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I take her hand. Suddenly, everyone is pulling me back, but I refuse to let go. "I love you, my human," I say.
It's a tender moment, but it's cut short.
Anna's eyes widen. "Watch out!" she yells.
I turn and see one of the Gerkis raise the butt of his rifle above my head.
"Oh, shit," I mutter.
As the butt of his gun juts through the air to crack my head, I see where we need to go. It's a bright star. A fascinating star with one perfect planet.
"That's the planet we'll settle on," I say.
Thwack.
Anna
"We'll get through this," he says.
A shallow laugh escapes my lips. I can barely think, let alone feel.
"How you holding up?"
I raise my eyes. Ax holds my hand, delicately. His face is caked with blood, and his eyes still waver from the blow. Still, he’s there for me. He’s trying.
"I'm not sure I can answer your question properly. I just witnessed my best friend die," I mutter.
His hand does not let go. "I am sorry for Clara, Anna. For everything," he says. "Of every scenario imaginable, I never thought it would be the Gerkis finding us."
There is no need for apologies. It's not his fault. He warned me about the risks. I was too cocky. I didn’t think we’d actually get caught.
This planet seeks to snuff out the light of our love. And no matter how hard we fight for it, we are cast aside and abused.
I can't help but take on all the guilt for this. I was the one who snuck out and toyed with the radio. It was my grand plan to get Clara to transport us back to the base to escape to the stars. All of this was my fault. Now, she's dead.
We have been traveling for hours, and I can't stop wondering how we will get out of this one.
They have chained us together. They shackled our ankles. They strapped weights to our necks to keep our heads bowed. This time, my protector cannot save me. Though our bond is stronger than ever, we are both powerless.
Outside the vehicle, there are no mountains. No trees. No buildings in sight. Large dunes of red sand meander around the horizon, and the air is so hot that desert oases appear to be everywhere.
This is a land of tricks. The life that exists here has adapted to cruelty and oppression. I wish we never left the sanctuary Ax created for us.
We roll through a hill and I see a small military settlement. There appear to be no humans, but the aliens that greet us at the gate are wielding Earth Federation weapons, hand-me-downs from past battles.
"Welcome to the Red Sands," Ax says. "Once we're out of this vehicle, keep your mouth shut and your head down."
"So this is the Red Sands," I say. “I always imagined it differently. Larger.”
"It’s small, but the Gerkis have free reign. They are reptilian scum. They were the first to sell out their own kind to the human invaders. I can't say that I'm thrilled to be here," he says.
A group of guards pull us out of the cramped rover, forcing us to walk in a straight line up a nearby hill, toward what I assume is their processing units.
The units are a group of round, clay buildings, each one slightly bigger than the next, forming a large circle in the perimeter. Lining the area are alien bodies pierced with multi-layered spikes as a warning to outside intruders. They bake in the sun's heat, and the smell is disgusting. In the center of the small village, other aliens burn on a large pyre. The town is nothing but a place of judgment.
They scan our eyes. They take our DNA. They are rougher with him than they are with me.
As long as we are together, we can get through this. We'll find a way out of here.
