Deep Penetration; Alien Breeders I by Stacey St. James Page A

“Koryn was
thoughtful enough to bring your midday meal. Unfortunately,
although he’d thought to join you, I’m afraid I’ll have to deprive
you of company. We have business to attend to.”
    Disconcerted, Emerald frowned uneasily
at the two men as they strode from Tariq’s quarters.
    Not that they’d mistreated her since
she’d awoken, but she would’ve expected a more violent reaction
than that from most anyone.
    Guilt flickered through her at that
thought. Despite everything, they’d been unfailingly considerate of
her, kind and gentle in spite of their arrogant superiority
complex—which, she supposed, they at least had reason to feel. As
annoying as that was, it would have been far more irritating if she
hadn’t seen them as superior beings herself in most every
way.
    It occurred to her that they must
think they had some other way of obtaining the information since
they hadn’t pressured her for it and it was clear that they were
determined to discover whatever remained of the human
race.
    Or maybe they were just trying to use
psychology on her, trying to make her think they had another way to
get the information so that she would let her guard
down?
    A cold wave washed over her abruptly
as another memory surfaced. They were excavating for the remains of
the people who’d died here and her platoon had been stationed to
defend the entrance to the subway where those who hadn’t had the
chance to flee the city had been sent for safety. She’d told them
when she woke from her nightmare! For several moments, wild ideas
of somehow diverting them chased back and forth across her mind.
Just about the time she acknowledged the futility of trying
anything, however, it dawned on her that no one in the subway was
likely to have the information they were seeking. Everyone knew
they had established colonies on several different planets. She
didn’t doubt that they knew the names that had been given to the
planets. She realized it was highly unlikely that the Anunnaki
would find anyone who knew the star systems where those planets
were, though, or would be able to give them any kind of description
that might help them narrow down the possibilities.
    Those who’d remained on Earth after
the exodus had little interest in the other colonies. They’d
considered themselves ‘caretakers’ of the home world and it was
entirely possible that was the real reason many of them had stayed,
to guard human interest in the home world until it’s climate
stabilized again and made it more welcoming. For the most part,
though, those who’d remained hadn’t actually stayed by choice. They
simply hadn’t had the option of going to one of the new worlds
either because they had no skills that made them desirable
colonists or they couldn’t afford to make the trip and often
both.
    She’d joined the military because
she’d known it was her only hope of getting off planet and settling
with her daughter on one of the colony worlds. She hadn’t wanted to
leave earth at first. Sure they had problems due to the climate
change, which had caused global economic instability, but it was
home and the colonies had their own problems. Besides that she
hadn’t wanted to leave her family behind when there was a strong
possibility that she’d never see them again.
    She’d lost her reasons for staying
over the years, though, lost those closest to her, and as Cara grew
older, she’d come to see that there were far better opportunities
for her daughter on the colony worlds.
    She’d expected to get the chance to go
with her, though, hoped she might at least have the chance to join
her later even though she’d known that was doubtful.
    Grief swelled in her chest at the
thought, making it hard to breathe, but she struggled to tamp it as
she had since she’d sent Cara away. Her daughter was safe and that
was far more important than anything else. She not only had the
chance for life. She had the chance of a good life, far more
opportunities than