Chapter Two #2
This would be different. The previous two companions offered to him had been weeping and convinced his touch would destroy their souls for the afterlife.
He let them be, and when they decided to seek their ends, he just let them go.
When they were dead, he had bots pack them in capsules and return them to their people.
From what he had gathered, they were honoured as martyrs.
He looked through the archives and saw images of Hmrain with Urther consorts, both looking happy and strong in each photo.
In Kethen’s image, his mate was taller than species standard, but the child he was holding made the surly elder beam with savage joy.
Birun called Kethen. He needed to know about this species, elder to elder.
An hour later, Kethen said, “And I cannot emphasize this enough. Get her language. Learn it. I couldn’t say her name for over six months, and it drove me mad.”
“What did you call her?”
“Pet, and it made her laugh every time.” Kethen grinned. “The baby is amazing. It has my markings and wings and is growing so fast.” He chuckled. “It inherited Janessa’s temper, so that can occasionally be an issue. She has an amazing right hook.”
Birun smiled. “You get beaten up by your consort?”
“Well, I don’t always pay attention, so she is good at requesting it.” Kethen grinned, his enormous fangs on display. “You have an Urther consort?”
“No. Not yet, but a companion-class female has been dropped onto my world. Indicators are that we are a match.”
Kethen smiled. “Do you want to make sure?”
“Why?”
“You can put some of your venom or nanites into her system. Use the IV that is in the tank.”
“That seems rude.”
“That might work. She doesn’t know how to insist or request, so taking the decision off her hands might be helpful, Honourable Birun.”
Kethen blinked. “What was that?”
Birun smiled. “She created an AI system that uses my voice. She found it in an archive on Bellen. She likes it.”
Kethen grinned. “That is a start.”
Birun paused and then said, “Do you think she will seek death?”
Kethen smiled kindly. “The ones who survived fought for two years on a dying world. Being alive is their religion, by whatever means necessary. They don’t fight to survive and then just give it up. Those who did are buried within the world they refused to fight for.”
Birun blinked. “Right. So, she will fight rather than simply fade.”
“Correct. Or she will find her own way to make her point. Hopefully, she isn’t a biter. It is fun but startling when it kicks off.” Kethen grinned. “She had to learn where to bite, but she was a drinker her entire pregnancy.”
Birun looked down at his white hide. “That would be rather messy.”
Kethen chuckled. “That is what sonic showers are for. It helps through the adaptation period.”
“Well, brother. Thank you for the talk.”
“Don’t forget the language thing. It is vital. They are very witty, but until they are good with other languages, they keep it to their own.”
“May I call you again?”
“Of course. My consort is out with the baby and friends, so she may be here the next time. Just a warning.”
“Understood. Have a bright day.”
Kethen ended the call, and Birun sat back. Did he want to begin a bond with this creature without speaking with her? No. Her life did not require his interference. Their discussions would be calm and forthright. Nothing would be done to her that she didn’t consent to.
Birun took the scans and arranged clothing for her. Based on her initial clothing, she would appreciate a bodysuit, but a skirt could be incorporated to make it pretty, and it could be lined with insulators to keep her warm. He smiled as he selected colours that would mimic his own appearance.
He selected boots with a solid grip and summoned a tablet for her. She would appreciate it. The one she had arrived with cracked.
“You are very considerate. She will enjoy the clothing and the tablet.” Boss sounded relieved. “You are not going to push for consort garb?”
“I will offer her a technician contract for this base. If she wants to work, she can work. If she wants to write programs, she can write programs. I have time. She has time.”
The woman started to thrash gently in the fluid, and her eyes opened. Ice blue stared at him, and a black cloak of hair floated around her. He smiled. “That is definitely something I look forward to looking at for a while.”
He walked up the steps and stuck his hand into the fluid. When she gripped his hand, he held on and pulled her out of the fluid and flipped her upside down, removing the mask as she choked and drained the oxygenated liquid out of her lungs.
The tubes retracted, and she choked and then coughed wildly. When she inhaled deeply without gargling, Birun held her, jumped off the top of the tube, and walked to the nearest solar shower.
He supported her and washed the fluid off with blasts of light. She was limp against him as he cleaned and dried her. She whispered, “You are the local Hmrain?”
“I am. This is Sanctuary Base. I am Birun. Also known as Birun the Cold or the Solitary.”
“Nice. I am Trin William. I used to be Will, but the name didn’t feel right.” Her voice was hoarse.
“I have already met Boss. The sound of him was amusing.”
“Oh. Um. I will change it.” She looked up at him, still leaning on him. She was very soft and smaller than he was comfortable with.
He grinned. “Not necessary. I don’t mind it. Boss has been very forthcoming.”
She blinked. “Oh. I am leaning on you.”
“You are. Ah, your clothing is ready. Do you mind if I carry you?”
“Um, thank you. That will be helpful.”
He nodded and lifted her. She was tense, and it brought her musculature into view. She was made of sinew and bone. “Did Nebel not worry about your body condition?”
“Everyone on Bellen is the next thing to naked, and I wore a body suit, so I am guessing it never registered. Lily noticed and chided me for it, but she’s a hugger.”
He nodded. “I have noticed, and I am going to make sure you improve your condition.”
She stared up at him. “You are?”
“Yes, and until you are comfortable with me, I would like to offer you a contract as a station tech. The entire space will be at your mercy.” He smiled.
“You don’t even know me.”
“I have talked to Boss, read your files, and talked to a worried Nebel and Lily. I know a little about you, and you want to be useful, so choose what you want to do.”
“You... looked into me?” She frowned.
“Not yet, but I hope to one day receive an invitation.”
She stared at him, and embarrassment coloured her cheeks. “You aren’t going to demand it?”
“There are only you and I to hear the demand. I am not trying to assert myself or drive off other males.”
She blinked. “Oh, but it is on your mind?”
“It is an idea that has been encouraged by Boss, Nebel, and Kethen.”
“Kethen?” She stared at him. “You called Kethen?”
“He and I are close to contemporaries. Both Elder by classification.”
“I have never heard of you.”
He chuckled. “I have been asleep.”
He walked past the tank she had been in, and a minute later, he was easing her to her feet. “There is a chair behind you to help you get into your bodysuit and boots. The floors are warm in places, cool in others. Boots are needed.”
She looked at him and down at his bare feet.
He smiled. “Boots are needed for those who aren’t me.”
She smiled and nodded, sitting down.
He took the bodysuit off the unit and handed it to her. He walked over and caught the boots as the finisher completed them. She had slipped her feet into the leggings and was working them up her thighs. Watching her hips wiggle, he may have underestimated the draw she held.
She got into the suit and sealed it, flipping her hair down her back after she pried it out of the suit. She looked at him and saw the boots. Her eyes lit up. “Oh, thank you.”
He swallowed. When she smiled, she was stunning. Her face glowed with happiness. She stepped into her boots, fastened the closures, and hopped up and down in them. “Oh, they feel so soft.” Her eyes nearly rolled back in her head with happiness. “Thank you, Honourable Birun.”
“Call me sir or Birun. You enjoy soft textures?” He tried to remain casual.
“Yes. I have sensory issues, so sound is important, and touch is important.” She ran her hands over her waist and hips. “This fabric is very nice. Thank you.”
He frowned. “Why do you keep thanking me?”
“Because you have provided comforts without being asked. So, I thank you for giving what you want because you wanted to.”
Birun stared into her icy eyes and smiled. “Interesting. Come with me. I will show you the food dispenser. If you are as good at programming as you think, you are welcome to add menu items from your own world.”
“Is that a challenge?” Trin looked up at him.
“It is if you want to eat familiar foods. You have access to full coms and can speak to anyone you can contact for information or details. I will give you our transmit codes.”
She stopped and stared at him. “You would just give me the codes?”
“Sure. We are literally the only two people on this world. Who are you going to tell?” He flung his arms wide and did a slow turn. “No one. I don’t think Boss eats, so you will have to consume your own experiments.”
“Do you prefer to be by yourself?”
“Not particularly, but that is how things have always worked out.”
They started walking again, and they ended up in an empty commissary. Birun took her by the hand, showed her to the scanner, which chirped, and showed her a selection of foods she could eat.
“Choose what you like now, and after you eat, I will show you the unit you can use for experimentation.”
“Wait, so there is a unit I can take apart?”
“Certainly. I will prepare the contract to make you tech of this base, and we can discuss what you want from life. Or from me. I am good with either.”
She frowned, and then something dawned on her. “You are speaking one of the Terran languages.”
“Kethen said it was important as there were some words that defied translation.”
“You took advice?” She was watching the counter as her food was prepared.
“I can, and I do, especially when I have been asleep for a few centuries. I am not sharp until I fully wake, and I cannot do that by myself.”
She glanced at him. “What is needed for that?”
“A consort, but we have time. I don’t need to spring into action right now, so immediate waking is not needed.”
The unit chimed, and she got her tray, walking toward the seats with narrow backs. He followed her and smiled as he sat. “You have associated with Hmrain before.”
“Nebel and my grandfather liked to discuss nano machines. When other Hmrain came to visit, Nebel and Lily brought them over to chat with an elder Terran. There weren’t a lot of them.” She picked up her spork and prodded at the stew while she planned her attack.
“Why not?”
“Surviving was rough. Grandpa and I got a desalination plant up and running. Got well pumps and geothermal heating units working. Our first six months were frenzied, and we even got some hydroponics going. From there, I just had to keep him healthy until we could get a rescue. I didn’t calculate it coming from space, but I shouldn’t have been surprised. ”
He blinked. “You know how to do all that?”
“Oh, all that and more. I read every mechanical manual that I had access to and even took out folks on raids to get more books from libraries.” She grimaced and started eating.
He smiled. “Well, once you finish playing with the base, I suppose we can expand your playground to the planet itself.”
She paused, blinked, and kept eating mechanically.
Birun laughed silently. He had her hooked. Now, he just needed to get her a set of tools and set her loose. His consort was a mechanic.