Chapter 7
Seven
The shop was bigger on the inside than it had any right to be.
The ceiling stretched upward into shadow, and narrow aisles wound between towering shelves that seemed to go on forever.
Every surface was covered with things. Art and furniture and clothing and jewelry and books and tools and objects Holly couldn’t even identify.
Lamps cast warm pools of light that made the merchandise glow like treasure in a dragon’s hoard.
The air smelled of warm spices and honey tea, sweet and inviting.
Holly stood just inside the door and stared.
She didn’t know where to begin. It was like a candy store for adults, overwhelming in the best possible way.
She instantly loved how she felt in here.
Surrounded by possibility. By beauty. By the promise that somewhere in this maze of wonders was something perfect, waiting to be found.
Two very tall beings emerged from one of the narrow aisles and approached her with measured grace.
Holly’s eyes widened as she recognized them as Vepins, a species both ancient and far more evolved than humans.
She’d never met one in person. Their skin was opalescent, almost translucent, with colors shifting beneath the surface like light through a soap bubble.
Their eyes were large and pale, blinking slowly as they regarded her.
Their mouths were small, their features delicate.
Long dark hair fell past their shoulders, shimmering with rainbows like oil on water.
They wore flowing robes that obscured most of their bodies, moving like silk in a gentle breeze.
There was something calming about them. A zen-like stillness that made Holly’s shoulders relax without her meaning to.
“Welcome,” the one in front said in a soft, warm voice. “I am Orba. This is my companion, Sula.” The other being inclined their head but remained slightly back. “You must be Holly Greene-Moone, from the city of Nova. We are pleased to meet you. Welcome to The Emporium.”
“Thank you.” Holly glanced around the shop again, still amazed by it. “This place is incredible.”
“The Emporium carries everything,” Orba said. “And if there is something you need that is not here, we can get it for you.”
“Everything, really?” Holly raised one skeptical brow. “Surely there are some things you can’t get.”
“We can procure anything our clients can legally purchase,” Orba said. “We have access to the entire galactic commerce system.”
Then why were they here of all places, Holly wondered. It was an impossibly rude question and one she would never ask. Vepin wisdom was deep and undeniable, making their motivations both cryptic and opaque. Likely, if she did ask, she’d get an answer that was equally cryptic and opaque.
Orba’s pale eyes drifted down to Holly’s outfit. Holly looked down at herself. She was wearing the shoes that had gotten her fired, the soft flats in iron oxide #4, paired with a simple gray suit. It wasn’t a work suit, exactly, but it was close. Plain. Safe. Forgettable.
“I wonder,” Orba said gently, “if there is something you would like wearing more than that.”
Holly felt her cheeks warm. “I’m only here to look, really. I’m exploring the outpost. And I wouldn’t know where to begin in a shop like this anyway.” She gestured at the towering shelves. “It would take weeks to go through the whole thing.”
Orba and Sula exchanged a look. Something passed between them, silent and knowing.
“As Vepins,” Orba said, “we have an ability that may help. If you allow it, we can look into your eyes and know exactly what you want. Then we can deliver it to you directly.”
It was hard not to be in awe of Vepins, and maybe a little bit nervous.
Their species was highly advanced, telepathic, capable of changing shape, and genderless.
How they reproduced was anyone’s guess, but clearly, they managed it.
The idea of someone looking into her mind made her wary, and it must have shown on her face.
“We simply want to deliver what our customers want,” Orba said calmly. “We have no ill intent.” The tall being tilted their head, studying Holly with those pale, slow-blinking eyes. “I can tell that you are not comfortable. And that you haven’t been in a long time.”
That struck closer to the truth than Holly wanted to admit. She thought about refusing, about making her excuses and leaving. But she was trying to start fresh here. Trying to be open to new things. And if she couldn’t trust the shopkeepers in her own outpost, what hope did she have?
“All right,” Holly said reluctantly. “What do I need to do?”
Orba stepped closer. They were very tall, and Holly had to tilt her head back to meet their eyes. “Just relax. Open your mind.”
Holly tried. She locked eyes with Orba and attempted to let go of the tension she carried in her shoulders, her jaw, her chest. But they were unnerving up close, those shifting colors beneath their skin, that unblinking gaze.
“Ah,” Orba said softly.
Sula turned and disappeared into the aisles without a word. Holly heard the soft rustle of fabric, the click of hangers. Moments later, Sula returned with an armful of clothing.
Holly stared at the garments before her.
A loose tunic in swirling shades of amber and copper, with a wide neckline clearly meant to slide off one shoulder.
It was light and beautiful, the fabric flowing like water.
Close-fitting knit pants in a deep bronze color, soft as butter when Holly reached out to touch them.
And a delicate chain necklace strung with uncut crystals in shades of pink and gold that caught the light like captured stars.
“You are pleased by your shoes, so we did not bring you new ones.”
“These are perfect,” Holly breathed. “You could just…see that I’d like this?”
Orba’s small mouth curved in a slight smile. Sula’s expression was a mild reflection of it.
Holly extended her wrist with her currency chip, but Orba raised a hand to stop her.
“Keep your nits,” Orba said. “You have five thousand credits remaining in your grandfather’s account, which is now yours. These items cost only fifteen. Shall I subtract the total from your credits?”
Holly blinked. “I have credits here?”
“Charles maintained an account with us. The balance transfers to you.”
Five thousand credits at this store. That was more than she had expected. Holly was tempted to stay and shop more, to lose herself in the endless aisles of The Emporium, but she had more of the outpost to explore. And one splurge was enough for the day.
“Yes, please subtract it,” Holly said. “And thank you. Both of you.”
Orba inclined their head gracefully. “These items will be delivered to your living unit at the hotel. Oh, and may I offer a small bit of advice?”
Holly paused in turning to leave. She did not get the impression that the Vepin handed out advice often, but when they did, it would be wise to listen.
“Not everyone at Moone’s Landing is what they seem,” Orba said. Those pale eyes held Holly’s with an intensity that felt almost like a warning. “Some will not appear as friends, but can be. Others will surprise you in ways you’d rather they did not.”
That was cryptic with a light, foreboding edge that made Holly’s skin prickle. “Thank you,” she managed. “For the items and the advice. I think.”
But despite the oddness, she felt good as she pushed open the door and stepped back into the square. Lighter than she had since arriving.
The light outside filtered from the dome in golden shafts. Holly took a deep breath and headed for the pathway that led to the forest area she had glimpsed earlier.
The stone walkway gave way to packed dirt, and the buildings fell away behind her.
Soon she was walking beneath a canopy of tall, beautiful trees.
Here, the air was cleaner and fresher, scrubbed by the living things that surrounded her.
It felt like home, somehow. Like the forest outside her parents’ house in Canada. She liked it.
Moss carpeted the ground in soft, green waves.
Small plants with delicate fronds unfurled from the shadows between tree roots.
The trees themselves were varied and strange.
Some she recognized: oaks and maples and tall, white-barked birches.
Others were clearly not from Earth. One had bark that spiraled up its trunk like a twisted ribbon.
Another had leaves that glowed faintly blue at the edges.
A third appeared to be covered in soft, downy fur that rippled when she walked past, as if sensing her presence.
They all lived together in beautiful, wild array. Earth plants and alien species, coexisting beneath the dome.
Holly emerged into a clearing and found a garden area.
Or what had once been a garden area. It was overgrown and dry, the soil cracked in places, some of the plants withered beyond saving.
But parts of it were being maintained. Rows of vegetables struggled along in raised beds.
Herbs grew in pots. And a section of tall, vertical-growing modules appeared vibrant, their trailing stems tipped with clusters of fruits and vegetables.
A woman stood at one of the vertical gardens, her back to Holly. She had bright orange hair pulled back in a messy knot, and she was picking large clumps of purple berries from the vines that cascaded down the module’s frame.
Holly approached with a smile, ready to introduce herself.
She was instantly surrounded by over a dozen small children.