Guardian Awakening by C. Osborne Rapley

for your species is it?”
    He regarded her silently for a moment, her presence in his mind like a gentle caress. “Normally no, we do tend to bond for life, but it is in no way irreversible.” There was a sensation of wistfulness, tinged with fear coming from her.
    She nodded, her hair tickling his chest. “Like you and Sarah?”  
    Tristan did not know whom she meant for a moment. “With you it was totally different, something has changed.” The faint edge of fear receded from her mind.
    He stroked he hair. “When I was in the Navy I volunteered to be part of an experimental weapons program,” he continued as she rested her chin on his chest, watching him. “It involved a direct connection to the weapon through an implanted interface. Something went wrong. They were not sure why or how but my mind rejected it. They could not remove it. I was severely compromised with constant headaches. I lost my confidence, my ability to function properly. They pensioned me off.”  
    She nodded. “Go on.”
    “When I got close to your ship for the first time something happened, I could communicate with it. All I could think was your ship activated the implant, I don’t know how because I was told it had fused, but the constant ache suddenly vanished. I have not had a headache since. The point is, while we were making love I was overwhelmed at the connection we had. I know it would never be the same with anyone else and ordinary humans don’t have your ability anyway. My relationship with Sarah was empty and meaningless in comparison”.
    He sighed. “It can only ever be you from now on. You have spoiled me for anyone else.” He smiled.
    “Good!” She moved deliciously against him, his pulse quickened, and the fire returned. He pulled her towards him as she whispered in his ear, “I want you again.”  
    Much later, as the sun started to dip behind the hills, a faint chill was felt in the air. She sat up and reached for her clothes “Tristan?”
    “Hmmm, come back here.” He reached for her. She nestled against him her jacket thrown across her shoulders. The wistful emotions had returned.
    “Tristan?”
    “Yes.”
    “We can never have children.” She paused. “It is an imperative for us, females of my species I mean.” He felt her sadness as she said it. “Every cross species mating is sterile.”
    He squeezed her. “Let’s not think of that now, we have a long way to go.” She nodded and he felt her put the thought out of her mind. “Aesia, how many species are there?”
    “Oh, about thirty-five that we know of, why?”
    “Do they all look more or less the same?” he asked, ignoring her question.
    “How do you mean, the same?”
    “Well, but for minor differences, like us; two arms, two legs, walk upright that sort of thing.”
    “Yes.”
    “Does that not strike you as strange?”
    She shook her head. “No, I’ve never thought of it.”
    “Well think for a moment, Alien species evolving on different planets which before space flight would be totally isolated, what are the chances of them being almost identical? You are built the same as a human female, have the same physiology, respond during intercourse to the same stimuli. Is that possible in a totally random universe?”
    “No, I suppose not.” She paused. “You have mentioned that before, I really don’t know.” She shivered. “I’m getting chilly, let’s put up our shelter.”
    They stayed in the oasis for almost a week. Tristan could quite easily have stayed there forever with her, but they had to move on. By this time, Aesia could almost walk normally; all she had was a slight limp.
    On the morning of the sixth day they broke camp and left their oasis.

    The weeks went by. They had settled into a routine, each day bringing them closer to their goal. They eventually reached a range of hills on the edge of the great plain and had to climb them. Sometimes the going got difficult, and Tristan worried that Aesia might fall and damage