Alien's Bride: Lisette Read online

  It took very little training for her to learn to follow their methods. Technology had changed from what she’d had on Earth, but physiology was a constant. Lisette knew what answers she needed from the specimens to get the right solution. All she needed was guidance on how to use the robots and equipment. Her base knowledge was solid, and her intuition—remarkable.

  More testing was needed on the antidote. Still, by the end of the day they had something tangible. Something that would lead them to the answer if it wasn’t the answer itself. Prax-Denay patted her on the back with vigor.

  “Good, girl. Good, girl! You’re proving yourself invaluable.”

  Lisette giggled.

  This caused a shiver down Prax-Denay’s spine that he’d never felt before. He caught himself looking at her smile—and then being enchanted by it. It was no wonder the druid Shindray put so many restrictions on women. The creatures could worm their way into your thoughts with so little effort.

  “If we work through the night we can get the serum ready for the first hybrid trial,” Prax-Denay said. “Are you up for it?”

  Lisette smiled and nodded. Then her stomach growled.

  “Mm, yes. First let’s break for dinner. I bet you haven’t eaten since the flight from Earth. Let’s share a meal in the kitchen. I’d like to know more about your professional background.”

  Lisette smiled at him so sweetly. She was like a happy child, but then she demurred, wet her lips, and lowered her head. Prax-Denay felt a twinge in his middle. Was this some sophisticated robot specially programmed to make him fall in love with her? She seemed to know just the faces to make, the timid gestures—all of it caused his manly, less scientific side to bristle.

  “Excuse me!”

  Lisette made the lab seem light—as if all the instruments floated a little. As soon as Jorenkis broke in everything thudded loudly back down. Prax-Denay forced himself to take a step back away from Lisette. His superior’s snide face told him the damage was already done.

  “Why are you guys still working? Has she even seen her apartment upstairs yet?”

  “She’s still working because we had immensely important things to accomplish.”

  “Oh spare me.” He went to Lisette and took both her hands into his once again. “He’s treating you like an Etiken slave. Making you run around like crazy doing all his busy work, huh? I bet you didn’t even get lunch.”

  Lisette frowned and kept her eyes downward. Prax-Denay was glad she couldn’t see his anger. One day…one day he’d slap this child’s smug face.

  Jorenkis lifted one of her hands to his mouth and kissed it. “Don’t worry, dearheart. I’m here to rescue you.” He tugged her until she started moving toward the exit of the lab. “First we need to get you cleaned up. Get you some decent clothes. Get your hair done. Some make up. Then we can go out.”

  Lisette gave Prax-Denay a distressed look.

  “Jorenkis!”

  “Shut up, Prax! You had her all day. It’s my turn.”

  “We’re working on something important, damn it!”

  He halted to sneer back at him. “Do it yourself! She’s been here one day. You’re saying you can’t get any work done without her now? You’ve worked alone for decades.” He looked at Lisette. “He’s really, really old, you know that?”

  “She wants to keep working, not spend the evening deflecting your advances.”

  “No. She wants to go out to dinner with me. Don’t you? Don’t you?”

  “Oh…um, well—it’s just—“

  “Yeah. Exactly. She wants to come.” He tugged her harder and left.

  Prax-Denay stood quivering in anger. He steadied himself on a molded shelf, then slammed the sample spinner on it to the floor. A robot zipped over to clean it up.

  After the anger came dread, such as he’d never felt before. If Jorenkis coerced her into bed with him then they were married. Lisette—with that buffoon—and there would be nothing he could do.

  But then, that was what was supposed to happen. He had no rights to her. She was not one of his caste. Jorenkis had claimed her even before she arrived. Prax-Denay placed his very manhood at risk to ever have any aspirations toward her of his own.

  And yet, he shouldn’t chide himself for his anger. The genius human deserved better. Perhaps not him, who was of the lowest caste of Dak-Hiliah, but certainly not Jorenkis either.

  No. He could not be with her as a husband. He still wanted to be with her as a colleague. At least that. He even felt like he needed her now.

  The final emotion he caved to was grief. Repugnant self-pitying grief. Tears and snot flowed like that of a blubbering child. He couldn’t even admit why he grieved. He was too proud to acknowledge it.

  ***

  Lisette was brought upstairs to what she presumed was the apartment Jorenkis had mentioned. She thought it nice to live where she worked. Her heart already ached to be back in the lab. Her mind was swirling with ideas, some of which she really needed to write down. She felt as if she floated in a euphoric haze of specimens and data. Did her room have a bed? A dresser? If anyone quizzed her later she wouldn’t know the answers.

  Jorenkis sicked robots on her who forced her out of her science high. They brusquely went about dressing her and styling her hair. She kept looking at the door hoping Prax-Denay would put an end to all and get her back to work.

  A robot made her stand in front of a mirror. The reflection of a stranger looked back at her. Yes, she still had her glasses, but her hair had been darkened and made glossy. She wore a red dress that barely hid her breasts and allowed one thigh to show. Her eyes looked like someone had taken a black marker and drawn circles around them. Her lips looked like she’d eaten too many raspberries.

  She kept staring trying to find something to like. The revealing dress was designed for someone much taller and without a tummy. She was already getting goose pimples from being too cold and with every movement she’d be worried a breast would pop out. That’s if she could walk at all. The robots had her in slippers with heels designed to make her taller. She felt like she would twist her ankle every time she went forward.

  She got a moth-eaten sweater out of her laundry bag and pulled it on.

  “No!” Jorenkis came in without knocking. “Don’t wear that ugly thing.”

  Lisette frowned. She felt so much more decent with it.

  “Come on! Hurry up and take it off.”

  She obeyed.

  “Now you’ve messed up your hair!”

  As a robot came to fix it Jorenkis picked off her glasses. She reached for them in protest.

  “You can go one night without these, right? We’ll get you into the surgical unit tomorrow to get your eyes fixed.”

  Lisette suddenly felt like crying.

  “Perfect!” Jorenkis hooked his arm in hers. “Now you’re fit to be seen.” He started down the stairs with her. “Can you suck in your stomach?”

  Lisette tried to, but then she saw Prax-Denay standing to the side of the staircase. The whorishness of her outfit felt amplified by his gaze. She tried to send an agonized look to him to say, ‘I didn’t want any of this.’ He shook his head in disappointment.

  For Jorenkis or for her? She felt a panic attack swelling within her.

  As they exited she managed to calm herself. Of course Prax-Denay knew this was all Jorenkis’ doing. She didn’t want to eat with him, and certainly she hadn’t primed herself for him. She wouldn’t have to explain tomorrow. Surely, Prax-Denay would understand.

  They went outside to a waiting hover car with a robot driver. This transported them a short distance to a small building standing between two structures that looked abandoned. An android greeted them at the door and brought them to the only occupied table in the large dim establishment. Three Dak-Hiliah men sat at the u-shaped booth: two were much older than Jorenkis and one looked to be the same age. They stared at Lisette while whispering to each other. She couldn’t discern the meaning of their smiles. Their eyes weren’t entirely cr
uel, but then, they didn’t seem to be smiling out of happiness. The eldest of the three was leering.

  “Don’t slouch,” Jorenkis whispered from the corner of his mouth.

  Lisette’s brow furrowed. Was she slouching? What—did he want her to walk with her boobs thrust out? Maybe he did, actually. She didn’t change her posture. The hunger and exhaustion was now hitting her. She felt too cranky to be intimidated. How long would this stupid date be and how soon could she get back to work?

  Jorenkis clasped hands with each of them before sliding into the booth. He seemed to be giving her space to sit next to him, so she did.

  “Well, well, the happy couple,” the leering one said.

  Jorenkis laughed through his nostrils. An android approached.

  “I’ll have my usual.” He tapped an invisible button in front of Lisette to light up a digital menu embedded into the table. “Order whatever you want.”

  Lisette felt a jolt of panic. Yes, she could read it, but she had no idea what a Creantin Moog or Double-Henrakka was. It struck her what a rude asshole Jorenkis was. He was busy asking the others what they were drinking. Prax-Denay would have given her more regard. Possibly. He was rude also, but in a more vulnerable curmudgeon sort of way. She already felt used to it.

  “Um…I don’t know what to get,” she said to the android.

  “Would you like a sampler, mistress?”

  At least the robots were nice.

  “Yes. A…big one, maybe? And…um…I’m thirsty.”

  “Of course, mistress. We’ll take care of you.” It tapped off her menu and left.

  “Come now, Joren. Introduce us to your new wife,” the youngest alien said.

  “Her name’s Lisette,” he said while beaming a smug smile. “She’s the greatest scientist on Earth. That’s why they placed her in my lab.”

  A rotund dark-haired alien with side-burns and earrings, close to the age of the leering one, blurted out a laugh. “Saying she’s the greatest scientist on Earth is hardly a boast. How many Earthlings are even left?”

  “Just about fifty times more than there are Dak-Hiliah,” Jorenkis said.

  “And how can a woman be the greatest scientist on Earth?” the youngest one said.

  “I meant the greatest female scientist on Earth, obviously,” Jorenkis said.

  Lisette felt so weary that she only half-listened. Some of what they said started to register. I’m not your wife, Jorenkis. She clenched her fist. Oh! If only she had the nerve to say it!

  “How does planet Paggellatin suit you, Lisette?” the leering man said. He had white hair that was fine enough for the blue of his scalp to show through. All three of them looked at her.

  She wet her lips. “I…just got here.”

  “You haven’t had a chance to see the sites? Jorenkis must take you.”

  “I wanted to, but that Etiken sucked her into the lab the moment she got here.”

  The one with sideburns tsked. “Poor girl.”

  The youngest one lifted his index finger. “How did his castration go?”

  Lisette’s eyes widened.

  “I don’t want to talk about it,” Jorenkis said.

  The youngest began to laugh. “He didn’t let you do it, did he?”

  “Forget it!”

  I should hope not, Lisette thought.

  “Really Tiltawhirl—” the oldest said.

  Tiltawhirl?

  “We’re about to eat.”

  “I would go to the High Council if he continues to protest,” the one with the sideburns said with a scowl. “It’s for her own protection.”

  Jorenkis grumbled.

  The android guided in a floating tray with numerous cloche covered dishes. It deposited the plates before the men first and then arranging numerous large dishes before her. It lifted each cloche in turn.

  “These are pastries made from fish, slugs, and mollusks from the Dirhontaneta Sea.”

  A delicious fried scent wafted up. Lisette’s mouth began to water.

  “These patties are made from gen-goh beans in three different ways. The green ones are from under-ripe beans. The maroon ones are from thousand year old beans. Your beverage is Kel-Kel water which is purified—“

  “We get the point,” Jorenkis said. “Did you really have to order so much?”

  Lisette pursed her lips.

  “Be nice, Joren,” the eldest said. “She’s obviously excited to try our cuisine. Isn’t that so, my dear?”

  Lisette nodded. Jorenkis groaned.

  “That’s her way of saying yes. I can’t believe you just did that.”

  Lisette peeked at him. She was too tired to be embarrassed. Was it really such a big deal? She felt like she was back in junior high. But anyway…food. Food equals strength to work hard in the lab tomorrow. She downed the beverage (which tasted like ordinary still water) then grabbed one of the fish pastries.

  Jorenkis elbowed her. “Not with your hands—and don’t gulp so loud.”

  Lisette put down the morsel. What little appetite she had was gone now. Why was this asshole putting her through this? She didn’t want to go to strange places and meet new people. She was hungry, and tired, and he was such a little shit.

  “Joren, you need to be nicer to her,” the eldest said. “She probably doesn’t know how to use silverware.”

  Lisette grabbed the only utensil provided to her: a crescent shaped spoon. She used it to cut a pastry in half and put it in her mouth. Then she chewed and swallowed as quietly as she could.

  “I stand corrected. There’s a bit of sass there—even if she’s quiet.”

  “Do you have a collar on her?” Tiltawhirl said.

  “She still has her slave collar. You know we can’t shock wives anymore though.”

  “How old is she?”

  “None of your concern.”

  “How old are you?” Tiltawhirl fixed his snide smile on her.

  She cleared her throat. “Thirty-one.”

  “Don’t answer him when I tell you not to!”

  Lisette glowered at him. He looked appalled.

  “What’s that in Dak-Hiliah years?” Tiltawhirl whipped out a tablet and started tapping in calculations. “Hey—it’s almost the same. She’s got a good ten years on you, Joren.”

  “Oh? And I suppose your wife is younger? Oh, I forgot, you haven’t one.”

  “She’s not really a good fit for you, Jorenkis,” the eldest said.

  “What are you insinuating, Hotis?”

  He shrugged. “It seems you’re settling.”

  Lisette felt her face darken.

  “I mean, you’ll be entitled to a bride eventually.”

  “When? When I’m your age? Where’s your bride?”

  “I’m in line.”

  “Right behind me,” said the one with sideburns.

  “You may be surprised. After all, we were told the colony slaves were off-limits, but here you are, married to one.”

  “We’re not…”

  Everyone looked at her. Jorenkis slid his foot onto hers and pressed. She had to wiggle free.

  She looked at Hotis. “How…um…how did I…I mean…when?”

  Tiltawhirl began to shriek with laughter.

  “My dear,” the one with sideburns said, “when you had sex with Jorenkis you became his wife under Dak-Hiliah law.”

  Lisette made a face like she’d smelled rotten fish. She shook her head resolutely.

  “What’s that mean?” Tiltawhirl said.

  “Never mind!” Jorenkis said.

  “It means no,” Lisette said.

  Jorenkis sneered at her. “You little bitch.” He cut into his food with swift stabbing movements. “I said we were married because I’ve got rights to her. I mean, obviously she just got here yesterday. I’m not a rapist.”

  “Lisette,” Hotis said, “if you don’t care for Jorenkis you don’t have to marry him. Our surrender agreement with Earth says—“

  “Oh will you shut up,” Jorenkis said. “She know
s. She’s not going to marry you, you old dimwit. She’s in my lab. I’m the one who controls who sees her.”

  “You don’t have to marry anyone,” the one with sideburns said. “But—if you wish to get married we can damn well make sure you get the opportunity to mingle.”

  Jorenkis knocked his plate off the table. It crashed leftward onto the floor, taking Lisette’s bean plate with it. He rose and started shoving her.

  “Up! Up!”

  She stood.

  “To the mire with all of you! I was nice! I let you all see a real human woman!”

  They exchanged scoffs.

  “I should have known you wretches would try to steal her. You’re worse than Etikens!” He clutched her arm and made her speed walk out with him.

  “Why did you have to humiliate me like that?”

  Lisette struggled to keep up. She had to keep one hand fastened to her chest to hold her bosom in and the heels of her shoes kept bending sideways. He ushered her into the hover car.

  “Well? Answer me.”

  She huddled with her arms around her and kept her head low. There was the numbness of extreme exhaustion within her.

  “Talk you dumb beast!”

  She shook her head.

  Jorenkis clutched his horns, leaned forward, and growled with exasperation. “Gods, why? This was supposed to be a good thing. I was supposed to be happy!”

  When they landed before the science building he sat up and took a deep breath. “It’s fine. You know what? You’re broken, but you can be fixed. It will take time, obviously, but we’ll do it.”

  Lisette tried to stop listening.

  He pressed a button to open the hatch door beside her. “Go. I don’t live here. Just you and that idiot do. You know how to get to your room, right?”

  She looked at the glass entrance with a trace of panic. “Is it…locked?”

  “I don’t know. Just—have a fucking robot help you if it is. Go. Get out!”

  It wasn’t locked, and she found her quarters after going the wrong way only once. She tore off the sultry dress, put on one of her old tee-shirts, and collapsed into bed.