Candidate (Selected Book 4) (28 page)

She snuffled. "Did you talk to your old boss like this?"

"No way," I said. "Gerri swears like a sailor. I had to fight to keep up. Fuck that."

She laughed outright.

We weren't the only ones waiting. I recognized some of the guards. Sal, Gene, and Danny were there. Dark Skies was there, of course, and Clover arrived a few seconds after we did.

"You haven't met my other two senior event coordinators," Jasmine said. She took my arm and drew me to a pair of aliens. As we approached, they turned to us, and I saw they were both the same species -- Loris like the one from the arena a few days ago.

The Loris were petite, smaller than I was, and covered with fur. But their fur was far finer than the Wookies'. They had flat faces, a little like an owl's, with upright ears and a jutting, delicate muzzle. Unlike the Wookies, I would discover these Loris enjoyed wearing clothing, although they did so strictly for ornamental purposes.

"Andromeda," said Jasmine. "These are Bay and Cedar."

"I am Bay," said one. "Cedar is my mate."

"Cedar can speak fine for herself," said Cedar. "Bay is my overbearing husband, but I love him regardless."

"You are Loris."

"We are," said Cedar. "You are human."

"I am," I said. "How do Loris prefer to greet?"

"My wife prefers to bite," said Bay. "But I find a human handshake appropriate." He held out his hand, and I took it carefully. Then I shook with Cedar as well.

"Did we interrupt a fight?" Jasmine asked.

"Yes," said Cedar. "My stupid husband again suggests we should pit the mating candidates against each other."

"Last woman standing," said Bay. "We could give them extra privileges."

"Tell me he's kidding," I said.

"He's not," said Cedar.

"She's sore because I won't offer her group odds. She's trying to swindle me."

I turned to Jasmine. "He's kidding, right?"

"He makes this suggestion every few weeks," Jasmine replied.

"I can talk them into it," I said.

"What?" they all said together.

"I can," I said. "If you let me pick the reward."

"I don't think so," said Jasmine. "You'll send them home."

"Not at all. The reward is a group challenge. Them against the Loris who suggested we treat these poor women like gladiators."

Jasmine snuffle-laughed. Cedar did some sort of high squeaking thing, and I thought she sounded not unlike a dog toy. Bay gave me what I was sure was a dirty-Loris look.

"I should have thought of that," Cedar said. She turned to her husband. "Why didn't I think of that?"

"Because you would never envision such a poor idea," Bay said quickly. "Unlike a certain human who shall go unnamed."

I turned to Jasmine again. "I think I ended their fight."

"Don't worry," she replied. "They'll start a new one soon."

"My wife and I enjoy challenging our wits against each other," said Bay.

"What he means to say is he's an ass, but I put up with him for the sex."

"That's probably true," Bay agreed.

"Seriously, Administrator, I think it would be very good for morale if we hosted a few challenges featuring the
senior
event coordinators."

"And by that you exclude the event coordinators in training?"

"Of course. To the best of my knowledge, you only have one, and she's also a mating candidate. As such, she is already heavily weighed down with her split duties as event coordinator in training and source of amusement for the aliens."

"I like her," said Cedar. "But she's not very smart, is she?"

"Oh?" I asked.

"Are you sure teasing the senior event coordinators while you are subject to our events is a clever idea?"

"Of course it is," I said. "I cleverly determined that the two of you tease each other to bond your relationship tighter, and I offer to also tease in a show of solidarity and desired friendship." I turned to Jasmine and spoke sotto voce, "Tell me you aren't going to let the Loris run any of my events."

"We heard you were picked clean by the robot-bugs," Bay said. He thumped his chest. "My idea."

"To apply it to me?"

"No, just in general. It's too bad Dark Skies warned you not to smear any of the food on your face. Most of the humans go insane when the little robots eat from their faces. I always make sure to splash some there."

"Well, the transport is nearly here," Jasmine said. "We'll leave you to it." Then she dragged me away, nearly literally.

"Don't strangle him," she said. "I really can't afford to replace him just yet, and I'd have to replace her, too."

"Does he really?"

"What?"

"Splash their faces?"

"Yes."

"Why?" I asked. "These women have had their lives torn apart, and he thinks it's funny to make it worse?"

"I want to ask a favor."

"I'm suddenly not in a favor-granting mood."

"Watch him with his events before you come to any conclusions."

"I think I have all the information I need."

"Yes, I know you think you do. But you aren't going to believe me, so I'm asking you to hold off your judgment."

"Don't let him run any events with me."

"I can't promise that."

"You are not helping my mood," I said. "I in effect forfeit my challenge with Soft Rain to avoid a fourth punishment, and he felt the second should have been worse than it was?"

She snuffled, this time not a laugh. "Listen. Some of the challenges require punishments of some sort. We couldn't help you in your challenge with Soft Rain without a price. Would that have been fair?"

"No, but-"

"But he's as gentle as a lamb. Oh, he's fiendish when it comes to psychological punishments, but he never hurts one of the women. Never."

"Maybe you should dip him into that pit and let the insects at him for a while."

"He has been. Well, not the pit, but we have other ways of covering you in the food. When he comes up with something new and clever, he sets it up and then tells Cedar to surprise him with it. Sometimes he comes back very subdued and tones it down. As often, he turns it up. But most of the time he gets it just right the first time around. He never comes up with actual physical punishments, and he's appalled by the power staffs. But when we need a psychological punishment, he's your Loris."

"So he's almost as good at head games as you are?"

"Well, he's not in my league, but then, who is?" Then she gestured. I looked up, and the transport was coming into view. We all watched as it circled the facility, coming lower, and then it settled in for landing, hovering over the ground well in front of us before inching closer. Then it turned slowly around, offering a view of its tail end, and lowered the last few feet to the ground.

It grew quiet, not that it had been loud. And then the ramp began to lower.

"Right," called out Clover. "Let's make sure we get the right woman in the right cell this time. I can't prove it, but I'm pretty sure that little mix up two batches ago was someone's idea of a practical joke. Not on my watch!"

I leaned to Jasmine. "I've got a bathrobe that says the Loris was involved."

Jasmine snickered. I noticed she didn't take my wager.

They were actually quite efficient. The transport had a crew. They would roll one of the chairs out of the transport. Each of the chairs had the occupant's ID displayed on the side. It could be scanned; I simply used my visor. The visor did a lookup and told me anything I wanted to know about the occupant, including which cell was hers. And then the visor would guide me into the facility and to the right cell.

Clover coordinated, opening each chair for a moment to view the sleeping occupant and performing a visual verification she was who the bed said she was. And I didn't know it at the time, but she also kept track of who arrived and could immediately tell us how many were left.

The cells were all underground, but there were two banks of elevators, so depending upon which cell we needed, the visor directed me to one bank or another. And because the visor already knew which women were being moved in, it could hold an elevator if someone else was about to get on for the same stop.

It was quite impressive.

Still, it took time. It was a long trip from the lander bay to the cells. And then inside each cell, we verified again. After that, we unpackaged the woman, but the chair could be controlled to gently slide her onto her bed.

Each of the women was naked; I remember waking up naked and not liking that. I mentioned that to Jasmine.

"It's not easy to dress an unconscious body," she said. "And would you want strangers fondling your body?"

"It wouldn't be fondling," I suggested.

"Would you?"

"No, probably not. You could give them blankets."

"That's not happening, either," she said. "But I can take your clothes from you while we do the rest of this."

"Bully."

"That's right. Now, arrange her more comfortably. She's going to get a stiff neck like that."

When the women were taken from their homes, they were wearing different clothes. Their clothes came with them, but if it was street clothes, we took them, noting who had something reasonable -- that was Jasmine's word, not mine -- and who didn't. "We delivery a change in the morning if they need one," she explained. "We didn't use to do it this way. So some women came wearing almost nothing and some came dressed for their day. Now we're a little more egalatarian."

"Right. That's the word I was thinking of."

"Was that sarcasm, Mating Candidate?"

"Of course not, Bully Administrator Brighteyes," I said cheerfully. "I'm only making conversation."

In the end, we made fourteen or fifteen trips, getting each woman settled in for the night. When we were done, Jasmine and I walked up and down each cellblock, checking the women through the glass. A few times we stepped in and adjusted their position. "She's sleeping on her arm," or "her pajamas are bunched around her neck."

I was actually surprised by the care. I wondered if it was a show for me, but I didn't ask.

Finally she turned me to her. "We're done. You don't have a date tonight."

"Dark Skies kept it clear."

"Would you like to share a meal with me?"

"That depends."

"Oh?"

"Do I get a proper hug?"

She smiled. "Is that a requirement?"

"Maybe a strong request."

"Very good. Return to your cell and change clothes. I'll send the guards for you."

"Seriously?"

"Mating candidate," she added.

"You let me wander around all day, but you're going to put the guards through that? They're tired and want to go home."

"And they'll be able to do so."

"Do I have time for a shower?"

"Yes, if you're quick."

"I'll taste better."

She smiled. "See you soon."

* * * *

When I got back from the showers, there were undies and a camisole waiting, but a message appeared telling me I could wear the robe, too.

The guards appeared about thirty seconds after I pulled the clothes on, so I was sure they'd been waiting.

"You," said one.

"You know," I said. "We have never exchanged names." I stepped forward and held out a hand. "Andromeda Hayes."

"We're not supposed to give our names to mating candidates," said the woman. "You'll have to catch us when you're an event technician."

I laughed. "Right. Got it. I'll call you Dilly and her Dolly."

"I want to be Dilly," said Dolly.

"Fine. You can be Dilly."

"There's no way I'm answering to Dolly."

"How about Bar? Dilly and Bar? No?" I said. "You don't want to be named after Dolly Madison?"

"Call her Eeyore," said Dilly.

"You know I'm going to be stuck with these names in my head instead of your real ones."

"Call me Natalie," said Dolly. "After one of the guards from Orange is the New Black."

"I'm not going to remember that," I complained.

"Then call her Piper," said Dilly. "We're practically inmates ourselves."

"Piper it is," I said. "Who gets to cuff me today?"

"Dilly does," said Piper. "She loves cuffing the girls."

So I held my wrists out to Dilly and she did, indeed, cuff them.

* * * *

I rubbed my wrists, still unable to see. But then Dilly -- or maybe it was Piper -- insisted on pulling my robe from my shoulders.

"Get your own," I muttered.

"Let her take the robe, Andromeda," said Jasmine.

"Fine," I said. "But seriously, don't you pay them enough to buy their own bathrobes?"