Page 1 of Taken By the Alien Kraken King

PlanetSanos.Theplanetwe hoped would save humanity.

My heart thudded in my chest as I glanced around at the other women with me as the capsule descended into the atmosphere of Sanos. I’d spent countless hours on our generation ship researching as much as possible about the planet before embarking on this journey, but for all my work, the planet remained an enigma. All the notes I’d taken over the past few months of research rested safely on my tablet. I longed to pick it up for one last read through, but landing protocols required that it remain safely packed in my bag under my seat.

Our shuttle hit a small patch of turbulence, and a fresh wave of anxiety rolled into my stomach. I curled my hands together, pressing my thumbs against the soft skin between my pointer finger and thumb. Supposedly, it was a technique for self soothing. I’d only read about it, but now, somehow, it felt like the right time to test out the theory.

To my surprise, it worked. If it didn’t, it was close enough to a placebo effect to trick me into thinking everything would work out the way it was supposed to. The only thing left for me to do was stare at the walls of the AI-piloted landing capsule from the generation ship taking us to the planet’s surface.

The shuttle broke through the atmosphere smoothly, cutting a streak of fire and ionized mist behind us. One day, I hoped to see it for myself as a spectator on terra firma instead of as a participant. Printed images and holo-vids had their place, but nothing like first-hand experience.

The shuttle’s AI navigation system chirped. “Final descent in one minute. Prepare for landing.”

I sat straighter in the five-point harness, locking me rigidly against the seatback. My eyes flicked around at the other women on the mission with me. Nervous energy filled our capsule. Everything was riding on our success.

No pressure. The fate of humanity depended on us. Nope. No pressure at all.

A projector on the far wall showed our destination. Before us, an endless blue world grew larger. Ocean. Oceans. Nothing but water as far as I could see. In the distance, a landmass, perhaps a mountain, rose from the sea. No mega continents like Earth. No mountains or canyons. Nothing familiar. Everything screamed alien.

In my heart, I knew we were the aliens here. But nothing I’d read or studied could have prepared me for this experience. Somewhere I’d read that we were insignificant specks on thetimeline of the universe. If we managed to succeed and forge an alliance, we’d cement our place with humanity’s other outstanding achievements. But first, we had to overcome the odds stacked against us.

“Everyone ready?” Brooke, our commander, asked, tightening the strap of her harness.

“As we’ll ever be,” I said, holding my voice steady even though excitement and a heavy dose of nervousness coursed through my veins. Even though I’d spent years studying unique ecosystems on Earth, my preference always rested with marine biology. Getting onto the generation ship, and on this mission, was a dream come true for me. Sanos was different. It had an abundance of water, and though it remained a mystery on the galactic stage, I felt it was alive in a way no one understood yet.

The vid-screen showed the ocean surface rushing to meet us as we careened toward the planet. My stomach dropped as a low rumble shook the shuttle, signaling the landing gear had deployed.

Five. I inhaled deeply. Four. Three. Two. I exhaled. One.

I’d practiced landing simulations until I could do them in my sleep by muscle memory alone. Nothing prepared me for the sheer vastness of this aquatic planet.

I assumed we’d land on a strip of precious solid ground, but as the shuttle descended, I changed my mind, deciding we’d most likely land on one of the oceans covering Sanos. They all had names, but all specific names escaped me. Whichever one we were closest to, I had no idea. As leader of the mission, I trusted Brooke knew where we were landing.

“Separation complete. Descent module stable,” the AI announced. “Impact in fifteen seconds.”

With a jolt and a rush of noise, the shuttle struck the waves. For a moment, it felt like the ocean might swallow us whole. Lessthan a heartbeat later, flotation stabilizers deployed, and our capsule bobbed into position.

We had landed.

“Take me to your leader,” I thought, stifling a laugh. Inappropriate time, yet still hilarious.

Brooke, ever the leader, unstrapped herself and stepped onto the landing platform. From my vantage point near the back of the group, it looked to be a floating disc. I couldn’t tell if it was part of our shuttle or the alien technology. A twinge of jealousy coursed through my veins.

Brooke called back to us, her excitement palpable. “We’re on a beach. It’s stunning.”

Everyone raced to grab their gear and disembark. We would not keep the royals waiting.

Despite my hustle, I was the last to disembark. The sun sparkled against the pristine beach with alien palm trees speckled along the coast. Aqua water moved with an elegant grace, lapping at the sand. The air rested heavily on my skin, and I inhaled, taking in the thick, salty air as I raised my face toward the alien sun. It had been so long since I’d felt natural sunlight on my skin, and for a moment, I allowed myself to bask in its warmth.

As I descended the platform, I imagined the possibilities of alien creatures, cities and varying sentient life I knew dwelled under the water. Someone on the beach waved, catching my attention. My hands tapped at the cargo pants pockets of my uniform, Not feeling my tablet, I sighed.

“Forgot my tablet. I’ll be right there,” I called, noting my friends making their way to what appeared to be tent-like structures.

I raced inside, grabbed my bag from underneath my seat, and headed out to join the rest of the expedition.

Out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw a humanoid figure leaning against a large rock near where the descent ramp kissed the shore.

“Tentacles?” I murmured, shaking my head once. “Nah. Has to be a trick of the light. You’re just imagining things, Kendall.” I smoothed my hands over my hair, tucking errant strands against my scalp.

I wanted to investigate the shadowy figure, but the mission came first.

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