But I guess the million-dollar question is:Can I be brave?
Hell, I don’t know. I let Lyric touch me on that ship, and I knew what he was. It doesn’t matter that I was drugged. I wasn’t passed out.I made that choice knowing he was born in captivity, knowing he'd never seen Earth. Maybe that makes me a hypocrite, but it also proves these situations are more complex than they first appear. And that I am, actually, more complicated than I first imagined myself to be.
As we walk through the Celestial Spire, I struggle to take all this new information in. No, it’s not that. I actually understand. I’m just reluctant to confront my own behavior.
I push away those thoughts and try to concentrate on where we are walking. Of course I see the same kind of line on the wall to direct me, but I don't want to spend the next five hundred days walking through hallways with my eyes glued to a wall.
Some corridors are clearly for guests, because as we walk past them I’m amazed by soaring ceilings with floating light orbs that drift like jellyfish, walls that shimmer with embedded star maps, and floors that ripple subtly beneath our feet as if we're walking on the surface of a placid lake. Others are staff passages, still luxurious by Earth standards, but more utilitarian, with status displays showing guest arrivals, departures, and requests in a flowing script my translator renders seamlessly into English.
The beauty is undeniable. This place makes the fanciest Earth hotels look like roadside motels. And I realize that I'm walking through architectural marvels that most humans will never see, working for what might be the most successful hospitality company in the galaxy. If the human slavery thing wasn’t a thing, I would say it was probably the opportunity of several lifetimes. However, the human slavery thing isa thing,and it taints all of this.
As other staff members pass, they bow their heads slightly to Lira and me, and I notice she acknowledges them with the barest nod. When an older man in what appears to be management attire approaches, Lira immediately steps aside and lowers her gaze until he passes. It reminds me of historical period dramas I've watched about royal courts, where everyone knows their place in an intricate hierarchy.
“Is it always this formal?” I ask when we're alone again.
“This is actually casual. Do you see that blue line?” She points to a thin strip of luminescent blue light running along the floor's edge. “That means one of the owners is here. Probably Sovereign Rafe. If you see him, you bow immediately. Don't move or speak until he acknowledges you or just walks past.”
“What color is it when they are both here?”
“The light will be green. And when it’s green, we follow formal protocol. That means strict adherence to the Chimes, meals in the Staff Dining Hall with judgments and punishments… the whole shebang.” Lira's voice drops slightly. “The Sovereigns like order. You know they were born in the Empire, and some say their hearts never left.”
“Are they often both here?”
“Yes, they’re here more than at any of their other hotels. The Celestial Spire is one of their most recent acquisitions. But I don’t know how it was run before as I was hired by the Sovereigns.”
Finally, we reach a section of the Spire that Lira explains houses the reception staff's quarters. She presses her palm to a panel beside a door, then invites me to do the same. The panel glows blue, then green.
“There! Now it's keyed to your biometrics. No one can enter without your permission except for medical staff and security in emergencies.” The door hisses open. “Home sweet home.”
My room, or rather, my suite, takes my breath away. It's at least twice the size of my apartment on Earth, with a large window showcasing a spectacular view of the twin moons hanging in the stars. The walls shimmer like liquid metal, changing subtle hues as I move through the space. The furniture is minimal, but somehow inviting, with curves and angles that seem perfectly designed for the human body despite being clearly alien in origin.
“This is mine?” I ask.
The luxury hits me with a dose of tremendous guilt, and with it comes a wave of shame that makes me dizzy.I want this. God help me, I want this suite, this comfort, this escape from everything that made my life on Earth feel so grimy and difficult. But I’m worried about the price I will have to pay for this kind of luxury. I don’t think it will end with humans just being pets.
The Devil on my shoulder reminds me, “You’re here legally. Your presence mighthelp change things. If your position requires you to live here, then you should enjoy it.”
The voice of Sister Agnes is on my other shoulder. “You’re benefiting from the same system that reduces humans to commodities. It’s wrong that you should live in such luxury while otherhumans suffer.”
I retort to Sister Agnes in my head.What would you have me do? Volunteer myself to become a companion? No, I must try to do what I can from inside the lion’s den, as the Commander said. And that means playing this role.
Still,the guilt tastes bitter, but not quite bitter enough.
Lira interrupts my thoughts. “Reception staff get the good quarters. We're the face of the Spire after all.” She walks around, pointing out features. “Climate controls are there. You can set temperature, humidity, and even air composition if you're sensitive. Entertainment console here. Refreshment synthesizer there; it can't do everything, but the basics are covered.”
I trail behind her, touching surfaces cautiously, afraid I might break something. Everything responds to my touch with soft chimes or gentle pulses of light.
“And here's your bed,” Lira says, approaching what looks like a floating platform of smooth, milky material. She presses a panel beside it, and the surface immediately begins to glow with a soft blue light. “It has relaxation functions, massages, temperature adjustment, everything you need after a long shift. It also has companion functions.”
“Companion functions?”
Lira taps the panel again, and suddenly a man materializes on the bed. A hologram, but so realistic I gasp. He's grey-skinned like Lira, with high cheek bones, long black hair, and silver eyes. He's also completely naked, his body muscular, hairless, and perfectly proportioned.
“Hello,” the hologram says in a deep, sultry voice. “How may I please you, Eve?”
My jaw drops as I realize what “companion functions” mean, and I remember the doctor telling me my Venus Lock would be able to access this, but that it’s not activated yet. Would that be at the Sovereigns’ discretion? I realize my new alien bosses have control over my sex life and I blush.
Lira quickly taps the panel again, and the naked man vanishes. “Sorry!I should have warned you. But yes, all staff quarters come equipped with holographic companions for personal relaxation.”
