Wow, this marks ten chapters so far, and the start of Part II of our story. I'd love to hear what you all think so far. Is there anything you'd like to see happen? Anything you definitely don't want to see? Has this come across as even remotely believable?
Chapter 9: One Way Ticket
Fuck, I made the wrong decision. Again.
Lia was sitting in the lounge, contemplating breaking into the liquor cabinet. Getting drunk seemed like an excellent solution for her current state of boredom and apathy. Ri'al was in his gym, doing some sort of crazy acrobatic shit with his weapons. He did that a lot. She'd enjoyed watching him at first, he was impressive on an unprecedented level, but even watching his abs got old eventually. She'd brought her datapad, which was handily loaded with a couple hundred books, music and pictures of home, but the battery had died days ago, and despite Ri'al's promise to figure out a way to power it, it was currently a glorified paperweight. 'Bored' was not a state of mind she handled well.
The honeymoon had been epically short. Like, not even a day. After their rather romancey-novel reunion, Ri'al had piloted them off planet almost before she realized it. Perhaps he'd been concerned she'd change her mind. He'd at least been thoughtful enough to put them in orbit for a bit so she could look back at Earth. No matter how many pictures, videos, and CGI renditions she'd seen, nothing even fractionally compared. The beauty brought yet more (how is that even possible?) tears to her eyes. Every human should have the chance to see their planet from the heavens. If they did, perhaps they wouldn't be in such a hurry to destroy it. There were simply no adjectives adequate enough to describe it.
All too soon they were leaving though, speeding away to a future life she could barely imagine. It surprised, shocked, and kind of scared her how empty space was. There was just nothing there. Logically she knew space was a big place, and you couldn't just sit above Earth's atmosphere and wave hello to Mars and Jupiter, but still… Everything was so far. Ri'al said it would take around 20 cycles to reach the Clanship. It took a little finagling with the language barrier to establish that a cycle, being a Yaut'ja day, was equivalent to 40 Earth hours. So, around a month, if they didn't stop anywhere. Not that there appeared to be anywhere to stop. With no idea how far away the Clanship was, and not being particularly gifted in math to begin with, Lia hadn't the foggiest how fast they were moving. She just settled on 'warp speed.'
Once Earth had been left in their figurative dust, Ri'al gave her a full tour of the ship, her new home for however long. She actually asked if he had an apartment on the Clanship, but he replied in the negative. Not being able to explain such concepts as spaceship design with his limited human vocabulary and her five word understanding of Yaut, he eventually pulled up a holographic image for her and attempted to identify the different parts. As best she could figure out, hunters like Ri'al, that had their own ships, moored them like boats in a marina to the sides of the city-sized vessel. Their ship would have a walkway, kind of like the ones used to board an airplane, and would continue to be their home while on the Clanship. Elders and other high ranking Yaut'ja had permanent quarters on the Clanship, in addition to their own ships, and there were barrack style accommodations for those without ships and members of the Eta class, which she came to understand were servants.
She'd already seen the control room, loading bay and lounge. Aside from the various mechanical and engine spaces, there was a smallish kitchen full of strange implements; a gym, which Ri'al called a kehrite, where the walls were lined with an arsenal's worth of weaponry, from the primitive to the frighteningly high-tech; a small medical bay she wanted nothing to do with; and their living quarters. The bedroom was dominated by an enormous bed, which Lia was fairly certain occupied more floorspace than the entire square footage of her old bedroom. The wall at the head of the bed was curved, and decorated with an elaborate stylized relief depicting hunters and prey in various action scenes. There were inlays of bone, gems and metals. The whole thing was breathtaking and she itched to examine it in detail. The bed itself was oval in shape and could easily accommodate a couple of Yaut'ja. Draped over it was a black fur the size of a mammoth that felt like cashmere. Other than that, there was very little in the room aside from smooth metal walls. She assumed there was storage hiding in them somewhere, like in the lounge.
Through the door to the left was a bathing room, complete with a tub the size of a swimming pool. It was full and steam rose from the surface. Like most of the rooms, the walls were curved, rather than the harsh straight lines that humans build with. Ri'al showed her how to operate the shower which was more like a waterfall. Running along half the wall, starting around 5 feet high and ending around a foot off the floor was a long, two foot wide and maybe six inch deep "basin" with a wide lip. It had a constant stream of water flowing through it, kind of like an aqueduct. This she came to understand was both the sink, at the high end (or the middle for her) and the toilet at the low end. It would take some getting used to. Ri'al showed her the storage panel that hid soft, absorbent furs that acted as towels. When she dipped her hand in the water and found it had a slightly thicker consistency than what she was used to, he did his best to convey that the water contained microbes or nanites, or something of that ilk, that cleaned you, negating the need for soaps or toothpaste. Kind of weird, but she'd learn to deal.
The final room he showed her, through the door to the right, was his trophy room, or as Lia came to call it: The Natural History Museum of the Known Universe. Now, Lia had always had mixed feelings about hunting. She'd never had a problem with those who killed cleanly and used the entire animal, but trophy hunting just for the trophy bothered her. She still wasn't clear where Ri'al fell in the hunter spectrum. The trophy room though, was immense, and very full. There was hardly a bare spot on the walls and a number of very large and very-much-not-from-Earth skulls were prominently mounted on floating pedestals. The one closest to the door vaguely resembled a Triceratops, except it had eight horns, six eye sockets and the bone was green.
"Did you hunt…kill…all of these?" She asked, slowly making her way into the space, examining the strange and stranger.
He grunted behind her, Ri'al-speak for affirmative. Every skull, and a few other choice body parts, was polished to a high sheen and the whole collection was artfully mounted in a way that drew your eye to particular pieces. "May I touch them?" Her hand hovered in the air before a square-ish cranium with two foot long fangs.
"Sei-i. May touch. Are my mate." As she ran her fingertips along one of the giant teeth, she felt the feather light touch of claws run up arms sending a corresponding shiver down her spine. She moved to the next skull, this one an iridescent black and more insect exoskeleton than actual bone. As her hands ran over the carapace, Ri'al twined his mandibles in her hair, moving a hand to span her stomach. It would appear that having her caress his trophies was a major turn-on. Morbid, yes, but hey, she'd heard of weirder things that got people horny. To be honest she'd have been far more creeped out if the room was filled with glass-eyed taxidermy. Bone had a natural, sculptural beauty to it. She turned to a skull on a nearby pedestal, which was translucent. Her Yaut'ja's attentions were having the desired effect and she could feel herself getting wet.
Then it all went to hell. Lia, while very much distracted by Ri'al's touch, focused on the wall past the skull before her and froze. It can't be… But it was. Grouped in a circular pattern were a good two dozen small round skulls. Human skulls. Oh. My. God. Happy horny feeling vanished and she actually thought her heart might have stopped.
Ri'al knew immediately when Ly'a's aroused state evaporated. He momentarily wondered why she was upset, then realized she had no idea Yaut'ja hunted oomans, that he hunted oomans. It wouldn't bother him to see a Yaut'ja skull in a trophy collection. Arbitrators often kept those of high profile bad bloods they killed. But oomans were different. Death was not viewed at all the same way. This he was only just beginning to understand.
"I-I…is that…are those what I think they are? Please tell me they're not."
"Are ooman."
She felt the burn of bile in her throat. "And you, you killed them?"
"Sei-i. Yaut'ja hunt oomans. Thousands of seasons. Oomans very good prey."
She had no idea how to respond to that. She'd just eloped with a serial killer.
Ri'al felt he needed to diffuse this situation before it escalated and he had one of those hysterical females he so despised on his hands. "Not hunt oomans now. Protected. Only for breeding. Hunt only bad bloods. Take to other planet."
"Bad bloods? Oh…" understanding dawned as she got hit by the clue bus. It made a sick sort of sense now; the women and the criminals. Why those were the only people they wanted. Yaut'ja, for whatever reason, needed women for breeding, that's a discussion we're going to have to have asap, and they took the prisoners so they would still have humans to hunt. The gulf between their respective cultures just widened to rival the Grand Canyon. This was the first time when she'd really, truly realized how alien he was. That she'd just given up everything for a creature she knew nothing about.
It was too much to process all at once. She stumbled out of the room, all the way back to the lounge, far away from the house of horrors. Ri'al made no attempt to stop her, just followed a few feet behind. She collapsed into the pillows. The roller coaster of emotions she'd been riding the last few days was finally catching up. She lay there, staring into space, trying to make sense of everything. All too soon her mind gave up the fight and she fell into a deep sleep. Ri'al simply crouched nearby and watched her.
Lia woke, warm, comfortable and feeling very well rested. She snuggled into the incredibly soft blanket, not willing to leave her happy little cocoon. It was several minutes before she fully remembered where she was, why she was there, and why she wasn't so certain she wanted to be anymore. Sleep had cleared her mind though and allowed her to examine things objectively. I'm not on Earth anymore. I'm basically married to an alien. He's a hunter that just happens to have formerly hunted humans. He's not planning on hunting me. I faced my inner demons and made the decision to come here. It was my choice. I need to get up and face it. I said this was my future so let's try to make it a good one.
Reluctantly she got out of the bed, wondering how she'd gotten there and how long she'd been asleep. Apparently quite some time her stomach and bladder informed her. Making a beeline for the bathroom, she collided with a large, damp, hot wall. It was Ri'al and he was very naked. Lia stumbled back a couple steps. Gaining her equilibrium once more, she stopped and stared. And stared some more. She'd never seen him without some kind of armor on, let along nothing at all. The shoulder gear had been hiding some very interesting tattoos on his shoulders. As had the wrist guards. Hey, she was a student of art, and these were definitely a form of art she liked. Then there was the elephant in the room, so to speak. Much as she resisted, her eyes had a mind of their own and travelled south. That was… not going to fit. Ok, yes it was smaller than a baby, but seriously? He was impressive flaccid, and with her staring at him, there were distinct signs of life. While the basics were the same as a man, there were a few key differences. For starters, he had no testicles. He probably had them, but they were inside his body not hanging free. It was half way retracted in a sheath, but as she watched lengthened and slid all the way out. There were a series of bumps and ridges running down the shaft which ended in a soft point rather than the bulbous head of humans. Lia swallowed and Ri'al purred. Shit I have to pee! She dashed past him into the bathroom, leaving a disappointed male in her wake.
Ri'al could see his female was still flustered when she returned, the heat and color prominent on her cheeks. He sighed, resigned that he'd have to wait a little longer to complete their mating. Due to the bi-polar quality of their females, Yaut'ja males learned early on how to control their arousal. She'd been asleep for nearly half a cycle. He figured she was probably hungry, knowing oomans had to be fed more frequently, and his suspicion was confirmed when her stomach began growling.
"Come. Eat." Lia gave him a grateful look. They entered the kitchen and he motioned her toward the freestanding table. She was just wondering if they'd ever heard of chairs when a pedestal stool rose up almost beneath her, causing her to squeak and jump out of the way. Only then did she notice several circles flush with the floor. Clambering up onto the too-high stool, to sit at the too-high table, feeling like a toddler in a high-chair, she watched as Ri'al opened several compartments and removed a variety of utensils and foodstuffs. He laid out several kinds of fruit, or maybe they were vegetables, on a platter and sliced them up with a knife. Next he set out a slab of unidentified meat. This too he sliced up, laying the pieces on the platter. Finally he set out a small box, which, with the tap of a button, produced a flame. He handed her a two prong "fork".
"Eat."
"And this stuff is?"
Ri'al huffed. Always with the questions. "Amedha," he pointed to the meat. "Earth animal. Hunt in your forest."
"Deer? Were they brown and smaller than my horses, with a white tail?"
"Sei-i."
"Awesome. I love venison. And the fruits?"
He told her the names. "Good for ooman. Not make sick." Before leaving the Clanship, he had acquired all the items on the list provided with his permit to take an ooman female. It included utensils oomans needed for eating, such as the burner to cook meat since they couldn't eat it raw, and what food stuffs were safe. He'd stocked up a selection. Considering the animal he'd hunted, this "deer", came from her planet, he'd figured it wouldn't kill her.
Lia was fascinated watching Ri'al eat and hoped staring wasn't a mortal insult. Using his claws, he'd hand off the raw strips of meat to his mandibles, which would feed them into his inner mouth. She assumed he had no more teeth than that and was swallowing stuff whole. It worked the same way with the fruit, which she was kind of surprised he ate at all. Stabbing a slice of meat with her fork, she figured the burner was pretty self explanatory and chose not to look stupid and ask if it was for her to cook with. A minute of two of browning and she was chowing down with gusto. It was a bit like camping. She wondered if they'd ever heard of salt. Please let them have some form of seasoning. Plain old meat is going to get old fast.
Both of her most pressing needs now taken care of, Lia wondered what was next on the docket. She didn't have to wait long. Unfortunately their destination proved to be the medical bay. She almost turned and made a run for it. Not that shots or doctor's offices had ever really scared her, but this was alien medicine and as far as she knew she was perfectly healthy at this moment and had no need for it. She reminded herself that the Yaut'ja had given the humans very advanced medical technology, so in theory it shouldn't be a torture chamber. As they entered, Ri'al tapped a touch screen on the wall and a Yaut'ja-size examining table rose smoothly out of the floor. He had her by the hips and up on the slab before she knew what was happening.
"Ri'al…" her voice uneasy, "what are you doing?"
"Need give medicine. Help adapt to atmosphere. Cannot leave at ooman air mix." He pulled two large syringes out of a compartment.
She had no idea how that would work. Probably better if she didn't know. Regardless, she understood the necessity. Ri'al had said he could only tolerate her air mix for five days. Or was it cycles? Whatever. "And the other shot, is that part of the same thing?"
"H'ko. Regulate cycle. Not bleed." It was a strange feature of ooman females. Yaut'ja females cycled similarly, though much less frequently. However, if a Yaut'ja female cycled without becoming seeded, her body would simply absorb the uterine lining and unfertilized egg. The ooman experts had said it was a messy process for ooman females, and inconveniently frequent. They had developed hormone blockers early in the ooman testing. Once she'd gone through the genetic modifications, she'd stopped bleeding entirely.
It took her a minute to catch his drift. "You mean I won't get my period?" He gave her a look that said he didn't know what she was talking about and didn't care to. The shots were over quickly and much less painfully than she'd anticipated.
Ri'al was pleased with how well his female handled the procedure. He'd been warned that many required sedation first. She would likely go back to sleep now, while the shots went into effect. He was no healer and had only a passing understanding of what was in the solutions and how they worked. His only real concern was that they did. As expected, his female started to sway back and forth. Once again, he carried her back to bed.
She woke in the bed again. Only this time she was naked. She momentarily panicked before noting that she was not at all sore, and with what she'd seen of Ri'al last time she was awake, she'd definitely be feeling it if he'd done anything. She then chastisized herself. He wouldn't do that to you. She got up and went searching for her clothes, but they were no where to be found. Not wanting to wander around in her birthday suit, she was about to retrieve a towel when she noticed two pieces of leather lying on the end of the bed. Upon closer inspection they appeared to be a tank and skirt, of the Jungle Jane persuasion. Great. The ambient temperature was warmer than what she preferred, and apparently cooler than what Ri'al liked. They'd come to a somewhat happy medium early on. She wasn't relishing how sticky she was going to get wearing leather in this environment, but shimmied into the outfit regardless. It fit surprisingly well, supporting her ample breasts, and best of all, was breathable. How that worked was a mystery, but she certainly wasn't going to complain.
Ri'al paused in his training when his female entered the kehrite. He was pleased to see her in the clothing he'd provided, though he wouldn't have minded at all if she simply wore nothing. It had been a pleasure to undress her. He did not disrespect her and take any liberties, aside from running his hands over a bit more of her soft pale flesh. It tantalized him.
"Uh, hi." Ri'al acknowledged her with a nod. "Whatcha doing?"
"Train."
"I'm sorry I fell asleep again. Mind if I join you for a bit?"
"H'ko. Sit there." He pointed at a pile of furs near the wall. He would be quite happy to demonstrate his prowess for his female. Ri'al proceeded through a series of warm up maneuvers with his ki'cti-pa, spinning the combi-stick staff around his body and making thrusts at invisible opponents. While singularly focused on his efforts, he stole a glance at his audience every so often. She watched him with rapt attention, seemingly impressed. He even caught a subtle whiff of n'dui'se. Good, very good. Exercises complete, he next donned his mask and set a sparring program using the touchscreen on the wall. Taking his place at the center of the room, a series of holographic opponents appeared. Some were other Yaut'ja, some were prey species. It was a sophisticated system that never played the same scenario twice. Any contact with an adversary resulted in electrical jolt. Foes defeated, he retrieved his al'nagara and slipped on his right hand gauntlet.
"Hey," his female called, getting his attention. He looked up to find her walking over. "I've been wondering what this is," she grabbed his arm, turning it this way and that, inspecting the wristguard. "It seems too bulky to be just armor, but I haven't seen you using it as a computer like the other one."
"Is dah'kte." Holding his arm out to the side, he released the long blades, slowly for dramatic effect. He chuckled at the look on his female's face.
Lia was in awe. No martial arts movie had ever compared to this display of fighting skills. Ri'al moved with a grace that belied his size. There was a fluid conservation of movement that spoke of years and years of training. He's over 300 years old. Of course he's good. Damn, I'd forgotten about that. Yeah, no, still can't wrap my brain around it. When he dialed up the 3D enemies it was like being inside a video game. First he took them on with his double-ended spear, which she realized was the bar she'd seen him carrying in Africa. She found herself holding her breath when it was four-on-one, and wanting to cheer when he kicked their asses. This was so cool. Next he fought with a sword in one hand and a pair of terrifying serrated blades, two feet long, that had slid out of his wristguard. Those were just crazy. He was quite simply amazing, and watching his muscles play under his gray skin got her all hot and bothered. When he'd finished, he prepared another meal for her, similar to the first, but with a few new options.
That, however, was around the time her enjoyment of this little adventure began to wane. Ri'al, she discovered had a very set routine. He was either in his kehrite, in the control room, or in the house of horrors polishing his skulls. She was welcome to watch him do any of these activities, though he spoke very little. She'd hoped he would answer more of her questions now that they were on their way, but he was almost as tight-lipped as ever. She resorted to reading on her datapad until the battery was out of juice. Their first argument, since his original "proposal", came when he asked her to join him in the trophy room and she refused unless he got rid of the human skulls. Ri'al was furious that she would suggest such a thing and physically picked her up and deposited her on another pile of furs in the corner of the room. She was starting to feel like his dog. He fed her, made little beds for her, and occasionally gave her a pat on the head.
Ri'al, for his part, couldn't understand why his female wasn't content. Didn't he provide her with everything she needed? Was she not allowed to watch him as he conducted all his daily business? What more did she want? Yes, he knew she wanted her primitive device powered, but in his opinion she was better off without it. Best she didn't dwell on ooman things. Still, she evidently needed more mental stimulation; otherwise she might revert to destructive behaviors. And the worst insult of all? Despite all his efforts, she still refused to mate with him. It was becoming very difficult to lie beside her as she slept and not touch her. He could scent her arousal sometimes, but she could turn it off in an instant. The whole situation was very frustrating. Perhaps he needed to pay her more direct attention. She needed training in behavior and expectations before they reached the Clanship anyway. He could not have her embarrassing him. Yes, he'd begin her training next cycle.
And thus, that is how Ri'al came to find Ly'a in the lounge with a large knife from the food preparation room strategizing burglary just to get shit-faced.