“I should probably just keep my mouth shut and not say anything,” Skylar sighed.
“You are fortunate that your language is not known well yet and the time it will take for the councilmembers to learn it will buy you time to get to know us. Just be on your best behavior,” Troy said.
“I’m gonna screw this up, I know it,” Skylar sighed, turning her eyes to look out the porthole at the stars. “I should just apologize ahead of time to this council of yours so I don’t make you two look like blooming idiots…”
“Our people are very forgiving, honey. Like you said, our ethics are common sense. Don’t waste resources and keep your environment in good order, consider others when you do something and how it might affect them, don’t steal, treat everyone fairly and honestly, give 100% of yourself to everything you do, take care of your health and safety, and conduct yourself in a way that you know makes us proud.”
“I have a headache. Can I go lie down?” Skylar grumbled.
“Do you really have a headache, or are you saying that because you are tired of the instruction?” Troy asked with a grin.
“I dunno.”
“Let me rephrase,” Tralec stated. “Do you really have a headache, or did you just lie to us about having one?”
“I’m getting a headache, okay? Please, let me go lie down.” Skylar rubbed her temple.
“Go ahead, brat. Wait a second.” Tralec lifted his hand as she started to zoom away. “Aren’t you going to thank Papa and me for teaching you how to be a respectable citizen?”
Skylar groaned, croaking out her thanks before running to the back chamber. The sound of the men’s laughter followed her. She grumbled to herself… so much for Tralec’s objection to loud bouts of laughter.
* * *
“Get into the cubicle, young lady. I am not going to repeat myself,” Tralec ordered.
Skylar stood behind Troy, peeking out at the other man. “But Papa said it would be okay if I wanted to make the landing with you. I’m not scared. Please!”
“I said I would be fine with you staying if Tralec approved. He has not,” Troy corrected her.
“But why? Just because you’re afraid of landing doesn’t mean I am.”
“Whoa!” Troy pulled Skylar out from behind him. “You just crossed a line, little one. Tralec is not afraid of anything, got it? It makes him ill, and that is not his fault. Apologize this instant.”
“Sorry,” Skylar muttered, staring down at the floor.
“Let’s get this clear. He is, and always will be, in charge of your personal health and safety, and I will support him in anything he says. Except for actual airtime, the council views him as my superior. You will do the same.”
“Geesh…”
“Answer correctly, young lady. Your behavior these last few days has left me with an itchy palm,” Troy warned, his finger once again in her face.
“Yes, sir, Papa,” Skylar said submissively. She looked up at Tralec. “I’m sorry, Daddy.”
Tralec sighed, running his hand through his hair. “I know I sound overprotective, but this type of relationship is as new for me as it is for you. I want to guard you.”
“I understand. ’Night,” Skylar said, walking away with her chin facing the floor.
“Hold on there,” Tralec called to her.
Skylar turned to look at him with big, sad eyes.
“How do you know the descent and landing won’t make you ill?”
“I don’t. It was just a risk I was willing to take so that I could experience it.”
“If I allow this, you owe me,” Tralec said, suppressing a grin as Skylar ran to throw herself into his arms with glee.
“Thank you! Thank you!”
“Don’t thank me yet. Wait until after we land. We will be in decontamination for several hours, and I will want you to take that time and show your appreciation if your stomach is still intact.” He tried not to smile as her face broke into a huge grin, understanding his intent.
“You don’t have to let me land to get that, you know!” Skylar giggled, hugging him tightly.
“Yes, I know, but I was trying to be subtle.” Tralec kissed her.
“Can Troy play too?” Skylar asked eagerly.
“Of course. Sit on my lap and let’s get buckled in.”
“Okay!” Skylar said happily, scrambling upon Tralec’s thighs and squishing her bottom firmly against his groin. She wriggled as she felt his tool react to her presence. “What’s that?” she teased.
“A lot of discomfort for me if it doesn’t go to sleep. Stop wiggling. You are making things worse.”
“Why do you think I do it?” Skylar asked, yelping as he playfully pinched her thigh.
“That’s Calipi. What do you think?” Troy asked as the ship swung around one of the gray moons and the planet was revealed.
“It’s… It’s beautiful,” Skylar gasped. The planet was purple and green, with highlights of white streaking the poles. Four other large moons danced around it, and streaks of multicolored light bounced off the surface at various angles and locations. “You have five moons? And what are those things? They look like our northern lights! Are your oceans purple? What color are your plants? How do you—”
“Slow down, baby. We actually have seven moons, but the other two are on the other side. You’ll see them in a moment as we settle into orbit and approach our sun. The light effects are caused by the magnetic poles and gravitational pull from the moons. There are metal particles suspended in space that become charged and glow.”
“The oceans are violet due to the mineral content, and our plants are similar to yours—just with more intense pigments and very thick stalks,” Tralec smiled, kissing her neck. “I like your curiosity.”
“That is the sun? Is it always like that?”
“I assume you are referring to the color,” Troy asked.
“It’s freaking pink! No wonder you boys can’t tan. You would end up looking like a giant stick of cotton candy.”
“What is…? Never mind. I told you that we are able to tan using the light of our moons. We just have not have been outside in a very long time. The UV rays of our sun are much stronger than yours and can cause painful burning. Even for you. Use protection every time you go out,” Tralec ordered.
“I have pigment in my skin that will protect me. I will be fine,” Skylar countered.
“Pardon? Weren’t you the one who initially insisted on wearing clothes when you went outside for fear of getting a sunburn?” Tralec raised his eyebrow.
“Yeah, but I was naked! I didn’t want to get fried all over.”
“You heard me.”
“Yes, Daddy dearest.”
“Remind me to paddle her rump after we land, Troy.”
“Sure thing.”
“Hey! I didn’t do anything wrong!”
“Would you care to define the word sarcasm, my girl? No?” Tralec asked, holding her tightly as the ship began to pick up speed. “We still owe you a spanking for using the shifter without permission, remember?”
“I was hoping you’d forget,” Skylar sulked.
“We are preparing to break into our atmosphere. Ready?” Troy asked.
Skylar nodded, her eyes bright with excitement. She felt Tralec tighten his hold around her waist as they ripped through the invisible shield that encircled Calipi, the roar of the engines drowning out the loud pounding of her heart. The ship plummeted downward, suddenly flipping midflight to fold and leave the passengers facing backwards. Skylar willed herself to breathe through her nose to calm her nerves and relax her stomach, all the while digging her fingernails deeply into the tops of Tralec’s hands. She and Tralec groaned sickly as Troy cheered.
“The worst is over, baby,” Troy said cheerfully. “Wasn’t that fun?”
“Shut up, Troy,” Tralec and Skylar moaned in unison.
* * *
“Are we there yet?” Skylar moaned, leaning against the exit door of the cruiser. “Please tell me that we can get o
ut of this sardine can soon.”
“We will be allowed out after the cruiser is docked.”
“I can’t believe you people have never heard of a tugboat. It is exactly what you are doing with this thing,” she yawned, looking out the porthole at the small tank-like vehicles that pulled the cruiser toward the storage bay at the science complex.
“Skylar? What is wrong? You are restless. Is your tummy still upset from the landing?” Tralec asked, looking up from his tablet.
“Gee, I wonder,” came the retort.
“I already owe you one spanking for being sarcastic with your ‘Daddy dearest’ comment. Would you like another on top of what you have coming to you?” Tralec’s tone was strictly no-nonsense.
“I’m really nervous,” Skylar sighed. “This is so foreign to me. You say that your friends will be patient, but what if I blow it? What if they don’t like me? What if they make you send me home?”
“Honey, listen. We taught you the rules of our society. Did any of them promote ridicule, judgment, aggression, or imply a practice of abandonment?”
“No, but…”
“They will accept you simply because you make us complete. This is how our society functions, Skylar. Concern for one another is vital. To ‘make’ us do anything that we feel is wrong goes against who we are.”
“Can’t they accuse you of being selfish for keeping me and making me come here? And what are you going to do when they find out you spank me? I thought you guys were without violence.”
“Our circumstance with our obtaining you is one the council will applaud. We did not seek to capture you; rather, we rescued you. Twice, in fact. As for violence, our society has worked hard to eliminate wars, and murder is unheard of. We still have small fights that break out now and then, and verbal arguments, but nothing that would be considered criminal or destructive. Also, we have evidence to support that the process of spanking is a form of caring that your species responds well to.”
“Not everybody responds well. If I were bigger…”
“You are not bigger, so that thought is irrelevant.”
“Do you always have to be so logical?” She glared directly into his lovely purple eyes.
Tralec smiled, not breaking eye contact. “Do you always have to be right?”
Skylar stuck her tongue out at him and began to pace back and across the deck. She sang quietly to herself, desperately trying to find a way to pass the time.
“What is that?” Troy asked, turning his head to the sound.
Skylar blushed. “Oh, I’m sorry. I forgot how sensitive your hearing is. I know I don’t sing very well.”
“Tell me more about this… sound,” Troy asked, leaning forward with curiosity. Tralec joined him.
“Your people don’t sing? Everybody sings! Not always pleasantly or with words, but still… Do you hum or whistle? What kind of music do you have?”
The men looked at each other in confusion, causing Skylar to plop to the floor in amazement. “Are you telling me that you have never heard of music?”
“No. Is it a means of communication?” Tralec asked.
“How many planets have you visited? How many species have you studied? In our world, anthropologists explore everything about a community, including recreation and entertainment. Just because your culture doesn’t engage in it or accept its importance doesn’t mean that it is any less valid. Music is important to my species. It communicates with our souls, not just our mind and body.”
“Keep going,” Tralec urged, his eyes twinkling.
Skylar raised an eyebrow. “You look like a kid on Christmas morning.”
“What is…?” Troy began.
“You both seriously need human history classes. I’m not the smartest person on my planet, but I know a hell of a lot more than you two.”
“When you perfect our language, we will have you teach. Make certain you present that to the council,” Troy urged his pod-mate.
“I’ll consider it. Tell us more about music. The data bank indicates it is formed from a series of intonations driven by a mathematical…”
Skylar closed her eyes and began to sing ‘Tonight, You Belong to Me.’ Tears formed in her eyes as she sang, her mind remembering the counterpart sung by a man. The cabin was silent after she stopped, and she opened her eyes.
Both Calipians were flushed with a dull blue.
“I know why I am crying, but why are you two?” she asked quietly.
“I don’t know. That sound and the sadness in the words made me feel in here,” Tralec fisted his right chest. “It is the same feeling I experienced after we had brought you back from Siberia. You were in the corner and leaking so loudly. It felt like something was missing inside.”
“It made my chest tighten,” Troy said, “and it was difficult to swallow. I felt… choked… and then began to flush.”
“Why did you cry?” Tralec asked as Skylar climbed onto Troy’s lap and leaned against his chest.
“My grampa used to sing that song with me when I was little. Every night when he tucked me in bed, we sang it together. Until the night he died. I was only twelve. He had been very sick for a long time, and I never knew it.”
“He was special to you?” Tralec half-asked, half-stated.
“He made me feel like I had value and worth. He insisted that I come to live with him after my mother died when I was six. He always said I looked like her.” Skylar smiled at the memory.
“What happened to you after he expired?”
“I went to live with my grandma after that. They were divorced. That is when a connected couple separate.”
“How painful!” Troy stated.
“It is very painful, but for most people, it seems as though they experience more pain when being together and hurting each other.” Skylar paused. “In my grandmother’s case, it was because she was too afraid to take an adventure and move away from the farm. She raised my mother and uncle alone and never touched the money my grandfather sent her. It wasn’t a lot, but she was too prideful.”
“I don’t understand the actions in this culture. These… emotions… appear to lead to nothing but pain.”
“That’s the risk my people take when we make poor choices,” Skylar sighed.
“I wish to learn more about this music,” Troy said, glancing at Tralec with concern.
“I do as well. How does one sing?”
Skylar smiled at them, relieved to change the subject. “You start by humming, like when you are contemplating something. You know, that noise you make… just draw it out. Hmmm…”
Chapter Ten
The three of them were humming as the cruiser was locked into the bay, and the exit lights flashed, indicating that it was safe to disembark. Grabbing their personal belongings and the bag filled with items for Skylar, both men took her hands and led her down the ramp and into the complex.
Skylar’s eyes widened in disbelief as she froze in place, resisting the gentle pull on her hands. “This place looks like something out of the Jetsons…”
“What are the Jetsons?” Troy asked.
“A very old cartoon that Grampa liked to watch. He always believed that one day the earth would look like that. Where are the people? This place is empty.”
“We sleep during the day to protect ourselves from the sun. All businesses and activities occur under the moons.”
“Isn’t it dark, though?” Skylar asked, allowing them to lead her to the rectangular glass room that had benches around every wall.
Troy placed his hand on a plate after seating Skylar next to Tralec. “No, the moons are quite bright. There is some shifting during the different seasons in the intensity and warmth, and of course they run their course in orbit just as the star does.”
A glass door slid shut and the room lifted off the ground and began to travel across an unseen path of air. “So weird. I can’t feel what direction we are going,” Skylar exclaimed, staring as they progressed through a dimly lit corridor. It slid to a stop
and the door opened, revealing an enormous, white area.
“Welcome home, Masters Tralec and Troy,” a woman’s mechanical voice announced. “How may I serve?”
“Who the hell is that?” Skylar asked, looking around quickly.
“Our biodrone F101-12.”
“We call her Effy,” Troy chuckled. “Download all data from the cruiser and have it transferred to the house records.”
“Where is she?”
“In her charging closet until we need her physical assistance. Effy! Is the third room prepared for a guest?”
“Yes, Master Troy.”
“I wish you to comb through the manuals that we brought back and decorate it according to the norm. This is Skylar.”
“Mistress Skylar, may I offer you a beverage?” the woman’s voice asked.
“If I didn’t know better, I would say that tone was a bit brittle,” Tralec commented with a frown. “Effy, do you have problems with Skylar being here?”
“It is of another species.”
“Yes, but she is under our protection and has connected. You will obey her in all things except when contradicting our orders, threatening safety, or breaking our laws.”
There was no response.
“Effy! Do you understand my orders?!”
“Yes, Master Tralec.”
“It hates me! Your fucking computer literally hates me,” Skylar whispered to Troy.
“Watch the language. It just needs a tune-up. I’ll take care of it. Tralec, can you get her settled in?”
“Yes. Effy, have you completed the task yet?”
“Yes, Master Tralec. The room is prepared.”
“How could she do anything? It’s only been a couple of minutes since you told her to look in the manuals.”
“It’s an older unit and tends to take some time. I apologize.”
“Did you actually think that was slow? Are you nuts?” Skylar stared, goggle-eyed.
“Well, yes. A newer unit would have anticipated the need and been prepared before we asked. The reason we have kept this unit is because Troy knows its circuits in and out and does not want to learn a new program. Let’s go see your room.”
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