by Enid Titan
5
Ice Planet
After he had coffee and woke up properly, Uncle Monty’s nerves kicked in. Poppy could always tell when he was nervous because he’d take his glasses off and clean them every third sentence or so as if he could polish his anxiety away. Poppy stared out the small window in their quarters and scrutinized the planet down below.
It looked bigger than Earth from space. The vastness of the planet below sent a wave of nausea galloping through her guts. The twin stars in the distance were bright, but ever so far away from the giant planet, they held in their orbit. Devor had six moons, Poppy remembered learning, but none of them were visible from their position in space.
The planet’s surface was a bluish-white on the continents and the oceans sloshed around, a captivating Prussian blue splattered with white foam. From space, the sea appeared impenetrably deep. Poppy shuddered. Monty dragged her away from the window.
“Come now, Penelope. You need way more furs before heading down. The cold may come as a surprise to you.”
“The ship has been cold enough as it is,” Poppy complained.
“The planet is even colder!”
Monty began to shed his nerves and replace them with excitement.
“For your first year here, I’ve been offered a chance to stay in the capital, Vortha. I’ve accepted.”
“What about your job in New-Man?”
“I’ve given them my leave for a sabbatical. I'm owed one I should say. They should get the message next week.”
“Thanks, Uncle Monty.”
Monty blushed and stuffed his hands in his coat pocket.
“Don’t thank me. I have my reasons for wanting to stay.”
“Pallas?” Poppy blurted out.
Monty took his glasses off and gave Poppy a look halfway between a squint and a scowl.
“You noticed?”
Poppy had to play it cool now.
“He’s hot, I guess. You know, for an alien.”
“You’re just as cheeky as your mother,” Monty grumbled, “Now come on, I need your hand on the panel so the ship knows what sort of clothes you need.”
“How does it know?”
“Telepathy. I’m surprised you can’t hear it. Once you tune into the sound it can be perturbing. The constant buzz of it, you know? Every bit of this ship functions through neural pathways connected to all the members of the crew. It’s really magnificent technology. I doubt we’ll ever have anything like it on Earth.”
Poppy listened to her uncle as she approached the panel and pressed her hand to it. A bundle of folded clothes appeared.
“I need this much?”
“Yes. First, you have your long underwear, then you have a thermal corset, a jumpsuit to wear over it, socks, boots, long gloves, and a heavy cloak with a hood. Devoran clothes are quite beautiful despite their obsession with utility over function.”
“How is a corset utilitarian?” Poppy complained.
“You’ll see when you get to the planet,” Monty chuckled, “Now go on, get dressed. Pallas awaits.”
Poppy eyed the massive pile of clothes in the bathroom and stripped down to nothing. Naked, she couldn’t help but catch sight of her body in the mirror. She hadn’t exercised in ages. Ever since the latest New-Man bombing, her favorite ice rink had been blocked off and now you needed a special permit to enter that part of the city. Poppy missed skating and moving in general. Perhaps they had ice skating on Devor.
Poppy slid into the long underwear. She was immediately warmer. Then she slipped into the socks and boots and attempted to lace up the corset. After fiddling with it, Poppy got it cinched around her body. She expected the dratted thing to be uncomfortable, but it straightened her back and tugged her curves into some kind of hourglass figure she wouldn’t have had naturally. Then she slipped the jumpsuit on.
Usually bundling up for winter left Poppy feeling anything other than svelte. She pulled the white cloak over her shoulders. The fur shimmered as the cloak moved but once it was around her body, no cold could penetrate.
“How do I look?”
“Lovely, now hurry. We’re going to meet with the headmaster and he’ll take you to the academy.”
“I can’t believe this is happening.”
Monty wrapped his niece up in a tight hug.
“You stay strong. And you remember that this is bigger than you, my child. Make the best of it. These people can give you a chance at a life that’s better than any you would have had on Earth. Remember that.”
“What about you?” Poppy asked, “Will you be okay without me?”
“Of course, darling. I won’t be too far away. You can always find me when you need me.”
“I thought we weren't to wander the city without permission."
“You aren’t, but I’m well connected on this planet thanks to… my friend.”
Monty led her to a teleportation pad with Pallas at their side. Poppy reluctantly stepped onto it, dreading the teleportation experience. To her shock, the second time wasn’t half bad.
The sharp frigid air hit Poppy's face first with a wind so strong she nearly fell over. They'd landed on Devor before the ship, smack in the center of the capital on the teleportation glacier. Poppy tugged the edges of her cloak with her gloved hand to cover her cheeks better. Monty picked her hand up and Poppy smiled.
“It’s beautiful here,” she whispered.
Monty nodded, “Yes, now be quiet. We’re going to meet the headmaster at his house and then we’ll have to say goodbye.”
“What about my things?”
“You’re to arrive at the academy with nothing but a small bag. It’s been sent ahead.”
“Okay.”
“I know it must be scary, but I promise Penelope, it will be worth it.”
Uncle Monty only called her Penelope when he was distracted. He found Devor as overwhelming as she did.
Pallas took them on foot through icy streets. Poppy studied every detail of the city, memorized every strange building, every street, every face she saw. Their alien faces drew plenty of attention and soon, Poppy sensed her difference so strongly that she turned her face down toward her feet, pulling the hood of her cloak over her ears as they approached the large academy gates.
6
New School, New Bullies
Poppy found herself without Uncle Monty or Pallas quicker than she expected. The headmaster, Achilles, examined her as if she was a weird bug and then he pressed his fingers to her head and she “knew” what he needed her to know — the layout of the school, the rules, and the fact that she was the only human to have ever attended and a first-year at that.
“Be careful,” the headmaster said, “Adjustment can be difficult, even for students who come from the other continents or outer planets. For you, it will be a challenge, one you are certainly up to handling.”
That was it. He sent Poppy into a large room where every Devoran student stopped their whispers and their telepathic communication and stared at her.
“Good morning, first-years! Orientation will begin in thirty minutes. The final student has arrived from a planet far away. Some of you might have heard of it. Our new student, Penelope Darden, hails from Earth. I expect you all to welcome her before orientation begins. Thank you.”
The headmaster dropped her off and Poppy was stuck, confused, and standing at the front of the room in front of ninety or so pairs of prying eyes. They did nothing to conceal their thoughts and Poppy heard them in her head.
«She’s so pink!»
«I didn’t know we were going to get an alien this year.»
«Mother and father won’t be happy to hear about this.»
«She’s the same race as the empress, I heard.»
«She’s a breeder?»
Poppy’s cheeks pinked. The whispers would not leave her awareness. Three Devoran boys stepped in front of her, blocking her off from the rest of the students in the crowd. They were similar in height, each one of them sharing the impressi
ve size typical of Devorans. Towering over Poppy at 6’7” each, she craned her neck up and offered a shy hello out loud.
“Hello, I’m Castor. You can call me Cas.”
“H-hi,” Poppy said.
«Can you speak telepathically?» The second one, with curly silver hair, asked.
«Of course she can, stupid,» Castor said.
Poppy’s cheeks flushed mulberry. She understood what they were saying, but no one had taught her how to speak telepathically.
«No, she can’t. Can’t you hear her thoughts? They’re dreadfully loud,» the third said. His hair was the longest, thick and pin-straight, tucked behind pointed blue ears.
Castor smirked.
“Very well. We can speak out loud. This is Jason, that’s Ajax. We’re first-years too.”
“Nice to meet you,” Poppy squeaked.
«Your thoughts are loud,» Castor said.
“Sorry,” Poppy mumbled.
Castor grinned.
“Bit awkward, isn’t it?”
“Uh. I guess.”
“You’re awkward. So human.”
“You know, I went to earth once,” Jason announced.
“Oh.”
“It was horrible. Dreadfully hot and absolutely no natural beauty.”
Poppy’s cheeks burned. What the hell was she supposed to say to that? Was he trying to be rude on purpose, or was this alien culture so forward all the time?
“I’m sure it wasn’t that bad,” the bulky one named Ajax retorted.
«Trust me, it was horrible,» Jason assured him, his lips curling into a sneer as he made no effort to hide his telepathic communication with his friends from Penelope.
Great, the last thing Poppy needed was to attract the attention of the mean guys. She’d met guys like these before on Earth: larger than life, probably jocks, or whatever the Devoran version of a jock was.
«You’re right. We are jocks,» Castor intruded again, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.
“I… I have to go,” Poppy mumbled.
She side-stepped, unsuccessfully. Castor, Jason, and Ajax stepped in front of her and prevented Poppy from slipping away.
“So… have you ever been to an alien planet before?” Ajax asked.
“Y-yes.”
Poppy was exaggerating her trip to Venus. They’d barely stayed and only visited the one outpost. Most of the trip had been from orbiting the planet.
“Bit of an exaggeration, love, don’t you think?” Jason said.
“Leave her alone. We learned that the Empress was from a primitive planet in crèche," Ajax countered.
Primitive. The word stung.
Castor shrugged, but he kept his eyes glued to Poppy. She wondered what he was thinking with that cruel smile as if she were the butt of a joke. Ajax stuffed his hands in pockets, bored.
Poppy stuttered and stumbled over another awkward response. Before she finished, a tall Devoran girl stepped between her and her three tormentors.
“Are these idiots bothering you?”
Before Poppy answered, the girl exclaimed, “Whoa, your thoughts are loud. No wonder. We’ll have to work on that. Will you idiots leave her alone?”
«Who says we have to do what you say, Hecate?»
«Maybe I'll tell her about the time you pissed your pants in crèche and cried in the bathroom all day. That might be motivation enough.»
Castor’s cheeks flushed violet.
«I don’t have to tell you backup dummies what to do now, do I?»
«We were just making friends,» Jason grumbled.
«Shut up, Jason. Let’s get out of here,» Ajax replied.
Poppy stood in silent amazement at how they transmitted tones and intonations into her head without moving their lips and how she each sentence possessed a physical sensation like a feather trailing across her skin or sometimes, like nails pressing into her flesh.
Once Hecate shooed the boys off, she stuck her hand out.
«I’m your roommate.»
“H-hi.”
«Can’t you speak telepathically?»
“I don’t think so,” Poppy said, feeling foolish. Uncle Monty said they’d selected her for some kind of unique telepathic ability and she couldn’t even talk the way the others did. Talk about a disadvantage.
“Of course you can,” Hecate said, “I can sense it. Don't worry. I’ll teach you.”
Poppy realized that she’d left Hecate’s hand dangling there and she reached out to shake it. Once she did, the warmth and friendship Hecate offered became apparent. Maybe all Devorans weren’t like the three imbeciles who had cornered her.
Hecate’s impressive height didn’t even intimidate her anymore. She was nearly as tall as the boys - well over six feet. Hecate was at least a foot taller than Poppy with curly waist-length platinum hair and high cheekbones and blue lips with a piercing running through the bottom.
“Nice to meet you.”
“We'll meet our other roomie soon. She's that idiot's sister. C’mon, let’s find a seat before orientation starts. I’ve always loved the new girls.”
7
Roomie
“We have another roommate?"
Poppy had barely paid attention to orientation. Everything had been a blur. At least the headmaster and the teachers introduced spoke out loud, so Poppy didn’t have the constant din of voices in her head. Everyone else seemed used to that, or maybe used to tune it out. Poppy couldn’t tell which.
“Yup. Jason's sister. I kind of know her, but not exactly. I’m going to go meet the exolinguistics professor now, so you’ll meet her when you get to the room.”
“Wait, you’re leaving?”
Hecate laughed.
“My goodness, you are the loudest thinker I’ve ever met! Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. Her name’s Daphne, she’s Jason’s sister.”
“Do you know her well?”
“ She was the coolest girl at the Royal Academy in South Vortha.”
"Great. Another cool person…”
“Ears up, you’ll be fine. Just follow everyone else to the first-year dorms.”
“Okay. See you soon.”
“I can’t wait to see how you look in the uniform. I’ve never seen a pink person on Devor before. That’ll be a laugh! Bye now!”
Hecate disappeared into the crowd before Poppy could beg her to stay. Probably for the best. She wouldn’t exactly make a tough impression if she kept hiding behind Hecate. Poppy learned in New-Man that the best way to avoid becoming prey was to act tough and blend in.
Poppy bent her shoulders and yanked her cloak well over her ears to fit in with the blue-skinned Devorans as they trudged through the snow to the dorms. That was impossible. Everyone stared. Most kept their judgmental thoughts to themselves but those who didn’t weren’t afraid to let her overhear how they felt about an outsider — a jazad. There was no translation for it. The telepathic field around the planet enabled Poppy to understand the Devoran languages, but some words held no equivalent in English.
Poppy followed the crowd to the first-year dorms and the girls and boys split up to follow their dorm prefects out of the common room into their separate spaces. Poppy received her room assignment earlier from the headmaster when he'd touched her mind.
Her triple-room sat at the end of the hall adjacent to the tower rooms coveted by seniors and prefects. The sign on the door had their three names: Penelope, Daphne, and Hecate. There were no last names on Devor. There was no need for last names when you could “see” someone’s lineage via a telepathic connection. Devorans only took first names because of Earth.
Penelope’s roommate arrived before her. Daphne organized her bed with crisp ivory bedding obtained from the panel in the wall similar to the one on the Poppy used on the transport ship. Their weekly energy credit allotments glowed blue above the panel. Each person had 1,000 credits a week.
Daphne's credits already dropped to 950 from her bedding.
“Hello,” Poppy greeted her.
“Mm.”
“I’m Penelope. Uh, you can call me Poppy. I think we’re rooming together.”
Daphne turned to her and wrinkled her nose.
“Um. Okay.”
«Can’t you speak properly?»
By properly, she meant telepathically
“No… Not yet I guess.”
“Hm.”
“Have you met Hecate? She’s our other roommate.”
«I’ve heard of her.»
“I think I met your brother.”
Daphne rolled her eyes. Poppy’s hand jumped to the back of her neck as a prickle of Daphne’s irritation pierced her skin. Daphne smirked.
“Jason is an idiot. I’d stay away from him if I were you.”
Well, that got her talking aloud at least.
“I don’t know much about Devor. Girls and boys here look so similar to me. You’re all so tall.”
Daphne and Hecate were similar height but Daphne's cheeks sunk into her gaunt face and even with layers of clothing, she appeared to have a slight frame.
Daphne’s neutral expression contorted back into her disgusted sneer at the suggestion that Devoran girls and boys were similar.
“We are not similar, jazad.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean any offense.”
“Women on this planet have fought for equal rights despite our differences. Despite your alien obsession with breeding, some of us stand true to the values of our ancestors. I undertook the vaccine myself to prevent breeding. I understand that your people have no such thing and you willingly choose procreation and mating?”
“Uh… no. We don't have that vaccine. I think.”
Poppy struggled to understand how Daphne's sterility related to anything. She didn't have an "obsession with breeding" anyway. Maybe it was another stereotype about outsiders. Monty mentioned Devorans could be closed off to outsiders.
“As long as you intend to one day hold a child for a male in your womb, you and I are not both women. I am strong, I am self-sufficient, but you will one day be weakened by breeding. I will never bow to a man. Ever.”
