## **Contents**

Copyright

Dedication

MARS

1 Invitation

LENA

MARS

LENA

MARS

2 Contact

LENA

MARS

LENA

MARS

3 Disturbance

LENA

MARS

LENA

MARS

4 Confrontation

LENA

MARS

LENA

MARS

LENA

5 Decisions

MARS

LENA

MARS

LENA

6 Disorder

MARS

LENA

MARS

LENA

7 Accordance

LENA

MARS

LENA

LENA

About the Author

How I Did It

Urgent Plea

Copyright © 2017 E.M. Haeger

The Strangers

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

For you, for giving this story a chance.

"Let every eye negotiate for itself and trust no agent."

-William Shakespeare

MARS

When the Etrallia came to Earth, they didn't come one by one. They came all at once and waving a white flag. Or at least, that's how we interpreted it.

In reality, it was a radio signal that scrambled our broadcasts, interrupting all communication with the orbiting space stations. It might have been threatening except that the intent was clear:

We come in peace. So, don't shoot us out of the sky.

It took us a while to crack that one. And you can bet the U.S. military was ready to do exactly that. For all intents and purposes, we were at war, half a dozen governments prepared to defend against these strangers who dared invade our airspace. It was the most remarkable global initiative I'd seen in years.

Thankfully, we had intelligence on our side, the world's top cryptography experts and linguistic pros working round the clock. Turns out the signal was some form of military cipher, not unlike our Morse code. Eventually, our guys worked out a pattern to the madness, not that I could tell you how.

When they arrived, I was busy testing soil samples, Lena Cordell was tending to patients in the ICU, and Charles Rhine was firing on combatants in the East Indian War.

She was a doctor, but no ordinary civilian. I was a scientist, but no diplomat. And Rhine, well, he was a military man and the furthest thing from a savior.

Still, we ended up on that shuttle. Some call it fate, but I only believe in chance. Probabilities. That's all it really came down to.

My whole life people joked that with a name like mine, I was destined to be an astronaut. Ironic, then, that I had never been to space the day they put me on that damn ship.

Lena was the least prepared of all. Her eagerness to make contact made up for it, though. Even the Major was on edge during the ride, but the doctor was as calm as a rock in a gale. Years of practice, I suppose.

So that's how Lena Cordell ended up in the second envoy. And thank God she did.

Because now she was the only thing standing between us and total annihilation.

The Etrallian had his hand on the big red button.

Yes, that button.

Granted, it wasn't red, it was gray, but you get the picture. If he pushed it, we'd all be dead. Asphyxiated in the cold darkness of space.

I forced in a lungful of air and held tight. Half the military we'd come aboard with were sitting pretty in the airlock beside us. A lot of good they'd done.

Lena was still pleading with the Etrallian. She begged him not to do it, to reconsider, to think of the future. The other Etrallians watched mutely.

We were already dead and Lena was the only one who didn't seem to know it yet.

He opened his mouth. "I'm sorry."

Or at least I imagined that's what he said. I reached for my ear and realized my comm device was missing. The cadence of the alien words washed over me in a throaty purr.

His claw settled over the button.

My heart hammered madly against my ribcage.

Lena made a sound, muttered something unintelligible. I hoped it was enough to make him understand. I hoped there was still some semblance of humanity left in this person--this Etrallian. He may have been our friend once, but I knew what I was asking.

I was asking for a goddamn miracle.

1

Invitation
LENA

I eased Mr. Reynolds gently back into the wheelchair and turned to look for my partner. Someone screamed in the distance. I could only hope Chuck was already headed in that direction. To block out the sound, I concentrated on moving the wheels along the dusty road, on the sun beating down upon my back.

"Never thought I'd start to miss those IVs." Reynolds chuckled. "I'd carry one of those poles around with me any day."

Grunting, I navigated the chair around a pothole. "And you'd get mugged for your trouble." The image came all too readily. A body in an alley, skull cracked open like an egg.

Reynolds laughed, deep and gravelly. "Suppose you're right. No water for the weary. We'll be the first to go, you know. The old folk and the children." He coughed, clearing his lungs of dust. "Just look at history. In times of plague and famine, the weak and the frail always die first."

I could think of at least one instance where that wasn't true. The Dust Bowl of the 1930's had taken the lives of thousands of men, women, and children alike.

I forced a smile. "Not if I can help it."

I wasn't sure what I had expected from an old man forced to leave his home. A shred of gratitude would have been nice, but these were rough people. Tough. They lived off the land as surely as their ancestors had, making do with what they had.

"If you don't mind my asking, why'd you wait so long? The desert's no place for a rancher, even an experienced one."

Reynolds leaned to spit onto the dry, cracked earth. "Wasn't always a desert, girl. When the lake dried up, we thought it was a drought. The worst we'd had in years, but a drought all the same."

"You thought you'd wait it out?"

The man squinted, his weather-lined face assessing me. "You live here, you get used to seasons with little water."

The wheelchair bumped over a rock in our path.

"But when we couldn't drink no more—when there was no water to be found—that's when we realized. It weren't going to get better anytime soon."

"I see."

"Nah." Reynolds grinned at the sky as he shook his head. "You don't see, girl. You don't know what it used to be like, this land. It was my mama's and before that my granddaddy owned the place. The Reynolds' been here at least a century. It's home."

He'd expected to die on this land, same as his mother. It made sense in a desperate sort of way. That was why he and so many others had ignored the warnings and refused to evacuate. He was lucky we'd come for him. At the same time, he was unlucky. With no home and no strength to start over, he'd likely live out his days in the medical center.

"How much further?" Reynolds grumbled. "Do you intend to bake me alive?"

"We're nearly there," I assured him.

The medical center was a bustle of activity in the middle of an otherwise silent desert.

But Reynolds was right.

Southern California used to be quite pleasant, home to lemon groves and orange trees, cafes and warm sea breezes. Now it was as barren as New Mexico, half its cities burnt to ash, or worse, full of struggling natives who refused to live elsewhere.

The automatic doors slid open with a hiss, ushering us into an air-conditioned oasis. The clean tile floor and straight angle of the hallway contrasted with the dusty, rutted road outside. The doors slid shut and I inhaled deeply, grateful for the cool, clean air. The wheelchair rolled forward with minimal effort and I steered it toward the nearest elevator.

We passed the emergency care facility where the shouts of doctors rang out above the commotion. The urgent beeping of machines faded with a whoosh and Reynolds was silent as I jabbed the button for the fourth floor.

The elevator groaned and jolted upward.

"I ain't dying," he mumbled.

"No," I conceded. Not yet anyway. "But you're dehydrated."

Upstairs, a group of nurses stood clustered under the TV, gawking like a bunch of school children as a reporter gestured to an object in the sky. I tightened my grip on the wheelchair and steered my newest patient toward the west wing.

"What're they watching?" Reynolds eyed them suspiciously. "Don't they know there's people dying out there?"

I continued to stride purposefully down the hall. "It's nothing," I told him placidly. "Probably just a hoax. Besides, they say the government's dealing with it."

Reynolds craned his neck. "What?"

"Alien spacecraft apparently. Been there for weeks."

"Huh." He looked as if he was trying to decide whether I was playing with him or not. Satisfied with what he saw, he threw one last glance toward the nurses. He shook his head and shrugged, as if in defeat. "This planet's going to hell. Don't matter much if some alien buggers want it."

Quickly, I rounded the corner. The others could stand around gaping all day as long as no patient lives were at risk, but I would do what I had come here to do.

"Here we are, Mr. Reynolds." I pulled him into a private room. He wouldn't have to share for now, but there would be more.

As I wheeled him toward the bed, Reynolds uttered his first protest.

"Hold on, now. I'm just fine. Don't you trouble yourself." He eyed the standard hospital cot as if it was some sort of death sentence.

"There's no need to wait for a nurse, Mr. Reynolds. I lift patients all the time." I kicked down the brakes on the chair.

"I'd rather sit for now."

"Suit yourself." I sighed internally and left him where he was.

The cabinet with the IV fluids had double security measures in place to ensure restricted access. I was surprisingly used to it by now, flicking my card past the infrared light before pressing my thumb to the fingerprint scanner.

"You get the fancy stuff today," I joked. "This thing's got more water than the whole county combined."

The old man smiled half-heartedly. He didn't resist as I fixed up the IV and inserted the tube in the back of his hand.

"I bet you feel five years younger in a few days. We'll even feed you here. How's that sound?"

Reynolds nodded.

This wasn't the end for him as much as he expected it was. The world wasn't so lost as to resort to killing innocents in order to preserve humanity. Not in this country, at least. There was still enough water to go around as long as we were careful. Five years from now, though...I couldn't say.

As my patient relaxed in his chair, I stepped out of the room. In one smooth motion, I detached the phone from my belt and pressed on the smooth glass surface.

"Miranda," I said. "Please come to room two-forty. I've got an elderly patient here with severe malnutrition and dehydration. Room two-forty."

Much to my surprise, Miranda came at once. No more than a few minutes had passed when my intern showed up, hair askew and blood splattered across her blue scrubs.

"We've got five in the ER in critical condition."

"Thanks, but if you could keep it down, that'd be much appreciated." I nodded toward Reynolds. "He's had to face enough bad news for one day."

Miranda's eyes widened. "Sorry, Dr. Cordell."

I sighed. "Listen, I know you want to help downstairs, but you're assigned to me for the week. That means attending my patients."

"Of course, Dr. Cordell." The girl frowned. "I was planning on it, but you weren't back yet."

"And by attending, I mean watch over him. These people need fluids, but there's enough staff to go around. No one's going to die if you sit by his side for a while."

Miranda nodded, but her displeasure was clear. She was a smart girl. Smart enough to realize how valuable her skills could be in this wasteland. But she was young and committed only to efficiency.

While getting everyone their daily fluids was important, I preferred to get to know them as well. The only way to truly create trust was to understand the person first.

At least, that was how I got myself through the long, blazing hot days as we searched empty towns for stragglers. Getting to know my patients wasn't a luxury, it was necessary. Unfortunately, Miranda had little talent when it came to bedside manner and I had little time to teach her.

"Right, that should be all for now. I need you to monitor him regularly."

The girl nodded. "I'll get him something to eat."

"Thank you."

"Oh and Dr. Cordell."

I paused in the doorway.

"I'm sorry, I almost forgot." The girl ran a hand through her hair. "Dr. Noran needs to speak with you. He was looking for you this morning."

I digested this slowly. It didn't make much sense, but if the head of the hospital wanted to speak with me, it was nothing good.

MARS

The world wasn't always messed up. Some people think it was, but it was never as bad as it was then. I knew it most of all.

One day I was surfing off the coast of Australia, whiling away my time like nothing mattered, and the next, I was being recruited to work for a top-secret government lab. It took me longer than the flight back to the U.S. to face the fact that my five-year vacation was finally over.

In truth, I'd been considering getting back to work ever since the first reports broke out. It didn't matter so much that the world was getting warmer. On a sunny Australian beach, I would have welcomed it. But while sea levels were rising, lakes, rivers, and reservoirs were drying up.

This was a dire problem, as the news reporters repeatedly liked to point out. A colossal, looming problem that wasn't getting better anytime soon and certainly not without hundreds of the finest brains working to develop a solution.

In the end, I didn't value my journey of self-discovery enough to let my eight years of education go to waste. If there was something I could do, I'd have to try. Then, at least I'd be able to say as much. I figured if the world fell apart anyway, I'd die less of a loser than when I'd started.

So far, the numbers were clear. In terms of survivability, we had half a century, maybe less, and that was if people miraculously stopped having babies in order to keep the world's population constant. Since the odds of that were zero to none, my estimates put us at less than twenty years. When you considered the number of people who would die of dehydration before then, you could squeak out an extra year or two. Twenty-two years if you were being optimistic.

I wasn't.

In terms of a solution, I could see little chance of our desalination efforts working on a large enough scale to support billions of people. As it was, we could only support 1% of the country with the plant over in California where millions of gallons of seawater were turned into clean drinking water. To keep people going all over the world without creating greenhouse gas emissions, it would take decades, and a massive amount of energy to convert enough water.

When considering these facts, I suppose I wasn't doing too well at all. But it wasn't my fault. I was a geologist, not some kind of energy specialist. I was considering this particular predicament when the head of the research facility barged into my office.

"Gladwyn."

I tensed, jerking away from the microscope.

"Message for you. Seems urgent." Lawrence squinted down at the paper in his hand as the door slammed behind him. His shirt was ruffled, tie slightly askew.

As much as he'd hate to admit it, Lawrence was no scientist. Not anymore. The man had become a suit, an administrative puppet who probably hadn't stepped foot in a lab all week. Sometimes I felt bad for him.

"Hand it over." I gestured for the paper, sighing internally. Nothing good ever came by snail mail anymore.

"You've received a summons," Lawrence explained.

My eyebrows jumped. "I'm going to court?"

"No, I believe the President of the United States has requested your presence." Lawrence straightened his tie.

"Damn." My eyebrows stayed raised. "Didn't know she fancied scientists. This my invitation?" I unfolded the paper, suddenly curious.

"Dr. Gladwyn." Lawrence's voice turned stern. "This is serious business. It's about our current...situation."

"Ah." I flashed him a grin. "The situation. Well, if the President wants something done about it, she should probably just let me do my work. I really--"

The message was brief. A mere six sentences that looked to be an email Lawrence had printed off his machine. It was indeed signed by the President of the United States.

It appeared I was being recruited.

Again.
LENA

The blaring of the helicopter engine rattled my eardrums as it touched down on the tarmac outside god knows where. All I knew was that only a few hours had passed since Dr. Noran calmly explained to me that I had received a summons from the government.

Not too long after, a helicopter arrived, like the ones we used to evacuate people, except this one wasn't meant to help survivors, it was here for me. As the initial shock wore off, I'd managed to gather what few belongings I'd brought to California and reluctantly bid my coworkers farewell. I had no idea how long I'd be gone. All I knew was that when the government called, you answered. And in times like these, you couldn't afford to ignore the government.

Though I would much rather be treating patients in the thick of the California drought, sometimes making a difference meant moving to higher places. At least, that was what I was hoping.

I covered my ears despite the plugs that my escort had offered and jumped the three feet to the tarmac. After flying for ninety minutes over the barren wilderness of the West, I could only guess what state we were in.

Before me sat a compact little outpost. Including the airstrip, it took up no less than a mile, the buildings clustered closely together with no people in sight.

With effort, I restrained my questions and followed my escort, a man in dusty jeans and a t-shirt. Stretching my legs felt good after sitting in the cramped space of the helicopter side pit. A nervous flutter rose in my stomach as I tried to brace myself for what was to come. Surely, it had something to do with the current disaster, the thousands who were dying from lack of water.

I saw the first sign that we weren't alone as another helicopter touched down behind us. Glancing over my shoulder, I watched three men in uniform disembark from the craft.

"This way, ma'am." My escort swiped a card and held the door for me.

I found myself in an antechamber, facing another set of doors. The ones behind me swung shut and my escort approached a keypad embedded in the wall. He quickly typed on the pad and the huge steel doors groaned. I didn't think such monstrosities could move so smoothly, but then air rushed into the chamber.

I was under no illusions now. This wasn't just a secure meeting location, it was some kind of outpost. Military grade.

"Welcome to the Base, Dr. Cordell." My escort swung past me and it was only now that I realized what I had picked up on earlier. Though he was wearing only street clothes, the man walked with a slight swagger, the kind of straightforward confidence you couldn't miss.

"This is the mess hall." He directed me into a spacious area with a high ceiling. Several long tables were aligned in rows and among them stood a crowd of people. Some milled around aimlessly while others glanced nervously from their neighbor to the doors. They were wearing everything from high-end suits to jeans and I wondered if they were accomplished in whatever careers they'd been snatched from.

If this were a movie, I might have stood tall and pretended I knew what I was doing. Instead, I stared, baffled.

"Hey, there. You got any theories yet?"

I turned to find a face with scruffy black hair and lopsided glasses.

"I beg your pardon?"

The man smiled intently.

"Everyone seems to have a different one." He surveyed the crowd. "My money's on the aliens. We're being drafted to blast those things out of the sky." He raked a hand through his mop of hair which only made his cowlick worse. "What do you think?"

"I, uh..." Did he seriously think we'd been recruited for the army?

The man extended his hand, smiling brightly. "Mars," he said. "Nice to meet you."

I tried to return the smile. "Lena Cordell."

"Lena Cordell," he repeated. "What brings you out here to the middle of nowhere for a surprise rendezvous with the military?"

"I'm not sure." I glanced at my escort. Somehow aliens were the last thing from my mind. "I've been out in California working with the emergency medics."

"Ah." Mars grimaced. "So, you've been on the frontlines."

I shook my head. "I'm not a soldier, really."

"I am," said my escort.

I took a moment to study him closer. He was a tall, dusty-haired man about my age. I'd known it all along, I suppose. It was his steady gait, the way he held himself.

"Major Charles Rhine." He promptly extended his hand. "Nice to meet you. I'll be your assigned guard. Should you accept, that is."

"Accept..." Mars looked lost and I felt a sudden kinship with him. We were the civilians in this situation, purposefully left in the dark.

"We're to meet with the President," said Major Rhine. "She'll be in shortly."

Well, that explained it.

"Right, the President." Mars nodded, knowingly. "Received a note from her myself. Didn't assume she'd actually written the email, however."

On second thought, maybe it was just me, alone, in the dark.

Just then, a great booming laugh echoed throughout the room. The doors from the antechamber slid shut and a large, broad-shouldered man barreled forward.

"Are you briefing the recruits already, son?" He slapped Major Rhine on the back. "You know the protocol."

"General Wilkerson." Rhine snapped to attention. "Good to see you, sir."

The General waved him off. "Congrats on the promotion, Major." Wilkerson clasped Rhine's hand and shook so hard I thought his arm might come flying off.

Rhine gave a tight-lipped smile. "Thank you, sir."

"So, who are these fine folks?"

Rhine's eyes widened and he quickly introduced us. "This is Mars..."

"Gladwyn," Mars supplied.

"Mars Gladwyn. And Dr. Lena Cordell. They're here for Operation Beta but haven't been briefed yet. President Burgess is on her way."

The antechamber doors hissed open.

The General laughed. "Wrong, Major." He gestured toward the doors. "The President has arrived."

Those closest to us fell silent as they turned toward the doors to see for themselves. Conversations dropped to a murmur and I could hear the soft tap of the President's shoes as a great hush spread over the room.

She was a tall woman, black hair tied back in a crisp, clean bun. Her expression was unreadable as she surveyed us, an eclectic bunch of professionals from the far reaches of the country.

I stood riveted like the others, anxious to meet our leader in person, but equally anxious to hear what she had to say about the current situation. The reality of aliens was a lot to digest, but the idea that we--that I--had been chosen for a secret mission involving our extraterrestrial visitors was simply absurd. Any minute now, we would all be dismissed, the unfortunate dupes of a large practical joke.

I was an established doctor at the top of my field, but so were thousands. Millions in this world. I was no one special. Passionate about medicine mostly, and not even remotely involved in research involving extraterrestrial life. Whatever this operation--and the President--wanted from me, it had to be some kind of misunderstanding. I was meant to be out in the field, helping survivors, not locked up in a government research facility.

"Men and women of the United States." The President's voice echoed in the sparse space. "You may still be wondering why you're here. Trust me, it will all be explained in detail. First, I would like you to know that though you may be civilians, the success of this operation hinges on you. Our emissaries, with the help of the military, have already made contact with these visitors."

Someone gasped softly to my left. A low murmur rose around the room.

"But it will be up to you," continued the President. "To carry out the remainder of this mission. You all face a choice. We ask that you serve not only your country but all of humanity. Should you decline, you'll be asked not to speak a word of this experience to anyone. It is not shameful to decline the call. It would, however, be a shame to underestimate yourself and your own capabilities."

No one spoke.

"Think carefully. In a few minutes, we will call groups of you into the briefing room and explain what will be expected. Afterward, you will have the chance to accept or decline. I hope you will make the wise decision. Thank you." With that, the President disappeared down a side hallway and the General moved to the front of the room.

"When we call you by name, please follow Major Rhine into the briefing room."

I was still struggling with the last bit the President had said. Accept or decline. There was no middle ground. We either helped or we didn't help. It didn't seem as if we were being drafted to fight a war. All the same, we would have contact with an alien species. And somehow this was for the good of humanity.

"Nice speech, don't you think?" Mars elbowed me good-naturedly.

I bit my lip. "This isn't a joke."

"Of course, it's a joke. Go back home and wait to die or go into space and play nice with our scary alien friends. It's nice that they're giving us a choice, but really it's all quite ironic."

I considered whether he might already be suffering the effects of dehydration. He looked well enough, but the things he said...

MARS

As if turned out, we weren't just going into space. No, we were going into space to play at being James Bond. Or something like that.

The gist of it was that, though the military was good at protecting the country's interests abroad, they'd never encountered something such as our alien visitors before. Therefore, they were wholly unprepared to greet the aliens in anything that resembled neutral peace talks and doubly unprepared to glean any kind of useful intelligence.

That's where we came in. None of us were trained spies--we weren't CIA or FBI in any regard--but we were experts in our fields and we did know an awful lot about biology and chemistry, the eco-dynamics of planet Earth. It was a risk, sending people with this kind of knowledge onto an alien ship, but at the same time, it was a calculated gamble. If we could learn enough about these aliens to glean their motives and how their technology worked, we stood to benefit in the long run.

Humanity was at a standstill. The day of reckoning was coming.

If our alien friends had any way of helping us avoid that predicament, the United States government, along with every other world power, was willing to take a chance.

So, we were the guinea pigs. Persuaded to serve humanity by sheer pride and noble intentions.

Many weren't prepared to accept such a request, of course. They were the first to leave. That left the rest of us standing shoulder to shoulder in a sort of firing line, waiting anxiously as the President walked up and down the row, shaking every person's hand as they introduced themselves.

Finally, Maria Burgess arrived at me, smiling lightly despite the serious tension in her eyes.

"Nice to meet you, Madam President." I laughed. It was a nervous habit, one that had no remedy.

The President nodded and I imagined her cursing her advisors silently. "This is the best you could do? A bunch of civilians?"

She shook Lena's hand next, her eyes just as placid.

"They're untrained," she said in my head. "Half probably don't know how to defend themselves let alone deal with an alien race."

Not to mention the subtleties of intelligence gathering that can't be taught within years let alone days.

It was all true. If the President had any doubts, though, she did a damn good job of hiding them. She continued to pace the line of scientists and engineers, doctors, and soldiers. She was like a commander inspecting her newest recruits.

I thought of her words from before. This wasn't a matter of serving our country. This mission concerned all of humanity and if we agreed to partake, we all undertook that responsibility. It was a lot to process.

"What do you say?"

Rhine stepped forward. "I would consider it the greatest honor, Madam President."

I exhaled slowly as I realized she hadn't been addressing me.

She fixed Rhine with a hard stare. "Don't be honored, Major Rhine. Be ready."

Now she really was looking at me, traveling back up the line of hands she'd shook. "And you, Dr. Gladwyne?"

I suppressed a chuckle. Stupid, terrible tic. "I'm not a doctor--not that kind anyway."

The President raised an eyebrow. "Do you accept?"

I swallowed and forced a smile. Time to make the choice official. "I suppose a spaceship is as good a place to die as any."

President Burgess blinked.

Not the typical response, sure. Still, some of these suckers had to know there was a chance we might never return home.

Lena shot me a reproachful glance. The others looked mildly horrified. Sarcastic quips aside, I meant it. We were only going to die anyway, and besides, this sounded far more exciting than being locked in a lab for the next few months.

Gracefully, the President moved on. "Dr. Cordell?"

Lena nodded.

I have to admit, I didn't think she'd accept. Not with the way she'd talked about evacuating people out in the brand new Death Valley. Seemed she'd already found her place and wasn't keen to leave it.

"I'm interested in learning more about our galactic neighbors," Lena said.

The President smiled, satisfied.

They had no idea how much.

2

Contact
LENA

There were six ships in total. The majority were residential and housed the small Etrallia population. From our estimates, they numbered in the hundreds, not the thousands as we'd initially assumed. The ship we were bound for was one of the main ones. Not the command center, but the hub where they'd received our first envoy.

I hoped to God no one could see my hand shaking. The tremor had started after liftoff and only worsened once we'd left the atmosphere. Now, I couldn't hide it under my other arm and pretend it was from being jostled around in my seatbelt as we blasted off planet Earth.

Breathe, Lena. Breathe.

I had actually convinced myself I was ready for this, but now that it was about to happen, I feared I might have a panic attack. Jesus, we were about to meet an alien race. This kind of stuff just didn't happen every day--not even in my world where I willingly trekked into a desert every day.

We were prepared. Two weeks of training had made sure of that. But even with the names of Etrallian leaders running through my head and my language-converting comm device secured in my ear, I felt dangerously on edge.

Finally, the ship rocked against a solid surface and I realized we'd docked inside the ship. There were no windows where we were seated so it was hard to be sure. Then we left zero-g and I felt it. Even with the seatbelt secured, I fell back into my seat with a thud, heavy again and thoroughly grounded--or so I managed to convince myself.

I forced myself from my seat and toward the front of the pod. Our pilot was still discussing docking procedure with someone on the other line.

Mars grinned at me, not the least bit nervous. "Ready for this?"

"How can we be?" I honestly didn't know. What the hell were we doing here?

Mars's smile didn't falter. "We can't, sister." He patted me firmly on the back.

A clang signaled we were disembarking and I watched the doors of our pod ease open, maddeningly slow. For a moment, I was a cowering child. I wanted to run, to escape toward the back of the vessel and hide among the seats so the monsters couldn't find me. Instead, I took another bracing breath.

All in a day's work, Lena.

Today's just a normal day...just pretend you're on Earth. You'll be discussing medical science with a doctor from a foreign--

Standing in the docking bay before us was a massive creature that looked like something out of a movie, only creepier because this creature looked humanoid. And that's exactly the word I'd use to describe it. It wasn't quite human, but it had a very human-like shape.

On two legs, it stood upright. It had two arms, though notably shorter than ours, that appeared to serve a similar purpose. At the end of each hand were fingernails sharp and pointed and so long that I decided instead they must be claws. Its hair was a straight puff of black that traveled from its head and down its back, disappearing beneath what looked like some kind of hand-crafted armor.

I could deal with the scaly skin. It was pretty much what I had expected anyway. It was the face, really, that would take some getting used to. As we approached, I walked almost mechanically. One foot in front of the other like a robot as I tried not to stare wide-eyed at the Etrallian sent to greet us.

It had eyes like a cat, vertical pupils that pulsed and dilated as we came into range. In addition, a pair of antennae twitched atop its head.

The President gestured for us to turn on our comm devices. I reached for my ear, then hesitated. The Etrallian made a sound like a guttural groan and I nearly jumped. Hastily, I flipped the tiny switch on my device.

"Greetings to you, as well," said President Burgess, not the least bit perturbed. "We hope we didn't keep you waiting."

"Not at all," said the Etrallian. It inclined its head in a half-bow.

Not it. He, I schooled myself gently. He's a person. An Etrallian.

"You may call me Curran. I have chosen this name for myself to make it easier to communicate." He gestured to the side of his head and I realized he had ears like us. A silver comm device was nestled in a circular hollow beneath his hairline.

"I am second to Galentide, leader of our people."

We had studied him. According to the intelligence gathered by the first envoy, the leader of the Etrallia always had backup. An assistant, much like a vice president. Curran was Galentide's right-hand man.

"Thank you for meeting us," continued the President. "These are our experts, chosen to aid you on the ship. You have their assignments for them?"

Curran gestured behind him. "One of our guards will be assigned to each group. This is to help you navigate and introduce you to your counterparts aboard the ship."

The President nodded.

"Where is your doctor?" Curran surveyed us with interest.

I tensed as Maria Burgess waved me forward. Mars nudged me and I led the way into full view of the Etrallia's second-in-command.

Curran inspected me. After a moment, he raised a hand and pointed toward an equally tall Etrallian standing by a set of doors across the room.

Slowly, Rhine unglued himself from the President's side. Reluctantly, Mars and I followed him across the loading bay. I stole one last glance over my shoulder, looking for an encouraging nod from the President, but she was still talking intently with the Etrallian VP.

With a gulp, I turned to meet our new escort. It was amazing how tall he was up close--nearly seven feet I guessed. It made me feel like a less than average human specimen. He stood like a sentinel in his plates of armor.

He smiled.

Or at least I think it was a smile. His lips pulled back from his pointed little teeth and his eyes widened.

Rhine stopped abruptly.

"Hello." He cleared his throat. "I am Major Rhine of the United States Army, a resident of Earth, and a member of the second envoy." He craned his neck to regard our new acquaintance. Rhine extended his hand and much to my surprise, the Etrallian guard took it.

The Major managed to maintain his composure as the creature shook his hand heartily, claws inches from his wrist.

"Mars." My other companion didn't step forward but he gave a little wave.

The Etrallian's eyes lit up. "Like the planet. The red one."

"Uh, yes." Mars scratched his head. "How did you know that?"

"I've seen your star charts." He made a sound like a chuckle.

Right. The first envoy had shared information with the Etrallia in order to kick off our new relationship. Afterall, if we knew their leaders, they surely knew ours. It wasn't unlikely they knew other things about us as well.

"And what's your name?" I asked.

The Etrallian smiled and made a strange sound that seemed to be in his own language. I fiddled with my comm device, wondering if it was malfunctioning.

"It is a name in our ancient tongue," he explained. "The politicians have chosen Earth names, but I admit I don't have one yet. You may call me whatever you like."

I thought for a moment. "How about Henry?"

Mars shot me an incredulous glance. Rhine looked like I was embarrassing him or something. I ignored them both. Our new friend might not be a leader of the Etrallia, but we needed to be able to relate to him if we wanted to develop good relations.

"Hen-ree." He tested the name in his mouth. After a moment, he nodded, satisfied. "Then I shall call you-" He spoke again in his ancient language.

"Alright, then." I smiled brightly. "My name's Lena by the way."

"Lee-na."

"That's right."

"Okay," Rhine said brusquely. "I believe you're supposed to be showing us the laboratories." He gestured to Mars and I. "These two are scientists."

"Well, technically I'm looking for the medical station," I corrected.

Henry inclined his head as if he had been given a direct order. "Please, follow me." He turned on his heel and led us out of the loading bay. We entered a series of corridors and he finally slowed his pace so we could keep up. For a creature of his size, I couldn't help but notice how quietly he walked, footfalls nearly silent on the metal floors.

We passed by other Etrallians as Henry led us deeper into the ship. The ones dressed in fancy robes paid us no mind, but the others peered at us curiously before continuing on their way.

I tried to keep track of the turns we made and what direction we were heading, but after the fifth turn, it was all but hopeless. It felt like we were going in circles and I wondered if we were lost. I tugged on Mars' sleeve and whispered my concerns to him.

He frowned. "Either that or they don't build their ships around a grid layout."

Entirely possible. A moment later, Henry slowed. We came upon a large glass wall, behind which sat what I assumed was the laboratory.

"This way." Henry pulled open a heavy metal door and showed us inside. Large tables were spread out around the room, counters and desks filled with a handful of Etrallians at work on unknown projects.

"This is where you'll be working." Henry posted himself against the wall. "I'm to be your guard whenever you're aboard the ship. Wherever you go, I go."

"Actually, I'm their guard," said Rhine.

I eyed the oblong object strapped to the side of Henry's thigh. It looked like it could be a gun. I wondered if Rhine had noticed it.

"Two guards," said Henry.

Major Rhine was still staring at him when another Etrallian approached us. He was wearing some kind of a lab coat. Grunting, he rested both arms on his hips and studied us speculatively. After a moment, Mars and I exchanged uneasy glances.

Henry spoke in the old tongue and the lab coat glared. I wasn't sure how I could tell, but he didn't seem pleased. Henry spoke again, more harshly.

"Gillis," said the lab coat.

"Head Scientist," Henry explained.

Reluctantly, Mars offered his hand.

Gillis stared at it. He shot Henry an unreadable glance before narrowing his amber eyes. "I have much work to do." He strode back into his office.

"Nice guy," said Mars.

I managed to refrain from elbowing him in the ribs.
MARS

They left me alone and I was more than a little pissed about it. Even though it had been a week with no incidents, that didn't mean I couldn't use the company. Lena and Rhine were in the med bay, talking with someone named Kymera about Etrallian physiology and learning all sorts of good stuff. I was brooding about this while staring at soil samples under a microscope, when Lena burst into the lab, a little out of breath.

"You've got to see this." She shoved a thin, cylindrical object into my hand. It looked like a tiny thermos, except open on both ends. I stared, perplexed. At least I wasn't alone anymore.

"What is it?"

"A miniature water purifier." She grinned. "This gadget can desalinate, chlorinate, all sorts of things."

"Huh." I tipped the cylinder to peer inside. "No kidding."

It hadn't taken us long to realize that the Etrallia were advanced. Actually, to say they were advanced would be an understatement. To us, advanced meant space-age tech like warp speed and holograms. As far as we could tell, the Etrallia had nothing like that, but they had contraptions for things we could never have imagined.

"I just came across it in a drawer. Kymera explained what it was for and when I asked Henry, he said he wasn't sure. They've always had them lying around."

"Well, that's useful."

"Mars," she exclaimed. "Don't you see? If they make tiny devices like these, who's to say they don't have a larger one?"

"You mean a water purifying plant." I considered the possibility. "On one of their ships?"

Lena lowered her voice. "On this one."

That's when our plan began to form.

"You know what this means, right?"

I nodded, comprehension dawning. If this was true, it changed everything.

"We have to do everything we can to find it." Lena's eyes were darkly serious. "And we have to bring it back to Earth."

I knew better than to call her crazy. Besides, she was right. If such a thing existed, the implications were enormous.

"How are we going to find it?" Our only available source of information was seated in his office, studiously ignoring me. Here I thought all the Etrallia were interested in collaboration, but the scientist they called Gillis could make a puppy feel like a burden.

I almost talked myself out of it, but the old guilt trip got me. It was the same thing that had dragged me back to a lab in the first place. There were people dying. Millions were counting on us whether they knew it or not. Besides, I was tired of looking at soil samples under a microscope.

I quickly heaved myself across the room before I could change my mind. Bracing for Gillis's unnerving gaze, I knocked.

When no one answered, I tried the door. Gillis turned as the door opened, a tablet in his hand. He said nothing, scrutinizing me through narrow eyes.

I cleared my throat. "Er, could I ask you something?"

He stared for another long moment and I tried not to look away from those dark vertical pupils. "I have no time for this, human."

I was surprised to realize he was wearing his comm device. He seemed a bit of a rebel to me when it came to following protocol.

"It'll be quick," I assured him. I leaned against the door frame. "Those purifier devices. Kymera showed us one and I was wondering...is that how it works here on the ship? Do you guys use a filtration system or is that only necessary if you're converting water you've found on a planet's surface?"

Gillis put the tablet down. Even that innocuous movement seemed heated. "They told me you are a scientist." Now, I could tell. He was definitely angry. "Why ask about this engineering business?"

I shrugged. "Curiosity."

Gillis crossed his arms, a universally defensive stance. "I have more important things to worry about, Earthling. Go review the planetary samples. I'm sure you will find much to your amazement there."

I couldn't tell if he meant this or if he'd resorted to mocking me. Either way, the conversation was clearly over.

"Records," I murmured as we left Gillis to his work.

"What?" asked Lena.

Maybe I didn't need to ask for information. I wasn't a spy, I was a geologist. And it was time to do some digging.

It wasn't a brilliant idea, but it wasn't too shabby either. After questioning one of Gillis's lab workers who didn't have a comm device or a clue what I was saying, I finally found the room where all the lab's files were stored. It took some super sleuthing skills, but I eventually found what I was looking for.

"Some of the files were classified--scrambled or encrypted," I explained. "But it's not like I can read Etrallian anyway. The ones available had sample numbers attached so I did some recon. I'm pretty sure I can confirm those soil samples came from a planet with water." I grinned. "Saline water."

Lena stole a glance at Rhine who was digesting this news in silence. "You've been spying."

I couldn't decide whether he sounded disappointed or impressed. This was big. It could be everything. If a space-traveling race like the Etrallia had come across planets with oceans, then it stood to reason that they had some way of desalinating all that water--something larger than a couple of thermos-sized converters.

"So, you're saying we go look for this giant water purifier without any idea which ship it's on or whether it even exists?"

I shook my head. "Lena and I can't go looking. Someone will miss us, whether it's Kymera or Gillis. Even Henry."

The Major shook his head. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Charles," Lena spoke up. "This could mean saving thousands of lives."

"You don't know that. Even if this thing exists, do you really think the Etrallia will just let us have it?"

"Maybe we could borrow it," I suggested.

"Or," Rhine lowered his voice. "They find out we're already dying and decide to take Earth for themselves."

"Well, everyone's dying every day. Technically."

Rhine glared daggers at me.

"All you have to do is check this ship," said Lena.

Since we weren't allowed access to the others, I figured this was a good call. Clearly, the Etrallia weren't keen on disclosing this information if Gillis's reaction was any indication.

"It'll be big. In a large space, maybe like an engine room."

"I still haven't agreed," Rhine protested.

I slapped him on the back, good-naturedly. "We're talking mass amounts of hydrogen being distilled into clean drinking water. It'll probably be loud, too. That kind of machine would need a lot of energy powering it."

"This is insane." Rhine ran a hand through his otherwise perfect hair. "Who's going to protect you two?"

Lena shrugged. "We've always got Henry."

Rhine looked like he might be sick.

The Major left to search the ship right before we broke for lunch.

Then, he didn't return.

It got so late that even Henry started to look suspicious.

"How long has it been, do you think?" Lena whispered.

"At least four hours." If he didn't hurry, Rhine was about to miss the last shuttle back to Earth.

When we returned to the loading bay, we found the President discussing something with Curran over by our pod. Behind Curran stood two guards, clutching Major Rhine between them.

I cursed under my breath. "Never send a soldier to do a civilian's work."

"I didn't think they'd notice," Lena admitted. "Not with four dozen humans aboard the ship."

"Well, they noticed alright." We slowed our approach. "Or Rhine tried something stupid. Either way, we're screwed." I chuckled mirthlessly. "Think we broke any Etrallian rules?"

As it turned out, we hadn't. At least not officially. But that didn't stop Galentide, leader of the Etrallia from summoning our entire team to his Council Room the next morning.

Needless to say, the President was not pleased.

"Your people," boomed Galentide. "Are to remain in their designated areas. Humans in restricted areas of the ship will not be tolerated."

We understood perfectly well.

As I stood there practically shaking in my boots, I half-expected Galentide to lunge off the dais, claws wide, with the royal guard hot on his heels.

It wasn't like we didn't deserve it. We'd invaded their privacy, after all. Just when Lena had convinced me we were saving lives, instead, we'd endangered them.

We were exiting the chamber, thoroughly reprimanded when an Etrallian caught up to us, blocking our way.

I looked up, half-expecting it to be Henry but instead, it was Curran.

He smiled, showing all his pointed teeth.

"Forgive me," he said. "Galentide is only worried about the safety of our people. He doesn't want them to come to any harm."

"We mean your people no harm." Rhine stepped forward. "Unfortunately, some humans have little restraint when it comes to our own curiosity." He looked pointedly at Lena and me.

"We are the ones who should be asking forgiveness," the President agreed.

Curran shook his head. "It brings me great happiness, you know. I have great plans for our forthcoming alliance. Great plans, indeed."

Lena and I exchanged a glance. Was this guy serious?

"Come, I have something to show you. I assure you, we have nothing to hide."

If he wasn't second in command, I'm sure we would have assumed Curran was crazy. Instead, we followed him.

We reached a large oval-shaped door, solid metal like it led to a vault. Curran ordered the guards to open the doors and we waited in breathless anticipation.

"I don't suppose you'd gotten to exploring this part of the ship." I elbowed Rhine like he was a drinking buddy instead of active-duty military.

The Major's face remained in his perpetually grim expression.

"What did you do when they caught you?" I was still surprised this hadn't escalated into something far worse.

"Pretended I was lost," Rhine grumbled.

"That works."

"We were just reprimanded by the king of an alien race," Rhine reminded me. "Apparently, it doesn't."

"Okay," I admitted. "So maybe play up the confusion more next time." I leaned closer, studying Rhine's face. "And drop the frown. No one likes a sourpuss."

Lena smiled.

The doors groaned as they retracted into the ceiling. Inside was a space almost as vast as the loading dock, big enough to fit everyone onboard, I imagined.

Translucent pipes lined the walls and twined around the catwalks like tangled vines. The tubes led to a vat in the center of the room, sealed off with metal bolts and covered with indecipherable symbols. Whatever it was, it didn't seem to be operational.

Curran disappeared behind the vat. When he returned, he was clutching a metal cup which he offered to the President.

Maria Burgess peered inside.

"Water," said Curran. "But don't drink. Smell."

The President took a whiff. She dipped a finger in the solution and tasted it. She smiled. "Like the ocean."

"Saltwater?" Rhine took the cup to investigate.

When he passed it to Lena and I, we confirmed their assessments. It was definitely a saline solution.

"Now watch," said Curran.

He shuffled to one of the tubes on the floor, jimmied open a small canister, and dumped the water inside. Back by the vat, he pressed some buttons on a console and a low vibration filled the room.

Lena clutched my sleeve as the vibration grew. Then, all at once the machine powered down and the room was as still as before. What had just happened?

Curran withdrew the canister and poured the water back into its cup. Once again, he offered it to the President who took it mutely from his clawed hand.

"Now, you may drink," he said.

Maria Burgess drank. She took a single cautious sip. Then another, as if she couldn't quite trust her taste buds. By the third gulp, I was convinced.

They'd done what we couldn't. They'd successfully created a large-scale desalination machine and for all we knew, they'd had this technology for years.

Curran beamed--if you could call it that. In reality, he was showing his teeth, pupils wide. "Takes solar power and neutric energy."

"Neutric energy?"

"You do not have such technology?" Curran fiddled with his comm device as if he hadn't heard correctly.

Major Rhine shot the President a sharp glance. I had no doubt the General would advise against sharing our weaknesses. But this was a turning point, more important than ego or imagined vulnerabilities.

"We don't," President Burgess admitted. "On a much smaller scale, yes. But nothing that works quite so...efficiently."

"I see."

"Curran." I approached our host. "If I might ask, how many gallons of water can this machine convert at once."

"Gallons?" Curran looked puzzled.

Of course. The first envoy would have taught them the metric system. "What about liters?"

Curran thought for a moment. "One hundred thousand, perhaps, but our engineers would know best."

"And how much energy would you expend to purify one hundred thousand liters?"

Curran shrugged. "Ten neutrinos approximately. Perhaps we'd dim the lights for a few hours, but the ship is quite capable of withstanding the expenditure."

"Do you think you could introduce me to your engineers?"

I needed to understand what he meant by neutric energy. This could be the beginning of a breakthrough. It was desalination on a scale we'd never seen before. A plant that could convert liquid to clean drinking water in a matter of seconds, powered by an energy source that didn't seem to cost the Etrallia anything at all. As far as I was concerned, it was pure magic.

LENA

"But what does it feel like?" Kymera asked.

"It's warm," I laughed.

"But how warm, what does that mean?"

"Well." Memories of trekking through the California desert surfaced in my mind. "Where I work it's mostly burning. At high noon, it's so hot, you feel like you're boiling, or like someone's thrown you into the heart of an open fire."

It was her favorite topic of conversation. Earth weather. For someone cooped up in a spaceship, I imagined it served as a kind of escape.

"That sounds nice," said Kymera, tying off the bandage on her patient's arm.

"It's brutal, really."

"Not like the cold of space."

"No," I admitted. She had yet to ask me anything about human medicine.

"Next patient," Kymera called.

An Etrallian guard came ambling through the curtain, but instead of sitting in the examination chair, he remained standing.

Kymera scanned him quickly. "What do you need?"

The guard grumbled something I couldn't make out.

"He says he's sore all over," Kymera explained. "What have you been doing?" She asked him.

"Walking." The guard voice was deep and raspy. "Can barely do my duties."

"And why is that, Celway? Have you been drinking again?" Kymera sounded more like a chiding mother than a concerned doctor.

I studied her patient more closely. "Could be the flu," I said.

Kymera frowned. "He's not bleeding," she said blankly. "It must be the ale."

"Or the flu." I pointed to his forehead where tiny beads of sweat were gathering. "Fever, body aches.."

The guard heaved suddenly and a mucus-like substance went flying through the air.

"Congestion," I added, mildly.

The guard shuffled forward and for a moment I thought he was finally going to sit. Instead, he dropped to his knees and keeled over.

Kymera jumped to her feet. She shouted a phrase I'd heard before, one I'd come to recognize as an obscenity.

Christ. This Etrallian wasn't just fatigued, he was experiencing full-on exhaustion. I wondered how long he'd been ignoring his illness, fighting to continue his duties as a guard before giving in and seeking help. I wondered belatedly why Kymera looked like a grenade had just landed in her medical bay.

I knew it was our fault. I knew it even before Kymera explained to me there was no such thing as an Etrallian flu. They had other diseases, rare ones, but no one had ever experienced something like this before. This was unprecedented in their history.

By the end of the week, a quarter of the fleet was infected. And those are just my rough estimates as a doctor.

It didn't take long before Kymera's initial panic spread from the medical bay to the rest of the ship.

A week passed and still, we couldn't find a cure. I took my knowledge of the human flu vaccine and attempted to adapt it for Etrallian physiology, but our initial trials proved fruitless. The Etrallians we vaccinated didn't improve. Our new vaccine was as good as a placebo.

Feeling utterly useless, I walked around and made sure the patients were comfortable. Half of them didn't want me anywhere near them so Kymera would send me into the supply closets on any errand she deemed remotely necessary.

I felt guilty and unreasonably tired for someone who could do little to remedy the situation.

It was a day much like this when the President arrived in the overflowing infirmary.

"Lena." She made a beeline for me, careful not to look Kymera in the eye. "You need to come with me," she said quietly.

I stood slowly, unnerved by her tone.

She leaned closer. "We're leaving." Barely a whisper in my ear.

"Why? What's happened?"

She met my gaze pointedly. "This," she said simply. "Tensions are rising. We're being blamed for spreading contagion to the Etrallia. I won't put this team at risk a minute longer."

"I'm not leaving," I said resolutely.

The President stared. "Do you really want to have this discussion here?"

Several of the Etrallia were staring at us from their beds. Even if they couldn't understand us, body language was a powerful thing.

"Running isn't the answer," I said. "If we stay, I might be able to help with the quarantine. People could still recover, their immune systems just need to adjust."

"Lena, we're aborting. There's no need to--"

"I'm not staying for your stupid intelligence. I'm staying for them." I gestured to the Etrallia suffering in their beds. They may not be human, but they're living, breathing beings just like us. They deserve our help."

Either the President didn't want to make a scene or she saw in my eyes that there'd be no swaying me. "Very well."

I took a deep breath as she left me to my own devices.

"Lena." A cool hand on my wrist.

I whirled at the strange, clammy touch.

Henry peered down at me. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to startle you."

I felt a sharp pain in my chest as I looked at him, our formidable guard. He hadn't fallen ill yet, thank god.

"It's alright."

"I think that was very brave." He indicated the door where the President had disappeared.

"Thank you." I met his eyes, tired and more than a little defeated. "Henry, can you do me a favor?"

He cocked his head.

"Can you get me out of this place for a little while?"

Silently, he nodded. "Of course, Dr. Cordell."

"Call me Lena," I sighed.

"Lena."

"You can manage right?" I asked Kymera.

"We'll be fine," she assured me.

Henry led me down several corridors and at first, I tried to pay attention to where we were going, but the layout of the ship was unfathomable. It was all I could do to keep putting one foot in front of the other, head low so I wouldn't have to look into any more Etrallian eyes.

"Henry."

He stopped mid-stride.

"I wanted to thank you." I reached for his hand without meaning to, clasped his strange, scaly skin in my mine before I realized that I'd never done such a thing before. It should have been strange, that skin to skin contact except touching him wasn't alien at all. The sensation wasn't unlike touching human flesh. That zing of awareness. Sentience.

Henry stared at my hand where it rested on his forearm. I squeezed gently. "Thank you for protecting us. And thank you for helping me."

"Of course." Cautiously, he returned the gesture. "Lena."

I took a deep breath. "So, where are we going?"

"The Common Space."

We stopped by the lab to gather Mars and Rhine. The utterly abandoned workspace made my gut twist.

"She tried to convince us to evacuate," said Mars. "But we figured we'd keep you company instead."

Rhine wore his usual stern expression.

"Is Gillis..."

Mars gave a short laugh. "No, he's holed up in there." I followed his gaze and realized the lab wasn't entirely abandoned. Secured behind the glass wall of his office was Gillis, back to us all, fiddling with something on his desk.

"Afraid he'll get sick," Rhine grumbled.

I swallowed. "I don't blame him."

The place Henry took us turned out to be the Etrallian version of a bar. Chairs and tables lined the walls with one corner set up for dispensing drinks. The other corner housed a stage where a female Etrallia gyrated slowly under the bright lights. In the shadows beneath the stage, a few of our human coworkers sat watching, their faces obscured. Clustered around a table to our left stood a group of Etrallian workers, throwing back their drinks.

"What are they doing?" I asked, indicating the strange objects in the center of the table.

"Playing pardai." From the way Henry said this, I gathered it was a fairly ordinary event. "You can't keep thousands of Etrallians cooped up in a fleet without providing some form of entertainment." He gestured to the counter across the room. "We should sit."

Mars began to follow him, but I made for the crowd around the table.

A hand grasped my shoulder. "Lena," Rhine said in my ear. "We don't know what this is--"

Irritated, I shrugged him off. "It's a game, Charles."

He followed me anyway, jostling past Etrallians nearly a foot taller than him as I pushed my way to the table. It was there that I made my discovery. Among the bounty on the table was a small cylindrical device not unlike the one I'd seen before.

"I'm in," I said.

The Etrallians stopped their bickering.

The ringleader met my gaze, surprise in his eyes. A second later it was gone, replaced with the calm, arrogant air of one who knows his own power. "In for what?" His hands hit the table as he leaned forward, his face a foot away from mine. "What are you doing here, Earth girl?" His growl was low and gravelly. "What have you come to play?"
MARS

I tried to ignore the fact that I was alone on an alien spaceship. I really did, but after a few minutes of pretending to calmly sip my drink, I couldn't take it any longer.

Despite my fears of being crushed, or worse, pissing off an Etrallian, I pushed stubbornly through the group clustered around the pardai table. When I could finally see what was going on, I nearly turned tail and ran to reclaim my chair.

Lena faced a particularly fierce-looking Etrallian. I wanted to ask her what the hell she thought she was doing, but Rhine was speaking urgently into her ear. She promptly ignored him, replying back to the Etrallian across the table.

It was Zubeida, Commander of the Etrallian Guard, a hulking armored Etrallian whose face was currently pinned to a whiteboard down on Earth.

"Better luck next time, Earth girl." Zubeida smirked, caressing the weapon on his hip.

"I believe you mean Earth woman, Commander." Lena fixed him with a hard stare.

And here I thought she had passed her psych evaluation.

The Commander huffed. "Thirty Earth years and you humans think you're all grown up." He cast a reproving glance toward Henry. "Is their insolence wearing off on you, boy?"

Henry watched them silently, ever the sentinel. I couldn't imagine what he was thinking. Was he wishing Lena hadn't challenged his boss or hoping she beat him in whatever crazy game they were playing? From what I could tell, she was losing. Not that I had any idea how this worked.

Zubeida took another swig of his drink, dark liquid sloshing down the side of his cup. Lena reached for two dice-like objects and his hand clamped down on her wrist, firm and unyielding.

"She gets one more roll." Henry stepped forward, his voice clear and steady.

The Etrallian next to me growled.

The Commander slammed his empty chalice against the table, making the metallic surface vibrate. "One more for the Earth girl," he declared.

Without taking her eyes from him, Lena threw her hand to the open air. I watched in fascination as the objects caught in the center of the table--literally stopped in mid-air, an anti-gravity field slowing them as if they'd hit a wall. It seemed to be over, but then the end of one die turned over the other, spinning in a slow circular dance. She still had velocity on her side.

Around me everyone grew strangely quiet, holding their breath as if the slightest disturbance could influence the outcome of the roll. Hell, maybe it could.

The dice ceased their movement, frozen two feet off the table as surely as if they were frozen in a block of ice. Zubeida extended his hand into the invisible field.

Eyes still locked on his, Lena waited a long, torturous moment, searching for something. Finally, she jabbed a finger on the edge of the table, pushing a button I hadn't seen earlier.

The dice fell through the air, released from their weightless prison. Zubeida flexed his fingers, ensuring his palm was flat and the dice landed in his hand soundlessly.

Everyone leaned forward to read the markings. Everyone except me. On the right side of the table sat an assortment of objects, devices I didn't recognize and had no names for, but as soon as the dice could be clearly read, Lena reached for one object in particular.

Zubeida cursed and slammed a hand on the table.

"Just this," she said. "This is all I want."

The others hissed in disappointment. Zubeida had a strange look on his face. "That?" He asked, incredulously. "A useless toy."

"It's not useless to me."

Zubeida gestured for her to take it.

I didn't need to ask what it was because Lena was grinning. Henry and Rhine ushered us away from the group and I found myself grinning, too. We'd just won a small water converter, the kind of simple gadget the Etrallia had in droves, but which we desperately needed.

"This little thing could convert ocean water for a hundred people back on Earth." Lena tilted it sideways and the metallic surface flashed in the light.

"Twice as many children," I added. It was a simple bit of gadgetry, compact yet powerful.

"Do you realize the implications of this?"

"You don't need to convince me." I held up my hands.

Lena turned to Rhine.

"Don't try that again," he said.

A loud screech split the air, echoing across the metal walls and we froze in our tracks. Across the room, there was a very human groan and two men sprinted away from the stage, faces alive with terror.

I turned to grab Lena and realized Rhine had already hauled her into the corridor. My feet moved without my permission as Henry's arm clamped around my own, dragging me to safety.

3

Disturbance
LENA

He was dead. A member of our team, a human being. The shock of it had us huddled in the briefing room on the Base, awaiting direction from our President.

The General's face was red with anger. "This is murder," he huffed. "Pure and simple."

"The body's been removed and returned to his family," the President said quietly. "We all knew the risks that were involved and I can't say that any of us completely grasp the situation yet."

"He was murdered," the General repeated. "By that lady Etrallia." He jabbed a finger skyward.

Beside me, Rhine nodded in agreement.

The President sighed. "Our two eyewitnesses say he transgressed in some way. If it wasn't unprovoked, the last thing we should do is start making demands of the people who still blame us for causing an epidemic."

The General shook his head. "I say we remove their purifier and end this whole exchange. This farce of playing nice, of getting to know each other is over."

I felt his anger, his fear. I couldn't say I felt any differently except that I needed to know more. It was like the President said, we didn't fully understand what had happened. We needed more information.

"We've been over this, General." Maria Burgess regarded him sternly. "Even if we could extract the machine from the ship, we don't understand how to operate it."

That was considering it was even possible to extract such a contraption from the ship that contained it. I had my doubts.

"We could figure it out," the General persisted stubbornly. "With the brightest minds in the country, are you seriously telling me we can't figure this out?"

"Not to mention," the President added, "removing it without permission would be a direct violation. You know as well as I do that we can't afford a war."

It was my turn to nod in agreement. We'd only just begun to learn about the Etrallia. Their incredible technology was what we needed to survive. They could teach us so much. They might even be able to save us.

"War's always been coming." There was a darkness in the General's eyes, so unlike the amused, jovial man I'd met only a month ago.

"He was one of us," someone spoke up. "His name was Richard. Whatever he did...he deserves someone to fight for him."

There was a murmur of assent around the room.

"I'm not denying that," said President Burgess. She looked to the General. "We'll petition the Etrallian Council for reparations. It's the least we can do."

Begrudgingly, the General accepted.

When we arrived back on the main Etrallian ship, we were ushered quickly into the Council Room where Galentide received his subordinates. I felt the same sense of insignificance that I'd felt the last time we were here, when we were being chastised for Rhine's exploration of the ship's restricted areas.

The dais that held Galentide's throne was a good seven feet above the floor, the height of an Etrallian and far beyond the height of a human. This was by design, I was certain.

On Galentide's right sat Curran, slightly dwarfed next to his magnificent leader. On Galentide's other side, Zubeida stood at attention, fingers stroking his oblong weapon. Henry had called this a blaster and his description left me with a full understanding of what it could do. Across the dais stretched Galentide's Council, an assortment of politicians and representatives from each of the ships.

Their voices died away, replaced by a wary silence as our footsteps echoed throughout the chamber.

Galentide spoke first. "Well?" He leaned forward to peer down at us. "Why have you come?"

Always to the point, these Etrallians.

The President was our only representative. Thankfully, she'd managed to convince the General to stay behind to man the Base. Now, she looked a bit like she regretted that decision as she stepped forward to face fifteen Etrallians, seated high above her.

"As you're aware." She cleared her throat. "A member of our team was killed yesterday. He suffered what appeared to be blunt force trauma and a terrible bite to the neck."

Galentide said nothing.

After a long moment, Curran finally spoke. "Terrible, indeed." To my ears, he sounded sincere, but his inflection was nothing I could reliably recognize. Etrallian translations through the comm device were stiff at best.

"Yes," agreed the President, assuming they meant well. "The loss of life is always a great tragedy. As such, it has been greatly discussed among our people." She waited to see if her words were sinking in.

"Go on." Galentide gestured with a hand.

"As a result, we have decided that it would not be fair to let this tragedy go unpunished. That is the reason for our visit today. To request proper reparations for such carnage. On Earth, such an act is punishable with a prison sentence, a period of confinement and reflection for the one who transgressed. At the very least, we demand this."

"Demand." Galentide said the word blankly as if he didn't quite understand the meaning.

Wrong word. I closed my eyes.

"We request," the President corrected.

When I opened them again, Rhine and several of the other military men had shifted closer to her side.

"In the past few months, we've developed enough of a relationship to request this for the crime that has been committed by one of your people against one of ours."

Galentide studied her, dark eyes unfathomable. He chuckled softly, the sound reverberating slowly throughout his chest and then outward until it filled the room.

"According to our laws, Madam President, a female may defend herself against a male who breaks code. Perhaps if we were on your planet, you might have the right to punish those who transgress. On our ship, you must abide by our rules, yes?"

The President considered. "Yes." Her posture slipped a little. "I would have to agree to that."

I sighed. It had been a long-shot anyway.

"Agreed." Galentide gestured dismissively. "Besides. Where are our...reparations...for the loss of life you have caused?"

No. Kymera would have told me.

The President proceeded cautiously. "I wasn't aware any of your people had perished."

It was the honest truth. If Kymera had told me, I would have reported back. I clenched my fists.

"Indeed," Curran interrupted. "Approximately twenty. Only from the main ship. however. It doesn't seem to have spread as strongly among the rest of the armada."

Thank god.

"We weren't aware," the President repeated.

"No," Curran agreed. "You couldn't have been." He glanced meaningfully at Galentide. A look passed between them. "We've kept the number secret even from our own people so as not to induce panic."

The President nodded. "I understand."

"Our scientists are working on a cure as we speak," Curran continued, and I detected a bit of defiance in his posture. Or maybe it was pride. "It is only a matter of time before we crack it." He looked directly at me. "We have Lena Cordell to thank for providing us with a sample of your own vaccine. It will be put to good use."

The sample?

Kymera and I had tried, repeatedly. None of our trials had succeeded so far, but Curran was confident they were nearing a breakthrough? It didn't make any sense. Unless they truly were keeping secrets and Kymera's reluctance to let me help her patients had less to do with their fear of me and more to do with Etrallian politics.

I nodded to Curran and smiled politely. "Glad I could provide assistance." Purposefully, I met Galentide's eyes. "And my condolences on the loss of your people."

Later, when we were back in the good graces of the Etrallia, all past transgressions laid aside, it occurred to me that the root of our current predicament was still a lack of intelligence.

On Etrallia territory, their rules reigned supreme. Would we have handled things any differently? I imagined an Etrallian guard harassing a female back on Earth. If she had shot the guard point blank, would we have blamed her?

The next day, I managed to get Henry alone. As usual, he was quiet as he walked me back to the pod where I was to return to Earth for the night. In an alcove near the landing bay, I stopped, considering how best to broach the subject.

"Henry," I began. "I wonder if I might ask you something."

A flicker of surprise crossed his face, but he otherwise seemed open to the matter.

"I'm afraid my people are lacking in knowledge of Etrallian laws and customs and I was wondering if you might explain a few things to me..."

Henry tilted his head slightly. "You know the basis of our customs, surely. The hierarchy."

I remembered the brief two weeks of training I'd received on the Base prior to meeting him for the first time. "The basis, yes. But what about the penal system?"

"I don't understand," he admitted.

"Punishment. For a crime committed."

He nodded and thought for a moment. "It is...very serious."

I waited for him to gather his thoughts.

"Someone who breaks code or breaks a law, as you say, they could be thrown out the airlock for such an offense."

"You only get one chance?" Surely, he didn't mean every crime.

"We live in confined space," Henry explained. "Bad people...there is no need for them. They put the greater whole at risk."

"I see." They valued utilitarianism, then. The greater good always came first. Still, it seemed harsh, medieval even, to flush every offender out an airlock, thereby taking their life no matter the crime. No wonder they thought we'd gotten off easy.

"That would be the only time that killing is allowed aboard ship."

It made sense in an archaic sort of way. In order to keep people from murdering freely, they had to have rules about when it was okay to kill.

Henry's words stayed in the back of my mind for a long time.

MARS

Apparently, in space, you get one chance. If you blow it, you're dead. According to Lena, the Etrallia lived by a code and they governed like a bunch of badasses.

"So, I guess this means we shouldn't even think about stealing their giant purifier, right?"

Rhine snorted.

"What it means," said Lena, "is the fact that they've chosen to forgive us for the epidemic we caused is a very rare occurrence. We shouldn't take it lightly. When we return tomorrow, we've got to start focusing on how we can help them. The more we help, the more likely they'll let us use the water converter."

Return?

"And here I was hoping I wouldn't have to babysit you two like a couple of children anymore." Heavily, Rhine lowered himself into his seat.

"What about him?" I nodded to Henry who was still waiting dutifully outside the pod to watch us depart. "Shouldn't we start with him?" I fastened my safety buckle. "Since he seems to talk to you and everything."

Lena opened her mouth, but Rhine interrupted.

"I don't like it," he muttered. "The way he has to follow us everywhere."

"Henry?" Lena turned to regard him incredulously. "He's harmless," she insisted. "He might be an Etrallian Guard, but he's friendly enough."

"That's it exactly."

I couldn't say I blamed the Major for his suspicions.

"I quite like him," said Lena, and I half-wondered if she said it just to annoy Rhine.

"Like him?" Rhine raised an eyebrow. "The alien from outer space that may or may not be here to destroy us? Christ Almighty. How did I ever get assigned to you two?"

"Hey," I piped up. "I never said I trusted them."

"Yeah, but I bet you think our little escort is a nice guy." Rhine shoved his buckle shut with a harsh click.

I frowned. "He's alright. Though I don't have much experience in judging Etrallians." I figured Henry could be exactly as he seemed, but there was always a chance he wasn't. Maybe the Etrallia had some kind of gift when it came to deception. Or maybe we were just being paranoid.

Our pod detached from the mothership, floating outward into space. Lena was still standing. She faced Rhine. "Why are you so against this alliance?"

"Against this--" the Major drew a rough breath, schooling the anger from his features. "I am here to make sure this alliance survives."

"So are we, Major." This was the Dr. Cordell I'd met on the Base several weeks ago. The one who worked out in the desert rescuing idiots too stupid to save themselves, all because she cared about people.

I, on the other hand, was under no illusions. Sure, it was fascinating to be one of the first to meet an alien species, but I wasn't here to influence the destiny of mankind. These two clearly hadn't checked their pay stubs lately.

Rhine and Lena continued to stare at each other in angry silence.

I clutched for the non-existent handrails in preparation for our entrance back into the atmosphere. No question about it, tomorrow was going to be a long day.
LENA

If you asked me if I sat Henry down on purpose in order to pry for more information, I'd have to say no. It wasn't by design, though I can understand why others might think it was. Instead, it was the natural progression of our relationship.

Besides, walking with him to the break room for lunch was something we did every day. It just so happened that today, Mars and Rhine weren't with us.

The President had personally asked Mars to reach out to the engineers to continue building a good relationship where the desalination machine was concerned. And Rhine didn't exactly know that I'd left for lunch without him. He was currently passed out in a chair in the med bay, clearly having suffered a rough night's sleep. And to continue in absolute honesty, I was still pissed at him.

It wasn't a difficult thing then, eating alone with Henry instead of in our usual group. If anything, it was oddly peaceful. Henry didn't talk much, but as I'd discovered, this was typical of an Etrallian. He and I had developed somewhat of a companionable silence that I liked to think resembled friendship.

Half-way through our meal, however, I couldn't stand it any longer. "What is it like?" I asked. It was a question that had been burning at the back of my mind for a while now.

"What?" Henry looked up from his plate.

"What's it like traveling across space in a few small ships?" I couldn't imagine it. Living in a confined space like the armada and having to see the same people every day.

"That is a hard question to answer." He pondered for a moment. "What is it like on Earth?"

How could you describe Earth in a single sentence? "It's...beautiful. It's home."

He nodded. "My home is the armada."

But was it? Now, I had to ask. Not for my team or for my people, but out of utter curiosity.

"Henry." I tentatively set down my fork. "I hope you don't mind my asking, but where did you come from? I mean, don't the Etrallia have a home planet?"

Henry's face slowly darkened. "My home planet is dead."

I immediately regretted asking.

"It used to be a great civilization." He shrugged one shoulder gently. "Home to millions of souls." For a moment he seemed lost to himself, drowning in memories of the past.

"So, you left home." It made sense, I guess. They'd never claimed to be travelers or explorers. "But how did you find us? How did you find Earth?"

The silence stretched and I could see Henry weighing something in his head, something he didn't want me to know, or maybe wasn't supposed to tell me.

"We were lost," he finally admitted. "We've been lost for a long time. Our charts do not extend beyond the Squari star system."

"Squari..."

"It is what you call the Andromeda galaxy. Within this galaxy was the planet, Eros."

"Your planet."

"Yes. I will tell you the story, Lena of Earth." He leaned forward conspiratorially.

I smiled. "I'd like that."

"It is not a long story, though the passage was long."

I wasn't sure exactly what he meant, but I didn't question him.

"We were lost for ages...an armada of Etrallia amid an empty universe. Outside, it was cold and dark and lifeless. And inside, we were beginning to grow cold as well. As supplies dwindled so did my people's hope. It was almost time to begin the culling and then suddenly, a planet so blue. It appeared out of the blackness of the void like a gift from the gods. So many thought they were dreaming. But then our sensors picked up water...and life." He laughed suddenly, a deep chortling sound. "Life, Lena." His eyes grew wide. "We stumbled upon a refuge. It was what you call...a magic."

A small smile pulled at my lips. "A miracle," I corrected.

"Miracle, yes."

"So, you left your planet. Your home." I started backtracking in my head. "That must have been difficult." I met his eyes. Surely, he didn't mean...

"I've never seen it." He watched me solemnly. "Eros is only a story."

I didn't know what to say. This wasn't anything I had anticipated--anything we'd anticipated.

"I was born aboard the sixth airship," Henry explained. "As all Etrallia are now."

I tried to keep my jaw from hanging open. He was saying they'd been lost in space his entire life. We'd already done that math and Henry was no older than me in Earth years. To be lost in space for thirty years?

I took a small breath to calm myself. I needed to know more and so much less at the same time. "How long have you been traveling exactly?"

Henry seemed to sense my caution, my tentative effort to keep the conversation going.

"Many ages." He picked up his fork and began eating again.

He was being vague on purpose, I decided.

"Henry," I said playfully. "Surely, you know the conversion for human years by now..."

He lowered his voice. "I shouldn't."

"Shouldn't what?" I insisted. "Tell me how long you've been lost in space? Henry, come on. You said you were a hatchling, barely thirty."

"If I tell you, Lena Cordell, we must swear to be honest with each other."

I didn't think that would be a problem. It was why we were here, after all. To share information. "I swear it, Henry."

"My people left Eros over one hundred Earth years ago."

In bits and pieces, he continued his story. The Etrallia hadn't left because they were feeling adventurous. They left because they were dying.

"Eros was not unlike Earth," said Henry wistfully. "I never experienced its beauty myself, but our archives hold pictures. It had perhaps half the number of oceans as Earth, but it was very pleasant."

In the beginning, it was enough. Eros was a plentiful land, the birthplace of life that would come to be the Etrallian race. At one point, it was full of promise.

That was thousands of years before Henry's time. His ancestors had known only death and sacrifice. When the water started to dry up and they crunched the numbers, they'd come to a dire conclusion. They couldn't keep reproducing and hope to remain on their beloved planet.

As others died around them, the Etrallia prepared for a long voyage. Several hundred boarded the armada for a one-way ticket into the universe. The hope was that they could discover a way to save their race and if not, that their people would live on, surviving as refugees out in the void.

"You left in search of water." There was so much that made sense now. I was almost dizzy as I considered the implications.

"There's more," said Henry. "Though we checked every viable star system, we could find no place like Eros. We couldn't find a planet with liquid water and a sustainable atmosphere. If we had, we could have converted enough water to fill our reserves. Instead, we waited and hoped."

His eyes were very far away. "This lasted for generations," he explained, "but when I was very young, we came upon a planet in the Zion nebula that looked like the perfect candidate. Its atmosphere was breathable and the sensors were picking up water along the surface."

I imagined the Etrallia's excitement at having found a planet that could sustain them.

"We sent drones to investigate and then a landing party. The people we encountered there called themselves the Zoron. And they needed our help. The water we'd picked up on the surface of their planet was all they had left. Just like us, they were dying. We, with our limited resources, could do nothing. After much debate, the Council voted against lending them aid. So we left the Zoron to their extinction."

I sucked in a breath. "You let them die?"

"We failed them." Henry studied the table.

The clock was already ticking. What were they supposed to do? Sacrifice their own?

"It wasn't your fault," I said, completely sure of it. "It's not the Council's fault that they decided to protect you and it's not your fault because you were only a child."

"And now we find ourselves in a similar position." Henry met my eyes. "We throw ourselves upon the mercy of an alien species and hope they will make a different choice than we did." He shook his head in disgust. "Maybe we don't deserve water."

I considered this for a moment. "Henry, why didn't you tell us?"

He answered readily. "I was commanded to keep it secret from you. We were to establish ties...a diplomatic relationship. Believe me, asking for assistance does not come easy."

I closed my eyes. "How long?"

He knew what I was asking. It was the hardest question of all and I hoped he'd forgive me for it.

"Less than a year." His voice was barely audible. "But I do not make those calculations. The analysts are in charge of predictions."

It was a short time span. A dangerous timespan. And I was the only one who knew how precarious our relationship with the Etrallia truly was.

MARS

I'd been called to the meeting like everyone else. Unlike them, I had no idea it was an emergency, mandatory, high-stakes kind of meeting. So when I wandered in five minutes late, all eyes swung to me as if I might be some kind of enemy soldier instead of the rookie spy they'd made me into. I mean honestly, how hard could it be to get a little appreciation around here. It's not like the world was ending. Or at least, it didn't have to as long the Etrallia had that magical desalination machine.

"You're late," barked the General. He turned back to the others.

"Gee, I hadn't noticed," I muttered, but they had already resumed their conversation.

"One hundred. Are you positive?" The President looked more than a little rattled.

Lena nodded. "One hundred years as we measure it."

"What's that got to do with anything?" It was becoming a rather typical occurrence that I had no idea what was going on. It wasn't so much aggravating as it was disorienting. I thought no one was going to bother to explain, but Lena decided to be my saving grace.

"The Etrallia didn't leave their homeworld recently," she said patiently. "According to Henry, they've been living aboard the ships of the armada for at least one hundred Earth years."

A century? Jesus.

One hundred years ago, our world was slightly less advanced. On the other hand, we were also blissfully unaware of the devastation to come, so much farther away from the end. Those were happy times, for the most part.

"You mean they've been living on limited resources for a hundred years." The President started pacing, her high heels clicking on the linoleum. "How is that even possible?"

I shrugged. "We've been doing it for two thousand."

She didn't laugh. Yet another thing no one seemed to appreciate around here.

"So, they were advanced." Maria nodded to herself. "Even one hundred years ago before they abandoned their planet, they had technology like the water converter."

"It would seem so."

"But they had limited water."

"What?" I didn't mean to open my mouth, but now someone had to be joking.

"Yes." Lena met my appalled gaze. "They abandoned Eros because of water shortages. Considering the similar composition of our planets, it's not completely unlikely. For all we know, it's the natural course of things."

"Right." I couldn't keep the cynicism from my voice. "They just happen to need water the moment our planet starts to dry up. Murphy's freakin' law."

The President ignored me. "How have they survived this long?"

"They brought millions of gallons with them, stored aboard their vessels. Basically, they ran into the same problem we did. Ran their calculations and realized that with exponential growth, they'd outlive their water supply. They sent a small group of their people on a desperate mission to find more water. It was either that or perish."

"They were doomed."

"By now, their planet's dead," I added unhelpfully. "They probably scoured the far galaxies and came up empty, same as us."

"They decided to do something radical," Lena agreed. "Not only did they leave home, but breeding is strictly controlled. Henry said he's the fifth youngest in the entire fleet. He was born thirty years ago."

The General huffed. "They're reproducing," he grumbled. "But only at the same rate that their number diminishes." He seemed impressed. Probably admiring their discipline.

President Burgess turned to me. "How long did you say their lifespan was?"

I shrugged. "A hundred earth years, give or take."

"Not so different from us," Lena said quietly.

"So they've had few births since they left their planet. On the other hand, we've instituted no measure to control our population. We have everything invested in research and technological innovation." The President looked mildly disturbed and I couldn't blame her.

It was what I'd been trying to tell them all along. There was only so much a researcher could do within a limited time frame.

"But if what we've seen is true, the Etrallia hold the key to mass desalination efforts."

Lena smiled. "We could begin converting ocean water immediately if we forged an alliance with them."

"And yet they lied to us," I pointed out. "How are we supposed to trust each other now?" I turned to the President, looking for guidance, a decision, a plan. Anything that could get us out of this mess, preferably unscathed.

"We confront them," she said.

The General nodded. "Agreed."

"What about the alliance?" Lena glanced nervously at the General.

The others didn't seem to share her concerns for diplomacy. We were right back where we'd started the day the Etrallia had invaded our airspace. We were going to have a little chat with them and we were going to demand some answers again.

I managed to suppress my inappropriate laughter.

What could go wrong?

4

Confrontation
LENA

We were back in Galentide's Council Room except that this time there were fewer guards than before. Maybe the show of force was no longer necessary or maybe they didn't want us to feel threatened. Either way, I sensed Curran's mind behind the setup.

It was only him, Galentide, Zubeida and three other royal guards upon the dais. Still, I couldn't help but feel betrayed as I stared up at Curran. He'd known all along. It made sense now why he'd tried to placate us by showing us the water converter.

"I think you know why we're here," the President began.

Curran shifted uneasily.

"Yes," Galentide rumbled. "We've come to a crossroads. It was only a matter of time."

"And what do you propose we do now that we've reached said crossroads?" The President's tone was curt.

"My counselor here has advised me to propose a truce." Galentide gestured to Curran. "A lasting alliance."

"Will you?" asked Maria.

"Perhaps full disclosure is in order first."

I stiffened. There was more?

"Go on."

Galentide rose, dragging his bulk out of his seat. Again, I was impressed by his sheer presence. "As you know, my people are not secure. We are in need of water in order to replenish our reserves."

The President nodded, confirming our information. I was glad Henry wasn't here. Though I hadn't promised him secrecy, I felt responsible for whatever my people did with our newfound knowledge. Then again, maybe he wasn't here for a reason. Maybe he'd been fired for telling me the truth...or worse. A sudden fear seized me. What had I done?

"In the spirit of trust and alliance, we must warn you that despite how it may seem, we are not your greatest threat. There is a greater threat to us both and they will be here soon."

The President raised an eyebrow.

"The Vanlith. That is what they call themselves."

"Why should we be concerned with these people?"

Galentide chuckled darkly. "Because they are a race of monsters. A selfish and destructive species that will stop at nothing to get what they want."

"And what is it that they want?"

Galentide shrugged. "No one really knows. But your planet...mmm.That is a prize I don't think any lifeform is likely to pass up."

"How do we know you're not lying?"

"A good question." Galentide grinned widely. "Alas, I wish I were. I warn you of the Vanlith only because your weapons are hopelessly inferior. This is another thing we share in common."

My stomach hardened. If this species--the Vanlith--had weapons superior to the Etrallia, we were more than doomed. Resisting would be utterly pointless.

"We will take this warning under consideration," the President said slowly.

I remembered Henry's story of the race they'd left to extinction. Would the Etrallia help us when the Vanlith arrived or would we all perish alone?

The next day, I found Kymera in the medical bay lobby. She was gazing out the expansive window that made up the far wall. I was about to interrupt when I noticed what she was staring at.

Against the velvet backdrop of space, the blue orb we called Earth hung suspended among the stars, it's beauty a visceral thing. Even after weeks of seeing my home planet from this perspective, it was still breathtaking.

Sensing my presence, Kymera turned.

I offered her a smile.

"It's almost hard to believe it's real sometimes."

I was beginning to understand. When I looked out into space, I saw my home. A planet I'd come to recognize not only from the ground but also from images taken from satellites and space stations. It was beautiful in all regards, but to the Etrallia it was more than a pretty view. It was no ordinary planet, it was life itself, a kind of paradise among the barren rocks and stardust. Like Henry, she looked at our planet and saw something religious, a promised land of sorts.

But if Earth was an answer to their prayers, what lengths would they go to in order to obtain it? This was the question at the forefront of everyone's minds right now--everyone on our task force and anyone else who knew about the Etrallia's current situation.

"As you know, water is rare..." said Kymera. In her eyes, I saw the depth of that statement, the years her people had struggled to find even an ounce of the treasures the Earth held. Our planet was everything they needed right now.

I met her gaze. "We need something, too.
MARS

On the bright side, we had something the Etrallia needed, something greater than technology or intelligence, something essential. On the dark side, they had the superior technology, the kind of weapons that, should they choose to use them, could substantially cripple us.

These were the things I contemplated as I sat in Gillis's private laboratory, watching him run the calculations for how much of Earth's ocean water it would take to sustain his people for the next ten years.

"Theoretical, of course." He tapped one claw against the table.

At my uneasy expression, he added. "It is the same as before."

I wasn't sure exactly what he meant.

"We need each other," he said, watching me closely. It was the first time he had admitted such a thing. The first time he'd said more than a few sentences to me, really.

I gave him an encouraging nod, but when he turned his back, I could see only the cup that he'd offered me earlier, water sitting motionless in the glass. I struggled not to reach for it.

The laboratory door eased open with a creak.

"Major Rhine." I leapt to my feet in relief.

He motioned me into the corridor and I glanced at Gillis. "Excuse me," I murmured and quickly shuffled out of the lab.

"What's going on?" I whispered when we were out of range of any Etrallians.

"I'm going looking for it," said Rhine.

"I'm sorry?" He was supposed to be with Lena today.

"Their armory," he muttered like I was a complete idiot.

"Okay..." What did he want me to do, read his mind?

"Are you coming with me, or what?"

I sighed. It was better than watching Gillis try to make conversation.

We began to walk in the direction of the restricted area. "How do you know it's even on this ship? Maybe they have hundreds of supply closets full of those blaster things."

"Regardless, we need to know what we're up against."

"What do you mean?"

"You heard the General. There's only one way this ends."

"To be fair, there's been a loss of life on both sides. More on theirs, actually."

"That wasn't intentional," Rhine shot back. "And thanks to Lena, they're closer than ever to developing a vaccine."

"Right, well. You better hope we don't get caught."

LENA

For the first time since they arrived in orbit, an Etrallian space pod touched down on Earth's soil. On Galentide's request, and as a gesture of good faith, I'd been asked to meet an Etrallian representative on Earth. The purpose of our trip was simple. The representative would survey our ocean water and we would show that we meant no harm, that this alliance had a real chance.

The pod door slid open. An Etrallian paused for a moment before stepping gingerly onto the ground. For a moment, I didn't recognize him. He wasn't wearing his usual guard uniform but was dressed instead in ceremonial robes.

Oh, god. It was Henry.

Without thinking, I ran to him. I threw my arms around him as far as they would go. He stiffened at my touch.

"I'm sorry." I drew back, trying desperately to regain my composure. "It's just that...I thought they might have fired you." I swallowed the rest of my words, unwilling to admit I'd feared the worse. Death by asphyxiation.

Henry raised his head proudly. "Guard no longer."

"No?"

He smiled. "Curran nominated me for the Pro-Alliance party. I'm to form ties with the people of Earth."

Oh. "You're a politician now?"

"An...ambassador, I think."

"But how?"

"I've learned much from you," Henry explained. "Galentide was pleased."

I looked toward the ocean across the street. Of course. I hadn't been the only one gathering intelligence.

"Well, thank god for that." I truly was relieved he hadn't been punished.

Henry nodded to the bay. "Shall we?"

Silently, I led him to the pier. It was a rickety old wooden thing, but it would do. We were in an abandoned fishing village off the coast of Maine. As the President had stressed, it was imperative no one saw us.

With every step, Henry's head turned to take in a new sight. Afterall, he'd never experienced anything quite like our planet.

When we reached the end of the dock, we stood there for several long minutes.

Finally, Henry swore softly in the old tongue. "There is enough water here to sustain my people for centuries."

His words hung in the early morning silence, interrupted only by the splashing of waves and the lone shriek of a seagull.

Henry looked at the ocean and saw life. Nowadays, all I could see was a cosmic joke, a riddle that was all but impossible to crack. It was as if God was making fun of humanity, tempting us with the great salt seas while people died of dehydration.

Henry sighed lightly, the weight of his world upon his shoulders. I couldn't help but feel a weight of my own. If the alliance fell apart now, under the stress of uncertainty and fear, I wasn't sure we'd be able to recover it. No amount of Etrallian technology would convince the military, or even the President, that the Etrallians meant well. Now that everyone knew what they wanted--what they needed--the only question remaining was how far were they willing to go? Did they truly want peace?

I didn't know the answer. Instead, I studied Henry, still gazing solemnly out to sea. No matter how hard I tried, I could find no deception in his face. But how was one supposed to judge an Etrallian? As far as I could tell, the rules and laws of his people valued honor and justice. How honorable was it for me to imagine him a spy? Or worse, a friend sent to sway me, manipulate me into--

"You're staring." Henry's lips twitched into the expression I'd come to recognize as amusement.

"Sorry." I tore my eyes away, focusing on the waves as they rolled to shore. "I was just thinking."

"Yes." Henry nodded as if he understood completely. Maybe he did.

"Can I ask you something?" The words were out of my mouth before I could consider whether it was wise or not.

Henry turned his light green eyes on me. "You may ask me anything, Lena." He was so serious, watching me with the same rapt contemplation he had given the sea.

"Did you know?" The Major and the others might have urged me to press for more, such as whether a trade for the Etrallian water converter was possible, but this was the answer I needed from him--from Henry--the foreign being whom I had come to know as a friend.

Henry's brow crinkled. "Did I know that your people were in need of water?"

"That we cannot drink the ocean and can't purify enough salt water fast enough. Did you know our people were struggling?"

Henry tilted his head. "We did not think it strange, but perhaps part of your culture. That only some had access to the water or to technology. We didn't know you were unable to desalinate, but our initial scans of the planet did indicate that lakes and rivers were drying up. Despite this, the oceans swell. For us, this is not a problem. Earth is not a dying planet, Lena. Only a changing one."

"But we are dying."

"I see that now."

"Before you arrived, we were making large-scale rationing plans. Plans that would hopefully last until we had developed a system, a technology that could desalinate a sufficient amount of water on far less energy."

"A wise plan," he said. He took my hand in his own. "It will not be necessary now."

I swallowed. "You would do that for us?"

"I don't make those decisions, but Curran trusts me. And Curran has great power. As the favorite to ascend after Galentide, he can help you."

"Why would you help us? After the epidemic, after everything..."

"We are all we have..." His shoulders sagged a little. "In this terrible, desolate universe."

I had a vision of our future together. Humans and Etrallians working side by side, operating the purifier plants, building starships. Then, I remembered the Valith.

Time was of the essence and there was no point in hiding our intentions. "We need your technology, Henry, and we need it now. If we can come up with a proposal for the coalition, ocean access for use of the purifier machine, then I think we'll have a deal."

"Will it be enough?" he asked.

I told him the truth. "I'm not sure."
MARS

We didn't find the armory.

We didn't even find a closet resembling an armory. Wherever the Etrallia kept their firearms it was clearly top-secret. Either that or on a different ship altogether. At least Rhine and I didn't get caught sniffing around a restricted area. That could have spelled bad news for our tentative alliance with the Etrallia.

"I didn't even want to go on this stupid treasure hunt," I complained.

"Then why did you come?" We were in an alcove of the Etrallian bar after a long day of pretending to be doing our usual jobs.

"You try working with Gillis." The Major didn't appreciate how easy he had it. All he had to do was stand around with a gun on his hip all day. Ignoring creepy Etrallians was basically part of his job description.

Someone approached our table and we immediately changed the topic of conversation. Lena stood over us, an intense expression on her face.

Rhine nodded to her.

"How'd your, uh...errand go?" I asked. She wasn't supposed to tell a soul where she'd been, but we knew full well.

"Fine," she said vaguely, glancing around to make sure we were alone. She braced her hands on the table. "Listen." She leaned toward us. "If we offer the Etrallia an access point to the ocean, there's a good chance they'll let us use the water converter to help our own people."

Rhine stood. "Henry told you this?"

"He made no promises."

"Then, how do you--"

"They need water as much as we do, Rhine." Lena raised her voice. "We need to offer them access now before they think we're stalling."

Rhine shook his head. "We can't just lead them to water. That gives them all the power. You know there's no guarantee they'd uphold their end of the bargain."

"Henry thinks--"

"It doesn't matter what Henry thinks." Rhine took a deep breath to steady himself. "Have you ever considered that maybe this is what they do?"

I glanced from him to Lena.

"Make you their friend," Rhine explained. "Then, they turn on you."

I thought a vein might burst in Lena's forehead. "There's no evidence to support that."

"No," Rhine agreed. "We've only just met them. You can't really tell me a month of good behavior is enough time to truly know a different species."

"What are you so afraid of?" Lena asked.

"Once we give them water, they might never get enough. Or worse, force a monopoly on us and withhold water whenever they want to get their way." Rhine shook his head firmly. "It's not an option."

Lena didn't seem convinced. "Think of everything we could learn from them. They're our allies, not enemies."

"They're desperate, Lena. They'll attack--what do they have to lose?"

Flushed and angry, she looked from me to Rhine. "Everything."

She thought I supported Rhine, but the truth was I didn't know if either of them had it right. It would be wise not to show all our cards, but at the same time, we had to make sacrifices for the greater good.

"They're already working on vaccines for human disease," Rhine pointed out. "It's our only defense right now. Once they crack it, we're finished."

"They wouldn't do that," Lena said quietly. "They came to us as neighbors. We need to give them what they need."

"And when will it be enough? You have to think of the future..."

Lena was thinking of a future brighter than any we could imagine.

"Humans and Etrallians living side by side? No." Rhine shook his head. "We'll die of thirst before they give up that power. The purifier's their main bargaining chip."

Lena's eyes burned with a cold fury. "If we don't proposition the coalition I guess we'll never know, will we?"

"Come on, Lena. They'll do what they must to survive. It's human nature."

"They're Etrallia, Major Rhine. Not human."

"All the more reason not to trust them."

LENA

I didn't mean for it to happen. It wasn't to spite Rhine or even to prove to myself that Henry's friendship was valid, it was more because I needed reassurance, the kind of comfort I could no longer find among my own people.

There was Mars, but I sensed his position was more neutral than anything. He didn't share the belief that had driven us to interact with the Etrallia in the first place: that we could all get along and also gain something in the process. Maybe he wished it were true, but he didn't truly believe it. I feared he and Rhine weren't the only ones. I feared we were all beginning to lose faith.

Beside me, Henry stirred. He heaved himself into a sitting position with a cross between a groan and a growl and peered down at me.

I smiled meekly. "Good morning."

He inclined his head. "Happy waking."

It was an interesting phrase, necessarily devoid of any particular time of day, perfectly suited for the timelessness of space. Still, I couldn't help wondering if it truly did bring him joy to wake and find me in his bed. Awkwardly, I threw off the solar blanket, still wearing my clothes from the night before, now crumpled from sleep.

Henry watched me as I rose. What was he thinking?

I hadn't the slightest.

I guess that's what you get when you befriend an Etrallian.

Quickly, I tugged at my wrinkled blouse, smoothing it into place.

This was absurd.

I had fallen asleep in his bed, nothing more. It hadn't been intentional and yet here I was thinking like a human.

I laughed, nervously. "If you could just give me a minute." I dragged a hand through my mussed hair and shuffled toward his washroom.

"Certainly." Henry nodded graciously.

I knew nothing about how intimate relationships worked among their species. Given all Etrallian reproduction took place in a controlled laboratory, I was probably obsessing for no reason. Still, Henry had never mentioned any kind of lover or companion. For all I knew, they didn't exist. Sharing a bed could be as simple an interaction as sharing a protein bar in the mess hall.

"Lena."

I jumped. Henry's face crinkled in surprise. He took a step back. "If you need anything..." He glanced around the washroom with something like a self-conscious eye.

"Oh, this is quite sufficient. I'll be right out."

He gave me a nod and retreated.

At least I knew how to work the wash basin. The Etrallia didn't have anything that resembled a shower. I supposed it was for the best given their current water situation. Wouldn't want to be wasting precious gallons on hygiene when people were dying. Not that they required much along the lines of hygiene. Given their reptilian bodies, they weren't likely to produce any kind of sweat. I wondered whether they found humans quite repugnant for this reason.

After splashing a small handful of water on my face, I examined myself as best I could in the shiny reflective wall. The Etrallia weren't much for vanity as far as I could tell, but there was something universal about the need to see oneself, the curiosity of watching one's own reflection.

To my own eyes, I looked tired. Weary, perhaps, but no worse for wear. With any luck, I'd be able to stop by my quarters before reporting to the Committee back on Earth.

I emerged from the washroom feeling better than I had the night before about the Etrallia's prospects. Major Rhine was only one man. There were more than thirty representatives on the Committee, from countries far and wide. Surely, their opinions would vary as well. They might even let me say a few words. I didn't need to argue the Etrallia's case for them, only to present the facts. Together, we were better off.

I found Henry pacing. He tried to hide it, but the nervous shuffle started as soon as I returned.

"Well," I shrugged, palms out. "This is it."

Henry straightened.

"Don't worry," I assured him. "I'll do everything in my power to make sure your people are heard."

His gaze was serious, his voice solemn. "I know, Lena." In one large stride, he crossed to me, placed a gentle hand on my forehead.

I smiled as I raised my own to place against the side of his head. He felt warm. Firm and alive. "I'll be back, my friend."

He chuckled. "You always come back."

"Today won't change that." I said it too earnestly, perhaps. In truth, it was impossible to know what would happen next. It wasn't my decision to make. For all I knew, I could be banned from the ship for not returning on schedule last night. His people may have had strict rules, but my punishment could be severe as well, especially where our people's welfare was concerned. Hopefully, Mars had explained my absence for me.

"I must go."

Henry withdrew his hand, our moment of affectation past. "Go now, Lena of Earth. I'll await your return."

That was the last moment of harmony we shared. That was the moment he should have warned me.

5

Decisions
MARS

The answer was no.

I tried not to look at Lena as the revelation of the Committee's decision began to sink in.

We'd entered this room, somewhere in Washington D.C., with the knowledge that today, a decision would be made.

This decision would affect the destiny of the Etrallia as well as our own. It wasn't a decision just for us, it was a decision for all of mankind. That's where the Committee came in.

In order for a motion to pass, it had to be voted on by a coalition of approximately thirty countries who'd sent representatives to the Summit. Majority ruled, but the more the better.

I'd just resumed my seat next to Lena when someone called for a vote.

From where she sat on the panel at the front of the room, President Burgess looked surprised. This Summit was supposed to last all day, but it was barely early afternoon.

Rhine glanced back at me. He was seated next to General Wilkerson and the rest of the military team. He gave me a small nod.

I'd spoken about the potential benefits of the Etrallia's water purifier. Standing there before our world leaders, I'd explained how being able to use the machine for even twenty-four hours, could literally save lives. It wasn't rocket science. I'd given them cold, hard facts based on Curran's data. Whether they trusted it was a whole other story.

They were here to discuss how to proceed. The rest of us were here to merely share information when necessary. After that, we could only observe and hope for the best. That's what I was doing when they called for a vote. I'd expected some discussion, maybe some back and forth as people argued issues. Instead, they voted no.

We did everything we could. We shared everything we knew, shared our views, our advice, and most of all we shared the true story.

But these were people who had never met the Etrallia. Presidents and Prime Ministers, career politicians and elected officials. They were used to dealing with potentially hostile countries. Not potentially hostile aliens.

The Committee wasn't concerned with my estimated number of lives saved. They were concerned only with the number of lives we could lose should the Etrallia decide to seize the upper hand.

"How many would suffer?" The U.K.'s Prime Minister asked.

It was a valid question. One that had no definitive answer.

I suppose they were right to be cautious. I, myself, couldn't guarantee something like that would never happen. I'd seen Zubeida look at us sideways one too many times not to see that as a potential possibility. Not all of the Etrallia liked us. This was true. Still, it devastated me to realize we'd never have a chance to try. We'd never get a chance to be allies because the Committee had denied the Etrallia's request for immediate ocean access.

Our alien neighbors wouldn't die of thirst. Not yet. But they would not take this lightly.

I was still trying to avoid looking Lena in the face.

LENA

I had to find Henry. He should hear it from me.

I'd pretty much begged the President to ask the Committee to reconsider, but she'd explained for the last time that the decision was out of her hands. Majority ruled and it wasn't her role to make this choice for the entire planet.

In other words, we were screwed. The Etrallia were screwed and we would be soon.

The next day, instead of packing up my supplies in the med bay, I deliberately set out for Henry's quarters. When no one answered the door, I figured he must be working. At first, I thought it was strange that he didn't meet us at the loading dock. Now, I worried he'd already heard the news. Refusing to accept this, I decided to try the lab.

As I made my way through the main corridor, an Etrallian politician looked at me sideways. I was so surprised by the eye contact, I nearly stumbled over my own feet. Not once since arriving here had the heads or politicians paid us any mind. They all seemed content to ignore human beings so long as we were content to ignore them. He stared as we passed each other and I sucked in a breath of air, frozen for a moment. He disappeared around the corner a second later and a wave of relief washed over me.

I arrived at the lab a little out of breath.

"Henry," I called tentatively, my voice echoing throughout the space. The lab was utterly empty. If Mars had been here, he must have already left. Which didn't make any sense, actually. He was supposed to be gathering our samples, packing up whatever we had a legitimate claim to before returning to the pod.

I ventured past the workbenches and microscopes to check the room hidden in the back.

The second laboratory was unusually dark, faint illumination coming from an exterior window full of stars. The machines glowed green and yellow in the dimness, allowing me to see the outline of their shapes as they whirred and hissed.

Through the shadows, I could make out a strange contraption. A wire of some sort stretched from wall to wall with large sacks hanging from it. On the floor, a large vat gurgled and churned, black liquid sloshing inside. Tubes fed into the vat on all sides, directly linked to the sack-like objects up above.

"Lena."

I jumped, clenching my fists, fingernails biting into my palms.

Gillis stepped from the darkness, amber eyes aglow. "What brings you here?" His gaze traveled my length and then settled on my face. His lips curved into a genuine smile.

It took me aback. The last I saw him he'd been spewing venom about the selfish nature of human beings. Now, he seemed calm and collected. It spooked me more than all the Etrallia politicians combined.

"Where's Mars?" I choked back my fear and met his eyes. "Have you seen him?"

Gillis inclined his head. "Indeed." He leaned back, resting his arms on the table.

"Do you care to share when you saw him?" If he was in the mood to play games, I wasn't biting.

Gillis shrugged. "You just missed him. It's a shame, really. He left in a hurry."

I raised an eyebrow. Did I trust him to tell me the truth? I peered deeper into the room as if expecting to find my friend gagged and bound. I looked closer and my hands grew cold. That's when I realized what the sacks were.

My heart kicked in my chest as my mind struggled to comprehend what it was seeing.

They weren't sacks, they were bodies. Human bodies. Strung up like animals, heads dangling limply toward the floor. The dark liquid coursing through the tubes...

It had to be blood.

My jaw dropped without my permission.

"Not the most effective method." Gillis watched me impassively. "But it does do the job. You should see the first few rounds." He shook his head slowly. "Disastrous."

I couldn't reply--couldn't think. Was he draining them? Their blood? With effort, I schooled my racing thoughts. A human body was nearly sixty percent water. And this was a mad scientist I was dealing with. A desperate scientist who probably thought he was saving his people.

"You're a monster," I breathed.

Maybe they weren't the wisest words to utter aboard an alien ship. But if any person--any living being--could do this and feel no remorse, it was the appropriate word. I didn't care that my people had refused them access to our oceans. I didn't care that they'd come in peace and wanted to work together. For a moment, I didn't care that they were on the verge of extinction.

My people were hanging from a wire in an Etrallian laboratory. Murdered. Lifeless. For an experiment that wasn't likely to save any more lives than it would take.

Gillis had made a choice. For all I knew, the whole Etrallian fleet had made a choice.

They'd chosen themselves. They'd chosen Etrallia. And if we weren't already at war, we were now.

"Curran won't be pleased." My voice sounded numb to my own ears.

Gillis laughed. "I have nothing to hide." He gestured to his contraption. "Run and tell him. You'll find I'm not the only one who feels this way."

I couldn't believe him. Curran would never condone such drastic action. Not even after we'd failed him. He didn't want war any more than we did because he knew as well as anyone how it would end. The Etrallia would lose more of their people than they could afford.

For us, it would be self-defense. For them, it would be a last stand. Maybe the very last.

I ran.

I should have stayed and checked every face to make sure what Gillis said was true. I should have looked for Mars but instead, instinct took over and I ran for the pod.

Mars had to be alive. He had to.

And I had to warn the others. If I could make it back to Earth in time--

I rounded the corner outside of the mess hall and collided with a wall. A tall, hard, Etrallian wall.

"Lena!" Wide arms encapsulated me and I immediately pushed against them.

"Let me go!" Roughly, I fought my way out of the embrace. The face above me was more familiar than any of my team. I took a firm step back all the same.

"I've been looking for you," Henry explained, his antenna twitching madly.

His agitation did nothing to soothe my nerves. He reached for me again, clearly concerned, but I stopped him with a hand.

"No." A dark anger clawed its way into my stomach. My blood still running hot, I looked Henry in the face. "We offer you water," I said slowly, "and this is how you repay us?"

Henry said nothing.

I wanted him to speak. To deny he knew what I was talking about.

He didn't.

For a second, I couldn't breathe. I tried to step around him, but he shifted, blocking my path.

"Lena."

"Let me through," I said firmly, voice rising.

"Lena, what is this about?"

"What is this about?" I snapped. "Gillis is running human experiments. That's what this is about!"

Henry glanced around as if worried someone might overhear.

I didn't give a damn about his discretion. "We try our best to help you and you let that maniac murder my people." Now I really was yelling.

Henry pulled me further down the hallway and leaned in close. "I didn't know, I swear to you."

The hard metal of the wall dug into my back. "Bullshit."

Henry blinked, not understanding. "He is a scientist."

"As am I," I shot back. "But I haven't been experimenting on your people like I stumbled upon a bunch of space rats."

"It is only him, Lena. But if what you say is true, then you must know he will not stop. He will get what he wants."

I shook my head. This was everything that could possibly go wrong. And yet it wasn't entirely unexpected, was it? God, I was a complete idiot.

"I was warned this would happen."

I slipped away from Henry and made for the loading dock. There wasn't a minute to waste.

"Lena." Henry lurched after me. I could hear him thudding down the hall as I broke into a run. He could run, but he couldn't stop me. He wouldn't.

Maybe I never really knew him at all. I was foolish, I realized. Foolish to trust him so easily, foolish to think he'd be any different.

I turned blindly around the corners. I knew the direction of the loading dock. Knew the way by heart by now, except this wasn't it. I was in a darkly lit space, large like the docking area, but void of ships. Wrong turn.

I pivoted to get my bearings and came face to face with a seven-foot Etrallian. This one wasn't Henry.

He growled something at me, clawed hand gesturing harshly. I checked my comm device, made sure it was on.

"I'm sorry," I said. "What was that?"

The Etrallian roared. There were no words.

"I know, this is restricted. Sorry, I'm a little turned around." Why was I even trying to explain? He clearly didn't have a comm device. Or if he did, he wasn't interested in using it.

The Etrallian advanced on me, antenna waving, claws extended. I backed into the wall, hard, all the air rushing out of me. I couldn't get around.

He snarled again, drawing the weapon on his hip. A louder snarl came from the doorway. My attacker charged. Electricity whirred from his stun gun, the bright glare was all I could see before Henry stepped in front of me.

I braced for the blow, but instead of a hundred volts of fire coursing through my veins, all I could feel was the weight of Henry pressed against me. I was pinned, trapped. But it was better than being stunned. Or worse, killed.

Henry ripped the weapon from my attacker and bellowed something in the ancient tongue. I didn't need a translation to know it was a curse.

"She's lost," he switched back to Etrallian. "We're going now." He reached for my wrist, but I brushed him off.

These were not my people. These people wanted me dead.

Temples throbbing, I pushed away from the one Etrallian I'd dared to call friend. Henry's voice echoed in my head as I made for the loading dock. The whole way there, he called my name. The whole way, I could think of nothing but getting back to Earth. 
MARS

The hangar deck wasn't empty when we arrived the next day. Galentide, Curran, and the whole Council were there to receive us.

Our small team accompanied the President and the General along with a sizable force of U.S. military. Just enough to get our point across. And just enough to keep us safe should it come to that.

I'd known something was wrong the moment Lena threw her arms around me. Granted we'd grown close over the months we'd spent working together, but this was something altogether different. This was a desperate embrace, the kind you gave someone before a long goodbye or maybe after you'd lost them.

Turns out, I had been lost. For a few seconds, that is. When Gillis explained his experiment to her and she hadn't been able to find me in the lab, Lena had assumed the worst. I imagined it must have been a great relief to find me in the loading dock, carrying equipment into our pod.

Before she'd even explained what was going on, she'd made the officer in charge fly us out of the ship. We were halfway down to Earth when she broke the news and then I had to hear it again as she reported to the Committee. It was enough to make me want to never set foot upon an Etrallian ship again. As usual, the only problem was the politics.

We had no way of knowing if Galentide had condoned Gillis's little experiment. No way of knowing how many Etrallians supported such drastic measures.

Not to mention we hadn't finished our work. Finding a way to create clean drinking water for humanity trumped all else. But how far were we willing to go to reach that goal? How many more would have to die?

Luckily those decisions weren't up to me. The Committee had chosen for us. Too far was too far. The Etrallia had crossed a line and we had to respond. For the good of humanity, we had to act.

So, that's how I ended up standing in a line with the others, watching Galentide frown upon our people as the President calmly explained the situation.

"We consider this to be a direct attack." Her voice echoed in the large space, but it only enhanced her words. "On behalf of the Committee of Earth, I must inform you that we've decided to withdraw from this alliance. All scientific and diplomatic operations are hereby suspended."

Galentide made a sound of dissent, a deep rumbling growl that shook his chest.

"You have forty-eight hours to evacuate this airspace."

The Etrallians were impassive. I glanced around. Lena's eyes were fixed on Henry's, traces of guilt coloring her expression. Perhaps she hadn't thought it would come to this. Maybe she thought we could still work something out, find a way to build our own converter and save the people of Earth. I knew it was probably hopeless. Without the help of the people who'd built such a thing, the technology was beyond us. We needed all the help we could get and the Etrallia weren't likely to help us now.

"Set your coordinates beyond this galaxy," said the President. "Any Etrallian ship caught within a league of Earth's atmosphere will be subject to immediate removal."

More like, immediate destruction.

"Clock's ticking," said the General, gruffly.

We turned back for the pods and a wave of sadness washed over me. Unlike Lena, I hadn't befriended an Etrallian, but I'd grown used to the idea of them. I'd grown accustomed to the way they spoke, the way they moved. I'd even grown to admire the ingenious minds of their scientists and engineers. I could imagine the great civilization they'd come from and I was sad to realize we'd never be exposed to all that knowledge. We wouldn't be able to save our people and we wouldn't be able to advance. A decade from now, we'd still be scrabbling fruitlessly in the dark for answers.

We were either saving ourselves or making the greatest mistake of our lives.
LENA

I thought it was over. We were leaving, but there was still equipment and belongings we had to load onto the pods and that's how it happened, I guess. That's how Henry managed to get a moment alone with me and that's how an Etrallian blaster gun ended up in my hands.

I was helping haul some of the smaller crates onto our ship--stuff we couldn't afford to leave behind. When I returned to the hallway for one last crate, Henry was there.

He said nothing at first, probably afraid I'd sound the alarm. But as long as he wasn't obstructing me, I didn't have a problem.

"How are you?"

Such a normal question and for a moment I was tempted to throw it back at him.

"How do you think?"

He shook his head in aggravation. "There's no time," he said. "I need to say what I need to say."

I didn't reply, consenting silently.

"This is a mistake," he hissed, wringing his hands together. "You can't withdraw from the alliance now."

He was right. It would mean the end of everything we'd worked for, the end of all the shared knowledge and technology. "It wasn't my choice to make. I had to report what I saw."

This seemed to sober him.

He hung his head. "I'm sorry. You shouldn't have had to see that."

I could still see the bodies, hanging lifeless in the darkness. Last night, I'd barely slept.

"It was happening under our noses," Henry said. "Galentide didn't know."

I stared. "What about Curran?"

"Curran is furious. He thinks Gillis has just cost us our only opportunity for survival. The problem is there are others..."

"Others?" I prompted.

For the first time since I'd met him, Henry actually looked nervous. I could see him contemplating whether or not to tell me, but I guess our friendship won out. "Others feel that maybe what Gillis did is not so bad...that maybe it's what we have to do."

Oh god. "I'm sorry, too, Henry. I really am. What Gillis is doing is wrong, but it's not your people's fault that they're afraid. We should have given you ocean access. It wasn't all that much to ask."

"That's in the past." Tentatively, Henry clasped my arm. "Listen, Lena. I didn't come to say goodbye." He reached into his bulky vest. "I came to give you this."

A jolt of recognition sent my brain scrambling. He was holding an Etrallian blaster.

"War is coming."

A shiver raced up my spine. He pressed the cold metal of the blaster into my hand. It was heavier than I expected and I felt absurdly inadequate as I held it. "I don't know anything about guns," I admitted.

Henry turned my wrist. "This is how you rev it." He pointed out a little blue button. "And this," he pointed to the trigger. "This is how you shoot."

Right. Simple. Only I had no idea what I was supposed to be shooting.

Etrallians? Humans? The Vanlith?

"There's more," he said. I thought he meant there was more to the gun, but then he knocked a hand against the wall.

"What do you mean?"

Quickly, he glanced around. Then he dropped to his knees and began prying back a piece of paneling from the side of the corridor.

I stared as he pulled a bulging sack from behind the panel, then replaced it as quickly as he'd disassembled it.

He was giving me weapons.

No, I corrected myself. He was giving us weapons.

I met his eyes, not entirely believing this was what he wanted. "Your people will not approve," I told him.

"My people are..." he thought for a moment, "...damn foolz."

I raised an eyebrow.

"As your people say."

I laughed suddenly. He had picked up a few things, after all. I was almost sad when the gravity of the situation returned and I realized I was clutching a sack of blasters while talking to my Etrallian friend who wanted us to use them on his people.

"This will not end well," he said gravely. "For any of us."

I couldn't disagree.

"Be safe, Lena Cordell of Earth." Henry bowed his head.

I returned the gesture. "Be safe, Henry of the Etrallia."

He gave me one last glance and then disappeared around the corridor, leaving me with nothing more than an incriminating sack. I hurried back to our pod, catching curious glances from my colleagues as I heaved the load of weapons into the hull. Surprisingly, Rhine hadn't noticed I was gone.

"Get onboard," he shouted above the hum of the engine. "We've got two more crates and then we're out of this joint." He jabbed a thumb toward the adjacent ship. It was a large Etrallian flier and sure enough, there were two crates sitting under it.

"I can grab one," I yelled.

Without waiting for a response, I jogged the several yards down the bay and into the line of parked fliers. I bent and wrap my fingers around the edges of the crate and that's when I felt someone's eyes upon me.

I turned and saw the outline of a huge Etrallian before a blow to my back upended my balance. The breath rushed out of me as I hit the hard metal of the floor. I sucked in air and tried to scream. Something slapped over my mouth, cool and hard. It tasted foul like gasoline. Or maybe it was alcohol, I couldn't be sure. I fell asleep trying to place the odor.

6

Disorder
MARS

Lena was gone. And we had a direct order to evacuate.

In that moment, I didn't envy Rhine the burdens of leadership. He had a decision to make and one that could alter the course of our relationship with the Etrallia. What was he going to do? Sacrifice one to save the many?

Probably.

It made the most sense, most of the time. Unfortunately, Lena was an asset we couldn't afford to lose. The connection she'd built with the Etrallia made her valuable.

It also made her dangerous.

"She knows too much."

The Major's eyes were dark.

Your call.

I didn't need to say it. Rhine was not an unintelligent man.

"Everyone, back to the ship. Lieutenant, you're in charge."

"Sir?"

"That's right, Lieutenant. Get them home." The Major reached for the gun in his belt.

I'll admit I didn't see it coming. A hero complex was the last thing I expected the stony, rule-abiding Major to have.

I guess extenuating circumstances can make fools of us all. Risking yourself and your mission for a single civilian was some serious action movie stuff. We were officially in enemy territory. You didn't attempt such a feat unless you were suicidal or madly in love, and the Major was neither.

"That means you." The Major beckoned back toward the loading dock.

I was still staring, trying to make sense of it all. The others promptly disappeared around the corridor.

"Gladwyn," Rhine barked.

"Major," I said calmly. "Do you know how to find her?"

"I know enough."

He was brashly confident, mind already made up. But I remembered the weeks we had spent learning to navigate the warren of hallways that made up the research area of the ship. Etrallia floor plans weren't intuitive in any sense of the word--and we'd be delving into unfamiliar territory.

"I can help you."

God help me. I said those words.

The Major shoved his extra revolver at me. "You're about to miss your ride." He cocked his head toward our pod.

"I know."

Rhine didn't wait for me to ponder my precious life. He took off running.

Christ.

I stuffed the revolver under my belt, hoping I wouldn't have to use it. Of all the crazy things we'd done so far, this was going to be the craziest.
LENA

When they shoved me through the door and into the next room, I wasn't sure what to expect.

It wasn't this.

It wasn't six Etrallian guards, all heavily armed like my captors and it certainly wasn't him, standing there across the room, staring at me as if he'd seen a ghost. As if he was surprised to see me.

"Henry." My voice sounded strangled and shrill to my own ears. I wanted to kick myself. Keep it together, Lena. I opened my mouth to try again, but Commander Zubeida drowned me out.

"Throw her in the airlock with the others," he bellowed.

The hands on my arms squeezed tighter than I thought possible. I didn't cry out again, I only sought Henry's eyes amid the buzzing that had suddenly erupted in my ears. I couldn't think, could barely move my feet as the guards half dragged me across the floor.

Henry clenched his jaw but stood his ground, an immutable statue at his post.

Was this what it had come to? Was this really how it ended?

Henry.

The doors slid open with a whisper. First I saw Mars and then I recognized the others. My team.

The guards drew their stun sticks but there was no need. My colleagues weren't trying to escape. They stood stunned. Already too shocked to flee. I saw the fear in their eyes before I hit the ground, hard. I collapsed onto my knees, the cold metal the only firm thing left on this ship.

When the airlock slid shut, I heard the pop. This was it. This room was contained, separate from the airflow of the ship. All they had to do now was hit the release on the exterior hatch and we were as good as space dust. I forced myself away from the window of stars outside.

This wasn't over yet.

"Henry!" I didn't scream so much as bark his name. I roared it as loud as I could until I was sure I might collapse again. They were all watching us through the small window but there was only one Etrallian I needed to reach. I banged my fists against the metal.

"Lena." Mars eased my bruised hands off the door. "Jesus, save some air for the rest of us, will you?"

My chest heaved and I tried desperately to calm myself.

"He wouldn't. He can't." My mind raced. Where had I gone wrong? What had I missed? Henry was our friend. Our ally. He wouldn't do something like this. He was pro-alliance, had always been pro-alliance.

"He's standing with them," said Mars gently. "There's nothing we can do now."

I looked back at the interior. Henry was standing by the console, watching me silently. And he still had his comm device in.

"Lena."

I brushed off Mars's protests and yelled even louder than before, praying that the airlock wasn't completely soundproof.

"Henry, I know you can hear me. I know you can understand." I took a deep breath and realized I had no idea what I was doing. What could I say that would make any difference? Even if Henry wanted to save us, how could he in a room full of anti-alliance fanatics bent on killing us?

"Henry, please." Even across the room and through the plexiglass his eyes were the same sea green I had come to know. He was in there somewhere and I couldn't die without trying to find my way back to him.

"Henry, if you can hear me, I need you to know. I'm still committed to the alliance. Even after everything. Even after this." I gestured to the people behind me, huddled like rats awaiting their fate. "I'm committed to it because I believe in it. It's what I've always believed in and if I must die, I'll die believing in it, too. But please, if there's anything you can do to stop this, you have to try."

Please, I begged with my eyes.

"I know you believe in this just as much as I do, maybe more. You can help make it possible. The alliance isn't dead yet."

"Now." Zubeida's voice boomed on the other side and I was relieved to find that I could hear him through the door. That relief quickly turned into a wave of nausea as I realized he was speaking to Henry.

The console.

Henry was the one stationed in front of the controls.

My colleagues were shifting in agitation now. Someone was crying.

The initial shock wave broke with the sound of the Commander's order. The realization that our lives were about to be snuffed out like candle flames stirred a primal survival instinct. Everyone rushed for the door, clawing to get past each other even though there was nowhere to go.

"Henry!" I banged on the door with the rest of them. "Henry, please." I banged until my fists were slick and I couldn't feel my hands anymore.

"You're better than this," I screamed. "You're more." My voice cracked, throat hoarse from yelling.

Someone gasped beside me, drawing a great lungful of air.

Henry's clawed fingers shifted, inched toward the release valve. The door switch. The kill button.

I couldn't fight any longer. I could only stare in utter disbelief at the stranger about to become my murderer.

A dull boom reverberated through the door as if something very heavy had been dropped on the other side. Smoke filled the room and suddenly all the Etrallia were scrambling.

Henry drew his blaster.

My fingers clamped around the metal ridge of the door. It was still solidly sealed. On the other side, smoke was everywhere, billowing further into the room. The Etrallia fired blindly toward the door as their comrades began to fall.

A rescue? Or had we been dragged into the middle of a civil war?

A moment later, I caught a glimpse of blonde hair. A soldier dressed in uniform.

"He waited." Mars grabbed my arm. "When I was captured...he must have waited."

"Rhine?" It didn't matter now how he'd found us. As long as we were in the airlock, we were still in danger. I watched helplessly as Rhine disappeared back into the smoke.

A flash of blue fire shot across the room. The Etrallian next to Zubeida stared for a moment at the hole in his chest. Zubeida yelled and whipped toward the attacker.

Henry fired again. This time, the shot caught the Commander in the arm. But it was the wrong arm.

Zubeida pressed a finger to his trigger.

I screamed, the sound of my rage drowned out by a great hiss of air as the airlock doors swung upward. I sprinted out of the airlock and across the room, heedless of the shots being fired.

At my back, Mars shouted a warning, but I was concerned only with getting to Henry. I fell to the floor beside him, bruising my knees, and shoved my hands to his chest. He'd been shot near the heart and I couldn't tell if it was lethal yet.

I didn't realize I was still screaming until Rhine shouted my name.

"Lena." He shook me roughly. "To the pod. Now!"
MARS

Earth was burning.

The coastline the Etrallia were fighting for was alight with fire from battle. Ships whizzed through the air below, firing upon human aircraft.

The pod was dropping at a dizzying rate, headed straight for the melee below.

"Can you even steer this thing?" I had to shout over the roar of the engine.

Rhine didn't respond. His forehead creased in concentration as he tightened his fingers on the controls.

"Good god, man. We're going to be shot down." I gripped the back of his seat as I struggled to see what he was doing.

It was ironic, really. To survive an Etrallian coup only to be shot down by our own men. This was all going to be for nothing and it was only because I'd been stupid enough to follow Rhine on his mad-dash rescue mission.

At least, we'd rescued her. Well, Rhine and Henry, that is. And it wasn't as if we could have done it without Henry.

The Etrallian in question was slumped against the back of the pod, head resting in Lena's lap as she kept pressure on his wound.

I had a sick sense of dread. If the pod survived this, Henry might die all the same. Even if he'd come close to crossing us, he was the only friend we had left right now.

And there was Lena. God, what would Lena do if he didn't make it? Could she heal an Etrallian shot in the chest?
LENA

The first day was bloody. That's all I knew from overhearing reports around the Base. Hundreds of fighter jets had deployed the second the military picked up the Etrallian fliers in the air. Henry had been right all along. We were at war.

The second day was worse than the first.

The third day, we beat them back. There were too many of us. As predicted, we had the numbers on our side.

The Etrallia could fight to the death if they wanted to, but they didn't seem so inclined. Based on what we'd seen aboard a single ship, they'd only deployed half their fighter pilots as it was. This only confirmed the suspicion I'd harbored since the day Zubeida and his cronies tried to murder us.

The Etrallia were now a split faction.

If Galentide had ordered the attack on Earth, the battle would have lasted much longer. It would have been a fight to the death, all resources utilized. Instead, we'd encountered some sort of rebellion, orchestrated by radicals.

It was like Henry said. Some people didn't think Gillis was in the wrong. Some people, like Zubeida, wanted us dead.

Based on this information, the General ordered the imprisonment of all captured Etrallia. They also took Henry. After the radicals were forced to surrender, a group of armed men came for him. I'd treated his wounds as best I could and I was certain that he would live. Still, I was looking forward to monitoring his recovery.

I even grabbed a gun when they arrived, but unlike an Etrallian blaster, I'd had no proper training. In the moment it took me to load and cock the thing, one of the soldiers disarmed me. It was Henry who tried to calm me, offering to go willingly to his cell.

All of that was about to change, though.

"Let me in."

I didn't need an invitation. I was a member of this task force, a resident of the Base the same as any of them, military garb be damned.

"Let me in, Charles. This is for the good of our people."

"How do you reckon that?" He watched me warily from his post, squinting in the glare of the guard tower lights.

The darkness made me bolder. I pushed past him experimentally. He didn't try to stop me, only followed, hand on his weapon. "You wouldn't use that on me, would you Rhine?"

The harsh light painted his face in a grimace. "Don't test me, Lena."

It wasn't enough to be inside the prison camp. I needed Rhine's help. He could tell me exactly where they were keeping Henry...if he was so inclined.

Rhine jumped down beside me, boots thumping the hard-packed earth. "How many other guards are here?"

"Only three." He studied me closely. "You better not be trying to do what I think you're doing."

"What do you think I'm doing?" I began to walk deeper into the camp.

Rhine grabbed my arm and pulled me back into the shadows. "This is insane, Lena. The war's over. We won. Now, don't go getting yourself arrested for no reason."

"Arrested?" Oh, I could handle some time in a cell. What they were planning to do to the Etrallia, however. That I couldn't abide. Not until every last card had been played. With Henry still alive, I could never accept that this was the end.

The prison camp stretched out before me in the darkness. "Where is he?" I turned back to Rhine.

He looked from me to the prison cells and back again. I could see how much it pained him to have to choose. He was a man of duty, of honor. But at the same time, his loyalty was undying. Which would it be tonight? Loyalty to country or loyalty to something more?

"I can tell you where he is."

I breathed a sigh of relief.

"But so help me, Lena--"

"Relax, Charles. Let me handle this. You've already done your part." I looked him in the eye. "Thank you." I truly meant it. Without his help, I'd have to search through dozens of prison cells in the hopes of stumbling upon Henry and I only had so many hours before dawn.

"In the back. Third cell from the right. Go straight that way." He pointed down a long row of cells. "Stay away from the walls or you'll be spotted."

I gave him a grateful nod.

Henry was right where Rhine said he'd be, but there was nothing humane about his cell. He sat in the dirt, slumped against the bars like a caged animal. An immediate surge of distress shot up my throat. I pushed it back down.

"Henry," I whispered. His cell was on the edge of camp and there was only so much time before the nearest guard swept the perimeter.

"Henry."

Slowly, his dark form stirred. If they'd hurt him, I would make them pay. It was a miracle he was still alive after that blow to the chest. I pulled out the med kit I'd stuffed into my waistband.

"It's Lena," I whispered. "Come closer so I can check your wound."

At first, he didn't respond, only breathed heavily in and out, a loud, rasping noise that had me worried the blaster had pierced more than his shoulder.

"Henry," I pleaded. "There's no time, I--"

He stood. Slowly, he unfolded his limbs and pushed one eye against the slats. "Lena."

I held up the med-gel.

He blinked one large green eye as he took me in. "You shouldn't be here." Was that disapproval in his tone? Or exhaustion?

"Henry, you're not well." In these conditions, infection was a likely possibility. "Take this. You know what to do."

Slowly, almost reluctantly, Henry reached through the bars with one clawed finger and lifted the tube from my grasp. I watched as he spread the entirety of it across his chest. He came closer and I inspected the wound. It could use a clean bandage, but otherwise, it seemed to be healing properly.

"What are we doing here, Lena?"

The question should have surprised me, but it didn't. Still, the words stuck in my throat.

Henry nodded as if I'd answered him. "We're to be your prisoners."

"Yes," I said softly.

"We are a great people. A proud one."

"I know." I studied the muddy ground, forcing back tears.

"I wish things could have been different," he said quietly.

I met his gaze. "They never are."

I'd been disillusioned this whole time. Still, I wasn't ready to give up.

"We'll fight," he said.

"Henry," I chided. "You don't have the numbers." It may have been selfish, but I didn't want to lose him, not after everything. "It's over, Henry."

"Over," he repeated. "Surely, your General has plans for us."

"He means to keep you to man the purifier machine."

Henry laughed bitterly. "He'd make us slaves."

"I'm sorry," I breathed.

"And if we don't help you convert water?"

"Then, we'll all die," I said. "Which is why I need to get you out of here."

Henry didn't respond. He only watched me with those tired eyes. Had he given up?

"Your people are still alive, Henry. We may have taken prisoners, but the majority of your civilians are still alive and well up there. They need your help."

"They need water," Henry rumbled.

"Exactly."

"Look around, Lena." He gestured to the bars. "Your people have made up their minds. As have you it seems."

"No." I shook my head fiercely. "This isn't the end, Henry. There's still something you can do." I had his attention so I pushed on. "Gillis is responsible for murdering human beings. Gillis hatched the plans and Gillis took their lives. This whole thing was his idea and it's created the anti-alliance position."

"Yes. I told you, I wasn't aware until--"

"Right. And you said Galentide didn't sanction the experiment."

Henry squinted trying to make sense of what I was suggesting.

"Which means," I explained, "Gillis can still be stopped. Tried as a criminal even."

Henry thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Galentide won't allow it."

Oh god. How did I tell him? The news was still fresh in my own mind. It was what had driven me to such madness in the first place, tiptoeing across the compound in the dead of night.

"Henry," I began.

He straightened, the hesitation in my voice giving me away. I cursed myself silently.

"I'm sorry."

Henry pushed his head closer to the bars. "Say what you must, Lena."

I swallowed hard and met his eyes. "Galentide is dead. We received a message this morning."

For a moment he looked stunned. Then, rage replaced his normally calm features. Rage like I had never seen before. "The rebels," he spat. "The rebels killed him."

"I don't know." In truth, we had no idea.

"It's possible the coup is already over," I reasoned. "Zubeida and his guards could have seized complete control of the fleet. We've heard nothing. No transmissions, no signals, and now that all our people are evacuated..." I was rambling. He'd just been informed that his leader was dead. The only leader he'd ever known and I was rambling for no good reason. I bit my lip and stifled my words of condolence. 'I'm sorry' wasn't enough. Not anymore.

"They'll answer for what they've done," Henry said quietly. "I will make them."

"You can't fight without Curran. No one knows where he is."

My words had no effect. Henry wasn't listening anymore. He was planning and plotting his revenge.

He needed justice. Because in the end, we weren't so different.

He met my eyes. "You say you've come to free me, Lena of Earth?"

"I have."

He bowed his head. "And what do you ask in return?"

If I could have asked for anything, it would've been to turn back time. To go back to the beginning, to the first time we'd met. Maybe with what I knew now, things could have turned out differently. Then again, maybe not. Instead, I told Henry my plan, explained my last hope for his people and for mine. I turned the key I'd lifted off Rhine and released him from his cell.

"Curran must win," I told him.

"Curran." he agreed.

Maybe he would get there in time or maybe he wouldn't. Maybe he would find Zubeida upon the throne or maybe he'd arrive a hero, Curran's golden boy returned. That part wasn't up to me, but I could do this one small thing. I could give Henry one last chance to save his people and maybe ours, as well.

7

Accordance
LENA

As soon as the General discovered what I'd done, I was confined to the holding cell. It wasn't prison--not exactly--but it was close enough.

Not that I was lonely. Rhine was there with me, silent and stern and looking glum about the whole thing. I figured I'd probably ruined his prospects at another promotion.

I only minded that I didn't know what was going on. As far as I could tell there had been no news since we'd received the message about Galentide's death.

"Give it up, Lena." Rhine looked over, head in his hands. He sat on a tiny cot in the corner of the cell.

I couldn't decide whether I was still annoyed with him or grateful for all he had done. Content to ignore him for now, I continued my pacing.

"We won't know anything until tomorrow. I mean, if this plan even works in the first place."

I glowered. "Henry will come through."

He sighed. "It's not up to Henry who ascends."

"Maybe not, but with Curran ready to punish Gillis and end this war, there's at least a chance for peace."

"Sure, as long as Zubeida doesn't screw that up." Rhine sniffed disdainfully.

He may have been doubtful, but Curran still had a good half of the fleet behind him. He was the favorite for the throne, the one everyone expected to win. As long as the anti-alliance supporters hadn't resorted to civil war, there was still a chance.

"Curran needs to be the next leader," I said. "It's why I did what I did."

"I know why you did what you did." It sounded like an accusation.

"For our people and theirs." I met his stare. "This is the way."

Rhine was quiet for a long moment. He glanced to the locks on the door. "You really want out of here, princess?"

I raised an eyebrow.

He rolled to his feet and I watched as he placed a hand against the lock panels. He nodded to himself.

"Don't tell me you're secretly a locksmith."

He gave me a devilish grin, the kind I suspected he'd worn as a boy. It was startling on such a perpetually stern face. "Not in the least."

Instead, he managed to bribe one of his men. It took a combination of charm and thinly veiled threats, but one of the Major's subordinates let us out on the condition we wouldn't implicate him. Before long, we were making our way through the halls of the Base.

"We should head for the camp." We weren't the only ones being held prisoner on this base. The other Etrallians would need help.

"Are you insane?" Rhine peered cautiously around the corner. "The only direction we're headed is toward the tarmac. We need to get out of here. Now."

"We can't leave without them. Listen to me, Rhine. If we leave them here, there's no telling what the General might do. He's a second away from imposing martial law and you know it."

Rhine gritted his teeth as he scanned the next hallway. "Fine. But if they catch you...."

I shrugged. "Fair enough."

We were halfway to the exit when I heard the first cry of pain. Nothing human to be sure. The distinct sound of Etrallian torment. Before we rounded the corner, I knew what I feared was true.

The General stood in the mess hall. Half his men had formed a semi-circle around an Etrallian prisoner. The Etrallian was unarmed of course, but our soldiers weren't. They were kicking him with their combat boots, beating him down with their fists. When he tried to stand to defend himself, a soldier struck him with the butt of his gun.

This wasn't imprisonment, this was abuse.

One of the soldiers cocked his gun. Not punishment, but murder. Clearly, the General didn't intend to hold a trial.

"Stop," I screamed.

Two soldiers grabbed me as I tried to break through the line of men.

"General!"

The General paid me no mind. A few soldiers glanced nervously my way as if they expected me to break free at any moment and put myself in the line of fire.

General Wilkerson spat in disgust. "Put this one out of his misery."

The Etrallian bowed his head, so human-like I had to close my eyes. I waited for the shot, the crack of gunfire that had become familiar. Instead, I heard a loud whoosh as the doors from the entrance burst open. I heard the thundering of boots as a whole platoon of men marched into the room.

"Hold fire."

I nearly fainted. I didn't have to do a headcount to realize the General was outnumbered.

Maria Burgess stood with her hands clasped behind her back as she surveyed us. We must have been quite a scene, but her gaze was like stone. I watched her with a mixture of terror and amazement.

"Stand down, General." The President locked onto the man in question. "That's an order."

Thank god.

I tested my bonds, pulled away from the men who held me back. Reflexively, they tightened their grip. "I'm not your prisoner," I snapped. My words broke the silence.

The President looked over. "Release her," she said firmly.

The General shook his head. "What news?"

Maria raised an eyebrow. "Stand down."

The General stared back for a long moment before giving his men a firm nod. All weapons were lowered.

A man screamed.

As I turned toward the source, I saw a flash of Etrallian flesh as the prisoner on the floor kicked another soldier's feet out from under him. With several vicious blows, an entire line of men went down. Bone cracked and I winced.

The Etrallian was at the door, fighting through the thick of soldiers. Fighting for his life.

The guns came back up and I heard the simultaneous click of a dozen rounds loading. The General had just enough time to look surprised before the Etrallian was out the door and dashing across the tarmac toward the nearest ship.

"Seize him," shouted the General.

"Let him go," Maria Burgess ordered. "We're releasing the others as well."

If the General looked surprised before, I thought he might have an aneurysm now. "Release them?" He asked between clenched teeth. "Madam President, I--"

"You have your orders, General."

"But why?"

"Because, General. We're going to cut a deal."
MARS

When the President told me about the UFO, I wasn't sure I'd heard correctly. Pluto was some long-forgotten ball of ice at the edge of the galaxy, so it was no wonder I was momentarily lost. When it was demoted from planet to ice chunk four decades ago, most scientists had lost interest in Pluto, even if it was named after the god of the underworld.

No planet that couldn't make the news was on my radar. And not much of anything was on my radar these days besides the Etrallian situation combined with our imminent water shortage.

I can tell you one thing for sure: the god of hell or death or whatever was definitely laughing at us today.

"Mars." President Burgess was still staring at me sternly. I wanted to tell her I was paying attention, but in truth, I was still processing.

"So," I began slowly. "You're telling me the Etrallia weren't lying."

The President steepled her fingers on her desk. "Not everyone believed they were."

"Of course not." I thought of Lena and her righteous anger. God, she was going to love this. For however long she had left, anyway. "The Vanlith, this alien race the Etrallians threatened us with...you think they're real."

God of death, please don't let them be real.

"Whether they are real or not, something is out there."

On the edge of the solar system. Our solar system.

"But Pluto's billions of miles away. Hell, we've only managed to send a few probes out there."

The President's brow furrowed.

I didn't like it one bit. When the leader of your people looks concerned, the anxiety is downright contagious. It was a good thing I was the only one in her office.

"Our people have done some calculations. Based on the probe's readings, this object is moving far faster than anything we've ever built. There's no chance it could be a wayward probe."

"It could be an asteroid. A comet." I grappled for a logical explanation.

Maria shook her head. "It's not following that sort of trajectory. It seems to be following a linear pathway, unaffected by the gravitational fields of planets."

"Too straight to be space dust, too fast to be a human vessel? Hell, did you check with the Etrallia? Maybe they lost a ship along the way."

The President didn't smile.

It didn't make any sense. First, one race of aliens shows up on our doorstep and now this? As if we didn't have enough to worry about. "You're sure. You're absolutely sure?"

"We're positive."

Right, of course they were. She wouldn't be telling me if this was some hunch, a mere possibility.

"How long?" It was the only question that mattered, wasn't it?

The President's dark eyes found mine. "If it continues on its current trajectory, it'll be within range of Earth in two years."

I drew a breath. Two years. The number relaxed me a little though I knew it shouldn't. Two years was nothing when you considered it had taken a decade for us to get our first research probe all the way to Pluto.

I tapped my fingers nervously on the desk. "Okay." I took another deep breath since it couldn't hurt. "Okay, what do we do?"

The President raised an eyebrow. "Do?"

Surely she had a plan. Surely we had a plan.

"There's nothing to do except prepare," she explained. "If this enemy truly is advanced and if they want what the Etrallia say they want, then we'll have no choice but to mount a defense."

I was dumbstruck for a moment as I thought of our tattered population. Those who weren't dying were busy sorting out the situation with the Etrallia. What sort of defense could we possibly muster, even with two years to prepare?

"Tell me the Etrallia will help us."

President Burgess sighed. "You're coming to the meeting tonight, Mars. I only wanted to brief you like I briefed the others. Believe me, I don't like this news any more than you do, but we'll do what we have to do." She stood and I realized our meeting had come to a close. "It's not about who gets to survive anymore," she told me. "It's about whether any of us will."

I hoped we all might. The peace agreement was tonight and it would decide things, for now at least. Thought I didn't want to think about it, the journey ahead would be the difficult part.

"Forty-eight hours ago, I couldn't have imagined humans and Etrallians working side by side on anything," I admitted.

The President nodded. "Now, we'll have to ask their forgiveness."

Maybe we'd even have to beg them.

LENA

All conversations hushed as Curran took his seat.

The President stepped forward. "We were wrong to deny you water."

I wondered how long the Etrallians had waited to hear those words. I wondered if they ever thought they would.

The President stood tall before them, her guards at her back as she addressed the Council.

Curran was studying her carefully, green eyes unreadable. He looked good on the high seat. He looked comfortable, though he wasn't imposing. I didn't get the same sense of awareness I had when Galentide was alive. When I walked into the Council Room, there was no great, watchful presence. There was only Curran. Smaller than his predecessor, but savvier perhaps.

He nodded to the President.

I took it to mean he had accepted our apology. We were getting off easy. An Etrallian would have been punished for admitting such a mistake. An Etrallian would have been shamed among their people, honor tarnished for years to come. What did they really think of us?

"Is this the reason for your visit?" Curran's eyes were locked on President Burgess. I didn't envy her the scrutiny of that gaze.

"Not entirely," she said.

At this, Curran sat back in his seat, reptilian eyes narrowing. "If you've come to collect a debt for your part in what transpired, I'm afraid we don't recognize such things among our people. The ascendancy was completed without interference from humankind, though we thank you for returning our people, those you held prisoner." He pronounced the last word carefully.

The President bristled. "That is not why we have come, I assure you."

There was a long, uncomfortable silence as the hall fell quiet. Not so much as an Etrallian antenna twitched.

"You are our neighbors and you came to us for help. We have decided to give you unlimited access to our oceans if you agree to share your purifier."

Curran and the rest of the Council digested this. They did not talk amongst themselves, they merely studied us suspiciously before turning to their leader for guidance.

"All of your people have agreed to this?" Curran gestured skeptically.

"A majority," the President affirmed.

"And we will not be attacked..."

"No," she said firmly.

"You speak for all of them?" Curran asked tersely. "Are you their appointed representative today, Madam Burgess?"

I tensed at his tone.

The President closed her eyes, then opened them again. "I speak for the Committee today, Curran of the Etrallia. The Committee of Earth would like to offer you ocean access so that you might take care of your people."

"Ah," he nodded. "The original offer. The original truce. This is what it has come to." He continued to nod to himself.

In the beginning, I'd tried to convince them otherwise, but I guess now was better than never.

"Again, we were wrong to deny you--"

"Yes, yes." Curran waved her off. "Very well." He sighed, looked at each of his counselors in turn. "We accept your offer."

I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Especially given the current situation with the Vanlith."

I swallowed. I couldn't think about them. We had to take things one at a time. The first objective was to get the Etrallia back on our side, help their people so that they might help ours. It was our only hope now.

"Have you talked to your warlords?" Curran asked casually. "They will be upon you soon. Upon all of us should we stay."

If they stayed? Until now, I hadn't even considered the possibility that the Etrallia might refuel their water reserves and then leave us to our fate. But of course, they had that power now.

President Burgess blanched. "I suggest we all meet together so that we can discuss preparations."

"Yes," said Curran, his voice deep and gravelly. "But there is still one other matter, Madam President." He stood and the rest of his Council stood with him.

The President, bless her soul, stood her ground, but I could feel the men beside me shrinking backward. At their full height, the Council could have lunged on us, never mind the guns we had strapped to our waists.

"How can we trust what you say is true?"

It was a good question, but luckily one we'd anticipated.

"What's to keep you from imprisoning our civilians once they step foot on your planet?"

The President relaxed. "As a gesture of good faith, we've brought you the water you need. Enough to last the year."

The shipment had already been packed onto a shuttle, thousands of gallons, ready to be unloaded onto the Etrallian supply ship.

"You will have access to water whenever you need it," the President explained. "We ask only that you consider our truce and work with us to prepare for this new threat."

Curran smirked. Or something close to a smirk. He showed his small, pointed teeth as his lips curved back. I thought he might laugh, but he didn't. He only cocked his head. "I thought you didn't believe us, Madam President. You suspected it was a ploy to persuade you to give us water."

The President dropped her eyes before raising her head again. "We have good reason to believe you speak the truth."

"You believe us now, eh?" Curran was clearly enjoying this.

"As you know, our technology is inferior in many areas. We are fully aware of this. However, recently a space probe of ours picked up a signal from one of the outer planets of this solar system. A ball of ice, really. We call it Pluto."

Curran looked placated. "Indeed." He sat back down.

"The Vanlith are here. Just as you said."

I couldn't help it. The words sent a shiver down my spine.

LENA

We had much to discuss, Henry and I, but little time to do it. While he was busy keeping the peace among his people and explaining that the war was over, I was tasked with briefing the Committee, making sure everything that had occurred in the past forty-eight hours was recorded. The events of the past few months would be archived for posterity and used for reference in the coming years. It seemed a worthwhile effort, but if the Vanlith arrived before we were ready, it wouldn't matter anyway.

Still, I was a member of the civilian task force, it was my duty to report to the global Committee. For once, I did as I was told and recounted the whirlwind of the past few days. It was more painful than I expected. Even now that the truce was in place and peace seemed secure, I couldn't describe what had happened without making it personal.

In the end, it was simply a story of two mistrustful, fearful people. A terrible war corrected almost as quickly as it had erupted. It was a mistake, I explained, to refuse the Etrallia ocean access. Just as it was theirs to keep secrets from us in the first place. The Committee wasn't so interested in my judgments.

"Just the facts, Ms. Cordell," noted the Committee head. "Just the facts."

The secretary continued to type.

"And the agreements of the truce?"

"Water for water, essentially," I said wearily.

"Could you be more specific?"

"We agree to allow the Etrallia to drink from our oceans and they agree to share their water converter so that we can support our people."

"Excellent, excellent." He studied his notes. "And the fate of the scientist they call Gillis?"

I sighed. "You know what happened to him."

"Of course, but for the record, Ms. Cordell. Everyone must report accordingly so we can assure there are no discrepancies."

"Gillis was tried by the Court of Elders. His own people sentenced him to death for jeopardizing their lives without consulting Galentide."

They had executed him yesterday, flushed him out an airlock like all offenders before him.

"It is a strict transgression of their code of honor to sabotage an Etrallian leader."

"Yes," the man murmured, crossing off the question. "Thank you."

By the time I returned to the Base, it was time. Our meeting with the Etrallia was scheduled for noon.

It was the first time an Etrallian delegation had stepped foot on Earth, let alone a top-secret military facility.

We hosted them in the briefing room, the same room where Mars and I had first learned about their race and the mission ahead. The outline of their hierarchy had been removed from the whiteboard. It was still strange to think that Galentide's name would no longer rest at the top of that diagram.

Slowly, the Etrallia filed in, finding their places around the circular table in the center of the room. On the table laid a map of our solar system, with three-dimensional figures of all the planets and moons.

I glanced at Henry across the table. After I released him, he had arrived in time to ensure Curran ascended, but I didn't know if that mended anything between us. I wanted to talk to him, but it would have to wait. Today was about the future of our people.

After a few minutes of wary silence, General Wilkerson finally spoke. "There's no time to stand here gawking at one another."

"No," Curran agreed. He braced both clawed hands on the table. "They are coming."

"When they arrive, we must be ready," said Henry.

Major Rhine nodded, grudgingly. "I suppose water is the least of our worries now."

"Not the least," I said. "Second only to the Vanlith threat." I would not let them forget the people dying every day on Earth. If we didn't focus on saving them with the Etrallian technology, there'd be no one left to defend.

"A program for distributing water will be put into effect tomorrow," the President announced. "All active duty police and a portion of all military personnel will be managing these efforts."

"We can't fight anyone until we've had time to recover," said Mars. He looked pointedly at Curran. "I believe that goes for all of us."

Curran gave a small nod, green eyes shadowed. I wondered about the bloodshed it had cost him to win his position. As an ascendant, it should have been clean. A battle against a rival, single-combat. Yet somehow I doubted Zubeida had made it that easy. After everything, the Etrallia had probably lost more of their people choosing a new leader than they had the past one hundred years.

"We all need to regain our strength," said President Burgess. "Enough water for all is a start, but we need to think long-term, as well."

"A new game plan." Rhine studied the map of the stars.

Our plan.

It would be more than a battle plan, but a plan for survival. Though it would take another month or two before it was completely formed, for now, we knew that Earth was no place for our first line of defense.

Carefully, I retrieved a new marker for the map, a small block of plastic shaped like a flag. Colony 1, I wrote on the side.

This was the plan. The only plan we had.

I sought Henry's eyes as I placed the flag on the model of the moon.

We would figure this out together.

We had to.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Since she couldn't train to be a Jedi Knight in real life, Eily writes space adventures about ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. She likes friendly aliens, evil overlords, and high-tech gadgets.

When Eily's not hard at work on her next project, you can find her searching for more great reads or binging on the best new Sci-Fi shows.

Check out more of her work here:  writervice.wordpress.com

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