Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
Nine humans, one new adventure
Garrison
ELLIE SAT cross-legged on her bed, cradling a cup of neka tea, the flavour of the translucent green brew somewhere close to coffee. “I can’t believe you’re leaving already.”
The rest of us crammed into the room she shared with a couple of the other women, our small bags packed with our meagre belongings, plus whatever else we’d managed to accumulate in the ten days we’d been on Draim Station.
The weird limbo we’d been in was changing all over again, and none of it seemed real.
Would Ellie be all right with staying here on her own, once we’d gone and reality set in?
Not that there was much I could do if she regretted it.
Hell, there was nothing I could do if any of us regretted our choices.
We all said our goodbyes with promises to keep in touch and more than a few tears.
The galactic wrist-comm was similar enough to New Earth tech but vastly superior at working longer distances, and we’d been assured we’d be able to speak to each other from major connection points.
Not that we were all going to one of those.
Ellie gave me a hug, and I wrapped her in my arms.
“Look after yourself, okay?” I said into her hair.
“I will, Garrison. Don’t worry about me.”
“I worry about everyone.”
“I know, and it’s cute, but we’ll be fine. We have to be.”
She was right. We were at that point where we just had to trust.
“Thank you, by the way.” She held me at arm’s length.
“What for?”
“For everything.” She cocked her head to one side, giving me a small smile. “But also for yesterday. And not judging me.”
I shifted restlessly. I hadn’t done anything particularly special. “It’s nothing. And why the hell would I judge you?”
She crossed her arms. “I know a few people think I’m an alien chaser or that I’m fetishising them, which I’m not. Or that I should have expected last night.”
“Fuck that,” I growled.
“And that’s why you’re great. You don’t judge people, you just care. And that’s special.” She patted my cheek. “Shame you’re not my type, really, ’cause you’re a catch. I hope you find your person someday.”
My cheeks heated. “Yeah, with my smooth human skin and my small human dick, I’m a real catch to all the aliens.” Never thought I’d find a context where that would be a thing I’d say.
She spluttered. “That’s not even— It’s not why I—”
“Babe, own it. Enjoy. Have all the big alien dick. Just spare me the details when you comm me. I don’t need to know what the gharian’s got.”
“Dude. He’s my boss. Never gonna happen.”
“Whatever you say, El.” Before I turned away, I added, “Is he more lizard or snake?”
“Why?”
I grinned. “Snakes have two dicks, don’t they?”
Her intrigued gasp faded into the limbo of waiting. I rocked on the balls of my feet, fighting the relentless energy that wanted us to plunge into motion, needing to postpone the moment that goodbye became real. Eventually, Roth ushered us all out of the room.
The walk down the metallic corridors felt as momentous as the first time we’d done it, marched by the Reserve to the detention block.
Except this time, the uniform, hollow space was filled with excited chatter, and the thin strip lights along the tops of the walls seemed to line the way towards a brighter future.
I didn’t remember what the dock looked like, but today, I took it all in.
One of the giant Reserve ships, possibly even the one we came in on, was visible through the massive window, clinging to the side of the station like a growth.
Smaller Reserve shuttles lined up in eerie order against the next line of berths.
The smallest docking area must have been the civilian one.
A handful of mismatched ships got closer as we walked, and I wondered whether the Dorimisa was the rounded, dumpy one, the sleek-but-boxy one, or the sharp, needle-like craft.
We rounded the next corner and they were lost from view as we headed towards the docking tube, both similar to New Earth tech and different.
Station security stopped us at the checkpoint gate. The archon’s assistant was a welcome sight, though I suspected he was there to make sure we’d left, more than to see us off. Regardless, the gharian took care of the formalities for us.
“May your travels bring you to a new life,” he said, and then there was only one thing left.
We hovered our wrists over the scanner, which chirruped at us as if to say, you’re on your own now.
We were through the gate before I could give Ellie another hug.
Captain Shohari and her crew paid us no attention. I watched her brief exchange with the diplomat, presumably arranging payment for our passage, until she clasped his upper arm and headed our way.
“Skykking Reserve checkpoints,” she muttered as she reached us. “This way.”
She strode down the tube with her crew, not bothering to check if we were following. Her chunky boots had some kind of spurs on the heel. Did she have spines there too?
A sliver of skin showed above the boots, and I barely noticed what the docking tube looked like or if I could work out which ship we were boarding as I watched the sway of her curvy arse in her tight leather breeches.
When I caught myself, I dragged my eyes upwards, but the way her broad shoulders filled out her tunic wasn’t any less distracting, nor were the bulging muscles of her arms. She had spines there, small lines of them over her traps and down the tops of her triceps.
I ignored the fact I hadn’t given the equally voluptuous Muzati more than a passing glance. It was only that it had been a while, rather than the cantankerous captain herself catching my attention, even if her body made me think things I hadn’t for a long time.