Page 37 of Volunteer 4711

“The Commander was concerned when you were gone so long. It is not like you. How did you get here?”

“I used bad judgment,” I admit. “The other Water woman said she had something of mine from the farm.”

He holsters his gun. “Are you okay? Did I get here in time?”

“Yes,” I reply as he escorts me back to the officers’ lounge. I can hear the loud conversation from the dining room, and before we walk in, the officer stops me.

“Wait,” he says, taking in my appearance. “You need to put your hair down to hide these bruises. Also, when you enter the kitchen, wash as much blood off yourself as possible. The Commander will deal with this but say nothing until you are alone with him. If he asks about your hair, I will say you lost your hair clip. I cannot stress enough. Say nothing until you are alone. We need this deal to go through, understand?”

“I understand,” I reply.

He pats me on the head and then joins the other officers at the dining room table. I notice, out of the corner of my eye, my Commander watching me walk in and then my rescuer whispering in my Commander’s ear. I feel embarrassed to have been tricked so easily. I walk into the kitchen, and I see the other human woman.

She feigns ignorance, “Oh, there you are. I wondered where you went to.”

“You led me around the ship and then left me,” I say, stopping short of saying anything more that could impinge on the negotiations in the next room—barely remembering my promise not to make an issue out of this until later.

“I’m sure you made some new friends. Some close friends, right? How did that feel? Like that bubble gum, what’s it called, you remember the commercial, ‘double your pleasure.’”

I can’t help myself; I lunge at her. What surprises me is that no one on her ship stops me, and I’m able to punch her a few times before one of the other servants from my ship pulls me off her. I survey my work; her face has some bruises and a bloody lip, but nothing is broken except maybe her pride.

“Now we are even,” I say as I’m led away. I’m taken to a bathroom and the other servant, a middle-aged male who serves the first officer, sits me down. I notice he leaves the door open for propriety.

He begins to wet a small towel and then puts it on my face. “I’m not sure what’s going on between you two, whether you come from rival tribes or what, but you should stop quarreling before the Commander finds out. He won’t like it.”

A tear escapes my eye. “She brings out the worst in me.”

“It’s not an excuse for attacking her,” he says softly. “You know that. I know you know that.”

“Are you going to tell the Commander?”

He stops his ministrations and looks me in the eyes. “I would never tell on another servant unless ordered to, and even then…” he trails off. “I’d have to be under much duress.”

“Thank you,” I say. Then I explain how she tricked me, got me purposely lost, and then almost raped.

“I take back what I said, Volunteer 4711. I want to kill her myself. You know this breaks the laws of the fleet.”

I nod. “But I don’t think it does in this other fleet.”

“Not yet. But by the end of the night, it will,” he assures me.

CHAPTER20

COMMANDER

Relief washesover me when I see Volunteer 4711 return. My officer tells me that she lost her hair clip from the transport and had gone looking for it. I can turn my full attention to these negotiations now.

Dinner goes well. By the end, the other commander and I sign an agreement. He and his fleet are now officially a part of mine. I have traded more technology than I had wanted and more money, but I need the other commander’s loyalty to me. I cannot have him coming in half-heartedly, even if we both benefit. I know it is difficult for him to now come under my command, and I had to make it worth it for him and his fleet.

It is late, but we have one last ceremonial drink, and then I take the transport with my crew back to my ship. I notice the servants are quiet, and Volunteer 4711 is just looking out the window. Her hair is down, so I cannot see her face, but I assume she is just tired. It has been a long day for everyone.

Back onboard, my ship, Volunteer 4711, follows me to my quarters, we enter together, then I stand in my usual spot, and she begins to undress me. However, as I look down at her face, I see that she has purple bruises on her cheek.

My emotions get the better of me. I reach out and brush her long brown hair back, away from her face and neck. What I see makes me angry.Who has hurt her?I take her hands in mine to stop what she’s doing. “What happened?”

She looks down at her feet and then back up at me, tears in her eyes. “You were right. I was such a fool. The other Water woman told me that she had my necklace. The one thing I was allowed to bring with me from Earth. I left it at the farm.” Tears are running in rivers down my valet’s cheeks now, and she’s stopped talking.

“And then what happened?”

---