by Robin Roseau
"I could have run into the cage, Dark Skies."
"That would have been a poor challenge, too."
"Do you mind if we talk while I head to the showers?"
"No. Um. You don't have to talk to me."
I moved to the front wall and asked the visor to lead me to the showers.
Access granted.
The door opened, and I stepped out.
"Andromeda, I don't know what to do."
"I don't understand," I replied.
"Jasmine Brighteyes is short a senior event coordinator."
"She told me. Clover's wife moved to Switzerland, and Clover wants to join her."
"I thought I could help, but you're not supposed to get hurt. You screamed! Sometimes the mating candidates scream because they're mad or scared. But they almost never scream because they're hurt, and if they do, it's nearly always an accident. But you screamed a lot."
"What does Jasmine say?"
"I'm afraid to talk to her. She watched the entire event, and her-" Dark Skies broke off.
"Her what?"
"Um. I think she was upset."
"Did she say anything at the end?"
"She told me she thought I had much to think about."
I reached the showers. "I don't see robes."
"You enter the shower on this side and leave on the other side. There are towels and a robe waiting. Leave your clothing here."
"All right. Thank you." A minute later I was in the shower. I sighed. The hot water felt good. "Dark Skies, do you know what I think?"
"No."
"I think different people have different skills. I bet you are a very good technician."
"I am."
"Jasmine Brighteyes said you were brilliant, or something like that."
"She did?"
"I think your event was okay, but I don't know if I'd let you pick like you did today."
"But you don't understand. We tailor the possible selections for the candidate. You don't all get the same choices. It's the job of the event coordinator to assemble the grid of choices, and I didn't have very good ones."
"You only learned this morning you would be running it."
"I've seen Administrator Brighteyes walk into a room while reviewing the candidate and challenger and have a fresh grid for them by the time greetings were completed."
"She has done this before," I suggested. "Dark Skies, what do you want?"
"What do you mean?"
"Do you want to be an event coordinator? Don't you like being a technician?"
"Jasmine Brighteyes needs help."
"Yes, she does, but she'll fill her need somehow. What do you want? Do you want to be an event coordinator?"
"No," she whispered.
"Is Jasmine pressuring you to be an event coordinator?"
"No."
"Are you a good technician?"
"Yes. I'm very good."
"Is this about money? Does an event coordinator make more money?"
"It's not about money. It's about doing a job that is needed."
"Does Jasmine need good technicians, Dark Skies?"
"Yes."
"Then if you don't want to be an event coordinator, and you like being a technician, and technicians are important, too, I don't understand the problem. Be a technician. Jasmine will find someone else to take over from Clover's wife, and someone after that to take over from Clover."
"But Clover is my friend, and she is so sad. Peony didn't want to leave, but she was needed right away, and Clover wanted her to go. But she can't follow."
"Dark Skies, I think you are a very good friend. Do you think you are a good event coordinator?"
"No." I could barely hear her.
"Dark Skies," I said gently. "The human women here need you to do the job you are good at. Clover's situation is temporary, but their situation is not. Their lives have been upended. They have been brought here. They need you to do the job you can do well, and they need the best event coordinators Jasmine can train. Do you think with practice you could be as good an event coordinator as you are a technician?"
"No."
"Administrator Brighteyes will solve this. Clover will be with her wife again soon. But maybe we can find a way for her to take a few days off. She could fly to Switzerland and see Peony. Do you want me to talk to Administrator Brighteyes about that tomorrow?"
"Could you?"
"Yes. I'll do that, Dark Skies. Now, I have to get ready, but I'll see you tomorrow, won't I?"
"Yes."
"Good. Maybe you can help teach me."
"I'd like that."
* * * *
I wore a robe for the return to my cell. When I got there, I found a green cocktail dress waiting for me, complete with everything else I would need. I did my best to look nice, and I was just smoothing everything in final place when I heard noise from behind me. I turned, and two of the guards were waiting. I stood up straight.
"How do I look?"
"Very nice, Ms. Hayes," said one of the women. She stepped forward, and I let her make small adjustments to my appearance.
"Thank you."
The other carried the shackles. She held them up. I sighed and nodded. The visor went blank before she began to apply them.
After that was a ten-minute walk, a guard on either side. Finally they pulled me to a stop. While the woman on my left arm held me in place, the other removed the shackles on my ankles and then freed my wrists. I rubbed them, and then the visor brightened. The guards were gone, but Jessica Maple stood before me, watching me.
She looked nice. She was dressed in black leather, or something that looked like leather, with red piping along some of the seams. It gave her a very commanding look, and I decided I liked it.
"Good evening, Jessica."
"Hello, Andromeda."
I took two steps closer, looking up into her alien eyes. She also took two steps forward, lifting a hand to my cheek. Then she gently tapped the edge of the visor. "I would like you to remove this."
"I don't know if I can." But I accessed the control menu, and the Deactivate feature was available. I selected it, and a moment later pulled the visor from my eyes. "I guess I can."
"Set it there," she said, indicating a table near the door. I stared at the door for a moment. There hadn't been many doors that were clearly doors. But then I stepped over and set down the visor. When I turned back, Jessica was right there, and I found myself in her arms.
She'd surprised me, but I pressed against her and looked up. "I wasn't sure if this was to be a proper date."
"I do not know what makes a proper date," she replied. "I have never been on a date."
"This is a good start," I said. I lifted my arms and then set my hands on her shoulders, resting my arms on hers. "You are the broadest woman who has ever held me. I would say biggest, but I am not sure if the Wookie is bigger."
"Does my size intimidate you?"
"Only a little. Do you have a plan for the evening?"
"Yes. Food will arrive soon."
"So, there will be food. What else have you planned?"
"I should have planned something?"
I smiled. "Perhaps we should plan together. You could invite me to sit with you, if you have no other duties before dinner."
She released me and turned to step away, but I stopped her with a hand on her arm. She turned back.
"If this is dinner between friends, then treat me like you might any of your other friends. If this is a date, then treat me like a date."
"I don't know how to do that."
I smiled. "How do you want to treat me?"
"I-" She paused a moment. "I don't know."
"You earned the right to hold me any way you wish. I think you know at least a little how you want to treat me. Let me help." Then I took her arm, lifted it -- it was heavy -- and stepped under it, letting it settle around my shoulders. I slipped my arm around her back, although I couldn't remotely reach the entire way. So I crooked my arm so my hand
rested between her shoulder blades. "There. How is this?"
"This is nice."
"Now, just like this, you bring me to where we will sit."
"Oh," she said. "Oh. I understand."
She was a fast student. Together, we walked two rooms away until we reached an obvious living room. Together we sat. I kicked my shoes off and tucked my feet underneath me, which meant I pressed against her side. Then I reached up with my hand and clasped hers as it rested on my shoulder.
"Is this how you wish to hold me?"
"This is nice," she said. "Now what do we do, Andromeda?"
"Well, first, I give you permission to call me Andie, if you want, but if you prefer Andromeda, that is also fine."
"You are named after a galaxy."
"Actually," I said, "We are both named after a woman from ancient Greek mythology," I explained. "Do you understand so far?"
"No."
"Do you know where Greece is? It is a country in Europe."
"Ah, yes."
"In English, the people who live in Greece are called Greeks. The ancient Greeks told stories about gods and heroes. They are just stories, but because they are about gods and creation, they are called myths."
"I understand. You are named after one of these gods?"
"Actually, Andromeda was a mortal, the daughter of the king and queen of Ethiopia, which is in northern Africa. She was said to be very beautiful."
"Was she a real woman?"
"They are just stories, and some of the stories involve the gods, so I don't think so. But that is where my name originates."
"But you want me to call you Andie instead?"
"I offer both and allow you to choose," I countered.
"I think I prefer to call you Andromeda."
"Then of course," I said. "You asked what we do while waiting for the food to arrive. We talk. We get to know each other."
"That is what you do on a date?"
"It is what I do on a date such as this. There are other dates, where we attend events, but still, we talk. We learn how we feel about the other person." I paused. "You are still learning what you want, or so I believe you said. But we shouldn't start there. Perhaps you should tell me how you chose your name."
"That begins with a story about a human woman named Skye."
* * * *
The evening grew late. Jessica and I spent the entire time talking and quite a bit of it snuggled on the sofa, changing positions periodically to avoid growing stiff.
But then she said, "I need to send you home soon."
"You're sending me back to Minneapolis?"
She tilted her head forward, and I'd learned this was the gesture she made when I had confused her.
"I'm sorry. That was a joke. My home is in Minneapolis. You meant my cell."
"I didn't want to use that word," she said softly.
"It's fine," I said. It wasn't, but I didn't think she'd help me out of the jam I was in, so there was no good to come from berating her about it. "Do I have to leave now?"
"I want to talk to you about something."
I smiled. "We've been talking. Did you leave the important conversation until the end?"
"Yes."
I laughed.
"Did you enjoy our challenge today?"
"Is that really what we're about to talk about, or are you skirting the edges." I had to explain that phrase.
"Skirting the edges," she admitted.
"I enjoyed competing with you," I said. "I would do that again. I would not care to do that exact challenge again."
"Because I hurt you."
"Because it was the nature of the challenge for us to hurt each other. I will not do any further challenges based on that premise. If I find myself facing any more, I will immediately concede."
"You would accept other challenges?"
"I would," I said. "Perhaps not every day. But yes, I would."
"Some species require these challenges," Jessica said. "For some, it is part of their biology. For others, it is a deep part of their culture, so deep it may as well be biology."
"And Ardents?"
"We do not require this."
"Then why do you do it?"
"You're going to think this is horrible."
"Just tell me."
"It's fun," she said. "And we're good at it. We're good in the arena, and we're good in the challenges. We do not get enough women who offer themselves willingly, and so if we wish a mate, we must fight for one."
"I see," I said. "Did you enjoy our challenge?"
"I enjoyed the competition. But I began to feel very bad. If you were a warrior, I would not have felt bad." I didn't have a response to that. "Andromeda, I always thought I wanted a warrior for a mate."
"I know. A male warrior."
"Yes, but... there are difficulties. I do not want a human male, warrior or otherwise."
"Are there choices from among the Ardents?"
"No."
"Life is filled with choices, Jessica. You give up something here but you gain something there."
"I might want a human female."
"Do you find human females physically attractive?"
"I like holding you," she replied.
"I like holding a puppy dog," I said. "I don't want to marry one."
"I think I like holding you differently than you like holding a puppy dog. But do you like when I hold you?"
"Am I acting like I don't want to be here?" I asked.
"No. I want to do more than this."
"More. I am not sure how much more I will allow on a first date."
"You agreed I could hold you however I wanted."
"Yes, but you assured me it wasn't a euphemism."
"Oh. You thought I just asked for sex?"
"I wasn't sure. You said more."
"I just meant. I want to hold you... more."
"That we can do," I said. I turned around, sliding out from under her arm, but then I smiled and crawled onto her lap, laying my head against her shoulder. She wrapped her arms around me, and I sighed. "Is this what you meant?"
"Yes," she whispered.
We stayed like that for a while, then I whispered, "If you want to touch, you may touch."
"I am touching," she said.
"You are being very careful where you place your hands."
"I do not want to offend you."
"I crawled into your lap, Jessica. That by itself is permission for more, but you must be gentle."
She didn't say anything and at first she didn't move, but then one of her hands shifted to rest on my ass. I sighed, smiled, and clung to her more tightly.
We didn't move for a long time after that.
Fall
The guards returned me to my cell but were gone before the visor let me see. A moment later, words appeared.
We have an agreement. You are now in your cell for the night.
I sighed and undressed. There were no replacement clothes. "What do I do with these?" I asked.
In response, the nook opened. I set the clothing inside, and it disappeared.
"Are you watching me, Jasmine Brighteyes?"
No.
"Funny. Call me, please."
It only took a moment before I received an inbound call. We connected. "You are such a voyeur," I said. "A peeping Thomasina. A... um. I don't even know what to call you."
"Is this why you asked me to call you, Andromeda?"
"No, but I had to get that out of the way." I moved to sit on the bed. "Do you have a few minutes?"
"A few."
"I want blankets."
"No."
"I bet you could make clear blankets."
She didn't repeat her denial, at least not immediately. She paused, then asked, "Why?"
"I am from a cold climate. I never sleep uncovered, not even in hot weather. It makes me uncomfortable. And now I think you're going to make me be naked in here a lot, and I don't do that, either."
"The visor can make you sleep. These
concerns are irrelevant."
"They're relevant to me. I am being exceedingly cooperative."
"And I am treating you exceedingly well for a mating candidate."
"This is a simple request, Administrator. You should grant it. It costs you nothing and it gains you good will."
"I have given you privileges I have never given another mating candidate. And of the ones I have given other mating candidates, I have made all of them earn these privileges. But you want them handed to you."
"Do you want a fight about how completely you violate our rights, Administrator?" I asked. "Do I need to iterate everything that is wrong with how you treat us?"
"No. But I have reasons for my choices."
"I'd love to hear them."
"Maybe someday you will. Ms. Hayes, when you arrived here, you arrived with very few of your rights intact. You have the right to be treated as gently as you allow-"
"Except, apparently, during challenges."
"You have the right to be well fed. You receive good health care if you need it. But after that, anything else you receive is a privilege at my discretion. Do you understand?"
"I understand you have the power to enforce your choices," I said. "I do not agree you have the moral right to them."
"Perhaps you are right about that, but I don't have a problem making decisions when moral ambiguity is involved. Is this why you wished to talk?"
"No." I paused. "Why did Jessica Maple ask me on a date?"
Her tone changed entirely. "Was it a good date?"
"In a way. It was a confusing date. She doesn't know what she wants."
"I imagine that's why she asked. She is exploring options."
"Will she be going back to New York now that her squad mate has won his challenges?"
"She has not indicated otherwise to me," Jasmine replied.
"If she invites me for future dates -- or challenges -- I will accept if I have an agreement with you."
"For blankets?"
"I do not care for more challenges that hurt as much as today's, and I don't want the results to be a foregone conclusion."
"You did well today, Andromeda," she replied gently.
"Yes, but in the end, it hurt a great deal."
"So if your chances mirrored yours this afternoon?"
"I didn't think I had a chance, so I was surprised. But I'll point out I didn't come remotely close to winning, either."