the lion set, making sure that he always knew where they were in case his daughter decided to find them. There were perks to being wealthy and influential and Tornen had passed those perks along to his daughter, Zoe.
She had grown up hidden from the public, but well-known behind the scenes. Her father's talent for design had made them wealthy and her talent for promotion had brought the influence. Together, they were one heck of a team.
Zoe brought her guests to the quarters that had been prepared for them. "Choose your rooms at random. If a door opens to you, you can take it as your own. There are food dispensers in the dining hall and you have access to any part of the ship but the engines. After you all get some rest, we can discuss where you want to go."
Those who wanted some privacy immediately scattered, leaving her alone with her three men and three couples, including the pregnant woman. She walked them to the green space that took up a vast section of the ship.
"Greetings, everyone. I am Zoe Hagerson. Please feel free to introduce yourself."
The pregnant woman smiled, "I am Maasha, this is Liiro."
She and her companion's skin tone was a blend of patterns in dozens of different hues. The skin around their eyes formed masks and was quite striking.
"Do you need to go in for any medical scans, Maasha?"
Maasha caressed her belly. "No, I think the little one is fine."
"Medical is the green stripe. The scanners are set for all of our species, so it should be able to work out what is going on within you if you need it."
"Thank you." Maasha bowed as gracefully as she could and smiled.
"Tirk."
The male stood apart from the woman next to him. They were albinos, no pigment anywhere aside from the red of their blood visible in their eyes.
The pale female nodded her head. "Carrah."
The pair on the other side of the spectrum of colouration stood close together. The female gestured to her and her partner. "Delari and Delios."
Zoe smiled while she took in their postures. "You are siblings."
Delari grinned. "Yes, we are. Very good. Most think we were designed to be mates, but we simply are not interested."
Everyone chuckled.
Zoe nodded. "I understand completely."
Her set bowed to her. "We are Jarix, Leos and Trin. Peacekeepers."
"I am aware of your origins, gentlemen. Now, shall we commence with the tour?"
The customized genetic creations nodded for her to start. She didn't keep them waiting.
She toured them through the entertainment centres, the bridge, the controls and the dining halls. For the final bit of the tour, she showed them the heart of the ship.
"Welcome to my favourite place in the ship, the gardens. They not only add oxygen to our atmosphere, but they provide a source for additional food supplements and vitamins. Feel free to enjoy them in any way you see fit." Zoe threw her arms wide and turned around, letting the air of the gardens wash over her.
The silk of her gown clung to her. The humidity pressed it against her skin. Her males didn't stare, but they did start scenting the air.
She shivered at the confused expressions in their faces. "T'shnadar, please set the light cycle for standard Norville daylight."
"Of course, Zoe. Would you and your mates like to adjourn to your quarters?"
Zoe froze as three pairs of astonished eyes and six amused gazes made her their targets.
Her men grouped around her, sniffing her hair, skin and clothing. She stayed very still, trying not to cause any more ruckus than normal. "Thank you for that, T'shnadar. I was going to ease them into the idea."
Jarix reached out and his hand shifted from almost human to a claw. He shredded the front of her elegant gown into tatters, exposing her mark on the inside of her left breast, over her heart.
"Ours. Our woman came to save us and we didn't even see her." Leos shook his head in amazement.
Trin stood behind her and inhaled deeply. "She doesn't smell right."
Zoe flinched as they all took another deep snort of her
She had grown up hidden from the public, but well-known behind the scenes. Her father's talent for design had made them wealthy and her talent for promotion had brought the influence. Together, they were one heck of a team.
Zoe brought her guests to the quarters that had been prepared for them. "Choose your rooms at random. If a door opens to you, you can take it as your own. There are food dispensers in the dining hall and you have access to any part of the ship but the engines. After you all get some rest, we can discuss where you want to go."
Those who wanted some privacy immediately scattered, leaving her alone with her three men and three couples, including the pregnant woman. She walked them to the green space that took up a vast section of the ship.
"Greetings, everyone. I am Zoe Hagerson. Please feel free to introduce yourself."
The pregnant woman smiled, "I am Maasha, this is Liiro."
She and her companion's skin tone was a blend of patterns in dozens of different hues. The skin around their eyes formed masks and was quite striking.
"Do you need to go in for any medical scans, Maasha?"
Maasha caressed her belly. "No, I think the little one is fine."
"Medical is the green stripe. The scanners are set for all of our species, so it should be able to work out what is going on within you if you need it."
"Thank you." Maasha bowed as gracefully as she could and smiled.
"Tirk."
The male stood apart from the woman next to him. They were albinos, no pigment anywhere aside from the red of their blood visible in their eyes.
The pale female nodded her head. "Carrah."
The pair on the other side of the spectrum of colouration stood close together. The female gestured to her and her partner. "Delari and Delios."
Zoe smiled while she took in their postures. "You are siblings."
Delari grinned. "Yes, we are. Very good. Most think we were designed to be mates, but we simply are not interested."
Everyone chuckled.
Zoe nodded. "I understand completely."
Her set bowed to her. "We are Jarix, Leos and Trin. Peacekeepers."
"I am aware of your origins, gentlemen. Now, shall we commence with the tour?"
The customized genetic creations nodded for her to start. She didn't keep them waiting.
She toured them through the entertainment centres, the bridge, the controls and the dining halls. For the final bit of the tour, she showed them the heart of the ship.
"Welcome to my favourite place in the ship, the gardens. They not only add oxygen to our atmosphere, but they provide a source for additional food supplements and vitamins. Feel free to enjoy them in any way you see fit." Zoe threw her arms wide and turned around, letting the air of the gardens wash over her.
The silk of her gown clung to her. The humidity pressed it against her skin. Her males didn't stare, but they did start scenting the air.
She shivered at the confused expressions in their faces. "T'shnadar, please set the light cycle for standard Norville daylight."
"Of course, Zoe. Would you and your mates like to adjourn to your quarters?"
Zoe froze as three pairs of astonished eyes and six amused gazes made her their targets.
Her men grouped around her, sniffing her hair, skin and clothing. She stayed very still, trying not to cause any more ruckus than normal. "Thank you for that, T'shnadar. I was going to ease them into the idea."
Jarix reached out and his hand shifted from almost human to a claw. He shredded the front of her elegant gown into tatters, exposing her mark on the inside of her left breast, over her heart.
"Ours. Our woman came to save us and we didn't even see her." Leos shook his head in amazement.
Trin stood behind her and inhaled deeply. "She doesn't smell right."
Zoe flinched as they all took another deep snort of her
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