by S M Matthews
I can’t help but snort at him. Maisy usually gets what she wants when she puts her mind to it.
“I don’t know, you’ll have to ask her that yourself.” And I send him Maisy’s language file.
Micka’s ears flatten, but perk straight back up again when he realises what he’s looking at. “Thank you, Pate, that is incredibly helpful. As always, you and your brothers will be very welcome at the station. Perhaps Maisy could meet our...human? It might help?” He genuinely seems very grateful for the help, and I wonder how deep his interest in the human goes. Perhaps his trying to prove them an intelligent species has an ulterior motive. I know they have no mate, theirs is one of those rare unfortunate stories of loss. For our people, once mated, that is it. They are now excluded by our females for ever. But as Maisy has shown me, human opinions take no notice of our culture.
I grin “I think Maisy would like that very much.”
We end the call and I head to find the others; they are all on the bridge, Tark and Abner are both sat in the pilots chairs, Maisy is sitting in Abner’s lap. I go to stand behind them, and I see that while Tark’s screen display is what I am used to, Abner’s side looks totally foreign. Ah, I understand, it’s been translated for her. Tark is giving Maisy instructions from his side. She’s making a slight course correction, which I see from Tark’s monitor, she’s doing just fine. She claps and looks back at me, she’s absolutely delighted with herself.
I can’t help but smile, “Ah, I see how it is, soon it will be Captain Maisy and we three will be out of a job,” she laughs, and I don’t miss the not so subtle look that passes between my brothers. Apparently I will soften for a female. A little. “Tark, bring up the conversation I just had with Micka and play it for Maisy.”
He finds the most recent transmission and brings it up split screen, showing both of us.
Maisy leans forward and slides off Abner’s lap to get a better look at the other human, and Tark pauses it for her to get a good look. Maisy lets out a gasp.
“Oh no! She’s only a baby!”
We all look to her, startled, she looks the same point of development as Maisy to me.
“A cub?” Abner asks, a bit bewildered.
“No, no,” Maisy clarifies for us, “I just mean she looks really young, an older teenager. I mean by our standards; she has only just matured is probably the best way to put it.” I nod at Tark and we watch the rest of the conversation. “Oh, that poor girl, she must be terrified. Or hellish stubborn. Or both. How long until we get there? Can I talk to her? Is someone looking after her?”
Pate answer's me, “I’ll message them and ask, and I believe the station managers will make sure she is well cared for. They are good men.”
Tark flicks the message away and looks at our course, “We should arrive late tomorrow night.”
MAISY
I’m sat on Pate’s lap in a pilot seat on the bridge. I wanted to see the station, and he called me up as soon as he could focus on it on the long-range viewer thingy. It’s really long and thin, with a few central spinning rings. Pate tells me the rings are the easiest way to produce large scale artificial gravity. It takes a little while, but Pate then points the station out to me when it’s visible to the naked eye, and I watch fascinated as it gets bigger and bigger. I have no sense of scale, and I keep thinking we are nearly there, but then it just keeps getting bigger and bigger. It’s so large that it starts to fill the windows. And then it’s all you can see.
Pate sent another message yesterday afternoon asking if I could talk to the other woman, but they had responded that even though they think she can now understand them, she is still refusing to answer. That was then it occurred to me – maybe she doesn’t speak English.
“She doesn’t speak human?” Pate had replied, doing the turned all the way out confused ears.
“Earth, humans, have hundreds and hundreds of local languages.” Pate had not replied, but the humph and side eye was a clear ‘well that's inefficient’. Typical Pate.
I start to make out the details of the station, and can see windows and large hanger type doors. Our ship faded into what I think of as night mode over an hour ago, but plenty of lights are on over there. I figure something like that would be an all the time sort of operation. Something starts beeping, and Pate leans around me to hit buttons and adjust things as we move into dock. One of the smaller hanger doors open, and we float in and land with a bump. Pate slides me off his lap just as his brothers arrive on deck, and they all start fiddling with things.
“What’s going on?”
Tark answers, “We are shutting down the ship, we've been assigned quarters temporarily on the station, usually we just stay on the ship, but it looks like the station managers want you to have a proper visit.” They all head out and I follow, I realise they have all produced small bags. “Do I need to take anything?”
Abner shakes his head, “they've given us a suite, so essentials will be provided, and there are shops, so we may be able to find a tailor and get you some clothes that actually fit you.”
We were walking while he was talking, and we exit though a ramp which lowered from what I thought of as the storage hold. The hangers massive, sterile and absolutely freezing. I suck air in through my teeth as my bare feet hit the metal floor. Pate doesn’t hesitate and scoops me up without missing a step. Tark is reading a small sensor type screen that he’s carrying with him, and hits a button on the back wall. A door slides open to reveal a cubical, like an elevator, and once we are in Tark checks his screen and then taps something into a panel, the doors close, and we move off with a slight sway. “We’re near the station managers rooms…looks like something they reserve for important visitors. This is going to be fancy!” Tark grins at me and Pate huffs at him.
“Don’t get too excited cub.” Tark droops a little and I smack Pate on the shoulder. “I’m excited to see what space station fancy looks like. Maybe there’s a bath. Always wanted to fuck in a bath.” Pate snorts at me incredulously and the others huff laughter at him, the mood lifted again. We exit the lift straight out into a small pod with 8 seats in it, four on each side facing each other, we all sit, the doors close and I feel the pod move, and I have the strangest sense of almost vertigo, my body can feel it’s being moved, but I have no visual evidence to show me how. Pate’s still carrying me, so he just sat with me in his lap, I’m glad because it gives me something to hold onto. Outwardly it doesn’t look like anything has happened or changed, but my inner ear is screaming at me that something absolutely fucking monumental has just happened. The opposite door opens onto a much larger space. Pate puts me down and I wobble for a second, he grasps my hand, and Tark takes the other.
Abner nudges Tark and sniggers, “You owe me, little brother.”
“What does he owe you?” I look up at Abner, still getting my bearings.
He sighs down at me, “Tark bet me a week of evening chores that you’d be sick. I said you wouldn’t be.”
I turn with my mouth hanging open, mock horrified that he could do such a thing, Tark sniggers back like a naughty schoolboy. I turn to Pate, “And you?”
He humphs, “I would not bet on such a thing, I would care for you regardless.”
Awww, my heart goes a little mushy at that.
We walk out the door, Abner in the lead, and my feet hit carpet. Honest to god carpet. I wiggle my toes in it and look around, we are in a huge space, and I realise now what has happened, the pod has moved us from the central column of the space station where we docked, into one of the circling rings. I’ve gone from one sort of artificial gravity to another.
There are lots and lots of aliens moving around, most look like my guys with the occasional odd one. I’m not being openly stared at, but there's noticeable side eye coming from a few of the cat people. We make our way through the open part of the ring, and I see what looks like shops and traders, above us there's seemingly endless balconies and walkways. I’m unable to comprehend that something this massive was con
structed.
We make our way out of the open part of the ring and it starts to narrow down into corridors, although these corridors are probably still wider than our whole ship. There's the occasional sign with arrows and markings, and Tark uses his scanner screen to guide us to our room. All the halls look the same, and I’d never be able to navigate this since I can’t read the signs. Tark stops at one of the doors and presses his hand to a plate next to it, it slides open, and it becomes apparent that space station fancy is very fancy indeed.
The carpet is even plusher inside the circular main room, there’s a large screen, and plenty of chairs and couches with big cushions. There’re three doors on either wall and facing us is a gigantic window, giving an amazing view of space. I’m drawn straight too it and stand their staring while the guys mill about. Tark shout’s “There’s a bath!” from another room, whilst Abner comes from the other side with a tray and delivers hot mugs to everyone. It feels homely already, and I think that it doesn’t matter where we are, it would feel like that as long as the guys are there.
ABNER
Once the excitement wore off, Maisy crashed hard and Tark carried her off to bed, he looked back at me, but I said I’d follow. We all need some alone time with Maisy sometimes; I think. Pate has settled opposite me and is sitting relaxed with his eyes closed. “Will you join us?” I ask him. I don’t know what sort of response I’m expecting. Tark and I are both comfortable with Maisy, however we are both still aware that this isn’t exactly a usual arrangement.
“I’m just not...there yet.” I nod, but his eyes are still closed. I get what he means. He’s possessive and Maisy says he’s very...dominant. She’s not sure either of us would be able to get near her with Pate running the show.
“As long as you’re happy, Pate.”
He does open his eyes then, and looks at me for what feels like a long time, frowning.
“Yeah,” he finally says. “You know, this works for me...for now.”
I nod again. If this is how it works for us, then I’m good too. This is the most open conversation I’ve had with Pate for cycles so this has to be good for him. Maisy seemed very thoroughly satisfied after she’d been with Pate and…didn’t actually want to discuss it anymore. I trust them both, so good enough.
There’s a quiet beeping, and Pate goes and hits the panel that opens the door to the suite.
“Commander” I hear him greet someone, so I know who it is, I just don’t know which one it is. Pate has always dealt with whoever we are trading with, as unofficial leader, he’s just always dealt with the official stuff. “Abner, this is Acer.”
I stand and nod to him, “Welcome.”
He nods back to me and addresses us both, “I came to see that you had found your suite acceptable and have everything you need.”
I sit back down whilst Pate talks to Commander Acer. He has subtly given the suite the once over; he’s looking for Maisy. Pate politely makes our apologies, explaining that it is late for us. Acer explains that it’s morning for him, he’s just starting his shift. They arrange for us all to meet when it suits us. Acer should be asleep by that time, but he says he will make the exception. When he tells us that the female is staying in their quarters, I know we are both thinking the same thing, but neither of us reacts. Once Pate had seen Acer out, he turned to me with a bemused look on his face. I honestly can’t remember the last time I saw Pate wear an expression like that, and it makes me chuckle. I wonder if the female with the commanders is having the same effect as Maisy has had on us.
MAISY
I wake up snuggled between Abner and Tark, and although they groan when I insist on getting the day moving, they let me go. I want breakfast, and I want to meet the mystery girl. Pate’s already got food laid out on what I would call a coffee table, and he opens his arms to me when I appear. Since I’ve spent the night with Tark and Abner, I climb onto Pate’s lap for breakfast. I wonder if I will always be conscious of trying to be ‘fair’ or if it will just come naturally. I finish up and head to the bathroom, look longingly at the giant bathtub but get into the shower cubicle since it’s faster. We are still too early to meet the commanders, so the boys take me shopping. I’m still overwhelmed by the scale of the place, and every shop is fascinating.
They take me to a toiletries shop and let me choose soap bars from the huge selection...Tark tries to take them from me. I don’t give them over, and something suddenly occurs to me.
“I don’t want you guys to have to pay for everything for me forever. It feels weird.”
I am, obviously, pretty dependant on the guys but...I’ve always tried to be independent. I liked to work. Something feels off about having the men in my life buy everything for me.
Pate scowls at me “We will provide, you need not worry.” I open my mouth to start to argue with him but Abner gets between us, “You want to have a certain amount of independence, equality, this is fair,” he scowls back at Pate “But for the meantime, we have little choice, you need things and we are more than happy to provide for you Maisy. Have these things for now, and get some clothes that actually fit you, and then we can discuss it later?” I’m not going to be a petulant child about it, and I won’t deliberately make a scene in public, at least not about something as simple as soap...but Abner’s right.
And I’m still getting a lot of subtle staring from the other cat people.
“Okay, you’re right, for now. Maybe there’s something I can do on the ship at least? Earn my keep a bit?”
Pate stands even taller “My woman will not -” My pointing finger is right in his face before I even know what I’m doing.
“This woman will do as she fucking well pleases. Thank you very much.” Abner’s back between us and is trying to shush me, and pushes my hand down and out of Pate’s face. Tark took the toiletries out of my hands whilst I was getting riled at Pate, and now returns with a bag, “Let’s go.” He ushers us out of the shop. I look back, people are openly staring now, and talking. Hmph. Obviously can’t handle a woman who speaks her mind.
Looking at the fabrics a few shops along calms me a lot, this stuff is so soft and warm and comes in every colour under the sun...errr...stars?
The alien in the shop looks kind of insect-ish. Still mostly humanoid, but with four arms and skin that looks like it’s covered in countless tiny brown scales. He measures me and nods along with my descriptions of what I want. He takes notes, and when he speaks to me, I hear his words in English, but I hear the insect clicking rattle of the noises he’s actually making beneath it.
It doesn’t take long, and we head off to meet the commanders. “Are they all commanders then? How does that work?”
Pate answers me, “They are a brother pack, to manage something as large as this, you need someone on duty all the time. They share the burden and the responsibility.”
“That actually makes a huge amount of sense, brother packs are usually very likeminded right?”
Tark smirks at me “Usually.”
“We are very likeminded about one thing,” Abner almost purrs at me, and I actually blush.
We trot along the seemingly endless hallways, and it feels like we've passed hundreds of rooms, and then she appears around a corner. Her hair is up, she’s wearing a very adjusted uniform and is fiddling with something she’s carrying.
“Hey,” I say to get her attention otherwise she might walk straight into us.
She looks up at me and stops dead, she takes half a step backward and looks like she might actually run for it. I’ve never seen anyone look more scared and hopeful all at once, and I’m filled with worry for this girl. I don’t have any kids, and there’s probably not that many years between us really, but she looks so young and so vulnerable that she instantly pulls a mothering instinct out of me. Or maybe it’s just I never thought I’d see a human again, and I’m so desperate for her to be okay too. “Hey, it’s okay,” I speak again, “My name is Maisy, are you alright?”
She suddenly throws hersel
f at me, and great racking sobs are flooding out of her, I hold on to her, but when her knees give way I’m not strong enough to hold us both up, and we sink to the floor. I rock us both and rub her back, I don't really know what else to do for this girl. I have obviously coped with all this like a champ compared to her.
Pate just goes somewhere, and I watch him walking the way the girl came from and disappears around the corner. We sit here for so long my knees are staring to hurt and my thighs are cramping, I can feel a wet patch though my top where she’s crying on me.
Pate appears, and he’s being followed by another cat dude. The new guy comes and stands next to us, and if he was human he would have been wringing his hands together, his distress is palpable. But he also clearly does not know what to do.
How am I suddenly in charge of all this?
◆◆◆
Once she finally dried up and the sobbing turned into sniffing, I got us stood up. I’d followed Abner back to the commander’s rooms, and once she’d realised we were surrounded by the cat men she’d glued herself to my side, holding my hand so hard I thought both of our hands might break.
“I’m Poppy,” she’d hoarsely whispered in my ear. Walking just in front of us, the new guy’s ears had perceptively twitched, I’d looked back to Poppy, but she was staring the hell out of the carpet. No instincts whatsoever this one.
There are two more new cat men in their apartment, it’s just as nice as our guest one, and the same size and layout, but this is decorated. Personalised. And it looks very homely and lived in, filled with their things. I notice a large canvas print on one wall, it looks almost like a painting, it shows a female so white she’s almost glowing.
Tark had filled me in last night, they didn’t know a huge amount other than their mate, and their first cub, the female, had been killed in an accident. It was all over their news, and the brothers had chosen to take up this position on the station. The way he’d told me, in hushed and reverent tones, made me realise how horrific an event it would be for them to go through. Humans get divorces and are widowed and remarry and it’s a totally normal occurrence. Their culture is very different, once their female was gone, that was it forever. On these rare occasions, it’s apparently not uncommon for the remaining members of the pack to end it, thinking they have nothing left to live for.