Kahm watched Selena come out of the room and let out a silent sigh. For a moment, when he had her in his arms that morning, he had almost lost all control over himself. Of course, he was aware of his attraction for her, he just hadn't expected it to be so powerful he would lose sight of his intentions: to kiss her good morning and tease her, a little bit.
It took him all his willpower to walk away from her and ignore her hot body aching for him as much as his ached for her. It wasn’t the right moment, and the last thing he wanted was to ruin the little trust she might already have in him.
“Ready to leave? We’ll have breakfast before we leave, but we won’t return to the cabin, so you might want to make sure you have all your things,” he warned her.
“I thought you would want to do that, so, I’ve packed my things. I’m ready to leave,” Selena replied, gesturing at her small bag.
“Perfect.”
They had a substantial breakfast, and less than an hour later they were on the road again.
The landscape was a bit different this time, with several farmed kinds of wood, scattered along the way. “What do you use the trees for?” she asked curiously. She hadn't seen a piece of paper so far, and the buildings didn’t seem to be built with wood.
“They’re used as timber. Here we don’t use it much, but there are a few planets in the neighborhood that enjoy having their furniture made of wood,” he explained. “We have strict laws regarding cutting down the trees, to preserve the quality of our air. Those caught breaking those laws are immediately expelled from the planet.”
“I wish someone had enacted that same law back on Earth. Perhaps, that way the planet wouldn’t be so destroyed,” she said, with a sad tone.
“I know what you mean. Sometimes, greed and ambition get out of control, and it’s more than enough to destroy a whole planet.”
He seemed to know what he was talking about and she remembered he had told her he had been a mercenary. He evidently had seen a lot of planets destroyed by the hand of their inhabitants.
At some point along their journey, probably five hours after they left the inn, he pointed at the farm to their right. “From here on, these lands belong to me. I raise three breeds of cattle, and we use all we can from them: wool, leather, milk, and meat. Some of it goes to the local market, but the majority goes to the intergalactic market,” he explained, with pride evident in his voice.
The farm, like all others they had seen on their way, was surrounded by electric fences, that kept animals in and outlaws or invaders out.
“I have a few male employees that help me run the place, but most help comes from the androids I’ve acquired for the job,” he added.
“Why not use just androids?” she asked curiously.
“Though they represent a great help, androids are just machines. They’re able to think for themselves, but only amongst the ranges, they were programmed to. They usually don’t respond well in the face of an emergency they’ve never seen before.”
“It makes sense. Machines will always be machines… they will only act as far as they’re programmed to. There will never be any initiative in them.”
“Exactly, and when you’re dealing with living beings, anything can happen, and you need someone able to react in the face of the unexpected.”
“You seem to know a lot about your job. How long have you been living here?” she asked, curious.
“Around fifty solar cycles, I guess. I’m afraid I don’t keep a record.”
She let out a small cry of surprise. “Fifty years? How old are you?”
“I’m one hundred and fifty solar cycles old. My people live past the three hundred solar cycles,” he explained.
“Oh, that’s a lot. My people barely reach one hundred years, and even that’s under the right circumstances,” she commented, not sure she liked the idea of aging next to a husband that would certainly look a lot younger than her.
He frowned at her words. He hadn't considered that possibility. Raye wouldn’t have that problem since his species didn’t live much more than a hundred solar cycles. But though he had already lived at least half of his lifespan, he would still live too many years after his wife left this universe. The thought was disturbing, to say the least.
“Perhaps living on this planet will increase your lifespan,” he said, in a low tone.
“Yes, this place looks a lot healthier than planet Earth, so I guess it’s possible,” she agreed with a faint smile.
A few minutes later, they reached an enormous gate he opened pushing a button on the vehicle’s main screen.
“I’ve made some changes in the house when I decided to get married, but I want you to feel free to change whatever you like,” he said, as they approached a big house. It only had one floor, but it looked big enough for a small army.
“I’m sure it will be fine,” she said, amazed at the place.
“I also acquired a domestic android to help you around the house. I didn’t marry you to have a free maid,” he added, with a scowl.
“That’s very considerate of you,” she said, feeling a bit relieved. House chores had never been one of her favorite things. “How far are we from a hospital or medical facility?” she asked, wondering if she would be able to find a job.
He frowned as he looked at her. “Around seven hours using this vehicle, and a few minutes flying. Why do you ask?”
“I was wondering if I could find a job there,” she explained.
“A job? Why would you want a job? I’m perfectly capable of supporting you. You don’t need a job,” he said, his displeasure with her words evident.
“I’m used to work. I’ve been doing it ever since I was eighteen years old,” Selena replied.
“Of course, you needed to. There’s no longer any need for you to work.” He jumped out of the vehicle, and she followed him.
“I didn’t go through three years of hard work to become a nurse just because I needed a job. I did it because I wanted to help people, to make them feel better,” she explained, walking after him, determined to make him listen to her.
He stopped and turned to look at her. “Your life is different now. You’re my wife, and all you need to do is be here for me, take care of me,” he pointed out, in a cold tone.
She opened her mouth to refute his point and closed it before uttering a word. He was right, her life had changed completely. She was in no position to make many demands. Especially, if she wanted his help to get her parents out of Earth. She had to play by his rules, as much as possible.
“I’m sorry, you’re right. Things are just too new, and I’m still getting used to them,” she tried to explain.
He nodded. “I guess this can’t be easy for you, but since you agreed to come here and be my wife, you must have known that implied several changes in your life,” he pointed stiffly.
“Yes, of course. Please, forgive me for that outburst.” She looked around, feeling a bit lost. “Why don’t you show me the house? I’m looking forward to seeing my new home,” she asked, with a tremulous smile.
He agreed and stretched his hand out to take hers. “Come, I’ll show you the house.”
When they entered the house, they were greeted by the domestic android. Selena had seen several androids on board the ship that had brought her to this planet, and most of them had been made to resemble their owners, in that case, the Cetians. The android in front of them, on the other hand, had been made to resemble a human female and she appreciated the detail.
“Welcome home, your meal will be served when you desire,” the android announced.
“Thank you, Ysha. This is my wife, Selena. I’ll show her around the place before we eat.”
“Very well, Sínn Kahm. It’s a pleasure knowing you, Víf Selena.” The android bowed and disappeared down the hallway.
The house structure was quite similar to what she was used to. He started showing her the bedrooms, she counted five, including the main suite. Each bedroom had its own bathroom and dressing room.
Then there was a room he used as some sort of office, a luxuriously large living room combined with the dining room, a bathroom for the visitors, the kitchen, the laundry room and a considerable storeroom.
“Ysha has no room in the house?” she asked, curious.
“Androids don’t really sleep. They simply recharge their batteries, but yes, she has a room, along with the rest of the employees, in that building,” he explained, signaling a small building to their right.
They were in the backyard, where he had sown all kinds of vegetables and what looked like fruit trees.
“Oh, that’s great,” she nodded. “You seem to have a lot of food here,” she said, pointing at the fields in front of them.
“Yes, we’re self-sufficient here. We have to be. During the winter months, it is impossible to leave this place. The snow covers everything and falls with no pause.”
“What if there’s an emergency?” she asked, a bit worried. That didn’t sound good.
“Depending on the emergency, authorities will send an emergency rescue team, able to fly in any weather,” he explained. “But it’s still hazardous since storms are very unpredictable.”
“How long does that last?” she asked, with a slight frown. She had to find something to do, or she was going to go out of her mind.
“Four to five months. Some solar cycles even six.”
“That’s a lot. What do you do during those months?” she asked, curiously.
“Here, we always have work to do. The cattle always need attention, especially during those months. We have to make sure they are well fed and warm enough.”
“It sounds like hard work,” she said, looking around her.
“Yes, it is, but I enjoy it. It’s quite satisfying.”
She nodded and with a pleased smile, he guided her back to the house and to the living room. Ysha already had the food laid out on the table.
The flavors and textures were entirely different from those she was used to, but she had to admit the food was quite delicious.
“I usually have the evening meal with my employees. It allows us to discuss the events of the day in a relaxed manner and I truly believe it helps to keep them satisfied with their jobs,” he announced, when they were finishing. “I would like you to join us, as well.”
“Certainly, I would be pleased to.”
“I’ve noticed you haven’t been provided with the kind of clothing we use here, so perhaps it would be a good idea to order some this afternoon,” he suggested, looking at her.
She looked at the white summer dress she was wearing. “Is there something wrong with what I’m wearing right now?”
He frowned. “Not wrong, it’s just different. Not the kind of clothing people would expect to see you in,” he tried to explain.
Looking back, she remembered all people she had seen so far in the planet wore the same kind of jumpsuits Kahm wore all the time, no matter if they were men or women.
“Is there a reason you all wear those clothes?” she asked, not too happy to exchange all her clothes for those monotonous jumpsuits.
“Yes, they are practical. Keep you warm in winter and cool in summer. And they also protect you against insects and grazing inadvertently against poisonous plants,” he explained.
She remembered the flower she had touched and understood his point. She still didn’t like the idea of wearing those insipid jumpsuits, she would just have to find a way to turn them a bit more interesting.
“I believe I’ll need some, then,” she accepted.
“If we order them this afternoon, they will be here in the morning.”
“That’s fast,” she said, considering the time it had taken them to get to the farm.
“They use some small remote control flying devices to transport merchandise all over the continent,” he explained.
She figured it would be something like the drones they used to have back home, before the wars.
“Why don’t you fly when you need to travel?” she asked, curious.
“One of the few things we don’t have here is fuel. It’s quite expensive to bring it from other planets, so we try to ration its use as much as possible.”
“Hasn’t anyone tried to find a local substitute for it?”
“No, not as far as I know. This place isn’t very appealing to scientists or engineers.”
Once they finished their meal, he guided her to his office and invited her to sit next to him, in front of a big screen. He pushed a few buttons, and soon a vast selection of jumpsuits showed up on the screen.
Unlike the ones, she had seen Kahm using there were a few a bit more alluring on the list displayed in front of her.
“Choose at least ten of them,” he offered her.
“How will I know which size to choose?”
He looked at her. “They usually come in three sizes, small, medium and large. Some people, like me, need to ask for a custom order,” he explained, with a scowl. “In your case, a size small should fit you perfectly. The fabric is elastic, it fits most people.”
“Very well, I’ll trust you on that,” she said, with a smile, as she started looking through the jumpsuits shown.
After a few minutes, she had picked a few colorful jumpsuits, according to her personality and her golden skin.
“That should be enough for now,” she said after she had chosen a few.
“Very well.” He got up from his chair. “I have to go check a few things with my crew. Feel free to explore the house and the surroundings, but don’t go too far. You don’t want to get lost on your first day here,” he warned her.
“Thank you, but I guess I’ll unpack first.”
“I’m sure Ysha has taken care of that, but check it out with her.” He leaned over and stole a kiss from her lips before he left the room.