by Robin Roseau
“Is that far?”
“What is far?” I asked. “Twenty-four light years.”
“I have never been off Tarriton,” she said. “What is Talmon like?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “I have not been yet. Aunt Anna says it is beautiful. Tarriton very beautiful.”
“It is, isn’t it?” she agreed. “This way.”
* * * *
Pippa showed me to my room, a small room for one on the top of a four-story building. The windows showed another beautiful view, but there was only one room, and when I looked around, I couldn’t find a washroom or kitchen. I turned to her. “Is right?”
“Is what right?”
“This my room?”
“You don’t like it?”
“I like,” I said. “No... bathing room? Is right word?”
“Bathroom,” she said. “You share. Do you understand?”
“No.”
“I’ll show you.” She actually reached out and took my hand. We left my room, walked a short distance, and stepped into a bathroom. “Do I need to show you how it works?”
I looked around. “No,” I said.
“You have bathrooms on Frantzland?”
“Frantzland very modern,” I said.
“You are acting like someone from a backwater planet.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Wide eyes.” She gestured. “Surprised by everything.”
“Oh. Frantzland all under the...” I pointed. “Floor?”
“Underground?”
“Maybe,” I said. “Not beautiful planet. Hide under. Never draußen. Um. Outside.” I held my hand in the air. “Floor.” Then I drew in the air above my hand. “Tarriton. Home. Office. Here. Above.” Then I gestured below my hand. “Frantzland here. Under. Home. Office. Train. All here. Never above.”
“Oh,” she replied. “I don’t think I would like it.”
“Good people,” I said. I tapped my head. “Good think. Modern.”
“But no trees. No sun. Birds? Do you have birds?”
“No. No animals.”
“Wow.”
“Tarriton is beautiful,” I said. “Very different.”
“I suppose so,” she said. “Come on. I’ll show you the cafeteria next.”
* * * *
Pippa showed me the entire campus. We even went through my schedule, and she showed me how to find all my classes. By then, it was time for lunch, so we headed to the cafeteria and shared a meal together.
Then she walked me back to my new home. At my doorstep, I was ready to say, “Goodbye,” but she said, “I want to talk to you.”
“Come in.” I held the door for her and closed it behind her.
Once inside, she smiled. “Maddalyn, may I ask a question?”
“Yes, Pippa.”
“How old are you?”
“I look my age,” I said. “Twenty-four. Almost twenty-five. How old are you?”
“Forty-seven,” she said. “This is my second job.”
“Understand,” I said. “What else you do?”
“For my job?”
“Yes.”
“Anything Dean Horn needs,” she said. “We’re always busy.”
“Do you like?”
“Yes. I’m still learning so much, and I’m taking classes, too. One class a term. Even Dean Horn still takes classes. She said only a fool stops learning.”
That was a lot for me to catch, but I understood enough, and so I said, “I understand.”
She stepped closer. “Have you had rejuvenation?”
“Yes,” I said. I decided she didn’t need the entire story. “Change hands.” I held them up. “What did you do?”
“My first time, I made my hair very long.” She gestured to halfway down her bottom. “It looked fabulous, but I hated taking care of it, so I cut it.” Her hair was really quite short, but it was cute. She was cute. “I made big changes, but I went back. Then I made small changes here. Very small.” She gestured to her face. “Do you like?”
“Yes,” I said.
“I know you have a busy schedule, and then you’re leaving.”
“I don’t understand. Please speak slowly.”
“Sorry. I like you, Maddalyn. Will you go out with me?”
“Oh,” I said. She smiled, but it was hesitant. “I have so much to learn.”
Her smile fell. “I understand.”
“Practicing English,” I said. “And learning other things.” She froze, and that gave me time to decide. “I leave Tarriton. Go Talmon.”
“I know.”
“Can go out a little,” I said. “You still ask?”
“Maddalyn, I want to be sure,” she said. And then she brushed fingers on my face, and she couldn’t have been clearer.
I smiled. “I understand, Pippa. I like. When?”
“Tomorrow night. I’ll come here at seventeen hours.”
“Good. What wear?”
“Hmm. How about if I help you unpack, and we’ll see what you have.”
“Help…”
She didn’t try to explain. Instead she turned to my luggage, now free of the gravity sled, which returned to wherever it belonged. She lugged the suitcase to the bed and threw it on top. Understanding, I stepped over and opened it for her. Then, working together, we put my clothing away.
“These are from Frantzland?”
“Yes,” I said.
It didn’t take long to put everything away, and then I stowed the suitcase. Pippa looked through my closet then pulled out a black dress. She smiled then held it up to me. “Wear this.”
“Okay.”
“And…” She gestured to her legs. “And shoes.”
“I understand,” I said.
“Good. Seventeen tomorrow.”
“Seventeen,” I echoed.
* * * *
My head hurt from speaking so much English, so I lay down for a while. But otherwise I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening going through the information Dean Horn had given me. She’d sent me not just my schedule, but information about the university, including how I could download the books I would need. I went through it all, and then I skimmed the beginnings of each book.
I actually had a few days before my classes would begin, but I would use the time as best I could.
The next day I traveled about the campus, making sure I could find my classes. The implant was wonderful for that. It had a map and my schedule. And I had learned it could keep me on time. That had never been a problem for me, but I realized how much I would grow to rely on my implant for everything.
I’d never lose track of time again.
I was somewhat chagrinned at how difficult the books were. They were in English, of course. I could probably have asked the implant to help with the translation, but I thought the most important thing to learn was to become comfortable in English, so asking the implant to translate into German was a mistake. So I used it as a dictionary, but that was all.
Ninety minutes before Pippa was due, I set an alarm for thirty minutes, and then I lay down, giving my brain a rest. I had the implant play music for me; I had learned it could download any music I wanted, including music from Frantzland. But instead, I’d told it to find music in English that was similar to what I liked from home. I was still learning what I liked, but I’d found a few performers I enjoyed.
When the alarm sounded, I rose and began to prepare for my evening with Pippa.
* * * *
She wore her own black dress, stockings, and heels, as well as makeup. And so she stood in the doorway as we stared at each other, smiling. Finally I said, “Come in.”
We hugged. Well, she hugged me. I put my arms around her. She held me for a moment then separated. “Is this okay, Maddalyn?”
“Yes,” I said. “Why ask?”
She turned partly away, but I set a hand on her arm. “We are from different worlds. We have learned different ways.”
Slowly, she turned back. “You don�
�t like to hug.”
“Oh. Learning to like. Show me again.”
She laughed and did just that. And in my ear she said, “Tighter.” And I asked the implant to translate that for me. It took a moment, of course, but then I held her more tightly. She laughed. “You had to translate that.”
“Yes,” I admitted.
She nodded. “This is good.” Slowly she pulled away, and she was smiling. “Have you gone on dates with women in the past?”
“I had a girlfriend,” I said. “We lived together. We broke up, and then I came here.”
She brushed my cheek. “Are you all right?”
“She was bad,” I said. “I tell another time if you ask. Bad story. But good ending. I am here. Have good job. Much to learn, but have implant.”
“So it is working out?”
“Yes,” I said. “Is working out.” I paused. “Pippa, Franztland not Tarriton. Franztland ways not Tarriton ways. Teach me Tarriton ways. Okay?”
“Okay,” she said. And with that, she reached for my hand. I let her take it. “This is now mine.”
“Okay,” I said.
“Good.” And then she pulled me to the door.
* * * *
Pippa had a ground car waiting for us. She handed me in, and then we were moving forward. She reached over and took my hand again, letting the vehicle drive itself.
“What are we doing?”
“Dinner,” she said. “And then dancing. Is that okay?”
“Yes,” I said.
“You won’t know the dance style. It’s new. I’ll teach you.”
“Okay.”
She took me to a lovely, quiet restaurant. It was partway up the mountains, and seating was interesting. Rather than a large room with tables nearly touching each other, there were individual booths, each looking out the windows at the valley below. They made it work by having multiple levels, I thought five in all, and we were near the middle. The booths were tall and curved. Ours was sized for two people, with a table big enough to be comfortable, but seating was cozy, and I found my knee touching Pippa’s.
I think that was intentional on her part, as there was more room than that. But I didn’t mind.
We held hands. I’d never held hands in public, and it would have made me uncomfortable, but everything was so different, that I did what I could to take it into stride.
From our seats, we couldn’t see anyone else, and they were using sound dampening as well. And so it was like we were the only people in the restaurant. I thought it was quite magical.
We spent the dinner talking easily, holding hands for much of it. Pippa was actually quite physically affectionate, touching me in ways I didn’t expect. Oh, it was proper, depending upon your standards. She wasn’t grabbing me. But I had asked her to teach me the Tarriton way, and she was doing so.
About halfway through the meal, I said, “You touch a lot.”
“Does that bother you?”
I didn’t answer that. Instead I asked, “Should I touch you?”
“If you want to,” she said. “I wouldn’t mind.”
I didn’t touch her remotely the way she touched me, but after that, I gave her little touches, usually on her hand or arm. At one point, while I told a story, I held her hand with one of mine and traced patterns on the back of her hand with the fingers of my other hand. She sat quietly, and when I looked at her, her eyes were closed.
I hesitated in my story, and after a moment, Pippa opened her eyes. “You stopped talking.”
“You looked so beautiful,” I said.
We finished dinner, and then she led me back to the ground vehicle. Before handing me in, she turned me to her then stepped close. I looked into her eyes. Pippa raised a hand to my cheek. Then she held me as she moved closer.
My eyes were closed by the time our lips met.
I keep using the same word: overwhelming. This wasn’t my first kiss, but it was my first under the starry sky. Pippa was slow and gentle, so different from Berdine, and somehow in that kiss, I decided I could trust her.
“I’ve thought about that all night,” she said when we separated.
I smiled, saying nothing. And so she handed me in. I stared ahead, my fingers raised to my lips. Finally Pippa asked, “Are you okay?”
I turned to her slowly and nodded. “Yes.”
“That wasn’t your first kiss. You said you had a girlfriend.”
“First under stars,” I said. “First with you. You sweet. I can trust.”
“I’d never hurt you, Maddalyn.”
“I know.” Somehow, I knew. But I reached over and took her hand.
* * * *
She took me to someplace she called, “A club.”
“We have clubs on Frantzland,” I said.
“Ah.” She took my hand, and together we stepped through the front door. Inside, it was dark, and like everything else, the club was entirely different than any on Frantzland.
The club consumed the entire building. There was a section for private rooms, bathrooms, a kitchen, and that sort of thing. But the rest of the club was a tall room with five stories, open in a center column to the roof. There was a live band located on a stage right in the center, the third floor up. And each of the five floors was a little different.
I’d never seen anything like this.
And there were two elevators that climbed up the central column. Pippa let me look around a minute, then she pulled me to one of the elevators. We rode to the top, and then she tugged me.
The fifth floor was broken into several arms. I would learn each of the floors was, actually, although the hands were different. Pippa led me into one of the arms. It was quieter here, but the music was still easy to hear. And I could see people learning the dance style. What I didn’t realize was that each room taught a different variation. Pippa had brought me to the one for two dancers.
“This is for learning couples dancing,” she said. “Do you know how to couples dance?”
“I know some dancing,” I said. I gestured. “Not like that.”
“All right. I will lead. You will follow. Do you understand?”
“No. Sorry.”
“Here.” She took my hands and lifted them how she wanted them, then she pulled me into an embrace similar to the ones I saw around me. She made adjustments for me then said, “You listen to the music, but you also listen to my body.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I will show you.” Then she did something, and I found myself responding, moving with her. She took a step towards me, and I stepped away. Then she stepped away, and I followed after her. She smiled. “You see? Your body listens to my body.”
“Understand.”
She spent perhaps fifteen minutes teaching me. Then she laughed, grabbed my hand, and she pulled me to the elevator. We descended one level and then stepped into one of the arms. Pippa pulled me to her, and then we were dancing.
* * * *
I loved dancing with Pippa! Our bodies were so close. The music was good, and being held felt so good, too. We did the steps she taught me, and then she taught me a few others. But finally it was time for a break, and for that, we went to find one of the many places to get something to drink. In doing so, we went past one of the other arms, and I got a look. I tugged Pippa to a stop. “They are doing something different.”
“Yes,” she said. “That arm is for four dancers. And that arm is for up to eight. That arm is for many, and you are passed from one dancer to another. It’s fun, but confusing.”
I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.
“Let’s get a drink,” she said, tugging my hand.
We found stools and ordered simple drinks. I didn’t want alcohol, so I asked for a fruit drink. Pippa followed my lead then took my hand. “Are you having a good time?”
“The best ever.”
“This is new,” she said. “It is becoming very popular.”
“So many floors.”
“Each is different,” she s
aid. “The top floor is for learning. This is for the tame dancers.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I’ll show you in a while,” she said. “The middle floor is for the best dancers. And below that is the not tame floor.”
“I don’t understand. Tame? Not tame?”
“I’ll show you,” she repeated. “Are you having a nice time, Maddalyn?”
“Yes, Pippa. Very nice time. Thank you for take me.”
She smiled. “My pleasure,” she said, and I thought perhaps she meant something different. If so, I didn’t mind. I didn’t mind at all.
* * * *
We finished our drinks, and then Pippa took my hand. “I’ll show you the rest, and then we’ll decide what we want to do.”
I nodded, understanding she had a plan for us. I was happy to let her plan. She was planning quite well so far.
Holding hands, we took a set of stairs up one level. Then she showed me the different rooms, beginning where we’d been dancing. “These are couples,” she said.
“Yes. We danced here.”
“Yes. Some dance in one place, like we did.” She gestured.
“Others move, like a waltz.”
“I don’t know what that is,” she said. “But yes. They move like this.” She made a gesture indicating counter-clockwise. “It is the same dance, but different steps so it travels.”
“Understand,” I said. “You teach me?”
“Yes, but let’s look at the rest first.”
She tugged on my hand, and I followed after her. The next arm held groups of four, the genders mixed. I only saw one group of all men. Most groups were mixed, but there were two groups of women. And they were trading partners. “Oh,” I said.
“You can trade in different ways. You can all trade. Or if you’re a man too cool to dance with another man, you can trade the women back and forth.”
“I’m not good enough to dance with other people.”
“That isn’t true,” Pippa replied. “But there is a room upstairs for learning. Do you want to learn?”
I thought about it then turned to her and smiled. “I like you decide.”
She smiled broadly. “Okay. Come.” She pulled me to the next room. This was similar to the second room, but even more so. There were only two groups. One held eight dancers and one held six. “They’ll ask us to fill the eight if we stay too long,” she said.