Bound to the Stars

Chapter 3

The education room reminds me of a college lecture hall, which I suppose is fitting considering we are expected to sit here and learn information that none of us asked to know. Rows of seats face a large screen that takes up almost the entire front wall. Nadine and I find two seats near the back, our usual spot, and I settle into mine with a sigh. Sitting in the back makes it easier to pretend I am not listening.

I am always listening.

As much as I hate these lessons, I learned pretty quickly that knowing as much as possible about the Valerathyins is probably in my best interest. I know what they want us to know, of course. I'm not stupid enough to believe they tell us everything. Still, every once in a while, one of them lets something slip. Information feels like one of the few weapons I have left.

The room slowly fills around us. Men are allowed to join us for lessons, which is one of the few times during the day when everyone from our section of the matching center is together. A few minutes later, the doors close and a Valerathyin woman walks to the front of the room.

I've seen her before. She teaches several of our lessons, though "teaching" might be a generous description of what she does. Mostly, she stands in front of us and explains why everything her species has done is reasonable, while the rest of us are expected to sit quietly and listen.

Her name is Sera. At least, that is the shortened version she gave us. Her actual name contains far too many syllables for me to remember, and I have absolutely no desire to put in the effort.

"Good morning," Sera begins as the screen behind her comes to life. "Today, we will be discussing mate bonds and the process of mate recognition."

Beside me, Nadine leaned closer. "Caroline was right." I turned my head slightly toward her. "Don't tell her that. We'll never hear the end of it." Nadine covers her laugh with a cough, earning us a brief look from Sera before she continues.

"As you are already aware, our scientists discovered reproductive similarities between humans and Valerathyins approximately twelve of your Earth years ago."

Twelve years. The number shouldn't surprise me anymore. We've been told before that they studied Earth long before they ever made themselves known to us. Still, every time I hear it, something about it makes my skin crawl. For twelve years, they knew we existed. They watched us go to work. Get married. Have children. Fight stupid wars. Complain about traffic. Celebrate birthdays. They learned our languages. They studied our bodies. They learned enough about humanity to decide that we could save them. Meanwhile, we had absolutely no idea they existed.

"Further study confirmed that human reproduction differs significantly enough from our own to provide a possible solution to the fertility decline affecting Valerath," Sera continues. "However, reproductive compatibility alone is not sufficient. A successful union requires mate recognition."

A hand rises several rows ahead of me. Sera gestures toward the man, and he shifts in his seat before asking, "So you can't actually tell who is going to match with whom?"

"No," Sera answers simply. "Mate bonds cannot be predicted."

That seems like a pretty important detail. The man looks just as confused as I feel. "Then what's the point of keeping all of us here?" Several people murmur their agreement. Sera waits until the room settles before answering. "Proximity."

I frown.

"The mate response requires physical proximity," she explains. "A Valerathyin cannot recognize a mate they have never encountered. These centers allow controlled interaction between our populations so that bonds can be identified."

Controlled interaction. There they go again. "That's a really nice way of saying you rounded us up, so aliens can walk through and see if one of us makes their heart flutter," I mutter. Nadine turns toward me. "Anna."

"What? That's literally what she just said." Unfortunately, my whisper apparently wasn't as quiet as I thought because Sera's attention shifted toward the back of the room. "That is not how mate recognition functions." Wonderful. I smile sweetly at her. "Then please enlighten me." Nadine drops her head into her hand.

Sera studies me for a moment before continuing. "A Valerathyin does not look at a group of humans and select the individual they find most desirable. Attraction has nothing to do with recognition."

"So they don't pick us?" someone asks. "No." Sera's answer is immediate. "Never." The room becomes quieter. "A mate is not chosen," she continues. "Recognition is involuntary. When a Valerathyin comes within sufficient proximity of their mate, they know." I don't particularly like the certainty in her voice. "How?" Nadine asks beside me.

Sera looks toward her. "The experience differs slightly between individuals, but the biological response is unmistakable. Heart rate increases. Body temperature rises. The senses become heightened. The Valerathyin becomes acutely aware of the mate's presence, even before visual contact occurs."

I shift in my seat uncomfortably. "So, they can sense us before they even see us?" I ask.

"Yes."

That is somehow worse. I had always pictured the matching process as one of them seeing a human and deciding there was something about that person they wanted. I hated that version. Apparently, reality is even stranger. "What happens if there are hundreds of people around?" a woman near the front asks. "How do they know which person it is?"

"They follow the bond." A few nervous laughs move through the room, but Sera doesn't seem to understand what is funny. "That doesn't explain anything," I say. Sera looks at me again. I have a feeling she is already regretting learning my name. “The sensation strengthens as distance decreases. A Valerathyin can locate their mate by following the response."

"So basically, we're human homing beacons." This time, Nadine actually laughed. Sera does not. "That is an unnecessarily crude description."

"But accurate?" She pauses. I lift an eyebrow. "Somewhat." I smile. "Good enough for me." Nadine leans toward me. "You're going to be the reason they cancel question-and-answer portions of these lessons."

"Then I've finally contributed something useful to society." She shakes her head, but I catch the smile she's trying to hide. Sera touches the screen, and an image appears behind her. Two figures stand several feet apart, one human and one Valerathyin, with a faint line connecting them. "Mate recognition has existed within our species for longer than our recorded history. Before the fertility decline, bonds occurred regularly between Valerathyins. As births decreased, mate recognition also became increasingly rare."

"How rare?" someone asks.

Sera hesitates before answering. "There has not been a newly recognized mate bond between two Valerathyins in approximately seventy-three Earth years."

The room erupts into whispers. Seventy-three years. I glance at Nadine. "Well, that's encouraging." Her eyebrows pull together. "How?"

"Maybe mine died seventy years ago." Her mouth drops open. "Anna!"

"What? I'm choosing optimism."

"That's terrible."

"Would you rather I hope he's alive?" She considers that for a second. "Actually, no."

"Exactly." A small smile pulled at my lips before I looked back toward the front.

Sera waits for the room to settle. "Our scientists originally believed the decline in mate recognition was directly connected to our fertility crisis. The discovery of Earth challenged that theory." The screen changes again. This time, several human figures appear among Valerathyins. "Within months of beginning observational research on humans, the first mate recognition occurred." The room became completely silent. I find myself leaning forward slightly despite my determination not to care.

"The Valerathyin recognized a human woman?"

"Yes."

"What happened to her?" Sera pauses. That pause tells me more than her answer probably will. "They bonded." Someone near the front scoffs. "Did she have a choice?" Sera's posture stiffens. "The first encounters between our species were conducted differently than they are today." That is absolutely not an answer. "Meaning no," I say. "Meaning mistakes were made." I almost laugh. Mistakes. I wonder how many human atrocities could be summarized that way.

"Current procedures are designed to reduce distress for both individuals during recognition and transition."

"Transition to what?" I ask. "Life with their mate." There is no hesitation this time. I feel my stomach tighten. "So, let's say one of them walks in here tomorrow and senses me." Even saying the words makes me uncomfortable. "What happens?" Sera's eyes remain on mine. "The bond would be confirmed."

"How?"

"Medical personnel would monitor the Valerathyin's physiological response and conduct a brief examination of both individuals."

"And then?"

"You would leave the matching center." For half a second, that doesn't sound terrible. Then I remember why I would be leaving. "With him."

"Yes."

"And if I don't want to?" The room goes completely silent. Even Nadine doesn't move beside me. Sera's expression changes slightly. "Anna—"

"No. It's a simple question." I sit forward. "You keep calling these mate bonds sacred. You keep telling us they aren't chosen and that your people can't control who they recognize. Fine. What happens if he recognizes me and I don't want him?"

Sera was quiet for several seconds. "The human response to the bond is different from ours." I narrowed my eyes. "That's not what I asked."

"No," she says quietly. "It isn't." At least she admits it. Sera takes a slow breath. "Humans do not typically experience recognition in the same immediate manner. Your response develops gradually after exposure to your mate."

"Exposure," I repeat. Nadine nudges my leg beneath the table. I ignore her. "Based on every human-Valerathyin bond documented thus far, the human eventually begins experiencing the reciprocal effects of the bond," Sera continues. "What effects?"

"The need for proximity. Heightened awareness of the other. Emotional attachment. Physical attraction. Distress during prolonged separation." My stomach turns. "So, eventually, my own body would convince me that I want him." "I would not describe it that way."

"I would."

Sera watches me for a moment before looking away. That tells me enough. Another hand rises near the front. "Can a mate bond be broken?"

"No."

The answer comes so quickly that the room goes quiet again. Sera's expression softens, although I don't find it comforting. "Once fully formed, the bond is permanent."

Permanent. I stare at the screen without really seeing it anymore. Somewhere on this planet could be a Valerathyin I've never met. Someone whose name I don't know. Someone who could walk into this building tomorrow, feel something inside his body change, and know that I belong with him. No tests. No applications. No choosing. Just recognition. And apparently, eventually, my own body would begin to agree.

Nadine's hand finds mine beneath the desk and squeezes gently. "Hey," she whispers. "Don't spiral."

“I'm not spiraling."

Her hand stays wrapped around mine. I look back toward Sera as she continues the lesson, but I barely hear the words anymore. For months, I've been terrified that one of them would choose me. Now I understand something much worse. They don't choose at all. They simply know. And lately, my prayers have become much simpler. Please don't let him find me.