Candidate (Selected Book 4) (45 page)

"As long as he leaves work at work. When we're home, he pays attention to me, and not the damned football game. Or computer games. That's what my boyfriend did in high school. I'd come over, and all he wanted to do was play his games."

"Becky," I said, "You don't want to fight, do you?"

"No."

"Your other choice, if you won't fight, is to accept your role as a willing mating candidate. You would go home with a male, but he still has to woo you. But you agree to let him."

She looked at me, then at Jasmine. "I want one who is smart."

"I think we can arrange that."

"I don't care what he does, but he has to let me have a career."

"And will you give him children?" Jasmine asked.

"How many?"

"That is between you and him," she said.

"I want kids," she said. "Will they be human?"

"They will have some human DNA, but they will be more of him than of you."

"I don't even know how that works," she said.

"Well," Jasmine replied. "I know how you could learn. You must say the words. Tell me you will be a willing mating candidate."

She nodded. "You promise. He'll be nice."

"He'll be nice. And smart. And let you have a career."

"I will be a willing mating candidate."

I didn't see them approaching, but Piper and Dilly stepped up to her. The pillar released her arms, and Piper and Dilly began to pull her away. But she turned to face me. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," I said. "If they allow it, I want to meet your future mate."

"I'll arrange it," Jasmine said.

And then they led her from the arena. I turned to the next woman.

I went in a circle after that. As I arrived at a woman, Clover fed me her bio. The very next one I stepped to said, "Don't even try it. I'm fighting."

"Ribbon?"

"Hell no."

"You know you're going to lose."

"And you knew you were going to lose yesterday."

"I'm not the one who tossed her cookies."

She smiled at that. "She pissed her pants, too."

"Who would have thought of it?" I said. "Implac females have this thing about heights."

"Are you suggesting you didn't know that ahead of time?"

"It may have been mentioned to me," I said. "I'm not sure I recall." We grinned at each other. "You look fierce." But I looked around and turned back to her.

"Yeah, I know. But I'll go down fighting."

"Ah, my words. Got a weapon picked?"

"I wanted a sword, but I don't see any."

Jasmine stepped up. "There are a few. Not enough for everyone. The challengers like to face a variety of weapons."

"Are they
sharp
?"

"Try not to slice your hand off," Jasmine said. "We can't grow one back for you."

"Good luck," I told her.

The next two weren't interested in talking to me, but then I met one of the Japanese women. "Are they translating for you?"

"Yeah, but they can stop," she said. "I went to school at Stanford. The extra voice is annoying."

I smiled.

"You can skip your talk. I'm fighting."

"You're small," I said. "You aren't any bigger than I am."

"Smaller," she said. "I am a stereotype."

"Hot Asian chick?"

"That, too," she said. "I am a small Japanese woman who studies taekwondo and jujutsu."

"Well, well," I said. I skimmed her bio. Martial arts weren't listed. "Are you good?"

"Second dan black belt in taekwondo. My jujutsu school does not award belts, but I win tournaments. Small tournaments, and my weight class is not difficult."

I reached over and turned her head. "You're not in that weight class, Haruki." She didn't say anything. "Did you see my fight with the Implac?"

"Yeah."

"I didn't know they were showing it to all of you. Did you see me the night before, at the party?"

"Party?"

"There was a little get together for the lesbians," I said. "No one thought you were interested."

"Yeah, probably not," she said.

"At the end of the party, I confronted the Implac. I challenged her. And then I delivered a roundhouse kick. I caught her in the ear hard and sent her flying."

"Good for you!"

"And broke my foot in the process."

She looked down. "You heal fast."

"Alien technology," I said. "Yesterday it was a broken cheek and two broken ribs. That won't happen today to anyone. Well, it might when the aliens fight themselves, but they'll be gentle with you."

"I'm not going to hold back." But she looked around. "They're huge."

"You have choices," I said.

"I'm fighting."

"You could offer yourself willingly."

"I'm fighting.

"Most who take a willing mate are smaller than these. Some are smaller than we are."

She paused. "I'm fighting."

"Well then. When your hands are free, you have a choice. You can take your chances. Or you can turn around and walk to one of the two aliens directly behind you. They're not quite so big. You can hand one of them your ribbon, and then you can kick his ass in the subsequent challenges."

She craned her head, found the two I was talking about, then turned back to me and nodded. "We'll see."

"Good luck, Haruki."

I worked the rest of the circle. One more woman let me talk her into accepting willingly. The rest wanted to fight.

I turned to Jasmine and nodded. She stepped to my pillar, released the chain, then reeled me in, moving the hoop up to my wrists again. Then she held me there while she spoke for a few minutes.

She led me from the arena. Behind us, some of the aliens, including a Loris, stepped onto the sands and walked to the women. Then I couldn't see anymore until we reached the stands. I looked out, and one more woman was being led away, the Loris holding her arm.

"Good for him," I said.

"Her," Jasmine said. "That's a female."

"She wasn't there two nights ago."

"She just arrived. The girl was in the middle. We weren't sure of her orientation. Evidently she likes the looks of the Loris."

"They are pretty cute," I said. "The Kitsune is gorgeous."

"Sugilite is a particularly vivid Kitsune. They come in vast colors, though."

"All right. I need my cameras, Clover."

"Dark Skies is on it," Clover replied.

"Access is from your visor," Dark Skies said.

"Help me out," I said.

A moment later, the visor overlaid. I was presented with what appeared to be several computer screens, in a way, but all together at the same time. Everything I needed was there. But it was an overlay with what I was otherwise seeing.

"Can you move my normal vision to just one of the screens, like it's a camera over my shoulder?"

"Just a moment." Then everything changed. "There."

"Thanks." I reviewed what I had. "Give me a minute before you release them, Jasmine."

"We're all set," Dark Skies said.

"Only twelve cameras?" I said. "Give me more. Warm 'em up for me, Dark Skies."

"Twelve is plenty," said Clover.

"How many do you want?" Dark Skies asked.

"How many are there?"

"128."

"Okay, I don't need all of them. Give me another twenty-six.  Help me put two on each candidate. I'll use the rest for wider action."

I actually let Dark Skies do that part while I arranged the rest. But I moved a couple near the two small aliens I'd tried to pick for Haruki. If she took my advice, I wanted to catch it.

"Who is controlling the livestream?"

"I am."

"Who is that?"

"Danny."

"Okay, Danny," I said. "If anyone gives away a ribbon, that's what goes out live. I'll try to tell you which camera, if I can."

"Good. We watch for that, but you just gave me a lot more work."

"Pshaw. You can handle it. Clover, shut me off from anyone who doesn't need to hear me, or if I don't need to hear them."

"Me, Danny, and Dark Skies," she said.

"Turn down my ears," I said, "but add Jasmine to that mix."

"On it," Dark Skies said.

I arranged cameras, and then said, "Ready."

Jasmine stood up. "Mating candidates, you have fifteen minutes to explore the arena. You may select weapons. You may talk to the challengers. However, do not approach a challenger with a weapon, or he is free to move, and you will be captured. At the end of fifteen minutes, return to the center, but you may bring weapons with you, if you like. Begin."

"Danny, A-14-D." I had it zoomed in on Sylvie's hands. As soon as they were free, she picked up her ribbon, holding it for just a moment. Then I zoomed out and let her cameras go back to auto.

Haruki had her ribbon and was walking towards the two small aliens. I kept an eye on her. A few other women had ribbons, but I didn't think they were going to use them.

I checked on Sylvie.

"You're being too obvious with the cameras," Jasmine said. "Only some of them are wearing visors."

"Dark Skies, next time I want some smaller drones."

"Next time," she agreed.

But I pulled some of my cameras further away, lamenting the need.

Haruki walked to the two smaller aliens. She looked between them. They were both watching her.

She was lovely. Hot Asian chick. I'd want her. And I had liked her besides.

I checked on Sylvie. She'd reached her first alien, but he'd looked past her, and she moved on.

I enabled an audio feed from some of my cameras, including the ones nearest Haruki and Sylvie.

"Catch Haruki, Danny," I said.

She spoke Japanese.

"She asked if they speak Japanese," Jasmine said.

And one of them replied in Japanese. And then the other offered a bow and did the same.

"That isn't coincidence, is it?"

"I do not believe in coincidence," Jasmine said.

"You're good."

"Frankly, so are you, but you have a lot to learn."

"What's my count of willing candidates?"

I heard chuckles from several corners.

Sylvie walked past another alien. But the next was watching her approach.

"Shit. Can we do a split feed? I don't want to lose Haruki, but Sylvie is about to get some attention."

"I've got it," said Danny. "Run your cameras."

Haruki talked to both of the males. I didn't understand a word, so I just made sure I was catching good video and watched Sylvie.

The alien watched her approach. She looked at him, but he said nothing. She fingered her ribbon and walked on.

"False alarm," I said.

"I don't think so," said Jasmine. "Watch."

Sylvie got five steps, and then the alien spoke. "Titan is ugly."

Sylvie froze.

"But the sky from Titan is unbelievable."

Sylvie turned.

"I would be gentle," he said.

She stepped closer.

"Are you getting this, Danny?"

"Do your job and let me do mine."

"Do you need the fight that happens here?" Sylvie ask with a gesture.

"I need the challenges with you." He waved. "This is an unfortunate impediment."

Sylvie stepped closer still. I checked on Haruki. She was still talking.

"I would be gentle," the alien repeated.

"Will I get in trouble if I come any closer?"

He knelt down. "No, Sylvie," he said. "Come as close as you desire."

She walked up to him. Kneeling, they were nearly the same height. "You're huge."

"Yes, compared to a human female. But I am gentle. May I touch you?"

Slowly, she nodded. He reached out and caressed her face. Then he fingered her hair. "This is beautiful," he said. "Would you allow me to brush it?"

"You want to brush my hair?"

"It is important to my species," he said.

"I'd let you brush," she said. "I'd like that." She stepped marginally closer. "Do you have a name I can say?"

"Deep Dark," he said.

"Would I become Sylvie Dark?"

"That is the human custom. It is not my custom. And so it is your choice."

She nodded and looked at her ribbon. "What do you do?"

"I am an astrophysicist."

"Really?"

"Really."

"I don't understand astrophysics," Sylvie said. "Would you teach me, at least what I could learn?"