“Good. Her awareness must remain intact,” I state firmly.
“I understand. Though, I hope futureeducationalexperiences from management might be delivered with more consideration for her well-being.”
I tap two fingers to my ear, indicating I heard her, and we will not be discussing it further.
Dr. Veil continues with her report. “I also informed her of Denise's fate as you instructed. I felt uncomfortable having to deliver such frightening news to someone already so overwhelmed.”
The rumor that she was abducted provides the perfect justification for the current precautions I’m taking with Eve. I can only hope that Eve will believe the doctor over any other rumors she hears. My brother's involvement in Denise’s disappearance has been very inconvenient. I don’t want her to fear Lorian, but at the same time, I also don’t want her to curl up in his lap if she has the same disposition as Denise.
“What was her reaction?”
“Fear, as anticipated. But it provided the necessary context for the severe security measures.”
“Doctor, we both want the best for Eve Eden. You want a healthy person, and I want an employee who is functioning at her best. For the latter to happen, certain human behaviors must be controlled and trained out of her.Now, what is your overall assessment?”
“Eve Eden is remarkably adaptable. High intelligence coupled with strong empathic responses, a rare combination. No doubt she has dealt with trauma in her young life to have the coping skills she exhibited today.”
“When will she be able to start working?”
“The neural translator will only continue to cause her headaches for the next twelve hours. She should be ready for work by First Chime tomorrow.”
“Very well. Dismissed.”
Dr. Veil bows and leaves.
I activate the surveillance systems with a touch, bringing Eve's quarters into sharp focus. Her room is the average receptionist-rank accommodation, which would be considered luxurious to most, yet it is considered modest within the Spire's hierarchy. Receptionists must feel elevated enough to appreciate their position representing the faceof the hotel while remaining aware of how much higher the ladder extends.
I normally don’t shadow staff. The Spire Watch keeps order. They run the Starlight Array—corridor eyes, palm-vein gates, consent-band telemetry, and behavior models tuned to IGC law. They watch for Terra Ka plants and for guests who forget their limits.
But Eve is different. We’re training her ourselves, so we’ll keep a direct link to her channel, Sovereigns-signature only. We will have complete control of everything to make sure she is a success.
I watch the entry iris open on the Starlight Array feed. Eve and Lira step inside her quarters. The sidebar gives me all her physical statistics, her elevated heart rate, and notes the slight tremor in her hands.
I zoom in on her face. Her rich brown hair falls past her shoulders, and her large brown eyes are alert, taking in everything she sees around her. Then I widen the frame to take in all of her. She’s so small compared to us. So human. She has curves that most Reima Two women don’t have, full breasts and hips made for grasping. I find myself wanting to touch her. To feel the warmth that radiates from her human skin. To trace those human contours. I get lost for a moment in those thoughts as the women’s voices become background noise.
When I focus again, I watch Eve study her room and feel satisfaction grow inside me at the awe I see on her face. Perhaps she will be different from the others.
“Welcome to your new home, Eve Eden.”
19
ALIEN COMFORTS, EVE
I leavethe medical center in a daze, clutching the period collection tab. My head is throbbing from the translator implant, and the Venus Lock between my legs feels like a strange, constant, alien presence.What have I allowed them to do to my body?
But I take a second to question myself. Am I overreacting to what's just standard protocol in a galactic hotel? After all, they're protecting their investment. Me. And providing me with a translator and health care isn’t necessarily a red flag. Or is it?
“You must be Eve!”
I turn to see a woman with luminescent grey skin and vivid green eyes approaching me. Her smile is genuine, a refreshingly stark contrast to Rae from Employee Species Resources. She's wearing the same uniform I'll soon be wearing—a fitted black tunic with shimmering blue piping. And with my new translator, I can read her ID necklace. The alien words transform into English before my eyes: Lira House Neth. Receptionist. Reima Two Citizen. Class 3 Clearance.
“Welcome to the Spire.” She doesn’t say her name, which I know from my research is common for Reima Two culture; they prefer to readeach other’s ID necklaces rather than introduce themselves. “We'll be working together at reception. I've been assigned to help you settle in.”
“Nice to meet you,” I manage, wincing as my voice reverberates painfully inside my skull.
Lira's eyes widen with recognition. “Oh! Fresh translator implant? Say no more. I'll only talk when it’s absolutely necessary. I got mine right after puberty, and the headache was ferocious. I’ll never forget that pain. It felt like my brain was being squeezed through my eyeballs.”
I smile gratefully at her understanding, and she gestures for me to follow her. At least someone here seems empathetic. As we walk in silence, I wonder if things aren’t as simple as they appear. Dr. Veil said the laws regarding humans have changed, that what I saw is illegal. And all I can compare it to are the slavery laws of Earth’s past. They weren’t implemented immediately. And I was hiredlegally, wasn't I? The doctor treated me as an equal. The Commander on the Imperial vessel spoke to me with respect, even warned me, but also said that I could be part of the new wave of change if I were brave.
