Bedra’s exuberant smile had been chopped down by recent events, but it was no small surprise that as soon as she had cleared the red tape and paperwork to pass back to the Adoption area, her smile had returned.

Degu was occupied battling the tingling feeling that came with a fresh chemical bath, and was shaking the remaining mixture out of his dreadlocks; his mood had not recovered quite as quickly as Bedra’s had. He was angry at both Aisell, and the HOS vet for what they respectively had done. Degu was however short tempered, and Bedra had grown used to that. She never took it upon herself to dictate how he should feel given any situation, and thus never scolded him for his outbursts and various reactions. It often drew the attention of others, but she hardly cared what they thought.

“Are you sure you don’t want a carrier? They are free and he would be much more comfortable in one.” The care taker asked with a hesitant voice void of confidence. It was the law…in most places. But in rural areas such as Medzina, it was still merely a suggestion.

“Degu, would you care to ride in a stuffy old carrier?” Bedra asked with a hint of sarcasm. “I hear they are safe and you’d be quite a bit more comfortable.” Bedra smirked.

“No! If she likes those carriers so much SHE can ride in it!” Degu sent the spiky blond haired woman a sour look, and flashed him a simple hand gesture that she had not seen before, he kept all of his fingers down save for his middle one.

“Degu, what does that mean?” Bedra asked as she moved past the care taker into the adoption area.

“Luke told me it’s a way to tell people you think they are stupid and you don’t like them!” Degu proclaimed proudly.

“You know, we have a very reputable and highly acclaimed training program here, if you ever should desire to smooth out a few of his wrinkles.” The worker spoke with a voice like spoiled molasses. Smooth, sweet and bitter.

“Smooth out his wrinkles? Sweetie Degu is who Degu is, if I ‘smoothed out his wrinkles’ he wouldn’t be Degu.” Bedra chimed sweetly as she came to an automatic door with a bio scanner attached. The HOS was particular about allowing foreign pathogens in to the adoption reservoir. The place had a very clean and sterile environment, there were chemical puddles of non-adherent goop Bedra had to walk through, and Degu was forced to endure a chemical bath. Bedra’s hands were cleaned thoroughly and she was requested to down a pathogen capsule that made her breath and expelled oxygen safe. The shocked look on her face suggested this was new to her.

“I don’t remember there being so many…rules….” Bedra asked with a much needed change of topic.

“Well, ever since Miss. Prenn took her, there have been a number of reformations to how the HOS is run. This is a testing facility and if all goes well it will become the model for how every HOS is run in the future.” The short spiky haired woman followed after Bedra. She looked nice enough, she was dressed in a simply blue tee shirt with pants that stopped before her ankles.

“I noticed the uniforms are gone?” Bedra asked, confused. “Seems odd that those would go but everything else gets stricter?”

“Well….” The woman started as she ran her pass card along the scanner. As she spoke, a soft hum was heard as Degu and Bedra were scanned by a soft blue light. “…Miss. Prenn believes the uniforms give us an impersonal feel. She doesn’t want the humans to feel as if they are imprisoned, or as if they are here because they have done anything wrong.”

Bedra listened with fascination, she had almost wished Aisell had stayed for this, it was very interesting. “Oh, that’s clever….”

“Mhmmm, it’s unfortunate that places like this even have to exist at all, I’d like more than anything to work myself out of a job you see. But uniforms and crowded cages will soon be a thing of the past! It is our hope that this will only be a transitional phase in their lives. We want their experience here to be as much like adopted life as we can simulate. Close interaction with their care takers, free space to roam, and meaningful activities, interaction and play time with their own kind.” The woman smiled widely as the machine finished its process. The words “All Clear” appeared on screen causing the spiky haired woman to smile.

“Are they all run like this now?” Bedra asked, mildly amazed.

“Sadly, no…a lot are still following older methodology.” The staff frowned. “But Miss. Prenn hopes to change that!” The frown was replaced with a winning and hopeful smile.

“Sorry, you keep mention this woman, who is she?” Bedra asked, forgetting the conversation she’d had in the Maris Kitchen so short a time ago.

“Lyroo Prenn. Her father is the CEO and proprietor of the HOS globally, the man with all the power I guess you could say. Lyroo is his daughter, only child in fact. She is planning to one day take the reins from her father, but for now she’s in charge of this location and two others. Both of which are run using this model.” The staffer ran another card along the door’s locking mechanism.

Bedra nodded, and turned to face the room as the sliding door opened. Her eyes nearly popped right out of her head at the sight she beheld. It was nothing like she remembered nothing at all.

***

“So, that was kinda dumb eh?” Eyrn asked as she walked along the row of nearly identical residential buildings. They were tall, roundish sky rises with garden like entrances. Each had a domed in recreation area, a large spacious terrace for each unit, and a park like back social area at ground level. They were simply massive structures of the likes Eyrn had never even fathomed before. Darren was simply at awe, he had relished in the size of Titan station, he had nodded in acclimation at the size of their space shuttles, and their sizes in general were nothing to scoff at. But these buildings were simply gargantuan.

“Pardon me?” Darren spoke, his eyes upward, his neck craned back. “Jeesus it’d take a thousand men ten year’s’t build one’a these!” Darren was nearly ignoring Eyrn altogether.

“What you did back there, it was really stupid. Don’t do that again.” Eyrn mumbled. It was not often she made demands of Darren, but it was not unheard of. She was never so shy that she wouldn’t stand up for herself when need be.

“Whachu’talken ‘bout now twat?” Darren pulled himself back to reality and sent her a confused look. For his part, he didn’t often lose his temper with her when she stood up to him. He never wanted her to feel as if she couldn’t voice her concerns. She wasn’t after all a prisoner.

“I just didn’t appreciate what you did back there. It was embarrassing.” Eyrn spoke in a bit of a huff.

“Well, more so t’m’self…don’t see how you had any reason’t be embarrassed though.” Darren retorted, he sounded amused.

Eyrn stopped walking, and set her hand beside her shoulder, when Darren didn’t accept the invitation, she not so gently nudged him aboard and set her hand before her face. “Oh I don’t eh!” While her voice was raised, she sounded more offended than angry.

“What? Ah was the one playing the sweet’n innocent pet act…get off it! Yer not the one that’s gotta live wit that from now on are ya.” Darren lowered his brow and crossed his arms; he was a bit more surly, in part because of Eyrn’s willingness to flex her muscle.

“You made me look like I was a big bully! That man looked at me like I was a bit jerk! But that’s not the worst of it! Darren you made yourself look like some dumb ninny!” Eyrn raised her voice, peeking around to make sure nobody was watching. Her encounter with the cleaning agent had caused her some level of discomfort and she was mildly paranoid now.

“Well ya hadda easy enough time play’n along wit’it!”Darren grumbled to himself, avoiding her scrutinizing locked on glare.

“What else was I supposed to do? I don’t know what the law’s and shit are around here…he was taking your little prank a little too seriously! But all of that is beside the point Darren! You made us look like a bunch of dumb savages!” Eyrn went quiet at that last part and looked away. It was no small secret, that despite her size, and now educated knowledge of what she actually was, she thought of herself a human…it was how she was raised, and it was where she felt at home.

Darren was quiet, he looked down at the encompassing palm he was sitting in, the familiar dents and wrinkles and lines he could almost draw off by heart. She had been there longer than him, she had lived there longer than him, and she had more history and more of a connection there than he did. His eyes went soft when he looked back up to her. She wasn’t angry anymore; she wasn’t even looking at him.

“What gives me the right to own you…or anyone else….” Eyrn whispered. “Darren, I feel like a monster…in the worse sense of the term. Like a slave trader…I own you…Darren I OWN you…do you know how disgusting that makes me feel! I have rights and you don’t, I have freedom and you don’t…for some reason everyone here values my life and existence over yours…and not just that but everyone I’ve ever known. Darren I don’t own anyone…I’m no better than anyone else! This is just common knowledge…this is everything I’ve ever been taught from as early back as I can remember. We fought wars for this, people died for this! We figured out ages ago that the color of one’s skin or the place they were born doesn’t dictate their worth!” Eyrn was going on, her voice fast and her face flush, she was getting herself quite upset.

“Eyrn…calm down….” Darren spoke softly, everything she sad hit home with him, every single word. But he had to stay calm, this was why he came along, this was what he was here for. He knew it before he made the choice, and it had been his choice, his alone.

“I can’t just calm down Darren this is absurd. I mean look at this place…it LOOKS like a god damn utopia but It’s not! It’s a horrible ceast pool of injustice! I feel like I’m living in the colonial era…slaves and human trafficking! This is the universe Darren? This is what’s out there! This is where I came form!” Eyrn was almost yelling now, and it was starting to draw attention form random passer by’s. “They call me the wild girl, the wolf girl! They call me names, they call me a savage…they pity me! Darren they….”

“Eyrn…shut up fer a moment and listen please!” Darren spoke, he was whisper-yelling…more out of habit than anything else. It was unlikely his voice would carry much past her anyhow.

Eyrn looked down to the man in her palm, she was quiet long enough for him to speak once more, but she didn’t look calm.

“Now I’m no more amused by any of this as you are girlie…in fact it down right frightens me. Wit’out you I’d be up the gat’dang creak without a paddle. But were guests in this world sweet-heart and that means we can’t go about making war wit every gat’dang person we see!” Darren sighed, taking a moment to calm his nerves.

“But….”

“But nothing! Ah don’t like the idea of being a slave’nemore’n you like the idea’a being my master. But them’s the card’s we’ve been dealt! Now Cap’n Bass was a good man…and yer a good lass…yer kind don’t seem’t all be bad.” Darren ran his hand over his face and leaned back against Eyrn’s curled up fingers. “If were gonna make it here we gotta get along wit the locals.”

“But….” Eyrn sounded much less charged up.

“Kid, act yer age! Think now…there’re times ya fight…and there’re times’ya don’t…this is one of those times we gotta sit back.”

“Sit back and wait for what!?” Eyrn raised her voice once more.

“Anything! Were strangers in a strange land! We don’t know jack shit’bout this place! What’s gonna happen if you go ‘round making war wit’every gat’dang person ya meet!?” Darren raised his voice right back at her.

Eyrn was quiet, she looked away and made an audible huffing sound.

“I’m not saying we gotta like this…but we do gotta put up wit’it fer now…ok?” Darren sighed.

“Fine…but no more cute dumb pet act…at least talk like you have some sense.” Eyrn responded, and looked down to him with confidence.

“Deal…ah guess ah wuz jus try’n to have a lil fun wit em. Ya know?” Darren shrugged.

“I guess…” Eyrn shrugged. As she looked down at the man in her palm, she found herself unbelievably grateful he was with her. Gently she lifted him back to her shoulder and allowed him to hop off and take his spot once more. She wanted to give him the biggest hug she ever had…but she knew that would make him pissy.

Darren sat back against her neck and let his eyes close. It took a lot out of him, being here. He would never let her know it, but he was unquestioningly grateful that of all the Titan’s on Archavia, the one who owned him was her.

***

Bedra stood looking down at the train of humans running around her feet. There was a group that looked to be playing a sport of some sort, and she had stepped in the middle of their game it seemed. Rather than react, they just moved around her, as if she was not even there. Bedra could hear them shouting and jeering one another on, it was mostly males taking part in the sport, but there were a few woman as well.

“What are they doing?” Bedra asked, she carefully maneuvered herself out of the way, but the humans around her seemed more capable of avoiding her than she did of avoiding them. The staff woman laughed as she took Bedra by the shoulder and guided her to an area that was marked off with a white line. The white line circled the whole room and marked off the area where Titan Guests were to walk.

“Try to keep to the white area, we like to let the humans wander freely without the inconvenience of watching where they are going.” The woman smiled.

Bedra simply nodded, she was actually quite fascinated at the sport a few of the humans were playing, which involved some sort of ball, and a lot of physical contact.

“They created that game actually, it has elements of a few known games that we’ve created for grouped humans, but it has their own unique elements they’ve added. Its fun to watch…but the rules are still unclear to me. I think the ones with the makings on their face are one team…and the ones with out are the other…and the point is to get the ball to one end of the field and into the opposing teams area.” The woman nodded and looked to Bedra, who was still watching.

“It looks fun!”Degu laughed and watched with as much interest as Bedra.

“Would you like to join them?” The spiky haired woman smiled and looked to Degu.

Degu looked to Bedra, who shrugged and simply watched, waiting for his answer. “No!” Degu frowned and sat against Bedra’s neck.

The staff helper laughed and gave her head a shake. “Are you shy?” She asked, still looking to Degu.

“No…I just don’t wanna!” Degu asserted and hid himself in his mistress’s hair.

“He…doesn’t play well with others.” Bedra shrugged.

The spiky haired woman laughed.

Bedra looked up and around the facility. There were no cages, no fenced off areas, there were adobe like homes and bedding areas, recreation areas, even a separate area for defecation and cleaning. It was nothing like she remembered. The whole room was theirs to have, they had no where they were required to be at any given time. It made her smile.

“This is interesting, so how do they decide where to sleep…who lives in which home?” Bedra asked, looking to the worker.

“They do…the choice is theirs.” A few humans had noticed the Titan’s presence and began to gather at their feet, but most simply went about their day. The staff with the spiky hair knelt down and offered a palm to one of the humans, who climbed aboard quickly and sat cross legged in the middle, a female with black hair and a soft complexion.

“Do they all get along? How do you stop them from fighting?” Bedra asked, there were a few other staff in the room doing various tasks, some were interacting with humans, others cleaning.

“For the most part they work that out themselves….” The woman smiled.

Bedra returned the smile, it was very similar to what she was used to. “Where I was born, that’s how it’s generally done. We believe in large groups there more than capable of working out their own hierarchy.” Bedra spoke to the HOS worker as Degu watched the humans with fascination.

“I totally agree, and so does Mrs. Prenn.” The human in the spiky haired woman’s palm seemed oblivious to the conversation going on around her, and nestled into the Titan’s palm, affectionately receiving every gentle pet and stroke she was given.

“Are they all this friendly and accepting?” Bedra asked, looking up with interest.

“Every human that comes through our door is put through our socialization program. One of the biggest problems Adoption depo’s have to deal with is isolation anxiety.” The woman frowned as she looked down to the warm little human in her palm.

“What’s that?” Bedra asked, frowning.

“Well, the longer they stay in our shelters…the less social and houseable they become. They often suffer depression, mood swings and lose desirability.” The staff smiled suddenly. “Our program is proven to severely lessen Isolation Anxiety and as a result we have a much higher adoption rate!”

Bedra half smiled, as she looked around, they all looked much happier and well-adjusted than she remembered.

“Actually, many of them are even a bit sad to leave when the time comes. But generally they get over that and adjust well to their new homes.”

Bedra nodded, her eyes drifted about the landscape before her, it really was a rather spacious room. “So how many do you have up for adoption?” Bedra asked with curiosity.

“We are at half capacity…we have 36 up for adoption, and 12 who are going through the training regime, new arrivals.” The woman spoke, sounding off the information that she seemed to have well memorized.

“What happens if you go over capacity?” Bedra asked, mildly unnerved.

“We’ve never been over capacity, but the HOS has a strict no euthanasia policy…if we need more room…we find it…somehow.” The staff smiled.

Bedra walked along the marked off area, eyeing the humans as they interacted. She smiled to the staff, who let her wander off on her own. Bedra watched a number of humans as they interacted amongst one another. It was nothing like she remembered; none of them were running up to her for affection, they seemed happy and content to go about their lives. It was a bit warming to see. When she made eye contact with one, they would smile and wave to her, and then go back to whatever it was they were doing. When she would motion for one to come over, they would do so and politely wave. They were friendly, talkative and even eager to ask her as many questions as she asked them.

“Are you gonna take me home?” One male asked as she crouched down to talk to him.

“I wasn’t planning on it. Do you want me to?” Bedra asked with a grin.

“I’d like a home…but I like it here too…so I don’t know.” They spoke for a while longer before something caught his attention and he ran off to join a group of friends.

“I noticed you don’t separate them by gender anymore?” Bedra asked, curiously.

“Yea, there much happier interacting amongst themselves with both genders. In fact the males seem happier with females around!” The staff spoke, and went back to what she was doing.

“Hear that Degu, happier!” Bedra teased, Degu huffed and crossed his arms.

Bedra walked along the side area, until she came to a section of housing adobes. They were vertical in a sort of high rise structure, connected by ropes, ladders and bridge like walk ways. The structure was about as tall as she was, and there were round room like structures from top to bottom.

“So this is where they live?” Bedra asked, looking across the way.

“Yup, they like to climb and we find feel safer sleeping In higher areas.” The staff smiled from across the room.

Bedra eyed the structure curiously; most of the adobe’s were empty, save for the one at the very top. She noticed movement coming from that particular unit, and peaked in the small round window.

Inside was a cream skinned lithe looking woman with platinum blond long flowing hair that went down to the small of her back. She was sitting on what looked to be a chair, running a tiny brush through her hair. She was humming softly and poising herself as if she were looking into a mirror, only there was no mirror there.

The room was simple; it held chairs, a table, two beds and an area to defecate. There was food provided, and that was it.

“Hello there….” Bedra spoke softly, with a smile on her face.

The petite woman looked over to Bedra, she had a bored and tiresome look in her emerald green eyes. A scornful almost haughty look, she carried herself with poise and grace, and made a small ‘hmmph’ like scoff as she turned away from Bedra quickly.

She’s not very friendly is she Degu.” Bedra laughed, looking to her friend.

“She’s mean!” Degu responded.

“Ah, I’ve seen you’ve had the pleasure of meeting her royal majesty, Princess Koranatappestrina Anghell Rozlan Debborruh!” A male staff spoke up, he had been standing on the other side of the housing tower when the exchange had gone through.

“Say what?” Bedra looked to the man, confused.

“Kor-ana-tapp-est-rina Ang-hell Roz-lan Debb-or-ruh.” The man spoke slowly. “But everyone calls her Tapp.”

“That is not my name you sod!” Came a tiny voice from within the tower.

“She doesn’t approve of that nick name very much.” The man chuckled.

“Not very friendly is she?” Bedra grinned.

“Koranatappestrina is a unique case…to say the least.” The man gave Bedra a tired look, and a weak smile.

“How so?” Bedra asked with caution.

“She comes from a very rich family. They kind of spoiled her…rotten…in fact.” The man bit his lip and shrugged. “She was given a lifestyle most Titan’s would envy. The finest food, the most expensive toys…Servants at her beck and call, a much different life than she’s come to now.” The brown haired man shrugged as he approached Bedra.

“What brings her here?” Bedra asked looking back through the window.

“What else…her owner couldn’t keep her…or so he said. Doesn’t matter what reason does it? Some say it’s because they are moving, others say ‘we just had a baby and we are concerned about having a human around a baby’, the excuses are numerous and all come down to irresponsibly owners.” The man spoke with distain in his voice. “A human is a lifetime commitment…you just don’t get one and throw it away a few years later. Tapp’s owner married a lady who wasn’t fond of humans…so he surrendered her.”

“That’s so sad.” Bedra frowned and stood back, crossing her arms. She’d never give up Degu, not for a man, not for a woman…if they didn’t like him…well then they could take a long walk off a short docking ramp!

“Tapp hasn’t adjusted well…she’s been through the training program twice…and she passess every time…with flying colors in fact….” The man frowned.

“Really?” Bedra spoke, amused.

“Oh yea… Koranatappestrina is as bright as they come. She can read, she can write…she can even do basic math.” The man smiled a little. “Often owners like the one who surrendered her train their humans quite extensively. She is capable of displaying impeccable manners, and has a very haughty and royal sophistication. She’s like a mini little aristocrat!” The male staff laughed.

Bedra did not.

“So she plays you all for fools, does the dance and then comes back to her hut to mope and sulk by herself?” Bedra spoke, her voice serious.

“I suppose so. But I mean…what else can we do right? There is an experimental rehabilitation program for last resort cases…but Lyroo Prenn hasn’t gotten the ok by the ministry for this yet. If Princess sassy pants here doesn’t wise up, she’ll likely be headed there when the time comes.” The man spoke, loud enough for Tapp to hear him. It was evident she had by the loud scream like groan she gave in reply.

“I see…is she…up for adoption?” Bedra asked simply.

“She is, as she –has- passed the program…twice…but I wouldn’t recommend….”

“I’ll take her….” Bedra spoke, cutting the man off.

“Beg pardon?” The man’s eyes went wide.

“I’ll take her…where do I sign the papers.” Bedra looked to Degu, who appeared just about as shocked as the HOS staff. “You’re ok with that, arncha Boo?” Boo, was a nick name Bedra often called Degu when she was trying to get on his good side.

Degu simply looked to Bedra and shrugged.

“A…are you sure about this?” The man asked, stammering.

“What part of ‘I’ll take her’, don’t you understand sweetie?” Bedra smiled.

The man nodded and looked across the room to the spiky haired woman. “Loma…w…we have an adoption to process….” The man spoke, almost in disbelief.

“Oh! Really? That’s wonderful…who’s getting a new home, Doben?!” She spoke as she skipped over.

“Koranatappestrina Anghell Rozlan Debborruh….” Doben simply looked back at Loma, in shock.

“Emperor’s teet…are you serious?”

Bedra looked into the tiny adobe, and smiled somewhat to herself. Tapp had heard the exchange and was looking towards the Titaness with a dirty scowl.

“Hello lil’princess…my name’s Bedra…and you’re gonna be living with me now.” Bedra spoke in the same authoritative voice she had used with Luke, the same tone that had gotten the best of him.

Tapp stood, balled her fists and stomped her foot on the floor, sending Bedra a most displeased and offended groan, before stomping into the next room.