I remember hearing Brim chasing after me across the rocks of Cerion. I ran as fast as I could. For the first time in my life, I had the opportunity to breed, and I chose not to. I didn't want our relationship to be this way. I felt something for him, something I had never felt before. "Ouch!" I screamed. I twisted my ankle on one of the rocks.
Brim caught up to me. "What was that all about? Are you okay?" The pheromones must have worn off, but I wasn't aware of that just yet.
"Get away from me!" I tried to run again and fell.
"Ade, wait! You're hurt. Let me help you." Brim was sincere. It made me
want him more.
"I don't want it to happen like this, not tonight." I had so many new emotions going through my head, I started to feel dizzy as I looked down and saw blood.
"Ade!"
"What happened?" I was in the med bay now; everyone was surrounding me. Brim moved close. "Brim, please don't."
He looked concerned, "Hey doll, I won't hurt you. You broke your leg. What were you running from?" I now understood. The pheromones wore off rather quickly; he had no memory of his impulses.
"Oh, I don't remember, probably nothing." I managed to get that out before falling back asleep. I could hear everyone talking about me. Brim was sitting on a chair next to my bed when I woke up again.
"Hey," I said weakly.
"Hey, are you alright?" he seemed so caring at this time that it did not fit his reputation.
"Yes. I am okay now."
"Good. I'll send the doctor back. See ya later, kid." That conversation was odd. Kid? He seemed to rush off. I felt like an idiot. How could I be developing feelings for someone so cold? I had to pull myself together. This had to stop.
"Queen Ade, how are you feeling?" the doctor came into seemed. She was a species I had never seen before, rough brown skin, tall but beautiful.
"I am just a little tired, thank you."
"We should have your leg fixed tomorrow morning. We usually have the skin cells available to fix broken bones and such things, but we had trouble finding yours. We do not get many Feminaes here."
The doctor ran some tests and sent me to my quarters on crutches. I hadn't had a broken bone before, and my leg was so sore. I struggled to get into the shower, where I tripped and ended up sitting on the floor naked. With the water hitting my face, I began to cry. My pheromones almost cost me my journey with Brim. I hated myself and so desperately wished to see what normal felt like for one. These were the thoughts I often had as Queen but were never able to share. I had to stand strong and pretend every day, and today I could finally let it out.
There was a knock on my door that jolted me back into reality. "You alright in there?" Brim shouted.
"Yeah, I'll be out in a minute." I scoffed back. I was angry, more so at myself, but it projected onto him. I steadily got dressed, being careful of my cast, and wobbled out into the hallway.
"Follow me." Brim was waiting. We came into the med bay, where everyone seemed a little too
excited.
"We did it! We think we found something to help you!" Rige shouted with excitement. She is always such an excitable young lady.
"With my cast?" I questioned. "That was quick."
"We will have that ready soon, but for now, we found a temporary pheromone blocker!" Jean seemed so eager to test it out. "Do you want to try it now?"
"Sure, why not." I was hesitant but cautiously optimistic. Jean approached me with a syringe and asked me to sit down. The needle was injected into the back of the neck. It didn't really hurt, but I could feel my pulse starting to race.
"Okay, now what?" I asked everyone who was gathered in a circle marveling at this new discovery.
"Go enjoy your new freedom!" I stood up and felt the difference immediately. I felt lighter, and this made me happier than I've ever been before.
The entire bridge all got ready to go out. It felt irresponsible, considering the tech team was working with mechanics to fix our ship, but Brim didn't seem to mind, so I tried to bury my guilt. On Feminae, we worked closely together and never veered too far from the team. It was important that our society works together, or it would be total chaos.
Cerion was a brightly lit planet. I suppose it had to make up for the fact that it was in total darkness for years at a time. This environment created the perfect place for promiscuity and law breaking, not that Cerion had very many laws to break. As we walked out of our ship into the city, the horizon was lined with neon lights and loud music. You could see the streets filled with all different species, all wanting the same thing; to have fun. I had only heard rumors about this city, it was far too dangerous for any of my species to ever see firsthand.
Rige and Jean were at the front of our group, racing towards a bar called "Starry Prohibition Inn" it was an odd name, and not one I would have picked, but it seemed to be the most popular one on the street. I walked in the middle of the group, which was a normal order of protection. I still had my crutches, but I was doing good keeping up. I checked back and saw Brim was behind everyone, slowly walking. He didn't seem bothered by a thing on the planet at the time, just at peace with himself. I wonder how he felt about what had happened; maybe I could test out this new pheromone blocker on him?
I dropped to the back of the group and started at pace with him. He didn't even bother to look up or acknowledge I was there at all. This drove me mad. I think it had to do with the fact everyone I had ever encounter was enamored with me, and Brim could care less, or so it seemed. His less than enthusiastic attitude and overall emotionless persona was a constant distraction. I wanted to figure him out. I wanted to get to know Jack Brim.
We entered the bar, and the music was so loud. It was filled with so many different species, some that I had never heard of. Brim seemed at home. He went right up to the bar and ordered a common drink found on Earth, Whisky. Brim was such an old soul lost in this huge universe. I had never been much of a drinker, only when we had a celebration after cleansing, and even then, it was a special type of beverage made specifically for our species. Our pheromones are so powerful that most alcoholic substances did not affect us like others.
Rige was still next to Jean, dancing in the middle of the room as some of our other crew watched. I found it interesting to watch how shy others were about sexual encounters. It was more of a business transaction for us. I stood awkwardly against the wall; I felt out of place and scared that the blocker didn't work. I decided to approach Brim at the bar, he would be the one to test it out on.
"Hello," I said conservatively.
"Hey Doll, you getting anything?" He didn't even look up from his drink to speak to me. It was disrespectful.
"No. I do not drink unless it is a special occasion." How could I possibly make him want me? He didn't even seem interested in anyone but his whiskey. He didn't even say a word while I walked away.
"Ade! Come join us!" Rige shouted from the dance floor. They seemed to be having fun, so I joined them. It was fast-paced and fun. The lights were strobing, and so many people were so close. No one attempted to attack me. It was pure bliss for five minutes. As the music grew louder, the dance floor became crowded.
Brim was still at the bar by himself. It was getting late, and I figured I would give it one more chance. I wasn't feeling as confident without my pheromones. "Still drinking that one glass," I joked with him, but he didn't do more than a smirk.
"I would say this is number five, but I don't usually count." He finally looked up at me, and I felt it again. It was a spark. He never dropped eye contact, so I quickly looked away. I wanted to conversate with him. I wanted to know more.
"Hey, it looks like Rige and Shin-To seem to get along rather well." I giggled. They were on the dance floor in almost a trace. It was beautiful. I had never seen love before, but this is what I had dreamt it would look like.
Brim quickly looked over to the dance floor with a stern face. He was upset. He scoffed, "That kid doesn't know what she's doing." And he stood up to approach her, but I grabbed his hand. He froze in shock. It is not common for me to touch others.
"Wait, I want to observe. I have never experienced love or any other romantical notion. They seem so happy." I protested his actions. If it wasn't for the whiskey, I think things would have escalated, but he sat back down.
"Don't remind me of this tomorrow." He murmured.
I placed my hand on him again. "Why does that bother you so much?" I knew better than to touch others, but I loved the rush. "My crew has rules; we follow the rules diligently. Without rules, there is chaos, and a ship cannot run on chaos." He was so stern with his words.
"Let them go for tonight?" I tried to charm him, and it seemed to be working. He looked back up at me and smiled. I will never forget that moment. He smiled at me, and it was not my pheromones. I smiled back and then looked away. He gently turned my chin up to look back at him. At this moment, I knew there was more to Jack Brim than he wanted others to know.
The entire room started to shake, and everyone started running out of the bar. Brim stood up and started directing everyone out. He was a natural leader. I got up to run, but my cast got caught in between the bar stool and some falling debris. I tried pulling away, but my strength was weakening. Parts of the ceiling were caving in, and everyone was screaming. The entire bar was filled with dust, and I could barely see. I screamed for help, but no one came. I was kicking the bar stool attempting to break it off the bolts on the floor when I saw Brim through the dust. He came back to me. Maybe it was due to my royal stature, but it seemed more than that. He started pulling the barstool away from my leg, but it would not budge.
"Just leave. It's too dangerous here. It won't work." I begged him. I did not want his life to end because of mine.
"Listen, kid. We're getting out of here together." Brim struggled more with the barstool when it finally snapped off. My leg was free, and he picked me up. The next thing I remember, I woke up at a local hospital on Cerion. I overheard the nurses talking about what had happened. Cerion used to be prone to violent earthquakes, but they had not had one in a decade. I laid in the bed, trying to rest, when Brim came into my room. He had blood on his shirt and some scrapes here and there.
"How did you manage to not get hurt in that mess?" I questioned him. He seemed invincible.
"I just did what needed to be done and left as quick as I could. How are you
feeling?"
For the first time, he seemed to care. "Sore, disoriented but
okay. Thank you so mu- "he interrupted me.
"No problem, I have to go check on the others and get everyone back to the ship. See ya soon." And he left. One moment I felt compassion, and the next, nothing from him. He was complicated, and I was intrigued.
The nurse came around with injections, and luckily, they had my skin cells to treat me. Brim, Rige, Jean, and Shin-To all came to assist me to the ship. When we arrived, it seemed the earthquake did some damage here as well. It was late, and I was exhausted. Everyone seemed drunk, hurt, and just tired. We all separated into our quarters. I laid down and stared at the ceiling. This was not what I had planned for my first adventure outside of Feminae. We just needed an army, and here I am on Cerion. I don't know where it came from or why, but I was determined to not let tonight end like this.
I went into the hallway, and the entire ship seemed quiet. I went onto the bridge and just stared into the stars. The universe was so big, and I had only seen a part of it. It was beautiful and mysterious. I longed for a life outside of Feminae but knew where I belonged. I need to focus on my people and get my head out of the sky. Just as I was trying to realign my focus, Brim approached the bridge.
"Can't sleep either, huh?" he came and stood beside me.
"It is hard for me to sleep, even on my home planet. I have too much to worry about and too much to do."
He laughed a bit and continued to watch out the window with me. "Do you ever feel alone in this
universe?" I asked.
"I know I have."
"Well, sometimes being alone isn't a bad thing." He said. I turned towards him and sighed.
"I don't think anyone wants to be alone, but for some, there is no other option." He turned back towards me. Our eyes met for what felt like an eternity.
"You are never alone, Ade." He said in what was almost a whisper. The entire universe seemed to freeze.
"Thank you for saving my life, Brim," I whispered back. Brim then leaned in slowly and gave me a kiss that felt like it was the first of many.
"Call me Jack." He whispered back with a smile.
I looked up at him "Okay, Jack."