“That's—” I struggle for words. “That's standard issue?”
Maybe this is just how advanced civilizations handle basic needs, and I think it's actually more honest than pretending employees don't have sexual desires. But the timing feels pointed, coming right after the Venus Lock was put in my vagina.
“Of course! The Spire understands that staff have needs.” She taps the panel again, bringing up a menu. “You can customize appearance, voice, personality traits?—”
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.I watch, half horrified and half fascinated, as she scrolls through options. The technology is incredible, but I wonder even more now about the sexual practices in this society.
“That's odd. In staff the quarters, the men seem to only come in Imperial grey. I was trying to see if I could get him to look more human. I’ve never tried to change his color.” She tries a few more combinations. “Nope, I can't change the skin tone for you. Sorry about that. But look, I can change his penis to be smooth.”
The holographic man appears again, still grey-skinned, but now with slightly different facial features. “Hello,” he purrs. “I am programmed for seventeen pleasure techniques across five galactic standards.”
We both look at his girthy, erect grey penis.
“Is this what it's supposed to look like? I've never really looked at a smooth penis erect,” Lira admits. “Imperial men have ridges along the top. But the size is about right.”
“That thick?” I ask before I can stop myself.
“Human men don't look like that when they’re erect? Are they smaller?” she asks me, surprised.
“I'm no expert, but they're more like a few fingers in circumference.” I hold up three fingers generously for the reputation of human men in the galaxy.
“And does that feel good? Enough to satisfy human women?”
I shrug, then the absurdity of the situation suddenly hits me, standing in an alien hotel room, discussing holographic sexual partners with my new alien colleague, while wearing a high-tech chastity belt and having the worst headache of my life from a translator being rammed into my skull.
So, I do what any sane person would do. I burst out laughing. It seems to be the only emotional outburst my body is capable of right now. And it feels good, the release of something. Maybe this is exactly what I need—to laugh about the cruel strangeness instead of being terrified by it. My laughter doesn’t mean I’m not afraid or that I’m not doubting myself, only that I am going to confront this new situation from all angles.
Lira looks stunned for a moment, then joins in, her laughter infectious.
“I'm sorry,” I say through giggles. “It's just this is so not what I expected when I signed up to be a hotel receptionist!”
“What, no holographic pleasure companions on Earth?” Lira teases, wiping tears from her eyes.
“Sadly, no. We have to make do with real people, with all their flaws and inconvenient emotions.”
Lira dismisses the hologram with a wave. “Well, you're in the galaxy now. Although,” she lowers her voice conspiratorially, “the guest quarters have models of every species, with custom options we don't get access to.”
“Unfortunately, I can't enjoy any of that, anyway.”
“Why not?” Lira asks, then her eyes widen with realization. “Oh! Did they give you a Venus Lock? I should have guessed, your being human and all.”
I feel my cheeks burning. “What do you mean? Am I walking funny?”
“Not that I noticed, but the Venus Lock makes sense after what happened with Denise.” Lira's expression grows more serious.
I notice she used the word “with” Denise, not “to” Denise, and I find that odd if she had been abducted. So I ask, “What happenedwithDenise?”
“She was the human liaison before you. From the Terra Sanctum hotel and seemed to be doing well, but then...” She trails off.
“Then what?”
“The rumors are that she got involved with Shadow Sovereign Lorian—romantically. And then she disappeared.” Lira's voice drops to barely a whisper. “Officially,she was reassigned to another property. But some staff think she was sold to a powerful warlord. Some say she was abducted from the hotel. No one really knows what happened.”
The blood drains from my face. “Sold?” I ask while simultaneously thinking,Another version of what happened to Denise.
“Maybe the rumors are wrong. I’m sure you'll be fine as long as you follow the rules and obey the Sovereigns.”
My mind races.
