“We're not going to a commercial airport.” His voice is getting stranger by the minute, like he's dropping a mask he's worn for years. “It'll take you seven days to reach the Celestial Spire, but first I have to transport you to the ship.”
“The ship? Is the hotel in the South Pacific?”
Clay looks at me through the rearview mirror. “No, Eve. You'll be traveling by starship.”
“You're joking.” But even as I say it, I know he's not. The strange smells, the locked doors, the symbols on the dashboard, and the way Cal has been acting—it all clicks into place with horrible clarity.
“I'm not joking,” Clay says in a matter-of-fact tone. “I would never joke about something as serious as this.”
“Oh God, please don’t let this be happening!” I grab the door handle, yanking on it desperately. “Clay, open this door! Let me out! I've changed my mind! I want to keep the job I have! I don’t want this promotion!”
He keeps driving at a terrifying speed. “We both have obligations, Eve. You signed a galactic contract, and I'm under contract to deliver you to your transport. Neither of us can back out.”
“Galactic?” The word comes out as a whisper. My vision starts to blur at the edges. “This is insane! You've known me for years. I'm a good person. I don't deserve to be trafficked to... to...”
“You're not being trafficked,” he says with surprising gentleness. “It's a real receptionist position, just not on Earth. That's why Cal confiscated your phone, so you couldn't contact anyone once you knew. The moment you learn about an alien presence, you're technically subject to Intergalactic Court secrecy laws like the rest of us.”
I stare at him in the mirror, my mouth opening and closing like a fish. “Alien presence. Intergalactic Court.” I repeat the words, but they don't make sense. They can't make sense. “How long?” My voice cracks. “How long have aliens been on Earth?”
“For some time.”
“You’ve fucking trafficked me. I don’t even have a phone. The least you can do is tell me the truth.”
He sighs. “Humans aren’t supposed to know. We’ve been around for centuries, interfering in Earth’s affairs.”
“The Ascendant Alliance?”
“No, the Ascendant Alliance is a new player and has only been active here for twenty years, recruiting humans for various positions throughout the galaxy.”
I feel like I'm drowning. The air in the SUV feels too thin, and I can't catch my breath. “So you're... you're...”
“Not human. I come from a place called Reima Two.” He says it so casually, like he's telling me his favorite color.
I start hyperventilating. “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee,” I whisper, the prayer tumbling out automatically. “Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.”
“Eve, you need to breathe slower.”
“Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.” Tears are streaming down my cheeks, and I feel like my head is going to explode with all of this new information. “Sister Agnes always said the Devil would come for me, and I never believed her.”
“I'mnotthe Devil,” Clay says. “And neither is anyone working for the Ascendant Alliance.”
“How would I know? Maybe this is Hell. Maybe I died in that car accident this morning, and this is my punishment for not believing in Jesus enough.”
The SUV lurches suddenly, and a metallic roar reverberates around us. My ears pop so violently I cry out in pain. “Owwww. What's happening?”
“We're ascending through the atmosphere,” Clay explains. “Some people get motion sickness. Try to stay calm.”
“Ascending through the...” I can't finish the sentence.
Gravity presses me into my seat, and I feel like I'm being crushed and lifted at the same time. My vision blurs from tears and from the G-forces. I want to live and die simultaneously. I want to be here and back on Earth all at once. I’m just as curious now as I am scared out of my mind.
“Our Father, who art in heaven,” I whisper through the crushing pressure, “hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in heaven.”
“It'll be over soon,” Clay says as we break through into the void.
When the pressure eases, Clay lowers the blackened windows. I wipe my eyes and look around at the black of space and stars as far as I can see. It's the most beautiful and the most frightening thing I've ever seen.
“Take me back,” I manage. “I’m too scared to do this.”
