Riv's Sanctuary - A.G. Wilde Page 0,80
even an ID from Earth.”
Riv glanced down at her, his eyes still unreadable.
Guarded, almost.
As if he was preparing himself for rejection of some kind.
“No. You don’t need identification. They will scan your biosignature. You will be registered based on your DNA as a refugee under the protection of the Interplanetary Union.”
Lauren’s eyebrows rose a little.
He sounded like he knew exactly what he was talking about and she guessed it was something he’d had to do before.
The queue moved quickly and soon they were at the front staring into the eyes of your typical intergalactic alien public sector worker.
The being on the other side of the barrier looked bored and completely uninterested.
“Name,” the alien said in monotone. The alien’s eyes were on stalks above their clam-shaped head and they blinked once as the alien regarded them.
Riv glanced down at her.
“Lauren. Lauren McDonald,” she answered.
“Planet of origin.”
“Earth.”
“Please state your business.”
She glanced at Riv but he began speaking immediately, giving her hand a slight squeeze and she realized at that moment that he hadn’t let her go.
“She is registering for protection under the Interplanetary Union under Directive Exhashimor.”
The alien behind the screen blinked at her and Lauren held her breath.
“And who will be her sponsor?”
“I will be.”
Lauren glanced from the alien, then to Riv.
Sponsor?
She didn’t know she’d need a sponsor.
A thin ray of blue light ran from Riv’s head to his toes and back.
“Rivenendrus U’xol Cal-Pholy,” the worker said, “please indicate you are aware a sponsor relinquishes one half of his assets when undertaking sponsorship of a being with refugee status.”
What?
Lauren’s eyes widened as they snapped to Riv.
He didn’t look surprised.
“Yes,” he replied.
“Wait!” Gripping his bicep with her free hand, Lauren caught his attention. “What are you doing?!” she hissed.
“I thought that was clear,” Riv’s voice was even, unperturbed. “We’re registering you so you can be free.”
Lauren blinked a few times, trying to read his gaze.
“But, if you do this for me, they’regoing to take half of everything you own. That’s not…” Despite that she wanted this more than anything, asking him to sacrifice so much… “That’s a lot. I—”
Riv shrugged. “Are you planning on doing anything stupid? Anything illegal?”
“Of course not!”
“Then that settles it.” He turned back to the counter and nodded to the clerk.
She could only stare up at him, disbelieving the current events.
As the clerk filed the information, Lauren couldn’t move her gaze from him and Riv kept looking forward, not meeting her eyes.
“What form of body fluid would you like to register to create the biosignature?” the clerk asked.
She was so focused on him, still unable to believe he was doing so much for her, that she didn’t realize the clerk was speaking to her.
“I’m sorry, what?”
The clerk’s expression grew even more uninterested. “What form of body fluid would you like to register to create the biosignature?”
Riv finally looked down and met her gaze, causing her to blink, and her head cleared a little.
“You need, like, my pee or something?”
The clerk stared through her soul.
“Urine? Highly unhygienic.” Displeasure twisted the clerk’s face. “Your saliva is fine.”
Oh.
There was a slight sound and a small metal disk appeared in the counter.
“Deposit your fluid there,” the alien instructed.
Lauren glanced at Riv again.
“Are you sure you want to do this for me?”
What if he was having some momentary mental crisis and changed his mind later?
“I am sure,” was all he said before giving her hand a little squeeze.
Taking a deep breath, Lauren nodded.
Bending a little, she spat on the disk.
With a whirr that made Grot growl, the disk disappeared.
“Registered. Lauren McDonald of Earth.”
The counter whirred again and another item appeared. It was a smooth metal square with no identifying marks.
“Please take your proof of status and exit to the left,” the alien said.
That was it?
Taking the small rectangular piece of metal, it felt warm under her fingers.
She was staring at it wordlessly as they exited the building and even when they reached the street.
“This piece of metal means I am…free?”
Riv was watching her with a strange look in his eyes. Even Grot seemed a bit unsure.
“Yes. You are free to go wherever you want to go and do whatever you would like to do. You won’t have to worry about being thrown in a cell or a zoo anymore.”
She had to take a moment as the feeling of a huge weight lifting off her shoulders passed through her.
Those were words she never knew she wanted to hear.
Smiling, she looked across the throng of aliens. She was free.
As the feeling settled within her, it