Rexx: Alien Adoption Agency #6 Page 13

  “Does he work here too?” Juno asked, following Anna’s quick steps as they travelled deeper into the ship.

  “Yes,” Anna said. “We’re only part owners of this ship, but we’re probably the most hands-on of the six of us.”

  “That’s amazing,” Juno said. “You must have been really good at salvage.”

  “We salvaged this ship, actually,” Anna said, laughing. “Back when my friends and I crewed the original Stargazer. It was my very first mission, and all of us almost died. In the end, it worked out so well that our old captain gave us this ship as a sort of parting gift. If you’re curious, you can stop by the historio-gram on the lower level. It’s kind of a wild story. But for now, let’s get you settled.”

  Anna flung open a set of thick walnut doors to reveal the interior of the ship proper.

  Juno gasped before she could stop herself.

  She’d seen the vast scale of the ship from the outside. It was mind-bogglingly huge, the size of a mountain, with rings of floors going up, around and around its perimeter.

  But nothing on the surface of the ship could have prepared her for what she now saw behind the glass walls at its center.

  A forest.

  This wasn’t some garden with a few scraggly trees, like the one at the center of Juno’s home prefecture on Terra-4.

  This was an honest-to-goodness forest, twenty stories tall and bristling with verdant green leaves. The trees were so large that their gnarled branches almost blocked out the light source above.

  Flower studded bushes grew right up against the glass, their tendrils climbing the panes.

  A mist hung among the foliage, as if it rained heavily and often inside the glass. The fog gave the woods the effect of the illustrations in the children’s books about old Earth back at the museum on Terra-4.

  “It’s incredible, isn’t it?” Anna said softly.

  “I-I’ve never seen anything like it,” Juno agreed.

  “This was the first thing I saw when I broke into the ship,” Anna said, her voice dreamy. “The ivy was bursting through the glass.”

  “Life will find a way,” Juno said thoughtfully.

  Anna nodded.

  They walked slowly past the entry to the forest and into one of the glassy storefronts on the first level.

  Anna tapped her wrist and Juno watched in fascination as her bracelet unfurled from her arm and fluttered into the air.

  It was a real origami droid. Juno had read about them, but no one back home had any tech as advanced as that.

  She tried not to stare.

  “BFF-19, would you please measure our honored guest?” Anna asked.

  “On it,” the little drone chirped in a friendly, female voice. “Arms out at your sides, feet shoulder width apart, please.”

  Juno only marveled at the little robot as she flitted through the air.

  “Like this,” Anna said, demonstrating by lifting her own arms.

  Juno copied Anna’s posture and the droid let out a chirp of approval, then whirred around her, twin webs of laser light emanating from her wings and encompassing every inch of Juno.

  She hoped her measurements weren’t about to be sung out.

  “Excellent,” BFF-19 said simply.

  She flitted over to a framed white panel on the wall and projected a series of images.

  Each one showed a lavish outfit, complete with accessories, and perfectly tailored to suit Juno’s body type.

  There was a gown with colors like oil on water, and a sleeping array in soft fur. A hunting costume in fawn colored suede was followed by a crystalline ball gown with a low bodice encrusted in what looked like real Cerulean dust.

  Juno was unsure how she could ever choose.

  “Yes,” Anna said. “All of those. But I’d also like a few choices that are similar to the clothing of her home planet. Terra-4, is that right?”

  “Yes,” Juno managed.

  BFF-19 clicked and whirred.

  “We all like to feel at home,” Anna said to Juno with a smile.

  Another set of images scrolled past. These were the flexible multi-pocket trousers and willowy blouses Juno was used to, but in lovely colors and soft, durable fabrics. Belts and accessories of suede were dyed in wine and berry tones.

  “Exactly,” Anna said with satisfaction. “How long until Saca can complete them?”

  “Saca is already at work,” BFF-19 said. “The wardrobe will be prepared by the time our guest finishes her bath.”

  “I’ll bring her to the spa,” Anna said. “But first we’ll need her chipped.”

  “Chipped?” Juno echoed worriedly.

  “Oh, it’s nothing to worry about,” Anna said immediately. “It’s just a special bracelet. All our VIP guests have them. It allows us to locate you for security purposes and it acts as a redundancy for the platforms and room sensors. It’s sort of like a backstage pass, so you can have access to all the good stuff.”

  Juno shrugged. It sounded like overkill, but she had no problem being tracked. It wasn’t like she could leave the ship, and it certainly wasn’t like she wanted to - at least not until she had done what she came here to do.

  She followed Anna out into the main corridor again. A few paces later they turned into another glassy storefront.

  A dark-haired woman was entering code into a dimensional printer.

  “Hi Angel,” Anna said. “This is Princess Juno.”

  “Hello, your majesty,” Angel said, bowing deeply.

  They were really going all in on the whole princess package.

  “Angel is another one of our founders,” Anna explained.

  Once the woman had stepped out from behind the counter, Juno could see a little boy on the floor playing with some sort of wooden puzzle. He seemed to be making quick work of it, taking it apart and reassembling it into various geometric shapes.

  “I’ve got your chip bracelet right here,” Angel said kindly, holding out a delicate silvery band.

  Juno allowed her to fasten it around her wrist.

  “We’ll have your BFF drone waiting in Wardrobe when you’re finished at the spa,” Angel said.

  “My BFF drone?” Juno echoed.

  Angel smiled. “They’re super cool. You’re going to love having a drone around.”

  “This is incredible,” Juno said, hating herself for being so starry-eyed, but unable to hide her enthusiasm.

  “Of course, your wardrobe and accessories, and the drone are all yours to keep after the cruise is over,” Anna told her, squeezing her shoulder. “It’s part of the package.”

  Juno forced herself to nod and pay attention. She could do mental calculations on the value of used clothing and a BFF drone later, when she was alone in her room.

  “Come on, Juno, let’s get you pampered,” Anna said.

  “Bye,” Juno said to Angel.

  The dark-haired lady smiled and bowed again.

  “Your whole wardrobe will be ready for you when you’re finished at the spa,” Anna said as they headed back into the corridor.

  “How could anyone make all those clothes so quickly?” Juno asked, trying not to picture some poor woman in the back sewing until her hands bled. Maybe it was a being with multiple arms.

  “What do you mean?” Anna asked.

  “The droid, she said someone called Saca was working on them?”

  “Oh, ha,” Anna giggled. “I don’t mean to laugh at you, Juno. Believe it or not, this is all kind of new to me, too. But S.A.C.A. is an acronym for Sewing And Compilation Android. She’s the computer that instructs the machines that make the clothing and accessories.”

  Juno nodded, trying to play it cool.

  “Oh, here we are,” Anna said, pulling her into another glass store front. “Hi Vaxyn. This is Juno.”

  A sparkling alien of undetermined gender strode over with a determined frown on its lovely onyx face. Long, graceful appendages trailed behind it.

  “Juno is the recipient of our princess package,” Anna said.<
br />
  Vaxyn looked Juno up and down slowly enough that she began to worry she was about to be cooked and eaten.

  “Excellent,” Vaxyn said in a voice that slid like syrup. “I know what to do.”

  “Wardrobe will be ready when she’s finished here,” Anna said.

  “We’ll handle it,” Vaxyn said dismissively, as if they were anxious to get to work. “First, a bath.”

  “Have fun, Juno,” Anna said, waving to her.

  Juno followed the midnight alien to another room where a grass-like floor surrounded what looked like a small pond. The water was so still and dark that Juno couldn’t see the bottom, if there was one. Steam rose from the water and the scent of florifaua and honey filled the air.

  “I trust you know how to bathe.” Vaxyn said in what sounded more like a question.

  “Of course,” Juno replied, embarrassed.

  Though she couldn’t blame Vaxyn for the uncertainty. Her journey here had been fraught, and there wasn’t overmuch water on Terra-4 for bathing to begin with.

  Certainly not enough to cleanse herself in the way that was implied by this room.

  “Remove your clothing and fully submerse yourself in the water,” Vaxyn advised her softly from the doorway. “Take your time. Refreshments are on the floating table.”

  Juno nodded, grateful for the advice, even though she’d claimed to not need it.

  She began peeling off her clothing as soon as the door closed.

  Habit had her searching for a place to stash her clothes so that they wouldn’t be stolen during her bath. She found a small cubby close to the water and placed her things in it. Even if they were shabby, they were still hers.

  She dipped one toe in the water and closed her eyes in ecstasy.

  This was a hot bath. The books talked about these, too - though they always showed a plain white tub, not a pond.

  Juno slipped into the water and was relieved to find it went up only as far as her chest.

  It was hard to focus on getting clean. All she wanted to do was soak in the heat and the lovely scent of the room.

  Her walk to the boarding shuttle had been nearly twenty kilometers, and she’d begun on an empty stomach.

  She made her way to the floating tray on the other side of the pond, feeling heavy and slow in the water.

  On the tray sat a steaming mug of something cream colored and a plate of delicate pink spheres frosted with pale paste.

  She picked up one of the spheres and reminded herself that she was on an intergalactic vessel and that pink might not mean sweet.

  The treat practically melted in her mouth, leaving behind that sugary taste that reminded her of mochi with birthday cake frosting.

  She gobbled up all but the last sphere and was sorely tempted to eat it too. Instead she grabbed the mug with both hands and drank down the savory beverage.

  On Terra-4 where food was often scarce, it was considered improper for a guest to finish everything on a plate. Her mother had explained that leaving just a little was a way to show that you had all you needed.

  As much as she wanted that last sphere, and as few credits as she had in her pockets in the cubby, Juno had her pride. She could not let Vaxyn return for her and find an empty plate.

  She placed the mug back on the tray with an inch of the beverage still in it, and then waded to the other side of the pond to begin her bath.

  A quick exploration of the various pots and bottles on the bank gave her no more information than she’d started with. The labels were in different languages, some of which seemed to be a kind of texture. She guessed it was meant to be read with fingers, or whatever appendages you happened to have.

  Juno worked the nicest smelling concoction liberally into her hair and onto her body and then ducked beneath the surface of the water to rinse it.

  When she was satisfied that she was cleaner than she had ever been in her life, which wasn’t a very high bar if she was being honest, she emerged from the pond.

  The air, which had seemed warm before, now left her shivering.

  She was glad to see a fur robe hanging by the door.

  She pulled it on and tied it firmly around her waist. Then she retrieved her clothing, which seemed terribly dusty and sour now that she was so clean.

  She held it in one hand and used the other to ease the door open.

  “Are you finished already?” Vaxyn asked in that same warbly voice.

  “Yes, thank you,” she said.

  “What a transformation,” Vaxyn replied. “Quite elegant. Come with me.”

  Juno followed to a room with dim lighting and some sort of chair-bed.

  Vaxyn held open a cloth tote and indicated that Juno should put her belongings in it.

  When she complied, Vaxyn placed the bag beside the reclining chair.

  “Lie down,” Vaxyn said. “You will sleep now, while I tend to you.”

  “Uh, I’m okay,” Juno said nervously as Vaxyn sat her in the chair and helped her to lie down. “I don’t really need to sleep right now.”

  “Relax then,” Vaxyn said, the voice going deeper, as if in amusement.

  Juno didn’t know if it was the bath or the snack, but as soon as she rested her head on the cushion behind her, she felt herself begin to drift.

  Three of Vaxyn’s appendages began smoothing through her hair appraisingly as she fell asleep.

  In what felt like an instant, but somehow also a week, she awoke to a deep crooning song. The harmony of the voices was heavenly.

  She opened her eyes to see who had joined them.

  The chair-bed had been inclined so that she was now in an upright position. No one else had entered the room. Vaxyn was the one singing in harmony.

  Juno wondered how many voice boxes Vaxyn had.

  “Complete,” Vaxyn declared. “I’m a genius, but I had good materials to work with.”

  They offered her a mirror and she took it.

  The woman looking back at her was herself, but accentuated. Her green eyes appeared slightly larger with the addition of subtle make-up. Her hair had been thoughtfully cut so that it fell in waves around her shoulders instead of lank all the way down her back.

  “Thank you,” Juno said, feeling relief as well as gratitude.

  “One last thing,” Vaxyn said turning away.

  The lighting in the room shifted subtly as Vaxyn turned back to her, holding out a sparkling tiara in two appendages.

  “Now you are officially a princess,” Vaxyn declared, placing it on Juno’s head.

  It was heavy enough that the jewels encrusting it had to be real.

  Juno laughed in disbelief and Vaxyn made a growly rumble that must have been a laugh as well.

  “Wardrobe left this for you,” Vaxyn said, pointing to a cream-colored gown that hung by the door. “You’ll report there when you’re dressed, and a valet can bring the rest of your trousseau to your suite.”

  “Thanks so much,” Juno said.

  “Have you ever worn a gown before?” Vaxyn asked politely.

  “No,” Juno heard herself admit.

  “It will be my pleasure to assist you,” Vaxyn said.

  A few minutes of shifting and adjusting later, Juno found herself swirling around in a foamy gown, watching sparkles from her tiara dance along the walls.

  “I will walk with you,” Vaxyn said, heading to the door back into the main area of the ship.

  Juno looked at the people in the waiting room.

  “I remember where it was,” she said.

  “A princess is always escorted,” Vaxyn said, inclining their shimmering onyx head.

  Juno was surprised again with how far they were willing to go with the princess package.

  She and Vaxyn entered the ship proper and she found herself gazing up at the trees again.

  “You will enjoy your time here,” Vaxyn said kindly. “The forest is open in the early evenings for our VIP guests to explore.”

  Juno nodded, wondering if she really would be treated as a VI
P guest. She’d thought maybe the free passage and a room would be it.

  When they reached the wardrobe station, a clockwork android approached.

  “My princess,” it said politely.

  Juno turned to Vaxyn, wanting to give the beautiful alien a hug, but unsure if it was permitted.

  “Until we next meet,” Vaxyn purred with a deep bow.

  Juno bowed too and figured by the sound of Vaxyn’s strange rumbling laughter that she wasn’t supposed to have done so.

  She had no idea being a princess had so many rules.

  She thought to ask where she could learn more, but the clockwork android was already guiding her in the direction of a pair of huge wardrobe carts.

  “Princess” Juno followed obediently.

  2

  Zane

  Zane hacked away at the thick undergrowth in the glassed-in forest.

  His muscles ached, but the pain felt good. He was doing something meaningful, creating a path that could be enjoyed by passengers for as long as it was maintained.

  No one was watching him, kowtowing to him, judging him for who he was or what he was to become.

  Among the trees he was only himself, a man at work, giving pleasure to others.

  He sensed movement outside the glass, and an instinct he couldn’t quite explain made him lower his machete and take note.

  The ship was taking on passengers today. A bustle of activity was expected. It was part of the reason Zane was working in the forest, hoping to avoid interaction with the influx.

  He’d planned to lose himself in the work, but something had arrested his labor.

  He stepped closer to the glass, feeling drawn like a mynar to an exhaust port, trying to make out what he had seen that affected him so.

  Vaxyn, the salon artist, was exiting the first-floor spa with a small human woman.

  The woman was lovely - a foregone conclusion for any creature lucky enough to have credits to burn at Vaxyn’s spa.

  But there was something else, something in the movement of her dark hair, the set of her shoulders. It made him feel fierce and tender all at once…

  Mine.

  The feeling tore through him and he felt as if he had simultaneously climbed an electric field and sunk to the bottom of the ocean.