by Viola Grace
“Oh. Wow. You didn’t try and get it on with my mom, did you?”
He snorted. “Funny, but she is still far younger than I am. No, I looked at her genetics, and your father’s, and guessed that their daughter would be a suitable match. I met you, and you were.”
She stared at him and tried to put the last year of sex, intrigue, and laughter into place. “Holy shit.”
Cassandra looked at all the cenotaphs and back to him. “And you bought their contracts?”
“That was the easy part. The station only recorded contract numbers, not names. There was no way for you to know.”
“Which project were they on?”
He smiled and said, “The greenhouse and the farm.”
She blinked. “Did they recognize the animals?”
“Not that their trainers have been told. They have been very fixated on the greenhouse.”
She smiled slowly. “Can I see them?”
“You may not like their response to your contract situation.”
Cass wrinkled her nose. She had already been called a whore by other Earth survivors brought to Steelix. The name-callers hadn’t lasted long and had soon had their contracts sold to others looking for workers. It wasn’t a great solution, but Karus had been offended on her behalf, and there was no stopping him.
“We are dancing for them tonight at the celebration?”
He grinned. “We are. If they recognize you, feel free to greet them.”
She looked at him and laughed softly, placing herself under his arm, and his wing curled protectively around her. Her hood kept her from being immediately outed as a human at a casual glance. Next to Karus, few folk even looked at her.
They passed the preformed houses, the new builds, the farms, manufacturing centers, and the marketplace. It was lovely, and people looked so happy.
The suns were dipping, and the elected mayor came to them.
Mayor Adena Caroth smiled at Karus. “Master Karus, we are about to begin the performances. If you and your companion would like to take your seats?”
Karus inclined his head. “Please lead the way, Mayor Caroth.”
“Call me Adena.”
The flirting made Cassandra chuckle. She had learned what it was that the Hmrain was looking for, and easy wasn’t one of the characteristics. It didn’t hurt, but it wasn’t the key characteristic that lay in the psyche.
Cassandra took her seat next to Karus. Six of the guards from Steelix were behind them. She wasn’t allowed on her own after Kredel.
Karus lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it in front of the hundreds assembled. She leaned toward him and kissed him softly.
Music began, and the mayor introduced the dancers and musicians. The display of joy and survival began.
They watched dancers, listened to music, and then gymnasts and magicians took the stage.
Mayor Caroth smiled when the music paused. “Master Karus and his mistress are going to dance for us.”
Karus got up and took her hand, leading her to the floor. The Steelix guards took over the heavy drums and set the beat.
Cassandra looked into his eyes and linked one arm with his palms together, as they slowly circled each other. When they had gone around once, he wrapped her in his arms, and it became a full-on tango to nothing but drums.
She stepped, twisted, lunged, and was easily flipped through the night air, only for him to catch her and set her back on her feet.
When the final dip happened, there was an audible gasp. She was out.
Karus kissed her softly, and she wrapped her arms around his neck as he brought her back to her feet. She was smiling, and her eyes were focused on her mate. She had chosen him, and he had confirmed that he had chosen her.
They stood straight, took a bow, and returned to the dais and their seats.
The mayor came up to her and asked, “Who are you?”
“Mistress Cassandra. Owner of this world and the buildings that inhabit it. Oh, and owner of your contract.” She smiled politely.
Master Karus looked at the mayor and growled softly. “Understand that anything you say to her you are saying to me, and I will not take kindly to any insult.”
The mayor paled. “Right. Of course, Master Karus. I meant no offense; I was merely startled. I mean, her eyes are not standard to humans.”
Cassandra propped her chin on her fist. “I can hear you, you know. Your contract is to do a job, and after a set period of time, you gain your liberty once again. You’ll be citizens of Gwella, and if you can pay or earn passage on a vessel, you can see the stars.”
She smiled. “You were born human, you remain human, and you can carry that to your grave.”
The mayor blinked. Those nearby were riveted.
Cassandra held Karus’s hand. “I got a different contract. Now, tomorrow, I would like to see the water purification center, the farm, and the greenhouse.”
“Pardon, Mistress, but what did he mean about you holding our contracts?”
Karus propped his chin on his fist and looked at her. “I can hear you, you know.”
She blushed.
Cassandra laughed. “When you come under contract, a value is placed on your work for a time period. That is why some of your staff can be released in five years and some in ten. Some less than that. Well, my contract is expensive, and there was a bit of irregularity in creating it, so Karus had to tie me to something of value. He created a fund that will eventually bring ten thousand humans to Gwella. And animals that have survived on Earth. All packed up and delivered here over the next two years. The next batch of a thousand new citizens arrives in four months.”
Karus chuckled. “I believe that you have stressed my companion. We will retire for the evening, and in the morning, I trust that you will have arranged those tours for after breakfast.”
He helped Cassandra to her feet, inclined his head to the assembled group, and he chuckled. “Have an excellent Survivor’s Day.”
Cass held his arm and walked off with him, her guards walking behind her. The moment they left the pool of light, the murmuring began.
She groaned softly. “That is going to be something to deal with.”
He chuckled. “You knew it would be. The companions always get some attitude from their own people. You are suddenly above them and have taken on some changes.”
Cassandra made a face. “When you started cumming inside me, I had no idea it would change me.”
He chuckled. “It didn’t do much. Just altered your eyes and increased the chances of us having a child. That frees you from your contract.”
She sighed and leaned on his shoulder. “Free and released are two very different things. You know I am not going anywhere.”
He wrapped his wing around her. “I know.”
They walked to the ambassadorial residence for the planet of Steelix, and they broke in the new bed.
Cassandra woke up in the middle of the night and looked over the colony. Somewhere out there, her parents were sleeping, together, and healthy. She was still crying when Karus got out of bed and came to wrap his arms around her. He kissed her cheek. “I didn’t want you to cry.”
She chuckled and wiped her face. “You wanted to make sure they were still alive before you told me.”
“Yes. It would have driven you crazy to know that they were here.”
“Is that why you took me to the memorial?”
“Yes. It is proof that they think about you every day.”
She smiled. “I think about them, too.”
“I know. I can feel it.” He rubbed his chin on her head. “So, when were you going to tell me?”
She didn’t have to pretend ignorance. “When we got back to the ship. I knew you would cancel this trip if you knew.”
He sighed. “You are probably right. Come back to bed.”
She grinned and leaned back to look up at him. “That is your answer to everything.”
“It usually works, and it buys time for me to come up wit
h a solution.” He kissed her upside-down lips.
She smiled and turned to hug him. “I am very glad I hallucinated you.”
“Me too.”
Half an hour later, curled up against him, she had to agree that back to bed was a pretty good situation.
The Castors were in charge of the reclamation ponds, the Lees ran the farm, and the Newels were in charge of the greenhouse.
Each of these older couples was responsible, serious, and delighted that they had been given zones of responsibility that would enable them to get free of the contracts and let them explore a bit of their new home.
At each stop, Cassandra spoke with them and explained that if they truly wanted to see Gwella, they were being offered a chance to replicate their efforts at another new town.
The first two areas were fine. The couples agreed that it would be an excellent opportunity, and it would shave an extra year off their contracts. At the end of the new situation, they would be free to start saving or gain a plot of land for a farm.
When she met with the Newels, Karus was at her back, his wing protective. Adia Newel kept tearing up as they went through the plants, maturation levels, and pollination structure was discussed. Greg Newel just turned red and choked up when he looked at Cassandra.
They went over the expected capacity, the amount of production, and then, her mom asked, “Can I give you a hug?”
Cassandra hugged her mother carefully and beckoned to her dad. “It’s okay. We made it.”
Her mother blubbered, and her father squeezed her tight. It went on for several minutes until Cassandra squirmed. “Come on; you are squishing us.” She chuckled and reached up to wipe her tears.
Her mom leaned back. “Us?”
“Yeah. I am an us. For...” She looked back at Karus. “How long is this going to take?”
He chuckled and shrugged. “It is unknown. We will make sure it is born before you are in danger. There are incubators we can use.”
She exhaled. “Well, there you go.”
Her parents looked from her to Karus and back again. Her father was angry. “He took advantage of you?”
She laughed and laughed and laughed. Karus stepped forward to support her as she wheezed.
He explained the contract, the situation, and her full knowledge and agreement. Along with full instigation that her father winced hearing about. Hmrain didn’t properly have families, so the niceties about hearing how your daughter loved sex was lost on him.
Her mother looked appalled and then took in how carefully Karus was holding her and how she was clutching him back. “Well, you always did pick your guys for their personalities.”
Cassandra giggled again, leaning on Karus. “Master Karus and I make it work. I act as his hostess, deal with traders, ambassadors, and this one weird emissary who looked like he was made of Jell-O. It turned out that he was, but he was also a she and had a crush on me. It has been a very interesting time. Oh, and all of the animals are on Steelix, and we are waiting until the extra creatures make it here before bringing them along. Genetic diversity is more important than ever right now.”
Her dad looked at Karus. “Yeah, I can see that.”
She grinned. “I am happy, I am alive, and I have something to do.”
Her mom reached out and squeezed her hand. “Can we see you again?”
“Well, if I had told him about the pregnancy, Karus wouldn’t have let me come this time. So, either we talk a lot on coms, or he maybe arranges for you to visit me? I will need updates on the new greenhouse after all.”
They looked at each other, hugged one another, and smiled. “After that we are free?”
“After the second greenhouse, your contract will be satisfied. Then, you can begin accumulating funds for travel or private accommodation, or you can try to find work on Steelix.”
Her father gave her a sly look. “Will you give our prospective employer a good word?”
“No. In fact, no one can know that I am your child. You can say how sweet it is that I have the same name as your daughter, but I am worth a lot of money, and you would be putting yourself in danger. Unless you want to live with me as permanent houseguests that can’t move around on your own, don’t tell anyone.” She swallowed. “If they come for you, I can’t help you. You are literally a world away.”
It was difficult, but she had worked it out. With Karus, she was protected, with her guards, she was defended, but with her parents at risk, she would be helpless.
Their reunion became slightly more bittersweet after that point. She knew that they were alive, they knew that she was alive, and at that point, they had to leave it.
It wasn’t the best reunion, it didn’t match what would have happened in a movie, but she had to be happy walking to the shuttle knowing that they were alive, and they knew that she was healthy and cared for.
It was what most folks wanted for their children, wasn’t it?
Epilogue
The new house was ready. It was high in the mountains, the medics and physicians were already there, and Cassandra was perpetually irritated.
The child in her was large, and every Hmrain within three months’ flight had come to view her belly, touching it with wonder.
They were designed beings. They understood the mechanics of conception exceedingly well but finding a female who could actually conceive was shocking.
Cassandra waddled slowly into the new building that Karus had built to keep her and the baby safe for the first few months. Visitors would still arrive, but no one arrived on foot. They had to be flown in past turrets with automatic weapons that covered all angles around the tremendous mansion in the mountains.
Karus wanted to carry her. At this point, he always wanted to carry her. She waddled into the main hall covered with statues, paintings, and the staff lined up. She froze.
The staff of the household was all natives of Steelix. Danoi bowed when his name was called as her personal assistant.
Karus turned. “Mistress Cassandra, this is your staff. This is your maid, Wendy; your butler, Greg; and the housekeeper, Adia. All of them have requested a permanent posting to the mountain retreat and have been contracted for a lifetime term.”
Cassandra teared up. “Wow. That is quite the commitment.”
The staff smiled and inclined their heads. Her cousin Wendy looked a little nervous but happy to see her.
“Right, well, I would like to have tea, so is there an atrium or somewhere I can see the sky?”
Adia bobbed a curtsy. “Please, come this way, Mistress Cassandra. Do you have any preferences?”
Karus helped Cass walk the hall. “She would like some mint and ginger.”
Adia smiled and nodded to one of the Steelix servants. The kitchen staff headed to work, and the other staff dispersed.
Greg moved smoothly to open doors and held her chair out for her in the solarium. She muttered, “You guys went for extra training.”
“Knowing that you were here and we were there, this felt like the best option.” He fluffed her pillow and helped her arrange herself with her giant belly protruding.
She was at month eleven. The baby was huge, and c-section was the only way it was going to get out.
Karus sat with her while her tea was poured into a delicate cup with a saucer. She tried to sip the tea, but it was too hot, so she put the teacup on her belly and listened to the tinkling sound that it made as the baby moved around.
He chuckled. “You are fond of that trick.”
“It is the only one I can do right now. How much longer are we going to leave it?”
He sobered. “Two more days. The medics are getting the delivery suite ready. Can you hold out two more days?”
The cup rattled hard. She looked at him and grimaced. “I can, but he might not be up for it.”
He reached out, and she took his hand. Her parents stood by, and when it was time for her to head up for some rest, she felt hands levering her up, and Karus lifted her carefully.
&nbs
p; She was taken to her palatial bedroom, and Karus helped her undress before he tucked her into the bed.
She was too uncomfortable to sleep, so she just lay back with her tablet propped on her belly and planned another colony town on Gwella.
Her baby grew quiet after two hours, and she could feel something going on.
Karus wasn’t with her, none of the new staff were nearby, and she didn’t have her com on her. She took the nails of her left hand and jammed them into the palm of her right hand, just as her water broke.
“Shit. This isn’t the way it’s supposed to be.” She yelled for help and crawled out of bed to kneel next to it. She felt something emerging between her thighs, and she breathed in and out as her body gave some half-hearted pushes, and the baby emerged in the strangest configuration.
The large, chubby child that she had seen on the monitors was collapsed to a thin tube. It was out of her, but they were still connected, Karus burst into the room, “Cassandra!”
She was lying back and holding her child as it filled out. The cord between them was heavy and pulsing. It was inflating the muscles and tissue back to health.
“Hey, Karus. We have a baby boy.”
He placed his hand over hers and the baby. “Yes, Cassandra, we do.”
One of the medics reached for the cord.
“Stop! Don’t touch it until it’s out of me.”
The medic paused, unaware of what the child had looked like when it emerged.
“The baby, he just slid out. He was all compressed, and he came out easily. Now, he is getting back to the shape we saw on the scan.”
It took several minutes, but she felt the placenta moving out of her. “Now, we are good.”
The cord was cut, the remains of the birth removed for analysis, and after some minor repairs, she was back in her cleaned bed with her baby firmly attached to her breast.
Karus was lying next to her, wondering at the steel-blue baby that was in her arms. “He’s wonderful.”
She chuckled. “He is. It is good that he respects that his mother might want to have sex again in her lifetime.”
