by Viola Grace
“Why can’t she get the information the same way I do?”
“It is forbidden to pierce the skins of the household and also to install any cybernetics.”
“Oh. Right. I guess I have a lot to learn. Am I really going to be removed from the tank and then sent directly to my assignment?”
They entered a medical facility, where four other women who were past their prime, were floating in long tubes. The women appeared to be asleep.
“So, we are all being delivered together?”
Alyla chuckled. “My father can bend space if necessary. He is an excellent traveller. He is taking each one of you and introducing you to your assigned governments or households as gifts from Terra.”
“Which, I suppose we are.”
Medics swarmed around her and numbed parts of her body before inserting the cables that would keep her alive in the tank. Amber had to ask, “Why now?”
Alyla chuckled. “You were ready. They were ready. It was the right time. When you wake, you will be at your full potential. The potential was there thirty years ago, but your brain wasn’t ready to take control of it yet. With the alterations that are being made, your mind and body will finally be on the same developmental track.”
“What?”
Alyla held her hand out, and a ball of flames flickered above her palm. “Talents are more than just inclinations; they have power. If you put enough focus behind your interests, they can become a superpower. All of you were ready, though you were the only one who had to give three weeks’ notice.”
Amber chuckled, and the med team started to walk her carefully over to the tank and up the steps next to it. She was carefully lowered into the tank, but before her head went under, she said, “Wait, is the tablet going to be fixed to the outside of the tank?”
Alyla chuckled. “It is here in my hand. Don’t worry. When you are awake enough to need it, it will be there.”
Amber nodded, and as she felt a heavy sedative rush into her veins, she realized that the liquid was closing over her head and there was no breathing apparatus.
She panicked and then blacked out. She really hoped that they knew what they were doing.
* * * *
Alyla looked at Amber, and she smiled. The body fat that she possessed would make it easier to give her the extra height that the Possitt had already authorized. She would be six inches taller than she currently was but still petite by Possitt standards.
Her talents were twofold, and she had not truly used either of them. Strength and patience were a strange combination, but when Amber came out of the tank, she would have enough power to defeat a guardian if she needed it.
Alyla felt a wave of heavy power approaching her. Her father emerged in medical and looked down at her. “So, is the last one in?”
“She is. The Possitt have allowed her increase in height and the change to her hair colour. The eye colour stays, as does the skin tone. She will be disappointed not to have the mask, but she will get used to looking at herself.”
Imbolt looked at the women. “All the potential dormant for half their lifetimes.”
“More. Not everyone woke up when Gaia did. These ladies had all tucked themselves into their roles as caretakers, financial support, or just happy that someone wanted them. When the bloom wore off, they were left facing nothing. I am very glad that Mom has been watching them.”
“How many more does she have?” Her father looked at his tablet.
“Dozens, hundreds. She hasn’t said, but this was the first set to... uh... reset.”
Imbolt snorted. “While I love your mother, the fact that she was able to get so many worlds to sponsor these transformations for the chance to have a Terran of their own, she is a master negotiator.”
Alyla chuckled. “The fun bit for me is that the worlds think they are getting sterile Terrans halfway through their life cycles. The Genaran nanites were a lovely donation. All internal organs are going to be in pristine working order.”
Imbolt frowned. “Do the women know that all parts of them are being reset?”
“No. They are all being given suppressor shots that will last for three years. We will inform them later. That will also give most of them the chance to earn out the majority of their contracts. If they want a normal life in the stars, they can have it.” Alyla chuckled.
Her father sighed. “Well, as soon as they are settled, we will load them into my ship. Perhaps when I return, your mother will reward me.”
Alyla chuckled. “She has already prepared a proper send-off, so if you head down to the embassy, you might be able to enjoy a few more hours before you spend weeks delivering the new Volunteers.”
He ruffled her black feathers and nodded. “Thanks for the tip, daughter. I shall see you in the morning.”
Alyla nodded. “See you soon, Dad. Zanicon.”
The soul of the black star flickered in her father’s black eyes, and he nodded as they left medical, and she felt a distant airlock of the station open. She felt them travelling back to Earth like a falling star.
Chuckling, she went to check on her projects. They were going to fulfill a number of roles in a variety of sectors. There was the governess, a recruiter, an archive, a dispatcher, and an ambassador for other races. The women would be shouldering tremendous burdens, and the cost of their transformations would be recouped by the worlds who paid for the initial reset.
Some of them had had spouses, others were single, and others divorced. Many had nieces and nephews, but none had children. That had been considered too cruel for these first attempts. It might change in the future, but for now, the woman herself had to be the end of her line in case any future inheritance issues arose.
Amber. Amber had applied to be a Volunteer and had immediately retracted her application when she got a full-time job. It had been a panic to find a place for herself in the world that had sent her to the Volunteer Project, and when she found it, she settled. She had been settling for thirty years. Now, they were going to turn back her biological clock, alter her body to fit in a little better with the Possitt Empire, and train her to be an excellent caretaker for a young woman who needed to learn a lot, very quickly. It was a solid match.
Getting the other four sorted while they waited for Amber had been amusing, but then, it was the way things worked out. First and last often switched places. In this case, she was the last one in, and she would be the last one out unless the Possitt came to get her during a drop-off.
Lady Emera was in a strange transition from a young woman to an adult, and in there, she had to learn how to be an empress. Amber could help her find her way, though she had only recently found her own.
Chapter Two
Amber stared at the man who came into the med centre. There were only two women left with her, but he came toward her without hesitation. He looked at her and touched the back of her vidscreen. “Amber Huffner?”
She couldn’t properly move, and nodding wasn’t polite for two strangers meeting, so she pressed a hand over her heart and bowed.
Her blue and green hair flared and puffed around her in a cloud.
He looked at her in surprise, and then, he nodded. He was in a dark room, and her tube was illuminated, so he was just a very tall shadow.
“Imbolt-Zanicon is allowing me to remove you from his possession so that you can do your adaptation on Possitt Prime. You aren’t what I expected.” His gaze ran over her from top to toe, and she shrugged. She was not responsible for his expectations.
“My team will be here to extract you in a moment. As a member of the imperial household, you are forbidden from being seen by the general public, so you will be transported in an enclosed box.”
She made a face but bowed formally again.
He chuckled. “Right. Remain calm, and we will get you down to the surface under the avatar’s keen eye.”
She waited for twenty minutes, and then, a med team that she didn’t recognize as Imbolt supe
rvised the work they were doing on her tank. When the lid was removed and she heard the command to exit, she sank to the bottom of the tank and kicked herself upward. She flew out of the tank and landed on the grid, naked and covered with cables, before she tried to inhale, and she started the purging process to get the fluid out of her lungs. While she was heaving, the ports were removed from her body, and she was wrapped in a long black cloth that had a charming insulating effect.
The medics scanned her, and Imbolt checked the readings. “You are complete, Amber Huffner. You have completed your reset, and if Possitt wishes you to adapt on their world, they have the right to claim you now.”
She nodded and gave him a thumbs-up as the others gave her oxygen and continued to seal the ports.
The man who had come to her tube nodded. “Right. Bring her.”
He turned, and she was bundled up and carried down a hall and then another and another until she could see the display of a huge ship attached to Imbolt’s vessel. Imbolt stood in front of the man carrying her, and he held out a data pad. “State your authorization and consent.”
The shadowy men looked at each other, but she snaked out her naked arm and pressed her thumb. “I, Amber Huffner of Terra, authorize my transfer to the Possitt Imperium. I consent to the position offered to me in my initial contract.”
Imbolt grinned. “Clever. A few of them have forgotten that. Right. Well, you can take her now. Amber, do not hesitate to contact us if you have need. We can direct you to appropriate advisors.”
The male with his face in the shadows of his hood muttered, “She will have plenty of advisors on Possitt. We are not setting her in place to fail.”
Imbolt chuckled. “If you say so, but there are some things a woman can only ask another woman. That is why she is here, after all.”
The man leading the party snorted, signed the receipt for taking possession of her, and they were on their way through the connected doorway to the other vessel.
Amber kept her face averted from the men; it was something that had been mentioned to her in every etiquette manual that the Possitt had to offer. The female gaze could be hypnotic in the species she was going to be interacting with, and she didn’t want to be sparking any reactions that she didn’t understand. Some of the comments in the books were sexist, and others were backed up by biology. The Possitt were slightly telepathic, so meeting gazes might open doors that she didn’t want to open.
She was carried from one ship to the other, and the scents in the air changed. There was something familiar and completely foreign to her at the same time. She looked at what she could without making any eye contact with the men around her. They were all men. That much was certain.
She was brought to another medical facility and set on an exam table.
The medics chuckled, and a doctor must have been waiting because he started ordering the medics into motion, setting up equipment, and calibrating scanners.
“What, precisely, do you think you are doing?” There was steel in her voice, and she held the wrap on with one hand while glaring at the doctor.
He paused, “Miss, we are confirming the reports that the Alliance sent onward with you.”
“I was just pulled out of a med tank. What else are you looking for?”
The doctor frowned. “Existing pregnancy.”
She started laughing and kept laughing for several minutes. When she was done, the room full of men were staring at her. “Sorry. That was exceptionally funny. Fine scan for that all you like.”
“Miss, I don’t appreciate your attitude.”
She glared at him. “I don’t appreciate yours. Ask me a fucking question, and I will get you an answer. I am neither a toddler nor an imbecile. I do respond to direct queries.”
“You are from an Alliance protectorate; there is no reason for you to tell the truth.”
She grimaced. “Fine. Where do you want me?”
One of the medics timidly raised his hand. “Over here, Madame.”
Amber slid off the med bed, balanced with a hand on it, and then slowly stalked over to the machine. The medic apologized and removed the cloak that was over her and eased her back with the dome of the machine over her.
The unit started to hum, and she nodded off.
* * * *
Antoth checked the dispersal of personnel and saw a large cluster in the medical bay. He gave the order to leave the avatar’s ship and headed for the medical bay. She was a governess, not a toy.
Doctor Milfor was frowning at the readouts.
“What is it, Doctor?”
Milfor stood and saluted. “She is exactly as described to us and precisely what you requested. A mature mind in a younger body with an information upload port in her skull. I was not expecting her to be so... distracting.”
Antoth frowned. “Distracting?”
“Her form is very well-proportioned for someone so small. Her eye colour is going to be an issue for you. I have not seen that colour outside of the royal family.”
“She is an alien. She will be veiled.”
“Of course. Apologies.”
“Milfor?”
“Yes, sir?”
“Why is every medic in the ship staring at the med pod she is in?”
Milfor looked up and began barking orders that sent all but two of his team scattering. He walked over to the unit where the woman had fallen asleep. “She is still in the later stage of some of her adaptations, but she will be up to Possitt standards in a week or so. The strength that she exhibits potential for is going to be handy. Are you starting her on bodyguard training?”
“Yes. Put her in her quarters and set an alert for when she is mobile. Her trainer will come to fetch her when she wakes.” Antoth looked at the woman, who looked peaceful with a slight flush on her cheeks. The lid of the scanner concealed her body, but the upper slope of her breasts promised impressive curves down below.
“Take a picture; it will last longer.” She stirred and stared at him through the medical scanner.
He tried to hide his reaction to her bright eyes. The greeny-blue was definitely a sign of nobility. It might confuse enough of the palace assassins that Lady Emera would be safe in her presence. First, she needed training.
“Miss Hoffner, I am the commander of this vessel, and your comfort is my concern.”
She pushed against the cover, and the unit swung up and open, displaying the curves that were definitely ample and going to be interesting to conceal. “Thank you; could you hand me that cloak from over there? I am slightly chilled.”
He paused and then picked up his cloak, setting it over her and watching her twist it around so she could fasten it.
She smiled. “What am I supposed to do first?”
Antoth fought his chuckle. “I think you should take a solar shower and get dressed. Your training will begin immediately.”
She nodded with a serious expression on her little face. “Right. I got that in my download.”
She looked over to Milfor. “Oy, Doctor. Are you done? Do you need to check my teeth or anything?”
Milfor blinked at her expression, and Antoth chuckled. “He has concluded his scans. We can go now. This way.”
She gathered up the bulk of the cloak that puddled around her feet, and the bare toes peeped out.
Antoth chuckled. She was very cute. It was going to be an effort to leave her in charge of his niece, but her expression when she faced down the doctor said she was not up for anything stupid. The family’s darling would be safe with her as soon as she was trained to defend her.
“Your quarters are this way. The grey stripe leads to the living quarters, the blue leads to the crew areas, the red is for the training areas, and the white is for command decks. Black is for the cargo area.”
She nodded and rubbed her cheek against the edge of his cloak. They walked through the ship, and he finally paused by her door. “Your instructor will be here within the hour. Please bathe
and wear one of the bodysuits that have been provided. You will be learning to use your reset body again.”
She nodded. “Understood. Thank you for your kindness.”
He paused and looked down at her. “This is not kindness; this is a necessity. You need to get a grasp on what your body can now do, and you need to do it quickly. The attempts on Lady Emera’s life have increased, and she needs someone to teach her to stand between the vulnerable and danger.”
She stared at him, and he tapped her on the nose. Her blink of surprise made him fight a smile. “So, go in, get clean, get dressed, and prepare to master your body once again. You are going to need all the expertise you can muster.”
He turned and walked away while her door opened, and she padded inside. He sighed in relief. He wasn’t sure what she had been before, but now, she had a confidence that was exceedingly compelling. It was a good thing that she knew her own worth; it was going to be tested over and over again in the coming years.
Chapter Three
Amber worked out how to use the solar shower, cleaned off the residue from the tank, and left the lav to stare at the full-length mirror that showed her reset body. The proportions were right; they were just expanded over an extra six inches of height. Her shorter curves were more elegant now, but the face was still hers. The blue pubes made her laugh, but they matched the ends of her hair.
The skin was clear, but it still changed to pink when she pinched herself. She was still Amber. She chuckled and went to find the bodysuit that she had been ordered to wear. The suit was a dark rose with gold trim. She found a hair clip in the lav and pinned her hair up and off her head, letting the bright colour swing loose. She really liked her hair.
Amber looked at herself in the mirror again and turned from side to side. She smiled and thought back to the last time she had done the same. It had been her high school graduation; she had gone with friends and come home on her own a few hours later. She wasn’t one for crowds.
The knock at her door snapped her out of her trip down memory lane, and she opened it to see a huge male looking away from her and holding out a small square of fabric. “Please put this on, Madame Huffner.”