1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Ari

“You’re in perfect health, Human Ari,” Kasium announced as he made the happy rumble of two sticks being tapped together. After putting away his scanner, he reached into a nearby ornate container and drew out a bright red sweet to present to Ari. “I’m afraid I only have the red ones today.”

“Thanks, Kasium,” Ari said as she accepted the candy and popped it into her mouth. “These ones are my favorite.”

She put her hands on the table in preparation to jump off, but Baz was quick to step up and block her with a negative rattle. The sound made her think of wasps moving in slow motion, and she’d been hearing it a lot lately. This rattle wasn’t just the way Talins said no, it was their version of a frown.

“Remain on the table,” he ordered, then looked at Kasium. “That can’t be correct; there is something wrong.”

“I told you I was fine,” Ari reminded Baz with an exasperated sigh. To keep her sitting on the exam table he’d put a hand on each of her thighs. She covered his large, four-digit hands with her much smaller ones.

“You’re not well,” he insisted. “You aren’t smiling, and I’ve found you staring off into nothing and looking sad several times.”

“That doesn’t mean anything,” she argued. “I was only thinking. I’m allowed to get lost in thought sometimes.”

Baz’s negative rattle indicated he didn’t believe her. “I’ve witnessed moments when you’re engaged in deep contemplation, and these times aren’t the same. That’s not the only thing different.”

“Dissociating from reality could be a symptom of something,” Kasium summarized as he sounded the poorly-tuned-engine rumble of curiosity. “Perhaps your mind chemicals aren’t at the correct levels.”

“I’m not dissociating, and I don’t have brain issues,” Ari stated, working hard to keep her voice calm and not snap at the well-intentioned Talins.

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Kasium assured her, grabbing more candies and holding them out to her. “Several of the other humans here need medications for their moods or anxiety. I recently recalibrated Human Aubrey's medication. She’s doing much better now.”

“I don’t have a severe anxiety issue like Aubrey,” Ari argued. She’d tell Baz if she was feeling anxious or scared all the time. She didn’t feel any of those things.

“But you could be suffering from something else,” Baz countered and looked to Kasium. “Please test her for any of the human mental disorders.”

“I’ll need to study the literature,” Kasium said with a short rattle that sounded like a bunch of metal tools being dumped in a pile on the floor. “Unlike Talins, humans can suffer from many mental maladies, and some cannot be solved with medication alone. If you will give me a rotation, I’ll have a better idea of what to test for and how.”

Ari glared at Baz. “I’m not coming back here tomorrow.”

Baz leaned in close. “I know you don’t want to, but I’m in distress. It would make me feel better if we saw Kasium again tomorrow.”

Ari wilted under Baz’s admission. “Fine, but he’s not going to find anything because there’s nothing wrong with me.”

“I need to contact Horicin. She’s been studying this topic exclusively!” Kasium was so excited over having something new to learn about he didn’t even say the proper words of goodbye before bustling out of the small medical room. Baz ignored his departure and remained focused on her.

“Thank you, my human,” he murmured. They were alone, so when he brought his lips close to her, Ari leaned in for a kiss. Even though the compound they lived on was generally safe, everyone was still cautious.

To maintain the illusion that humans were simply pets, they had to keep their relationship a secret. Cuddling in public was socially acceptable in Talin society because humans were considered emotionally weak and in need of constant reassurance. Kissing like this was a step too far for anyone to see who wasn’t in on their secret.

The familiar scent of hazelnut filled her nose as Baz opened his mouth to hers. She hadn’t felt like having sex the night before, but now desire blossomed inside her.

Ending the kiss and pulling away, Ari looked into Baz’s eyes. “Let’s go back to the cabin.”

His deep, thrumming rumble of desire made it clear he didn’t mistake her intentions. “Yes! We—”

Whatever he was going to say was interrupted by an insistent ping from his Ident. He was forced to straighten up to unclip it from his belt and see who needed him and why. The distant-bass-drum sound of a worried rumble came out of him.

It was another sound she was hearing from him way too often.

“Danisal was supposed to visit Darra and Mani, but their owner is trying to reschedule again,” he explained. “I need to contact the owner and potentially alert the authorities.”

He started to lift her off the table so he could carry her off to the compound office, but she put a hand on his chest. “No.”

“No?” His confused rattle of tools being dumped on a floor made her sigh.

“I’m not going to hang out while you have a bunch of boring conversations,” Ari said.

“What will you do while I’m engaged in sorting this out?” Baz asked, still poised to pick her up.

“There are plenty of people here,” Ari reminded him. “Someone will want to have a cup of sopa and chat.”

The Ident pinged a dozen times in rapid succession, telling Ari the situation was rapidly deteriorating. Poor Baz was always being pulled in a dozen directions at once; she didn’t need to be the thirteenth.

“Go!” she ordered, pointing to the door. “I’m going to find someone to have a snack and talk with.” She forced a smile on her face. “Come find me when you get back. Then we can have some fun, yeah?”

“I will,” he promised. Then he dropped a kiss on her forehead and rushed out the door. He’d probably be in his office in holo meetings for the rest of the day. Maybe even into the evening. If that happened, this would be the fourth evening meal he’d missed in a row.

Ari tried hard not to focus on that as the door slid shut behind Baz. Looking around the empty room, she debated about what to do with the rest of her day. Before being rescued by Baz and the rest of his squad, every waking moment was filled with simply trying to keep herself and the rest of the humans on the mining colony alive.

There were no deadly dangers anymore. They had plenty of food, medical care, and an abundance of leisure time. All Ari had to do was figure out how to spend her free time now that Baz was so busy she might go an entire day without seeing him.

“Zuri,” she murmured to the empty room. “Maybe she needs help with her distillery. It would be something to keep me busy at least.”

Now that she’d said it out loud, the idea grew on her. Hopping off the exam table, she grabbed a handful of sweets out of Kasium’s jar and headed out.

The journey should've been simple enough, just a walk from one section of the property to another. As she got closer to Zuri’s home, she found her path blocked by large containers of construction materials and several massive construction bots in motion. Damn, she’d forgotten that this area was under construction to accommodate the new humans arriving in a few months.

The construction meant no human was allowed in the area without a dedicated Talin escort. Annoyed but not deterred, Ari ducked behind a moving bot, narrowly avoiding being seen by Goleenun and Valcinan.

The moment she got within arm’s reach, the bot halted. The stop was so abrupt the hopper on the massive bot’s back swayed a little. Ari eyed it critically, trying to figure out if she needed to get out from under it and potentially expose herself to the two men working. After a few seconds the hopper steadied, and she relaxed.

Her relief didn’t last long. The sound of footsteps drawing closer put her back on edge.

“I’m getting a warning from bot forty-seven,” Goleenun said. “It’s indicating there is a potentially harmful situation with a living creature.”

“It must be a havanak,” Valcinan said. “I noticed several nests. The humans think they’re pretty, so we don’t drive them off.”

“You’re probably correct,” Goleenun agreed as the footsteps got closer.

Of course, Ari knew she was the living creature the bot had sensed. These construction bots must have sensors all over to keep from causing an accident. There was no skimping on safety when it came to the Talins. When she decided she was going to visit Zuri, she didn’t expect to play hide-and-seek with several well-meaning Talins.

A big grin unfurled across her face—let the games begin!

Goleenun and Valcinan weren’t trying to hide their presence, so it was easy to gauge when they were close. When they were on the other side of the bot, she ducked under the machine and crawled to the opposite side. Once she was sure it was clear, she rolled out from under the bot and sprinted around several containers of material stacked on top of each other.

She was close to laughing when she almost ran straight into a havanak. The large, flightless bird shrieked in outrage and fluttered over her head. Turning, she watched it land on long, nimble legs and sprint off in the direction she’d come with its long, arching tail fluttering in the wind. Her fellow humans weren’t wrong, the bird was gorgeous. It looked like a combination of two Old Earth animals called a peacock and an ostrich.

“See!” Valcinan exclaimed as the bird disappeared from Ari’s view. “It was a havanak.”

“I’ll restart the bot,” Goleenun responded. Then he said something else she couldn’t hear because she was already turning to jog to the next hiding spot.

It wasn’t until she was at the edge of the construction area that she ran out of coverage. There were a total of five Talins overseeing the sight, but only one of them was anywhere near her. Biting her lip, she gauged the distance.

If she was seen, all the fun would be over. She’d be escorted home and a report would be filed about her being in an unsafe area. That would upset Baz and make her feel guilty.

Suddenly getting to Zuri’s place unseen didn’t feel like a game—it was imperative. Her life on Old Earth learning geology or her experience working at a mining compound didn’t give her much in the way of spy skills, but it had taught her patience.

Going still, she watched the Talin as he studied the half-completed building he was standing next to then tapped on his Ident. He kept doing this, probably going over a check list. Each time he checked something off, he’d move a little. By simply waiting, he was eventually in a position with his back turned to her.

It was time!

Digging the toe of her slipper into the dirt, she shot off, running full speed at Zuri’s door. Breathing hard, she slapped the door display to demand entrance.

Nothing happened.

Resting a hand on the door to steady herself, Ari looked over her shoulder. The Talin was still there, walking slowly and looking down at his Ident. The moment he looked up, he’d see her. Should she hide behind the house? There wasn’t a door back there but there were several windows. She wasn’t sure they opened, but she could look inside to see if Zuri was even home.

Even as she decided to run again, the door slid soundlessly open. Because she’d been leaning on it to steady herself, she fell inside. When she tried to catch her footing, she tripped over her own feet and tumbled to the floor.

“Ari!” Zuri exclaimed, jumping back to avoid getting bowled over.

Looking up, Ari grinned at the startled woman. “Heya! How’s everything?”

Handing her a smooth, thin-walled stone cup, Zuri took a seat on the puff across from Ari. Talins didn’t do padded furniture, so what they came up with to accommodate the “soft” humans was always comfortable, but sometimes strange. The puff was the latest thing. It looked like a giant cotton ball but was so heavy most of the humans couldn’t move them.

The core was some kind of programmable material. It would take on the firmness of a pancake at one and was hard as a stone at eight. Most of the humans set them between three and five, but Zuri had hers at two, so she sank down into it with a little giggle.

“Have we heard anything more about Tolvern?” Zuri asked after she’d gotten comfortable.

Ari look up from where she’d been staring at the steaming liquid in her cup. “He’s still waiting for permission. I guess Baz can’t sponsor him for some complex reason, so we’ve got to talk someone else into doing.”

“Poor Sunny, she’s so worried about him,” Zuri murmured.

“I know, but we know he’s safe with his family at least,” Ari pointed out then took a sip of her tea then promptly choked. “What’s in this?”

“A shot from my latest batch,” Zuri explained, nodding her head to a closed door at the back of her little house. “I think it came out pretty smooth.”

“Sure,” Ari agreed with another exaggerated cough, then spoke as if she’d smoked most of her life. “Really smooth.”

“Isn’t a hit of the good stuff what you came over for?” Zuri asked.

“I…maybe?” Ari confessed. “I didn’t realize you had it up and running.”

“It’s been working a while, but this is the first batch that’s drinkable.” Zuri took a sip then grimaced. “Mostly.”

Ari set her cup down on the floor next to her puff. “I’m going to let that cool, or, um, eat through the mug. Whichever comes first.”

Zuri laughed. “It’s anyone's guess.” Struggling out of her seat, Zuri disappeared into the distillery room then came back with a small bottle filled with some kind of thick black substance. “Add some of this.”

Ari didn’t even ask; she dumped a quarter of the contents into her steaming mug then picked it up for another sip. It was much sweeter now, the additive smoothing the edges of the harsh drink.

Taking another sip, Ari sat back and sighed. “Yeah, that’s it.” She held up the bottle. “What’s this stuff?”

“Complicated,” Zuri answered. “But the short of it is, I figured out how to make a type of syrup from one of their food reconstituter’s waste products.”

Ari raised an eyebrow. “I’m going to need more explanation.”

“You know that black flatbread they eat with every meal?” Zuri asked. Ari nodded, it was hard to miss. It reminded her a little of rye bread from Old Earth. “One of the major ingredients is a black seed that’s actually pretty sweet. They grind it, then separate out the parts that make it sweet. Normally they ship the powder off planet for trade with other species, but I got my hands on a couple of vats to use in the distillery. It makes horrible alcohol, but when concentrated and mixed with a stabilizer, it makes a great sweetener.”

“It reminds me of honey,” Ari said after swallowing another mouthful of her sweet, spiked tea.

“That’s what I thought too,” Zuri agreed. “Kasium thinks all I make is the sweet stuff. I swear, he must smell the alcohol but there’s nothing like willful ignorance.”

“Tell me about it,” Ari said with a roll of her eyes, then drank half the contents of her mug.

“Uh, Ari, you might want to slow down,” Zuri said with a half-smile. “The sweetener makes the drink taste better, it doesn’t make it less alcoholic.”

Ari looked into the dark liquid of her drink with a slight frown. “I’ve got nothing else to do for the rest of the day. Might as well get drunk.”