Chapter 9

One of the side effects of civilization is, you are never alone. You might think you are, but that’s when, miles above, a satellite is secretly taking pictures of you using a tree for a bathroom stall.

You don’t know it’s happening, but it is going on just the same.

The humans haven’t had to deal with this situation before. Where they come from, the neighbours keep a watchful eye out for strangers and what not, but that’s as far as it goes. On the station, they have been under constant surveillance from cameras since the moment they got off the Grokmar. Cameras and something else. A lone, cloaked figure standing well above on a balcony, watches them go their separate ways.

It paid scant attention as the men disappeared into a local drinking and carousing establishment. The women were another matter entirely. It focuses on the women. They might just prove to be more interesting. As they make their way into the crowd, the figure follows, leaping from balcony to overhang to rooftop keeping the women in sight.

***

Betty Sue forced her way into the milling crowd, like an icebreaker plowing through arctic ice. She ignored the glares, ruffled feathers and puffed up features of some of the aliens around her as she shoved them out of the way. Carol Anne and Bobby John followed in her wake.

She purposely didn’t look back at the men; she didn’t want them to think she cared where they went or worried about them in any way. Once a man thought a woman worried over him, he changed. He strutted where he once walked and put his hands in places he never could before. No, she certainly didn’t need that.

Despite that, she did worry about them. She knew in her heart that Zeke could get himself out of trouble. The man had a real knack for it. Fortunately for him, his knack for getting out of trouble was slightly better than his ability to get into it. That wasn’t what bothered her.

She remembered the gleam in Jim Bob’s eyes when he said he’d talk to Zeke back on the ship. That same gleam had sharpened when he told her that he and Zeke were going out on the town. It was clear that Jim Bob was up to something.

Ordinarily that wouldn’t worry her; after all, Jim Bob was ALWAYS up to something. Ever since they were kids he’d been a crafty one. He had always been trying to get her alone up in the hayloft. She’d even let him once or twice, after all, what else were cousins for but to experiment on each other and learn the facts of life together. (That was just their way. Get over it.)

All that had changed when she had decided it was time to settle down and get married. Jim Bob had never been a choice. His eyes wandered way too much and he had no prospects. Betty Sue needed a man who would be loyal to her. Zeke had come along at just the right time.

He was dumb as a stump and he resembled a bear almost as much as a man, but she knew he’d never stray. He had a stead of his own and never lacked for food. He’d been just what she’d needed.

And so, she’d married the big oaf and been happy in her life. Except, Jim Bob, bless his handsome heart, still showed up when she least expected or wanted him to. His appearance always made her doubt she’d done the right thing. And now she was stuck, God only knew where, with them both.

But, just what was Jim Bob doing? She was pretty sure he was plotting against Zeke. She figured he hated Zeke because of her. Poor fool didn’t know there was no chance against Zeke. Trying to take on Zeke was like trying to fight an avalanche. He’d crush you and not even notice he’d done it.

She sighed. Whatever was going to happen would whether she liked it or not.

She focused back on what she was doing and continued to push her way through the crowd. This place felt like the freak show that travelled to town every few years, only here everyone looked like a freak. She suspected they thought the same of her based on the many eyes that followed them.

She stopped in the middle of the street eliciting a squawk from a shoulder high bird creature that almost ran into her. The creature huffed and tried to go around them. Carol Anne and the boy crowded close to her.

What did she need to get? Food was a certainty. The stuff they’d been forced to eat on the Grokmar was terrible! But what else?

She looked at the clothes she and her friends wore and nodded. New clothes would make her feel better and she’d look more like a woman again. It wouldn’t hurt Carol Anne neither.

She also had to pick up some other necessities. It wasn’t quite time for her monthly cycle yet but there was no knowing if the ship had what she needed. After all, it thought they ate grass! What other queer ideas did it have?

She spied what appeared to be a pharmacy from the street and set off for it, towing her two charges behind her. The humans were a bit bigger than most of the sentients around them and bulled their way through the mass of pedestrians without too much trouble.

As soon as they passed through the door the sounds of the crowd faded to be replaced by light music. (The fact that it sounded like a field of hungry sheep is irrelevant. It was in a store, so therefore must have been music.) The store itself was white and crowded with shelves. All manner of boxes, bottles and beakers were on display.

A pleasant looking lizard smiled at them from behind a counter, displaying triple rows of teeth. “Hello gentlebeings. How may I help you?”

Betty Sue stared at the teeth for a moment before answering. She gave her head a small shake. “I’m looking for some feminine hygiene products.”

“For what species?”

Species? That was a new one on her. “Um, for me and her,” she said pointing back at Carol Anne.

The attendant frowned. “I’m sorry, miss, but I’m not familiar with your species. Where are you from?”

“We’re from Earth,” Bobby John piped up, proud to know the answer.

“Earth? Never heard of it. Just a moment.” The attendant began tapping at a keyboard set into the counter. Strange symbols covered a screen as she typed. “I’m sorry, but my computer has no record of Earth. If you can wait just a moment, I can scan you to see if we have anything compatible with your physiology.” The creature pulled out a small wand from under the counter and came around to Betty Sue.

The attendant was much bigger up close and its teeth were very unnerving. Its breath smelled faintly of raw meat. Betty Sue had to stop herself from running.

“Please hold still and I will scan you quickly. You won’t feel a thing.” The attendant waved the wand over Betty Sue’s body several times before going back behind the counter to look at the screen again.

“How very odd. My system has no record of your species. I’m afraid I cannot help you with your needs.” It tapped away at the keyboard for a few more moments. “Let me check a few other places.”

Betty Sue’s heart sank. It was bad enough being so far from home. Now it seemed that there wasn’t anyone like them neither.

“Oh, here we are!” The attendant said, looking up. “One of the shops nearby has supplies that should work for you.”

Betty Sue almost sighed in relief. Maybe it wasn’t so bad after all. “Where is it, please?”

“Oh it is very close. Just two doors down to the left. The front of the shop is a very nice green colour. You can’t miss it.” The attendant smiled her unnerving smile once more.

Betty Sue gathered her charges and turned to leave. “Thank you very much for your help.”

The attendant waved. “Have a nice day!”

The noise of the street struck them as soon as they left the pharmacy. They made their way down the street and found the suggested shop easily enough. It was the only green store in sight.

The first thing they noticed when they entered was the smell. The air was ripe with the scents of feces, fur, feathers and old leather. The second was the cacophony made by all the animals. Cages filled with creatures of various descriptions and sizes lined the walls almost to the ceiling. Shelving filled the areas in between, covered in bags, boxes and jars or all sizes and shapes.

Betty Sue looked around the shop. What the heck was this place? Why did the other shopkeeper send her here?

As if reading Betty Sue’s mind, Carol Anne spoke up. “Why are we here?”

Betty Sue shrugged. “I don’t know. I was looking for a few female items, if you know what I mean.”

Carol Anne looked thoughtful. “I never thought of that. I guess we do need more than just food. But why here?”

“This is where the other shopkeeper sent us. Said we could find what we needed here.”

Bobby John looked around. “Are female items the same as critters?”

Betty Sue was about to answer the boy when what looked like a moving mound of lime gelatine slithered out from the back. “Hello, how may I help you?” The sound of its voice was more like the hum of a tuning fork than real speech.

“I was looking for some feminine products at another store and they sent us here for them. Said you carry them.”

“Feminine products? Are they for one of your pets? What kind of creature is it?”

“What?” Betty Sue was momentarily confused. “Pets? No! They are for us.”

If it was possible for a gelatinous mass to look confused, this one did. The creature turned from lime green to turquoise and the smell of burning socks filled the air. “Why would they send you to a pet store unless.…” A pseudopod extended from the creature and reached behind the counter. It brought out a rod that looked identical to the one the previous shopkeeper had used. It waved the rod in Betty Sue’s direction for several seconds.

“I don’t believe it.” The creature wrapped a pseudopod around Betty Sue’s wrist. 

She tried to pull free but the pseudopod simply stretched and followed her moving arm.

“Stop struggling, creature! I won’t harm you.” The gelatin leaned toward her like a windblown tree. “You are a mammal, are you not?”

Betty Sue stopped struggling even though her skin crawled at its greasy touch. “A what? I’m a human being.”

“You give birth to a live offspring? You nurse it with your own milk?”

Betty Sue tried again to jerk her arm free. “What kinda questions are those? That’s kind of personal doncha think?”

The quivering mound ignored her and continued to scan the woman with the rod. “You are mammals,” it said with surprise. “It is a rare thing indeed to capture true mammals. And unless the scanner is mistaken, you are a female and able to bear offspring, too. I will have no trouble finding a buyer for you.”

“Buyer?” Betty Sue started to struggle again. “We ain’t for sale.”

“Stop struggling, mammal. You might damage yourself.” The quivering masses’ hold on Betty Sue remained firm.

Carol Anne grabbed a giant rubber bone and started whacking the creature, hoping it would release Betty Sue. The only affect was to cause it to jiggle like the jelly it was.

“Stop that. You are making me nauseous!” the thing ordered.

Carol Anne continued her assault with little effect. Betty Sue pulled and yanked at her arm. The creature formed another pseudopod and grabbed Carol Anne, immobilizing her.

The two women continued to struggle. No one noticed Bobby John who had stood back and thoughtfully watched the fracas.

He nodded to himself and start pulling items off the shelves, throwing them at the shopkeeper. The items bounced off it harmlessly right up until Bobby John threw a sack. The bag didn’t quite make it to the shopkeeper, striking the counter instead. It exploded in a shower of white granules that fell like rain over Betty Sue and the shopkeeper. 

Betty Sue squeezed her eyes closed to keep the crystals out. The shopkeeper let out a moan of pain as it was struck. Each crystal seemed to eat a hole straight through it. The pseudopods that held both Betty Sue and Carol Anne fell off the creature and struck the floor with wet splats as a cloud of granules struck them.

The gelatin-creature was a mess of oozing holes now, deflating a little with each successive hole. It finally sagged to the floor in a pool of sticky ooze and the moaning stopped.

Betty Sue looked at the liquifying shopkeeper and backed away. “What the heck just happened?”

The voice of the Grokmar sounded in her ear. “You just killed the Jellanite who owns and runs this store.”

Betty Sue jumped. “Ah told you not to do that, Grokmar! And where were you, anyway? Ah coulda used a little help just now.”

“You were never in any danger. I monitored the entire exchange,” Grokmar said.

“And you were just going to let that thing put us in cages and sell us?” Betty Sue couldn’t believe her ears. “Ah thought you needed us?”

“I would never let it go that far,” Grokmar replied. “I do need you and your friends. I thought it might be educational for you to know the kind of dangers that exist in the greater universe. You might not take as many foolish risks that way.”

Betty Sue stood glaring at nothing in particular, her hands on her hips. “You and me are going to have a little talk when ah get back, Mr. Crackgor!”

“Whatever you say, Betty Sue,” Grokmar said. “But I would suggest you and your friends get out of the shop immediately. Station Security is on its way and I doubt you want to be found with the dead Jellanite when they get here. Security’s questions can be very tedious.”

Betty Sue didn’t need any more encouragement from Grokmar. She hustled her friends out of the store trying to look inconspicuous.