Page 59

Research and development on the mother ship of the Nine was a wonderland of half-finished inventions that left Ula’s mouth watering. She wanted to dive in and finish everything.

“Master Engineer Darthuun, this is Ularica Forniel, Master Designer of Gaia.”

Deniir smiled as he made the introductions.

Ula winced. “We don’t actually use titles like that.”

Darthuun looked at her with a calculating smile, his golden eyes were measuring her. “Are you the one who repurposed the torture straps?”

“I am.”

“Then, you are a Master Designer and that is how you will be addressed during your stay on the mother ship. Has Deniir taken you and shown you your quarters?”

“He has. They are very suitable. I only need a place to sleep after a day’s hard work. With no sun to tell me what time it is, I am depending on you and Deniir to tell me when to stop and sleep. Is that acceptable?”

Deniir nodded. “I will maintain a schedule for you.”

Darthuun looked between them. “Deniir, take her on a tour and find out where she would like to start while she is here.”

Deniir winked. “Yes, Father.”

He jerked his head and she pattered after him, ready for her tour of the wonderful works that were coming together on all the workstations.

“You have no interest in weaponry, do you?”

She shook her head. “That is not an area I have any interest in.”

“Right. We will show you the healing units and move on from there then.”

She grinned and rubbed her hands together. It was time to play on a scale she had never imagined.

The man working with the healing units smiled. “Welcome, Master Designer. I am Engineer Trull.”

She kept her hands at her sides and inclined her head. “Pleased to meet you, Trull. What are you working on?”

“A portable tissue regenerator that can tell the difference between muscle and veins. So far, I am not having a lot of success.”

“May I have a look?”

Ula was fighting the urge to go up on her toes to look over the man’s shoulder. Trull had all the charm of a block of granite, so Ula was guessing that stone had something to do with his people.

Deniir cleared his throat. “We will complete our tour first, and then, you are welcome to choose any project you wish to work on and whatever you need will be brought to your workstation.”

She perked up, “I have a workstation?”

“As you mentioned, it is not really common for the sexes to mix within the ship. We have prepared a station where you can communicate with the engineers and still remain free of any . . . interference.”

He twisted his lips.

Engineer Trull nodded. “Sound thinking, Master Deniir.”

Deniir continued on their tour. They saw propulsion units, survival kits, emergency limb replacement as well as food-service equipment and prep units. There was literally something for every mood, and Ula couldn’t wait to get started.

Her stomach growled and Deniir grinned. “Thank goodness. I was beginning to suspect that you didn’t eat. You seem indefatigable.”

She snorted. “No, just very excited at the prospect of working on something without having to scrounge for parts. Where can we eat?”

“My father is making dinner for you. He wishes to speak with you at his leisure, and since you are staying with us, it will make for an entertaining evening.”

Ula sighed and curled her itching fingers into fists. “Wonderful. Can I get a notepad and a pen or something to start making notes?”

“Of course. Would you like to change for dinner?”

They were walking out of the research and development centre and back in the wide hallway.

She blushed. “Um, all my clothing is like this. I don’t live in a place where dressing for dinner is required.”

He blinked and inclined his head. “Of course. We will make a quick stop before going home then.”

“Why?”

“So we can obtain a gown for you.”

“I don’t have any currency.”

His lips twitched. “Actually, you do. We opened an account for you for the reworking of the torture harness. The modifications you made are going into some of those portable splints that we viewed earlier. They are all based on your designs, and there are already orders for the splints and braces on all of our Nine resident worlds.”

“So, I have an account?”

“You have a patent that is worth quite a lot. The pre-orders are being divided between you and the current team off shooting your work. You each get five percent of the pre-orders. It is more than enough for some new clothing, but as it is our silly tradition that requires it, my father and I will pay for your formal clothing. You are welcome to pay for as much casual clothing as you like.”

Ula was stunned. Back on Gaia, she had been paid with nothing more than the satisfaction she had been helping people. Here, she had earned money just for helping a friend in need, years earlier. The mother ship was truly a different place.

The dress shop was peculiar. She stood on a platform and a beam of light took her measurements. After that, racks of clothing in her size eased out and she noted that they all had a similar vein of style. The backs were all designed for wings.

A shadow eased forward. “Greetings, lady.”

“Um, hello.”

“I am sensing that the formal gowns of the People of the Light are not to your liking.”

“Well, I don’t have wings, so . . .”

“I can seal the backs easily. Will that help?”

The shadow dipped and was obviously bowing.

“It will be helpful, thank you. I will take this one and this one.”

She pointed to one in white and one emerald green. Both colours looked amazing with her hair and were not too heavily jewelled.

“I will make the alterations and be back in a moment.”

She smiled and inclined her head. “I was wondering if you had anything more practical?”

“Like what you are wearing?”

“Yeah, a bodysuit where nothing will get in the way.”

The shadow turned to the back with the gowns and returned with a glittering deep amethyst bodysuit, complete with a hard sole for the foot. “How is this?”

“A little girly, but I will take it.”

“Wonderful, lady. I will package it with the others.”

Deniir came over and asked her, “Have you made your choices?”

“I have. The proprietor is making some slight alterations. I am not a huge fan of having my back exposed when there is no reason for it.”

Deniir blushed. “No, I suppose not.”

The shadow appeared with a parcel held forward. “Here you are, lady. Thank you for your business.”

Deniir moved forward and extended a small object to the shadow. A slight click and the shadow retracted.

“Have a good evening.”

He disappeared into the back of the shop, and the clothing in Ula’s size followed him.

Ula blinked and looked down at the parcel. “Oh, I owe you for a bodysuit.”

“I am sure you will have plenty of opportunity to pay me back. I will get you a credit chip tomorrow so you can access your accounts.”

“Is that what you just paid with?”

He nodded. “We don’t use hard currency unless we are on the surface of our own worlds. Here on the ship, we use electronic funds.”

It made sense, but it was beyond what she was used to on Gaia.

They returned to the VIP area and Deniir’s quarters.

The scent of cooking food made Ula’s mouth water. Darthuun was in the kitchen with an apron tied around his waist and his wings tightly folded to his back.

“Good evening, Master Designer.”

“Please, call me Ula, Master Engineer.”

“Ula, call me Darthuun. Feel free to refresh yourself before dinner.”

Ula looked at Deniir and gave him a knowing look. “I suspected you would say something like that. I will be out in a moment.”

She took her bundle to her assigned room and headed for the en suite lav.

A quick light shower and some hair brushing later, she was ready to try on one of the dresses.

The white dress was her choice for the evening, but it didn’t go with her hair being down. Sighing, she twisted her hair up into two buns, one on either side of her head. It exposed her neck and gave her better presentation.

With the dress hiding her bare feet, she tiptoed out into the common area where she was treated to the sight of two men in the kitchen and a platter of small bite-sized items on the table in the conversation area.

“Is there anything that I can do?”

She offered it even though she had no clue what was going on in that kitchen. Utensils that she had never seen before were being flipped around casually.

The two men turned and looked at her before Darthuun quickly turned back to the meal. “No, Ula. Please have a seat and a snack. Deniir will bring you something to drink. Dinner will be ready in twenty minutes.”

She went to the comfortable seating area, and she took a position that would allow her to watch the goings on in the kitchen. Two men with wings were making her dinner and one of them was pouring her a drink. She was going to wake up anytime now. What a pity.