Candidate (Selected Book 4) (6 page)

We spoke for another few minutes. Basically, we verified I wouldn't engage in violence. Then, like that, she released me, even freeing me from the shackles. I rubbed my wrists.

"I will escort you to the pool," she explained. "After that, your visor will direct you where to go. You may swim as long as you desire, then shower and dress. The visor will guide you back to your cell. You will enter willingly. If you violate your parole, I will have you in the arena with four males, none of whom you will like."

"I'll behave."

"Good."

A moment later, she said, "See if you can follow the visor's directions."

I cocked my head. I had almost forgotten I was wearing it. It wasn't doing anything differently. "How do I do that?"

"Look around."

I did, turning slowly, and then there was a closed door in the wall behind me. It hadn't been there before, and the door was pulsing blue.

"Blue is good."

"Blue is good," she agreed.

I stood and walked to the door. Administrator Brighteyes stepped around the table, catching up to me just as I reached the door. It opened automatically.

We exited into a hallway. I could go left or right. I looked left, and there was a red haze over everything. When I looked right, there was a set of glowing blue dots hanging in the air. "Follow the dots, I assume."

The dots led me to a wall, and then a door opened onto something that was clearly an elevator. I followed the dots. I didn't have to push any buttons. The elevator began moving, and we descended. There were no indications how deep we were going.

We stepped out, and there were no more dots.

"To our left is a gymnasium," she said.

"It's not red."

"You are authorized to use any of these facilities," she said. "But you will probably not be alone. The pool is right."

It was a short walk to a glass wall, and on the other side, a large swimming pool. There were other people using the pool, and it was clear some of them were aliens. Others were human. I stared through the glass.

"I'm in my underwear," I said quietly.

"Is it so different than a swim suit?"

"It is much thinner, and once it gets wet..." I trailed off. "I turned to her. "Please, Administrator. Isn't there something else I can wear?"

"Would you be upset if you had the pool to yourself?"

"I don't know. Anyone could stop by."

"If I gave you the choice of skinny dipping with absolutely no one else in the room, would you take it? I don't promise no one would be watching from here, and there are video cameras."

"Who is watching?"

"I don't know. Anyone with access to our network who so chooses. It could be no one, or it could be a great many people."

"Humans?"

"Some."

"I bet you could give me something. I bet you could."

"I could, but I'm not offering."

"Why not?"

"Because this is part of being a mating candidate."

"Could I come back when no one is here?"

"There is little promise even if you arrived when this room was unused that it would remain unused. I'll make you three offers. You may forego exercise today. You may go swimming dressed as you are. Or I will remove the humans, and you will skinny dip."

I sighed.

"There is one more rule. You will not speak to any humans except as required for your duties or theirs. If any attempt to speak to you, you will inform them you are not allowed to speak to a human. You are also not obligated to speak to any of the aliens, but that is your choice."

"I think I'd like to go back to my cell," I said in a small voice.

She studied me for a minute. "I think you are making a mistake."

"I think you could give me a swim suit. Or a pair of shorts. Or another choice."

"I probably could, but I have a reason not to."

"Why?"

"Because you are a mating candidate, and I want you off balance. If you don't let me do it this way, I'll find other ways."

"Get rid of the males, and I'll skinny dip," I offered.

She looked through the glass. "No, but I'll let you have a towel and robe, and I'll tell the males to leave you alone. That's the best you're going to get."

I turned away. "You're an evil woman. I hope someday someone does something to you like you're doing to all of us."

She ignored my comment. "So, do you want to swim?" I didn't look at her, but I nodded.

"Come." She turned us to the right, and we entered what was clearly a locker room that looked like any found at a modern health club. "This is for females." She led me to a rack, and there were waiting robes. Beside them were towels in a bin. I shrugged into the robe and held it tightly around me.

"Thank you," I whispered.

"There is a rack near the pool," she said. "It is far enough from the water to avoid being splashed." She led me to one of the lockers. "This is now yours. It will open only for you or me. Leave your under clothes here. There will be fresh clothing here for you after your shower. You will return the robe and dress only in what you find here."

"I understand."

"Wait here. I will summon you when you should come."

"Yes, Administrator."

She left me for perhaps five minutes. It was hard, but I took off everything under the robe, setting them in the locker and closing it. Then I pulled the robe tightly around myself and waited.

Then in front of my eyes appeared a word. "Come."

I looked around, saw the path to the pool, and soon emerged in the big room. The humans were all gone, but Jasmine and a number of the other aliens were watching for me to appear. I walked straight to Jasmine. "They're watching me."

"Yes, they are," she said. "Take off the robe and leave it here." She gestured to a standard clothing rack, complete with hangars. "You can leave your towel here or use one of the chairs."

"Please tell them to turn around."

She crossed her arms and said nothing.

"Fine," I said. I walked to the edge of the pool and called out, "Do any of you speak English?"

One of the males moved slightly closer. I don't even know how to describe him. He was clearly an alien. Envision a scene from Star Wars, if you want. Pick one of the aliens. Does it really matter?

"Many of us do," he said, his words heavily accented.

"I wouldn't suppose you would give me an ounce of privacy," I asked.

He shifted weight and looked around then looked back. "Speak more slowly."

"Will you all please turn your backs while I get into the water?"

"Why?"

"Because Administrator Brighteyes won't let me wear any clothes."

"Speak slowly."

"Because. I. Am. Naked."

He gestured. "You wear this."

"I. Must. Take. It. Off. To. Swim."

Again he looked around. "Human females small. Different bodies. Curiosity."

"Please," I said. "I'm really upset. Please do this for me." I turned to the Catseye. "Will you at least translate for me?"

"You don't need me," she said. "You're doing fine."

I turned back, and everyone was still watching. Then the male who had been speaking turned, speaking rapidly in one of their languages. Then he spoke in a second language. A moment later, everyone in the room, except the Catseye, turned his back on me.

"Thank you," I said.

"Better hurry," said the Catseye. "They aren't necessarily patient."

I ran to the rack, slipped the robe from my shoulders, and shoved it onto a hangar. I sent the towel flying towards a chair and was pleased my aim was gone. Then I ran for the water and dived.

I came up, turned around, and looked up to the Catseye.

"There," she said. "That wasn't so hard. Were you going to swim laps?"

"Yes."

"They'll let you have the lane," she said with a gesture. "I'll keep the human males away for two hours and warn any other males who come down to give you some distance."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Ms. Hayes, you are the first mating candidate to be offered use of this pool, unless it was part of a challenge. When word gets out, others will come. I encourage you to be polite."

I nodded.

* * * *

I swam slow laps for a half hour. More aliens arrived, including one or two that looked female, but they left me alone.

But then, while I was swimming towards the deep end for another lap, one of the females moved into the lane and waited for me. I would have swum into her, but she caught me before I could actually hit her, then steadied me as I flailed. She pulled me to the edge of the pool, and I gripped tightly.

"I am sorry," she said. "I did not mean to startle you."

She looked like some of the others, taller than a human, and very broad. She looked human, after a fashion, although her features were quite odd. And she was huge.

She wasn't wearing any more than I was.

"I didn't see you."

"My name is Jessica Maple," she said. She held out her hand.

"Andromeda Hayes," I said. We shook hands there in the water. "What species are you?"

"In English, we are called Ardents. You are a mating candidate."

"Yes," I said. "And you? Are you here for a mate?"

"No. One from my squad. We are here to watch and, how do you humans say? Offer good wishes?"

"Cheer him on?"

"This is the sound you make at sporting competitions?"

"Yes."

"Then yes. We are here to cheer him on. Why has Administrator Brighteyes allowed you to use this pool, and with no guards to oversee you?"

"We came to an arrangement. I don't know why she is treating me differently from anyone else."

"You should ask her. She might answer. Some from my squad wish to speak with you." She gestured, and I could see a group of aliens watching us."

"Are they all males?"

"Yes. We have three females in our squad, but I am the only here."

"Why do they want to talk to me? I'm nobody."

"You must be somebody, as Administrator Brighteyes is treating you differently from the others."

"Why do they wish to speak with me?"

"You are new. You are not from the current batch. They wish to know if they may compete for you."

I smiled. "You'd have a better chance than they would."

"I do not understand," she said. "Three are better warriors than I am. They would surely best me, even if I were to capture you first."

"That may be," I replied with a smile. "But if I end in an arena, there won't be any males. Only females."

"But you are female."

"Yes, I am. Does your species not do that?"

"But... you and I could not form a child."

"There are ways around that," I said.

"No. Your species and mine both require a male and a female."

"My species knows how to take an egg from a female and sperm from a male, combine them, and then place them in a female. Does yours?"

"But I am female, and you are female."

"And if you and I were to become mated, then if we decide to have children, we would find a male to offer a donation. For humans, our doctor does this for us."

"Is not the goal of being mated to combine... The essence of life to make new life?"

"The goal of being mated is to share life with someone you love," I said. "Humans do not need to be mated to produce babies. And they are not obligated to produce babies just because they are mated."

She made an expression. I couldn't have told you what it meant, but her eyes crossed, then spread wide, turning outward in opposite directions, then did that again before settling back on me. "Humans have such odd ideas."

"From what I hear, every species has odd ideas."

"Perhaps they do. Will you talk to the males?"

"What do you wish for me to call you?"

"My name is Jessica Maple."

"Yes, but different species seem to have different ways they preferred to be address. I am American, and we are informal. You could call me Andromeda. The Catseye is more formal and calls me Ms. Hayes."

"You would have me call you by only a portion of your name?"

"Yes."

"Then you should call me Jessica."

"Well, Jessica. I am having a very bad week. It started off bad, and then it got a whole lot worse when I was kidnapped and dragged here. I am now told I will be forced to marry against my will. I would rather not have a bunch of males clustered around me while I'm swimming naked. If they want to speak with me, they must convince Administrator Brighteyes I may dress properly, and they still must not crowd me." I paused. "Did you understand everything I said?"