Page 20 of Cozy Prisons (Human Pets of Talin: Origins #4)

Nataly

Combing her hair out after using the cleansing unit, Nataly stared at the information square she’d propped up on a pillow.

It was slowly scrolling through her domicile's schematics. She’d decided to try a new program, but that would require adding some data and power conduits.

It’d be a big project, but she had the time.

She had all the time.

Not only could she not go outside, but even stepping close to the open door was triggering her anxiety. If she was going to be stuck inside, she might as well do something useful. Her experiments might end up being helpful for the construction of future domiciles.

Even more important, they’d keep her busy.

Finished with styling her hair, she tossed the comb aside and decided to start this newest project the same way she started every project, with a big mug of strong tea! It might be late afternoon, but unlike what most others thought, tea wasn’t only for the morning.

Humming, she picked up the information square and headed to the food preparation area.

She hadn’t eaten much for the last few days, so the food being sent from the communal meals was piling up in her storage cabinets.

At first, she was able to simply open her front door and toss it around the ground at night, knowing that the wildlife would find it tasty.

That wasn’t an option any longer, now that she couldn't even open her front door.

“I’m pathetic,” she grumbled. She really didn’t want to think about it, but maybe she should think about talking to someone. Not Falkilm. He was like Daxus, unable to listen to her.

No, she’d talk to another human. Probably Sima or Dalia. They wouldn’t judge her or force her to do anything she wasn’t ready for.

God, she wished she could talk to Daxus. She missed him. It hadn’t taken long for him to become an important part of her day.

“Why did you have to be so dumb?” she grumbled. “We could be spending time together right now if you hadn’t acted like an idiot!”

A chime at her door display interrupted her conversation with herself.

Leaving her tea still brewing, she crossed the room as far as she was able before the anxiety stopped her steps. From her workbench, she ordered the door open.

The late afternoon sun shone so bright around the figure standing there that Nataly was blinded for a moment.

Her eyes adjusted to the point she could see Ula standing in her doorway, dancing with excitement.

“Are you busy?” the young girl asked. “We have a big surprise for you! If you’re busy, I guess we can do it later, but it took a lot of effort and practice, and I’d be a little sad if you couldn’t watch it now.”

Ula’s enthusiasm made Nataly laugh. “Of course I want to see it! Is it a new trick with Iffy? Bring the bot in, I can’t wait!”

“No, it’s not about Iffy,” Ula said, shaking her head and sending in her long, single braid whipping around her shoulders. “You gotta come outside.”

Ula rushed into the room and grabbed Nataly’s hand before she could get a good panic going. She dragged Nataly to the door with surprising strength.

“Daxus said it was important that you not have to go outside,” she said. “But you have to stand in the doorway or you won’t see it all.”

“Daxus?” Nataly asked, her voice alarmingly high and squeaky.

Ula stopped short. “Oh no, I wasn’t supposed to say anything yet. Please look surprised when you see him, so no one knows I messed up!”

“That won’t be hard,” she murmured as the little girl finished pulling her to the door. The anxiety was there, but with Ula at her side, it was low and not debilitating yet.

It mostly faded away as she looked out her front door to see Riff standing in the area in front of her house wearing the same kind of baggy pants and shirt Nataly preferred. Riff was facing Decard, who was wearing a healer’s green tunic.

After taking in Riff and Decard, she noticed that they’d drawn a rectangle in the dirt taking up most of the area in front of her domicile.

Loud, dramatic, and not perfectly coordinated music started up, making Nataly lean out her door so she could see the band gathered near the edge of the rectangle.

Before she could ask what was going on, Riff faced Decard and started singing.

“ Falkilm, you must leave me alone! ” Riff sang. “ I’m perfectly healthy, I didn’t even moan!”

She had a beautiful voice, and Nataly was caught by the sound before she understood the lyrics. It also wasn’t a surprise that her friends had decided to put together a musical to cheer her up.

“Human Nataly, do not cry ,” Decard-Falkilm sang, behind him, while Cassius used a strange instrument she’d never seen before to make a purring sound. It was surprisingly realistic. “I only intend to help you and make sure you don’t die.”

Nataly stifled a giggle at the poor rhymes and overacting.

Riff-Nataly stepped back with a dramatic flair. “No, keep your claws off meeeee!”

As Decard-Falkilm moved closer, Cassius stayed close behind and kept the purring going. “Now stay still as a good human should. This is for your own good.”

The style of music and the way they were singing made Nataly think of the dramatic musicals of Old Earth.

Decard-Falkilm stood tall, raised a hand, and repeated the last line, but in a deeper key. “This is for your own good.”

“I don’t want to go with you and talk about my emotions!” Riff-Nataly sang.

Sima, Illea, and Kamie, wearing matching light blue wrap garments, all rushed up to stand behind Riff-Nataly and Decard-Falkilm.

Standing in a row and moving their arms in rhythm with the music, they all sang together. “No one likes talking about their emotions! Especially Nataly. Especially Nataly. Especially Natalyyyyy!”

“Hey!” Nataly exclaimed with a laugh. “No one but Sima likes to talk about that stuff!”

It was almost as if they’d expected her outburst because Sima, Illea, and Kamie all waved a finger at her as they sang the line again. “Especially Nataly!”

The band increased the beat, and the three did a little shuffle step back and forth. Sima was the least coordinated of the three, so she was a little off and bumped Illea. It didn’t stop anyone.

The three-person chorus continued. “She’s there for us. Helps without a fuss. We love Natalllly!”

Everyone, including the band and the people standing outside the “stage,” all sang together, “ We love Natally ,” making her jump a little.

Ula gave a little cheer, then turned to face Nataly. “My part is coming, so I have to go. You’ll stay here, right?”

Nataly nodded, and Ula rushed off and disappeared behind the band. The band never stopped playing as Ula emerged from the other side holding a big circle painted to look like a giant orb.

Moving the circle up and down as if the orb was floating, Ula skipped to Riff-Nataly. “I’ve arrived!” she sang. “Press my button to go live!”

Everyone cheered as Ula danced the orb around Riff-Nataly. It was so darn adorable that both Decard and Riff had to struggle to stay in character.

After the third time she circled Riff-Nataly, Decard snorted. “Ula, you’ve got to stop so Riff can try to press you.”

“Oh, right!” Ula said, and rushed to kneel in front of Riff-Nataly, holding the orb over her head.

Riff-Nataly made a big show of reaching her hand out to the orb. She paused her palm over one of the lopsided, pained buttons and sang. “This all ends! Don’t forget, I have many friends!”

She was still singing the last word when Daxus burst out from behind a digger and lunged into the scene.

“You don’t need the orb, I’m here to intercede!” His words weren’t sung, it was more like he was chanting. “I will see Nataly freed!”

He picked Ula up and carried the giggling girl to the edge of the stage. The moment Daxus appeared, Cassius stopped playing the purring instrument and rushed off the stage behind Daxus and Ula.

After setting Ula down near the band, he moved to stand between Decard-Falkilm and Riff-Nataly.

“You betrayed me once,” Riff-Nataly sang, her voice high and angry. Nataly was impressed with Riff’s range. She was throwing everything into this! “My trust is broken, I’m not a dunce.”

Daxus moved his gaze from Riff to meet Nataly’s eyes. “I was wrong.”

After he chanted those words, everyone sang together. “He was wrooooooong!”

The chorus did their little shuffle step again as they sang. “Bad Daxus! You disappointed us!”

Daxus put one hand to his heart and chanted, never breaking eye contact with her. “I acted bad. I made you mad. Now I'm sad.”

“Daxus is bad and sad!” the chorus sang.

“Why are you acting this way?” Decard-Falkilm sang, pretending to shove Daxus. “With me, Nataly needs to stay.”

Daxus stumbled back, as if Decard-Falkilm’s push had been strong. Then he picked Decard-Falkilm up and carried him to the edge of the stage.

“I act in a way that would make our ancestors proud!” he declared with a loud rattle that made a couple of people jump with surprise. Decard-Falkim flailed his arms around, as if trying to fight Daxus’s hold. “I won’t be cowed.”

After Daxus set him down, Decard-Falkilm waved his arms high in the air and sang in a low register. “You’re creating a crisis. I’ll report this!”

“Do as you see fit, I will not quit,” Daxus chanted and returned to the spot he’d been before. He ignored Riff-Nataly and focused again on her standing in the open doorway.

“I see the truth. I see the right way. If you give me a second chance, I’ll never need a third. I know the path to follow and won’t stray.”

The chorus did their shuffled step and sang, “He won’t fuck up again!”

Nataly couldn’t help the laugh that burst out of her.

The band abruptly stopped playing. In the sudden silence, Daxus took a step forward and sank to his knees. Bowing his head, he sounded a mournful rumble so sad that it made tears gather in her eyes.

“You don’t need to forgive me today, tomorrow, or in a solar,” he said in his regular voice. “I understand that it will take time. I’m ready to wait for as long as it takes.”