Jack's Snow Day

He grabbed his suitcase and the ski bag and rushed out into the living room. SennLann jumped up to give him a kiss. The kids were all playing in the living room and were deep in play mode. Zaina and Adina spotted the new color on his horns and squealed excitedly. They rushed over and leapt up into his arms to climb onto his shoulders to touch the color. He felt them both sliding their clever fingers over the shiny surface.

"So pretty Papa!" they purred in unison. The silky texture obviously triggering their unity.

"Thank you! Papa has to go so down you go," he said happily.

They scrambled down and gave his cheeks a kiss on the way by.

He bent down and gave Emily and Joseph a kiss and they went back to playing.

Jack looked around for Diana but she was nowhere to be seen.

"It's ok Jack. I'll let her know you said goodbye," Eve said gently.

Frowning he nodded and rushed out of his apartment lugging his stuff with him.

He normally spent an hour or so with Diana after she had one of her episodes just to ensure she knew he was there for her but today... he sighed. Eve would have to bring her back to herself.

There was a taxi waiting for him and he jumped in. The flight to the Gate Terminal was short but when he rushed in he saw two impatient looking ebony Altarians glaring back at him. Their glares faded as they took in the new look of his horns.

"What did you do?" Gee gasped.

"I did what you told me to do! I washed them. The damn stuff hardened and went all smooth!"

"Cold water? You washed them in cold water?" she asked calmly.

Jack blinked at Gee. "What? No, I took a hot shower..."

The two Altarians shared a pained look.

"So I should have used cold water?" he asked in exasperation. "How the hell was I supposed to know that?"

"We are late! Can we go now?" Bal said with a partial scowl as her eyes kept slipping up to his gleaming black and red horns.

They grabbed their suitcases and ski bags and walked up to the customs and security agent.

"Oh my god!" the agent gasped gawking at his horns.

Jack looked at Gee. "This isn't permanent is it?" Gee just shook her head so Jack wasn't sure if she was answering him or was just disappointed in him. Again. He pouted.

Bal slapped a palm on the countertop and the agent jumped. She apologized and asked them their destination.

"Chrystan," Bal said tersely.

The agent's eyebrows rose. "Chrystan?" she asked in disbelief.

"Diplomatic visit," Jack offered and she went all dreamy eyed when she faced him again.

"Yes, the last Gate on the left," she purred to him and he smiled at her.

His escort pushed him away from the desk and set course for their Gate.

"Wait! Should we put on our warm coats before we leave?"

"Chrystan's Gate Terminal should be warm enough and we'll change when we get there," Gee explained.

Jack hadn't had time to do any research on the planet or the people and felt totally unprepared. He froze in place and the two security agents looked back at him in frustration.

"This entire trip feels off. It's too rushed. I'm not prepared! I don't know the Shreen! I might do something embarrassing or diplomatically disastrous! What if I pick my nose and that turns out to be a declaration of war!"

"You pick your nose?" Bal asked with a frown.

"No! I'm just saying I might make some innocuous gesture that they mistake for an insult."

"Picking your nose in front of someone is rude on every planet and to all races." Bal explained in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Forget I said anything about nose picking!" Jack barked.

"You don't need to worry about such things with the Shreen. They are a very relaxed and tolerant people. You may be yourself with them. That shouldn't cause too much chaos." Gee said dryly.

Jack took a deep breath and got his nerves back under control. He nodded to the two agents and they continued on.

As they walked up to the mirror surface carrying their tall ski bags Jack thought they looked like a family just going skiing. That made him feel better. He smiled at that thought and wondered what kind of winter wonderland they'd be stepping into on the other side. A brief tingle later Jack looked around with a weird feeling of déjà vu. The room was identical to the one they just left. There was no castles of ice and howling winds. The white domed ceiling was the same non-descript Gate room as before. He felt a little disappointed.

They walked to the customs and security agent and Jack perked up. Here was his first Shreen in person.

It was sitting inside a glass booth and chilly air was pouring out of the little window.

"Name, Department, and reason for your visit," the being droned then looked up. Eyes widened in surprise.

"Jack Danner, Altarian Ambassador. Uh, diplomatic visit with a little skiing thrown in?"

"Jack Danner." The furred being's large eyes looked up. "Ah, the horny one."

Gee snorted as Jack frowned at her.

"Horned one. I'm travelling with my security escort Gee and Bal."

"What's in the skinny bags?" the agent asked.

"Our skis," he answered and got a blank look. "They are long boards we attach to our shoes to glide quickly through snow for fun."

Furry brows rose then the being shrugged. It pointed to the doors at the far side of the room and went back to ignoring them.

They made their way to the door but instead of opening to a vista of crystal spires and an endless expanse of white Jack saw a wide rectangular corridor sloping down as it went underground. It wasn't even made of ice, just a smooth white stone. They saw a Shreen walking quickly up the slope towards them.

Jack was now getting his first good look at one of the native population in motion and not mostly hidden inside a custom's booth. He took time to familiarize himself with its distinct characteristics. This one was tall, maybe a head taller than he was. The front side of its body seemed to be covered with a dense, felt like fur. A creamy white with darker tan rosettes and stripes. The back side may have been covered with long fur as he could see it swish around on her arms and legs. This fur was almost reddish brown. As Karrel had said their feet were wide and completely covered with the longer fur until it looked like the being was wearing big furry boots.

As he'd seen on the customs agent this one had large eyes, a deep grey color, and a black triangular patch which was the nose above a wide mouth. Its teeth were two grinding plates which just looked like wide bands of white teeth but with no gaps, at all. Tall, furry pointed ears projected upwards. The one approaching was only wearing a kind of kilt around its waist which went from hip to mid-thigh.

As it began to slow to a stop before them Gee looked to Jack who had begun to move forward lifting his hand. Gee blocked his arm with her elbow.

"Sorry, I just recalled. Keep your hands to yourself, at all times. Touching hands is only for sex," she said with a quiet voice.

Jack choked back his outraged response as he'd almost sexually assaulted someone with his first greeting. His face flushed with embarrassment and he stepped back as he watched Gee step forward to press her forehead to the Shreen... female.

He wasn't sure how he knew but his gut was telling him this was a female. The previous one he'd met had been male if he had to guess.

Bal mirrored Gee's actions then it was his turn and he stepped forward with a nervous smile and noted she appeared... excited.

After they pressed foreheads she glanced up in wonder at his horns then addressed him. "Hello! Welcome to Elleltris, the capital city of Chrystan. I am Tanz," she said in a higher pitched voice than he'd expected for so large a being.

"I'm a little nervous myself," he blurted with a self-conscious grin.

"Jack, that's her name. Tanz," Gee corrected him gently.

His face dropped. "Oh! I'm so sorry! I hate to admit but I came here unprepared. I know nothing of the Shreen so I apologize in advance if I make some socially inappropriate mistakes." He glared at Gee to remind her of her last second reminder.

"It's quite all right. We're a tolerant species. This you will learn quickly. We don't take offense without extreme provocation. Unlike one vile race who no longer exist due to your heroic actions!" she finished with a gush.

He blinked at her in confusion.

"She speaks of the Allsa Komanae. The Shreen have the most personal of reasons to hate the Allsa Komanae." Gee explained.

"Indeed! They stole our home from us!" Tanz nodded emphatically making the long fur sway.

Jack realized his impression of Tanz's size was being fooled by the thick mane of long fur on her body. If he took that into account she was actually rather slim, just tall and well furred.

He looked at Gee. "Does everyone know my involvement with their genocide?" he asked quietly.

"Such information proved to be impossible to contain," Gee replied nonchalantly as she seemed personally pleased it had been leaked so widely.

"We believe it was divine retribution, not genocide. Not that we are a religious people," Tanz corrected with a smile.

Jack wasn't sure how to respond to that so he just smiled.

"I am the Queen's Facilitator. I will be your contact during your visit on Chrystan." Tanz looked at the large bags they were holding. "What are these?"

"Skis. We use them for gliding quickly over snow. For fun and exercise. I understand we will be spending some time at one of your hot spring resorts?" Jack asked and Tanz nodded. "I hope to use them while we are there."

"Most definitely! The storm outside is expected to end in a day or so." Tanz smiled. "Tonight though we are throwing a dinner party for your visit so you may meet the Queen and the King in a less formal setting. This is something else you will discover about the Shreen. We don't insist on a lot of grandiose pageantry or ceremony."

Jack smiled gratefully. "That sounds wonderful!"

Tanz couldn't deny her curiosity any longer. "Your magnificent horns, they look different from the image I just saw before I came to meet you. They look..." her words failed her.

"Shiny?" Jack offered but she shook her head still struggling to find the word. He sighed. "Bloody and vicious?"

"YES! Wait- no. Aggressive? Something of that nature," Tanz shook her head and just smiled at him. "They are most impressive but they don't look like they did in the image."

"Yes, well... I had a little accident this morning. I was out running and to avoid colliding with someone I jumped aside and hit a tree. The tree sap stained my horns red. I'm hoping it fades and goes back to the original color."

"You weren't hurt?" she asked in surprise.

"No, getting hit in the head doesn't seem to be as dangerous as it was before I grew these," he said pointing up with a self-deprecating grin. "I'm much more hard headed these days."

She smiled back at him. "Shall I take you to the palace?"

Jack nodded and they followed her down the ramp. When they passed through the doors at the bottom Jack braced himself for an icy blast but walked into a cool breeze instead. Not frigid but he could see how he would shortly find it to be uncomfortable. They were in a small... parking lot with just two wheeled carts in it. One had seats for two and the other was longer with a cargo bed and seating for eight. Tanz gestured for them to put their bags on the back of the larger vehicle and she strapped them down when they were done. Gee and Bal were leaning against Jack while they waited for Tanz. He looked down at them as he felt them shiver.

When she turned from the vehicle she frowned in concern. "My apologies for the temperature. I can see you're finding it to be a little too cool for your comfort. This is how we keep all of our living and working spaces. I'll get you some warm outerwear for your stay."

"Thank you!" Jack said.

She gestured for them to get onto the cart. She climbed up onto the front seat and Jack moved to follow her onto the passenger seat but Gee pulled him after her onto the second-row bench seat. Bal pushed him to the middle then tucked her body up against his as Gee pressed herself against his other side. Smiling gently down at them he pulled his arms up and over their shoulders and hugged them against him pulling them in tighter. Gee let a sigh slip from her lips as the heat from his torso soaked into her chilled body. She studiously looked away, avoiding his amused look.

Tanz gave the cart their destination then turned in the seat to look back at them. She smiled at the Altarian's method of staying warm.

The cart rolled back smoothly and moved them out into another long rectangular corridor of the same white stone that stretched off into the distance. Jack finally realized they were going to remain underground.

Tanz saw his epiphany and grinned. "Yes, we don't live on the surface. We like the cold but we've adapted really well to living underground and it's so much easier to control the climate down here."

The tunnel they were gently rolling and bouncing through was brightly lit from evenly spaced domes in the ceiling. The walls were completely covered with some kind of leafy plant life. Their oxygen scrubbers and suppliers.

"The palace?" Jack asked.

"It's underground too. You were expecting a tall pointy structure built atop a mountain and made from ice perhaps?" she answered with a grin.

He nodded with an embarrassed smile.

"Not practical at all but very dramatic. We actually considered building one and got so far as having an architect draw up plans but no one wanted to live or work in such a drafty building. Ice buildings make their own air currents. Pah," Tanz snorted with a grin.

The corridor continued to slope downwards gradually. "How deep underground are we going?" Jack asked.

Tanz's eyes widened. "I should have asked, do you have a fear of enclosed spaces?"

"What? Oh, no. I was just curious," Jack clarified. He looked to Gee and Bal and both shook their heads. They looked toasty and content.

"Good. Well, the deepest we typically go is around thirty levels, most only being as tall as this one though we sometimes have much taller chambers. Any deeper and lighting the space isn't cost effective and we don't have plants that like growing that deep so air quality is at risk," the Facilitator explained.

They saw a brightly lit exit approaching. The road continued on but they were slowing. There was a fair amount of activity at the exit as well. Jack wondered if it was a welcoming committee or some kind of festivity to celebrate their arrival. As they got closer the cart rolled into a parking lot and found a spot to recharge in. Once the engine switched off Tanz jumped off and untied their luggage.

Jack had to nudge Bal to get her to disengage and move off the bench to go bet her bags. Gee stayed close to Jack until he slid off the bench then she was forced to get up and jump down to get her own bags.

Carrying their stuff they walked through the large sliding glass doors into a market place. Jack felt stupid for assuming they were there to see him. These beings were shopping for their daily needs or selling their produce or wares. The sights and sounds of the marketplace brought Jack sweet memories of the times when he and his mother went to a local market to buy food.

Everyone was wearing some variation of the kilt Tanz had on though some vendors were wearing aprons that went up to their chests as well.

He finally caught a physical characteristic that seemed to differentiate the sexes. Males seemed to have vestigial fangs projecting slightly over their lower lip. The females did not.

Outside of the plants for sale, almost every bit of open wall space housed the green plants he'd seen in the corridor they'd driven through.

They made their way through the wide lane running down the middle of the space and people nodded at Tanz and she responded. She said a few words to various individuals on the way and Jack noticed some anxiety she seemed to be able to calm with a word or two. He also received his share of curious looks but none stopped them or interrupted them in any way.

Beyond the large market place they entered another vast chamber which again was filled with people going about their business. This was a shopping district. It almost reminded Jack of one of earth's mega malls except the products on display had a more hand-made, craftsman quality to them. There wasn't a lot of tech for sale though the stores themselves used tech to track the transactions and to advertise their products. He saw a few people consulting their com units for information but for the most part the Shreen just talked to each other directly. He witnessed some good natured haggling but that was the extent of the confrontational behavior he saw.

It was true that some had stern expressions and moved about their business with a little extra haste but to Jack that just seemed normal for a crowd this size. Certainly it didn't hint at this unrest. Did it?

Once more, Tanz was called out to and answered back as they made their way through the area. She was obviously well liked and respected.

They finally exited the shopping district and passed through a wide circular court yard with lanes leading off of it like spokes. Ahead of them were some very wide doors.

"The Royal Palace," Tanz said proudly as she opened the doors and gestured for them to enter. Immediately inside the door was a large landing with a railing on the far edge. Off to either side of the landing were curving ramps leading downwards. They moved closer to the railing and saw the space down below was a vast audience hall with a raised dais at the far side with two chairs. For the Queen and King Jack guessed. Rows of benches faced the two chairs and directly before the dais was a small podium where someone would stand to address the royal couple.

The most spectacular thing about the room were the brilliantly colored and lit windows running from floor to ceiling. Jack grinned happily at how beautiful the colors splashing across the audience hall looked. He turned to smile at Tanz and he saw the delight in her own eyes.

"It's wonderful!" he said.

"It is. Come on. I'll show you to your rooms," she said moving towards the left hand ramp.

"We're staying in the palace?" Jack asked in surprise.

Tanz looked at him in concern. "You'd rather not stay in the palace?"

"No, it would be lovely! You just surprised me," he assured her.

"Special guests always stay in the palace, not that we get many. The dinner party will be in the great dining hall which is a few rooms over in that direction," she pointed to the right side of the Audience hall. "The royal apartment is up a few levels, and your accommodations are a few chambers to the left."

They reached the base of the ramp and Jack looked up. Around the edges of the huge chamber the walls were formed with ridges and gussets. At the top it looked like the canopy of a tree and the bottom looked like roots. The whole room had an organic feel to it. Even the benches seemed to rise up out of the floor.

"No public audience with the royal couple today?" he asked and his smile slipped away when he saw a troubled look pass over the Facilitator's face. She quickly hid it behind a smile.

"No, they're... taking a short break from that activity," she explained but he could tell she was uncomfortable so he withheld his next question.

Jack wondered if the Queen and King were too busy dealing with the unrest Elissa had asked him to investigate.

Tanz led them through a corridor to the left and they passed a beautiful library and a lounge before they reached the guest suites. She took them down the hall to the last three doors.

"The rooms are largely identical in amenities so you can choose the arrangement of who gets which room as you like. I will go make arrangements to get you the warmer outerwear and will pick you up for the dinner party. The dress will be informal. There is no need to wear finery," she informed them.