Candidate (Selected Book 4) (34 page)

"No. Okay, they win, at least most of the time. But they're so, so, so much better than we are that they can capture us without hurting us. And they do. But that's when it turns ugly. They fight over us. Remember? And they do not seem to hold back against each other."

"Good. Let them kill each other."

"I didn't see any of that, but I saw a lot of people who needed medical attention."

"I don't want to do this, Andromeda."

"I know. I don't blame you."

"I don't want to fight."

"Will you accept willingly? You understand, you'll have to let him treat you like a girlfriend. You have to give him a chance. Jackie, they came hundreds of light years to help us, but now they can never go home again. So we represent their only chance. Will you let one of them have a chance with you?"

She looked me in the eye, then dropped her gaze. Then, slowly, she nodded, but tears began to crawl down her cheek.

That was expected, and I had tissues ready.

"I need you to say it out loud. Tell me you'll do this willingly."

"It's not really willingly."

"It's grudgingly, under great protest," I said. "But it's willing at the same time."

And so she nodded. "Willingly," she said. "But he better treat me well, because I'm no one's doormat."

"Good. You shouldn't be."

At that, the door behind me opened, and Jasmine walked in. Jackie's eyes snapped up, and then she froze. Jasmine said nothing at first but took the seat beside me. She set a small wooden box on the table.

"My name is Jasmine Brighteyes," she said. "I am the administrator here. You should call me Administrator Brighteyes, Ms. Yoo."

"You're a... you're a..."

"Catseye," I said. "Female."

"Alien," Jackie finished.

"I am. I've been listening. I was going to let Andromeda do this alone, but I can't." Then her voice changed. "Thank you, Jackie. I know you're scared, and I don't blame you. But you don't understand how lonely some of us are. Please, promise me you'll give him a chance, a real chance. You'll open your heart and give him the chance to fill it. You both deserve that chance. He can give you such a life, a life you couldn't otherwise imagine."

"What... what race will he be?"

"We use the word species," she said. "Andromeda said there would be an interview process. They are interviewing you, but if you ask, they'll answer questions. It's outside in the coliseum, but when we take you there, don't be afraid. It's just the biggest area we have. We have a nice podium with an awning over it to protect you from the sun."

"I don't mind the sun," she said.

"Well, I'm going to give you something," Jasmine said. She opened the box and pulled out a visor. "You know what this is." Jackie nodded. "This is a privilege. Are you going to abuse it?"

"No."

"I won't make you wear it, but if you do, it works like a computer. You can use it to do lots of things."

"Including research," I said.

"Yes. Including research."

"About the aliens."

"Yes. About the aliens. Do you want it?"

"I don't know how to use it."

"It's easy," I said. "There's a demo and a tutorial. I bet you're good with computers."

"Are you saying that because I'm Asian?"

"No, because you're 25, smart, and work in Silicon Valley."

"Oh. Yes, I'll take the visor."

Jasmine slid it to me, so I opened it and then stood, leaning forward. Jackie held still as I slipped it in place. It activated, and after a moment, she looked around.

"We'll let you do the tutorial back in your cell," Jasmine said. "Interviews are tomorrow."

"I'll check in on you later," I said.

"The visor won't let you send email," Jasmine added. "Except to the two of us. You'll see the feature when you get that far."

Jackie nodded. "All right."

I used my visor and summoned the guards. Then I said, "If you have any more questions, we have a minute or so. Or you can email us later, once you've had a chance to think."

She turned to Jasmine. "Do you promise he won't rape me?"

"He'll touch you," Jasmine said. "Like a gentle boyfriend. And you need to let him. But he won't touch you in any fashion you don't like, and he will never hurt you. No, he won't rape you." She paused. "I've had two women raped. Do you know what I did?"

"No."

"One was here, during one of the challenges. He is now dead. The other was after they left, and he is now an
it
. Do you understand me?"

"You cut it off?"

"Yep. And half his brain with it."

"Don't mess with Jasmine," I said. "She kicks ass."

"Both were from species that demand the challenges," Jasmine added. "You won't be dealing with either species."

Then the guards stepped in. Jackie heard them and turned around.

"I'm going to dim your visor, Jackie," I said. "Then the guards will take you back to your cell." I didn't wait. I dimmed her visor, and then the guards stepped forward. I released her from the table, and they helped her to stand and turned her away.

"Wait," she said. "Andromeda, do you think I could have a hug?"

"Of course you can."

* * * *

Peggy Ann Page, the redhead, was my next, about an hour later. The first portion of the interview went about the same, with a little more anger and name-calling before she calmed down. But then I said, "Does it bother you that I'm gay?"

"Why would it bother me?"

"You know how people can be," I said. I explained everything then said, "You have choices."

"It doesn't sound like it."

"Well, you can decide you're going to fight."

"Damned right, I'm going to fight."

"If you fight, there is a chance -- a fairly small chance -- that it will be a female who wins you. And then you will have the challenges. It is very likely she will win the final one. And then you will go home with her, and she will attempt to woo you. It is my guess she will be successful."

"You said a small chance."

"It is far more likely a male will win."

She paused. "You said we could affect the outcome. Something about a ribbon."

"Yes. You have a ribbon, and if you give it to one of the challengers, then you go right into a cage, and he automatically wins. You stay in the cage until the rest is over."

"So I can do that. But then we still have the other challenges, and I could win then."

"Yes. But consider this. I have some influence over whether there are any females in the group of males that will be competing for all of you. But I have absolutely no influence over several things. I can't promise there won't be four other women with the same plan and only two females to offer to. And I can't promise she won't want someone else instead. She is not obligated to accept your ribbon."

"Maybe I'm okay with a guy."

"Maybe you are," I said.

"What would you do?"

"Well, if you want a guy, and you want to fight, that's easy. Go to the arena the day after tomorrow and do your best."

"And if I want more control than that?"

"Offer yourself willingly. Forego the challenges."

"What if I want that chance, but with a female?"

"You can hope. I can offer influence. I can't promise."

And then Jasmine walked in. I turned to her. "Are you going to let me do any of these alone?"

"You know me. Control freak." She sat down. "Introduce us."

Peggy Ann was staring at Jasmine.

"Peggy Ann Page, this is Jasmine Brighteyes. She runs this place. She wants you to call her Administrator Brighteyes. You can call her other names, and she might not do the shit to you she's done to me, but I wouldn't count on it."

"Hey!" Jasmine said. "Be polite."

Peggy Ann smiled briefly at me, then turned her gaze back to Jasmine. "You're the reason I'm here."

"I'm the reason you have any choice at all. Before I took this job, all the women ended up in the arena and were told there what was about to happen. Most of them were still figuring it out when the event started."

"That's terrible!"

"Yes, I agree with you. You're conflicted, aren't you?"

"I want to fight. I'm going to kick alien ass and then go home." But then she looked at me. "You're gay."

"Yes."

"What about you?" she asked Jasmine.

"My species doesn't have a word for that. We also don't have a word for gender. We're all female, and it wasn't until we met other races that we learned there were other forms of procreation."

"All female?"

"Didn't I get to that?" I asked. "I would have if given sufficient opportunity."

"You're kind of pretty," Peggy Ann said. "I like your eyes."

"Thank you."

"I'd fight you," she said. "If I win, I get to go home, right?"

"Unfortunately," I said, "Catseye don't fight that way. If you want a Catseye, you have to be willing. No challenges. You go home with her."

Again she looked back and forth, her gaze settling on Jasmine. "I bet all the guys in the arena are big hulking beasts."

"Not all," she said. "But that is the trend, yes. But we have a few species who are very, very fast, and that can make up for size and strength. Sometimes they win. Sometimes they get very, very hurt."

"I don't like big guys," she said. "They're all assholes."

"That's not necessarily true of the aliens," Jasmine said cautiously. "Although we get a few like that."

"I don't care. You said I have some choices. Fine. I'll give a female a chance. A chance. That's what she gets, right?"

"Right. But it has to be an honest chance." She repeated everything she told Jackie.

"I want to meet her," Peggy Ann said. "I want someone who will treat me well, and not some blubbering bimbo, either."

"There is a reception this evening," I said. "All female."

"Perfect," she said. "Get me some clothes, and I'll be there."

"I want to ask you something. Would a few hours of being slightly uncomfortable, socially speaking, be worth it to meet a room full of space aliens, all of whom are going to be glued to your every word?"

Peggy Ann laughed. "Yeah, I really lure them in."

"You should trust her on this one," Jasmine said. "Ms. Page, we will introduce you to a number of interested females, but you will not be the one picking."

"I get to veto though, right?"

"Yes, but if you veto too many, you'll be in the arena."

"So I meet them once, and then..."

I turned to Jasmine. "Administrator Brighteyes."

"No. Just no. I know what you're going to ask."

"Give her some time, Administrator. Please."

She made a disgusted sound. "Why should I?"

"It's the rest of her life! Let her, I don't know. Let her go on a few dates."

"Dates? Now you want me to let her go on dates?"

"Yes. And I think you should bring in the females who prefer challenges." I turned back. "They have Wookies."

"What? Like Chewbacca?"

"They're white."

"Not all of them," Jasmine said.

"One of them is my friend. She's very sweet. They want to fight though. So maybe you want to meet some of them, too, and if you hit it off, you skip the arena and go to the remaining challenges. Otherwise, maybe a Catseye will strike your fancy, or one of the other females who wants a good woman with amazing red hair."

"Ms. Hayes, we talked about this!"

We certainly had, and I wasn't offering a thing we hadn't agreed to.

"I'll do it willingly," Peggy Ann said. "I promise. I'll give her a chance. But you need to at least let me meet her first. I'll be able to tell if we won't hit it off. I swear. You wouldn't want to give me to someone who I hate, anyway. After all, I might have to give her a chance, but if I hate her, I hate her."

"Well, Administrator?"

Jasmine made another disgusted sound. "Fine. Two weeks. You get one cycle. You either accept someone, or in two weeks, you're in the arena. Am I clear, Ms. Page?"

"You're clear, Administrator. Thank you."

"Wait here."

"I'm not going anywhere," said Peggy Ann. She rattled her hands.

Jasmine stood up, exited the room, and came back with another visor. She set it down. A minute later, it was on Peggy Ann's face.

She asked for a hug, too. I told her I'd see her that evening, but I'd be dressed a lot differently than I was now.

As soon as she was gone, Jasmine yanked me into her arms, hugging me fiercely. The tentacle came across my lips, and I was surprised, but I kissed, and she invaded.