Page 102 of Galaxy Games Four-Book Box Set (Galaxy Games)

102

Epilogue

A nubis

This is going to be one of the best nights of my life. To think, just a few months ago, I’d never had a good day or hour or minute. Raised in a cell, beaten and mentally abused by guards, having my body chemistry manipulated by my owners, and fighting for mercenary causes in shadow wars. That was my past.

It all changed the day my owners slated me for death as an example to my fellow products. Little did they know I’d meet the love of my life. Or at the moment I was sentenced to death, the male who is now my mentor would order me rescued from that deadly planet.

No, he’s not a mentor. I never even wanted a father, nor did I, as a geneslave, think I deserved one, but that’s what the King has become to me. And tonight I’ll be near his side, protecting him as always as he is inaugurated not as King of a Kingdom, but as a democratically elected President of the entire planet.

This is a jubilant day for all of Marentine. The recent free elections voted out the despot in the southern region and now the united planet will be a bastion of freedom, a beacon of hope, and a place of peace.

And what is the epicenter of my peace? This cottage, right here, that I share with my beloved mate, my Sadie. She means everything to me. I’d give my life for her. I demonstrated this many times on Ultera. Luckily, I haven’t had to do that since we rocketed away from that forsaken planet.

She enters from the other room, wearing the most beautiful dress I’ve ever seen. Our mating ceremony was rushed, both of us just wanted our union to be legal and binding. My lovely mate had to wear something borrowed. She laughed about it. Said it was an Earth tradition.

Tonight, she’s wearing brand new finery. Although she was already glowing with happiness, when her gaze lights on me her face beams even brighter.

The King, generous to a fault, loaned her some family jewels. Although her gown is scarlet, he had no scarlet jewels to adorn her with. Every attendee will be wearing that color in some form or fashion tonight. It signifies the revolution.

There’s a growing movement of good citizens banding together from many planets. We believe the time for slavery should be long over. That movement is led by King—soon to become president—Alcantar. Our mascot is a little scarlet lizard who’s become a rallying point. We all wear red in solidarity.

I didn’t want a thing to do with the animal when she was practically thrust into my hand after my arrival here. After Ultera, I’ve had enough lizards to last a lifetime. But she’s grown on me and I’ve taken to keeping bits of food in a pouch on my kilt to sneak to her when I walk by her hutch.

″You’ve never looked more gorgeous,” I tell Sadie. “I won’t be able to keep my eyes off of you, and I’m supposed to be guarding our King.”

″You’ll manage, handsome. You always do.” She pauses as if she has something important to say, then, “Don’t forget, tomorrow’s a big day, too. The grand opening of my gymnastics studio.”

″How could I forget? I’m almost as excited about it as you.”

After her performance a month ago, she was bombarded with comms from the elite of the area begging her to teach her skills to their children. She told me later she’d dreamed about it when she’d been back on Earth, but never thought it would become a reality.

We’ve had to devote every spare moment to finding a storefront, equipment, and organizing the class schedule. It’s consumed her as she’s watched it materialize before her eyes. Perhaps that’s what’s contributed to the extra glow she’s been wearing since her performance.

″Anubis?”

My heart clenches in my chest. She’s fearful, afraid of something.

″What? Is something wrong?” We’re so attuned to each other. How did I miss that something was bothering her? “Tell me. Whatever it is, we’ll get through it as a team. It’s how we function best.” My brows are knit together in worry as I stalk to her side and fold her in my embrace.

″Tell me,” I say when I lean back to watch her expression.

″Nothing’s wrong. I just… well… we never really discussed it, but I’m going to have our baby.”

My knees go weak and I have to clutch her waist to remain standing.

″A young?”

My mind is spinning and I think I’m going to hurl the contents of my stomach. I was told all my life we couldn’t reproduce. I never thought it could actually happen, although since our mating ceremony I’ve hoped to make a family with Sadie.

″Do you… do you want it?” She asks, her face a mask of worry.

All the fears I thought I’d discarded when we said our vows come hurtling back to me. “Would my beautiful Sadie want a baby that looks like me?” My stomach sinks when I think she might not want to carry my young.

She pulls me toward the bed and sits me down, then steps between my knees so we’re the same height.

″Do I want a gorgeous miniature Anubis? Why wouldn’t that make me the happiest female in the galaxy?”

I know my mate. I can discern her genuine smiles from her false ones. This one is real. She’s ecstatic.

Heedless of her lovely gown, she plops sideways on my lap and peppers my face with kisses.

″I’m told they abduct human women for many reasons, but one is that our DNA is recessive to most alien DNA. Alien/human babies almost always look like the dad. I’ve been picturing it for days as I waited for the results of the pregnancy test. I couldn’t be happier that our little one is going to look Just. Like. You.” She presses a kiss to my nose, one of my least humanoid features.

I feel the briefest pang of sadness that our young might not carry any of his or her mother’s lovely looks, but I know the babe will inherit its mother’s sunny disposition, intelligence, and courage.

″I think this little thing, the size of a seed, began growing the night you carried me up a tree.” Her wide smile is the prettiest thing I’ve ever laid eyes on.

″I thought our life couldn’t get any better, but it keeps improving, my love. Doesn’t it?” I ask.

″Yep. I didn’t think I could be any happier than the day of our mating ceremony, but thinking of the life we have ahead of us with a family on the way. It’s going to be spectacular.”

I tip so our foreheads connect, then touch my lips to hers. A spectacular life. The three of us deserve it.

That’s the end of this story

Six Months Later…

Jahzara Zedd

I’m going to need a shower the moment I leave this disgusting dungeon. I shouldn’t even have to be here. It’s ridiculous. This is what we have location scouts for, and production assistants, and assistant production assistants.

Oh well, I just keep reminding myself I’m lucky to have a network anchor job. After the Down to One season, and then the Down to Two fiasco… well I should take a deep breath and move on.

I escaped with my life in Down to One , which is more than I can say for my boss. And I kept my position at TGN after the debacle that was Down to Two . The only way I managed to escape with my salary intact was to not play the tape of that meddlesome King spiriting away all the remaining contestants.

I had my production people work their magic. They showed vids of all six winners building homes on the far side of Ultera. It made all the viewers happy. My superiors finally got over their grudge when I managed to wangle millions of credits from the unsuspecting viewers who contributed to building materials and furnishings for not one but three “happy couples.”

If I ever need to get out of a jam with my superiors again, I’ll create some little half-breed babies (ugh, I can’t even imagine what kind of product could come from that hairy geneslave and that awful little human). Viewers love babies, no matter how ugly. They’ll dig deep to provide for imaginary babes for years to come. Right through college if necessary.

Glancing around the dingy dungeon I’ve come to inspect, I suppress a shiver of revulsion. I wouldn’t be here if my superiors hadn’t insisted I personally choose the contestants for the next Galaxy Games.

I can’t imagine how any of our next bunch of contestants are going to survive the hell we have planned for them next season.