Married to the Alien Doctor: Renascence Alliance Series Book 2

by Alma Nilsson

  Dru was dared after a cup of wine to walk around the room and see if any of the men talked to her privately. “You are the youngest and they all stare at your red hair. Go on, James,” Rebecca said playfully.

  “But I’m not even old enough to begin this ritual with them,” she protested. She didn’t want to saunter around by herself among all these men. There were so many of them.

  “Even more of a reason, just go,” said Rebecca giving Dru a slight push with a smile.

  Dru walked away slowly. She didn’t turn around but just focused on walking through the crowd. They parted for her without actually making eye contact. This made her feel like a queen or the ugliest person in the room, she couldn’t decide which. She wanted to open her mind to hear their thoughts, but she remembered Doctor Jina’s warning and resisted the urge.

  After walking around for about five minutes, she decided to stand in a random place where she could see the other human women across the room. When she found her place, she was shocked to see that none of her crewmates were looking at her, but they were surrounded by hundreds of men. Her heart sank, she was so repulsive no Alliance men would approach them while she stood with them. Tears welled up in her eyes, Don’t cry. You’re fine, she told herself. Then she turned away from the scene and went out into the garden where again, the few men that were there, didn’t look at her directly and some actively avoiding her.

  She walked in the symmetrical garden until it was time to leave. When she rejoined the group at the entrance, waiting for Madame Bai’s assistant, everyone was buzzing about their conversations with the men, both the good and the bad, and no one brought up that Dru had been completely left out.

  It seemed that everyone had offers to begin courting, even Eve who had one eye and Jane who was almost too old for courting. Some, like Rebecca, even had multiple offers. Dru smiled for them. She would feel the same in their position, they had been so bored and now they had been out and met men who were attractive, well as attractive as grey people can be, and courting would give them something to do besides Madame Bai’s classes and being cooped up in the Human House building all day. Even if they all still held the thought that they may be rescued, it was still a very interesting perspective to spend one-on-one time with a man from the Alliance Empire.

  Late that night, Dru looked at herself in the mirror for a long time before going to sleep. She wondered what it was about her that made her so distasteful to Alliance men. In the end, she resigned herself to be a spinster forever and decided to look up the punishment for not being married tomorrow. She was sure it would be something ridiculous, as most punishments were in the Alliance. She imagined having to wear an ‘U’ around for ‘unmarried’ like Hester Prynne’s ‘A’. She went to sleep even being jealous of Hester as at least she had had her fun before her punishment.

  Ket normally did not read the gossip columns from the Capital City, but today he had good reason to check them out. He wanted to see a picture of Drusilla. Their guardian watched over them so closely they were rarely let out and because of that, there were rarely any pictures of Drusilla. The Assembly, which by law they must attend, would be the first opportunity for the Alliance to view its newest citizens and everyone was curious.

  With so much speculation about the human women and what their behavior would be like at their first Assembly I must admit we were all disappointed that their behavior was impeccable. Madame Bai can feel no shame about her charges today. Junior Doctor Drusilla even had the courtesy to move away from the group so that suitors could approach the eligible human women. Of course, there have been many rumors circulating that a ban had already been put on Junior Doctor Drusilla, but it wasn’t until last night that we could confirm this. Despite being the most eligible among the human women and the most beautiful, not a single man spoke to her. We must summarize that whoever put the ban on Junior Doctor Drusilla is high ranking. The ladies in the office and I have come up with a list of men who might be behind the ban. Here are our top five candidates:

  Admiral Zo of House Huot

  Doctor Kina of House Loa

  Doctor Ket of Imperial House Vo

  General Piun of House Bose

  Doctor Rea of House Edda

  We look forward to your suggestions in the comments. However, we realize the list may be long as this Assembly was not the Year Assembly, so countless suitors were missing. Our heads are spinning with all the possibilities.

  Ket smiled at the article, women loved to wonder about who put a ban on whom, and the men loved to watch the women guess. He then flipped to the pictures from the night, there were pictures of the human women arriving, they looked in good spirits. Then he flipped through more, there were many of the other human women talking to potential suitors and then finally at the end he found another picture of Drusilla in the garden, she was stunning, even in her cheap dress. He looked at the picture and wondered though, Why is she so sad? Doesn’t she realize she was already spoken for by someone greater than anyone there?

  Madame Bai was so pleased with the outcome of the human women’s first Assembly the next morning when they were all in the classroom for their cultural class, she announced happily, “Because you ladies all performed so well last night, today we will skip our usual morning classes and I’ll take you to the Earth Store. I’ve arranged transports outside.”

  Everyone was excited by this. They had been out in the city, but only under the watchful eyes of Madame Bai and her assistants and so therefore not allowed to go into the off-world ring of the city nor do any shopping for familiar things from home. According to Madame Bai, they had not earned the right, not until now.

  Dru was not surprised that Madame Bai had also hired guards to accompany them. She was always talking about how dangerous off-worlders were to them and Dru always wanted to point out that they were off-worlders themselves.

  On the way there, Madame Bai was answering some questions, “Oh there are less than 100 humans that live on the Capital Planet. They’re almost all men. There are a few that work in the Earth Store, some traders who claim residency here but are not here often and, of course, most of the humans work at your embassy.”

  “Why haven’t we met our ambassador yet?” Jane asked.

  Madame Bai looked at her and said condescendingly, “Because you are no longer citizens of Earth but Alliance citizens.”

  “I’d still like to meet the human ambassador. How would I arrange a meeting?” Jane asked.

  “You can make an appointment at the embassy. However, I doubt that he will be allowed to meet with you until after the war. You do realize that we are all still at war with Earth?”

  “Then why is the ambassador still here?”

  “I suspect because the human government is too poor to send him and his staff back and forth. And because the Alliance Empire does not see humans as a threat.”

  “That’s odd,” Rachel commented, “that there are so many human men working here and so few human women.”

  “It’s not odd, it’s natural. We wouldn’t allow women to live here away from their home planets, it goes against the gods.”

  Jane had to hold her tongue not to point out the hypocrisy of that now, but she did roll her eyes which made a lot of the women smile. “What about the one other human woman?”

  “She is married to the Earth Store owner,” replied Madame Bai. “A deal was struck that they were allowed to open their store and live here if they married just like the rest of the Alliance.”

  “And what about the other human men? Are they married? Or do they have lovers?”

  “I believe some of them are married, but not to human or Alliance women,” Madame Bai didn’t want to say anything more about it, she didn’t want her charges seeking out human men, so she changed the subject. “I hope you all will enjoy shopping today. The Earth Store has been operating for about 150 years, it opened when the humans sent their first ambassador. Apparently, he couldn’t stomach our food. Since then, it sells much more than food f
or humans and other people who like human things.”

  It was not long before the transports set down and the guards escorted them into the large shop. Frank the owner, a middle-aged balding man with a long grey beard and dark brown eyeliner around his light blue eyes, came out to greet them. He wore human clothes of brown trousers and a white shirt. He looked so pleasantly human and the women felt drawn to him like meeting an old friend, “Ladies,” he had a big smile, “It is so nice to finally meet you all. Please come in. I have closed the store especially for you. Please come and ask me anything. My wife Zelda is not here now but I know she will be sad she wasn’t here to meet you all today. Don’t just stand there, come in.”

  When they had all entered the store and were looking around at all the familiar items and smells of Earth things, Frank pointed to a small console, “I’ve a lot on display, and of course, a lot in the warehouse and most things can be ordered. Madame Bai has made me aware of your restrictions until your marital status changes, however, aside from specific cultural products, I can offer you comfort products from home, such as food and drink. I’ve nice things such as Swiss chocolate, Canadian maple syrup, Thai sriracha, Indian spices, Chinese tea and French wine, all of which I just sent off to your captain aboard the Refa. I also run cooking classes for your slaves, if you think you could get them to cook human food?”

  Everyone laughed and Jane replied for them all, “Unfortunately, I’m sure our slaves would never condescend to learn to cook human food, but we will keep it in mind if our situations ever change. Thank you.”

  Frank smiled, “Yes, they aren’t really slaves, more like trolls of mischief roaming our houses. Apart from food, I of course, have clothing from Earth. I stock pajamas with extra prayer candles for the gods,” all the women laughed at that. “Yes, I petitioned the High Council some years ago to begin making the prayer candles for wearing pajamas. You should light them in front of the goddess of home.” He looked at all the women smiling and said joyfully, “And much more, please look around, take your time and ask me anything.”

  Dru smiled at Frank, she couldn’t help it. It was a relief to see a human man. To hear someone, speak to them as they were accustomed to. Dru wandered through the large store. First, she went to the food section. She was so excited when she found apples and strawberry jam, she put one of each in a small basket. The cost of an apple was 3 UC and the jam 1 UC. It was highway robbery, but she still wanted it. Alliance fruit was texture less and tasteless. Next to the outrageously expensive spices she noticed a small advertisement for a cookbook written by the owner, called ‘Cooking in the Alliance with Earth Spices’. It cost 5 UC. Dru thought that she should remember that for when she had more universal credits to spend. She thought perhaps it would be a good book to have when she married. She didn’t understand why Alliance food had to be so bland, as it could have a lot of taste without being unhealthy and most Alliance people had more than enough universal credits to buy delicious spices. She sighed, this was probably going to be an Alliance mystery that she never solved. As she wandered around more, she found herself in the makeup section. Alliance people didn’t wear makeup, but humans liked it and she wondered, if maybe, she wore some makeup Alliance men would find her more attractive. She couldn’t help but remember last night and how no one spoke to her, no Alliance man or woman. It was humiliating. She looked at the black eyeliner and mascara. She was relieved to find that unlike the fruit and jam; this was much more reasonably priced, and she put both in her basket. Then she went to the clothing section and found the pajamas section. The store had the most beautiful set of blue silk pajamas with a matching robe, but it was way out of her budget. She ended up having to settle for cotton pajamas with little pink flowers on them. She also picked up the accompanying prayer candles. Then she saw some underwear and picked up five black lace pair, also with the accompanying prayer candles which she noticed were to be lit in front of the goddess of fertility not the goddess of home.

  Then she looked around and as they were barred from anything cultural like music or dramas, there was nothing else she really wanted. She had never been a huge fan of chocolate and although she wanted to buy a bouquet of flowers from Frank’s greenhouse, she couldn’t bear the expense of it. She would have purchased Exterior coffee in a heartbeat if it were available though. Exterior coffee was a mixture of coffee, chicory and milk and was difficult to find outside the Exterior, she doubted Frank would have it here.

  Dru was the first to check out. She put her items up at the register and Frank asked her name.

  “Dru James,” she answered with a smile. “You can call me either.”

  “Okay, James. And did you find everything you wanted? I can get almost anything you know.”

  “Do you know about chicory coffee?” Dru couldn’t help but ask as they were the only ones in earshot and if she was going to be here forever, she reckoned better to ask now and know than wonder only to be disappointed later.

  “Chicory coffee,” he repeated looking directly at her with an unreadable face.

  Dru couldn’t help it, it was taking too long for him to reply and she wanted to know what he was thinking, Did he hate Exterior people? So, she jumped into his mind, hoping he was not a telepath and that there were no secret police around. When she did, she found that he was innocently trying to figure out where he could get some chicory coffee and she felt guilty for invading his privacy. “It’s okay. It’s unusual I know.”

  “Do you know how to make it? Chicory can be gotten, and I have coffee of course. I aim to please, and I reckon you and I will be friends for a long time to come.”

  “Chicory as in the root of the blue-flowered perennial plant not the lettuce,” she had made that mistake when she was first out of the Exterior.

  Frank smiled, “I’ve never grown chicory myself, but I have a greenhouse here. If you would like I will look into getting it and then you can buy it with the coffee and make it how you like.”

  “How much do you think that will cost? It will need milk too,” Dru needed to know, she didn’t have a lot to spend on frivolities. But she reckoned at this point, she would pay at least 20 UC to just have some coffee that tasted like home, just one more time.

  “Since you are going to be my customer for as long as we both live, we will work something out,” Frank winked at the young woman. He had read about her in the Day and felt so sorry for her, so young and to be thrown into the Alliance like this at full force. He had come here to make universal credits and for the prestige of living in the Alliance, but he didn’t like the culture here and he felt sorry for all these women, especially this one.

  Dru gave him a grateful smile, “Thank you Frank.”

  Frank just nodded and tallied up her apple, strawberry jam, underwear, pajamas and makeup. Then she paid with her fingerprint. The store already had her facial recognition.

  When they all entered the transport to return home, everyone was buzzing with what they had bought, most of it was food. Jane delighted them all by saying, “I have a surprise for you all tonight after the evening meal, so don’t be late. Two surprises actually and if you want to wear your makeup to dinner,” a lot of them had bought makeup, “then tonight is the night to do it.”

  Again, everyone was excited, Dru reflected that for some reason now things began to feel real for the first time since they had arrived in the Alliance. Really real.

  That evening Jane surprised them all with champagne. Real champagne. It must have cost a fortune. When everyone had a glass, she made a toast, “To our new lives and to Frank who is a small light in this dark world and will give us the liquid courage to continue.”

  “To Frank and small lights,” they all repeated and drank with smiles and a bit of laughter.

  Dru couldn’t help but be a little pleased. They had very little to celebrate but Jane was right in doing this. It was a bright point. And it was nice to see everyone with a bit of makeup on too, as a reminder that they were all human.

  Jane asked
one of the slaves to take their picture, “I want a better one than the other one.” She didn’t need to say more, they had all, except for Dru, been approached by men at the Assembly and no doubt one of them would be married and gone, sooner rather than later, or that they would be rescued and return to their lives and separate naturally. Jane wanted a picture because she felt like they had conquered something by making it this far and she wanted the women to have a nice picture of them all, because if they were staying, they would be like family for one another and have many more hurdles to jump together.

  It occurred to Dru then for the first time, that maybe some of these women wanted to escape their lives on Earth, as she had wanted to escape the Exterior. That maybe they welcomed this new adventure, as the doctor who had given her the new translator had suggested. Then Dru had the most cynical thought of her young life, Maybe it doesn’t matter where you are in the galaxy, that as long as there is a minimal base point of food, shelter, stability and society, you will feel the same levels of contentment and happiness regardless of location. But as soon as she thought it, she dispelled that thought because if it were true, she should have never left the Exterior or she should just be content here. She hated to think the latter, that she should just resign herself to her new Alliance life, without a fight. She looked at Jane, “Do you think this picture is any better in these clothes? We’re all still here.”

  Jane knew that James was the most reluctant to accept their situation and she had sympathy for her. James would probably never have human children, a human life, everything that more than half of them had experienced. Although the Alliance didn’t see her as giving up much, to all the human women, James was giving up the most, a human life she would never have. “It’s different,” Jane said gently. “We are progressing. It doesn’t matter that we didn’t choose this. We are moving forward as we must one way or another. To survive we must enjoy these small moments when we can. To stay in despair over things we cannot change doesn’t make sense.”