Page 4 of Jorhee

Another virtual hug quickly followed by a ‘gotta go’ gif.

Mind made up, I looked up the website for the long stay motel chain and made sure they had a room for me and Buster, my German shepherd lab mix. There was no way I was leaving him behind. It hurt bad enough that I was going to have to leave both Socks and Meadow behind, my two horses. Socks I’d had since I was ten, and he was old and retired to the pasture. Meadow was the sweet little mare Dad had given me when I returned from college. Unfortunately, both were in his name, and I knew I’d have to fight to get them after what I’d said downstairs.

That was another hill for another day, as I didn’t have anyplace to move them to yet. Motel America did indeed have a room for us, and I quickly booked and prepaid for it for a full two months, so there was one less thing for me to worry about. I was sure I’d have a job before our time there ran out, and be able to either extend or rent an apartment. That left me with less than a thousand dollars in my account and six hundred available on my personal credit card.

Thank fuck I always insisted on using my own card and having the ranch reimburse me. I’d be even more royally screwed right now if I’d accepted a company card.

No one had come up to harangue me yet, so I browsed some job listings for a few minutes. One of them caught my attention. The Dragonii had seriously placed a want ad for colonists. I chuckled, clicking on it for shits and giggles. My jaw dropped open when rolling prairie with blue green grass swayed in a gentle wind with grazing critters of some kind, alien, but obviously what passed there as cattle. The offer: choice of opening a needed business or a farm or ranch claim. The only catch? You had to go apply to be potentially mate matched at the local Mylos Scholarship Center.

Well, now the Mylos-Dragonii Education and Colonial Opportunity Center, and isn't that just the mouthful?

I clicked off and got busy packing. I threw all my clothes into my duffle and old, battered suitcase before stuffing my laptop in the laptop bag I’d had since college. Then, I unlocked my bedroom door and took the back stairs to leave the house. I could still hear them “discussing” my “willfulness” and “disappointment”.

Damned tootin’ I’m disappointed, but mostly in them. They stabbed me in the goddamned back.

I put the laptop bag in the cab, tossing the rest in the bed of my truck. It had a cab over it, so I could grab everything else of mine, and it would be safe from thieves and the elements in there. I grabbed some empty old milk crates we used for hauling stuff around and storing it, and quietly went back up the stairs.

“He’s up there sulking,” I heard Dad say. “He’ll cool down. You’ll see.”

“I don’t think he will,” I heard Ted say.

He was right, of course. Some hurts just couldn’t be healed.

I carefully placed my model tractors and 4H trophies and ribbons in the crates, then carried them stacked down to my truck. It was awkward doing that with three crates, but I managed it. Now I just needed to grab my books and photo albums, and I’d be good to go. There was a large reusable shopping bag hanging by the back door, so I grabbed it. I didn’t have a lot of books, but what I had barely fit, and it was heavy. Once that was safely in the back of my truck, I grabbed Buster’s harness and leash and whistled softly for him to come off the porch. He bounded over to me, and I opened the door to let him jump into the passenger seat. Normally I’d put him in his harness and fasten the doggie seatbelt I kept in my truck to him, but I was in a hurry to avoid further confrontation.

“I’ll get you some more food, and new bowls and toys,” I said, regretful that I’d have to go in full view of my family to grab those. Fortunately, while he loved his toys, he wasn’t super attached to any one of them in particular, so I figured he’d adjust. And he could sleep on the second bed in our room so I didn't need to get him a dog bed.

I got into my truck, started it up, and drove away without a backward glance. They weren’t worth it and had tainted my memories of the place. If I saw my horses in the pasture, I’d cry, and I refused to give my so-called family the ability to make me cry. I only got a few miles up the road before they discovered I’d gone and began blowing my phone up. I pulled over and quickly blocked their numbers and their social media IDs. If they wanted to speak to me, they could do it through my lawyer once I had a job, a new place to live, and found a stable for my horses and sued to have ownership transferred. I wanted nothing to do with them other than that, not ever again.

3

JOHREE

“Three days ago, King Filxr announced that his youngest son, Prince Johree, would relinquish his governorship to his nephew, with the young prince’s father, the Crown Prince, acting as Regent Governor. This was a huge surprise, as traditionally, upon reaching their fifth birthday, the Crown Prince or Princess’s heir would be granted Tilenfeld, which is within the Xrilla system three parsecs away. The reason given is that the new joint Human-Dragonii colony of New Haven is in need of a governor. Currently, the nascent colony is overseen by the local spaceport authority, but with the expected new influx of colonists, and its importance in relation to the new Human-Mylos-Dragonii treaty, the king has stated that he felt an experienced hand was needed and that, given the historical and political significance, the colony deserved royal oversight to show good faith.”

“Well, Frwiikr, that certainly seems like an excellent idea. As usual, the king is showing just why he’s the most popular king we’ve had yet, and everyone adored his father! Please join us live on our vidcomm channel as we await the arrival of Prince Johree, who is to appear outside of the Mylos-DragoniiEducation and Colonial Opportunity Center that just opened here in the capitol.”

I snorted at the news comm broadcast. Following on from that fateful lunch with my family, I’d met with the Mylos ambassador overseeing the opening of the center. He’d explained to me exactly how the test would be conducted, and introduced me to Xeranos, the AI who served the Bride Fleet currently around Earth. He’d been installed here as well, since humans were under his purview and thus would prevent the need to recreate data he already possessed. This was not an extension, due to the vast distances involved, but a copy. Strictly speaking, he was Xeranos and wasn’t, as they were now two separate entities. He had yet to decide what his name was, so for now, he was simply being called Xeranos. This new version of the AI was being networked into the systems being installed upon the participating colony worlds as well, both new and old. If humans were settling there, he’d be present and accessible to all. If it was a world where there was merely a testing center, he was limited to the testing facility and the private homes of both the Mylos and Dragonii officers working there.

The test itself sounded pretty straight forward. I’d go in, answer a lengthy questionnaire while the AI scanned my brain waves, then submit a DNA sample that would be run against the currently registered potential mates. If no match was found, my results would sit in the databases to be checked against future applicants.

“We’ve arrived, Your Grace,” my driver said, stopping the vehicle we were traveling in and turning off his audio comm. I quickly smoothed back an errant lock of hair while I waited for my driver to open the door. I stepped out, smoothing down the front of my tunic. I smiled at the crowd who greeted me, giving a nod to the paparazzi that were covering the event, two of themno doubt the very ones my driver had been listening to. I played my part to perfection, as always.

“Your Grace!” one called out. “How do you feel about being tested? Do you hope you receive a match?”

I paused, turning around to reply. If I ignored the question, it could be construed that I was going under duress, which simply would not do. That would make it seem as if I disapproved of those who chose to look for their mate this way, which was definitely not the case. I disliked there being conditions surrounding the acquisition of a colonial claim, though I understood the whys of it. The humans were inquiring about applying in drones, in even higher numbers than there had been for the original Mylos scholarship offer. So many that back on Earth, they’d paused processing applications for the Mylos entirely until their new integrated version of the process was ready to go so that applicants could try for both a scholarship and a land claim and only need to test once.

So, I smiled widely, making certain it looked a little wistful, and said, “Do we not all wish to find our perfect other half? A fated mate is a gift from the very gods themselves, and with proof that some lay scattered among the very stars, the gift the Mylos bring us is a blessed one indeed.”

Flashes went off as several took stills of me at that moment.

“May the gods bless you!” someone in the crowd called out, and I lifted my hand in their general direction as I turned and went inside, my guards who rode on flit bikes surrounding my vehicle, splitting up so that two accompanied me inside.

“Hello, Your Grace,” the Mylos officer in charge of this center said. “Thank you for agreeing to come here today. I understand the ambassador explained what we’ll be doing here today?”

“Yes, he did.”

“Then please allow me to introduce myself. I am Revven and my Dragonii associate here is Piral. And of course, you’ve met Xeranos’ brother.”