ZIGGY
Micah was oddly unconcerned about me having access to Pedro again, especially after what I’d finally confessed, but I still insisted the Trol be left with the nanny bot while we went to the skinsuit closet.
Since I don’t want to frighten them with my next vessel…
There was a time I’d worried aboutMicahbeing scared of me—of my true form in particular—but my mate had continuously demonstrated how much he accepted me,desiredme, no matter which form I was in.
As adventurous as my Earthling was, he did have a few hard limits, which we luckily seemed to agree on. Spider-like Arachs were out of the question, as was any species that practiced ovipositing, and neither of us wanted me to inhabit aLacertus.
For slightly different reasons.
Even if I had possessed aLacertusskinsuit, it wouldn’t have made sense to wear it for this stop on our mission—not with Micah accompanying me. The “overgrown lizards” did not keep pets, and while their planet wasalsoa popular outpost and refueling station along the Intergalactic Highway, they didn’t make a habit of mingling with other species aside from business dealings.
Leaving Micah on the ship wasn’t an option, not only becausehewould be dismantling the shields imprisoning Uuktar—despite inexplicably believing hecouldn’t—but because I knew how hurt he’d be if I left him behind again.
And I’m trying to do better.
Even if it kills me.
Despite my best efforts, my protective instincts were going haywire at the thought of my mate being surrounded by my kind’s greatest enemy. I’d spent half the night flipping through my skinsuits, partly to distract myself from our separation but mostly to find a solution that would ensure his safety.
I think we have a winner.
“Keep in mind, I cannot expand this skinsuit to full size until we leave the ship…” I preemptively explained. “However, it belongs to a species theLacertusconsider allies, so there shouldn’t be an issue with one appearing on their planet.”
“The suspense is killing me, Zig!” Micah whined, flapping his hands impatiently as I pressed a panel to open one of the climate-controlled drawers built into the wall. “Show me, show me, show me!”
So fucking adorable.
I removed a suitcase-sized block of what appeared to be metal from the drawer, chuckling at his obvious confusion. “Now, I don’t want you to get too excited, but this particular species is going to remind you of more Hollywood aliens.”
If I couldn’t already feel his eagerness through our bond, the sheer size of Micah’s eyes would have given him away. I feared he might pass out completely when I unleashed a few tendrils to enter the skinsuit—just enough to unfold it into a kneeling version of its final form.
“IS THAT A GODDAMN TRANSFORMER?!”my mate shouted loud enough to echo off the walls. “Oh. My.Gawd,Zig. Are you for real, right now? Wait. Is it a mech suit too? Is this a Transformer-mech suithybrid?I am legit losing my shit right now, ahhh!”
His description was fairly accurate, since the vessel resembled a cross between his beloved, heavily-armoredTransformersand the sleek, futuristic mech suits favored by Earthling science fiction.
Either way, his joy was infectious, and I couldn’t help the grin that stretched across my face. “Yes, theOpertumare fascinating. Despite the inanimate appearance, what you see here is actually theorganicexoskeleton that melds with the species’ non-corporeal core.”
Micah hummed thoughtfully as he circled the towering skinsuit. “A non-corporeal core surrounded by living tissue, huh? That sounds familiar…”
Ugh.
I begrudgingly considered Leeloo’s revelations about a common ancestor, if only to humor my scientifically-minded stellar collision.
“I suppose they could be seen as similar to a Stellarian, or an Eki,” I mused.“Opertum,however, consist of two separate but interconnected organisms—an outer shell and inner core—operating as one being through a synchronized mental connection.”
“I’m sorry, what?” Micah choked out before craning his neck, trying to peer into the hollowed chest cavity faintly visible beneath the rigid metallic structure. “How would a Stellarian even take control of a species like this?”
I grimaced, oddly embarrassed to admit my failure, though I knew my matewouldn’t see it that way. Micah viewed every setback as an opportunity for improvement, and, in this case,hewas quite possibly the missing piece to the solution.
He’s always been my missing piece.
“It wasn’t until I’d taken over completely that I realized this vessel requirestwoorganisms with a shared consciousness to fully operate.” I watched as understanding dawned on his perfect face before I dared to ask, “Do you… want to give it a try?”
Do you trust me?
Micah observed me for a long moment, his expression giving nothing away. “Will this require more of you inside me?”
