The doorway slid closed as she stood there, and Hannah realized she could just make out a faint outline in the otherwise smooth space of the wall.
With slowly dawning awareness, Hannah realized what this place must be. A spaceship. It reminded her a little of things she’d seen watching science fiction movies, her favorite rainy night activity. Choosing at random, Hannah turned left and began walking down the hall.
A few yards on, Hannah spotted another outline in the wall. Pausing before it, she saw that it had a designation, as well. “Crew Cabin 2” was written above it. A second later, the door whooshed open and she saw another room exactly like the one she’d just left.
She moved on, passing two more cabins before coming across a door labeled “Engineering.” Intrigued, she waited for it to open, but unlike the others, this door did not open for her.
“This area is restricted, I am afraid.”
Hannah nearly jumped out of her skin as Sa’Zhan seemed to appear out of nowhere. In reality, of course, he’d merely come around the corner, but it was still a shock. Hannah glared at the alien.
“What’s going on?” she demanded.
“I brought you to my ship when you fainted,” he replied.
“Do not be concerned. You are perfectly healthy. The ship’s systems automatically monitor all vital functions.”
“I’m not ‘concerned’ about my health,” Hannah said.
“I just want to go home.”
Sa’Zhan looked confused. “Your home is with me, now,” he said.
“You must forget about your previous life.”
Hannah shook her head, but she realized some small part of her would be happy to do just that. Forget the life she’d had, and find something new. What would she be missing, after all?
Still, she wasn’t about to just go traipsing off with the first alien that tried to claim her as his own, no matter how good looking he was.
“You really need to move past that, because it’s not going to happen,” Hannah said.
Sa’Zhan shook his head.
“You do not understand,” he said. “You are to be my soul mate. It is destined.”
“Well, I don’t believe in destiny,” Hannah said.
Of course, she hadn’t believed in aliens, either, until all of this. It was really just too much to take in all at once. She decided to change the subject.
“How is it that you speak English so well?” she asked.
“And why are all the signs on your ship in my language?”
“Ah, the writing is for your benefit,” Sa’Zhan answered, “so that you may easily know which areas are accessible to you and which are not. As for my own speech, I have studied your language extensively. My people are able to adapt to a great many different languages from many different species across the galaxy.”
More information to take in. How many alien races were out there?
“Who are ‘your people’ anyway?”
“We are called Ventosians,” Sa’Zhan said.
“My home planet, Ventos, is halfway across the Milky Way from Earth. So, you see, I have come a very long way for you.”
“That’s very nice, I’m sure,” Hannah said.
“So is this what you Venosians do? Fly around the galaxy and kidnap women to be your mates?”
Sa’Zhan sighed, which seemed an odd behavior for an alien.
“It is not ‘kidnapping,’” he said. “I have explained this to you.”
“You really haven’t. You’ve said a lot of words, like ‘soul mates’ and ‘destiny,’ but I’m still unclear on why you think I should buy in to any of this nonsense.”
“This is not nonsense,” Sa’Zhan huffed, apparently very affronted.
“The bond between us transcends space and time. It was not a simple matter for me to travel here for you. Immense resources are needed to make such a journey.”
Hannah considered this. Interstellar space flight was certainly no joke. He was definitely right about that.
But she was still having trouble with the idea that he had somehow singled her out among all the beings on all the worlds in the universe.
“Okay,” she said, “why me? You don’t even know me.”
“That is not true. I know all there is to know. My people are gifted with a form of what you would call telepathy.”
“Wait a minute,” Hannah said.
“Does that mean you can read my thoughts?”
“No. Not exactly. I can sense what you are feeling. I know that we were meant to be together. I am meant to love you and protect you always.”
“Love?” Hannah scoffed.
“I don’t think you understand how love works.”
“And you do?” Sa’Zhan asked.
“You are alone. Untouched. Tell me, what do you know of love?”
“Fuck you,” Hannah said coldly and stormed off.
She went back to the cabin she’d woken up in, wishing there was some kind of lock on the door. Because of course Sa’Zhan followed her in. Of course he did.
Hannah curled up in the sleeping alcove and turned her back to him.
“Leave me alone,” she said.
“Hannah, I can tell you are upset.”
“How very telepathic of you.” Hannah pushed her face into the pillow as tears started to stream from her eyes. She wouldn’t let him see her cry.