3. Taylor

Chapter 3

Taylor

I really don’t like this guy.

Yes, Sten Sandstone scooped me up and rescued my glasses from getting cracked on the floor, which was nice. He carried me to his vehicle and then into the med lab for care.

But he wants me gone, which isn’t happening.

I’ve been on many missions in the past where I remember being highly irritated at the way our team was misunderstood and treated poorly by the locals. But at least I was always able to hide behind the Head Librarian and could instead focus on my work.

Not this time. I’m the only one here and so it’s all on me.

I overheard him saying humans were primitive, which hurts. Sten Sandstone’s words sting like physical blows. Because…I guess I care what this monstrous male thinks about me? What he thinks about humans in general. My ancestors were indeed secretly kidnapped off the original planet and enslaved on New Earth for millennia by the Hurlians and we’re only on our second generation of freedom and self-determination.

When we first arrived at the med lab, he dropped me off and was out the door without a backward glance.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you,” the attendant laughed with a snort of smoke, “or the med lab will take care of you. I’m here to guide beings onto the machines and I maintain the lab.”

My stomach churned with fear at my first sight of this kind female. The flash of her fangs and the barbed tail reminded me of a horror show. I remained nice though, hoping this stance would keep me safe. “To be truthful I don’t even know the extent of my injuries,” I admitted to her, “because I woke up bandaged and without pain.”

“We’ll find out soon enough.”

I start chatting with her, hoping pleasantries would keep her from charring and eating me whole. “This med lab is as up to date as the ones on the main city of Gravian,” I comment.

“Yes, mainly this site is for the locals in Fire Creek but because the transporter station is nearby and because we’re the nearest med lab for a hundred nanco, I do get a mix of beings here. And they always make the same comments as you, how nice and modern our facilities are, which makes me happy, knowing even though we’re so remote, we have the best for our Hyrrokin.”

“I didn’t expect to find something as extensive as this in a rural area. Usually only very basic med labs are provided by the Intergalactic Health Organization.”

“We were on a wait list for one of those free labs, but it was taking so many years, the Sandstones stepped in and had this one built.”

I was about to ask another question, but then a wand moved over my body to beep out results. I signed off on the health plan with my fingerprint.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t forget that this will be quick and entirely pain free. Remember to do your best to not move so this process can be quicker and more effective.”

The translucent shield covered my body and the bandages disintegrated. Bright lights and a warmth radiated over my skin, lingering on the cuts and the hurt ankle. Within two minutes it was done.

The shield retracted and I sat up, unassisted. I wiggled my toes and looked at my legs and grinned. “Too bad it didn’t also fix the tear in my shirt and the grease stain on my skirt.”

“Right?” she laughed. “I’ve often wished that for others that arrive too. Hyrrokin say that all the time. It’s the number one most requested thing.”

I glance at her gruesome features, less scared now that I’d spent more time with her.

“Here are your human foot coverings.” She hands me my shoes. “You’re so lucky to be paired with Sten Sandstone. Are you leaving here and going to the Sandstone Ranch?”

“Yes,” I say, determined to get myself to that ranch, which will then get me to those artifacts. The best part of my job is always the unveiling of the textual objects and the delicate work to get them out of their original location and into a lab for restoration.

“Oh,” she sighs. “I’ve been at the Sandstone ranch a few times for the yearly barbeque they hold after the rainy season ends each year, but I’ve never actually been inside of the main house or stayed there overnight. I hear it’s beautiful.” She leans in to whisper. “You know they’re the richest beings on this part of the planet. And we’re lucky they’re so generous. This med lab was purchased by the family for the community to use for free.”

My eyes widen.

“And they had the transporter station built too. We do have to pay for that use, but locals get a very reasonable discount.”

And then we hear loud voices as a group of other Hyrrokin arrive up in the med lab, needing treatment. The attendant rushes off to help an injured male to a med lab bed.

And suddenly I’m stressed because there’s too many of these satanic-looking beings in one location and they’re looking at me too closely.

I grab my broken shoes and step out, barefoot, through the same doorway I saw Sten exit, ready to let him know I’m finished. And that’s when I overhear him talking to someone through a screen about me. None of it is anything truly surprising, but it still hurts to hear him repeat it all to someone else.

And when he looked up at me and knew I’d heard, he wasn’t even remorseful.

“Let’s get in the vehicle,” he growls.

We leave the small, adorable town filled with fire-breathing Hyrrokin. Out in the verdant countryside, the long road seems to have no end.

The two suns are now setting and the weather here is simply glorious. The open-air vehicle has a hard top and sturdy doors, along with comfortable seats, but no windows on the side. My hair blows back in the light breeze. The air smells perfumed and the sky is a glorious blue, streaked with puffy clouds. I’m neither too cold nor too hot.

During the long drive I find myself challenging him because I’m highly agitated in his presence. I should remain quiet about his conversation in the hallway, but I simply can’t keep my mouth shut. “I heard everything you said in that hallway. If all of that is true, why didn’t you return me to the transporter station? Does this mean you’ve accepted the fact that I haven’t been sent in error?”

His strong, red arms grip the steering wheel. The vehicle is wide and tall enough to accommodate his tall horns. And even though I’m truly annoyed with this guy and I know he basically hates me; I still can’t get over how this demonic-looking being with the bad attitude is turning handsome right before my eyes.

And now I know he’s single.

Which is dangerous news.

“I’ve only accepted that I can’t get rid of you and I’m now trying to return to the ranch and finish this job as fast as possible.”

I turn and look out the window because this news literally hurts. My eyes are heating up. It’s upsetting to hear that my species is being dismissed, yet again. “Humans were enslaved by the Hurlians on New Earth,” I grumble, “and it’s true that we haven’t been freed for long, but we have a long history on our original planet.”

“I know all about humans. You are not the first of your species I’ve ever met. The planet where you originated has universities, but it is so primitive you are not able to go back because of the indigenous species law. Earth is in its formative stages and your reintegration could interfere with its natural growth. It’s not yet a member of the four sectors. And meanwhile, New Earth is part of the four sectors, but still primitive.”

I bite at my lip and continue to look out the open window. A pleasant breeze continues to blow across my warm cheeks.

“You only know my language because you have a translator in your head,” he challenges. “You are not a native speaker.”

“This is true, but Librarians have learned it doesn’t matter. I’m not actually here to do any translation. I am going to simply catalog what you have, and it will be restored in a lab. I will capture images of everything so that anyone who wants to read it can do that, via all the other libraries in our network, which obviously includes all the libraries on your planet.”

“Maybe I don’t want that.”

I blink. “You want these artifacts to constitute a private library? That’s unusual. Why did you contact us in the first place if you wanted a private library?”

“I didn’t contact you, that was the Sheriff. I had no idea he would bring you in. And now I’m stuck.”

“Oh.” I purse my lips. “Well, if that’s what you want, I see your dilemma. It’s true that you cannot change the status of this project from public to private without filling out the proper documents and attending a formal council meeting to hear their decision. And that takes a long time. And meanwhile the cave will need to be closed to access and I will still need to do my job, of restoring and documentation. It’s just that I won’t upload all the text to the nets until your filing is decided. I admit it’s difficult to get out of this once it’s started. Have you begun the privatization process?”

“No.”

“Are you going to start?”

He exhales. “No.”

“Well, I assume that means you’re onboard for this all being public.”

He glances at me, then back at the road. “Are you a Librarian or a restorer?”

“A bit of both. I always wanted to be a Librarian, while I was going through library studies, because I wanted to return to my home planet to help upgrade New Earth’s library system. Well, that was when I discovered this niche where I could restore antiquities, which is very exciting to me. I like helping other beings out with the restoration of their prized text so that it remains available to future generations and is not lost. And with this work, I help all beings and species in the four sectors, along with my own.”

“Are you mated?” he suddenly questions.

“I am not.” I sit quiet for a moment, surprised that he would ask such a question. What does it matter?

The vehicle continues down the long, bumpy road. It was early morning when I left on Gravian but here on Tarvos I’ve arrived late in the day. Two suns are now providing a spectacular sunset of pinks and purples behind an amazing mountain range.

“Listen, female, you cannot…”

“Taylor. My name is Taylor.”

He exhales. “Taylor, it’s getting late. We will be at the ranch soon. Let’s call a truce.”

“I would like that.”

“I will accept that you are here to do a job and you will try your best to do this as quick as possible.”

I purse my lips and nod. And that’s when I catch him glancing down at my bare legs and then back at the road. Hmm.

“I thought Librarians only worked in libraries with print books and other textual materials and checked them out to beings who needed them.”

“That is our typical work,” I agree. “When I learned that Librarians can also restore books and texts and make them available for a larger audience, I instantly became addicted to this type of work. It’s very rewarding. I enjoy all the technology that is available to bring digital books over the nets to all beings in the four sectors and translated into all languages, but I do enjoy the scent and heft of a print book in my hands. I love nothing more than striding through rows and rows of print books, finding the right one, or returning a misplaced book to its shelf. Helping a being find the right fiction book to read or for the exact research they needed, is wonderful too.”

“There is a large private library of print books in my home.”

“Really? Can I see it tonight?”

“Later.”

I do my best to remain quiet and not beg for more information on this mysterious private library. Then we turn a bend in the road and I see a large gate. “Oh, is that the sign for your ranch?”

“Yes, that’s where my property begins.”