“Because, in his actual words, ‘This is Oklahoma and there’s no place for no Brokeback Mountain shit in this town’. I’d always thought he was okay with me being gay as long as I didn’t kiss and hug all over anyone in front of him, and that he’d get over it if I did find someone special. Ya know, get him used to having the guy around, and after I took the ranch over, extend that to overnight stays, and let it go from there. But no, he’s just a bigot who was biding his time. My sister told me I was welcome to stay and that she and Ted were sympathetic, but that Dad was right and the ranch would have issues if it came out. So, I left.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” I told him honestly, my heart aching for him. My family had always been nothing but supportive bar my dad’s cousin Edna, and she objected to everything and anything anyway. She made one comment when I was seventeen, and that was it. She was banned from all family gatherings forevermore. “I’m Carl, by the way.”
“Alec,” Alec added with a cute, tiny wave.
“Jesse,” the man replied. “Nice meetin’ y’all. Hope you get what you’re after.”
“You too,” I told him earnestly. The guy deserved to achieve his dream of owning his own ranch, and he was going to get it, mate or no mate. But right now, he wasn’t in the right mindset to find he was mated, so I hoped for his sake that if he was matched, it wouldn’t be today, but later down the line. Or maybe he’d fall in love with another human colonist, and they’d expand their holdings by merging. That was a nice thought.
A Mylos officer wearing a sash over his bare torso appeared. “Those for the mate matching service, please follow me.” We all stood up and began trailing after him down a narrow corridor like a line of ducklings. He led us to a room that held more chairs, a desk just beyond those, and a machine several steps behind that.
This was it! I was so excited, my heart started racing, making me feel a little faint. I was grateful when he indicated we should all take a seat.
“You should each have a form on your tablet’s homescreen. If you did not bring your tablet, I will give you one to use that has the questionnaire on it, but you will have to key it with your thumbprint and retinal scan before starting.”
I checked my tablet and sure enough, there was a flashing icon labeled Compatibility Questionnaire. I tapped the screen and got started.
21
ALEC
That had to be the most bizarre test I’d ever taken, I decided as I finished. It had the expected dating app type questions, along with scenario type questions that reminded me of those personality quizzes retail places often had you take. Stuff like, ‘An elderly woman in front of you dressed in rags is in the store in the same aisle you are shopping in. You watch her finish off a small package of blueberries and then bury the empty container behind some cereal boxes. Before you can make up your mind what to do, another customer walks by, and a twenty dollar bill falls out of their pocket, which the woman swiftly picks up, checks to see if the person noticed they lost it, and then pockets it before hurrying towards the self check out. What do you do?’ It also asked me my opinion on washing and soaking raw chicken, food seasonings, and what brand of toothpaste and shower gel I preferred, which felt like I was answering a marketing quiz.
Looking up, I saw I was one of the last to finish, no surprise there. You know what they say, nice guys finish last, and that had certainly been my luck in life ever since I joined the Army, right up to the moment I attended that job fair. It looked like my streak was starting up all over again, causing my heart to sink. I definitely was not going to get matched. Not ever. Not even years down the line, as more Dragonii and Mylos were added to the database. The human guys would all either be straight, already married, mated, or holding out for a hot alien match, leaving me alone until I died.
The Mylos officer, who’d introduced himself as Hathrup after handing out tablets to two guys who hadn’t thought to bring theirs, waved his hand at me in a ‘bring it here’ gesture. I stood up, bringing my tablet with me. He took it from me, nodded, then took out a sterile swab.
“I just need a cheek swab so we can run your DNA profile,” he said softly. “You can take your tablet back to your seat. Xeranos will already have your replies on file.”
I opened my mouth and let him get on with it, despite how useless I knew it would be.
He finished and began labeling the container he sealed it in. As I went to return to my seat, the last guy to finish walked over to hand in his borrowed tablet. He had his cheek swabbed and then came to sit back down.
“Alright, I have your swabs duly labeled, and Xeranos already has your replies. I’m going to run the results three at a time in our multi-analysis machine here. Results will not be announced until the final result is in. If you are matched, you will wait here if your mate is in-system. If your mate is a Mylos and must travel a significant distance to meet you, you will be escorted to secure quarters where you will remain until your mate arrives. If your mate is Dragonii and is not here, you will wait here for a Dragonii representative who will come to greet you and arrange transport to the colony world, where you will be united with your mate. If you signed up only for the Dragonii program and are not matched, you will meet with the representative here, and he will go over your options as to where to settle and what role you wish to pursue. Those of you who signed up for Mylos only, if unmatched, will continue as you have, and so may leave. Likewise, if you are in a Mylos mate program and go unmatched, such as a scholarship student or trainee, or have accepted other employment, you will continue as you have and leave.“ With that, he took the bundle of samples and began doing his thing with the machine.
It took less than five minutes to do all twelve. In the middle of it, his kunnarskyn buzzed, and he checked his message. He turned, scanning our group, his eyes large. I decided Carl had indeed gotten lucky, and Hathrup’s expression was due to how long Xero told him Carl and Kit had known each other. I figured someone else must have gotten matched, too, as his gaze didn't settle in Just Carl’s direction. He licked his lips, returning to the desk.
“Everyone except you five can go, he said, pointing at Jesse, the guy immediately behind him, then me, Carl, and the guy on the far end. I blinked. Me? I had to stay? Oh shit. No fucking way.
“I’ve been matched?” I squeaked.
“Indeed. Please remain calm. I see you are on medication for your blood pressure, and I do not wish you to suffer a spike. I promise you everything will be as it should.”
“Is it a Mylos or a Dragonii?” I managed to get out.
Hathrup gave me a sympathetic look. “It’s a Mylos, and they are here within the Fleet, so you will continue within the local veteran’s training program.”
Oh, thank fuck. Some of my life wasn't getting upended at least. I wasn’t going to have to start all over again while getting to know my new mate. Well, husband really, especially after my Mom heard this news and planned a wedding. I just hoped she didn’t try to go too overboard. Honestly, knowing her, as soon as I got on the shuttle, she probably had started browsing wedding sites and magazines ‘just in case’.
Carl placed his hand on my back, rubbing in gentle circles. “Just breathe with me.”
“Am I matched or am I just finding out where I’m going?” Jesse asked.
“The Dragonii representative will answer those questions. I’m afraid the Dragonii specific results merely tell me if you are to wait here or not. The representative notifies any Dragonii that is matched and also handles the colony assignment.
“Right,” Jesse said. Sounding slightly annoyed. “So we just gotta hurry up and wait.”
“Well, I know I signed up only for the colony stuff, and we know the odds are we won’t be matched. I reckon the odds are even higher against it, seeing as that guy just got his mate ticket punched.”
