In this society, humans live a thousand years and biologically mate through an unexplained chemical reaction.
When Petr Markenson's uncle figures out exactly how to mate two people, he finds himself deep inside the process...and on live television waiting to meet his mate.
Chapter 3a
“Just don’t forget to feed them, all right?” Petr said in a more intense tone than normal. Grimacing, he shook his head. “Sorry, Dermt. I know you will take care of my pets.”
Chuckling, Dermt shook his head at his brother who had been standing at the door to his small house for almost thirty minutes. “Petr, the family will take good care of your house and your beasties. Just focus on that damned camera that is going to be following you around for the next three months.” A smug smile crossed his face. “Sasha is due a few weeks after you get back and all of us are excited to meet your mate.” He paused and shifted a bit from foot to foot. “Uh, will they allow the family to come up for the ceremony? I mean, Mama is going to want to be there.”
Shrugging, Petr shook his head. “I doubt it. I don’t even know where this place is Victr is having us all taken. He has it pretty hush-hush, even within the company. I cannot imagine he will want a bunch of strangers up there.” Reaching forward, he smacked Dermt on the shoulder. “Tell Mama she can plan a celebration when we get back.”
Finally turning his back on his house, he walked straight to the vehicle that had been sent for him. The driver opened the back door and closed it behind him once he sat down. He was somewhat alarmed when he realized he could not see out. “Petr?” the driver said through the com.
“Yes?”
“All candidates vehicles are blacked out so that you cannot see where we are taking you. Do not be alarmed. The drive will take approximately twenty-two hours. Feel free to stretch out and sleep. There are food tablets and wine behind my seat.”
“Thank you.”
Twenty-two hours? That would take them all the way across the quadrant. Without thinking about it, he grabbed for his aircom, chuckling when it wasn’t where he kept it. “I wonder how many times I will do that over the next three months.”
Directions from Bry’on Mating Limited were clear. He was to bring seven pairs of comfortable pants, three pairs of dress pants, two pairs of shorts, as well as twenty different shirts. Besides his personal toiletries, that was all he was to bring. None of them were allowed to bring books, tablets, recording devices of any kind, nor where they allowed an aircom. Leaving it behind had been difficult, almost more difficult than leaving Dangr and Cruftn, his pets.
After drinking a full glass of wine, he laid down on the long seat and quickly fell asleep to his surprise. When he woke up, he had no idea where he was except that he was in the back of a trans-vehicle on route to an unknown location. A small shudder went down his back making him chuckle. As a huntsman, he always had control. Suddenly that control was gone.
Sitting up, he was pleased when a small overhead light came on. Looking around, he spotted a screen in front of him. Leaning forward, he turned it on. Victr’s face filled the screen.
“Petr, Glad you joined up. I am sure you are beginning to wonder what the hell you have gotten yourself into, but I assure you this will all turn out amazingly well. I cannot give this away to any of the other candidates, but I wanted you to know that I have indeed found your mate. I cannot say when you will be introduced to this individual as that planning has been orchestrated by PBN, but I assure you, it will happen sometime within the next three months. I think you will be pleased.”
Chuckling, Petr poured himself another glass. An endorphin surge zinged through his body and against his better judgment, he found himself grinning like an idiot. His mate was actually alive and he would be meeting him or her soon. “Damn, I feel like a kid about to go on his first mating ritual.”
Chuckling again, he took a sip and continued to listen to his uncle.
“You will only see me a few times as it is still a long flight from headquarters, but I assure you I will be there from time to time. I cannot wait to hear your impressions of the place. Enjoy yourself, Petr. There is not much for you to do but enjoy yourself for the next three months,” he said with obvious amusement. “I look forward to your mating celebration.”
The screen turned off and Petr leaned back. Victr had found his mate. True, his uncle had assured him he could do it, but until now he had been rather doubtful. “I wish he would have given me some head’s up, some knowledge of what my mate looks like.” Leaning back he closed his eyes and thought of the many girls he had messed around with at mating rituals. Ninety percent of the girls he had hooked up with and about fifty percent of the men were blondes. Well, not surprising, really. He had always appreciated blonde hair and blue eyes.
Everyone in his village and family had either brown or dark reddish-brown hair. The majority had gray eyes, though there was the odd brown-eyed individual from time-to-time. He had light gray eyes, just like his father. His mother’s side of the family all had dark gray eyes just like his uncle Victr. Diria’s changed depending on how good or bad a mood she was in.
The com came on interrupting his thoughts. “Petr, we are within the area. PBN is having us arrive in a certain order so once we reach the ranch, we will be in a long line of trans-vehicles. No reason to get nervous. We could be in line for fifteen minutes, or for ten hours depending on how they are doing this.”
“Wonderful,” Petr grunted, taking another sip. It had been almost a day since he had been outside and he wanted to get out, stretch his legs, and smell real air rather than the stale, manufactured stuff he had been inhaling for hours. Ten minutes later, the driver spoke again.
“All of the trans-vehicles arrived quicker than they expected. So, they have allowed us to drive you elsewhere so you can get out, move about, use the facilities before we get back in line.” They stopped and two minutes later the door next to him opened. He expected sunlight to be pouring in the door for some reason, but instead, it was dark – though lighter than the interior of the trans-vehicle.
Stepping out, he stretched his muscles and looked around. They were parked off to the side of one of the quadrant highways in front of a large tent. “Inside you will find some food, water, and the facilities. You have twenty minutes.” Nodding at the driver, Petr walked to the tent, opening the flap to find a large oval space. In the center was a small table with food tablets and water. To the right in the back there was a small area cordoned off by a half wall.
“That must be the facilities.” He chuckled amused. After cleaning up and downing a couple food tablets as well as some water, he walked around the interior of the tent a few times, taking deep breaths while trying to calm down his insides. Twenty minutes went by quickly as before he was ready, the flap pulled back and the driver stuck his head in.
“It’s time, sir.”
Nodding, Petr followed him out, smiling as the first signs of dawn lit the morning sky. Today was the first day of the most life-changing event he would probably ever have. He planned to make the most of it.
As it turned out, he was glad they got to make a pitstop as they ended up sitting in the line of trans-vehicles for over three hours before he was allowed to exit. When the door opened and he stepped out, he had half a mind to dive back inside. Flashes upon flashes greeted him as he faced over one hundred cameras. Looking past them, he saw a large off-white farmhouse. Figuring that was where he was headed, he walked through the throng of reporters towards the front door.
“And this is Petr,” said a smooth female voice he had heard for years. Strae Walsh, the PBN Evening Voice. Her job was to find out who was doing who and to broadcast it all over the quadrant. He hoped she would not be staying. As the cameras suddenly cleared, he found himself face-to-face with the clawing spider. She stood several feet in front of the porch, wearing a black evening gown along with heels, a hat and a veil. He half expected her to be sporting a wine glass, but she was not. She grabbed onto his arm as he went to walk by.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” she purred into the cameras. “Now, isn’t he a looker!” She gave him a fake smile. “I am surprised a gorgeous man like you needs help finding a mate, Petr.”
Planting a fake smile on his face, he stood still and replied to the cameras, not to her. “Finding one’s mate is not easy. Yes, we can find an individual who fills our mind or bed well for a small amount of time, but to find that one individual; the one for whom our body sings – well, who would want to pass up that opportunity?” He let his smile grow real. “As I am close to the century mark, I had practically given up on finding my mate. To learn that Victr Bry’on has found a way to make it possible for me to do so… well, how could I say no?” He winked at the cameras. “I look forward to meeting my mate sometime in the next three months.”
Easier than he expected, he pulled out of her grasp and quickly made his way onto the porch. Before he could raise his arm to knock, the door opened ahead of him and he walked inside. The door shut behind him and a man dressed in Bry’on colors smiled at him. Petr relaxed at the familiar design on his uniform.
“The others are waiting on the drawing room.” He pointed Petr toward a door at the very end of the hall. “Please join them.”
“Thank you, I will.” He walked down the hall and opened a set of sliding double doors. Inside, were seventeen people, all of them looking nervous or disgruntled.
“Damn,” laughed a tall woman with flaming red hair to his immediately left. He turned to look at her as he pulled the doors shut behind him. “I wish you hadn’t shown up. This means we won’t be mates.”
Chuckling, he held his hand out like always, palm down. She quickly did the same, hers palm up as the back of their hands met. No reaction. Shrugging, she pulled her hand back. “My name is Clari, I am from Quadrant Neu.”
“Petr, Quadrant Thr. I thought all candidates were going to be from this quadrant.”
Laughing, she nodded. “I begged in my intro video for them to allow me in. I think it was my age that convinced them. I just passed my fifth century mark.”
Grinning, he nodded. “At least you got in, that is the important part.” As they spoke, the others slowly made their way over. Before he knew it, he was touching hands with everyone there. Two individuals, a large woman with dyed blonde hair and green eyes and a short man who was unfortunately balding gave him a reaction, but neither in a good way. The moment the backs of their hands met, they jumped apart as a slightly painful zap hit their wrists at the same time.
The woman had been affronted and charged back to the other end of the room and glared at him as though it had been his fault. The man just chuckled, shrugged and wandered away. Petr had never had a reaction like that and couldn’t help but wonder if it was from that increased hormone production. Could that cause negative reactions? Sighing, he wished he had a notebook to record this information on.
As people wandered in, they were greeted by everyone. While nobody admitted it, Petr could tell there was always a slight hope as they touched the back of someone’s hand that they might be their mate. When it did not happen, disappointment was quickly hidden and conversations would be started about inane topics like gardening and quadrant politics. Of the twenty-eight individuals he met before Victr and a camera crew walked in, he found four people he looked forward to getting to know and conversing with. Tenro and Grod were both farmers from the lower part of Quadrant Thr; hard workers, they did not put on any false fronts. Geria and Corr were both from the lead city; one was an herbalist, the other, an animal trainer; both were ultra-feminine and quiet, but from the very beginning their sharp wit came through. Yes, the four of them would be a pleasure to talk to.
“Candidates, welcome!” Victr called as he walked into the room, his eyes dancing. “I hope you have gotten to know one another. You will be spending a lot of time together over the next few months.” Behind him a man holding a camera as well as a woman holding a mic trotted along in Victr’s wake. Petr recognized them from the crews outside. “Today I am sure you are exhausted, so this will be quick. I will go over the basics, give you your mating bands, and the first of you will be introduced to your mate.”
(cont next week...)
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