by Robin Roseau
I then attempted a second handicap. Using most of my remaining points. I stiffened her suit, which would significantly reduce her flexibility and maneuverability. If she kept it, it would serve as a significant means of evening the playing field.
She eyed me carefully. Then she kept the handicap. She would have had to use all her remaining points to remove it, and I had a few left.
Instead, she increased the number of barriers I had to remove to escape and removed a few of my hiding places.
I didn't worry about that. I increased the sizes of the targets I could shoot and used my last points to add a target -- a small target, but a target nevertheless -- that if hit would completely reset my side of the arena. She could have me boxed in, but one lucky shot and I'd be free again.
She had enough points to handicap me further or remove one -- but not both -- of the enhancements I had just done. I had no points left at all, so if she added a handicap, I was stuck with it. But the available choices she could afford weren't onerous, simply annoying. She studied me carefully. Then she used her last points to remove the reset target.
I thought she might. I didn't think I could hit it, anyway.
"Very good," Jasmine said. "We will have an excellent challenge."
"Yes," Bronze agreed. They both turned to me.
I reviewed everything. Jasmine was displaying a large map, suspended over the table, showing what the arena would look like. There were even to scale models of Bronze and me, and I could direct my model to move around the map.
"I can put you directly in the model," Jasmine said. "You will use finger motions to move around."
"Really?" She taught me the motions, and I could see my little model moving around. But then she took control of the visor, and the next moment it looked like I was standing on the table in the mini area.
"Okay, that's cool," I said. I then moved around, awkwardly at first, but slowly getting the hang of the finger motions. "This is really to scale?"
"Yes."
I smiled. "All right. Let me out."
And the next moment, I was back to normal.
Bronze didn't need Jasmine's help. She did the same thing. And then we were staring across the table at each other again.
"I could win."
You could. If you win, you will not walk on your moon. If you win, you will not stand on Dione and gaze up at Saturn. If you win, I will have no mate. I can attempt again in a few years, but it would take that long for me to emotionally withdraw from you.
"Do not try to make me feel guilty. Not one bit of this was my idea, and you had to know that when you began."
You gave me your ribbon.
"You accepted it. And I still want to know why I dreamed about you."
If you win, you will never know.
"Bronze..." I sighed. "If I win, you could try something a little different."
What is that?
"You could try asking me on a date. You could try mating in the human fashion instead of expecting me to mate in yours. I'd let you date me."
She leaned back in her chair.
You would?
"Yes. I like you, Bronze. What I object to is being forced into this against my will. I am going to play to win. You are the one who should feel guilty for forcing this on me. I will not feel guilty if I play by your rules and win anyway."
I do not know if I could feel mated the human way.
"Then maybe I would allow you to talk me into coming back here, but it would be my choice whether I would allow mating in this fashion."
I do not know.
But then she smiled.
I intend to win.
"You didn't used to smile. Now you smile often. Are you feeling better as these challenges progress?"
My species does not smile like this. It is learned behavior. It is a conscious decision but will become automatic in time.
"You're learning to smile for me."
"Yes, Sapphire."
I am learning to smile for you.
Jasmine turned to me. "Sapphire Fletcher, is this to be your final challenge, or will there be two more?"
I looked at the arena. I looked at Bronze. I looked at the list of handicaps. "I have never fired a gun, and I am not a warrior."
I have never fired a gun with this body. In this way we are perhaps even.
"Do you want two more challenges, Bronze?"
She smiled again.
Of course. That is two more months. And you could win this event. Perhaps you would not win the next. But it is your decision.
"We have not discussed points. We have only discussed winning or losing."
And so Jasmine reviewed the points that could be won, admitting she didn't think I would even consider two more challenges, so she hadn't done so. The point system changed the nature of the game, as significant points were offered for each hit upon our opponent, and a disabled opponent was worth far more points than anything else. If Bronze was able to partially restrict my movement and then began shooting at me, I would probably dive into the cage rather than let her have so many points.
I looked at Bronze. She smiled again.
I do not need two more challenges. In five months, you will feel as mated as I will at the end of this challenge. You will beg to be my mate.
"You are exceedingly cocky. If humans can walk away from relationships all the time, I don't know what makes you so sure."
I am sure. You will not resist me for long, but I will give you time to decide.
I looked at Jasmine. "What happens with the points we win, if this is the last challenge?"
"They are used to determine the ways in which Bronze is allowed to woo you."
"What?" That was definitely a screech.
"How she may touch you, for instance."
"I don't think so."
"The privileges she must allow."
"Oh, I will have any privilege I want!"
She smiled. "Whether you are allowed to select your own clothing."
"Now you're just teasing."
Her tone is teasing, but her words are not.
"Did not April tell you she must allow certain affection?"
"That was a private conversation."
"You have no privacy here, Sapphire. You know that."
"I think a discussion of the point system, and this discussion, was perhaps critical to my decision process. Why did you delay?"
She smiled again. "Because I enjoy teasing you, and I was going to enjoy having this conversation after you let your opponent earn far too many points against you."
I only seek to win and to have enough points to counter any you earn. And to pick your clothes.
I snapped my gaze to her.
I have liked the dresses you have worn on our dates. Haven't you?
"If you make me run around naked or something..."
I seek to woo you. Do you think that means making you angry?
I lowered my eyes. "No."
I do not emotionally understand dating. And I will make mistakes early in the process. But I will learn how to please you, and you will beg to be my forever mate. You may consider both of those as sure as your defeat during our third challenge.
I turned back to Jasmine. "I want to be allowed to target practice. This challenge determines how I am to spend my next five months. I have undoubtedly lost my job because of all of you, and I have been frightened and violated. Even if I win, I have lost much. And so I should not lose because the first time I pick up a weapon, I can't hit anything."
Jasmine looked at Bronze. Bronze spoke rapidly. Jasmine looked back at me.
"Bronze will allow you all the practice you desire. Subject to additional agreements. Your challenge is in the afternoon in three days. The arena will be prepared by the morning. She wishes an hour in the arena prior to your event."
"Am I allowed a similar time?"
"Yes," said Bronze.
"But not at the same time," Jasmine clarified. "In addition, you will continue to accept courti
ng from your challenger."
"Honestly, I'd want that anyway."
"And you will allow her to touch you as intimately as you once allowed me."
"If she wants to give me backrubs, I'm more than happy to allow them. But she's not touching the erogenous zones." I turned to her. "Do you know what that means?"
She smiled and nodded.
"The arena has events scheduled before yours," Jasmine said. "I will put a schedule of availability on your visor. During your practice time, there will be targets to shoot, but setting up the entire arena takes time."
"Can you program my visor to simulate it?"
She thought about it. "It may not be completely accurate, but it would be close. However, it is tricky. What do you offer me if I spend this time?"
"What do you want?"
She spoke rapidly to Bronze. Bronze considered then spoke gently in reply.
"Your challenger has offered me a precious gift," Jasmine explained. "She has given me permission to ask this of you. I want your forgiveness for my role in what has happened to you, and I want hugs of my own. Can you bring yourself to do this?"
"You have not actually apologized."
She smiled and nodded. "What we do is necessary for many of the races. I wish it weren't. I certainly wish I weren't involved, but I won't let someone else do this who won't do it as well. I know you feel I have betrayed you more than once, but I did so for what I believe to be your long-term happiness. I am sorry for your short term stress, and I am sorry I cannot find ways to make this process better for you."
I thought about it. "This is not the human way. I agree that humanity in general owes all of you a great deal. I agree that Bronze and the others like her deserve the right to pursue happiness."
I paused, looking back and forth between them both.
"Do you swear I am being treated fairly in this final challenge?"
"I do."
"And if I win, I am allowed to go home."
"You are, although we take steps so you cannot tell anyone what really happened here."
"If I knew what those steps were, would I be angry?"
"No. Well, probably not. We do not harm you, and we do not make you forget. You shouldn't be forced to forget, and we would never harm you."
"We have discussed friendship. Do you want us to be friends?"
"Yes."
I stood and opened my arms. A moment later, we hugged tightly.
* * * *
"God, you're good at that!"
Above me, Bronze chuckled. I was lying face down on my bed, my shirt off, and she was delivering the most expert back massage I'd ever received. Admittedly, I hadn't received many, so it may not have been world class. But it felt very good.
I am sorry for the last one. I am learning.
"You learn quickly."
I will do your shoulders now. You must guide me.
She moved her hands to my shoulders and stilled.
"Do not pinch. That hurts. Instead, press the flesh inward but not together."
Like this?
"Oh, god, yes." I began moaning in pleasure, and Bronze chuckled some more.
Perhaps after you lose tomorrow, you will use your three earned points to ensure I must do this nightly.
"Cocky, ET. Very cocky."
ET?
"Extra-terrestrial. It was a movie. We're going to watch it. Will we be able to?"
You already admit I will win tomorrow.
"Damn it. You're a better shot than I am, but not by that much. Don't get so cocky."
I am far more motivated.
"I don't think so. Oh god, there. Please don't stop. Oh god, that feels good."
Finale
Jasmine was right. The visor's representation of the arena for our final challenge had been good, but not quite perfect. That was fine.
I had an hour. I prowled both sides of the area, envisioning sight lines from Bronze's side, looking at what the cover was like, then moving to my side. Jasmine had given me full control over the arena through my visor, so I activated all the barriers into the start mode. And then I began to practice.
Jasmine had even programmed in the ability to simulate Bronze's firing. The visor would let me see the simulated shots, although the visor didn't simulate Bronze herself, so I couldn't fire back. But the simulation would "shoot" the targets on my side, giving me a chance to respond. I activated that mode so I could be on the receiving side.
The simulation shot me several times, and so I learned what that felt like. And it shot the targets on my side, pushing me closer and closer to the cage. I ended it before it actually threw me in. The arena reset and my clothing reset.
I did it twice more, this time firing to undo the hits on targets on my side. The simulation also fired to revert the hits I did on Bronze's side. And I learned a few things.
If the simulation was accurate, then I could shoot more quickly than Bronze could. If the simulation was accurate, I should be able to wall her off to one side and then move towards the exit via the opposite side of the barrier, but I would have to avoid letting her shoot me too many times.
My other possible strategy was to focus on her, attempting to disable her before she could disable me, and then I could basically walk to the exit. I would have to shoot targets often enough to reset my side of the arena, but I could still win.
* * * *
I ate lunch alone in my cell. I composed a letter to my parents, sending it to Jasmine and Bronze, asking them to forward it.
I composed a lengthy letter to Bronze and then sent it to Jasmine. "If I win today, then give this to her when you think she's ready." In it, I told her I liked and admired her a great deal, and that I hoped she would want to pursue me in the human fashion. I thought I would like that, I thought she might be able to win me, if that's what she wanted. I promised that if I agreed to marriage, then our wedding ceremony could be a challenge in the arena, or multiple challenges if that's what she wanted.
I wrote another letter to Jasmine. "If I win today, then I want you to let Bronze decide if she will pursue me. But if she does not, or it doesn't work out, then I hope you will. I won't make you quit your job, but I would support you if you did, or I would want you to listen to my advice if you did not."
She sent a reply back saying, "I would be very happy to listen to your advice, whether we are dating or not. If you can help me improve this process for the humans, I would be quite pleased."
I replied. "I will think about that, but you did not respond to my other offer. Perhaps that was a reply of its own."
"It was not. I believe Bronze will win today, and I do not want to think about things that cannot be. If you do not become hers, then I will try very hard to make you mine. But I believe she will win, and I am convinced she is right. You will beg to be her mate."
I chuckled at the last portion but was quite all right with the thought of Jasmine's attention.
* * * *
The guards didn't come for me. It was Jasmine herself. I was already dressed in the combat suit and was sitting, waiting. But Jasmine wasn't carrying my shackles.
"What's wrong? Are we delayed? Or did Bronze change her mind?"
"What would make you ask that? I've come to bring you to the arena."
"Where are my shackles?"
"Do I need them today, Sapphire?"
"No. Of course not."
Then we hugged tightly. She kissed my cheek and whispered, "Thank you".
"That is a human kiss. Is it a Catseye kiss?"
"A Catseye kiss would leave a mark, and that is unfair to your challenger."
"If she wins, will you visit?"
"If she allows, but not until you are fully mated. And we must be aloof during that time as well. You must give her an honest opportunity, Sapphire."
She paused a moment then continued. "Sit for a minute. I want to talk to you about something."
And so I sat on the bed. Jasmine joined me, taking the other end, and we turned to face each oth
er.
"Bronze does not know I am going to tell you these things, and I am going to ask you not to betray me."
"All right."
"During your testing, we readily identified you as gay."
"I couldn't see how you wouldn't have."
"We also identified your response to males of any species. We guessed what would cause this."
"We're not talking about that!"
"I say that only as a prelude. During your testing, you are not dreaming. You were awake the entire time you were in the chair. But we induce a hypnotic state."
"I thought so."
"We try very hard to make you forget most of the testing. It is not perfect, but it is good."
"I had that one dream, or whatever it was, of Bronze."
"Yes. We let you keep that one. I let you keep that one."
"You?"
"I became aware of you personally while you swam with the dolphins. I'm the one who told Moirai about you. I took personal interest in you. I evaluated your scores myself, and I was the one who gave the order to collect you. Do you wish you hadn't forgiven me?"
"If I hadn't come to your attention..."
"The normal process would still have identified you. You would have been selected."
"Then while you know how I feel about this overall, I stand by everything I've said in the last few days."
"Good. Thank you." She paused.
"Why did you make me dream about Bronze?"
"We didn't. Not exactly. I asked the woman who was Bronze whether she wanted you. Her form was incompatible with a human. We could not change you enough to be a successful mate. But we could change her. Biologically, you are still not fully compatible, but if you mate, we will adjust your reproductive system to match hers. You will be able to bear young together."
"Two females."
"This is not unusual amongst our many races. Catseye have only one gender, and we modeled this choice after Catseye physiology."
I stared and nodded. "You're hinting, but you have more."
"The woman that is Bronze wanted you very much. This is the first time she has shown interest of any sort at all. We discussed it at length. And then we gave you a dream you would remember."
"Of Bronze."
"Of the woman Bronze became."
I stared. "Oh god. She didn't do this for a mate. She did this for me."