As the lights wheeled above their heads, they looked on the vast oceans of newborn stars together, marvelled at the giant dust clouds, and then held their breath as somewhere in the distance, a star went supernova.
Those minutes showed them eternity, the universe in all its glory, living and breathing as if a life form of its own. The spell broke, they exited the wormhole, and Malik quickly pressed the button to pull the beacon back through behind them.
“That was amazing,” she said.
“Yes, it was,” he agreed, trying to think straight while she still sat in his lap. He checked the readouts on the screen. Everything was functioning as it should be, the beacons were safely stowed, and now all they had to do was follow the straightforward course to the planet.
The other mission had come here through another wormhole, so Malik made sure the computer was gathering every piece of information it could about this route. He released Chrissi, and said, “Maybe you could make some tole.”
“Of course,” she said, and slipped off his lap. He hated her leaving him, but he had to get this right. His mission was to help her species, and he didn’t want to mess it up. She was a distraction, and one that would have to wait. Once they were on the planet he aimed to make sure she knew she was his and that he would worship her body as her species once worshiped the moon.
“Here,” she said when she returned.
“Thank you,” he said, taking a cup from her. “Sit. Any minute now we will be able to see the planet.”
“Really, so soon?” she asked and sat down, holding her cup of tole while never taking her eyes off the horizon.
“There, to the right,” he said, pointing. He kept his eye on the screen, and on the window, matching up the images. “That is the planet they have called Lilith.”
“Lilith, that’s a pretty name,” Chrissi said.
It might be a pretty name, but as he watched the planet get bigger, he occasionally cast a glance at Chrissi. He knew that he would never see anything more beautiful than her. And his eagerness to reach the planet matched hers, but for very different reasons.
Strapped into her seat, she watched eagerly as they entered the atmosphere and the sky cleared to reveal a green planet below. There were grassy plains, and even from up in the clouds, they could see herds of some kind of animals walking across the grasslands.
“Well, if there are live animals here, then I hope the air is good,” she said, hoping she wouldn’t be let down again.
“The readings we have match those from the previous mission. The planet looks stable. I think we will be safe enough to go out and walk around,” Malik said, guiding the ship down to land by a large lake. “The main readings we need are about water quality. It seems the other mission left in a hurry. So we need samples, and then we can explore.”
“That sounds easy enough,” she said, trying to contain her excitement. A whole planet to explore, just her and Malik. “Are we going now?”
“Yes, although I have some more data coming in from the other mission,” he said.
“Can’t it wait for a few hours? Let’s go out and enjoy what daylight there is left,” she said, looking up at the sky. “It will be dark in a couple of hours, we might be better to be back in here then. Until we know what predators are out there.”
“You are sounding more like a deep space explorer every day.” He continued to stare at the screen. “Although this may be important.”
“I am learning from a master, or should I say a warrior. My training wasn't anywhere near as thorough as yours, but I’m getting there. Maybe you could let me fly all the way home,” she said.
“That might not go down too well with the Council. But if we get all the samples they need, they won't complain. Not much anyway.” Her excitement seemed to have penetrated his hard exterior, and there were flashes of colours across the backs of his hands.
“Is it important?” she asked.
“Maybe, there are some scrambled messages, it looks as if they encountered other ships,” he said.
“You mean other aliens?” Chrissi asked.
“Yes. There was some kind of rescue. That’s why they left the planet so early. There are some images of the ships,” he said, and then moved to press a button that brought the computer to life. “Computer, scan area. Wide range. Any unknown vessels?”
“Scanning,” the computer said.
“We’ll leave the computer running. It will alert us if there is a problem,” he said, when the voice told them there were no unknown vessels in their vicinity.
“Do you think they are interested in the planet too?” she asked.
“I don’t know. It looks as if the Hrokili are slavers, not after technology, but other beings that they can sell or use; there are no specifics. The Wambano gave the Karal schematics of some kind of defence grid, so we can protect ourselves.” He went over the results of the computer’s scan. “There is nothing in this sector of space that could be a ship. I think we should go out and explore, take the readings we need, and then sleep in here. At least that way we can make a quick getaway if the need arises.”
“To come all this way and then be hounded by another species, it just seems wrong,” Chrissi said. “You know, until the Karal came along, we thought we were alone in the universe. Now it appears space can get kind of crowded.”
“The planet might draw other species to it if it’s habitable. Then you can imagine sooner or later someone is going to colonise it.”
“I hope it’s us,” said Chrissi. “But we can’t colonise it with slavers roaming the universe, can we?”
“Maybe not,” he said, standing and taking her hand. “Let’s go, and for now I want you to stay close to me, because I would hate for anything to happen to you.”
“I can take care of myself,” she said.
“As long as you avoid pretty flowers,” he said.
“Does that mean you won’t ever bring me flowers?” she asked.
“Is that an Earth custom?” he asked,
“Yes. Well it used to be, I remember my dad bringing my mom flowers on special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries.”
“Anniversaries?” he asked, passing her a backpack.
“Yes, you know, like when you are married, a husband will buy his wife flowers on their anniversary.”
“Married?”
“A man and a woman promise to live together forever.” She saw his confusion. “A man gives the woman a ring, an engagement ring, it’s like a promise to be there for each other whatever happens.”
“Your people have strange customs,” he said.
“Well, didn’t your people have the same thing? When there were females on the planet. Before they died out?” she asked, slipping the pack on her back.
“I don’t know. It is never spoken of.” He took a box from one of the storage compartments and said, “We should go, if we have to leave in a hurry, let’s at least have the samples we need.”
“I can’t wait,” she said, and followed him down the ramp cautiously.
They stood for several minutes, Chrissi transfixed by the birds flying overhead and the animals she could see in the distance. All around them, green grass grew. In places it was so tall it could almost be mistaken for bamboo.
“It’s so peaceful,” she said.
“Yes, it is.” He looked around at her, concerned, “Is the air all right to you?”
“Yes. Is it to you?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“Then stop worrying and let’s go get these samples,” she said, heading off towards the lake in the distance. It was approximately a mile away, and they took the time to look around them, seeing mountains in the distance, one with a plume of smoke rising from it.
“A volcano: this planet is not as old as Earth or Karal. I think it would be of a similar age to your prehistoric,” he said when she asked if it was safe.
“Wow, so around here could be a creature that will one day evolve into a sentient being?”
“Possibly, but who knows what path evolution will take,” he said, bending down and taking a soil sample.
They had reached the lake, and Chrissi took out a small vial and filled it with water. “How many of these shall we take?” she asked.
“One from here, and then we will move around the shore and take more. I hope we can find a stream that feeds it.”
“So we get to walk some more?” she asked.
“Yes,” he said.
“Good. I think I have spent enough time in the cruiser to last me for days, weeks even.”
“That is why I thought we would walk, because we could have driven. The distance to the ship worries me.” He looked up at the clear sky, and then checked his communicator. Satisfied, he led the way over small rocks and shingle beaches.
“I could walk for days, and explore everything.” They followed the edge of the lake as it curved round. There were small foothills in the distance and Malik hoped they would find a water source there. “I suppose Earth was like this once,” she said.
“A long time ago. I expect Earth was very beautiful.” They crested a hill, and there before them was a stream, cutting through a small valley. “That is what we need.”
He took her hand and they ran down the hill, her hair flowing out behind her like a silken flame. Giggling, and out of breath, they reached the bottom of the hill, but she couldn’t stop, and he had to grab hold of her waist to stop her going straight into the stream.
She spun around, her eyes bright, her breasts heaving, and all thoughts of the stream escaped them. Malik stroked her cheek, his fingers brushing her hair back from her face. “You are more beautiful than any planet I have ever seen,” he said. “No, more beautiful than anything I have ever seen.”
“Malik, please kiss me.”
He didn’t waste time on an answer. His arms went around her, pulling her close. And he didn’t say a word, because there was no need. He lowered his head and captured her mouth, his lips firm, making her stomach flip over and heat pool between her thighs. When he pulled back and nipped her bottom lip, she thought she would explode.
In one fluid movement, they collapsed to the ground, his fingers going to the buttons of her overalls. “I want you, Chrissi. I have wanted you for so long.”
“Why didn’t you say something, or do something?”
“Because I needed to be sure you felt the same way. I never wanted to force you.”
“I do feel the same way, you silly Karalian, I think I always have,” she said, and took hold of his hand, turning his palm to her and kissing it, her tongue tracing small circles around and around, driving him made with desire. “I want these hands on my body. I want your lips on my skin.”
He groaned and the colours swept across his face to disappear down under his collar, and she wanted to chase them, to kiss her way to the place where they originated from. Undoing his buttons, she kissed his skin, feeling the faint burst of static against her lips.
The race to be naked culminated in them both pushing their overalls down over their thighs and trampling them to get them off. Malik didn’t wait, and soon his underwear was gone too, leaving him naked. She stood still, trying to figure out if she were dreaming, or if she was actually standing here, on a new planet, with a naked alien.
Oh my goodness!
Suddenly shy, she wasn’t sure if she could strip the rest of her clothes off. She wore a bra and panties, covered with an old T-shirt that had seen better days. Next to his magnificence, she felt shabby. The old Chrissi, a female from Earth who had no right to expect the love of a man like Malik.
He took a step towards her and she wanted to run and hide, not because she thought he would hurt her, but because she wanted him so badly. What if they weren’t compatible, what if she didn’t please him? What if he didn’t please her? After the weeks of build-up, this moment seemed too intense.
Then he touched her, his hands spreading fire in their wake as they stroked her skin. A soft touch, the back of his hand along the length of her arm, making every single one of the hairs stand on end as if they were reaching out to him. One more step brought him to kissing distance and boy, did he kiss her.
His lips were firm, soft, insistent. He wasn’t unsure and questioning like before; he was ready to take control, to take her. She swallowed her panic, opening her mouth to allow him to slip his tongue inside, stroking her lower lip, sending thrills through her body. Relaxing, she leaned in to him, placing her hands on his arms, and feeling the press of him against her breasts. Her nipples were taut buds, aching to be touched by him, to be naked against him, skin to skin.
Malik moved his hands, they rubbed her back, caressed her bottom, squeezing it, pulling her hard against his arousal. She gasped, spreading her feet apart a little, to allow him to rub against her clit, which throbbed, needing attention. For a moment they stood there, the only two people on the planet, surrounded by nature as the sun began to set, spilling its rays across the lake.
His fingers tugged at the hem of her T-shirt, and he pulled it up over her head. She raised her hands to help him, and then wrapped them around his neck, pulling him in for another kiss. Chrissi enjoyed the intimacy of kissing, the press of his lips igniting her desire.
But he wanted more, and his hands went to her bra, unclasping it and letting it fall to the floor. Warm hands covered her breasts, his thumbs rubbing her nipples, making her whimper. Then he lowered his head and sucked one taut bud into his mouth and the stars came out in her head, bright flashes as his tongue rolled over them each in turn.
Somehow her brain sent signals to her hands and she wrapped her hand around his cock, feeling the hard ridges and the large head, knowing he was different to a human male. The question of whether he would fit inside her was about to be answered.
He laid her down on the ground, his hands pulling at the flimsy fabric of her panties, but he didn’t rip them, instead he pulled them down, easing her feet out of them. Chrissi held her breath when he moved, his body slotting between her thighs, which she spread wider for him. He hovered over her, keeping his weight supported on one arm, while his other hand stroked her inner thighs. She gulped down the wonderful pure air, the oxygen making her feel light-headed, or was it the touch of his hands on her clit?