Page 10 of Infala: The Bonding Games
“There it is. About ti?—”
She froze, taking in the details of the bedroom.
“No. No, no, no. This can’t be right. What the hell?”
She quickly picked up the clothing and spread it out, figuring out how exactly to put it on. This wasn’t normal attire but something different. Something odd. Rather than a typical mode of construction, the top and bottoms appeared to be clamshell in design, sealing up along the arms, legs, and sides of the torso rather than the usual way one might dress. It was really, really odd. But that wasn’t what had caused the most distress.
The second bed just an arm’s reach away from hers was what had disturbed her so. It had been slept in, though it had alsobeen tidied up and made. But it was clear to see, a large person had been sleeping in that bed. And it was right next to hers.
“Why would they make us sleep next to each other? This isn’t some kind of sleepover camp. We’re grown-ass adults.”
Ziana wasnotamused with the situation, and she was damn well going to make her displeasure known. Once she figured out how to get dressed, that is.
Turns out it wasn’t as hard as she initially thought. The alien tech seemed to sense a body in the clothing and seal and open quite easily with a simple tug or press to fasten or release the novel system. More than just that, it also adjusted to fit the user’s body, ensuring it was not too snug, but also not so loose as to be a baggy hindrance, which would certainly be a problem in whatever sort of games they had in mind.
She came out of her quarters after Maria, finding her friend already in a heated discussion with the guard about the very same concerns she had.
“No, I told you. I amnotsharing my room with some random man,” she snapped. By the tone, it sounded like this was a statement she’d been repeating for some time, but with no success.
“And I toldyou, this is how it is done. There are no exceptions for you just because you don’t like it.”
“This is bullshit.” She turned to Ziana. “Do you have the same bedroom setup? Some dude’s bed right next to yours?”
“I do. And I amnotthrilled.”
“That’s two of us. And this one won’t tell me why it’s set up like this.”
The guard shrugged. “Well, as Ihavebeen telling you, you will find out soon enough. And now that both of you are here, why don’t we go meet your partners?”
It wasn’t a question.
The guard started walking. The two humans looked at one another a moment, then followed. They exited via a thick gate with guards on both sides. Aside from the tunnel, this was the only way in or out. The walk was a long one, and they passed all sorts of unusual training facilities along the way. Obstacle courses, workout areas, swimming areas, though they were more like natural pools, and even a climbing station with varying degrees of difficulty and environments to challenge oneself. She noted there were also a few viewing platforms from which spectators could watch them train if they so desired, though they were mostly empty at the moment.
There were also rest areas. A few cooling pools, what looked like hot tubs, as well as seats and tables. There were several board games set up, the design looking somewhat like chess, but with alien pieces and a few more rows of squares than on Earth. Then there was a refreshment station with food and drink.
All in all, it didn’t look too terrible, surprisingly, and the men and women exercising were all in top physical form.
The guard waved to one of her counterparts. “Bring me Dorrin and Borkus. Their new partners have arrived for bonding.”
Ziana’s hackles rose at that. “Bonding? Hang on. What do you mean,bonding?”
“Oh, I do not mean Infala bonding. This is just for the games.”
“What’s Infala bonding?”
The guard’s head cocked with surprise. “You really do not know?”
“All I know is the Skrizzit guy said the one on my chest is called that. He didn’t say much else about it.”
The guard seemed a bit shocked at that, but that surprise faded quickly enough. She shrugged. “You’ll learn. Your partner can explain it to you. You’ll have a lot of time to discuss allmanner of things. If you don’t annoy him too much, of course. Dorrin can be a bit, shall we say,difficult.”
“And I’m stuck with him?”
“More like I’m stuck withyou,” a deep voice growled from behind her.
Ziana turned, catching a whiff of the imposing man’s fresh sweat, his skin gleaming and his clothes wet from hard exercise. Interestingly, he didn’t smell bad. It was the smell of healthy eating and exercise. A body not contaminated by fast food.
At least I won’t be sharing lodging with some stinky neck beard, she mused, trying her best to look at the bright side.
