by Calista Skye
The glow also illuminated the people. Helen tried not to stare but she was fascinated. She saw a couple step out of a building opposite. They had large black eyes and their straight black hair, which descended to the ground, shone with a pink sheen. They began to walk along the road together, engaged in conversation. They walked past a group of tall, slender people with brown leathery skin and long, flowing grey tunics. Helen was struck by the fact that they were even taller than Lanek and Eyanis. In fact, they reminded her of men walking on stilts back on Earth. One of them stared at her. Helen wondered if she looked as strange to them as they did to her. At any rate, it all felt really bizarre.
“I don’t know about you two”, said Eyanis, “But I’m starving. Anyone up for a bite to eat?”
“As long as it’s not the Meflu Space Technique” she said. She didn’t know much about alien cuisine but surely that couldn’t rank highly anywhere.
Eyanis laughed.
“Of course not” he said, “If I eat that again, it will be too soon”.
Lanek took out a silver disc, which fit nicely into the palm of his hand. He brought up a virtual screen and perused it for a few moments.
“There’s an Asithian-Floshira fusion restaurant here” said Lanek.
“Oh”, said Eyanis, “That could go either way. I’m up for it if you are”.
Lanek was clearly up for it because he resolutely led the way.
Oh dear, thought Helen, what am I in for now?
Chapter 15
The menu was an interactive hologram, not unlike the control panel on the ship. Lanek swiped through the dishes. Helen watched in silence, unsure what to make of it all. There were red things which looked like giant cod roe and slender blue things which seemed to be tentacles of some sort. And then, there was a viscous, yellow soup, pockmarked with small chunks of pink and orange floaters. To be honest, it reminded her of vomit. Despite their unappetising appearance, Lanek added them all to their order.
“What about you, Helen?” Lanek asked.
“I don’t know”, she said, “To be honest, I have no idea what any of this is”.
Luckily for her, her Asithian companions bandied together and chose a few benign dishes she might enjoy.
“And get some wenkis” said Eyanis as they made the finishing touches to their order.
Lanek gave him a significant look but swiped through the menu to find it.
“You have to try it too” Eyanis said to Lanek.
“I’d rather not” said Lanek.
“Too much of a coward?”
Lanek narrowed his eyes at his friend. It seemed Eyanis had touched a weak spot and in that moment, his dare was accepted.
“What’s wenkis?” asked Helen.
“It’s a Floshira dish” said Lanek.
“It’s more than that”, said Eyanis, “It’s pure evil in edible form. I’ve always wanted to try it”.
Helen was curious as to what ‘pure evil in edible form’ would actually look like, or what it tasted like but Eyanis refused to say more until the dishes were brought out.
Helen was surprised to find that alien cuisine actually had a palatable aroma. The red cod roe-like dish, which turned out to be some sort of Asithian meat topped with a piquant Floshira sauce, was actually quite nice. The blue thing, which Lanek assured her was a plant had a chewy, rubbery texture and was quite tasteless, while the yellow soup, with its assortment of chopped floating embryos really did taste like vomit.
“It’s actually not as bad as I expected” said Eyanis.
“Yes”, agreed Lanek, “It doesn’t taste like real Asithian food but it’s not a disaster”.
“Let’s see if you still think that when you try wenkis”.
Lanek smiled.
“I never said I would”.
“Well, let’s play rambatsu” said Eyanis, “If you lose, you have to try it”.
“Okay” said Lanek. He was confident that he’d win.
Rambatsu seemed to be some sort of fast-paced game of chance, involving counting and word association which Helen wasn’t familiar with. This was probably the reason she lost in the first round. Eyanis joined her at the end of the second, meaning Lanek was the smug winner. He pushed the wenkis towards Eyanis.
“It’s all yours” he said.
The wenkis looked like silvery grey strips of jelly speckled with little black dots. It didn’t appear half as menacing as Eyanis had suggested. She reached for a piece. Lanek caught her wrist before she could get any further. She looked up at him.
“It’s best you don’t” he said.
“But I lost the game”.
“Even so, you shouldn’t”. He looked back her, all traces of smugness gone, replaced by the fleeting essence of something unknown. The closest thing Helen could match it to was concern.
“Someone’s got to complete the dare”.
Helen looked to the next table. There was a group of thin aliens with sallow yellow skin and red eyes. On their foreheads, she saw the familiar, closed third eye. They were just like the waiter in her shooting game in the gym.
These ones, however, far from having a benign, hospitable air, were staring over at them with a creepy, leering kind of look. What was it to them whether or not someone completed the dare? She opened her mouth to say something but Eyanis discretely took her arm.
“They’re Uarin”, he whispered, pretending to reach for more food, “dangerous”.
“I’ll do it in her stead” said Lanek. The leader of the group of Uarin accepted the change. The rest of them fell to chatter animatedly and then, they began to chant and bang on the table, creating the most phenomenal racket.
“Eat it, eat it, eat it, eat it!”
Lanek and Eyanis both took pieces of the wenkis. Helen was sure she saw the pieces twitch. Were they alive? But moments later, she forgot all about that as Lanek and Eyanis put them into their mouths.
The people at the next table fell silent, watching intently. Eyanis was the first to cave in. He rested his head on his hands.
“It’s quite unpleasant” came his muffled voice. The unpleasantness seemed to grow stronger as eventually, he sat up again and started crying out.
“My eyes!” he exclaimed suddenly. The people on the next table laughed but Helen looked on, horrified. His eyes were all red and bloodshot and tears were spilling down his cheeks.
“Urgh” groaned Lanek suddenly. Helen turned to him. A thin sheen of perspiration glistened on his brow. She was concerned.
“Lanek”, she cried, standing up, “Your nose is bleeding!”
Lanek dabbed at his nose with a disposable napkin. Indeed it was. He stood up rather unsteadily and staggered towards the bathroom. Helen jumped up and went after him.
“Are you all right?” she asked as he rested over the sink, trying to stem the bleeding.
“I will be” he mumbled but Helen wasn’t so sure. Every so often, his eyes would roll and he seemed to be close to losing consciousness. She draped his arm round her and guided him over to the ledge beneath the window. He was very warm, warmer than usual and she could feel his heart beating very fast. She helped him sit down and got more tissues. A lot more tissues.
She would never have guessed a few weeks ago that the compulsory first aid training she’d undergone before she could teach her students was instead being used to treat an alien. But here she was.
Eventually, the bleeding began to subside. She sat down next to him.
“How are you feeling?” she asked.
He reclined against the window, closed his eyes and groaned. It was the first time she’d seen him vulnerable and incapacitated. It made him seem human somehow. Well, perhaps not ‘human’, but someone who wasn’t as invincible as he appeared. Instead, he seemed relatable, fallible and incredibly stupid for eating something he knew would have an adverse effect on him.
“You shouldn’t have eaten that” she said.
“After the Uarin got involved, I had to” he mumbled.
“W
hat do you mean?
“The Uarin love money. They make bets among themselves on what other people are doing in order to make more”.
“That doesn’t sound so bad”.
“But if people don’t follow through on what they’re doing, the Uarin attack and take all their money instead. They spray you with a deadly venom. It melts your face off”.
“Sounds gruesome”.
“It is; I’ve seen it happen”.
Helen hated to think what that might have looked like. Fortunately, since Lanek had gone through with the dare in her stead, she didn’t have to see it first-hand.
“I should go and check on Eyanis”, she said, “Will you be all right?”
Lanek sniffed.
“Yeah” he said.
She walked past one of the Uarin as she left. Knowing he could melt her face off right there and then scared her a little bit, especially since he was looking at her as they passed each other.
Eyanis was sitting still face down on the table, his arms dangling by his sides.
“Eyanis, are you all right?” she asked, sitting down next to him.
“Don’t do it, Helen. Don’t do it” he mumbled.
He sat up, and wiped the tears from his cheeks. His eyes were still bloodshot and his face was flushed but the worst seemed to be over, fortunately.
Back in the bathroom, Lanek doused his face with cold water. He was feeling much better now.
As he stood up, in the mirror, he saw the reflection of the Uarin standing behind him.
“Quite pretty, isn’t she” he said.
Lanek didn’t say anything but instantly, he was wary.
“I’d be happy to take her off your hands”, the Uarin continued, “How much do you want for her?”
“Sorry”, said Lanek, “She’s not for sale”.
He left before things turned sour.
Chapter 16
Fully recovered, they walked out of the restaurant. Helen had to admit it had been an unforgettable experience, what with wenkis and everything. And, of course, the other food had also been very strange. It wasn’t that it was disgusting; it was more that she felt disgusted by the fact that she wasn’t entirely sure what she had been eating.
“Okay”, said Eyanis, “I’m going to go and secure us somewhere to stay, and sort out some ship maintenance so you two can go and get supplies or whatever it is you’re after. I’ll call you when I’ve found somewhere”.
“Okay” said Lanek.
They went their separate ways. Helen was still in awe at how strange everything was. There were people with green skin, tentacles, horns, additional limbs, all bustling past as though this were the most mundane occurrence in the world. She tried not to stare, tried to act like she did this all the time. Like Lanek was. But then, Lanek’s skin was glowing slightly in the dark so of course, he was fitting right in.
“Do you often come here?” she asked him.
“I’ve visited Rigna Bases from time to time” Lanek said, “Though I avoid them as much as possible; they’re not really my scene”.
They found the place they’d left their ti’eyga bike. Lanek got on and Helen climbed gingerly on the back. She put her arms round his waist.
“You’ll have to hold tighter than that” he said. He took her arms and pulled them tighter around his waist. She could feel the firmness of his body, feel the warmth radiating from him. It all made her heart beat faster.
He started the ti’eyga and joined the throng of other vehicles cruising down the street.
Helen couldn’t deny she felt a little bit excited. Here she was, at an alien service station, on the back of an alien vehicle, driven by an alien prince. How many humans could say they’d been there, done that and had the selfies to prove it?
“We’re here” said Lanek. He stopped the ti’eyga and the blue lights along it died.
“That didn’t take long” said Helen, loosening her grip, somewhat reluctantly, around his waist.
“Obviously not; that’s why we went by ti’eyga”.
They climbed off. Lanek locked the bike.
Helen looked around. Rising up in front of all the people were floors and floors of shops. She couldn’t read the writing on any of the shop signs but she could see apparel, food and unknown alien wares being modelled on huge screens where windows might have been.
“This is the shopping district” Lanek said, “You should be able to find everything here”.
She should be able to find everything here – theoretically. In reality, it was probably going to be more like finding a needle in a haystack.
“It’s like a maze” she said.
“There’s a human supplies shop just there on the fourth floor”. He gestured up to a shop where the screen was playing footage of a human man running through purple grass.
“Why”, asked Helen, “Do many humans come here?”
“I don’t know” said Lanek, “This is my first time at Rigna Base 4”.
“It’s so strange” she said.
“Hold out your arm” he said. Helen did as she was told. Lanek opened his bag and took out a bracelet. He undid the clasp and fastened it round her wrist. Helen looked at it. A transparent, clear disc sat in the centre, attached to the intricate coiled metal of the bracelet.
“What’s this?” she asked.
“It’s a suka. It’s money” he said.
“How do I use it?”
Helen thought she saw the flicker of a smile play across Lanek’s lips.
“You walk into a shop, pick up what you want, put it in a bag and leave”.
“That’s it?”
“That’s it”.
“So, I don’t need to scan anything or go to a shop assistant or something?”
“No”, said Lanek, “When you walk in, the shop scans it automatically to see how much you’ve got on there and as you pick up items, it deducts the price from the amount”.
“Cool”, said Helen, “So, how much is on here?”
“An unlimited amount” said Lanek, “Courtesy of Asiroth”.
“Oh, thanks”.
“Let’s meet back here in two hours”.
“Okay”.
Helen headed straight for the human supplies shop. After she’d opened the door, she wished that she had proceeded with more caution. What if by ‘human supplies’, they meant they supplied humans for food or whatever aliens wanted them for? She’d be walking right into her own demise.
As it so happened, the human supplies shop actually sold supplies for humans. Helen felt relieved.
“Are you alone?” asked the shop keeper, a woman with large, unblinking black eyes which seemed to engulf her whole face. From the tone of her voice, she seemed surprised.
“Well, I was with someone but he’s got some personal errands to run” said Helen. Was it bad that she was alone?
The shop keeper didn’t seem to have anything else to say. Helen turned back to her shopping. She was relieved to find they had feminine hygiene products. It was her sole reason for coming here. She meant to stock up because who knew how long it would take to get home from here. She reached out and started to place them in her bag.
“Oh, you belong to the Prince of Asiroth” said the shop keeper, suddenly appearing next to Helen.
“Not so much ‘belong’” said Helen, “But we are travelling together. How did you know?”
“I scanned your suka just now; it’s registered to him”.
Helen left as soon as she could, though she found the conversation a running theme in most of the shops she visited. She was greeted with suspicion until they found out she was ‘owned’ by the Prince of Asiroth and then she was free to go about her business.
She wondered if Lanek ‘owned’ a lot of women, and in what capacity? Did he have a lot of wives or perhaps concubines or… slaves? It made her realise she knew nothing about him; nothing about his culture and planet or what it meant to be a prince of Asiroth. She found herself starting to see him in a different light �
� and a shade that wasn’t so flattering. Though she tried to be open to the idea that he had a lot of wives or concubines or slave girls or star goddesses or whatever the thought only succeeded in irritated her somehow.
With the two hours nearly up, she made her way back to the meeting point. She was eager to ask Lanek what on earth, or rather, what in space, was going on.
Helen arrived early so she wasn’t surprised he wasn’t there yet. She had allotted herself extra time to get back in case she got lost but she’d managed to find her way back without any problems.
A group walked past, staring at her.
“Wow, a human” she heard one of them say. They crossed the road and started to approach her.
“Who do you belong to?” one of them asked.
“The Prince of Asiroth” she said. It had worked in the shops, after all.
“Prove it” he said.
How did she prove it? Before, the shop keepers had scanned her.
“Well?”
“I don’t have to prove anything to you”.
“Actually, you do. Boys, check her branding”.
Two of them rushed forwards and held her down.
“Let go of me!”
She struggled but she wasn’t equal to the task of fighting off two men at once.
A third came forward. He took hold of her tunic and ripped it just above her right shoulder.
“There’s nothing there” he said.
“It could be elsewhere” the man continued, “Take off all her clothes to be sure.
Helen found herself forced to the ground.
“Wait”, she cried, “I’m not branded!”
“She says she’s not branded”.
“Yeah, I heard” said the one who seemed to be the ring leader. He called off his men. Helen was allowed to sit up. He crouched down in front of her.
“If you’re not branded” he said, “fancy coming with us?”
“No” said Helen.
“That’s too bad” said the man, “But you’re coming anyway. I can see now you’ll go for a really high price”.
Helen screamed as she was thrown to the floor once again, kicking and protesting while they tried to tie her wrists. Her nyaki fell from her ear and she panicked as she realised she couldn’t understand a word they were saying. It was now just a series of grunts and melodic tones.
