Alien's Bride: Lisette Read Free Page B

easy. Science,
where there was so much to extrapolate and discover, that’s what
she was drawn to. Her talent made up for all her social defects.
The military snatched her out of college before she could graduate.
She was put on every high profile project. It was easy work, but
slow and tedious. She was always limited by the speed of the
equipment. As the war grew more intense her department received
less funding. She felt like she was spinning her wheels.
    Lisette had no expectations for her new
job. Either she’d be dazzled by the advanced resources, or bogged
down even further than before by inept bureaucracy. No matter what
some science was sure to be done. It wouldn’t take much to make her
happy.
    The robots put her in the hover car and
took off. She looked at the alien city below them as she had during
her first ride. Now she could read all the names on the mismatched
rectangular buildings with rounded corners. They looked to be made
out of plastic, some metal, and some from colored glass. Some were
tall skyscrapers, but not many.
    There was no traffic in what she
presumed were roads between the buildings. She saw no people. The
only movement on the ground was that of an occasional robot
whizzing along on its casters. As they flew further she saw fallen
in roofs and shattered windows. Vegetation broke through the
pavement in blue-green clumps. She even saw a full grown tree in
the middle of a crumbling road.
    They landed before a building that was
obviously still well maintained. It had an impressive crystal
façade encasing the front of both floors. Above the ornate eight
door entrance was a sign that read ‘Paggellatin Institute of Health
and Science.’ Lisette felt an electric shiver as she climbed out of
the vehicle.
    A blond Dak-Hiliah man who looked to be
in his early twenties emerged from the entrance with a smile of
gleaming white teeth. His skin was blue and had markings, like
Elentinus’, but he was no where near as filled out. He wore a loose
dark suit with a red belt, flowing scarf, and a coat long enough to
drag behind him. He reminded Lisette of a car salesman on
pre-Instajant Earth. His smile looked disingenuous.
    He went to her and took both her hands
in his. (Her fingers were clammy and she didn’t have a chance to
rub them on her dress before he snatched them).
    “ Hello, my dear,” he said
through is omnipresent smile. “I’ve so longed to meet you. I’m
Jorenkis, from the house of—well, never mind titles. You’re an
Earthling, that’s not going to mean anything to you yet.” He
laughed while his eyes drilled into her. “I’m actually your boss. I
run the lab.”
    She swallowed in the silence that
followed. His constant stare made her lower her head and stare at
his shoes. They looked like some kind of natural purple
leather.
    “ She got our languages,
didn’t she?” Jorenkis said to the robot behind her.
    Lisette pursed her lips at the twinge
of irritation in his voice.
    “ Yes, my lord,” the robot
said.
    “ DO. YOU. UNDERSTAND. WHAT.
I’M. SAYING?”
    Lisette nodded resolutely so he’d stop
shouting.
    “ What was that? What does
that mean?”
    She felt her face grow hot. Apparently
nodding wasn’t universal. “Um…I understand you,” she said in the
Dak-Hiliah language.
    His smile returned, though it looked
even more forced than before. “All right, marvelous. Speak up, my
dear. I want to hear all about you.”
    Lisette’s stomach began to tense. He
led her by her hand inside. There was an inclination to take in the
architecture of the alien building, but she’d grown too
intimidated. She couldn’t help but huddle down into herself with
her eyes lowered. She did catch a glimpse of someone else to the
side. Lisette looked.
    There stood the Dak-Hiliah who had to
be Hor-Denay’s brother. He was taller, not as fat, and had black
hair slicked back loosely between his horns. His face was as
handsome as Elentinus’ and just as severe. His auburn eyes looked
to be