Winding down the street, I led Tasha to a nightspot that had been highly recommended by Keto, one of our law enforcement contacts in Steel City. Exhilaration raced through me as we walked through the city. The lights of hover vehicles and small aircraft swarmed in the air and glittered against the black backdrop of the night sky.

The last time I had been out with a woman had been before my father’s death. At home in the capital city of Vahakun, I led a privileged life as a prince. Being the second youngest of five sons, removed from the possibility of inheritance, I had been able to move about with relative ease, free of the pressures my older brothers faced, while still enjoying the luxuries of royalty.

Unlike my brothers, I felt no great compulsion toward military service, as I knew any such investment of my time would ultimately prove wasted upon my exile and discharge.

I had led a life of quiet study, able to pursue the subjects that interested me. As a prince, I was fortunate enough to have studied from the greatest minds of Dragselia and beyond. As I was unlikely to ascend to the throne, I had enjoyed the company of many lovely Dragselian ladies, free of the risk of attachment. That had suited me well.

For my brothers, that distance had been harder to accept. However, I reveled in my independence, never having to worry about claims being placed upon my time or affection. When I desired company, it was easy enough to find.

Life had changed in exile and perhaps I had changed with it. I still craved my independence, still enjoyed solitude, but another part of me craved the intellectual stimulation I had never lacked back home.

On Vaxivia, our focus had been only on survival, on returning to our original destination. Our exile had us headed to a small, rustic colony in the outermost reaches of Dragselian territory, far away from the centers of knowledge and learning that I craved.

There were other cravings as well, those of a more physical nature. Walking through the polished, chrome-plated doors of Helix, I couldn’t help but feel a thrill at the possibility that the night might lead to a fulfillment of more than one longing.

Tasha was tall, and her long legs kept an easy stride with mine. The smell of her was intoxicating. As a Dragselian, my senses were superior to a human’s, and as she moved, I picked up the sweet, citrusy smell that emanated from her smooth, soft skin.

Engaging with her, it was easy to let my thoughts drift away from the urgency of my situation.

We entered the building and followed a long, polished stone hallway lined with faintly pulsing lights. The sound of Tasha’s pointed blue heels reverberated in the confined space. At the end of the hall, we entered a smaller chamber and I felt the buzz of the teleporter as the chamber dissolved and we appeared on the rooftop of the sleek tower.

The club felt like a living thing as we moved through the palpable energy of the place. Above us, through the sheer biofilter that contained the space and protected its clients from the chill of the air and atmosphere outside, the glowing cloud of Diana’s Nebula created the effect of being untethered from the ground.

I felt the urge to shift, to take wing and fly through the limitless night, treating Tasha to an experience few humans would ever know.

Instead, we wound our way through the crowd of people and raised pedestals where hologram projections of glowing dancers appeared, to a cluster of high tables. A server in luminescent body paint and lined mesh shorts quickly approached us.

“Welcome to Helix. Can I interest you in a libation or perhaps an EE stimulator?” he asked, his voice dipping to a sultry low tone at the last suggestion.

“No, thank you, we’re plenty stimulated,” Tasha said, laughing.

I smiled and raised a brow at the implication, causing her to blush faintly.

“I just mean, the conversation is… just the drink would be great!” she fumbled, blushing harder.

“I agree, a drink will do. Perhaps a Solar Fizz?” I asked.

She nodded in agreement. “Yes, two of those, thanks!”

“Certainly,” he said, closing his eyes and sending in our order via EE.

Electroencephalum chips were a dominant means of quick communication on Vaxivia. They allowed the user to send condensed audiovisual messages directly into the recipient’s mind.

We had no such technology on Dragselia. Unlike my brothers, who were more apprehensive, I was intrigued by the concept and had gotten one installed this morning. Unfortunately, I had to wait the thirty-six hours before I had synced fully to the existing electromagnetic network.

The server winked at us and smiled smugly as he walked away. Moments later, two short, curved glasses arrived at the table by the server, glowing impossibly orange.

I extended my glass in a toast. “To exploring new frontiers!”

Tasha smiled and clinked her glass against mine. “To exploration.”

I took a long, quenching drink from my glass, watching her over the rim, never breaking eye contact.

Her eyes were dazzling blue pools rimmed by a heavy layer of long, curled eyelashes. She wore makeup, like many women here and on Dragselia, but not a lot. There was a faint sheen to her cheeks, a slight smokiness to her eyes, and a succulently red tint to her lips.

She sipped her drink and said, “Thanks for talking me into coming out. I don’t get away from the office much. I’m sure I needed a break.”

“I imagine your work demands much of your time.”

“It does, yes. Truthfully, I don’t really mind the demands. I love what we do and I’m very lucky to be in the position I am—to be able to collaborate with our team of brilliant engineers and researchers, constantly learning from them and from our resources and contacts in other parts of the galaxy. There is always something engaging to work on. It’s hectic but it’s never dull,” she said, her voice full of sincerity.

“I understand what you mean,” I replied. “I don’t enjoy being idle for long. We live in an era where we have the means to pursue limitless knowledge. We can access information from across the universe, connect to cultures with scientific knowledge that might be thousands of years ahead of our own. I don’t understand people who are content with what little they are surrounded by and exposed to, those who have no thirst to seek, to learn.”

“Yes, exactly! It’s so nice to meet someone who understands that. It’s not that I can’t take a break from my work, it’s just… why would I want to? There is so much to learn and explore. I want Vaxivia to be a place where research and discovery can flourish.”

“I imagine it must be very fulfilling then, to be able to pursue intellectually stimulating projects and have those also benefit the commonwealth of Vaxivia,” I said, admiring her concern for her people.

“Absolutely. I mean, everything we are, everything we have is because of these people. It is only right that we invest in them as much as they have in us.”

Her voice was firm with conviction, and I found myself attracted to more than just her striking features.

“Your people are lucky to have someone such as you, someone who doesn’t take their privilege for granted.” I said, genuinely impressed.

She blushed. “Thank you. I’d like to think most people would give back if they could, if they had the means, don’t you think?”

“From what I have seen of Vaxivia…” I stopped, realizing my mistake from her curious look.

“I knew I didn’t recognize you! I mean, I don’t know everyone on the planet, but you’re not someone I would forget.”

I leaned in seductively. “Oh really?”

She smiled, a little flustered. “So where are you from then?”

Caught, I thought quickly. “Narsis—at least, originally. I travel a great deal for my work,” I said, referencing the Earth-colonized planet known mostly for its agricultural abundance. It was similar to Dragselia, at least in climate.

“What sort of work is that?”

This part, I had already considered. “I lead a group of tech salvagers. We specialize in recovering alien technology for private clients. We work mostly for research and academic organizations.”

She nodded. “That sounds really interesting!”

She looked like she was about to ask more questions, so I looked around for some way to change focus.

Emboldened by the drink and the intoxicating beauty of the woman before me, I stepped out, around the table, toward the central dancing area, and turned back, inviting Tasha to join me.

“Would you care to dance with me?” I asked, reaching out my hand.

She hesitated, looked out at the crowd, bit down on her plump lower lip, and smiled. She looked nervous, but she placed her delicate hand in mine.

“I suppose, but don’t judge me. I don’t dance very well,” she said sheepishly.

I pulled her in close, dipping my head down to her ear. “You’ll be fine. Just feel the music and let your body respond to it.”

The attraction between us was palpable. Leaning close to her like that, I fought the urge to brush back her hair, to put my mouth to her neck and taste her soft skin. I wanted to close my eyes and drown in the sensation of her body molded to mine. Instead, I straightened and led the way onto the crowded floor.

The music was rough edged and rhythmic in a sort of feral way, punctuated by metallic-sounding vocals and a sort of breathy tonality. It felt darkly seducing. Outside the cluster of tables, there was a faintly illuminated floor and people everywhere were dancing, writhing in time to the music.

The beat grew louder the closer we got to the neon stage at the very center of the club. The musicians were painted, head to toe, in vivid splashes of brightly glowing paint. Framed by the night sky around them, they seemed to float like beings of light.

We moved, pressed close to one another by the other dancers. In the dark obscurity of the dance floor, her eyes met mine, full of excited desire and a sense of daring.

Watching her dance was an act of almost painful self-control. She threw her head back, exposing the naked line of her throat, a line that led down to the soft collar of her loose silk blouse. She had left her jacket at the table, and, when she moved, the silk shifted and silhouetted her curves, the round fullness of her breasts.

The waves of her long black hair shifted as she moved, draping low, obscuring her chest, falling over her bare shoulders, and spilling down her back. Everywhere I wanted to touch, to taste, the glossy tendrils seemed to invite me.

The music seemed to pulse through our bodies, and I felt the sensual, throbbing energy of it, pushing me to the limit of my own restraint. I wanted her, and, from the look in her eyes as we moved together, I could tell the thick heat of this attraction was mutual.

I wrapped my arms around her waist, bringing her closer to me, and she came happily, almost giddily, both of our pulses racing.

Feeling wildly alive, I leaned to her ear again and whispered, “Do you want to get out of here?” No pretense, just the blatant desire coursing through me and flashing in my eyes.

She looked at me hungrily and nodded. As we walked toward the teleportation chamber, I felt a twinge of guilt, enough to just barely dampen the buzz of anticipation. Everything I had learned of her had inspired admiration and respect. Every step we took sent the claws of guilt deeper into my psyche.

At that moment, she turned to me and smiled, biting her lip. Her nervous habit reignited the fire of my arousal and I pushed the guilt away. I held her hand and we made our way back into the night.