by Alana Khan
“You’re a pervert.”
“Three little letters, Victoria,” there’s warning in my voice, but I’m ecstatic to have her back. Not only had I despaired that this new Victoria would never choose me on Choosing Day, but dear Gods, I missed everything about this naughty, sexy, beautiful, oppositional female standing next to me.
“You’re a pervert, Sir.”
I pick her up, sling her gently on the bed, and straddle her, my knees on either side of her hips. “Yes, I am. If you ask very nicely, I’ll reenact the last half hour.”
“Asking nicely, Sir,” her voice carries that happy Victoria singsong.
I move forward, playfully dangling my semi-hard cock an inch from her lips. I’m thrilled to have my Victoria back and I want her to be thrilled, too. “Suck me.”
She grabs my length and pulls it into her mouth with a low moan. “Is it good, Victoria? It tastes like you and me together.”
“Mmmm.”
Her hand pumps as her mouth strokes me. She makes me so hot I can’t take much more of it before I pull out of her, move lower, and thrust into her welcoming channel. She may have just arrived here, but her body was already warmed up. We both find release in each other’s embrace within a few minutes.
“I’m so tired, Sir. I should probably get to sleep.”
“Good idea. Once you nod off I’ll comm your doctor.”
“What for, I’m fine. Tell me though, what day is it?”
“Brinsday.”
“No, what day of the Quest?”
“When you wake up, it will be day Ten.”
“I still get to go back home on day Fourteen, Sir?”
“Yes.”
I cuddle next to her and sling my arm over her waist. My face feels tight and my molars grind against each other. Yesterday I wondered if I’d lose her. Today I had to deal with her anger and aloofness as if it was her first day aboard my ship. The whole time I prayed I’d get my Victoria back, the Victoria who dressed like Neytiri and flew in the binding of my rope and smiled like a happy child.
I knew Victoria’s affection was growing toward me. I’d hoped she’d choose to stay on Choosing Day. But no. Her first question after giving and receiving physical bliss was to count the days until her return home.
I stay up for hours, my mind running scenarios of how to make her stay. From threats to blackmail to creating a computer simulation to lie to the authorities and ask to stay even as the real Victoria was trussed in ropes wriggling at my feet.
Somewhere deep in the middle of the night, I come to a decision. It wouldn’t be fair to either of us for me to pretend to be something I’m not. For the next five days, I can’t be anything other than Voxx from Zinn.
I will not present her with a softer, kinder version of myself. It would be a tragedy to impersonate someone else and have her wake up a month or a year from now and realize she didn’t get the male she thought I was. She can never return home after Choosing Day. Her choice will be binding, and I have to be honest.
I have to be me, proceed as me, do the things I need to do and let her have a clear choice. Any other plan of action is doomed to failure and would just ensure misery for both of us.
Day Ten
Victoria
I wake up tired. The only time I remember being this fatigued in the morning was after an all-nighter, and I only needed two of those to realize I’m not built for it. This level of fatigue is not normal for a twenty-six-year-old. As I think about what I’ve been through the last nine days, I think I’m doing better than should be expected.
I inspect the bedroom. It’s decorated in pretty blues and golds. I think I have some very similar pins on my Pinterest page. I don’t waste a moment wondering if he stalked me there—of course he did.
Instead of calling him a fucker in the privacy of my mind for doing so, I think it was kind of sweet. He did this in anticipation of bringing his human back to Zinn on Choosing Day. That was a commitment.
I wonder what this room will look like a month after I’m back on Earth. Will dirty dishes litter every flat surface? I don’t know how he’ll handle it, but I know my presence will be missed.
“How are you feeling, Victoria?”
He’s in the bathroom doorway, toweling his hair dry. He’s so fucking handsome. I’m going to miss him. And don’t even get me started on the sex. I’m sad already just thinking about the fact that I’ll never find a lover half as good as him back on Earth. They don’t exist.
“Tired, Sir.”
“Let me give you a dose of the meds Dr. Plenn sent home with me. It will kill any residual pain and has an herbal energy boost. I wanted to show you around Zinn today. Well, around my city, Dreeg. I’ll feed you and let you shower, then see if you have the energy to tour some highlights.”
“You’ll show me around?” I’m excited. Wow, if only I could remember some of it when I’m back on Earth.
“I can’t wait, zara, but I want you to have energy. Now that we’re not on the Drayant, I can make you eggs. I’ll run to the store while you’re in the shower. What do you want in your omelet?”
“Omelet? Yum. How about the Zinn version of sausage or ham and onions, peppers and cheese? Is that even a possibility?”
“One Denver omelet coming up. My mom’s from Earth. I learned all your delicacies.”
“I’m not certain it’s a delicacy, but it sounds good.”
He slips into black cargo pants and a black t-shirt, moves to the door, then turns back to me. “We need human women to survive as a species. There isn’t a Zinn on the planet who will help you escape, Victoria.
“I’m leaving you alone and you could easily walk out the door. Nothing would be easy after that. You’d either get lost and overstay your Choosing Day, which means you could never go back to Earth, or the authorities would bring you back to me within hours. I expect you here when I return.”
After the front door closes, I pad into another room, I guess you’d call it a sitting room, attached to the bedroom. Glancing around, I notice it’s also straight out of my Pinterest account. He did well, I have to admit. It’s pretty and calm and inviting.
Peeking out the front window, I watch him fly off in a small, red air vehicle. I see lavender skies, sleek houses, and neat lawns with blue grass. We must be in the Dreeg burbs.
I stalk into the shower muttering the whole way. He didn’t even bother to lock me in? If I escape someone would capture and return me within minutes. I’m sure there’s no underground railroad to help disgruntled humans. Disgruntled humans go back to Earth on Choosing Day. What’s left here are happy Stepford wives.
Two hours later I’m clean, dressed, and have eaten an interesting rendition of a Denver omelet. The ham actually came from a pig, which the Zinns now breed after appropriating livestock from Earth. They also grow tomatoes, onions, and peppers, so it was just like home—better than Denny’s.
“I thought I’d drive you around Dreeg. We could call it a day after that, but this afternoon I wanted to take you to the zoo. I know you’ll like it, our animals are so different from yours. But only if you’re up for it.”
“Any humans on display, Sir?” I tease.
“No, little Earther, but I might be able to arrange a brief ‘On Loan From Earth’ display. You’d be naked with a sign that reads, ‘Rebellious Female’. It would be a creative punishment for a naughty girl, don’t you think?”
I swallow, thinking about some of his other punishments that I would enjoy more.
“Think you’re up for a tour?”
“Yes, Sir. That would be fun.” I’m excited to take the tour, too bad I won’t remember a bit of it.
“I’m going to invite Lann.”
“Who’s that, Sir?”
“My best friend. You met him last night. I’ll explain to him that you don’t remember. You seemed comfortable with him.”
Great. I get to see the sights without the weird tension between Voxx and I. It’s a win-win.
“What’s the te
mp outside? I’m not sure what to wear.”
“One point nine.”
“What would that be in Fahrenheit?”
He escorts me to my closet and points out several choices that would work for today’s weather.
I choose a knee-length blue short-sleeve dress with little yellow flowers on it and some comfy low-heeled shoes. After pulling my hair into a ponytail, I call out, “I’m ready.”
“I’m downstairs with Lann.”
It will be weird meeting someone who already knows me. Oh well, I’ve experienced a lot weirder things in the last ten days.
Voxx does the introductions and Lann doesn’t move his hand when I reach out to shake his.
“On Zinn females seldom touch males who aren’t their mate, Victoria, and almost never initiate contact.”
“Oh, sorry.” My eyes fly to the floor. Stranger in a strange land. I’m sure this will be the first of many faux pas today. “Sir,” I add, far too late to be appropriate.
“It’s fine, Victoria,” Lann’s voice is deep and soothing. “You just woke up here. No one expects you to know every rule and custom.”
I peek up at him, not even sure I’m allowed to look at him. He’s handsome. His charcoal gray slacks and dove gray sweater look great on him. He and Voxx have similar builds, maybe all Zinns do.
“Any other rules I should know, Sir?”
“Don’t interrupt, avoid eye contact with any male, don’t approach any male, don’t answer any male directly without permission.”
“Yes, Sir.” Welcome to the fifties, the eighteen-fifties.
“Looking forward to your tour of Dreeg, Victoria?” Lann asks.
Fuck! Is this a test? Voxx just told me not to answer a male and Lann asks me a question. I feel like a rabbit caught in a snare as I glance at Voxx for direction.
“Oh, sorry, zara. Those rules are for public. You may speak with Lann.”
“Speak with Lann here, Sir? But not in public?”
“I guess things are more complicated than I realized. Lann is a close friend, almost like family. You may speak with him at any time.”
“Just to get this straight, I can look at him, too?”
He steps over and kisses the top of my head, in front of his friend. I don’t know whether it’s to reassure me or assert his ownership, but he steps back and says, “You may talk to Lann, you may look at him as you wish. You will give him respect and deference as you would me.”
“Thanks, Sir.” I just don’t want to be punished. “Yes, Lann,” I raise my eyes to look at him. He has striking teal blue eyes. “I’m looking forward to seeing the city.”
“It’s not considered a large city,” Voxx begins his travelogue shortly after he starts the hover. “Less than eight hundred thousand live here.”
“I always meant to ask, if you’ve had so few females for hundreds of years, how do you maintain your population? Certainly, you’re not abducting hundreds of thousands of American girls every year.”
“Three little letters, Victoria,” he sounds exasperated. I imagine it embarrasses him that I disrespected him in front of his best friend.
“I’m so sorry, Sir. It won’t happen again.”
“We both know it will, zara, but please try harder.”
“Absolutely, Sir. I meant no disrespect, I’m just so curious about your culture, Sir.”
Did Lann just snortle?
“We mastered cloning ages ago, but our technology can’t clone females; it all has to do with the genetic anomalies that reduced the female population to begin with. The government produces additional males as necessary for growth and maintaining production cycles. It’s only the lucky few who win the lottery to have a mate.”
“Oh.” Wow. So many males, so few females. Lann’s sitting less than two inches from me on the bench seat of the hover. Our hips are practically touching. He has to be jealous of his best friend. Awkward.
“Is every male eligible for the lottery?”
“No. Our government takes great pains to ensure every male entered in the lottery is worthy of having a precious Earth mate. We have to be financially able to support her, have at least a University degree, be employed, and have a support system to help us if we experience difficulties. We must be fluent in English, and have no history of legal or drug problems. That’s one of the reasons our planet has a 100% literacy rate and is so free of crime. Every Zinn male wants to be eligible for the lottery.”
It strikes me once again how much Voxx wants this to work. Too bad I don’t—I want to go back to my life on Earth.
I watch with interest as the city below me unfolds. It’s laid out on a grid, everything perfect—a planned community. I see a few Zinn females as we hover by, but since they’re only 10% of the population, I’d love to see one up close.
Voxx flies by government buildings, city parks, residential areas, and centers of commerce.
“Take her by the Portico building,” Lann says. “Don’t you want to show her your latest project?”
“You want me to show off?”
“You designed one of the largest, newest, most beautiful theaters in Dreeg and you don’t want to hover by it?”
“I’d love to see it, Sir,” I say. All the time we’ve spent together, and I never really gave a lot of thought to his real day-to-day life back on Zinn.
Five minutes later we’re hovering around one of the most beautiful buildings I’ve ever seen. It’s round with three arching spires at the top that converge toward each other but don’t touch. The exterior is all glass, and the shape of the building catches the daylight and reflects it back to the onlooker, a thousand shades of purple.
“Sir, this building is amazing. It’s… one of the loveliest things I’ve ever seen. Spectacular.”
“Thank you, zara.”
“Can we see inside?”
“It’s still under construction.” I can almost hear his molars clamp tight. I imagine he realizes I won’t be on Zinn for opening day. I feel a pang of sadness for him. He has to have imagined the pride of bringing his mate here for his big triumph.
He banks the hover and points. “Want to walk in the park, zara?” his voice is clipped.
“I’m not up to full power, Sir, and I’m looking forward to the zoo.”
“Good answer. Let’s have lunch, then we’ll go to see the animals.”
“Victoria chose the zoo. Lann, you choose the restaurant.”
“What do you like, Victoria?”
“I don’t know much about Zinnian food. I just know I don’t like Eboi Plantay. Sir made it for me and it just didn’t sit well on my stomach.” Why I take this opportunity to taunt Voxx about the day he punished me and I realized I’m a true submissive, I’ll never know. Especially since the memory makes me clench my thighs together in lust.
Lann’s quiet for a moment, then says, “How about ZaZu? I hear it’s the ‘in’ spot, and the food is eclectic.” His demeanor changed completely. I steal a glance at him, and his jaw is tight. He’s looking out the window on his right and avoiding me completely.
Voxx parks and asks Lann to go in and get us a table.
When we’re alone, he traces his knuckle down my cheek, then brushes the pad of his thumb across my lips. “I know it’s out of your control Victoria, but please try to refrain from that.”
“Refrain from what, Sir?” My voice is a whisper. How is it that the tender brush of his skin on mine makes my core clench in desire?
“Arousal.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Did you fail to realize Zinns can smell human female arousal?”
I gasp. I thought gasping in shock was something that only happened on TV. “You can?” I squeak.
“I possibly should have mentioned it earlier, but it’s a helpful tool for the Quest. A male always knows where he stands.”
He’s smirking! If I wasn’t his chattel, I’d punch his arm and walk away. But I am his chattel and I can’t afford to piss him off.
�
�Why is this a topic of conversation in the ZaZu parking lot, Sir?”
“Because Lann is a Zinn male. Lann is a very lonely, very sad, very normal male who has never been this close to a female his age in all his life. He’s been unable to camouflage his erection since he met you last night. You’re beautiful, and you’re sitting an inch from him, and the perfume of your arousal just exploded in my hover.”
I hide my head in my hands. First of all, Voxx knows exactly what sparked my flare of desire—the humiliating scene that confirmed to me that I’m a submissive. Second, how am I going to look Lann in the eye for the rest of the day?
