Chapter 21
They sat for almost an hour. Chris succeeded in distracting himself from the foul mood he was in by watching aliens as they interacted and shopped.
Homer sat quietly. His program was being altered, without his knowledge, by a subroutine buried so deeply he was unaware of it. It had activated when they entered the station. The central computer had incorporated it into all Gredorians leaving the home world.
The robot was to discretely seek out any information available about Belarian force field technology. Belarians had developed a heat resistant force field powerful enough to allow a ship to fly through a star’s corona. This technology, which had not been shared with the League of Free Planets, would be extremely valuable to the Gredorians.
Chris felt a little frustrated with Homer’s lack of knowledge about other races. The handlink was useless as well, because it was designed primarily as a communication device and had no way of referencing questions about alien races unless Chris provided the name of the race. He really did need a tour guide.
Looking around, Chris once again experienced an overwhelming sense of wonder as the awareness of sitting on a Belarian space station, drinking bisno, cross-circuited his sense of reality.
He thought about the upcoming meeting with the station’s chief of security. Ek-clar Station’s basic philosophy followed a live and let live premise. He had figured much out by asking the handlink specific questions about station regulations. It was possible they would help when they understood his mission. In the worst case scenario, they would advise him he could take no action while on the station. In the best, they would arrest Javis for him and release the corbinite into Chris’ custody.
Picking the handlink up from the table, he asked, “Has a cargo ship named Ballester arrived at the station in the last few days?”
“No ship with this name has been docked at the station within the last three days.”
It had seemed unlikely, but he had to make sure. “Are you able to notify me when Ballester arrives?”
“Yes,” the handlink answered.
“Please notify me when it arrives.”
“Understood.”
Chris noticed one of the green-skinned humanoids walking towards them. It seemed to be female, and Chris thought she was very attractive. Tan flowing clothing accentuated the gracefulness of her walk. He remembered from the documentary only the females had developed verbal communications skills.
The males had evolved into highly specialized hunters and communicated with a complex system of hand signals and body language. They were almost two separate species, even more extreme than human males and females. The males had continued as hunters, while the females had developed social and technical skills.
“Homer, there’s a female humanoid coming this way. She may be the chief of security.”
Homer responded with a slight shift of his body to better scan the approaching woman.
As she approached, she repeatedly glanced at Chris and then looked away. Arriving at their table she said, “My name is Inner Strength. I am a security deputy on this station. Quiet Voice, the chief of security, is busy with other matters at this time. I have been asked to meet with you and to see if we may be of assistance. I understand you wished to speak about apprehending a criminal, who will be arriving here soon.”
She made no eye contact with Chris.
Chris immediately assumed there was something psychologically wrong with her and then he chided himself, realizing he knew little about this woman’s race or cultural influences. A memory from Casey surfaced. The people of his grandfather’s tribe had avoided direct eye contact, as had most American Indians. Eye contact had been considered rude and aggressive behavior, not a form of openness and honesty as it was in modern times.
“Yes,” Chris answered, careful not to look at her eyes. “My name is Chris, and this is Homer.” Chris had a sudden intuitional flash, which he hoped would help him gain Inner Strength’s trust, “ My tribal name is ‘Patient Hunter.’ We are after a human who is transporting stolen corbinite. The corbinite is going to be used to create a bomb. I plan to capture him and recover the corbinite. I am requesting your help. Would you like to have a seat and discuss this further?”
“Perhaps my office would be more appropriate. I am not familiar with human customs. Only one person should accompany me to my office to discuss this.”
Chris noted she gave off a strong cinnamon smell. Looking at Homer, he said, “Why don’t I meet you back at the ship when I’m finished.”
“This is acceptable. I will see you there.”
Inner Strength and Chris walked side by side. “You must be a person of great importance to have a Gredorian as your assistant,” she said, looking at Chris’ chest.
“Oh, Homer isn’t my assistant. He’s my friend. I have many questions about your culture and if I behave rudely, please understand it is because of my innocence in the ways of your people.”
Inner Strength shrugged her shoulders, and for all Chris knew the action might have been equivalent to a smile.
“What questions would you like to ask?”
“I would like to understand your body language. For example, among my people, looking each other in the eyes means we are being honest with each other, and a shrug of the shoulders means ambivalence or ‘I don’t know the answer to your question’.”
Looking at a nearby wall, Inner Strength said, “Eye contact among my people is made when we are feeling strong emotions, such as anger or passion.” She suddenly looked him in the eye. “Except for your coloring and your hair, your body is very similar to Belarian men. Shoulder shrugs say you agree or accept what the other person is saying. It means ‘yes’ or ‘okay’. Looking away from him she said. “It is a very strange sensation to speak to a male. I understand there are differences between our two species, but the similarities are quite astonishing. I was not prepared to meet with someone so nearly like Belarian males in appearance. I will need the background information of this pursuit before asking Quiet Voice for a decision.”
He noticed her eyes were a deeper shade of green than her skin.
They came to her office and entered. She offered Chris a chair and he sat in it, thanking her.
Chris started describing his experiences with the comm call he had received from Intergalactic Mining Enterprises and continued with the events leading to his arrival at the station. He omited his clone origins and the memory transfer Liechter had performed on him.
She asked for more information about Raymond Ginyit and Chris provided her with all the historical data he could recall.
“I will speak with Quiet Voice. If you had arrived alone, your claim would be questionable. The word of a Gredorian carries great weight and will corroborate your story. I will speak with him for confirmation before I approach Quiet Voice with your request for help.” Inner Strength made direct eye contact with Chris again. “I shall walk with you to the mall area. If you like, I will give you a brief tour.”
The eye contact had started a tingling sensation in Chris’ groin. Down boy, he thought to himself. “I would like that. Thank you.”
They walked quietly down the hallway heading for the mall.
“This blue corridor leads to the administrative offices.” Inner Strength pointed out as they walked. “And the darker blue corridor leads to the jail cells.”
Arriving in the mall, Chris followed her to the equivalent of a coffee shop. They went to the second floor and found a table near the window overlooking the mall.
Inner Strength began pointing out shops and businesses, trying to guess what might be of interest to Chris. “There is a restaurant specializing in League foods. It does a very good business, because Belarian food is not suitable for many of the traders doing business here. We should find out if Belarian food is compatible with your digestive system. If it is, there are a number of good food shops on the station you might enjoy. Over there is a library. You can access information about Belaria and about the League from it, if you have any interest. Over there is an entertainment gallery. I have found some games there enjoyable.”
“What kinds of games do you like to play, Inner Strength?” Chris asked.
Inner Strength looked first at Chris’ chest and then into his eyes. “I like physical contact sports.”
“What a coincidence, so do I. Maybe we could get together later on and play,” Chris said, looking deeply into her eyes.
“I would like to spend time with you,” she said. “I get off work in four hours. Perhaps we could get together then.”
“It sounds like a plan to me,” he answered.
“Good. I will find you in four hours. It will be easier. Now, I must go and interview your Gredorian friend. After I will file a report, and your request with Quiet Voice. I should be able to give you her answer when next we meet,” she said, suddenly dropping her eyes to his chest and getting up.
“I will see you then,” he said.
Inner Strength turned and left.
I was definitely flirting with her. The question is: Was she really flirting with me? Chris wondered. And if she was, what then? Should I have sex with an alien female. You’d have to be insane to turn down such an exotic experience. I think I’ll go to check out their library.
Inner Strength sat across from Quiet Voice. Two other women sat to her left.
Quiet Voice was an older woman with wrinkles and pale green skin. She sat straight and erect, a sign her spine was fusing with age. She was shorter than Inner Strength, but because no eye contact was made between the two, she was not required to tilt her head.
“You confirmed his story with the Gredorian?” she asked Inner Strength.
“Yes. The stories match.”
“We have two reasons for helping Patient Hunter catch his prey,” a young woman name Brown Eyes stated. She had a very rare gene which darkened the color of her eyes. “First, even as we speak, there is a Belarian delegation negotiating a non-aggression treaty and trade agreements with the Martian and Terran governments. Second, not helping could damage our relationship with the League, especially since the threat seems to be aimed at one of their members.”
“There is a third reason,” Quiet Voice said softly. Everyone listened attentively. “It is the right thing to do.” She paused and asked, “I know nothing of this man, Patient Hunter. His name implies a great deal. Do you think he is a trustworthy individual?”
“He seemed genuine and candid during my interview,” answered Inner Strength. “His efforts to help the Gredorian are curious, but, I believe well intentioned. His adventures following the corbinite seem to indicate a strong ‘o-sysna,’ a sense of grim determination. He does not give up easily.”
“All noble traits. You admire him,” said Quiet Voice.
Inner Strength shrugged.
“We are all agreed to help this man in his quest?” Quiet Voice asked.
All three women said “Yes,” with a shrug of their shoulders.
“He must be cautioned. We will need him to identify the criminal Javis, but he cannot turn our station into his hunting grounds. He must understand the capture and arrest of Javis will be our responsibility and he cannot interfere,” said Quiet Voice.
“I will communicate the terms to him,” Inner Strength said, looking at the floor.
“Good. Now, Fast Runner, what new information do you have about the murder case?”
The third woman responded, “I am afraid I have nothing new to report. There are no new clues and I have run out of possible theories about who committed the murder or why it was done.”
They were in each others arms, stroking and kissing each other. Clothing was being removed and they fell to the floor. Inner Strength was becoming more and more aggressive and Chris concluded foreplay would be minimal. Still, he resisted, wanting to try out some of the techniques he had read about in the library. He had always enjoyed teasing his lovers into a higher level of need.There was a spot at the base of a Belarian woman’s spine which was supposed to drive her wild with pleasure.
It did.
Inner Strength pinned him to the floor, her teeth pressed lightly to Chris’ neck. Her excitement was greatly increased by the unusual characteristics of this male and by the fact she was five days into her ‘linla’, her ovulation cycle. She wanted him inside of her, now.
He caressed her and was surprised at the sensation. Her skin had a peach-fuzz texture. He focused on new and different locations of erogenous zones. Happily, there were enough similarities an artificial lubricant was not necessary.
She mounted him and, as she sank down on him, Chris felt a totally new sensation. It felt hundreds of small suction cups. From what he had read he was to remain motionless and let Inner Strength do all the work. Her inner muscles moved. There was no obvious motion and it took all of Chris’ will power to keep from thrusting. Inner Strength orgasmed once. Then again. She looked him in the eyes and growled, beginning to move her inner muscles once again.
The growl set Chris off. As she orgasmed for a third time, he joined her, the sensation of awe he had trained himself to experience during climax intensified because of the unusual circumstances.
They had moved to Inner Strength’s sleeping chamber and lay in each other’s arms. The room was a dimly lit green color, and cavelike with no sharp corners. One window looked out into space. The floor was one big softly padded bed. The fabric covering the floor was velvety in texture.
Chris lay awake, as the sleeping Inner Strength rested her head on his chest. He thought their lovemaking had gone well. Inner Strength had confirmed what he had read. The passion cycle Belarian women experienced lasted for about two weeks.
She explained a murder investigation had kept her from returning to Belaria to mate with a Belarian male as she would normally have done.
Chris felt as though he had done a good deed. He remembered the intimacy they had shared the night before. As they explored each other’s identity, the subject of religious beliefs had come up.
“Many of our religious and philosophical beliefs stem from our being able to see the field lines emanating from magnets. Our god never took humanoid shape. Instead, we see God as lines of energy which attract and repel, with balance as the eternal goal. Our ability to see magnetic fields allowed us to develop electrical technology early in the history of my people. Our population was still small and we did not develop the complex trade system your people did. With such a wealth of energy early in our history, we had no need for concerns about exact exchanges and fair trade. Our culture developed an emphasis on production without concern for payment. Our religious beliefs called for a balance with nature. In shaping our world, balance has always been the primary concern.”
“Have the men and women always lived separately?”
“No. There was a time when the men and women lived in the same villages. As I understand it, the men shared one large hut and the women lived in separate huts as they raised their families. As soon as the male infants were old enough they went to live in the men’s quarters. As technology developed, the men drew away from the women. Women could speak and communicate new ideas with each other easily. The men relied on hand signals and body language, which were useful for hunting, but not for complex processes or difficult social situations. They did not have the communication skills to understand the developing technology and preferred to remain as hunters. The schism between men and women has grown to what we have today.”
“Does it seem to be a balanced system?” Chris asked.
“Yes, I believe it is. It is has worked for hundreds of generations.”
He was glad events had worked out the way they had. She was a lovely woman both physically and spiritually. She had a hard, playful edge he couldn’t quite identify.
It had been there when she had told him of the decision to help him capture Javis and the corbinite, prior to lovemaking. He was relieved, but concerned. Part of him was hesitant to turn the responsibility of capturing Javis over to someone else. The edge in her voice and her body language had convinced him there was no room for negotiation. He would have to trust their competence.
At least he could watch the event take place. As the person identifying Javis, he had a nonparticipating observer status. She had been very clear on this point.
The next morning Chris and Inner Strength made love again, but this time more slowly and tenderly. Chris introduced her to the pleasures of oral sex and was pleased to find she enjoyed it. They also experimented with Chris on top and, though she was delighted with the sensations, she was not able to climax. Chris had decided to limit his own orgasms as a way to keep up with her. He did not have a permanent erection.
Later as they cuddled, she said, “Patient Hunter, we are running out of clues and theories about who may have committed the murder or why. Do you have any experience in murder investigations?”
Chris thought for a moment about what he might be getting himself into. He generally liked to stay focused on one case at a time. They’re helping me. It’s only fair I help them. If I can!
“During my apprenticeship I was involved in two murder investigations and was required to study a number of them. I’ll be happy to help out in any way I can,” he said.
“I will approach Quiet Voice with the suggestion. I believe she will appreciate a fresh perspective and she will be impressed with your experience. It may provide new information. We would be grateful for your help.”
“It’s only fair,” he said. “Your team is helping me. Besides, it will be good experience for me to help investigate a murder mystery this far from my home world. It will broaden my horizons.”
“Good! I will communicate with Quiet Voice.” she said getting up and starting to dress. “I will meet her elliptical in three.”
“What?” asked Chris.
“I will meet her elliptical in three.”
“That doesn’t make any sense. I must be having a translation problem.”
“Translation issues sometimes occurs,” Inner Strength responded. “The Belarian language has concepts not existing in the League language. I’m sure it must be true of the English language, also.”