Candidate (Selected Book 4) (18 page)

I don't know if I convinced myself, but I didn't cry.

"Thank you, Jasmine," I whispered again. Words appeared in my visor.

When you're done, leave it with your damp towels.

I dressed quickly, selecting the one piece today. I showered then headed for the pool.

It was empty, the water absolutely still. No one had been swimming for hours. I stared at the smooth water. It was almost a shame to disturb it.

I backed up and made a running dive, slicing into the water cleanly.

I wasn't alone for long. Others began arriving almost immediately. But I swam my laps and ignored them.

But then underneath me, swimming on her back, was Cherish. I reached the end of the pool and waited for her to surface.

"You have earned a privilege, even though you lost your challenge."

"Good morning, Cherish." I caressed the suit. "Yes. I believe Administrator Brighteyes seeks to convince me she is not the voyeur I believe her to be."

What Administrator Brighteyes granteth, Administrator Brighteyes can taketh away.

I laughed at the words.

"I have a confession, Andromeda."

"Oh?"

"Administrator Brighteyes is not the only voyeur."

I laughed again. "Have you been watching me, too?"

"A little. Swim with me." She collected a hand and pushed off from the side, but we swam slowly, on our sides facing each other. "You are becoming popular. It appears if I wish some of your time, I must challenge you."

"I didn't think Tutor enjoyed the challenges."

"We wish a willing mate," she said. "But that does not mean we are immune to the allure of these challenges."

"And so you wish to hunt me as well?"

"I might prefer a more intellectual challenge."

I laughed. "If it is a fair challenge, I will accept."

"Really?"

"I give you the same offer I gave Soft Rain. If you win, then I am yours for the evening, but if I win, then you are mine."

She grunted. It sounded quite like a piglet grunting, but I decided it was laughter. "I agree to your terms. I will schedule an opportunity for us."

"Good," I said.

"Would you care to swim as we did yesterday, at least until others arrive, and I must share you?"

"I would."

I don't know if a signal passed between us, but together we both dived to the bottom. Then she reached over and took my hand, and we swam from end to end, holding hands and surfacing for air at each end.

We did that for a while. Then we surfaced. She waited for me to take a breath, but then she sank, pulling me down with her. I let her, and she pulled me into her arms under the water. We sank to the bottom, looking at each other.

Cherish caressed my face. I reached up and cupped her cheek. But then I pointed to the surface, and she nodded.

When we popped up, Dark Skies was sitting on the edge of the pool, directly above us. "What were you two doing down there?"

I looked up at her. "A challenge. Cherish won."

"A challenge?"

"Who can hold her breath the longest? She won a tight hug."

* * * *

Back in my cell, I sat back on the bed, pulling the robe tight around me and leaning against the wall. How many aliens were competing for my attention?

I didn't even begin counting before the visor began flashing an angry red and buzzing at me.

"What's wrong?" I called out. "What is it?"

"Mating candidate Andromeda Hayes," said Jasmine into my ears. "You are in violation of our agreement!"

"What agreement? I'm in my cell. Breakfast isn't due for another few minutes."

"You lost your challenge yesterday and are not permitted clothing in your cell until 5 PM tonight."

"I'm sorry! I forgot. I'm sorry!" I pulled the robe off as quickly as I could and ran to the nook, shoving it in. The nook swallowed it immediately. "I'm sorry, Administrator. It wasn't intentional." But I crossed my arms over my chest and crossed my legs, trying to hide my nudity.

"Move to the center of the cell facing forward, feet shoulder width apart and laced fingers on top of your head."

"I'm sorry," I said. I scrambled into position. "I'm sorry."

"Remain in this position until breakfast arrives."

And so I stood there. It wasn't a long period, but I spent the entire time wondering if she was going to punish me for it.

It wasn't until I was nearly done with breakfast that I realized how quickly I was submitting to her authority, scrambling when she ordered me to do so, apologizing for infractions that shouldn't even exist. And I'd only been here a few days.

* * * *

She didn't return the robe. It took me two minutes of the visor telling me it was time to go before I could step to the wall, and then I hurried to the dressing room.

I didn't see anyone, but running around in my birthday suit was intimidating.

Yes, Jasmine Brighteyes was good at keeping me off balance.

The visor didn't direct me to a control room. It directed me to a conference room. Jasmine was already there when I arrived.

"I'm sorry," I said. "It wasn't intentional. I swear."

"You can program the visor to remind you," she said. "If it happens again, there will be a more significant punishment than displaying yourself to the cameras for five minutes."

"Oh my god," I said, immediately blushing. "Are you serious?"

"Quite so," she replied.

"Was anyone watching?"

She snuffle-laughed. "Oh, yes. You are becoming popular, Andromeda Hayes. And I added the video to your bio."

I stared at her, my mouth opening and closing several times. I knew I was beet red. Finally I asked in a small voice, "Why would you do that? Why do you insist on humiliating me? Why do you offer me a portion of dignity only to take even far more away?"

I didn't wait for her to answer. I turned on my heel and walked three steps back to the wall, but the door didn't reappear even when I stood with my nose practically touching it.

I stared at the wall, willing it to open. When nothing happened, and Administrator Brighteyes remained silent, I said, still in a low tone, "It was a mistake to agree to work for you, and it was a mistake to accept our basic agreement. I wish to return to my cell and will await the opportunity to kill whatever male you decide to let rape me."

"You're being hyperbolic."

"You're right. You'll probably drug me out of my skull first, so you'll mind rape me first, then let the male rape my body. Will you watch him do it, Administrator? You seem to enjoy watching helpless human women in their humiliation. What a refined, mature species you represent."

I heard her moving across the room, coming to a stop to my right just at the edge of my peripheral vision. I refused to turn my head to look at her.

"You are the only one who feels you have been humiliated or degraded."

"Every human woman here agrees with me."

"I do not feel you have been humiliate or degraded," she clarified. "And the people who see the video do not, either."

I turned my head. She was turned, facing me, and her expression, if it had been human, would have qualified as one of gentle concern.

"I should not have expressed my pleasure the way I did," she continued. "Yes, there is a certain pleasure that you obeyed me. And yes, I like looking at you. Do you like looking at me? I am told my eyes are quite pretty. Some women call them beautiful. I believe you did so. Some women call me beautiful."

"Now you're bragging?"

"I have admitted that I enjoy looking at you, and I am trying to reach a point. Do you enjoy looking at me?"

"Not right now I don't."

"And at other times?"

"Why did you do it?"

"I am stirring up interest in you. Alien politics are involved. You are an experiment, Andromeda."

"Well, nudies of me should help."

"Humans are one of the few species who wear clothing for modesty. The people viewing the videos find nothing extraordinary about that, except they are allowed to see you more completely. Tell me, if you were going to look at pictures of a Wookie, would you rather she be entirely clothed or naked?"

"That's different."

"Because she has fur? To us, that is a difference of appearance but not a reason you should require clothing for modesty."

"Except for the furry species, every alien I've seen is clothed."

"We wear clothing for fashion, for protection from the elements, and because humans grow upset if they see us without them."

I turned to face her full on. "Fine. You've seen mine. Let's see yours."

She folded her arms, watching me. I mirrored her then cocked out a hip to boot.

"All right," she said. Without a pause she bent down and removed both shoes, setting them aside. The skirt was next, and then the undies. I couldn't believe she was doing it, but I didn't take my eyes away, either.

She had nice legs, but I wasn't going to tell her that.

The blouse was last. She unbuttoned it, and then she said, "Some humans react badly to this."

"Let's see it," I replied.

She slipped the blouse from her shoulders and let it drop to the floor behind her. And then she uncurled four tentacles from where they had rested against her body, and they arrayed around her, the tips waving lightly.

I stared.

And stared.

And stared.

"Are you repulsed, Andromeda?"

"No," I whispered. "Those are..." I licked my lips. "Tentacles."

"That is the closest word in English, yes. Most humans have a variety of reactions at this point. Some recoil. The rest almost universally stare, just like you are. After that, nearly all of them equate me to a certain terrestrial creature."

"Octopus," I whispered.

"Yes. Outwardly they are extremely similar to the arms of an octopus. And you're still staring."

"I can't help it."

"Should I feel degraded or humiliated, Andromeda?"

At that my eyes snapped upwards to hers. "Did you just call me a hypocrite?"

She smiled broadly.

But then I hardened. "Except there's a difference. You don't feel humiliated. And you're not on display for absolutely everyone. And even if you offered to let me post such a video of you, I wouldn't, whereas you did it, and then you told me about it to achieve exactly the reaction you got. You couldn't have been surprised."

"I'm not doing any of this to hurt you, Andromeda," she said. "I am, however, doing it to make you meek. The sooner you get over your rebellion, the sooner you'll open yourselves to the possibilities of the situation."

"Being raped?"

"Could you, for one conversation, give me the benefit of the doubt on that? None of the women here will be raped, not even mind raped the way you put it. You're going to leave here with a woman you
like
. You're going to live a life most humans can barely imagine, mated to someone who treats you exactly the way you want to be treated, experiencing things very few humans experience. I know you think the worst of me, but I'm not doing any of this so you can be miserable for the rest of your life. The harder I push you now, the sooner you'll start to consider the possibilities of your situation."

We glared at each other for a minute before I said, "I think maybe I need to mull this over."

"I understand," she replied gently. "Do you insist on being returned to your cell? I really hope you'll say 'no'. I could use your skills, Andromeda. I really could."

"I-" I looked back up at her eyes again. "I liked operating the cameras yesterday."

"You did a good job, too."

"I had an idea."

"Oh?"

"Apple's bio didn't include any interviews with her. I haven't had a chance to look at others."

"Interviews?"

"You know what an interview is. Humans would call it the human interest perspective."

"Ah. Interesting. But you must understand. While there are some semblances to your human reality television shows in what we do here, that isn't our prime purpose."

"You don't believe interviewing me would increase your ratings?"

"We don't have ratings."

"Fine. Raise interest?"

She smiled. "I suppose it could. But we don't have time to explore that thought today. Maybe in coming weeks."

I nodded, then her tentacles moved, and my eyes flashed to them.

"Are you intimidated?"

"No," I said.

"Do you want to see one?"

"I'm a hypocrite, aren't I?"

"If I asked to examine your arm, would you let me?" And then one of the tentacles reached into the space between us. "The tip is sensitive. Be gentle with it."