VirtuallyYours by Caroline McCall

interested Vashtar. Captain Tinar motioned him away from the com chair
and one of his men took his place. Colored lights played over the walls,
flashing warningly. Tin Man wasn’t happy about getting a new buddy. Liston’s
attempts to place the visor over the soldier’s face were frustrated by the bony
ridges on the soldier’s forehead. The visor didn’t fit and there were no
facilities on the ship to modify it. That was the first good news he’d heard
all day. The Vashtar wouldn’t be paying a visit to Marc’s world anytime soon.
At least there was some place on the ship where they could talk freely. There
might be some hope of getting out of this mess after all.
    When Charley swung her legs over the side of the chair,
Lieutenant Kirez stepped forward to assist her. Pete didn’t like the way that
guy was looking at her. A human female would be highly exotic to the Vashtar,
especially one as pretty as her. “Woman, come here.”
    Charley’s mouth set in a mutinous line at Pete’s rough tone,
but she came and stood obediently beside him.
    “The ship is now on autopilot. My female needs to rest
before she takes the helm again. She’s the only one who can fly this ship.”
    Tinar gestured to his lieutenant. “Find quarters for them
and some of their human food.”
    Food . Why hadn’t he thought of that before now? The
Vashtar were carnivorous. They ate live food, or as live as they could get it.
Tarsus Four was two weeks from here. That meant there would be at least one
stop along the way so that they could hunt.
    Kirez brought them back to the coms room where they had set
up camp a few days earlier. Mattresses and thermo-blankets lay in an untidy
pile in the corner. From the look of things, the communications console had
been disconnected. Pete watched as the lieutenant hovered in the doorway. He was
far too interested in Charley and didn’t look as if he was leaving anytime
soon. It was time to play caveman again, and Charley was going to be seriously
pissed off.
    “Woman, make my bed and fetch me some food.”
    If looks could kill, his head would be splattered across the
walls. Charley caught his warning glance toward the doorway and went to fetch
the bedding. Pete raised an eyebrow when she set up two separate beds and she
moved them together quickly.
    A soldier arrived with a carton of MREs. “Tinar wants you
back on the bridge, Lieutenant.”
    With a last glance at Charley, Kirez reluctantly departed.
    Charley delved inside the carton, eyeing the packages
dubiously. Whoever named these things Meals Ready to Eat had a vivid
imagination. “It looks as if we’re going to be living on chicken or pasta for
the next few weeks.”
    “Pity, I prefer the chili flavor.”
    “You’ve actually eaten these things?”
    “Sure,” Pete responded. “The guys used to call them Mr. E’s,
you know, mysteries. But they’re not so bad when they’re heated up.”
    The guard paced up and down the corridor as they consumed a
barely edible meal in silence. They had to get rid of him. Pete stretched his
arms and yawned loudly. “Woman, I want to rest now.”
    When he pulled off his tunic and reached for the fastening
on his pants, Charley flushed scarlet and fled to the bathroom. He dimmed the
lights and waited for her to return. For all their chauvinistic blustering, the
Vashtar were secretive about mating, and that might be one way to get rid of
the guard. Charley slid into bed beside him. She had goose bumps on her arms.
    “Hey, you’re cold. Come here.”
    “Is that another order? It’s a wonder you didn’t make me
take off your boots and clean them.”
    Pete wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against him to
warm her. “Maybe tomorrow. But only if you ask nicely first.”
    He felt a swift elbow in the ribs. Charley wasn’t going to
play nice. Fine, they could do it the other way. Pete released her and rolled
onto his stomach. “Woman,” he said loudly. “I need a back massage.”
    With a muffled