Brida Pact (5 page)

Valerie paused for a moment as if she were trying to find a
way to say something she didn’t really want to say.

“We encourage you to find out if you are ‘compatible’ but
the government is not putting pressure on you or any of the other volunteers to
do anything you’re not comfortable with. If you want to explore …physical
attraction then that is between you and your match. There is a small US
military presence on the squadron ships and you are not only encouraged but
expected to report to the US representatives there if you’re feeling physically
threatened, even if this is coming from your match.”

“So no sex unless it’s consensual. Got it.” Poppy knew the
next words out of her mouth were going to cause her to turn bright red. “Do
they know how to…you know?”

Valerie smiled and said very matter-of-factly, “We’ve been
told they’ve been monitoring Earth for quite some time and that includes
watching cable broadcasts to try to assimilate. I’m sure if they’ve seen some
of the shows on the cable channels I watch then they have an idea even if they
haven’t actually practiced before. You do need to know that physical contact
like hugging or common friendly gestures are generally not done there. Being an
all-male race means that they generally have physical combat training, but
holding hands and hugging aren’t something many of them have ever done or
actually seen unless it’s been on TV.”

Poppy let out a long breath and wondered again,
What am I
getting myself into?

“You are clearly overwhelmed. Do you want to keep going, or
make an appointment after you take a couple days to breathe? If you have any
questions I will answer them or find answers for you. I also want you to let me
know before you sign the contract if you have any doubts regarding the process.
Do you want me to keep going or break for the day?”

“Honestly? Yeah, I probably need a break, but my sister is
going to grill me later and if I don’t have some good answers, she may kill me.
Let’s keep going. Can you explain what happens after the thirty days?” If she
was going to do this then she was going to pull up her big-girl panties and go
for broke.

Valerie continued, “After thirty days, if both parties are
satisfied with the match, then you will enter into a spousal contract, which is
essentially their version of marriage. At that point, they will want physical
relations to begin. Getting pregnant is essentially the brass ring in this
program. I need to let you know they don’t really have divorce on their planet
but we have had them add it into the spousal contract. However if you do get
pregnant then you’re expected to give up your parental rights and leave the
child with them if you wish to return to Earth. They were adamant they don’t
trust us to care for or protect their young if one is born. It is very
important you make sure this is the path you want to take, considering this
will potentially involve your future children.”

Poppy could feel the tension in the small room. She
understood Valerie was trying to stress the weight of her decision and was
grateful she wasn’t getting anything sugar-coated.

Valerie took the pause as a time to gather a couple papers
from the desk in front of them. Handing Poppy something that resembled a
deposit slip, she continued.

“Also, your first portion of the stipend will be deposited
later today and the second part when you’re selected. After the thirty-day
trial period, if you marry, you will receive half a million dollars. You can do
anything with that money. Pay off bills, gift it or even invest it. However, we
wanted to warn you there’s a limited number of personal possessions you can
take with you once you leave. Space on the crafts is limited and apparently
it’s easier to buy new items when you arrive than transport them across space
to their home planet. You will be expected to live there with your spouse.
We’re working out a clause that may allow volunteers to come back if they have
a death in the family but so far the warriors are not very happy about that.
Their goal is to protect you and whatever child or future children you might
carry. Let’s just say that the recent bomb threats have made them very antsy
regarding our security.”

“Wait. Did you say half a million dollars?”

“Yes, the government feels that’s a reasonable compensation
for your sacrifice. We also have paperwork showing that if you do come back to
Earth, the money will be tax-exempt. We do ask that you keep that number to
yourself. We want women to volunteer and make an honest go of this. If it gets
out that we’re offering such a large sum, we could have the wrong type of
people apply. I will need you to sign a nondisclosure agreement before you
leave.”

Poppy took a sip of her now-cold coffee and thought for a
minute. That actually did make sense. Hell, if she’d known she’d be getting
that much money, she would have been much more eager to apply. She also knew
some of her friends would dump their so-so boyfriends and apply as well.

“So what would I do with all my stuff?” she asked.

“I would actually be in charge of getting it into a storage
facility for you for your trial period. At the end of the thirty days you can
decide if you want to sell it, pick through it, or we can auction it off for
you and deposit the money collected.” Valerie handed Poppy more paperwork and
pointed out a spot to sign. “If you want me to take care of everything then
sign here. Otherwise we’ll assume that you’ll have family or friends take care
of your possessions. You don’t have to decide what to do with your possessions
right now but this just authorizes me to set up a storage container and movers
after you pack your initial bags you want to take.”

Poppy signed the marked spot, knowing that Pixie was too
busy to worry about packing and storing her belongings. Poppy didn’t have much
in the one-bedroom apartment and she figured if she did get past the thirty
days, a majority of it would be donated to a shelter since it was all cheap
stuff.

“I do actually have a question…what did you do before you became
a liaison?” Poppy asked.

“Oh, I was a social worker before I applied here.” Valerie’s
smile tilted to one side. “Honestly, I had a hard time with the social services
aspect.”

When Poppy cast her a questioning look, she added, “I
couldn’t handle seeing the tough stuff, you know? I loved being able to help
kids but in the end, the state had the final say even if it was something I
didn’t agree with. That part is hard and I wasn’t prepared for it, even though
I thought I was. I had actually been planning to go back to school, maybe
getting my law degree, when I saw an ad for a liaison position. So…here I am.”

Smiling with understanding, Poppy handed Valerie back the
paperwork and pen after signing the nondisclosure agreement.

“It sounds like you actually have all this job down pat. Do
I now just wait and see what warrior name pops up as a match?”

“Essentially, yes. We will contact you, but before you leave
I need to remind you of the nondisclosure agreement you signed. We’ll be
closely monitoring all your calls and emails. This is for everyone’s safety. If
there are any threats, we’ll know about them immediately and be able to take
care of them. Also, you are not allowed to speak to any press unless you’ve
spoken with our people and been given a script to read. It’s very important
that during this initial test run we control all information going out and
coming in. I don’t know if Suzie mentioned it, but we had to eliminate some
candidates who did their questionnaires online. When the hackers released the
information, it created a frenzy of death threats and also media blitzes on
those applicants. They’re considered compromised since we don’t know if they’re
going to be getting paid from outside sources in exchange for information now.”

Poppy stood and nodded her head. “Okay, mum’s the word and
all communication is monitored so watch what I say. Gotcha.”

Valerie followed Poppy out of the office and handed her a
business card as they walked toward the elevator.

“My card has all my contact info, including my home and cell
numbers. If you have any questions, and I mean
any
, please call me. I’ll
call you once I find out about the match. Once that happens we won’t have a lot
of time to get things done so it might be a good idea for you to start deciding
what you would want to take to the squadron ship sooner rather than later.”
Smiling at Poppy, she pushed the Down button. “It was wonderful meeting you.
You aren’t going to regret this.”

As Poppy stepped onto the elevator and started the trip down
to get her phone and sign out, she kept thinking,
Please let Valerie be
right. Don’t let me regret this.

Poppy had barely made it home when her cell phone started
ringing.

“Hello?” she gasped, trying to catch her breath. Those three
flights of stairs took it out of her normally and that wasn’t counting when she
had to juggle groceries as she climbed.

“Poppy? This is Valerie. You’ve been matched!”

Valerie sounded extremely excited and the words echoed in
Poppy’s head. Matched? Matched! Holy hell, she was matched!

“Already? I thought this was going to take a couple days…
Are you sure this is right? Could the system have made a mistake?” Poppy was so
stunned that the jar of sauce she had managed to get to the counter rolled
right off it and into the kitchen sink.

“The match came through right after you left and since it
happened so quickly, I asked myself the same thing…but Poppy, they
double-checked it and ran it through once more. It picked the same warrior. The
only thing I can tell you right now is that your match is a Healson Warrior and
you will be meeting him as soon as we can get our ducks in line. He’s very
anxious to meet you.”

“Healson? Isn’t that the diplomat class? In all honesty, I
was kind of hoping for a Brakken—I don’t know anything about being a
politician’s wife. The only time I vote is when it’s time for presidential
elections.” She managed to pull out one of her barstools and lean against the
counter until she got her legs working again. Holy crap. A match. Her brain was
having trouble processing this.

“Don’t worry about that. The system knows how to do its job.
It’s our job to trust the programming.”

“But…I guess I just didn’t expect…holy shit,” Poppy stuttered,
still in shock.

“Poppy? Are you okay? I really wanted to tell you in person
but I was so excited I couldn’t help myself. You’re actually one of the first
five women matched. Can you believe it? I’m so happy for you. This is amazing.
We need to start getting things going so you can meet and greet and start the
trial period. Did you talk to your sister yet?”

“Um no…I actually was planning on cooking her dinner to go
over all the info tonight and let her know that the schedule’s been moved up
since I had my exams today. Now I’m going to have to tell her I already have a
match. She’s going to kill me!” Poppy breathed in and out heavily.

“Calm down, Poppy. Everything is going just like it’s
supposed to. Just a little faster than we anticipated,” Valerie said in a
soothing voice.

“And the trial period? When does he want to do the meet and greet?
I haven’t even started packing anything. What about stopping my mail and paying
my bills? What about―”

Valerie interrupted the mini-breakdown Poppy had decided to
have. “Poppy. Listen to me. I am your liaison. I am here to help. I can even
meet with your sister if you need support when breaking the news. Don’t worry
about your mail. I’ll take care of that when it’s time to set up the storage
facility. That goes for any bills you have due as well. My job is to make this
process as easy as possible for you, both mentally and physically. Do you need
me to head your way to help with your sister? I can be there in about an hour.”

“No, I can talk to Pixie myself. I may need to call in
backup though if she starts asking questions about things that I don’t remember
paying attention to. Or if she tries to strangle me,” Poppy said, reaching in
for a cider from the sack. Taking a rather large sip, she asked, “Can I call
you back tonight if I need you?”

“Absolutely. I’m here to help any way I can. We want to set
up the meet for tomorrow morning. Can you pack tonight after talking to your
sister? I want you to focus on getting your stuff together and talking to your
sister. Call me as soon as she leaves so we can figure out a time you can come
in. You may want your sister with you. There’s nothing saying the family can’t
meet your potential husband.”

Poppy nodded and then realized that Valerie was unable to
see.

“Okay, wish me luck. Pixie’s a pistol. And, Valerie?”

So many questions were running through her head but she did
want to get one thing out to the liaison, who was now seeming more of a friend
than anything else.

“Yes?”

“Thanks. I may be shocked right now but I’m also actually
excited. I really appreciate you calling me and helping get all the small stuff
out of the way. I just can’t believe this is happening.”

“You’re welcome, Poppy. I’m so happy for you. I have a good
feeling about this.”

* * *
* *

Breaking the news to her sister was actually easier than
Poppy had expected. Pixie was somewhat preoccupied and had mentally checked out
of the first part of the conversation. It wasn’t until Poppy said she’d already
been matched that Pixie decided to check back in.

“What the fuck did you just say?” Pixie dropped the piece of
garlic bread she’d been preparing to shovel into her mouth.

Poppy tipped the bottle of wine and topped off Pixie’s glass
yet again. Not a bad idea to keep Pixie tipsy if she could help it. Liquid
courage for herself actually wasn’t a bad idea either and she decided to fill
up her glass with her favorite sweet red wine. Now that she was thinking about
it, did aliens have access to alcohol or should that be one of the things she
packed to take? That was definitely on the call list for Valerie later.

“I was saying that I was matched today. Yay!” Poppy said
with a gigantic fake smile and raised her wineglass, hoping her sister would
follow her lead.

“Poppy— Poppy— Fuck! I don’t even know where to start! Are
you sure you have a match? I thought these things took weeks or months. This is
too quick―are they going to try to take you away from me tonight?”

“Pix, what’s going on with you? I went through the first
half of the meal answering all the questions you had yesterday and you didn’t
even pay attention. Are you okay? Plus, you’re about to cry…you never cry. And
what do you mean, ‘take me away’? You act as though I’m going to get snatched
off the street. You have a life, sis. I don’t. You have a great job and
boyfriend. I don’t. I can’t even get a cat in this stupid apartment to become
the crazy cat lady. I need this. Or, at least, I need to see if this will
work.”

Poppy pleaded with her eyes for Pixie to understand where
she was coming from. She knew she was on the verge of tears herself but knew
also that if she cried then they would both start blubbering. When her sister
took a deep breath in, Poppy braced herself for more yelling. She was very
surprised when Pixie spoke in a small voice.

“I am happy for you. I think this is a good thing…at least
it’s something you need to do to knock yourself out of whatever rut you have
been in. These problems at work are grating on me and it’s as if Brenda is
fucking up on purpose. I don’t know why she would do that, but it’s making me
crazy. Maybe she wants my job…or she’s just an idiot and because we’re friends
she thinks she can get away with all these mistakes. Brian is still acting
weird and when I tried to talk to him last night he brushed me off.”

Shaking her finger at Poppy, Pixie smiled. “And don’t even
mention getting a cat and being a cat lady. You’re allergic to them, you loon.”
Pixie took another sip of her wine and continued.

“I just normally have all my shit together and give you
advice. All of a sudden you’re making life-changing decisions without me. I
know we don’t see each other as often as we could, but when you leave I won’t
even have that chance. And what if this guy is a nut ball? Or a crazy wife
beater?”

“Drink your wine, sis. First, he’s never had a woman to beat
so I doubt he’s abusive. According to the FAQ sheet women are revered because
there are so few. Second, if I feel threatened in any way, there are people who
I can talk to. They would bring me back immediately and the trial period is
over. Also, our profiles were matched, so if he is a nut ball then I guess I’m
one too.”

Poppy allowed a small smile to creep over her face when
Pixie snorted a laugh into her wineglass.

“You are obviously a nut ball. And so am I apparently
because I’m happy for you. How long do we have before you have to go meet Mr.
Warrior?” Pixie grabbed the piece of bread on her plate and popped the entire
thing into her mouth.

“Well, that’s the other thing I needed to tell you. I should
meet him tomorrow morning to start the trial period.”
And three, two, one,
detonation.

“What!” The word was somewhat muffled by the carbs and
garlic flying out of Pixie’s mouth but Poppy understood her loud and clear.

“Apparently he’s really excited and we’re meeting tomorrow
morning.” Before Pixie could start protesting, Poppy held out her fingers and
started ticking off her arguments. “My liaison, Valerie, will be in charge of
bill paying, mail forwarding and also hiring movers to take this stuff to
storage. Which reminds me, I need you to take the family photos to your place
for safekeeping. If this works out, I’ll most likely donate all my crap to the
women’s shelter, so grab anything you really want to keep, and if I come home,
I’ll just steal my shoes back.”

“Wow, you really do have all your shit together.” Pixie sat
there stunned with bread crumbs all over her shirt. Grabbing the bottle of
wine, she chugged a couple gulps straight from the source and peered around the
apartment.

“How come you’re so calm right now? I would be losing my
shit,” Pixie finally asked once she’d demolished about a glass and a half via
the bottle.

“Honestly, I’ve had mini-breakdowns all day.” Poppy gave
Pixie a sheepish grin. “Valerie is a lifesaver and they’ve thought of
everything to take care of for me so I don’t have to worry about that. I guess
I’m too excited to be upset really. I mean, I’ve waited for something awesome
to happen to me and I think this is it. I could be married in a month, Pix!
Married!
I haven’t had a steady boyfriend for a couple years and my dates have all been
losers. What if this man is truly my soul mate and he just happens to come from
another planet? I could be getting pregnant soon—that was something I couldn’t
even think about before because I didn’t even see the possibility of meeting
anyone.”

Poppy could tell what Pixie was thinking. By now she had to
realize that nothing was going to change Poppy’s mind.

“You’re right, Pops. I am happy for you. It sounds like
you’re happy with your decision.” She smiled and yelled as she turned to run
down the hall, “I just hope that you’re going to be happy I’m taking those
shoes I’ve been wanting to steal for months now!”

Poppy laughed as she jogged after her crazy sister. Pixie
was right—she
was
happy with her decision. Nothing could pop this happy
bubble she had created for herself.