He headed over to the counter, and the staff member nodded.
Yr-el pulled a chair out next to Styra, and he smiled. “So, how long have you worked with Mbrak?”
She sighed. “You were talking to him.”
“I was.”
“I have worked for him since I became an adult, well, in the entertainment center. I have been working on designing scenarios since I was twelve.”
One of the men choked. “Twelve?”
She grinned. “Not all of the scenarios involve sex. Some are simply action-adventure or solitary days watching the sunrise or sunset.”
His men looked exponentially relieved.
She chuckled at their expressions. “Mr. Blue doesn’t allow inappropriate behaviour around the scenarios. Everything has to be done with the consent of both parties or with a computer simulation.”
The captain chuckled. “I believe some of the men just had mild coronaries.”
Styra smiled. “I noticed. When I was younger, I specialized in landscapes. One of the other ladies worked on designing alternate characters for clients to interact with. There are a bunch of us behind the scenes that no one thinks are there. We pop into scenarios, check on how things are progressing, and verify that the client is maintaining the guidelines.”
One of the men asked, “So, what happened with Captain Yr-el?”
Styra looked at him, and he shrugged his compliance. “Um, he found the female in the simulation unsuitable, so the computer improvised and switched things around. Mr. Blue called me in on my day off, and I had to go in and get him loose from the scenario.”
The men were disappointed.
The captain provided more detail. “I was on a quest to find a damsel who was waiting for a kiss. I wasn’t impressed with the simulation and didn’t follow the projected actions, so the computer switched me for the princess. I was out for about ten minutes in live time, six hours in the simulation.”
The guys looked at each other, and the lieutenant asked, “How do you remember the details?”
The captain gave them a bland look. “I have a different relationship with time.”
One of the others asked, “How did you get out of it?”
The captain started to eat the food that had just arrived. “That was simple, she kissed me.”
Styra felt it necessary to explain. “The computer has protocols that have to be met in order to release a client.”
The captain paused, “And then she had to kiss the dragon.”
She covered her eyes at the shocked expressions of his men. The lieutenant let out a strangled, “She had to kiss it?”
“Well, he kissed her. Even for a simulation, he was very impressed with her.”
She fought the shudder that wanted to run through her. The memory of the tongue was just a memory, but it was vivid. Her face felt like it was on fire, but the thick skin of her face didn’t really discolour unless bruised.
She reached for the teacup, and she rattled it before she was able to pick it up.
The youngest of the crewmen frowned. “Was it upsetting?”
She sipped, swallowed, and set her cup down. “It was... unexpected.”
The captain chuckled, and he continued to eat his meal.
The staff cleared the dishes as the group finished, and Styra nodded for them to take the remainder of her plate.
The captain frowned. “Why didn’t you finish it?”
She chuckled. “I can’t. Eating is kind of a form of entertainment for me, but I can’t digest any of the nutrients.”
He stared at her in shock. “How do you live like that?”
Styra smiled. “I am not fond of the alternative. Mr. Blue gets me the supplements that I need, and he gets paid in labour. It’s how we do things around here.”
She slowly lowered her right arm and forced herself not to wince. “Well, this has been an interesting afternoon, gentlemen. I hope that you enjoy your time on the station.”
The captain grabbed her arm as she passed. “We will still be having dinner.”
She didn’t say what she was thinking; instead, she smiled. “Of course.”
“I will contact you via Mbrak.”
She nodded. “Fine. Okay.”
His thumb rubbed along her arm, and he smiled. “Have a good day.”
She nodded, and she walked away when he finally let her go. She didn’t look back but headed for the change room. She awkwardly pulled her exercise clothing on and grabbed her passes, and headed for her quarters. She needed her muscle relaxants and her supplements. If she wasn’t mistaken, she had a date.
Mr. Blue called her at six. “Styra, he is waiting for you at the Artuth.”
“Um. Okay.”
The screen went from audio to video. He looked at her with concern. “Are you all right?”
“A little off balance. This hasn’t happened before.”
He cocked his head. “Would it be acceptable to consider it a scenario?”
She smiled and shook her head. “That wouldn’t be fair to either of us. No, I am going to see him, and we will see where things go.”
Mr. Blue smiled. “Good attitude. You look lovely, by the way.”
She nodded. “Thank you. Getting my hair up was a nightmare.”
He frowned. “Is your arm bothering you?”
“Fennor worked me over today. He does good work, but he doesn’t spare the tissue.”
“Ah. Well, have a nice evening, and if you feel you can trust Yr-el, do it.”
She smiled. “I guess that is what it comes down to. Right. I had better go. Thanks, Mr. Blue.”
He sighed. “You can address me properly.”
She winked. “I am not calling you Grandpa. It feels weird.”
He laughed, and they disconnected the link.
She looked herself over in the mirror. The dress was similar to the one she wore in the scenario. Her bodice was a crisscrossing of lacing, the dress was three layers of filmy material that just managed to hide the colour of her nipples, and the sandals were practical. Her sleeves covered most of her scars and were open from the elbow down.
She had fought her hair into a coronet, and she felt reasonably attractive. With a deep breath, she headed out of her quarters and took a few of the gliding sidewalks to the Artuth. It was a lovely restaurant, and she wished that she could do the meals justice. Ah well, she could taste them.
Styra walked into the restaurant, and she didn’t even have a chance to explain who she was meeting when she was guided through the tables to a private room through an elaborate archway.
The door was opened for her, and the captain was there, dressed in a manner very similar to what he had been wearing in the scenario. Oh, fuck.
He smiled slowly and walked over to her. “Styra, you look... amazing.”
She nodded. “You look terrifyingly attractive yourself.”
He took her hands in his and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. When he raised his head, he smiled. “It seemed appropriate.”