CHAPTER 35
Rina
It was a calm, light-jacket day, the air crisp and clean. Rina was sitting atop the hillside overlooking the City of Light. Except for the hundreds of dried-up trees within and around the city, Salera was beautiful. The pink-purple sky with its three suns reflected the brilliant rainbow colors of the odd-shaped buildings, sparkling as if covered with diamonds. Light purple-colored grass and dazzling flowers covered the mountainside.
This place must have been awesome in its heyday, she thought.
She glanced back at the Krystal Palace, an enormous white structure rivaling any castle on Earth. Even from the distance of two miles, it was clearly the center of authority on Salera. Its height was well over a thousand feet with twenty turrets rising into the clouds. Kalin refused to enter the palace and, in fact, wouldn’t allow anyone entrance. He said for now he wanted the palace and its grounds to remain as they were.
His pain is so deep, she thought, and expected.
He’d ordered another ship, smaller than the Ignis, to be docked on the surface as their living quarters, a sphere-shaped vessel called the Ristan. At half a mile wide, it resembled a small, opal-colored moon hovering just above the grass. Everyone respected Kalin’s wishes, including Rina, even though it gnawed at her not to see the inside of the palace. It was magnificent.
Her thoughts returned to Earth. The news said the planet had been stable for over six weeks. She wondered how the Oridians were dealing with the new devices they couldn’t reach because of REM shields.
Shiro was lying on the grass next to her with his hands clasped behind his head. Nearby, an immense tree whose breadth was close to the size of a football field stood lifeless, layers of white bark peeling off, its leaves long gone from the hefty branches.
It must have provided good shade at one time.
“Let me get this straight,” said Shiro. “What you’re saying is that on Earth, your dad couldn’t find the ore he needed to create the perfect Seismic Depth Locator, so instead, he used the Rycon to alter a metal close enough to its properties and thus was able to invent the SDL. But why stop there? He could’ve kept going with even more super inventions.”
“Because Earth-humans need to progress at their own rate,” she said, “and not be handed powerful devices that could be used to destroy life.”
“So why didn’t he heal himself after Bauman shot him?”
“Because he wasn’t wearing the ring at the time.”
“Aah...I see. Hey, look at that.” He pointed up. A fireball shot across the sky.
A meteor? she thought. Or is it Dad?
Justin was ecstatic when Kalin gave him the Ignis. This was the happiest she’d ever seen him and it was hard to keep him out of the ship. He said the vessel needed a major upgrade, which kept him busy. On rare occasions, he actually left the ship to spend time with her. Marante never left his side, always studying, constantly amazed at the new sciences he was learning.
Two months ago, life was simple; now it was full of wonders. Justin said her Verlean chemistry was beginning to assert itself. Her senses were becoming keener, sharper, and this she liked.
She heard footsteps from behind. It was Kalin. He plopped down beside her. Although he was the most pig-headed man she’d ever met, he was definitely a looker. He was sitting with one leg bent inward, the other stretched out straight as he leaned on his side facing her. Not wanting him to know she was checking him out, she shifted her eyes without turning her head.
Kalin was a physically perfect man with thick beautiful black hair down to his shoulders, radiant green eyes, bulging muscles aching to be touched and a gorgeous smile to make any woman melt. So why didn’t she have feelings for him? Was she abnormal? He’d saved Earth and millions of people, so what was wrong with her? It had to be the tons of women he’d had in the past. The thought of living with a man whose eyes couldn’t stay focused was something she could not accept. Kalin was a womanizer and there was no way she’d hook up with a guy like him. He ran his fingers through his black hair.
Still...he is gorgeous.
“So what gives, beautiful?” he said.
She hated the mindless nametags. They were more proof of his womanizing.
“Whatever happened,” she said, “I didn’t do it.”
He laughed aloud. “So you admit you may have started something.”
“Yeah,” she said, chuckling. “It’s my way.”
He scooted closer and an uneasy feeling shot through her. His scent was light and airy, sort of like the famous Veltar Cologne on Earth. Dense black lashes surrounded his green eyes, where splashes of light brown made the perfect blend for seduction.
“We have to talk about us,” he said softly.
“Yeah, okay,” said Shiro, standing up and not bothering to brush off his khaki pants, a definite sign his OCD had diminished. “I’ll see you guys later.”
“You’re leaving?” she asked, trying not to reveal her desperation. “You don’t have to go. Whatever Kalin has to say, you can hear.”
“Ugh...no thanks,” he said, his eyes on Kalin.
She quickly turned to Kalin, who immediately stopped shaking his head and smiled at her. He was trying to get her alone—again. His many attempts to corner her in private had failed with her many excuses. She was trying to avoid the discussion of their being a twosome, but alas, it had to happen. Truth was, her life was too busy for her to get involved with anyone, and besides, becoming the latest addition to Kalin’s list of used women was out of the question.
“Fine,” she said, not taking her eyes off Kalin. “I’ll see you later, Shiro.”
She heard Shiro’s footsteps fading away.
“Absolutely no way, Kalin.”
“You don’t know what I was going to say,” he said, annoyed. “Stop being so presumptuous.”
“Okay,” she said, folding her arms across her chest. “Speak.”
“I was wondering, Ms. Know-it-all, if you would accompany me to a formal ball we’re going to have on the Quasar?”
She felt her breath catch in her chest. That wasn’t what she’d expected. She felt stupid and the smirk on his face made it worse. He was enjoying her downfall.
“Is this what all the fuss was about?” she said. “A date? Why did you make it sound so serious?”
“It is serious,” he said. “It’s my coronation as King of Salera and I can’t imagine going with anyone but you.”
She couldn’t help a smile. “So it’s not really an official date, it’s more like an escort. Right?”
Kalin sighed and looked away. There was something he wasn’t telling her. She wondered if her empath abilities were strong enough to delve into Kalin’s emotions. She was still learning this new power but she had to try anyway. Kalin was looking the other way and she needed his attention on her.
“Kalin,” she said, “are you all right?”
“Yeah,” he said, turning to her. “I’m fine.”
This was it. She focused on his eyes and stopped abruptly, almost jolting back. He had strong feelings for her! Immediately, she turned away, embarrassed by what she’d discovered. She felt his two fingers on her chin, shifting her face towards him.
“I guess it’s all out in the open now,” he said. “It’s more than an escort, Rina. I want it to be an official date, and not the only one.”
“Kalin,” she said, hoping her words wouldn’t hurt too much. “I...you...there are too many women in your life. It goes against everything I believe in. I’ll go with you to the ball but it ends there. I’m sorry.”
Kalin’s eyes turned into menacing slits. “I knew you’d be stubborn. Look, it took a long time but I learned my lesson. You’re the only girl I’ll ever trust and I’d be happy with only you. Use your empathic powers again, search inside me; you’ll see I’m telling the truth.”
She hesitated. Back on the Quasar when he’d confronted Ilya, she had sensed his feelings for the bimbo. He was hurt by what she’d done, but not badly.
&nbs
p; Because I wanted you then, he said in her mind.
“Quit reading my mind,” she said, irritated.
“Sorry, I’m a little desperate. I’ll stop for now.”
Kalin was staring at her with eyes of want but she knew, with a womanizer, there was always doubt as to sincerity.
“Okay,” she said. “I will search your mind, but if I find even the slightest suspicion, I’m going to beat you up.”
“Go for it.”
His calm demeanor made her uncomfortable. She unwillingly got to her knees, sat back on her calves, then cupped her hands around his face, glaring into his eyes. He didn’t flinch. Colorful waves of truth and honesty flowed through his soul like soft glowing wisps of air. Warmth and caring filled his thoughts, thoughts that centered on her—and only her. She pulled away, upset with what she’d found. He wasn’t lying.
“So, how about it, Rina?”
“It’ll never work,” she said, searching for another excuse. “I...it...your Queen has to be able to have your kids. I can’t.” She let out a heavy sigh, grateful she remembered the second most important reason not to get involved with him.
A voice came from behind them. “We need to talk.”
It was her dad, and by the way he was strutting, it couldn’t be good. He signaled for her to slide over so he could sit between them.
“What are you up to?” she asked, moving aside.
“It’s time you both knew the truth,” said Justin.
He pulled a black, flat shiny scanner from his jeans pocket and tapped the miniature yellow orb. A three-dimensional holo of Rina rose up. Scrolling data was beside her form.
“Perfect,” he said with a wide grin.
“What kind of scanner is that?” she said, leaning close to study it.
“It’s a Bruet Scanner,” said Kalin. “It’s named after the Saleran who invented it. When it’s used on this planet, it automatically hooks into the main frame of the Great Hall of Knowledge, which in turn amplifies its power. A normal scanner will decipher what Earth-humans call DNA, but a Bruet Scanner will go further, breaking down the DNA all the way to when conception took place.”
“This was a Bruet Scanner,” Justin corrected. “Now it’s Verlean. It doesn’t need the Great Hall. It can do everything on its own.”
“Cool,” said Kalin, eyeing the device.
The holo shifted to a minute gland deep within Rina’s cerebellum. Shiro and Marante sat on the grass in front of them with big smiles on their faces.
This is really bad, she thought. Her stomach twisted into knots.
“Why are you scanning Rina?” asked Kalin.
“Let me start at the beginning,” said Justin. “Verlean-humans are just like Saleran-humans; we can’t procreate outside our kind. As the head of the Research Department on Verlea, I began testing the secretions of over two thousand glands found in Verlean women. The Alitary Gland was always thought to control passion and was so minute in mass it had been overlooked in our studies. The hormone it secretes is called Proxium and does indeed contain the secrets to genetic reproduction. All the tests confirmed a slight increase in the output would allow females to procreate with any human race. Unfortunately, our test subjects were older in age and we didn’t get the results we wanted. Although a few Verlean women were able to reproduce outside our species, they bore children who couldn’t, hence Saleran-humans.”
Kalin instantly sat up straight. “What? Are you saying Salerans are descendants of Verleans?”
Rina felt as if her bottom jaw had hit the ground.
“Yes,” said Justin, shifting his stare at Rina. “When we realized the experiment had failed we decided to genetically alter a Verlean embryo within one week of conception, an easy process, and it was a complete success. Proxium levels in the patient would not increase until she passed the age of twenty-one, which is why I had to wait to tell you, Rina. I had to make sure it worked.”
“Me?” said Rina, perturbed at the thought. “You experimented on me? Your only child? How could you?”
“I would never hurt my baby girl. DNA alteration is an simple procedure but should only be done when absolutely necessary. The lives of Verlean-humans were becoming stagnant; our society was falling into listlessness. Everything that could have been invented was, and the joy of living was slowly dwindling. Because of this, the Council approved the procedure. Eliana, your Verlean mother, insisted her daughter be the first Verlean with this gift.” He slid his finger through the holo.
“According to this, your Proxium is at its highest level and will remain there. You’re the only one who can pass on our genetic code.” He smiled wide. “I can’t wait for grandchildren.”
Kalin’s mouth went from an open gape to a wide smile. He jumped to his feet and shouted, “Yes!”
“Wait!” said Rina, raising her hand to stop him from jumping up and down. “Back up! Dad, are you saying I can have Saleran children?”
“Yes, and true Salerans, right down to the DNA. You see, you have two wombs; one will carry our race and the other can carry the race of any known human. In other words, you can bear the child of any human male. And you will be the one to determine the gender, a trait we kept from our Verlean chemistry.”
“That’s impossible,” she said.
“Sweetheart,” said Justin, “don’t base what you know on Earth-human knowledge. This is Verlean science and, yes, it is possible. You’re living proof.”
“Does that mean she’ll have twins every time she conceives?” asked Shiro.
“Possibly, but we won’t know for sure until it happens,” said Justin.
Rina let her breath out in one whoosh and closed her eyes, trying to relax. Bringing back life to an empty planet was not in her future plans, yet it would be a sin to ignore the possibility. Could she live with the guilt of letting Salera die, or perhaps go thousands of years with no life? She gazed at the City of Light and imagined what it looked like filled with people living everyday life.
“It was beautiful,” said Marante, his voice low in solemn respect, “the most beautiful city I had ever seen in my travels. Do you see this lifeless tree next to us?” He pointed. “And those about the city? They are Gebin Trees and were once filled with red and yellow leaves the size of chairs. They are a special type of plant that thrives on Exomones, a scent secreted into the air when humans are content.” His voice softened and he gazed again at the city. “Salera was such a peaceful world. There was no unhappiness here. For over five thousand years, the Gebin Trees flourished on Salera’s joy until the unthinkable happened. Now they are asleep, waiting for life to return.”
She sensed Marante’s inner sadness. Could she give up the rest of her life for Kalin? For Salera? This real Kalin was mature, responsible and a definite hero, the kind you don’t give up. He was talking to Marante, smiling and laughing, just beaming with joy. The whole idea was beginning to overwhelm her and she struggled to slow down her breathing.
“It’s okay,” said Justin, who wrapped his arm around her. “Relax. No one is going to try to talk you into staying here except Kalin. However, this is your choice, your life; no one can make that decision for you. Whatever you decide, I’ll back you up one hundred percent. I just want you to take time to think about it. It’s an important decision that only you can make.”
“It’s such a huge responsibility,” she said, hearing her voice crack. “I’d... I’d have to give up my whole life and....”
“Wait,” said Kalin, who quickly sat down beside her.
He pushed the hair away from her face and gently slid his fingers across her cheek. His touch was warm and...forever with him? she thought. How? I’d kill him.
“Hear me out,” he said. “I know we’ve had our differences in the past but there isn’t anything that can’t be resolved if we both work together. We’re intelligent people, Rina, we know better.”
Did he just actually make sense?
He continued, “And I also know the scientist in you is very much alive.
It would be wrong on my part to hinder your love of learning, so I’ve just decided a tour of the galaxies is in order. After we’re married, we’ll take the Quasar and go wherever you want. You’ll see astonishing things, meet hundreds of intelligent life forms that are so different, you’ll wonder how they’re alive at all. Ever been to...what do Earth-humans call it? A...black hole?”
Her jaw hit the ground again.
“We can enter them,” he said, “and yes, there are life forms living within these dark places and I can introduce you to them. You’ll be amazed at what they look like, but I’m not going to tell you; I’m going to show you. The point is, I will not suppress your love of knowledge. There’s so much for you to see and if learning makes you happy, I’m good.”
“A black hole?” said Shiro. “Holy cow.”
Kalin smiled his perfect smile. He was content with his plans and she had to admit it, his plans were good. The Quasar was beautiful. Learning the technology alone would keep her busy for years but...marriage?
“Kalin, I’m not ready for marriage...I don’t...I’m—” The right words weren’t coming out and she felt stupid. Nothing in life had prepared her for this. She couldn’t let it happen. So she stiffened up and crossed her arms over her chest. “Listen, I can’t be the wife of a man I’m not in love with. Don’t take this wrong, Kalin, but your careless ways with women is not going to work for me. I can’t and won’t be the good little wife while you traipse around with other women. You’ll land up dead and I’ll be the one responsible for killing off the Saleran race.”
“Is that what you’re worried about?” he asked. “You searched my heart and the only woman you found in there was you. I can’t even think of anyone else, never mind want to be with them. To me, all those other women don’t exist anymore. No one can or will ever take your place. I’m yours forever.”
“Wow,” said Shiro. “Those are good words. I need to write this down.” He whipped out a pen and pad from his pocket and started scribbling.
Uncertainty was still pounding inside her as she gazed into Kalin’s eyes. Her probing revealed he was telling the truth, but it was hard to accept. Could a womanizer actually fall in love and mean it? His heart was telling her it was.
“Stay with me, Rina,” said Kalin, taking her hand. “Be my wife. We’ll think about kids later. Right now, I just want you.”
“Wait a minute, Kalin,” said Shiro, raising his palm upright. “You can’t expect her to just jump into your arms. She’s her own person and you have to do this slowly. She said she’s not in love with you and that’s important to her. If you want her, you’re going to have to work for her. Marriage will have to wait. End of story.”
“Hear, hear,” said Marante. “You are right, my friend. Patience, Kalin, and you will win her love.”
Shiro had said exactly what she wanted to say and she wondered if he was empathic. Kalin was thinking hard, eyeing the two. She sensed his discontent. This was probably the first time he’d ever had to work for a woman’s love.
“Love has to be mutual for a marriage to work,” said Justin. “Rina needs time and you’re going to give it to her if you want her as your wife.”
“Is this how you feel?” asked Kalin.
“Yes,” she said, grateful he was complying and not being argumentative. “I’m willing to give you a chance and I say that with a crow bar in my hand. Don’t blow it by wanting other women or it’s over, and I’ll know if you do.”
Kalin glared at her. He was not happy. “I can’t believe that after all we’ve been through, you still don’t trust me. I trust you with all my heart, but what choice do I have? If I don’t agree, I’ll lose you forever and...” His voice softened. “I can’t do that. It would kill me. So, yes, I’ll agree with your decision even though it’s upsetting.”
“Then it’s done,” she said. “And furthermore, no sex.”
Kalin’s eyes opened wide. “What?” He stood—or rather, jumped to his feet. “You’re kidding, right?”
“I think it’s a great idea,” said Justin.
“You don’t understand,” said Kalin, his breathing sped up. “I’ve had sex for over four hundred years and now you want me to just stop?”
“There are simple medications to assist you, my friend,” said Marante, “and none will cause you any harm.”
“Great,” said Kalin, flustered by the comment.
“What kind of medications?” asked Rina, rising to her feet.
“There are hundreds of natural pharmaceuticals designed to deaden the sex drive,” said Marante, “many of which were developed right here on Salera.” He put his hand on Kalin’s shoulder. “You will be fine, Prince Kalin, and your reward will be the repopulation of your world with the woman you love. A small price to pay for such happiness.”
Kalin was still upset, but at least now he was breathing normally again. Marante always worked miracles.
“I don’t like it,” he said, “but again, what choice do I have?” He turned to Rina. “You win. We’ll do it your way.”
“No one claimed it was going to be easy,” said Justin, “but like Marante said, think of the future. It’ll all be worth it.”
“Is kissing allowed?” Kalin asked in an aggrieved tone.
“Absolutely,” said Justin. “Just keep your pheromones in check. The saliva of a Verlean female is very powerful and one heavy kiss can send a man to his knees. I don’t want my daughter to beat you up again, because she will.”
“Can I be alone with Rina?” asked Kalin. “We need to talk.”
The men agreed. Marante tapped his Comlink and with a flash of light, the three teleported away. Kalin wrapped his hands around her waist and lifted her off the ground.
“I suppose you think you’re in control now,” he said.
“I’ve always been in control.”
She embraced him and kissed him hard. After a few seconds, he pushed her away, almost dropping her. He fell flat on his back, gasping for air.
“You okay?” she asked, pleased with the outcome.
He waved his hand, signaling her to wait for his response. A cold sweat was dripping down the sides of his puffy, red face.
Maybe I went too far, she thought, leaning down to examine him.
He was in bad shape. He swung his body up to sit again, frightening her, and she fell back on her rump.
“You just remember,” he said between breaths, “I’m King and you’ll do as I say. Just because I’m madly in love with you and you have the body of a goddess doesn’t mean I’m going to let you rule.”
She couldn’t help a smile. Finally, a guy who didn’t give in to her.
“You’re going to be the best King ever, but don’t think I’m going to be at your beck and call. I will not be a slave to any man.”
“With your right hook, how could any man survive making you a slave?”
They both laughed and rose to their feet. Kalin gently took hold of her face and kissed her. Tingles began swirling up her torso as he wrapped his arms around her. Warm sensations seemed to excite every gland in her body. Did his saliva have power like hers? She couldn’t be sure, but whatever it was, it was physical and he was causing it. He slowly ended their kiss.
“I’m so glad it’s you,” he said, holding her face, his lips quivering. Tears began forming in his eyes. “I’ll be faithful, Rina Young. That’s a promise.”
“Yeah,” she agreed. The effect of his kiss was still lingering, but what the heck, it was great. Now if he could only behave.
“I guess Salera’s storm has been conquered.”
He nodded in agreement then hugged her tight. “I’m still a little concerned about the possibility of Vorkis being alive,” he said, caressing her tight and stroking her hair, “but I will never allow him to control me again. I’ll live my life my way and without him in it.”
“Brave words spoken by a true hero who has conquered his enemy.”
She levitated herself off the ground and wrapped her arms around hi
s neck.
“You can levitate?” asked Kalin, looking down at her feet.
“Yeah, it’s something I discovered yesterday; so how about another kiss without the aphrodisiac?”
“Anything you say. You rule.”
As they embraced, giant red buds began sprouting on the branches of the nearby Gebin Tree.
The End
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