The girls all went out to a launch pad behind the compound and climbed into a small spacecraft. A big, strapping Draconian helped them get the babies and car seats strapped into the vessel. The girls all took their seats, and the Draconian who was helping them sat in the pilot’s chair. The outer door slid closed, and the transport vessel rumbled to life.

“Are we going to space?” Octavia asked. She had not been expecting to go into space.

“Of course,” Lexi said.

“That’s where all the good stuff is,” Tabby said.

“A lot of us came down to live on Earth, but… our accommodations are not what we expected,” said Loretta.

“It’s way better on the mating armada,” Indigo said. “The guys on the military fleet are even redesigning most of the apartments as soon as they get brides.”

The transport vessel burst into the air and Octavia watched the view out the front window as they thrust through the atmosphere. She’d never expected to go into space. Joining the mating lottery had just been an attempt to get her voice heard. But here she was, riding in a spaceship with a bunch of human girls and two babies.

“Is this okay for the babies?” Octavia asked.

“It’s perfectly fine,” Lexi said.

“So, you guys don’t like the design of the compound either?” Octavia asked.

“No, it’s horrible,” Tabby said. “Absolutely no style. I know Joss is supposed to be some kind of grand architect, but his design has really fallen flat with most of the girls.”

“A lot of girls won’t even stay there…especially after living on the mating armada with the brides’ district where we can go shopping and have nice lunches. Why isn’t he designing it like that?” Loretta asked.

“Apparently, this is the standard architecture for Draconian colonies,” Octavia explained.

“Like their mining colonies?” Indigo asked.

“I have no idea. But Joss mentioned that this was the standard.”

“Those places are designed for workers, when there’s no other construction on the planet or moon whatsoever,” Lexi said.

“Joss thinks it’s what is appropriate for Earth,” Octavia said, sighing.

“I can kind of see where he’s coming from,” Lexi said. “Humanity is in desperate need of housing and sanitation. But for long-term? It’s never going work. Humans can’t live in those conditions. And from what I understand, even the miners on the colonies end up building new construction that’s more conducive to the Draconian way of life.”

“So this is how Draconians live?” Octavia asked.

“Not at all. Draconia is full of arts and culture and luxury. It’s a highly technologically advanced society where everyone is employed in a way that suits their natural ability and tastes.”

“But Joss is the grand architect,” Octavia said, sarcastically.

“I think he’s misinformed,” Loretta said. “If Earth were truly a Draconian colony, with no previous society, it might be appropriate.”

“Did you know that he intends to build his monstrosity over Central Park?” Octavia asked.

“You’ve got to be kidding,” Tabby said. “I’m definitely staying onboard the mating armada.”

“Sounds like I want to live on the mating armada, too,” Octavia said. “But the whole reason I joined the mating lottery in the first place was to prevent Joss’s designs from being built. By some sick twist of fate, he ended up being the one I was mated with.”

They burst through the outer atmosphere and into the black void of space. Octavia gasped as she watched the stars and planets tilt in front of her. She’d been so caught up in the conversation, that she’d momentarily forgotten where she was.

The Draconians had arrived on Earth six years ago, and the Mulgor had attacked two months ago. The human psyche had adapted to the idea that there were extraterrestrials. But that had not prepared her for the sight of space. She didn’t think anything could have prepared her for that.

“It’s pretty amazing the first time you see it, isn’t it?” Lexi said as Octavia stared dumbly out the window.

They moved toward a massive spaceship that reminded Octavia of the Starship Enterprise from Star Trek. An open hole in the side of the ship swallowed the tiny vessel and they landed in the docking bay. The pilot stood and opened the door, helping the girls and babies down out of their seats. Lexi put her baby into a stroller, and Loretta tucked hers back into her sling.

The pilot walked with them through the docking bay and then the girls continued down the brightly lit hallway to an elevator. They took the elevator up to the very top floor of the ship where they came out into paradise.

Paradise in a manner of speaking, anyway. Especially for Octavia, since her entire world had been destroyed. It looked like the cutest little shopping district in a city where you’d want to go on vacation.

There were upscale shops and cafés with sidewalk patios. The artificial light seemed like sunlight and it was as warm as a mild summer day. There were hanging baskets along the street that smelled of gardenias. She could even hear the sound of birds chirping, although she was pretty sure that was recorded.

“No wonder you guys love this place so much,” Octavia said.

“Pretty nice, huh?” Tabby said. “Let’s go shopping!”

“I don’t have any money,” Octavia said. All of the other girls giggled. Loretta patted her on the back.

“Honey, you don’t need any money here.”

“Even if you did, Loretta is worth a hundred trillion dollars.”

“Hey, it wasn’t my money. I just invested it.”

They walked down the street and ducked into the first clothing store. Tabby started pulling things from the rack and thrusting them into Octavia’s arms. They were all designer labels. The kind of thing that even in her life before the Mulgor invasion she never would have paid for.

“They’ll never let me back into the refugee camp dressed like this. Can I have some practical things?”

“Fine. Here’s some jeans,” Tabby said, pulling a few pairs of designer jeans off the rack.

“Go try the stuff on,” Tabby demanded.

The rest of the girls were looking at things on the shelves and cooing over the babies.

“So, tell me the story behind the hundred trillion dollars,” Octavia said from inside the dressing room. She knew there was an interesting story there.

“Before the Mulgor invasion, the idea was to buy out all of the human corporations so Draconians would be in control of the Earth’s resources.”

“How did you get put in charge of that?”

“Her mate Mylash put her in charge,” Tabby said.

“So, your mate not only listens to you, but trusted you with one hundred trillion dollars?” Octavia said, peeling out of her dirty, disgusting clothes that made her look like a homeless person.

“I can’t believe your mate is such a jerk,” Tabby said.

“He just has to get to know her,” Indigo said. “I’m sure his dragon is going crazy right now. These guys aren’t always princes right away. But the mating process changes them. I can’t tell you how many stories I’ve heard about girls who have had similar experiences. My mate kind of ignored me at first. But then…you’re not going believe what he had me do.”

“Indigo saved the planet from the Mulgor,” Tabby said, throwing more clothes over the dressing room door.

“You saved the planet from the Mulgor?” Octavia said with genuine surprise.

“Anyone could have done it. And I was using a drone. I also had a lot of help.”

“Still, it sounds like he had a lot of faith in you,” Octavia said. “Joss keeps telling me everything I say is irrelevant.”

“Just give it some time,” Indigo said. “I’m sure he’ll come around.”

“I hope you’re right because I honestly don’t know if I can do this.”

“I’m going to speak with my mate about your mate’s terrible designs,” Lexi said from behind the door.

“Do you think it will help?”

“I hope so. Nash understands humans far better than Joss does. He studied human culture extensively after arriving here six years ago. The men who have been arriving lately have not being reading his training materials, including your mate, unfortunately.”

“The Draconians have this crazy respect for expertise and authority,” Tabby said.

“That’s one of the reasons we’ve been given such good jobs,” Loretta explained.

“Then why doesn’t Joss respect my expertise?” Octavia asked.

“Probably because he still thinks of humans as inferiors. He’ll soon change,” Lexi said. “Mark my words.”