Planet: Dark Ninth, Species: Kors, Population: 9, Designation: A Peaceful Eden
This place was truly a shadowed paradise, with the green of the plants being dark, sparkly, tending toward purple, reds and some blues but mostly greens. The moss on the rocks was bright silver. The architecture was probably hundreds of thousands of years old.
The Dark Ninth Palace is not guarded, because there are no enemies.
It was just propped up on a hilltop with little wind, and every side showed the expansive planet-wide forest system.
I do wonder how such a civilisation got to this point, especially when I see the ruins of a much larger city, expanding out into the forests beyond.
In other words, there used to be more than 9 male specimens of the Kor species, but somehow they are all that was left?
I hadn't wandered very far, a little nervous to explore when I wasn't familiar with untamed wild nature on this scale before.
I sit on one of the boundary walls, legs dangling over as I just soak up the forest beyond.
The sky is full of stars, a neighbouring galaxy lights up a lot of the sky. The major light source however are the three moons lined up in a perfect straight axis. They all look equal in size to Earth's moon.
The gravity was slightly denser than Earth, so I felt the way every movement I took was slowed down slightly. It was nothing I couldn't get used to, though.
When I was 12 and ate the Jace herb from this planet, the superpower I was open to receive at puberty, was influenced by that herb.
Not only did I never get sick again, I had Enhanced Instincts. It was probably useless and intangible to others, but for me, it just meant I was always right when I sensed something coming my way. I could prepare to avoid danger, whether it was from another person, or sensing a natural disaster.
It purely served my own selfish defences.
Super powers for human kind were always in a few categories, enhances senses, such as eyesight, taste, smell, etc. Or you could choose speed or strength enhancements. For me, I guess I was spiritually enhanced.
It made sense, then, that I was somehow matched perfectly with a Kor.
They were deeply instinctual and so was I.
I still couldn't really comprehend how they mated with females and consumed them afterwards. That concept is so creepy it makes my skin crawl.
But to be fair, the universe was very, very strange, and it was just the way their own evolution unfurled... I guess?
Below me is a path into the Dark Forest.
Behind me is the Dark Palace.
It was steep, that's the best way I could describe it. The steps were too tall, the height of the walls was too high, the structure was very rectangular, with no turrets or pretty feminine architecture, almost like a prison honestly. It was too masculine, but the beauty was brought in from the nature, which crawled over everything and brought in dim glittery light and a soft touch.
I find comfort in the sense that I don't feel threatened; and I can trust my Enhanced Instincts on that at least.
It was the logic in this place that was scaring me.
I was a female and a potential mate – but technically I could only be a mate if I was willing. As Mars said, they did not chase.
So... very logically... I just had to resist and deny the Kor Mars.
I was just scared that I couldn't resist.
I can only imagine and wonder what the others are like. Strangely named after the planets in my home solar system, I wonder if they drew inspiration from our home... especially since Mars was incorporated into Our Tcno as a High Elite-Donor.
That meant he provided assistance to human kind, in return for favours... perhaps such as females for... food; ew, it's so gross.
I am wearing a black shirt and black pants and black shoes, my blonde hair is straight and just past my shoulders and I have hazel eyes. My skin is pale to the point it's kind of translucent, I've always hated it, as I couldn't tan without burning, and now I just stuck out like a dish plate in the perpetual darkness of this place. It makes me ultra self-conscious.
But aside from my basic girly instincts and feelings, I had to work out my plan of survival.
The reason I aspired to be a Dark Nine was, I think, mostly influenced by ingesting the Jace herb.
I remember the taste of it, flying through my senses and my blood, changing my system to be stronger, better and more alert.
So more than freedom, I wanted out of Our Tcno to search for my potential... whatever that was.
Our Tcno wasn't an evil system, it was the best humankind could come up with to ensure both our survival and happiness.
But there was always the 1% who needed to choose the thrilling option, too, right?
The strange and weird and unknown, which called us to be explorers and adventurers.
So technically I achieved my greatest goal, having an adventure off Earth.
I got exactly what I wished for.
So I should be happy – and I was. I was happy.
I was just... I don't know.
There was a whole other factor working in my life now; the will of the Kors on this planet.
If they were hungry, I had pretty much accepted, if they decided to eat me, I'm fucked and doomed.
That thought makes my mind go quiet.
Too quiet.
A new abrasive feeling dares to touch my strong-willed mind.
It's a feeling and an idea, that is only quiet because it is exactly that... it's the idea of submission to a stronger fate... or nine of them.
Is this what it felt like to be a lamb trembling before a wolf, casually hunting down its next dinner, and the lamb knows it's pointless to try anything, so it just stands and trembles and goes quiet before it's killed?
I really, really hoped that wasn't the feeling entering my system now.
The only true way out, if I needed one, was to find an ET portal.
If Mars came and went from the Dark Ninth... an ET was present.
I hold onto that notion, that there was a backdoor, I just had to find it.
I jump down off the wall, and I turn from the beautiful glimmering darkness of the forest, to face the prison – I mean palace.
As I walk back inside along a narrow path, I now take note of all the rooms inside this place on the bottom floor.
There are a lot of doorless 'cells', so many were empty, it seemed odd... they had a purpose a long time ago, I just don't know what.
The rest were big open spaces, that led straight down toward the middle room, which was the throne room where Mars was just before.
The stairs up to the next levels seemed to get darker and lonelier, so I hadn't found any confidence to climb up to those areas just yet.
I wander back into the throne room, but Mars is gone.
I feel watched in here, however, I feel watched from up above.
I strain my neck to look up, where multiple balconies from the higher levels look down on this hall, and the feeling of being watched goes away as I search for the watcher.
I suck in a nervous breath as I move toward the nearest spiralling staircase, and I brave the steep climb, using palms and feet to climb up.
I had aimed to get off at the second level, but I enjoy the movement of climbing and end up winding my way to the very top, until I'm at the fourth and final level.
Up here, I see sparkling rays of moonlight, shining in through small windows, none of which are large enough to even stick a head through. I find their tiny little windows, very odd, but at least they let in enough light to see where I'm going.
I walk past more empty rooms, until I finally find a space that isn't so boring.
I'm peeking in at a stone library.
At the centre, is a globe sized rock, floating above a podium like an artefact on display at a museum.
It softly spins naturally in slow motion.
The rest of the stone library shelves are empty of actual books, but still this place feels like it's full of wisdom.
I walk right up to the floating globe, and my eyes scan over the surface features, wondering why it looks so familiar.
I look under its side until I see a faint outline of the Great Red Spot – Jupiter's infinite storm.
This is the planet in Earth's solar system, the Jupiter, and I don't think it's just a model on display.
I realise the closer I look at it, the less solid it appears.
It's more like dense gas.
I swear on my life, I'm not actually going to touch it, but I can't help but point out a finger and hover it closer to its surface, especially that iconic storm.
As my finger hovers a bit closer, I hear angry footfalls coming in through the entry behind me.
"Don't touch!"
I have already snapped my hand back and jumped around to see another member of the Kors striding through.
This must be Jupiter.
A little taller than Mars, he is still giant. His skin is a grey metallic, almost a matte-silver, his snarling razor teeth are so white and shiny they seem robotic almost... or just godly.
Jupiter doesn't just scold me, he is striding over to clearly manhandle me out of the room, I can tell from the way his eyes don't just focus on my eyes, they slash through me, back and forth with menacing intent as I don't – thankfully – stand still like a terrified lamb.
Instead, I try to run so fast for the exit, my feet skid along the moist stones, and I trip onto my palms and onto one knee.
I hate that I've fallen in front of one of the Kors, but it's too late now to blush in front of the predator.
I lunge back up to my feet and run back for the exit, only spinning to see Jupiter focusing on what I left behind.
My left shoe fell off at his feet, and it was enough of a distraction for Jupiter to consider it like a strange thing he has never seen before. I hold onto the side of the archway leading to his library room, and I gaze back in longingly for what is mine.
Jupiter snaps his gaze out to see me looking in at my property.
He leans down, picks up my shoe – and frisbees the damn thing out of the room, so hard and so fast it flies out over the throne room and somehow gets stuck on a jutting curve in the strange architecture.
I look up at it, knowing I'll never get it back now.
Fucking asshole. I am genuinely pissed that he was so fucking rude about it.
I glare back in at Jupiter for a second, but only because I can't ignore my hurt pride.
"That was unnecessary," I scold him, somehow managing that while feeling my adrenaline spike as Jupiter's black eyes narrow and he suddenly looks rather unsatisfied by my retreat.
I quickly turn and end up barging right into Mars' front. He snuck up on me!
I didn't sense him at all, as he didn't feel like danger to me, but I'm still caught off guard after face planting directly into his abs, my hands now laid flat on his waist, feeling his heat.
"Careful, Diana. Remember, you're not meant to be here," Mars speaks over me, totally okay with us being flush.
"Hey, you bought me," I snap up at him.
"It's only temporary," Mars somehow appears both perfectly cheeky and handsome as he says that.
"Seriously?" I pull back a large step, but his hands quickly rich out and smoothly slide over my wrists, immediately shackling me to him, so I can't leave the conversation so soon.
"...I said to stay on Terra..." Mars whispers now, raising a slightly annoyed brow.
"Ah – you mean Earth -? Tcno?"
"Terra – Earth, yes, they are the same. That is where you're allowed to be, Diana," Mars answers more sharply now, seemingly still angry that I denied him back on Earth.
"I wanted to be a Dark Nine," I state the obvious.
"Exactly. But you're still not allowed here, females are forbidden to settle on our planet, but for a while, it can amuse us... until it doesn't... eventually we will have to deal with that," his eyebrow motions to the room I just entered and escaped from. I gulp, and I stop resisting. Mars hands on my wrists, feel weirdly comforting anyway.
"Then tell me what to do," I change tact, wondering if relying on Mars, will change my destiny to a quick and likely miserable-as-all-hell death.
Mars now sees I am calm, and he unhands my wrists, leaning down a little, to catch my eyes with a friendly and sweet look once again.
"I'd love to talk to you, Dark Nine," Mars seems so young and flirty, when he smirks like that, but it's still somehow sweet enough, "Let's chat."
I gulp again, "Just, chat?" I confirm.
"Yes –" Mars answers so smooth and still so friendly for a man that wanted to eat me –
At the same time, our interaction is cut in half by a loud scoff.
I look over my shoulder, and across the balcony along the throne room's top, I see another Kor.
He is too in the shadows to make out any features, but the other giant Kor-like-god is unimpressed by Mars and I.
Mars looks at his 'friend' in shadow, I don't know if they're related or family, but he seems irritated by the scoff destined for our ears.
Mars glares and growls out a deep warning at the other perving Kor.
The other Kor responds with a still glare, but then turns to walk back into his own space, out of sight.
Mars continues to stare after him with his spiked temper.
But he remains calm enough for me.
I'm in shock myself.
The growl he let off to protect me was the sexiest god damn thing I ever heard in my life.
It sounded perfectly possessive.
I keep the fact I am impressed, wiped from my face, however, too scared to show any clear sign of attraction, lest it be a green light for Mars to bite into me or something of that nature.
I stand stiff and awkward as I wait for Mars to look at me.
At the same time, I feel a cool heat suddenly at my back.
I get the shock of my life when yet another Kor sneaks up on me.
But this one isn't new.
I look up and behind to see Jupiter has silently approached, just to stand behind me like a stone pillar.
He isn't doing anything.
Fucking um – creepy, much?!
I spin and step back into Mars front, just to feel his protection, as I stare with wide and terrified eyes up at Jupiter's silent approach.
"It's nothing personal," Jupiter changes his tone, even though he still looks mean, "Just don't touch what isn't yours. Manners, while you're here..."
I nod, while I feel Mars step back from me.
When his heat leaves me, I purse my lips, forcing myself not to lean back in search of his heat.
"I hear you," I answer Jupiter, "I apologise... but I wasn't going to touch it –"
Jupiter sneers slowly when I try to deflect blame and not take responsibility.
I snap my mouth shut and Jupiter at least stops focusing on me, to look at Mars behind me instead.
Nothing is being said.
I didn't know if they were enemies or friends, it was really hard to tell.
I look over my shoulder back up at Mars and he is just staring Jupiter down.
"A Dark Nine," Jupiter adds, into the heavy silence, "Really?"
"Maybe," Mars teases but doesn't elaborate, "Relax."
Uh.
Me?
I seriously can't tell if Mars told Jupiter to relax or if it was said to me.
But Mars abruptly starts to walk off, and I turn to follow, knowing my safest place right now is with Mars, not with any of the others.
There were at least seven more lurking here, and I had a feeling they were all watching.
I didn't like that.
So, I think I'd just stick to Mars' flank, before I stumbled across any of the others while alone.
"What is this place? It looks like a prison, no offense –" I talk to him while he strides and I half-jog to keep up with him.
"It is a prison," Mars answers coldly.
"Oh..." I didn't expect him to answer in the affirmative, "But, for who?"
Mars looks over his shoulder with a handsome, all-too-welcoming smile, "For us. When we broke out of here, uh... well," he doesn't elaborate, he just lets the potential-answer come to me in the silence.
His eyes are too relaxed for the answer to be what I immediately think it is... right?
My mouth just hangs open, and Mars delights me by actually giving me the direct answer after he considers keeping it a secret, but he just tells me instead.
He slows down his strides and turns to me, to tell me, clearly and carefully, "We were once prisoners to the female Kors, for approximately a hundred thousand years they were breeding with us and controlling us, rightly so, because how we are sustained was a direct threat on their lives and bodily autonomy," Mars explains, "When we got out, we ate till our heart's content. And maybe for a spot of revenge. Maybe. Who knows. A hundred thousand years in a prison might drive the sanest to a little madness, wouldn't you think, Diana?"
I think he is joking around at the end, but it's hard to tell.
"You're very nice to me, Mars," I say it as a statement, and a question.
Because it didn't add up.
If they were so mad, and if they ate every single female of their species... why be nice to me?
Mars goes silent again.
When he looks back at me he gives me an amused smile again, but no words.
When he doesn't want to answer, he just doesn't.
I'm not 100% sure why, or what custom is reflected in that smug smile of his, but I am starting to get an idea.
I'm not entirely certain that I understand why their history is so fucked up, but I am just happy that I've survived yet another 30 mins on this planet, with nine hungry demonic planet-gods all around me in this literal prison.
Not to mention... since there are no females here... they're all probably a little hungry.