Page 26 of My New and Improved Alien Lovers

I make sure to hold her as she wakes further, just because none of us have any reasonable idea about what comes next.

As we step out of our escape pod, there are many strange noises echoing throughout the underfloor parking garage; what sounds like laughter, possibly animals, and other, unidentifiable noises that echo.

The first group of beings to greet us are made up of four human women and one Violetian male. Margaret perks up immediately, her demeanor changing as one of the human women approaches and goes straight for a hug.

“Welcome to Trial Two,” the one that looks older than the others tells us. “I am Charlotte, one of the leaders here.”

“I have one question,” Margaret asks, wasting no time. “Do I get to keep my tits? Gotta be honest, that's gonna be your highest selling feature for us.”

A look of understanding passes across Charlotte's face. “You are not the first refugees we've accepted here. Rest assured, we have no need or desire to change your bodies. We run this station kind of like a co-op. Everybody pitches in for everything, and things generally run pretty smooth. Is that something you can abide by?”

Owiin steps forward and nods, giving the traditional Violetian bow. “Of course. Simply show us what to do, and we will ensure it is done. We can be good contributing members of the station if you can keep us safe.”

The group of women gesture to have us follow them, and I can already see that our mate is somewhat comfortable here.

“We have a high concentration of humans here compared to other such settlements, which I'm sure you're aware of. We're getting close to capacity, so we are currently working onexpansions; however, we do have a room available if you choose to stay.”

Charlotte starts to detail the minutia of day-to-day life here, explaining some of the various jobs they need filled, some of the many requirements of daily life to keep the station functioning well. All in all, it sounds almost too good to be true for us. We are led through halls that maybe are not brand new, but well-loved and in decent shape.

“We do have Violetian leaders as well, and we are chosen democratically to best serve the will of the people here. My mate is currently attending business elsewhere, but should you have any questions or concerns about any Violetian needs, she would be the one to ask.”

“Pardon, you are mated to a female?”

Charlotte does not miss a beat. “You'll find we do not hold to some of the more rigid aspects of Violetian society that you might have experienced elsewhere. One of our goals is to combat misinformation and to be accepting of anybody who needs a home here. So, before you go and spout off how having a female Violetian mated to a human woman isn't helpful for the progression of your species, understand that that is not the goal of our relationship. There are things you will learn about your own species I believe that you might have been unaware of when it comes to procreating. You can figure that out on your own time, though. So now let's get you checked in to a suite, shall we?”

“I apologize if I offended you, Charlotte,” I say honestly. “It just surprised me, that's all. It’s not a paring I've come across before. I wish you health and happiness. If you are well suited, then all the better.”

Charlotte spins and gives me a smile. “Thank you. It is nice to meet somebody who doesn’t have their own ideas about what me or my mate should be doing. I think you'll fit in well here.”

After being given a brief tour and information on how to find maps of the station, we are brought to an office that deals with housing. We must sign forms and agreements to pull our weight if we wish to remain housed and fed, and we check the wording carefully to ensure nothing extraordinary is asked of us. Everything seems pretty straightforward though, pretty simple.

The station’s goal is simply to exist in peace, to live out their lives without any sort of political ambition, which is sort of refreshing. The station gives the air of attaining to be one big, happy triad, and I have a good feeling about it.

“Considering all the upheaval I've been through, what are the chances of this station being overtaken like the last one was?” Margaret asks.

Charlotte takes her time thinking about this, the other females having had peeled away when we got to the office to assist in getting our room ready. “Many of the residents here are refugees of some sort or another, as I mentioned,” she explains. “Being as such, you'll find we have more than just Violetians and humans here. I believe it is the combination of thinking styles on the board that keeps this place the safest.

“We have multiple types of technology and abilities of other species that wish to remain safe here protecting us. It is pretty unlikely anybody could get close enough to cause us harm, and the only reason you all were able to approach us so swiftly is because of the scans we did on your ship. You can sleep easy here without a threat hanging over your head. I believe we can keep you and everybody else here safe, and that is not my ego talking.If you wish to know more, we have town hall meetings every other week. Anybody is welcome to attend.”

Yes, too good to be true.

Finding information about this place before arriving here is not easy to do, and we only know of its existence because of happenstance, but running into the triad that fled here was most likely a stroke of fate guiding us.

“Because there are four of you, you will be getting one of the larger suites we have left, but please know this is a privilege that can be revoked. We want you to be happy here, but if you cause harm to other citizens of the station, or take us for granted, you will find yourselves evicted immediately. There is no grace period, no warnings. We take the safety and well-being of our citizens very seriously. We have zero tolerance for intentional harm done to others here.

“That being said, there is basic information about the station in the eating area of your new residence, including a directory of services. We have a community clothing closet with others’ cast offs, which you are free to access. We only ask that you take simply what you need and get in the habit of doing laundry frequently. If you would like more than those basics, you can start shifts to accumulate trade credit. This you may exchange for luxuries, such as clothing and specialty food items. Meals are served at the times listed in the directory, in the dining hall. Once you get settled in, we’ll get you matched up with jobs to suit you.”

“I beg your pardon, Charlotte,” Owiin says, looking uncomfortable. “We've only just retrieved our mate a few days ago, and we are in dire need of safe time together. Is sequestering something that is done here, or will we need to accommodate your schedule immediately? Also, we had a fairnumber of credits saved up at our previous station. Are they worth anything here?”

Charlotte takes us in again, scanning our mate, who's looking around the room very rigidly. “If you stored those credits at one of the intergalactic alliance banks, then yes, of course you can spend them here.” Then Charlotte approaches Margaret, unwinding her arms from her body and holding her hands. “How are you doing, dear?”

“Overwhelmed.”

“I see.” Then she turns to us. “Every triad has different needs when they arrive here. Mental health is just as important as physical health. I did not realize this was a brand-new triad mating, and of course we can accommodate that. There's no rush to fully integrate with us as long as it is done in a somewhat timely manner.

“You're going to take the time to settle in, find your footing here and explore. We do have counselors available should you find their services necessary, but I will check in in a few days to see how you are doing.”

“One more thing,” I ask as she starts to head out. “Back on the station we left, female humans were required to take training classes so that we could complete our bond. What is the situation here in regard to that?”

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