Mel awoke to the sound of raised voices. She groaned and rolled over in bed, confused by the lack of light in the room. It must have still been night time. The commotion continued somewhere in the corridor outside her hab unit. Sleepily, she pulled herself out of bed and wrapped a comfortable robe around her body. “What could be happening at this time of night to cause such a fuss?” she wondered. Cautiously, she tiptoed through her kitchen and gently slid the door to her hab unit open a tiny amount, peering into the hallway. To her surprise, she saw three Affini in the corridor. They faced the entrance to the residence opposite hers, their tendrils raised and bristling in an unusually menacing way. Their bodies were covered in thick sections of what looked like tree bark, arranged as armor plating. With a crash, one of the Affini broke through the door and moved swiftly into the room across the hall.

 

The clap of gunfire shook the air and Mel screamed, throwing herself to the floor. One of the Affini outside whirled around and tore open her door, confronting the source of the noise. It towered over her, limbs writhing, it's face obscured by a mask of armored bark. The gunshots ceased and the shouting across the hall faded to whimpering, then to silence. Mel covered her head, terrified. She thought back to the Agro-Strikes when she was growing up. When the agricultural workers on Thypso formed a revolt against wage cuts, the Corpos hired a mercenary group to deal with the problem. The movement's leaders were butchered in their homes, along with their families for good measure. The protests quickly died down after that but Mel could still remember the sight of corpses in the street. She thought things would be safer under the Compact.

 

“Melrose? Are you alright?” A cool voice came from above her. Mel peeked open one eye and saw the armored Affini was now kneeling beside her, their form no longer menacing but still poised and alert.

“Who- How do you know my name?” Mel stammered.

The Affini tilted their head slightly and then replied, “Oh, you probably don't recognize me with the armor. I'm Halthia, I come by Orion's Blossom every week or so. Are you injured?”

“No. No, I don't think so.” Mel answered slowly. The Affini carefully sat Melrose up against the wall, effortlessly moving and positioning her like a manikin. Mel was again reminded how physically strong the Affini were compared to Terrans. Looking back into the hallway, she saw a thin green vapor seeping out from the broken doorway – some kind of gas? One of the Affini in the corridor held two Terran bodies; their figures hung limply in the alien's vines, oxygen masks affixed to their faces. The other Affini seemed to be applying some sort of medical treatment to several oozing bullet-holes in their body. Their thick cyan-colored sap dripped audibly onto the floor like heavy drops of blood.

 

“W- what happened?” Mel asked anxiously, looking up at Halthia. The bark-like mask obscured the Affini's expression save for their glinting eyes and Mel recoiled slightly. She had yet to see this side of the Affini and it rightly terrified her. There was a reason Terra lost the war; the Affini were formidable creatures.

“Rebel informants.” Halthia said coldly. “Our intelligence indicated they were caching weapons, and it appears we were correct. They'll be no further harm to anyone now.”

“Are they- dead?” Mel's words caught in her throat as she eyed the limp bodies.

“No, merely incapacitated.” Halthia replied. “We do our best not to kill and these two may yet provide us with... information.” The Affini looked down at Mel, still trembling on the floor. “Are you sure you're alright?” Halthia asked, their voice becoming sympathetic. “Do you need me to contact anyone for you?”

 

Mel was surprised how quickly Sylnathi arrived after Halthia placed the call. Her Affini friend brought safety and a comfort that she desperately needed. Sylnathi spent far more time than usual with Mel that week, tending to her needs and providing more than a few personal doses of Xenodrugs. “I don't understand it.” Mel remarked one afternoon.

“Don't understand what, dear?” Sylnathi asked.

“The rebels.” Mel continued, “The war is over, the Compact won. What exactly do they think they'll achieve?”

Sylnathi sighed and said “Terrans are a relatively young species, cosmically speaking. Not unlike the Affini in our youth. Rebellion and struggle is a part of you, a childish trait your kind will eventually outgrow.” Sylnathi stared off, appearing to lose herself in thought.

“We already suffered so much,” Mel said quietly, “And yet they keep fighting, they keep suffering. It’s like a cycle we can't escape.”

Sylnathi held Mel tightly and said “That's part of why the Compact does what it does. To show you that there is a better way; a way without suffering.”

 

Mel also decided to read up on Human Domestication. She looked at testimonials from other Terrans and medical information about the process. She was especially fascinated by the Haustoric Implant, living Affini tissue which interfaced with the subject's nervous system and helped supply and control the body's chemical balance. As far as she understood it, all 'pets' received this procedure to complete the bond with their owner. She read everything she could, even talking to some of the patrons at Orion’s Blossom about how they felt after undergoing the process. Sylnathi’s proposal still weighed heavily on her mind. Mel did really want to form that bond with her, but something nagged at the recesses of her mind, holding her back.

 

Late one evening, Mel received an incoming call on her data pad. “Caller – Unknown? That's odd.” She murmured.

Answering the message, a familiar grinning face greeted her on the screen. “Hey girl, how's it going?”

“Abigail!” Mel nearly shouted with delight, then sheepishly reigned herself in. “Abby, how are you? I haven't seen you in months, what happened? Are you okay?”

“I'm fine, Mel!” Abigail laughed. “I think I just got fed up with things back home and needed to travel. See the sights, you know? I'm feeling much better now!” The two friends caught up for a while. Abigail told Mel about all the different planets and stars she'd seen on her travels, while Mel told her about Orion's Blossom and her friendship with Sylnathi.

Abigail's demeanor shifted slightly as she heard Mel talk about her relationship. “Like, friends? With an Affini?” she asked cautiously. “I know we're all living under the Compact now, but isn't that a little weird, taking up with a plant?”

“Oh, no, she's been wonderful!” Mel beamed. “She's helped me immensely, I would be far worse off I think without her.”

Abigail shrugged and said “Alright, you do you, hun. Listen, I'm coming back to Thypso for a little while to visit folks. Is it alright if I stay with you for a few days? I'm sure my old place is gone or repurposed by now.”

“Of course!” Mel replied excitedly, “There's plenty of room for you here!”

 

Mel counted down the days until Abigail’s arrival. She was giddy with anticipation when she got the message that her craft had finally landed. She spent the day tidying her hab unit and brewing some of her favorite teas for the occasion. At last, a soft electronic chime from the entryway filled her heart with excitement. Abigail's smiling face greeted her as she slid open the door. “Abby!” Mel cried, “It's so good to see you again!”

The two embraced and Abigail held her tightly for a long time. “I missed you too, Mel.” She said softly.