Chapter 5 #2
My initial idea for a hiding spot would be to stash it under the floor boards, but the entire structure of the ship seemed to be solid metal, and it only opened up when the aliens wanted it to.
So, that idea was out.
I moved into the bathroom. At least here, it seemed more untouched.
Then I got another idea.
I carefully pulled out the bottom drawer of the cabinet until it couldn’t open any further, and it got stuck on its track.
I really hoped this thing was built similar to human cabinets…
I carefully lifted the drawer up at an angle, and it popped free of its track completely.
Bingo.
I removed the bottom drawer, and sure enough, just as I’d suspected, there was a gap between the bottom track and the floor, big enough for the strange alien device I’d taken from the cafe. I carefully placed the small piece onto the floor before I put the drawer back.
I made sure the drawer was perfectly aligned on its track, and I ensured it could open and close without resistance.
It did.
Then I got up and admired my handiwork. Nobody should suspect anything was amiss here.
With that taken care of, I finished removing my dress pants and pulled the bodysuit back on.
I wasn’t sure where exactly I was supposed to leave my suit and stuff, so I just piled it all on top of the dresser before I climbed into bed.
Hopefully, whatever thing brought them in my room would know where they’re actually supposed to go.
I closed my eyes and tried to relax my brain, but the lights were still on, and they were insanely bright. I sat up and glanced around the room again.
I still couldn’t see a switch anywhere.
“Uh…” I said out loud, though I wasn’t sure who I was talking to exactly. Perhaps the ship itself. “Could you do something about the light?”
Suddenly, the light flickered out, and I was left in almost complete darkness. The only light left in my room was from the stars and moonlight that filtered in from my window.
“Er, thanks,” I said awkwardly to no one in particular.
Then I laid my head back down.
I was suddenly very tired, and the bed was incredibly comfortable, but it still took a long time before I was able to fall asleep. I kept thinking of everything that had happened today, and the two people I saw who died right in front of me.
I kept waiting for the aliens to appear through my walls and kill me while I laid here all vulnerable, and I wondered if the other contestants were having just as hard of a time as I was with falling asleep.
I fingered the collar around my neck as I thought of the disembodied voice’s explanation.
Each man was perfectly matched to one woman in the group. Was it really true? And if so, what was the match based on? Chemistry? Science? Did the aliens have their own weird matchmaking database that paired like-minded individuals?
And if it was all true, then who in the group was my perfect match? My brain went to Sadie. I’d known her the longest, and even though we were still relative strangers for all intents and purposes, I also knew her the best.
And I certainly got along with her very well.
Then there was Parker.
I didn’t know the woman at all, but she was so energetic and adventurous, and there was just something about her that seemed to make my heart race when I was near her.
At some point, I was finally able to drift off, and when I did, I imagined this was all just a dream, and I was sure when I woke up, things would all be back to normal again.
Then I opened my eyes to see a familiar sterile, white ceiling.
Well, shit.
It wasn’t all a dream.
I got out of bed and carefully moved to the door. I listened for a long moment before I exited my room, just to ensure nothing sounded out of the ordinary outside.
There was only silence.
I opened the door and creeped down the hall.
The large table from the previous evening was gone, and the long counter was back. This time, the counter was filled with things like oatmeal, toast, scrambled eggs, bacon, bagels, and just about any other breakfast food a person could think of.
It smelled incredible, and I moved closer so I could make a plate.
All the other guys were awake, but none of the women appeared to be up yet. Kyle was seated with his two followers, whose names I finally learned last night over dinner, Martin and Zade. They were all stuffing their faces and laughing far too loudly.
Nothing they were talking about could possibly be that funny.
Tyler was seated by himself and as far away from the group as possible.
I quietly loaded up my plate with eggs, fresh fruit, toast, and breakfast meats before I went to join him.
“Good morning,” I said as I sat down.
“Oh, morning.” Tyler had apparently been deep in thought, and he looked surprised by my sudden appearance. “Did you sleep okay?”
“As well as I could, given the circumstances.” I shrugged. “You?”
“About the same,” Tyler sighed.
We both fell silent as we ate our food.
Tyler wasn’t much of a talker, which was fine by me, because I wasn’t, either. Plus, it gave me the opportunity to fully savor my meal.
Of all the options for eggs, each cooked in various ways, I’d opted for the classic.
Scrambled.
And they tasted amazing. The eggs were light, fluffy, and well-seasoned. And to top it all off, they had gooey pockets of melted cheese mixed into them, which only added to the flavor.
The toast was just the right level of crispy, and it was buttered to the exact level I preferred. The fruit tasted like it had been harvested fresh that morning, and the sausage and bacon were perfectly cooked and slightly greasy. Exactly as they should be.
The bacon in particular was crispy and chewy all at the same time.
A large part of me wondered how the aliens got all this food in the first place. There was no way they’d prepared all of this themselves. I didn’t care how advanced a society got. Nobody could perfect this level of culinary skill in only a week.
Did they just take the food from local restaurants? Maybe they’d kidnapped several chefs? I supposed if they were truly advanced enough, the aliens could somehow synthesize our food and make copies.
Though, if that technology actually existed, it was foreign to me.
We continued to eat in silence, but every so often, the other guys’ laughter would cut into the quiet.
“What the hell are they even talking about over there?” I asked as I frowned at the group.
“The women,” Tyler said around a mouthful of toast. “They’ve been at it all morning, speculating who their match will end up being.”
There was something about the way Tyler said this that led me to believe he was unhappy about it.
“Is something wrong?” I pressed.
At first, Tyler didn’t say anything, and he simply stared hard at his plate.
I waited.
“Let’s just say, whatever women do end up with those guys…” he finally continued. “They deserve better.”
What the hell had Kyle and the others been saying?
We fell into another long stretch of silence, and I could tell my companion was tense, so I decided a change of subject could help rectify the situation.
“Did anyone catch your eye yesterday during the speed dating?” I asked in a light tone.
“A few,” Tyler admitted sheepishly. “You?”
My thoughts drifted to Sadie, then Parker. I even thought Claire was really nice, though we hadn’t had much in common, and I thought she’d be better matched elsewhere.
“Same,” I replied vaguely.
We both exchanged grins, which quickly faded from our faces when we noticed Kyle and his companions approaching.
“So, guys, what did you think of the speed dating yesterday?” Kyle asked with a wide grin.
Tyler didn’t even try to respond, and I knew Kyle would only continue to push the matter if we refused to reply. So, I played along.
“It was interesting,” I said, and I kept my response short and to the point.
“What girl do you think you’ll end up with?” Kyle asked, and I could see a glimmer of mocking in his eyes.
“Who knows,” I replied casually. “They all seem very nice, though.”
“Very nice indeed,” Kyle mused. “I especially like that Sadie girl, she seems so shy and quiet. I wonder if she’s still a virgin…”
He sounded predatory, and I bristled at the derogatory way he spoke about the woman.
“I think you should probably shut up now,” I said.
I kept my expression light and pleasant, but I made sure there was a note of warning in my tone.
Of course, the dumbass ignored it to continue his musings.
“Or even that one really fit girl,” he continued. “What’s her name? Parker, or something like that? She’s got a nice rack on her, and those soft little lips would look so good wrapped around my coc--”
“I told you to shut the fuck up, Kyle,” I interrupted, and this time, I let any pleasantries drop from my face.
“Oh, yeah?” Kyle puffed out his chest and took a step closer to me.
I was sure the act was supposed to look intimidating, but it brought to mind images of a baby rooster trying to make itself look bigger and more like the surrounding adults.
It was a sad attempt, and I didn’t feel the least bit scared or intimidated. Honestly, I’d just wanted him to stop talking about the women, and I’d succeeded, so he could do whatever else he wanted for all I cared.
“Oh, now you’re going to ignore me?” he continued when I didn’t immediately square up to him and join him in his stupid game. “Come on, you think you’re so tough. Let’s see what you got, Davis.”
“I’m not going to participate in your dumb pissing contest,” I grumbled.
“Why? Afraid I’d hurt you?” Kyle laughed.
It was more the other way around. Kyle was already annoying as hell, and if we got into a fight and I beat the shit out of him, then I’d never hear the end of it.
“Yeah, sure,” I replied as I sarcastically rolled my eyes. “You got me. That’s definitely the reason.”
My lack of interest in fighting with him only seemed to make Kyle more insistent.
“Come on,” he said again, and this time his tone was much louder. “Get up!”
Still, I ignored him.
Then he took a step forward and swung at me.