Xora 2 - Dangerous Game
by Brandy Dewinter
Chapter 3 - "Belle'd"
I borrowed the thin book from the missing girl's apartment and took
it back with me to the transporter room. The technician beamed me back to
the Wapsi and we got down to the serious business of primping. At least,
it was serious to Titania, and I had come to recognize it was an intrinsic
part of being a beautiful woman. I still wasn't sold on that, but I had
agreed to try - and Titania's standards were uncompromising.
"Okay," she said, "I can handle the bodice, of course, and if you let
me keep the skirt fairly narrow down to about your knees, I think I can
manage the lower part, too."
"Where will you get the volume of material?" I asked.
"Your hair won't be quite as thick tonight, but I doubt anyone will
notice."
I changed the main viewscreen into a mirror and watched my partner
work her magic. Magic it was. The gown was even tighter, at least in
appearance, than the one in the borrowed book. If I had been wearing
real fabric, I'd have been afraid to take a deep breath. And forget *any*
thoughts of, oh, bending over. Of course, with the corset effect that
Titania liked so much, neither action was really an option anyway. It
was a good thing I didn't need to use my lungs to get oxygen.
The skirt was indeed narrow to the knees. I could only take such
short steps that I felt like I was back on Machovia.
"Oh, lighten up," Titania chided me, listening in on my thoughts as
usual.
"But it *is* too tight," I insisted. "I need to be able to walk in
the silly thing."
"And dance, too, I'll bet," Titania said.
"Oh, do you think so?" I asked, then wondered why I was asking *her*
about human customs. Of course, she had learned some things through her
interfaces with Tryx's symbiont.
Titania confirmed my guess. "Well, I can assure you that if Tryx
were getting ready for a formal reception, she'd expect to be dancing
before the night was through."
My symbiont had been completing the changes to what was actually
*her* form, however much mine was constrained by being inside of it. The
long white gloves (however did other women keep them clean?) were mostly
just a pigment change for her. No need even to simulate nails. I thought
we were done, but Titania wasn't ready.
"You need some more accessories," she said.
"Oh, bother," I grumped. "What makes you think so?"
"Well, the picture has some, and Tryx thinks they're very important."
I sighed and tried to decide what to use. Titania had made earrings
to hold spare metals, so I had those. About the only other "accessory"
that I had was my communicator badge. Well, that would do. I fastened it
to the shoulder of my gown, forgetting for a second that it was designed
to cling to standard uniform fabric. Titania faked that, too. But when I
looked in the mirror, even I could see it didn't fit there.
"Stupid fashion rules," I muttered, looking for another place to put
it. In a silent suggestion, Titania made a high collar around my neck and
it was obvious that putting the combadge at my throat would work.
"Thanks, Ti," I said with real gratitude. "I have to admit, I'm glad
you got a briefing from Tryx, however unintentional."
I sensed a agreement from my symbiont and looked around once more for
anything else I should add.
"Just a purse," Titania said.
"A what?"
"A small bag, to be carried in your hand. The woman in the picture
has one. It's called a purse."
"Why would I want to carry a bag around?" I asked. It was only for a
few hours, after all, and I could just beam back to the runabout if I
needed anything.
"For feminine essentials," Titania answered. "A bit of makeup, some
facial tissues, and, um, well, feminine essentials. Tryx always carried
on when she went out to partying."
"Titania, you're even crazier than usual," I snorted. "You ARE my
'makeup', and I couldn't sniffle or cry unless you made it happen. Not
that I intend to anyway. And as for the female things, I caught that
connotation in your thoughts, and I do not and WILL not need that sort of
help."
"Yes, dear," she said patiently. "But *they* don't know about me.
In this technology, that's what women did. You need to fit in."
I sighed and studied the picture of the entertainment star. At least
it wasn't a very big bag. A few minutes programming the replicator with
the unusual request, and I had a "purse" complete with "feminine
essentials." How wonderful for me.
We were still ready well before the appointed time so I tried to get
a computer download on social activities on Teton. Unfortunately, the
backwards planet didn't have that capability. They really were pretty
fanatic about not using current technology unless they absolutely had
to. So I called up a file on 20th century Earth society, hoping it would
apply well enough to help. Long before I worked my way through all the
information, the com channel chirped.
"Teton Central Control to Federation vessel Waspi, um, Wapinsi,
uh . . ." The man's voice ran down in confusion.
"Wapsi will do," I offered. "Go ahead."
"Kommissar Sstton has arrived at the reception hall and invites you
to beam down at your convenience," he announced gratefully.
"Thank you," I said, standing up. "I'm ready whenever you are."
When the shimmer cleared, I saw that I had been beamed directly to
the reception hall. Standing in front of me was another very tall man,
though he was painfully thin, and Inspector Darius. I thought I might
weigh as much as the man I hadn't met, though I figured Darius would
make about three of me. It made the man I assumed was the Kommissar
look positively emaciated.
Darius spoke first, confirming my supposition, "Kommissar Sstton,
may I present Federation Field Agent Lieutenant Commander Xora."
I winced at the long, cumbersome title as Darius completed the mirror
introduction of Sstton to me, as though I hadn't heard what he said to
Sstton.
"Is something wrong?" Sstton asked immediately.
"It's just that long title is so . . ." I said
"Formal?" Sstton offered.
"Yes," I agreed. "I'd much prefer just to be Xora tonight."
"Very well, that is how it shall be," Sstton pronounced. "I must
say, your description doesn't do you justice. A simple word like 'green'
doesn't begin to explain your emerald eyes."
"Listen to him," Titania chortled. "This one is a smoothy."
*Too smooth, if you ask me,* I thought.
Sstton followed his pretty compliment with an apology. "If you'll
forgive me, Xora, as tonight's host, I have to wait for a few more guests
to arrive. The Planetary Council has granted us the privilege of
transporting a few special guests, since we were going to transport you
anyway. Inspector Darius has consented to be your escort until I can get
free myself."
I nodded and looked over at the quiet giant I had met that afternoon.
He was frowning. Again. And somehow I knew it was because of something
that I had done. Then Darius stuck his elbow out at me, and I almost
reacted defensively before I remembered seeing that in one of the files I
had quickly scanned. He was offering me a handhold in case I needed a
little help with my stability. Well, screw him and the horse he road in
on.
"That's a good one," Titania laughed in my ear. "And I thought you
didn't like him."
Before I could respond, she continued, "But you still need to fit
in. Take his arm, dear. He thinks he's being polite."
I reached out and lightly touched my fingers to the inside of his
arm, which might as well have been the granite suggested by the sharp
planes of his face, and he moved slowly out toward the main part of
the room.
When we were out of the Kommissar's hearing, I said, "You're
frowning again."
That made his glower deepen, but he didn't say anything.
"I can't fix it if you won't tell me what's wrong," I observed;
quietly, but with a building asperity as well.
"Do you always have to wave your Federation technology in our faces?"
he asked abruptly.
"What technology?" I asked in turn, confused.
"That communicator badge could hardly be more prominently displayed,"
he said.
"Oh," I said. He was right, for once. I needed an excuse so I said,
"Federation regulations require it any time I'm away from my vessel on a
solo mission."
I didn't know if that was even true, actually, but he nodded, showing
he was all to familiar with the demands of duty.
"Couldn't you have put it in your purse, or something?" he suggested,
still not happy.
"This little thing?" I said, waving the useless bag. "There's
hardly room for the things that *can't* go anywhere else. And this gown
doesn't have any pockets."
"You can say that again," he observed, but there was a grudging note
of respect in his voice.
Titania interjected her inner comment, "There, he's doing it, too!
Are humans that hard of hearing?"
*Shhh,* I hissed. Silently.
My escort stayed silent, too. Great conversationalist. Eventually
we wandered by some refreshments and he found something else to say.
"May I get you something to eat, or drink?" he asked.
"No, thank you. I'm fine," I replied. That about covered that
topic, and we wandered silently some more.
A small orchestra started playing, and the guests sort of drifted
away from the center of what was clearly a dance floor. Darius sighed
as the group started playing something with a clear enough pattern to
support dancing.
"What's the matter now?" I asked.
"Oh, noth . . ," he started, then interrupted himself when he
saw what I knew was a frown on my face.
He smiled without humor and said, "I'm sorry. I think I owe you
at least honesty. It's just that I truly love to dance, and I didn't
think you'd want to."
"You're a dancer?" Now *that* was a surprise. The big, taciturn
man would seem as out of place on a dance floor as a hippopotamus.
"At times," he said, with a sneaky little grin showing more in
his eyes than on his lips.
"Go for it!" Titania demanded.
"Well, I'm not sure I know your dance steps, but if you'll tell
me what to do, I'm game to try," I said softly. Actually, that was
true. Anything would be better than this silence.
For the first time I saw a real smile on his face as Darius
let me to the cleared space. All of the sudden the big, stone-headed
giant was like a, well, a real human being!
"Just follow my lead," he instructed. That was a lot of help. Not!
Then actually it turned out to be quite sufficient. Though by no
means "light" on his feet, he moved with controlled precision, guiding me
with gentle pressures and I soon caught the rhythm of the music. In
moments we were swirling around the floor like polished experts. Of
course, the expertise was all on his part. When it came time to turn,
he turned, and I just kept up.
It was fun. I was surprised, but it was. There was an inherent
artistry to the music, coupled with grace in our motions, that I had
never experienced in my old life. Even the silly gown added to the
feeling, the silken material accenting our motion with flips and swirls
of its own. It was even nice to be dancing the feminine part. I could
just relax and let him decide what to do, focusing on my own grace instead
of on avoiding the other dancers.
"Now I know why Tryx likes dancing so much," Titania whispered to me.
I nodded, mentally, as I concentrated on responding to Darius.
He had been looking anywhere but at me and I put it down to some
aspect of guiding our dance, but after we had settled in a bit I felt
him look down. I looked up - a long way up - to see his eyes studying
me from an, um, interestingly close range. His own eyes were a rich, dark
brown that seemed infinitely deep. Wise eyes, somehow, or at least with
experiences I didn't feel I had.
I pulled back a bit, trying to keep my perspective. After all, this
was just a colonial inspector, and not a very friendly one at that. He
noticed my unease and said, "I suppose I deserved that."
It would have been specious to deny my attitude, so I said nothing.
"I owe you an apology," Darius continued. "I did indeed have a chip
on my shoulder, as the old saying goes, and I took out my irritation on
you. You've done nothing to deserve it."
"That's all right," I said, realizing as I said it that I meant it.
"I truly do understand the irritation you must feel at having some
outsider with a big reputation intrude into your business."
"A well-deserved reputation, it would seem," Darius said. Before I
could ask what he meant, he continued, "The bit of mud you found did
indeed contain traces of sulfur, and of methane, and other hydrocarbons."
Before I could find out if he thought that was significant, the music
ended and we joined in the polite applause for the orchestra. Most of it
died out quickly, but one pair of hands continued and approached. It was
the Kommissar, apparently through with his obligations to greet arriving
guests.
"You dance very well," he said as he approached.
"Thank you, Kommissar, but I think it was all Darius. He's a very
good teacher."
"Yes, well, he's good at many things," Sstton said dismissively.
"Perhaps you will grant me the honor of the next dance."
I nodded and Darius stepped back. The orchestra started up again as
though they had been waiting for the movement, and I found myself being
guided by the skeletally thin man through a more sedate dance than I had
shared with Darius.
"What were you and Darius talking about as I walked up?" he asked.
"Oh, just a bit of mud we found at the apartment of one of the
missing girls. I'm not sure if it has any significance."
"Mud?" Sstton asked.
"Yes," I confirmed. "I noticed it had traces of various chemicals.
Perhaps it will help find the abductors."
"Just in this afternoon and already you solve our case," he said with
a smile. It was funny, but where Darius's smile was mostly in his eyes,
Sstton's smile didn't seem to touch his eyes at all, just his thin lips.
"Hardly," I disagreed. "The compounds were all reasonably common;
sulfur, a bit of methane, some other things. All naturally occurring,
I expect, so there's still a whole planet to search."
"Indeed," he said. I noticed him catch the eye of a servant near
the edge of the hall, and then he turned back to me.
"So, tell me about winning that race on Machovia against the famous
Palomino," he said.
"Oh, that," I said with a grimace. "Well, it wasn't my idea even to
be in the race. She was actually faster than me, but I was able to
sustain my pace for just a bit longer and pass her at the end."
"So, you have great endurance?" he observed.
"Perhaps. Certainly, it is more my strength than flat out speed or
brute force."
"Very interesting," Sstton mused, a glint of real interest in his
dark eyes.
The music ended and we stepped apart.
"That was not nearly as much fun as dancing with Darius," Titania
said.
"You can say that again," I replied, then before she could comment
I continued. "Forget it. I'll explain later."
Sstton was poking his own elbow out at me and I took his arm.
Something about the change in our relative positions, perhaps the fact
that I was beside him, brought just a whiff of a strangely familiar
smell. Sstoon was wearing some musky cologne, which must have been
masking it when we were face to face. He led me toward a doorway on
the fringe of the ballroom while I was trying to place the smell.
Titania got it first, not surprisingly. "That's the smell from
the mud! Almost the same proportions, too."
I looked around frantically for Darius wanting to let him know of
our discovery. He was there, near another side of the room. When I saw
him looking our way, I tried to roll my eyes toward Sstton, with a
pleading look on my face. He saw it. I know he saw it. For a second
his eyes narrowed, then he got a smug expression that I'd have loved
to slap off his face.
*Stupid rockhead!* I screamed internally. *Arrogant, self-important
idiot thinks I'm asking him to dance again. Or maybe he just thinks his
charm has overwhelmed me.*
"Well, he was quite nice to dance with," Titania observed.
*Oh, shut up. He's an idiot. Here we are with a really major clue,
and he's too full of himself to give me a chance to explain.*
"I'm sure he'll understand, when we tell him. And after all, it's
not like a man as important as the Kommissar can just disappear. Whenever
we tell Darius will be soon enough," promised Titania.
Of all the mistakes she'd made, that one was probably the worst.
Sstton interrupted my thoughts with a comment as we reached the
doorway. "Perhaps you would like some fresh air."
"Uh, sure, whatever," I said, still distracted with my thoughts on
the stupid, blind investigator.
He led me out onto a quiet balcony overlooking a dark garden. Teton
had several moons, all of which had a bluish tint as they reflected the
planet's primary. Two were above the horizon, giving enough light to see
people moving along the shadowed paths. Grateful for the excuse, I
stepped away from the suspect Kommissar and looked up at the sky.
"I am so happy that you've come to our planet," Sstton said.
I just nodded. Right then *I* wasn't happy I'd come.
"And I must say, the reputation of you Federation field agents is
no more than the truth. Who would have expected that you'd solve our
most baffling case in a single afternoon?"
I shook my head, turning to look back at him. "I told you, I didn't
really solve anything. I just found a bit of mud."
"Ah, but that's the thing, don't you see? When they analyze that
mud, they're going to find that it comes from a certain swamp where I am
prospecting for petroleum."
As he said that, he pulled out a Romulan disruptor. Before I could
move, it buzzed as a beam shot out at me.
"I can damp this," Titania promised, even as the ray enveloped me.
*Good,* I said, collapsing to the floor.
"But you should be okay," Titania said frantically.
*I am,* I assured her. *But we don't want them to know that. What
would the effect have been?"
"Simple stun, about four hours on a normal human," she reported.
I lay as still as I could while I listened to Sstton's steps as they
approached. The first thing I felt was his hand pulling my combadge off
my collar. Then I felt several hands lifting me over the balcony to yet
more hands waiting below.
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