Invited

Eleven - Wicken

Life on the starship Persistence was as different from the Salvation as night and day. On Salvation, the Achlivans made no attempt at making us poor, inferior humans feel at home. Even the bits I saw of the Surface seemed too contrived to be comfortable, like a zoo. Only instead of seeing us through glass walls, they watched via surveillance cameras. Always present and watching, yet invisible – out of sight, out of mind – which was fine by me because Achlivans are scary to behold. Tall, lanky, strong, they reminded me of zombie elves since their skin was discolored – you know, compared to what humans consider normal.

Now, the Gorgachan are another story entirely. Persistence was busy and dirty and chaotic. I loved it. Everyone was equal. No class wars were being waged. Special privileges were earned rather than randomly given based only on luck. The Gorgachan interacted with the humans, creating a constant reminder of our situation in a different sort of way. Walking around on the ship itself feels like taking a stroll through downtown. The ground outside of our living quarters was made from pavement, the exterior walls of the apartments were a fake brick, imitating the feel of a house or apartment complex. If it weren't for the low ceilings, I would have assumed we did indeed get to roam about outside.

Each room had a number of course, and we were allowed to decorate our doors with our own personal flair. I had yet to do anything with mine. It seemed pointless. I wasn't planning on being there long. Chevelle would take me back to the Salvation. Patriarch, Justice, Paul – even Timber would help her.

When I opened my door, I saw a note taped to the outside of it. I picked it up and noticed in small, neat handwriting the words: Wait here. - L.

With a sigh, I leaned against the door frame. Layla. She was one of the Gorgachan who headed the department I worked in. Given all of my retail and food service experience, I was given the task of being a jack-of-all-trades in the food market. It was a lot like a glorified grocery store, but there were restaurant elements to it as well. People who lived on the ship could trade for food for themselves, but also have the option of a sit-down dinner and being served. There was even a cafeteria line for those who needed something fast and on-the-go. Ice cream stand, coffee shop, bakery – it was all in that one area and I got to do everything.

I wasn't quite sure what to think of Layla. Since she was my boss, I waited, but anyone else I would have probably blown the note off and gone straight to work. I took my job seriously. Not everyone did. The theory was, if I worked diligently, then I couldn't piss any aliens off. Not pissing them off meant that I had a greater chance at a ticket out. Layla in particular seemed to have a short temper, so I definitely didn't want to get on her bad side.

"Wicken, sweetie," she greeted and gave my shoulder a rub. Like all Gorgachan, she had an accent that was similar to one from the UK. It was weird, because it made her come across as more human than she actually was. At first all of the touchie-feely stuff bothered me because I didn't know how to interpret it. Once I figured out she did it to everyone, it started to slide right off of my back. Terms of endearment flowed off her tongue with ease as well. One day I was "sweetie," the next "babe," then "dear," then "hon." Sometimes she got extra creative and called me "sugar muffin."

Giving her a polite, forced smile, I humored her with a chuckle. "What's up? Why did you want me to wait for you?"

"I wanted to discuss a possible promotion with you. How would you like to be my manager for the market?" She smirked, as if she'd just asked me to be the President of the United States or something equally as prestigious. From what I understood, Earth humans were given plenty of leadership positions on the ship.

Shrugging, I motioned for her to walk with me. If I dawdled for too long, I'd be late. Boss or not, I did not want to be late, and especially not because of her. People would get the wrong idea. Being a favorite of any Gorgachan typically spelled out bad news. I may not have been on the ship for long, but I picked up on that fact right away.

"As nice as a promotion might be, I'd rather not get too involved in anything. Me and being in charge don't mix all too well," I said, honestly.

She tapped her chin. "I beg to differ. I see how you keep order wherever you work. Even if you don't have a leadership role, your co-workers respect and listen to what you have to say. People like you. To me, those are all key qualities to taking on the task. There will be a really big perk if you decide to take it on."

"Such as?" I asked, again humoring her. Chances were, whatever she had to offer wouldn't be anything I wanted.

"Oh, it's good." She wiggled her eyebrows at me.

I groaned. "If it's sex, I'm gonna pass. No offense or anything."

"Now, Wicken, if I thought you could be so easily persuaded, I would have told you to wait in your room and let myself in while wearing a completely different sort of outfit." She laughed melodiously, and I wondered briefly what her natural tongue sounded like. When I first arrived, my mentor Bob explained to me that the Gorgachan spoke our language because there was no way for us humans to learn theirs. How different could it be?

I shook off her laughter, trying to not let it bother me. Maybe she thought it was a hilarious joke, but not me. After everything I'd been through, I wouldn't be surprised by anything anyone did to try and manipulate me into doing their bidding.

Layla gazed over at me, and continued to do so until I met it with my own. "Hon, what I am going to offer you will make it all worth the while. Trust me."

"Then you better spit it out already because I'm almost at work and I don't want to be late."

"You're with me. You won't be punished."

"I don't want the others to look at me differently. I'm trying to set a precedent."

"And that is the attitude I like so much that makes me want to promote you." She tweaked my cheek like I was her boyfriend or kid brother. Those were the kinds of actions that confused the crap out of me.

I sighed. "What do I need to do to get you tell me?"

She laughed some more. "You're so adorable when you get all worked up, darling. But I'll stop teasing you, no matter how cute you are. If you become my assistant, you'll have the opportunity to spend some time on Earth again. A few days, in fact. You can see your family again, the works."

"R-really?" I stepped back slightly, completely surprised because that was not the kind of "treat" I was expecting to receive for a promotion. What surprised me even more was how badly I wanted to go back and see my family. I hadn't thought about it much, even after the Achlivans first took me. It didn't seem to make much sense. My mom wasn't dealing with the burden of having me living in the house and dumping her booze down the drain anymore, and I didn't have to deal with her issues and keeping what remained of the family afloat. Add on the fact that I was stuck on an alien spaceship with no hope of ever going back again, and it all seemed pointless to ponder. I had to toughen up, not cry over being homesick.

"I see I have your attention. I want you to think about it of course. Being my assistant is a difficult job that requires a lot of time. You'll want to make sure you can indeed take on the task. My last assistant wasn't quite up to par and was rather disappointing," she explained. "He couldn't do everything I needed from him."

Narrowing my eyes, I gazed at her. "This makes me think you're going to ask me to do things I'm not gonna wanna do."

"I promise I will not ask you to do anything of the intimate nature as part of your job, if that is your concern. That is something that is much more enjoyable when it is mutually desired." She winked. "But you might have to do a few things you won't enjoy. I believe you're familiar with the phrase 'bad cop'."

"I get the basic gist. You're telling me I might have to regulate people in a way where they might not like me much," I said.

"But I have faith that you'll do it with that special flare you have. Who could possibly hate you? It is hard to imagine anyone doing so." She placed a hand on my shoulder. "Think about it. Now get to work. You're working the janitor duty today."

Forcing a smile on my face, I nodded. "Thanks."

Janitor duty. My favorite. Not.