His Virtual Bride by Dee Brice Page A

between them. That sexual awareness, she admitted as Sedna's landscape slid by in a blur, had existed for quite a while. At least on her part. But Geoff must've felt something too. Otherwise Herma-Frodie wouldn't--couldn't--make them dream that dream. Could they?
    She wished she had someone she could ask. The hermaphrodite, she was certain, would play innocent. Maybe even act insulted that Keely would accuse them of such an intrusion. Judging by Geoff's silence about their dream, Keely suspected he knew it wasn't an accident. But if she did muster enough courage to ask him, would he tell her the truth? And if he did what would it mean? Would making love for real stop their dreams? Or would the dreams get worse? Hotter? More explicit until they lost their minds? And what might happen if they just ignored the subject completely?
    I'm making my headache .
    Blanking her mind, she focused on Sednania rising in the closing distance. No-Name had given Keely what little information she had. The city --the only city on the entire planet--was a sprawling megalopolis built over an aquifer--the planet's only source of water. Because the climate was inhospitable at best, walkovers and tunnels connected the buildings. To get from one side of Sednania to the other took several days on foot, a few hours by some kind of internal transpo-system. The planetary government resided in the tallest building, the mayor's office on the top floor.
    Mayor was the closest word No-Name could provide for the highest-ranking official on the planet. Or rather the object, as astronomers on Earth had designated it in the late twenty-first century. Just like they had demoted Pluto from planet to object . Colonization of both objects hadn't changed Earth's collective scientific mind--never mind what the rest of the galaxy thought.
    And where had her resentment come from? she wondered as the scooter stopped at the first building it came to and their driver dismounted. Looking around, Keely credited Sednans with great organizational skills. Hundreds of scooters and drivers discharged or picked up humanoids of every description from designated locations in the enormous marble terminal. While there seemed to be no particular order of who went first, everything and everyone moved smoothly in an endless flow of arrivals and departures.
    "Impressive," Geoff muttered, slowly turning in a circle.
    "Sino will escort you from here." Their driver handed their cases to another male Sednan, this one with a red stripe down his body.
    Keely and Geoff reached for credits, but their driver shook his head. "All part of Sednan hospitality." He hailed his outbound passenger while looking at neither of them again.
    "This way, please," Sino ordered, motioning them to follow him.
    "Do you know where we're going?" Geoff kept his voice low as if any sound could carry to the farthest corners.
    Which, now that Keely thought it about it, was really quiet. Especially with several hundred people moving through the terminal.
    "All visitors are housed here," she explained. "I understand this facility is very much like Saturnalia. It has hotels, boutiques, restaurants, parks and playgrounds."
    "Casinos?" Geoff's voice contained dread.
    "Yes, but I don't need to go to any. Do you?"
    "Jove, no!"
    They followed Sino into a large glass tube. Seconds later, without their feeling any movement at all, he bowed them out before one ornately carved door.
    "If you will each place your hands on this plate." They did and the door opened to admit them. "I'll put your luggage in the bedroom."
    Keely bit her lips.
    Geoff groaned. "Doesn't any hotel have more than one bedroom?"
    "Not for only two people," Sino explained. "Enjoy your stay."
    "Hey!" Keely called to his back. "We need to see your mayor."
    "He will contact you as soon as possible."
    "When might that be?" Geoff demanded, but the Sednan had vanished. Closing the door, Geoff asked Keely, "What's wrong with this picture?"
    "Nothing that I can see." Keely