Starport: Zeta Prime (Alt) by S.A. Jackson Page B

destruction
within the colony, deeming that it would create unnecessary worry
as to retribution.
    “ I have some important news to share with you all, and
although it’s unique, I wish for you all to respect my decision as
your leader. There will be a great celebration tomorrow–a big feast
and much joy.”
    As Faron told his
news, the villagers all cheered and congratulated him. It was a new
thing for the tribe, but they knew his choices came from a pure
heart and a loyal commitment to them, and they had no need for
questioning. It would be the start of a new evolution. Zeta Prime
was changing, and so would the people inhabiting it. The change
invoked excitement, for centuries everything had been kept the
same–now their tribe was part of radical, forward thinking times,
and there was a great deal of positivity around the fresh new
Chapter in their history.
    Positivity
that stemmed from all but one. In the farthest corner of the room,
Misha looked sullenly at her people, feeling detached from their
rejoicing. Bitterness rose in her like poison and she backed out of
the room. Faron caught her eye sternly and she felt ashamed at her
emotions being caught so obviously. Worried about being shunned and
certainly not about to display herself as disloyal, she took a deep
breath and planted a smile onto her face, joining the tribe once
more.
     

Chapter Eight
    Waking to the sound of drumming, Jillian prized opened her eyes and stretched
luxuriously on her fur. For a moment, she felt relaxed and
refreshed from the night’s sleep, then reality filtered through and
she snapped herself upright. Drums. She had felt something in the
air last night, and the methodical beat did nothing to allay her
fears. For some reason — gut instinct, a
mystical ‘feeling’ — she had known that today was the day she would
discover her reason for being brought here, for being taken from
the colony. The drums sounded ceremonious. Something big was about
to happen.
    Leaning her head to take in a view of the village, she saw
a lot of bustle. Women
carrying what looked like large, woven trays containing bright
scarlet and evergreen leaves round to the back of that large hut,
and Jillian swore she heard an undulating, squeaking noise that
sounded very much like laughter.
    Butterflies flit wildly in her stomach. She was
nervous — knowing somehow it was her day of reckoning. Three women
emerged from the building Jillian stared at, each holding large,
plaited foliage, fashioned into a sort of bag — carrying items she
could not see. They slinked over to where she sat, open-mouthed and
unmoving. She had never been approached by any other of the aliens
before — just the unfriendly one and her male. They looked very
similar aesthetically, chestnut skin and yellowy hair reflecting a
white strip of light from the bright morning sunshine, but as they
got ever closer, she saw that they were smiling. Not the forced,
cold stretch of the lips that she had seen before, but wide,
open-mouthed smiles, showing gleaming teeth and pointy incisors.
They would have been almost vampiric, if they hadn’t looked so
happy. Their long legs protruded from makeshift fur skirts, the
small mounds that she supposed were their breasts also covered by
the same cloth.
    Talking all at once, Jillian could only make out the odd few words from their
excitable chatter as, to her astonishment , one of them bent to
lift her wrist and released it from its cuff.
    “ Beautiful hair.”
    She managed to understand that comment as the smallest of the three stopped to stroke
Jillian’s head. Rubbing her wrist and flexing her palm in a
stretch, she could do little but look at these creatures, confused
that they seemed to fawn over her.
    “ Get up,
get up.” The one who had released her insisted. Mindful of her
pretense of ignorance of their language, Jillian remained on the
floor.
    “ She can’t understand you. I’ll do
it.”
    She was gently pulled
to her feet with the greatest ease,