by Eric Vall
“Most likely not,” I told him. “Most travelers have plasma guns like this one.”
I pulled out my weapon and set it on the table.
“But we’ve made you something similar,” Akela said as she opened her bag and pulled out a couple of small, Gelm sized guns. “They’re powered with a small amount of mior, so they won’t ever run out of energy. I’ve made a few of them already, but I wanted to show you all.”
“I understand there were problems with Sef’sla’s home planet,” the king remarked with a worried expression, “but should we really prepare for war?”
“Not war, Your Majesty,” I corrected, “but I don’t want anyone to try and take advantage of you or steal from you. That’s part of the reason why we are building your landing pads so far away from the city. That way you can control the mior deliveries and receive payment up front. We can’t stay forever to help you, since we have other planets to travel to.”
“I understand,” the older male said, but his mouth pulled into a sad frown. “If you think this is best, then we will do as you say.”
“We will teach you and your guards how to use these weapons,” Akela added, and then she grinned. “You might even find them fun, I know I do.”
“Well,” the king chuckled, “we’ll give them a try, then. Will you show us?”
“Of course,” the mechanic replied. “It would be my honor.”
Akela and I had come up with that plan a couple days ago. I hadn’t talked to the king about it yet, though, since I wanted to wait for the meeting to let everyone see the guns all at once. Weapons were often controversial, as they had been on Sef’sla’s home planet at first, but with the Corporations in play, there was no such thing as being too safe.
What most underdeveloped planets needed most of all was protection from the larger Corporations that wanted to bleed them dry, and while these weapons may not stop those Corporations completely, they were one good step in the right direction. We also planned on having Omni install a program that showed the value of mior in the current galaxy trade, so the Gelm would never question how much to charge for their product. The amount could change, based on demand, so it was always good to know what to charge your consumer.
After we introduced the weapons, we also showed the lords the new communication devices. I had Grenn and Shaso demonstrate how to use them for the other lords, and the king was so excited, he was almost childlike in his wonder.
Once that was all taken care of, I thanked the lords for meeting with us, but Akela said she had a surprise before we all departed.
“What is it, my dear?” King Grenn asked.
“Just wait,” the mechanic said, then she spoke into her earpiece. “Ready, O?”
“Ready,” I heard Omni reply.
“Alright,” Akela said, and she led the king to the window to look below at the garden. It was evening by now, and the suns had begun to set on the horizon. It was not fully dark yet, but the light was fading quickly.
Suddenly, a small, slender tower that hadn’t been there before lit up in the garden. Then another, and another.
“You got the electricity going!” I exclaimed.
“This is marvelous,” the king breathed out as he stared out at the light that flooded his garden.
“The drones are working on the rest of the city right now,” Akela informed us. “Everything should be ready by tomorrow morning.”
“This is so strange,” one of the lords muttered as he leaned toward the window. “It’s like you’ve harnessed fire to allow for light.”
“Something like that,” Akela chuckled.
“This is amazing,” I told her, and I kissed her on the top of her head.
“You’re amazing,” she said with a grin, and she leaned up to kiss me.
She tasted of dirt and motor oil, but in the absolute best way, and I pulled her close to me to deepen the kiss for a moment before I released her.
I figured it was time for the girls and I to head back to our room for the evening, so we said goodnight to the king and the lords, with the promise to meet them for tea and cakes in the morning. Then we retreated to a guest room in the castle King Grenn had set aside for us, and I built a fire.
The girls and I crowded on the couch in front of the flames and soaked up the warmth. I knew they were all exhausted. Neka snuggled against my right shoulder and purred away as her tail flicked leisurely back and forth. Sef’sla’s head laid against my other shoulder, and Akela splayed out across the Almort princess’ lap.
We’d accomplished a lot over the past couple of days, and there was plenty more to do before everything was ready to go and the planet was ready for travelers to come and trade goods with them.
Suddenly, a small knock at the door drew my attention away from the fire. I slowly pried myself away from the girls and answered the door, and it was the king and one of his servants.
“Hello, Your Majesty,” I chuckled. “What can I do for you?”
“Hello, Grenn!” Neka called from the couch.
“I have brought gifts for you all,” the king announced.
“Gifts?” I asked. “That surely isn’t necessary.”
“Oh, of course they are,” he insisted. “It’s for a party we’re having in honor of you all tomorrow night.”
“We still have a lot of work to do,” I protested.
“You can work tomorrow during the day,” the old Gelm male allowed as he wagged his finger at me, “but tomorrow night we will celebrate.”
“Do we get to try some of that alcohol you said you make?” Akela called from the couch with a laugh.
“I would say so,” King Grenn chuckled.
“Alright,” I relented, since I figured it would be rude to deny the king. “We will be at your party tomorrow evening.”
“Thank you,” he said, and his servant stepped forward and handed me a wad of colorful fabrics. “And you will wear these.”
“We would be happy to,” I told him.
“We will see you for tea in the morning, then,” the king said with a smile, before he turned and continued down the hall.
I shook my head and closed the door.
“It appears we have a party to go to tomorrow night,” I laughed as I turned back to the women.
“Are those clothes for us?” Neka gasped, and her eyes were wide with excitement.
“It looks like it,” I agreed. “Should we try them on?”
“I think we have to!” Neka squealed, and she bounced and pulled Akela and Sef’sla with her.
“We can always do this tomorrow,” the Almort woman clicked tiredly.
“I’m with her,” Akela groaned and burrowed deeper into the couch.
“No way!” Neka protested, and she laid out the clothes on the bed. “We’re trying them on right now to see who should wear what. CT, go sit by the fire! You can’t see us in our party outfits!”
“Alright,” I laughed and put my hands up in mock surrender. “I'm going, I’m going.”
I took my seat by the fire while the girls giggled and playfully teased each other behind me, and I smiled into the flames at the thought of seeing them in their new outfits tomorrow.
I could go for a party.
Chapter 18
The next morning, Neka surprisingly dragged us all out of bed quite early. The cat-girl typically liked to sleep in, but she was particularly excited about the party that evening, and she wanted to make sure we got our tasks done for the day so we had plenty of time to get ready and celebrate.
I suspected she was so happy about it because it was the first time she really felt like she’d contributed to a planet. She had always been a help to me in the past, and I never would have been able to do my work without her, but I knew she felt like I deserved all the glory. Here, though, I could tell she was very proud of what she’d accomplished. She’d come a long way with her plant knowledge, and she really had helped to make improvements for the Gelm citizens.
So, we let my assistant pull us out of bed, and we ate
an early breakfast with the king and the lords of the city. The lords were all very excited about the improvements and had spent the evening using their new communication devices after we’d left them. Even Shaso seemed very happy about the upgrades, though I thought I could see some sadness in his eyes every now and then, and I wondered if he’d really changed since he saw what kind of turmoil his lies had caused.
Either way, it seemed we’d won over the lords, and Shaso and the Elphads had backed the party. So, the whole community would be there, and the king even informed us that those from surrounding villages often made the trek when there was a party.
Apparently, a Gelm party was quite the occasion. They were mostly reserved for public holidays, worship days, and the king’s birthday, a celebration he wasn’t the fondest of, but that everyone else seemed to enjoy. There was to be plenty of food, treats, and cakes for everyone, plus some of the homemade liquor King Grenn had told us about. I would need to have Omni double check it wouldn’t kill any of us first, but typically, foreign food was alright for human consumption. There were few things the human stomach couldn’t handle, and I attributed this to our time on Earth and all the strange things I’d read that humans used to eat.
As we finished up breakfast, I saw the city grow brighter, and I realized the drones had finished their work and the power was officially on in the city. It would be quite the sight for the party tonight.
Next, the drones were to begin the process of creating irrigation pipes and running water for the Gelm people, a task they’d no doubt already started on.
Sometimes those little things irritated me, especially with O in charge, but I had to admit, they were handy as all hell, and they made our jobs go a lot quicker.
Soon, the whole city would have electricity in their homes, plus plumbing, running water, and anything else they could use. It would also make it much easier for them to grow crops since they wouldn’t have to haul water, and they would be able to use a hose or sprinkler system to water the plants. Sef’sla and Neka had also said the soil would be ready today, so soon enough, all the Gelm people would be able to use their fields to grow whatever plants they wanted, not just the ones they’d grown used to. Not only would the new acidity level of the soil make it better for the new plants, but Sef’sla had concluded it would also up their crop yield.
After breakfast, Akela set off for the ship while Neka and Sef’sla headed to the small clinic for the day. We all planned to meet back at our room later that evening, so for the day, I was on my own with Omni. First, we worked on the contract for King Grenn to sign that would officially make them part of the universal trade market and allow them to sell their wares of their own accord.
Once the contract was signed, I had Omni run scans on all our improvements to check how everything was moving.
“It appears we will have the upgrades complete within three days,” the AI told me.
“Wow,” I muttered as I looked over the plans. “That’s pretty quick.”
“Akela made some modifications to the drones,” O said. “They are able to work more efficiently now.”
“Of course they are,” I laughed. Akela could improve just about anything, so I was in no way surprised she’d figured out how to have our drones work at maximum capacity.
The rest of the day went by in a blur.
I checked on things in the city, helped out Akela, Sef’sla, Neka, and Grenn with anything I could, and got the contract ready for the king to sign at the party that evening. I thought it would be a nice gesture to have him sign it there, in front of all of his people. It really was something that should have been signed sooner, but there had yet to be any intergalactic travelers, so as long as it was signed soon, I didn’t see the problem.
Later that evening, the girls met me in our room to get ready for the party. I found the robes Neka had laid out for me on the bed, and I went into the study attached to our room to put them on, since the girls wanted the bedroom to get ready. The robes the king had brought me were a deep red, with a gold trim, and they felt strange on my body. There was a thin shirt and pants of the same material, but the most extravagant part was the robe that was to be worn over the outfit. The garment was heavy and obviously expensive, and I almost didn’t like the weight of it compared to the light flight suits I was used to wearing, but I sucked it up and pushed my hair back.
While it was heavy and somewhat gaudy, after I’d been in the robe for a while, I got very comfortable. It was easy to move around in, and it really did make me feel like royalty for the first time in my life.
I couldn’t wait to see the girls, so I walked over to the study door and gave it a knock.
“Can I come out yet?” I asked.
“Not yet!” Sef’sla called, and then I heard fervent whispering.
“What’s going on out there?” I questioned. “You all aren’t having fun without me, are you?”
“We would never!” Neka laughed. “Just give us a second, we’re almost ready!”
I rolled my eyes and leaned my back against the door while I waited, but a moment later, the door opened, and I nearly fell to the ground as it slid out from behind me.
“Hey,” I protested, but my breath caught when I looked up at the women in front of me.
Neka stood dead center, and her orange mane was a vision of curls and volume. The robes she wore were a deep brown color that complemented her ginger hair and fair skin extremely well. The garments themselves were similar to my own, with a shirt, pants, and an outer robe, but unlike my own, the shirt she wore was a crop top that pressed against her chest and revealed her cleavage. The pants were tight where mine were loose, and they clung to every curve of her hips and thighs so my mouth almost watered when I looked at her. Her robes did not have gold trim like mine, but in the left corner by her shoulder there was the gold emblem of the king. I noticed she also wore the necklace I’d gotten for her on Proxima V, and the stones settled into her neck bones in a dainty and delicate fashion. The cat-girl was an absolute vision, and I could only pry my eyes off her to look at the beautiful creature who stood to her right.
Sef’sla wore a dark blue set of robes that complemented her blue-green skin and accentuated her deep, ocean blue eyes. Her hair hung loosely over her shoulders, and her lips were a deeper shade of blue than I’d ever seen, so I figured she had applied some makeup. Not that she needed it, but it did draw my eyes right to her beautiful, pouty lips. Like Neka’s, her shirt and pants were tight on her, and they brought attention to each of her delicate curves. The shirt was so short I could even see the muscles of her abdomen, and the bioluminescent lights on her neck lit up when she caught me looking.
“Are you just going to stare all day?” Akela taunted, and I turned to the mechanic.
God, she was gorgeous. Her bright, silver hair was parted to the side, and one of her violet eyes was almost hidden behind it, which only made me want to brush the strands away and stare at those eyes for days. The robes she wore were a light green, but instead of gold trim, they had silver trim that matched her hair. One side of her outer robe hung off her shoulder, and I noticed the shirt she had on was a halter top that framed her delicate clavicle bones beautifully. The pants she wore were shorter than Neka and Sef’sla’s, too, since they only came to her knees, and it was easy to see her tight, athletic frame under the skin tight clothes. I knew she’d just teased me for staring, but honestly, I couldn’t tear my eyes away.
“Come on, CT!” Neka laughed, and she grabbed my arm.
“Sorry.” I shook my head. “You all just look so stunning.”
“Thank you,” Neka purred.
“You look very nice as well,” Sef’sla hissed as she cheeks darkened.
“Yeah, yeah,” Akela said with a wry smile. “We all look good, now let’s go. I don’t want to miss any of those little cakes.”
“We’ll have to ask the king for the recipe,” Neka gasped.
“And the supplies to make them,” Sef’sla chuckled.
&nb
sp; “Those, too,” the cat-girl giggled.
It was nearly dark by that time, and we made our way out of our room and headed out to the garden. The king had instructed we meet him there, and then we would all walk to the party together, since he wanted to escort us to our first Gelm celebration.
The suns weren’t completely set when we made it to the garden, but the twilight was beautiful, and it was made even more so by the new lights Akela had installed.
King Grenn sat at his usual table, with cakes and tea set out before him.
“What’s this?” I laughed as I took a seat. “I thought we were going to a party to eat cake and drink tea.”
“Oh, this is not tea,” he said with a wink, and he poured each of us a cup.
“This must be the famous alcohol we’ve heard so much about,” Akela said as she sniffed the drink.
“It is,” the older Gelm male agreed.
“What’s it made of?” I asked.
“Tea,” the king said, and his eyes crinkled with a smile when we all laughed.
“O,” I said into my comm. “Can you check this for us?”
“Of course,” the AI replied. “It is fermented tea of a similar variety to what you have been drinking already on this planet. It should not harm you, but the alcohol content is strong, so do not overindulge.”
“Your machine is wise,” Grenn laughed. “I make some of the strongest drink around.”
“No wonder the people love having you as king.” Akela smirked.
“Mmm,” Neka purred, and I turned to see her eyes were open wide with delight. “This is delicious!”
“I agree,” Sef’sla hissed, and she took another drink. “This is far better than the Opalks’ juice we have on my home planet.”
“What kind of plant is an Opalks?” the king asked.
“It’s no plant,” I chuckled. “It’s a huge sea creature.”
“CT defeated one when he arrived on my planet,” Sef’sla said. “The juice of the creature will get you intoxicated, and the meat is delicious, but this drink of yours, it’s much better.”
“I’m glad you like it,” the king said. “I’ll have to give you the recipe.”