“We’ll return in two weeks,” Seot promised. “We will com first, of course. Thank you for such a wonderful time, Shalia, and for not minding us dropping in unannounced.”
“I didn’t mind a bit. I’m glad you came.”
“If you need anything at all, com us,” Cifa insisted. He sighed regretfully as he passed Anrel to me. She’d fallen fast asleep in his arms an hour before. She was done for the night.
“Good night, Shalia.” Larten put an arm around me and pressed a kiss to my lips. Seot and Cifa did the same.
I stood staring at the door for a while after they’d left, feeling my lips tingling from those kisses. The first day on Kalquor had turned out pretty damned fabulous after all.
September 22, early
I couldn’t sleep. I tossed and turned in a strange bed in a strange room. I hadn’t noticed until all was quiet that I was used to hearing the far-off drone of the transport’s engines. I didn’t know that I was hearing them until I didn’t anymore.
My mind was full. The strangeness of my surroundings and the lack of the usual sounds. The approaching exit of Oses and Betra from my everyday life. Seeing Clan Seot and having more fun than someone who is about to lose her adored current lovers should have. God, the guilt! But I had a great time with my future beaus. No sense in lying about that.
Eventually I had to give up on sleep. It wasn’t coming.
I went into the greeting room and considered the com unit in there. I sighed and gave in. I’d make the call sooner or later anyhow.
Betra answered almost the moment the frequency connection went through. Poor thing, he was working.
“Are you okay?” he asked in place of a greeting.
“I’m in new surroundings. This place doesn’t look or smell or sound right, so I’m not sleeping,” I groused. “Other than that, I’m great. What about you? How bad was the record loss?”
He sighed. “Pretty bad. I’m about halfway through re-entering my reports. It could have been worse, but I won’t bore you with the particulars.”
“Bore me. Maybe I’ll doze off.”
He laughed. “Oses’s department came off a little better than mine. As Security, they’ve got tons of backups to all their records. The problem is the encryption, which means delays in accessing the information. Oses’s staff is asking to be in charge of the repair crew’s discipline for making such a stupid mistake.”
“Eek. Nothing like having a bunch of pissed-off Nobeks begging to kick your ass.”
“No kidding. Captain Wotref had the repair crew leave the ship for their own safety.”
“Who else?”
“From what I’ve heard, the Medical Department took the worst hit. Dr. Ret told the captain that Tep was so mad, he was screaming and kicking walls. He threatened that if he found out who was responsible, he’d tear them apart and put them back together so he could tear them apart again. I wouldn’t mind smacking the idiot or idiots who did this myself.”
“Is there any light at the end of the tunnel? Will I see you guys tomorrow?”
“Definitely. I checked with Oses, and he’ll be done about the same time I will, probably early in the afternoon.”
I smiled to hear I wouldn’t be spending the next night alone. We ended the com pretty soon after that so Betra could return to work. The sooner he’s caught up, the sooner he’ll be here.
I viewed the orientation program on the vid. Informative stuff. Helpful too, such as the wakeup surprise I set for Anrel, which would go off when she woke. Some of it was boring, which helped me finally fall sleep in the wee hours of the morning.
Anrel’s happy chortling and a sound similar to birds singing woke me up to bright sunlight streaming in through a window vid. The lack of sleep encouraged me to be grumpy, but who can grouse listening to those cute baby laughs? I took a moment to orient myself since she was in her usual cheerful mood.
I was on Kalquor. Against all odds, I’d made it here. I couldn’t quite wrap my head around it.
I rolled out of bed and padded into Anrel’s room. As I’d hoped, she enjoyed her wakeup surprise. Colorful blue lizards darted all over her crib, the tiny creatures singing in lovely, high-pitched bird voices. Drils, I think they’re called. Anrel watched them, laughing as they scurried here and there on quick little feet. The vid simulation wasn’t great, but it wasn’t bad either. Good enough to entertain an infant.
I changed her diaper, fed her, and hit the dispenser up for my first cuppa. There were half a dozen stim tabs in a kitchen cabinet, and I had one. My caffeine fix needed extra help.
The door announce buzzed. “It’s Candy.”
“Door open.” I grinned as she bounded in. She was already dressed, made-up, and coiffed to perfection.
“Hey! Oh wow, you’ve unpacked already?” she asked in amazement. My few decorations were out on the table and the counter that separated the greeting room from the kitchenette.
“Mostly.” My answer was ignored as Candy and Anrel squealed at each other.
“Good morning, sweet girl!” Candy was on the floor with Anrel, lying on the blanket I’d put down, covering my baby’s face with pink-lipstick kisses. Once she’d done that, she glanced at me. “Coffeed up yet?”
“Working on it.” I raised my cup. It was only half gone, but I felt pretty alert. Stim tabs are good for the quick fix.
“Already bringing the clans in, I saw?” She winked. “You aren’t wasting any time.”
“Clan Seot decided to surprise me,” I informed her, secure in my innocence.
“I wouldn’t mind those types of surprises,” Candy laughed. “Take a shower, dress, and let’s go.”
Speaking of people not wasting any time. I stretched and yawned my tiredness off. “Where to?”
“Breakfast first. Then the market. I’m dying to visit the shops.”
“And flirt with the men?” I cast her a knowing look.
To my surprise, her shrug was dismissive. “If you want. Based on that particular eye candy you had surrounding you last night, I wouldn’t search any further.”
I laughed, but she had a point. Clan Seot was delicious in every way, all right. “They won’t be back until Betra and Oses have gone.” I started for my bath. “Plus I’ve got Mom’s surgeries to contend with, so I’ll be seeing Clan Aslada too. I have to remember to com them and let them know we’re here.”
I showered quickly and dressed. Since Candy was adorable in a cute dress, I wore something I hoped would pass for stylish too … but comfortable since the orientation vid had shown me there would be some walking involved on our trip to the marketplace.
I ensured I packed everything I needed for a day in Anrel’s diaper bag. We had our breakfast in the dining room and went outside.
It was another fantastically pretty day, going by the overhead vid. A few fluffy clouds drifted across the powder blue sky. Two moons, a pale white orb similar to Earth’s and another with a greenish-blue tinge, hung like ornaments in the heavens. We trailed after small groups of other Earther women along the wide path that wound from the complex to the market.
That meant wandering past some of the sculptural homes on the ground and the ones high up in the trees. A tree house might be fun to live in, but the thought of Anrel crawling off a deck killed the charm. Yikes.
The residential area gave way to woods on either side of the trail. It was hard to believe we were below ground. How had the Kalquorians managed to do this? It was amazing engineering.
We came to a place where the trail split. The left led into a long tunnel cut into the side of the mine wall. If I remembered correctly, it would empty out onto the pink-sanded beach I’d spied from the shuttle yesterday, where the cliffs hugged the shore. I could barely wait to check that out.
Kalquorians entered and left the tunnel, most coming from or going toward the market, which was further down the main path that continued straight on. I stopped and grabbed Candy’s arm at the sight of a pair of them.
“Kalquorian women,”
I whispered.
Candy appeared as awed as I felt. Who wouldn’t be? They were astounding.
They had the typical black hair, purple eyes, and brown skin of the race. From there, the similarities ended. Oh, they were tall and muscled similar to the guys, but they didn’t strike me as masculine at all. No, they were definitely females – Amazonian, statuesque females with full bosoms and rounded hips.
One had sleek hair down to her waist, a gorgeous sheet of blue-black. She was more of what I’d call a handsome woman rather than beautiful. Her features were strong and attractive with a square jaw and wide cheekbones. She wore a gown – an all-the-way-to-the-ankles dress – of shimmering purple that matched her eyes. I suddenly felt woefully underdressed. Her outfit was sleeveless, showing off toned shoulders and arms to full advantage. I’d kill for those arms.
Her companion was no less magnificent. Her hair was wavy, also down to her waist. She was prettier than her companion, with a delicate nose and small chin. She too had arms to die for, displayed to advantage by the one-shoulder white gown she wore.
I’m not ashamed to say I envied them for their amazing physiques. No wonder Dramok Resan poked fun at my puny body. The females of his kind are goddesses.
They smiled and nodded to the Earther females they passed. Then they saw me with Anrel and stopped short. In an instant, I was face to face with the superwomen.
Purple Gown leaned down to gasp over my baby. “Look at her! She could be full blooded. Can I hold her?”
White Gown gave her friend a little shove, shooting me an embarrassed glance. “Don’t be rude, Oni. You can’t rush at strangers and ask to hold their babies.”
“Oh. Oh, you’re right. I’m sorry.” She offered me a hopeful but conciliatory smile. “I’m Matara Oni, as you heard.”
“Hi. I’m Shalia,” I returned. “This is Anrel and my friend Candy.”
The pair nodded to Candy, who attempted a kind of curtsey. I guess she wasn’t sure how to greet majestic Kalquorian women. “Hi. Nice to meet you.”
White Gown said, “I am Hina. Forgive our excitement. We don’t see babies too often.”
Oni sighed. “She’s perfect And a girl. You had a girl.” Her expression indicated she’d give anything to trade places with me.
Maybe perfect-looking bodies aren’t all they’re cracked up to be after all. I wondered if they were infertile.
Oni’s expression hinted that might be the case. I held Anrel out to her. “You can hold her.”
The woman gawped. “Really? May I? Oh, come here, beautiful Anrel.”
She clutched my baby to her chest, her expression alight with wonder and want. Anrel, who loved everyone she met, smiled and waved her fists at her. Oni and Hina gasped over her, commenting on how wonderful she was.
“How old is she?” Hina asked me as she took a turn holding her.
“Four months. She’s on the small side because she was premature.”
“She’s perfect,” Oni repeated. “She is exactly how I hoped my daughters might be.” She smiled sadly. “I have carried four children. My sons are healthy, but both my girls miscarried in the third month.”
“I’m so sorry,” I said as Candy uttered a hurt sound.
“It happens to most of us. I have lost a daughter to genetic abnormalities,” Hina murmured. “Female children are usually damaged. Most don’t make it to birth. Which is why you Earthers have come.”
“To save us from complete extinction,” Oni agreed. She smiled at me. “It was the right thing to do. Anrel is evidence of that. You have a beautiful child, Matara Shalia.”
“Thank you.” I was at a loss as to what else to say. I had come close to losing Anrel to the It, but that loss had not materialized. I was in no position to understand the pain they had borne.
Hina handed Anrel back over to me. I actually experienced guilt that I had my baby when they’d lost three between them. I watched them head for the tunnel, my chest tight.
Candy was sober. “We are lucky, Shalia.”
“I know.” I clutched Anrel close to my body, thinking how empty life would be without her.
We continued. We were quiet in the wake of meeting Oni and Hina, not commenting on the swaths of rainbow flowered fields that had taken over for the woods. It was only about a quarter of a mile further when we entered the market area.
We arrived in a square. Its central feature appeared to be a miniature mountain, the peak of which reached for the ‘sky’ hanging over our heads. A couple of Kalquorian men were climbing the thing. It looked fun.
Candy and I walked around the feature, impressed by the idea that people could climb a mountain under the ground. We were delighted at the waterfall on the side opposite where the climbers scaled. It splashed into a basin that proved to be the home of small swimming animals with pelts of colorful fur. I thought they must be someone’s pets having a lark, but Candy pointed out their webbed feet and gills. Cool.
We noted that there were men doing various activities close to the mountain/waterfall. One played a haunting tune on the spookiest sounding instrument I’d ever heard. Candy said the wavering high-pitched sound reminded her of something called a theremin. It put goosebumps on my skin, and Anrel made a face that expressed her uncertainty about the strange noise. We moved from it before she could get upset.
Another man was fashioning furniture out of branches of trees. He amazed us with his carving skills. He’d cut the lengths of wood to make legs for tables, but he hadn’t stopped there. While we watched, he etched figures and scenes into the gleaming wood that naturally shined as if lacquered. The carvings were as stunning as any sculpture I’d ever seen. I wished I had a home to furnish with his work.
Another man was reciting a story. My Kalquorian had improved to the point where I could pick up that it was either some legend or a tale from the elderly Nobek’s personal past. He was scarred enough to make me believe he had been in the war party that was the feature of his story, a group of Nobeks facing impossible odds during a fight against the Bi’isils and their enslaved Tragooms. His deep voice rang with passion, making me wish I could understand him better. Younger Nobeks, some in military garb, sat at his feet, their gazes intent and admiring on the battered gray-haired warrior despite his aged, bent frame.
The smell of food cooking was thick in the air, making me wish I hadn’t already eaten breakfast. Once we tore ourselves from the sights surrounding the mountain feature, we realized the buildings surrounding us were mostly restaurants.
“We’re set for lunch,” Candy said happily. “Let’s find out what’s next.”
The orientation video had given me some idea of what to expect. In the former mine, the market squares lay one after another, like a string of pearls. They all had performers who promoted their crafts and performing abilities for the entertainment of shoppers. Each square featured a particular type of shopping. The first had been restaurants. The second was clothing and gifts and personal services, the third grocery items, and the fourth offered home furnishings.
I told Candy all this as we walked on to the second square. “Well, we don’t need groceries and furniture is definitely not on the list,” she said. “I guess this is the place we want to be.”
It certainly was. I saw holographic displays before the shops, showing passersby what each place featured. “Let’s do a loop and then figure out where we should go first,” Candy suggested as she peered at her handheld. She’d brought up her account information and frowned over the amount. “I want to check on prices, so I can decide what I want most before I start throwing my money around.”
“Smart,” I agreed as I dug my handheld out of Anrel’s diaper bag. “Let me check on what I’ve got to work with.”
I gasped at the number my account claimed I had. “What in the world? There shouldn’t be this much money. Someone at the bank, or whatever Kalquorians use, made a mistake.”
“Doesn’t Anrel earn an allowance too as a Kalquorian citizen?” Candy asked.
&n
bsp; “Yes, but at four months old, this is still too much. Show me transactions,” I ordered the handheld.
The display had me groaning. “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me. Those generous fools.”
“Who?”
“My dads. Clan Bitev.” I offered Anrel a rueful smile. “They said they were going to contribute to our welfare, but I didn’t expect this. It’s too much.”
“I bet they wish they were doing more,” Candy grinned. “They’re such sweethearts.”
“Too sweet,” I sighed. “Well, Anrel is growing like crazy. I have clothes she’s just now starting to fit, but she’ll be out of them in an instant. The extra money will be nice.”
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