Chapter 15 #5
He shook his head, his eyes gleaming with keen interest.
“Joy,” I said calmly. “Positive emotions soothed the pain I was in. This was one of the main reasons I joined the band. Have you ever been to a concert or sports event?”
He nodded in a self-evident manner.
“People attend them because the energy is electric. You want to be surrounded by that collective enthusiasm. It’s contagious and makes the experience far greater than when you watch it alone in your home.
It is almost like a hive mind that has everyone vibrating to the same tune for the duration of the event.
But hatred, anger, and fear are extremely harmful to me.
They’re slimy and stab at my brain. I hate how those emotions feel, not to mention the pain they inflict me. ”
“Right,” Colin said pensively. “Arafin explained that you perceive other people’s emotions both as physical and sensory manifestations.”
“I do. Therefore, I would never consent to performing a job that subjects me to these emotions or drives me to inflict them onto others. I want to protect people and bring them joy. The most wondrous feelings are hope, happiness, love, and above all being in the presence of soulmates.”
To my surprise, Colin smirked with a knowing expression. “I knew you would say something like that.”
“Oh?” I said, my curiosity piqued.
“Although your psychiatric evaluations state that you have very strong hunter and predator instincts, you’re dominantly a protector and nurturer,” Colin said with a slightly dejected expression.
“It’s a pity, really. You could have been one of our best squad leaders.
But your offensive side will only kick in if you feel threatened, and especially if you see someone vulnerable in danger.
You wouldn’t thrive in the types of roles I would have wanted for you.
That leaves us with the question of what shall we do with you? ”
A fair question I had been pondering myself from the moment Linsea warned me the Enforcer’s director would attempt to recruit me again.
“Maybe I should become an alien matchmaker,” I said teasingly.
To my shock, Colin didn’t smile or laugh at my lame joke but gave me an assessing look instead.
“It was a joke,” I said in a self-evident tone when he appeared to be weighing the merit of that statement.
He tilted his head to the side and gave me an odd look. “Was it?”
“Of course!” I exclaimed forcefully. “I was just repeating a random comment a friend made a while back to lighten the mood. And anyway, what the fuck would the Enforcers or the UPO want with a matchmaker?”
“You’re passionate about primitive species, are you not?” Colin asked, ignoring my question.
“Absolutely,” I replied in an imperious tone. “They must be defended at all costs against greedy conglomerates and questionable people seeking to profit from more vulnerable species. Every world should have the right to evolve at their own pace and according to their own terms.”
“Exactly,” he said with a satisfied expression. “And you could help make that happen by matching them.”
My brain froze, and I stared at him in complete confusion. What the fuck did that even mean? How did pairing a couple in any way help achieve the protection of primitive species?
He gave me an indulgent smile. “Throughout history, marriage has been used to build strong alliances between peoples. Primitive species are generally closed off and inaccessible to the commonfolk. You could help open those doors.”
My face hardened. “Are you asking me to help infiltrate them?”
He snorted and shook his head. “No, I want you to help us form bonds with them. The best way to learn about someone’s culture is by living with them.
A temporary visit for a couple of days doesn’t show you the real picture.
Through their mates, we can learn a lot about them as well as provide both guidance and protection. ”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “What you’re saying still sounds a lot like infiltration.”
He smiled. “There’s a fine line between infiltration, assimilation, and collaboration.
Someone like you, with the power to know when two people are soulmates, will help create the kind of pairings that will ensure the protection of primitive people.
I mean your soulmate will always want what’s best for you, right? ”
I nodded, although still far from convinced. “True though that may be, do you know what are the odds of me ever finding a primitive alien’s other half? There are billions of people throughout the galaxy. I might as well try to count how many drops of water are in the ocean.”
Colin’s smile broadened. “What does it matter? You still get to meet those aliens, talk to them, and learn about their cultures. You always wanted to meet primitive species. What more perfect deal could you ask for?”
My heart leapt. He was making an excellent point.
Even now, my mind buzzed with all the species I wished I could have interacted with directly or gotten to spend a few weeks in their midst. Despite the excitement bubbling inside me, I forced myself to rein in my enthusiasm.
There were far too many holes in this plan.
I hated failure. I didn’t mind hard work, but embarking on a project that was doomed before it even began didn’t feature anywhere on my to do list.
“Fair,” I replied carefully. “But what if I fail to yield any positive results? What if I never match anyone or only once in a very rare while?”
He shrugged. “I don't worry about that. The result will slowly but surely come. You only need extensive exposure to as many people as possible. What you need to understand is that people will flock to you. Throughout the universe, love is one of the biggest businesses in any society. The industries that continuously thrive are those connected to helping people find a life partner. Do you know how many matchmaking agencies exist in the known galaxy?”
“Tons of them!” I exclaimed. “Which is exactly my point! When people think of finding a mate, they don’t think Enforcers or UPO!”
Colin chuckled. “Which is why you will not be officially employed by either. You will simply have the UPO as an affiliate and major sponsor. People are tired of throwing their money at agencies that fail them and wasting their time dating partners that were pretty much guaranteed to be incompatible right from the start. With you, the perfect match is guaranteed. They will fight each other for your services.”
“Assuming I even manage to find their soulmate!” I repeated, baffled that he seemed to fail to see my point.
He gave me an indulgent smile. “You worry too much. People buy lottery tickets knowing that their chances of winning are slim to none. But that chance exists. And the reward is more than worth the gamble. You can offer them the ultimate prize for free.”
I perked up, that last comment catching my attention.
“The UPO will pay your wages as well as cover all your operating costs. Matchmaking is merely your cover with the added bonus of allowing you to do all the things you love most, which is to protect primitive species, bring joy to others, and surround yourself with soulmates. It’s a win-win all around. ”
“You’ve really thought about this,” I said, stunned.
Initially, I thought my joke about becoming a matchmaker had planted that seed in his mind. But it was now clear to me that he had already been studying this as a possibility.
He gave me a mysterious look. “I never act on a whim,” he replied as if he had read the thought fleeting through my mind. “I’ve been weighing the pros and cons of that approach since you paired Yinric and Ellen.”
I recoiled. “What?”
“Ellen never would have considered a Raithean as a potential mate, and neither would have Yinric even glanced at a human with a romantic mindset. It wasn’t because of any negative perception of the other species.
It simply wasn’t something they thought about.
Both assumed they would eventually end up with someone of their own race. ”
“Until I meddled in their affairs,” I said with amusement.
“Until you offered them their happily ever after on a silver platter,” Colin countered with an almost triumphant glimmer in his eyes.
“As much as it surprised them, they didn’t question it because they trust you.
Kayog, you do not seem to realize just how charismatic and likable you are.
You make people feel safe. The way you look at people and talk to them give them the impression that they hold your entire attention, like they are the center of your universe during the brief time they interact with you. ”
I shifted uneasily in my chair, unsure how to handle these compliments.
“Like I said, don’t fret so much about quotas.
Even if you only secure one or two matches a year, each one will reinforce your status and credibility,” Colin said forcefully.
“In the meantime, you get to visit all those protected worlds, talk to their people, understand their plights, and document the ways that we could help them.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, looking for any sign of deception.
“Ways we could help them or exploit them?” I challenged.
The strangest expression flitted over his ruggedly handsome features.
“Are you asking me, Colin Wilson, this question? Or are you asking the representative of both the Enforcers and the UPO?”
Something in the way he spoke those words struck me hard. In that instant, I realized he was dropping the mask and laying everything on the table.
“Both,” I said in a serious tone.
“Like any major organization, the UPO and the Enforcers will always want anything that can benefit their members, increase their influence, or give them something they can leverage later. These organizations are not saints, but beneath all the politics and power grabs, their mission remains something I am proud to associate with. So yes, they would love to receive any juicy tidbits that can serve their purposes,” Colin said in a factual manner.
“Fair enough,” I said, appreciating his candor. “And what about you?”
“I’m building a team of people who, like me, want to serve the true purpose of these two organizations.
You’ve met our doctors and trainers here.
Even with your empathic abilities blocked, you can see what professional, dedicated, and good people they are.
You and your mate are exactly the type of personalities we’re looking to add to our ranks.
You’re both highly qualified in your respective fields, truly devoted to protecting the people our organizations were created for, and possess remarkable moral values.
We don’t care about politics here. We care about doing what’s right for the most vulnerable. ”
The passionate way in which he spoke once more screamed of sincerity. I also couldn’t argue with his description of the team I got the pleasure to interact with here. If the rest of the staff under his supervision matched this one, then I could definitely see myself wanting to be a part of it.
“The Prime Directive is being trampled at every turn,” Colin continued with a frown.
“Many of these primitive species either get taken in by those who violated the rules or develop resentment towards off-worlders in general. You could help reset the balance. In many ways, you would act as an informal ambassador and help establish more positive relations with those species. With you bringing happiness to their people, with the endorsement of the UPO, you can help us be seen as friends as they grow into their own powers. It’s a long-term game.
And who better than you to provide recommendations as to how we can assist or raise red flags about current threats or existing rules that need to be revisited? ”
To say he had me seriously excited would be the ultimate understatement. But still, I had countless reservations. Of all the ways this conversation could have gone, never in a million years would I have expected this one.
“You have given me some serious food for thought. But a matchmaker?” I said, my hesitation clearly audible in my voice.
He chuckled and eyed me with a smugness that pissed me off. In his mind, he had already won me over. Knowing that he was probably right made it even more annoying.
“Take the next two days to think about it, and then draft a plan for your matchmaking agency,” Colin said in a commanding tone.
“Two days?” I repeated, confused by what seemed like a random timeline.
“Yes. My firstborn son is due tomorrow. My wife will skin me alive if I’m not there—not that I would want to miss the birth of my little Tedrick for anything in the world.
Talk it out with your mate and come back to me with a plan detailing everything you want.
Go as wild as you deem necessary. With these things, you’re always better off asking for too much to get what you want than not asking for enough and screwing yourself over. ”
I gaped at him as he rose to his feet, gave me an almost taunting nod, then casually strolled out of the room.