Beyond Earth

The Kiss That Betrayed Us

"Are you also half-human and half-Xaryth?" I asked, my voice low, cautious.

She nodded, her eyes steady on mine. "Yeah. Just like you," she said simply.

"I've never heard of you before," I said, frowning.

"That's because my existence is a secret. I was created in a laboratory in San Francisco," she replied, her tone calm, almost matter-of-fact.

I frowned, confusion tightening my face. "How is that even possible?" I asked.

"It's complicated. All you need to know is that the Xaryth have been coming and going from Earth for decades. They have human allies, and some of those humans helped create me. I was designed to be a perfect replica of you, in case you ever decided to fight for humanity. My purpose was to stop you," she explained, her voice growing colder with each word.

I stared at her, trying to process what she'd just told me.

"But now you're fighting for the humans," she continued, tilting her head slightly. "Which means I'll have to report your decision to the generals."

"I'm not afraid of them," I said firmly, holding her gaze.

She fell silent for a moment before asking, her voice softening, "Why are you fighting for the humans? The same people who treated you like an outcast your entire life?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but before I could say anything, I heard my squad shouting my name from outside.

"I have to go," she said quickly, glancing towards the sound.

I reached for her arm, desperate not to lose her. "When will I see you again?" I asked.

Instead of answering, she placed a hand against my face and kissed me. I was too surprised to react, and by the time she pulled away, she was already smiling, a small, knowing smile.

"Now that I have your DNA, I'll be able to find you. Don't worry," she whispered.

Before I could ask what she meant, she jumped onto the roof, disappearing into the darkness.

I stood there for a moment, trying to make sense of everything she'd told me. Who was she, really? And what did she mean by having my DNA?

As I stepped out of the house, I spotted Marcus and Ethan approaching. Marcus suddenly broke into a run, and before I could react, he slammed into me, sending us both crashing to the ground.

"What the hell are you doing?" I demanded, struggling beneath him.

He didn't answer. Instead, he pulled out a syringe, driving the needle into my neck.

I tried to push him away, but my strength was fading. The surroundings began to spin, and within seconds, I lost consciousness.

A familiar voice reached me through the darkness.

_Hey... Albert._

I struggled to respond.

_Albert, you need to wake up. Now!_

My eyes snapped open.

I was chained to a chair in the same room where I'd been held earlier. A deep migraine throbbed on the left side of my head, and when I looked up, I saw my reflection in the mirror.

"What the hell is going on?" I shouted, pulling against the chains.

The door opened, and Harold walked in. He stopped in front of me, looking thoroughly disappointed.

"You disappoint me, Albert. And to think I risked my job defending you before the board. Why couldn't you follow a simple instruction? Are you so eager to get yourself killed?" he said, his voice heavy with frustration.

"I'm sorry," I said quickly. "I thought I saw someone, so I followed my instincts and chased after them."

"A girl?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

I said nothing. It was obvious my squad had already told him what happened.

"Who is she to you?" he pressed.

"Nobody. I have no idea who she is," I replied, shaking my head.

"Did you find her? What did she tell you?" he demanded.

"I never caught up with her. She was faster," I said, keeping my voice steady.

"Faster than you?" he asked, genuinely surprised.

I nodded.

Harold stepped closer, studying me through his round glasses.

"Albert, for your own sake, I hope you're smart enough to understand that lying to me would be a terrible mistake. You should know that I'm the only person here who's actually on your side. Everyone else wants you dead," he warned, his voice low, serious.

I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry.

"I'm not lying to you," I said.

He stared at me for another moment before turning towards the mirror. A faint sound came from the restraints, and the chains around my wrists suddenly released.

I rubbed my hands together, relieved.

"Can I leave now?" I asked.

"There's a bomb implanted in your brain," he said calmly, as if he were talking about the weather. "If you disobey orders again, your captain is authorized to blow your head off."

I stared at him, waiting for him to admit he was joking, but his expression never changed.

I didn't say anything. I simply turned and walked out.

The corridors seemed endless, and I had no idea where I was supposed to go. Eventually, I spotted Daniel walking towards me with a few other soldiers. They were laughing about something, but he stopped when he noticed me, while the others continued down the hallway.

"Hey, Albert. How are you feeling?" he asked warmly, a concerned smile on his face.

"I'm good. And I'm sorry about what happened in the field. I didn't mean to cause any problems," I said, feeling genuinely guilty.

"It's fine. Are you hungry?" he asked, tilting his head.

"Actually, yeah," I admitted.

He placed a hand on my shoulder and turned me around.

"Come with me," he said, leading the way.

We headed towards the cafeteria together, and the moment we walked through the entrance, the conversations around us gradually died down. Almost everyone turned to look at me.

I wasn't surprised. I was probably the most unusual thing they'd seen in a long time.

Ethan, who was already inside, noticed me looking around.

"Pay them no mind," he said dismissively, waving a hand. "They're just jealous of you."

I chuckled, though it felt forced. "I think they either hate me or they're afraid of me," I said.

"People will always be afraid of what they don't understand," he replied, leaning back in his chair. "But give it time. They'll eventually get to know you and understand who you really are."

Daniel and I collected some sandwiches and milk before joining the others at our table.

"Before we start," I said, looking at everyone, "I want to apologize for what happened out there. I shouldn't have ignored the captain's orders."

Rachel glanced at me, her expression softening.

"It's alright, as long as you don't do it again," she said, her voice forgiving.

I nodded, and we started eating.

The conversation gradually picked up, with everyone sharing a few jokes and talking about things that had happened before the Xaryth returned. For a while, I almost forgot where I was.

Listening to them reminded me of Kara, Blake, William, and Sheldon. They had been the first people who made me feel like I belonged somewhere, and losing them had left a hole I wasn't sure would ever heal.

But sitting with these people, I began to wonder if perhaps I had found another family.

Maybe this was my chance to do things differently. This time, I wouldn't let anything happen to them.

Our conversation was interrupted when two soldiers approached the table.

"So this is the famous hybrid," one of them said, looking directly at me, his voice dripping with contempt. "I wonder how long it'll take before he turns on us."

"Maybe we should keep him away from the rest of us," the other added, smirking. "Wouldn't want to wake up with an alien chewing on our necks."

I pushed my chair back, ready to stand, but Marcus and Ethan were already on their feet.

"Watch your mouth," Marcus warned, his voice low, dangerous.

"Yeah," Ethan added, stepping forward. "If you have a problem with him, take it somewhere else."

The two soldiers exchanged glances before backing away.

I slowly settled back into my chair, looking at Marcus and Ethan. I wasn't used to people standing up for me, especially when they had no reason to.

For the first time in a long while, I felt like someone actually had my back.

We eventually finished eating, and Ethan leaned back in his chair.

"We're going to watch a movie in my room. I've got a projector if you want to join us," he offered, a friendly grin on his face.

"Thanks, but I think I'll get some sleep," I said, shaking my head.

"Fair enough. Your room is downstairs. Take the corridor to the bedrooms, and you'll find room 4B," he said, pointing towards the door.

"Alright. Thanks," I replied.

I left the cafeteria, following the directions he'd given me. After a short walk, I found room 4B and stepped inside.

The room was neat, surprisingly comfortable. There was a bed against the wall, a wardrobe, a small desk, and a bathroom at the far end. It wasn't much, but it was more than enough for me.

I dropped onto the bed, staring at the ceiling.

My thoughts returned to the girl. Who had created her? How much did she know about me? And why had she been so interested in my decision to fight for humanity?

Then there was my squad. Despite everything that had happened, they seemed willing to give me a chance.

I had a lot to think about, but exhaustion eventually caught up with me, and I drifted off to sleep.

---

When I opened my eyes, I found myself standing in a completely white space. There was nothing around me, and no matter which direction I looked, I couldn't see anything.

"Hello?" I called out, my voice echoing into the distance.

"Son of Avada," she said, her voice calm, echoing from behind me.

I turned around. She was standing behind me.

"My name is Albert, not Son of Avada," I said, frustration creeping into my voice. "And are you the one doing this?"

"Yeah," she said simply, unbothered.

"How?" I asked, bewildered.

"I'm telepathic. And when I kissed you, I collected your DNA. That made it easier for me to find you and enter your mind," she explained, her tone matter-of-fact.

I stared at her, intrigued.

"Can I do that too?" I asked, my curiosity growing.

"Of course. Everything I can do, you can do," she said, smiling slightly.

I stared at her in amazement. There was apparently a lot more to being half-Xaryth than I had imagined.

She studied me for a moment before asking, her voice serious, "Have you decided which side you're going to fight for?"

"I already told you. I'm sorry, but the humans are my family. Earth is my home," I said firmly.

Her expression changed, hardening.

"Earth was our home before the humans took it from us! And you want to fight alongside them against your own people?" she demanded, her voice rising with anger.

"I'm sorry for what your people went through, but that happened eons ago. The humans responsible for it are long dead. The people living on Earth today are innocent," I said, trying to keep my voice calm.

She stared at me for a moment before sighing, disappointment clear in her eyes.

"I see. I can't change your mind anymore," she said quietly.

"Then what do you want from me?" I asked.

"Come with me," she said, gesturing.

A door suddenly appeared beside her. She walked towards it, opening it, revealing a dark room with a small lamp in one corner and a wooden bench. I followed her inside, and we sat beside each other.

In front of us was a brown veil with light shining from behind it. A moment later, shadows began moving across its surface.

I leaned forward, fascinated.

The figures looked like Xaryth, along with several strange animals. They moved around, playing and interacting with one another as though they were living in a peaceful world.

"What is this?" I asked, whispering.

"Planet Zerathis," she replied, her voice soft, almost reverent. "Or, as you humans call it, Earth. This is what Zerathis looked like before the humans came."

As I watched, several enormous, orb-shaped objects appeared in the sky. The Xaryth figures stopped what they were doing, turning towards them.

The objects descended, and strange human-like figures emerged. At first, they approached the Xaryth peacefully, even embracing some of them. But their friendliness didn't last.

The humans suddenly brought out guns and opened fire.

The Xaryth figures fell one after another, and the peaceful scene quickly turned into a massacre. When there was no one left standing, the humans brought out a flag and planted it in the ground.

The word EARTH was written across it.

Then the light behind the veil went out.

I sat silently, trying to process what I had just witnessed.

"This is what they did to us," she said, her voice trembling with old pain. "They killed our people, took our planet, and drove the survivors away. And after everything they did, you still want to fight for them?"

I looked at her, my heart heavy.

"I'm sorry your people went through that, but it happened a long time ago. Those responsible are dead. The humans living here today shouldn't have to pay for something their ancestors did," I said gently.

She remained silent for a moment before finally speaking, her voice cold, resigned.

"I see. I can't change your mind anymore, and that makes you my enemy," she said.

She looked directly at me, her eyes unblinking.

"Next time we meet, we'll meet as enemies," she declared.

She paused, then added, her voice softer, "Thank you, Son of Avada."

I frowned, confused. "For what?" I asked.

"For leading us straight to where you are," she said, a faint, sad smile on her lips.

I immediately stood up, panic rising in my chest.

"What do you mean?" I demanded.

A loud bang suddenly interrupted us.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

My eyes flew open.

Another bang shook my bedroom door.

"Get up! We're under attack!" someone shouted from the other side, his voice frantic. "There are Xaryth everywhere!"

A scream followed, then the sound of gunfire.

I jumped out of bed, and everything suddenly became clear.

She hadn't entered my mind just to speak with me. She had used me to find our hideout.

I'd led them straight to us.