Page 52 of Pirate By Parrot

Imbolt asked, “You have arranged food and clothing?”

“Yes. The bots have been planting and harvesting. Fresh fruit is there, and we are going to cultivate that fruit that she got on Veth to help hormonal shifts in case of pregnancy.”

Imbolt smiled. “I heard about that. Now, what are your plans for a population?”

“Lottery system and an adaptation station next to our main station. It is already under construction.”

Mel paused. “People want to live here?”

Occorin nodded. “But the qualifier was that no male would be in charge of any Vendari outpost. Our worlds are lush and peaceful. We are relatively safe from attack due to the gravity situation. If you are willing to adapt to heavy grav, it is a wonderful place to live.”

“Whoa, so I am going to be in charge?”

“Yes, Melora, you will get the laws and the rules and the power to enforce them. Your education will begin now that the pain is gone.”

Imbolt put his hand on his head. “You didn’t tell her?”

Mel shrugged. “To be frank, I was in enough pain to cause me a lot of distraction. Learning anything wasn’t plausible. To be fair, the Alliance didn’t give me any information either, and I had a very long trip out here. It could have been added to my language and etiquette program at any time.”

Imbolt blinked. “Oh, I—” His voice changed pitch and vibrated with energy.“We apologize for the mishandling of your case. You are the first heavy-grav adaptation that has been deliberately created away from the world they are destined for, and your destiny changed frequently.”

Mel smiled. “No, it didn’t. Vendar is just very good at mimicking other signal origins and body projections.” She glanced at Occorin. “He wanted me transformed by inches, so to speak, so that my experience would not be all screaming.”

OccorinA molten silver overtook Occorin’s eyes.“You understand more than we gave you credit for.”

“Well, frankly, it was Whee’s addition that let me put things into perspective, and she helped me to hack into Ves’s records so I could look up transformations into a heavy-worlder.” She sighed. “They rarely survive. The pain is extreme and drives many to suicide.” She grimaced. “The screaming was excessive.”

Occorin flinched. “I didn’t know what you were looking at. There was a firewall made of singing kittens that distracted me while the data was acquired and sealed off, and the trail was erased.”

Mel shrugged. “Well, I have been on the station and ship for months. I picked up a few things.”

Imbolt frowned. “Where did you get the kitten images?”

Mel grinned. “Alyla. She felt like hell over my situation and did whatever it took to help.”

Occorin-Vendar looked at her.“Interesting. Are you willing to see your home at long last?”

“Well, I just saw my mate, so why not the house.”

Imbolt paused. “This is your first time seeing him?”

“In person? Yes. He has been a projection on the ship for this whole time but only made himself visible in the last month or so.”

“So, you have not consummated your connection?”

She chuckled. “I haven’t even shaken his hand.”

Imbolt asked softly, “You aren’t feeling uncontrollably aroused?”

“Um, no. He’s pretty colours and all, but I am more aroused by a good dessert lately.” She shrugged.

He exhaled and looked at Vendar’s avatar. “You have kept your word but not your timing. Earn her touch, and let me know if you need anything. When you are ready, the candidates will come.”

“Candidates?”

Occorin smiled. “We need a population, and since there are only a few who could be citizens, we have to take those who want the heavy-grav adaptation and run a medical centre to create it.”

“Oh. Will it hurt them?”

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