Rift Pt. 01

Normally back at home, I would rush at the chance to prove myself, but on earth, it just doesn't seem like it'd be much of a challenge. More of a nuisance really. What kind of challenge could these backwater primates offer me?

"Starting quarterback would instantly make you popular," he adds. What's so good about being popular? Being liked by these powerless earthlings is like being worshiped by the ants that scurry across the ground. It would hardly make a difference.

"So what..." I mutter.

The coach takes a step back to reassess the situation before his face lights up. "I can tell you're full of anger, son. You can use all of that anger and take it out on the field. Football gives you an opportunity to hit people as hard as you can. Football is a perfect source for all that pent up energy you've been storing."

It would be nice to have a punching bag to thrash. I'm so sick of being pent upon this planet. All I want is to kill the ones responsible for taking destroying my people.

"That is if you think you're up to the challenge," he adds. I can't even hold back a laugh.

"I'm not going to play your stupid game," I mutter as I leave.

"Just give it some thought," he yells at me as I walk out of the gym.

--

"So what did they want?" The annoying human girl asks me.

"Nothing important, the leader of your football team begged me to be their quarterback," I mutter.

"That's awesome! Congratulations. I know you'll do well," she says.

"I didn't accept. I have much more important things to do than play this stupid game," I mutter. It's a stupid earthling sport. My opponents are weaker, slower and lack the powers to stop me.

The Next Day

"You are such a freak! Just because you wear a dress and have fake tits doesn't make you a real girl," a human girl with an annoying voice says. As I round the corner to the stairwell, I see the human that constantly follows me around like a lost puppy surrounded by 3 other human girls.

The one in her face with a look of pure malicious intent.

All of their eyes turn to me as I walk in.

The malicious human looks at me with an irritated expression. "What do you want?"

"You have an annoying voice so shut up," I growl.

Her eyes scrunch together and her mouth gaps open. "Excuse me?"

I turn to her friends. "Is there something mentally wrong with her? I know most of you are slow in the head, but normally I don't have to repeat myself."

By now they all share the same look. It's like no one's ever told them the truth.

"Do you have any idea who you're messing with? I pretty much run this school," the annoying voiced human says. For the love of the god of power, if I have to hear the sound of her screeching voice once more I'll shut her mouth permanently.

"You should stop talking. No one wants to hear that high pitch screech." Her face gets steamy hot. She looks as if she's about to explode with rage. "Now if you'll get the fuck out of my way, I'd like to eat my lunch sometime today."

"Are you coming?" I ask my annoying follower.

She quickly nods and follows me outside.

"You know she's a tranny, right?" one of screeches friends asks.

I don't even bother to answer. Don't really care.

"Thank you," my annoying follower says.

"For what?" I ask.

"For sticking up for me. There aren't many people who would do that here," she says.

"Don't think I was standing up for you. I don't help the weak. I just hated the sound of that girl's voice," I say. We climb into the stands of the football field. We exchange lunches and I eat her simple sandwich.

"Well, for what it's worth, I appreciate it."

"What is a tranny anyways?" I ask.

Her face brightens to the same color as her her fiery red dress.

"It's a derogatory term used to describe a transgender person," she says.

"And what in the seven hells is that?" I ask.

"You must be from somewhere far far away not to know these terms. A transgender person is someone who transitions from a male to a female or vice versa," she says.

"So you were once a man? Is this a common practice?" I ask.

She shakes her head. "Not really. Do you still want me around?"

"I never really wanted to be around you to begin with," I say.

"Oh..." She shifts uncomfortably as she looks away.

I continue to eat my lunch as she just pokes at hers.

"You know, you don't have to take their shit," I say.

"What am I supposed to do? They're the most popular girls in school. Besides, most people don't want to be around me at all. Why do you think I follow you around? You seem to be the only person who doesn't care that I'm trans."

"You could stop being so weak. Stick up for yourself or they will always pick on you."

"That's easy for you to say. No one's going to pick on you."

"Maybe not here, but back home I had to fight to earn respect. Life is hell for those who are weak."

"Where are you from?" she asks.

I glance at her as she looks up at me with those sparkling blue eyes. She looks so innocent and naive. Like a child who hasn't experienced their first kill yet.

"It's none of your business," I tell her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry."

"Don't apologize, that's another sign of weakness."

"I'm sorry, I'll try not to."

"And yet, you still continue to do it."

"I..." Her eyes sink into the ground.

"Look, if you want to survive this life, you're going to need to grow a backbone," I say as I get up.

"I don't think I can. If having a backbone means being as means them, I don't think I will survive because that's not who I am."

"Then you might as well just give up," I tell her as I start walking away.

At Home.

As I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, my thoughts are consumed with revenge. The being that destroyed my homeworld must have been strong. I can't imagine someone strong enough to have the power to defeat us, let alone obliterate our entire existence. If I ever hope to defeat them, I must grow stronger! I can't just lay here and do nothing. I should be training.

I pull out the case with my armor inside. Liquid metal I can form into any shape and harden with the will of my mind. With a single thought, it covers all but my head in a thick metal that's nearly indestructible.

The window opens on my command and I float out of it. With a silent boom, I shoot up into the air.

I need to push my abilities to their limits every chance I can. I expand my mind until I can see everything throughout the entire small town. I keep pushing. I can't afford to listen to that old man. If I have any hope of defeating the monster, I need to push my limits and use all of my abilities. I open my mind so I can hear their thoughts. I flood of voices enter my mind creating a jumble of words almost indecipherable. Just noise. But then I hear her voice. The human girl.

She's talking to others as they sit in a circle. Everything else goes silent until all I can hear is her voice.

"I don't understand why people can't accept us..." she says, pushing a strand of her black hair behind her ear. "It's not like we've done anything wrong. I just want people to see me on the outside as I feel on the inside. And I want to be treated like a human being."

"Preach, girl," Another woman says who's sitting across from her.

"Why can't people just let us be? Is it really that hard to accept us?" she asks. When she stops talking out loud, her mind doesn't stay quiet. Maybe I should just give up. I feel so alone. My only real friends are sitting here in this circle and I only hang out with them during these sessions. What do I have to live for?

Is she serious? She's truly just going to give up?

"That's all we have time for today, we'll meet again next week, same time, same place," another human says. They all get up and start putting away the chairs.

Before I realize what I'm doing, I find myself drifting closer to her until I'm directly above her. I watch with my mind as she walks out and makes her way down the sidewalk.

In the distance, a car bursts through a stop sign. The driver is passed out at the wheel. The car is coming straight for the girl. She lets out a scream as she closes her eyes. Stupid girl. I grit my teeth and without thinking I pull her to me, wrapping my arms around her.

"Jordan?" she asks as she opens her eyes and looks up into mine. She looks down and starts to panic. "What the? You..."

"Calm down," I command.

She takes a deep breath. "You just saved my life."

How am I going to explain this? I could just use my powers to erase her memory of it.

No. I drift to a nearby rooftop. I made a promise to the old man that I wouldn't manipulate people's thoughts. Although, I did break the promise by reading them. But I can't afford not to. I need to grow stronger, I also need to discover who scavenged the parts to my ship. Bastards.

I probably should've covered my face...

"You will not tell anyone about this. Am I understood?"

She nods her head with a gaping mouth as I set her down.

I go to leave. "Wait!" she says.

I look back at her.

"You can't just leave me. I... You saved my life. I just want some kind of explanation."

I look around before I glare at her. "If you're so insistent, fine. We can talk. But, if one word gets out, I will turn your mind into a wasteland.".

"I won't tell anyone. I promise. You can trust me. I'm good at keeping secrets," she says.

I can tell by the beat of her heart that she's not lying. This human is a strange one. Never met one like her.

"Fine, whatever," I say.

"So how are you able to do all this?" she asks. "Are you like a wizard?"

"I... I'm not from this planet "

"You mean, you're an alien?" she asks.

"I don't like that term. I belong to an empire, you're the alien that I should be conquering," I say.

"Okay, I'll remember that. Don't use the word alien. So why are you here?" she ask.

"My planet got destroyed," I say.

"What happened?" she asks.

I close my eyes. It feels like yesterday when I found my father's soulless corpse. It was like his body was drained of all life. I couldn't even recognize him if it wasn't for his uniform. He stood his ground and sacrificed his life to protect our mainframe, the heart of our people. The core. I had to burn his body. I had to honor him. As I unlock the passage to the mainframe. I could see it was untouched. Whoever did this either had no idea this was down here or didn't care.

I can see the light of the heart. So pure as it burns so brightly. I walk up the flaming sphere. It's connected to every part of our world. It sees all and remembers everything. Surely it'll know what happened. I put my hand upon it and memories flood my mind. Everything from the beginning of our people to the end. Even the small details of our lives to the grand plans of our conquests. I absorbed it all before I finally arrive at our destruction.

I expected to see an army invade our planet, but what I saw made me sick to my stomach. Just one being was responsible for the death of my people. How can that be? Just one being is all it takes to end an empire? Who could be so powerful?

The monster I see as clear as day is a being who radiates with power. Its skin is a dark shade of purple like the color of twilight. Its eyes burn with energy and are full of malice. He wears nothing but baggy black trousers. His head is full of tentacles that act like hair and he has a long tail. I watch my fellow warriors hit him with all they have. And yet, no matter how much damage the do to him, he just regenerates. He moves as fast as the light. I can't help but feel hate and anger as I watch helplessly as the monster kills each and every one of my people. With the touch of his tentacles, he drains the life out of his victims until they are but a lifeless husk. He does it with so little effort. As if we were just insects! How dare he! I will show him the grave mistake he made when he took my people from me. I will make him suffer!

"It was destroyed by a monster," I let out.

"What monster could possibly cause so much destruction," she says.

"The kind that deserves death." I clench my fist and grind my teeth at the memory. The pain of my lost still leaves my soul left bleeding.

"I am so sorry," she says as she steps closer to me and takes my fist in her hands. She unclenches my fingers and traces hers along the creases of my hand.

"What happened to you was truly horrifying. I can't even imagine losing your people and being the last of your species."

"I am not the last."

"So there is still hope?"

"We have outposts all across the galaxy. I just need to find my ship and repair it so I can travel to them and gather the rest of my people. We will find the monster responsible and get our revenge," I state.

She wraps her arms around my waist and buries her head in my chest. I find myself caught off guard by the gesture. This earth human puzzles me. "Why do you care so much?"

She leans back and looks up at me with those eyes blue eyes of hers. "Because you are hurting and I can't let you suffer alone. You saved me, it's the least I can do."

I can't detect any lies from her. There's no way she's capable of hiding her true intentions from me. She's actually telling the truth. She really cares.

"You humans are strange. No one back home would go out of there way to help those who are weak."

"You are not weak. You are the strongest person I have ever met," she says.

"Of course I'm not weak. I meant, that most beings out there only focus on their own survival. Helping others usually leads to betrayal. Are you not worried that I will hurt you? Why are you not afraid of me?"

She smiles at me. "If you wanted to hurt me, you would have done so by now. I mean, you are capable of mind control, aren't you? Why haven't you done it yet?"

"I... I don't know."

She places her hand against my chest. Without thinking, I place mine on top of hers. "Because you have a good heart. I just know it. Besides, you don't need to mind control me. I owe you my life. You saved me. Let me help you. Just tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it."

"My heart is actually over here," I say moving her hand over to the other side. "But what does the heart have to do with anything? It's not like it has anything to do with emotional regulation."

She laughs. "Humans believe love resides in the heart."

"That's absurd. The brain and what you call the central nervous system is responsible for regulating emotion."

"I know, we probably look really primitive to you."

"Yeah. Your species is rather lacking in the intelligence department. You don't even have space travel mastered yet, let alone a working military. I still can't believe you don't have a unified government. Fortunately, you have not been discovered by a more malicious race of conquerors."

"Yeah. I suppose you're right. We do have heroes though. People who are willing to stand and fight for what's right. I'd like to think some of them are capable of putting up a fight against any invaders," she says.

"Not likely. Maybe someday under unified leadership."

I can't believe it but I'm actually starting to like this human. She is kind of... cute? In a completely helpless kind of way. She's still an annoying human though.

"Can I ask you something?" she says.

"Just say what's on your mind," I say.

"Back home, did you have any slaves?" she asks.

"Quite a few," I say.

"What do you do with your slaves?" she asks.

"Mostly manual labor. Housekeeping. Some keep slaves for pleasure, but not I," I say.

"You mean, like... For sex?" she asks.

"Yes. But physical coitus is considered primitive."

"Did you ever have any sex slaves?" she asked.

"No. I did not."

"Did you ever think about taking one?" she asks.

"Sometimes, but I did not sully myself with the weak."

"Did you have someone you loved?" she asks.

"That's none of your business," I say as I pull away from her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry," she says.

"Yes. you did."

"I just want to know more about you. That's all."

"I suspected there's an ulterior motive and now I can sense you want something from me. What is it?"

"I... I just..."

"Say it."

"I want to be yours. I want to feel loved. To have sex and be held. I don't care if I have to be your slave. I just want someone who wants me. I know that sounds... Strange? No one should want to be someone else's slave. But I'm so lonely. I've never had any friends nor do I have any close family. My mother's a drunk. My father's dead. I just want to know what love feels like. I don't know why I'm telling you all this. I could just see the pain in your eyes and I know that feeling all too well." Tears start to fall from her eyes.

For the first time in a really long time, I feel something besides my hate and anger. This girl. She makes me feel something I've never felt before. I find my hand has cupped her face, wiping the tears away from her soft cheek. She leans into my touch and places her hand upon mine.

"Fine... From this day forward, you are mine."

Her eyes go wide as she looks up at me. "Really?"

"Yes. But if you tell anyone of the truth of who I am."

"I promise, I won't tell anyone. You have my word."

"Fine."

She pulls her eyes away from mine. "You're not going to hurt me, are you?"

"No. why would I hurt you?"

Her gaze returns to mine. "I don't know. It's just, some people can be really sadistic. Our world has a long history of cruel masters abusing their slaves."

I let out a long sigh. "That would serve me no purpose. A damaged slave holds no value. Besides, you're the one who wants this."

She smiles at me as she once again buries herself in my chest. I let out a sigh and wrap my arms around her. She is so strange and yet, I find myself becoming more and more fond of her.

"So does this also mean, we're like... Boyfriend and girlfriend?" she asks.

"What does that even mean?" I ask.

"Like together? You know. Like a couple."

"Like mates? Bonded?" I ask.

"Yeah, I guess."

"Is that what you want?" I ask.

"Yes."

"I thought you just wanted to be my slave," I say.

"Well... That does sound hot, in like a kinky kind of way, at least in a sexual way, but I also want something more than that."

"You humans are so confusing."

She laughs. "Yeah, like you aren't?"

"Fair enough. Fine, I'll let you be my... Slave girlfriend or whatever you want to call it, but you will not speak a single word of who I am. And you will help me find my ship."

"Deal," she says, smiling like a child.

"Now should we umm. You know. Like, seal the deal?" she asks.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"You know. Have sex. I am so ready to lose my virginity. Besides, aren't you dying to get off? How long has it been since you've? you know... Had sex?"

"That's none of your business."

"Alright. I just thought since we are a couple you can share things with me. I am not going to judge you or anything. I've never had sex before so I have no idea what it's even like. I mean, don't get me wrong, I've watched a lot of porn, but I've never had someone to do any of it with."

"If you really must know, I've never had coitus before. My people have a different form of intimate connections called binding were we latch our minds together and I've only done that with one person."

"Revolutions?"

"Yeah, it's how we measure time. When our planet revolves completely around the sun, we call it a revolution. You seem to call it a year. However, my planet is much larger and farther away from my star than yours is from your star. So, therefore, our revolution is like 3 of yours."

"How old are you?"

"Honestly, I don't know. When I was last on Novalan, I was but 25 revolutions old."