"Yes. Pretty much. The most common Hybridians are Earthlings mixed with the travelers from the Milky Way. Not too special. Easy to get materials and resources. Andromeda isn't easy. It takes time to get materials from there. Years," he said, stroking his chin while he seemed to admire the suit. "You're the only Andromedan Hybridian I've met that's a Protector around these parts. The other Protectors are from the Milky Way."
"Are you trying to tell me how much this suit costs while simultaneously telling me its rarity and mine?" I folded my arms over my chest, and he laughed.
Harlow snickered beside me and rubbed my back in an affectionate circle.
"Perhaps." Mahrulo grinned. "Would you like a specialized weapon to go with your purchase, ladies?"
"Mahr. C'mon." Harlow nudged him and he tossed her a wink.
"No weapons." I shook my head. "Not how I roll."
"Ah, well. Worth a shot." He let out a dramatic sigh. "Why don't you try this on?"
"I could… First tell me how much it costs." I cocked a brow at him.
"She plays rough, this one," he said to Harlow, his grin everlasting at that point.
"Try it on, Protector," encouraged Harlow. "Then see."
"Fine. How?" I motioned to it.
"Touch it." Mahrulo snapped his fingers at the suit and the lighting changed as the forcefield that protected it slithered into the floor in a wave of shimmering pink. I hadn't noticed it until that moment. "Touch skin to skin. It'll know what to do."
I took a cautious step toward the suit while removing my glove. I glanced between them before reaching out my hand. I nearly leapt out of my boots when the suit lifted its arm, mimicking my gesture.
"Holy fuck."
Harlow chuckled and I elbowed her gently. She winked at me, an excited smile remaining on her pretty face.
"It's mirroring you. Just make contact." Mahrulo waved his hands toward it. "Go on."
I glanced to Harlow, and she nodded. "You need to be protected while protecting."
"All right…" I held my breath and turned my wrist as if about to shake the suit's invisible hand.
As soon as my skin touched the soft fabric, twinkling light burst from it as if tiny sparklers attached themselves to the sleeve. The suit vanished from the mannequin, leaving the green humanoid shape naked. Warmth trickled over my skin as if comforted by a cozy blanket in the middle of winter. It wrapped all of me, including my head, but didn't seem to bother my hair or face. My hands and feet remained exposed, however. I tugged up my sleeve to see the scale-like material hugging my skin. I pulled off my other glove and stroked it gently. Delicate softness like the newborn feathers of a baby chick met my fingertip.
"I can feel the barrier against my skin," I said, encased in mild awe. "And on my scalp."
"It accepted you easily," said Mahrulo. "Want to try it out? I can shoot you with a weapon or two. Most people ask for demonstration." He dropped his hand on my shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze.
I cringed right away, expecting the pain from overstimulation to follow, but it didn't. My gaze shot to Harlow's and her brow furrowed.
"Um…yeah. Shoot me with a regular bullet. A regular gun like most humans use," I said to Mahrulo as a wave of excitement struck me. "I'm curious."
Harlow gulped and I noticed her sudden tension when she pressed her hands into the pockets of her jacket.
"You got it." He stepped away from us and snatched a few weapons from the wall on the other side of the room. "That mask you use is good, by the way, but you could do better. If you buy the suit, I'll throw one in for free. People can pull your mask off your face. One of the bio-tech masks can't be removed like that and it still has a voice distortion chip. No one will be able to pull that suit off you unwillingly either, though. Only if you're unconscious for a long time, or your Starmate."
"Starmate?" I headed over to the corner of the room where a few targets hung on the wall. The alley that led to them bore the markings of weapons used in the unique shooting range.
He smiled at me, his eyes twinkling a bit. "Humans call it soulmate, but not us."
"What's the difference?" I stepped into the alley, my eyes on Harlow as she balled her hands to fists at her sides. Her heart pounded in her chest, and I met her gaze. "I'll be okay," I told her, clipping my statement before adding a term of endearment.
"I know," she said, her voice soft.
"She'll be fine." Mahrulo loaded the pistol he toted over with him and tossed the automatic weapon over his shoulder. "The difference between a soulmate and a Starmate varies depending on where you're from." He laughed suddenly. "Anyone from Earth lucky enough to be the Starmate of an Andromedan will enjoy the rest of their life together."
"My mother was from Andromeda, father from Earth." I offered up the information as he aimed the gun at my chest. I tensed only because of Harlow's slamming heart.
"Your father would've been a very lucky man."
"My mother was a hero…" I said, drawing in a slow breath when his finger wrapped the trigger.
"I'm sure she was, but he'd be lucky in other ways, too. Ready?" His outstretched arm never wavered once as he held the weapon.
"Yes." I tightened my fists and nodded.
"What happens when you get shot normally? Are you pushed back? Fall? Knocked out of the sky?"
"Something like that depending on how close it is to me or the weapon type, yes."
"Okay." Without further warning, he pulled the trigger.
I started as did Harlow, but when I flinched under the expected impact, only a puff of air forced me backward. I took only a single controlled step back while staring down at the hole in my jacket. "Damn. Another one." My ears rang for a few seconds as always when a gun blasted close by, but I was used to it.
"Oh my God." Harlow gripped her chest and the mist that made it to her eyes told more than her words ever could. "You could've warned us, Mahrulo, shit."
"What good is a warning anyway?" He lowered the weapon and grinned. "How's it feel?"
"Just like a firm push." I plucked the flattened bullet out from inside my jacket and held it up. "I didn't even feel the heat."
"You're welcome. Now the auto." He switched guns and pulled the souped-up weapon with a scope from his shoulder. "This will give you a sense of what a repeated impact feels like."
I unzipped my jacket then frowned at the hole in my shirt. "Mistakes were made. I liked this outfit."
"Well, that shirt is rubbish anyhoot. The jacket is salvageable," he said. "Cover your ears for this one, Doc."
"Ugh. This one's gonna kill my ears." I squinted and opted to cover mine at the same time as Harlow.
Mahrulo sent several rounds into my torso, all of which forced me backward at a staggered pace. I grit my teeth and dug my feet into the ground to brace myself against the blows. My mind envisioned fists of fury striking me, and the clinking of the casings hitting seemed to fall in slow motion.
When the noise stopped, I shook my head, waiting for the ringing to cease.
"How ya like that, kid?" Mahrulo waggled his brows while grinning. "That was thirty rounds in you. That would've normally sliced you up. Ears okay?"
"Yeah." I opened my mouth and my ears popped. "I'm really surprised."
"You're very calm," he said, glancing to Harlow. "She's very calm."
"It's a little unnerving." Harlow forced a smile, and I tossed her a wink when Mahrulo wasn't looking.
I shook the flattened bullets out of my shirt and watched as they tumbled to the floor at my feet. My emotions ran wild, though an unusual calmness settled around me.
"Want to try a sonic?" Mahrulo asked after unloading the weapons with care.
"No way." Harlow swung in front of me then, her hand held up between us. "That's enough. We believe you."
"Okay, Doc. Calm your clacking heels there." He motioned toward the floor with his palms. "We're cool. We're cool."
"We'll take the suit and the mask." Harlow's tone darkened to the serious one I hadn't heard
in a while. I stepped closer to her and took the hand she kept in a fist at her hip.
"Good. We need one more lesson, though, in taking it off." Mahrulo returned the weapons to their homes and locked up the clips as before. "Ready?"
I glanced to Harlow, and she calmed down as soon as the weapon wasn't aimed at me anymore. She gave my hand a squeeze and I nodded.
"Ready."
"Okay, so removing it. If you're unconscious for any reason for a little while, anyone can remove it. It's an emergency failsafe pre-programmed in the biotech. Hybridians need medical attention sometimes which requires removing it. The suit isn't everything proof. Rockets, nuclear weapons, a speeding train, etc. Those are still deadly, of course. The suit may absorb some, but not all. So don't go being reckless." He waved his finger at me in a rather paternal gesture.
"Do Elite Soldiers get suits like this?"
"They do now. But like I said, not fool proof."
"I get it."
"Now, only your Starmate can remove it in emergencies if you fail to do it yourself. The bio-tech will recognize them."
"You keep saying this Starmate thing. How can a suit recognize someone's soulmate? It doesn't work like that," I said, growing ever more frustrated the way he tossed around words as if I should know their meaning.
We followed him back over to the portion of the shop that held the suits, and he tapped the glass of a case beside the now naked mannequin. He plucked out a black mask with material similar to the suit, but it held its solid color and state once removed from the light.
"Not soulmate. That's a human concept. A Starmate is like…" He twirled the mask around his finger before handing it to me while seeming to ponder his response.
I took it, fumbling for a second as Mahrulo appeared to now harbor some pep in his step while he bounced between tasks. With caution, I slipped it on under my current mask as to not reveal my full face to him. Like the suit, light tingling trickled over my lips then spread to my ears and nose. I pulled the respirator away and looked to Harlow.
"Good?" I started at the sound of my own voice that now came out almost robotic. "Creepy."
Harlow screwed up her face and nodded. "That's very creepy."
"It makes your speech pattern undetectable. The distorter you use can be un-distorted, or whatever." He waved his hand in front of his face. "Same rules for the mask. Only a Starmate can remove it. Now…" He huffed. "Back to Starmates. A soulmate is an emotional concept for humans. It's how they feel, and based in their belief in souls. A Starmate is more like when a wolf mates for life here on Earth. A species choosing a mate, except for Starmates, it's written in the stars. It's…" He tapped his chin while leaning against the mask display. "Predetermined in a way. Your biology recognizes the biology of your Starmate, just like that suit recognizes you. It's Andromedan culture. Every Andromedan has a Starmate. Sometimes more than one. It depends, but everyone has at least one. Andromedans are highly, highly monogamous. More than any other culture I've heard about. I'm sure there are variances as there are everywhere. You don't know this stuff?" His ridged forehead crinkled further when he lifted his brow.
"My mom died when I was really young…" I shook my head. "I don't know much of anything."
"It's easy enough to find it if you know where to look. Andromedan Offlanders have written books and articles about their culture. It's all they have left at this point."
"So, if Starmates are predetermined, does that mean there can only be one in a lifetime?" asked Harlow, her curiosity now seeming to match mine.
"From my understanding, yes. But again, it might vary planet to planet or per individual."
"But that doesn't make any sense," I said as my thoughts began to question his information. "How can any Andromedan or Hybridian have only one Starmate that's predetermined if they're not even in their own galaxy anymore? Why caution them about a suit only their Starmate could ever remove if they wouldn't ever meet them?"
"No, no. I didn't explain this well at all." He groaned and stared at the ceiling for a moment. "It's not predetermined in a deterministic way," he said, which only earned him double stares of confusion. "Okay, let me try again. Your biology will recognize the biology of your Starmate when you fall in love with them. How you're supposed to be with that person when you've chosen them and turned over your trust. They're your Starmate." He smiled when he said it. "Your one-in-infinity love. And boy, are there perks for those who entangle with Andromedans."
"What-what do you mean?" I gulped down the confusion, but even the sound of my stammer made it through into the new robotic voice of my mask.
"Everyone wants to be the Starmate of an Andromedan." He let out a heavy sigh. "Even me."
"Why?" Harlow and I asked at the same time. She flopped her hands at her sides in frustration though I wasn't a beat behind.
"Andromedans can experience pleasure at heightened levels just like the rest of their senses. From what I know, their senses are heightened in their own galaxy as well. The gift of being the lover of an Andromedan is that they can share their gifts with you. For someone like me, from Triangulum, mixing with an Andromedan will give me some elemental powers, and heighten our primal connections. When two Andromedans get together, it's usually for life and they never need or want from anyone else. It's the ultimate satisfaction."
"What about humans or other Offlanders?" Harlow asked as she wrung her hands together in front of her.
"It varies from Offlander to Offlander, but for humans, it's a tantamount connection. Humans have a unique ability to form emotional bonds. For an Andromedan, the emotional bonding soothes them, becomes all they ever need. For the human, they feel similarly because of the depth of the connection and some I've met describe a sense of…completeness." He blew out a dramatic breath. "But the real reason the humans I've met seek out Andromedans is for the sex."
Neither Harlow nor I responded, but our hearts slammed in tandem, racing at the information dumped on us.
"What-what do you mean?" Harlow eventually asked.
"It's a biological anomaly that only appears here on Earth. The saliva of a Andromedans has some sort of effect on humans. It can take human sexuality to a whole new level, allegedly. Some Offlanders literally sell their saliva on the black market for humans to buy…" He glanced over his shoulder. "I don't sell it, but I know a guy."
I glanced to Harlow, her face a few shades paler than usual.
"We need to go. Can we just buy this and go?" I pressed while pulling my gloves out of my pocket.
"Of course." He brought us over to the computer terminal a few feet away. "I'm not sure how the Andromedan saliva impacts Hybridians though. I bet it's similar. Ever been with a human, Protector?"
"Yeah, but that's never happened. Quit being nosey about it and let's go here." I pointed to the display screen.
"Pushy." He chuckled and shrugged. "Done. Have a nice night, ladies."
"What's the damage?" I asked, reaching for my back pocket. I never carried my phone or wallet with me when on duty, and instead, opted to use cash vouchers.
Harlow grabbed my wrist before sliding her arm around my waist. I looked up at her, confusion furrowing my brow.
"All paid in full. The Doc here knows the way out." Mahrulo waved to us before pulling up an internet screen. I zoomed in to watch him typing in Hybridian Andromedan into the search bar.
"Wait…how-how do I take this off?" I stopped short just before turning to leave.
"Oh. Duh." Mahrulo looked up. "Just think about it. Urge it to gather in your hand. I'm not going anywhere, if you have more questions, come back."
"Just think about it?" I huffed, exasperation boiling my blood now. "You want me to just think about—oh…" I stopped my tirade when goosebumps raced over every inch of me, and the weight of something appeared in my palm. I opened my hand to see the suit swirling into a tiny, twisting shadow. It encircled my wrist, settling itself into a slender snake-like tattoo pattern on my skin. It appeared nothing more or less than that
. "Holy fuck."
"It's always with you," he said, tapping my hand. "It bonds with you. No one can take it or wear it or destroy it. Only you."
"And to wear it I just…think about it?"
"Yes. You communicate with it just like that." His brow furrowed then. "You really don't know anything about Andromeda, do you?"
I shook my head, as a heavy wave of guilt struck me.
"Well…the people of Praxi were beautiful. Not just aesthetically, but the way they lived their lives." A somberness fell over him and he tucked his hands into his pockets. "It's too bad how things turned out."
"I don't think I want to know how they turned out right now." I met Harlow's gaze and she nodded. Tears stung my eyes, and she took my hand again.
"Let's go, okay?" she said, tugging me toward the door. "Thanks, Mahrulo."
"Wait—I didn't pay—"
"It's taken care of," he said as he waved to us again.
"But—what, I—"
"It's taken care of." Harlow urged me back out through the several doors, one after the other.
"Harlow, did you…?"
"It's taken care of." She shook her head, and both of us appeared to breathe again once we made it back into the alleyway.
"We can't stay here." I wrapped my arms around her while my heart continued to slam in my chest. "Hold on tight."
She said nothing, but squeezed me and hid her face against my shoulder. I held her tightly in one arm, then twirled my hand toward the ground to call up the wind.
With all the tension following the information that Mahrulo dumped on me plus the overwhelming technology of the suit, and not paying for it, my energy built up heavily. Flying with Harlow became effortless in that moment, and under the cover of night with proper shadow gear, I didn't worry as much as I had the night of the sonic blast.
Once I made it to height, I slipped my arm under her knees, and she wrapped her arms around my neck. She looked up at me then, a small smile playing on her lips. I nuzzled my forehead with hers and hovered there for a moment above the city. The sounds faded, and slowly my pulse returned to normal. Harlow's changed pace, however, from anxious to exhilarated.
Jawbreaker (Four Point Universe Book 14) Page 24