Desirée stared at the computer screen, looking for any possible mistakes in her last answer. At the top right-hand corner of her screen, the minutes counted down until the end of her Interplanetary Law exam. She had answered all the questions as best she could but, after 12 exams in the last week alone, exhaustion had become a major factor. She had already corrected an embarrassing mistake in one of her essays, that might have resulted in a failing grade if she hadn't spotted it. She rubbed her red-rimmed eyes, trying to find any other slip-ups.
Three years later, and the changes in Desirée were remarkable. At age 21, she knew she was in the best physical condition of her entire life, thanks to a constant regimen of exercise. She also had never before been so exhausted in her entire life. Her sandy blonde hair was tied in a ponytail and she wore no makeup; she was too busy studying to even think about her appearance in the past three weeks. Other than the gray and tension of too much work and not enough sleep, she had the soft roundness of a woman in her late teens. Irritatingly enough, those plump cheeks -- the bane of her childhood -- still refused to go away.
"Don't you worry, my dear," Signora Veronica Franco, the headmistress of the Academy had laughed when Desirée had sourly commented on them once. "One day you'll be glad of those soft cheeks."
Desirée wore a figure-hugging dress in the Guild colours of red and gold, the patch over her left breast denoting her student status. It had a low neckline and short sleeves, leaving her rounded arms bare and the hem was about her mid-thigh, allowing plenty of leg to show. Red and gold pumps gave her ass a slight lift while still remaining comfortable to walk in. She had designed her outfit herself to show off what she felt were her best assets.
There were only 122 Guild students in the examination room poring over their screens, down from the 183 who had enrolled in the Academy nearly 3 years ago. Bridget had flunked out spectacularly in their first year, and many others had left over the course of their schooling. Desirée knew that Bridget had been sent back to Earth, her memory altered and a significant sum of money placed in her bank account to show that she had worked overseas teaching English to Korean students. Kalyani had barely managed to hang on, passing her courses and staying Desirée's neighbor after they got separate rooms for their second and 3rd years. They both knew that it was mainly due to the other's support that they had managed to get through the grueling training.
"There is now one minute remaining in your examination," a soft computerized voice spoke. "One minute remaining."
Desirée swallowed a groan: stretching her abused back, she tried to concentrate on her revision. She changed a sentence to make it more coherent, split a paragraph in two. She struggled to keep her mind on her exam, fighting the fatigue poisons in her brain.
There are now 10 seconds remaining in your examination," the soft voice spoke. "Ten seconds remaining."
Desirée's nose was nearly touching the screen in her haste to ensure her answers were as good as she could make them. The words ran together, no longer making any sense. Should she alter that second paragraph? Perhaps she should try answering that question again--
The screen went blank. Desirée gulped, too shocked to scream. "The exam is now over and the files have been collected," the computerized voice intoned. "Please turn off your computers and vacate the examination room."
She slumped, closing her eyes, her forehead pressed against the monitor screen. Good or bad, there was no longer anything she could do about it. She stood up and stretched to relieve the tension in her body. She bit back a yawn, nodding at her fellow students as they filed by her. Many smiled back, but most were too shell-shocked by the sheer volume of work they had just gone through to respond.
Not for the first time, she wondered why an aspiring courtesan needed to know about Interplanetary Law. But there was a very good reason why the course was mandatory at the Academy. Even though paid companionship (a polite term for prostitution) was legal in the Intergalactic Confederation, some planets had strict rules about the practice, and others only allowed it begrudgingly. Not only that, some civilizations equated it with slavery, which meant courtesans technically had no legal rights on those planets. That was something she needed to be aware of, should she journey to other systems for work.
In addition to the ramifications to her chosen profession (whether it would choose her was still up for debate), many of her future clients -- or "guests" as they were always referred to -- were law professionals themselves. Since being a good courtesan meant being conversant on a staggeringly wide range of topics, being able to discuss the nitty-gritty of her guest's profession was a major asset.
Rolling her shoulders, Desirée picked up her bag and walked towards the front of the hall, and the door that irised open for them.
"How did you do?" Kalyani stepped up beside her, squeezing her best friend in a one-armed hug. Kalyani's head was level with Desirée's chin. Kalyani wore a sari markedly similar to the voluminous garment she wore when they first met, but now in the Guild colours. However, Kalyani had devised some cunning differences: the outer layer was sheer, hinting at the voluptuous body beneath, and she could remove it easily.
Late last year, Desirée and she had devised a way of taking off her outfit, similar to the Dance of the Seven Veils, that would allow Kalyani to remove the sari while tantalizing her guest. Ssurhuk-T'at, their professor for Interspecies Sexuality, had smiled his approval when Kalyani had demonstrated the dance for him.
Okay, I guess." The blonde smiled, returning Kalyani's hug. They stepped out into the main hall of the Academic Quadrangle. "Either way, it's out of our hands. How about you?"
Kalyani groaned. "I could not concentrate, I was so tired. "Her face was drawn and there were dark circles under her green eyes. "I do not know how I will get through the next exam."
"Luckily for you, Kalyani, it's your last," a voice spoke behind them. "It's also a pass/fail."
Desirée turned, smiling at the tall, froglike alien wearing the uniform of a senior Courtesan. Professor Ssurhuk-T'at was her favourite instructor at the Academy, despite being the toughest marker she ever had.
Good morning, sir," she said. "Can you tell us anything about the test?" Unusually, none of the students knew when and where their final exam, for Interspecies Sexuality, would take place.
"Good morning to you too." Ssurhuk-T'at's three eyes glinted behind his spectacles and his lips twitched. It was clear he was fond of the two human students, although it never affected how he marked their work.
"It will be a practical examination," he said. "You will entertain a guest at a location and time that I will give you shortly. There is no time limit on how long you need to take to entertain your guest, but your grade will solely depend on your guest's satisfaction afterwards. He, she or it will be asked to evaluate your abilities, and it will be that evaluation which will determine whether or not you will be offered a place in the Guild.
"This is by far the most important exam you will ever have," he said, all humour leaving his face. "Your entire future depends on how well you entertain that guest. You will either pass, or fail, and there are no retries. Is that understood?"
Both Desirée and Kalyani nodded soberly.
"Good. Here are the necessary details." He passed them both a data card. Their UTD's immediately processed the information on the chip, the details of their assignment scrolling across their retinas. Irritatingly, there were blank spaces where the guest's race, gender and known preferences would normally be outlined.
"But since I'm not completely heartless," he grinned, "I've allowed you a six hour period of rest and relaxation before your tests. However, I advise you to spend the time wisely. Good luck."
He walked down the hall. Desirée and Kalyani stared at each other.
"Do you think it would be wise if we spent part of that time sleeping?" Kalyani said tentatively when the professor was out of earshot.
Desirée nodded. "I think so," she said. "I don't know about you but I'm ready to fall over. It would really suck if I fell asleep while entertaining a guest."
Kalyani giggled. "Then we must move quickly if we wish to get enough rest."
"Works for me." They quickly walked to the bank of elevators that would take them down to the dormitories.
***
Desirée leaned towards her mirror, applying a neutral yet pleasing shade of lipstick. She felt a lot better after her 4-hour nap but it still wasn't enough. She wanted to sleep for a week, but she needed to prepare for her final exam. She had painted her nails the same colour as her lipstick, and her hair was still damp from the shower.
While she prepared herself, snatches of information pulsed through her mind: the Mantralth keep their sexual organs in their kneecaps, the Tekkamaru in their tongues . . .
Her makeup done, she slipped off the towel she wore, giving herself a critical eye in the mirror. Her body was taut and rounded, her perky breasts standing straight out. She was in peak physical condition, her ribs visible but not jutting out. Desirée turned slightly to the side, lifting her heels from the floor to present her hips and ass in a more pleasing manner. She slid her hands over her slender frame, tweaking her nipples so they would stand out more.
She briefly considered pleasuring herself in order to get in the right frame of mind, but discarded the idea. Some races found the smell of human arousal tantalizing; others found it repulsive. She knew all the entertainment rooms in the Guild Hall were well stocked with various artificial lubricants in case the guest didn't wish to smell their courtesan's fluids.
Butterflies mated in her taut belly. Penetrating, and being penetrated by, alien races no longer held any terror for her but Desirée knew how important this exam was to her future career. In the three years she had spent at the Academy, the idea of becoming a Guild courtesan had assumed greater importance. It was not only the intercourse -- not just sexual, but verbal and mental -- with other races she enjoyed, but the notion that she would have a place in the Intergalactic Confederation, a place that could act as a springboard to a larger career. No matter what she would do in the future, Earth could never be large enough to contain her ambitions.
She dressed herself carefully to get her mind off her nerves then gave herself one last look in the mirror. Whether she looked attractive or hideous, it would have to do. She turned and walked out of her room, placing her thumb on the scanner to lock the door behind her.
***
