The Return

The story so far: a visitor from Zarthon lands on the small island of North Ronaldsay then leaves with Callum, the last remaining inhabitant, to return to her home world. They begin a relationship.

As Alanna left her control panel and advanced upon him he noticed a light flashing on its surface.

“Emotional Alert” she said as she drew closer.

“The controller must keep within emotional parameters when in command.”

She drew herself away and returned to the panel, pressing the override button.

Callum joined her. Slipping his hands round her waist he kissed her once more.

Her eyebrows were incredibly mobile and they shot up as their lips touched. She wriggled against him.

“I wonder why our planet lost this skill?”

“Suppressed it perhaps? Can’t have space captains distracted.”

"Distract me, distract me,” she gasped.

He stroked her cosmic black hair which was seeded with tiny stars.

“It’s a fashion right now on Zarthon.”

“Nice.”

He unzipped the top of her golden jumpsuit and kissed the nape of her neck.

She murmured,

“Do you feel warm?”

She unzipped the rest of her jumpsuit and flung it onto the control panel.

Her undergarment was a body stocking.

“You certainly are human,” said Callum as he explored her contours.

“What happens next?” said Alanna.

Callum realised that love making on Zarthon was different. Perhaps there was none.

“What happens on Zarthon?” He said.

She paused.

“After locking eyes we approach the High Council for permission to be inseminated."

“Artificially?”

“Yes.”

“Let me show you the simpler method used by humans for thousands of years.”

“You mean a really authentic way?”

“Authentic, organic, and pleasant.”

“Oh Yes.”

In the several weeks it took to cross the galaxy to Zarthon, Callum and Alanna repeated the authentic, organic, and pleasurable procedure until Alanna was totally converted.

But as they approached Zarthon she became anxious about the rules.

Alanna used a device to temporarily blank Callum’s memory of his home planet to avoid homesickness.

Vid screens became live as they approached.

Alanna’s attention was taken up by positioning for descent.

From the view ports Callum saw a planet much like his own in size but without colour; all grey and browns. Where was the green and blue?

“We grow much of our food by hydroponics and, because we make our own air, we live in large sealed pods; like we do in this space pod.

At these words Callum’s heart sank. He had imagined an “Island in the West,” like in the Celtic legends, with sun, and palm trees, fruits and flowering plants, an island filled with beautiful women and children.

Instead Alanna was painting a picture of a bland grey society where everything worked but the soul was not fed.

This

Imprint

Publisher: BookRix GmbH & Co. KG

Text: alastair macleod
Images: alastair macleod: "group of space pods," photo purchased from Dreamstime royalty free photos.
Editing: alastair macleod
Translation: cover typeset in classical
Publication Date: 02-11-2016
ISBN: 978-3-7396-3712-9

All Rights Reserved

Dedication:
To the legendary Celtic Island in the West, an island with sun, trees, fruits and flowering plants, an island filled with beautiful women and children.