Dramatis Personae

  Alanna Summers – A Sarayan lieutenant who surrendered in return for a guarantee that her people would be sent home alive. Promoted to the rank of lieutenant commander in the Tundran navy. James Hawk’s fiancée. Yes, that is a long story. See Book I.

  James Hawk – Alanna’s fiancée, son of the president and a general all around Tundran golden boy. Created by aliens.

  Dev – A Tundran prison guard who protected Alanna during her time as a POW.

  Ashley – Dev’s girlfriend, who is allegedly younger and more beautiful than Alanna.

  Danil – One of the Sarayans Alanna rescued during her successful battle fighting for the Tundrans. Again, long story. See Book I.

  Grant Pardo / Aghrael – an alien that lives on Tundra as a human. He is the head of the Tundran planetary shields project and the chair of the Megalodon University’s physics department. Grant is a physicist, regardless of species. Grant, is also a giant.

  Robert Nagar – an alien that lives on Tundra as a human. He is the head of the Tundran Secret Service and in charge of the aliens in the Sarayan/Tundran solar system. Robert believes he is dead.

  Will Atwater / Variel- an alien that lives on Saraya as a human. He owns Atwater Ships, the largest spaceship manufacturing conglomerate on Saraya. Will is the youngest of the adult aliens, and while he is not at all genetically human, he was raised by a human mother.

  Benji – an incompetent guard dog.

  Standard Year 404 (present day), Megalodon City, Tundra

  Saturday

  “So you’re offering her the job. In direct contradiction of my order.” Robert observed. They were sitting next to the indoor stream and garden in the back of Robert’s apartment. The planet of Tundra’s climate was brutally cold and such green spaces could only survive indoors. The pleasant heat of a sunlamp shone down, reflecting on the water.

  “Of course I’m offering her the job, Robert. She’s one of ours.” Grant repeated for the twelfth time. He shifted his massive bulk to get more comfortable on the chair that felt undersized for his nearly eight foot tall frame. The wood squeaked slightly under the strain. Alanna Summers was within acceptable parameters. And Grant had a marked preference for the genetically modified humans created by the Carda’an empire. The ones bred in the wild were infamously unreliable.

  “I give it a week.” Robert said. He said it grimly, but Robert was nearly always grim, so it wasn’t particularly noticeable.

  “You give what a week?”

  “I give it a week until the ‘within acceptable parameters and exceptional observant’ human figures out you’re not human.”

  “Ridiculous.” Grant said dismissively.

  “Is it?”

  “It is. And besides, dead men can’t win bets.”

  “What can I say Grant, I will be breaking some barriers next week.”

  “A hundred credits?”

  “You’re on.” Grant looked idly into the gleaming water of the stream, watching a chameleon-like water snake floating near the surface. “And you’ve warned Will that James Hawk is coming for his ship factory?” He added, changing the subject. Will deserved to know.

  “Of course.” Robert acknowledged.

  Sunday

  “I got the job!” Alanna said with a happy grin. She invited all the friends she had on the entire planet of Tundra, to celebrate. At the moment, that added up to two people. There was Danil, her fellow ex-Sarayan who also claimed asylum on Tundra. And then there was Dev. A real Tundran through and through, he had been her prison guard during her short but eventful stint as a POW. And he had stuck out his neck to save her life. Which was why Dev considered himself entitled to a plus one for brunch, without even asking.

  “Ashley wanted to see James Hawk’s apartment.” Dev announced as he walked in. “And I’m perfectly comfortable with that.” He added. Dev leaned down to give Benji the dog a big hug as he ran up in pure joy. As a disgraced prison guard dog that got kicked out for his overly friendly attitude to the inmates, Benji and Dev were old friends.

  “You can all see the apartment.” Alanna said as she let everyone in. “But I’m going to need one of you to watch the dog while I'm at work.” She added.

  “You see honey.” Dev said, turning to Ashely “I told you there’s no such thing as free food.”

  “I’ll walk the dog.” Danil offered.

  “We’ll all help.” Dev said with a deep suffering sigh.

  “And the Sarayan POWs?” Alanna asked pointedly, pulling the bottle of wine away from Dev until he answered her question.

  “Still alive.” Dev confirmed. “Now tell us about the job. Is this the one where you get to be a geologist?”

  “Yes!” Alanna said with enthusiasm. Her military career had not worked out. Epically. She couldn’t wait to start her first ever civilian job.

  “You do realize we don’t have a geology program?” Dev asked as he reached for a slice of fruit on the table, studying it carefully from all sides. “There isn’t a single geologist on this entire planet, other than you.” Tundra was a very large planet with a very small human population, numbering at perhaps twenty million. Their universities did not offer geology classes. The Tundrans were at war, fighting for their right to exist against a far more powerful enemy. Geology, had not been a priority.

  “Yes, I do know.” Alanna said, shooting Dev a not entirely friendly look.

  “So you’re the only person on the planet…”

  “Dev.” Dev's girlfriend Ashley said warningly.

  “What? She is literally the only geologist on the planet. And they had to think about it… for how long?”

  “A week.” Alanna said through clenched teeth.

  “You got this.” Dev added hastily. “You one hundred percent go this. Now explain to me why none of this food cooked?” He added, getting down to more important matters as he gestured at the table. Several plates filled with fruit, cheeses, and meats sat out on a comfortably aged wood table in front of the kitchen fireplace. The silvery lavender light of a very distant sun shone down through the large kitchen window, illuminating the sprawling, snow covered city far below.

  “It’s good.” Danil said, loading up his own plate.

  “No.” Dev said flatly. “It is not good. It is not cooked.”

  “I think it might be…” Ashley hesitated delicately “I think it might be, you know” she cleared her throat “Sarayan.”

  “Would you like me to put this into some water and boil it?” Alanna asked, her tone somewhere between horrified and fascinated. “I could try that.”

  Dev looked over at his girlfriend helplessly.

  Ashely snickered under her breath. “Come on.” She said with unexpected generosity. “I’ll teach you how to make soup. And you” she pointed in Dev’s direction somewhat accusingly, “you can have bread and cheese while you wait.”

  About ten minutes later, they all sat down to tea and sandwiches as the steam from soup simmering on the stove filled the cozy kitchen.

  “So.” Danil said with relish as Alanna sat back down at the table. “I finally figured out who James Hawk is.”

  “He figured it out because I told him.” Dev said helpfully. The ex-Sarayans were not particularly fast on the uptake, in his experience.

  “So this is his apartment?” Danil continued, laughter in his eyes as he watched Alanna squirm.

  “Yes.”

  “Nice place.”

  “Oh it is a nice place.” Ashely nodded. “And did you see the tub?” She rolled her eyes expressively.

  “It’s good to be the king.” Danil said, his grin getting even wider.

  “He’s not a king.” Alanna said with a frown.

  “But he’s sure as hell in the line of succession.” Dev pointed out.

  “To James Hawk.” Ashley said, raising her glass into the air.

  “To James Hawk.” The others answered.

  “To James Hawk. And his safe journey home.” Alanna said. Suddenly, in spite of the warmth and comfort of the kitchen, a shiver of fear crept up her spine. Two weeks ago, she had been a POW rotting in a prison cell. Until James Hawk, captain of the Tundran army and son of the president, decided she was worth saving. James spoke and sometimes it seemed as if the entire planet listened, and fell in line. James chose her and gave her everything, every comfort, every opportunity. And now… James was on Saraya, doing what James did. Which she suspected involved blowing a lot of things up. Not ideal. But she didn’t care. Alanna wanted James to return home safe.

  “To his safe journey home.” Everyone around the table echoed as the sound of clinking glasses rang through the kitchen.

  Monday

  Alanna carefully followed the instructions she had been provided with and pulled into a parking spot in a dimly lit, out of the way garage. It wasn’t quite what she had expected, but then again, she wasn’t sure what to expect at all. It was her first day as a intern on a top secret military project. Alanna, was going to help the Tundrans improve their planetary shields. Maybe. Or maybe it was an unnecessarily convoluted plot to kill me off, Alanna thought as she glanced around the dimly lit garage. The lighting really was quite dim. Instinctively, she reached back for the handle of the beautiful car James left her with, her instincts suddenly screaming at her not to remain open and exposed in this strange place.

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  “Hello.” A deep and unexpectedly melodious voice echoed across the empty garage.

  Alanna nearly jumped out of her skin, her heart in her throat. “Grant.” She said. The giant hulking form of an actual giant, was quite unmistakable as he approached her. “That is, Dr. Pardo. It’s an honor…” Alanna swallowed the rest of what she had been about to say. Based on her limited experience with Grant, he was not a fan of the pleasantries. “I’m honored that you came to meet me personally. Truly.” She added. That had not been a pleasantry, it was the truth. “But there was no need, I’m sure someone else would have…”

  “There’s no one else here.” Grant said.

  “Um.” Alanna sent another somewhat frantic look around the deserted garage. “But aren’t there… you know… security?” She squeaked.

  “There is no security.” Grant said, his voice as calm and flowing as ever. “There was no need.”

  “But… but it’s a top secret milit…” Alanna paused, glancing around the garage surreptitiously, unsure if the space was secure enough for her to continue. “Why isn’t there security?” She asked carefully.

  “I’m taking care of it.” Grant said. And then he bared his unusually large teeth.

  Alanna raised an eyebrow. The teeth were great but really, she had a gun and several knives. She never left home without them. Her reasoning that morning had been that if the security guards made her give them up then so be it. She would cross that bridge when she got to it. Until then, she was going to keep the gun and the knives, thank you very much. And it had been a good call because apparently, that bridge did not exist. “Are they really going to leave you in charge of the security for the entire… project?” Alanna asked, still trying to be careful in the potentially unsecured garage.

  “Oh they tested it a few times.” Grant’s smile got even wider.

  “And?” Alanna asked dubiously, casting another look around.

  “And I let them live. But they didn’t want to come back and test it again.” Grant shrugged casually. “It’s this way.” He added, leading the way towards a small and unassuming elevator in the back of the deserted garage.

  Alanna stood silently as the elevator hummed on its way down. It was a long way down. “Do you need to scan my eyes or my fingerprints?” She offered. “Otherwise, how will the security system know to let me in?”

  “It knows.” Grant said.

  “But… ok.” Alanna nodded. And then she thought: what in the actual fuck?

  Stepping off the elevator felt a bit like walking into a Sarayan jungle. The space was several stories tall. Massive trees covered in vines towered overhead as the scent of green, growing things filled her lungs. Solar lights, slightly off color as compared to the ones James had in the garden of his apartment, shone down from high over her head.

  “But where is everyone?” Alanna asked, her voice more insistent.

  “There is no one here. I don’t like people.”

  “But… well look, sometimes neither do I. But you’re the head of the Tundran Planetary Shields Project. I assume I can say that here. You need a team.”

  “A team is a group of two or more.” Grant pointed out mildly. “You have been provided with a computer and a desk, here.” He gestured at what appeared to be a completely random location inside the jungle, close to the elevator. “All relevant geological data should also have been provided. I’ve included Susan’s contact information. You can ask her for things and she leaves them in the garage.”

  Alanna gaped at him, her mouth actually open in total shock. “Ok.” She agreed, and watched as he turned around and left.

  For lack of anything better to do, she opened the computer and looked at the information she had been provided. And then she laughed. Susan gave her a website link, which took her to publicly available satellite maps of the planet. All relevant geological data indeed, Alanna thought with a snort. Surely, they had something more than that. She paused. Didn’t they?

  ---

  It was lunchtime. Alanna took a somewhat thoughtful bite of her sandwich as she finished going over the maps. The polar ice caps on both sides of the planet covered at least seventy percent of the planetary surface. So that was that. She focused on what she could see, the islands shining through the deep blue of the Tundran ocean along the equator. And then she started connecting the dots. Alanna had a knack for pattern recognition, and the pattern was easy enough to discern. A few hours of heavy concentration later, she sat back in her chair, looking at a carefully drawn out map of Tundran planetary fault lines. It correlated heavily with the larger islands. The ones where all the human settlements were located. “Ugh.” She said unhappily. Grant wanted a stable location to place the infrastructure for the shields. The reality was, if they wanted the shields anywhere near an existing human settlement, there would be no such thing.

  First, Alanna wandered through the underground jungle until she found the break room, which looked like it hadn’t been used in about a decade. But everything still worked. Heating up some water, she added the mint leaves she brought from home and brewed a cup of mint tea. Because she knew Grant rather liked mint tea. And she also knew, Grant probably would not like what she had to say. And then she went to look for Grant. In the very back of the open space, farthest from the elevator, the jungle ended abruptly. Behind the oddly shimmering wall of what may or may not be glass sat the high tech lab filled with complex electronics that Alanna had expected to see. And far behind the slowly rotating hologram of Tundra and its orbiting moon, Alanna could just about make out Grant’s hulking, giant form. The lighting in the lab was also unexpectedly dim.

  Not quite sure what to do next, she raised her hand to knock on the glass. It disappeared before her hand touched anything.

  “What is it?” Grant asked, looking up.

  “I can come back later.” Alanna said, suddenly rethinking her eagerness. Maybe the bad news could wait.

  “But you just came here now.” Grant pointed out.

  “To see if it was a good time. But if it’s not, I could definitely come back later. Maybe next week?”

  “Why did you come?”

  “I finished mapping out the faultlines.” Alanna said reluctantly.

  “And?”

  Silently, Alanna handed him the screen with the maps she had drawn. She sat the tea down on a nearby table, and pushed it in his general direction.

  Grant looked from the tea to the screen she handed him. “You have a talent for pattern recognition.” He observed.

  Alanna’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Thank you.” She said.

  “It would appear that we are all sitting on top of at least one fault line. And in the case of Penguin City, on an intersection of at least two.”

  “Yes.” Alanna agreed.

  “Well then.” Grant spread out his hands. “Thank you for your service.”

  “Wait… what?” Alanna asked as a feeling of dread settled into the pit of her stomach.

  “We needed a geologist to identify a stable location where the infrastructure of the shields could be placed. Based on the data you provided, this is impossible. Is there anything more you would like to suggest?”

  “But I… I mean…” Alanna took a breath, collecting herself as a certain suspicion continued to develop in the back of her mind. “Is there anything else I can do to help?” She asked instead. “Anything at all?”

  Grant smiled slightly, and reached for the tea. “Would you like to help?” He asked.

  “I would love to.”

  “In that case” Grant led her back out towards the jungle, towards a set of two massively oversized chairs with a low wood table between them “please have a seat.”

  Alanna sat.

  “There are some” Grant said carefully “who are of the opinion that I need a team. This list has recently grown to include someone whose opinion I respect.”

  “That’s like one person, isn’t it?” Alanna said, studying the leafy canopy over their heads.

  “Yes.”

  “Not John, I’m guessing.” Alanna added, referring to Grant’s ex, whose departure Grant was somewhat half heartedly mourning the last time they met.

  Grant shot her a sharp glance. “Is there a problem?” He asked.

  “You knew exactly where the faultlines would be. Your comment on my excellent pattern recognition – you knew the answer before I ever gave you my analysis.”

  Grant hesitated. “Yes.” He said finally.

  “And why the fuck am I here?” Alanna asked. Civilian jobs, were complete bullshit.

  “Because you said you still wanted to help. Would love to, I believe were your exact words.” Grant raised an eyebrow.

  Alanna rubbed her forehead in frustration. “The plasma field around your office, would it hurt me if I touched it?”

  “Yes.”

  “And when the Tundrans tested your security system, you put them into boxes made of that shit, didn’t you?”

  “Yes.” Grant agreed with another small smile.

  “You know that I have a gun on me, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “And that doesn’t bother you at all, does it?”

  “No.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I don’t think you’ll shoot me.”

  “No I mean this, all of it. Why? Why am I here?”

  “Because I believe you’re the right person for the job.”

  “To assemble a team?”

  “And to manage it. I don’t deal well with people.”

  Alanna took a very deep breath. “Why do you believe I’m the right person for the job?” She asked very carefully.

  “I have my reasons.” Grant said.

  They sat in silence. In Grant’s case, it was an eerily still silence. Why does he seem so still? Alanna thought. Because he’s breathing at a rate of approximately three breaths per minute. Her mind supplied helpfully. “I would like to know what those reasons are.” Alanna said. “Is this about James?”

  “No. This has nothing to do with James Hawk.”

  “You interviewed me, supposedly for my geological expertise, which is apparently completely useless. And that had nothing to do with James Hawk?”

  “The interview, yes. That was because of your association with James Hawk. But my decision to give you this opportunity, is entirely based on your own merit.”

  “Because of my stellar interview skills?” Alanna asked, genuinely curious how Grant would handle that question, give his supposedly meticulous commitment to honesty.

  “I have my reasons.” Grant repeated.

  “Ah. And by process of elimination, those reasons must in fact be something other than my stellar interview skills.”

  “Your interview was fine.” Grant said with perfect honesty.

  Something other than her interview skills, Alanna thought as she considered the events of her interview two weeks ago. “You asked to use the bathroom.” She said, turning to face him head on. “Why?”

  “I thought it wasn’t the done thing to ask these sorts of questions.”

  “And yet I am asking.”

  “If I answer, will you accept the job?”

  They stared at each other across the wood table, the soft rustle of leaves of the underground jungle the only sound. He’s breathing at a rate of three breaths per minute! Alanna’s mind screamed at her. He’s not… he’s not… “Yes.” Alanna said. “Tell me why and I will accept the job.”

  “If the acceptance will come with your oath of loyalty, I will answer your question fully.” Grant said.

  “Why?” Alanna nearly shouted. “I’m the most famous traitor in the whole damn solar system. Why would you want my loyalty, of all people?”

  “Because you are capable of it. In a way that most people are not.”

  “Did you hear the part about me being the most famous traitor in the solar system?”

  “I did.”

  “And?”

  “And they failed to earn your loyalty. Which is particularly ironic, because you are made to be loyal.” Grant shrugged. “Like a dog.”

  Alanna’s eyes narrowed further.

  “An exceptionally intelligent dog.” Grant added hastily.

  “You took my DNA from that bathroom.” Alanna said flatly.

  “Yes.”

  “If I find out you lied to me about anything, ever, I’m out. Do you understand?”

  “I understand.”

  “Is there a backdoor to the planetary shields? Can someone other than the Tundrans disable the shields?”

  “Not through me, no.”

  “Are you leaking information on the planetary shields technology?

  “Yes.”

  Alanna breathed. “You just confessed to treason.” She said.

  “But you said to tell the truth.”

  “Yes but… but… you just confessed to treason.”

  Grant made an odd gesture with his hand. “It’s not going to be relevant any time soon.”

  “How not soon?

  “Oh, centuries I’d guess.”

  “That is a guess.”

  “Yes. An educated guess.”

  “You’re not leaking information to the Sarayans are you?”

  “Of course not.”

  Alanna sat silently for a very long time. “I mean… you’re eight feet tall.” She said, utterly frustrated.

  “I’m seven foot ten.” Grant corrected.

  “You’re eight feet tall.” Alanna hissed. “It’s insulting. It is just plain goddamn insulting.”

  “I’m not following.”

  “You’re not even bothering to hide! You’re like the most obvious… the most obvious…” She didn’t know why she stopped before saying it. As if somehow saying it would make the reality that was already so obviously real… real.

  “You don’t want to finish that thought.”

  “Why not?”

  “I have a hundred credits riding on it.” Grant explained helpfully. “We both know you will accept the job. I need to get back to work.

  “You’re building the shields in good faith, no tricks, no intentional vulnerabilities.”

  “You have my word.”

  “And you’re definitely not out to destroy humanity or anything?” Alanna asked. Because it was good to check all the boxes before making a commitment.

  “I’m neutral on humanity.” Grant said.

  The problem, Alanna thought to herself, is that I have exceptionally limited career options.

  “Susan has a list of resumes.” Grant offered.

  “I’ll make recommendations but you need to make the final choices.”

  “Fine. But I’m not dealing with them. They go through you.”

  "And I can quit, right? It's not for life?" Alanna asked.

  Grant considered the request. "Two weeks notice." He said.

  "And I get a salary?"

  "I'll reach out to Susan and have her take care of it."

  Alanna sighed. She truly, desperately and sincerely, wanted to talk to James. But James wasn’t there. “Deal.” She said, holding out her hand.