Space Fairy Tales: Beauty and the Beast

The Great Wide Somewhere

The scene at the front gate was a crowded one, with all the soldiers who had gathered at the entrance lined up next to their hoverbikes. The captains were checking badges and then passing them through the gate to assemble outside the colony. It was probably the perfect time to slip through, because of all the people, but... it was still orderly enough that I'd better hope Gaston's distraction worked.

Gaston stopped his bike when we got to the edge of the crowd. I jumped off and kept my head tucked under the brim of my hood. Gaston did the same, but I saw his eyes flickering back and forth, surveying the area like a true hunter. He pressed a key on the touchpad, putting the bike into free hover mode so that he could push the bike forward through the gate.

"Keep your head down until we get near the front of the line," he said, although I was doing this already. "And keep facing me so that it looks like we're talking. Then when we get to the front, edge off to the side of the gate. I'll throw down my hood and start a commotion. Everyone will look at me, because, well--" He flashed a winning smile. "Go to the side of the gate, behind the captains. When you see an opening, go through the other side. Don't stop. Look confident. Do you think you can do that?"

"Yes," I said, although now that it came down to it, I was a little nervous. I had never done something like this before, directly against my father's wishes. And what if I got caught?

"I'll bail you out if someone stops you," Gaston reassured me, catching the look on my face. "Don't worry about a thing, gorgeous."

I frowned at the patronizing tone in his voice, but I couldn't deny that I would need his help, so I mumbled an agreement and then faced forward, waiting to get to the front. It moved quickly; the soldiers were very familiar with the process, and all they had to do was flash their ID and move on. My heart pounded. We were getting close.

"You sure you want to do this?" Gaston said, looking over at me with eyebrows raised. "There's no shame in backing out if you've changed your mind."

Except there would be, especially in front of this man who thought women were too weak to be soldiers. And I'd made up my mind. I was going. "I'm sure," I said, and then we took a few steps forwards. 

"It's time," he said, nodding towards the left side of the gate. "Go that way--it's more crowded. And I know the captain on the right. He'll be easy."

"Okay," I said, swallowing hard. I slipped through the lines of soldiers, keeping my head down--but not suspiciously low--as I made my way to the side of the gate. A few people glanced at me when I passed, and I had to step awkwardly over a tentacle, but I was almost at my destination when I heard Gaston's booming voice.

"LAYFU!" His voice cut through the chatter of waiting soldiers. I leaned against a stack of supply crates, waiting for my moment. Gaston had reached the front of the line and was talking to the captain, a rather short human with cropped hair and small, watery eyes.

"Layfu, you rascal!" Gaston said, clapping the man on the back. "I can't believe you're up after the party last night." He winked in scandalous way. "Didn't know you had it in you!"

At the hint of gossip, the heads started turning. I could almost see the thoughts on their faces: Oooh, the captains had a wild party and someone did something scandalous? 

"Uh," the poor man stuttered. "I don't know what you're talking about Gaston!" He looked around nervously at the people now staring at him. "What party?"

"Don't tell me you've forgotten it!" Gaston boomed, laughing very loudly. "I mean you drank a lot, but what a shame to forget those females! I mean..." Here he paused to look at those around him in a conspiratorial way. "I don't know who had more to drink, you or...."