by Juno Wells
Kendra’s annoyed voice hisses at me. “I’m all kinds of aroused, not that it’s any of your business. You can be such a busybody sometimes. You know that, right?”
“I’m not trying to embarrass your new beau. This is kind of all-new information to me, and I’m just trying to understand it.”
Scarn broke in again. “Phan is a young warrior. It is likely that in his ambition to lure a queen he didn’t realize that his hormones haven’t come in yet. Sometimes that does not happen until the warrior has seen twenty summers.”
I feel terrible for Phan, because it’s clear that he is humiliated by his situation.
Kendra just giggles. “Well that puts him a step ahead of all the other warriors. He’s got his queen in place before he needs her.” She grabs his hand and grins up at him.
He must have appreciated the humor of his own situation after all. His face brightens in an instant. “So, you are keeping me?”
“Of course. Do you see me hanging on any other hot warriors?”
His wings relaxed and his horns perked back up. “I do not.”
“I’m not only keeping you, I’m making you my Takadon.”
I explain for my mother. “I think that means he’ll be her one and only male. Some women take more than one husband. Choosing a Takadon means he’s highly esteemed and when they’re joined together, they’ll be inseparable.”
My mother looks to Scarn, who nods like a human. “What your daughter queen says is true. Among our people it is the highest honor a queen can bestow upon a warrior.”
Phan’s wings flutter with excitement, and he can’t keep the smile off his face. “I promise to be the best Takadon ever. You will not regret taking me to you, my queen.”
Naturally, Kendra lights up like a Christmas tree. “Don’t tell me what I already know, handsome.”
“I never thought I would be selected for mating, much less that I would be chosen to be Takadon by such a beautiful and fun-loving queen. I am finding our mating to be more than I could have imagined in my strangest dream. Entares has smiled upon me and I am more grateful than I have words to say.”
Our mother laughed as she gazed at the young healer. “You seem to find very appropriate words to describe your feelings. You both have my congratulations again.”
I clear my throat and gesture towards the cave. “Why don’t you two lovebirds make yourself useful and help everyone pack. I want to lift off the moment Commander Tabor gets back with Kara and Laura.”
Scarn stands, dusting off his pants. “Come younglings, I will assist you and organize this endeavor.” Turning to me he drops his head slightly. “All will be as you command, Queen Kearney.”
“It was more a request than a command, but thanks Scarn. I appreciate all your hard work and patience answering our question about mating.”
His eyes jump from me to my mother and then dart away. He begins backing away. “I am at your service, Queen Kearney.”
As they wander off, I frown.
“What’s bothering you, Kearney?”
“Just the thousand and one unspoken alien customs I don’t really understand yet.” She raises one brow and waits for me to elaborate.
“He’s always called me my queen until just now.” I shrug. “Suddenly I’m Queen Kearney now.”
“I’ve noticed the only men who don’t say my queen are the ones with mates or hope to be getting mates shortly, like Timric.” My mother gives me a meaningful look and I palm smack my own forehead. “He’s interested in someone.”
My mother replies cheerfully. “Well someone is definitely interested in him. Only time will tell though.”
I’m agog that my mother might be interested in the elder warrior. “He’s old, you do know that don’t you?”
“Chasseing after the twins reminds me that I’m no spring chicken either. Let’s talk about what I really want to hear. “What is it really like living with aliens?”
“They’re real nice. I don’t like how they expect us all to wear gowns and acquiesce to their never-ending pampering. It gets old. I feel like Kendra and I were the odd girls out on their planet because we didn’t do all that.”
“When in Rome, do as the Romans. I think that’s the expression that fits this situation. They’re being kind enough to take us in, not the other way around. I don’t expect us to change any of our core values, but I expect us to make a good-faith effort to integrate into their culture. It’s not fair to move there and force them all to live according to our customs.”
My eyes slide away, because my kind-hearted mother has hit the nail right on the head. She must sense I need a minute to process that information, because she smiles brightly and shifts the conversation to my love life. “That Commander Tabor is impressive. He seems really protective of you. Are you and the good commander sparking up a little romance?”
“I wish that were the case, because I certainly wouldn’t mind getting to know him. However, after the whirlwind affair with Kendra and Phan, I don’t think they date. You’re either bobbing around on the edges of their notice, or you’re the center of their world. There’s no dating or in between that I can see.”
My mom responds cautiously. “They made it pretty clear that the women do the pursuing in relationships, and just whatever they decide is fine with everyone.”
I roll my eyes in exasperation. “It’s even worse than that. They literally think women can do no wrong. No matter what we do, they just reorganize everything around our wishes. The only push back you get is what you just saw. It’s always related to our safety and security.”
“I’m gonna need more detail on that, Keary.”
I think how to best explain a Draconian male’s devotion to a queen. “On the new Draconian home world, they have a fancy building, kind of like a hotel, that they put the women up in. They have a swimming pool and have fancy dinners. The women all wear beautiful gowns, because the males believe they need to be outfitted in clothing equal to their beauty.”
“That sounds like a bit much.”
“They’re very particular about how women are treated. Kendra and I refused gowns and spent all our time mining for gemstone to purchase our ship. We worked about twenty hours, and slept rough on the ground near the mining pit for ten hours, for months. We were used to camping, and the weather was chilly only at night.”
“Still, that’s quite a sacrifice.”
“Not really, but that’s not the point I’m making. Instead of pushing us to go to the luxury housing, Tabor just brought us tons of warm bedding, kept a fire going, and helped us grade and sell our gemstone to get the most money for our hard work. When I said I wanted a ship, he didn’t ask questions. He just signed right up for my crew and began helping me make that happen.”
“Really? That sounds like he likes you.”
“In the beginning, I think he was just on automatic pilot. He wasn’t joking when he said queens command and warriors obey. Most of the men on their home world have been horribly abused by their own queens before escaping to this sector of space.” I lean close and lower my voice. “I heard from one of the other women that their queens had symbionts. The symbionts were more like parasites, and were called soul suckers. They fed on pain and misery, so they dealt as much of it to the males as possible.”
My mother’s expression is a little perturbed. She wraps her arms around her waist and shudders. “It seems like something from a horror movie.”
“They even went so far as to kill the hatchlings the warriors spawn if they are not perfect.”
Mother shot me an annoyed look. “I think you’ve just crossed the line from believable to unbelievable.”
“Think about it, mother. Timric comes from a long line of breeders. They can spawn up to ten or twelve young at a time, yet his father only has four living children from three different spawnings. They call what their queens did “a reaping.” It was done several times before the young hatched, and I suspect it was designed to provoke the maximum amount of grief for the
father. Imagine how painful that was for the men.”
My mother rubs her temple. When she speaks, her voice is a whisper. “If the symbionts fed off pain, that would have kept them sated for a very long time. I never thought such cruelty existed in the universe.”
“I think they have been exposed to the worst the ‘verse has to offer. That’s why they are so protective of us. We’re nothing like their abusive queens, and they are drawn to make sure we never suffer like they have. I’m concerned that if we’re not careful we could really take advantage of their pain and eagerness to protect us.”
“That would be horrible. I’ll have a talk with our family members, and make sure they know to moderate their expectations and not to keep pushing your crew for more favors.”
My anxiety clicks down, and I realize that I’m fighting back tears. “These men are really good people, and I just don’t want anyone letting our good fortune go to their heads.”
“I can see they’ve done right by you and Kendra. I promise you that we’ll make this work. Do you have a plan at this point?”
“Yes. We got here really quickly, because we hitched a ride with an alien ship that folded space-time. They’re not coming back this way for another month. I was hoping to see if any other women want to hitch a ride, and maybe trade some of my gemstone for household stuff and seeds for my hydroponics unit.”
“I know a seed bank where we could get seeds. Since planting is has become difficult, they’re not in big demand anymore.”
“I’m glad the twins are doing well. You can’t imagine how much I worried over them these last couple of years.”
“To be honest, Virgil went the extra mile to make sure we got what we needed to get by. I don’t know if it was his bright idea or Donna’s, but he found a job for Laura and scrounged parts for our equipment when things broke.”
“He made you sign over our land though, didn’t he?”
My mother heaves in a deep breath, and her eyes fill with tears. “We’ve been as much friends as enemies. Though I honestly hate dealing with him, he’s come through for us more than once when things were really bad. If we can do anything for his clan, I’d appreciate seeing it done.”
“I’ve already planted a seed in his mind. I’ll give him a few days to see if it takes root.”
“What kind of plan?”
“One where he gets a small trade ship and crew of his own. He had a hard time getting his head around the idea when I broke it all down for him.”
“It seems like an absurd idea.”
“It’s the only one I’ve got at the moment.” I reach out and take my mother’s hands in mine. When we’re standing there face-to-face, I drop the biggest bomb ever. “Being in space is really weird. Things happen that you don’t see coming, and often times those things don’t make any sense. We’ve had to kind of roll with the punches, think on our feet, and not get hung up on questioning things that don’t matter in the general scheme of things.”
“I get what you’re saying. We need to modify out expectations and be ready for anything.”
Nodding, I answer honestly. “That’s it in a nutshell. One minute we think it’s gonna take months to get back to Earth and the next we’re bartering passage with an alien ship that folds space-time for a handful of gemstones and a formal introduction to the Earth ambassador. The thing is, I never knew ships could fold space-time, and anyone can get a meeting with the ambassador, just for asking.”
“I see how that doesn’t make much sense.”
“I just try to stay flexible in my thinking, and make the best decision I can in real time. That’s what we’re all gonna have to do to survive.”
“I tend to agree that the strangeness of space and alien worlds beats dying out on a world that’s slowly becoming uninhabitable.”
“If you want, I’ll talk to Virgil myself and explain things to him.”
I waggle my eyebrows. “We should start with Donna. His new wife is a good listener.”
Mom bursts out laughing, and it cheers my heart to know we’re finally together and on the same page.
13 THE BIO DOME
TABOR
WE TOUCHED down on the one of landing pads near the bio dome and headed in through the huge front entrance. Surprisingly, they allow us to keep our weapons, saying it is because Draconians have been inducted to the Intergalactic Council of Planets. We upload a map of the city and head for their trading center.
We see mostly queens. The general population appears to be approximately ten percent male, and few appear to be warriors. It is no wonder that the females of this world wish to find alien mates. We get curious looks, admiring looks, and some disapproving looks from the human population. It does not surprise me to find that some do not wish aliens to visit their world, for I have never met a species that agreed all on a single thing. Humans are no different in this regard.
We use the hand scanner to locate the sister queen, Kara. She is standing near a stall haggling with a vendor. We approach her cautiously; concerned that she might not wish to speak to strangers. Before I could get a world out, Timric steps forward to speak to her. “Forgive the interruption Queen Kara. You sister queens have tasked us with escorting you back to your homestead.”
Rather than answer him, she turned her back on us and continues negotiating with the vender. It bothers me that she is trading her limited foodstuffs for medication she does not need. She does not know Phan already healed the child in question. We wait patiently for her to conclude her transaction because there is nothing else we can do in this situation.
I am used to warriors resembling their sires. Both Phan and I closely resemble our sire. It is a little disconcerting to see a female with another female’s face. I realize in the blink of an eye that I think of queens as individuals and warriors as less than unique. It seems so wrong now that I think about it.
The beautiful queen that I am growing every day more obsessed with is almost as protective of us as we are of her. She didn’t wish me to seek out her sister queen in the city because she worried for me being a stranger to her world. I remember the way she permitted my brazen touch and even put her hands upon me in return. An idea sparks in my mind.
When Queen Kara is finished with her transaction, she slips the vial of medication into a small bag hanging from her waist. Before Timric can speak, I step forward again. “Queen Kearney gave her leave for us to watch over you while you go about your business today and escort you back to her.”
She eyes us suspiciously. “I’m not going anywhere with two complete strangers.”
“Your mother even agreed that our presence was a good idea. Queen Ella is a lovely and gracious queen mother.”
Hearing us speak her mother’s name buys us a moment of her time. “Who the heck are you guys?”
“I command your sister’s ship. She means to take you to our home world along with all your kin in a month’s time.”
“That sounds pretty fantastical to me.”
I pull out my handheld. “If it pleases you, I will show you images I have captured of your sister queen over the last two years. If you would like to rest, we can have a drink at whichever establishment makes you feel most comfortable. We certainly pose no danger to you in a public place.”
Spinning on her heel, she states over her shoulder, “Fine, but you’re buying.”
I shoot Timric a quick glance and his expression is relieved. We tuck our wings tightly against our backs and keep our horns alert for danger as we follow Queen Kara to what appears to be a local saloon. Several people greet her but appear surprised that she is here. She grabs a seat near the back, and we slide into chairs on either side of her.
“I hunger. Do they serve any food here?”
“This establishment was patterned after a vintage sports bar. They sell a limited variety of foods.”
I pull a metal ring, and a flat bar recessed into the tabletop pops up. The menu is attached to it and it slides up, so I order things I don’t recognize a
s food at random from the menu. “Order what you like, Queen Kara. It is our honor to have you as a dining partner.” She pecks something I cannot see, as does Timric. I link to my credit account and pay the bill. Timric spends his time staring at the small queen who looks like his best friend’s mate. However, I am fascinated with our surroundings. The humans have decorated the walls with random objects, most of which I cannot identify. There are images of sports heroes on the walls as well. I must admit to losing track of time, and then someone drops drinks at our table.
The young queen speaks up. “I think you mixed us up with another table. We only have three people, and there are seven drinks.”
“That’s what was on the order. Do I need to take some of them back?”
She shakes her head, “I guess not. These are big guys. I guess they drink more than the average human.”
“I’ll have your food out shortly. If you need anything, just use the chime.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it.”
“No problem. You know we aim to please here at the Sportsman’s Paradise.”
Both queens laugh as the human tasked with serving our food sashays away.
She sips her drink and asks quietly, “Did you say you had pictures of my sister? I’d like to see them please.”
“I would be happy to show them to you. You could also talk to your sister queens.”
“Are you serious? I would love that!”
I grab my hand held and pull up my queen’s frequency. A holographic image of Queen Kearney comes up almost immediately. She’s smiling and happy like I’ve never seen her. “Did you find Kara, or are you still searching for her bio-signature?”
“We have found her, my queen. She wishes to speak to you.”
My queen puts her fingers between her teeth and creates a high-pitched sound as she waves her arms. “Kendra get over here, the commander found Kara.”
Suddenly, both of them are crowding into the view screen, all smiles and excitement. It’s good to see them talking and reconnecting, but I’m anxious to get them safely to our ship.
