Noxx: Alien Adoption Agency #1 Page 3

  It shifted slightly and she gasped.

  It was alive.

  The gargantuan thing reminded her of the whale in the picture books about old Earth at the museum back on Terra-4.

  She slid her body between the cradle and the creature, instinctively hiding the baby, and held her breath, heart pounding.

  The massive creature let out a huff of air that made the trees shiver.

  A cloyingly sweet smell filled the air, like fresh-baked sweet rolls.

  Luna braced herself, ready for action.

  But the beast merely blinked its tiny blue eye and floated away along the mountainside.

  The bulk of it slid past for a long time before the feathery tail disappeared out of sight in the mist cover.

  “Wh-what was that?” she asked.

  “Sky leviathan,” Noxx grunted.

  She shivered.

  “Mostly harmless,” he added. “But they can uproot trees if you spook them.”

  She nodded.

  I’m going to live here. Alone. With a small child to protect.

  “Is there some kind of plant and animal guide for Clotho?” she asked him, hating the nervous twang in her voice.

  “Ha,” he laughed mirthlessly.

  And kept walking.

  5

  Luna

  Luna stood on the soft ground, looking up at her new home.

  On the one hand, it had real wood walls, glass windows and presumably a whole roof, which made it head and shoulders more appealing than her hut back on Terra-4.

  On the other, it was perched in the canopy of a towering tree.

  “How are we supposed to get up there?” she asked.

  But Noxx didn’t bother to answer her.

  The big blue alien was busy releasing the burden moose from its saddle and lead. He seemed to be in a bit of a hurry, as if he couldn’t wait to finish up and get back to his ship, and away from her.

  She watched as he gave it a slap on the rump and it slowly lurched away into the overgrowth.

  “Won’t you need the moose?” she asked.

  She had been assuming Noxx would use it to ride back instead of walking both ways.

  “Carry this yourself,” he told her, handing over the small sack of belongings she had brought. “I’ll take the whelp.”

  She fought the urge to roll her eyes.

  At least she wouldn’t have to put up with him bossing her around much longer. She just had to figure out how to get up and down from the tree, and then he would head out, and she could relax.

  “This way,” he said.

  She followed him around the huge circumference of the trunk.

  “You first,” he said, pointing at the tree as if she were supposed to scale it.

  “How?” she asked.

  He sighed and pointed to where someone had carved shallow indentations into the trunk at awkward intervals.

  Though it might have been silly of her to expect to find an elevator chute or hover disk out in the woods, this was an outrage.

  “I’m supposed to climb up and down this tree using these things, carrying a baby?”

  “No, you’re carrying yourself. I’m carrying the baby,” he retorted. “Let’s go. Now.”

  “Okay, okay,” she grumbled.

  She grabbed the body of the tree and put her foot in the first hold, then pulled herself up to the next one.

  It wasn’t so bad.

  “Move, woman,” Noxx moaned.

  She kept going, slowly and carefully.

  The sky was fading around them.

  She began to feel nearly as anxious as he was to get higher up. It occurred to her that if it got dark while they were still climbing, that could be bad. It was hard enough to find the handholds in the light.

  But why was it so dark already? Hadn’t it been morning when she arrived? Maybe a storm was coming. All the more reason to not be stuck on the side of a tree.

  She climbed on and on, her heart in her mouth.

  The wind picked up a bit, whipping her hair around her face. She kept moving by feel, her body falling into a steady rhythm. Until she moved her right foot to what she thought was an indentation, and it slipped out from under her.

  Time seemed to slow down, and she felt herself falling.

  Her hands searched the surface of the tree for purchase, but found only empty air.

  Luna’s life flashed in front of her. It had been short and boring, with too many losses and not enough hot meals, but it was hers, and she wasn’t ready to let it go just yet.

  Then a warm strong arm wrapped around her midsection, steadying her.

  Instantly, time snapped back and she was fully in the present.

  Noxx’s delicious spicy scent wrapped around her as firmly as his arm. She could feel the heat pouring off him, as if he weren’t merely warm but somehow more alive and vigorous than anyone she had ever touched.

  No wonder the baby wants to be held by him.

  She felt at home, and at the same time, desire bubbled up inside her, leaving her shivering with mad lust.

  “Are you okay?” he asked through clenched teeth.

  “F-fine,” she managed.

  “Keep climbing,” he said.

  She grabbed for the tree again, her cheeks burning in embarrassment.

  He didn’t want her the way she wanted him. He didn’t even like her.

  And, truth be told, she didn’t really like him either.

  She just wanted him.

  It was stupid mindless lust, that was all. She needed to get up this tree so he could leave, and she could concentrate on her new life. She made the mistake of looking up. There was still so far to go.

  Luna took a breath and pushed on.

  “Stop,” Noxx said a moment later.

  A huge branch forked off of the trunk here. She stepped onto it to wait for him.

  He stepped onto the branch with her and slid a knot on the tree.

  At least it had looked like a knot. It must have been some kind of tech, because a hover disk appeared before them.

  “Why wasn’t this at the ground level?” she asked incredulously. “That would have made this whole thing a lot easier.”

  “Because you don’t want anyone finding it by accident,” he replied. “Security is important.”

  “What if I get hurt and I can’t climb?” she asked.

  “You’ll throw a rope down,” he said, shrugging. “Or you’ll stay home until you heal. Either way, you can’t have this down there. Understood?”

  She nodded.

  “Good,” he said. “Step on.”

  She boarded the thing gingerly.

  Terra-4 didn’t exactly have a lot of tech, and what they did have hadn’t been accessible to the likes of Luna.

  “Go,” Noxx said in a bored voice.

  She shot upward, too terrified to scream.

  When she reached the top she was treated to a magnificent view over the trees and down to the valley where the lake glimmered in the last of the light.

  There was no storm in sight. It really was just getting dark already. She tried to remember if there was anything about the length of the solar cycle on Clotho in the materials she’d read to prepare, but she’d been too focused on the parts about the baby to really notice.

  Suddenly, she was plummeting downward again.

  “Fire and plumage,” Noxx exclaimed as she landed by his side. “What are you doing? Why didn’t you get off?”

  She was too embarrassed to say she had been overwhelmed by the view.

  “Go,” she said instead, bracing herself this time.

  She closed her eyes and when the disk came to a halt next to the treehouse, she stepped off onto the branch right away.

  A moment later, Noxx joined her.

  “Go on,” he said, indicating the door to the treehouse.

  She leaned in to examine the pad beside the door.

  “Put your hand on it,” Noxx said.

  She placed her palm against the glass, and the door swung open.

  “Stay here,” Noxx said, handing her the cradle with the lightly sleeping baby.

  She took it gingerly, and watched in wonder as he slid a laser sword out of his satchel and crept inside like he was in a hologram spy thriller.

  She wondered if she should be afraid. It seemed unlikely that anyone would have infiltrated a tree house in the middle of the forest.

  A moment later, he came out and nodded.

  “All clear,” he said, taking the cradle back.

  She stared at him.

  “Well, go on,” he said, indicating the door.

  Luna stepped inside and her jaw dropped.

  It was beautiful.

  A wood plank floor stretched across the large open space, fur rugs delineated different areas. The ceiling was beamed and wooden too, giving the whole place a cozy feeling.

  The near right corner was clearly meant to be a bedroom, with cushions and furs covering a huge section of the floor. A wicker cradle beside the cushions showed her just where the baby was supposed to sleep.

  The whole left side was living space, with a carved wood sofa and chairs covered in soft cushions. One wall was full glass overlooking a balcony and the view over the valley beyond. A stone fireplace with a metal wood stove insert made her warm just looking at it, even though there was no fire in it yet.

  The far wall had shelves and a metal box Luna sincerely hoped was for chilling food. If it was, it meant the tree house must have a solar cell to power it, and that would be handy for so many reasons. A cooking grill and sink basin stood next to the box, and the back right corner was walled off.

  She shuddered, thinking about climbing up and down to get water.

  This is my whole life now. I’ll have plenty of time to carry wate
r, she reminded herself, trying not to think about the many hours it would entail.

  “Go on, look around,” Noxx said.

  She headed immediately for the mysterious walled space, opening a small door.

  “No way,” she breathed.

  “What?” he asked, sounding alarmed.

  “There’s plumbing,” she said, staring at the bathroom in front of her, unable to believe her eyes.

  “Yes,” he said, his voice gentler. “Of course.”

  “I can see the pipes,” she breathed.

  Maybe indoor plumbing was a given in his world, but it wasn’t in hers. The basin on the floor was large enough to fit a whole person in it, maybe even two.

  Tears prickled her eyes, and she leaned against the door frame for a moment to steady herself.

  “I’ll show you the kitchen,” he offered.

  She took one last look at the massive bath tub and then turned to follow him.

  “The kitchen basin has plumbing, too,” he said.

  She must have been dreaming, but she thought she heard just the hint of pleasure in his voice. As if he wanted to make her happy.

  “That’s wonderful,” she said sincerely. “I won’t have to carry water up and down. This will change our lives.”

  He glanced down at her appraisingly, as if something she had said was changing his mind about her.

  A wave of pleasure went through her as his eyes met hers and she felt her cheeks burning.

  “Do you want to see the view?” he offered.

  She nodded.

  He placed the cradle down by the sofa and used the palm sensor to slide open the wall of glass to the balcony.

  “All the palm sensors are at adult height, so you won’t have to worry about Sol toddling out here anytime soon,” he explained, then seemed to regret his slip of the tongue. He’d been clear that naming the baby was supposed to be her job.

  But it seemed the baby already had a fine name.

  Sol.

  In Terran myth, Sol meant sun, the complement to her own name, Luna, which meant moon.

  Sun and moon. It was as if they had been a family from the beginning, and only waiting to be brought together.

  Sol, she repeated to herself silently.

  She didn’t say it out loud. Noxx obviously hadn’t meant to share the name with her. She didn’t want to call attention to it and ruin the moment.

  He gestured to the balcony and she stepped outside.

  Through the branches of the tree that encircled them, she could see twilight had painted the surface of the lake a luminous pink.

  “You can see the village in the valley too,” he said, pointing.

  Sure enough, two rows of buildings were just visible not too far from the lake, warm lights in the windows telling her people lived there. It was good to know that she and the baby wouldn’t be entirely alone if they didn’t want to be. Although it was clearly a pretty decent hike to get that far.

  “It’s beautiful,” she breathed.

  The sky turned dark blue as the last rays of the sun faded from view.

  A few seconds later, there was a shivering in the undergrowth below their tree.

  “What’s that?” she asked.

  “Night comes every six hours on Clotho,” Noxx said. “The forest belongs to us only in the light.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked.

  “Look,” he said, handing her a tiny instrument.

  She took it. The metal was heavy in her hand.

  “Put it to your eye,” he said. “You’ll be able to see the ground.”

  She did as she was told and the ground was instantly visible in spite of the distance and darkness.

  She watched as a sea of seething purple, furry movement entered her line of sight. Luna gasped as the creatures overtook her whole view of the ground.

  “Those are what the locals call piranha-pigs,” Noxx said. “They awaken at night and come out of their caves and burrows to clean the forest floor.”

  Luna watched in wonder as the horde of fist-sized, purple creatures moved in a furry wave across the floor of the forest, leaving nothing behind but dark soil.

  All the leaves, mushrooms, ferns, and other materials disappeared in their wake.

  “They’re omnivorous,” Noxx said, answering her unspoken question. “If we had been down there, we would have been cleaned as well. Never, ever stay out after dark.”

  No wonder he had been in such a hurry. Being late getting home on Clotho was a lot more severe than missing curfew back home.

  “W-what about the moose?” Luna asked, looking up from the instrument and offering it back to him.

  “No,” he said. “Keep watching.”

  She lifted it to her eye again, though there was nothing to see now but the dark soil.

  “The moose can climb the rocky cliff face for a few minutes,” Noxx said. “But during this next phase, he has to hold perfectly still.”

  “Next phase?” she echoed.

  But she could already see something happening below.

  The soil was rumbling, erupting.

  Something reached out of the ground, unfurling like a night-blooming flower.

  An arm. No, a clawed paw.

  She watched in horror as the pale, hairless thing pulled itself out of the ground and stretched up on its two back legs, shaking off the loose soil.

  It was muscular and weirdly smooth, as if it would be slimy to the touch. And it was faceless, with a curved line across the center of its head that looked like a seam.

  She looked on as the seam burst open to reveal two rows of razor-sharp teeth.

  With the mouth open, it looked as if it were smiling.

  A forked tongue emerged from between those dangerous teeth to taste the air. Then the muscular body contracted and leapt like a cat into the night.

  She tried to follow its movement, but it was too fast.

  Instead, she spotted more pale appendages pushing out of the soil in its wake.

  “How many of them are there?” she asked, trying not to let her terror come through in her tone.

  “Those are the under cats,” Noxx said. “There are enough of them to eat all the piranha-pigs except the gravid ones that stayed in their caves. Obviously, they’re carnivorous. They’re blind, but they have incredible hearing. And the tongue allows them to smell.”

  “That’s why this moon hasn’t been over-colonized,” Luna realized out loud.

  “Correct,” Noxx told her.

  “That’s why you were in such a hurry tonight,” she said.

  “Right again.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked.

  “Would you have wanted to know?”

  He had a point. She might have fallen off the tree in her own rush to get up here.

  “We cut it close,” she said.

  “We didn’t have a choice this time. But we will never cut it close again,” he said. “Do you understand?”

  She nodded.

  Her heart ached as she thought about living out here in all this danger by herself with little Sol.

  Stupidly, part of her wished Noxx would stay. She found herself forgiving him for being so bossy, and loving the way he was always saying we even though he wouldn’t be around for long.

  Though there was maybe one good thing about this dangerous darkness…

  “I guess you can’t go back out again tonight,” she said.

  “We’ll have to sleep without a fire,” he agreed. “The whelp will be fine, he has his heated cradle.”

  “Should I wake him to feed him?” she asked.

  “Never wake the whelp when it is sleeping,” he said. “Besides, he ate a huge meal before he met you. He needs his rest, and we need ours. Day will come again in less than six hours.”

  His eyes seemed to burn right into her soul, igniting something that had been dormant for too long.

  “I’ll just freshen up then,” she said, tearing herself away from that steely gaze. “We’d better get some rest.”

  6

  Luna

  Luna looked at herself in the bathroom mirror.

  She hadn’t been able to resist taking a real water shower. Now she was looking tired and wet, but possibly cleaner than she had ever been in her whole life.

  Back on Terra-4 they took chemical showers, when they took showers at all.

  I can’t believe this is my life now.

  Unfortunately, the low-cut lavender gown was the only nice piece of clothing she owned.