Disintegration: Chapter 4
Wet. Cold. Alone.
These three words best described Sasha's situation. She found herself in some sort of dark container with water going up to her waist. A cocktail of emotions swirled in the woman's mind as her entire world shifted, and she was suddenly sent tumbling towards the only opening.
As Sasha fell from the container and screamed, white light blinded her. Then something surprisingly soft and scaly broke her fall as she face-planted into it. Water ran down her back during the aftermath. Once the human regained her bearings, she scrambled to her feet, just to discover that she was now standing in the open palm of a massive reptilian creature.
The alien stared down at her with a familiar pair of amber eyes. [Greetings!] hissed the reptilian, albeit a feminine human voice emitted from some nearby speakers.
Meanwhile, Sasha's jaw went agape at the sight. Without armor, the gargantuan creature looked like a miniature Godzilla with bronze scales and small spike-like structures sprouting from her head. The view inspired the human to frantically look around at what could best be described as the interior of an enormous tent. Death practically surrounded her on all sides, whether it be from a clawed hand acting as a platform or the ground dozens of feet below her.
[There's no need to be afraid,] claimed the creature, [I don't intend to hurt you. Otherwise, you wouldn't be alive.]
These words made Sasha slightly shudder. "Who... are you? What are you? Why are you doing this?!"
The creature cocked her head to the side. [Sorry. I didn't pick that up. I'd need to let you speak through that receiver first.] The alien paused to point at a bizarre-looking microphone sitting in the center of a large desk. [I have a few things to say before we can have a proper conversation, though. Firstly, my name is Ishtar. You can say Battlemaster Ishtar if you want to be formal about it, or Ishtar Makari if I end up liking you. Although you're a prisoner of war, you're going to be receiving special treatment for lack of a better term due to your... physical characteristics.]
Sasha recoiled at these words. "Excuse me?"
The human never received a response to her question as Ishtar gradually lowered her to the desk. With much hesitation, Sasha stepped off the alien's hand and began approaching the microphone, but she abruptly stopped in place.
She stood still as if she was paralyzed. "This can't be happening."
A poke of a clawed finger forced the human to stumble forward. [Say that again, but closer to the receiver, please.]
Not really knowing what to do otherwise, Sasha began walking. Soon, she was standing next to the microphone. The white device had a very curvy design complemented by blinking orange lights, and it appeared to be wireless. Sasha stayed silent as she stared at it.
[Don't worry. I don't bite. Hard.]
The human took a deep breath as she prepared to speak directly into the microphone...
"We... were just trying to kill each other."
[...And?]
"My pistol was useless..."
The massive alien let out a chortle that shook Sasha to the core of her being. [I would have done the same thing in your position! There's nothing wrong with defending yourself or your people, even if your peashooter proved to be worthless. Then again, I'm not sure if I would be brave enough to confront someone that made me look like a mere insect in comparison.]
Sasha blinked several times and raised an eyebrow. "You're acting friendly, but you killed those that I would consider my friends. My comrades..."
[Such is the nature of war, my dear. No hard feelings. Your kind also managed to strike down some of my brethren, but I'd rather not allow that to result in unpleasant interactions with you from this point forward.]
"...But why?"
The alien flicked a serpentine tongue from her muzzle. [Why what?]
"Why are you doing this to us?!"
Something about the distress in Sasha's voice made Ishtar narrow her eyes. [Isn't it obvious? We're conquering you. As for why I captured you specifically, that's an entirely different manner. To answer your question, though, my people considered your planet valuable enough to take for ourselves. That's all. Hopefully, this entire process will be quick and painless... right?]
At the sight of Ishtar's sharp fangs and narrowed eyes, Sasha was reduced to meekly nodding rather than properly responding.
[Good. But truth be told, I don't know all of the answers as to why we're invading. I just follow orders. All I know is that humans themselves could be useful to the Collective due to your small sizes and unique technology. That's why we're not merely killing all of you by bombing you from orbit.]
"The Collective...?"
The alien did a combination of puffing air from her nostrils and sneering. [Right. You genuinely don't know anything about all of this, do you? Just that giant aliens invaded a few days ago, I suppose... regardless, we are known as the Rynar Collective.]
"Wait, hold on..." said Sasha as she motioned with her hands, "You're invading us for our technology?"
[Correct. Or... at least, that's what I was told.]
The human's face scrunched up. "That doesn't make any sense."
[It confuses me as well.] said Ishtar as she blew air from her nostrils. [Apparently, humanity has developed alternative paths of technology compared to the rynar.]
"And you couldn't have just used... oh, I don't know... diplomacy, espionage, or trading rather than invading?!"
The rynar stared at her with unblinking eyes. [Why would we? You are weak, and we are strong. Therefore, it's more optimal for the Collective to take what it needs rather than negotiating with a potential enemy. Then there's the matter of adequately assimilating your species into the collective so that some can also become proper rynar...]
"What?" asked Sasha as she recoiled. "You're going to turn us into your species...?"
Ishtar shook her head. [No. You won't become rynar in the physical sense. It's more like you would learn our ways... and some other things. You'll see. Anyway, we're getting off-topic.]
"What do you want from me?"
[You ask too many questions, little one.] The alien paused to form a grimace. [I was about to get to that. You caught my interest for being a female warrior of some variety in an otherwise patriarchal species. Despite this, you must obviously have extensive knowledge about properly rearing and taking care of human hatchlings, so you are far more useful to me than a male prisoner... if that makes any sense. A human female would be a good source of information, nonetheless.]
The human clenched her fists. "Wait... you kidnapped me to ask questions about human babies? You're kidding, right?"
[I'm not japing you, little one. I hate japers.]
"My name is Sasha!"
Ishtar moved her massive tail, and the human heard a faint whooshing sound. [Then I shall refer to you by your true name, Sasha. But tell me... do you have any hatchlings of your own?]
"Uh... no. I don't even want to have kids!"
[What?] asked the alien as she perked her head up. [Why in the heavens would you not want to have hatchlings to call your own? It's the most important thing a woman can do for her people!]
In response, the human shook her head. "Why does that even matter?" After asking this, she began to tremble. "What do you plan on doing to me?"
[Oh... it's simple, really.] said Ishtar as she started tapping her claws on the table. [This entire invasion should be over once the various human nations surrender within the next day equivalent or two. From there, you'll become my indentured servant. The only unknown factor, really, is whether there will be UTO interference...]
A horrified expression appeared on Sasha's face. "You're going to make me your slave?!"
[No, no, you'll just be an indentured servant!] replied Ishtar as she glanced to the side. [You'll have certain rights. I'll make sure you're treated well... just as long as you help me take care of Suko and do nothing to defy me. That will be the fate of all humans that aren't able to be assimilated into the Collective, so no hard feelings.]
"No hard feelings!?" Sasha shook her head in disbelief. "And who the hell is Suko?"
Suddenly, odd yet faint giggling echoed throughout the vicinity. It almost sounded like a child. Sasha internally questioned her sanity as she scanned the region, yet all she saw was Ishtar gradually looking at the ground while chortling. Ishtar's head eventually disappeared as the alien stood from her chair and kneeled to the ground, and all that remained of the Rynar from Sasha's perspective was a scaly tail wagging and swishing in the air.
[That's my toe, you silly little thing! You could hurt yourself by trying to play with it!]
Sasha raised an eyebrow at these words. What was happening rapidly dawned on her once the alien appeared again, albeit she was holding a human boy in her hands. If Sasha had to take a guess, he was just a toddler, or at least not much older than that based on his small size alongside his outfit. Meanwhile, the pupils of Ishtar's eyes went wide as she stared at the boy with her tongue slightly stuck out, creating a cute little blep.
[This one is named Suko!] Ishtar stopped speaking to start stroking him with a finger, and the boy reacted with glee. [I am treating him like one within my own clutch since I'm not sure what happened to his caretakers.] A crooked frown then graced the alien's face for a moment. [However, I have encountered... difficulties. I am afraid that my size could be a danger, and if he cries, I am unsure of whatever he needs or wants. That's where you come in.]
"Oh, for the love of God!" said Sasha as she practically facepalmed. "You must be out of your fucking mind! I don't care if you're a big, sexist, stinky, lizard, alien... thing. I'm not going to become some kind of fucking babysitter, and god knows why you thought it was a good idea to take some poor kid under your wing!"
The pupils of Ishtar's eyes narrowed. [...Stinky?]
"I'm still hoping this is some kind of bizarre dream. Oh, and just because I'm a woman doesn't mean I know anything about kids!"
Ishtar's face contorted, and her tail stopped wagging. [So... you're useless to me.]
The human saw something far more cold in her eyes as it replaced a once friendly demeanor. A chill went down her spine as the air was seemingly sucked out of the room and replaced by something tense. "Well... I... I have a younger brother."
[And?]
"I used to take care of him..."
[Yet, you previously claimed that you knew nothing about rearing hatchlings. Either you lied, or you immediately realized how stupid it was to defy someone like me. You're only receiving a second chance since you would be difficult to replace if I decided to rid myself of you.]
Sasha found herself at a loss of words as Ishtar stared her down. Following a short moment of silence, the alien lowered the human child onto the desk, allowing him to waddle onto it. Suko looked around the area with wide eyes and blissful ignorance as he randomly walked around, but eventually, the child saw Sasha and moved towards her. Ishtar's unblinking eyes shifted between her and the toddler. With time, the two humans approached one another.
Immediately, Sasha saw some wrinkly clothes on the child's body. More specifically, a black polo shirt, a pair of khaki pants, and some tennis shoes, which were all appropriately sized for him. Oddly enough, Suko appeared remarkably clean despite the state of his outfit.
"Uh... hi." muttered Sasha.
She shuddered when the child responded by approaching her and hugging her leg.
Meanwhile, Ishtar's head beamed up as she held it with both of her hands and created another blep. [Aw! He likes you!] A swooshing sound marked the moment that her tail began wagging again, fanning away the tension lingering in the air. [It's such an amusing coincidence too! I once had two hatchlings, one of which was a young boy, while the other was his rebellious older sister!]
"Fucking hell." said Sasha under her breath.
As for the child, he stepped back and looked up at Sasha as if he was a puppy before saying a single word...
"Hungry."
In response, Ishtar's jaw went agape, and her tail wagged more frantically. She made an odd clicking sound while her eyes went wide. [BY THE GODS! Did Suko just speak!?]
Before Sasha could say anything, the alien lunged forward. The sight of the otherwise massive reptilian moving towards the two resulted in the human woman recoiling as she stumbled and fell on her back. Ishtar's voice only grew louder from there...
[What did he say?! Oh, and have him get closer to the microphone!]
"He said that he was hungry!" replied Sasha as she nervously guided Suko until he was also standing next to the device.
[Ah! I should have known...]
"Jewce." said the boy, making the alien beam up again.
Ishtar released a pleasured hiss. [My gods! His little vocalizations sound so cute!] Her smile disappeared as she cocked her head. [However, my translator claims that he said... Jews? What are Jews? Where can I acquire them for my precious little Suko?]
Sasha's face scrunched up. "No, no, he said... juice."
[Juice?]
"You know. Juice. It's a liquid that comes from a fruit, or maybe a vegetable. Then again, the kid seems to be speaking English, which just makes things more complicated since I don't speak much of it..."
Ishtar flicked her tongue at her words. [Whatever. My species has something similar! The proper term is squeezings. Ah, and I just remembered that you poor little things don't have any suitable accommodations!] The alien paused to stand up and away from the desk. [Allow me to remedy that. I'll return soon. Just take care of Suko in the meantime... and I wouldn't suggest trying anything stupid. Even if you found a way out of the tent, I doubt the others would take kindly to a stray human trespassing within our base of operations.]
Sasha cradled the child closer to herself and looked downwards.
[I'll assume that means you understand. Good. Like I said, I'll be back soon, my darlings!]
With that, Ishtar removed her headset. She stood up, placed it on her chair, and quickly disabled the holographic screen of her computer with a press of a button. The alien only stopped to gently caress Suko with a finger, who giggled as he tried to grab it, while blood drained from Sasha's face. From there, Ishtar walked away with another woosh of her tail, and she exited the tent before zipping a flap back up.
At long last, the two humans were finally alone. Even with the rynar gone, their titanic surroundings served as an alien environment in and of itself. Sasha simply stood still and silently stared at the entrance, while Suko escaped her clutches and waddled away.
"Does this mean we're some sort of fucking pets now?"
The woman never received an answer to her question as she sighed. Afterward, she began walking and looking around the large desk. From what she was able to see, there were no feasible escape routes, and the ground countless feet beneath her practically guaranteed death or a severe injury if she tried to jump off the desk. The only thing that caught Sasha's attention following a few minutes of explorations was seeing the child peeking over the edge of the desk.
Sasha's eyes almost bulged out of her skull. "Jesus Christ! SUKO!"
Ignoring his name being called, the child proceeded to get on his belly as he peeked over the desk. He also used a free hand to swat at and reach for something. It inspired the human woman to break into a full-fledged sprint, but not even the rapid patter of footsteps seemed to faze the child as he stared at something. Ultimately, he was forced away from the edge as Sasha dragged him away by his legs.
"For the love of God, kid, you're going to hurt yourself!"
In return, Suko swung his arms, tried to kick his leg, and screamed one word...
"NO!"
Naturally, he screeched like a banshee as he began a renewed struggle for freedom.
It was only cut off by the sound of Ishtar re-entering the tent. Better yet, she was holding a full-fledged RV with one hand and proudly presenting it. She also opened her mouth, but no words came out as she tilted her head to the side and stared at Suko, who was screaming as Sasha dragged him around by his legs. Eventually, the human woman stopped what she was doing and looked at Ishtar like a deer caught in a pair of headlights.
Ishtar said something, but without her headset, it only came across as garbled vocalizations combined with hissing. Then she bared her fangs and approached the desk. As for Sasha, she froze in place and released Suko, who proceeded to crawl away. Meanwhile, the alien placed the RV on the desktop with a thud, making it shake as if there was a momentary earthquake. The alien woman made quick work of putting her headset back on and activating her computer, where a flashing orange light indicated that everything was in working order as speakers sprung back to life.
[WHAT WERE YOU DOING TO SUKO?!] she exclaimed with a snarl, startling even the boy as both humans stumbled back. [I leave for just a few minutes to sift through some abandoned buildings, and you're already doing this to each other!?]
Sasha threw her arms in the air. "The kid was trying to crawl over the edge of the desk! I dragged him away by the legs. What was I supposed to do, let him kill himself?"
As Sasha spoke, Suko moved towards Ishtar with a frown on her face. The sight made her rage seemingly vanish...
[Aw. Is the mean lady making the little one upset?]
After asking this question, the alien lowered her head. She allowed the boy to approach her snout, where she nuzzled him as her nostrils flared. He responded by giving a hug. Sasha watched on with her jaw agape as the two embraced each other, complete with the boy laughing, and Ishtar gave him the equivalent of a quick kiss with her serpentine tongue.
Following this, the rynar formed a crooked smile and looked down at the boy. [Sasha was just trying to protect you. There's no need to be upset!] Ishtar paused as she faced Sasha. [Well, go on then. Take a look inside of your new home!]
Without delay, Ishtar approached and opened the door to the RV in a record amount time. For a moment, things became normal again when she saw the compact interior, which had some brown carpet and old wooden furniture. A quick walk down a hall allowed her to see a kitchen, a bathroom, and even a private bedroom that came complete with a bed and other essential commodities.
[Is it acceptable?] asked a soft and booming voice from outside.
A peek out the window revealed Ishtar looming over the vehicle as she tried to look inside.
With a few simple clicks of a latch, Sasha opened the window to the kitchen. "I guess this will work...?"
[Excellent.]
Upon saying this, the alien gently guided Suko inside. Meanwhile, Sasha sifted through the kitchen cabinets and discovered some dusty cups and plates. Adding to this, she found some canned food, bottled water, and other long-lasting consumables.
As Sasha turned to face the window, she saw a single reptilian eye peeking inside. "Uh... the only problem is that we don't have much food. I mean... who did this belong to, anyway?"
Before the alien responded, she used a clawed finger to shut the RV door before her voice filled the air. [That's irrelevant. Regardless, I should be able to remedy that problem by tomorrow once I have more time to scavenge for things. I entrust you to properly feed and take care of Suko for now, and hopefully having a proper home will prevent those... issues... that you were having with him before.]
After hearing his name, Sasha looked at a small living room adjoining the kitchen. Suko was already in the process of spreading himself across a couch as he drifted to sleep. The woman only joined him for the sake of sitting on what appeared to be a recliner facing an old television set, and it appeared to be over a decade old based on its large size, wooden frame, and dust coating its glass screen.
[For now, goodnight, my little hatchlings! I need to grab something to eat before sleeping after such a long day. Hopefully, we can all eat brunch equivalent together tomorrow morning!]
Accompanying these words, Ishtar stuck out her tongue in a cute fashion. As she stood up, she waved with a clawed hand while wiggling her fingers. It wasn't long until the rynar disappeared from Sasha's view and exited the tent with a few flicks of her tail. Once the alien was gone, the young human rested her head in her hands as the reality of her situation finally dawned on her... for she was now nothing more than a prisoner under the most bizarre circumstances possible.
~~~~~
A holographic globe emitted in front of a rynar admiral.
Various icons indicated that cities all over Earth were occupied by rynar forces. This included a wide variety of names: Moscow, Beijing, London, Paris, Berlin, Tokyo, New Delhi, Washington DC, and many other countless settlements scattered across the globe. Whereas countries such as the United States, Russia, and China were getting swarmed, others such as Canada remained mostly untouched.
"And have the humans refrained from retaliating with their nuclear weapons?" asked the admiral as he spun in his chair and faced his assembled underlings. Some stood before him while others occupied various stations, which included flashing computer terminals.
One of the rynar held a clenched fist in front of their torso. "There has not been a significant nuclear response from a major human power, sir. Better yet, some human nations have formally surrendered. Occupation of population centers is achieving the desired results, albeit human resistance has been far more stubborn than originally anticipated."
At these words, a monitor displayed rynar ground forces moving through Europe as they mopped up what remained of some human vehicles that were rapidly retreating.
"Then we are behind schedule." said the admiral as he spun in another direction. "Now it is simply a matter of who flinches first..."
The man then faced what appeared to be a window, allowing him to stare deep into space from the safety of his flagship. Rynar ships with sharp, sleek, and jagged designs surrounded his vessel on all sides. Facing them in the far distance was another fleet, but unlike the homogeneous rynar one, it contained designs descending from a wide variety of different species. The only thing these alien ships had in common was various UTO markings adorning their hulls, some of which were gold.
Meanwhile, Earth itself indifferently rotated next to them. More ships were gradually joining the two fleets over time, resulting in an odd stalemate where the rynar controlled one side of the planet while the UTO reigned supreme over the other. Yet... none dared to approach each other. The admiral's breathtaking view of the fleets slowly assembling next to the planet was replaced by a flashing icon, cutting off the video feed.
INCOMING MESSAGE!
"The UTO fleet is attempting to contact this flagship again!" hissed a technician.
In response, the admiral spent several seconds tapping his clawed fingers against an armrest. "Bah. Make sure it is not a cyberattack before sending it through. This will be the last time I speak to those cowardly imbeciles."
"Understood, sir."
Mere moments later, the flashing icon transitioned to a live video feed. This revealed an avian creature, which had characteristics from both an eagle and a lion, and their tail with a tuft of brown fur at the tip swished side to side. In some ways, the alien looked like a bipedal gryphon, albeit a bit angelic due to their white wings. They opened their beak to speak, and a translator turned their vocalizations into something comprehensible.
"Finally!" said the gryphon as they flexed the talons on their hands. "This jahkatian would prefer to settle this conflict peacefully if possible. Therefore, he wants the rynar to depart with their fleets since their blatant invasion of this uncontacted world is a direct violation of several treaties!"
"Your treaties mean nothing." said the admiral with a venomous hiss, exposing his fangs. "Especially ones the rynar were practically forced to sign at gunpoint. However, perhaps the Collective can negotiate..."
The alien folded his wings against his body. "There is nothing to negotiate. Either you leave, or we intervene."
"Just simply return the colony of Kinskaid that you stole from us, and perhaps there shall be everlasting peace." replied the admiral as a smug smile graced his muzzle.
"That is not possible." The alien paused to shake his head. "This one had a feeling that talking would prove pointless. The only language the rynar have ever respected is force, after all, and we will apply if it means stopping the horrific invasion of these poor humans!"
At these words, another warning flashed at the corner of the screen as the video feed abruptly vanished.
"UTO fleet movement detected!" screeched one of the rynar present. Consequently, some frantically sifted through their computer terminals as they flicked away at holographic keys, and the sound of clicking filled the air as some clawed toes pattered against a metal floor. As for the admiral, he directed his attention to the notification and manually selected it, showcasing part of the UTO fleet breaking off as they moved towards the rynar forces from an odd angle, then the rest of the alien armada slowly advanced upon them while the detachment rushed forward.
"Some might be trying to flank the rynar fleet." said a crew member with a flick of her tongue. "It is an odd method. What would the admiral have them do?"
"Stand firm and prepare to engage!" exclaimed the admiral with a growl, riling up those present. The mood in the room became frenzied as they watched rynar fleets creating various formations before the enemy could get into firing range. A stream of information flowed in front of the admiral's eyes as he stared at several different screens, and only augmented reality vision was able to help him make sense of it all.
Chills went down his spine and scales as he watched the two fleets gradually getting closer. It wasn't long until the UTO detachment was almost within firing range. Accordingly, most of the rynar fleet prepared to engage...
...But at the last possible moment, the detachment made a one-eighty before pulling back.
A technician looked at this scene with wide eyes. "Wait..."
"What?" chirped someone else.
"Those godforsaken cowards!" snarled the admiral as he watched the rest of the UTO fleet moving towards Earth instead. What was occuring quickly dawned on him when a plethora of UTO troop transports began descending upon the planet, and his forces were in no position to intercept them. "We might have been tricked..."
"Other officers are requesting permission to engage." said a technician out of the blue.
"Do not engage under any circumstances," replied the admiral, "Permission can only be granted by the empress herself or if our fleet has no choice but to act in self-defense."
"But what about the UTO ground forces currently heading towards Earth?" asked another.
The admiral cocked his head. "The empress only forbade engaging enemy ships." He stood up and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. "Not enemy soldiers. Permission to engage is granted to the ground forces."
"I shall send a message then." said a technician as he typed away.
"And request reinforcements while you are at it." Upon uttering these words, the admiral paced in place while gnashing his fangs and scraping his claws against his sword handle. "Things have just gotten... complicated."