Malparadiso Station Season 2.1
Episode 11 Into the Void
Madame Zabayaba
Episode 11 Into the Void
Sentient Zabayaba lived in luxury that even Myril had never seen. Her apartments boasted spider silks, brocaded fabrics and lace, as well as fur from actual animals. Of elfin proportions, even to her pointed ears, she commanded as an empress. Her servants had servants, which was why she agreed to allow Yroi to accompany Myril.
Her previous chef disappeared mysteriously, but she had left some notes as to what Sentient liked, and what to avoid. Her tastes were expensive but not demanding. Granny Claws had more complaints, but Granny never allowed nike’rot in her establishment. Zabayaba insisted on it with everything.
Her staff included several people who grew and harvested the substance in the compound, so that it was abundantly available. Myril began to suspect that his employer was addicted to the stuff, if not the later stage of the mold. There were rumors that she might be involved in the production and sale of kreef as well. After the first couple of days, he tasted nothing, allowing only the staff to sample. He made food for himself and Yroi, free of the spice.
Yroi had to resign as flight attendant as Sentient Zabayaba did not wish to have a Klekovan traipsing in and out of the compound. She provided underground quarters for the couple, as servants did not rate a surface dome. She graciously put in a recycler waterpod for Yroi, whom Zabayaba saw as Myril’s pet. Yroi had little to do, as the kitchen staff was too busy to show her, and the other servants ignored her. She was not permitted to wander, and so used the screens in their quarters to watch many stories of off-world adventures.
One day an under-servant came to their quarters to fetch Yroi to Mistress, as they called her. Yroi put on her dress robe, and followed the servant to the great dome outside Mistress’s compound. While Yroi had not been able to see the surface since she had come here, she had spent hours remembering the sight, calming herself, and thinking of how the dome was almost as good as meters of Stone. She was determined not to panic.
The large dome covered a great expanse of the surface. A structure in the middle of it was large enough for many people to meet, much larger than the terminal at the station. Around the outside, the land was sculptured with lights and colored stones, many of them the greens and blues of the beryllium crystals of the planet. Inside the translucent building, lights and the silhouettes of plants made patterns on the curving surfaces...a fantasy of frozen bubbles and splashes, ostentatious and impractical.
The servant took Yroi inside where Mistress lounged with several high servants, and a number of her guests of varied species. Yroi kept her face down, a sign of respect, as she wondered what sport they might make of her. She couldn’t imagine any other reason to be brought here. She had long ago learned how to assess people around her, and most of these appeared to be using kreef. One clearly was not high—Granny Claws.
Yroi bowed to Mistress, and then to Granny, then stood with her lobe lowered and her neck exposed.
Mistress spoke. “Granny asks if you are happy here with your human chef.”
Yroi bowed again. “Yes, it is very pleasant here.” She could see Granny’s slight frown, an indication that her lie was recognized. Myril was happy here, but she saw little of him as he directed the kitchen staff.
“If I were to take your chef away on an extended excursion,” Mistress asked, “what would you do?”
Yroi lowered her chin. “I would accompany him, with your permission.”
Mistress tilted her head. “And if I did not give it?”
“I have always worked.” Yroi kept her Granny Claws might have a job for me, or I might work elsewhere.”
Yroi heard unintelligible mumbling among the guests, decided it was not her business.
“Have you any useful skills then? Are you literate?”
“Yes, I can read and do math—accounting. I was an attendant for the shuttle service from the space port, so I have customer service skills.” She didn’t mention the black market trading she had done on the side with the off-worlders, her main source of stash credits. One or two of Mistress’s guests looked familiar to her, and they might recognize her if they were sober. Not mentioning that today.
“Customer service...hmm.” Zabayaba studied her. “Could you manage filing, data entry, preparing beverages and snacks for meetings, cleaning up after?”
Yroi nodded. “Yes, I would prefer that to entertaining myself.”
Mistress looked at Granny. "My assistant’s staff manager needs an assistant. You will take orders from it, and do those routine tasks which do not require special expertise.”
“Will this position allow me to accompany your staff on your travels?” Yroi tried looking directly into Mistress’s face. She and Myril had practiced this. “I can certainly do these tasks.”
Mistress matched her stare for a moment and then glanced at Granny. “This one has some spunk—bad human influence no doubt.”
Granny Claws simply stared back with no sign of kleckovan subservience.
Mistress reached for some savory morsel from a crystal plate and bit into it. She stared into space as she ate.
Yroi had long ago learned to wait on customers, patiently, but she did not slump into her usual servant stance. She would wait until Mistress made up her mind or got tired of trying to build suspense.
With a smile of satisfaction, Mistress looked at the servant standing behind Yroi. “Take her to Iabbeshank for training.”
Both the servant and Yroi bowed, backing away for several steps, and then turning to go out.
Yroi still felt the stings of panic as they crossed the great dome to return to the underground offices, but she made no sign. She kept her eyes on the back of the servant’s head. Next time, she promised herself, she would stare at the Core, and the myriad of stars around it.