Candidate (Selected Book 4)

by Robin Roseau

  The two Wookies stared at each other for a moment, then Soft Rain stepped over the Implac's body and hugged her brother. Then as Fine Mist checked the Implac, Soft Rain knelt down beside Emma. She, like her brother, offered a gentle caress.

  "Are you all right, little human?" she asked in that amazing voice of hers.

  "I-" said Emma. "Are you going to let me go?"

  "No, little human. My name is Soft Rain." She hooked a thumb over her shoulder. "That's my brother, Fine Mist. We offer you a choice."

  "A choice?"

  "We will leave you here. The Implac will wake up."

  "No!"

  "Or we will take you with us, but then you have three new challenges."

  "With you?"

  "With my brother."

  Emma craned her neck. Fine Mist stood behind his sister, turned sideways to watch both Emma and the Implac. "Will he hurt me?"

  "Never," said Soft Rain.

  "Don't leave me here."

  "If we take you with us, then my brother becomes your new challenger, and you remain a mating candidate."

  "Please don't leave me."

  And they didn't.

  Fifteen minutes it was all over. The Wookies had won. I watched quietly as a jumper came for the three of them. Another jumper collected the Implac. Sal collected the drone from me. Both jumpers headed back to the center. I wasn't sure what happened to the drones. But then Administrator Brighteyes was standing beside me.

  "Are you all right?"

  "I don't know." I looked up at her. "Did I do the right thing?"

  "In the end? You did what I hoped you would do."

  "I liked Soft Rain, but we barely met. I haven't met her brother."

  "Come with me." She turned and strode away, and I scrambled to follow her.

  * * * *

  We walked a short distance, then she took my arm, and a moment later, the visor dimmed. I let her guide me for a seven minute walk through the complex. And then it was hot, very hot.

  Slowly, my visor brightened. We were standing outside. It was hot and sunny, but we stood in the shade of the building behind us. I looked around, my eyes settling on the edge of the jungle perhaps two hundred yards away.

  "Thinking of making a run for it?"

  I turned to the Catseye. "I don't think I'd get far."

  "You wouldn't. Please don't try."

  I sighed. "I won't. But I might think about it."

  "That is a path to frustration, Andromeda. I will not let you go. You know that, don't you?"

  I looked away from her, muttering, "I thought a sign of maturity was the understanding that might doesn't make right."

  The Catseye didn't answer immediately but she turned away, scanning the sky. "There's something you don't realize. Morality isn't universal."

  "I don't understand."

  "It seems like right and wrong are obvious. They aren't."

  She let me think about that, and finally I said, "All right. Right and wrong can be situational."

  "True. It can also vary dramatically from person to person and even more so between species. Don't read too much into this, but let me walk through some examples."

  I wasn't sure I was going to like this. "Fine."

  "If someone is going to commit suicide, do you have the responsibility to stop her? It's her life, after all. Who are you to decide if she can end it?"

  "All right," I said slowly. "I can see both sides of that."

  "What about if it's an entire species?"

  I didn't want to answer that, but I said in a soft voice, "Don't get me wrong. I'm glad you stepped in."

  "Please let me offer a few more examples before you get your back up. In some Earth cultures, arranged marriages are the norm."

  "In most of those, the children consent."

  "Octals mate through a battle of wills, and sometimes both people aren't aware there is to be a battle of wills and may not be at all interested. This is part of their biology and culture, and it isn't questioned."

  "You were listening to the discussion in the shower, weren't you?"

  "Yes," she said. "About a third of the species in the Federation either pursue mates in some sort of hunt or the role in the relationship is determined in a hunt or in combat of some sort. This is biology for most of them and cultural for the rest. What happens here is perfectly in line with their morality. Indeed, humans are the ones lacking morality, as so many of your relationships end in divorce. Most of us are appalled by the human divorce rate."

  "What is the morality associated with the mating rituals of another species. I don't see anyone hunting you."

  "That varies from species to species. To a human, what happens here is immoral. To the species you might meet in the arena, it is part of their biology."

  "And this is supposed to sway how I feel about it?"

  "No. I am only giving you something to think about. Something that is immoral to you may not be immoral to everyone."

  "So they have the right to force me? Or they believe they have that right?"

  "That is their belief."

  I thought about it before replying. "I still think you're an evil woman, and I still hope everything you do to us happens to you someday."

  "I know," she said gently. "Maybe in time you'll change your mind."

  "Don't hold your breath."

  She nodded and grew quiet. A moment later she pointed. I followed her gaze and saw a speck in the sky. It drew closer, and I watched as one of the landers approached. It drew closer, lower, and then came to a hover, thirty yards in front of us. Then it turned around, pointing its back end at us before settling down. The dust dispersed and then the back opened, dropping down like a mouth until it formed a ramp to the ground.

  It took another two minutes, but then both Wookies with Emma held between them appeared at the top of the ramp. They strode down, the Wookies helping Emma, and then headed directly towards us. As they drew closer, Soft Rain offered a wave, and I raised a hand in return.

  The Wookies came to a stop in front of us.

  "Greetings, Administrator Brighteyes," said Fine Mist, speaking English.

  "Congratulations, Fine Mist," said the Catseye. "Emma Danver, how are you?"

  "I can't see," she replied.

  "There is someone who wishes to meet you. I will allow you to see, but then I will need to blind you again."

  A moment later Emma turned her head, looking first at the Catseye and then me. "Are you Andie?"

  "I'm sorry, Emma. I tried to steer you towards freedom, but the Wookies were faster than you and seemed to know where you were."

  "You ran me into them."

  "I did at the end."

  She turned to Fine Mist. "If I promise not to run, will you let me go?"

  He looked down at her, then nodded. The two Wookies released the human's arms. She then took three steps and threw herself into my surprised arms. We hugged tightly. "I like him," she whispered. "He looks just like Chewbacca! But his voice. Oh. My. God!"

  "I know," I said. "Did I do the right thing, Emma?"

  "Yes, Andie. Thank you."

  Then she pushed away. "Why are you dressed like this? None of the other women get to dress like this."

  "I know. I'm at work. They make me dress in undies and a camisole when I sit in my cell."

  She smiled at me. "Have you met the Wookies?"

  "I met Soft Rain this morning. I haven't met Fine Mist."

  She pulled me forward, directly to her new challenger. "Fine Mist," she said. "This is Andie. She's a mating candidate, too."

  "Congratulations, Fine Mist," I said. I offered my hand, and he shook gently, offering greetings. Then he took Emma away from me, and I turned to Soft Rain. "Are you all right? I almost died myself when you were thrown into the tree."

  "A little sore," she replied. "I'll be fine."

  "I'm glad."

  "Well," said the Catseye. "I am dimming your visor, Emma Danver."

  "Administrator Brighteyes, do you believe my
friends would enjoy watching my event this afternoon?"

  "It will be Fine Mist's choice if he wishes to invite his mating candidate to watch."

  Emma turned sideways, facing Fine Mist, but staring straight ahead. "Could we, Fine Mist? Please?"

  "Of course," he said, his voice nearly as amazing as his sister's.

  "I will signal you the details," offered Administrator Brighteyes. Then she collected my arm and pulled me to the side. Soft Rain took Emma's other arm, and the two of them led her into the facility. We watched them go.

  I turned to the Catseye. "Thank you. She looks happy."

  "Imagine."

  "He's being very gentle."

  "Of course."

  "It is difficult to imagine a species that is so large wanting a human woman. She's not any larger than I am."

  "Do you believe such a difference should be a limiting condition?"

  "We are evolved to be attracted to a good mate," I said. "Human women are most attracted to men who are big and strong."

  "You aren't."

  "Yes, but everyone knows I'm abnormal." We paused and then laughed together.

  "Hungry?"

  "Starving. Join me for lunch?"

  "Not today," she said. "Maybe another time. I'll escort you downstairs." The visor was dimming by the time she took my hand.

  * * * *

  She made me change back into the undies and camisole before dropping me off in my cell, and she smirked at me as I meekly walked into the cell. I know she did.

  I think she looked at my ass, too. In fact, I'm sure of it.

  * * * *

  The first of the afternoon events was in the main arena, the one that looked like the Roman Coliseum. When I arrived back at Control Center C, it was Clover in the center seat.

  Dark Skies was seated at one of the computer consoles, and Administrator Brighteyes was talking quietly to Clover. When I stepped in, everyone turned to face me, but then Dark Skies turned back to her screens. I stepped towards the dais. The two Catseye looked at me.

  Then it was Clover who spoke. "We use far fewer cameras for this event, and they can largely run on automatic. They are not needed for safety, and so they are only used to record the event. Do you believe you can operate them?"

  "I only know how to operate one," I said.

  "We have a half-hour before the event begins," she replied. "Administrator Brighteyes will teach you the remaining controls."

  "I'll do my best."

  "Very good." She pointed to my left, the opposite side of the room from Dark Skies. I moved to the console and sat down, Administrator Brighteyes taking a chair next to me.

  "We need to wake the cameras. You can control them from your visor or the console. Let's use the console."

  I followed her directions and found the camera controls. I had to select which set of cameras, which was easy, and then it asked how many I wanted.

  I waited for the Catseye to tell me. She was silent, and when I looked at her, she was watching me. "How many?"

  "What would you do if I weren't sitting here?"

  "Ask Clover."

  "Then ask Clover."

  "Clover, how many cameras do you want?" I looked over her shoulder at me.

  "Give me four covering the arena, two more high, and four on each participant."

  I selected 14 on the screen. Then I watched as a swarm of the swallow-sized drones left their home and went into a holding pattern above the arena.

  I learned how to arrange on the monitors the camera views as I preferred. Then I learned how to place the static drones, setting them at the four compass points facing into the center of the arena. I set two more high, pointing down. Then I divided the last eight into two groups. I put most of them into a lower holding pattern, but I took one and used it to investigate the arena.

  There were humans moving around, setting up a variety of obstacles. "What is the event?"

  "Laser tag, you could say. You need to keep the cameras out of the line of fire."

  "So they don't get hurt?"

  "So they don't interfere. As long as they are above the highest target, you're fine."

  The Catseye had me use the cameras to follow one of the workers around, showing me how to set them on automatic. It didn't take long before I understood. "This isn't hard."

  "Remember to begin recording," she said. "I'd turn that on now." She tapped the screen to show me where. "If you forget, Clover would remind you, but then I'll let her punish you for forgetting."

  "Would you really?"

  "Yes."

  "Would you really have given me to one of the males if Emma hadn't jumped?"

  "It would have been an honor challenge. I wouldn't have given you to him."

  "Would you have told me that before the start?"

  "I don't know. Would it matter?"

  "If I thought you were giving me to him, I'd be angry at you and also likely to take much deeper risks. Even if you told me afterwards, I would have considered it the end of our agreement."

  She didn't comment on that. Quietly we watched. The workers finished setting things up. Then I saw two of them put on helmets and pick up guns. They moved to opposite ends of the arena.

  "Activate the arena, Dark Skies," said Clover. "Andromeda, this is a practice run."

  "Right," I said. But I sent one swarm to one of the men, the other swarm to surround the second man. I put them on auto, but I was ready to grab manual control if I wanted it.

  "You can hear audio," said the Catseye. "Use your visor."

  I went into command mode and worked through the menu options quickly. It took me a half-minute, but I found the options I wanted. I turned on audio from one drone in each of the two swarms.

  By then, they were already at it, hiding behind the obstacles. They weren't shooting at each other. They were shooting at a variety of targets. From my cameras, I saw some sort of shimmering turn on and off.

  "What's that?" I asked, pointing to one of them.

  "Humans would call it a force field," said Administrator Brighteyes. "Don't try to fly through one."

  I nodded then took control of one of the cameras. I buzzed it down and zoomed in slightly, getting a good shot of one of the men, his expression intent, as he fired and fired. "Yes!" he said after hitting his target. He shifted aim.

  "Everything is operational," said Dark Skies.

  "Thank you, Dark Skies. Stand down. I repeat. Stand down."

  The men both lifted their guns to the sky.

  "Deactivate arena."

  "Deactivated," said Dark Skies.

  I moved my cameras higher into the air but let them buzz around.

  People began collecting in the stands. I let some of the cameras watch the workers as they left. I used two others to collect crowd shots. Well, it wasn't a big crowd, but it was the thought that counted. But they could clearly see the cameras, and a few made a variety of gestures as the drones slowly flew past them.

  "What are you doing?"

  "Crowd shots," I said. "You can't have a live event without catching the audience reaction."

  Thirty seconds later, Clover asked, "Andromeda, what are you doing?" I laughed and repeated what I'd said.

  Neither of them stopped me.

  Then I set two of the drones on auto, but ordered them to do a slow circle of the arena, watching everyone. I took one more and moved it into place where one of the men had hidden, then did the same with another one.

  "Now what are you doing?"

  "Dark Skies," I called out. "Do you understand this event?"

  "Of course."

  "Do we have time for you to activate those force field things in a reasonable idea of what's going to happen?"

  "Clover?"

  "Six minutes, then I want the arena ready to receive the combatants."

  "The real battle will be longer than that, Andromeda. But sure."

  "Do it," I said.

  Dark Skies figured out what I was trying to do. As I pointed a camera at a target,
she lit it up as if it was hit, and then a new force field appeared. One of my drones was effectively forced towards the center of its playing area. The other drone remained hidden. And soon I found my drone at the mouth of a cage.

  "He's supposed to force her into the cage, isn't he?"

  "Yes," said the administrator.

  "You may reset, Dark Skies. Thank you." Then I went into the menus and activated two more cameras. No one said anything, but I flew them over and parked them above the cage, flanking it. I grabbed four more. I put two outside the cage, high, facing backwards so we could watch if the mating candidate was tossed in. Then I put the last two actually inside the cage near the back so they could watch from inside.

  "We've never done that," said the administrator quietly. "In fact, I don't recall ever using this many cameras in this arena except during the group events."

  "Am I hurting anything to use them?"

  "No. Feel free."

  "What happens with all this video?"

  "It's all available real time to whomever wants to watch."

  "So there are a lot more videos I could have picked of Apple's event?"

  "No. We stream all your cameras live, but I'll have a job shortly. It will be my job to select which images to put into the main feed, the one we actually record."

  "Am I making extra work for you?"

  "No. This is good. You'll be able to see which ones I am using. If you decided to do something drastic with one I'm using, warn me."

  "Right."

  "Are you good?"

  "I'm good."

  "I'll be right here," she said. And then she moved away to the workstation beside mine.

  * * * *

  The alien arrived first. I recognized him as an Ardent, and I wondered if this was Jessica Maple's squad mate, the one she was cheering on. I checked the other cameras, and sure enough, there was a group of Ardents in the crowd, including Jessica. I set a camera pointing at her for a moment, then put it back on auto.

  It was another minute before two guards led the mating candidate onto the field. She, like Emma this morning, was wearing a skintight suit, although hers covered her head, much like a hoodie, and even covered her neck all the way to her chin. The guards led her to a stone pillar in front of the cage. The pillar swallowed her hands, and then the guards removed the restraints.

  Clover began to speak, and it came in both directly and from the drones. She explained the rules then told the human she was free. I zoomed a camera in on her hands as they were released, and then zoomed out. She looked around then ran to one of the obstacles, picking up the waiting gun. She pointed it to the sky and ducked down behind the obstacle, looking out towards her opponent.