{"id":15463,"date":"2023-05-11T08:29:22","date_gmt":"2023-05-11T12:29:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/?page_id=15463"},"modified":"2023-05-28T13:51:39","modified_gmt":"2023-05-28T17:51:39","slug":"rakka-surprise","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/rakka-surprise\/","title":{"rendered":"Rakka Surprise"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

(originally published in Uncommon Lands<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Easing back on the thrust, I squinted at the landing zone far below me on the planet's surface. Something weird was going on. If I turned my head one way, the black square seemed to rise up into the air. If I turned it the other way, misty purple auras emanated from the landing zone, blurring its edges. What the hell? I grimaced and tapped on the navpad to make sure I wasn\u2019t coming in on a weird angle. The gravity on Beto was supposed to be just a touch below Standard, and I\u2019d just shut off my ship\u2019s imperfect Standard plus-two. Could be that I was having a gravity-lurch and getting my horizon wrong\u2014but, then again, I had twenty ots<\/em> of flying rust buckets under my belt, and I hadn\u2019t lurched since I was a rookie. Didn\u2019t hurt to get a second opinion, though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHey, Lala . . . how do I look?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLike a man in need of a shave,\u201d the ship quipped back in her mellifluous Grao accent. \u201cBut if you\u2019re talking entry, you\u2019re looking just fine Drayan . . . though, we\u2019d be wheels down faster if you\u2019d let me take the controls.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got it,\u201d I muttered. I flicked on the landing fog lights to get a better view, but that did nothing for the wobbling, ill-defined target, and I considered letting Lala land herself, despite her penchant for dropping like a rock with little regard for the tender meat sitting inside her metal guts\u2014a wrenched neck was nothing compared to becoming a smear on an alien world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suddenly the cabin was filled with a high-pitched whine, and I winced in pain, shaking my head as I controlled the ship\u2019s descent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat the hell is that noise?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat noise?\u201d asked Lala. \u201cI\u2019m not picking up anything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAre you sure?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOf course I\u2019m sure, Drayan. My sensors don\u2019t detect any noise besides the usual. Maybe you can describe it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLike\u2014\u201d I ground my teeth, tears forming in my eyes from the agony building in my skull \u201c\u2014like a whistle. Or hissing. Or . . . someone screaming.\u201d I realized the sound was different in each ear, and it was drilling right into the center of my brain. \u201cYou\u2019re telling me you can\u2019t hear anything?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMaybe you\u2019re having some kind of mental breakdown.\u201d Lala sounded smug. \u201cMaybe you\u2019re dying.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMaybe your sensors aren\u2019t worth shit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMaybe you\u2019re the grepslat<\/em> who can\u2019t afford to upgrade me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ignoring the insult, I just rasped, \u201cLala, just tell Sitik I need him here now<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAye aye, Captain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few seconds later, the huge shaggy form of my first mate appeared at the hatch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSitik. Tell me you can hear this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNeg, Dray. I gen no whachoo mean, doudou<\/em>,\u201d the Rakka replied in his deep, gravelly voice, staring at me quizzically with his forward-facing eye. \u201cYou right-a, Dray?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, I\u2019m not all right,\u201d I replied through clenched teeth. My vision was blurring and overlapping, just like I\u2019d had too much to drink. Maybe Lala was right. Maybe I was<\/em> dying. \u201cI can\u2019t see . . . and . . . and shit<\/em>, strap in, Sitik. I\u2019m going to let Lala take over.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cKep shekep<\/em>!\u201d Sitik swore as he thunked down into the seat next to me, snapping the restraints over his furry bulk. \u201cLala missama\u2019am, you care wichoo crew, yea-oh?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOf course, honey,\u201d Lala replied. \u201cDrayan?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGo for it,\u201d I gasped, giving her control. Then I leaned over, puked on the decking next to my feet, and passed out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

+<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first time I woke up, it was only long enough to see that we had landed and were still in one piece and that Sitik was staring down at me. I convulsed, puked again, then promptly lost consciousness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

+<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second time, I waited before peeling my eyes open. It seemed like the screaming in my ears had dulled a bit. If it wasn\u2019t just in my head, that meant either I was getting used to it or I was losing my hearing. However, I could clearly hear Sitik and Lala discussing my condition in rapid Outer-ring pidgin, and I was amazed to hear concern in the ship\u2019s voice\u2014she claimed to dislike me about as much as she loved the big Rakka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Slowly I opened my eyes and instantly regretted it. My first impression was of being inside a big, reflective soap bubble while simultaneously swirling around in a lake of burning potassium. The worse part, however, was that my left eye couldn\u2019t agree with what my right eye was seeing, so I clamped my eyelids down tight and retreated to the stability of darkness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHey-a Dray,\u201d Sitik said softly, and I could feel him settling down next to me on the cold metal surface. We were still in the ship, but from the amount of space around me, I figured I was lying on the floor of the cargo bay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSitik, what the hell is going on?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI gen you Earthing part no gon\u2019 good wit Beto, yea-oh?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I put my hands over my face, massaging around my eyes\u2014I was still incredibly nauseous, so I didn\u2019t dare move more than that\u2014and tried to recall the minimal amount I\u2019d read about Beto. It was the fourth planet from the orange dwarf star Chyron, had a passably breathable atmosphere and no plant life to speak of but had nutrient-rich \u201csap springs\u201d that sustained life, and the sentient beings were friendly but somewhat curt . . . then, with a sinking feeling, I remembered the part about atmospheric wave-length and interspace distortions. I\u2019d figured they were things that would affect the ship, not me<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShekep<\/em>,\u201d I said, my throat raw. \u201cThat\u2019ll teach me to ignore the fine print.\u201d It had seemed like such an easy job. Pick up a little metal box from Vedescendart IX and deliver it to the leaders of Beto as a peace offering and make a short speech. I hadn\u2019t figured on puking up my guts and passing out in the process. How was I going to complete the job if I couldn\u2019t even open my eyes?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWasso?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNothing. Hey, how come this isn\u2019t affecting you?\u201d I asked, cracking one of my eyes open a slit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through the violent haze, I saw Sitik swivel both eyes to face me, the convex black facets reflecting the light in various sharp colours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhachoo see, Dray?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tried my best to describe the overlapping, brain-numbingly bright imagery I was being bombarded with and how it felt like my eyes were seeing completely different things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My first mate shook his head and gave the dry double-cough noise he used to indicate laughter, then rotated his eyes on different axes, pointing to his left one with a clawed finger. \u201cNo so primi, Earthing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy eyes aren\u2019t primitive,\u201d I said, smiling despite my pain. But Sitik was right. Rakka had uncoupled, non-stereoscopic vision\u2014each compound eye operated and collected data independently, thanks to the Rakka\u2019s dual brain system. It also made sense that he wasn\u2019t getting the same aural effect since he didn\u2019t have inner ears. Folks liked to blame Rakkarian resistance to \u201cproper\u201d spoken language on their perceived feeble-mindedness, but in truth, they relied entirely on an embedded prosthetic to translate soundwaves for them in a way that was compatible with most species. It\u2019s not that they were deaf, per se\u2014I liked to compare it to a two-dimensional being having to learn to communicate in three dimensions. Granted, that didn\u2019t really explain why most Rakka tended to adopt a similar sort of pidgin. A small part of me thought they were all fucking with us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCrap . . . what am I going to do? How am I going to deliver that box if I can\u2019t even stand? And it\u2019s not like I can have you deliver it for me, can I?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sitik\u2019s right eye swivelled away. I knew that probably hurt his feelings a bit, but he knew I was right; unfortunately, most people didn\u2019t see Rakka the way I did, including the people who provided my paycheck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMayya you gon be getcha used to? Big-li\u2019l time?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d I said, swallowing against my nausea. \u201cI don\u2019t think this is something I can get used to, no matter how long.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sitik made a chik-chik-chik<\/em> sound with the cartilage disks in his throat, which usually signalled anxiety, and I reached out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome on, help me sit up. Maybe I can do this with your help.\u201d It couldn\u2019t hurt to try\u2014we really needed the money if I was going to keep Lala running, not to mention I didn\u2019t need another failure on my record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYea-oh,\u201d Sitik said, taking my wrist. The pad on his palm was rubbery and cool in contrast to the warm gray fur on his fingers and thumbs. \u201cEasy, Dray.\u201d He slowly dragged me up to a sitting position. However, it caused my world to whip around me like I was a spinning toy top, and it was instant lights-out for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

+<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I came to the next time, I found a cloth tied around my eyes and the world swaying beneath me as I was held in a warm, furry embrace. It took me a sec to realize that Sitik was carrying me cradled in his arms like a baby. I was feeling better, the high pitch whine had nearly disappeared, and the material blocked out all the light, but I was still weak and disoriented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sitik must have noticed me waking up because he gave his dry-cough laugh and said, \u201cJus-a me, Dray.\u201d He chuckled again. \u201cHey, big bad Rakka banga<\/em> gonna see you troo, doudou<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah, great. Thanks,\u201d I muttered. The landing zone was a good hike from the citadel where I was supposed to present the peace offering to the ruling powers of Beto, but with Sitik\u2019s long stride, we\u2019d be there in no time. But, how was I going to stand on my two feet without Sitik\u2019s support, let alone communicate in a way that didn\u2019t embarrass me or the High Vedescians?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Great, my first experience with an interspace planet was going real<\/em> well. I took a deep breath, trying to quell the rest of my nausea, and noticed then that there was a pleasant scent following us. At first, I thought it was environmental, but as I turned my head, I realized it was coming from Sitik\u2019s fur. This close, the big Rakka smelled like something familiar. I frowned, trying to think of what it reminded me of when I got a flash of my grandmother standing in her homey kitchen on Enceladus\u2014an old memory from when I was a kid. A really good memory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Salted caramel. That\u2019s what Sitik smelled like. I\u2019d never noticed it before. I wondered if it was a natural smell or if he perfumed himself like us humans liked to. I lay there pondering, rocked gently by the Rakka\u2019s smooth gait. There was a lot I didn\u2019t know about my first mate. Hell, I only knew Sitik was male because of the time we got stopped at the Gellex border. An authoritarian and xenophobic independent state, Gellex was downright zealous about security. The border guards had simply been following standard protocol when confronted with an un-sexed Rakka. They\u2019d pinned him down to the floor and pulled out his genital sack in front of everyone when he refused to say if he was male or female\u2014the Rakka are extremely<\/em> private about what sex they are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back then, I hadn\u2019t had much experience with Rakka, and I\u2019d only hired Sitik on the cheap to take care of cargo after my rotator cuff injury. Rakkas didn\u2019t seem all that bright to me\u2014I could barely understand their mangled speech\u2014and I hadn\u2019t been planning on keeping him on for that long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, when I saw how rattled he was after being manhandled and put on display by the Gellexian guards, I started to give him some other odd jobs around the ship. It began out of guilt for not doing anything during his ordeal, but I was impressed when he showed a real knack for navigation and could convince Lala to do things I normally had to bribe her for. So, less than three cycs<\/em> later, I made him my first mate. The title doesn\u2019t mean much in a crew of two, but I feel like he deserves it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou right-a, Dray? You don\u2019 be too chat-see.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m okay,\u201d I replied. \u201cReally though . . . thank you. This is helping.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGaw,\u201d was all he said, and I heard the chik-chik-chik<\/em> come from his throat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I quietly breathed in his salted caramel scent, a bunch of questions drifting through my mind. Like, how Sitik sometimes called himself a banga<\/em>\u2014was he just kidding around? Bangas were members of the antiestablishment gangs that caused no end of trouble for the Polyverse Coalition. I knew there were Rakka among their number, but had Sitik really been one of them? He seemed so easygoing. And, why was he so loyal to me? Was it because of the title? Because I paid him well?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Was he happy<\/em>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think the empty stomach and the assault on my senses were making me a touch dippy. Laughing to myself, I shifted to get more comfortable, and when my hand landed on his forearm, I left it there. His fur was much softer than I\u2019d imagined, probably due to the fine secondary hairs, and I wondered idly if he liked being brushed. . . <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chuckling quietly to myself, I drifted on my loopy thoughts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

+<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Obviously, the Betoans were sympathetic to my plight because they immediately offered me the chance to recuperate a bit before I presented myself to their leaders. The Betoans were tall, reedy creatures with a single eye and no other facial features to speak of, but I got a sense of their curiosity and excitement as they helped Sitik to settle me into the spherical room. They were one of the newest members of the Polyverse Coalition and, as such, hadn\u2019t yet been exposed to many \u201caliens\u201d before\u2014I wondered how often they would<\/em> get foreign visitors, given that their world would be so uncomfortable for the vast majority of species. It certainly could be a while before they got as jaded to \u201cotherness\u201d as the rest of us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lying on the soft gel floor of the room we\u2019d been given, my right eye covered with a makeshift patch, I followed the shifting curves of the window above my head with the other eye until I felt I could make sense of my surroundings. On the whole, I was feeling better, and with my stereo vision turned off, I was sure that I\u2019d be able to present the peace offering no problem. Or at least I was sure I wasn\u2019t going to just puke and pass out again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDray? You good, doudou<\/em>?\u201d Sitik was stretched out on his back beside me, his hands clasped over his furry belly, one eye turned my way. Rakka had three fingers and two thumbs on each hand, tipped with blunt blue-black claws, and he twiddled his thumbs in a mesmerizing, complex way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to be fine, Sitik,\u201d I replied. \u201cThe eyepatch was a good idea. Thanks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sitik just nodded, swivelling his eye back to the ceiling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I studied his noseless, bulbous-eyed profile in silence, wondering if he was considered handsome for a Rakka. Sitik\u2019s eye slowly rotated back to focus on me, and I saw myself reflected in multiple facets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWasso think, Dray?\u201d His words were clipped, even for a Rakka, and I thought he sounded tense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou know . . . you take good care of me.\u201d I shrugged as best as I could, considering the way I was lying on my side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYea-oh. You dem big boss . . .\u201d Sitik gave his dry-cough laugh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut, are you happy working for me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sitik\u2019s thumb gymnastics stopped. \u201cWhachoo do if this Rakka neg?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019d ask how I could make you happier and then do it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nodding slowly, Sitik went back to staring at the ceiling and twiddling. \u201cSee-oh, thatta my happy there, doudou<\/em>. S\u2019all dumplings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOkay, so you do<\/em> like working for me. I\u2019m glad. I was just making sure.\u201d I sat up slowly, keeping my eye focused on a single spot so the world didn\u2019t start doing flips again. Hesitantly, I reached out and placed my hand on what passed for his shoulder. This time, Sitik turned his whole head so he could stare at me with both eyes. \u201cI appreciate you, Sitik.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I felt my face get a bit warm. I wasn\u2019t exactly sure where this urge to share had come from, and I was probably making the both of us uncomfortable, judging by the chik-chik-chik<\/em> noise coming from him, but it was suddenly very important to me that he knew how much I valued and trusted him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m serious,\u201d I continued, petting his soft, furry shoulder. \u201cI don\u2019t know what I would have done without you today, buddy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDems true dat, yea-oh,\u201d Sitik replied with a cough-laugh. His fanged mouth stretched out in the semblance of a human grin, and it was hilariously terrifying to behold. Then he placed his hand on top of mine to stop it. \u201cYou ah. . .  you gon\u2019 wan no be. . .  ah. . . \u201d Sitik pushed my hand off his shoulder, and I noticed that he was breathing rapidly. Grayish lumps had appeared through his fur along the side of his neck, and for a second, I thought he was having some kind of allergic reaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSitik? You okay? What\u2019s going on?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another laugh came from the big Rakka, and he shook his head from side to side, touching the swellings on his throat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJus\u2019 fine, doudou<\/em>. Don\u2019 be mind no kep shekep<\/em> Rakka trasha.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut what is\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHey-oh, done chat-see, right?\u201d He sounded downright embarrassed, so I decided not to press him any further. I didn\u2019t know what I had said to make him act so odd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry. Okay?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMm.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think I\u2019m all right to stand. Can I get your help?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCourse, Dray.\u201d Sitik got to his feet, then hauled me to mine and steadied me while I found my balance in the lower gravity. When I felt like I was ready, I touched the glowing block on the opposite wall. A beautiful, polyphonic chime echoed throughout the chamber. Almost immediately, two Betoans slid through the wall, staring at me expectantly with their huge, single eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m ready,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The handing over of the peace offering had gone well enough, if a bit awkwardly on the part of our hosts. The Betoans had no idea what to do with the carved rock inside the box\u2014turns out that gift-giving wasn\u2019t part of their culture at all, so they were at a loss as to how to act. They left me standing in the center of the room with my eyepatch and vertigo while they huddled together in a tight knot to discuss an appropriate reply. Sitik turned an eye toward me, and I saw unmistakable amusement in its segmented depths. The swellings on his neck were still visible but didn\u2019t seem to be bothering him. I inched closer and surreptitiously sniffed. Sitik\u2019s salted-caramel scent was tied up with such pleasant memories that being near him lessened my discomfort quite a bit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Betoans must have come to some agreement because they quickly retook their places around the semi-circular table I was facing. I found them a rather interesting species and wondered if the fact that they moved in pairs and nictated at the same time had to do with cultural convention or something physiological. Smiling, I gave them a shallow bow and waited for them to either present me with some token of their own or send me on my merry way. I was tired of seeing the world through a hazy, wobbly, too-bright lens and was looking forward to the comforting deep black of space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe would like to thank the Vedescians for the curious cast-off they were motivated to leave behind on our planet,\u201d droned the translation matrix as two Betoans chittered, seeming to finish each other\u2019s sentences. I winced inwardly at their choice of words, already rewriting their response in my head. \u201cAs a moderate reaction to this event, we would like to invite Captain Delor Drayan and his mate Sitik to partake in shared nutrients before departing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I shared a glance with Sitik. I couldn\u2019t refuse, could I? Keeping my impatience in check, I bowed again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would be honoured, Your Excellencies. However, our physiology may not be compatible with the delicacies you are offering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHave you no sustenance aboard your vessel?\u201d the Betoans asked through the translation matrix. Even without inflection, I could tell they were astounded it hadn\u2019t occurred to me to bring my own food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cErr. . .  yes. I do. I um\u2014\u201d I turned to Sitik. He had much longer legs and was more used to the lower gravity than I was. Nipping back to the ship for some grub would take less time if he did it. \u201cCould you please go get something we can eat? Um. Maybe some of the uh. . .  treb<\/em> mix?\u201d The mix barely passed as a snack, but I didn\u2019t know if my stomach could even handle that much\u2014plus, it would take less time to eat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou betcha, Cap-ty,\u201d Sitik answered. Then he let out a cough-laugh. \u201cBack in li\u2019l time, doudou<\/em>, dontcha fret.\u201d He\u2019d obviously picked up on my feelings about being left alone with the Betoans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThanks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I watched him lope away, then stood awkwardly, trying to think of something to say. I wished I had a chair to sit on or even just an invitation to sit on the ground. Time stretched on, oppressively filled with silence, as we waited for Sitik to return. Some smaller Betoans arrived, their skin a lighter orange than the ruling class, bringing bowls of steaming. . .  something. The smell of rotting fish would have been more appetizing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYour mate has been spotted on the return,\u201d the Betoans closest to me said reassuringly, flicking their ocular membranes in unison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFirst Mate,\u201d I corrected them with a smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, you have many mates then?\u201d asked another pair of Betoans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I burped quietly into my hand. The smell of their food was making me feel ill again. \u201cAh. . .  no, just the one. And it\u2019s not mate<\/em> mate. It\u2019s First Mate. . .  he\u2019s second in command of my ship.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Betoans turned to each other to confer, and when they faced me again, they asked, \u201cWhy does he call you a mate-term?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA mate-term?\u201d I was confused and dizzy. I really needed to sit ASAP. \u201cOh, you mean \u2018doudou<\/em>\u2019? I don\u2019t know what that means, honestly. I think it\u2019s just a Rakka thing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRakka\u2019s have no native language. The word conveys a similar meaning in seven hundred thirty-nine languages in the database sent by the Polyverse Coalition, including one language from your home planet. The equivalent in your English is \u2018sweetheart.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh.\u201d I tried breathing without using my nose, but the horrible food smell was coating the back of my throat. \u201cThat\u2019s. . .  um. I don\u2019t think that\u2019s what he means.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Betoans chittered again, and something told me they found my reaction confusing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut he is in rut. And you display attraction. Do you plan on making him your mate?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe\u2019s in what<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Again the Betoans conferred with each other before replying through the matrix. \u201cHe is showing signs of high sexual desire. Rakka display desire and availability through hormones and enlarged scent glands.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey do?\u201d I asked, thinking about the gray lumps on Sitik\u2019s neck. \u201cHow. . .  how do you know this?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAll known species are within the database sent by the Polyverse Coalition. Perhaps you should peruse it as well?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUh. . .  yeah. I, uh. . . \u201d The smell mixed with the visual shenanigans and the low gravity finally got the best of me, and I keeled over backwards, my eyes rolled back in my head. However, just before I hit the ground, I felt a pair of strong, furry arms rescue me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

+<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I sat hunched over the instrument panel, nursing the headache to end all headaches while calculating the jump vectors to reach Vedescendart IX by the shortest route. I felt heavy and weird and uncomfortable because the ship\u2019s gravity module was acting up again and it felt more like Standard plus-three rather than our usual plus-two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, I was still mulling over what the Betoans had said about Sitik.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHey Lala,\u201d I said quietly. \u201cDo you have a species catalogue on board?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOf course we do. Why wouldn\u2019t we?\u201d she replied. If she had eyes, she would have definitely rolled them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gritting my teeth, I shook my head. \u201cOne of these days, I\u2019m going to get you wiped.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, I\u2019m shaking in my boots. . .  you\u2019ve been threatening that for how long?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOr, better yet, I\u2019m going to trade you in for a real ship\u2019s computer. None of this recycled corpseware business.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhere are you going to get the money, honey? You going to start peddling your pud on the side? From what I\u2019ve seen in the shower, that\u2019s not going to get you much. . . \u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I smacked the control panel and then laughed. \u201cStay out of my shower, you pervert.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lala responded by lighting up the LEDs on her console so they made the outline of a dick, and I shook my head. Sobering a moment later, I asked, \u201cUm. . .  speaking of that sort of thing. . .  I think Sitik might be in some kind of sexual heat thing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou knew this?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSure. He\u2019s a healthy male Rakka in his sexual prime. It happens every two-point-eight cycs<\/em> like clockwork. This is the first time you\u2019ve noticed it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI guess. I think he might have. . .  feelings for me, though. I don\u2019t know what I should do about that. I mean, are we even compatible?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy do you think he has feelings for you?\u201d All the teasing had gone from Lala\u2019s tone; she honestly seemed interested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTurns out he calls me \u2018sweetheart,\u2019\u201d I muttered, locking in the coordinates for the first jump. I wondered where Sitik was on the ship and thought about asking Lala, but I figured she would go back to teasing me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, he doesn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, he does. The Betoans told me that\u2019s what doudou <\/em>means.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDoudou<\/em> means \u2018friend\u2019 on Pellos Prime. You know. . .  where Sitik was born?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh.\u201d I actually had no idea he was born there. What was that I was feeling? Jealousy over the fact that my ship knew more about my first mate than I did? Maybe a smidge of disappointment about the doudou<\/em> thing? Ridiculous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRight,\u201d I replied gruffly, fiddling with controls that didn\u2019t need fiddling with. \u201cI knew that. Forget I said anything. Just a misunderstanding.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Something about the way Lala stayed silent, just twinkling her lights, made me frown. It wasn\u2019t like her not to get in some sort of insult when she had the chance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat is it?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWellll. . . \u201d Lala said quietly. \u201cI never said he didn\u2019t<\/em> have feelings for you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe told you that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTold Lala wasso, Dray?\u201d Sitik said, climbing through the hatch to join me in the cockpit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh uh. . .  about how you were born on Pellos Prime.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOoh. . .  smooooth,\u201d Lala said, and Sitik swivelled a curious eye towards the camera mounted on the dash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYea-oh. Been born \u2018n biggen in dem Rakka camp,\u201d he said, settling into his seat. Sitik fixed one eye on me and stretched his mouth in the facsimile of a smile. \u201cWasso? You chat-see \u2018bout em Rakka trasha?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think you give yourself enough credit, big guy,\u201d I said, trying to sound like my normal self. \u201cI don\u2019t think Rakka are trash, and you know that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHm,\u201d Sitik conceded, and I heard his cartilage disks go chik-chik<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His sweet-salty scent wafted towards me, and I wondered if it was part of his hormonal mating season thing and how I could have possibly missed it before. Maybe having my senses put through the wringer had done something to make me more sensitive. Maybe it was just that I was more aware of him since he\u2019d carried me so gently in his arms. I scratched the back of my neck, feeling flushed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou good, doudou<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah, I\u2019m fine. I\u2019ve just got a, um. . .  logistics problem on my mind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I heard Lala snicker quietly, and I surreptitiously turned off the main cockpit speaker. If she had something to say, she could use the panel. She hated text, though\u2014her spelling was horrendous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHey, Sitik?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYea-oh, Dray? Whatchoo say?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was wondering if, when we get to the moon port at Vedescendart IX, you\u2019d join me for some Lascarran brandy. . .  or something.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sitik just stared at me with both eyes, not saying anything. I busied myself straightening out the gimbal on the dash, trying to act nonchalant. Finally, I looked over at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would love to join you, Delor,\u201d Sitik replied, his English still accented but clear as day. Then he gave me another of his horrifying grins and reverted to Outer-ring pidgin. \u201cYou betcha Cap-ty.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, damn,\u201d was all I could muster. I watched him finish the sequence, correcting one of my calculations as he went, and I wondered what other surprises lay in store for me with the big Rakka. He sat back in his seat and hooked his thumbs into the harness, his eyes focused on the stars beyond the viewport. I thought he looked smug.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo the Betoans said doudou<\/em> means \u2018friend,\u2019\u201d I said, pulling the navpad closer. I glanced over at Sitik and saw that he had turned an eye toward me. \u201cDoes it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNeg,\u201d he replied in a quiet voice, staring at me intently. \u201cNeg, doudou<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(originally published in Uncommon Lands) Easing back on the thrust, I squinted at the landing zone far below me on the planet’s surface. Something weird was going on. If I turned my head one way, the black square seemed to rise up into the air. If I turned it the other way, misty purple auras emanated from the landing zone, blurring its edges. What the hell? I grimaced and tapped on the navpad to make sure I wasn\u2019t coming in on a weird angle. The gravity on Beto was supposed to be just a touch below Standard, and I\u2019d just … <\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"generate_page_header":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-15463","page","type-page","status-publish"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P4sexs-41p","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":75,"url":"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/sentenced-to-the-sword\/","url_meta":{"origin":15463,"position":0},"title":"Sentenced to the Sword","author":"Bey","date":"April 22, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Welcome Beta Readers! Thank you for your interest and help. The Story: M\/M romance\/erotica. Stuart is in his late thirties, living in near-future Montreal. Something\u00a0has\u00a0happened, and he can\u2019t present his thesis (forensic anthropology with a focus on Ancient Rome\u00a0buildings\/living spaces) for reasons so he\u2019s depressed, and his personal life is\u2026","rel":"","context":"With 3 comments","block_context":{"text":"With 3 comments","link":"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/sentenced-to-the-sword\/#comments"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":15460,"url":"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/the-speck\/","url_meta":{"origin":15463,"position":1},"title":"The Speck","author":"Bey","date":"May 10, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cI think it moved,\u201d said Wayne, leaning over his lunch to get a better look at Matt\u2019s eye. The black speck had mysteriously appeared that morning. \u201cReally?\u201d Matt could see just fine, and it didn\u2019t hurt, but the fact that it had moved unsettled him. Frowning, Wayne nodded. 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