Alien Captain's Bride - Scarlett Grove Page 0,2

beyond the library blast toward us. Screams and a low droning noise deafen me as the library fills with smoke.

Madeline Weber and Sophia Russo, the student gymnasts who are studying at one of the round tables, scramble to their feet. They cover their ears as they run away.

Bobby McKenzie emerges from the stacks, holding the handle of a mop as her eyes widen with fear. Bethany and I look at each other and then back at the smoke billowing through the broken window.

Mrs. Henderson grabs the library mobile phone and dials 911, storming toward the broken glass. "The whole window of the college library has been shattered. I know it was those skateboarders messing around here again. The sign outside clearly states No Skating!"

A figure straight out of a nightmare emerges from the smoke and steps into the library. Its chromatic green body reflects the fluorescent lights swinging from the ceiling, casting horrific undulating shadows on the broken glass below. The creature rubs its long arms together, instantly reminding me of a giant praying mantis. It chatters and waves its arm. A squadron of mantis beings holding what appear to be rifles swarm around him.

I scream. The sound rips from my throat and burns until my voice is gone. Bethany and I run to the front door as the mantis grabs Mrs. Henderson and tosses her out into the night. There is a scream followed by a crunching noise. They’ve eaten Mrs. Henderson!

I reach for the door handle, but laser fire shatters the glass, and more mantises pour through. Bethany and I grab each other's hands and run toward the back entrance. We stumble and trip over the custodial trolley. Bobby McKenzie swears loudly as we all fall in a tangle of limbs into a puddle of cold bleach water.

The monsters crush in from every direction, herding everyone into a tight circle. There are surprisingly few people in the library at ten o’clock on a Friday night. The only ones left are Madeline and Sophia, Bethany, Bobby McKenzie, and me.

We huddle together as the giant mantis beings close in. My voice is raw from screaming. The other girls are crying. We’re all going to share Mrs. Henderson’s fate.

The last thing I hear before I pass out is Madeline Weber saying, "Abigail was right all along. We aren't alone."

2

I stand at the helm of command ship Xojor, my fingers scrolling down the holographic diagnostic logs. Within the hour, we will depart Mars for the greatest mission in our planetary history. I pray to the God of War, for whom our planet was named, that we will succeed.

“Captain Noru,” starts First Lieutenant Martix Controi. “All systems are a go. We are ready for takeoff.” He wears the slick body-conforming uniform of the Martian Navy. Two gold bars on his red collar indicate his position as first mate. My own uniform is blue and white. My collar has four gold bars. The only higher position in this Martian Navy is Admiral, who wears yellow and has five gold bars on his collar.

The diagnostic logs and systems checks confirmed, I nod to my first mate. The timegate jump must happen now. We cannot wait any longer. If we postpone for a more ideal planetary alignment, our people may be out of time.

All our simulations suggest imminent total population collapse. This mission is our last chance to correct the ancient mistake of our ancestors.

“Prepare for ascent,” I command.

The bridge crew jumps into action. The pilot begins the launch sequence. The engine crew communicates vital acceleration information as the zero-point drive comes to full power. I take a seat in the captain’s chair, and Lieutenant Controi sits beside me. We lift off. Outside the bridge window, the planet descends below us.

A thousand years of meticulous terraforming and geoengineering have created a paradise. A paradise that will be lost if I do not succeed in bringing ancient Earth females back to our future on Mars.

The triangular ship turns nose up and accelerates through the Martian atmosphere. We burst into space, leaving the green forests and blue oceans below. The city of Cassini with its proud stone towers, cascading waterfalls, and anti-gravity transit system disappear from sight.

When our people first arrived ten centuries ago, all we had was a wish and a will to survive. A million times I’ve considered and discussed the choices we made back then. It always comes back to the fact that we had no choice. We never had a choice.

A thousand years ago,