Nowmydistress was no doubt joining his as I struggled to answer in a way that wouldn’t make things worse.
Or alert him to my own conflicted feelings on the subject.
The truth was, wecouldfigure it out if we both wanted. I could take an Earthling female form, or any alien vessel with the ability to be impregnated by a different species. Likewise, I could find a skinsuit capable of using a male Earthling’s body as an incubator, although that scenario probably wouldn’t be ideal for him.
I’ve already been told ovipositing is out.
We could even mimic the way Stellarians reproduced with each other using Micah’s tendrils, and if another Stellarian were involved….
Nope.
We are not going there right now.
By some miracle, I was saved from a lengthy reply by the blaring sound of an incoming communication in the Lodger’s cockpit.
Micah flinched, so I quickly explained, “This is a standard notification—most likely the Eki inquiring about the nature of our business on their planet. While Ididsend out a peaceful signal when we entered their atmosphere, it’s considered…impoliteto withhold intent upon landing, so we need to clarify.”
So we don’t get disintegrated.
“Oh, shit! Okay, well, let me just…” Micah grabbed his sweatshirt off the towel rack and grabbed his phone before frantically stuffing it in his pocket.
“I’ll take care of it, sunshine,” I soothed. “Why don’t you go grab winter layers for both of us.” I hesitated. “Unless youwantme in the Borque’s skinsuit again…?”
This is confusing.
Micah smiled softly, although there was a hint of sadness in his expression and the air. “Zig, you aremymate too, no matter which form you take. Whatever you’re most comfortable doing is fine with me.”
While his sincerity warmed something inside me, I suspected there was a deeper meaning to his words—one that didn’t sit right with me at all.
Because a relationship isn’t just about what I want.
“Very well, but wewillcontinue this conversation later…partner,”I said, staunchly burying my instinctive terror in favor of basking in the sunshine of Micah’s grateful smile.
One baby situation at a time.
23
ZIGGY
:We require your ship’s manifest before granting you access to our city:
I shielded my eyes against the glare, sweeping my gaze over the blindingly white landscape outside the cockpit window, wondering where this so-called “city” was located.
Perhaps they’ve cloaked it in some way?
Theo hadn’t been exaggerating when he said no one came to Ekistron. While the Eki were renowned for their engineering powers, not much was known about how they lived. Exactly why a species as advanced as they were chose to inhabit a barren wasteland was beyond me, but I was willing to play by anyone’s rules—temporarily—if it got me what I wanted.
What my babygirl wants, that is.
:Start with life forms, including artificial intelligence:
I began entering my reply into the communicator, knowing this was standard, if not tiresome, protocol.
- Two adult males, 21 and 25 years, Earthlings from 03-Via Lactea.
- One droid, model GRX-5L.
:Do you possess documentation for the droid?:
