Orion's Gate: Team Galaxy Riders (The Great Space Race) Read online

  A sapphire-skinned woman was guided into the room next. Medium height, curvy, with black hair, her skin shone a deep blue. It was difficult to tell if it was reflecting the lights or had an internal source. The woman walked with a sharp, energized gait, and sat next to a group of three others, one of whom had similar coloring. Her voice carried across the room. It had a breathy quality, but also a vocal anomaly. It was as though there were three or four of her speaking at once, with ever-so-slight pitch variations. He wondered at the physiology that could produce such an effect. Multiple vocal chords, perhaps?

  The woman used her whole body when she spoke, gesturing with every sentence. The group burst into laughter at something she’d said.

  The other with her coloring, a male, had the same vocal oddity. The laughter was particularly melodic.

  People were filing in with increasing frequency. A short creature with four arms ambled in next. It had both male and female qualities about it, but not every species was gendered. Like the Torogs in his own universe, nothing about that race mirrored humanoids and their male-female dichotomy.

  At least, if he didn’t make it back to Earth and the Cavacents, he wouldn’t be lacking for stimulating intellectual fodder. Still, he wanted to communicate with Lord Rucon, or his son, Ian. He wondered if that were possible.

  The four-armed being stopped in the center of the room and spun slowly, taking in the others. He appeared to be as out of place as Armond, and ambled over to sit two rows below. It cast a furtive glance at Armond with bulbous round black eyes, before returning its attention to the rest of the assembly.

  The ambient energy built as more occupants arrived. He’d caught glances from virtually everyone.

  A silvery-skinned creature entered the room next. After a quick scan, it climbed up and sat a short distance from him.

  “Greetings. I’m Anak-Sidar.”

  Again, the lips didn’t align with those of a Common Language speaker. Nestled in a recess on the side of the creature’s head was a device similar to his own. On the outside was the same symbol he’d seen on the shirts in the hall. So, probably the logo of the contest, then.

  “I am Armond Nolde.”

  Anak made no gesture for physical contact such as a hand shake.

  Armond leaned a little closer. “Are you familiar with this contest?”

  “We are not. However participation appears to be the only way to return to our ship. Is this the way for you?”

  “Yes.” Sign the forms or don't go home.

  No one had entered the room for over ten minutes, and a quick head count gave him forty-two participants. That made twenty-one teams. The sapphire woman across the room had an entire group entertained with whatever she was going on about. Gods be kind and don't put her with him.

  Multi-colored lights flicked on and off, and music emanated from somewhere overhead.

  The doors slid open a moment later, and twenty-one people filed in, including Candi. She waved at him and blew an air-kiss. He wondered what exactly being a handler to the contestants meant. Hopefully not too much time together. He'd play the damn fool game and return to Earth as soon as possible. He would also determine a way in which to come back here at his leisure. An entirely new galaxy to explore was extraordinary. As long as it was on his terms.

  Following the handlers, three others entered the room. There was a white-haired man and two younger women, both with blonde hair and rather attractive. The male wore an obnoxious silver-sequined suit with metallic silver shoes, the women skimpy shorts with tight tee-shirts. The logo was large and centered on the front. “The Great Space Race. Octiron Corp.”

  What kind of race, he wondered. In the air above the three were a half dozen small flying orbs. They spanned out around the room. A number zeroed in on him, and spent nearly a minute inspecting him before zooming off, only to be replaced by others. They each had unique identifying marks, and he guessed they were video feeds.

  A public contest then. It made sense. One came within inches of his face, and he resisted the urge to flick it away.

  From the center of the room, a column rose, seamlessly forming into a podium. Perhaps it was similar to the technology employed in the training arenas on Sandaria. That required a tremendous amount of energy, and wasn't a sustainable substance. When the power died, so did the elements created. So many things to explore.

  The man stepped up to the podium, flanked by the women. They were a good foot taller than him, and at least twenty years his junior. "Welcome one and all! I want to thank you for coming here today. My name is Suede Harrington, which I'm sure our local participants already know." He preened and, judging by the doe-eyed women in the crowd, he had good reason to.

  “We are very excited about the new contest! Take a moment to wave to the media’s vidbots.” Suede raised his arms and the devices whirled around the room. “This season is going to be extraordinary, and filled with surprising and exciting challenges. So, without further delay, let's get our contestants paired!"

  “Attention!” The blonde to his right clapped her hands. “Handlers, please go and stand with your contestant on the left side of the room. All others who have yet to be assigned a handler, please gather on the right.”

  The room soon divided into two groups, with Candi standing next to him.

  The dark-skinned woman was literally bouncing up and down on the other side. Her energy was clearly infectious, as the people next to her were also highly animated. Their exuberance was disconcerting, for he rarely found himself among such a group.

  Harrington then proceeded to have the blondes distribute small coins to each of the contestants. Those with handlers had blue and those without, red. His had the image of a six-legged animal with a barbed tail.

  “Does everyone have their coins?” Harrington asked.

  “Don’t you know it!” The sapphire-skinned woman’s voice reverberated through the room. Unlike Candi, hers was low and smoky-sounding.

  “All right then. Find your matches!”

  “Come on,” Candi said walking to the center.

  Armond held his coin face out, and felt like a fool.

  They’d barely begun the process when a sound to their left had all heads turning.

  The gods were surely laughing at him. The sapphire woman held up the matching red coin, her face alight with a beaming smile. “I noticed you when you came in. You’re very tall aren’t you? Are you from here? Fan of the contest?”

  “Hello, darling.” Candi pushed her way between them. “I’ll be your handler. I take it you’re a fan of the show?”

  “Oh yes. I never miss an episode. I can’t believe I was selected. I was just between jobs and kind of drifting, you know, and figured what the heck, right? So I applied, and I can tell you, when I got the notice, I was stunned into silence.”

  Now that was something he’d like to see. At least he knew this wasn’t the woman referenced by Marco and Zara. There was no compatibility here.

  “What’s your name, sweetheart?” Candi asked.

  “I’m Vin Karatinatoochi.” She bounced on her heels.

  “That’s a mouthful,” Candi said.

  “We’ll stick with Vin. And who’s my new partner?” Her eyes were so brown they were nearly black, and they were alive with vitality.

  “This is Armond. He’s from another galaxy, and thrilled to be here.” Candi raised one eyebrow at him.

  The three stood there for a long moment. Neither of them had asked a direct question, so he remained silent.

  The vidbots swarmed around them.

  “Well,” Vin said, grasping her hands together. “Nice to meet you.”

  “Has everyone found their partners?” Harrington called out.

  Shouts went up around the room, including from Vin. She was, in fact, the loudest.

  Vin had a number of excess pounds on her, and he wondered how that would affect their ability to compete. Of course, there was no indication that the competition had any physical component to it. But s
he may be a handicap, and her level of intelligence was unknown. He’d have to watch her closely, and compensate for any deficiencies.

  “Are we going to be informed of the parameters of the competition any time soon?”

  “All in good time,” Candi said. “First, we must attend the opening gala so the press can meet everyone.”

  Vin clapped her hands in small precise movements. “I’ve watched every one. It’s Chef Paul, He works magic with the dishes.”

  Armond had no response to that.

  Vin crossed her arms and tilted her head. “You’re an odd one, aren’t you?”

  He certainly wasn’t the odd one in this gathering. “Can you at least inform me of the duration of the contest?”

  Candi started to respond, but Vin beat her to it. “You never know. It all depends on how long it takes everyone to complete their tasks. Or fail them. But even then, there can be upsets when the judges get through with the scoring.”

  Nowhere in that response was there a timeframe. He tried to keep his tone of voice level. “Can you give me minimum and maximum estimates?”

  “A few years ago, they finished in twelve days,” Vin said.

  Armond wondered how many hours were in a standard day in this region.

  “Yes,” Candi jumped in. “But that was highly unusual.”

  “True,” Vin said. “Three seasons ago, the contest lasted nearly five months.”

  He couldn’t imagine spending five months with anyone, this woman in particular.

  “All right then,” Harrington called out. “Everyone, please go with your handler, and we’ll see you tonight. I expect you all to be bright and shiny!”

  Shouts of Bright and Shiny erupted from the crowd.

  “Come along,” Candi said. “We don’t want to be stuck with the leftovers for gala attire. And you two are going to be difficult to dress, what with your height and your…size.” She said the last to Vin directly.

  Vin’s smile appeared genuine, even though it was a slight at her size. Her white teeth were a stark contrast to her deep blue skin. “I’m sure I’ll manage. Not so sure about Armond here.”

  “Indeed,” Candi said. “Custom tailoring for you.”

  Vin made a deep sound of agreement. “Can I shop while he gets measured? I already know which stores I want to hit. I’ve drooled over their clothes for years.”

  “That would be acceptable. We need to retrieve your contestant packets first. They will have your credit discs.”

  Vin made another stereophonic sound. “I forgot about that. Let’s go find out how much we have. I swear, I’ll spend my own credits if it has a zero balance.”

  Candi frowned at Vin. “You know that’s against the rules.”

  “Are you going to tell me that Sharla from last season was able to get that snazzy red number with only five credits? Everyone knows she found a way to pay for that herself.”

  Candi laughed. “In my official capacity as a handler, I have nothing to say regarding how Sharla may or may not have procured said garment.”

  “Ha! I knew it.” Vin virtually skipped along beside them as they wove their way through the crowd and out the door. For a large woman, she was surprisingly spry on her feet.

  Two hours later, Armond stood in front of a mirror, appalled. He was used to wearing the Earth Protector attire of black jeans and button up shirt. Black was a good color. It was acceptable for every occasion. He only owned a handful of items that were not black, and the purple and green monstrosity they had him in now was ludicrous. And stripes, no less. The only upside was that the other contestants’ attire was equally preposterous, the men in particular. One wore a suit of green with multi-colored ornaments woven into the fabric.

  The atmosphere in the store was becoming party-like as they approached the time for the event, and parties were not his forte. All he wanted to do was get this over with. If he ever made it back home, he would never speak of this to anyone.

  Candi finally returned, with Vin in tow. Once again, the handler was dressed in fuchsia, with a neckline that nearly reached her navel.

  Vin wore a cerulean blue dress that sparkled when she moved. It hugged her ample curves, and was seductively appealing. Her shoes were strappy numbers, and he had no idea how she managed to walk in those heels. Apparently some things were universal.

  “Wow,” Vin said, taking in his appearance. “You’re very…colorful.” Her eyes danced with humor.

  After a pregnant pause, Vin spun. “What do you think?”

  “You look…acceptable.” Armond didn’t do compliments.

  Vin ignored his response and twirled again, watching herself in the floor-length mirror. There was no mistaking the woman’s confidence.

  “All right, my darlings,” Candi said. “We have your interview sessions starting in twenty minutes. Dinner isn’t until eight. Anyone need something to hold them over?”

  “Anything in the offing from Chef Paul?”

  “Why, of course there is.” Candi eyed Vin from top to bottom. “Come with me. You won’t be disappointed. Just remember to save room for later.” She led them to a large room with bar-height tables scattered throughout. Along the back wall was a buffet that ran for thirty feet.

  “Oh my nebula, would you look at that?” Vin made her way to the head of the table. “So much food, so little time!”

  She had two plates laden with succulent meats and seafood within minutes.

  Candi watched her returning to the table. “Do you think she’ll be able to eat all that?”

  He thought it doubtful but, true to her word, she sampled everything. That explained her curves.

  Unsure of the compatibility of the food with his physiology, he selected one small processed item that looked like bread, and another small berry. Best to start slow.

  “You’ll like those,” Candi pointed to the dark fruit on his plate. “They’re pixberries. Delicious.”

  She assured him everything was safe, but for all he knew, the contest had already begun and poisoning was an option.

  He placed the berry in his mouth. She wasn’t wrong. It was sweet and succulent, with a tinge of sour in the aftertaste.

  “Oh my,” Vin said a few minutes later. “I think I’ve died and carried over. There isn’t a single thing here that I didn’t like.” She’d eaten a rather extraordinary amount of food. Probably more than he’d be able to consume in one sitting. It reminded him of the Earth tradition of overeating on a holiday known as Thanksgiving, although she showed none of the usual signs of discomfort. If anything, she was even more energized than before. Perhaps she had a high-functioning metabolism.

  There was a stark intelligence in her gaze. One that could be easily overlooked and underestimated, but perhaps that was by design.

  Time would tell and he’d be watching.

  Chapter 2

  Three hours later Armond stood around a small cocktail table next to Vin and Candi. It had been an endless stream of media-hyped nonsense.

  Vin talked a great deal, but when she asked questions, they were very well thought out from the perspective of gathering intelligence, drawn out in such a way that it wasn’t obvious. During the evening, she’d shifted her approach and communication style according to whom she was talking.

  It suggested that her carefree appearance belied a keen intellect. He hoped so.

  They’d made their way around the room and chatted with every other team. He’d been taking copious mental notes on each, trying to find any strengths or weaknesses that might be useful.

  “So then, I was thinking this must be a joke, you know? Like someone had a vid feed on me and was waiting to jump out and laugh. But it didn’t happen, and then I got the official confirmation for contest entry and I nearly passed out.” Vin was speaking to the cat woman, Sarr’ma.

  “I’m Tripp Gallifer.” Her partner turned his attention to Armond.

  “Armond Nolde.”

  “You in this willingly?” The burly man had a weather-worn face and br
own eyes.

  “Willing is a subjective term here.”

  He let out a guffaw and nodded agreement. “You got that right, partner. Looks like you have a chatty one on your hands.”

  Vin hadn’t let up, but Sarr’ma didn’t appear to mind.

  “So, what do you figure we’re going to have to do?”

  “I have no idea.” A subtle probing told Armond that Tripp had no psi. “Are you from this galaxy?”

  “No, sir. We got ourselves intercepted during a portal. It was one hell of a long trip, I can tell you that. Thought we were dead.”

  “I experienced similar phenomena. The potential distance that could be traveled with a port of that duration is most impressive.”

  “Ya got that right. Scared me half to death.”

  Armond nodded as the bell rang, signaling it was time to move to the next contestants.

  They made it through the rest of the evening without incident. Vin ate and talked, continuing with questions that turned up a great deal of information.

  The event finished up with a dessert bar featuring dozens of delicacies, many of which he’d never seen the likes of. Particularly intriguing were the small figurines that radiated light and appeared to be alive. Unable to stem his curiosity, he selected one from the passing server and placed it on his palm.

  Vin did the same, selecting three different varieties.

  He held the tripodal creature up to the light.

  “Aren’t they amazing? And delicious too.” Vin popped one into her mouth. It was a provocative move, and left a trace of glowing powder on her plump lips.

  He analyzed the thing with his psi, and found no living matter. “How is it able to move?”

  “You could ask Chef Paul, but he won’t tell you his secrets. It’s one of his hallmark items. He once made a twenty-eight-foot serpentine creature that slithered all along the banquet table. Even after everyone dug in, all the little segments kept moving till the very end.”