First time writing anything like this, so I apologise in advance if it's rubbish. This story will be a slow burner, with sex happening later.
Enjoy
— — —
Dan
"I know you mean well lad, but this is all nonsense."
I sigh as i'm handed back my leaflet, at least this grey haired old salaryman didn't just throw the thing away. His red haired slave girl gives me a sympathetic sort of smile as he pulls her into the madding crowd on a thin leather leash. She would almost have looked human, had it not been the intricate pattern of spots running down the back of legs.
Ducking away from the fierce wind kicked up by one of the landing interplanetary supply ships I head for cover deeper inside the transport hub. The main hall of the terminal is a vast temple of sterile whiteness, high overhead I'm just able to make out the ceiling wide view screen, today showing the undersides of long lost aircraft. A reminder of what once was, as well as fuel for the recent trend of retro everything. Anti-gravity bridges span the upper levels, but the main body of traffic is on the ground floor where I am. Tucking myself between two advising screens I lay down my foldable glass tablet, using the device to project a realistic poster on the wall behind me.
Forcing myself to smile begins to wear thin around the second hour as I try and tempt passers by into my alcove for a chat. Unfortunately the only people who approach me are those who think I'm handing out coupon codes to one of those zero-grav laser tag games. I'm about to pack up when I notice a disturbance in the steady stream of people flowing into the station.
A little confused at first, I quickly take notice of the women who towers above the humans around her. She stands about eight feet tall, with delicate scales covering her otherwise - mostly - humanoid face, where a human would have a nose she has two slits. Instead of hair are brussels of shimmering feathers in every colour imaginable. I wonder briefly if her look is natural or if she shares my sisters love of cosmetics.
Our eyes meet, despite her reptilian features her eyes are much like ours. Which is a comfort, strange eyes freak me out. To my mingled horror and fascination she starts moving in my direction. I'm about to meet what is unmistakably a Vil, an alien from another world. Of course Vil isn't their actual name, it's just the best human translation.
Rapidly I run though what I actually know about the Vil. They are private, secretive, highly suspicious and until fifty years ago our mortal enemies. It was just our bad luck to discover a wormhole to a species that had roughly the same attitude to foreign relations that we did and our races were soon entrenched in a brutal and bloody war. The conflict raged for so long that no one really knows who actually started hostilities, I like to think it was team effort. It all happened before I was born, but seeing the haunted look in my parents eyes was enough to convey just how bad things got.
Fortunately common ground was found before either race was entirely wiped out. unfortunately that common ground was slavery of the lower Vil, a race that had even worse luck than us and shared - or at least inhabited - the same world as the Vil. Peace was built off of the backs of the enslaved, and the free labour and new markets caused Earth global economy to explode, with Vil-Rah, the Vil's home-world reporting similar economic success.
Despite her size the Vill women emerges gracefully from the crowd without a single ruffled father. She's the first of her kind I've ever seen in real life, most of her kind are too paranoid to ever set foot on Earth, despite the peace. I'm not surprised to see a leashed slave at her side. Though this girl has clearly been breed on Vil-Rah, judging by the scales on her bold downturned head.
Tentatively I hold out one of the leaflets, which the women takes with a nervous smile. Despite our physical differences our species are pretty evenly matched in terms of military might. No one, Vil or human wants to see a return to the dark times so everyone is taught how to politely interact, even if most of us will never get the chance. I don't know if I should be feeling honoured or afraid.
"This paper has kindness human." The women observes in slow, carefully considered english.
I nod, a smile forming on my face. I'm not sure how practiced at our language this women is and I don't want to offend her. "Would you be interested in trying any of the tips?" I ask, gesturing to the 'Improving comfort' section of the leaflet.
She bites her lip, a scaled hand slowly stroking the head of the petite girl beside her. It's interesting the difference between how the human's and the Vil treat their property. Most humans have their slaves trail behind them, then kneel at their feet when stationary. This Vil at least likes to keep her girl close at hand.
"Kindness can cause pain when it is used in error human." She replies at last.
"You don't think they deserve kindness?" I ask, gesturing to the girl beside her.
"You believe to free her would be kind human?"
I tell her at once that I do.
"She would feel fear, confusion, loneliness and sadness. You see through human eyes, I see through my eyes, she sees through hers. You are understanding human?"
I knew the Lower Vil were naturally submissive, but I wasn't convinced being owned was enjoyable for all of them.
"But they have been bred and trained to feel that way," I argue, noticing a pair of enforcers drawing closer, ready to step in should the fragile peace be threatened. "Raise a Lower Vil like a human child and they won't feel like that."
Another smile touches her scaled face, displaying a pair of vampire like fangs. "A Earth dog barks, this is it's nature yes. A Lower Vil seeks an owner, is it's nature human." She pauses, gently rubbing her fingertips behind the slave's ears. "You are owning?" She asks, nodding down at the girl.
"No." I reply.
"You would be a kind master I think. But you must do the true seeing, you must do the true hearing. Then you will do the true kindness. You understand human?"
"Not exactly." I reply nervously.
She beams at me, as if she's just told a joke she's very proud of. "The talking was enjoyable human, I will be keeping the paper yes?"
"Yes please do," I say the smile returning to my face. "Thank you for taking the time to talk with me."
She nods, and in one smooth motion ducks down and picks up the slave girl who wraps her arms around her Mistress. Before the pair of them wander towards the inner city grav-trains. I watch them disappear, not an entirely unsuccessful encounter. The Vil women may have been tall, and downright terrifying in some regards, but I think in our own ways we both value kindness.
I have to scoff at some of what she said though as I head towards the out of city trains.
As if I would ever own a slave.
— — —
The grav-train slides into the station, coming to a halt before moving gently to the left and against the platform proper. I have no idea how complex train lines must have been to operate before trains could overtake each other.
My little finger flashes as I slide my hand over the payment scanner, a conformation that the charge has been registered. Again I can't help but wonder how tiresome it must have been to use physical money. I'll have to try and find out when exactly old style concurrency was phased out, I'm not sure exactly what job I want after I finish my mandatory schooling at twenty-one, but it will have something to do with history.
I walk home, enjoying the fresh air.
My father's large four wheeled car sits shining in the driveway. There's been a huge resurgence of these refined oil powered machines, based on the designs of two hundred years ago. I really don't see what the appeal is, but then me and my father rarely see eye to eye. It's unusual to see him home so early though. It either means he had a productive day or a really bad one.
Not particularly keen to find out which and suffer another lecture on my after school activities I sneak around the side of the house. My feet crunching on the gravel path, another retro feature, but this time one of my mothers.
The door unlocks automatically as I place my palm on the handle, pushing inside with as much stealth as I can mange.
"Good afternoon master Dan."
I groan, looking up to find Emily standing in the middle of the sparkling kitchen her arms held obediently behind her back. She's wearing her blonde hair in a pony tail today, the better to show off the small scales and spines that run from under her ears and down her spine, despite how sharp her spines look I know from experience that they are very soft and yield when touched.
"Hey Emily." I say, trying not push my frustration on to her. "You're looking lovely today." I'm not sure if my father - to whom Emily belongs - gives her compliments, but I know by the way her face lights up she enjoys receiving them.
"Thank you sir!" Her cheeks glow rose and I can hear the tiniest of contented clicks from deep in her throat. Thinking back to the women I met today I wonder if true Vil make that noise when they are happy.
"Your mother and father wish to see you in the sturdy sir." She says, her smile faltering.
That sounds decidedly ominous, normally they save their complaints for meal times, I don't recall having a formal lecture since the time I stole Emily's collar and in my enthusiastic twelve year old way tried to free her.
"I don't suppose you know why?" I ask, forewarned being forearmed after all.
"No sir," she replies, looking down at her feet. A sure sign she's lying.
I touch her arm lightly, "Well it was nice knowingly you." I jest, though her blue eyes look positively panic-stricken as I walk away.
I rack my brain trying to work out exactly what I might have done to deserve such a summons as I make my way slowly through the halls of our extensive home, the longest of which incorporate full wall and ceiling screens, today showing misty forest complete with scented pine air pumped through the air conditioning system. Finally I reach a large oak door and knock. Emily, quiet as a ghost, hovers a little way behind me.
"Come in." My father's voice is muffled by the wood.
The first thing I notice as I walk into the study is my mother's hands twisting in her lap, something she only does when she's very on edge. Then I take in my father, he's still wearing his suit and sitting behind his desk. And on the floor in front of everyone a slim red haired girl kneels, her fragile naked body trembling.
