males about letting the
Drone child come to harm. “Do you see?”

Mariella kept watching the scene, though she knew that
wasn’t what he was talking about. Her heart tightened with that warmth,
twisting with sweetness, as he started to explain. “I understand that things
are different where you used to live. For both of us, I am sorry that our
experience went so awry.” He blushed a little, but kept going. “But, I am
asking you to understand that this is what we grow up seeing and knowing. This
is our life, the way we live. Males are simply not valued, though it is
understood that we are a continuation of life. That is all we are, however.

“Do you understand why I act and feel the way I do?”

“Yes,” she said very quietly. She’d understood all along,
but it meant the world to her that he would sit here and explain. “I’m so sorry
I pressured you.”

He shook his head. “You pressured me but you did not force
those feelings upon me. They were my feelings all along.” He sighed and turned his
head to look at her. His eyes were brilliant, glowing brighter than the lights
as the Hive life continued on around them. “Mariella, do not be mistaken. I do
have feelings for you. I just don’t know what to do with them.”

Her heart suddenly filled, and so did her eyes. Tears sprang
up to spill down her face. “Oh, Dante,” she whispered, and would have thrown
herself into his arms. Instead, she just settled for holding his hands in hers.
He didn’t move away, or look away. “I know you don’t. And this is such a
confusing time for everyone. But, please. Please, Dante, don’t discount us? We
don’t have to do anything until all this blows over. We can talk more
afterward, if you like. To figure things out.”

He nodded. “I would like that, yes. I would like it very
much.”

As she returned to her lab, the solution occurred to her
that the problem lay within the stability of her catalyst: it worked too well.
If, perhaps, she could find a way so to lessen its functionality somehow, it
might never overheat.

It would be much easier simply to build some sort of timed
mechanism but she had to want to completely disturb the lives of these people.
That would be inhumane, to force them to adjust to an entirely new way of life
just to save her two or three more days of work. After all, it would be part of
their entire lives –and hers, actually. She had plans after this. Even if Dante
offered to return her, that just wasn’t an option anymore.

Everyone would think I was crazy if I even tried to explain
any of this,
she thought, and then shook her head with amusement at
herself. No use thinking about something that wouldn’t happen, right?

The assistants in the lab looked up to greet her with stiff
waves, a habit they had picked up from her. She smiled at them, checked their
progress on the latest series of panels, and then headed over to her station at
the rear of the lab. “If this works out, I’ll need to think about getting some
more hands here,” she murmured, picking up the nearest tool, and set to work.

Dante was the only reason she took breaks for the next long
while. He had the free time he’d been looking for, currently focusing on
crafting a translation bracelet for her. From his table at the other back
corner of the room, she could feel him keeping an eye on her. And if it wasn’t
for him, she would have worked straight through all her needs like she had so
often on Earth. It was incredibly sweet that he watched out for her, though. He
dragged her to eat, and then to her room again for sleep.

All evidence pointed to him sleeping in the tunnel just
outside her room so that he could be there when she woke, as well. That was
perhaps the sweetest thing of all.

When the last piece of the new and improved Grid slid into
place, Mariella paused and stared down at the construction before her. It
resembled a regular solar panel, and was not at all part of the complicated
displays which supplied African villages before, but there were noticeable
differences in the curved shape and the jagged adaptions around the edges.
Those mechanisms would make it harder to carry but they were important; formed
of Venusian materials, they were vital in that she would be using them to begin
making the actual Grid connections. In addition to that, they would short out
when overheated, but start back up again when they were cooled off.

Enough of these, installed at all different times, and the
short-outs would never be noticeable.

I worked on these so long, I almost don’t know what to do
with myself.

It was true, though. Though her outlook on the future was
bright, what was she supposed to do after this, really?

For a moment, a dull sort of panic swelled up inside her. It
consumed her thoughts, raking claws of cold down her spine as she suddenly went
spiraling down inside her own thoughts. Lost and confused, she looked around,
bewildered, trying to seek answers and finding none.

“Mariella?”

Dante,
she thought, and looked up at him. He was
watching her with round eyes, obviously concerned.

“Are you okay?” he asked softly, his hum very nearly a purr
in its earnestness.

She kept looking up at him, letting his gaze cement her back
inside herself. No, there was no need to panic. She did have a future here,
after all. It involved Dante, and furthering the Hive. Who knew? They might
someday soon rid themselves of the Mites and blossom back into a thriving
society. Just because she was finished with this prototype didn’t mean she was
going to be without work, as well. The rest of her life could very well be
spent doing exactly here what she was doing on her own planet; in addition,
there was the possibility of actually being able to spend her life with
someone.

Someone very special.

Swallowing hard, she shook her head a little to clear her
thoughts and then resumed looking up at him. “Yes,” she said softly. “I’m okay.
I just got a little bit excited about this, that’s all. After all, this is the
first finished panel. It’s the next generation of the Grid, and if it works,
that means a whole lot.”  She struggled a little to find the words. “It means
so many different things.”

“Yes,” he murmured, and shyly lay his hand on hers. How
strange it was that such a powerful grip that could rend enemies in half should
be so gentle with her. “I know what you mean. This could change everything.”

Mariella sighed softly and nodded. “So, what should we do
now? Is there a way to tell the Queen about all this now that we’re ready?”

“You leave that to me,” the alien said kindly. “I know you
won’t want to go to sleep but you should rest here in the chair while I go and
fetch her. The royal procession very rarely descends so far even as this, but
convincing Her Majesty to travel to the very bottom of the mines? That will be
quite the feat in and of itself but I perhaps know a way around it.”

“What is it?” she asked. He didn’t look very happy, whatever
it was.

“The females do not like to walk very far below their upper
stations, as I said. But perhaps if they were not to talk…”

Suppressing a laugh, she said, “What, you mean that you’d
have to carry them?”

He grimaced and then nodded. “I am afraid so.”

She laughed some more, but then suddenly thought about what
he’s said. The females didn’t like to go so far down? “But what about that
woman we saw who was literally on the ground level? And all the ones we passed
when we first got here?”

A funny, uncomfortable little smile danced over his face. “I
knew her. She was a young mother. They can be protective of their first brood
but after that, the experience tends to lessen.”

Brood?

His smile widened and yet shrank at the same time. “And
those others you saw were interrupted lovers.”

Oh.

“Yes, even we will break boundaries to be with our mates.
But, I do not think that we truly believe in a love such as that. It is not our
way.”

“Not their way,” she pointed out. “How do you feel?”

He looked away, and she backed off. “Okay. Anyway. If you
don’t mind?”

“Not at all.”

The alien stood, towering over her. She kept her face where
it was, admiring the soft bulge between his legs from where it was right next
to her face. And then he leaned in, softly petting her hair. She struggled to
keep control of herself, not wanting to ruin the sweet moment by gasping for
breath, but she was still glad when he finally moved away.

Alone then, but not truly, she leaned back in her chair and
wished for true solitude. There was no way she would be able to rest like this,
not with her clit throbbing and excited.

Somehow though, she must have fallen asleep anyway though
because she only came to when someone shook her shoulder. It was Dante, leaning
over her again. This time, Mariella was smart enough to keep looking up at his
eyes instead of his package. “Is it time?” she asked.

“Yes,” he replied. “The Queen waits outside.”

“Already?” she asked, alarmed. Leaping to her feet, she
noticed that the two assistants were already gone. “Why didn’t you come ahead
and warn me so that I could be ready?”

That uncomfortable look flicked across his face again. “You
will see. I apologize but it seems as though you will be carrying your equipment
yourself.”

She frowned a little, and then kicked herself for being so
prissy and stupid. “Okay,” she said. “You lead and I’ll follow.”

Quickly, hurrying to think of everything, she grabbed up as
many of the tools from her worktable as she could, slung the necessary wires in
a loop over both shoulders, and then hefted the heavy panel up in her arms.
Almost immediately, her shoulders started to ache, but she staggered out of the
room with her head held high to greet the royal procession.

Almost immediately, she saw why Dante wouldn’t be able to
help her.

The Queen was being carried, having swapped out her throne
for a hefty sheet of diamond which was being supported by a number of men.
Dante was amongst their number, gripping a protruding gemstone pole with all
his might. Every alien was straining and sweating, looking distinctly
displeased. And beyond the Queen, there were more alien females in various
states of aloftment. Quite honestly, this was the most unified she had ever
seen them, and the most Drones she had ever seen at once, for sure.

“Oh,” she said, and then bowed her head over all her
equipment. “My Queen.”

“Yes,” the Queen said, by way of greeting. “You will follow
us, human.”

And follow she did, down and down and down. She fell in line
behind the struggling men, watching Dante’s butt and back muscles to distract
herself from the outrageous pain in her arms. The further they descended, the
more jagged the tunnels grew. These were not the living quarters, worn smooth
by eons of passage. No, these were rippled from being formed by pure molten
earth and burning hot to touch. Even the ground beneath her thick leather boots
grew painful, and her face felt flushed and humid.

For the first time in what must have been weeks, she felt
her breath become labored. This was too far. Too far for the scant ventilation
to bother with. Every breath, heat took her air more and more, and gave back
littler each time. Then, suddenly, they stood out in the open.

Mariella gasped.

If she had thought the main living cavern was enormous, she
had no idea of the scale of anything until she stood here in the belly of a
dormant volcano.

This truly was hell.

There was no need for light here. The lava provided it all,
a vast sea of burning orange and white and red. It had not settled at all, had
not cooled or formed cracks even on the surface. No, this lava shifted in and
out smoothly as a tide, far beneath the face of the wide cliff where they
stood. And, as she looked out, she saw deep streaks of diamond glittering low
on the walls.

I can’t imagine why no one has harvested that yet,
she
thought sarcastically.

The Queen turned to her. Rather, the Queen gestured and her
bearers turned her. “Human,” the tiny monarch commanded, “demonstrate for us.”

“Of course,” Mariella said quickly, and hurried with her
burdens over to the edge of the cliff. Looking down, she saw exactly what she’d
been hoping for. The side of the cliff was not a straight drop but a gradual
slope with deep paths cut into it that wrapped around the natural descent.
There was plenty of space here to build generations and generations of Zenith
Grid Juniors.

Zenith Grid the 42
^nd
,
she thought, and
laughed to herself with delight. This was brilliant. It was pure, wonderful
ecstasy!

Smiling broadly, she turned her head to look back at Dante.
Though he was grimacing, stricken with pain and aching, he smiled back at her
and it was as genuine as could be.

Holding it in her mind, she began the descent.

It took a good twenty minutes of very carefully choosing her
footing to get all the way down. One wrong step was all it would take to end
everything, but eventually she managed to get to a point nearest the edge. And
then she took another step forward, and then another. That was it, the absolute
limits of her heat tolerance. As it was, sweat flooded down her face and into
her eyes, soaking her hair.

Honestly, she was a mess. A sticky, disgusting, triumphant
mess.

Crouching down, she placed the panel down at arm’s length so
that it would absorb as much heat as possible. With that done, she picked up
the wires in her slippery fingers and began the laborious process of hooking
everything up to the simple light she brought along as an example.

Almost before she even plugged the light in, it blazed on so
hot and bright that she heard gasps. Tilting her head back, she saw all of the
Drones who had come down here with her, peering over the cliff face.

And, the Queen was standing on her own two feet, cheering
wordlessly. In a split second, everyone else began to hum and shrill with pure
triumph. Their buzzes filled the heated, sloshing air.

Dante beamed at her from so far above. Grinning and
ecstatic, her heart about to hammer out of her throat, Mariella put her arms in
the air and called out his name. “I did it!” she screamed. “I did it! We did
it!”

But, the peace didn’t last.

Right before her eyes, a Drone stumbled and sailed off the
edge of the cliff.

Time seemed to slow down.

Mariella screamed again, her voice abruptly deep in her own
ears as she watched the Drone female tumble hard, crashing with dreadful thumps
against every outcropping on the way down. Eventually, she slid to a halt with
half her body submerged in fire. She made no sound, her neck snapped. Death had
been instant.