The way he said my name made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up on end, and I gritted my teeth. Ignoring my lack of interest, Varon started walking toward me, his smile widening until it finally became a toothy grin.
“I don’t think that—”
“Tonight, you don’t have to think,” he cut me short. I stared at him in disbelief. “Let’s just enjoy ourselves, shall we? After all, I’ve never been with a human female before…” His voice dipped into a lustful growl, and my stomach lurched. I took one more step back, bumped into the desk against the wall, and held my breath as I realized that Varon was only a few inches away from me. I didn’t want to have to commit violence; it would be smarter to play it cool since I had to spend thirty days with him—but I would if I had to.
He raised one hand, his fingers ready to caress my face, then…
“What the fuck?” he growled, pulling his hand back as a shimmer of light appeared right between the two of us. Surprised, I raised my own hand and reached out. I felt a gentle electric bite on my fingertips, then pressed harder against the invisible barrier. It didn’t budge.
“Goodnight, illustrious guests,” a gentle voice said all of a sudden. It was accompanied by a jazzy tune that reminded me of cheesy erotic movies, the kind that are a staple of late night TV. “It’s a pleasure to welcome you to Pluto Station, where you’ll spend the night before embarking for Tarkun IV. There’s an assortment of drinks available for you, and you’re also free to order room service throughout the night. You can also control the room’s climate system by using the control panel.”
I had no idea what was going on, but I sure was happy that this weird force field had appeared when it did. Right now, the last thing I wanted was for Varon to put his hands on me.
“As you’ve seen,” the voice continued, “there’s a force field to ensure proper physical distancing during your first night together. A mating bond often reveals itself when the two mates surrender themselves to the sheer delights of physical intimacy. Yet our findings reveal that delayed gratification often leads to a stronger bond. As such, we have set up a force field in your accommodations, all to ensure you won’t succumb to your physical urges. A strong bond takes time to develop, after all.”
“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me,” Varon cried out, pacing the length of the room. “A force field? This is outrageous. Who the hell do they think I am? If they think they can treat me like this, they’re in for a surprise.”
“How do you know how to keep the field changing to keep us apart when we’re moving?” I asked the room while watching Varon throw his fit. It was weird. A few days ago, I’d have called anyone crazy if they said I’d be talking to a room that was putting up a force field keeping me and an alien apart.
“Yeah!” Varon interjected. “How are you going to keep us apart if we move?”
“The technology running the force field is attuned to your individual biosignatures,” the voice said with what felt like a sigh. It was as if the room had heard this question and dozens more too many times and was just going through the motions. “At any point when you are moving, the field will adjust itself to allow you maximum mobility as long as there is no touching of the other person.”
Furious, Varon seemed to forget all about me. He just kept on pacing back and forth, infopad in his hands, as he tried to call everyone from his personal lawyer to his accountant. Nobody seemed capable of helping him with the force field, and he grew more furious.
It didn’t take long before he was sitting beside the cart, knocking back drink after drink until his voice slurred and he stopped making any sense.
“I want you to sue those bastards, ya hear me?” he was telling another one of his lawyers. “I can’t—I won’t! —be treated like this.” His rant lasted until the bottle of whisky was empty. Then he started dozing off and dragged himself to the bed. The moment he laid down, his infopad forgotten by his side, he began snoring as loudly as a garbage truck’s engine in the early hours of the morning.
“What a disaster,” I whispered to myself, looking at the purple drunkard lying in bed. I eyed the bed for a moment, realizing that I wouldn’t be able to get any sleep, not while he kept snoring like that, anyway.
Running one hand through my hair, I looked at the door on my side of the room and decided to try it. I knew it opened into a small antechamber with an expansive view of space, an indoor balcony of sorts, and maybe that room wouldn’t be off-limits. Pressing my hand against the panel on the side, I breathed out with relief as the panel turned green and the door slid open.
“Couldn’t sleep?” Razar asked. He was standing outside the door, his back turned to me. His hands were folded behind his back, his blood-red tail wrapped around his waist, and he seemed to be looking out the massive viewports.
“Not really,” I admitted, then stepped beside him. Outside, the dark canvas of space was peppered with a thousand stars, the stillness of it all somewhat comforting. “I don’t think sleep will come easily tonight.”
“I can imagine,” he said, and the kindness in his voice soothed me. While Varon made me uncomfortable and antsy, Razar’s presence had the opposite effect on me. Everything about him—from his looks to his calm demeanor—seemed to be in direct contrast with the purple alien snoring inside the room.
“What are you doing here?”
“Me?” He turned slightly, so that he was facing me. “I’m standing guard.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be his head of security? I thought you were supposed to oversee things, not stand outside his bedroom.”
“Yeah, well.” Smiling, he shrugged. “Varon feels more comfortable if it’s me standing guard, especially when he’s in a place he’s not familiar with.”
“I see,” I muttered, even though I wasn’t exactly sure if I understood any of it. Was Varon that fearful of his surroundings? He liked acting tough, but it was starting to become obvious that he depended on others to back it all up.
For a moment, neither of us said a thing. We just stood there, watching the infinite darkness outside the station. It didn’t take long, though, before I was sneaking a glance at him. Unlike Varon, who had a feeble appearance, there was something regal about Razar.
He had a chiseled jaw and was built like a tank, which gave him the appearance of a warrior. His horns hadn’t been polished to a shine, like Varon’s, but they seemed more rugged and natural. The most curious thing about him was his tail—while Varon’s whipped around non-stop, Razar’s didn’t even move: it just remained coiled around his waist, perfectly still.
I wondered if a Jorkan’s tail had something to do with their mental state, and quickly decided that was the case. Varon wasn’t in control of his emotions, and so he couldn’t control his tail; with Razar, who seemed to be the stoic type, the restraint shown by his tail revealed the extent of his self-control.
In a way, I was glad he had been the first Jorkan I had met. Attractive and poised, he seemed to embody all the qualities a woman would fantasize about when dreaming of hot space aliens. As for Varon...well, it was better not to think of it.
“Have a good night, Razar,” I told him, looking into his eyes. Instead of leaving, I allowed my gaze to linger on his, and I felt my heart tightening inside my chest. Oh, if only he were the one sleeping in my bed.
No, don’t even go there, I thought. You know the rules for this stupid game.
“You too, Alicia,” he said, and the way my name rolled off his tongue caused my heart to skip a beat. My breathing was becoming shallow, and a strange but pleasant heat was spreading all over my body.
Before I could lose my mind, I gave him a parting nod and went back into the bedroom. I closed the door behind me, then took a deep breath to steady myself. On the bed, Varon kept snoring like a jet engine, reminding me of how the next thirty days were going to go.
Sighing, I grabbed a pillow and threw it on the floor. I lay down beside the bed, groaning as I felt the hard floor against my body. Force field or no
t, I wasn’t going to share a bed with Varon.
Not tonight, at least.
Razar
We reconvened on the H.R. in short order. I checked in with another guard while standing outside Varon’s suite. He said we were headed to Tarkun IV.
“The resort planet? Doesn’t Varon have some casinos on that planet?”
“He does,” I replied. “The Red Orb Casino Resort. It’s the company’s crown jewel.”
We shrugged. We were just making small talk to pass the time. Sure, we were watching the hallway, “guarding”. Varon was so strange about when and where he wanted personal protection. Who was going to get so far as on his own ship, outside his room, without alerting the guards on the perimeter of the ship? His father was never so ostentatious. Still, work was work and I was happy to be comfortable, doing what I knew.
Two chairs popped out beside the suite doors to alert us that the ship was about to move. We sat down and held on, although there was barely more than a jerk and a stir to signal the beginning of a trip. The ship glided along and I made myself comfortable. I wondered what Alicia and Varon were talking about, but quickly shoved the thought aside. None of my business. I was here to work.
We made record time, arriving after barely two hours of flying. The money Varon sunk into the highest model private ship was money I could at least understand spending. I was jealous of the captain getting to fly such a thing. We landed with a jiggle and a jostle and I prepared myself for what was to come.
Varon and Alicia emerged from the suite smiling. Each seemed like they were putting on a mask for the other. It was a little bit painful to look at. I led the way to the shuttle doors. Alicia followed behind me, and, as usual, Varon walked at a slow, leisurely pace. Varon was never in a hurry. I walked with purposeful strides, taking in and monitoring the surroundings constantly. Surprisingly, Alicia, with her petite legs, did her best to keep up with me, walking with her own purpose. She seemed like a woman who did not like to be left behind.
I keyed in the code to open the spaceport doors. A rectangular tube of material encompassed the doors and connected us to the spaceport. It was wide enough for two of us to walk abreast, so now that I had slowed down, Alicia was walking next to me, Varon following behind. She did not understand that I was supposed to be out front to guard the two of them, but it seemed rude to try to correct her. I matched my pace to try to get a half step ahead of her without making her feel uncomfortable. It was a delicate art, guarding. It wasn’t just looking out for your charge’s safety, but also looking out for how you affected your charge. It was no use if your guarding made your charge paranoid and afraid.
At the end of the tube, three hotel employees waited for us. Two held bunches of flowers for who knew what reason. I placed myself between the employees and Alicia and Varon and they dared not get close enough to try anything.
“Welcome!” one of the employees cried out, startling all of us with his enthusiasm. “Welcome, welcome! My name is Yilap and I am your liaison for your trip together. I’m here to make you two comfortable, prepare agendas for happy, fun-filled days, and see to your every desire. Everything you need, I’m here for. Please, take these flower necklaces as a celebration of your arrival.” He looked directly at me. “They’re an Earth custom.”
The employees tentatively came forward and one placed a flower necklace around Alicia’s neck. At this Yilap’s word, I allowed it. But one employee was coming close to me…I grabbed his wrist and we stood still. I didn’t want to hurt anyone, but I did not want anyone coming that close to me.
“Now, Varon, what are you doing!?” The overexcited Yilap clapped his hands. “I said it’s an Earth custom to receive flowers upon arrival for a couple’s vacation.”
I was locked in on the poor resort employee who didn’t know what to do. I lowered his hand and gently pushed him away. Varon now came forward between Alicia and me.
“You have made a mistake. This is Razar, my man.” We never could agree on a title for my position, after Varon unofficially promoted me to his private escort while still making me keep head-of-security duties. “I’m Varon, and I see you must know that this is the dear and lovely Alicia.”
Yilap clapped his hands over his mouth. “Oh, dear me, I’m so sorry. I should have read the files more closely. Again, I’m sorry.”
Yilap took the flower necklace from the stunned and trembling resort employee and personally laid it around Varon’s neck. “There you are. Now you are ready for your resort vacation.”
Varon held a flower in his hand and seemed underwhelmed by the whole experience. Alicia seemed excited and was admiring her necklace.
“There’s a shuttle waiting just this way to take you down to the planet. We have a beautiful bungalow set up for you two.”
Varon scowled. “You have a shuttle? I don’t even need to see it to know my three shuttles are all better. Razar, call the captain. Have him send one of the shuttles to take us to Tarkun IV.”
“I really must insist that you take our shuttle. We have a specific route planned and while you are on this planet, you are in my charge.” Yilap shifted uncomfortably.
“But really, my shuttle is top of the line and twice as safe as anything you could possibly have. Or do you also have a top-model private space-faring ship, complete with three planetary shuttles?”
Yilap had nothing to say to that, so I called in the order.
One of the H. R.’s shuttles came and docked by the spaceport bay. The six of us—me, Varon, Alicia, the two resort employees, and Yilap—all filed into the shuttle. It could carry three times as many people comfortably, and a good deal more uncomfortably. Yilap conferred with the shuttle pilot, confirming the coordinates in the navigation system. We all took our seats, as shuttle flying tends to be a bit bumpier than interplanetary cruising.
The trip didn’t take very long at all. Soon we were filing out and I was trying to find a good vantage point to stand out of the way but still be able to see everyone’s comings and goings.
“Here we are! This entire cottage is just for you. Shall I give you a tour?” Yilap gestured grandly to a perfect beach cabin, somewhere I’d been dreaming of to retire to. There were soft linen curtains in the windows and a wraparound porch. In the distance, the ocean lapped up against the shoreline. It was small, certainly, but larger than any hotel room. It looked to me like there were two or three rooms in the little house, just big enough for two to squeeze together. Not a lot of room for me, but I always made do with what was available. Varon, however, would not see any of it that way.
On cue, Varon scoffed loudly, “You expect me to spend thirty days here?” Alicia gaped at Varon’s rudeness. She obviously thought the house was wonderful and was itching to see the inside. “No, that simply will not do. We’ll stay in the capital, in my casino. There, we will have plenty of room to spread out. And every amenity we could dream of.”
“Now, listen, that isn’t what the Protocols demand. There are rules to follow, to ensure you have the appropriate chances—” Yilap was cut off by Varon.
“There are rules, are there? Not for me.” Varon flashed his signature grin. He didn’t have to remind anyone how much money he had. “Let’s get back on the shuttle. Razar. Alicia. Yilap, it was nice to meet you.” His smile turned into a grin. “Will you stop me? I didn’t think so.”
“It was nice to meet you,” Alicia mumbled, obviously embarrassed by Varon’s behavior, but not really knowing what else to do. I was embarrassed, too, more so by watching someone unused to his behavior having to witness it. Quickly, I composed myself. I followed Alicia and Varon on to the shuttle, leaving Yilap gaping in the beach winds. He had nothing to say.
They never did.
Alicia
“Welcome home, Alicia.” Smiling like a generous God-Emperor, Varon waved me down the shuttle’s ramp. “This is the Red Orb Casino Resort, I’m sure you’ve heard of it.” I hadn’t, but I kept that thought to myself.
Standing at attention were more t
han thirty of his servants from different alien species I didn’t recognize, only a few Jorkan. They wore the same uniform, the logo for the casino-resort emblazoned on their jackets, and their backs were so straight you’d think someone had attached a rod to their spines.
Behind them rose one of the most impressive buildings I had ever seen. It was a spiraling tower of glass and concrete, one that reached high into the skies, and the sunlight bounced off the structure in a way that made it seem as if the whole building was scintillating.
Stretched between the ship’s lowered ramp and the building’s entrance was a red carpet, flanked by Varon’s employees.
I followed his lead and the moment he stepped foot on the carpet, everyone started clapping. It was slightly disconcerting. More than just greeting their boss, it almost seemed these poor servants were actually greeting their tyrannical ruler.
As if to prove my point, Varon marched past them without bothering to acknowledge a single person. He made his way into the tower, then glanced at me as we stepped inside the massive foyer.
“And this is how someone like you should be greeted,” he said, waving one hand at the long table that had been set up there. There was more food than a small army could eat, and most of it I didn’t even recognize. Still, going by the few pieces of Earth food I noticed, it was safe to say that the table’s contents weren’t exactly cheap.
“Thank you,” I said, “but you shouldn’t have.”
“Nonsense.” Turning away from me, he massaged his neck for a moment, then turned to Razar, who trailed behind us. “I need to unwind from the journey. I’m going for a massage. Give Alicia a tour of the place, and make sure that she’s looked after.”
“Yes, sir,” Razar replied, his tone clipped but professional. When Varon finally made his way out of the foyer, Razar turned to me and eased up, a smile replacing his serious expression. “Are you feeling hungry?”
Razar Page 4