Page 26 of A Monster's Light
I hesitated, not knowing what to do until Penelope cupped her hands and went right under the running water. “Just scoop from the fountain part. The pools aren’t dirty, per se, but we usually use them to wash or rinse things. No bathing in it, though, just washing hands.”
“What happens to the water?” There was constant water flowing in, but I didn’t see any water flowing out.
“It goes right back into the porous rock and continues filtering down the mountain.”
How convenient! I cupped my hands and held them under the flow. The water was much colder than I’d expected. The first sip had me hooked. It was the perfect combination of cool, crisp, and delicious.
That was when I noticed the little head with huge ears poking out of Penelope’s shirt.
I gasped. “Is that a cooki? It’s adorable!” The creature was even cuter than I’d imagined. Penelope described them as pom-poms with eyes, ears, and tails, and she was right.
“This is Hardtack. He’s special. He lives with me and Vostak. The rest are a little more shy, but you’ll start seeing them around the stronghold as they get used to you.”
Hardtack let me pet him behind the ears, and he was the softest thing I’d ever felt. Even softer than Mr. Snuggles, my childhood hamster.
As we continued down the corridor, I kept my eyes out, watching for more of the little guys. I only caught glimpses of a tail here and there as they disappeared into the walls. It was only now that I realized some of the decorative trim actually hid openings where the little creatures lived inside the walls. That would be a little creepy if they weren’t so freaking adorable.
I was surprised to see the medic dressed very much like an old-Earth religious figure, in a long, dark hooded robe. This wasmorethan a little creepy. He looked more like he was going to perform an exorcism than give me a medical exam. He looked terribly out of place because the infirmary looked super high-tech. Everything was sleek, and the equipment looked several centuries more advanced than what we had in Nova Vita, though some believed the technology for the masses had devolved rather than improved since the establishment of the colony.
I was a little nervous when Penny stepped outside so that Grtirr could do his work. My brain immediately went to alien probing, but I reminded myself that I’d already been thoroughly probed by Gnnar’s alien cock.
I was worried for nothing because most of it was done through a body scan, though he did palpate my abdomen and take a look at the worst of the bruises. When all was said and done, I had my very own in-ear translator.
This one wasn’t like the one I’d used for the interview. Instead of analyzing and translating one sentence at a time, it started translating the words as Grtirr said them. It was strange at first because the translation overlapped the original words by abouttwo words. It took a while to get used to, but now I could understand him and all the other Kadrixans in the stronghold.
“Aside from the superficial injuries, you are in good condition,” Grtirr said as he tossed his gloves into a compartment in the wall. “You are low in several micronutrients, but that can be fixed by eating what’s provided at the stronghold. There will be no need to add supplementation. Just remember to eat well and stay hydrated.”
His last words had me grinning. Those had been my own doctor’s last words to me.
I found Penny waiting for me with two very welcomed surprises: Julie and a change of clothes.
“Julie!” I squealed, running to her to give her a hug. “Holy moly! I’m so happy to see you. I’ve been looking for you for two whole years. Longer, if you count all the messages to your contact when you were sick.”
“I’m happy to see you too.” She hugged me back. “But I never got any messages.”
“Yeah. I thought you were ignoring me at first, but after you disappeared, I looked into it. I’m sure now they were blocking your incoming messages and calls. But I’ll explain all that later.” I held her at arm’s length. “You look amazing.”
She really did. The last time I’d seen her, she’d been rail-thin and pale. And that wasbeforeshe’d gotten sick. She’d filled out a lot, and her cheeks were rosy and healthy.
“Thanks,” she said. “Living here suits me.”
I ducked back into the infirmary and behind a curtain to change into my new clothes, which included long, flowy pants and a short-sleeved top, both in a supersoft, colorful fabric.Macey had worn something like this. I’d thought she was overdressed for the rescue, but apparently these were their comfy clothes.
Penelope and Julie wore something similar, except in different colors. Mine was a dark red with flecks of gold in it.
My shoes, which were pretty wrecked from my trip, were replaced with a pair of comfortable sandals.
“There are different styles, and I know some of the women prefer the dresses, but these pantsuits are so comfortable that I am happy being in them day in and day out.” Penelope tugged at her hem. “They’re super stretchy. It’s like wearing pajamas all day long, but it’s totally acceptable, and they look good too.”
“Definitely feel as comfy as pajamas,” I agreed. “Too bad my bra is ruining the comfort factor.”
“There is a bra substitute in your official welcome kit,” Penelope said. “I’ve got Tasha putting one together now. You’ll meet her later. Her mate went into the rut early, so she’s indisposed. But she’s not one who can stay in the nest for days at a time, so she welcomed the excuse to leave for an hour or two.”
And that had me thinking of Gnnar and the hour or two of sanity he had between our lovemaking sessions.
“Wait, you do know about the rut, right?” Julie asked. She’d never been a shy one and would probably tell me all about the intricacies if given the chance.
“Yes,” I said before she could give me too much information.
