by Robin Roseau
I stared into her unhuman eyes. "What privileges?"
She gestured, and I saw a visor sitting on a table behind her. I stared at it, and I'm sure I wasn't subtle. But I didn't say a word.
"Given your behavior, I suspect you are tempted to choose fire over pragmatism. Frankly, it won't bother me either way. If you want to scream at me for a while, go ahead."
"How do I earn that?" I asked in a small voice.
"So you wish a conversation, Ms. Fletcher?"
I couldn't take my eyes from the visor. It had been a single morning, and I was already insane with boredom. I didn't now how long term felons handled it.
"I'm not agreeing to more than a conversation," I said.
"Of course you aren't. Sit."
There were two chairs waiting. My guards helped me into one, and the Catseye took the other.
"In approximately two hours, you will again be taken from your cell. You will be escorted somewhere else, and you will give our champions a better opportunity to see what kind of candidate you are. This is a given, and there is nothing you can do to prevent this."
I didn't respond.
"You can, of course, resist. You will be dragged. I do not believe that is your desire."
"No."
"Once you arrive, you can stand in place without reaction. They will see a human woman much like the other human women here, and they will not get a feel for what type of woman you are. Oh, some will still desire you, but perhaps not for the right reasons."
"Your attempts to manipulate me are obvious."
"And yet I do not speak falsely. Your third choice is to let them get a real sense of your mettle, and screaming your hatred at them is not how to do it. That is not the woman we tested, and we both know it. You are not a hater."
"Fuck you," I said.
"Am I wrong?"
"I could learn."
"Do you wish to?"
I looked away.
"Ms. Fletcher, if we are able to complete this conversation calmly, then you will have earned the visor from now until you are presented for display in, as I said, approximately two hours. It is the same visor you have been using, and it has all the same capabilities."
I didn't look at her, but I asked in a soft voice, "If I tell you what I think of what you are doing to us, does that invalidate the privilege you are offering?"
"No. Feel free to speak your mind, but perhaps do not rant excessively."
I turned back to her. I stared into her eyes for a while. "Are you male or female? Or, I suppose, something else entirely."
"Female," she replied. "Our species is much like yours. We're one of the species that prefer a willing mate. We do not compete in this fashion. We are administrators and diplomats. We are not warriors."
"Do you have a mate?"
"No."
"Why didn't you bring mates with you?"
"Inbreeding would lead to genetic disorders. We can only cure so much. We need outside DNA."
"I don't understand how our species can procreate."
"The miracles of modern science," she said. And she offered a smile, but not one that displayed her teeth. "We do not have time to discuss it today, and the science is well beyond you."
"You will change me. If I were to become mated to a Catseye, would I be made to look like you?"
"No. We make the smallest changes necessary. We can make your reproductive system compatible with our own. With some of the races here, we need to change both of you. Mating is not difficult. Mating to produce offspring that are fertile is the hard part."
"I'm wasting your time. What do you want?"
"Do you want the visor?"
"You know I do. How many of the other women will be wearing them later?"
"Typically about half. And about half give me what I demand to have the visors after your introduction to the challengers. It's not necessarily the same half."
"Do I have to decide now?"
She collected the visor from the table and held it in her hands. I found myself staring at it.
"No, Ms. Fletcher. You do not need to decide now."
"Tell me again what you want."
"Once I do, you will have earned this, for now. You will not be able to communicate with the other candidates, but you will have all the access you've had before as well as two additional features. You will be able to leave me messages, and there is a new menu item titled Privileges. You will find it interesting reading."
"A bribe."
"Of course it's a bribe. I'm not disguising it."
"What do you want?"
"When you are brought out, walk with your head high. Walk with pride. Do not scream or vent your rage. They know you are not willing. But some will wish to know what kind of woman you are. They have access to your testing results. But they will have questions. Answer them as best you can. That is all." She paused. "You have earned this."
"Will I lose it if I express my frustration with them?"
"If you are hateful, yes. If you spend your entire time expressing your frustration, yes. If you limit your comments, then no."
I looked up into her eyes. "What if I have questions?"
"Of the challengers?"
"Yes. What if I want to know about them?"
She stared at me for a minute. "You surprise me. I was given you couldn't care less about the challengers."
"Maybe I want to know who should die first."
She made a sound. I don't know how to describe it. But I decided it was an expression of mirth, and so let's call it a Catseye laugh. "You're free to try. You'll even have weapons."
"Seriously?"
"Yes. Occasionally a human makes good use of the weapons available, but it is rare."
"Everyone keeps saying that. Given the amount of duplicity involved in my arrival here, I'm not sure I can believe anything any of you tell me."
"As I said, you are free to try. Have you decided if you will give me what I want?"
"I probably won't actually make up my mind until I'm standing there," I admitted. "I expect I'm going to be frightened out of my mind, and exceedingly angry besides. I do not know if I will be able to manage my emotions."
"If you ask, we can help with that."
"Drugs?"
"Yes."
"When do I have to decide about that?"
"When next you see me, in about two hours. The drugs are nearly instantaneous. They would take effect in the time you walk to the center of the arena."
"Arena?"
"Yes. You will be led to a podium in the center. If you are fighting us, you will be chained there. Otherwise you will wear only these restraints." She gestured.
"I understand."
I glanced at the visor. "Are we out of time?"
"We can take the time we need," she said. "Ms. Fletcher, we are not the evil creatures you believe us to be. We do not want you hurt or even frightened. If you have questions, I will answer them as best I can."
I held my breath for a moment, thinking, then let the air out slowly. "Can the visor tell me who I'll be facing, later?"
"Once we know. There are over three hundred champions here and sixty-four candidates. During the initial challenge, you will be presented sixteen at a time. I cannot tell you the exact number of challengers, but it is typically 64."
"Not everyone gets a chance."
"No. Not everyone will want a chance. There is a queue thousands long. Many wait for the perfect candidate. If they fail their challenge, they move to the tail of the queue. And so it is ill advised to challenge for someone you do not wish."
"There are so many of you here in our system?"
"No. In the nearby region, a few dozen star systems, no more than a year of travel away. But the only available mates are here on Earth."
I shook my head. "I have an idea how vast space is, how far apart the stars are. Even Saturn is so far. Earth is four light minutes from the sun, but Saturn is nearly two hours."
"Quite so," she agreed. She smiled. "Will t
here be anything else?"
"I-" I looked away. "You have others to talk to."
"Perhaps you would like company this evening."
"You would visit with me?"
"If you have earned the visor, then yes, I would visit with you, if you like."
"Another bribe?"
"I dare say neither of us will want to look at the other if you have spent a few hours in boredom."
It was my turn to smile, briefly. "I imagine you're right. Thank you."
She paused. "I am going to do something I never do, with your permission."
"Are you going to tell me what it is?"
"I won't hurt you."
"All right," I said. "But if I'm going to be startled, it's not my fault."
"I will move slowly. If you ask me to stop, I will stop."
And so I nodded.
She stood and pushed her chair away. The visor moved back to the table. She removed the jacket and set it aside, and then she began to unbutton her blouse.
"How shocked am I going to be?"
"Honestly? I don't know."
"If it's a squirming mass or something like that in there, I'm not up for that."
"Nothing that startling, I assure you."
"All right."
She finished with the blouse. She didn't take it off, but she untucked it from her skirt and pushed it away from her stomach. And then she extended two more arms on each side.
"Arms" is probably not the right word. "Tentacles" is a better word. They were long and sinuous, and greatly resembled that of an octopus. A dry octopus. I found myself staring at them.
"Those resemble a creature from earth," I said quietly.
"Yes, they do."
I looked up into her face. "This seems like an unexpected bit of evolution."
"My species is more remote from the oceans than yours," she replied.
"Why do you hide them?"
"Look at your guards."
I looked left and right, and the expression on both their faces was, well, unkind.
"They're just tentacles," I said.
Both women turned their backs, not saying a word. I suppose job security meant you didn't say, "Oh, gross," when looking at your boss.
I looked back at the Catseye. "Will you tell me your name again?"
"Jasmine Brighteyes." She offered the Catseye laugh again. "I thought you committed it to memory so you could curse me."
"I'm not very good at curses," I admitted. I nodded my head to one of the guards. "Does their reaction bother you?"
"No. But yours intrigues me. Aren't you at all disgusted?"
"Should I be? Are you disgusted by my body?"
"No, but I have had far more experience with other species than you have."
"How many humans have seen you like this?" I asked.
"Three."
"Oh shit," I said. "The three of us."
"The three of you," she admitted.
I looked back down her body. Her skin was fair and appeared smooth. She had no breasts.
"You don't nurse your young?"
"Not in the fashion a human does. I am sure you don't want to know how we feed our young. That I'm fairly certain you would find disgusting."
"Do you know how terrestrial birds feed their young?"
She laughed again. "You're a clever woman. The process is similar, although not identical."
"Was this as much as you were going to do?"
"Would you let me touch you?"
I smiled and nodded. And so one of her tentacles extended, and she brushed just the back of my hand with the tip. It felt dry.
"How do the suction cups work without liquid to help form a seal?"
"I secrete the necessary liquid," she explained.
"Is it corrosive or poisonous to me or anything?"
"No. It is an oil but perfectly harmless."
"Is there an odor?"
"Yes, but it is faint."
I looked up into her eyes. "Will you show me?"
"Will you let me touch you a little more first?"
"Yes."
She extended another tentacle. This one rose to my cheek and then even further to cup the back of my head. The tip began to twirl a section of my hair while one flat rested against my cheek. I held very still. Then she extended the rest, each of them finding a place to rest against my bare skin.
I closed my eyes.
"Are you growing frightened?"
"No. May I call you Jasmine, if we're going to be this intimate? I'll let you call me Sapphire."
She laughed again. "I'd like that, Sapphire. Did you want more, or is this as much as you can handle?"
I opened my eyes. "I would accept as much as you want, but if you are to visit me this evening, leave something to look forward to."
"Oh, Sapphire," she said. "You are every bit the woman suggested in your testing."
But then she stepped away, her tentacles withdrawing. I opened my eyes. "I thought you would let me feel your oil."
"I thought perhaps you were asking me to stop."
"Have I been subtle so far?"
Again she laughed. "No, you haven't. But are you sure?"
"Yes. If it's not a trouble for you."
"Will you let me touch your face this way?"
"Will it mark me? I'm not sure I want a hickey."
She cocked her head for a moment. "Ah. You will wear a few red rings for a few minutes only, but I will not draw so much as to burst blood vessels."
And so I nodded and then watched as she extended a tentacle. The interior of the suction cups began to glisten, but the rest remained dry. I turned to watch as it approached, but then she reached no further, stopping inches from the side of my face.
"If you wish to feel, then you must move the last distance."
And so I leaned into it, pressing against her tentacle. At that, she slid further along my face, coating my cheek with the oil.
"I bet you give the best backrubs," I said.
She laughed again.
Still she hadn't sucked. I looked up at her. I couldn't read her alien expression, and so I could only guess what she was feeling. "Why do you wait?"
"Fear."
"Of what?"
"Scaring you."
"Do I look scared? Will it hurt?"
"I can suck very firmly, but I won't."
And then I felt the tentacle -- several large suction cups -- latch onto my cheek. It felt weird. Really weird, but it didn't hurt, and I wondered what it would feel like if she did it over a greater part of my body. I thought it could feel really good on my back.
I smiled up at her. "That feels nice," I whispered.
Slowly she released me, and then the tentacle withdrew. "That's enough for now," she said.
I realized I was disappointed. I didn't understand why at the time. Then I watched as she reassembled her clothing, hiding the tentacles from view again.
"Why do you hide?"
"It is easier if we look as much like you as we are able."
"That's just stupid."
"And that is the attitude that landed you here."
I sighed. "I supposed it is."
She finished dressing and sat back down, facing me. "I'd give you the rest of the afternoon if I could, Sapphire. Do you want to bring the visor with you and put it on later, or should I do it for you now?"
"You want to do it, don't you?"
"Yes."
"Go ahead," I said.
She was gentle, first removing my glasses and then holding the visor in place. I closed my eyes and let her slide it over my eyes. It settled in on its own, and when I opened my eyes, I could see, far better than with my glasses.
"Are you going to use it to hide things from me?"
"I will use it to blind you during your walks through this facility. You won't need the hood. Otherwise, no. You will have full control over it, within the limits you already know." She paused. "Will it offend you if I add a recording of our time here to your record?"
> "Will you accept a compromise?"
"Of course."
"A verbal description?"
"All right. Thank you, Sapphire."
She nodded to my guards, and they stepped forward, taking me by my arms. They helped me to stand, Jasmine still in front of me.
"Sapphire, when I visit tonight, I will need your arms bound. You have expressed a desire to enact violence, and I am unconvinced you have changed your mind."
"I haven't. But I find my willingness to hurt you has decreased. Now I only wish you could feel as betrayed as I do."
"I am sorry you feel betrayed. Perhaps we can discuss more later."
"Yes. Thank you."
"I'll see you in about two hours, but it will be brief."
"All right."
* * * *
"I couldn't have let her touch me that way," the one on my right arm said.
"Neither could I," said the other. She squirmed.
"If she were a spider or centipede or something, I would have completely wigged out," I replied. "But it felt nice."
"But imagine being mated to something like her," said the first. "She'd probably want to touch you. You know. Everywhere?"
I turned my head towards her, but I was entirely blind. "You know, I could end up mated to something truly disgusting. Thanks for reminding me."
She had the grace to sound guilty. "I'm sorry, ma'am."
I shrugged. "I wouldn't mind letting her touch me." I laughed. "She comes with her own lubrication."
"Eww," said the other. "That's disgusting."
"I suppose that attitude is why I'm the candidate and you're the guards. See what an open mind gets you."
"A trip to Saturn for sure."
"I've never been that interested in space. It seems boring. It's big and empty and you can't go for a walk. No thunderstorms. No hummingbirds at the feeder. No crisp, spring air. As you go further from the sun, you can't sit on a beach and feel its warmth. No surf. No seagulls." I sighed. "I might have volunteered if they'd asked, but not if I had to go to space. I don't want to leave Earth. I don't want to leave my parents and my sister and my friends. I don't want to be amongst people who I can't understand. I couldn't read her expressions, except when she smiled or laughed."