Page 7 of Eclipse Bound (Galaxy Alien Mail Order Brides #7)
Chapter Four
Earth was worse than promised.
And Galaxy Alien Mail Order Brides was beyond incompetent. This had to be part of the test. They told them they’re here to mate, but then crash-land them into chaos, abandon them, and see how they fare. They could only hope that the corporation would come back and this situation wasn't permanent.
Eclipse slipped back into the Crimson Rock Inn through a service entrance, carefully avoiding the cameras he'd identified earlier. The Earth security systems were primitive but numerous, and maintaining a low profile was essential to the mission.
Someone should have given him a heads up.
Someone should have told him he was going on this assignment.
Someone should have explained how to talk to the females.
Rowan Clark.
The Earth overlord system made it easy to access her name. People walked around connected to it, feeding it a constant stream of information.
He reached into his pocket for his energy stone. It tapped into their internet system easily and brought up a series of images of his target. These Earth humans were bending creatures, twisting themselves into odd positions, which was strange considering they didn’t walk with much grace.
When they arrived at Crimson Rock, it had been daylight.
Then twilight. Now darkness. That would take some getting used to, watching the elements flow together like that on the same location.
Thankfully the sun wasn’t as bright here, and there was only the one, so Lunar was able to manage, though he’d been miserable.
Light came from under the door as he neared their room. He found Solar inside sitting cross-legged on the floor of their shared suite, his golden skin pulsing with light as he absorbed energy from the desk lamp he'd dismantled and rewired. Now it was his turn to look miserable.
The furniture had been rearranged into what appeared to be defensive formations, and scorch marks decorated one wall.
"Where have you been?" Solar demanded without looking up. His fingers were tracing patterns in the air, trailing sparkles of light. "Lunar has been skulking around the perimeter for hours. I think he's planning something."
"He's patrolling in the dark," Eclipse corrected, surveying the damage to their accommodations. "Where is he now?"
"How would I know?" Solar snapped. "He disappears into shadows."
Eclipse sighed. "We've been on Earth for less than twelve hours, and you've already damaged our dwelling."
"It wasn't me," Solar protested. "Lunar tried to darken the room by covering the windows with those fabric hangings, and they caught fire when I was merely trying to maintain adequate light levels."
"Merely trying?" Lunar's voice drifted from a corner that should have been empty. The shadows seemed to coalesce, forming his tall, slender silhouette. "You deliberately increased your output when I entered."
"Perhaps I was simply happy to see you," Solar said with a dangerous smile.
A wave of darkness grew from Lunar, trying to snuff out the lamp.
"Enough," Eclipse interrupted. "This behavior is precisely why the council sent us here. If you cannot manage to share a dwelling without destroying it, how do you expect our people to share a planet?"
“The council has exiled us,” Solar complained. “And your corporation has abandoned us.”
“It is not my corporation. I didn’t hire them,” Eclipse said. “I’m trapped here same as you. Our only hope is to prove to them we’re capable of working together so they bring us home.”
Both aliens had the grace to look chastened, in their own ways. Solar dimmed slightly, while Lunar stepped further from the shadows and stopped trying to snuff out the lamp.
"The human living arrangements are unacceptable," Lunar said after a moment. "This structure offers no proper darkness, except for the waste receptacle, and he," he jabbed a finger toward Solar, "refuses to moderate his emissions."
"I have found a potential alternative," Eclipse said. "I've made contact with a local human who may be able to assist us."
"You revealed yourself to an Earthling?" Solar's light flared with alarm. “We were supposed to blend in.”
"I revealed enough," Eclipse replied carefully. The truth was, he hadn’t planned on telling her everything he did, but when he heard her voice, he felt he could trust her. "She works at the arrival site. Her name is Rowan Clark."
"The one who approached us in the crowd," Lunar observed quietly. "She saw too much."
“She did not report us to the authorities or put us on the planet’s overlord system.” Eclipse didn't bother asking how Lunar knew which human he'd spoken to. The shadow-dweller's observation skills were unmatched. It was possible he followed Eclipse there.
Solar inched closer to his lamplight. “You sound soft when you say her name.”
"Yes, I admit, her biorhythm scan shows compatibility markers," Eclipse said. "And she responded with skepticism rather than fear. That's a promising sign."
"Compatibility?" Solar smirked, his golden skin brightening with amusement. "Eclipse, are you developing an interest in the human mating aspect of our mission?"
"I am focused on diplomacy," Eclipse said stiffly. "My personal preferences are irrelevant."
"Of course," Lunar murmured, a hint of knowing in his night-dark eyes.
"The corporation's representatives are still missing," Eclipse changed the subject. "Their communication silence is concerning."
"Concerning, but not surprising," Solar snorted. "They couldn't navigate a straight path through open space."
"The human overlord network indicates unusual activity near our landing site," Lunar said, holding up a primitive Earth device. "They call this device a phone. I've been monitoring their information streams."
Eclipse examined the device Lunar offered.
The screen displayed what appeared to be a social platform filled with blurry images of their crash and wild speculation about aliens.
He sent his energy into the device to move around the various parts of the internet viewing port.
An Earthman's face appeared as if the device belonged to him.
Eclipse pulled the energy stone from his pocket. “As have I.”
"The authorities say we are a publicity stunt," Lunar continued, taking the device back.
"Or a weather balloon. Or something called swamp gas emissions.
Their theories are creative. Apparently, there is also something called mass hysteria on this planet.
One person has a thought, and it spreads like a disease. "
"Good," Eclipse said. "Confusion and competing narratives will work in our favor. However, you should dispose of that device. Humans appear very attached to them, and I am sure the owner will come looking."
Lunar kept hold of it but nodded.
"Speaking of confusion," Solar interjected, "what exactly is this?" He held up a small paper card that read "Continental Breakfast, 6-9AM. Lobby Level."
"I believe it's an invitation to a feeding ritual," Eclipse said, remembering the information packet Galaxy Alien Mail Order Brides had provided. "Humans require regular nutrient intake."
"As do we," Lunar pointed out. "The corporation promised that compatible sustenance would be available."
"There's a vending machine down the hall," Solar said. "I examined it earlier. It contains packages of various substances, but requires small metal discs to operate."
"We have currency," Eclipse reminded them, pulling out one of the packets of “cash" they'd been given. "We should attempt to blend in by participating in their morning feeding. Perhaps you can find a mate there."
"And then?" Lunar asked.
"Then we wait for Rowan," Eclipse said. "She will either help us or not, but we must be prepared for either outcome. Our mission objectives remain clear. We must attempt to find compatible humans, demonstrate cooperative behavior, and not alert Earth authorities to our true nature."
"Simple," Solar said dryly.
"Impossible," Lunar corrected.
Eclipse looked between them, wondering if they realized how similar they sounded despite their differences. Most of the time, he believed they argued just to be contrary.
"Get some rest," he told them. "Tomorrow we begin our Earth adaptation in earnest."
“I’m not tired. The light is finally bearable,” Lunar said.
“Try,” Eclipse ordered.
His companions retreated to their respective corners. Solar stayed in the lamplight. Lunar draped a blanket over the furniture and crawled underneath. Eclipse sat on the edge of the uncomfortable human sleeping platform and removed the energy stone from his pocket.
He activated the holographic projector with a touch, keeping the illumination low to avoid disturbing the tenuous peace.
The image of Zorveya appeared, spinning slowly in the air before him.
He zoomed in on the Twilight Belt, the narrow strip of habitable land between eternal day and endless night where he'd spent his life maintaining the balance.
Eclipse stared at it for a long time, wondering if he was doing the right thing. The Peacemaker Council had given him this mission as his last assignment, but he couldn't help feeling there was more to their decision than they'd revealed.
With a sigh, he deactivated the projector and lay back on the bed, his mind still filled with the image of Rowan's startled face when she'd reached into the hologram. She'd been frightened, yes, but also curious.
If only he could be certain she wouldn't report them to Earth authorities, and blow any chance they had at getting home.