Chapter Text
She was more than excited when President Shlats, her father, ran away. The news stations had long been relaying the message of alien disaster in space, laying waste to fleets and ships nearing the likes of the Indomitable . Rumors crept across Terra of impending slavery under the heel of an alien oppressor if we were to lose this war. Eventually, even President Shalt would make a statement on the supposed impending doom.
“Valued workers and customers of Shalts Industries, I come to you with distressing news. A threat from beyond the stars has come to our doorstep. They threaten the Terran Accord, Shalts Industries, and our very way of life. I humbly request your efforts in repelling these monsters kind citizens of Terra. I have committed all my personal resources to annihilating these so-called Affini with speed and force...” Melody had stopped listening to him at that point in the speech. She could practically taste the greed in his voice. This war, if you could even call it that, had raised Shalt stocks into orbit and had made President Shalt one of the first Quintilinaiores.
The panic was sending New Angeles into a frenzy. Desperate executives and CEOs found every available ship and ran off into the deepest parts of Terran Accord-controlled space. Even stalwart President Shalts felt the squeeze.
“Listen, son, I know we don’t always see eye to eye but think of your own life at the very least!” Even at the heat end of the universe, her father never saw her as anything more than a pawn in the business plan. “You are the very legacy of this company, of everything OUR FAMILY has built. Don’t let these aliens take that from you.” Melody hoped it was the first thing they stole away from her. The look in her father’s eyes that day did stick with her. She had never seen him scared, no less scrambling. “Please, Lysander, you’re all I have left of her...”
President Shalts fled Earth in January 2254 with a rebellion he had apparently managed to scramble together. Melody started estrogen on January 15th, 2254.
With her father’s absence, the estate she was staying at was oddly silent—no longer plagued by the drone of meetings and constant technological chirps. She spent the rest of January alone in the rotting church of one of Terra’s fallen gods, attempting to alleviate some of the pain President Shalt had inflicted. The remaining funds were spent on providing food and other essentials to the workers who did not have a private ship to escape to.
As February came around, the silence became sickening. Despite the world falling down around her, all Melody craved was the melodic rhythms that used to haunt her dwelling.
She got out of bed on February 5, 2254, hoping to help the home’s emptiness. She made her way downstairs from her room. The creaking of the meticulously carved wooden staircase shouted her movement to the rest of the manor. Despite her disdain for everything this place stood for, she could not help but be utterly lost in its art. President Shalts, despite being a weapons company CEO, had hired some of the best artists in New Angeles to work on his house.
Past the stars, she made her way to the kitchen in search of something to eat. The kitchen had been mostly unused throughout her life here, and she’d been trying to change that recently.
While Melody was getting set up to cook, her data pad started buzzing on the table. A few messages were coming in from her best friend, Adaline. Melody set down her cooking supplies and chuckled a little while reading the messages.
“Hey Girl!” - 10:24 am
“Everything has been so CRAZY, I hope you’ve been doing okay” - 10:24 am
“I’ve got something special if you want to hang out ;)” - 10:25 am
Melody quickly respond
“I’d love to hang out :3” - 10:25 am
“It feels like it’s been forever, plus this house is so lonely without that monster here…” 10:25 am
Adaline shot a couple messages back
“HE LEFT YOU???” - 10:26 am
“I’m coming over at 1 okay be ready!!!” - 10:26 pm
“Plus, I’ve got some pretty interesting info on our so-called alien oppressors :>” 10:26 pm
Melody hurriedly spent the next few hours tidying up the mess of a house she had been living in. It’s shocking just how much dirt and dust builds up just from living in a place. She set up the dining room next to the kitchen again. It was a meeting room until she was born. It was one of the few fond memories she had of her dad. It was a beautiful room. High wood walls and ceiling, a great window looking out from the property into the city skyline, and the room’s star, an elaborate glass and marble dining table. This room has always been stunning to Melody. It was a testament to what could have been with her family.
Melody realized she was running out of time as her watch displayed 12:40. She booked it up the stairs, throwing on her outfit for today: first, a long black skirt that went down to her ankles, gifted to her by Adaline; second, a fishnet top that she struggled to fit into for a second; and finally, a Terran Sickness band t-shirt.
She raced into the bathroom, quickly throwing on foundation, concealer, and black eyeliner. She gazed into the mirror. She’d known it had only been a month, but damn did she wish HRT worked faster. She still saw the marks of him , in her face. “It’ll stop seeing you soon,” she muttered to herself.
Just as Melody finished up, she heard a knock on the door. She rushed back downstairs and opened it. There, Adaline was, in the flesh.
Melody always forgot quite how gorgeous Adaline was. A soft face with long dark brown hair cut into curtain bangs. It accentuated her shining green eyes and warm smile. Melody blushed as she was pulled into a hug.
“I’m glad to see you in person; god, it’s been too long,” Adaline said, her voice slightly muffled by the hug. She pulled back, looking me up and down, scanning both my outfit and face. You look amazing, by the way, Melody! I’m impressed by how far your makeup and attire have come in the past month.” Melody’s face shone an even brighter red. Well, I did learn from the best!” she said, scratching the back of her neck.
Adaline herself was wearing quite the outfit: a gray tank top with exposed bra straps, a black ankle skirt, and a mismatch of belts and jewelry around her waist and arms. It highlighted her body’s curves well and gave way to a little pang of jealousy in Melody.
Melody brought Adaline into the house and prepared a vanilla cola, Adaline’s favorite. “Sooooo, what’s on the ticket today, Ms Secluded? I feel like you’re going to unveil a secret project with all the time you’ve spent alone.” Melody laughed, “Not quite; let’s see, the past few months, I’ve cried in bed, played a hopeless amount of video games, and attempted to fix the wrongdoings of my family. So you know, the usual.” Adaline snorted, “Another day in the life of rebel Melody, I suppose.”
Melody beckoned Adaline over to the living room. Its scale was oddly small compared to the grander of most things in the house. It had low-level wooden ceilings and a wooden floor laid over mostly with a gray and gold rug. The centerpiece was by far the large black leather couch that took up most of the space. It was poised to give the perfect view of a state-of-the-art entertainment pad.
Melody handed Adaline her drink and sat down on the couch. “Well, I didn’t really have anything much in mind. You could reveal whatever info and surprise you have?” Melody wondered aloud. “I’ll save the surprise for later,” Adaline said, winking at Melody. “However, I wouldn’t mind chatting about the scoop I’ve got!”
“Let me start with what I’ve overheard about the Affini.” Melody had somehow forgotten that Adaline was the daughter of an extremely high-ranking commander in the galactic navy. She hoped that Adaline would confirm the rumors were false. She really would prefer to not be working in a coal mine. If they were false, though… What was even the point of this war?
A sudden snap came out. Melody jolted back to the conversation. Adaline smiled and started, “This is going to sound redundant but I think we are the bad guys.” “Go figure,” Melody responded. “We do not have a single report of a Terran who died in combat with the Affani. In fact, we don’t have a single soldier who has seen the Affini and reported back anything that makes sense.” “What do you mean?” Melody inquired. Adaline clarified in a confused tone, “The soldiers said that they have been helping save the lives of humans.”
As silence filled the air, Melody’s mind began turning rapidly. Why would a species at war attempt to help its enemies in the middle of a battle? Were we that prime of a resource to them? What job or worse, part of us was so important? Adaline started back up, “Apparently, one of the soldiers who managed to get away saw an Affini guarding a Terran soldier and holding them in its arms. Command seems to think it’s some kind of psychological warfare, but this seems like a weird way to go about it.” Melody didn’t quite know how to respond.
“I don’t get it, Melody; companies have been pushing people to the brink for this war. Every single resource is being shipped out, but our command isn’t even sure why we’re fighting.” Melody looked down at her lap and sighed, “My Dad left because of this war, Adaline. I feel like he must have had something to fear, right?” Adaline leaned against Melody and spoke, “I think I might have the reason in my pocket.”
Adaline pulled out a small test tube-esk bottle filled with some pastel yellow liquid. “I stole this from my Dad’s room yesterday; it’s labeled Affini Xenodrug Class A.” Melody felt the gears turning in her head and added, “Is it possible that the Affini desire control over us or something? Is the drug a psychedelic?” Adaline frowned a little, “Unfortunately, I’m not exactly sure. My hypothesis is something near yours. What’s weird is that it seems to have dosing instructions.” Adaline rotated the tube and read, “Sample Affini Xeno Drugs Class A. Humans should take four teaspoons of Xeno Drugs for stress relief, anger reduction, and heightened pleasure. We hope this sample helps you consider domestication.
Melody’s jaw was held open in shock. “I’m sorry, did you say DOMESTICATION?” Adaline seemed similarly concerned, responding, “That’s the piece that throws this whole thing into wack. Plus, it’s a sample that seems to have been sent by the Affini in English, no less.” Melody’s internal gears were now running fast enough to power a factory, “Do you think it’s a translation error? I feel like they can’t have a complete understanding of English. If not, do they want to keep us as pets or cattle? I mean, both are types of domestication, right???” Adaline sighed and spoke again, “Logically, it makes sense for this to just be some term for conquering or putting to work. However, one part of my brain can’t help but think of the implications attached to the word.”
They sat together on the couch, staring at the tube when a devilish thought hit Melody. In a whisper, Melody asked, “Should we, ummm, try it?” Adaline met the question with silence, not taking her eyes off of the tube. After a few minutes of sitting quietly, Adaline responded, “If we do, at least we can know how it works, right?” They’d taken a pretty fair amount of drugs together in the past, but space drugs probably topped the usual weed. Melody piped up again, “Maybe we should wait till the evening. It’s only-” Melody checked her watch, which displayed a bright 3:21. “3:21; it’ll probably be best if we can just try to sleep it off if it’s bad. We could play a racing game like we used to in the meantime?” “I’d love that,” Adaline said with a warm smile returning to her face.
Melody got everything ready and sat back down, handing Adaline a moment later a spare controller. Melody has religiously sucked at racing games. She always gets so caught up in her car’s speed and stability that she never notices the shortcuts or Adaline shooting past her. Melody preferred to get lost in the world of RPGs anyway, not practice some long-lost Terran tradition.
Adaline interrupted her introspection, “You ready for me to kick your ass again, Mel?” Melody sighed, “Yes, but I promise you I will get you someday.” Adaline smirked, “I’ll believe it when I see it.
A few hours passed as the two played together and talked shit. Melody did not break the curse and continued to lose every single race. The day grew older as Melody and Adaline saw the little natural light peeking between the smog drift to sleep.
Melody felt the growing pit in her stomach and looked at Adaline, “Hey, Adaline, could we pause and eat for a second? I’m starving.” Adaline returned a grin and said, “What? Tired of me kicking your ass and need a break?” They giggled as Melody set down her controller and moved to the kitchen.
“Whatcha in the mood for?” she called out. A response from closer than she expected made her jump a little, “Whatever you’re i- Are you okay, Mel?” Mel felt the red shade of embarrassment smear across her face, “Ya, sorry about that. Sometimes I just freak out when people are closer than I realize…” Adaline’s face contorted into an obvious look of concern, “If there is something you need to talk about, I’m always open, Mel. I promise I’ll do anything to relieve some of your pain.”
Melody went stiff. It wasn’t that she didn’t believe Adaline… she just didn’t want to hurt her like he had. “It’s totally okay, I promise. What’d you want to eat!’ Melody said, putting on a fake smile. Adaline’s face still bore strong signs of concern, but she sighed, saying, “Whatever you want, pasta would be cool.” Melody was pretty sure she had some, “How’s penne pasta with alfredo sauce and some beef?” she asked. Adaline responded saying, “That would be wonderful. Let me know how I can help!”
Melody and Adaline chit-chatted while Melody cooked. Melody started by boiling her water on the stove for the pasta. While that happened, she opened the fridge and grabbed the Alfredo sauce jar and artificial beef cuts. She took a cutting board and worked the beef into thin strips, working with the grain so they wouldn’t be chewy. Melody loved pasta and Alfredo sauce especially. Both were ancient in Terran culture and had managed to stick around for many years. The texture was like no other, and the meal inhabited a warm spot in her stomach and heart. The pasta was connected to one of the last memories of her mother that she had.
Melody quickly pushed the thought away and tossed the pasta into the boiling water. She tightened in fear of the water, even though she knew it would only hurt her by her own mistake. She let the pasta cook and added the basil, salt, and pepper to the mix. Seasoning was often pre-included, but Melody liked the challenge, so she bought the options without it. Trial and error had, for the most part, taught her the right skills, but she still sometimes over or under-seasoned on occasion.
After about 20 minutes, the pasta reached the right level of cooking and strained the pasta into the sink. She threw it back into the pot and- “Remember honey, the pasta is done when it could stick to a wall!” Melody felt the tears welling in her eyes as she added the sauce and meat and let it sit on the heat momentarily. This dish always reminded her of Mom, but she never cried about it, especially not in front of her best friend. Adaline’s voice broke through her thoughts, “Melody? Are you sure there is nothing you want to talk about?”
Melody looked back at her friend, the concerned look on her beautiful face again. “It’s just I’m thinking of my Mom again… Did I ever tell you about how I learned this dish?” “No.” “Well, it’s the last recipe my Mom taught me. Before everything happened. She told me which sauce to buy, how to season it, and what meats to add. I guess it just came back to me while making it today.” “Oh gosh, Mel,” Adaline said, sympathy filling her words. “Would you like a hug?” Melody sniffled, “Ya, I would really like that.” Melody soon fell into the arms of Adaline, her warmth feeding into her needy body. They stayed there for a minute as Melody’s heart rate returned to normal, and the tears stopped falling.
Melody broke the silence, “I think dinner is probably ready now by the way.” Adaline stepped out of the hug and spoke, “Good, I’m pretty hungry now.” They ate in the dining room, watching a silly video about a new sandbox game that had come out. Melody felt the stupid internal grief of ruining the night with her problems. She knew better than to air those thoughts. She could practically hear Adaline’s response already. “No, you didn’t, you goober. I’m here for you whenever, sad or happy.”
They finished up dinner, and as they were cleaning up, Melody’s mind floated back to the dilemma earlier today. She steeled herself and spoke, “Hey, Adaline, are you ready to take some space drugs?”
They sat on the couch back in the living room. Adaline held the alien ichor in her hands. They both silently held hands as they readied themselves for possibly their biggest mistake yet: for Melody to finally be the true and utter failure her father made her out to be.
“Alright, Mel, I’ll take the dose first, and then I’ll pass it to you, okay?” Melody could feel her hand trembling. “Sounds good, Adaline. And hey, before we do this, I promise you that I will always care about you. No matter what happens, I won’t run from you.” “It’s just drugs!” Adaline said with false confidence, which was made evident by her shaking hands.
Adaline brought the tube closer to her lips. She started to count down, “One, two,thr—” The ichor passed her lips, and Melody watched as her throat slowly moved. She looked at Melody, passing the tube. “It actually tastes pretty good!” Her infectious smile instilled the confidence Melody needed. She brought it up to her lips, a soft floral scent wafted off, and Melody slowly swallowed the designated amount.
As Melody put the cap back onto the tube, she felt a soft heat fill her body, starting at her stomach. She set the tube down and looked at Adaline, who seemed to be… Staring at her? That was really odd. Adaline’s smile grew to a grin as she began to speak, “You know, I never realized just how pretty you are, hun.” Melody started to recoil in confusion, but suddenly, she didn’t feel very afraid of the affection. She giggled, “Thanks Adaline, you’re very pretty too.”
Adaline moved closer, more than just their hands touching. Every inch of closeness felt like sparks going off under Melody’s skin. Adaline began to speak, this time giggling, “You feel so soft, too. God, I could just eat you up.” Melody wanted to be closer, much closer. “Adaline, could we snuggle here.” Adaline giggled again, “That’s a silly question, of course, cutie.”
They shifted positions with Adaline’s body wrapped around Melody’s smaller frame. Every touch ignited Melody’s mind and nerves. She wanted to be closer to feel more. “Adaline, don’t laugh, but could we stay like this for a while?” Even though Melody couldn’t see Adaline’s face, she could hear the lazy smile in her words, “Of course, sweetie.”
Melody lay content. She didn’t remember what had been bothering her for so long. She didn’t really care. All she focused on was the heat and the slow rhythmic pattern of Adaline’s heart. She felt her mind slow, and her eyelids began to close, and for once, Melody’s mind was quiet.