A/N: Hey you, yea YOU. Thanks for all the support at the end of my last read. Your feedback was a real shot in the arm. Reviews help keep a writer going, you know. Well, other than the shear joy of writing! Okay, back to naming the chapters. It's so fun. I really missed it. As usual, I own nothing except my own characters.
Chapter One: Member's Mark
Deep in thought, the Hunter moved one umber-colored finger over the projection. I must locate an area where large numbers of males and females congregate. Ulfr studied dimensional real-time images sent to him by the small round drone hovering over the town. Not wanting to draw undesired attention to the Paya's House facility, he had selected a good sized city a distance away from the House's desert location. Here, there were rolling hills as well as plains, sparse woodland and scrub, and a largely water-free river-bed flowing along one edge of the city. Determined to educate himself, regarding ooman mate selection customs, he had decided to cloak and mingle with Blue Planet inhabitants, observing their ways. It was another kind of hunt for him, this close study to learn the habits of prey. Only this time it was to court, not to kill.
He watched one of the larger buildings, not tall but quite wide, with many people going in and out. There were individuals, groups, even families with pups in tow. A group of immature females had exited their vehicle and was approaching a doorway, even now. Just as they neared the entrance, a young male was exiting. Ulfr dipped the drone lower and watched as the females pretended not to notice the male while he unabashedly looked at each one. Via his mask, the Hunter could see the measurable heat rise in the females which was accompanied by immature odd noises of embarrassed ooman humor. The giggling group literally pushed each other into the building and as they did so the young male, who had been watching them, made a sharp turn and reentered. Ha! He stalks them. Perhaps this would be a worthwhile place to begin my study.
Hurtling down in a hunting pod to crater the parking lot of the building was out of the question. He did not want to alert anyone to his presence. So Ulfr carefully piloted his cloaked ship to softly land in a nearby open fallow field. Then, in full hunt gear he strode out, visible only to the sharp-eyed as an undulating shimmer in the sunlight. Carefully making his way through thick clumps of grass and tall stalks of wild sunflowers, he found himself at the edge of the green space and began to peruse a large flat black artificial surface. The mid-day summer sun warmed him comfortably enough to envision peeling away his armor and stretching out to enjoy some rays. Snapping his mind back to focus on what was before him he carefully took in the scene and plotted the best way to enter the building. The wavering black surface stretched before him, a layer of heating air rising above it. Straight yellow lines slashed the space at regular intervals and he reasoned they were guides for maneuvering the ooman's vehicles into small landing bays. Vehicles were indeed moving about, pulling in and out of the marked areas. People were also milling about, walking purposefully to and from the building. Most of those leaving were pushing wheeled metal carts full of white bags that fluttered in the breeze. Here and there, a squalling pup was either seated at the back of a cart or was pulled along by an adult hand. Dialing up the magnification power of his mask, Ulfr zeroed in on a particularly loud pup's screams. The tiny unattractively smooth-cheeked face was scrunched in disapproval and dark stains decorated the continually open mouth. Shuddering in distaste, Ulfr quickly looked away. A dirty bawling ooman pup was unsettling. Did its Bearer not look after it properly?
Winding around the cars, the Hunter invisibly made his way to the front of the building. Whenever there was danger of being spotted, he instantly froze until whatever gaze was upon him had shifted. It was a long-cultivated habit of prudent caution that he knew was wasted among these preoccupied creatures. None of them looked to see what was around them. All of them seemed busy, either with their own thoughts or talking to each other or on one of their communication devices. He could unsheathe his wrist blades and take all of them in a few seconds, he realized. None would be aware enough to warn any of the others. Such muddled, unobservant creatures. How did their lineage ever survive and rise to become so numerous on this planet?
In front of him were the doorways. Two sets of entrance and egress made of clear panels that opened automatically whenever they sensed someone in front of them. He would have to time his entrance with a patron, so as not to arouse suspicion. Looking up at the heavy stone expanse above the doorways, he saw the large letters, Sam's Club.
Ulfr's spoken English was very good; however, reading was more difficult. Sam's Club. This is Sam's Club? Club, a weapon… no that's not correct. Club, a gathering place or group. Sei, that might be it. This must be a meeting place. Who is Sam? I would like to meet the ooman who has such a club named after him.
Movement to his left caused the Hunter to stop and turn his gaze. What he saw took his breath away. All of his ooman mates were physically fit. He would never consider one who wasn't. However, even fit human females were puny compared to a Yautja female. Uflr held perfectly still in caution and in excitement.
She was exiting her vehicle, the largest, most magnificent ooman female he had ever seen. Tall and broad, her shoulders seemed to out-span the back of her vehicle's seat as her head brushed the ceiling. Hands almost as thick as his own grasped the steering wheel. Parking completed, she exited the car but instead of leaving, looked within. There she stood bent over with her head inside the vehicle as if searching for something. Ulfr watched in fascination until she emerged, bringing a large brown lumpy bag with her. She now stood and he could take in her entire form. A long floral tee stretched over her curvaceous top and smoothed down over the slickness of long black tights.
Paya! Among oomans, to find such beauty! Such thighs! She could easily carry pups! Such wide hips are worthy of a Matriarch! A broad bosom graced her front and shoulders sprouted great arms, wider than his hand could hold! She must have amazing genetics to have such a build. Genetics that would benefit the future of his line! His head cocked quizzically to the side as the woman began to lumber towards the store. His elation sagged into disappointment as, running through all of his mask's vision settings, he soon discovered that the immense diva of his dreams consisted mostly of fat. The huge body was not due to muscular development, but to an accumulation of pounds and slabs of body fat. Disappointment continued coursing through Ulfr, who had, for an instant, thought he had discovered a had-to-have new member for his harem. He knew that many ooman females were by Yautja standards, plump and lacking muscle. But never before had he personally witnessed such a female as this. What had caused this to happen to her? It was unfortunate he decided and stored her image in his mask's record to be researched later.
It's true. I miss them. It is so difficult to mate with such small females. To be constantly careful of breaking them. To mindlessly mate as a true Hunter again, only concerned with sowing my seed without getting injured myself…that was a true coupling…born of Paya! Then leaving a great Matriarch twitching in pleasure as she pulled my offering deep within to conceive a pup. Those were the days…
The scents and grunts of Yautja mating filled his mind for a moment as he walked to the front of the store. Timing his entrance with an elderly gentleman, Ulfr agonizingly slowed his pace to enter the store directly behind the shopper. As he entered, another, rather plump, ooman was perched on a stool directly in the middle of the wide path. "Welcome to Sam's," she chirped and inspected small rectangles that everyone showed her. The man nodded in reply as he dutifully showed his pass and Ulfr suppressed the playful urge to invisibly pluck it from his hand. It was taking all his skills to walk silently in metal sandals on the tile floor. A large display of round black wheels was off to his left. It was there that he removed his footwear and stowed it. He would retrieve it later. For now, it was so much easier to walk around barefoot. He had only to care for the click of his toe claws.
He surveyed the interior. To the left were lines of oomans with those metal baskets. The one at the front of each line took everything from its basket and placed it on a conveyer where it was scanned by a worker. Then, everything was put back in the cart. He assumed it was a payment system. This must be the equivalent of a market on Yaut and yet there were no stalls of vendors. Everything to be purchased was arranged throughout the space without the personal touch of being able to actually meet the one who had grown or created your purchase. This society is impoverished, went through his mind and not for the first time since he had accepted this mission.
Automatically following the scent of food, he moved off towards displays of fresh produce. As he neared the first boxy structure, his masked eyes came to rest on another very small ooman. This was a little female, sitting wide-eyed in her basket, staring straight at him. An automatic check showed his cloaking intact. What was she seeing? Experimentally, he slowly waved a hand. A giggle popped out of the pink mouth as the toddler's entire face lit up. Up went her hand and she waved back.
C'jit! Surely she can not see me. The youngster's mother looked up from selecting pears to see what was entertaining her daughter. It was nothing. Maybe someone had walked by, catching the baby's attention. The woman went back to picking out fruit. Easing out a breath, Ulfr reasoned that evidently the young one could make out his cloaked shape. Something that adult oomans spent years attempting to learn to do. Perhaps she could see heat signatures? Doubtful. She undoubtedly sees my camouflage moving. This pup has not developed its mind enough to ignore what it sees.
Enjoying himself, once he again waved. Giggles erupted, followed by a tiny crow and small arms reaching out to him. The mother glanced, but was determined to find the best fruit. So gingerly, the giant Hunter approached with outstretched arm, a single finger extended to the child. How I miss my pups, he thought as his large shimmering digit was touched by her small innocent one. A quaver went through his camouflage, much like ripples from a thrown pebble in a pond and the child's mouth formed an 'O'. Quickly, he pulled back and walked on, reluctantly leaving the happy inquisitive pup behind.
Rounding the potatoes and onions, Ulfr proceeded towards a significantly sized area that held stacked shelves of colored beakers and cases of cans. Many were dark brown, some green and a few clear or orange. Loud labels colored each one and various sizes were visible. Two young females along with a male were having a discussion. He sidled up to hear. From what he could garner, they were trying to decide which of the colored bottles or cases to purchase. No reasoning he could understand was being used. Soon bored, he moved on.
The sudden scent of fresh meat assailed him and soon he was lured to the long section of flesh and fowl attractively displayed and bathed in cold. He turned up the heat in his mesh. What a bountiful display! Instead of whole carcasses, the prey had been butchered into desirable sections and packaged. He walked the length of the beef section, nearly drooling over thick chuck roasts and top sirloin. The ground meat had no appeal to him. That was for toothless pups. So engrossed in this bounty of flesh, he nearly walked into a young male hunkered over the cooler trying to make a choice. Just in time, Ulfr pulled back but the young male noticed a disturbance in the air. Soon surmising it was nothing, he went back to studying steak. From the corner of his mask eyes, he saw a young female approaching. She stood near the male and also began looking over the selection of meat. Then, she began picking up packages to study and then putting them down. The young male watched curiously. Finely he asked, "Perhaps I could help. I mean, if you don't mind. What are you looking for?"
"I don't know," she wailed. "I just got this new apartment and my parents are coming for dinner and I want it to be special and I have like NO idea what to fix."
The male smiled at her, "So you had steak in mind?"
"Well, ya. I want it to be special. So steak, baked potatoes, salad and something from the bakery for dessert. But I've never fixed a steak before." She looked up at him at last and gave a small smile. "Honestly, I'm kind of a klutz around the kitchen."
Fascinated, the Yautja watched the male assist the female in finding just the right flesh and then give her some pointers for preparing it. She thanked him profusely for his help, until his color went rather pink. Ulfr watched as the heat index went up for him. Zooming in, he detected pupil dilation in both parties.
"So, a… I'm Bryan, by the way." He stammered.
"Oh! And I'm Cherie." She extended her hand and he shook it.
"Cherie, like the French?"
"Yea, my mother adores anything French. Don't you know she's never been to France though." The female laughed.
"A, Cherie, would you like to get together with me over a coffee sometime? I'd like to hear how your dinner went…goes…whatever."
"Really? I'd like that, too."
Right before their alien witness, the two exchanged contact information, entering it into their cell phones.
That seems simple enough, he mused. Food is important in any culture. So the female was perplexed and the male offered assistance. It may not be food, but I must be on the alert for any way to assist Sal'lee. She will be grateful and then we may exchange contact information. I must remember to ask her if she would like to meet me over…what was it? Caffee? Coff-ee. It was Coff-ee. What is that? Is coff-ee part of the courting ritual? How do you meet over it? I will find out.
Tucking that information away, Ulfr moved on, away from the delectable flesh. There were still many oomans to observe, but now he was hungry. Later! He ordered his stomach, calming the internal growls. Later I will consume an entire rinth hind quarter. That will be my reward for today's hunt for knowledge!
The Hunter stealthed his way down the aisle of breakfast cereal and nearly gagged at the strong sugar stench. Nothing but shopping parents and more wailing children met him there. After combing all the food aisles, he decided to skip the cleaning and paper products and instead headed for the deli. A long line had formed, waiting to be served by the young male behind counter who appeared to have a skin illness. His face was punctuated by red eruptions. Some vague scarring showed where this was a chronic situation. Ulfr was sympathetic to his gawkiness. Like Yautja, young male oomans went through a fast growth period when they did not seem to know how to use their limbs. Like unfamiliar branches, they waved about trying to accomplish with a minimum of knocking and stumbling. An older female and a younger one, somewhat below the male's age he thought, were currently being served. The uncoordinated male was spooning some horrible looking green shreds covered in white goo from a large platter under a clear panel and placing it in a clear container. Snapping on a lid and affixing a label, he asked, "Will there be anything else?"
The older female peered down at the other unappetizing dishes while the young female only had eyes for the male. "Hi, Andy!" she glowed at him. "I didn't know you were working here."
"Uh, a, ya. Just started last week." He waited for the woman to decide what else she wanted.
"Well that's great!" the girl gushed. "I wish I could get a job, but Mom says not yet."
"Sure," he said, ignoring her. In the meantime, the woman pointed at another dish of brown pellets, stuck in brown goo. "A large container of baked beans."
The male obediently began glopping up her order.
Ulfr's scans revealed the definite interest of the young female in the cosmetically unfortunate male. Her heart rate was up and her endocrine system was racing. Unfortunately, the male seemed to be as interested in her as he was in dishing up baked beans, maybe less. Ulfr thought. While these individuals are younger, the female shows courting interest. Why is the male not reciprocating? What about her is undesirable? Why is she attracted to an ill specimen? This is baffling! I do observe, however, that she has not requested his assistance with anything. In fact, it is her Bearer that asks for his assistance, even if it is only in serving food. But there is no sexual interest by the Bearer in this male. This courting system is complex.
Completing his tour of the food and household section of the store, Ulfr now made his way to the back where a large selection of televisions, cell phones and other devices awaited him. There were many young oomans of both sexes in this area. So with hope renewed, he quietly watched. In one aisle, he noticed more oomans were gathering. They were examining and selecting small flat squares. Curious, he silently made his way to look over a young female's shoulder. She was holding a square and talking to another young female who accompanied her.
"Oooooooo, I just LOVE Miles Cumberbatch! With this one, I'll have the whole collection!" Her friend squealed in agreement as the first girl hugged the square to her chest. They left for the checkout as the Hunter examined the shelved squares more closely. What were they? Titles jumped out at him, 'Outlander: Destruction of Craigh na Dun', 'Aliens: Queen Ripley's Daughter, 'The Three Musketeers', and 'Avatar 7 – Eywa v Monstanto'.
Baffled, the Hunter moved on to watch the large viewing screens mounted on the wall. The largest was advertised as 200 inches of curved wall viewing. Ulfr stood close, until even his peripheral vision was taken in by the viewer. Something was beginning to appear on the screen and he watched, fascinated, as several scenes went by and then the words 'The Three Musketeers' appeared. One of the squares! It must be data for this viewer, perhaps the glorious history of the Forebearers and Foresires has been recorded, just as we do on Yaut.
As the music started to crescendo, a self-conscience mandible of amusement rose. Well, rose as much as he could manage in a mask as a chagrined Ulfr realized it was merely fictional entertainment. I have heard of this but have never bothered to watch. Perhaps another time. With a shimmery shrug, he moved on.
Maybe this was not the best place to watch courting behavior, he realized. Within the entire structure, he had only found two examples and only the first one had been educational. More research is required. Perhaps through their visual entertainment I may be provided with more answers. On board my ship I can alter my viewer to utilize their entertainment frequencies. Such frequencies cover the entire planet and it is reported that many oomans spend substantial time viewing them. That is were I will search next!
Decisively, Ulfr headed back out to the parking lot. While crossing it, he noticed a young woman in fluffy clothing, standing helplessly by her vehicle. Moving closer, he saw that one of its round wheels was deflated and crouched down by the wheel was a young man, positioning something. Standing still as a post, the Hunter watched and listened.
"Oh, I'm so sorry," the female said. "And you've got your good clothes on and everything."
"Not your fault," the male grunted, as he pumped on the jack. The car rose and he proceeded to change the tire.
"We're going to be late!"
"Maybe. But this tire's gotta be changed. Will you get the spare out of the trunk?"
"I've got my good dress on!" The female wailed back as she held her hands out expressively over the sea of pink.
"And my suit's enjoying this too," he replied snappishly.
"Oh! Sorry." She scurried back to the trunk and struggled with something, returning with what appeared to Ulfr to be a joke. The female held out an undersized wheel to the male.
That wheel cannot be used for any duration of time on that vehicle. It is small and weak. Why is that the replacement part? Anything could damage it.
Although Ulfr could detect no significant dirt, the female now was holding out her hands trying not to touch her clothing. The male completed the job and threw tools back in the trunk. "Okay," he said more cheerfully, "Let's see if we can make up for lost time!"
"Now, John! You're not going to speed are you? You got a ticket last time."
"Dammit, do you always have to bring that up? Yea, I got caught and got a ticket. So, I'm a dangerous driver now, right?"
The female's chin quivered, "There's no reason to yell at me. I was just reminding you to be more careful. That's all."
"Well all you do is nag, woman!" The female was now crying. Ulfr saw that others kept their distance from the fighting couple. Some took a circuitous route to avoid them.
"Go ahead, cry about it now! I'm so sick of your nagging and crying! Cut the drama, will you?" His face was red with anger now. Ulfr measured his body's reactions and saw the dramatic rise in adrenalin. Will he attack the female? How cowardly! The Hunter's blade wrist flicked nervously. If the male attacked, should he interfere?
Now the female screamed back, "And I'm sick of your carelessness and…and... your lies! You don't want to be in this relationship! Do you?"
The male's hand went into the air as if to strike, even as Ulfr's entire body tensed to spring. Fortunately for him, the male stopped himself. "Let's just go home. You've spoiled this entire evening. I just wanna drink and to go to bed." Weeping, the female got in and they left.
Such a small thing to escalate into an argument. They blamed each other for everything with no apparent cooperation. This was ooman pair bonding? Was this a common example? He shuddered again and thanked Paya for the kehrite, the arena in which all disagreement was worked out. Had there ever been a contest between a male and a female in all of Yaut's long history? He could not think of one. Males and females got together to mate. Period. The male would visit his offspring while still with the female. There was no pair bonding such as oomans did. Females basically governed and made society work. Males basically hunted and warred. And what does Sal'lee expect? I will not simply take her to mate as I have my others, but what will our bond be and will it be sufficient for her?