by L. Fergus
Kita looked up, her makeup smeared. “All my friends and family are gone or have abandoned me. I’m alone, and I can’t remember who I am. I don’t know how to get back to who I was. I wish I could just die, so I don’t have to deal with it anymore.”
“No,” Cotton said, alarmed. Suicide wasn’t something her people, the Diamocks, or most other species did unless there was social etiquette involved. It was a trait almost exclusively human. “Don’t be doing that. I be your friend. I not be abandoning you. We be finding out who you are. Many curious things be coming up with no explanation. We be having lots of places to look. Please, do not be killing yourself.” She couldn’t hide the terror the idea brought to her mind.
“You don’t want to be my friend,” Kita whispered. “I’m a mean, evil bitch that should be left alone to wither and die.”
“You be making it sound like that a bad thing…I mean, not the last part. That not be good. You not be allowed to be withering and dying. I won’t be allowing it.”
Kita laughed a tiny bit through her tears. “Why do you like me? All we’ve done is be mean to each other.”
“True, but you see it coming and find humor in it, like those who be good at it back home. You be appreciating it and understand it. I be studying what humans be finding desirable in a mate at one point. I be finding it be varying widely and be making no sense. The Verisom be very easy, strongest wins. I eventually be throwing most of the study out and be giving up.
“With you, I be beginning to understand. You be like Verisom female in many ways. You be very intelligent and lead your people like I be wishing to be leading mine someday. You be great warrior. You be objective, ruthless, temperamental, and cunning. Nothing be standing in your way.
“But, you be not like Verisom female, too. You be funny, caring, emotional, diverse interests, understanding, and you be accepting me without a second thought. It must be from partnering with cat. I be thinking you like furry, white things with tails.”
“Why do you want to spend time with me? It sounds like you want that. Snowy had been human and knew customs and the reasons why we do what we do. From what you’ve told me your people are very different, not just sexually, but socially. You don’t pair off like Angels do. Won’t others back at home not like it? Could you even stand being near me day after day?”
“I may be killing you after a few days for getting on my nerves. It’s a joke.”
Kita nodded. “It’s an old one. For humans, it’s funny because we can learn to live with someone in close quarters without it happening.”
“I be understanding and accept you be concerning. To you being fair to me, I be studying human relationships.”
“What you see in Reality shows and porn is anything but how it actually is,” said Kita.
“I be at least having starting point. I be knowing about communication, acceptance, compromise, resilience, and patience. If you be worrying about if me can love, of course I can. Verisom females often be seeking other female companions from other warrens. If one be finding one, a female for female trade be made. If not work out, warrens not out females and genetics be strengthened regardless. I will be fair by saying most Verisom females promiscuous as the Void. It not be rare to be exclusive.”
“Are you rare?” Kita said, wiping at her eyes.
“There be only one of me and only Verisom to be sleeping with an Angel.”
“Do the other races…ah, mix?”
“Some do, yes. It be depending on biology and physical form. Angel and Verisom be compatible.”
Kita took a breath, but tears continued to fall. “Sorry.”
“It be ok. I not be going anywhere,” Cotton said as she put her arms around Kita.
“Thanks.” Kita buried her face in the crook of Cotton’s neck.
Cotton stroked Kita’s hair like she’d watched Rabbit do. To her surprise, Kita resumed crying. She moved Kita from their awkward position around the chair to the floor against the console. As she consoled in the back of her mind, she cataloged questions she hoped to ask later.
Kita looked up from Cotton’s fur, smiling through her tears. Cotton wiped at the stream of tears on Kita’s face, coming up with makeup on her hand. “This better not be getting into my fur.”
“It doesn’t look like it. If so, I have some makeup remover. I’m sure it’ll work. I’m pretty sure it’s tested on Earth rabbits.”
“You be thinking you so clever,” said Cotton, squeezing Kita tightly and accidentally poking Kita in the ribs. Kita squeaked in alarm. Cotton burst out laughing. “Never did I ever be thinking you be making a sound like that.”
Kita frowned, her cheeks turning red. “It tickled,” she said in a small voice. Cotton went to try it again. “No,” Kita said quickly, scooting away from Cotton.
“I be thinking I have a way of be getting you back for the cargo hold.”
“You touch me, I’ll break your hand.”
“I be joking. I will be saving for special occasion or when you be least likely to expect it.” Cotton patted the floor next to her. “Come sit. You be looking like you need a cuddle.”
Kita didn’t hesitate and moved back under Cotton’s arm. “Have you ever loved anyone?”
“Hmmm, thought I did. It turned out I be wanting her designer. I be living with her for two months. It be an interesting time. Be very difficult. Besides her, no. Just casual sex, as humans say. What of you?”
“I don’t know. I do know I’m difficult to love. I take a lot of time and energy. I don’t know who they are, except for Snowy and Galina.”
“Who be she?”
“Galina is the one that imprisoned me, and I’m running from.”
“And you still be loving her?”
Kita shook her head. “No. My love for her died. It’s why she’s after me, I think.”
“Scorned lover always be entertaining to watch.”
“Unless you’re the object of scorn. I love Snowy, but she’s made it clear it’s over, even though she loves me.”
“You be explaining earlier.”
“The others I can only feel. One is a lot like Snowy. Another reminds me of you a bit—intelligent, ruthless, conniving, unyielding, driven, and a princess type. The last wasn’t as smart. She liked to have a good time, but she had a lot of potential. You have a little of all of them. Maybe, that’s why I like you.” Kita stroked Cotton’s arm, running her fingers through her fur, then said, “You know what?”
“What?”
“I wanted you from the first time I saw you. I didn’t expect it to come so soon.”
Cotton chuckled. “What a manipulative witch you are.”
“I know what I want, and I take it.”
“I not be yours yet.”
“Why not?”
“There be courting still to do. Dates, commitments, talks, everything to make sure we be compatible.”
“I thought that’s what we’ve been doing,” Kita said with a yawn.
“We be talking about it later,” said Cotton as she stroked Kita’s hair. Kita curled up tightly against her, draping an arm across her chest and shoulder, and fell asleep.
“Such an odd creature,” Cotton muttered. “So, inconsiderate.”
“It’s a good thing,” Kita whispered in her sleep. “I trust you.”
Cotton’s ear twitched in understanding. “Maybe not being so much then.” Cotton rested her head on Kita’s. Suddenly, she was exhausted, even though she shouldn’t be. She closed her eyes and fell asleep.
“Hey, she’s in here. Sleeping behind a console,” Rabbit yelled out the door.
Kita stirred.
“Why the hell is she asleep back here?” Hawke demanded. “What’d she do, get some hooch and pass out?”
“I don’t see any bottles,” said Case.
“Drugs?”
“No,” said Rabbit. “She’s not like you.” She tapped Kita. “Hey, big girl. Wake up. You do have a bed, you know. You could’ve just smothered Hawke to get him to quit
snoring.”
Hawke glared in return.
Kita sat up and yawned. Cotton had left at some point. I hope she’s not mad at me. “What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong?” said Case. “We’ve been looking for you for six hours.”
“I’ve been right here. What’s the big deal?”
“Other than no one knows where the commanding officer is? Nothing,” Hawke said sarcastically.
“I told the watch I was in here.”
“I know. We checked a dozen times. No one thought to check behind the desk,” Rabbit said, looking at Hawke.
“What? It’s the first time I’ve been in here. You’ve had me searching the cargo and shuttle bay, plus the engine room. I’m beginning to think you don’t like me.”
Kita stretched her wings, pushing people out of the way. She stood up and looked around. A small army stood before her. “Ok, this isn’t a game of sardines. You found me. Everyone go back to your duty station. We’re supposed to get underway soon.”
“Seventeen hours,” Rabbit informed her.
“Right,” Kita muttered. “Let’s get moving.” She began leading everyone out when Rabbit grabbed her arm and pointed at her face. “Oh, I probably look like a wreck.” She pulled her kit out and wiped her face clean.
“So, what were you doing in here?” said Hawke.
“Talking to Snowy.”
He smirked. “Is she that boring she put you to sleep?”
“No,” Kita said flatly. “She told me the truth, and sometimes it hurts.”
“Must have been some truth.” Case frowned. “If you cried yourself to sleep.”
“We all have things that hurt. Love happens to be one of mine.”
“Somebody can’t have everything,” Hawke said with a smile.
“I should.” Kita smacked her lips after applying her lip shade.
“Bloody hell, talk about a sense of entitlement,” said Case.
“You don’t think everything should be handed to you?” Rabbit smirked at Case.
“I don’t expect everything to be handed to me,” said Kita. “I can if you want. I did grow up that way. I have no problem working for what I want. It’s when I put in that work and I don’t get what I want—that's when I get mad.”
“That’s called failure,” Hawke said, his eyes alight with amusement.
“I’m well acquainted with the term.” Kita glared as she checked herself out one last time.
“I can’t believe I’m standing around waiting for you to doll yourself up.”
“You don’t want her to look good?” Case said with a snarky look.
“I don’t care. She’s not swinging from my arm.”
“How absolutely charming of you.” Case turned up her nose. “I bet you expect your girl to look good even when you smell like a brewery and look like a slob.”
“I don’t want her swinging on my arm then. I want to be left alone. She can go look pretty cleaning my flat.”
There was a loud smack. Hawke had Case’s handprint tattooed on his cheek.
“Touchy subject?” Kita asked, raising an eyebrow.
“I’m going to Dallas,” Case snarled over her shoulder.
“Well, that was interesting,” Kita muttered. “Ok, back to training Cross, mister clever. I suggest you don't pass along any tips about girls to him. Jess, let’s continue figuring out how to run this ship.”
Kita stood on the bridge as Mauler made the FTL jump. The feeling of falling seemed to last forever, but in regular spacetime, it lasted only a few seconds.
“Report,” Kita ordered when the jump was complete.
The Diamock stations reported in order. No one reported any problems.
“Dallas has just completed the jump, Vicereine,” Command and Control reported.
“I want a status update from them. How long to refuel them?”
“Twelve hours, Vicereine,” said Engineering.
Dallas only carried enough fuel for each jump, unlike the fifty-jump stockpile carried by Mauler. Somehow, by a stroke of luck, the FTL fuel used by the Diamocks and humans was the same. The engineer crews reported Dallas’ engines to be almost identical to early Diamock engines. As one engineer put it, you could go to the Diamock scrap yard, find the part, and put it right into service on the freighter. Tracing the development of both races’ engines would be interesting. Did the Emperor find a Diamock ship? Would the Diamocks say if they’d lost one? Rabbit said the development of the FTL drive had come almost overnight from a super-secret Political Bureau project.
“Dallas reports all systems functional,” said Communications.
“Ok. Send a relief crew over to start refueling. They have already worked almost a full human cycle. I’m going to take a break as well.”
Diamocks’ biological clocks functioned on a forty-five-hour clock, where humans functioned on a twenty-eight-hour clock. She had no idea of the Verisom cycle. A Diamock was awake for an entire cycle, then rested for the next cycle, compared to humans, who rested for six to ten hours every cycle. Synchronizing the two had proven to be difficult. At least she was awake over many cycles and could monitor everything.
“Commander Zentix, you have the bridge,” Kita announced. The guard saluted her as she and Rabbit exited the bridge for the elevator.
“So are you going to talk to me at some point beyond my health and sanity?” Kita said once they’d returned to their quarters. “I did tell her where she could go hop.” Kita hoped the joke would go over well.
Rabbit retracted her armor and flopped down on the couch in silence. Jupiter came and pushed to get into her lap.
“Fine. Be that way,” Kita huffed. “You’re acting just like a spoiled kid. What I don’t understand is, you’re mad about it because you didn’t tell me how you felt. I’ve offered to talk about it and have told the bunny to go away. But you won’t say anything either way. You’re leaving me out on an iceberg. It’s going to melt, and when it does, I’m going to swim away.”
Rabbit remained silent.
“You can’t say I didn’t try,” Kita muttered as she went to investigate a package on the table. It had her name on it, so she opened it. Inside was her armor and a note that read, ‘Compliments of Solid Waste Disposal Unit Two.' So, that hole was the garbage shoot. She held her breast piece up. Someone had polished it to a parade shine. She hated to ruin someone’s work, but you can’t hide if your breasts are glaring in the light. She put the piece back and took the package to her room. How did they get it to shine so brilliantly? Maybe I can scuff it up in the training room.
The crew returned. They all sounded tired and beat. She returned to the common room and took off her kit, placing it on a side table. “How was the jump?”
“The jump be good, lass. It be putting the ship back together that be the ass kicker,” said Auggy.
“What did I say? You should have left it in one piece, and we could refit it later.”
“Do you tell a poor soul in the middle of nowhere with a leaky boat to wait until he makes land to fix the leak?”
“It’s not the same.”
“Aye, it be the same. The reactor was leaking.”
Kita shrugged. “Ok, fine. It’s your back.”
“Some of us were working while you laid around,” said Lacy.
“I’m going to chalk that up to you being tired,” said Kita. “How are you doing Cross? Hawke wearing you out?”
“He’s doing fine,” Hawke answered for the young Marine. “If anything, he’s wearing me out. He’s got more questions than a four-year-old.”
“That’s a good thing. It’ll help keep him alive.”
Cross raised a hand.
“What? Is this school?” Kita mocked. “If you’ve got something to say, say it.”
“Sorry. Ah, do we get suits like hers?”
“Ah, I doubt it, unless we find some BEAR suits.”
“A what suit?” Hawke said curiously.
Kita explained what it was and how she’d conve
rted the original.
“So, we’re just the ground fodder for you two?” Cross said with a frown.
“Of course not,” said Kita. “Only Hawke is. Seriously, I will find you something. I’m sure there will be some interesting tech at this summit. We’ll see if we can procure some of it and make it work for you. How are the Babel fish?”
“So much better,” said Case. “Their Common is pretty rough, but this clears it up like being in Common class in school.”
The others agreed.
There was a knock on the door. Rabbit hopped up to answer it. “I hope it’s the food I ordered.”
Kita gave her a funny look.
“Rank comes with some perks. I don’t have to eat in the chow hall with everybody else, and I can get what I want. Instead of just what’s in the dog bowl.”
“Yeah, but when did you call?”
“What do you think I’ve been doing while you’ve been yapping? I didn’t call. I used the interface Raph uploaded.”
Kita looked at the teenager.
“I created an interface that sits on top of theirs and translates it for us.”
“When did you do that?”
“Two nights ago before I went to bed. When I created that Common teaching tool you wanted.”
“You learned to read their language that fast?”
“No. I created a program that identifies Diamock words and matches them to ours,” Raph said with a shrug. Half way through his explanation he was interrupted by an insistent knock on the door.
“I’m coming. Wait a second!” Rabbit yelled as she broke away from Raph. She opened the door and recoiled in surprise. “What the bloody blazing suns do you want? Get out of here, hippy-hop,” Rabbit snarled at Cotton.
“I’m here to see Kita and give her these.” Cotton held out the vase of roses.
“She doesn’t want them.” Rabbit swatted the vase out of Cotton’s hand.
Kita dove and caught them, but the water in the vase hit her in the face.
“What are you doing?” Rabbit demanded.