Free Guest Night on Union Station by E. M. Foner

Mist.”
    “A stasis hotel? You mean, you check-in, they put you to sleep, and you remain in stasis until you get a wake-up call?”
    “And the hotels are working with the crèche worlds so that they can plan on reviving customers when there are sufficient males of a suitable age. Some of my sisters argue that we should raise the boys so they look favorably on entering plural marriages with older women, or that we should ask them to donate their, you know, for Gem who want to become pregnant.”
    “Are these stasis hotels available to everybody, or is there a selection process?”
    “Like a clone beauty contest? That would be a bit dull,” Gwendolyn said with a laugh. “Besides, Mist is a hero in the Gem Empire for winning hide-and-seek at the Carnival and financing our purchases from Farling Pharmaceutical with her prize. One of the reasons I accepted the ambassadorship here rather than returning home was so Mist could enjoy being a teenager without all of the adulation. If she wants to go into stasis, they’ll put her at the top of the wake-up list.”
    “I don’t know what to tell you,” Kelly said. “We’ll miss her, we’ll miss both of you if you go, but to give her a chance at a normal life? Have you been doing anything to prepare her for a talk about this?”
    “Not yet. I thought I’d wait until Dorothy starts dating so Mist can have a clear picture of the choice she’s making,” Gwendolyn replied. “Oh, the other ambassadors are starting to arrive.”
    Bork and Czeros entered the room side by side, both of them ogling at the view.
    “Srythlan told me about this room,” Bork said. “It’s a shame they don’t rent it out for special events.”
    “Do either of you know what this meeting is about?” Czeros asked the women. “Bork says he knows but he won’t say, and I think he’s making it up.”
    “The Stryx didn’t tell you?” Kelly asked.
    “Just a request to attend a special meeting about the open house, and that there would be a pricey California Cabernet available,” the Frunge ambassador replied. “And there it is.” He headed for the table and set to work uncorking the first bottle.
    “Ambassadors,” announced a gorgeous Vergallian woman as she strode up to the table. “I am Aluria, and I assume you will all accept this introduction as a substitute for an official reception at our embassy.”
    “I heard that our last Vergallian ambassador had moved on,” Bork said. “Did she leave the embassy so messy that you’re embarrassed to invite us all over?”
    “The embassy underwent renovations during the transition period and the ballroom is now somewhat smaller, so I’m forced to be selective about my guest lists,” Aluria replied coldly.
    Bork’s tentacle began to rise in anger and Czeros looked up from the cheese platter with a frown, but Kelly walked over to Aluria and offered her hand. After a moment’s hesitation, the Vergallian ambassador deigned to brush fingers in the manner of a superior acknowledging a subordinate. The Grenouthian ambassador had since entered the room and he hopped right over to the Vergallian.
    “Aluria. So nice to see you again.”
    “Ambassador,” Aluria replied warmly. “I hope you’ll be available for my official reception.”
    “Of course,” the giant bunny replied. “My wife and her grooming circle friends are all looking forward to it.”
    “Aluria. Thank you for the invitation,” Ambassador Crute declared, approaching the group. “My children and their nanny have never been to an official reception before, and they’re all very excited.”
    “My pleasure,” the Vergallian ambassador said, turning on the charm. “Ambassador Srythlan. We haven’t been properly introduced, but I hope you and your family will be able to attend my official reception.”
    “A prior engagement,” the Verlock ambassador replied slowly, not altering the straight line he had taken towards his seat at the table. “Perhaps one of my junior staff