Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
It was disconcerting to wake up without a window.
It was hard to tell what time it was exactly, and my phone died during the night so I couldn’t even check.
I wasn’t sure if I slept in or if I was up early.
All I knew was that I needed coffee. Somehow, I doubted I’d get that here, so I was mentally preparing for a massive headache.
Knightley was in the same boat as me. He woke up groggy and confused and complained non-stop when he couldn’t figure out the shower, so he could at least wake himself up that way.
I silently agreed with him, but I wasn’t chatty first thing in the morning.
Which was why I never complained about working the night shift.
It gave me plenty of time to wake up and get my ass moving before I had to be social.
Besides, the base was so far from the big city, I could enjoy the stars while working. Who was going to complain about that?
Not having clothes to change into chafed a little. Yesterday, I’d been sweaty at least a dozen times, both from the weather and from the stress. I wasn’t happy about being stuck in the same clothes. I couldn’t even brush my teeth because the bathroom was empty aside from soap to wash your hands.
It all put me in a foul mood, so when Aster showed up at my door, I was less than pleased to see him.
He looked happy as a clam, with a fresh uniform shirt, this one purple with white details that brought out his eyes, and his hair was styled intricately again.
He smiled at me from the doorway, but when I only grunted in response, his smile slowly faded.
“What is wrong?”
Making an irritated noise, I shoved to my feet from where I’d been lacing up my boots on the edge of the bed. “Nothing. I’m assuming I’m with you again today?”
Aster blocked the doorway so I couldn’t walk past him, tipping his head to see my face. “You are angry. Why? What did he do?”
He shot an accusing look at Knightley, whose eyebrows shot into his hairline. “Me? I didn’t do shit!”
“Then why angry?” Aster demanded, jabbing a finger at me.
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe it’s because we’re prisoners?” Knightley scoffed. “Or because we’re trapped in this tiny ass room with nothing to do? We don’t even have a freaking window to stare out of.”
Aster made a face, a cross between confused and a little accusing. “There is window.”
Knightley threw a hand out toward the blank walls, his face clearly saying prove it without any words.
With an exasperated sigh, Aster’s lower half shimmered, replacing his tentacles with two legs to make it easier to get around the small space.
Knightley and I gasped. Granted, I knew there had to be some explanation for why they looked human when I first arrived, then had tentacles later, but I’d forgotten to ask, and I wasn’t expecting that.
The lower half even came with clothes and shoes.
Some kind of slacks that matched his top and black boots that came up to his knees.
He looked very official, and kind of hot, actually.
The slacks were tight enough to show off his assets, which…
weren’t real. I shook my head to clear it.
Not real. He’s an alien with tentacles, not a human with a nice ass. Focus!
I was so distracted, I almost missed him pressing a button beside the panel behind our beds.
The panel slid up and morning light filled the room.
The window itself was thick, almost like airplane windows, with several panes to keep the elements out.
We still had a decent view of LA, which was clear and–
“Holy shit.”
Aster nodded sagely. “Already, the environment is healthier. Your vehicles bad for planet. Healthier without.”
Probably because planes were grounded and people were on lockdown while we figured this out. There was no LA traffic, no smog, no planes. Nothing. And the sky was so blue, it was a little insane.
“How will we get around without cars or planes?” Knightley demanded. He was less shell-shocked by the view, his eyes locked on Aster instead.
Aster pursed his lips thoughtfully. “Still use. Different fuel. Solar fuel?” He said that last part like a question, like he wasn’t quite sure if that was what he wanted to say.
“They said they’re here to share knowledge to help us,” I added for Aster’s sake. His translator still needed more time, and it didn’t look like Trevuk was here to translate for him.
Aster pointed at me and nodded. “Yes. That. Also, heal planet. Teach warning signs. Clean up.” He looked at me, his galaxy-colored eyes bright and happy. “Enzo will help. Still angry now?”
The change in conversation gave me a little whiplash, but I recovered quickly and shook my head. “I’m fine. Just tired. I didn’t get coffee yesterday, and today is no different, so I have a headache.”
“Coffee…” Aster trailed off, a frown on his face. He didn’t know what that was.
I shot a helpless look at Knightley. I was too tired to think right now.
“It’s a drink,” Knightley explained. “People drink it to give them energy because of the caffeine in it. It’s hot water poured over ground coffee beans.”
“Hot bean water?” Aster just looked more confused, which was a little funny. How the hell did you explain coffee without an example?
Another alien appeared at the door, which was repaired the day before and left open after Aster arrived.
They looked familiar, and when Aster noticed their arrival, he brightened a little.
He rattled something off in his language and gestured to me and Knightley.
The androgynous alien pulled out a tablet and poked at it for a minute before spinning the device around and showing us the display.
It showed a commercial for instant coffee.
It wasn’t a fancy brand or anything, but I’d take it over nothing.
“Yes. Coffee. Most people like coffee in the morning to help them wake up,” I said with a nod.
Aster watched the commercial curiously. “It’s a drink?”
When we both nodded, he hummed and said something to the androgynous alien who bobbed his head. Aster turned back to face us. “Landu will acquire the hot bean water. Will it help humans on ship?”
“A portion of them, at least,” I said, glancing at Knightley for confirmation.
“Yeah. The other portion mostly prefers Monster.”
Aster and Landu both looked at each other in alarm, and I saw the misunderstanding right away. I quickly explained, so they didn’t freak out.
“It’s another drink. An energy drink. It’s usually in tall cans. A lot of military people in the US drink them. I’m not sure about other countries, though.”
Landu looked back down at their tablet and did some more tapping before spinning it around again with a tip of their head. I pointed at the commercial playing.
“Yes. That’s it. I mean, there are lots of drinks that humans enjoy, but coffee is pretty universal in all countries. Or tea for some countries. I’d have to ask around to find out what kind.”
Aster and Landu shared a look, frowning at each other. When Aster looked back at me, he looked worried. “Humans don’t need? Bodies only need water. Why so many extras?”
Oh damn. This was way above my pay grade.
And when I shot Knightley another look, he shrugged.
He didn’t have any more ideas than I did on how to explain it.
These aliens obviously didn’t do a lot in terms of variety in food or drinks.
I saw the same silver packets on a cart behind Landu, as well as what looked like reusable bottles of water.
Did their people not have variety in their meals?
Something beeped, distracting Aster long enough to spare me from having to answer his question. It would take way too long for me to have to explain varieties of human food and drinks, especially without any caffeine in my system.
“What else?” Aster prompted, after putting a smaller device back in his pocket. He looked at me earnestly, like he actually cared, which was still surprising for aliens who invaded our planet.
“Uh… Someone could explain the shower? And we weren’t given soap, or toothpaste, or anything. And maybe a change of clothes? Or at least a way to clean ours?”
“Some entertainment would be nice too,” Knightley added. “This room is boring, and humans aren’t used to sitting around without something to do. There’s usually at least Netflix.”
Aster frowned again, this time heading into the bathroom. He looked at the shower thing and then back at me. “It is broken?”
This language barrier was getting tedious. I closed my eyes and rubbed my temple to ease the pain a little. “No. Not broken. We just don’t know how to use it. I tried figuring it out, but–”
Warm hands cupped my face, and my eyes flew open in surprise. Aster was right in front of me, his head tipped and his expression concerned. His fingers trailed over where mine were still pressed against my temple.
“You have the pain?”
A flush worked its way up my neck. He was really close, and he smelled good. The floral scent was back, still not a flower I recognized, but it enveloped me when he stood that close and it was soothing.
“I, uh… It’s just a headache. I’m fine.”
He didn’t look convinced, and he wasn’t inclined to take my word for it.
His hands dropped from my head, and he grabbed my wrist instead, dragging me from the room.
Landu looked curious, but they didn’t do anything to stop us.
And Knightley could only stare as I stumbled behind Aster down the long hallway.
Not even the guards who stood in the hall did anything to stop us.
The route we took was familiar, though. Aster dragged me all the way back to the infirmary, where the terrifying lady doctor was watching over a new set of patients.
Probably some of the people who tried to escape during the night.
She looked up at us, frowning at Aster as he dragged me straight over to her and pointed at me, saying something in his own language.
Her gaze flicked to me and she studied me with a frown.
“He says you are in pain.”
“It’s just a headache. I haven’t had caffeine in like two days, and it gives me headaches if I go too long without. I’m fine.”
If the stubborn look on Aster’s face was anything to go by, that explanation wasn’t good enough. His mother-hen act was back. He wasn’t going to be satisfied until I wasn’t in pain anymore.
The doctor pointed to an empty bed, and Aster dragged me over to it, nudging me into laying down. I went because there wasn’t any possible way for me to wriggle my way out of it, and I knew Aster would force me if I didn’t. I mean, I wasn’t opposed to him using the tentacles on me again, but not–
Nope! Not going there! I mentally slapped myself a few times to get my mind back on track.
No thinking about alien tentacles. Not only did they abduct me and every military member on the planet, I was literally on a medical bed, getting examined by a doctor.
If I got a hard-on, they’d fucking notice.
The hologram popped back up, and the doctor studied it carefully. “The serum should still be in your system. You shouldn’t be in any pain. Whatever it is you believe you need, your system says differently.”
“Well, yeah. No one actually needs caffeine. It’s just nice. Helps you get through the day. It gives you a boost of energy and your brain functions better with caffeine. Or at least, mine does.”
She went quiet and turned slowly to face me. “You put things in your body that are harmful to you? On purpose?”
Shit. I was really screwing up this conversation a lot.
The door to the infirmary opened, and Trevuk marched in, a scowl on his face. I was being rescued from conversations a lot today. If I wanted to do any good for the other humans, I needed to get a fucking grip.