Adaptation Read online

  Noo narrowed his eyes. I am the alpha. I will mate first in any case.

  We will go with you, Rak said hurriedly. Closing his eyes, he summoned an image of the female form and struggled to conform his mass into that shape. He discovered when he had managed the transformation that both Noo and Dae were looking at him strangely. He looked down at himself, but he thought that he had managed the shape well enough. What?

  Noo and Dae exchanged a look.

  You are a very tall female, Noo said finally.

  Rak frowned at him. If I am not tall, then I will have to be wide and I do not want to be wide!

  You are an ugly female, Dae said tightly. You might just as well be wide also! And it is not a bad thing. You do not want the males inside to try to mate with you.

  They hit another snag when they tried to go in the second time.

  "The show is nearly over-I'll let you go in for ten credits," the woman at the front told them.

  The three exchanged uneasy looks, trying to recall some reference to credits that would explain what the woman wanted. Angry when he could not, Noo focused on the woman and searched her mind. A blank look crossed her features after a moment. Surprised, Noo sent a questioning look at Dae.

  Dae shrugged. Her mind has gone blank. What do you suppose caused that?

  She is not accustomed to speaking with her mind. Perhaps it is that?

  I think we should go before anyone notices that you have fucked up her mind, Rak said uneasily.

  I have not fucked up her mind, Noo snapped, but he turned and strode briskly toward the entrance to the mating hall.

  Rak had turned to leave, but when he saw that Noo and Dae were hurrying inside, he followed them. All three of them jolted to a halt once they were inside, stunned at the teaming, screaming mass of females.

  Gods! There are so many, Rak exclaimed!

  It is just as I suspected, Noo growled, scanning the room. There are males in here!

  Those are for security, Dae said dismissivly, and then froze when he spied the males that seemed to have captured the attention of all of the females. Those are performing … a mating dance!

  Noo studied them for several moments. Gods! There are only six of them and there are hundreds of females here! They cannot all expect to mate with those few, he said angrily, far more worried that Kate had come here to be part of the mating ritual than he had been before he had seen the males.

  Dae was studying the reaction of the females to the gyrating males on the platform. We could imitate them, he said doubtfully.

  Why are they stripping off their protective skins, Rak asked doubtfully?

  To incite the interest of the females, clearly, Noo retorted tightly. Do you not see the way they scream and jump up and down with excitement each time the males take another piece of the skins off?

  Dae studied the females for a while and transferred his attention to the males again. I did not think they would look like that without the skins. I am certain the males on the space station did not-not just as these do, at any rate. These are more muscular and undoubtedly far stronger. Maybe the security guards, he added doubtfully.

  Obviously this is why the females are here, Noo responded tightly. These must be mating males and the others are only for … whatever it is that they do on the space station.

  The males are moving from the dance area to choose females, Rak observed. He had no sooner pointed that out than Noo began to force his way through the crowd, searching. Where are we going?

  Noo flicked him an impatient glance. To guard Kate from the mating males, he growled.

  Like this?

  Noo halted abruptly and looked down at himself, then surveyed the crowded room. There is no place to transform ... and no time when the males are choosing!

  They all spied Kate and Sissy at almost the same moment and the male moving steadily in Kate's direction. Galvanized by the certainty that the male would home in on their prize, they hurried to reach her first and surround her. Noo blocked the male's advance, fixing him with a challenging stare. The smile the male had pasted on his face began to look a little strained as he surveyed Noo.

  "You want a private dance, baby?"

  Noo narrowed his eyes at the male, sorting the sounds he had learned in an effort to grasp the meaning. "No," he enunciated finally.

  He had failed to grasp the precise meaning of the question, but he thought the male's intention was fairly clear. Anger and disgust flickered through him that the human male's senses were so poor that, even in mating fever, he could not tell that he was also a male, but then it had not taken long to discover that none of the humans had very keen senses.

  Looking relieved, the male tried to step around him. Dae moved to intercept him and the male looked Dae over as he had Noo.

  "I want a lap dance!" Sissy called out from behind them.

  Noo stiffened as the male grinned and tried to push between him and Dae. He did not particularly care if Sissy mated with the male, but he was damned if he would let the male that close to Kate! He gripped the male's arm and jutted his head forward threateningly until he was almost nose to nose with the male. "Mine woman!" he said in a low growl. "Fuck off!"

  The male sent him a startled look. "Hey! No problem."

  A little surprised that the male had yielded so easily but satisfied, Noo released him.

  "Fucking bull dike," the male muttered under his breath as he turned and surveyed the immediate area for a likely female.

  Anger flickered through Noo at the insult. He was not certain what the fuck it meant, but the tone was enough to assure him it was an insult. He tamped his anger with an effort. Fighting over females suitable for mating was not unusual once the fever had the males in its grip, but he was not so focused on his own female that he had failed to notice that there had not been a single challenge. He supposed, with some disgust, that it was due to the fact that these mating males had so many females to choose from. They merely moved from one female to the next, hovered long enough to mate and moved to another.

  They are very quick to seed the females, Dae said thoughtfully, his voice carefully neutral.

  Yes, but how are they seeding them, Rak asked? I cannot see that they do more than rub against them and I do not see any exchange of fluids.

  They are pumping the seed into them. See the movement of the lower body, Noo said dismissively, far more interested in guarding Kate at the moment than the process of human mating.

  I cannot see that they inserted anything, Rak said testily. How could they pump it into the female if they did not?

  That comment effectively caught Noo's attention, but when he looked around he saw that the males were now moving away from the females. Why would they pump if not to eject seed?

  I am not disputing the logic of that, only saying I did not see them actually seed any of the females, Rak said somewhat indignantly. Maybe they impregnate the females differently than we have ever encountered?

  We have not impregnated any females, Dae said dryly. That would not be difficult.

  Rak glared at him. In the memory, he said tightly. The fathers before us always inserted their member into the female to impregnate them.

  Dae rolled his eyes. There is nothing wrong with my memory! I know that! But the fathers before us never mated with any creatures like these!

  Frustration emanated from Rak. I know that, gods damn it! You are missing the point! The point is that they must mate differently and how are we to manage it when they do and we do not know how they do? Maybe we should ask one of the females to explain the process?

  Noo frowned. Too dangerous. We should know. If we give away the fact that we do not then they will know that we are not actually one of them.

  There is no reason for them to think that. Their senses are not keen enough to detect the difference and, as far as we know, there are none here able to transform their appearance. Why would it occur to them that we had?

  Noo flicked an impatient glance at Dae. You do not think th
ey will be wondering by now how we managed to escape? Their senses may be pathetically inadequate, but they are intelligent and inquisitive. They will be trying to figure it out and they know that we are very different from them. We do not want to behave in any way that might alert them.

  I believe that I will follow the mating males and see if I can find out what we need to know. There are so many voices here that I cannot focus on the minds of the males.

  Should I stay to guard Kate, Rak asked?

  Noo glanced around and shook his head. She should be safe for now from mating minded males. They have all gone that way and if there are three of us searching, I believe we will find out what we need to know more quickly.

  * * * *

  "They scared the guy off!" Sissy said indignantly. "Did you see that?"

  Kate was studying the glass in her hand, trying to decide whether it was a very bad idea to finish her drink or not when she already felt as high as a kite. All she could say was that they either mixed some damned strong drinks in the place or she'd lost any tolerance for alcohol she'd ever had. She was sure she shouldn't be this drunk with only two drinks! "See what?"

  Sissy blinked at her. "Those women were huge! They looked like … bouncers in drag! How the fuck could you have missed them?"

  Kate stared at her friend hard for a long moment and finally snickered a little drunkenly. "They weren't transvestites? Are you serious?"

  "I'm seriously pissed off I didn't get a lap dance!"

  Kate considered it and finally sighed. "Just as well. I'm horny already. I'd just be more horny and I don't see a handy pole to climb."

  "Show's over. They'll let the men in now," Sissy said with a shrug. "Could be we'll find something worth taking home."

  Kate did a mental inventory and decided that she really was horny, not just wishful. "Ok! I'm in! Let's stay and see if we see anything interesting. I think I'll have another drink. I'm going to have to be really relaxed to hook up." She leaned closer to Sissy and lowered her voice. "I have this problem with strange dick."

  Sissy uttered a snorting laugh. "What kind of problem?"

  "Don't laugh! I'm serious here! I can't relax enough to enjoy it."

  Sissy nodded sympathetically. "That is a problem seeing as how you don't have a boyfriend."

  "Exactly! And seeing as how I haven't had a damned boyfriend in … Fuck! What year is it?"

  Sissy snickered. "I don't know …. Wait! How long were we on the space station?"

  "I should look up my ex," Kate said abruptly. "He won't mind giving me a little dick."

  "His companion might mind him giving you a little dick." Sissy snickered. "And that's all he could give you anyway if what you said about him was true."

  Kate frowned. "I told you that? I don't remember telling you that. Guess I was pissed off and felt like being nasty. It wasn't little. It was average. The dick just didn't know how to use his dick!"

  Sissy patted her hand. "Well, he's somebody else's problem now! Just as well you ditched him. I don't know why you'd want to look him up anyway if he didn't know how to please you."

  "Good point! Strange dick it is! Sort of a roll of the dice," Kate said agreeably.

  "Odds ought to be at least fifty-fifty that you'll get something good."

  "Maybe they ought to be," Kate said glumly, "but I've been fucked by the fickle finger of fate more times than I can count!"

  Sissy uttered another snorting laugh. "Well we'll just wait until they've knocked back a few drinks. Most guys have a hard time getting off when they've had a few. It'll give you more time to get yours."

  Kate considered that. "Yeah, but if I get any higher I'll pass out in the middle and start snoring … and if I get too sober I'll be tense."

  Sissy patted her hand. "I'll watch your back and keep you in the goldilocks zone."

  * * * *

  Finding himself in an empty corridor, Noo stopped as soon as they had stepped through the door the males had gone through and assumed the form of one of the security guards he had seen when he had entered the building. Dae and Rak followed suit, clearly relieved to discard the female forms they had taken. Noo glanced at them and frowned. We cannot all have the same face! They do not look the same!

  Shrugging, Dae summoned another face to mind and changed his appearance. Rak, he saw, was having some difficulty. He projected an image into his nest mate's mind.

  Rak shifted, but he was not happy. This is an ugly face, he said somewhat indignantly.

  What does it matter, Dae asked indifferently?

  I do not want to be ugly! Kate will not like this face!

  How do you know, Noo asked, equally indifferent?

  I think it is ugly! Why would she not think so?

  Because she is human? They have a different perception of what is appealing and what is not.

  Rak frowned, thinking that over as they proceeded along the corridor. I think Kate's face is very appealing and I am not human.

  I find her very appealing, too," Noo agreed.

  I also find her appealing. In fact, I believe she is what the humans think of as beautiful, Dae said.

  How would you know that?

  Dae shrugged. The way the human males look at her and the things they think when they look at her. Those others on the space station may not be suitable mating males, but they have thought about breeding her.

  Rak considered that indignantly for a moment before he recalled what had started the conversation. But this face belongs to one of them and clearly Kate does not consider it appealing, gods damn it!

  How do you know?

  Do not start that again, gods damn it! You just said they were not suitable mating males!

  We are assuming that because they did not. We do not know that for certain, Noo said somewhat distractedly. I think there is a lot more that we do not know than there is that we do know for certain.

  All three of them halted when they reached a room where the mating males had gathered. A little disconcerted that they had been so preoccupied with their discussion that they had not realized they would simply walk right up upon the males, they glanced around, trying to decide whether they should retreat or not.

  Discovering that the males were in the process of stripping the last of the skins off or replacing them with other skins, Noo decided they might as well discover what they could while the opportunity presented itself.

  It was something of a relief to see that the human males had members not unlike their own. They were not precisely the same, naturally, but he thought close enough in appearance and functionality. Of course, even the human males were not all the same. Just as they varied in height, breadth, overall shape and size and muscle mass-and the appearance of their face-their members also varied.

  Mindful of the effect his probing had had on the female at the entrance, Noo carefully skimmed their minds in search of the information they sought. He had just focused on one who clearly had mating on his mind when one of the males noticed them and uttered a string of sounds.

  "What's up?"

  "Problems?" another asked.

  Noo glanced at Dae and Rak for help.

  "No," Dae said, pleased with himself for a handful of moments that he seemed to have uttered the sounds correctly. The mating males exchanged questioning looks that made him uneasy, however.

  "The show's over," one of the mating males growled, a challenge in his voice. "As you can see, we don't have any of the women backstage."

  Noo nodded as he had seen them do and turned around, urging Dae and Rak out before him. They paused when they had covered about half the distance between the room where the human males were changing skins and the other room where the mating females were. The images in their minds were not clear. I still do not know how they breed. Did either of you catch anything?

  I did not try, Rak responded uncomfortably. I thought you would search their minds for the information.

  Noo sent him a look of disgust and turned to Dae. Did you capture anything?
/>   Nothing clear, Dae said evasively. Only more of the humping.

  Noo's lips tightened. Well, they have members. Clearly they are designed to stick them in to the females and pump their seed inside! They cannot be that different from the females our clan has mated with. They will have a hole to receive! We will figure it out, he finished decisively.

  We are going to attempt a mating now, Rak asked uneasily when Noo strode decisively toward the door once more?

  Noo flicked an impatient glance at him. Of course! She is ready to mate or she would not be here!

  Yes, but …. She will not like this face and she will not want to take me as a mate!

  We already discussed that, Dae pointed out dismissively.

  And I am still not satisfied! Rak snapped.

  Noo halted as they reached the door. He may have a point, he said thoughtfully. Well, not actually a point in that, but it puts me in mind of an important thing that I had not considered.

  What point?

  If we use a face that she recognizes, she will expect us to be that human. Rak cannot use that face.

  You took yours from that guard that is here, Dae pointed out.

  And you took yours from that guard on the space station. We cannot use any of these faces.

  What faces are we to use, then?

  Noo thought it over. I think we must use our own.

  She will certainly recognize those when she has seen them every day for more than an Earth year, Dae objected.

  Noo sent him a look. Those are not our faces! Those are only the forms we took to make them not afraid of us.

  Our real faces, you mean, Rak said doubtfully? But … they are not human faces. She is more likely to be afraid, it seems to me, than to agree to a mating.

  Noo uttered an irritated huff. They are not very different from human faces. We must have human bodies and human skin. They will appear to be human faces to her with human skin!

  Yes! Very ugly human faces, Rak muttered.

  Chapter Four

  "Oh my god! Don't look now, but I think those transvestites are headed our way!"

  Kate whipped a look around and spied the three tall, brawny males headed toward them. "Fuck! I made eye contact with the one in front!" she whispered, looking away quickly.