Page 19 of The Space Traveller's Lover
SURRENDER
I’ll be unbreakable, impossible to bend, and hard to ignore.
The sight and sound of distant worlds engulfed in exploding fireballs and the roaring booms of accelerating spaceships piercing through infinite space like incandescent rays of doom repeatedly flash in Shaillah’s mind after the long series of glittering ceremonies.
All she wants to do now is to go back to her smartroom and plunge into the pool.
As Kuzhma-Or, Rothwen, and Athguer gather around yet another point on the UniverseScope’s viewing platform, she slowly walks towards the steps.
One of the guardian robots moves forwards and extends his spindly arm to help her as she starts going down.
She agreeably smiles while resting her hand on his silvery limb, allowing him to lead her down onto the aisle.
As she closely inspects the robot, she realises the android is imitating her every move, even her facial expressions. Even when she blinks, his multiple eyes blink all at the same time.
“That’ll be all, thank you!” she says as she reaches the bottom of the steps.
“Thank you!” the robot replies in perfect English before retreating to his place.
Spooky that the robots react to my thoughts and commands , she thinks. I’d better not attract their attention too much.
She strolls through the long central aisle, looking around the dazzling overhanging showcase. This time, she gets to see and recognise more details. The vivid scenes of victory parades mixed with those of ravaged worlds disconcert her, but she keeps looking for something in particular.
Eventually, she recognises the images of ancient Earth’s cities, choking under billowing smoke clouds, drowning under devastating flood waves, their magnificent fortresses and monuments destroyed.
In the background, the roaring spaceships filled with the injured and the dying desperately flee the apocalyptic scenes, exactly as Zula-Or had described to her.
At the bottom of the harrowing pictures, she can read one of the Rom-Ghenshar battle slogans, depicted in bold red symbols: “Those who once suffered immense agony turned into invincible warriors.”
With her gaze fixated above, she swirls around while exhaling a hastened breath as she makes her way out of the arena.
Looking back, she contemplates the rows of floating imageries converging at the centre of the impressive golden throne.
The Rom-Ghenshars’ extravagant show of power shakes up her mind and troubles her.
He brought me into this world of unimaginable forces and awe-inspiring might. Chaos and destruction are threatening my precious planet. My heart may falter, but my resolve and spirit will stand firm, for I’ll never give up on the human race!
As she enters the space-tunnel’s shadowy confines, she wishes to be at the central platform’s guard rails, and then she waits.
The refreshing ocean smell welcomes her as she walks through the arching columns.
She opens her arms as she hurls herself towards the top rails and lets her body dangle, balancing on her belly.
She imagines flying over the rustling ocean as she takes the whole view of the starry night sky all to herself.
As she looks to her left, the sight of four moons stretching over the horizon takes her breath away.
In decreasing diameters, the golden-red moons weave an arched path across a tenuous dusty band.
Shaillah follows the moons’ multiple reflections on the water, intertwining through the waves and sudden whirlpools, stirring her restless thoughts.
She jumps back onto the floor and starts walking towards another archway while staring back at the braided moons for as long as she can.
As she arrives at her aisle, she stops in her tracks when she sees Rothwen, looking at her as if he had been waiting for a long time.
He is leaning on his back with his arms folded on his chest, pressing one of his heels against her front door. She runs towards him.
She gasps. “How did you get here before me?”
“I know all the shortcuts within this maze.”
She tilts her head to one side, her contrived expression trying to hide her delight. As her door opens, she pushes through, bumping purposely against his shoulder. He starts walking by her side, but she barely acknowledges his presence.
“I thought to come and see you, since you are thinking about me,” he tells her smugly, trying to shift her icy demeanour.
“No, I wasn’t,” she protests.
“Yes, you were,” he insists.
She suddenly stops to face him with a scolding gaze, pursing her lips. “I’m so tired, Rothwen, of you reading my thoughts.”
He tries to caress her hair, but she bluntly avoids his touch with a swift jerk of her head.
“You will get to control your thoughts precisely. I will show you,” he calmly says, ignoring her rebuff.
She softens her stance and half-smiles, then starts walking away as he closely follows her.
She confronts him. “I’ve seen what you’re capable of. What are your plans for this humble planet?”
“We’ve come peacefully. We do not use our past tactics—anymore. Of course, it all depends on the humans. If they don’t provoke us … Have they changed their ways? We’ll see.”
“You say you are coming peacefully, but I’ve seen the zest for revenge in Kuzhma-Or’s and Zula-Or’s eyes—”
“They cannot forget what happened. But things have changed. We’ve grown merciful and wiser.”
She runs towards her overhanging balcony, rushing through the opening glass doors and onto the golden railings. As she leans forwards and looks up at the sky, her eyes fill up with the gleaming beams of the rising arched four moons .
“Oh, glorious universe, let the mighty Rom-Ghenshars’ leniency prevail. Let them, in their infinite wisdom, be generous,” she pleads, her voice breaking in a deep emotional sigh.
Rothwen stands behind her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders while pressing her back tightly against his chest. He breathes in deeply through her hair, filling his powerful lungs with her delicate aroma.
“Shaillah, you need to stop thinking so much about the humans. You are one of us now,” he murmurs in his drawn-out husky voice.
“But I still have human feelings.”
“And that’s what makes you unique. But you have to learn to control your emotions. I will show you.”
She turns around to resist him, but when her hands fall on his bare muscular chest, under his open jacket, she struggles to control her runaway desire. “So … you are my personal trainer now,” she says in an ironic tone while trying to keep her composure.
“Something like that.” His eyes mischievously sparkle as he notices her flustered reaction.
She stares warily at him, making up a hardened face as she manages to say in a defiant tone, “Don’t think you can control me like one of your robots.
I’m a free spirit. I’m like this diamond”—she briefly dangles her pink diamond in front of his eyes—“but not because of its perfect cut and dazzling glow. I’ll be unbreakable, impossible to bend, and hard to ignore. ”
He caresses her neck with both hands while looking intensely at her and subtly smiling. “Challenge accepted, Shaillah.” He simmers, holding her chin and drawing her face close to his.
His wild passionate kisses burn through her tongue like melting treacle. Stopping for breath, she looks deep into his eyes, trying to decipher his thoughts. “What do you want from me? Are you using me for your dark desires?” She questions him as her heart keeps pounding uncontrollably.
He exhales impatiently, a seething glare flashing from his pupils. “Maybe you should ask yourself why I’ve changed all my plans so I could bring you into my world—when, in the end, you’ll decide whether to run away from me.”
“Will I? ”
“You’ll be as free as a Rom-Ghenshar space traveller,” he promises in a solemn tone.
“What about my memories and my emotions? Will I ever forget my past?”
Rothwen keeps staring at her, narrowing his eyes as he mulls over his answer. Then, softly caressing her forehead, he whispers, “Not for now. But as much as I like the way you are, you’ll have to make this decision as well … eventually.”
She slowly slides her hands over his eyes, down his nose, and across his partly opened mouth.
At this moment, she cannot think why she would possibly consider running away or forgetting him, ever.
“Yes, I’ve been thinking a lot about you, Rothwen.
But I’m not sure if all these feelings are mine or … made up by you.”
“It’s all coming from you.” Rothwen’s face muscles tighten as he speaks in a tense, single-minded tone. “What would I gain by making this up? I’d certainly be making a fool of myself.”
Shaillah’s whole body shudders. She can discern the truth in the intensity of his words. His lingering gaze, filled with raw devouring passion, wins her over as she feels all her defence barriers crumbling down, one by one.
“Shaillah, all I can say to you now is this—this magnetic attraction binding us together is so strong that I can’t fight it. It goes against my will, and I know it controls yours. So why fight it? Why discard it? Let’s welcome it now, if it’s so amazing.”
She throws her head back in abandonment as he runs his kisses up her neck while she mumbles in a fake protest, “No, No, Rothwen.”
He wildly runs his hands over her body, pulling off all her clothes, her pieces of jewellery clinking on the floor. In no time, all their garments end up floating on the pool while their boots sink to the bottom.
They slide down the balcony’s inner wall, dropping on the marble floor.
Barely noticing the hard, cold surface, she lies on her back as he matches her body form.
Rubbing her hands over his chest, all she wants is to surrender as he rolls her up in his arms. Again, he is right.
Why fight it if it’s so amazing? she thinks while running her fingers down Rothwen’s spine as he draws her in even closer.
Pupils against pupils, they keep kissing, relishing in each other’s breath.
It feels unstoppable and all-consuming, so enthralling in ways that words could never describe.
The resplendent moonlight shines over the balcony, bathing the room in a serene golden glow. Still, for them, everything around magically disappears while they make love, all throughout the long night.