Intergalactic Courtesan Ch. 06

Desirée was still feeling weak and achy when they finally disembarked on Galos IV. Bridget, Kalyani and she tried not to rubberneck as they walked from the space terminal to the ground car that would take them to the Guild Academy. The ground car was a cigar-shaped vehicle that rode on a monorail, but also had wheels for when it needed to leave the road. It was painted in the now-familiar Guild colours of red and gold.

The car was large enough to fit all 5 passengers. Once they were inside, Ssurhuk-T'at punched some buttons on the car's command console. Although the ground car had controls should anyone need to steer it, both the Academy professors were content to let the vehicle's autopilot do the work.

The main city of Galos IV had wide avenues liberally dotted with tall, strange looking trees. Desirée could see thousands of aliens walking on the boulevards as they passed. Although Galos IV was an atmosphere similar to Earth, the light was slightly different; the sky had more of a greenish cast. Most of the bizarre creatures wandering the sidewalks were air breathers, but she saw the occasional sealed skinsuit worn by an alien that breathed something other than oxygen.

Soon the silver ground car left the city, and locked on to a highway shaded by tall forests. The trees zipped by too quickly for Desirée to get a good look at them, but she quickly realized that they were nothing like the ones on Earth.

Eventually, they left the freeway and passed through several small cities, buildings and boulevards zipping past them. Desirée quickly lost track of all the twists and turns the vehicle took in order to reach its final destination.

Finally, they turned a corner and saw the Guild Academy, a sprawling group of buildings ringed by a high fence. A fountain threw sparkles of water into the air in front of the low red and gold building.

"Most of the Academy is underground," Veronica answered the girls' unspoken question. "There are several underground entrances as well. Even though the Guild is perfectly legal, many of our guests prefer to be discreet when using our services. Those towers," she pointed to the tall towers that dotted the building, "are landing zones for spaceships that carry those guests who cannot use our regular rooms." Desirée could see a small spaceship, very similar to the one that picked them up on Earth, take off and ascend to the heavens.

"Then why did we stop at the terminal instead of coming directly here?" Bridget asked.

"Because we wanted to show you something of Galos IV," Veronica replied. "Once you learn something about the planet and its customs, you will be allowed to leave the grounds and go into the city on weekends."

The vehicle pulled up in between the fountain and the front entrance. Ssurhuk-T'at pressed the release button for the hatch.

Just then, Veronica pressed a hand to her ear. She stopped for several seconds, listening to something only she could hear.

"Professor Ssurhuk-T'at, could you escort the girls to the Assembly Room?" she finally said. "I must take this call."

"Certainly," the three-eyed alien said. "Ladies, if you will come with me?"

The professor led them through the front entrance. Despite the somewhat daunting exterior, the inside of the Academy was more lavishly decorated and less institutional. The now-familiar smart chairs dotted the entrance, and the walls were decorated with paintings, featuring various aliens writhing with, and interpenetrating, one another in seemingly limitless combinations.

Bridget gasped and tried not to look at the lurid artwork, while Desirée tried not to get distracted. Some of the actions the alien creatures were performing seemed to violate basic laws of physics.

"We *are* an Academy of Courtesans," Prof. Ssurhuk-T'at said dryly. "This is part of the public area and these images are designed to get our guests in the proper frame of mind, you might say. The actual Academy halls are not as sumptuous but we are never allowed to forget what a large part of our mandate is."

Ssurhuk-T'at pressed his palm to a scanner, and a door quickly irised open. "The Assembly Room is this way."

He led them down a long hallway that looked a lot more like the halls of a law school. The paintings changed: now they were holographic images of various creatures, sitting in formal repose. The only one they recognized was at the end: Veronica wearing a set of formal robes.

"Our Hall of Heads, so to speak," the alien professor said. "Signora Franco is, of course, our most recent headmistress of the Academy. Nearly all of them are female."

"Why is that?" Desirée asked.

He shrugged. "Not surprising, really. The vast majority of Guild Courtesans are female. The Guild is open to males, of course, " He touched his chest in emphasis. "But male courtesans are few and far between: about one in 500. We've found that females tend to have the better temperament for this kind of work."

He led them through another door and into a lecture hall. About 180 alien creatures were already seated in smart chairs, facing the lecture podium. Desirée blinked at the different species that were represented: many were bipedal, albeit very different from human. One looked like a grey-skinned vampire, with pointed teeth, long black hair and an angular nose, while another resembled an elegant cross between a human and a swan. A third creature looked like a gigantic caterpillar and a fourth was a wisp of cloud. Gauging by their manner and clothing, all of them were female.

"Take your seats. Signora Franco will be with you shortly." Ssurhuk-T'at left them and walked towards the front of the hall, standing at the back of the low stage. Desirée sat down, the chair automatically adjusting to her physiology. Kalyani sat next to her, her dark eyes darting everywhere. The Indian woman was shaking with fear.

The door to the lecture hall irised open and Veronica walked through. Her face was grim as she ascended the low stage.

"Welcome to the Guild Academy," she said, standing at the podium. She spoke in Italian, which Desirée's UTD instantly converted into English. "For those of you who have not met me yet, I am Signora Franco and I am the headmistress of this school. You will meet your other professors in due course."

She pressed a button on her console. "I am currently downloading a map of the Academy plus your curriculum to your UTDs." Desirée saw reams of information scrolling across her retinas. "This download also contains where you will sleep and the name of your roommate." Desirée and Kalyani grinned at each other: they were sharing a room. Bridget was staring at the vampire woman with a look of ill-concealed horror.

"Before we go any further, I would like you to look to the student on your right, then on your left." Veronica's voice became sharper. "By the third year, at least one of you will no longer be a student at this Academy. You are the cream of the crop, and our job here is to ensure that only the cream of the cream will become Guild courtesans. This will be the toughest 3 years of your lives but by the end of it, you will have achieved the basis for a long and successful career.

"Many former Guild courtesans have ascended to the highest levels of the Foreign Service and the Government. Many others have gone on to great success in other fields. If you make it through the next three years, that success may be yours but that success will cost: in sweat and hard work.

"That is all for now. You will now go over to Stores in order to get your Academy uniforms and your minicomputers. Your first class begins in an hour."

The other students stood up and began walking out the west door, their UTD's automatically projecting a map on the inside of their retinas.

"May I have a moment, Desirée?" Veronica said as she walked past. "You too, Kalyani."

The headmistress waited until most of the other students had left before turning to the blonde teenager. "First off, I have the unpleasant duty of informing you that Meljahza escaped police custody earlier today."

"What?" Desirée was stunned. "How?"

Veronica grimaced. "I talked with Colonel Gordon of the Confederation Central Police Force; he believes an Asmodii ally suborned one of his police officers. I'll leave you to guess how it might have been done."

Desirée nodded in horrified understanding: Asmodii venom was the only known aphrodisiac in the Confederation. Meljahza had used the venom on Desirée in a thwarted attempt to implant her fertilized eggs in the teen's body.

"That said," Veronica continued, "I highly doubt she will come after you. Every law enforcement and news agency on Galos IV has been alerted and the Academy is too well protected for any Asmodii fringe group to pull off a kidnapping here. The CCPF here has her image and DNA on file, so they'll know the moment she surfaces on this planet.

"However, for the sake of security I must ask you to stay on the Academy grounds for as long as Meljahza's at large. We do not want to take any risks with your safety."

Desirée nodded, still shaken by the news. "I understand, Ma'am."

"Don't worry," Veronica smiled. "You'll be safe here. But I also have some good news for the both of you."

"What's that?" Desirée asked.

"You've both been approved for the F'lyat Treatments," the headmistress grinned broadly. "It dramatically slows the aging process. So remember when I said your useful years might be longer than you expected? That is why."

Desirée and Kalyani looked at each other, mystified. "By how much?" Desirée asked.

"It really depends on the patient," Veronica replied. "However, we've found that humans respond incredibly well to the Treatment. For instance: do either of you know how old I am?"

The two teens shook their heads. "I've always heard that you're never supposed to ask a woman's age," Desirée couldn't help saying.

Veronica chuckled. "I'll give you a hint." She paused for maximum effect. "I was born in 1546."

The two teen's jaws dropped.

"Granted, I have been in stasis for at least three hundred of those years," Veronica amended, "but that should give you an indication of just how well the F'lyat Treatments work with human physiology. You will start the treatments tomorrow. Now you had better run otherwise you'll be late for your first class."

"Yes, Ma'am," the two teens chorused, still stunned at the news. They left the lecture hall, not daring to look at each other.

***

Desirée put away the last of her things and straightened, rubbing the small of her back. The ache in her muscles had lessened, but it was still there. The first of the F'lyat treatments had been painful injections to her lower back; the size of the needles had terrified her.

She looked in the mirror above the dresser. She touched her face, wondering what changes the prolong treatments would bring. Of course there won't be a change, she thought to herself. That's the point.

The ache from those injections was compounded by an older set of ache in Desirée's muscles. She knew she still had to have a few more orgasms before the last of the Asmodii venom was purged from her system, but she had no idea when she would next have some privacy.

The small double room was sparsely furnished: a pair of beds, two desks and a shared dresser. But, wonder of wonders, it had its own bathroom with a shower section, a toilet, bidet and sink. Someone had clearly designed the bathroom to human specifications before the two girls had moved in.

"This is incredible!" Kalyani was bent over the sink, turning the faucets while holding her hand under the spout. Her face, as reflected in the mirror, held an expression of childish joy. The Indian woman blushed when she saw Desirée staring at her.

"I am sorry," she said shamefacedly. "I am a fool."

"Don't worry," Desirée soothed, picking up her toiletries bag. "I'd probably feel the same way if I was in your place."

"The water, it is so clean," Kalyani marveled. She ran cold water over her fingers, touched it to her lips. "I have never seen it so clear before."

Desirée smiled, setting out everything she needed for her last ever shave. "Enjoy it while you can. I have a feeling the Academy is going to work us really hard over the next 3 years." She shuddered, watching her class schedule scroll across her retinas. Her first class, Physical Education, started at 0700 and the last, Etiquette, ended at 1900. Galos IV ran on a 26-hour schedule and the two girls knew they'd need every hour they could get.

Kalyani shuddered as well. "I never knew how difficult it was to learn how to become a harlot," she said. "And what is this 'Physical Education'?"

"It's exercise, to keep us in good condition," the sandy blonde replied. "So we'll look as attractive as possible."

Kalyani nodded in understanding. "Do you wish me to leave this room?" she said, realizing what Desirée was doing.

"If you don't mind." She examined the sonic tooth cleaner. Luckily, it bore a similar enough relationship to her electric toothbrush that she quickly figured out the controls.

"What is this for?" Kalyani picked up the green bottle Desirée had purchased from Stores.

"It's a kind of epilatory." Desirée said. Catching her roommate's puzzled look, she hastened to explain. "Signora Franco suggested I buy some. She told me, after using that stuff once, that I'll never need to shave again."

Kalyani's green eyes went wide. "You shave?"

Desirée nodded. "I shave my armpits, my legs and . . . other parts." Although they had swiftly become good friends, Desirée wasn't totalle comfortable exposing herself to her new roommate.

"Really? " Kalyani paused. "I have heard that Western women do this to themselves. Do the men . . . of your culture like it when you shave?"

"Oh yeah. Guys make pretty nasty jokes about women who don't shave."

"What sort of jokes?"

Desirée paused for a moment, not sure what to say. "Really nasty ones," she finally said.

Kalyani nodded, her lips firmed as she came to a decision. "In that case . . . I must shave myself too. Will you teach me?"

"Umm . . ." Desirée's brain froze, not sure what to say.

"Please?" Kalyani's face had a forlorn look. "You must help me. I do not know what I must do if I wish to be attractive like you."

"Umm . . . okay." Desirée hid her burning face behind her t-shirt. She wasn't ready to be quite so comfortable with the young Untouchable who was now her roommate. But Desirée remembered Signora Franco's request: going from Third World poverty in India to an advanced interstellar civilization was going to be rough for Kalyani, and she needed all the help she could get.

"First, I'll need to take a shower so I can get clean and soften my skin," Desirée said, sliding out of her clothes as casually as she could. It didn't help that her muscles still ached, and she was still in a state of semi-permanent arousal due to the Asmodii venom.

"Oh, I will join you!" Kalyani said. "I'll wash your back, like I used to do for my sisters back home." Her mouth dropped open when she saw her roommate dump her clothes on the floor. "No, Desirée my friend, you must not treat such fine clothes so callously!" She grabbed her roommate's discarded clothes and deftly folded them, placing them neatly on a smart chair.

Desirée was already in the shower. She switched the controls to the "H2O" setting and dialed in the temperature gauge. Warm water sluiced over her shoulders, plastering her sandy blonde hair to her shoulders, cascading over her breasts and belly, running through her pubic mound, through the cleft of her buttocks and down her thighs. She closed her eyes, leaning into the spray, feeling the warmth caress her aching body.

She heard Kalyani step into the shower behind her, closing the glasteel door. "Let me wash your hair for you, my friend," she said.

Smiling despite herself, Desirée handed her the shampoo bottle. A few seconds later, she felt Kalyani's fingers work the shampoo into her hair. She sighed contentedly; it felt good.

Maybe a little too good; Desirée could feel the ache in her pussy, the heat in her hips as her body announced its ceaseless craving for sex. She could feel the warm liquid sliding down her thighs, not sure if it was warm water or her natural lubrication. She silently told herself to calm down.

"Your hair is beautiful," Kalyani said, working the shampoo in her friend's hair into a thick lather. "It looks like hills above my village when the morning sun touches them. I wish I had hair as beautiful as yours."

"You do," Desirée replied. "Your hair is gorgeous."

"No, it is not," Kalyani replied. Desirée could hear the pain in her voice. "My hair and skin are too dark. I know the men of my village: they always stared after the lighter-skinned girls and they talked about the women in the Western magazines, what they would like to do to them. My husband," she choked back a sob, "he only thought my eyes were pretty. He thought the rest of me was ugly."

Desirée spun around. "Kalyani, no!" she said forcefully, grabbing her roommate's wrists. "Listen to me: if you weren't beautiful, Signora Franco and Professor Ssurhuk-T'at would never have brought you here. They think you're gorgeous and so do I. If your husband didn't think so, that just proves he was a jerk and not worthy of you. Understood?"

Spray glittered in Kalyani's eyelashes and her green eyes were bright with unshed tears. Her lower lip quivered. "You honestly think that I am beautiful?"

Desirée grinned. "When we're done with you, girl, you're going to be the hottest thing this side of the galaxy. Count on it."

Kalyani cried out, throwing her arms around Desirée, squashing their breasts together. "Oh thank you!" She sobbed tears of joy. "You are the most wonderful person I have ever met! We must always be friends!"

The sandy blonde gingerly hugged her back, not sure where to place her hands. She could feel every inch of Kalyani's voluptuous body pressed against hers, and every nerve in her body was quivering, demanding sex. She hoped Kalyani didn't notice the pungent scent of her arousal over the floral shampoo.

"Are you all right, my friend?" Kalyani pulled back, her hard nipples brushing against Desirée's, sending lightning bolts through her nerves. "You seem . . ." Then her face cleared with understanding. "Oh, it is the poison still in your body. It is all right. Do not worry." She gently patted Desirée's shoulder. "Come. Let me finish washing your hair."

Kalyani efficiently washed Desirée's hair then scrubbed her back. Desirée then returned the favour, firmly telling herself to keep her wandering fingers under control. It wasn't easy: under the influence of the Asmodii venom, Kalyani's bare back looked inviting with the warm water flowing over her chocolate skin and running in channels over the pert mounds of her buttocks. When she raised her arms, Desirée could see the firm globes of her breasts, glowing with health and beauty. Desirée tried to keep her breathing calm and regular.

Once she was done, the two girls rinsed themselves. Kalyani sneaked several glances at her friend, understanding the strain Desirée was under.

Finally, Desirée picked up the safety razor and canister of shaving foam. "The foam is there to make the shaving easier," she explained, rubbing the slick blue foam on her armpits. With several quick swipes of the razor, she shaved the stubble from under her arms, leaving them hairless and soft. She ran a finger along her armpit, making sure there were no hairs left, and ignoring the thrill it gave her. Even her armpits were now erogenous zones!

"Now I'm going to shave my legs," Desirée said, suiting actions to words. That done, she sat down in the shower, spreading her thighs.

"You shave there, too?" Kalyani said, her eyes wide with shock.

Desirée nodded. "It's expected," she said, drawing the skin taut so that she wouldn't cut herself.