Page 25 of Alien Abduction for Professionals
"I apologise on behalf of the entire Outer Ring Restaurant," the male said. "I can't explain how this happened. We've never had any issues like this before, but of course, our cook will be disciplined."
The flabby cook had the decency to look guilty. Maybe the punishment should be him ingesting poisonous yaki roots. That way he could feel the pain he'd inflicted on my family.
"We will, of course, compensate you for your troubles," the Kardarian continued. "We have a new restaurant that just opened on Labeari, the resort planet near the Kepler Two space station. How about two weeks all-inclusive at the resort with all expenses paid? Plus a generous stipend so you can enjoy all the pleasures Labeari has to offer?"
"Are you trying to bribe us?" I snarled. "I assume in return you don't want us to tell anyone about the poisonous yaki?"
The male took a step back, fear flashing across his face before he smoothed his expression. "Not at all. I just want to make sure you all have a relaxing time to recover from what happened. How about we throw in money for fuel and some delicacies to sustain you during your journey? Plus any salary you might miss out on during your holiday?"
"We'll take it," Trish said before I could attack the slimy Kardarian. He was a shame to our species, weaselling his way out of the situation. "But we want three weeks plus free food at all your restaurants for a whole year."
The male's eyes widened just a fraction before he nodded. "Agreed. And you won't tell the media about this, right?"
"Our ship could use an upgrade to our engine," Matar said from behind me. "We'd want to travel to Labeari as fast as possible."
"Obviously." The Kardarian sighed. "I'll make the necessary arrangements. Again, I apologise for the inconvenience."
He walked off, followed by everyone except the original waiter.
"I'm so sorry," they said, before also shuffling away.
Havel's laugh interrupted the moment of silence that echoed their departure. "We got a good deal. Might have been worth the pain." I turned just in time to see him bend over his bowl again.
Poor guy.
* * *
Professor Katila lookedangrier than I'd ever seen before. I hadn't thought Karangi could get this furious. They were known for being benevolent, kind and intelligent, but right now, Katila didn't seem any of those. Her middle eye was blazing with anger as she stared us down through the video link.
"Say that again," she hissed.
"We quit," I said calmly for the third time in a row. "We'll no longer be part of your course. We don't care what grade you give us for the beginners’ class. We don't care at all about you and the IGU. All we want is to be left in peace and spend time with our mate."
"You would never have found your mate without my course. I never expected you to be such ungrateful-"
"Ungrateful?" I repeated. "You basically blackmailed us into becoming part of your case study. You should be grateful that we agreed to that. And you've only got yourself to blame. If you hadn't kidnapped Trish, we might still be willing to cooperate with you."
"I didn't kidnap her," Katila seethed. "I only commissioned it."
"How is that any different," Trish demanded furiously. "Just because you didn't get your hands dirty doesn't mean you're innocent. Just accept it, we're quitting. We've got better things to do than dance to your tune."
"You'll regret this. All the time and resources I invested in you... you're going to pay for it. I will have to start my research from scratch. So many hours wasted… You better watch your back. Yaki roots aren't the only poisonous things out there."
She ended the transmission before I could reply. I turned to the others. Their shock mirrored my own.
"How did she know?" Havel asked. "We didn't tell anyone about the yaki. Do you think that was her doing, too?"
"I wouldn't put it past her," Trish said. "She doesn't seem to respect laws and ethics, so what would stop her from bribing the cook to poison us?"
"But to what end?" I questioned. "What good would that do? The kidnapping was a test to see how we'd react and if we'd manage to rescue you. As awful as it was, you were never in real danger. If we'd not saved you, they would have released you eventually. Poisoning you and Havel is an entirely different matter. You could have died. Why would Katila want that?"
"If I was gone, she could have made you abduct more humans. That's what she wanted from the start. It would have fit her course. It's called Alien Abduction for Beginners, after all, not Alien Mating With The Female You Abducted."
"I don't know. As much as I loathe her, I don't think she'd go that far. She's watching us, who knows, maybe she had a spy in that restaurant?"
Havel sighed. "It doesn't matter. We're free of her now, that's what counts. As much as I wanted to have that certificate to show our families that we're proper abductors, it's not worth the trouble."
Trish nodded. "It's the knowledge that counts, not the qualification. You know how abductions work - not that I'll ever let you abduct another female." She laughed. "I'm the only abductee in your life and that's what it'll stay like."
