Universe Hunters: Taken by C.L. Scholey Read Free Book Online Page A

a strange planet being accidently burned for the rest of her life. Cali determined that wouldn’t happen. If she couldn’t go back to Earth, she would remain here. Freedom in nowhere was better than no freedom at all; she was tired of being a captive, of being dragged off, and taken.
    Digging deep into the memory of her limited Girl Scouting experience, it didn’t take Cali long to gather sticks and larger pieces of wood. Altair followed her like a puppy, refusing to help. He was a scientist after all; menial work was beneath him. Striking two different types of rocks together onto some fluff from a nest she found high in a tree, Cali made a fire. She carefully stuck the three eggs she had discovered in the nest into the hot coals as the fire burnt down at the sides. With a sharp rock she found, Cali had been able to somewhat remove the very tops of the shells. She didn’t need eggs exploding all over her. Next, she gathered ferns and branches thick with soft needles. She lumped them in a corner near the back wall close to the fire. As darkness fell, Cali took a stick and pulled out an egg. The shell was hot as she danced it between her fingers. She settled back onto her bed and peeled the egg. It was the most delicious thing she had ever tasted.
    “Well, where do I sleep?” Altair asked.
    “Who the hell cares?”
    “Well, what about the food. Give me some; I’ll attempt to eat your meager offerings, human.”
    Cali finished her second egg and fished out the third. She remembered what Blazar had said about not needing to eat food as long as they regenerated. Altair hadn’t regenerated during her stay with him so he could examine her every move. Cali peeled the egg and when Altair stuck out his hand she shoved the entire thing into her mouth. She chewed with exaggerated movements enjoying the look on his face. Altair was wide-eyed.
    “That was mine,” he said obviously flustered.
    “Um, no, it was mine. I found it, I cooked it, so I ate it. Get your own.”
    “I provided you with clothing, sustenance, and warmth,” he spluttered.
    “I have provided you with warmth and clothing. As for sustenance, you gave me shit. You stole me away without regard to how I felt. I’m not going anywhere with you again. When and if you leave here, I’m not going with you. I’m staying.”
    “The council will give you to me when I state my case.”
    “I don’t belong to the council. I belong to me. The council can go screw itself.”
    Cali curled up onto her bed. What was left of her wrap had dried out, making her flesh feel hot but at least her tummy was finally full. Altair huffed for a moment before settling a few short feet from Cali. Both of them closed their eyes.
    ****
    In the morning, Cali woke with Altair sound asleep right beside her. Sometime in the night, he had scooted closer. She struggled to free herself from his grasp. He woke groggily. Cali had never seen either Deimos or Blazar groggy or disoriented; she had never seen any of the aliens sleep before. Altair’s hair was disheveled. He groaned as his hand went to his belly.
    “This hurts,” he moaned.
    “You’re hungry.”
    “Is this what you felt aboard my vessel? It’s loathsome.”
    “Will you suck it up? You ate less than twenty-four hours ago. I saw you chow down on that cobweb crap. Try three days with nothing but water in your stomach and then complain.”
    “I’m dying. I needed the substance because I refrained from regenerating. Because of you.”
    “My God, you’re a drama queen. Go out of the cave and change into your fire form and find something suitable…preferably far away from me.”
    “I can’t change,” Altair whined. “I can’t regenerate until I reach my planet.”
    Cali dropped before him. “Are you saying you’re stuck in human form?”
    “Yes. I told you, I didn’t regenerate before we were attacked so I could stay close to you.”
    “Then what do we do about the Gar?”
    “We wait for the universe