Spirited Away: an Alien Erotic Romance

Skyjacked: Chapter Two -Grounded

GROUNDED

“Its called grool.” Niao shoveled a mouthful with a utensil that looked like a spork.

Shanti poked at the dish. There were some leafy greens that looked like a cross between broccollini and kale, only it was a bright shade of orange. And then there was a brown gob of mush. As she poked at it she noticed the texture was firm.

“Is this some sort of space animal?” she asked.

Niao’s face scrunched in horror. “We do not eat animals.”

“Good,” Shanti consoled him. “I’m a vegetarian.”

Niao frowned at the word, but went back to shoveling the grool into his mouth. Shanti tried a bit of the brown mush. It was surprisingly good. It tasted like curry. Her stomach grumbled and, before she knew it, the entire plate was empty.

Niao smiled at her cleaned plate.

“So we just get one meal a day on this ship?”

“Not so often.” Niao collected her empty plate and spork.

“Are they trying to starve us?”

Niao frowned and cocked his head to the side. “Oh, I keep forgetting that you are human. You take the energy from liquids and other life forms to sustain you.”

“Well, yeah,” said Shanti. “What do Eloheem eat? Air pie and wind pudding?”

Niao laughed at this, the childish sound rang in her ears. Shanti almost caught herself smiling at his glee. It had been so long since she’d heard a sound of pure joy.

“Eloheem eat only for enjoyment and fellowship. We take our sustenance directly from the ship.”

“Do you mean the energy mines?”

Niao nodded. “The Mothership takes energy directly from the elements in the Heavens. She processes them and feeds them to any beings on the ship in a form that their cells can ingest. Any waste product, she takes back unto herself.”

“Like recycling?”

“Soon, you will acclimate and your human body will become more proficient at collecting energy from the source instead of taking it from other living things.”

The words should have stung, but Niao said it with a smile and not a trace of animosity.

There was a knock at the door.

Niao frowned. “Its Chen-Na. But why would he knock? Doors do not lock.” Niao went to the door and opened it. 

Chen stood on the other side of the door. Just the sight of him caused Shanti’s heart to kick up a pace. His eyes immediately found hers, as though he’d seen her through the door and had been staring at her for some time. Shanti felt instantly heated.

“Is the ship too damaged as not to let you in Chen-Na?”

“No.” Chen’s eyes never left Shanti as he addressed Niao. “I wanted to be invited in.”

Shanti ducked her head. “Aren’t I your captive?”

“No, my only. It is you who has captivated me.”

Niao ducked out of the door with a wave and the dishes.

“May I come inside with you, Shanti?”

Shanti hesitated. Her body craved Chen’s. It was on more than a sexual level. Even though she’d spent the night, or what she assumed was night time, with Hsing and her waking time with Niao, Shanti still felt a deep sense of loneliness ever since Chen left her in the bed that first night. Before he’d left, Shanti had been ready to commit an eternity to this man just after holding his hand. Her eyes traveled down to his hands now. They were clasped in front of him. Shanti did the same with her hands.