Not Quite Terran Part 1 (Scifi Alien Romance Serial) by Erin Tate Page A

dealing with at least one of her three problems. “Per federation code 17647 subsection 721.4, you have been warned, all visitors to a federation sanctioned facility must first be processed through intake. Failure to comply will subject offender to correction. You were provided with three tics to return to your position.” As she spoke she flicked through the species database and quickly found the appropriate punishment for Luvendari. “Failure has been determined.”
    The alien attempted to forestall her action, but once an officer shows a course, they must proceed. Otherwise respect would be lost. Without waiting another moment, she pressed the small square on her panel which delivered the appropriate level of shock to a being so small. Speaking over its scraping wails, she continued. “The Luvendari ship Zuria V has been denied access to Rilli Space Station. It may attempt processing in sixteen zentics.” She raised her voice to yell over the low rumblings on the intake platform. “Departing officer needed immediately at intake!”
    Knowing her order would be followed, she returned her attention to the Knara to find she no longer occupied the space before her. Rebecca sighed and turned her attention back to her control console. It took moments to bring up the data feed and isolate the alien’s image. It took even less time to blast the picture to other intake desks with a warning that the documentation may be falsified.
    There was typically only one reason a being bolted from a federation intake officer and it wasn’t because they needed to relieve themselves in the facilities.
    Hardly one tic passed before her brief message was sent. Then the other intake officers secure in their stations turned their attention toward her with various expressions from annoyance to anger. Annoyance she could understand because issuing the warning meant the others would have to be conscious of those beings that were processed. The anger stemmed from the fact those corrupt officers could no longer take a bribe now that she’d identified the Knara as a suspected unsanctioned visitor.
    “Making friends, you do not, Terran Rebecca.” Varr stated the obvious.
    “You’re kidding,” she drawled. “You got into the old Star Wars vids again didn’t you? Yoda does not set a good example for standard Terran.”
    Varr ignored her. “Must speaking, Terran Rebecca. Shift’s ending?”
    If it wasn’t for the fact Varr’s kind were asexual, she’d accuse him of trying to sneak his way into her quarters. “I’ve worked a double. Any talking will have to wait. Besides, if you don’t get back in line, you won’t even be around to speak with me.”
    Something close to mirth filled the alien’s tight features. “Your ass is hard, Terran Rebecca.”
    Well, she could either keep her nose clean and follow the rules to the letter, or break them and lose her job and be snatched up as a slave to any number of species that passed through Rilli. Not because she was an unsanctioned officer. But because a being was only as strong as their species, and Terrans were babies in the federation timeline. They wouldn’t rescue a single member of their race. Especially not one who was an orphan with no connections to the home world.
    So, yeah, she was a hard ass. It kept her alive.
    “Next!”
    * * *
    Rebecca managed to get off a full wentic—nearly a Terran day—after pulling her double shift in intake and she’d slept half of that time. Now she was hungry for more than her allotted reprations. She hated replicated rations. Today—tonight—called for something more substantial. Meat. And she almost didn’t care which planet it came from. She had a bone-deep craving and her body yearned for the heavy protein of real food. Which was unusual for her.
    Oh, God of All, it couldn’t be that time again, could it? She’d just gone through her semi-annual fertile period a few Terran weeks ago. Unlike other Terrans—and a blessing to her—she only