Case Study: Interspecies Mating, page 5
No, she was just paranoid. He was being polite. It had been a long time since she had done something like this, that’s all. The rush of adrenaline was screwing with her head.
“Is the head of security in yet?” She asked, needing to know if her nemesis had arrived. It was funny to think of him that way. Kind of made it easier to go through with this. A little. Not really.
“Rizor landed a short time ago. He’s with Zeffir. He’ll introduce himself soon.”
“Just me and you then,” she smiled.
“I still have Zeffir’s team. And Rizor’s. One of their staff will speak for them.”
“Good enough for me.”
“That’s everyone,” one of the domini females said, stepping off the plane. “We’ll get to work unloading all the luggage.”
“Thank you,” Shoshana smiled at her.
“Here.” Vigo reached into his robe and pulled something out.
“A tablet?” She asked, surprised as she took it.
“An adjusted one. It’s specifically designed for you. Nothing too advanced for your species and we tried to mimic the interfaces you’d be used to. That has everyone’s room assignments, a map of the facilities, and comm signatures for all the staff in case you need to contact anyone.”
“Awesome. Thank you,” she smiled, tapping the screen to turn it on. She certainly appreciated this much more than paper notes.
“Shall we?” He gestured for her to lead the way.
Almost all the humans were already in the conference room. All but one girl with bright red, almost orange hair, who was staring at everyone with wide eyed amazement. She ogled shamelessly. Her neon green shirt had two black ovals on it that were quite clearly meant to be alien eyes. Shoshana did not know if the other aliens would recognize the little green men stereotype, but she made a mental note to have a talk with her.
After hurrying her along, really hoping that this little fangirl wasn’t going to be a problem, she walked into the room with Vigo.
The large chamber was filled with circular tables, ten chairs each. The alien t-shirt girl took the very last seat, practically vibrating with excitement, as Shoshana walked through. She made note of a few other people – looking especially for those that appeared afraid or who might need more attention – as she made her way to the front of the room.
Vigo and two others followed behind her. One was a male – or at least, someone male shaped – with bright blue feathers from his head and tail, and sporting two huge, feathery wings. His skin didn’t look furry or fleshy, but like some kind of interesting cross between the two. He wore no shirt, but he did have a pretty, colorful kilt covering only his thighs. The other was a domini male wearing what looked like a plain, gray uniform with a high neck and no sleeves. There were a few others scattered about wearing the same, making her think he must be security.
At the front of the room, Vigo gave her a small, thin microphone – little more than a silver stick with a small, opalescent silver ball at the end.
“Hello, hello,” she spoke into it, unsurprised to hear her voice echoing overhead.
Immediately, the chatter began to die down as over a hundred pairs of eyes turned to her.
“All right, step one done, huh? Welcome to the moon.” She smiled around at everyone, thinking back to her notes. She had a rough speech prepared after conversing with Zeffir in preparation for this day. She already knew what she had to convey.
“Okay, since we have some new people now,” she nodded to the various aliens in the room, “I’ll re-introduce myself. My name is Shoshana Carter; you can just call me Shoshana. I’m essentially HR for this experiment. If you have any complaints, concerns, questions, anything, I’m your girl. Consider me your Swiss army knife. That’s not just for my fellow humans. If any of the staff or scientists have a problem they need help with, feel free to come to me.”
As she was speaking, another feathery person – this one a female, judging by her much more slender body and poofy chest compared to the male – began going around the room, passing out papers to everyone.
“What we’re handing out now is your information package. It will have your room number and a map of the facility. There are some places you are not allowed and places you will only be allowed with an escort. Those areas will be marked so you can’t mistake them.
“Your rooms come equipped with your own bathroom. However, cafeteria and lounge are communal. You’re free to use them whenever you like. Food will be served three times a day, and snacks will be available at all times. It’s all human food, imported from Earth, and all dietary needs have been accommodated based on the surveys you filled out.
“Within the human wing is also my office, as well as the security office. We’re going to be open every day from six to nine, then again from two to seven in the afternoon. That break in the middle is because, during the day, you all will be with the scientists in the research wing. Security has an emergency line that you can access at any time, day or night. That’s also in your packet.
“Similarly, there are medical facilities here, but they are an escort only location. If you need to go, just let me or any member of staff know, and you’ll be taken there. Don’t be embarrassed. Remember, they want to study us for being us. So, let the explosive diarrhea flow, it’s okay.”
A few, slightly uncomfortable chortles followed.
“Also in the packet, you’ll find something like a smart watch. That is basically your key. It will unlock your room, act as your identity, and serve as a phone between us. Instructions on how to make calls, both amongst us and to Earth, are in your packet. My name and number are already saved.
“Now, as for the scientific study itself. Everyone has been randomly sorted into two groups. Group A and Group B. Group A you will be with Vigo for the first six months,” she gestured to the furry male beside her. “Group B, you will be with a male called Zeffir. He is seeing to some last-minute preparations, but he’ll introduce himself to you soon. After six months, you switch, and Group A will be with Zeffir; Group B with Vigo.
“Tomorrow morning, you begin the study. Group A will go to meeting room A. That will be your gathering room every morning. You’ll find out what you’ll be doing that day from there. Group B, you’re in meeting room B. Same thing for you. Every morning, you will be told exactly what is being done to you. Nothing will be done without your permission, and you will have the option to decline. Some questions will be asked, but you don’t have to justify yourself. If anything is done to you without your permission, tell me immediately.
“Now, some rules before I open the floor to questions and let you explore. Rule one: No crossing into areas marked as forbidden. Sounds easy enough, right? Your bracelet will not unlock any door you should not be going in, including room doors. So, it shouldn’t be a problem. Rule two: No human is to have access to advanced technology except during the course of an experiment under supervision. No advanced technology is to be in the human wing at all. You are being monitored. Rule three: vandalism, theft, assault, all that super fun stuff? Absolutely disallowed. Anyone found to be breaking any of these rules will be subject to immediate dismissal from the experiment and will be escorted down to Earth. You also surrender the compensation for being here, so there are penalties. No graffiti is worth losing money, right? So, behave.
“General rule: If it’s illegal on Earth, it’s illegal here. Don’t think that just because you’re off Earth, you’re not in anyone’s jurisdiction and you can get away with crimes. For the duration of this experiment, this facility is under Coalition jurisdiction. And Coalition laws and punishments are much more immediate than you’re used to, and if you break a big enough rule, you will be punished by the Coalition. Earth government has agreed to this, as have you. It was in that big packet of papers you signed before coming here. If you didn’t read them, or pay attention when that lawyer went over everything, that’s your fault. Make better choices.”
Shoshana paused, checking her notes to make sure she had gone over everything. “I think that’s it. Any questions before I let you loose?”
A couple of hands went up. A few people asking for clarification on smaller things she hadn’t seen fit to make a big announcement about. She answered all of them quickly. She could see that the ones not asking questions were shifting anxiously. They wanted to go explore. She couldn’t really blame them.
“What are the rules for relationships?” Someone asked.
“Oh, that’s a good point, thank you.” She smiled, addressing everyone again. “So, I told you, the experiment is studying human-ness. They want us to be human. Consent is still an absolute requirement, but everyone is allowed to have whatever fun they want. Up to and including sex. Just remember, no one here is on birth control. They wanted to study everyone completely naturally. So, you had to not have that to qualify. There are condoms, so you can be safe, but be careful. And remember, if you do have sex, human reproduction is being studied, so you can’t be surprised if you get invasive questions about it. All right?”
There was a flurry of agreement. Some excited grins were exchanged. Shoshana had no doubt that there would definitely be sex happening. It happened whenever a group of humans were gathered, without fail.
The no birth control rule even applied to her. Despite the fact that, technically, she wasn’t one of the experiments. It had been a requirement that she get her IUD taken out. And since she hadn’t really had a choice about coming, she made the appointment.
Not like she was planning on having sex anyway. She was too professional to fool around with any of the humans she was working on behalf of, and she was definitely not going to be having sex with any of the aliens. She was not interested.
Her vibrator was in her luggage. She was ready for her year long dry spell.
The questioning moved on, getting less relevant and more repetitive the longer it continued.
“Okay,” she said, after finishing a question about food allergies – despite having assured them already that diets had been accommodated. “I’m just going to let you go now. Find your rooms. Get comfortable. I’ll send out another packet of information later about some less vital things, including the social groups so you can all meet and have fun outside of the experiments. If you still have questions, or you want to ask a private question, come on up.”
Of course, people came up. It didn’t matter how well she explained something, there were always going to be people who didn’t understand or hadn’t listened or wanted further clarification. She had been doing this too long to be bothered by it.
She worked her way through them until the last person approached her. She was wearing a white coat, telling Shoshana that she was one of the human scientists. The others had taken their own table and were all sitting around, waiting as this one woman approached her.
She had blonde hair, pulled up in a messy bun. There were dark bags under her eyes, like she hadn’t slept in a long time, and she was much younger than the other, male, scientists. Shoshana immediately wondered why she was here. Not because she didn’t think the woman was capable, but just because she was clearly the odd woman out. Thanks to her own circumstances, she was suspicious of anyone else who looked like they might not belong.
“What’s up?” She asked, smiling despite the sinking despair in her gut.
“Hey, just a quick question. For us,” she gestured to herself and the scientists waiting back for her to ask their question, “what do we do in the morning?”
“Oh, well…” She looked over at Vigo.
“I can help you,” he said, coming to her. “Come, I’ll show you where the human scientists are going to be working. Thank you, Shoshana.”
“Thank you,” she said, waving him off as he guided the other scientists off. The woman tried to stay near him, but the men quickly nudged her out of the way. Typical male power move. Of course, they would have the woman talk to the other woman, but when the actual scientist guy showed up, they’d want to be right there.
Shoshana was the last person in the conference room. She picked up her own information packet that included a bracelet for her office and room. It tied around her wrist with a regular wristband, like any other Earth watch. The ones she had seen around the alien’s wrists didn’t have that little metal clasp, making her think that was a human only addition.
The line of light leading from the ship dock to the conference room was gone. Instead, there was now a line leading from the conference room to what had previously been a massive, airtight, bulkhead style door that was now open, having slid into the walls revealing the massive dome room that served as the center of the compound.
The sight stole her breath as she walked forward, stunned.
The dome room had been described to her as a common area for humans and aliens alike to spend time and to keep their mental health strong during their year here. She expected something like a big rec room or just a place to gather. And while that was true, the form it took was not at all what she had pictured.
It was a huge greenhouse. A human sized vivarium with a stream down the middle.
Aside from the glass dome overhead with Earth dangling in the sky, and the white walls bordering the large space, it was like she had walked into a meadow. A wide open, grassy field with cobblestone paths woven was dotted with large, shade casting trees. A stream flowed, serpentine, through the middle from a short waterfall at one end to a shallow pool on the other. There were tables and lounges and benches and hammocks randomly interspersed amongst the greenery. Bright flower beds, a low hedge maze made of cultivated bushes, and pretty gazebos were artfully placed beside the paths. There was a basketball court in one area, a sunbathing area by the pond, a bridge over the stream, the delicate tinkling of wind chimes somewhere, and so much more.
Shoshana couldn’t maintain her veneer of professionalism as, numb and stunned, she walked down the path. She wasn’t the only one either. Some people, instead of seeking out their room, had opted instead to enjoy the naturalistic dome for a while.
There were no insects that she could see. No bugs or butterflies or bees. It lent the entire area a strange, unrealistic feeling. Like she was looking at a perfect image of a garden, rather than a real place. It was strange, but not unpleasant.
“Wow,” she breathed, looking around. This was clearly the crown jewel for the entire base. And they built it for no other reason than to look after people’s mental health.
And she had to break their trust and good intentions by stealing from them.
The reminder made her grimace as she started forward. She needed to get to her office and set it up for anyone that might need her.
∆∆∆
The accommodations were really nice.
When Shoshana imagined a room on the Lunar Base, she had been expecting something like the rooms on a naval ship or a submarine. Something built to save space, be functional rather than comfortable. She wouldn’t be surprised if she was rooming with multiple other women.
She was so wrong. And after seeing the dome, she wasn’t surprised.
Everyone got their own room and bathroom, and while it wasn’t a massive space, it was more than enough to be comfortable. She had a simple, full-sized bed in one corner that was kind of pod shaped, the head of which came with a reading light, a speaker for the TV on the wall, and adjustable settings for the bed itself. Her luggage, which consisted of two bags given to her by the Lunar Base to fill with whatever she wanted along with the smaller carry on for the flight itself, was already waiting on the bed when she came inside.
The corner beside the bed had a small table and booth-like seating for two. Beside that, built into the walls, were drawers for her belongings. A door near the front led to a respectably small bathroom like she was in a hotel. There were human style plugs in the wall for her electronics – allowing her to charge the tablet and watch which had been designed for those outlets.
Most fascinating, however, was the window on the back wall that faced out over the lunar landscape – tinted to protect her from the sun. She had a view of the moon’s surface, right from her room, and it wasn’t even a small porthole. It was a proper window.
Everything was made of silver metals, white fabric, gray walls. Very monochromatic and basic, but it felt like it matched the view and vibe perfectly.
She stood in her room for a while, marveling at her surroundings. Because that was the moon outside and this was human technology retrofitted to be able to feed off alien power and she was in charge of protecting the people in this experiment.
Regardless of why she was really here, no matter what else, that was still her job, and she could take some comfort in that truth.
She didn’t take the time to unpack right now. The others might need her. She could do all that later when everyone was comfortable. Instead, she left her room and moved down the hall, past the human café, to her office.
Her door slid open, and she pressed a button to keep it that way. People were encouraged to enter when a door was open. If it was closed, shy people would be hesitant to knock.
The office was a bit smaller than her room, but the color palette was the same. She had a large, L-shaped desk with a computer and a big, comfortable, black chair. Two more chairs sat across the desk for any visitors. She had a filing cabinet in the corner for notes, and a large storage cabinet filled with paper and office supplies for her use. Very different from what she was sure the aliens were using. It just verified to her how important it was to the aliens that she be kept away from technology.
As she was familiarizing herself with the space, she couldn’t help but look across to the hall to the door labeled, ‘SECURITY’.
It was still closed. She hadn’t seen anyone go in or out of it yet. Was the head of security still with Zeffir, dealing with whatever problem had come up? Was it something serious that she needed to worry about?
She really needed to meet this guy. The two of them were going to be working together since, essentially, their jobs overlapped in a lot of ways. Both of them were in charge of the safety of all the test subjects and human scientists. And she had to know her greatest potential hurdle.
