Page 27 of Alien Desire
“Only about thirty Omegas remain on our planet. My father has claimed nearly all of them.”
“And how many Alpha are there?”
“There are several thousand Alphas and millions of Betas.”
“We don’t have Alphas or Betas or Omegas in our species. But I’ve never …” Her forehead wrinkles. “I’ve never been with anyone before.”
This is a strange choice of words and I am unsure what she means. “I don’t understand.”
“I’ve never slept with anyone. Urgh, I mean, I’ve never had sex. Sexual intercourse.”
“No, you have no children.”
She blinks, then shakes her head. “You can have sexual intercourse and not have children.”
“No. The act creates children.”
“Not always, and we have ways of preventing it from happening.”
“The sexual intercourse?”
“No, the getting pregnant from doing it part.”
“But why?”
She looks away from me. “Because, I suppose, it’s enjoyable.” She looks back to me. “Like kissing.”
“But if this is the case. Why have you not done it?”
Her scent peaks and she sits up, hugging her knees to her chest. She does not like the question. Again I do not know why.
“I’ve spent a long time working hard and training to be a space cadet. I haven’t had time for other people and relationships. Not that they were allowed anyway.” Her voice drops to a whisper. “This was my first mission.”
“It is hard to be alone,” I say.
“Sometimes. I’m used to it.” She brushes her hands over her knees. “This all seems like a strange dream. Our people have travelled the whole universe and never found any other life form. But I found you. And then that monster under the ice.” She shivers.
“There is life throughout the universes. Many forms. Sometimes it does not want to be discovered.”
She peers at me and nods.
“Where is your family?” I ask her again.
“They’re … dead. Died ten years ago. It’s just me now.”
“You can make a new one.” I will give this Omega many children. I will fill her life with a new family.
“It doesn’t work like that. I miss them. I miss my mum, especially.” She swipes at her face, then turns to me with a smile on her lips but it doesn’t make her eyes brighten in their usual way. She is sad. “How about your family? Your dad has thirty Omegas. Is your mum one?”
“Yes, my mother is one of my father’s Omegas. He has a lot of children.”
“You have many sisters and brothers, then? That must be nice.”
“I have many half-siblings, yes. I am my mother’s only child.” I pull the Omega back down to lie against me and she comes without complaint. “She caught the sickness that swept across the planet. It killed many of the Omegas. My mother was one of the lucky ones to survive it, but her fertility was affected.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It is not your fault.”
