Candidate (Selected Book 4) Read Online Free PDF
Author: Robin Roseau
desired, but of course, you won't remember."
"Whatever," I said. "I'm not marrying any of you."
"We'll see," she said. She turned to the wooden box and tapped it with her fingers several times. "I am going to give you some choices."
"Oh, now I get choices?"
She opened the wooden box and withdrew from it one of the visors like they used in the testing center. She closed the box and then set the visor on top. She tapped her fingers against the tabletop several times before speaking. "Your first choice. You arrived at an odd time. We are on a cycle here typically lasting two weeks. In a way, you could consider the women here part of a class. The class is midway through the term. Do you understand?"
"I suppose I do."
"Your first choice is this. I can tell you nothing, but tomorrow morning, you will be collected from your cell, and a modified version of what typically happens will happen to you. You will go into it knowing nothing more than I've already told you."
"I take it this involves rape?"
"No, actually, it doesn't. Your other choice is to ask me to fit this in place. There is a program to play that will explain our normal process. It lasts nearly exactly one hour. But there will be a price."
"And then tomorrow whatever you're going to do to me will happen, anyway?"
"Perhaps. Perhaps we will reach another agreement."
"One where you let me go?"
"Of course not. But one that offers you more choices."
"What is the price?" I gestured with my nose.
"Two simple promises. You will promise to do your best to be polite. And you will promise to engage in no self harm or threats of self harm."
"You're afraid I'll attempt suicide?"
"Yes, actually."
"So whatever is going to happen is so bad that I'm likely to prefer death?" I shook my head. "You're going to give me to one of those assholes who was watching me, and I'm supposed to take it? Fuck you." I began struggling with the chair and table, trying to free myself, but both hugged me tighter, not releasing me. I struggled harder and harder and began screaming at her.
Nothing I screamed was that creative, but it was certainly heartfelt. The Catseye sat dispassionately until I slumped, panting heavily.
"So much for the aliens coming in peace," I said. "Fucking lying rapists."
"No one has raped you," she said. "And actually, no one is going to. You actually have some choices. Our placement rate is 87 percent, and amongst those I personally attend to, it's 100 percent."
"Excuse me?"
"Most of the humans who have come through here are now happily mated. Most of them went through an automated process that is largely managed by my aides. A small number have been attended to more directly by me, and every single one is exceedingly happy. If you ask for the visor and agree to my terms, I will oversee your process directly. If not, then I will wash my hands with you and let my aides follow their normal process."
"What happened to that last 13 percent?" I asked. "Are they dead?"
"A few may be due to the vagaries of life," she replied. "But we didn't kill them. Some are back home, attempting to live their lives. Some of those are happy; most are not. The rest found someone else."
"So I could still go home?"
"That possibility exists, although it is small."
"It seems like I should tell you to fuck off."
"You aren't considering the angles."
"You haven't told me enough to consider."
"You're a smart woman. Put two and two together. If you don't accept my offer, what is going to happen tomorrow?"
"You haven't told me."
"I've told you enough to make an educated guess."
"You're going to give me to another alien, and he's going to rape me."
"He's not going to rape you, and it's more complicated than that. But you have the basic idea. And what's going to happen if you accept my offer?"
I looked down at the visor. I stared at it for a while then looked back up at her. "You said we might reach another agreement."
She smiled. "Tell me. If your choice is to be given to one of the
"Whatever," I said. "I'm not marrying any of you."
"We'll see," she said. She turned to the wooden box and tapped it with her fingers several times. "I am going to give you some choices."
"Oh, now I get choices?"
She opened the wooden box and withdrew from it one of the visors like they used in the testing center. She closed the box and then set the visor on top. She tapped her fingers against the tabletop several times before speaking. "Your first choice. You arrived at an odd time. We are on a cycle here typically lasting two weeks. In a way, you could consider the women here part of a class. The class is midway through the term. Do you understand?"
"I suppose I do."
"Your first choice is this. I can tell you nothing, but tomorrow morning, you will be collected from your cell, and a modified version of what typically happens will happen to you. You will go into it knowing nothing more than I've already told you."
"I take it this involves rape?"
"No, actually, it doesn't. Your other choice is to ask me to fit this in place. There is a program to play that will explain our normal process. It lasts nearly exactly one hour. But there will be a price."
"And then tomorrow whatever you're going to do to me will happen, anyway?"
"Perhaps. Perhaps we will reach another agreement."
"One where you let me go?"
"Of course not. But one that offers you more choices."
"What is the price?" I gestured with my nose.
"Two simple promises. You will promise to do your best to be polite. And you will promise to engage in no self harm or threats of self harm."
"You're afraid I'll attempt suicide?"
"Yes, actually."
"So whatever is going to happen is so bad that I'm likely to prefer death?" I shook my head. "You're going to give me to one of those assholes who was watching me, and I'm supposed to take it? Fuck you." I began struggling with the chair and table, trying to free myself, but both hugged me tighter, not releasing me. I struggled harder and harder and began screaming at her.
Nothing I screamed was that creative, but it was certainly heartfelt. The Catseye sat dispassionately until I slumped, panting heavily.
"So much for the aliens coming in peace," I said. "Fucking lying rapists."
"No one has raped you," she said. "And actually, no one is going to. You actually have some choices. Our placement rate is 87 percent, and amongst those I personally attend to, it's 100 percent."
"Excuse me?"
"Most of the humans who have come through here are now happily mated. Most of them went through an automated process that is largely managed by my aides. A small number have been attended to more directly by me, and every single one is exceedingly happy. If you ask for the visor and agree to my terms, I will oversee your process directly. If not, then I will wash my hands with you and let my aides follow their normal process."
"What happened to that last 13 percent?" I asked. "Are they dead?"
"A few may be due to the vagaries of life," she replied. "But we didn't kill them. Some are back home, attempting to live their lives. Some of those are happy; most are not. The rest found someone else."
"So I could still go home?"
"That possibility exists, although it is small."
"It seems like I should tell you to fuck off."
"You aren't considering the angles."
"You haven't told me enough to consider."
"You're a smart woman. Put two and two together. If you don't accept my offer, what is going to happen tomorrow?"
"You haven't told me."
"I've told you enough to make an educated guess."
"You're going to give me to another alien, and he's going to rape me."
"He's not going to rape you, and it's more complicated than that. But you have the basic idea. And what's going to happen if you accept my offer?"
I looked down at the visor. I stared at it for a while then looked back up at her. "You said we might reach another agreement."
She smiled. "Tell me. If your choice is to be given to one of the
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