An Alien Love Bk. 01 Ch. 09

Hello... So I'm back to working on this little beauty. HAHAHA. I have Ice Era Chronicles to write, and friends waiting for me to play Sea of Thieves... but this story still gets me back to my computer. Anyway, for those of you still with me. Cool.

Cheers.

~M~ from C.M. Moore

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*Chapter 9*

The Command Center.

It took Murry longer than he expected to understand the tiny green Nebos's directions. By the time he reached his first left, Murry was so buoyed by his success in figuring out Petey that he almost forgot how scary it was to be in the halls of an alien ship.

That changed quickly.

As Murry followed Petey's sliding from one palm to the other, he found the halls of the ship empty and foreboding like he entered a horror film. His shoulders tensed waiting for the killer to pop out at any moment. The areas were all draped in other silks, satins, and even wool looking piles. The coverings blocked doors and before long he was hopelessly lost. Left and then right, Murry trotted. As he came to a wider walkway, he got the feeling he was crossing onto someone else's fabrics.

After the second right, Murry spotted his first alien ahead. The Dagerstanteen was close to five-nine and lean. His tentacles were not as muscular and well-formed as Kel's. The alien spotted Murry, closed a door, and then gaped. His mouth didn't drop open, but Murry suspected that if his mouth could open, the alien's jaw would be on the floor.

Dropping his eyes, Murry hurried by. The alien's eyes drilled into him as he rushed away. On the second left, Murry passed another alien. This one looked like Kel but his tube hair was shorter and more black brown. The alien turned and watched him as Murry kept up his jog.

When he reached the next corner, Murry picked up the pace. His panic was building, and he'd only seen two aliens so far. He prayed he was close to the command center.

When he came to a door not covered in cloth, Petey tightened on his fingers and then slid up his arm to tie around his bicep again. This must be the place. Murry had no clue how to get the door open. The entrance wasn't covered by the fabric but was a simple metal door with no hinges or handles.

When the door slid open and an alien stepped out, Murry rushed past him with a thank you wave. The wave was out of habit. He must look crazy. He probably was crazy.

The command center was a small half-moon shape room with a large window on the far side. A few aliens had the glass tablets and stood in different spots around the space. They all looked up and froze when he entered. The alien he passed coming into the room, re-entered the area. Murry didn't blame him. The creature probably wanted to either watch Rhylent beat the crap out of a human or make him drink.

The door closed with a swish and Murry scanned all the occupants. In the center of the room, he spotted Rhylent's white mohawk tubes. Exactly like Kel explained, his younger sibling's tentacle had grown back. Rhylent still had the same white hair and smokey gray eyes. His lips were in a perpetual frown, and he looked crabby. His surly disposition was familiar. Murry's heart dropped. The alien had wanted to kill him last time they met. He hoped that it didn't happen today.

Heads turned as Murry walked to the center of the room. He stopped in front of Rhylent. The alien didn't even look up from his tablet.

Kel's sibling swept Murry with a disapproving glance waving his middle tentacle. The Nebos on the floor shaped into a chair. Rhylent sat and then leaned back.

"You have annoyed many Dagerstanteens on this ship, including me." Rhylent stared at him and crossed one leg over his knee. "I am getting bombarded with warriors' complaints even as we speak. This is unacceptable. You will be returned to your home planet right now."

"But I..." Murry struggled to come up with what to say. He didn't want to leave Kel just yet. Besides, Murry was on a mission. "I haven't gotten Kel out of my system yet."

"You drank from Keltrixtionlenz again, didn't you?" Rhylent's eyes narrowed as his lips flattened into a straight line.

Murry lifted his eyes to all the aliens around him. Guilty.

"Keltrix is in my mind. He still has a claim on me."

"Yes, Human. That is how it works." Rhylent sighed. "I will return you to your quarters, and as soon as Keltrixtionlenz and Jogpermaltine return, we will get you back to Earth. There will be no more of this. I either return you or..." He stood. "I kill you."

"Wait." Murry tossed out a hand and then thought better of doing that to a six-tentacle warrior who could murder him with ease. Murry dropped his hands and curled them into fists at his sides. "There is a reason I'm here. I'm not trying to make trouble. Kel asked me to come to see you. I only left his room because he sent me to you."

Rhylent sat back in his chair and his look was mild amusement. "Did he?"

"Right. You have no gender." Murry's brow furrowed. How did he explain without using him or her? "I'm here because Keltrixtionlenz is hurt or dying." Murry wanted to congratulate himself on saying the name, but he didn't stop in his account. He would have to high-five himself later. "And Keltrix said you have to come. He or she or they... Kel needs help. He is with JP."

"Human." Rhylent exhaled through his nose like he was trying to keep his temper. The nostrils flared. "You are ignorant of our ways. I can always speak to my siblings. We are from the same creator. We have a mental connection that is much stronger than your weak human brain. We are royals."

"Sure." Murry frowned. "Yes. I got it." That made sense. Rhylent was correct. Murry didn't understand any of this.

Rhylent was silent for a moment and then his amused grin turned into a scowl. His dark gray eyes became stormy as he studied Murry. He felt the censure.

"I'll go back to my room. I promise not to make any trouble, but please just check on Keltrix? Make sure he's safe?"

Murry turned to go. Before he took a step, Rhylent stood and wrapped a middle tentacle around his arm. The alien's flesh tugged on Murry's skin leaving a red mark. With a yank, Murry stumbled backward and then tripped on his too-long Nebos pants and then righted.

"What did Keltrix say to you. Be exact in your language."

Exact language? Murry took a deep breath. That wasn't the easiest to do. He didn't express himself much. He nodded. Alien words were hard to pronounce but he had to give it a try. He wanted to help Kel.

"Keltrix said that the tass-tassezo is blocking the connection to his siblings."

"Impossible. There is no Tassezo here." Rhylent used his middle tentacle to rub his jaw. "Anything else?"

"He said JP was missing and Kel found him. They are infected and will die soon. Send Rhylent." Murry lifted his eyes to the dark stormy gray. The alien appeared skeptical. "Then Kel said he would send me a map to get to the command center."

"And you followed the map here?"

"No." Murry held out his hand and the small green piece of silk slipped into his palm. "Kel never sent anything. It sounded like static."

"Static?"

"Like a loud fuzzy sound. After that, I literally hit a wall in my brain, so I asked this Nebos to show me. Petey gave me directions to you."

"Does Kel know you named his Nebos?" Rhylent tipped his head to the side as his eyes widened.

"Yes." Murry shrugged. Why was that a big deal?

"Are you positive you heard Tassezo? Do not lie."

"Yes. Tessezo. Seriously, do you think I'd make up a word and then go walking around a spaceship just to come to you so you could kill me? You think I woke up this morning thinking Gee, it'd be fun to screw with a six-tentacled warrior assassin alien?" Murry scoffed. "I'm not suicidal."

"And yet you are suicidal enough to be snide to a six-tentacled warrior assassin alien." Rhylent folded two of his tentacles over his chest.

"Good point." Murry held up his arms in a peace gesture "After Kel stopped talking to me, I got scared. That's why I'm here. I'm not lying. Trust me when I say I'm only here because I want to help. I didn't even want to leave the room."

"Say Tessezo again." Rhylent used his bottom right tentacle to slide around Murry's neck. Murry waited for the alien to squeeze the life out of him, but Rhylent only stood there wrapped around his skin.

"Please don't kill me. I swear that's what Kel said."

"I'm not going to kill you today. I am reading different parts of your body. This tentacle as you call it is what we use for our senses. I am evaluating your blood pressure and your sweat glands."

"Gross."

"I am seeing if you are lying to me. Your body will react."

"Kel said Tessezo and that he was infected." Murry stared Rhylent in the eye. He might be scared, and out of his element, and have a lesser human brain, but Murry was no liar.

"Interesting." Rhylent retracted his tentacle. "You are telling the truth. You only wish to help."

Murry glanced around. Out of nowhere, that tired feeling was coming over him again. He needed coffee. A part of him wondered what time it was. Dinner maybe? He yawned.

"You are sleepy." Rhylent shook his arm. "That is the Tassezo. It is taking from Kel and he reaches for your mind to stay awake. You must not sleep, Human."

"Like if I fall asleep, I won't wake up again? Like a coma?"

"You will wake up but Keltrixtionlenz will not. The Tassezo will kill him as he slumbers."

Murry blinked his eyes open. Damn. If anything could get him to wake up it was that.

"What do I do now?"

"Stay here where I can watch you and do not sleep." Rhylent gathered the other aliens around him. One minute they were all watching the exchange, and the next second, everyone was busy. The command center came to life. Lights flickered on. Machines made sounds. The ship began to pulse with energy. Silently, Murry watched as more aliens appeared with larger glass screens. Maps and stars were posted up on a huge flat piece of white Nebos. Everyone moved with a sense of purpose.

"Now, Human." Rhylent shoved him into a chair. "Make the connection to Keltrix again."

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I know this is unedited. Sorry about the raw work!