12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Damascus

Iris and two crew members were waiting to disembark Progress. Standing far enough away that none of them noticed him, Damascus silently debated on the merits of inviting himself along.

Mia and Dek-lee were back in the cabin, probably still sleeping. For Progress's crew and passengers, it was the middle of the night, while on Tensil station it was mid-morning. Progress only needed to be docked at the station for a few marks before continuing to Hormink waypoint and Dandilow II. They'd be docked just long enough for Iris to tour part of the station.

Tensil station was the last reputable place to buy supplies and refuel and Captain Nomium wasn't about to take any chances relying on purchasing anything at or around Dandilow II. Damascus didn't blame her and even applauded her pushing back against Palathum's impatience.

Thinking of Palathum made him question her absence. Shouldn't she be here with Iris to make sure her pet human didn't get into any trouble while visiting Tensil?

"Human Iris?" a crew member said as she approached the waiting trio. Why did so many Talins use human as if it was a title instead of a species? It was a weird formality, even for his people.

"Greetings, Tortorian," Iris declared, her voice pitched a little higher with excitement. "Are you going with us to visit the station? I can't wait to see the Antani ponds!"

Tortorian sounded a sad rumble as she sank to her knees in front of Iris. "I'm afraid none of us can leave the ship. Manikum and Lossitun are needed to help with the fueling and resupply if we want to leave within the three-mark timeframe."

Iris's smile dimmed a little as she regarded the two Talins on either side of her. "I'm sorry you can't go with me, but I'll bring you both back something."

"No, Iris," Tortorian said, voice firm but gentle. "You know both Palathum and Captain Nomium have forbidden you from venturing anywhere alone." Holding out her arms, she started rumbling out a soothing sound. "You can cling to me if you need to. I'll carry you back to your cabin."

The way the little human squared her shoulders told Damascus she was getting ready to argue with Tortorian.

Stepping forward, Damascus sounded an impatient rattle, making all four of them jump. Had none of them noticed his presence? How disappointing! He'd expect a human to be unaware, but not the crew. Captain Nomium had a reputation for only hiring the best; how could these three be considered elite?

"What are we waiting for?" he asked, pretending as if he'd only now walked up. "The door should be open by now."

"You're free to leave once we've departed this area," Tortorian said as she stood and put her body between him and Iris.

"I have to wait for you to get on the station before I can go?" he asked, feigning ignorance.

"No, we aren't going," Manikum said and tried to press Iris into walking away from the door.

"I thought you were excited to visit this place?" he said, addressing Iris who was half hidden by Tortorian. "Are you afraid to leave the ship now?"

He almost added because you don't trust this crew to keep you safe but managed to refrain. See, he could learn to get along with others, even if they were incompetent.

Iris didn't get a chance to answer his question because the three crew members all started talking at once.

"Where Human Iris goes is none of your concern," Tortorian barked.

"Iris isn't afraid of anything," Manikum said, her voice full of outrage on Iris's behalf. "She's a brave and strong human!"

Lossitun was the only one who didn't sound affronted. "We're needed to help with fueling so can't take Human Iris to view the station. It's a pity, I'd have liked to see the ponds."

"I can take her," Damascus offered and almost sounded a shocked rattled when the words flowed from his mouth as if he'd planned to say them all along. He'd only paused out of curiosity to find out why they were all standing there. He had no interest in this station or ponds.

A shrill warning sounded, and the hatch started opening. No one could talk as it lowered; the top of the hatch clicking into place against the flooring of the station outside creating a ramp.

Once it was in place, the obnoxiously loud sound stopped, and they could hear voices from the foot traffic beyond.

Before Manikum or Tortorian could guide Iris away from the open hatch, she lunged out from around them and grabbed Damascus's hand.

"I'll bring back images of the ponds!" Iris said as she pulled him past the startled crew members and out of the hatch.

"Iris, no!" Tortorian shouted and grabbed Damascus's shoulder.

Damascus shrugged off her hand and turned to face her, baring his teeth and raising his quills. He didn't let himself think about the fact that he shoved Iris behind him exactly as the crew had done when he'd approached them only submarks ago.

"Iris wants to see the ponds. I want to see the ponds. Don't make me hurt you for something so insignificant."

"Human Iris isn't insignificant!" Tortorian spat out, trying to look past him. "Please, Human Iris, come back onto the ship."

"It's fine, Tortorian. Damascus was a soldier, he can keep me safe," Iris said in a firm voice. "And I've wanted to see these ponds since I read about them. You can complain to Palathum, but we're following the rules. I have a Talin escort."

Damascus sounded a mocking rattle. "If I don't bring the human back safely you can leave me behind here."

Tortorian held up her Ident. "Your words are binding," she snarled. Someone shouted from inside the ship, making Lossitun and Manikum jog back inside. Tortorian half-turned, looked back at them, and finally sounded a loud, angry rattle before following them.

"That was unnecessarily dramatic," Iris joked, starting down the ramp again. He was disappointed she didn't try to hold his hand again.

"They weren't being dramatic," he answered. "They were being overly cautious."

Iris snorted. "In a dramatic way. Yet I'm supposed to be the overly emotional one."

After dealing with Merrick and playing with Mia, he thought humans expressed their emotions far more loudly, but he wasn't an idiot. Stating that out loud wouldn't win favor with Iris.

Soon they were in a thick crowd, all going in different directions.

When Iris almost got stepped on by a Hamlershin, Damascus swept her up in his arms and settled her on his right shoulder. He did it so quickly she didn't have a chance to protest, only gasp. Then she wiggled a little on his shoulder but didn't struggle.

"I was going to complain, but I can see everything from up here!" Iris declared with a laugh. She rested one hand on the top of his head, her torso pressed against the side of it. He could hear her heartbeat and feel the warmth of her soft flesh.

"It will also keep you from getting flattened by someone," he commented, curling an arm around her thighs to make sure she stayed secure on his shoulder. "I'd rather not be left behind."

With a giggle, she rested her other hand on his forearm, wiggling her fingers between his quills. It was an odd sensation he'd never experienced before.

"The ends of my quills are sharp," he warned her. She didn't pull her hand away, only petting his head with her other hand.

"Don't worry, I won't hurt myself on you," she said. "The texture of your plating is different between your quills."

"The plating there is similar to what is on our face, to allow for movement. Without that, our quills wouldn't be able to raise or lower." His tone came out calm and even factual, but honestly her little hands petting and exploring his arm and head were wreaking havoc with his nervous system. Every place she touched, even the thick armored plates at the back of his head, felt like she was pressing a jolting stick against him. Humans couldn't command electricity with their hands, could they?

"Can you hurry up a little? We only have a few marks to see everything!"

Her question made him realize he'd slowed his pace, distracted by her touch. Ignoring the way his scent glands ached, he started moving more rapidly through the grounds. It was much easier now that she was on his shoulder, and he could hold her high above any casual dangers.

"Faster will cost extra," he grumbled as he lengthened his stride.

"I'll make sure to leave you a good tip," she said with a pat on his head, then made a strange clicking sound with her mouth. "Onward, noble steed!"

His translator couldn't find words for the second part, but the first word meant to move forward so he did. When he couldn't find a hole to move through, he made one by rattling. Other species would jump and move, or, if they were an Ollie, scuttle to the side. This station had several security checkpoints to go through, so it wasn't long until they were striding through the main station.

"It looks like the last one." Tilting his head slightly, he could see the disappointment on her face.

"Docks on most stations look the same," he assured her. "The ponds are further in. They're what you want to see."

"I guess—" her words were cut off with a laugh as he started jogging. She clutched at his head, and he could feel her breasts pressing against him. His scent glands went from aching to painful, but still he didn't stop and put her down.

The pain was worth the pleasure of her touch.

Soon they were in the more stylized section of the station. False accents were added to make it appear that everything was built of stone and wood in the style of the Leemron ancestors. Signs and decorations in bold shades of red, orange, and yellow were everywhere. Some of the banners were nano infused and the words on the fabric changed slowly to convey several messages.

"This is so pretty!" Iris said, making him slow down so she could better admire everything. The shops in this section catered to all different species, but mostly Leemron and Ollie. This waypoint was a quick way to get to either of their home systems. She lifted her hand from his head and pointed. "What's tentacle stretching?"

"Do you know what an Ollie is?" he asked.

"Is that one of them, uh, walking into the shop? They remind me a little of an Old Earth octopus."

"Yes, that's an Ollie. Those tentacles they use to ambulate with don't have muscles. They use a type of biological hydraulic system that can become clogged. That shop has a special machine that pulls an Ollie's tentacles taut then applies rollers up and down until the limb goes limp. They do that with each one, and after treatment it usually takes them a mark to be able to walk again."

Iris dropped her hand back down to his head and started petting again. "Sounds painful."

"I've heard that they enjoy it," Damascus said.

"To each their own," Iris murmured, then pointed again. "What are they doing?"

This trend continued all the way to the ponds. Iris was curious about everything, and he was impressed at the details she noticed.

It was enjoyable to share everything he'd learned over the last few solars with someone genuinely interested. Most Talins didn't bother learning about other species unless there was going to be trade or war. Iris was as fascinated by the intricacies and details of other species as he was.

They were almost to the ponds when Iris said, "I'm craving dessert. Do you think there's any place that sells something I'd enjoy eating? Something sweet?"

"Humans crave specific foods?" he asked, intrigued. "Is it because you lack something in your diet?"

"Maybe?" Iris answered hesitantly. "I mean, a lot of time we want a specific food because it's a comfort thing."

The thought intrigued him. "Food can be comforting?"

"For humans," she said. "You guys wouldn't get it. Food isn't as big a deal in your culture as ours."

He couldn't disagree with her. To him food either tasted good or it didn't. Other than that, it was a way to give his body needed nutrients, nothing more. If it would make her happy, he'd indulge her food whim.

"What food do you crave right now?" he asked, hoping he could find something comparable.

She pulled in a deep breath, her lungs expanding and causing the underside of one of her breasts to brush against his head.

"Chocolate," she sighed out in a dreamy voice.

His INT translated the sounds of the name for the human food directly, indicating that there was no equivalent food in his language.

"Shocolet?" he tried.

"Yup," she agreed, going back to petting his head. "I think I'm craving it because you smell like chocolate to me."

He stopped so abruptly she ended up being thrown forward a little. His arm wrapped around her thighs kept her secure on his shoulder even as a shudder rolled down his body.

"I smell like a food you crave?" He was surprised at how off key his voice sounded, like a young Talin transitioning into an adultlette.

"You smell like the best food," she corrected with a low chuckle. "Almost every human likes chocolate."

"Especially you?"

There was no hesitation in her answer. "Especially me."

This was going to be a good rotation.

***

Iris

When she'd confessed he smelled good to her, she expected him to either brush it off with a joke or make some rude, lascivious comment. He decided on a third option, which was to start walking and remain silent.

Had she inadvertently insulted him? Should she say something?

Before she could decide what to do, he passed through a tall decorative arch and into a sparkling room full of bodies of water. They varied in size from a few meters to probably fifty. Each pond was a different color, and as Damascus drew closer to the nearest one, she could see something floating on the surface.

Above the pond was a holo display of the animal inside the pond, interesting facts, and information about its place of origin. This pond had a horgani fish from Palkini planet. There's a pocket of air between its outer skin and inner skin. That pocket is full of microscopic plants that provide the fish with nutrients. In exchange, the fish relieves itself into the same area, giving the plants some of the things they need to survive. According to the display, a horgani could survive for years without additional food sources as long as the sun cycle mimics their homeworld.

"I bet they never need to clean the tank," she murmured, peering down at the fish. There were several of them, floating lazily on the surface of the water, their bodies flat like they'd been run over. It was probably an adaptation to give the plants under their skin the maximum access to sunlight.

She expected them to be green but they were gray and a little boring to look at.

"I ate one of these fish once, on a station in the Palk system," he commented. "They're so efficient to keep that the station had a giant tank of them. They were cheaper than shipping in reconstituter packs."

She had to know. "What did it taste like?"

"Fish."

Why did she ask? She should've known better!

"What's in the next pond?" she asked with a chuckle.

Damascus stepped a few paces to the right so she could see into a pool about five meters across. After not being able to see anything in the water, she looked up to the holo sign.

"It says there should be a smulous squid in there," she murmured, then eyed the dark water. "But I guess they don't like light, so they have to dye the water to keep them happy."

For the first time since he'd rattled at Tortorian, Damascus made a sound. He sounded an inquisitive rumble. "We can go to the under level. These tanks have clear walls, and you can view the occupants better. The lift is right over there."

"Yes, I'd like that," she agreed. Anything had to be better than staring down into motionless black water.

The lift wasn't tall enough to let her remain on his shoulders. She prepared herself to be set down, but instead he swung her into a cradle hold against his chest. No one else got in the lift with them so the small space felt intimate, not crowded.

The scent of chocolate was intensely strong now, and she had to focus on not snuggling closer to him and rubbing her face against his neck or licking his face. He smelled so good she wanted to take a bite!

Giving into temptation, she reached up and touched the side of his face. He flinched away from her touch, and she pulled her hand away, feeling guilty.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that," she said, staring at the spot she'd touched. There was a teardrop of clear liquid trickling down his face.

"Oh no! Did I hurt you?" Shock made her reach up again and rub gently over the area, looking for a loose keratin plate. She didn't feel any, but more of the liquid dripped out. She pulled her hand away, scared she'd done more damage.

"We need to get back to the ship!" she declared. "Healer Raltinum will be better than any of the med techs on the station."

"No, we don't need to go back. I'm not hurt." His body was stiff, and his voice sounded strained. "It's not what you think."

When the scent of chocolate got even stronger, she understood. Bringing her fingers to her nose, she sniffed. If she closed her eyes, she would've sworn she was holding a rich, dark chocolate bar!

"I touched your scent gland!" she announced much too loudly for the small confines of the lift. Relief that she hadn't hurt him by accident made her chatty. "I've read about scent glands and all that. This must be your bonding oil. This explains why I'm always smelling chocolate when I'm around you. It's funny, Mia says you smell like the other Talins. She claims all of you smell like soap. Most Talins do smell soapy to me, but you don't smell like soap at all."

Curious to find out if he tasted like he smelled, she opened her mouth and touched the tip of her tongue to her index finger. Then she closed her eyes as flavor exploded in her mouth.

Oh, yes! He tasted like chocolate too!

"What are you doing?"

His words were sharp, making her eyes fly open and rise to meet his intense gaze. She couldn't tell if he was angry or shocked; he wasn't rattling or rumbling out any sounds to indicate emotion.

"Crap," she muttered, then spoke up. "That was really rude or inappropriate, wasn't it?" The moment she heard her words, she wanted to smack herself in the face. Of course it was inappropriate! Scent glands were sexual organs; she just molested the guy!

She grabbed his arm and tried to slide out of his hold. "I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have touched you like that. You can go back to the ship if you don't want to be around me anymore; I won't be upset. I don't mind finding my own way back. Besides, you—"

Her babbling words were cut off by the slow opening of the lift. She was still in Damascus's arms, and he hadn't loosened his hold enough to let her drop down. There were a bunch of loud, chattering Nimons trying to get on the lift, and they started crowding in before Damascus could leave.

Sounding an irritated rattle, he maneuvered through the impatient group. Once he was past the Nimons and in an area with plenty of headroom, he moved her back onto his shoulder with little effort. She wasn't sure what was going on in Damascus's head, but there was tension between them now.

"Damascus, you don't—"

"You should see the tailless eels." His words cut her off as he walked briskly. "They're interesting."

"Sure, I guess it would be hard to be an eel with no tail. They're normally fifty percent tail, right?" she blabbered, trying to figure out how she felt about Damascus's decision to pretend like it never happened.

She really wanted to talk about it. Find out if she'd insulted him or what. Did he have trauma from past abuse, and she blithely stepped right onto a trigger? She felt like an idiot! Maybe later she'd get him to listen to her apology.

For now, she was going to do whatever Damascus wanted. Which meant looking at eels with no tails and pretending they were the most interesting thing in the universe.