Chapter Seven

IT ONLY TOOK TAYLOR a few minutes to throw her things into a camouflaged duffel bag. She was minimalist by nature, and she didn’t have many personal items. Aside from her clothes, medals, and toiletries, nothing much was left.

Once the room was almost bare, she opened the top drawer beside her bed. There, within easy reach, was one of the few luxuries she allowed herself—a realistic looking, sensation transmitting strap-on. She had no intention of using it with someone else any time soon, since there weren’t a lot of available women on base, but the military was strained these days. There was no guarantee that her bunk would remain empty. If they decided to give someone else her quarters, the last thing she wanted was an expensive sex toy left out for someone else to find. Taylor tossed it in the bag with the rest of her things, throwing several pairs of underwear from the same drawer on top of it.

After everything was packed, Taylor slung the bag over her shoulder. It was heavier than she had expected. She headed through the door, walking in the direction of the elevator. She couldn’t really say that she would miss her old room, she thought as she waited for the lift's doors to open. She liked living on her own, and had appreciated the private shower, but her old quarters were not anything special.

Her stomach churned with guilt at the thought of receiving such an easy assignment in response to the slaughter her squad had faced. Based on their few interactions, Maia seemed to be the quiet, careful type. If she tried to escape, it would be a long and drawn-out process. Taylor could tell there was intelligence in those shimmering blue eyes. Maia wouldn’t waste time trying to overpower or threaten her. Perhaps seduction, but…

The thought jarred her. It was true that the ikthians had a promiscuous reputation, and often chose to mate outside of their own species if rumors were to be believed, but Taylor still wasn’t sure where the strange thought had come from. Maybe Rachel had been right, and the stories about ikthian pheromones were true. Taylor shook her head in an attempt to clear her mind and took the elevator up to the captain’s quarters.

Finally, the lift stopped and she stepped out, glancing down at her boots as they scuffed over plush carpeting. "Damn. Even the floor's nicer up here." The few buildings on base that weren’t molded concrete had been something else before the war. These officer’s quarters happened to be part of an old hotel previously used for visiting families staying with injured soldiers in the medical ward.

There were five visible doors spaced throughout the hallway, but Taylor knew which one she wanted immediately. Two guards in black body armor were posted on either side, assault rifles clutched to their chests. Adjusting the strap of her duffel on her shoulder, Taylor approached them, and the pair saluted.

After nodding at them, the guards lowered their arms. "I've got it from here, boys," Taylor said. They stepped aside and allowed her to enter the quarters. Once inside, she initiated the lock sequence for good measure. The door had already been coded to her fingerprints, retinal scans, and wrist communicator. No one could get in or out aside from her and whomever else General Hunt had given clearance. He had also given her the necessary codes to operate the prisoner’s restraints and collar, though Taylor doubted she would need them.

The quarters were quiet as she examined her surroundings, and Taylor noticed that they were much more spacious than her previous bunk. Furniture had even been provided to fill the space. The living room contained couches and a low table, and a short hallway most likely led to the bedroom. The only thing missing was her charge, but as Taylor stood there scanning her surroundings, she picked up the sound of running water.

 

***

 

The shower was the first luxury that Maia had made use of in her new gilded cage. Although part of her desperately wanted to remain under the spray forever, breathing in the blissful steam and letting it soothe her itchy, uncomfortable skin, she worked fast, knowing she would only have a few precious moments of privacy. She had no idea when the humans would interrupt her again, but she decided it was safe to close her eyes and take a few deep breaths. Even though her species hadn’t lived beneath the water for millions of years, she still needed more moisture than this planet afforded. Her home planet of Korithia was covered in water and scattered islands, dense with humidity and tropical weather.

With a sigh, she returned to washing her skin, wincing whenever she touched a bruise or scrape that hadn’t fully healed. Once she had scrubbed the dirt of the last several days away, she turned off the faucet and stepped out into the steamy room. She grabbed a towel and ran it over her body quickly, not bothering to brush aside all the droplets that clung to her arms and legs. She wanted to dry off and change back into her clothes before the human—Taylor—arrived. This would probably be her last opportunity for a moment alone. She wanted to cherish it.

Maia set the towel aside and opened the bathroom door. The cool air on her wet skin made her shiver, so she hurried into the bedroom. She stopped in her tracks, however, as soon as she spotted the human sitting on the bed. She gasped and immediately covered herself with both arms. Her captor’s gaze lingered, and Maia’s cheeks burned with embarrassment. She moved to go back to the bathroom and fetch her old, ruined clothes, but the human spoke.

"Wait." Taylor rose off the bed. "Come here."

Maia hesitated before moving back into the bedroom, still keeping her arms wrapped around herself.

"So…you're not that different underneath the armor," Taylor said. The words sounded stilted. Whatever she had been doing in the bedroom, she had obviously not expected a naked ikthian to come running in.

Maia’s heartbeat throbbed in the dip of her collarbone. There was something in the human’s stare that she couldn’t read. For a moment, Maia almost expected Taylor to reach out and try to touch her.

Instead, Taylor looked away. "You don't have any clothes aside from the ones you came in, do you?"

Maia shook her head. She had never been so concerned about her state of undress, but she had never been in such an embarrassing or compromising position before, especially in front of an alien. She wondered what her new guard intended to do.

"Here," Taylor said, reaching for her duffel bag. "I have some spare fatigues. They might not fit you well, though," she warned, studying Maia’s figure. This time, her examination seemed more clinical.

Maia frowned. Although she was much shorter overall, her breasts were larger than Taylor's, and her hips were far more generous. The human's clothes were sure to hang off her in some places and pull uncomfortably snug in others.

"Thank you," Maia whispered as Taylor withdrew a shirt and a pair of pants and passed them into her arms. They would have to do.

She dressed quickly, all too aware of Taylor's watchful eyes as she pulled the shirt over her head. This human had been kinder to her than the others, relatively speaking. Still, her broad shoulders and muscular arms clearly marked her as a soldier. Maia would have been able to tell that about Taylor even if she hadn’t run into the human on a battlefield. She knew that as long as she had the toxin suppressor on, Taylor would easily be able to overpower her.

"I'll try and see about getting you something that fits better," Taylor said as Maia pulled up the pants, struggling to get them around her hips. There were several inches of material at the bottom that covered her feet.

"I…thank you," Maia repeated, not knowing what else to say. She glanced around the room, avoiding Taylor's eyes. When she chanced another look, she caught the human staring at the bed.

"Guess we'll both be sharing these quarters," Taylor said. "Do you want the bed?"

Maia's heart thumped harder. She was expected to share living space with the human? "I…" Still, words failed her. She had delivered talks at academic panels and scientific conferences before, but how was she supposed to communicate with this human? Her captor? The alien that had refused to kill her even when the seekers showed no mercy?

Maia had never thought much about humans before, too absorbed in her work to form an opinion on them one way or another. Although they had been a distant part of her research, she had focused mainly on naledai, rakesh, and other better-known bipedal species closer to Korithia. But Taylor made her pause.

The shape of her body was similar to an ikthian’s, which wasn’t surprising considering the genetic similarities her own research had uncovered in all Milky Way species, but the differences that did exist were striking. Taylor had no webbing between her fingers, no fringe and no gill marks, and the dark fuzz on top of her head was particularly fascinating. Unlike naledai fur, it only covered a small portion of her body. Maia bit her lower lip, suppressing the sudden urge to reach out and touch.

Unfortunately, Taylor noticed where she was staring. "You like my hair, huh?" she asked, running one of her own hands through the dark, spiky strands. "Hair?" Maia repeated, studying the human's head more intently.

"Yep. We all have it." Taylor brought her hand back down. She paused for a moment as if she were considering something. Finally, she seemed to come to a decision. "Do you want to touch?"

Maia thought about Taylor’s offer. Even though she knew it was irrational, she desperately wanted to touch the human. Her scientific curiosity got the better of her, and she nodded once.

Taylor bent her head. Slowly, Maia reached out with one hand, gingerly touching the soft strands. Her eyes widened as she ran her fingers through them, and she gasped. She hadn’t expected it to be so soft, or so ticklish. It was a strangely tactile experience. Soon, she found herself lightly scratching over Taylor's scalp. The human allowed her to explore for a few moments before straightening back up, forcing Maia to pull her hand away. She found herself slightly disappointed that they had broken contact so soon.

"I…I wasn’t going to poison you," Maia blurted out before she could stop herself.

Taylor took a step away, clearing her throat. "I know. The collar, remember? Mutually assured destruction.”

Maia did remember. It hung around her neck, a heavy, constant reminder of her present situation. In spite of that, she was surprised Taylor had allowed any physical contact between them. The other humans she had encountered had gone out of their way to avoid touching her whenever possible for fear of being poisoned.

Taylor broke the awkward silence between them. "Have you eaten anything since you arrived on base?"

Maia’s stomach began cramping uncomfortably when Taylor mentioned food. She was starving.

"I'll go get us both something," Taylor said. "Wait, can you even eat human food?"

"Yes," Maia said. "Your food should be compatible with my digestive system."

Taylor shrugged. "All right. I'm going then," she said, taking another step away. "I'll be back. The guards are outside." She walked out of the room, leaving Maia alone again.

Maia heard the door to the apartment hiss open, and then slide shut as it locked back into place, sealing her into her new prison. She sat on the bed and crossed her arms, unsure why she felt more alone now than when she had first been brought to Earth.