The small Ghelyxian nodded and pointed to Juniper.

  “What is it?” he asked, getting onto his hands and knees. “Do you want to know if I like you too?”

  The creature nodded again, then pointed down to its cock. It was red like its pelt all the way to the base of the narrow head where it was ringed twice in black. At the tip of it, there was a black pattern like butterfly’s wings around the double slit.

  “I do like you,” Juniper said, finding himself getting aroused by the sight of the Ghelyxian’s cock.

  He’d gone to bed right after scouring the database for information on the captain’s species, and obviously, the sexual anatomy diagrams were fresh in his mind. He just wished they’d been properly labelled. Why the second meatus? What was it for?

  “Hey, are you supposed to represent the captain? Wait—”

  The little Ghelyxian ran a few steps in the other direction, then looked back at Juniper, gesturing him to follow. Juniper got to his feet and found that he was not much bigger than the statue-come-to-life. Together they pushed through the thick bushes, leaves like hands stroking the length of Juniper’s body, making him shiver.

  “Where are we going?” he asked, panting. “Can we stop? I want to… Hey, wait!”

  The creature disappeared into the thicket, and Juniper lost sight of it. When he emerged into the clearing, he saw that the statue had returned to its pedestal, but this time it had four twisted horns, and its fangs were bared. The garden around the statue of Captain Marrex had gone brittle and brown. A terrible sadness hung in the air, silent and oppressive.

  “I want to help you!” Juniper shouted. He could feel tears rolling down his cheeks, his arousal forgotten. There was just so much pain in the captain’s face, so much self-loathing. “What do I do?”

  The statue of Captain Marrex wobbled on its pedestal and then tipped over. Before Juniper could catch it, it fell to the ground where it shattered into a thousand pieces, black blood oozing from every shard.

  Juniper opened his eyes, the strange dream already fading. He was alone in his narrow bed, the room empty, but he had the strangest impression that someone had been standing over him while he slept. Feeling unsettled, he pulled the blanket higher on his shoulder and frowned. Something seemed… different about his room. It took a few minutes before he noticed the rose he had taken from the garden was gone.

  Chapter 6

  The Accident

  “You don’t understand,” Juniper groaned, clutching at his head. “I am literally going crazy. I have to get out. Please? Please, just let me out into the hallway? I’ll do anything.”

  “I’m afraid I can’t do that, Juniper,” VAL said, his projected face a sickly shade of puce. “I can’t go against the captain.”

  “I can’t stand another minute of this. I’ve been locked in this room for a week!” They’d even taken away his holocomm bracelet.

  “Pff. A week is nothing,” S1N said, lying on his back on the bed with all four paws in the air. “Do you want to rewatch that movie about the dog and the cat finding their way home? I liked that one.”

  “No!” Juniper closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. “I want to get out and stretch my legs. See something other than these four walls. I need to get out. Please. I’m claustrophobic.”

  “You spent seventeen years in a box the size of a coffin,” the cat pointed out.

  “I was asleep,” he replied through clenched teeth. When he looked up, the two AIs were just staring at him mutely.

  After a moment, VAL said, “Well, we could give you something to sleep…” But he fell silent under Juniper’s withering glare.

  Setting his jaw, Juniper marched resolutely to the door and skimmed his hands along the walls to each side of it, looking for a crack or a hidden panel.

  “What are you doing?” VAL asked.

  “If you’re not going to let me out, then I’m going to find a way out myself,” Juniper replied, finding a seam. He tried to pry it open with his nails but couldn’t get it to budge. With a sigh, he kept looking and, after a few more fruitless passes with his fingers, decided to investigate the door itself. It was the kind that slid from one side to the other when it opened, but Juniper could see the edge if he pressed his cheek against the metal. An idea came to him.

  Juniper went and grabbed the knife from his plate, and he jammed it into the side of the door, trying to wedge the knife under the edge so he’d get leverage enough to pry the door open.

  “You really shouldn’t do that,” S1N said, sounding concerned. “You might screw up the door so it won’t open at all… and then what does that accomplish?”

  “I don’t know. I just need to get ou—fuck!” Juniper dropped the knife and clutched his hand, gasping as blood welled up from a deep cut at the base of his thumb. The old fibroplastic had cracked through with his efforts, and the tang, though duller than the blade, had nearly gone through his hand. “Oh god. Holy shit.” He stumbled back to his lunch tray and grabbed the napkin, wrapping it around his hand. Almost immediately, blood began seeping through the fabric.

  “Well, that’s no good,” S1N said, sitting up. He stared at Juniper’s hand, his tail twitching.

  “Are you all right?” VAL asked, hovering closer.

  “Does it look like I’m all right?” Juniper said hoarsely. He’d never been good at the sight of blood, and this was a lot of blood. He felt nauseous and faint. “Let me out. I have to get to the med bay. Where is it?”

  For a few seconds, neither AI responded.

  “Ah… We can’t do that,” VAL finally said. “Captain’s orders.”

  “What?” Juniper teetered where he stood and decided to sit on the floor before he fell over. “Screw the captain and screw his orders. Can’t you see I’m going to bleed to death?”

  “Well. Uh. Hm” was all VAL said.

  “I need… medical attention,” Juniper whispered, his heart pounding and mouth dry. “You have to help me.” Blood was running down his arm and dripped on his pants. He put his head back against the side of the bed, fear making his vision murky. “Please.”

  Juniper realized there was no one to help him. He was on a ship with no crew. The AIs were only holoprojections. They could control the ancient service droids strewn around the ship to deliver his food and do simple things that didn’t require much dexterity, but while they could get one of them to bring a suture gun to the room, Juniper would bleed to death in the meantime. He let out a rasping sob, then tried to calm himself, preparing to stand. There had to be something in his room that would work as a tourniquet.

  However, as soon as he got to his feet, Juniper saw the floor rushing up to meet his face…

  Marrex squatted down on his haunches, peering at the unconscious young man on the floor. Then he glared up at the two AIs hovering close.

  “You two are morons,” he said.

  “You said no exceptions, Captain,” VAL replied defensively. “I was only following orders.”

  “Yeah, that’s not fair,” S1N said, slinking closer. “You can’t just give ‘no exception’ orders willy-nilly and expect us to—”

  “Go,” Marrex growled, tucking his arms under Juniper’s prone body and lifting him up gently.

  “I should get credit for calling you,” added the cat, but he winked out before Marrex could say anything.

  With a sigh, Marrex set the young man down on the bed and shook his head.

  Juniper slowly opened his eyes, feeling weird and heavy. The lights were low, and he was lying in his bed, snug under the covers. For a few seconds, he lay there quietly, thinking about the dream he’d just had. Another one about the garden and the statue. The dream came almost every night now, though always with small changes—this time it had been night in the garden, with fireflies zinging around as he chased the statue back to its pedestal. The air had felt heavy with rain, something he’d never experienced in real life. There had been a sense of urgency… Juniper frowned, trying to remember the rest, but couldn’t.

  Lifting his hand to his face to rub sleep from his eyes, he froze—there was something white wrapped around it. Suddenly, the memory of his injury came back to him, and he stared at the neat bandage in wonder. Who had patched him up?

  He sat up, a bit dizzy, and touched his head. Wincing, he found a tender lump where his head had met with the floor. It was sore but bearable.

  In a daze, Juniper slid out of bed. He was shirtless but wearing a strange pair of thin, calf-length blue pants that fit him like a glove. Another mystery. Who had dressed him?

  Then he saw the door to his room was wide open.

  “VAL?” he called. “S1N?” When no one appeared, he took a few steps, cradling his arm against his chest, and peered out into the corridor. “Hello?”

  Nervous but intrigued, he walked along the corridor, calling to the AIs every few minutes, but when all he was met with was more silence, he began to lose his nerve. Juniper paused, wondering if he should just go back to his room when he noticed twinkling lights at the far end of the corridor. He straightened his shoulders, trying not to let his nerves get the best of him, and continued until he had reached a big open door. At the far end of the dark room, there were stars, a whole field of them, clearer and brighter than what could be seen from any other viewport on the ship. In awe, he stepped into the room, wanting to get a better look.

  “You’re awake,” said a gruff voice to the left of him.

  Slowly, the lights brightened until he could see the big chair at the centre of the room, the captain slouching comfortably in it with one booted foot up on the railing in front of him.

  Juniper opened his mouth to speak but had to clear his throat. “I am,” he replied quietly. Looking down at his bandaged hand, he wrinkled his brow. “Is… is it you I have to thank for saving me?”

  Captain Marrex snorted but didn’t turn to look at him. He still gazed at the stars up on the big viewscreen, and Juniper studied his profile. He could see where the captain’s deformities had pushed forward his bottom jaw and blurred the edges between the Ghelyxian’s already short nose and wide mouth, creating the illusion of a crude snout. He wondered what the captain had looked like when he was young.

  “Was that… a laugh?” he asked cautiously.

  This time Captain Marrex looked over at him, his expression impossible to read.

  “I don’t think I ‘saved’ you.”

  “I was bleeding to death.”

  Captain Marrex snorted again, and the amusement in it was unmistakable this time. “Unlikely. It was a minor cut.”

  “It was? There was so much blood.”

  “It had already stopped by the time I arrived.”

  “Oh,” Juniper replied, feeling sheepish.

  “You were out cold for an unusually long time… You’re a bit delicate, aren’t you?”

  “I’ve never been good at bleeding,” Juniper admitted. He touched the bump on his head again. Smiling, he shrugged. “Or falling, I guess.”

  Captain Marrex stared at him in silence, and Juniper’s smile faded.

  “Ah… er… How did you know I was hurt?”

  “You have S1N to thank for that.”

  “Oh?” Juniper crossed his arms over his chest, feeling a bit exposed under the captain’s unblinking gaze. “Where is he, anyway? And VAL… I tried calling them.”

  “They’re busy running system checks as punishment for taking my orders so literally.”

  “Ah.” Juniper pushed a hank of hair out of his face. “Um. Well, thank you for helping me. I really appreciated it.”

  The captain turned back to the star field, the chair creaking loudly as he shifted. “Go now.”

  Startled by the abrupt dismissal, Juniper took a few steps towards the open door, then paused. “Captain?”

  Captain Marrex grunted.

  “Am I to stay locked in my room again?” he asked in a low voice.

  “No. Just don’t wander where you’re not supposed to. Understood?”

  “Yes, sir. Thank you! I promise…” Juniper remembered how the captain had reacted to his babbling before and stopped. Without another word, he left the brooding captain behind on the bridge, his heart light. Juniper was still a virtual prisoner, but he was confident that it was only temporary.

  He would win the captain’s trust… and he had an idea of where to start.

  Chapter 7

  Making Changes

  S1N watched the captain lift the spoon to his mouth. If he’d had any lungs or any need to breathe, the AI would have been holding his breath. Only his tail twitched, an unfortunate affectation that was part of his programming he couldn’t control, as he waited anxiously for Marrex to take his first taste.

  Captain Marrex’s brow creased as the broth touched his tongue, and after he swallowed, he frowned into the bowl. Slowly, he lifted his head and fixed S1N with a wide-eyed stare.

  “What is this?”

  “Delpi soup. What you asked for,” S1N replied, terse from apprehension.

  The captain took another spoonful of the traditional Ghelyxian autumn soup and shook his head slowly.

  “What is it? Does it taste bad?” asked the AI.

  “No.”

  The captain’s voice was quiet with amazement, and S1N had to stop himself from leaping around like a fool from relief. Scanning the captain, S1N saw that his pleasure hormones were elevated and his pulse had quickened. The AI had been skeptical about Juniper’s plan, but it seemed he knew what he was doing.

  “How?” Marrex demanded in his typical laconic way, and took another slow sip, swallowing it with obvious enjoyment.

  “Juniper.”

  Again, the captain’s brow creased up with astonishment.

  “Juniper did this?”

  “Yes,” replied S1N a little smugly.

  “Go get him. Now.”

  “Yes, sir!”

  Hands clasped behind him, Juniper walked into the dining hall, trying to project more confidence than he was feeling, all the while worrying he’d overshoot it and wind up in the realm of cocky… which he was sure the captain wouldn’t appreciate. So, he lowered his gaze as he approached the table where Captain Marrex was seated and let out a silent, slow breath to calm himself.

  “You called for me, Captain?” he murmured respectfully.

  “You fixed the replicators?”

  Juniper slowly lifted his head and offered only a nod.

  “Who told you to do that?” asked Captain Marrex.

  For a second, Juniper was at a loss. Had he screwed up again? It was impossible to tell whether the captain was pleased or not.

  “I… I took the initiative,” he replied. “I’m sorry if I—”

  “Good work.”

  Juniper blinked rapidly a few times, then looked down and noticed that there were three bowls in front of the captain, all of them scraped clean.

  “Thank you, sir,” he said in a rush, and smiled wide.

  “How did you do it?”

  “The protein filters were completely clogged, and I noticed there was a small hole between the reclamation port and the extractor so… well, things were getting mixed up and the replicator was compensating but not able to filter,” he explained as concisely as he could.

  The captain nodded his horned head but didn’t speak.

  “And… I can do other things,” Juniper ventured.

  “What things?”

  “Well, the other day, I noticed your captain’s chair—”

  “What’s wrong with my chair?” Captain Marrex asked abruptly, sitting up.

  “It’s… tilted to the side. And it looks like the bolts holding it are about to give any second.”

  “And you can fix that?” A wrinkle appeared in the middle of the captain’s forehead where the fur was very short.

  “I can. See, I figured out what’s wrong with your ship—uh, not that there’s anything wrong with it,” Juniper added quickly. “But you’re short-handed… Literally short of hands.”

  “Hm.”

  “I know you’ve been doing most of the repairs yourself, but there’s a limit to what one man can take on.” Juniper wasn’t sure, but he thought he saw the captain’s nostrils flare a bit and his eyes widen at his use of the word man. “It’s all fine and good to rely on VAL and S1N to handle the ship’s systems, but you need an actual pair of hands to take care of physical repairs to the ship.” He held his hands up, the right one still bandaged, and smiled. “And, repairs to you and me.”

  To his surprise, Captain Marrex let out what sounded like an honest-to-goodness laugh, and Juniper grinned wider.

  “All right. Fix my chair,” the captain said. Then he frowned at Juniper as if only just noticing something. “Why are you wearing that?”

  Juniper glanced down at the ugly dull-grey jumpsuit he’d found in a utility closet that morning.

  “I don’t know. I thought maybe you’d prefer me looking more… professional?”

  Snorting, Captain Marrex tossed his head as he stood up. “Wear whatever you want.”

  “You don’t have a preference?” Juniper asked. The jumpsuit was uncomfortable compared to the mismatched outfits he’d managed to put together from the clothing he’d scavenged all over the ship.

  “No.” The captain stared down at him, his black, pupilless eyes narrowed.

  Juniper waited, sensing the captain wasn’t finished with him.

  “Actually, yes,” Captain Marrex said gruffly as he turned to go. “I liked how you were dressed before.” Without another word, the captain left the dining hall.

  “Wow,” said S1N, appearing next to Juniper.

  “What?” Juniper asked, his cheeks warm and stomach full of silly butterflies flitting about.

  “That went well,” S1N replied, blinking his eyes slowly at Juniper in contentment.

  “It did, didn’t it?” Juniper leaned over to press the button on the table and watched the dishes slide into the refabricator. Then he looked back up at the door through which the captain had departed, and smiled.