Page 8 of My Alien Pirate

As I worked, I felt my fear and anger slowly giving way to excitement. Yes, I was in an incredibly dangerous and uncertain situation. But I was also living every xenobiologist's dream. First contact. Real, honest-to-God aliens.

A small part of me wondered if I was in shock, if this calm determination was just my mind's way of avoiding a complete breakdown. But I pushed that thought aside. I couldn't afford to fall apart now. I had to stay focused, stay curious, stay observant.

Because somewhere out there, beyond the pulsing walls of this alien ship, were answers. What had happened to the Phoenix? To Earth's hopes for colonizing a new world? And perhaps most importantly, what did these aliens want with me?

I didn't have those answers yet. But as I continued my observations, pausing occasionally to marvel at some new facet of my alien quarters, I promised myself I would find out. Whatever it took, however long it took, I would unravel this mystery.

And maybe, just maybe, I'd find a way home in the process.

7

Lies We Tell Ourselves

Istood on the bridge of the Nebula Stryker, several clicks later, my tentacles clasped behind my back as I gazed out at the vast expanse of space before us. The viewscreen, a shimmering field of energy rather than a physical screen, filled nearly an entire wall of the circular command center. It displayed a breathtaking vista of swirling nebulae and distant stars, their light distorted by the ship's warp field.

The bridge hummed with activity, bioluminescent consoles pulsing with data streams as my crew went about their duties. Jorixx's gravelly voice broke through my reverie. "The scanners have finished their analysis of the debris we picked up from the alien ship."

I turned to face my second officer and security chief, his stocky form a stark contrast to Grixxa's lithe grace. Jorixx's thick hide was a mottled green and brown, perfectly suited for the dense jungles of his homeworld. His three eyes blinked in sequence as he awaited my response.

"Report," I commanded, pushing thoughts aside of the little alien who had invaded my consciousness.

Jorixx's upper arms manipulated a series of glowing symbols on his console while his lower arms remained crossed over his chest. "The debris appears to be from a ship of unknown origin. The technology is... primitive by our standards, but remarkably interesting. There are many materials we haven't seen before,"

Grixxa, who had been quietly monitoring communications, swiveled her chair to join the conversation. "Could it have come through the anomaly?"

Ah, yes. The anomaly. The reason we'd been in this sector in the first place. A spatial rift that had appeared without warning, defying all known laws of physics. We'd been tracking it, hoping to find something valuable to salvage as nothing to date had come through it unscathed. We'd stumbled upon Nova's ship instead.

"Possible," Jorixx rumbled. "The energy signatures from the debris show traces of tachyon particles consistent with interdimensional travel."

I felt my ridges pulse with excitement. I hadn't mentioned my hope for this to anyone yet. "Are you suggesting our guest might be from another dimension? The med drone didn't find anything."

Grixxa's crystalline eyes sparkled. "It would explain why we've never encountered her species before. And why her ship's technology is so... unique."

I began to pace, my tentacles curling and uncurling in thought. The bridge's floor, a living membrane that absorbed sound and vibration, adjusted to each of my steps. "If that's true, it opens up a whole new realm of possibilities. Imagine the technology, the resources, an entire new dimension could offer."

"And the dangers," Jorixx added, ever the voice of caution. "We know nothing about her world or her people's intentions."

I waved a dismissive tentacle. "She's alone, Jor. Hardly a vanguard for an invasion force."

"Unless she's a scout," he countered.

Grixxa interjected, her ridges flashing with irritation. "A scout who was unconscious when we found her? A scout with literally no defenses? Whose only actions so far have been to look at us with those big blue eyes and try to communicate?"

I felt my scales flush slightly at the mention of Nova's eyes. Those startlingly blue orbs had been haunting my thoughts since our first encounter.

Jor grumbled his dissatisfaction with Grixxa's continued championing of the little alien over the last few clicks as he stalked off to take care of his duties. Jorixx was the main hold out in his belief that the small alien could be a danger to us.

Though I'd tried my best to keep Nova isolated, my thoughts were inexorably drawn to her. I found myself constantly wondering about her well-being, what she was doing in her solitary confinement, and what she thought of her new surroundings. Every time I passed her quarters, my tentacles twitched with the urge to reach out to her, to comfort her in some way. Yet, I held myself back, knowing that forming such attachments was risky both for our mission and for me personally.

Despite my efforts to appear disinterested, it became increasingly clear to my crew that Nova had captured my attention like no one else ever had. Grixxa, ever observant and perceptive, was the first to notice. She caught me one day as I lingered outside Nova's door, pretending to check the ship's systems but in truth lost in thought about the human within.

"Zharrox," she said softly, her eyes reflecting a mix of concern and amusement. "What are you doing here?"

I glared at her, my defense automatically rising. "What do you mean? I'm checking the ship's systems. Is that not allowed now?"

Grixxa crossed her arms and leaned against the corridor wall. "You've done that twice already today. And both times, you ended up staring at Nova's door."

I felt my scales darken and shifted uncomfortably. "That's ridiculous. I don't even know what you're talking about."