I walked fearfully into Kayog Voln’s temporary office at the Harvest Fair. Most of the other patrons were indulging in the various treats offered in the many stalls or enjoying the entertainment from live shows and buskers. I was trying to secure my ticket out of the human colony of Meterion. As I had never left my home world, or even traveled to other cities, it frightened me in more ways than one.
However, with my 25th birthday looming dangerously close, I could no longer delay in making a decision. We lived in a matriarchal colony where the first daughter inherited the lands from her mother, and the second daughter served as backup and Superintendent for her elder. It made sense as the second-born had every interest in ensuring the good management of the land that could default to her should anything happen to her older sibling. But a third daughter was merely an extra mouth to feed and too great a risk of more offspring vying for the precious land.
It sucked all the more that, of all my siblings, I was the one truly passionate about farming. They just lucked out in the semen race lottery and were now enjoying a free ride to a life of comfort and security. I didn’t hate my siblings, but I might as well have been a stranger to them. In their eyes, I was merely an employee with an expiry date. And that date was coming hard and fast.
I peered around the small kiosk of the mating agency. It looked simple with its white walls, barren but for a giant screen and a small desk with a couple of guest chairs. It had visibly been whipped up quickly and would be taken down just as fast. It didn’t try to sell you fantasies or illusions. It was a reality check in a box.
Multiple agencies always attended the fair. The others were fancier, colorful, with the portraits of breathtaking potential partners of every species. Over the past four years, their representatives had all grown extremely familiar with my face. All of them, but this one, had essentially told me I had more chances of waking up one day with a pair of golden horns and a forked tail, than I had of finding a match. A common farm girl of average beauty, without wealth, minimal education, and not particularly refined or wordly didn’t exactly figure at the top of the list of their males looking for a partner.
But this agency ran by the Temern—a bird-like bipedal species with empathic abilities—would not only serve anyone, but always ended up making a match, even with the most unlikely cases. Then again, beggars couldn’t be choosers. Most people referred to the PMA—the Prime Mating Agency—as the final stop of the desperate and undesirables. Desperate certainly matched my situation. Undesirables defined the candidates up for grabs. It embarrassed me that I concurred with that definition. I had never considered myself an elitist, but it was true that the species represented by the PMA didn’t have people knocking down their doors to be paired with them.
With a name like Prime Mating, you’d think you were getting the best of the best. But in this instance, Prime was referring to the Prime Directive. The agency represented planets still considered primitive but whose population had been exposed to other alien cultures when the Prime Directive had been violated under whatever circumstance. Not only did those species rank low in the technological scale of the galaxy, most of them also didn’t quite fall under the stunningly attractive category.
I couldn’t wait to see what primitive species, if any, I had been paired with.
Kayog gestured for me to take a seat, the stiffness of his beak-like mouth making his smile fairly discreet. He looked like a bird of paradise with his golden feathers, maroon wings, and long, fluffy, white tail that reminded me of the train of a wedding gown. His silver eyes observed me with a kindness and wisdom that spoke of his venerable age, despite his youthful appearance.
I settled in front of him and clasped my hands on my lap, feeling both nervous and excited by the news he had for me. When I had received his com requesting for me to drop by, I had known he had something to propose. In my current state of desperation, my answer was already predetermined. The candidate would have to be beyond freaky for me to say no. It certainly helped that, as empathic creatures, the Temern agents personally met each of the candidates to assess their compatibility with the potential partners. I didn’t quite know how their psychic power worked, only that whenever they told you someone was a fit, you could be certain that relationship would work out.
“Greetings, Susan,” Kayog said with his melodic voice. “It is good to see you so well and under such good tidings.”
“Good tidings?” I asked with far too much eagerness.
He gave me that stiff smile again which, this time, had taken a sympathetic edge.
“Good indeed,” he replied with a sliver of smugness. “I have searched long and hard to find an appropriate match for you. I am happy to report that my search has been successful. He is your perfect partner, although you may not see it at first.”
I shifted in my seat, sensing I wasn’t going to be too impressed by what would follow.
“The candidate is located on Xecania,” Kayog continued. “He is an Andturian Hunter, leader of his clan, and owner of the most fertile lands in the entire solar system.”
My eyes widened upon hearing those words, and I perked up, my interest suddenly skyrocketing.
“An Andturian?” I asked.
Kayog smiled again, tilting his head to the side in a fashion reminiscent of the way birds often did when observing something they didn’t quite understand.
“He is what you would describe as a lizardman,” the Temern agent said, passing his hand over the small holographic display on his desk.
It immediately projected a 3D image of the said lizardman. The label had been accurate. Tall, lean but muscular, the Hunter was covered in green and black scales. Although reptilian, his face didn’t have the long snout that I expected, but looked rather flat, almost like a human’s but without the pointy nose. Two slits served as nostrils. I couldn’t quite describe the appendages dangling from his head, almost like scaly dreadlocks instead of hair. Smack in the middle, a frilled membrane started at the back of his head, the length of his nape and down between his shoulder blades. A thick, long lizard tail protruded behind him. Impressive claws tipped the five digits of his hands as well as his webbed toes.
He was naked but for some tribal adornments, a leather harness across his chest, a weapons belt, and a pair of wristbands. Nothing about him screamed wealth or advanced technology.
It is the PMA for a reason.
I swallowed hard while taking in the appearance of the being I would likely be calling husband in the not-too-distant future. Suddenly, all my excitement at discovering a foreign world and about new beginnings filled with hope and possibilities started fading away. Could I truly go through with this? I’d never considered myself a superficial woman, but could I actually mate with a being such as he?
“I can see this was not what you had envisioned,” Kayog said in a gentle voice.
My face heated with embarrassment. I didn’t mean to appear ungrateful or elitist.
“Do not apologize,” he said when I opened my mouth to do exactly that. “He does not correspond to the usual human aesthetic for beauty. Within his people, he is considered a prime specimen. Biologically, both your species are fully compatible. However, his genes are dominant, which mean any offspring you will have will be 100% Andturian in appearance. Although he is a Hunter, the Andturians are a peaceful people. He may not be a fancy match, but he is your perfect match.”
“What makes you so sure?” I asked, unable to hide my dubious tone.
“Not only are you the ideal female for him personality-wise, but your background and expertise also make you his people’s best hope of survival,” Kayog said, his silver eyes suddenly taking on a greater intensity.
My jaw dropped upon hearing this unexpected comment. It also further piqued my curiosity. Finding a mate was my only ticket out of here. But finding a mate to whom I would be valuable could be the recipe for a happy union. Being needed instead of a burden would be such a wonderful change.
“What kind of challenges are they facing?” I asked.
“Financially, the Andturians are poor people,” Kayog explained. “The main reason for it is that they don’t actually pursue wealth. Over the past couple of decades, an increasing number of foreigners have been settling on Xecania. Its amazing climate, the beauty of its mostly undisturbed landscape, and the breathtaking beaches have made it a very appealing destination for fancy holiday resorts, real estate developers, and venture capitalists.”
“And the local population is getting snuffed out?” Although I stated it as a question, it was in fact a bitter statement.
The Temern nodded slowly. “The Andturians are facing an impending famine. In the past two years, they’ve been having more and more difficulty finding game to hunt when their forests once teemed with life. And the crisis is growing exponentially.”
“But I thought you said they had great farmlands?” I argued.
“They do,” Kayog said, his eyes gleaming with approval that I’d been paying attention. “One of the greatest appeals of Xecania is its lands. Currently, none of the farmlands are being worked by anyone. And some major corporations are eager to tap into that unexploited wealth. Every report claims that, properly developed, the Xecania food production would by far exceed that of your own homeworld, Meterion. We are talking about billions of credits per year. And it’s all going to waste because the Andturians who own those lands are not keen on selling.”
“You want me to convince them to sell their lands?” I asked, somewhat confused and slightly outraged.
Kayog chuckled and shook his head. “No, Susan. I want you to convince them to start farming their land and owning this industry on their homeworld. I want you to make Olix and his people wealthier, well-fed, and immune to the bully tactics from the investors and realtors on Xecania. You can turn the tide.”
I stared at him for a moment, rendered speechless by this rather tall order. I was a farmer, not a social justice militant. Who was I to try and thwart the plans and schemes of mega organizations? At the same time, we had lived through similar situations on Meterion, with huge corporations trying to acquire our lands. They would have automated the farms with less than ethical methods to increase productivity but in a way that would have not only damaged the land overtime, but also grown products of questionable quality. Being able to help turn the tide would be quite the accomplishment and something to be proud of.
“Why don’t they work their lands?” I asked, confused. “It seems like a no brainer to me.”
“They’re Hunters, not farmers,” Kayog said in a strange voice. “For some inexplicable reason, the herds are vanishing. But the Andturians keep trying to track them. Sometimes, people lose their way and need a bit of help finding it again. You can be that guiding light. Don’t forget that, as the mate of Olix Nillis, you would own an even greater parcel of land than any of the heiresses here on Meterion, and of far greater quality.”
That was a low blow, but an effective one. My whole life, I had dreamt of owning land. This was beyond a dream come true. But at what cost?
“What if I fail?” I asked. “What if they want to keep hunting, and I end up starving right alongside them?”
“As with all the unions arranged by our agency, you have to commit to six months of trying to make it work,” the agent explained. “Should the union fail, and you choose to divorce him, we will find you another mate. However, be warned that you will have even less choices than this first time around. As with this union, we will handle all the relocation costs.”
Feeling slightly overwhelmed, I ran my fingers through my hair and swallowed hard. This was not what I had hoped for, even though I never really had a clear idea of what I expected. Either way, I would accept. With luck, that decision wouldn’t come back to bite me in the ass.
“What’s in this for you?” I asked, eyeing him suspiciously.
The Temern smiled. “Our agency works exclusively on behalf of the United Planets Organization. They pay our fees to help grow primitive planets and ensure the locals have a chance at keeping control of their own wealth,” Kayog said. “Sending observers and advisors for a few months here and there is usually not very useful. Bringing knowledge and expertise through someone who will become an integral part of their culture bears more fruits in the long term. Your skills can incentivize them to broaden their horizons.”
I nodded slowly, understanding the wisdom of his logic. “So, what happens if I agree?”
“Then I will ask you to prepare to leave within 24 hours,” Kayog deadpanned.
I gaped at him, suddenly feeling lightheaded. This was moving way too fast. “But… but what of him? Doesn’t he have a say in the matter?”
The Temern waved a dismissive hand. “Olix agreed to take whoever would have him. Only your consent is required for this union.”
That stung. My already lukewarm enthusiasm plummeted further.
“Wow, is it that bad? I’m not feeling particularly wanted there when my would-be-husband doesn’t even care about who he’ll be committing to.”
Kayog smiled sympathetically in response to my dejected expression. “A Seer told him to marry an off-worlder, and that his mate from the stars would change the fate of their people. He complied.”
“If that was supposed to reassure me, it didn’t work at all,” I grumbled.
The agent burst out laughing. “You know our success rates, Susan. I take great pride in my work and in the happiness of my clients. This may look unappealing to you, and right now you may be feeling rather discouraged, but don’t be. Olix is your perfect mate. Trust me, by the time the trial period is over, you will thank me for pairing you with your soulmate.”
Despite their undeniable stellar success rates, I had the hardest time believing my fairy tale romance would be with a lizardman.
Nevertheless, I signed.
