Page 6 of Drengr
"This is one of the cameras," Steff explained while patting the fly-that-wasn't-a-fly. "After today, the Vikingar will be able to control them remotely, so I wanted to show them to you now. They might fly around you, but if they get too close, feel free to give them a good swat. Vikingar don't always have the best manners. They're quite similar to us physically, but there are many cultural differences. My mate and I are still discovering new similarities and differences every day."
"Your mate?" Shona echoed.
"Yes. My mate is a Vikingr. In fact, he's the captain of this ship. I'll tell you the story of how we met another time, but just know that I've been in your shoes. I know what it's like to be with an alien. Tomorrow, I'll give you a crash course on some of the things you need to know about the Vikingar, but it's getting late. We'll have some dinner and then I'll show you to your rooms."
Dinner turned out to be vegetable lasagne served in huge trays. Whoever had cooked for us, whether it had been an alien, a human or the spaceship, had been more than generous with estimating how much we'd eat. Even after some of us had got seconds - me included - there was still enough leftover for another two meals.
"Do Vikings eat a lot?" I asked Steff, who was chilling on a floating bench.
She grinned. "They do. And the correct term is Vikingar. Singular is Vikingr, plural is Vikingar. They do resemble human Vikings to some extent, but we've not been able to find out if the similarity in name and culture is just a coincidence or if there is a different connection."
"A connection? As in Viking culture being influenced by aliens? Created by aliens, even?"
"It's all speculation at this point. I'm sure the Intergalactic University will do some research once they find out that our two species are compatible. We've kept it quiet for now so that they don't interfere with this first group of matches."
"Did you just say Intergalactic University?" I asked, but Steff just smiled and got up.
She clapped her hands to get everyone's attention. "Now that we're fed, I'll show you to your cabins. Follow me. If you think you'll need a midnight snack, feel free to take a plate with you."
Nobody did. I was too excited to even think of eating more food, no matter how delicious it had been. So far, we'd only seen this room, the hangar where the shuttle had docked and the corridor connecting the two. Now we'd get to explore more of the spaceship.
The mood had changed a little. None of the women looked truly comfortable, but the initial fear had gone. Even the women who'd been too timid to sit on an alien chair had eventually eaten their dinner. A few yawns signalled that it was getting late. I checked my watch. Wow, it was 2am already. Way past my bedtime. As a teacher, I'd had to get up early and even after resigning from my job, I'd kept up that schedule. Being awake after 10pm was not normal for me, so it was surprising that I didn't feel very tired. It had to be all the adrenaline and excitement. To see an alien spaceship, I'd forgo all the sleep in the world.
6
Errik
It was fascinating to watch the females. Even the males without a match were glued to the screen, commenting on every move the Peritans made. At some point, we were served the same Peritan dish as the females. I sniffed the wobbly mass of unknown ingredients with trepidation. It did not look appetising, but the females seemed to enjoy it. Thin slices of what may have been pale beige meat were covered in colourful vegetables - although this was my first time eating Peritan food and it could have all been meat, fruit, lab-grown nutrients or Thorr-knew-what. It didn't taste as awful as it looked, but I didn't have the same enthusiasm for it as the silver-haired female I'd been watching. I could barely force myself to look at the other Peritans. None of them were as fascinating as her. After collecting a plate of food, she'd taken a seat next to Steff and had engaged her in conversation. The microphones had been turned off after food had been served to grant them a little more privacy, so I could only imagine what they were talking about. Did the female want to know more about her Vikingr match? Was she asking about when she'd get to see him?
"Vikingar!" Njal suddenly shouted from the back of the room. I hadn't realised he'd be joining us here on Peritus. "I hope you're enjoying your first taste of Peritan food. You'll be getting a lot more of it in the coming days. And now, lager! A wonderful Peritan alcoholic drink that Steff introduced me to. It's similar to our ale, so Errik in particular will find it interesting to try."
The Captain grinned at me, pointedly reminding me how I'd spent some of my inheritance on installing a state-of-the-art brewing system on the Valkyr. It had been an attempt to drink myself into oblivion, to drown the pain I was feeling every click of the day. Njal and the others had interpreted it as a generous gesture to improve the spirits of the crew. I let them believe it.
"Unfortunately, technology here isn't advanced enough to port the drinks right to you, so you'll have to collect them up here," Njal continued. "While you get your first taste of lager, I will talk to the ten lucky males among you who've been matched to a Peritan female. I'll point out your match to you so that you may dream of her tonight. Tomorrow, you will get access to the cameras, enabling you to observe your match more closely. Steff reminded me to point out that the females are entitled to privacy. If they swat at the camera, respect their wishes and retreat for a moment or two. Now drink, my friends, for ten of you are about to be the luckiest males in the universe!"
Everyone cheered. Not me. A cold anger gripped my heart as I stared at Njal with distaste. I didn't want to belucky. I didn't want any of it.
I jumped to my feet, my plate falling to the floor, breaking into pieces. I didn't care. I stormed out of the room, past joyous Vikingar, past my Captain. Only once I was outside, the cold rain welcoming me back, did I calm a little.
Clouds hid the stars, turning the night sky into a murky darkness. Not that I cared about any of the stars. Not even Sunna, the sun around whichJörð had rotated before its destruction. It only reminded me of all I had lost.
I let the rain fall on me, drenching my clothes, cooling my temper. The only sound was that of raindrops hitting the muddy ground. It was strangely soothing.
I didn't know how long I stood there. By the time Njal joined me in staring at the starless sky, I was shivering from the cold.
"I know it's hard," he said quietly, barely audible among the platter of the rain. "I know you miss her. But it's been two rotations. It's time to move on."
I didn't respond. It was easy for him to say. He'd never had a kvenn. Njal had whored around at spaceports and during our shore leave visits onJörð, but he'd never been in a committed relationship before he'd found his Peritan mate. He had no idea of the loss I felt.
"What do you need?" Njal asked, turning from my Captain to my friend. "How can I make this easier on you?"
"You already know my answer." My voice was hoarse with emotion. "Send her away. Match her to someone else. Let me be in peace."
"If you were truly at peace, I would consider it. But you're suffering. You're the shade of the Vikingr you used to be. It's time to move on, Errik. Leave the past behind like the rest of us. Honour your kvenn by having a happy life. She wouldn't want you to be alone and miserable for the rest of your life."
"I cannot give a female what she deserves. You said it yourself, I'm a shade. There's no love left in my heart. It would not be fair on the female to be bound to me, someone who may never cherish her like a mate should."
Njal grasped me by the shoulders, forcing me to look at him. "I don't know if you're aware, but my mother lost her first mate in battle. She met my father a few rotations later. As a boy, I asked her how that was possible, how she could have two mates. I still remember her smile when she told me that you can love more than one person in your life. A mother has enough love for all her children in her heart, no matter how many there may be, so how could a male not have enough love for several females over the course of his life? I'm not saying that you should stop loving your kvenn. I know how much she meant to you. But loving her memory doesn't stop you from having just as much love for your Peritan mate."
