Post by Deleted on Jul 26, 2012 20:24:15 GMT -8
As soon as the Talon arrived at Etimon, Hudson ran. With just a single bag slung over her shoulder, she hopped onto the transporter pad, signaling urgency with her expression and her waving hand toward the operator. Cliff's messages were frequent and unrelenting. Hudson ignored them all. If he had anything to say, he had to have said it when they last faced each other in person. Closing her eyes, she swallowed hard as the tug of the beam took her to her destination.
Dahr's assistant greeted her and led her down the opulent hallway. "We are glad you changed your mind," he said as they walked. After several turns, they arrived at a door. The assistant handed Hudson a small silver device that would trigger it to open. "Make yourself at home. We will call on you soon."
Placing the device on the receiver, Hudson watched as the door slid open to reveal a room that she could scarce imagine. A small gasp of air passed over her lips and she stepped inside, dropping her bag inside the doorway as she went. She touched everything. The fine fabrics, the smooth opalescent curved walls. These were not the quarters of a crewman, nor would the Captain's quarters even come close. She wondered if the ruler of Etimon even had such fine things. "Mine," she whispered in question as she opened the closet to see an assortment of beautiful clothing. For the next hour, she lost herself, playing dress-up in all the finery; it fit her to perfection. Still dressed in a flowing golden, slinky gown that revealed most of her back, she wandered into the kitchen and opened the fridge. There was little food there, but it was well-stocked with a variety of alcoholic beverages. Hudson removed a bottle and carried it over to the couch after retrieving an opener.
As she sat, she looked at the bottle, its surface already covered with dew, and she paused. Why did everything remind her of him? Tracing a finger through the dampness, she remembered all the bottles the two of them had shared, how their bodies would soon after be covered with the same moisture as that which coated her finger now.
Scowling, she opened the bottle with practiced ease. The liquid inside sloshed as she hefted the bottle into the air. "To a better life," she said before bringing it to her lips. Drinking heavily, she tossed aside the memories with every sip.
A chime at the door signaled a visitor, but before she could rise from the couch Dahr entered. Smiling, he held his hands out to her. "You look like the sun," he said as he admired her. "Come with me. There will be time for drink later."
Taking his hand, she allowed him to pull her from the couch. As they walked, he snaked his hand around her waist. "You are going to love Retanya," he said. He turned to her and placed a small silver bracelet onto her wrist. "But you must never go out without this on. It..." He paused, then shrugged. "It will make you less beautiful than the Hezak." Hudson frowned as she examined the jewelry. "It inhibits multiple auras," he instructed.
"But I thought-" She took a step back.
Dahr stroked her arm. "Yes yes... but you will want to. Trust me." He sighed at the alarm on her face. "We will start as promised. Just photos...perhaps a video or two. But just you wait and see. You will want to." Before she could protest further, she found herself in a room, surrounded by makeup artists and hair stylists.
"Spots?" One of them looked to Dahr for instruction.
"No," he said. "This client is excited to see a human." He leaned in next to Hudson. "Etimonians find unspotted females to be exotic, more naked than...naked." He laughed and stroked her hair.
Hudson watched in the mirror as her identity was slowly smothered under a layer of garish, brightly colored makeup.
"Your tears ruin my work," the artist reprimanded her as he handed her a cloth...
Dahr's assistant greeted her and led her down the opulent hallway. "We are glad you changed your mind," he said as they walked. After several turns, they arrived at a door. The assistant handed Hudson a small silver device that would trigger it to open. "Make yourself at home. We will call on you soon."
Placing the device on the receiver, Hudson watched as the door slid open to reveal a room that she could scarce imagine. A small gasp of air passed over her lips and she stepped inside, dropping her bag inside the doorway as she went. She touched everything. The fine fabrics, the smooth opalescent curved walls. These were not the quarters of a crewman, nor would the Captain's quarters even come close. She wondered if the ruler of Etimon even had such fine things. "Mine," she whispered in question as she opened the closet to see an assortment of beautiful clothing. For the next hour, she lost herself, playing dress-up in all the finery; it fit her to perfection. Still dressed in a flowing golden, slinky gown that revealed most of her back, she wandered into the kitchen and opened the fridge. There was little food there, but it was well-stocked with a variety of alcoholic beverages. Hudson removed a bottle and carried it over to the couch after retrieving an opener.
As she sat, she looked at the bottle, its surface already covered with dew, and she paused. Why did everything remind her of him? Tracing a finger through the dampness, she remembered all the bottles the two of them had shared, how their bodies would soon after be covered with the same moisture as that which coated her finger now.
Scowling, she opened the bottle with practiced ease. The liquid inside sloshed as she hefted the bottle into the air. "To a better life," she said before bringing it to her lips. Drinking heavily, she tossed aside the memories with every sip.
A chime at the door signaled a visitor, but before she could rise from the couch Dahr entered. Smiling, he held his hands out to her. "You look like the sun," he said as he admired her. "Come with me. There will be time for drink later."
Taking his hand, she allowed him to pull her from the couch. As they walked, he snaked his hand around her waist. "You are going to love Retanya," he said. He turned to her and placed a small silver bracelet onto her wrist. "But you must never go out without this on. It..." He paused, then shrugged. "It will make you less beautiful than the Hezak." Hudson frowned as she examined the jewelry. "It inhibits multiple auras," he instructed.
"But I thought-" She took a step back.
Dahr stroked her arm. "Yes yes... but you will want to. Trust me." He sighed at the alarm on her face. "We will start as promised. Just photos...perhaps a video or two. But just you wait and see. You will want to." Before she could protest further, she found herself in a room, surrounded by makeup artists and hair stylists.
"Spots?" One of them looked to Dahr for instruction.
"No," he said. "This client is excited to see a human." He leaned in next to Hudson. "Etimonians find unspotted females to be exotic, more naked than...naked." He laughed and stroked her hair.
Hudson watched in the mirror as her identity was slowly smothered under a layer of garish, brightly colored makeup.
"Your tears ruin my work," the artist reprimanded her as he handed her a cloth...