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She was tucked up inside the new transport, and it trundled her back to the base.

  The moment that they were inside a pressurised area, a shadowy figure keyed in the code and popped the top of the pod open.

  Zelia removed her mask and smiled. “I am not buying a ticket for that ride again.”

  A startled laugh greeted her as hands helped her out. “Fair enough. My name is Quilan, and I will be in charge of your orientation.”

  The woman was a deep purple with tigerish stripes in a metallic blue across her body. Her hair stuck out in wild tufts, and she had a hot-pink diamond embedded between her eyes.

  “Orientation?”

  “Yes, though you are not going to enter the employ of a new species, you still need to know how to deal with them if it should come to that. You are also going to try to birth a child with blended bloodlines. You should—”

  “Raise the child by its donor father’s cultural traditions when at all possible. Of course.” Zelia looked down and made a face. “Is there somewhere I can get clean clothing? I still smell like food.”

  “Right this way. Your quarters in medical are ready. We are only going to be doing the basics here; the rest is going to be administered while you are on your way.” Quilan took her arm and led her into the base.

  “Medical?”

  “You were warned that you would have to be altered?”

  “Yes.”

  “We don’t do that in the shuttle bay. Come on, the sooner we start, the sooner it is over and your new life can begin.”

  With that ringing endorsement, Zelia went with her new companion eagerly. A new life was the most tempting idea that she had considered in a long time. She just never thought it was within her reach.

  Something new, something different had been a secret dream of hers. She had kept that dream hidden and swallowed away until someone had actually asked her what she wanted. They asked, and she told them. Now, here she was on the path to a life of solitude and serenity...well, at least until the baby arrived.

  As Quilan found her some clothing and showed her how to use the solar shower, Zelia wondered where they had gotten the donor material. She was sure that there were beings out there who could reproduce without help, but she knew that that was an unusual situation. She had learned that one tidbit from a regular who had joined the project. He had been looking forward to meeting new and exotic women and possibly being used as a sex slave. Zelia had rolled her eyes, but she had decided that leaving Earth to be used again was not her idea of a great time.

  Once she was dressed in a soft-blue bodysuit and her hair was freed of its standard ponytail, she smiled at herself in the mirror, touching it to make sure that she was real and it wasn’t an illusion.

  She came out and smiled at Quilan. “How does it look?”

  “You look like you are scared stiff.”

  Zelia sighed. “I am.”

  “Good. This is a grand adventure, but it is not without risk. Your transformation will be internal for the most part. You might get a bit taller but nothing too obvious.”

  “Will it hurt?”

  “It might. Everyone deals with it differently. That is why we will take a slow trip. You will be ready for the implantation by the time we arrive. After that, it will be up to your body. We will check in on you every few months, and you are only two days away if there is an emergency that requires our intervention.”

  “What if I miscarry?”

  Quilan nodded. “It is possible but extremely rare with the father’s species. They don’t breed often, which is why a donor sample will be available.”

  “Oh. Will it look like me?”

  Quilan chuckled. “Good question. It will look like you for the most part. There might be species-specific changes.”

  “Will I know what those are before I have the child?” Zelia cleared her throat and rubbed her hands down her thighs.

  Quilan laughed. “You will have all the information you need before you set foot on the soil of your new world. There is a house waiting and fenced-in gardens that keep out the local wildlife. You will be safe and secure.”

  Zelia nodded. “Right. Okay. What happens next?”

  Quilan led her into the main medical bay and showed her to the scanners. “Now, we begin your transformation.”

  Zelia put herself in Quilan’s hands. She really didn’t have a choice; there was no going back.

  Chapter Three

  The tank was surprisingly comfortable. Three weeks, four days and several agonising seizures later, Zel was finally able to breathe normal air.

  They had been in orbit for four days.

  She followed directions to remove the connections to her body, kicked to the top and lifted her hands up to the medics waiting to pull her out. Puking up the oxygenated liquid was part of the expected result the moment that she hit the slick deck on top of the tank.

  Two days earlier, she had gotten her injection to make her receptive to the donor sample, and today, she was going to get things started.

  Zel shivered and Quilan rubbed her back. “Get it all out, Zel. Come on.”

  Zel threw up the last of the fluid in her stomach and coughed out what was in her lungs. The medics wrapped her in clean, dry cloth and lifted her down the steps to an exam table with a scanner.

  “A quick scan to make sure that everything is where it is supposed to be, and then, we can proceed.”

  Zel gave her a thumbs-up and stayed still for the scans.

  In the last three weeks, she had been given the languages she would need via optical download, and she had learned about indigenous fruits, vegetables and edible animals of her new home. It was expected that she would botch things for a while, but after a few seasons, she should have a grasp on surviving in her new environment.

  Bots were in the home for maintenance, and the local governing bodies would make sure that they were attended to.

  Her list of craft and sewing supplies had been passed on to the locals, and they would have brought what they could to the homestead.

  Why is there so much ready for me? She had asked it via the interface that Quilan had been tuned to.

  Her tutor had smiled and spoken mind to mind for privacy. This species is nearly extinct in this form. They downgrade when they mate with their own, but your species seems to be having luck with them.

  That odd comment had rippled through Zel’s mind. At least other Terrans had managed to have children with this species, though hopefully not the same being.

  The scan completed in a few minutes, and Quilan smiled. “It looks like things are all ready on your end or, well, in your ovaries. We can begin with application of the donor sample.”

  “Do I have to do anything?” She asked.

  “Nope. Just lie there and think of bright sun and blue skies when I tell you to.”

  Quilan moved around, and one of the other medics handed her a fairly standard large syringe. She handed it back. “Warm it to blood heat, jackass.”

  A minute later and she approached Zel again. Stirrups were apparently standard as her feet were settled to spread her thighs. The syringe was slipped inside her, and Quilan urged her to breathe normally.

  Zel looked up, closed her eyes and thought about sunny skies over the ocean. As she stared, she watched a shadow cross the sun, ripple through the sky and dive into the ocean with barely a splash.

  “And we are done.” Quilan smiled and patted her knee. She helped Zel get her legs out of the stirrups and settled her on the exam bed.

  A scanner was placed over her abdomen, and it was playing out the microscopic circle of life inside her.

  “Now, you stay here until we can confirm a positive transaction.”

  “Can I get dressed?”

  “Nope, but we can make you more comfortable.” Quilan laughed.

  She was a woman of her word. Soon, Zel was tucked in and had a pillow under her damp head. A blanket covered her body, and she could tell that s
he was taller. Her feet seemed quite a bit further away.

  It took four hours, but when the collision occurred, Zel’s eyes teared up. The cells joined and the first split was underway. If her body didn’t reject what had just gotten started, she would be a mom.

  “Wait, what is the gestation on this?”

  Quilan hissed softly. “This is what I didn’t want to tell you. This particular child in your environment will take fourteen months. It is longer than your normal Terran pregnancies, but it will not become visible until the eighth month.”

  Zel sighed. “Give me the data file on this, and I will head to my quarters. Wait, do I even have quarters?”

  Quilan chuckled. “You do, but they are on the surface. If you would care to put on the clothing that has been provided, we will get you to your house.”

  “So soon?”

  “What would you want to wait for?”

  “Um. I don’t know.” Zel slowly sat up and held the blanket to her breasts. “Where are those clothes that you mentioned?”

  Quilan grinned. “I will be with you for a few days until you are fully settled.”

  Her companion got the clothing and helped Zel into the solar shower. An hour later, they were in a shuttle and on their way down to the planet.

  “What is the world called?” Zel tried not to put her hands against the screen as she stared at her new home.

  “It doesn’t have one. The religious order is called Remyiks, but the rest of the world has no name that we are aware of.”

  Zel looked at Quil suspiciously. “Why would they know that there was a place without a name that would take me on?”

  Quil chuckled. “Luck? Never underestimate luck.”

  “Luck has not been part of my life to date.”

  “If you go back and look over it, you would be surprised.”

  “I might just do that. It seems like I will be having some time on my hands.”

  “Fourteen months and then your life will never be the same. Look, there is the house.”

  “I never asked, do you have children, Quil?”

  “Four. All grown up. In my culture, the adults only get to live their own lives once the children have been set on their own paths. Everyone scatters.”

  Quil was flying, but it appeared she could still carry on a conversation.

  “What do you think of assignments like this?”

  “Taking Terrans or other species and walking them through the first days in a new universe? I love it. It is amazingly fun, and I learn something about your folk every time I meet a new one. You are the first pregnancy, so that is fun.”

  “So, what am I carrying?”

  “A Drai. They are a species of winged beings that used to be shapeshifters. Before that gene was bred out, they scattered a handful of Drai around the universe, each hiding on their own world. They are highly territorial and that might have had an impact on their collapse.”

  “What do they shift into?”

  Quil started to set the shuttle down. “Your culture calls them dragons.”

  Zelia put her hand over her belly. “What?”

  “Check your information. You will find them in detail.”

  She closed her eyes and pulled her recall up like she had been taught. Drai were basically humanoid with the exception of the males having large bat-like wings. Well, bat-like if bat wings came from an independent source and not the hands of the bats themselves. They were large enough to carry the Drai through the air, and the bodies of the species had evolved to let them do their job.

  She opened her eyes and flicked to the next article. The ancient Drai could shift their forms by temporarily absorbing energy and mass from the environment around them and discharging it when they resumed their more socially acceptable form.

  “So, if this is a boy, it will have wings.”

  Quil laughed. “Wing buds when it is born. They can’t fly until their bodies are strong enough to manage it. Don’t worry about chasing a flying toddler.”

  Her concern came up in a wave and receded in the same instant. “Right. Okay. You said there is a com unit?”

  Quil smiled. “I have only seen the schematic. We are a kilometre away from your new house, but I am assured it has been well stocked.”

  “How could they stock it if I wasn’t here?”

  “We took the long route. The short route is less than a day from occupied space. The Alliance can get someone here if you need it.”

  “Oh. Okay.” She unbuckled and got to her feet. “I hope that that will not be necessary.”

  “As do I, but keeping Terrans alive away from home is worth a little effort. Better too prepared than not prepared enough.”

  “Are we hard to keep alive?” Zel was worried.

  “No. A Terran once told me to liken you to something called sea monkeys. You are plentiful, easy to care for, but if your environment is messed with, you tend not to thrive.”

  “Wonderful.”

  They left the shuttle, and Zelia took a chance on inhaling the alien air. She could smell trees, soil and the distinct tang of the ocean.

  “Are we near the sea?” She bit her lip and her hands tingled with excitement.

  “You will see. Come on. The house is over here.”

  Quilan led her up the lush purple-green of the hillside. Bright yellow flowers bloomed and the sweet, light scent teased Zel’s nose.

  When they crested the hillside, she swallowed sharply. “I am going to live there?”

  Quilan took her hand and tugged her toward the huge stone palace surrounded by ornamental and kitchen gardens. “This will be your home. There are bots to take care of your needs, and you will be able to do whatever you like here.”

  The design of the buildings had the feeling of images of Asian architecture mixed with a Greek or Roman influence. The books she had worshipped in the school library had been filled with images of exotic ruins and preserved sites. Zel never imagined that she would be living in something that looked like it was designed to hold dozens of ladies, gentlemen and servants.

  She tried to look at every angle of the walkway as they approached the doors. Quilan pointed to the smooth dome, and she wiggled her hand. “You need to key it open.”

  “It is set for me?”

  “Yes. That was all settled while you floated and got taller.”

  Zel’s palm sweated a little, and she wiped it on her bodysuit. Her fingers trembled as she pressed her palm to the dome. The door clicked, and it swung open without a creak. The door opened to allow them inside the wonderland that was just beyond the high fence.

  She wanted to run through the neatly arranged hedges, the flower gardens and the vegetable garden that was being tended by a waist-high bot wearing a small apron.

  It cruised around the corner, and she was left staring at the huge entryway designed for something twenty feet tall.

  Quilan smiled and trailed behind her. “Well?”

  “I really like it. It is wonderful.”

  A curl of joy ran through Zelia’s mind, and it didn’t originate from her own thoughts. A slow, quiet song began in her head, and it rocked her gently in a feeling of safety and welcome.

  She turned to her friend. “Do you hear that?”

  “No. What are you hearing?”

  Zel frowned. “I don’t know. It is really quiet, but I can hear singing.”

  Quilan sighed and her shoulders relaxed, showing that she had been tense. “Good. Now, let’s find your bedroom and your new wardrobe. If you are living here, you should look like you belong here.”

  Zel nodded and whispered, “I should look like I feel. This place is wonderful.”

  Quil pulled her along, and they walked up the steps, looking into the bedrooms before the master suite made itself known by opening its doors.

  “I think I can get used to this.” Zel smiled.

  “Good. Zelia, welcome home.”

  Chapter Four

&nb
sp; The first week on her new world was a dream that she eventually realised she didn’t have to wake from.

  Quilan had left after three days, and Zel was used to the song in her mind as well as the thought that she had something growing in her body.

  Zel slid out of bed, trying not to disturb the bedding and sheets too much. The house was full of bots that fed her and cleaned up after her, but she was trying not to make too much of a mess.

  She slipped on a robe, walked out onto the balcony and made her way down the stairs until she was standing on the beach. The water was quiet in the morning. Zel hummed along with the song in her mind and wandered through the surf as it frothed around her calves.

  The song seemed to be part of the world around her. It alternated between wild tumbles of sound and gentle whispers as she tried to sleep.

  Zel looked around and asked, “I wonder if the song and the dreams are related.”

  Since Quilan had left, her dreams had contained a huge Asian dragon twisting against the full moons and running along the waves with a smooth undulation. When it reached the shore, it turned into a large, naked man, and at that point, Zel woke up.

  When she woke, her pulse was racing, her body was hot and there was a disturbing slickness between her thighs. The morning walks calmed her down, and the ocean helped steady her heartbeat.

  A splash out in the open water got her attention, and she saw something huge breaching and a tail flicked a spray of water through the morning light.

  Zel grinned and climbed up onto one of the rocks that jutted out over the waves, trying to see the creature again. She sat and waited for a few minutes, and it soon appeared again, far larger than she originally imagined. “Wow.”

  She swallowed when the crest along the back changed direction and began to swim toward shore, Zel had the sudden feeling that she wasn’t as safe on the rock as she imagined.

  The ripple of the creature grew larger and larger, but instead of the head surfacing, the trail disappeared. She slowly got to her feet and walked back the way she had come, returning to the house.

  Since the creature never surfaced, she was confident it wouldn’t, but she sprinted to the house anyway. The bots would have breakfast ready, and she was hungry.