It was several days after Carrie and Shadick were brought back from the mother ship.

The sounds outside echoed through the bunker. The construction of the city dome had finally started. The sounds of machinery, as gears grinded and beeped, could be heard as those above them worked.

Zack and the others had gone through the supplies that were brought at the same time that Shadick and his sister were returned to them. There were clothes for everyone, both human and alien. Food, fresh water, com units, med kits, and even a blaster for each of them to fight against marauders and zombies. They were pleased with what they had been given. They needed all of it.

"I want to go out and see what they're doing. Anyone want to come?" Zack asked, scanning his friends as he waited for a response. He was happy that the aliens of their group no longer needed to hide. It made him worry less for his mate. The only thing they had to worry about now was zombies and human marauders after their supplies. Things appeared to be looking up for once.

Carrie nodded slowly to her twin, keeping her head down. Depression still consumed her. "Yeah, I need fresh air," she told him quietly. Her eyes were still red from crying, and her face was pale. Due to her appearance, she looked ill.

Shadick hadn't left her side since they had gotten back from the mother ship. He was fighting his emotions also, trying to stay strong for Carrie. Although he had a sickly appearance, he looked better than he had when they had first returned, and he was acting normally. It was easy to tell that he was fighting the depression as well.

Joe and Nisa didn't say anything. Nisa had her hand in Joe's as they just walked out behind Zack, Shelia, Carrie, and Shadick. All the couples were hand in hand. Alice chose to follow the group, leaving Jamie to watch the bunker. He didn't feel like going. He was fighting his own emotions.

As they made their way through the hidden tunnel, the noise of the construction became louder.

Approaching the secret entrance, the group had discovered it was no longer hidden. It was left open, letting the morning breeze air out of the tunnel. A new metal door had been placed a few inches in front of it. The new door was able to be locked from the inside only, keep it secure. Zack thought it was a nice gesture on the Fleet Commander's part. He decided to point that out.

"That was a nice gesture for the Fleet Commander to put that security door in," Zack stated to no one in particular.

Shadick snorted. "Not really. He didn't do it as a gesture or for our group in general. Vorik put it there because he's trying to keep his mate safe."

Shadick's words made everyone pause. They all stopped and stared at Shadick. "How is he keeping his mate safe by adding a security door to our bunker tunnel?" Zack asked, baffled.

Leaning against the side of the new security door, Shadick eyed Alice. "Because his mate is inside our bunker," he stated calmly, still eyeing Alice.

Everyone, seeing the way he looked at Alice, turned their gaze to her. Alice had her head down, her face turning bright red. She twisted her hands together in nervousness.

"Fleet Commander Vorik is your mate?" Zack asked, his eyes wide in shock. "How come you're still here and not with your mate?" he asked, still baffled. The mate bond was strong. Too strong to fight against for very long.

Alice paused, her features changing from red to pale white. It was like flipping a switch. She suddenly stood up straight, eyeing everyone. Her eyes narrow with malice. "You want me to be with someone who intentionally killed Carrie's baby? All you want is to get rid of me, don't you?" she spat.

"We're not trying to get rid of you, Alice," Zack started. "The mate bond is incredibly powerful. It is difficult to ignore. It's like trying to pull apart two high-powered magnets. It's nearly impossible. I know; I tried back when Tammy was still alive. It's nearly impossible."

Suddenly, her shoulders fell, her expression saddened. The switch was flipped once again, her emotions changing so fast it was giving them all whiplash. "I know it's hard. I just don't want to end up like Carrie. I can't be with someone who would order something so dangerous, knowing the risk. What if I get pregnant and he does the same to me?"

Nisa quietly cleared her throat, her tone somber. "He didn't do it on purpose. He was looking for us. He was looking for his missing officers. We are as much to blame as he is," she said quietly. Her words dripped guilt and shame. She felt responsible for Carrie's predicament, feeling that if she had not left, it wouldn't have happened.

Alice wiped tears from her eyes. "Isn't he the one who ordered our planet to be literally annihilated?" she asked Nisa.

Nisa slowly shook her head. "No, it was someone higher. He is defying direct orders not to kill any more humans on this planet. He was ordered to exterminate and then take control of the planet because ours was dying. A meteor is on its way to our own planet. When it hits, our planet will break apart. They were desperate. When Fleet Commander Vorik found out about having mates here, he has been defying orders ever since. Vorik is rushing, trying to get things done before the others get here. Our government is already on its way here with the rest of our population," Nisa explained. "It's going to be a lot of work for him to convince our government not to finish what he started."

Carrie stared at Nisa in shock. "So when the others get here, they will probably kill us?" she asked.

Nisa spoke up again. "I think Fleet Commander Vorik is trying to integrate all of us before they arrive, so it will give them no reason to kill anyone. It's still a possibility, though."

Joe squeezed Nisa's hand. "It sounds like Vorik is trying to give his higher-ups a reason NOT to kill any more of us. It also sounds like he's going to fight to keep us alive."

Nisa nodded, then turned to Alice. "If Commander Vorik is your mate, it would be best if you accept him as your mate," she started. "It would be beneficial in protecting your people. It could be a factor in saving every human on this planet. Since he is the highest-ranking officer here, all will see it. If our leader tries to kill all of you or even those of us who are with you, our people may revolt. Mate bonds are sacred. It's part of our most sacred laws. We protect the mate bond at all costs."

Zack studied Alice. "Come on, let's all take a walk and let Alice think about it," he said, taking Shelia's hand and heading outside in the fresh air. He didn't want to force the girl into something she didn't want to do. It was something that she had to come to terms with on her own.

When they arrived outside, they all gasped in shock. None of them could believe what they were seeing. There was a dome above them. The plasma of the dome above glistened in the morning sun. The aliens had already surrounded the city with a short wall, a plasma dome above them. Inside the dome, they were setting up pre-made, large and smaller domed buildings.

"The dome is already up!" Zack gasped. The others nodded in agreement. They were all too shocked to speak.

Shelia smiled. "The short wall that surrounds the city is what grounds the plasma dome," she explained to them. "The center of the city should already have a tower that produces the plasma for the dome. Long ago, our people had domes made of a glass-like material. This is what is available now. After all the buildings are set up, I believe a secondary dome will be placed. One that can open and close. It's used to protect the dome itself if we are under attack. If Vorik is worried that he needs to protect the people from our own leaders, he may place it before all of the buildings."

"And those prefabricated domed buildings?" Joe asked, looking intently at the rows of them.

"Those were built before we left our planet," Shelia told them. "Even now, they are building more of them. There are construction areas on the ships that produce them. Even the domes were built before we left. Because of the situation, more are probably under construction. The domes will be brought down in pieces and assembled on the ground. That's how they were able to put it up so fast. "

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.