Free Rion by Susan Kearney Page A

“However, if
     you can walk a bit farther, I brought some barter items.”
    Marisa forced herself to tamp down on the fear. Instead, she made herself think about the safety of a disguise. Taking a deep
     breath, she twisted her hair up on her head and put on the hat. “I’m good to go.”
    She wasn’t, of course. Any moment she expected a tracer to tag her. Or for the Enforcers to swoop down and surround them.
     But adrenaline kept her on her feet, kept her careful.
    A few minutes later, Rion led her into a booth that housed a machine that looked like a four-sided ATM. After opening the
     zipper on his pack, he removed five Krugerrands and placed the gold into a bin. The bin ate the coins, and credit chips came
     out.
    He handed her almost half the chips and pocketed the rest. “Gold’s even more valuable here than on Earth. Of course, after
     the Enforcers examine the gold, they’ll figure out it came from offworld. They’ll try to find us here. But we’ll be gone by
     then.”
    Just knowing the Enforcers might once again be tracking them down made her antsy. She didn’t plan to linger.
    He led her through a maze of stalls that reminded her of a flea market, with vendors selling carpets, machines, clothing,
     and dozens of items she couldn’t identify. But despite her fear, what interested her more than the items for sale were the
     aliens themselves.
    While all were humanoid, with two legs and two arms, some had extra eyes in the middle of their foreheads. She saw men who
     were tiny and slender, perfectly formed and very beautiful. And women with locks so long that to keep their hair off the ground,
     tiny carts trailed behind to support it.
    “How many races live here?” she asked.
    “Tor has always encouraged commerce. Import and export taxes are low. Hundreds of races pass through this trading center daily.”
    Hundreds? It appeared the galaxy was teeming with life—not so surprising when one considered the billions of stars. Still,
     the sights amazed her. If she hadn’t been on the run, she’d have longed for a camera.
    Rion took her into an establishment that seemed more substantial than many they’d passed. The outside window was painted with
     beautiful images of humanoids, but the holographic images kept changing to display a variety of options in facial features,
     bone structure, and even eye color.
    “We don’t have time for more than a superficial makeover,” Rion told her.
    “Thank God.” She preferred to at least recognize herself in the mirror.
    “That’s the female side.” Rion pointed to an arch on the left. “Order new clothes, a skin tint, and a hair color option.”
    “How long will this take?”
    “Five minutes. I’ll meet you back here.”
    Marisa walked through the door he’d indicated. She paused for a moment, wondering if she should take this opportunity to escape.
     But where would she go with the Enforcers after her? She didn’t even know if she could find her way back to the transporter.
     After she used the credits he’d given her for her disguise, she’d have no money. She’d already run from Rion straight into
     the Enforcers.
    Before making a move that might place her life in danger again, she needed to learn more about this world. So for now, she’d
     stay with Rion.
    Marisa expected someone inside the establishment to greet her. But as she stepped through the door, a mechanical voice issued
     instructions. “Please follow the orange light.”
    Trying to breathe evenly, she followed the orange neon light on the floor into a room with a tub. The automated instructions
     continued. “Remove all clothing and jewelry before stepping into the tub.”
    She did as instructed, feeling very vulnerable as she stood naked in the tub. Now what? Did she sit, stand, or lie down?
    “Choose your preference.”
    A panel in the tub opened, and a screen popped up. She picked silver skin with a slight blue tint and shiny silver hair. She
     also got a choice of clothing