Page 16 of Vikingr
"...keep casualties to a minimum. We don't want the Intergalactic Authority to get involved, not while we're close to Peritus."
At least we were still near Earth. That was a tiny drop of good news in a sea of bad. It sounded like they were going to fight. Keep casualties to a minimum... that didn't inspire me with confidence that they would even consider resolving their issues without bloodshed.
I didn't even know who I wanted to win. Obviously, the Albyans were my allies, but if the Vikingar lost, would the Albyans know that I was on this ship? Would they come and rescue me, or would I be stuck in this room until I starved? And if the Vikingar won, what would they do to the Albyan scientists? What could they possibly want from them?
I paced and paced, occasionally slamming my hand against the white walls. I almost wished the ship would start another simulation, just to dispel the boredom. I hated not knowing what was happening, hated not having any control over my fate. All I could do was eat and drink and sit and sleep. But I'd stopped drinking the water after realising I had nowhere to relieve myself. Already, my bladder was uncomfortably full. I should have thought of that earlier. Being trapped here was bad enough; I didn't want to lose all semblance of dignity by having to pee into one of the empty drinking horns.
"Ship, can you play a film?" I tried.
No response.
"Ship, play some music."
Silence.
"Ship, let me out."
Obviously, nothing happened. I didn't even know why I tried.
I sat back down on the floor. It was slightly spongy, not as hard as it looked. I'd been trying to figure out for the past few hours how the simulation had worked. I'd been running so much that my lungs had burned, but how could I have done that in this room? When had reality turned into a simulation? My guess was when I'd walked through those double doors. The heat and smells could have been created artificially, but that still left the question of how I'd been running without bumping into walls. My current theory was that the entire room was a giant treadmill, but there was no way for me to find out for sure.
I wrapped the blanket closer around my body. For comfort, not for warmth. My extravagant buffet of alien food gave off a chaotic mix of smells that kickstarted my appetite. Maybe I would have some food after all.
None of the dishes looked familiar. Some were garish colours that didn't look appetising in the slightest, but others seemed to be fruit and vegetables. I reached for a bowl containing small pieces of what looked like orange bread - but suddenly, there was aplopbehind me, followed by a woosh of cold air.
Before I even turned around, I knew that I was no longer alone, felt their presence in some instinctive way. I scrambled to my feet, the blanket getting in my way.
"We've got her," a familiar voice said just before the world dissolved.
* * *
Strong arms steadiedme as the room slowly came into focus. I was no longer in my white prison. This room, airy and full of curved corners, with comfy seats in bright colours, was much more welcoming. I recognised the style before I even took in the people next to me. This was an Albyan ship. And around me were four Albyan warriors, weapons ready, eyes alert, and torsos very, very naked. They only wore the traditional Albyan kilts, each tartan signifying a different clan, just like Scottish kilts on Earth.
One Albyan stepped into my field of vision, greeting me in their formal way by raising his upper right hand to his forehead.
"Donail!" I exclaimed before he could say anything. "What are you doing here? How did you find me?"
He was the captain of the Islay, an Albyan ship that often ran errands between our two planets. I'd met him a few times before, mostly during Hot Tatties meetings. Several of his crew members had found their mates with the help of our agency. Donail himself was still single, but he was on our roster, and I was sure it was only a matter of time until he got a match. Any woman could count herself lucky to be matched to Donail. He was gorgeous in a masculine, rugged sort of way, standing out even among all the other hot alien Highlanders.
"Your captors broadcasted a message," he explained. "I didn't believe my eyes when I realised it was you. We came as fast as we could. Did they harm you?"
"No, I'm fine. Where are they now? They said they'd attack your ship."
Donail grinned wryly. "They are attackingaship. Not this one. But they will realise very soon that we have tricked them, so we need to hurry. We shall take you back to Peritus, where you'll be safe, before taking vengeance on the Vikingar."
His men grunted in agreement, clearly looking forward to the confrontation. Albyans were no conquerors or pirates, they didn't seek out battle, but they welcomed it with open arms - all four of them - when it found them.
Donail led me to a comfortable chair, but remained standing. "Did they say why they abducted you?"
I shook my head. "Not really. It's all very strange. He - that's Njal, their leader - asked me a lot of questions about humans, women in particular. I was worried he might plan to invade Earth, but he kept saying that he wasn't interested in that. Not that I believe a word he said."
"Vikingar are known for rarely lying," Donail said thoughtfully. "He may have told you the truth. When we spoke, he wanted Albyan scientists in return for your release. I wonder if he's trying to find his mate. Maybe he's heard how successful the Albyan-Peritan partnership has been."
"But then he could have just contacted Hot Tatties. We get inquiries from other aliens almost every day. Of course, we have to reject them, but... oh."
"Aye. That might be it. He thinks they don't have a chance if they go the legal route, so they're being their usual thick-headed Vikingar selves. Sometimes, I wonder if they can think rationally at all. I'm sorry for what you had to go through, Steff. But you're safe now. We'll take you home."
Home sounded good. Until I realised I wasn't safe there.
