Page 44 of Golden Darkness

“I do.”

“Then it will be.” He scraped his teeth across her shoulder.

“So, this was designed for me?”

“Recommended by the physician.”

“Well, it’s good. It is close to my favourite food.”

“I can tell. You eat it all every time.”

“The spice profiles don’t repeat, so each tiny bowl is new.”

She hummed happily as she worked through the meal.

When she finished and was sipping at her tea, one of the Terrans walked up to them. To her shock, he bowed. “Overlord, Lady. I have heard we are to be landing soon.”

Kethen chuckled. “We are. You have heard correctly.”

“Overlord, what will our positions be? We are not the most educated group.”

“Ask your lady about what you can do.”

Without a beat, the guy said, “Lady, what would you recommend?”

She smiled. “Take an aptitude test and then get the instructional file loaded into your brain. This is a chance to start absolutely fresh.” She looked at Kethen. “Can I put the learning on my account?”

“Yes, Pet.”

The guy blinked and smiled. “Really?”

“Get to it. Assessment takes an hour, and getting the download takes one or two.”

“Thank you, Lady Janessa.” He bowed again and then left to speak animatedly to the table. The humans stuffed their faces and then sprinted out the door.

Kethen nodded, and one of the crew got up and followed them.

“Why is he following them?”

“To confirm that we have authorized the use of the learning modules. They won’t cost anything. We are not the education station.”

“Oh, then why did they have to ask me?”

“They didn’t. You mentioned price to him and then soothed his panic. Even though you were attacked, you still want them to thrive.”

She shrugged. “We lost our world. Our pasts, our history, our futures. Everything was changed. So many people lost. At first, we buried the bodies, then we piled them up and burned them, and then, we left the dead where they lay. That has an effect on people. On the way, they see the world. Now, they can see a new world where a future is possible. After some time, they will believe it.”

“Ah, like the moment you came out of the dream.”

She chuckled. “Yeah. Like that. Expect them to collapse or go nuts.”

“Monitors have been put into their work cuffs.”

“Ah. Right. Sensible. Do I get one of those?”

He cocked his head. “It may come in handy to put a cuff on you. Possibly a collar, too. You seem like the type of female to just go exploring.”

She looked up at him and tried to pout while she stared up at him. “Please, don’t collar me, Kethen.”