Untamed Alien - Luna Kingsley Page 0,1

hats to keep their heads warm in the cold.

“Welcome.” The leader steps forward and addresses the group. There’s nothing that distinguishes him from the others as they’re all dressed in the same winter gear of thick black coats, pants, and boots. “My name is Tangrux and I am in charge of getting you to the human settlement and making sure you have everything you need. We’ll be boarding the tevlesled momentarily. We want to reach the outpost before dark.”

“Before dark?” Lana leans close and whispers what we’re all probably thinking. “How far away are they taking us?”

Now I have no qualms about tossing my arm around her shoulder for reassurance. Out here in the elements she suddenly seems so petite and vulnerable. Once we’re loaded onto the transport it’s difficult to relax even though we’re one step closer to home. At first, I couldn’t wait for this day to arrive. But now that we’re here, I can’t help wondering if I made the right decision.

Once we’re all loaded in the vehicles, we leave the gates of the golden city.

“I knew it was too good to be true,” Diana says as the caravan of vehicles plows a path through the deep snow. “I wonder where they’re taking us now?”

We’re all staring anxiously out the windows, but there isn’t much to see. Snow has begun to fall making visibility of the countryside difficult. But even if it wasn’t snowing, large trees are scattered everywhere, making it feel as though we’re moving in and out of a massive forest.

“Look way back there,” Diana says. We follow where her finger is pointing to see snow-capped mountains outlining the sky in the distance beyond the trees.

“Wow. We never saw anything like that back home.” In fact, where we grew up it was mostly farmland. Miles and miles of flat farmland. In the summer they’d be filled with tall stalks of corn but any other time of the year it was dull. Essential to the economy—without question. Vital to the travel industry? No—not in a million years.

These massive snow vehicles can move quickly, which is why it’s concerning that our journey from the main city to the settlement takes such a long time. The quiet that settles over all of us is an indication of the apprehension we’re feeling. Aside from Lana and Diana, the rest of these people are as much strangers to me as Tangrux and his men. But we’re embarking on an adventure together. An adventure that I believe will bring us all together as a community by the time this is all said and done.

“Oh my God…look!” Lana’s voice pulls me from my thoughts and soon I’m staring open-mouthed at the sight before us. “Do you think this is it?”

I’d answer but it’s impossible to know. Right now we’re staring at a massive, impenetrable wall. At least that’s what it looks like from where we approach. It’s weathered and gray but sturdy after being out in the elements. I’d guess it’s some sort of metal material but it seems so out of place in the middle of the wilderness like this. “How did they build something like this out here?” I finally ask.

No one answers me, though.

They’re too busy staring as we approach.

My heart drops into my stomach when we stop in front of a thick, sturdy gateway. This must be it. This must be our new home.

“Make sure you take everything with you,” Tangrux says as he stands at the front of the vehicle. “There’s no telling when we’ll be back to return anything that’s left behind.”

“Well, grab your things,” I say, doing my best to keep the mood light. “Let’s go check out our new place.”

The three of us are some of the first at the gate. Nerves mixed with excitement slow me down as we approach, like suddenly I have bricks on the bottom of my boots. As if on cue, a loud creak causes all three of us to jump as the imposing door begins to open. Without thinking I hold my breath, waiting for the result of my choices to reveal itself to us. The accumulation of so many risks and we’ve finally arrived.

But will it all be worth it now that we’re here?

The snow falls faster now as the wind carries it through the trees surrounding the thick walls. There is no warmth here. Only gray, cold isolation. Still, it is better than what we had back on Earth. Full of hope and the promise of