Page 2 of Drengr
Peritus was its official intergalactic name, but Steff called it Earth. It was about the same size asJörð had been, but more densely populated. It was a miracle that their females were compatible with us Vikingar, and not just us. The Intergalactic University had found similar rates of physical compatibility with at least ten other species, including Kardarians and Albyans. I didn't understand what was so special about Peritans and I didn't really want to find out.
"It's about to rain, come in," a familiar voice called from the open door in front of me. Rune, my brother in arms, one of the few remaining berserkrs. If he didn't find a mate to breed, he would have no one to teach his battle techniques to. Berserkrs were highly secretive, performing the rituals in private that gave them almost supernatural strength. I'd seen him gnaw on his shield before battles, a shield that contained mysterious substances that were poisonous to anyone but trained berserkrs. I hoped that Rune would find a mate. He was not among the first group of males who'd been matched, but that wasn't to say he'd not get a female later.
They - no, we, now that I'd been made part of this against my will - were the first Vikingar males to be added to the Hot Tatties database. Thousands of Peritan females were waiting to be matched to us. They didn't know that we were aliens, but the Hot Tatties agency had experience with matching Peritans with alien species. They'd been successfully finding females for Albyans for the past three rotations. Now it was our turn. Our species' last chance of survival. If we didn't find mates, if we didn't produce a new generation of Vikingar, we'd go extinct.
"Forgive me, Randi," I whispered under my breath as I followed Rune inside.
2
Holly
Iclutched the letter, crumpled and stained from re-reading it dozens of times.
We are pleased to inform you that you have been matched.
I knew the letter by heart. Had read it aloud, whispered it to myself, again and again, not quite sure if I could believe its content.
I had a match. Somewhere out there, a man was waiting for me. A man so perfect for me that even our DNA was the same in one small, special part. That's how the enclosed leaflet explained it. The Hot Tatties dating agency I'd registered with on a whim didn't just use psychology to find their clients the perfect match. They had discovered an exciting new technology that could detectsoulmates. I wasn't sure if I could believe that. Soulmates were the things of fairy tales, not real life.
But despite my doubts, here I was, sitting on the bus that would take me to the luxury resort where I'd meet my match. There were nine other women, ranging in age from early twenties to late forties. I was somewhere in the middle, although compared to the tiny blonde next to me who looked like she had only just left school, I felt old. I doubted that girl had ever experienced true love before. Maybe she'd had a boyfriend or two, but she seemed too young for a proper relationship. I, on the other hand, had been married.
Someone tapped a microphone, making everyone cringe at the sound.
"Can you hear me?" Pam asked from the front of the bus. She was the owner of the dating agency, and I'd met her once before, when I'd gone to their Glasgow office to submit a DNA sample. I'd completed the first stage of the intake process online, filling in a huge questionnaire about myself and what I was looking for. Pam had said that it could take weeks or months to get a match, but it had only been a week before the letter had arrived. It had all been a manic scramble ever since. Pack my bags. Repack my bags when I changed my mind about what to take. Unpack them when I decided not to go at all. And then start all over again.
Now I was on the bus, and it was too late to turn back. We'd all signed an agreement before boarding the bus, stating that we'd pay for all expenses incurred by Hot Tatties if we bowed out before the end of our four-week holiday. That's what I had decided to treat it as. A holiday. If I ended up meeting the man of my dreams, even better. But I'd not had a holiday in years, not since...
"Welcome, ladies, to the biggest adventure of your lives!" Pam said, sounding cheerful and excited. "Now that everyone's here, we'll take the bus to the airport. If you want to send a last message to your friends and family, do so now, we won't have a phone signal where we're going. You will be able to email, but not in the first few days while we get settled. So if you haven't told the important people in your life that you'll be gone for the next four weeks, this is your last chance."
Around me, everyone pulled out their phones and started typing frantically. For a moment, I considered doing the same, but I'd already said my goodbyes. My friends knew what I was doing. And my family... they were no longer around. In the past, I would have had to inform my school, but I'd quit work two months ago. I'd planned to have a new job by now, but it was actually a good coincidence that I was currently unemployed. No boss to reject my application for four weeks' leave. The headmistress at my old school would have laughed in my face. Bitch. I'd not even realised just how much I’d detested her until I'd quit.
Pam gave us a few minutes before tapping the driver on the shoulder. "Let's go. We still have quite a journey ahead of us. We'll do introductions once we arrive at our destination, but for now, if you've not met me yet, I'm Pam, one of the owners of Hot Tatties. The other co-owner, Steff, awaits you at the location we're headed."
Was she purposely being vague? She kept talking about destinations and locations, never mentioning where we were actually going. It hadn't mentioned it in the letter either. Just that it was a free, luxury holiday that would enable us to get to know the men we'd been matched with. We'd even get all our expenses paid. The only thing I had to lose was my time, and now that I didn't have a job, this was better than sitting at home twiddling my thumbs.
"I must remind you that you have all signed confidentiality wavers," Pam continued. "You've also agreed to stay for the entire duration of the matching experience. If you decide to leave early, you will have to carry the costs we indued on your behalf, and you will also have to sign another NDA. I'm sorry for all the formalities, but we want to make sure everyone's completely committed. Don't worry if you have doubts. Everyone does. We've been organising these trips for three years now, and there are always women who aren't quite sure if they really want a relationship. Some don't think our matching technology can work. Others don't believe in soulmates. If you fall into any of these groups, don't worry. We'll do our best to convince you otherwise."
She grinned, clearly confident that she'd succeed. "Now, we're getting closer to the airport. Don't worry about your bags; they'll be brought on board. You won't need passports either; we've sorted out all the formalities in advance. Now's the time to turn off your phones. They won't have a signal in a moment, and we don't allow pictures during travel. You'll see why in just a sec. All that I still have to tell you is good luck! Keep an open mind and enjoy the experience. You're so lucky to have been matched to these guys. I've met a few of them, and you're in for a treat. If you like your men hunky and big."
I couldn't see clearly from my seat, but I bet she winked at us.
Hunky and big. I could sign up for that. But what I wanted most of all were hugs. Long embraces that would make me feel safe and grounded. And someone to talk to. My house had become so quiet. I missed the lengthy, random conversations I'd had with...
No. This was a new beginning. I had to let the past go.
The bus stopped, but it was too dark outside to see where exactly we'd been taken. I'd found it strange that our journey started at eight in the evening, but then I'd remembered that many international flights were overnight. By tomorrow morning, I might be somewhere exotic.
"Again, just leave your bags and come outside," Pam instructed. "Then follow me to the shuttle. I will be coming with you for this stretch of the journey until I can hand you over to Steff. Then I have to get back - can't have the agency rudderless."
A few women got up right away and hurried to be the first to leave the bus. I was more relaxed, waiting until it was my turn. There'd be space for all of us on the shuttle bus. I wasn't quite sure why we had to change from one bus to another, but maybe it was one of those airport buses that would take us closer to our plane.
The area around us lacked street lamps, but the airport's tower was brightly lit in the distance. We were surprisingly far away from it. That explained the need for a shuttle bus. I blinked a few times, letting my eyes get used to the darkness. Ahead of me, the other women were walking towards a dark shape too large to be another bus. A building, maybe? It was hard to see. I followed them, stumbling a few times on the uneven ground.This was starting to feel wrong. If I didn't believe in Pam's integrity, I would have called it shady. But Pam hadn't just been extremely nice to me, but I'd also heard her talk on local radio and read some online interviews. Hundreds of women had posted glowing, if a little peculiar, testimonials about how they'd been matched with the perfect men.
It was just my imagination. I'd never liked the dark. Everything was going to be okay as soon as we got onto the shuttle.
In front of me, one of the women gasped. Another screamed a moment later. I stopped in my tracks, debating whether this was a good time to run. Maybe they were just overreacting. It was dark, everyone was tired, and we were all brimming with both excitement and a touch of fear. At least that's what I felt. Apprehension of the unknown mixed with the hope of finally finding happiness again.
"Ladies, no hysteria, please!" Pam shouted from somewhere up front. "Just step inside where I can explain everything. We need to depart soon, so don't just stand out there."
