Jailmates

by Lesli Richardson

  I guess they really do have an answer for everything. I haven’t read through the entire packet of information yet. I tried skimming it again last night, but it looks like most of it is about the history and legal issues of Pfahrn—the planet and the people—and I was so tired and bored I couldn’t process any of it.

  I suppose I should do that before I agree to this, right?

  “Have you done anything like this before? I mean, facilitated it?” I ask.

  “Oh, we facilitate mating contracts like this for many races and reasons. This is the first Pfahrn/human one we’ve helped with, however. That’s why we’re so eager to take part. There’s a wealth of information we can gather as a result.”

  “What if she meets me and hates me?”

  “That will not be an issue.”

  “What if I meet her and hate her?”

  The Veraci are usually, as a race, fairly patient. I couldn’t sense he was losing his patience with me, thankfully. “Part of what we’ll be doing are DNA infusions and bionanotech augmentation unification. There will be a biological pairing already in place for both of you by the time you meet. In all honesty, you likely won’t be spending enough time with each other to truly come to feel one way or another beyond acceptance and physiological, hormone-induced desire.”

  Somehow, that makes me feel worse. “Will I be able to have any contact with her other than the monthly visits?”

  Confusion fills his features. “That wouldn’t be required, according to the contract.”

  “But is it possible?”

  He still looks confused. “I suppose there would be certain communications allowed. Mohrn isn’t a violent offender and wouldn’t be incarcerated under the penal codes in that way. Legislative incarcerations for nonviolent offenses have different standards. Usually, those inmates are allowed video conferences with family and other privileges dangerous and violent inmates are not.”

  “Well, at least she—sorry, they—won’t be worried about me cheating on them.”

  His brow lifts. “Oh, as part of the contract, you are allowed to have sexual relations with others, if you so desire.”

  “Huh?”

  “Absolutely. There are a few parameters, of course. You can’t enter into a mate-bond with anyone. You can’t procreate, which will also be handled by birth control for you anyway, so that won’t be an issue. And you must not do anything that would impede your availability for your contractual duties. Including should any emergencies arise.”

  I’m still struggling to process that last revelation, that I wasn’t restricted to only having sex with Mohrn. “Eh, what kind of emergencies?”

  “It is highly unlikely to occur, but the usual cycle, once established, can be interrupted and triggered early by extreme emotional duress or pain.”

  “You mean like being incarcerated?” I snark.

  “No,” he says, my sarcasm sailing over his head. “Like…oh, say, having to fight for survival. Think of it as an adrenaline trigger, were they a human.”

  “Oh.” I swallow back bile at the most recent memory I have of a situation like that. Only two months ago, actually. Not exactly fun times, and definitely not anything I want to mentally revisit, that’s for sure.

  “Again, highly unlikely,” he continues. “Which is also why the tracking beacon would be mandatory. Should an emergency occur and you weren’t easily within range, we’d use an ether-jump ship to retrieve you. Most likely this one.”

  That shocks me. “Seriously?”

  “Seriously. Maxim Colonies is that invested in championing both a successful outcome and the potential scientific and technological developments this research could provide us with.”

  For some reason, that threatens to overwhelm me. “That means me visiting home would be problematic, doesn’t it?”

  “Not at all. You’d simply arrange it with us so we would have a contingency plan at the ready. We’d transport you with our ship and be waiting to retrieve you. Or we can arrange to bring your family to you for visits.”

  They had an answer for everything.

  A com chirps. When he pulls his out of a pocket with one of his four arms, I watch as he taps out a reply with two hands while holding the device with a third. “We’ll be departing the station shortly,” he says. “Is there anything you needed to do on or get from the station before we leave? Purchases or paperwork or anything?”

  I numbly shake my head. “No. I’m good. I’m ready to ship out whenever you are.”

  “I need to take care of a few things. I’ll return in an hour to check on you and we can talk more. Feel free to explore the ship if you wish. The hatches won’t open for you if it’s an area you’re not allowed in unaccompanied.”

  “Thanks.”

  Once he leaves, I stretch out on my new bunk. One that is a lot larger and far more comfortable than my previous one, to be sure. It’s easily ten feet long and six feet across. Except I shiver a little. I do miss my cozy, heated space. The one true benefit of being in the military—I could keep that fucking bunk of mine at the exact temperature I wanted without any problem at all.

  That starts me thinking. I rise and walk over to the room’s main control panel. There, I find the temperature control and adjust it, both the room and for the bunk itself, sighing in pleasure as the room warms a few degrees.

  There.

  Another bonus? A head I don’t have to share with anyone, including a full shower with a real-water mode, not just sonic.

  This was going to be like staying at a luxury resort.

  Damn sure beat the hell out of the military so far.

  * * * *

  By the time H’looder returns to talk I still haven’t left my cabin. Despite the early hour I’ve napped while happily sprawled across my huge, warm, comfy bed. I’ve never been a morning person, despite my years in the military, and it feels damned good to simply be able to…nap.

  Okay, so this definitely has the military beat, hands down. I even discover the smaller control panel on the headboard, which allows me to control the lights and temperature, and gives me access to communications, without even getting out of bed.

  I know we’re underway because I sensed the subtle shift in the underlying hum the vessel made. I couldn’t help noticing it. Occupational hazard. The day I don’t notice something like that anymore I guess will be the day that I’ve put the military behind me for good.

  Today is not that day.

  Dr. H’looder sits on a large hassock I’d noticed but hadn’t paid attention to before. Now I suspect many of the staterooms on board have a similar piece of furniture just for this purpose, so he’ll have somewhere comfortable to sit while talking.

  He’s ditched the mech suit and now wears what I suppose is a Veraci version of scrubs, maybe? He wears a lab coat over the top of everything else. That he trusts me not to harm him means a lot to me. Veraci tend to be overly cautious around strangers simply because it’s a risk to their health and even their life not to be.

  “Have you thought of any further questions for me?” he asks.

  “I don’t know.” I remain sitting on the bed for our talk. It’s comfortable and warm and I really like it. “I think I’ve mostly made up my mind to do it, but I’m not ready to sign yet.”

  “Is there anything I can do to help you with your decision? Any information you need that I can provide you?”

  “See, that’s the thing. I don’t know. Because I don’t know what I’m not seeing about this. This sounds too good to be true. What’s the catch?”

  “Have you read through the information packet I sent you?”

  “Not completely, no,” I hedge.

  “Perhaps you should do that, then. That might provide enlightenment.” He wasn’t trying to sound snarky. He’s absolutely right, and I know it.

  Except he’s already sweetened the pot to the point I’m not sure how to say no without hating myself for it later.

  That is a lot of damn money to simply toss away when all it req
uires of me is fucking an alien on a monthly basis.

  It wasn’t like I couldn’t go screwing around with someone else if I wanted, either.

  There are guys who would pay to have that gig, much less get paid for it.

  Actually, I do have a question. “Why is she—they—okay with me sleeping with other people?”

  “Because they will be in confinement. They don’t expect you to suffer because of it. This is a contract.”

  “Won’t their family be upset at me for doing it?”

  “Not at all. It’s part of the contract. The Pfahrn really are pragmatic. If it’s in the contract, that’s it.”

  “How is this supposed to work? Me meeting Mohrn. And the…conjugal visits.”

  “You will first spend time together here, for the initial mating, and we will make any final adjustments as needed to your biology and theirs via bionanotech, hormones—whatever is required. Once we’re certain their cycle has triggered and that relations with you are physically adequate to meet their needs, and enjoyable by both of you, and the final contractual issues on Pfahrn are dealt with, then Mohrn will be transported to the penal facility and begin their incarceration. The facility has a conjugal visit wing where you will meet with Mohrn for every visit.”

  “Who schedules that? Do they do that? How does that work? Am I responsible for it? What about transportation there and back?” I didn’t want to accept this and then fuck things up because I didn’t know to schedule something.

  “Once everything’s in place, we’ll give the prison a schedule and modify it as necessary, and we will coordinate with you to transport you to and from the complex. The proactive schedule will be created from data we’ve calculated that should provide enough of a safety cushion for Mohrn as to prevent any problems. The early visits will be closer together, and then the time between them will increase.

  “You see, if a Pfahrn goes too long without sexual release with a partner in this initial phase, too much of their venom builds up in their system. Don’t worry, it’s not like a venomous insect or animal. ‘Venom’ is the closest word we have to it in Standard. It’s actually a kind of hormone that helps them bond with their partner.”

  “So…I’m going to get bit?”

  “Not really. Simulated biting via safety devices. We’ll take precautions against envenomation, but that is one of the things we wish to do, to gain samples of the venom under those particular circumstances. That will allow us to analyze it for its chemical makeup.”

  “And see if there’s something in it you can use.”

  He smiles. “Absolutely.”

  “What happens if I do get bit for real?”

  “We’re not certain. It would not be fatal or even make you sick, rest assured. We are certain we can reverse whatever effects there are, because we’ll have plenty of DNA material of yours from before we start the procedures. But it might mean things are slightly more uncomfortable for you emotionally as we do that.”

  “How?”

  “Well, for example, if you are envenomated and develop deep emotions for Mohrn as a result of what’s happened, it could be quite uncomfortable for you when we reverse that process. Falling out of love, as it were.”

  Oh. I’d never been in love, so I didn’t know what it felt like in the first place.

  I really don’t want to admit that to this guy, either.

  “I’m not a porn star or something,” I say. “I’m not going to be able to do my thing with a room full of people.”

  “You’ll have privacy. I know the first several times might feel uncomfortable, but you will quickly grow used to it without any issue. Especially with the bionanotech in place. Other humans who’ve paired with Pfahrn have found it quite pleasurable.”

  If this guy narrated a porno flick, it’d probably sound dry as a magno-tank’s repair manual. “I guess I’ll have to take your word for it.”

  We chat for a few more minutes, about my family, about my experiences in the military, and I suppose that was the Veraci trying to put me at ease and befriend me. After a few minutes, he rises from his perch.

  “If you are hungry, our galley is available to you any time. I’m going to the bridge to coordinate with our escort ships about the jump.”

  “Escort ships? Plural?”

  “Yes. We travel with a minimum of two Class 2 frigates. Especially for jumps. One will jump first, make sure it is safe, then this ship jumps, and we are protected from behind by the remaining frigate, which jumps in last.”

  I know my eyes widen. “You have ether-jump frigates?”

  “Oh, yes. Maxim Colonies is building an entire fleet of ether-jump vessels of all sizes and uses. If we are going into more hostile territories, we take more ships with us, including some which aren’t ether-jump capable. Then we can sling them to one that is and they can piggyback through the jump.”

  “Holy hellballs,” I muttered. “That’s…that’s incredible.”

  “Yes, it is.” He bobs his head back and forth, obviously delighted by my astonishment. “You know, if you accept the contract, you could spend a lot of time with our vessels and learning about them. We have a former tech instructor as our head engineer on this vessel. You could emerge from the contract certified as an ether-jump engineer, not just an ether-jump tech. Without any expense to yourself. Ether-jump techs and engineers are in extremely high demand.”

  Also…tempting. I know civilian ether-jump techs and engineers make incredible money and can pretty much dictate their own terms, hours, and job postings.

  They also have to be out in space.

  On ships. Well, on orbital stations, at the very least.

  But…this is a pretty nice ship. And I would have one valuable and lucrative certification while I go to secondary to do…well, pretty much anything else I wanted to do.

  “I’ll think about it,” I tell him.

  “I’ll leave you alone for now.” He glances at his personal com unit. “I shall return to chat with you, say, 14:00 ship time?”

  I pull out my personal com and adjust the local time on it. That is in six hours. “Okay, sure.”

  “Meanwhile, please completely read the info packet to help answer more of your questions. Of course, I’ll be happy to discuss any of your concerns when I return.”

  “Thanks.”

  He leaves me alone to my thoughts, but as I set my com unit aside and lie back on the perfectly warm and comfy bunk, I’m not sure exactly what my thoughts are right at this moment.

  Chapter Six

  Ether-jump tech is pretty complex, and that’s a gargantuan understatement. It’s also fascinating to me as a mech-tech. It’s far above my technical skills, but I have to admit the chance to learn about it and possibly become certified as an ether-jump tech or engineer—without having to pay to go to school for it, or reenlist in the military—is damned tempting. And while H’looder’s invited me to explore their engineering department and talk to his head engineer and ether-jump techs, I’ll also admit I’m being a little bit of a slacker.

  I spend my first morning and afternoon on board H’looder’s ship mostly napping. I find my way to the galley for lunch, which not only has self-serve choices but an actual chef on duty.

  No cost to me.

  Then back to my bunk for…

  Well, a post-lunch nap.

  Fuck me, this is heaven.

  I take a shower, because they have actual water showers on board—another luxury.

  I even fucking masturbate in the shower, because fuck, yeah.

  This fricking place is amazing. Screw planets, I’d be willing to live here for the next five years, if this is a fraction of what I’d get to experience during my tenure.

  I’ve also made up my mind. I do have a couple more questions for H’looder, but I’m not going to waste my time going through the information packet and learning about the history of the planet when I’m pretty sure he can tell me what I really need to know.

  What I really need to be certain of before
I sign the contract is something I doubt is in the information anyway.

  Then I can take another nap.

  I’m ready to talk when H’looder returns to my stateroom.

  “I’ve decided,” I tell him before he even fully settles onto his hassock, “but I have a few more questions before I sign.”

  He flutters with excitement. “Of course, Simon. Anything.”

  “Is her family good people?”

  “Mohrn’s family?”

  “Yeah. Are they decent people? They’re not, like, running a pedophile ring, or anything like that, are they? They don’t skin live puppies, or rape and pillage? They don’t cheat or rob people? They’re not a gangster ring or crime family? They’re not slavers or wreckers or something?”

  “From everything we can tell, they and their family are law-abiding citizens in good standing on Pfahrn. Mohrn’s parent, Dohrn, is a well-respected business owner and member of local government.

  “The incident was an accident, not a deliberate act. My personal opinion is those can happen anywhere. Mohrn’s parent runs their considerable estate, where they raise an edible vegetable crop that is similar to what humans call corn. They are also a stakeholder in both on-planet and off-planet mining and mineral rights, as are many estate-holders on Pfahrn, per their laws detailing that. That is where much of their family fortune originates. They are also involved in the legislature, because of their estate and holdings, again per their laws.”

  I slowly nod. “So you are assuring me they are ethical, moral people?”

  He fluffs a little, and maybe that’s a sign of impatience at my insistence on nailing down this point to my full satisfaction. “That is a very complex issue, because it begins with a societal-level discussion. Pfahrn’s modern laws evolved over several hundred years, based on a thousand years before that.”

  “The people of Pfahrn don’t go robbing other planets?”

  “No.”