Chapter 4

At exactly 1800 hours, M. Hoyvil sounded the chime on Antaska’s door, and she palmed the pad to open it.

“It’s time to go to dinner. Are you ready?” he asked.

“Yes,” Antaska answered. “Goodbye,” she said to Potat.

In much less time than it had taken to board the ship and reach their quarters, they reached a large, dome-shaped entrance. Antaska followed M. Hoyvil into an enormous room holding over fifty dining tables. Over one hundred beings—Earth human and Verdante—sat at the tables, walked around, or stood in the line at the food counter at the far end of the room. The domed ceiling soared more than twenty feet at its highest point.

Except for the space ship’s ever-present faint humming sound and the tapping of dining utensils, the vast room was silent. Suddenly, Antaska felt the silence like a cold, heavy weight pressing inside her head. She began to feel dizzy and nauseous.

I hope I won’t humiliate myself and my new employer by passing out or, even worse, vomiting in front of so many people, Antaska thought.

Trying to regain her equilibrium, Antaska looked down at the floor in front of her. She focused on M. Hoyvil’s large feet moving forward and followed him across the big room. Antaska felt steadier when they reached the entrance to the food counter. One at a time, they walked through an archway formed by a looped silvery tube attached to the floor. When they passed, an orange light glowed in the archway’s inner plane.

There were no workers at the counter. It consisted only of three long metallic shelves attached to the wall. One was at Antaska’ chest height, one was at M. Hoyvil’s chest height, and a even higher shelf was near the top of M. Hoyvil’s head. They stepped up to the lower two shelves, and two panels flush with the wall slid up and open. Two trays that held food and beverages slid out from the openings on the two shelves at their respective chest heights. Then the panels slid closed.

The foods on Antaska’s tray were different than those on M. Hoyvil’s tray, and she wasn’t able to identify any of the foods on either tray. His tray held four large tubes of light green-colored liquid compared to just one on her tray. Antaska was surprised to see that he had less food despite his much larger body size.

They lifted their trays from the shelves, and Antaska followed M. Hoyvil to the center of the large hall. As she entered the midst of the silent diners, the feeling of cold pressure in Antaska’s head increased. She was relieved when M. Hoyvil stopped at an empty table. He set his tray down and sat in a large Verdante-sized chair on one side of the table. Antaska put her tray down on the other side of the table. To sit, she had to climb up a staircase attached to a raised chair that resembled a large high chair used by babies and toddlers on Earth.

Antaska felt like a child sitting in the raised chair and was embarrassed. The other humans wore tan ship suits like hers that matched the colors of the walls, floor, and furniture. So Antaska had to look twice to see them sitting in similar high chairs. The others also sat across from Verdantes dressed in the more visible shade of blue.

Remembering from her training for this assignment that the Verdantes didn’t speak during meals and considered that extremely rude, Antaska remained silent. M. Hoyvil also remained silent.

The combination of the uncomfortable, strange setting and the cold, heavy feeling in Antaska’s head took away most of her appetite. But she put a small amount of bright green, mushy food on her fork. She chewed it without paying much attention to the taste.

Then Antaska looked around. Close by Antaska and M. Hoyvil, Verdante males and females of his size sat with their Earth human assistants at tables for two. The tables were spaced about six feet apart. Some of the Verdantes stared at M. Hoyvil, and he stared back but said nothing. The humans ate with stiff movements. Antaska felt stiff too.

She knew the Verdantes didn’t speak during meals, but Antaska felt a strong sense of discomfort and awkwardness. As if she was the object of the silent attention of many people. The feeling of cold pressure grew more and more oppressive.

Then M. Hoyvil looked up, and Antaska looked up in the same direction. Something large and bright red was in front of her. She tipped her head far back and saw the face of the largest being she had ever seen looming over their table.

Now Antaska felt the cold pressure like a painful headache. The gigantic alien standing there was over ten feet tall. He wasn’t thin like M. Hoyvil but solid and muscular. Similar to M. Hoyvil, his skin was the same color as the green grass of Earth.

This man wasn’t dressed in blue. He wore a form-fitting ship suit in bright red. His enormous upward-slanted green eyes looked down at Antaska. Then he looked into the eyes of M. Hoyvil, who stared back without blinking. Antaska felt rude for staring. She lowered her head from its uncomfortable bent-back position. She down looked at the plate of food in front of her but didn’t eat.

M. Hoyvil didn’t notice Antaska’s discomfort. He stared up at Master Meeepp wondering why his primary male gene contributor had come over here to the adolescent area of the dining hall. The others were watching and listening. M. Hoyvil’s green skin blushed darker, but M. Hoyvil spoke to Master Meeepp with the traditional respect.

“Greetings, Master Meeepp,” said M. Hoyvil in silent mind speech.

“Greetings to you, young one,” answered the huge alien. “Today is an exciting day for you and the others who have reached the age of pet ownership. You have your new pets aboard the space ship. I became curious when I heard so much talking from all the way across the room, so I came over to see your new Earth pet.”

“Yes, this is my new pet, Antaska,” said M. Hoyvil, with somewhat embarrassed pride.

He waved a few long green fingers in her direction.

“I picked her because I liked her unusual coloring and her gentle personality. And she scored high on our genetic diversity scale,” M. Hoyvil added as an additional selling point.

Master Meeepp directed his gigantic eyes down for a closer look at Antaska. She was staring down at her plate.

“Yes. Her coloring and features indicate an unusual diversity of Earth genes. That’s always a valuable addition to the splicing supplies in our birth labs. You’ve selected well. Still, I can’t help but notice that she looks a little peaked and perhaps unhappy. I don’t mean to criticize, but have you been giving her all the care and attention she needs?” Master Meeepp asked.

M. Hoyvil lifted the corners of his dark green eyes in surprise.

“What makes you say that? She looks fine to me,” he answered.

“The emotions of Earth humans can be read on their faces,” explained Master Meeepp, “but they display different than on the faces of Verdantes. We don’t use our mouths much except to eat and drink and sometimes to communicate out loud with non-telepathic humanoids. The mouths of Earth humans and other non-telepaths are bigger because they use them more often to communicate. And they eat much more food than we do. They also use their mouths to express a wide range of emotions including happiness, sadness, and anger.”

“Oh. I didn’t know that,” said M. Hoyvil.

“Notice how the corners of her mouth are drooping down. When you see that, it indicates unhappiness or some other negative feelings. And see how she is just picking at her food? Loss of appetite is another sign that something is not right,” said Master Meeepp.

The corners of M. Hoyvil’s eyes drooped a bit in dismay.

“I thought I was doing everything I needed to. I passed all my human care classes with high scores. And I watched tons of their ancient videos,” M. Hoyvil protested.

“Taking classes and watching videos is not the same as providing for the needs of Earthlings in real life,” replied Master Meeepp. “Maybe if you tell me what you’ve done so far, I can tell you if she’s lacking something she needs. I can give you advice based on more than a thousand of years of successful pet ownership. But I have to admit that I made some mistakes in the beginning too.”

“Well,” began M. Hoyvil, “First of all, I met her at the door of the space ship with a big smile on my face. She said ‘hello,’ and I said ‘follow.’ Then I led her all the way through the ship to our rooms. When we got there, I showed her the door that led to her room, and I told her I’d get her at dinner time. She went in with the small animal she has for a pet and closed the door. Then later, I told her it was time for dinner, and I led her here.”

“Well, I’m not saying you’ve done anything wrong, but I can give you some tips that will help you form the strong bond that makes for a lasting and happy owner-pet relationship,” said Master Meeepp in a gentle telepathic voice.

“OK,” said M. Hoyvil.

“It sounds like you haven’t spoke more than a few words to her yet. But the most important thing for you to do is communicate verbally. That’s the way humans bond. Just spending time with them and providing for all their needs isn’t enough to make them become attached to you. I know how tedious verbal communication is. But in the beginning, it’s the only way to let them feel that they know you. They also have a need to talk to you—it’s part of their bonding ritual. They can’t read our facial expressions or sign language and, of course, they can’t understand mental telepathy,” said Master Meeepp.

M. Hoyvil felt confused. “But they didn’t teach us that in human training classes,” he protested.

“No. They don’t teach that,” said Master Meeepp in a conciliatory tone. “I know they only taught you the basics of pet care—limited to providing food, clothing, medical care, and shelter. I’m giving you this advice based on my own personal experience. As you know, I have a close, affectionate relationship with my own two pets, Vorche and Tabxi.”

M. Hoyvil looked over to the Verdante adult section of the dining hall where Master Meeepp’s two elderly pets were sitting among the other adults and their humans. At this distance, their tan space suits blended into the furnishings. But M. Hoyvil’s super-human vision gave him a sharp view of their gray-haired heads. Both humans waved at him and tiny smiles lit up their dark space-tanned faces.

M. Hoyvil waved back. Then he turned and looked up again at Master Meeepp.

“I believe that when you adopt humans, you’re also responsible for their happiness,” said Master Meeepp. “She’ll be spending almost all of her time with you for the rest of her life. In order for her to be happy, you must develop a close, affectionate relationship. This is what we call ‘bonding.’ Spending time with her, sharing meals, and taking her places are some of the building blocks of the bond. But at the beginning, as I have said, it also requires a lot of verbal communication.”

“OK, I’ll do that,” M. Hoyvil agreed with determination, “but what should I say when I verbalize with her?”

“To start with, ask her how she’s doing, if she needs anything, and if she has any questions. This lets her know that you care about her well being. If she lifts the corners of her mouth, that’s a sign that she’s starting to feel comfortable with you. Take the time to answer any questions she may have. Fortunately, you’ll only need to perform this excessive vocalizing until a strong bond is formed and she learns to read your facial expressions and some of our sign language. At that point, you won’t need to communicate as much in this tiresome manner,” said Master Meeepp.

“And how long will that take?” asked M. Hoyvil.

“It can vary from a few years to almost a hundred years for some pets,” was the answer. “The important thing is to form a strong bond as soon as possible. Then she’ll be comfortable with long periods of silent companionship even if she hasn’t learned to read your facial expressions or understand any of our sign language. You can cut down on your verbal communication when you’re certain that the bond has been formed.”

“Very well, I’ll get right to work on that,” said M. Hoyvil, “but how I will know when the bond is formed?”

“Ah yes, a very good question,” answered Master Meeepp in the tone of voice the Verdante adults often used when they wanted to sound all-knowing and mysterious. “The only answer to that question is that when the bond is formed, you’ll know.”

M. Hoyvil gave a silent sigh, and Master Meeepp laughed indulgently. “I’m sure you’ll do a wonderful job caring for her. I have the utmost confidence in you, my son,” he concluded.

“Thank you for your most helpful advice, Master Meeepp,” said M. Hoyvil with appropriate deference.

Antaska had felt miserable the entire time that the two aliens stared at each other. She assumed they were having a long telepathic conversation. As they continued, the cold pain in her head grew more and more uncomfortable. She felt as if harder and harder blows were being struck against the inside of her head. Antaska fought the urge to hold her hands against her head and cry out in pain.

An almost unbearable hard thump crashed inside her head, and then the painful blows stopped. Antaska still felt a deep coldness, but the pressure was gone. Strangely, she could now hear the voices of two men whispering. One had a deep bass voice, and the other had a higher-toned tenor voice.

Relieved of pain, Antaska tried to understand what she was hearing. But despite her hardest efforts, she could only make out a few words: “pet” and “care.”

Antaska looked up to see the giant alien bowing over her. The large mass looming above her head was frightening, but she was sure this was some form of politeness. The giant bowed next to M. Hoyvil, who nodded his head but didn’t rise. Then the giant turned and walked away to the far side of the room.

He sat down at a table in a group of similar gigantic green-skinned aliens sitting with more Earth humans.

Why do these aliens have two different sizes who sit apart from each other? Antaska wondered. Do they have two separate species? Do the big ones have more power than the smaller ones like M. Hoyvil?

Then Antaska thought about the bits and pieces of words that had just been in her mind. Could those strange words really have been part of a telepathic conversation between the two aliens?

No. I must be deluding myself by imaging that I can understand mental telepathy, she thought.

She looked back across the room at the group of gigantic aliens. Most of these larger aliens sat in pairs of two across from two or more Earth humans. But a few large aliens sat alone across from a human or two. The humans sat on chairs that were like the one Antaska sat on but raised much higher to the height of the larger tables.

The huge aliens were similar in appearance to the one who had just visited M. Hoyvil. Antaska’s eyes were drawn by the red ship suits they wore. They created a bright area of rippling color distinct from everything else in the dining hall. She realized that she must have been too distracted to notice them till now. The skin of the gigantic aliens, in shades from lime green to dark green, contrasted sharply with their red clothing.

Antaska stared and grew embarrassed when some of them looked her way. But she couldn’t stop looking. The big male who had just left them sat at a table next to a gigantic female alien and across from two Earth humans—a man and a woman, both elderly. Antaska had to look hard to see the two humans. Their faces and hair were blots of gray and brown floating above their camouflaging ship suits.

At the next table over from those people, another gigantic Verdante male and female sat across from two much more noticeable humans. This male and female pair sat facing toward Antaska. They were unusually tall and unusually attractive. Even at this distance, the toned muscles of both pale-skinned blondes showed under their tight-fitting ship suits.

As Antaska’s gaze passed over the face of the male, she froze in surprise and embarrassment. He was staring back boldly and fixedly at her from across the large room. As if caught by a hypnotic force, Antaska found herself unable to look away.

Wow! He is the most attractive man I have ever seen! she thought in awe and wonder.

Antaska shook her head to clear it. She remembered that she was with her new employer. He needed to be impressed, especially on their first day together. She turned and looked up at him. Fortunately, M. Hoyvil didn’t seem to notice that Antaska had been staring at the beautiful Earth man.

She couldn’t resist looking back across the room. Antaska’s eyes caught in the gaze of the man still staring at her! She pulled her eyes away only to meet the angry glare of the beautiful human female sitting next to him.

Appalled, Antaska looked away and down at the plate in front of her. She tried to hide the riot of conflicting thoughts and emotions that swirled through her. Antaska looked up at M. Hoyvil again. She hoped he wouldn’t see her skin turning a redder shade of tan. Seeming not to notice, M. Hoyvil continued to eat his food. While eating and drinking, he also looked around at the other nearby Verdante diners and waved his six-fingered hands at them.

They must be communicating, Antaska thought.

She picked at her strange food. Her thoughts focused on the attractive male.

What just happened? she asked herself. It’s so flattering to get the attention of such an unbelievably gorgeous man, but it’s obvious he’s involved with another woman. And she looked so mad that he was looking at me. But that doesn’t matter, right? On Earth, we were encouraged not to get attached. Because everyone would be leaving to outer space with the Verdantes, so it’s bad to get stuck in a relationship. So I would be doing her a favor to break them up, right?

In her mind, a small voice broke into her thoughts.

“Wrong! Wrong! You’re not on Earth anymore!” said the voice.

What the heck is that? Antaska asked herself. Am I really going crazy today?

Then an image of her small cat Potat appeared in her mind.

No! Antaska told herself. My cat isn’t talking to me, and I’m not telepathic. I’m just imaging things because of all the stress and drama today.

Her thoughts rattled on and on.

Maybe that man wasn’t really even looking at me. I’m just imagining all kinds of things. Obviously, I’m so ordinary and average looking that he wouldn’t be interested in me,” she told herself.

Now Antaska felt embarrassed by her assumption.

Anyway, I’m not likely to meet those people up close. They belong to another group that seems to be segregated from this one, she thought.

M. Hoyvil ate his dinner and thought about his new pet. Antaska had spent most of her life in the Earth human space training school. She had passed all the tests the Verdantes gave to her trainers to screen for those humans fit to live among them. Antaska had scored well for the potential to act as a contact with new species. Most sentient humanoids in the galaxy were similar in size to Earthlings, so they were useful as first communicators. The Verdantes were much larger than other humanoids, both telepathic and non-telepathic. And smaller humanoids were often frightened by their sudden appearance on their planets.

An even more compelling reason to believe that Antaska would make a good companion was the fact that she had a small pet of her own. When Earth humans kept their own pets like cats and dogs, that showed skill in communicating and bonding with other species.

At just over fifty Earth years old, Antaska was a young adult and would live for at least another one hundred and fifty years. Or even much longer now that she was in the care of the Verdantes. Her diet, determined by a full body scan before each meal, would be the perfect nutritional balance for her health needs at that moment. It would include powerful life-extending nutritional supplements.

Antaska would have advanced medical care superior to what Earth could provide. M. Hoyvil would also make sure she had regular, healthy exercise, a necessary key to longevity. Even with the superior diet provided by the Verdantes, a sedentary lifestyle could shorten her life by many years.

M. Hoyvil remembered that Master Meeepp had noticed Antaska picking at her food.

“Eat all of your food, or you’ll lose weight,” he told her. “It’s the perfect dietary balance for your needs.”

Antaska wanted the approval of her new employer, so she tried some orange and crunchy round slices. They were slightly spicy and actually tasted good. Then she bravely ate some more of the mushy green food. It had a light, clean vegetable taste that went well with the orange chips. She took a sip of the green-colored liquid and concentrated on finishing her food. A blue, sweet pudding-like food seemed to be dessert, so she ate that last.

Making an effort to put the handsome human male out of her mind, Antaska finished her meal. She noticed that she was in a better mood and feeling more energetic than when she had first started eating.

“How are you feeling?” asked M. Hoyvil.

“Very well now, thank you,” she answered.

“A good meal of healthy food is what you need to feel well both physically and mentally,” he said.

A suspicion entered Antaska’s mind that there could have been some mood-altering chemical in the food, but she was now in too good a mood to worry about it.

What possible reason could there be for that? she asked herself.

She happily followed M. Hoyvil back to the area with the food service counter. They set their trays on another set of counters that was off to one side. Two panels slid up in the walls behind their empty trays, and the trays were transported through them. Then the panels slid back down.

Together, Antaska and M. Hoyvil made their way to the exit from the dining hall. Just before the doorway, Antaska couldn’t resist turning back for one last look at the muscular blonde human man. A pleasing jolt of some undefined emotion went through her—he was still staring straight at her with an intense gaze in an otherwise expressionless face.

I think he is interested after all! she thought.

Once out in the hallway, Antaska walked along next to M. Hoyvil in a zombie-like daze. She didn’t noticed the humming noise or the whispering sounds that came when any of the Verdantes came near and then went away when they were gone. All her thoughts returned to the attractive man from the dining hall.

Should I be disturbed by his bold and maybe weird behavior, or should I be flattered? she kept asking herself.