“They have a small shuttle that flies down to swap out crew, drop off gear, and pick up what we’ve harvested. It comes every day. Sometimes there’s not much of a transfer going on but they do it anyway.”
“Keeping to a set schedule regardless, most likely,” Darla grumbled. “So you’re saying we’re pretty much stuck here without a real clue what’s going on.”
Shalia managed a tiny grin. “Unfortunately, that more or less sums it up.”
“Ugh. Well, now what do we do?”
“Now? Now we wait for them to slide our dinner in under that slot over there. Eat as much as you can, because you’ll need all the energy you can muster, believe me. And then try to get a good night’s sleep.”
“How exciting.”
“Be glad that’s all that’s going on. Believe me. And seriously, if you can sleep early, do. It’ll be a long day tomorrow.”
When morning came the Dohrags woke the women early and led them out into the fields. Shalia and Margussa made a point to show the new girl how things worked here.
They also noticed her frequent glances across the fields toward where the men were working, scanning their ranks with eager eyes.
“You looking for someone?” Shalia asked.
Darla hesitated a moment. “Well, uh, Heydar was taken prisoner with me.”
“Wow, bury the lede much? You kinda failed to mention that last night.”
“I was still getting my bearings.”
“Sure, I get it.”
“And you didn’t know who you could trust,” Margussa added.
Darla blushed. “Well, yeah.”
“We all understand, believe me. But you’re safe with us. Or, at least as safe as you can be in this Dohrag hell hole.”
Shalia chuckled. “Margussa’s right about that. But what’s up with the alien guy? Why so eager to find him?”
“It’s weird, but we’re kind of an item now.”
Shalia’s eyes widened, but she kept her expression neutral and her voice even. “Hang on. You’re banging an alien? Seriously?”
“Well, yes and no. We haven’t actually done the deed, so to speak, but we’ve done everything but. And let me tell you, the chemistry is insane with him. I’ve never felt anything like it.”
“But he’s an alien,” Shalia persisted, both shocked but also more than a little curious. “I mean, is he, uh, compatible?”
Darla grinned, a wicked gleam in her eyes. “You mean his cock? Yeah, it’s fuckingmagnificent,” she said, her pupils involuntarily dilating at the thought of it. “I mean, it’s long and thick, and it’s ringed with these pulsing ridges.”
“Damn.”
“Seriously. And he has a split tongue. Let me tell you, the man knows how to use it.”
Shalia felt a tingle in her belly and a surge of wetness that had nothing to do with the day’s heat as she found herself wondering what kind of fancy genitals the other races might have. If they were anything like what Darla was describing, maybe being stuck on an alien world wouldn’t be so bad after all, though getting home was still priority one.
“It sounds as though you and the Nimenni have formed quite the bond,” Margussa said. “They are not quick to mate, that race. He must truly feel something special for you.”
“It sure feels that way,” Darla replied. She shifted her gaze back to Shalia. “You know the best part? I don’t know if you’ve heard, but in the Dotharian Conglomerate there are no STIs. Totally eradicated.”
“Whoa. That’s huge,” Shalia marveled.
“And it gets better.”
