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For a moment, I lost track of the behemoth, but then it changed its course.
The colossal disturbance shifted direction, moving parallel to us but thankfully veering away.
“I’m not sure,” I confessed, still tracking the creature’s movement. “But it’s something massive.”
She swallowed hard, her voice barely audible. “Do you think it’s after us?”
I shook my head. “No. If it was, it would have come directly for us. Whatever it is, it has other prey in mind.”
Riley leaned in closer, her voice filled with urgency. “Have you ever seen anything like it before?”
“No,” I replied, feeling a twinge of unease. “And frankly, I hope we never have to.”
We remained silent for a moment, listening intently to the distant rumblings of the behemoth.
It was a sound that reminded us of our vulnerability, the kind of roar that sent a clear message:
This ismyterritory.
“I thought we only had to worry about the alien males,” Riley murmured, her tone reflecting a mix of awe and fear.
I turned to face her, my expression grim. “This platform isn’t just about the hunt for you. The Malquarans have turned it into a twisted ecosystem of their own design. It’s a game of survival, with different threats.”
Riley took a deep breath, trying to process what I’d just shared. “So, in addition to being chased, we have to worry about… whatever that was?”
“Yes,” I confirmed. “And probably many other creatures we haven’t encountered yet. Some might be harmless, but others…” I trailed off, not wanting to delve into further grim possibilities.
Riley looked back at the jungle below, her expression pensive. “It’s like a nightmare version of a wildlife safari,” she mused.
I chuckled, despite the situation. “A very apt comparison, albeit one with much higher stakes.”
The unseen dangers lurking below served as a sobering reminder.
The alien males were one threat, but there were far more sinister challenges waiting for us in the shadows of the platform.
“Talan,” Riley’s voice broke through the eerie silence, “there’s got to be a way out of this. I’m not… I won’t become some alien’s plaything.” Her eyes sparkled with defiance and determination. “Tell me there’s another way.”
I paused, surveying the vast and dangerous platform below.
A way out?
“Perhaps,” I began hesitantly, “but it’s fraught with peril, and the odds are significantly against us.”
Riley turned to face me, her eyes searching mine, her posture tense with anticipation. “Tell me.”
“To be set free, you must mate with an alien male contestant.”
“But I don’t want—”
I raised a hand. “But if there are no other alien males for you to mate with, only me, then the gamemustend as we will be declared the winners.”
“What are you saying?” Riley asked.
“We have to eliminate every other alien male on this platform,” I declared.
Her face paled momentarily. “Kill them? All of them?”
I nodded solemnly. “Yes. Only then would the game be deemed complete and we would be released. The Malquarans only care about their entertainment, and if we disrupt the narrative in a way they hadn’t anticipated, we’ll have outplayed them.”
