The moment the hatch shut, Lorse began talking about all the activities he had planned. There were elaborate meals, tours of the planet below, and even rish dancers arriving for a live performance.
It wasn’t a long trip, but Lorse offered Myrum tea and other refreshments. He politely declined. He was too nervous to put anything in his stomach. He was becoming more and more uneasy about letting Amina come along.
The outpost had a bay, but this shuttle docked to the outside. That wasn’t surprising. Bay space could be precious, and stowing a shuttle against the side of an outpost or station allowed for more room on the inside.
Unlike space stations, outposts were far smaller. They were utilized in areas where there weren’t inhabitable planets but a species needed to have a presence to show ownership of an area or to monitor a planet being terraformed.
This outpost was built on a large barren moon. It was about average size for an outpost, and Myrum expected it would be bland and utilitarian on the inside. He was so startled by whatmet his eyes when he exited the connecting corridor that he came to an abrupt stop.
He wasn’t the only one. At his side, Amina made a soft, surprised sound.
The place was decorated like a palace. The metal floor plates were covered in endless plush rugs. The walls were painted in soft tones, and on a far wall, there was a mural of what looked like an Ossiso giving a speech to a large crowd.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Amina whispered.
Myrum was going to say the same thing, but Lorse must’ve realized they’d stopped following him.
“Is there a problem?” Lorse asked, walking back.
“Uh, no,” Myrum said. “I only stopped to admire the colors.”
Lorse looked pleased. “I’ve done my best to make this assignment more civilized.” He looked at Gis. “Take Myrum’s things to his room.” After that he faced Myrum again. “Come along, I have much more to show you.”
He walked them through the outpost, stopping at every mural to explain the historical significance of each scene. He also showed them an area with a formal dining table. That wasn’t shocking, but the four traditional Ossiso lamps on the table were something he never expected to see.
Amina noticed the lamps too. “Those use fire!” she hissed when Lorse wasn’t looking. “Who does that?”
Myrum could understand her incredulity. He’d never seen anything meant to deliberately flame. It was inconceivable to have fire, even small ones, on a shuttle, ship, station, or outpost. This place must have extra enviro cleansers to keep the lamps from causing issues.
Finally, Lorse led them to a sitting room with furniture that included the backless style of Talin chairs and low, fluffy Leemron couches.
“This is your area,” Lorse said with a flourish.
“My area?” Myrum asked, looking around at the elegantly decorated space.
“I know the furnishings might be eclectic, but I decided to include some softer furniture in case your body needed a kinder place to rest.”
He led them through the living space and past a door into a bedroom. There was a large Leemron-style bed in the center of the room with curtains draped all the way around it, pulled back on one side to show the richly colored bedding.
“When I cared for you, you slept much better when I put you on a Leemron bed instead of a medical bed.” Lorse said, then pointed to an open doorway. “There is a full cleansing unit through there, and an elimination unit over there.”
He walked them back out of the bedroom, through the outer room, and back into the corridor. There was a door across the hall. He opened it but didn’t go inside.
“This is for your pet.”
It was a closet. A literal closet they’d emptied out and put a thin mat on the floor. Not a pillow or blanket in sight. He could smell the lubricant cleaning bots used. If he lifted the mat, he’d probably find several old, dried puddles of it.
Even if Myrum actually kept Amina as a pet, he’d never allow her to stay in such a place.
“I’m sorry you went to such effort for my human, but there was no need,” Myrum said. “She always sleeps on the floor next to my bed.”
Lorse drew back with a sound of disgust. “You let it sleep in the room with you?”
Myrum almost sounded a rumble of amusement. If only he knew all the things Myrum did with Amina!
“Sometimes I have trouble sleeping, and Amina’s little fingers can fit between my back plates and rub the skin there,” Myrum explained.
“Oh, I see,” Lorse said. “I didn’t realize it could serve a practical purpose.”
