Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN

Olivia had been in quite a state when Arkness led her to her accommodations, but now with a clear mind and fresh eyes, she was able to really take in the sights and marvels of this pristine alien city, and she was amazed at what she saw as she stepped out into the bright morning light.

“How in the world?” she wondered, staring up in disbelief at what appeared to be people freefalling to the ground from the suspended bubble pods high above.

They weren’t plummeting to their deaths, though. Rather, they were stepping out into the seemingly empty air, but rather than falling, they descended at a quick pace, though far less than terminal velocity. Interestingly, their clothing remained still, unaffected by wind from their fall, and when they approached the ground, their momentum suddenly slowed, setting them down gently at street level.

Olivia realized what it had to be. “The same kind of tech they used in their ship,” she said, still in awe.

It was clear that these people had somehow figured out not only how to create a force device of some kind, but also how to negate the effects of gravity and G-forces along with it. The technology was magnificent, and unlike her first experience with aliens, Olivia found herself actually excited to see what might come next.

The population appeared to be homogenous, making her wonder what sort of rules they had about outsider visitors—a group of which her distinctly not-red skin made her a very clear part of. She felt the eyes focused on her from all directions, but she was pretty sure it was not because she was a different species—though these people, while red-skinned, were still bipedal and essentially humanoid in shape—but for a different reason.

Everyone she saw in any direction she looked was male.

“Okay, this is weird,” she said, growing more than a little uncomfortable at the scrutiny.

It was at that moment a young girl, probably no more than twelve years old, came hurrying her way, three young boys following closely as if ready to do her bidding. It was quite an odd site.

“Hello!” the girl chirped. “I am Yanna. Clearly, you must be Olivia.”

“That’s me. The only Earth girl in town.”

“Earth?”

“My planet.”

“Hm, I’ve never heard of it. What part of the Dotharian Conglomerate is your world situated in?”

“Oh, we’re not in anything like that. Hell, we’ve barely made it to our own moon, let alone other planets.”

The girl’s face shifted to a look of dismay, though she quickly recovered from her surprise. “Not in the Conglomerate? Now I understand why Overseer Zoldana wanted to see you as soon as you started your day. How fascinating! How exciting!”

“I guess you could say that.”

“Oh, it is! But I’m talking too much. Please, follow me. Overseer Zoldana is expecting you.”

Yanna turned and led the way, her human guest walking at her side. The boys remained a few paces behind, following silently.

“Yanna?”

“Yes?”

“I don’t mean to be rude or to offend anyone, but can you tell me why these boys are following you?”

Yanna shrugged. “They are of age and are in training.”

“Training?”

“Yes. It’s the same for all Maldonian males who meet the criteria.”

“Criteria? I am so confused.”

Yanna laughed, a bright, young and cheerful sound without a care in the world. “Oh, don’t worry about that. Zoldana will explain it all. She’s marvelous. A fantastic overseer. You’ll see.”

Olivia glanced back at the boys quietly following them, backs straight and attention focused on her young guide. “I guess I will.”

They walked a short distance then stepped on a section of the walkway that was slightly glowing an off-pink color. They lifted off immediately and began moving. Apparently, this was a barely visible people mover of sorts, and it whisked them several hundred meters in no time at all. As with the rest of the impressive tech, Olivia didn’t feel a thing, as if she’d not moved at all.

“This way,” Yanna urged, guiding her guest into a slender, tall building.

They stopped in the middle of an illuminated circle. Olivia had a pretty good idea what this was before it lifted them off the ground and carried them up to the upper level, the ride in the clear-walled structure affording them a lovely view the whole way up. This wasn’t the tallest building by a long shot, but it was separated from the other larger structures by a bit, affording a clear view in all directions.

Yanna stepped off the disc and led the way to the only door on the topmost floor. It wasn’t really a door, but more of a colored section of wall that simply vanished when the young woman held her hand to it.

“Ah, Olivia. Please, come in,” Overseer Zoldana called out to her guest. “Thank you, Yanna. That will be all.”

“Overseer,” she replied with a little bow, then turned and left, her entourage close behind.

Olivia stepped inside, the door sealing behind her. It was a bright, open space, the ceiling and walls all seeming to be non-existent, though she knew they appeared solid from the outside. Zoldana was seated in a large, comfortable chair, a bowl of fruit in front of her, including one that looked familiar, akin to a clump of berries pressed together. Zoldana followed her gaze, picking one up and offering it to her guest.

“Boodzin pod? They are quite restorative.”

“I’ve seen those before,” Olivia replied, accepting the tart fruit. “I found some near a water source.”

“Yes, one of the species the Dotharian Conglomerate has seeded on inhabitable worlds.”

“Seeded?”

“I forget, this is all new to you. There is much for you to learn. For instance, the practice of establishing nutrient-dense crops on all worlds capable of supporting life. While not all may excel in their pursuits, it is a core tenet that none should go hungry. Thus, anyone can gather enough food for sustenance if they but put in the effort.”

“Surprisingly noble of a government. Back on my world, you can’t get anyone to do anything that might help someone with different beliefs, even if it hurts your own constituents.”

Zoldana chuckled. “Yes, lesser governments throughout the galaxy behave as such. Factions are nothing new. This world is a prime example. A way station with settlements of dozens of races, each separated, though most do interact peacefully. Still, there are some rabble rousers amongst them willing to cause a stir at the slightest provocation. They are ruled by an awful sort of governance, but above even them is the Dotharian Conglomerate, and they dare not run afoul of them.”

“What is the Dotharian Conglomerate, exactly?”

“A powerful, benevolent oversight governance that encompasses many hundreds of inhabitable systems, along with hundreds of thousands that are uninhabitable but contain resources in the form of raw materials. All worlds within that space must abide by Dotharian laws. Such as the one dictating all must possess the requisite runes, which you will be receiving from our Skrizzit shortly.”

“The man I met yesterday, right? Niyellow?”

“Ni jello ,” Zoldana corrected. “Yes, he is the one in charge of applying the Dotharian runes.”

“Well, I suppose alien ink will make an interesting story if I ever get back home,” Olivia said, accepting her fate. She’d have new tattoos, and alien ones at that.

“Oh, it is not ink. It is a living, symbiotic pigment. One that has absorbed the power of the stars and been condensed and purified until ready for application. There are a variety of colors and potencies, some exceptionally strong.”

“Hang on. Living ink?”

“ Pigment. ”

“Right. Pigment. But you’re saying your tattoos are alive?”

“Every person you have met possesses them. And yes, they are alive. Some enhance abilities, some create new ones. How each person reacts is a variable we can never be sure of. The Infala, however is universally the key rune and will grow to its full potential on its own, bonding partners even across different species.”

“Wait, did you say bonding ?”

“Yes,” the woman replied, pulling her top open, revealing the faintly glowing rune on her chest. “I am one of the rare few to have been fortunate enough to Infala bond within my own people. It does not happen often here, sadly. Only when in the presence of your destined mate will your Infala shift and grow to match one another. It is the most powerful union in the galaxy.”

“But there are so many more men than women?—”

“And that is a problem amongst my kind. And why an Infala bond is so rare. You see, with so many males in our city, if a female of age does not find her mate within their numbers, she leaves upon the arrival of her twentieth year to travel the worlds in search of her mate.”

“And that’s why the boys were following that girl? Yanna?”

“Yes and no,” Zoldana replied with a little smile. “Maldonian males train their whole lives to be the best versions of themselves in hopes of one day competing for the honor of escorting those rare females as they travel, providing her security and companionship in her journey, while also affording them the opportunity to perhaps find a mate of their own.”

“But why are there so many men here?”

“Genetics of our kind are fickle. Over ninety percent of offspring are male.”

“But it seems there are more than that.”

“They are also typically born in pairs.”

“Twins?”

“Not identical. At least, not often. But yes, twins. And, again, nearly all males. Compounding things is that while they can have offspring among our own, none can reproduce outside our kind until they are Infala bonded.”

“Wait, so they can partner up with their own kind if they want?”

“Yes.”

“But you said there are barely any women born here?”

“Yes again.”

“So they can but they pretty much can’t.”

“Right.”

“And they need this Infala thing to bond.”

“Now you’ve got it.”

“This is all so confusing.”

The old woman smiled kindly at the poor woman trying to make sense of a whole new way of life. “They can mate without an Infala, but that is also quite rare, and it requires a pheromonal bonding that, while far less potent than the Infala, is nevertheless enough to form a lasting union. It is something only a compatible mate will even smell, though it will be mostly subconscious. Regardless, the pheromones are quite uncommon, and only mature males who have reached the top tier of their ilk ever hope to emit them.”

“So, almost no one.”

“Correct. Though you have already met two of the prime contenders when you arrived. Arkness and Rykker are the highest ranked males in the city, vying for the top position, though there has not been a female for them to escort come of age yet. The situation has led to some… tensions between them at times. But that is not for you to concern yourself with. For now, we have other things to focus our attentions on. Such as getting you your Dotharian runes.”

Zoldana waved her hand in the air and a door appeared where what had seemed to be a window to the outside had been. It was actually the wall, clearly, and behind it, another room. Olivia once again marveled at their technology.

“You have already met Nijello, the Skrizzit, of course. He will assess your healing and readiness to receive the runes.”

“More ink,” Olivia sighed. “Well, it’s not my first rodeo. Just tell me what you need, and I’ll do what I can.”

Nijello crossed the room, a pleasant smile on his face. “Nice to see you again, dear. I see the translation rune has healed nicely.”

“It sure did. Whatever was in that ointment, it made my whole body feel better. And I’ve gotta say, the sonic bath thingy? It made my tattoos look pretty amazing.”

“You possess runes already?” Nijello asked, flashing a questioning glance at Zoldana.

“Runes? No. But tats? Yeah, I’ve got a few. You want to see them?”

“Yes, please.”

“Suit yourself,” she replied, quickly shedding her jacket and top.

Standing there in just her bra, Olivia felt a little uncomfortable at their stares. She was used to people looking at her ink, that was just part of having tattoos, but these two seemed to be gob smacked.

“I-I have never seen the like before,” Nijello gasped in awe. “Overseer, may I bring in my understudy?”

“Of course,” Zoldana replied, out of her seat and standing close to her guest, equally amazed by the designs.

Nijello pressed part of his sleeve and a section of it illuminated for a moment then went back to normal. It seemed they had some sort of communications device built into their clothing. Again, a fascinating bit of tech from these people.

“These are beautiful,” Zoldana marveled. “Such quality to the line work, and such utterly novel designs.”

The hidden door opened, and a younger man came through, carrying what looked like a clear tablet of some sort. It was the closest to familiar tech that Olivia had seen since her arrival.

“You called?” he said before his mouth fell open at the site of Olivia’s tattoos.

“Lithos, I want you to document these,” Nijello said with excitement. “Document them all. I want a full catalog.”

“At once,” the man replied.

The Skrizzit reached out but hesitated. “May I?”

“You may.”

With great interest he gently touched the design on Olivia’s right shoulder, tracing the lines with his fingertips. “What powers do they give?”

“No powers.”

“Enhancements, then?”

“Uh, beyond looking pretty? Nothing. They’re just decorative.”

“Really? How remarkable. This is a beautiful design.”

Olivia blushed at the attention, but she was also enjoying it. For at least the moment she was the one surprising the super-advanced aliens.

“Yeah, that was for my twenty-first birthday, though it could use a touchup right here. See how the ink faded. Too much sun, I guess. And over here, I got this one on vacation in the Yucatan.”

“I do not know that planet,” the man said.

“It’s not a planet. Just a region in Mexico. Lots of artists down there. My old friend moved there, and I went to stay for a while.”

“I would like to visit this Yucatan one day to study their techniques.”

“Well, it’s a bit of a trek,” she replied with a chuckle, though the reality of just how far from home she was nagged at the back of her mind.

“What about this one?” Zoldana asked, pointing to the design on her lower back.

“Ugh. Well, it’s not a true tramp-stamp, but let’s just say it was a drunken night I’d just as soon forget.”

It went on like that for several minutes, the overseer and her Skrizzit examining all of the art she’d acquired over the years, the understudy taking pictures and notes at a fevered pace until finally they’d documented them all. And, for once, Olivia didn’t mind being grilled about her tattoos.

The Skrizzit turned to Zoldana. “I am concerned that I do not know how the Dotharian runes will integrate, Excellence,” Nijello declared.

“Can you make them work?” she replied.

“I believe I can incorporate the required runes into her existing designs. Olivia, may I ‘touch up’ the area you mentioned to see how our pigment reacts?”

“Knock yourself out.”

He pulled a small device from the pouch on his hip along with a short vial containing a bright but quite similar color to the area he’d noted. Without hesitation he set to work, his hand moving quickly as he applied the strange alien pigment. Just a minute later he stepped back, watching his handiwork with interest. There was an odd little tingle spreading from the area, but no pain to speak of. Olivia was surprised how fast he worked.

“That’s it?”

“For the test, yes. I only had this particular color on my person, and it is a very powerful pigment, but that should also make it perfect for a little test. We will see better how your body reacts after it has set in.”

Zoldana leaned in to examine his work. “Flawless, as always, Skrizzit.”

“Thank you, Excellence.”

“So, it can be done? You can apply the runes?”

“I believe so, but it will require working in a manner never attempted before. I will have to study them this evening at length. The pigment should overtake the existing colors once applied, but I cannot say for certain. I will know better tomorrow.”

Zoldana nodded her understanding and waved her dismissal. “Then you should get to your preparations. As for you, Olivia, it seems yours will be a most interesting and challenging process. You will require additional preparation to purge your body to best accept the pigment. I will have Yanna upload the details into your domicile’s intelligence unit.”

Olivia wasn’t sure how she felt about that. “What exactly do you mean by purge my body?”

Zoldana laughed. “Do not fear, it is nothing unpleasant. Simply the means to eliminate all foreign substances from your person that might interfere with the process. We do not know how the pigments will react with your existing markings, and we would take every precaution possible to ensure there are no complications.”

She held up her hand, the door reappearing, somehow knowing what her gesture meant. A familiar face was standing outside.

“Rykker. Please escort our guest to the spa facility. She will have a lengthy session, after which you are to take her to see the city before she returns to her domicile unit.”

“As you wish, Overseer,” the man said, his low voice rumbling Olivia’s belly in a delightful way. “Please, follow me.”

Olivia moved to follow him but first turned to her host. “Thanks, Zoldana. For everything. But there’s one thing I need to talk about.”

“Your friend, I assume?”

“Harper. Yes.”

“Arkness mentioned that you had spoken of another survivor of the Raxxian scourge. It will be addressed, I assure you. But for the moment you must prepare yourself. This must come first. The law is the law. Tomorrow is a big day, but after you have received your runes and are on the path to recovery, then we will discuss your friend in detail.”

Olivia wanted to protest but something in the woman’s eyes told her this was not the time to press the matter. She was being afforded a courtesy as an outsider, but it had been made clear that she was breaking the law by not possessing the runes, even if she’d been taken to this world against her will. She’d just have to play along a little longer.

“Understood. Thank you again for your hospitality,” she said, then followed her escort out of the chamber and onto the lift disc.

Standing so close to him, she couldn’t help but note how good he smelled. They reached the ground level quickly, her moment of distraction ended as they stepped out into the city.

“Come, let us have you seen to,” Rykker said, a warm sparkle in his eyes.

Wow, she thought. These guys really have trained to be attentive companions. I wonder how far that training extends.

It was something she would have to wonder on her own as they arrived at the spa after only a short walk. It was not staffed by people, but rather was fully automated, and after several hours of bodywork, Olivia wondered if she’d ever be satisfied with a real person touching her ever again.

Little did she know, she would find an answer to that sooner than later.