Colin Affeter stood at the back of the group of men. Already they were teeming with excitement and tossing bawdy jokes around. From their current behavior, no one would have been able to tell they were a group of top-notch scientists and agriculturists. Though he was surprised at the churlish transformation to their personalities, he was glad to see them in high spirits. With the way the mission had been going, they certainly needed the moral boost.

Colin hadn’t really wanted to come into the square today. There was plenty to occupy him back at the lab. But he, too, was in need of a distraction. Isolation was the price they paid for the honor of solving the food crisis and establishing a colony on Garrulus Four. Every single one of them was here not only for the chance to make history but also for the opportunity to earn a fortune in credits.

Colin actually found Garrulus Four to be quite beautiful, though the others complained. The landscape, though jagged and never ending, was soothing to him in its simplicity. There were sections of sand dunes that were smooth, sinuous, and windswept. In other areas, vast oceans of clear blue seemed to be a continuation of the amazing sky. The great canyons nearby had walls that were layered in beautiful deep purples, rusty oranges, and blood reds. And the two suns with their combined light brought a clarity to everything that made the colors pop in general.

He was the kind of man who enjoyed quiet and space, which was why he’d had his housing unit placed a good distance from the square and from his lab. It allowed his mind to entertain thoughts of infinity, which sounded like a strange thing to think about. But he liked the way it reminded him that there was so much more to life than whatever tiny concerns burdened him day to day. With little to do on this planet aside from work, there was more than plenty of that to go around.

“Hey, Colin.” Brace clapped him on the shoulder with one of his big, calloused farmer’s hands. “How’s it going with the new splices?”

A knot of tension formed in Colin’s forehead as he thought of the seedlings in his lab. “Coming along. They’re growing but ... still sprouting small, as usual,” he said. “I just planted a whole new series. We’ll see what happens.”

That was an understatement. Miniature would have been a better word. He’d been able to at least get the various seeds to sprout and emerge from the soil, which was a breakthrough, but their fruit was coming out the size of pebbles. It was a conundrum. In general, a hybrid or polyploid tended to produce larger fruit, not smaller. But in this case, he was getting the extreme opposite result of what he’d expected.

Brace nodded. “Yeah, I’m still having that same issue no matter what I do.” He was in charge of the orchard. He’d been experimenting with different combinations of soil composition and nutrient additives in the water. So far, the fruit that had grown on the stunted trees had been too small to be edible. In the meantime, the trees wasted far more valuable resources than their bounty was worth.

Everyone was having their own problems with the crops, including him. With double suns making up the center of this galaxy, days on Garrulus Four lasted seventy-two hours, which should have been ideal but now Colin wasn’t so sure. The soil composition presented other issues, as did the added gravitational pull. The combined challenges those elements created were preventing his team from getting Eardian plant life to prosper on Garrulus Four. Sure, everyone had had full knowledge of these obstacles prior to accepting the mission. But Colin, being the head of the team, felt the most responsible for the lack of significant progress. Perhaps he’d been overly optimistic when he’d influenced the committee in their selection of a planet. But with his history of success and scientific breakthroughs on other worlds, it was possible his pride had become a bit inflated. And now, as a result—unintended though it was—the survival of their race rested squarely on his shoulders with ever increasing pressure.

Because his focus was hybridization, most of his time was spent in the lab splicing key gene sequences of the various plants they were trying to grow with those already existing on the planet. Making plants grow where they normally wouldn’t was the sort of work that took not only finesse but time, often a year or more. Genes were finicky things. And, even if he got them all together in one package, they would up- and downregulate for frustratingly indeterminable reasons. He’d been at it over a year and a half already. And so far, they’d had only minimal success creating a viable hybrid with all the qualities the team sought.

In the beginning, they’d been excited when their assigned crops had begun to sprout on Garrulus Four. That was usually the beginning of rapid success. But then disappointment set in as, no matter what they did, every single crop mutated shortly after poking above the soil. Things had gotten only slightly better seven months in. One of the soil scientists had had a breakthrough with a special mixture of nutrients and the additives. But though that had helped make the plants looked more recognizable, they were still stunted in various ways.

Colin was interrupted from his musings by the robust cheer the men gave as Will Stoker strolled to the center of the platform they used to receive deliveries from supply ships. The trader bowed to them and waved his hands in a settling motion. There was a large, deep-purple bruise on his cheek near his nose, but the man sported his usual slick smile despite it.

“All right. All right. Let’s get started shall we? Sorry it’s been so long since I been by, gents, but collecting the sensitive sort of cargo I have in my possession can take time.”

They gave another cheer.

Will was an opportunist who traveled to remote planets to sell items not normally available to colonists for whatever reasons. It was often black-market sort of stuff, but not always. These days, more normal items were becoming precious. Last time Will had come by, he’d been selling freshly ground meat. But though fresh, naturally grown food was in short supply everywhere, none of them had been willing to take a chance on it. Who knew where it had come from and what had been mixed in there as filler?

Following that, Will had tried to tempt the men with illicit drugs and been asked to leave. He’d gone with a cheeky grin and a wink that time. “I know what the men want,” he’d announced. “They’re lonely. Anyone can see that. Don’t worry lads, I’ll be back with what you truly crave.” He’d been instructed that he was not allowed to land again without first declaring the contents of his cargo and also undergoing an inspection immediately upon landing.

So this time, Will had shown up with approval from their mission director for his current cargo. Colin had made sure to chat with the director himself via a Holo-Connect after receiving the notification to make sure the trader wasn’t pulling a fast one.

“Is this legal?” Colin had asked. “I though slavery was outlawed a millennium ago.”

Director Banes sighed and shook his graying head. “It was. But they aren’t slaves. Each of these women have opted in to legally binding contracts for transportation so that they can make new lives for themselves.”

“Can I see one of the contracts?”

“Sure.” Banes spoke a command and the document immediately populated on Colin’s terminal. “Truthfully, I think it will be a good thing for the team. The planet is supposed to eventually become a colony, so the added headcount for expansion was approved in the initial planning.”

“But that was supposed to be after we achieved our mission goals.” Colin really didn’t want the men to get distracted, especially now. He needed their complete focus on the tasks at hand.

Banes shrugged. “You’ve all been there for quite a long time. You know as well as I do that it isn’t healthy for men to be without women for so long. May as well get things started. This was the estimated time point for the expansion anyway.”

“But—”

“I’ve already approved the shipment of additional provisions. They’ll arrive shortly.”

That had been it. Banes’s tone had been firm and clipped, and Colin knew better than to press him. Though it made no logical sense to him, obviously the director had reasons for what he was doing, ones he wasn’t going to share with his lead scientist.

Colin’s attention wandered back to Will, who was finally wrapping up a long-winded account of how he’d flown to the far reaches of the multiverse to find them the best women in existence.

“I’ll tell you one thing, lads. This is the feistiest collection of women I’ve ever transported. Take a look at that.” He gestured at the bruise on his face. “That’s proof right there. What more suitable quality could your helpmates have than the spirit of a fighter? They’ll be toiling beside you during the long days and then taking your mind off your worries at night.” He said the last part with a leer and the men roared with laughter.

Colin couldn’t help chuckling himself. He tucked his hands in the pockets of the navy coveralls he wore. His shoes and the hem of his pants had splotches of red earth on them. He’d come straight from a field where he’d been taking samples and had been so involved in his work that he’d almost forgotten the trader was scheduled to land.

“We all know how long the nights can be even though here they only last four hours,” Will continued.

The lewd shouts of agreement sounded foreign coming from men Colin had known for so long, but he grinned. And he was now willing to admit that Banes was right, it was past time they had female companionship. Regardless of how rational they all were, they still needed femininity to balance things out. And the planet would start to seem more like civilization with women around. Hopefully, this helpmate arrangement worked out for his friends, but he had his doubts. From what he’d seen in the contract, only about half of them would have enough credits to make a purchase. He thought of the level of credits he’d managed to store up in his own account. Since his work took him mostly to remote areas where there were few opportunities to spend credits, he’d accumulated a sizeable sum. But he wouldn’t be bidding. He’d just come for the entertainment.

In Colin’s opinion, only a certain kind of woman would leave home and everything she knew and risk coming to a barren frontier planet. He remembered questioning his own motivations for coming here as well. But anyone fully informed of humanity’s impending demise would have seen there was no other alternative. What they were doing was critical to everyone’s survival. And it really was their duty as scientists to be here working on a solution to the problem.

“I know you’re eager to see the merchandise,” Will said. “But just a quick reminder before we do. The ladies are not slaves, they are not prostitutes, and they are not to be abused in any way. They are your potential wives. The sum you’ll be paying covers part of their transport and the six-month trial period during which you’ll both evaluate whether or not you can make a go of it. If it works out, great! Just make sure she fills out the paperwork to release me from any further responsibility. If not, your helpmate is free to go to another man. And let’s be clear, getting your money back from the next guy is your problem. The other option is, you can return her to me so she can try her luck on another planet. Got it?”

Various “yeahs” and grunts of assent could be heard.

“Right. Then let’s get started,” Will said. “Ladies, come on out!”

Women trickled onto the platform from both sides and fell into a line along the front edge of the platform, over a dozen of them. There was as much variety among the woman as there was among flowers. Blonde, brunette, red-head, tall, short, slim, heavy, large breasts, small breasts ... a variety of temptation for the men. But did the women feel the same way?

They seemed to. Already they were waving, smiling, and exchanging comments with men they’d set their sights on, which surprised Colin at first. Now that he thought about it, he supposed the women also had compelling incentives for coming here. On Garrulus Four, there was no crime, they could have educated husbands with good jobs, and they would be on an uncontaminated planet where their babies would be protected from developing deformities due to environmental toxins.

When the bidding started, it went quickly. One by one the women stated what skills they had, sometimes lasciviously, and were auctioned off to the highest bidder. It was archaic in Colin’s opinion, and he wondered if this was what Banes had envisioned when he’d given his consent, but he didn’t interfere. The women were active participants and had the final say in the matter. The winning bidder had to get approval from the woman being sold. It was a crude sort of courtship, but it was the only chance they had here out on the edge of space.

Though Colin looked at each of the women, he felt no interest himself, which was strange. He’d thought he would feel some stirring of emotion at seeing them. But he supposed his last relationship had soured him. How much could the women or the men really ascertain from glimpsing each other for such a brief period? It was all such a superficial gamble.

The last woman was being handed down from the platform, and the men were turning to go, when the comm affixed to the trader’s collar beeped. He muttered into it, and whatever was returned caused a scowl to form on his face. But then it vanished, and he addressed the men again, “Don’t go away just yet, gents. I’ve got one last female for you. She’s a little shy this one. My crew just found her hiding in the hold. She led them on a merry chase.” He tilted his chin and spoke into the comm again, “Yeah. Bring her out. I don’t care how.”

Shortly following that, a woman was dragged through the hatch of Will’s hulking cargo ship. She fought the two stocky men who pushed her from behind, holding her by the elbows. She must have gotten a few hits in because it looked as though one of them had a bruise forming on his chin. The other one had blood oozing from a long scratch that started at his temple and ran all the way to the corner of his jaw. Despite having her arms pinned, the woman still did her best to kick them and she was swearing, too. Well, Colin supposed she was swearing. He could hear the words, but they were odd sorts of curses, things like, “Iblis take you!” and “You shall be crushed by the Hand of Fatima for touching me!”

The men drew her next to Will, at the front of the platform, and her words to him rang out in a high, clear shout. “What in Gehenna do you think you are doing? I’m nobody’s property!” She was indignant and condescending and her fine pink lips sneered her offense, but there was something magnetic about her despite that. Or maybe it was because of it...

At the sight of her, everyone gathered around the platform again, closer than before, even the men who’d already purchased a helpmate. Colin found himself moving closer as well, fascinated. And when the wind swept her long, dark hair back from her face, his mouth almost dropped open. She was stunning. An aristocratic nose and dark arching eyebrows graced a fine oval face. The light of the suns highlighted her golden-brown skin, and the simple clothes she wore hugged the slender figure beneath. Her chest was heaving from her efforts, and Colin couldn’t help his eyes from being drawn to her breasts...

Will relieved his crew members of the woman, grabbing her by the back of her neck and speaking to her in a harsh tone. “You signed up for this of your own free will. These here are good, hard-working men. You couldn’t do better if you tried. Now you’d better pick one that bids on you, or I’ll find some other way to extract payment for hauling your ass all the way here.” Will spoke in a low growl, but it carried through the space nonetheless because a shocked silence had fallen among them.

The steel threat in Will’s eyes must have registered with the woman because she stopped struggling and stood stiffly.

Will turned to address the men again, but did not release her from his grip. “Have a good look at this beauty, gents.”

As they gawked at her, she stood straight and proud as though daring someone to try and claim her, returning their gazes with scathing, cold eyes, her fair lips pressed into a tight line. After one quick scan of crowd before her, she shot an icy glare at Will, who let go of her and backed off.

Colin chuckled. Could this petite thing be the reason for the bruise on Will’s cheek? She radiated anger, was so alive with it that it cast off her like the heat of a flame.

Will strolled to one corner of the platform as though nothing dramatic had just occurred. “Now, where shall we start the bidding?”

“What skills does she have?” asked one of the men.

“Yeah, can she work a terminal?” asked another.

“A bit scrawny for farm work. Looks like the most she’d be able to do is keep the house clean,” someone else commented. That was followed by snickering from the cluster of men around him.

The woman tossed her head and the dark strands of her hair gleamed onyx in the light of the double suns. “I do not do menial labor.”

She reminded Colin of warrior princesses in tales. And it was obvious to him that she was unused to being handled the way she was right now.

The trader wagged his eyebrows and strolled to the other side of the platform. “Who cares what skills she has? Come now. Let’s start the bidding. With a woman of this quality, why would you ever want her to leave the bedroom?”

The deep multi-toned chuckle of men followed his statement. But Colin wasn’t among them. Instead, he frowned, and started making his way forward to end the show.

“Who will give me twenty credits?” the trader shouted. “Twenty credits for the loveliest creature you’ve ever seen.”

The woman stood with her head held high, eyes distant, stance hard as the rock that formed the distant red mountains of Garrulus Four.

The men shuffled and murmured amongst themselves. Given the kind of lives they led, beauty was a luxury far outweighed by the many other qualities they needed in a wife. This lot of men were used to leading quiet lives, and they wanted women who did the same or went along with it at least. The woman on the platform would not fit in with this plan. Even if one of them could afford her, Colin doubted they’d be able to handle her.

Will’s eyebrows were high with shock. “Nobody?” He stopped his movement on the platform and pulled his head back in an exaggerated way, making his potbelly poke forward from the coat he wore. “No one will pay twenty credits for this gorgeous creature? That’s a bargain for someone like her.”

Colin saw one corner of the woman’s mouth quirk upward in satisfaction, and he grinned again. Obviously, she felt like she was winning so far, but what would be the consequences? She’d already stated she wouldn’t work, and she’d failed to declare any skills. If all she had to trade was beauty, she was on the wrong planet.

“Eighteen credits then. Who will pay eighteen?” Will called, an edge of desperation in his voice now. “You’ve all become shy suddenly. Suffering from performance anxiety, perhaps? Who wouldn’t be with her around, eh?” He chortled and leered at the woman.

Colin could see the men glancing at each other. Who would be crazy enough to take on the beautiful spitfire? That’s what it came down to, their masculinity. Clearly they found themselves lacking, because none of them were brave enough to bid.

As the silence stretched on, a warm wind whooshed through, audible in the vacuum of stillness. It was only then that the woman’s stance thawed. Her shoulders rounded and worry transformed her eyes from their sparkling glare to the round-eyed, lost look of an innocent. The pink lips softened and parted revealing surprise at the group’s rejection, and Colin’s heart went out to her.

“Eighteen credits!” His hand shot up in the air before he even realized that the words had left his lips.

Will grinned widely, revealing a broken, yellowed bicuspid, and clapped his hands together. “There we go! A true gentleman to get us started. Who will outbid him? Nineteen credits, what do you say to nineteen?”

There was some more shuffling and exchange of glances, but no other bids.

Will was no idiot. Rather than wasting precious seconds for Colin to come to his senses, he shouted, “Sold!” and waved Colin forward to claim his prize.

Brace, who had followed Colin forward, bumped him on the shoulder with his fist. “Congratulations! She’s beautiful. I didn’t even know you were interested in acquiring a helpmate.”

The contact snapped Colin back to reality. Had he really just bid eighteen credits? On an abrasive female who wouldn’t work? Eighteen credits was the equivalent of five month’s pay. He shuffled forward to authorize the sum, wanting to kick himself for what he’d done. He’d been saving that money for the future to gain entrance to Nataris, a small satellite planet reserved for the elite. As he headed toward the platform, other coworkers slapped him on the back in congratulations, but he was in no mood to celebrate. What have I done?

After Will received Colin’s retinal authorization for the transaction, he departed quickly. And then Colin was left standing face-to-face with his new purchase as everyone dispersed.

He extended his hand to her. “My name’s Colin.”

She eyed his hand with a thinly veiled look of disgust but didn’t take it. He noticed she had brown eyes, but that the irises shaded to a fine glimmer of gold in the center around her pupils, reminding him of a solar eclipse.

He dropped his hand back by his side and tried again, “Since you’re going to be living with me, for a while at least, it’s probably a good idea that I know your name.”

The disgusted look vanished and her gaze became glassy and distant, looking through him rather than at him. She swallowed, blinked a few times, and finally focused on his face. “Genevieve. My name is Genevieve.”