The Kiss: An Anthology About Love and Other Close Encounters

by C. A. Newsome

  He frowned but didn't confront her yet. So far she had kept her distance and appeared to be alone.

  At the next few stalls he picked up more of the items he wanted, including the necklace he'd spotted and two more books for his miniature library in his cabin. With the newly acquired bottle of wine and jars of his favourite foods he had his arms full and started looking around for something to carry his purchases in.

  The slave girl chose this moment to close the final gap between them and he steeled himself to reprimand her or prevent her stealing his items.

  “Can I help with those, sir?” She turned her bright green eyes on him and they flitted across his face like a nervous cat's. Her words startled him to silence and for a moment he could only stare back at her. Before long she broke the eye-contact and lowered her head, allowing him to think about the question she asked.

  “How do I know you won't run off with anything I hand you?” he asked.

  She pulled back the organza sleeves that covered her wrists and most of her hands and showed him the black rose tattoo on the soft inside. He frowned. Such a tattoo in so delicate a place must have hurt.

  “My master and owner trades under this mark. If I displease anyone they can find him easily in the nearby district.” She pointed to the buildings rising up in the west. Several tall wooden houses rose up, each with a different symbol on the side of it. The matching black flower covered one of the constructions, although, like many of the others, it looked as if it had seen better days.

  When he looked back at her, she was shivering and her head was bowed. He couldn't tell if it was respect or fear, but he decided to take pity on her.

  “How much will such a service cost me?” he asked. Her head lifted and showed him her widened eyes.

  “Nothing, sir. I... If I help to your satisfaction...”

  “All right. Carry these for me and keep up.”

  She nodded and flicked her brown hair back behind her shoulders so it wouldn't become entangled before taking the few parcels he sent her way and cradling them against her body.

  “You've been following me for quite a while,” he added as he made his way to the next stall of interest to him. She had the good grace to blush at this challenge but didn't respond at first, giving him time to purchase some food for the fish he kept. The wrapped up item was added to the stack already burdening her.

  “I saw you earlier, sir, with your crew. I liked the way you talked to them. I can tell you are a good man,” she said as he moved on again.

  “Being a slave cannot be easy.”

  “It is not always bad, but I am for sale and that worries me sometimes. I want to be bought by someone who won't hurt me... or... What is space like? I've always wanted to see it.”

  “It's large, and empty. Some say it is beautiful but its charm soon wears off,” he replied, starting to get a sense of where this conversation was going. Despite her sweetness she wasn't very subtle.

  “Do you need any more crew? I'm not very expensive and I work hard.”

  He stopped walking and gave her his full attention. For a moment she met his gaze again but she soon lowered her eyes to focus on his booted feet.

  “I'm sorry, but I cannot buy you,” he replied. “You're very sweet, but...”

  “I understand.” She turned her face back to him and he could see the tears threatening to fall from her green eyes. Such a reaction was unexpected.

  “What do you do for your owner when you're not helping Captains with their shopping?” He carried on with his browsing and tried not to dwell on her emotions.

  “Mostly I help him with his stall here at the market, selling, wrapping the valuables and sometimes with selling other slaves. I'm good at haggling.”

  He stopped their conversation to purchase his final item, a bottle of strong single malt whiskey. A special crew member who'd never had a present appreciated a good drink. Once it was wrapped and in the slave's arms she resumed her list of skills.

  “I also run messages and other errands a lot, as well as some management tasks. On top of that, I've been trained to look after a household and keep its books in order.”

  She stopped talking and followed on so he figured the list was finally complete. It wasn't what he'd expected. Most of the slaves here were for companionship or other relational services but she seemed to have genuine intelligence and skills. It occurred to him that as a free person she'd have made a good addition to his crew.

  “I'm surprised you're still for sale with a resume like that.”

  “There have been a few offers, but my owner rejected them when I asked him to.”

  He raised his eyebrows and she noticed.

  “I didn't want to be bought by the men who offered money. I persuaded my owner that I could fetch a higher price elsewhere for the other things I can do. In the mean time I've orders to earn as much as possible.”

  As she finished speaking they reached the edge of the market and the transport from his ship. She helped him load the packages in the cargo space and smiled at him.

  “I'm really sorry I can't buy you. As a Unified Federations Captain it's just not something I can do. Slaves aren't allowed on our ships, but I'm sure someone will come along who can.” As he spoke he placed a small credit note into her hand, then kissed the back of it. She smiled and thanked him but he could see the disappointment in her eyes.

  He had to push it from his mind as he glanced at the time and saw he only had five minutes to present himself to the Federations building, and the admiral residing there, for his next mission.

  His ship had docked earlier than expected so he'd had time to use up, but now he was forced to hurry the small hovering transport along to the only building in the area that looked well kept. It was also the only one made of materials other than wood, and the brick and stone stood out for him to travel towards.

  This planet had been colonised for over fifty years, but other than the working class farmers, slave owners and various officials stationed here, the rainy climate hadn't attracted many people and the indoor market was one of few tourist attractions for off-world visitors.

  He rushed up the steps and through the archway to the atrium of the building where a receptionist greeted him before he could look around.

  A minute later he was shown into the commanding officer's room. A balding man sat behind a desk with a built in display. When Dylan walked in it showed a map of the nearby star systems, with enemy territory in red and their own in blue. The map had a lot of red on it.

  “Sir, Captain Dylan Gray, reporting for orders.”

  “Ah, Captain Gray, come in, sit down.” The commander waved his wrinkled hand towards the chair nearest to him. Dylan did as he was told. Until now all his orders had come from his previous captain, the now Admiral Keane. Before him sat someone who'd been an admiral for over ten years and probably didn't hold out much hope to be promoted further.

  “What mission have you got for me?”

  “We need you to take some food from here to another planet of ours. It's a relatively new colony and the planet's recent crops failed due to drought. They're also having problems with a few diseases and need medical aid.”

  “That sounds more like a job for a cargo runner. I have a reasonable amount of space for cargo but my ship's outfitted for battle not deliveries.”

  The admiral didn't reply but motioned towards the map. On the other side of all the red was a blue blob that spread around one solar system and towards the left edge. Somewhere off the map he knew the blue connected up.

  “That's where I need you to take it.”

  “Across all that area?”

  “Yes. The supplies need to be there in as few days as possible. A transport could take it around the edge and be there in just over a week but you could go through the middle in half the time.”

  “When do I get started?”

  “Right away. The cargo is already on its way to your ship. We can go there now and talk over the rest of the details on the w
ay.”

  The admiral stood up again and Dylan had to hurry to his feet. For an old man he could move faster than Dylan expected.

  The two transports joined the hyper-way back to the docks and his ship. Long before they got there Dylan could see the container of cargo sitting right by the main hold of his ship. Beside it was his logistics officer already overseeing the loading of the food and other resources his crew would need to replenish their mandatory stores.

  As soon as Dylan got out of his transport he noticed a group of slaves there to help with the transfer process. Walking out of the loading hatch came the same slave girl he'd met only an hour or so earlier. She gave commands to several of the men around her in a language he didn't understand, and they lugged the boxes and crates wherever she directed.

  Not wanting her to notice him, Dylan led the admiral into the ship while she was in the container, They went up to the higher deck where they could observe the progress without being directly involved.

  After making polite small talk the admiral handed Dylan the electronic tablet with his official orders and a stored list of all the cargo he was loading and where it needed to go.

  “Did you also get my request for extra crew?” Dylan asked before the admiral could leave.

  “Yes, but there's no one here of the right level. You'll have to keep going with what you've got. We're expecting some recruits in the next few months but none have arrived and many more Federations ships are asking for extra hands.”

  Dylan nodded. Admiral Keane had said similar words last time they'd seen each other.

  “I hear you picked up some crew on your last couple of missions? A Thorian as well?” the admiral continued.

  “I did. All of whom are now working on the Sapphira in my service. And on that note, do you see that girl down there?” Dylan pointed at the slave. The admiral looked her over as she helped Dylan's logistics officer work out where the cargo should be stowed.

  “What of her?”

  “She's a slave. If I bought her, could we call her a recruit?”

  “No slaves are allowed on a fleet ship. You would have to declare her free, but if you think she would help.” The admiral took another look at her as she issued more orders to the men helping with her.

  Dylan knew this wasn't the normal way to acquire crew but so far every new recruit had been found in some inventive way. Buying a slave was possibly one of the simplest.

  “You'll need to get enough information from her to sign her up as one of our staff and she will need to pass the background check, but it's up to you what you spend your money on.”

  The meaning wasn't lost on him. There would be no refund if she proved to be a reliable member of his crew. All he might get is gratitude, and a little recognition, but the money would be gone. He also suspected the admiral thought he had further ideas about the pretty girl but that line of thought was nothing new from men like the admiral.

  With the important hand-overs done, Dylan escorted his superior to his transport and then went to see his logistics officer, another of his new recruits. She smiled when she saw him.

  “Captain, the cargo is safely stowed and we're ready for departure.”

  “Excellent, thank you, Trell. The girl, in the pale blue, was she helpful?”

  “Very. I couldn't have done it without her. Everyone here speaks a muddle of languages and not very good English. She was brilliant with them as well as keeping track of what went where.”

  “I'm thinking of hiring her,” he said, not mentioning her current slave status.

  “A brilliant idea, captain.” The enthusiastic crew member beamed and bounced on the spot, as she often did when she was excited.

  With the extra boost of confidence from one of his own trusted crew, Dylan's uneasiness at buying the slave diminished enough for him to act, and he hurried over to her before she could leave.

  “Hello, sir,” she said to cover her surprise.

  “Hello...”

  “Auraylia, sir.”

  “I'm assuming you're still for sale, Auraylia?” She nodded her head and the edges of her lips twitched up in a barely restrained smile. “And you still want to see space?”

  Again her head bobbed up and down vigorously.

  “How much will you cost?”

  “Well, my highest offer so far was nine hundred credits, but I'm advertised at fifteen hundred.” Dylan winced at her words. The price was significantly higher than he'd expected when she'd said she was cheap. Her beauty must play a large part in her cost and if he paid her asking price it would almost entirely wipe out his savings.

  At his hesitation she lowered her eyes again.

  “It's too much isn't it?” she said, barely loud enough for him to hear.

  “Your asking price is higher than I expected.”

  Instantly her head bobbed back up again, another gleam of hope on her face.

  “Oh, you won't have to pay that much. If you haggled you could easily get me for closer to a thousand.”

  “All right then. If you're sure I can get you cheaper. Let's go see your owner.” He motioned for her to head into his transport and found himself grinning at her reaction to the inside. She stroked the leather seats with her hands as she perched on the edge.

  “You've never been in one of these have you?” She shook her head and gazed around her like a small child discovering a toy stall for the first time. “Wait until you see my ship.”

  It took less than a minute for his vehicle to pull up outside the building with the large black rose. The inside teemed with many more slaves and workers, all hurrying to and fro. There were many women, most of them beautiful, but few wore clothes that looked to be made for their bodies. He suspected the slave beside him had been lucky in her handed down outfit. It fit her well.

  While he walked along beside her, through the passageways and up rickety stairs, he wondered what he was doing there. Buying a slave was something foreign to his mind and just being there in a slave house made him feel dirty and unfit to wear the uniform of a Unified Federations Fleet Captain. Despite these emotions he knew there was no turning back. This girl had turned her hope-filled eyes on him too many times for him to stop and see them disappointed again.

  The owner was a large man who didn't look like he should be able to get up from the couch he half lay on, but as soon as Auraylia explained Dylan's presence several slaves rushed forward to help him to his feet. The scent of thick perfumes filled the air but underneath it he could still pick up the worse smells of sweat and urine. He had to fight with his own body to hide the gagging it wished to do.

  The owner ran his eyes over the blue inform and Dylan saw the calculation as he spotted the insignia designating his rank. If he'd been a captain for a while this might have some bearing on the money he had but being new to the rank and its benefits meant Dylan was poor for his station.

  “Auraylia is one of my best girls, very obedient and hard working and has been valued at two thousand credits,” the owner stated in an offhand manner. Either the slave had been lying or her owner was, but he knew it was more likely to be the latter. He doubted many people of high status came in here to buy a slave.

  “She is obedient from what I've seen of her, but she's thin and could be stronger. For the tasks she'll be doing for me, I'll need to put time and effort into training her. I'll give you seven hundred and fifty credits for her.” Dylan knew this was lower than previous offers but still high enough the slave master couldn't ignore it. With time he could increase his offer enough to tempt him and that's what Dylan was counting on.

  “She's trained in many things and can do them all right away. Many men would find her price reasonable and everything already to their satisfaction. If you intend to use her for other tasks then it is a cost entirely of your own making. Seven hundred and fifty is an insult to her.”

  The emphasis on men buying her wasn't new to him and he knew the implications. Trying to gain time to think about his response, he looked Auraylia over. Ev
er since entering the room, she'd stood stock still, her head lowered and her hands clasped behind her back. Even now she didn't move or speak and he knew why. If she gave anything away and lost this sale or potential money for her owner she would be punished for it, but equally pushing the price higher and being bought anyway could lead to new owners acting harshly. Staying silent and passive was her only option.

  “She's not as young as many of your slaves. If she were really worth two thousand credits you would have sold her already. Nine hundred.” Dylan folded his arms across his chest.

  “I cannot let her go for so small a sum. The extra experience she has gained only adds to her value, but I can see you desire her and it is important to me that she goes somewhere she is truly wanted. You could say she is a favourite of mine. For fifteen hundred I will gladly hand her over.”

  “She's not worth that much. No matter how much I want her, a thousand is a lot for her.”

  “You'll break my heart for her. See how beautiful she is and how patiently she stands there waiting for us to decide her fate. I really can't let her go for less than fourteen hundred.” The owner lifted her chin up with his fingers so he could see her eyes better.

  “Eleven hundred. It's my final offer. I will go find another girl if I can't have her for that much and I know you are getting more than she's worth.” Dylan clenched his jaw to try and look like he was losing patience. In truth he really didn't want to go higher but he knew he would if he had to. He was in too deep to back out now and meeting her owner only made him more determined to take her away from this planet and allow her the chance at a real life.

  Her master waddled back to his chair and sat back down, eyeing the Captain up and stroking the goatee on his chin. Eventually he nodded his head and waved for another of his slaves to bring the relevant paperwork. Dylan had her for eleven hundred credits.