Jack's Snow Day

As he walked towards the door he heard a noise behind him and turned in time to get wrapped in the arms of Tanz. Then her lips were on his and a chunk of the previous night came crashing out of the shadows in his mind. Once he got over the initial surprise he kissed her in return and she melted against him. Once the kiss ended she rubbed her face against his.

"Jack! Were you going to slip away without saying goodbye?" she quietly scolded him.

A guilty look passed over his face and he nodded. "Much of my memories from last night are messed up by the Lussht. I thankfully remember kissing you but I woke this morning buried under naked Shreen with no idea why. I don't know the social protocols for orgies. I've never been to one."

"What's an orgy?"

"Uh, it's when multiple people all have sex together," he explained.

Tanz smiled. "We didn't do that. You and I had wonderful sex and you taught the others your techniques. They had sex together. Oh! The four ladies did all lick you into a delicious orgasm."

A distorted memory of tongues licking his entire body played through his head but he was sure that one wasn't accurate.

"Oh, ok. Good. Well, I had a lovely time and I hope the others did as well."

"We did."

Jack and Tanz looked to see the others were joining them in the foyer. Hahn was grinning at Jack as Berris happily clung to him. They came forward and rubbed their faces on either side of Jack's. They moved back and the other couples took turns rubbing their faces against Jack's. He was a little overwhelmed by their affection and it must have shown as Tanz gave him a hug.

"I haven't slept that well in years. Not since I was a child in the sleep pit with my entire family!" Geng exclaimed.

"It's true! Jack gives off so much heat he feels like a family all on his own!" Julli grinned.

He snorted as he knew two Altarians that would agree with that statement. Speaking of them, "I'd better head back to see if my friends have returned from Altaria. It was truly wonderful to spend time with you all. I enjoyed myself immensely."

There was a chorus of compliments and goodbyes and with a final kiss from Tanz he headed out.

He was able to retrace the route from the previous night back to his room. As he walked in he saw Gee and Bal sitting on the couch in their fur coats.

"Good morning!" he called out.

"Good morning, Doctor," Gee responded. Bal just looked at him with a frown.

He rubbed his face. "Yeah, that's just a misunderstanding. I never claimed to have a doctorate. I need to have a shower as I'm a sweaty mess. I woke up naked in a sleep pit with seven naked Shreen. Lovely people by the way."

Two sets of eyes stared at him incredulously.

"How went your meeting yesterday?" he asked.

"Security Minister Hellna was very pleased with your acquisition and has promised to pay you for the item when you return." Gee said then gave him a frustrated look. "Please hurry. We are to meet our driver in less than thirty minutes at the parking lot next to the Marketplace. The King made arrangements for us to go to a different resort than the one we planned on visiting. It is a great distance away on the Ridge in his home village."

Jack grinned. "That's perfect! I'll get to talk with the working class! The King's people!"

"Hurry," Bal said sternly.

Jack frowned at her then went to get some clean traveling clothes. He took a quick shower and got dressed as Gee and Bal got the luggage in order.

Once he came out of the bathroom Jack was given a ration bar instead of being allowed to call for breakfast. He gobbled it down, grabbed his bags and they made their way out of the palace.

Everyone seemed to want to nod at Jack today and he smiled and nodded back to each of them as they walked through the shopping district and Marketplace once more. In the parking lot was a large enclosed vehicle the size of a bus. Jack looked closer and there was no question. It was a bus. He hadn't ridden on a bus for a very long time.

An old Shreen was standing next to it. He looked up when they walked through the door. "You Jack?" he called out.

Jack nodded and the senior nodded in return. He opened a door in the belly of the bus where they put their luggage and skis. This sealed up their driver opened the mail door and they climbed inside.

"Grab a seat and buckle in," the driver said as he moved to his seat behind the controls.

The deeply cushioned seats in the passenger section had four point safety restraints. Jacks eyebrows went up. As he buckled in he called out to the driver. "Why the safety harness? Aren't we travelling through the tunnels?"

The bus turned out into the wide tunnel and began to accelerate. Soon they were moving at a rapid pace.

"Tunnels only go half way to the Ridge. The rest is surface travel. Get comfortable with the harness now because taking it off when we're outside is not advisable."

Jack looked over at his Altarians but they were busy conversing with each other.

Now was as good a time as any to start his assignment. "What's the name of the village we're going to?"

"Boon Falls."

"Oh! There's a waterfall there?" Jack asked in delight.

The driver glanced back at him. "You do know the surface is frozen, don't you?"

Jack blushed. "Yes, sorry. On Earth we name places 'Falls' when there is a waterfall nearby."

"Oh," was all he got back. They rode on in silence.

"How did Boon Falls get its name?" he finally pushed.

"It's where the village founder, Boon, landed when he fell from the ridgeline above. There's a marker in the center of town where they found what was left of his body. The location was good so they built there."

He looked over and saw Gee and Bal were enjoying the dismayed look on his face. Jack settled back in his chair and closed his eyes. He'd pick up the conversation later.

The steady drone of the tires on the smooth surface of the tunnel soon lulled him to sleep. He dreamt of waterfalls so tall the water from them fell as rain on the lands below.

The bus jolted and Jack came awake with a start. He glanced around and saw they were no longer in the tunnel. The bus was in a large bay which looked like a bus terminal.

The driver looked back at him. "Ah! You're awake. We're getting equipped with tracks for travelling over the snow. Do you have eye protection?"

Jack looked to his left as Gee was handing him something. He took it from her hand and saw it was a pouch with goggles inside. "Yes."

"Put them on. We'll be outside in a few minutes. I just have to load our other passengers." With that he exited the bus.

Jack saw the goggles had a detachable strap so he unhooked one side and wrapped the strap around his head as he held the goggles over his eyes. He reconnected the strap and pulled it tight. They fit well and were pretty comfortable but there was no decrease in the amount of light. He looked over at Gee who glanced back. "The goggles do nothing!"

She gave him an annoyed look. "Wait," she said and turned back to Bal as they put their own goggles on.

Jack could no longer suppress his curiosity. "Gee. Why don't they use gravity repulsion tech? Flying would be so much faster."

She saw he would not be put off with a glare so she answered. "The Shreen do not like flying. They will not board a vehicle that does not touch the ground."

Jack leaned back in his seat in surprise. He hadn't heard of that before.

More Shreen climbed into the bus. Each paused when they caught sight of Jack and the Altarians. He gave them a friendly smile which probably wasn't as reassuring now that his horns looked like he recently gored someone.

The first two were older males who seemed to be travelling together and gave Jack a suspicious look.

The next passengers were a young female with an infant in a carrier. She returned Jack's smile though her eyes lingered on his horns. As she moved by Jack was able to see into the carrier and smiled widely when he saw the sleeping infant. Jack realized this was the first time he'd seen one. He thought that was a little odd.

While the oldsters moved to the back the female took the seats behind Jack. Once she locked the carrier into the seat by the window and checked on the sleeping child she moved to the aisle next to Jack.

"Excuse me Ambassador Danner?" she said in a quiet voice.

"Yes?"

"I just wanted to thank you for what you did for my cousin, Tyg."

"Ah, the King is your cousin?" Jack said with a smile. "This is a happy coincidence!"

She smiled crookedly. "Not really much of a coincidence since we're going to Boon Falls. There's only three distinct families living there. The population is mostly siblings and cousins. I'm Stef and behind you is my daughter Caal."

"She's the only child I've seen since I arrived. Are there no children in the city?" he asked.

"There are some but mothers do their best to return to their family when they are going to give birth. The child needs to be raised close to family." She smiled sadly. "There are always a few stubborn fools who put their careers above family and try to adopt a more separate lifestyle but that always leaves the children having difficulty integrating to society. These children... don't last long."

Jack was a little shocked to hear this. He looked at Stef and glanced back to Caal. She caught the implication.

"No, Caal is growing up with family all around her. I just brought her in to see a specialist as she developed a chronic ear infection. He gave me some Skrahak oil for ear drops and Caal will be fine after a few applications."

"I have a three year old boy at home with a similar ailment. I wonder if Skrahak oil would work for him. The doctors haven't been able to help him so far. Poor little guy."

"Pick some up and show it to your doctor," she suggested.

The driver stepped back on board and looked back to the two men at the back, nodding to them with a smile. He looked to the young female.

"You and Caal ready to go?" he said gruffly.

"Yes, Papa."

Jack looked at the driver in surprise. "Tyg's uncle?"

Stef smiled and nodded as she returned to her seat and strapped in.

The bus moved forward again but this time the ride across the paving wasn't smooth at all. The tracks made for a bumpy, and noisy, ride. They climbed up a long ramp then passed through the large doors to the surface. The bus was immediately bathed in the harsh white light of the sun reflecting off every crystalline snowflake for as far as the eye could see.

Jack's goggles snapped to dark and he only had a moment of disorientation with the rapid change. With the lenses filtering the intensity he could see the vast plain of white before them. There were small posts sticking up out of the snow at set intervals and they followed them, just to the right side of each as they passed.

The sound of their tracks diminished considerably in the snow but the ride still wasn't as smooth as it had been before. They went over a sizeable bump and their driver looked behind to see if anyone fell out of their chair. Jack was surprised to see his eyes were now almost completely black. It must have been some kind of protective membrane over the eye like a translucent eyelid. Built-in sunglasses.

The scenery was fairly stark until he realized the darkness on the horizon ahead of them, a darkness that began from the ground and climbed higher and higher wasn't a build-up of clouds but the foothills of a breathtakingly tall mountain range. He looked left and right and realized the mountains ran in both directions for as far as the eye could see. It was difficult to comprehend what he was looking at.

"I didn't think it was possible for mountains to get that big!" he muttered to himself.

The view captivated his attention for some time but after an hour the mountains seemed no closer. Bored, Jack looked over to Gee and Bal but they were sound asleep. The buses tracks were moving them quickly over the snow and the slight rocking motion was comforting.

Jack looked along the ridgeline once more, marveling at the sheer scale of the mountain range. It was definitely worthy of setting up a tourism package for off planet visitors. He'd meant to talk to Julli about that. An image of her trembling face between his hands invaded his mind making him jolt in his seat.

Dammit! What did he do at that party?

On second thought, he didn't really want to know.

He closed his eyes and let the rocking settle his nerves.

Jack became aware of a difference in the sound of the tracks on the snow. They were working harder. Then he noticed he was leaning back in his seat. He glanced out the front window and realized he could no longer see the mountains as they were climbing into the foothills. He looked left then right and a shiver went through his body as he realized they were already quite a way up into the foothills. The ridge ran away in both directions. The slopes here would be incredible for skiing. You could ski all day and only do one run!

It wasn't long before the land leveled off a little and lights could be seen ahead. The sun had recently disappeared behind the mountain peaks ahead of them and darkness was quickly covering the land around them.

"Boon Falls!" the driver called out as the bus turned a corner and lined up with an opening in the hillside. The bus bumped its way down a long ramp and pulled into a vast chamber carved out of what looked like the same white stone that Elleltris was.

The bus backed into a spot reserved for it and shut down. The driver popped the door open and a blast of cold air rushed in.

Jack looked over at the Altarians and saw them wincing. Gee glanced over at him with a grim look.

Their driver walked back to speak with them. "Not to worry, it's just the garage that feels this cold. The doors at the top of the ramp broke. I picked up the part. Inside the village is much warmer!" he smiled at the Altarians then Jack. He nodded to Jack. "Your guide will meet you inside the village doors."

"Thank you!" Jack said with a smile and the senior turned and headed out to open the cargo bay.

Stef moved past Jack's seat the infant carrier in her arms. "Enjoy your stay in Boon Falls."

"Thanks!"

The two older males from the back passed without a word and left the bus.

Gee and Bal were next to leave and Jack brought up the rear. They collected their bags and skis and followed the locals over to the door leading further into the hillside. Gee and Bal ran around the others to get inside first. Jack felt bad for them once more. He wished he'd been able to get them to just stay home but they'd insisted on joining him. The longer he was on Chrystan he more comfortable he felt with the people and the more he realized he could have done this on his own.

He caught up to them inside, well away from the door, standing next to an exhaust vent for a restaurant. The heat coming out felt good and Jack could see the two agents soaking up the warmth. He was going to insist that when he went skiing they would remain inside.

"Ambassador Danner!"

Jack turned to face the source of the young voice and saw a dark furred young male Shreen rushing up to him. He had to be half Jack's height.

"Hello. Are you my guide?" he asked.

"Yes! I'm Jett! I've been assigned to help you find your way to the resort and to see if there was anything else you need tonight."

Jack's stomach took that moment to grumble as he'd only had a stupid ration bar to eat today. "I'm very hungry. Is there a restaurant we could stop at for a meal?"

"The resort has the best restaurant in Boon Falls. I'll take you there now," Jett answered.

Jack nodded and with one more glance at his thawing friends he set off after Jett who was leading the way. Gee and Bal left the comfort of the exhaust fan to rush after them.

The walk was fairly lengthy as the resort proved to be on the far southern edge of the village. Along the way they saw shops then went through a large residential area and here Jack saw children. Lots of children. They were all amazed to see the tall, horned stranger walking through their neighborhood and it was only the presence of their guide that eased their nervousness. If anything, seeing Jett walk with them made them bolder. Crowds of the small Shreen followed them chattering and squealing until a few terse words from their guide sent them back to their homes.

Finally the dwellings dwindled and they were walking through a long corridor. Jack looked around but there were no openings in the carved tunnels here to indicate anything behind the walls. The ever present plant life adorning the walls kept the air fresh but the temperatures were just a little cooler than they'd been back in Elleltris.

They heard music up ahead and Jett smiled back at Jack. "We're almost there. They have a band playing tonight in the bar. Local artists. They're pretty good!"

Jack smiled back at the youth.

The corridor started to curve upwards and then they could see the entrance to the resort. The music got louder and Jack could see Jett getting excited. The tips of his ears were trembling.

Their guide took them in the wide front doors of the resort and up to the reception desk. He spoke softly to the female behind the counter who nodded and turned her smile on her new guests.

"I'm going to leave you here in the capable hands of Mara, the owner of the resort. I hope you enjoy your stay in Boon Falls!" Jett said and with a quick nod to the Altarians he made a bee line for the entrance to the bar to listen to the band.

"Ambassador Danner, Altarian friends, welcome to South View! As Jett said, I'm Mara, the owner. I'm the one you should ask for if you have any questions or concerns. I live at the resort as well so you can find me here at all hours."

"Thank you! I understand you have a restaurant, best in the village Jett said?"

She smiled, "A little hungry after your long journey?" At Jack's emphatic nod she chuckled. "The mayor asked me to let him know when you arrived so that he might join you for dinner this evening. Would that be alright?"

"Sure!"

"Excellent! He and his wife are just inside listening to the band so I'll get you settled into your rooms-"

"Room," Gee interrupted gently.

"Room?" Mara blinked. Jack looked at Gee in surprise as well.

"We will sleep with the Ambassador. He is very warm."

"Oh! Certainly," Mara said smiling at the two Altarians and glancing happily at Jack as she made an adjustment on her computer. His face flushed.

"You have our best room. The view south over the valley and the ridgeline is the best in the village," Mara said with a grin. "Our hot spring is down at the far end of this corridor," she said pointing to the left. "The bar is through those doors and is open from 4PM until 3AM. The restaurant is down at the end of the hall there and opens at 5AM for breakfast and closes at midnight. I've reserved a table for you during your stay which I believe is for three days?"

Jack nodded with a smile.

"If you could touch the pad here I'll key the door to your biometrics," Mara said gesturing to the edge of the counter. Jack touched the reader as did the agents and Mara nodded with a smile. "Ok, you're all set. I'll let the Mayor and his wife know you're on your way. They'll meet you at your table when you're ready."

"I'll be right back then," Jack said with a grin.

Mara smiled back and gestured for a young female to guide them up to their room. They took an elevator at the back of the lobby and went up two floors. The female led them down the hall and Jack opened the door. He saw it was roughly similar to the floorplan of the royal apartment. A popular design! The foyer had a large bathroom to the right and lead to a round living room with a sunken pit of cushions with a windowed wall on the opposite side. To the right was a door leading to the bedroom. Lovely furnishing and art on the walls. It was too dark outside to appreciate the view.