Lanel felt a vibrating in her pocket and jumped in anticipation. She pulled her yular out and saw it was flashing purple. Yes, this was what she had been waiting for for four days - the latest chapter of Beek-tor and Renaal was out. The last chapter had ended on a cliffhanger with Renaal declaring her love for the alien Beek-tor. Would Beek-tor reciprocate her feelings? She didn't know how she would make it through the next hour of her shift before she could head to the break room and begin Chapter 12.

She hurried through her rounds, forcing herself to concentrate on her nursing duties at the Sikla Medical Facility. She glanced at a clock on the wall. Two o'clock, finally! She hurried down the hall to the break room and slumped into a chair by the window. A few people sat at tables or chairs around the room but they were all busy with their yulars too. She pulled up Chapter 12 and began to read when a voice suddenly startled her.

"Watcha reading, Lanel?"

It was Karn, another nurse on the ward. He always seemed to corner her when she wanted to read. He was friendly but always wanted to chat and didn't seem to be able to take a hint that she would rather be left alone. He was also annoying because he constantly wanted to talk about Space Strike with her. Didn't he get that she couldn't care less about Space Strike?

"Oh, nothing. How are you today, Karn?"

"Good! And I'll be even better tomorrow after we kick some Union butt!"

"You're so modest. It's a wonder you're still single."

"Sounds like the ocean calling the river wet."

"I'm single by choice."

"Mmm hmmm. Well, I'll let you get back to your Space Journeys story."

"How do you know what I'm reading?"

But Karn was already heading towards the door. How did he know she read Space Journeys stories? Perhaps he read Space Strike stories? No, she was sure he didn't read. She'd never seen him reading, ever. That's why Space Strike was stupid. Its fans were a bunch of dorks who'd rather spend hours putting costumes together and playing with fake weapons than read anything. She had to admit, though, that Karn was nowhere near as dorky as Manue, the commandant of the 105th Legion, Space Strike's local fan club. That guy had even named his children after Space Strike characters.

As captain of Space Journeys' local fan club, the MSS Union, Lanel had worked with Manue in setting up a baska tournament between the Union and the 105th to benefit the Children's Medical Center. The tournament was tonight and if it was a success, they hoped to make it an annual event. She wasn't particularly looking forward to it as she wasn't a huge fan of baska – it had been Commander Kelgram's idea – but she went along with it because most of her crew enjoyed baska and it was a way to raise money for a good cause. But if the Union lost she was sure she'd never hear the end of it from Karn. She picked up her yular and began again with Chapter 12.

******************************************************************************

Lanel entered Galactic Baska and headed towards the lanes reserved for the tournament. As captain, she was there early to help set up.

"Nice uniform, Captain." Karn stifled a laugh. He was dressed in the white armor that identified him as a member of the Royal Guards.

"I happen to like my uniform."

"Couldn't the costume designers for Space Journeys have come up with something better than a stretch jumpsuit? Do you really think people in the future will be wearing those? Because nothing says the future like hot, itchy clothing that keeps riding up on you." Karn smirked.

"You're not wearing your helmet. I presume that's because it's too hot? And you don't look like you can move around too easily in that plastic armor," Lanel shot back.

"This is a battle uniform, not intended for everyday use."

"I see. But don't you think people in the future would have come up with more practical battle uniforms?"

"Space Strike isn't the future. Duh! You know, 'Millions of years past, in a distant star system...'

"I haven't seen Space Strike since I was a kid, Karn."

"And you don't remember?"

"No. Anyway, I've got to go help set up."

"You should watch it sometime again. I think you'd really like it."

"I don't think so." She strode over to the tables where the prizes and snack items were to be laid out and got to work.

******************************************************************************

Midway through the tournament and it was clear the Union didn't have much chance of winning. That's when Commander Kelgram had opened up several bottles of the prosh he'd intended for their victory toast and began to offer it to his downcast teammates. Lanel liked a good bottle of prosh and Commander Kelgram had spared no expense. Although he couldn't say the same of his teammates, Kelgram was a pretty good baska player and had really thought they'd had a chance of winning.

Karn too, it turned out, was good at baska, scoring 850 to Lanel's 560, which was still respectable. Damn him.

"If you're interested, I could practice with you sometime." He leaned against the back of her chair. The tournament had ended, prizes distributed and by this time Lanel was definitely feeling the prosh.

"Are you trying to tell me I need practice?"

"Yeah." He laughed but when she narrowed her eyes at him, he looked a bit more serious.

"Five-sixty isn't bad but it's not going to help the Union win. I used to play every week when I was a kid so I've gotten pretty good at it. I could offer you some tips. Then maybe next year you can come back and lead the Union to victory.

"Pfft."

"Listen, I'm sorry I made fun of your jumpsuit. I mean, your uniform."

"You're apologizing to me? I thought you'd come over to brag."

"Well, maybe that too but it's all in good fun, right? And for a good cause."

"Just go ahead and be done with it. Get your bragging over with because after tonight I don't want to hear about it again."

"Well, in that case…Told you so!" He grinned.

"Well, I've got to be going." As she stood up she nearly fell out of her chair. She'd definitely had too much prosh. She sat back down, realizing she'd have to sober up before heading home. She'd order some water when the server came by again.

"So what Space Journeys story are you reading?" Karn asked as he pulled up a chair next to her and sat down.

"How do you know I'm reading a Space Journeys story?"

"My sister's a big Journier. She reads all those stories. Whenever a new chapter comes out, she rushes off to read it and doesn't let anyone talk to her until she's done. You're the same way when you're reading in the break room."

"I let people talk to me!"

Karn gave her a look that told her he wasn't buying it.

"Why isn't your sister a member of the MSS Union?" Lanel had been Captain of the club for three years and a member for eight years prior to that. She was sure she knew every Space Journeys fan within 60 parnaks of the city.

"She lives down on the Southern Continent. In the Marta community."

"Oh. What kind of Space Journeys stories does she like to read?"

"Anything to do with Spark. She *loves* Spark. Guess there's something sexy about a terminus with digits on it."

"Spark's o.k. but his fans can be a little crazy. If they even think you say a negative word about Spark they will come after you. I don't get it. Who wants to be in a relationship with an alien who has no emotions and is only capable of sex once every decade?"

"Who's your favorite character then?"

"Beek-tor. You probably wouldn't know who he is."

"It just so happens that I do know who he is. I've seen all the new Space Journeys movies."

"The reboots?" Of course someone like Karn would be a fan of the reboots. They had the same producer as the Space Strike prequels, a producer who clearly had no reverence for or understanding of Space Journeys. It was all about special effects, action, and making money for him. He had turned Space Journeys into Space Strike by a different name.

"Yeah. I thought they were pretty good. Not the same as Space Strike but not bad."

"I really didn't care for the reboots." Lanel clenched her teeth.

"Why?"

She went on to explain to Karn everything she hated about the reboots. It was a long list. She did have to admit, however, that the Union had gained many new members as a result of the reboots' popularity, including their best baska player, Commander Kelgram. And she was pleased to learn that not only did Karn know who Beek-tor was, he said he was "cool."

"I totally understand. The first reboot series of Space Strike was awful but a lot of our younger members are big fans of them. So how did you get into Star Journeys anyway?"

"Have you seen E.M. the Extra Malcorian?"

"Who hasn't?"

"Well, when I was a kid I was terrified of E.M. I thought he was hiding in my closet waiting to get me." She couldn't believe she was admitting this to Karn. She'd definitely had too much prosh.

"You were afraid of E.M.?" Karn snickered.

"Don't laugh. Yes, I was afraid of E.M. because I thought aliens were scary. Then when I got older I started watching reruns of Space Journeys and I realized I didn't need to be afraid of aliens. I realized I shouldn't be afraid of things that were different. I started thinking about the fact that so many people on Malcor III are stuck in these traditions, afraid to let them go. They are afraid of change and afraid of anything that's different. They're like me being afraid of E.M. just because he looks different when there's no reason to be afraid of him at all."

"That's why I like Space Strike. So many different aliens co-existing together."

"Yeah, I do remember some cool aliens in Space Strike."

"So that's one thing we can agree on – aliens are cool. Do you watch Aliens of Antiquity?"

Lanel discovered she and Karn actually had more in common than she thought. While they might not agree on whether Space Journeys or Space Strike was better, they were both fans of Aliens of Antiquity as well as The Alien Files and Lighting Bug, which was a short-lived space adventure program with a cult following.

Karn had even made a trip to Zone 75, where an alien ship had crash landed nearly seventy years ago. The Malcorian government had tried to cover it up but done a poor job of it. Both Lanel and Karn had seen the secret video footage taken at the autopsy of the alien pilot. Her friends had told her it was fake when she shared it on MyFace but she had expected that reaction because they were just statists who accepted the lies fed to them by the government. Karn was the first person she'd met in real life who knew Zone 75 wasn't a conspiracy. How could she have worked with him all this time and not known that he was also a member of MUFON – the Malcorian Unindentified Flying Object Network?

She began to think that maybe she's judged him too harshly. Maybe all Space Strike fans weren't overgrown adolescents obsessed with toy weapons. But perhaps that was the prosh thinking. Either way, she found herself enjoying her chat with Karn and was even a little disappointed when she realized she'd sobered up enough to drive home. She almost thought of staying longer; he seemed in no hurry to leave. But she had to get home to her pet kooshas.

It had been a long day and when Lanel finally got home, she could barely keep her eyes open. She still hadn't had a chance to read Chapter 12 of Beek-tor and Renaal. If she didn't read it now, her first opportunity wouldn't be until her first break tomorrow and she didn't think she could wait that long to find out whether Beek-tor reciprocated Renaal's feelings. She got into bed with her yular, her kooshas snuggled beside her. She began Chapter 12 for the third time that day. Beek-tor told Renaal she was his l'h'ar, his soulmate. But per K'wertonian custom, his parents had arranged a marriage for him in childhood and he had a wife back home on K'werto. They had been married since they were ten but had never lived together. She dreamed of joining a religious order but divorce was frowned upon in K'wertonian society…

Lanel read the same sentence four times when the yular finally dropped from her hand. She was dreaming of Beek-tor defying K'wertonian customs by divorcing his wife when she was awaked by a loud noise.

"NAAAAAAH." It was one of her kooshas.

"What is it, Renaal?"

"NAAAAAH." This time it was her other koosha, Beek-tor.

"Lights on!" The bedroom lights came on and she saw Beek-tor and Renaal perched at the end of her bed facing her "EMBRACE THE UNKOWN" poster on the wall opposite. Kooshas did have good night vision but why would they be naahing at a poster of a UFO? The lights seemed to have snapped them out of it and they had quieted down.

"Lights off." She quickly resumed dreaming of Beek-tor.

There were hushed whispers in the break room when Lanel came in the next morning before the start of her shift. What was going on?

"Lanel!" Karn greeted her with a very loud whisper.

"Why are you whispering, Karn? Why is everyone whispering?"

"You won't believe it!"

"What?"

"You know the patient in Room 1013? The one who was injured in the riots?"

"What about him?"

"Do you know why there are security guards outside his door?"

"I assumed he's a criminal."

"No!" Karn was no longer whispering. "He's an alien! His cardial organ is where his digestive tract should be, he's missing three costal struts on one side and four on the other, and he has digits on his terminus! And his cranial lobes are implants! Look at these imaging scans!" He pulled out his yular to show Lanel.

Lanel's mouth hung open in shock.

"Dr. Nilrem examined him," Karn continued, "and he's sent the imaging scans to Security

Minister Krola! He thinks he's an alien spy."

"Well, I'm going to go find out." Lanel hurried out of the break room and down the hall towards Room 1013. This time it was Karn whose mouth hung open in shock.

Lanel opened the door to Room 1013. The patient was out of bed, standing by a high window with a bench in hand, clearly intending to smash the window with it. He didn't look at all like an alien but she had seen the imaging scans. She had read several stories about aliens coming to Malcor III in disguise. There had even been rumors of women giving birth to half alien babies.

"There are guards out there. You'll never escape that way." She approached him cautiously.

"I'm not afraid of you."

"Good. Because there's nothing to be afraid of."

"We shouldn't fear the unknown. We should embrace it." She would show him that she was his friend, an ally, not someone like Dr. Nilrem who would betray him to the authorities.

"Can you help me get out of here?"

"Are you really an alien? It's alright to tell me."

"No, I'm not an alien."

"I don't believe you. You are an alien."

"I really have to leave."

"I could divert the guard's attention. You might stand a chance if you took the service exit down the hallway to the right."

"To the right? Fine, let's do it."

"Why should I?" She had to know for sure.

"Well, you know why. I don't belong here. I have to get back on my ship, in space."

"I believe you." She knew it! A real alien right here in the Sikla Medical Facility and a handsome one at that. It was a moment she'd been waiting for her entire life. There was no way she was going to pass this opportunity up.

"Now, will you help me?"

"If you make love to me." There, she'd said it.

"What?"

"I've always wanted to make love with an alien."

"Listen, Miss…"

"Lanel."

"Lanel, I really have to get going. All the other aliens are waiting for me."

"Oh, it's not so much to ask, and then I'll help you escape."

"It's not that easy. There are differences in the way that my people make love."

"I can't wait to learn." Lanel removed her glasses.

"But it's…"

"It's your only way out of here." She looked down at his terminus, which she had taken in hers. Five digits on it, just like Spark! She wasn't a fan of Spark and a terminus with five digits on it had never really seemed appealing until now. Now she understood. "My, alien…" She patted the hospital bed. The alien sighed and gave in.

It was everything Lanel had ever dreamed of and more and it was over all too soon. Now she had to focus on helping the alien escape so he could get back to his spaceship.

"Something's happened to him! I think he's dead!" She exited Room 1013 and called out to the security guard in the hallway. "Go on! Get some help!"

The guard ran down the hall to find the doctor on duty. Lanel motioned for the alien to come out, pointing in the direction of the service elevator.

"Will I ever see you again?" she asked as he turned to go.

"I'll call you the next time I pass through your star system."

******************************************************************************

"Karn!" Lanel nearly collided with him as she rounded a corner in the hallway. "I've been looking all over for you." She pulled him into an empty room.

"Is everything alright, Lanel?"

"He is an alien, Karn! I tried to help him escape but the guards caught him and have beaten him unconscious! What do we do?"

"What can we do if he's unconscious?"

"If only we had a way to contact his ship. He said they were waiting for him."

"I don't know how we can contact his ship but let's come up with a plan so that when he is conscious, we'll be prepared. I'll give you my yular information – send me a message when your shift is over and we'll meet to discuss our ideas."

"Alright." They exchanged contact information and Lanel headed back to Room 1013 to check on the alien.

He was still unconscious. She took his terminus in hers, looking again at its five digits.

"I'll find a way to help you, my alien. I promise."

Throughout the rest of her shift, Lanel tried to think of ways she could help the alien to escape. She tried to push the thought that he may not survive to the back of her mind. She and Karn had to find a way to contact his people. Perhaps one of the other members of MUFON had ideas about how transmissions could be sent into space that might reach his ship. She pulled out her yular, went to MUFON's connection page, and posted a message.

Before she went home for the evening, Lanel went to check on the alien one last time. The guards were no longer in the hallway. Strange. She pushed the doors open to find the room empty. The alien must have died! They must have taken the body away quickly so that no one would discover the truth. This couldn't be happening.

She sent a hurried message to Karn – He's gone. I'm in the room now. I think he's dead. She couldn't believe it. The poor alien. They had killed him! His people were up there on a spaceship waiting for him and they didn't know he was dead. How sad. How terrible that her own people had killed him.

"What happened?" Lanel was shaken out of her reverie by Karn's voice.

"I found the room like this. He must have died and they've taken the body away to keep it secret."

"He isn't dead." They both turned to see Dr. Tava coming through the door. "His people came and got him. He will live."

"Aliens came here and took him to his spaceship?" Lanel was incredulous. She couldn't believe there had been more aliens in the facility and she had missed them.

"I didn't say aliens or anything about a spaceship. I said his people. He's from the Marta community on the southern continent. As I'm sure you are aware, he has some rare genetic abnormalities that we were unfamiliar with. However, we were able to contact his regular doctor and she is treating him now."

"I see. Thank you for the information, Dr. Tava." Lanel and Karn both knew there was no point in asking further questions. They both understood that Dr. Tava knew very well that the person in Room 1013 had been an alien and that he was now back on his spaceship. She just wasn't allowed to say anything more. The doctor turned on her heel and left Lanel and Karn still standing in the empty room.

"Do you want to head over to Prost?" Karn asked. "We can see if anyone knows anything else." Prost was an establishment located across the street from the medical facility and the facility's staff kept it in business. At any given time, one could find several doctors, nurses, and administrative staff gathered around its long communal tables, drinks in hand, discussing anything and everything that went on at the Sikla Medical Facility.

"I'd really like to go but I've got to go home and feed my kooshas." She was curious to know if any of the other staff members had heard anything more but she couldn't leave Beek-tor and Renaal waiting. She also wanted some time alone to reflect on the day's events. She desperately wanted to tell someone about what it had been like to make love with alien but there was no way she could tell Karn.

"Well, I'm going over there. I'll send you a message if I hear anything."

"Alright. I'll see you tomorrow, Karn."

"See you, Lanel."

Lanel hardly remembered her drive home or feeding her kooshas. She could only think about the alien and how incredible it had been to make love with him. And what his spaceship must be like. He was probably in another galaxy by now. Why had he come to Malcor III? Her thoughts were interrupted by an incoming call. She didn't recognize the number but answered it anyway. Maybe the alien had somehow obtained her number and wanted to tell her he was safe.

"Hello?"

"Hello, I'm calling for Lanel Faaks?

"This is she."

"This is Eea Valtin from the Malcorian UFO Network. You left us a message?"

"Oh, yes!"

18 Months Later

It was two weeks before Unification Day, the holiday commemorating the unification of the entire planet of Malcor III some one hundred and twenty Malcorian years earlier. It was tradition to exchange gifts with family and friends at this time. Lanel stood in the checkout line at Media and More, turning the book over in her hand. Not too many people bought books these days, most preferred electronic versions. Lanel usually bought electronic novels herself but this was a special occasion. She opened the cover of and read the inscription: For LF.

"Next in line, please!" Lanel presented the book to the woman at the counter, who gave her a big grin.

"The Nurse and the Alien! Eea Valtin will be here tomorrow signing copies!" Eea had actually promised Lanel an autographed copy was on its way but she hadn't wanted to wait.

"I have to work tomorrow."

"Oh, that's too bad. Anyway, would you like it gift wrapped?"

"No, it's for me."

Author's Note: This was my first Star Trek fanfic. If you're a fan of sci-fan beyond Star Trek, you'll probably get most of the references in this story. But if you know where the ending of this story comes from, we must be kindred spirits. I'd like to thank catstop and TomFoolery for their very helpful feedback. Check out their stories here on FF too!