Chapter 11

The next morning, Antaska woke up feeling refreshed, with a clear mind and renewed energy. She sat up in bed and stretched, disturbing Potat, who had been curled up asleep at her side. Without opening her eyes, Potat lazily uncurled herself and rolled over onto her back, with front paws bent up in the air and back paws stuck out straight. Her curled tailed seemed to be the only thing balancing this awkward position.

“What were you up to last night? Were you out late at a party?” Antaska didn’t expect an answer and didn’t get one.

Sighing, she got up, got ready for another day, and went out to join M. Hoyvil in the main room.

After breakfast, M. Hoyvil spoke to Antaska on their way to the gym. “Do you think you’ll have more problems with your trainers today?”

He seemed worried, but Antaska was thinking dreamy thoughts about Eegor.

“I feel much better. I’m sure that everything will be fine today,” she assured him.

“I hope you’re right about that. Call me if you need my help,” M. Hoyvil said.

“Thank you,” said Antaska, appreciating his concern.

Then they entered the gym and separated and go to their classes.

On the previous day, the Earth human class had lifted weights to work their arm and shoulder muscles. On this day, the instructors had them work the muscles of their legs by doing squats, lunges, and toe lifts while holding a weight bar across their shoulders. The class also did leg lifts with ankle weights to strengthen the backs and sides of their legs. Again, the workout took the form of circuit training, and in between sets of weightlifting, they ran around the gym or jumped rope.

Today Antaska was more used to the intense workout, and she was able to look around at the other groups of exercisers as she ran past them with her class. At the front of the gym across from M. Hoyvil’s class, there was a class of Verdante adolescent females. Antaska ran past them and headed back toward the back of the gym. There she saw another class of Earth humans that included both males and females.

On her long trip around the huge gym, Antaska had time to look over and observe both of these two classes. Instead of running, these humans and the Verdante females were dancing to music, and their workouts didn’t seem very grueling. They lifted only light weights, and their instructors were joking and laughing with them. As time went on, the distinction between the two groups of light exercisers blurred. Some of the Verdante females wandered over to join the human class, and some of the humans joined the Verdante class.

When Antaska ran past M. Hoyvil’s class, she noticed only adolescent male Verdantes in the class. They strained to lift heavy weights, climbed up and down rope ladders that hung from the ceiling, and also ran around the gym or jumped in place. Antaska recognized some of these male Verdantes from the dining hall and from classes. She realized that all of their human companions were in her gym class.

Is this some strange form of gender bias? she wondered.

With sore legs and heaving breath, Antaska’s class finished running and returned to its usual spot in the back of the gym. Their instructors stood looking at them with grim faces. Then Eegor spoke.

“I saw you looking with envy at the other class when you should have been focusing on your exercise. Maybe you were thinking, ‘Why can’t I be in that other class that looks so fun?’ The answer is that you are the chosen ones, and they are not. Yes, it is true, puny weak examples of humanity that you are. Don’t envy them. You’ll be traveling into deep space, and they won’t. They’ll be getting off the space ship on the Verdante home planet—not even going as far as the space station.

“Because they’ll spend the rest of their lives in a protected and safe environment, their needs won’t be the same as yours. You’ll travel into unknown parts of the universe, and you must be strong and prepared for the unexpected. Your Verdantes have entrusted us with the responsibility of preparing you. We’ll change you from the weak, powerless creatures you are now into strong fighting machines. Be grateful and rejoice that you will have the benefit of our training.”

Eegor stopped talking and stood glaring at the class. His contempt for the Earth humans in the class was clear. Then Antaska heard him mutter in a lower voice.

“You weaklings get to explore deep space, while superior humans like me and Tilde only go back and forth between Earth, the Verdante home planet, and the space station.”

Tilde spoke to the class next.

“You must learn that in battle, there’s no room for emotions, there’s no room for distraction. These are weaknesses your enemy will exploit. Because you’re beginners, I’ll give you this one warning. But the next time we see you distracted by emotion or not paying attention for any other reason, you’ll be attacked. Now get back to work. You have no time to waste. Attach your ankle weights, and begin your leg lifts.”

Antaska did as instructed. Over half an hour passed, and neither of the trainers had paid her any particular attention, but that was about to change. She tried to focus on lifting her left leg as high as possible behind her while keeping the rest of her body straight. But she noticed in her peripheral vision that the large, pale Eegor was working his way in her direction.

An uncomfortable mix of anticipation and dread made Antaska’s pulse race, and she switched legs just when he reached her side.

“You must not bend your hips when you lift your leg, or you won’t fully activate your leg muscle,” Eegor told her.

He turned around to display the bulging muscles on the back of his own thighs, running a hand slowly down one for emphasis. Then he stepped close to Antaska. He pressed one hand against her hip and the other against the back of her leg while she continued to lift it. Bending his head down, Eegor spoke with a deep, slow drawl into her ear.

“There, do you see how it is done? The muscles on the back of the leg are the most neglected in the human body. I can see that yours have been very neglected. Would you like me to help you change that? I can meet you outside of class for a personal session,” Eegor offered.

Antaska experienced an overpowering rush of desire and was about to agree, but she looked over and saw the dagger-like eyes of Tilde. She decided that she needed more information about his relationship with Tilde before accepting his offer.

“What kind of session are you talking about?” Antaska asked, “and would it be a problem for your partner?”

Eegor shook his head irritably before answering.

“My partner…yes…this does not concern her. I’m a professional trainer, and it’s not her business if I offer private classes to certain special students like yourself.”

He finished his explanation with a sensual pout of his lips and lowered eyelids.

That short answer roughly pulled away the veil of Antaska’s illusions about Eegor. It revealed the truth not only about his relationship with Tilde but also about his interest in Antaska. He wanted to mess around with Antaska, but he wasn’t going to leave Tilde. Still, Antaska was reluctant to let go of her fantasies.

“I’ll think about it and let you know,” she answered noncommittally.

Eegor was only slightly disappointed by this response. He was sure Antaska would soon fall for his irresistible charms, as they all did. Her initial resistance would only make her eventual surrender that much sweeter. Eegor had also noticed Tilde’s angry glances. His thoughts churned back to their relationship and its problems.

Well, good. Tilde needs to know how this feels, he thought. How it feels for me every day to have my life mate being ogled by other males, and then to have her ogling them back! Just because she’s taller than the Earth humans. Just because our skin looks greenish in certain lights, and she’s incredibly beautiful, she gets the attention of the male Verdantes. But she should know they would never take her for a mate, as an equal. They’re just playing with her. She should think about how her flirting with them makes me feel. But she doesn’t care. Unless I make her care.

Eegor looked over at Tilde and was pleased to see that she was still fuming. His over-the-top attention to a female student had once again made her insanely jealousy. In fact, Tilde’s response seemed much stronger than her usual reaction to the women he selected as the object of his attention on almost every trip. The intensity of Tilde’s angry stare sent a powerful thrill rippling through him.

Success! he thought.

With an innocent smile in Tilde’s direction, Eegor let go of Antaska’s leg and stepped away.

“Lucky for you, I’m here to help you on this voyage,” Eegor said to Antaska. “We’ll have many helpful times together,” he said clumsily, at a loss for further flirtatious words.

But Eegor knew that it didn’t really matter what he said. These women always dropped into his hands like the luscious ripe fruit that fell from the cranapple trees on the planet of his birth—the Verdante home planet. With a final flex of one and then the other of his massive pectorals, Eegor turned and walked away to join the fuming Tilde at the front of the class.

The second half of the class began, and Eegor knew Antaska would be in for trouble from Tilde. Luckily for her, the self-defense skills they were working on that day were methods to use to avoid attack. With Tilde striking and Eegor evading, the instructors demonstrated to the class how to duck and bob when punches or kicks were thrown at them.

Eegor was excited by Tilde’s aggressive efforts, but he was skilled at evading her blows. He could tell she was trying hard, and he smiled each time she missed, which seemed to increase her anger and decrease her accuracy.

Tilde burnt with rage fueled by Eegor’s most recent betrayal. She longed for the pleasing thud sound and the satisfying feeling of her hands or feet smacking into another body, particularly a body that deserved her retribution.

If I can’t hurt him, then I’ll have to hurt his latest little slut, she decided. Like usual. When will they learn not to mess with me? When will he stop insulting me like this. As if these females are better than me!

She growled, but no one seemed to notice.

After shocking the class with a particularly furious demonstration of the art of evasion, Tilde stood panting. Eegor, with a big smile on his face, instructed the class to practice bobbing and ducking movements. A few minutes later, Tilde recovered her breath, and she headed Antaska’s way. She looked back and saw Eegor watching, but she knew he wouldn’t interfere. He never did. Tilde stopped in front of Antaska.

Antaska continued to duck and bob, but she looked up into Tilde’s face. Tilde glared down at her from a foot above. She stood still and watched Antaska, not bothering to mask the growing anger from her expression. Then Tilde leaned in closer and noticed Antaska try to bob and duck faster and farther away.

Ha! That’s not going to work, Tilde thought.

With superhuman speed, Tilde shot out a large hand aimed toward Antaska’s stomach. But Antaska not only weaved but also dropped down toward the floor in an unexpected move they hadn’t taught the students yet.

The blow missed its intended target but still struck hard against Antaska’s right shoulder. It shoved her backward and knocked her all the way to the cushiony floor. The blow was hard but not as hard as the blow Tilde had landed the day before. Antaska managed pull herself up onto her knees. She held her opposite hand on her bruised shoulder.

Tilde stared down at her, only partly mollified by the hit. She considered striking again, but she noticed the sudden stillness around her. Looking about at the class, Tilde saw that everyone had stopped exercising. They were all staring at her and Antaska with shocked looks on their faces. Could that really be an expression of disrespectful scorn that she was seeing on the face of the red-haired human female on Antaska’s left? Tilde turned her angry attention in the woman’s direction.

“You! Move yourself to the other side of the class. I’m tired of looking at your face!”

The red-haired woman quickly picked up her equipment and drink tube and left.

“And the rest of you, if I ever see any of you stop again without my permission, each and every one of you will personally show me your skill at evading my blows.”

With the exception of Antaska, the class energetically resumed their practice. Tilde returned her attention to Antaska.

“As for you, worm, you’re obviously a very slow learner. I suggest you learn quickly, or you’ll suffer for it.”

Tilde turned her back on Antaska and left her kneeling on the floor. She felt a little better but not completely satisfied.

“Oh well, tomorrow is another day,” she thought, consoling herself with thoughts of future opportunities for revenge as she walked away.

When she joined Eegor at the front of the class, he smiled at her affectionately.

I know he cares about me, thought Tilde, and he doesn’t care about these other women, or he would stop me from beating them up. But why does he keep humiliating and betraying me? We’re two of a kind, but maybe there’s something wrong with him. Maybe he’s not the right guy for me?

Her thoughts turned to one or two of the young Verdante men who had been flirting with her that morning. She smiled at Eegor. He smiled back.

Besides Antaska, at least one other person in the gym wasn’t smiling. M. Hoyvil, despite the warnings from his own instructor, had been watching during both of her encounters with her aggressive human trainers.

His gigantic Verdante teacher had tried to take advantage of his distraction when Eegor was holding Antaska’s leg, but this time, M. Hoyvil’s guard was up. He swerved and evaded his teacher’s kick by a hair’s breath.

He was less successful during Tilde’s attack on Antaska, which proved to be too distracting. Master Mytaar struck without warning, kicking M. Hoyvil’s legs out from under him and dropping him once again to the floor. The large green man had looked down at him with upward smirking eyes.

“I guess I’ve proved my point. Your concern for your companion’s well being has become your weakness. But you can’t protect her if you can’t protect yourself. Once you become emotionally attached to another being, your effectiveness in battle is compromised. You must learn to control your emotional response to a threat to her and also trust her to defend herself,” said Master Mytaar.

M. Hoyvil looked up at the master. He listened politely, but his thoughts about him were less than polite.

“There will be times when you should act on her behalf, and there will be times when you should not,” Master Mytaar continued. “Knowing the difference is critical. Learn this well, or I predict that you will both suffer.”

M. Hoyvil had pulled himself back up to his feet during this telepathic communication. He suppressed the urge to reply with anger to what he felt was undeserved criticism from Master Mytaar. Surely, the two fitness trainers and Master Mytaar as their responsible owner were more at fault than he was. He took a deep calming breath before speaking.

“You’re telling me that letting my emotions control my actions is a weakness, but the actions of your two pets are motivated by their emotions. Doesn’t this mean that they’re not fit for their important role as trainers? Doesn’t this mean they’re more likely to harm their students than to help them?”

“The first part of your argument is correct,” Master Mytaar answered. “Their behavior toward your companion is motivated by their uncontrolled, inappropriate emotions. Do you believe that all the alien life forms you’ll encounter in space will behave with their emotions fully under control? These instructors, ‘unfit’ as you call them, will provide the best training your companion could have in how to protect herself from the unexpected behavior of unknown species.”

M. Hoyvil doubted that Antaska would ever be in that kind of danger, but he kept quiet and listened with the appropriate deference.

“Yes, they’re emotionally unstable, but they know the limits I’ve set for them. They won’t not hurt her beyond some bruising,” Master Mytaar said. “Only a very few of the human pets they’ve taught have ever needed to see Dr. Daji for the mending of a broken bone.”

That’s comforting, M. Hoyvil thought with sarcasm.

The master kept talking.

“You, on the other hand, will be less fortunate than your companion in your learning opportunities on this voyage. Because we Verdantes are self-controlled, especially by adulthood, you won’t be able to experience the benefit of learning to defend yourself from a larger, out-of-control aggressor. But I’ll do the best I can to constantly exploit your weaknesses and, perhaps, even turn them into strengths if that’s possible. Your lesson will be to master the ability to stay calm and effective when your companion is in danger and to then make intelligent decisions with a clear head. Whether you are successful will be up to you. It will depend on your attitude as well as your resourcefulness.”

M. Hoyvil was not surprised by this answer. Never a straight answer to a plain question, he thought.

Then he quickly stopped thinking and made his mind blank in case Master Mytaar was truly able to read his thoughts as he had implied earlier. M. Hoyvil waited for his irritation to pass and then politely asked for more clarification.

“I really don’t understand why you keep insisting that Antaska will need to defend herself against violent aliens. We train our companions to defend themselves as a routine safety precaution, but I’ll be there to protect her. And an entire shipload of Verdantes will be there. In almost 10,000 years of our space travel with Earthling companions, I’ve never heard of any of them having to use that training to defend themselves.”

Master Mytaar spoke in the mysterious manner that usually signaled that the end of a conversation was near.

“There’s always a first time for everything, and the trees have been whispering of changes to come. However, I’m a compassionate man. I’ll offer you and your companion a choice in this matter. If at any time during this trip either of you decide that my pets’ class is too difficult for her, she won’t have to stay in their class. I’ll transfer her into the easier class given to the pets of females.”

M. Hoyvil was not sure whether to be appeased or somewhat insulted by this offer, but he bowed to indicate his thanks and thought about it while he continued his workout. His emotions urged him to remove Antaska from her class. But perhaps Master Mytaar’s offer was also a lesson for him in controlling those emotions.

Putting emotions aside, M. Hoyvil realized that he would like to protect Antaska, but this was a choice she would have to make for herself. If he made the decision for her, he would be treating her like a pet, and she would know it and resent it.

After Tilde knocked Antaska down, M. Hoyvil had seen her stand up and continue with her workout.

She must be OK, but I bet she’s in pain, M. Hoyvil thought.

He continued to keep an eye on Antaska. The second half of her class passed without another visit from either instructor, and to his relief, the class was finally over. After the usual stretching, M. Hoyvil was at her side to take her back to their quarters.

The concern in M. Hoyvil’s eyes was clear to Antaska, but all he asked was, “How are you?” when he reached her side after the stretch period ended. Thinking that a display of weakness would only further encourage Tilde, Antaska just answered, “I’m fine,” and they left the gym together.

Antaska passed through the blue-lit doorway, and they paused to wait for that day’s prognosis.

“This human’s shoulder is bruised but not broken,” said the robotic voice. “There are no internal injuries. Apply a cold pack for twenty minutes and rest as necessary.”

The small compartment in the wall to the side of the door opened again, and Antaska reached in to take the waiting cold pack and place it against her shoulder.

They didn’t talk much until they were back in their quarters. M. Hoyvil sat on the large couch, and Antaska climbed up to sit there too. She folded her legs underneath her instead of dangling them.

Their entrance to the room had woke up Potat. She came out of Antaska’s room and walked with slow, stretchy steps over to the couch. Then she sprang up and sat in between them, looking ready to participate as an active listener in their conversation.

“I saw that your instructors are still being rough on you,” M. Hoyvil said to Antaska. “I know the door scanner said you aren’t badly injured, but are you sure you’re OK? I’m starting to get worried about you, actually.”

Antaska felt confused by her conflicting emotions about Eegor. She definitely wasn’t happy about the situation with Tilde. Physically, however, she was feeling better than the day before.

“I’ll probably have another bruise on my shoulder, but I’m fine,” she told M. Hoyvil. “She didn’t hit me as hard today as she did yesterday.”

“I saw what happened, and I talked to my instructor about your trainers again today,” M. Hoyvil said. “He still claims that you’ll learn some important lesson from this hardship. And he said you might get into some danger when we’re out in deep space, and this class will teach you how to defend yourself from it. That might be possible, but it’s hard for me to believe. No Earthling who has ever traveled with us has been harmed by contact with any of the new life forms we discovered.”

Antaska heard a low growl down by her side. She looked down, and Potat blinked up at her. Antaska gave her a quick pat on the head.

“It’s OK,” she told the tiny cat. “I won’t be in danger.”

“That’s right,” said M. Hoyvil. “Anyway, Master Mytaar said that if you want to leave your class, you can switch to the class for the humans who’ll be staying on the Verdante planet. They aren’t taught much self-defense or fighting moves—just dancing, yoga, light weightlifting, and cardio. It looks like a more fun class, and the instructors won’t bother you.”

M. Hoyvil made the easier class sound appealing, but Antaska wasn’t sure she wanted to change.

And Eegor won’t be teaching that class, she thought.

The small cat voice spoke again in her mind. “Would you just forget about him? He’s not for you.”

Potat climbed up on Antaska’s lap and purred. Antaska scratched her dark gray ears and under her white chin while she thought for a moment. That voice was probably right about Eegor, but that wasn’t the only consideration. Then she looked up at M. Hoyvil and answered him.

“My class has been difficult and painful, and it’s true that I would probably enjoy the other class a lot more. But what if Master Mytaar is right? Maybe I do need to learn to be super-tough to face something that I’ll need to deal with out there.”

She pointed toward the roof to mean outer space.

“Those trainers are being hard on me, and I’m starting to wonder if they’re both mentally unbalanced. But if I make it through this class, I’ll be stronger and ready to fight back if I ever need to,” Antaska said.

“Your trainers have hurt people with more than just bruises,” M. Hoyvil warned her. “They’ve broken students’ bones too. Master Mytaar says they know their limits, but I think they’re ruled by their emotions. I think that in a moment of passion, which they seem to have many of, they could do harm beyond what is supposed to be their limits.”

“I agree with you about that, but I still want to stay in the class for now,” said Antaska.

“OK, but if you change your mind at any time, you can switch. Just let me know,” M. Hoyvil said. “Do you feel up to going to astronomy and political science classes with me today?”