Proper Introductions - Exclusive

It’s remarkable, really. Has anyone ever calculated the amount of blood, sweat and tears put into climbing the corporate ladder and finding a better job? But, it had paid off and Jules could hardly believe it. Now he was sitting in the back of a black SUV as it drove him down roads he never knew existed in this town, his heart fluttering during the brief airtime the car got going up and down the hills that ran around the landscape. His eyes drifted from the windows to his hands, trembling ever so slightly. His new life was about to begin.

“We’re just about there, Mr. Diction. Should only be a few more minutes now.” The driver said, a men-in-black looking figure glancing at Jules via the rear view mirror.

“Alright, thank you.” Jules answered with a nervous smile.

“The doctor will remind you of your duties when you meet her. Once we arrive, Dr. Lucia should be waiting there for you in the lobby.”

Jules looked up at the morning sky, the sun shining through the pines as they slowed and turned onto a hidden pathway. The car slightly swayed back and forth, the gravel crackling beneath the tires as they drove across. Soon they were stopped at a checkpoint located deep into the forest, before passing along into a tunnel. Shortly after, they were exposed to the sun once more and the large lab that sat within.

The building itself was impressive. What people would assume to be a standard two story building, appearing like an office of some sort with barely visible but sanitized interiors, was joined with a large dome of some make. It was a wonder how nobody noticed this place before, it would be the talk of the town. Yet here it remained, tucked away as a well kept secret. 

“Mr. Diction. Welcome to your new home, the Bio-Dome.”

The SUV slowly rounded the lot, eventually coming to a stop beside the stairs leading to the entrance. Jules took in the sights for a moment, finally stepping out of the car after an hour of travel. He stretched while watching the car slowly pull away, he was left alone… Probably not, most likely observed from somewhere nearby. He took a moment to brace himself, then gained the confidence to enter inside of the building.

The stairs felt longer- No, steeper, than they should’ve. His nerves still made every small step feel like he was having to stretch just to even reach it. His heart pounded like a drum, his ears ringing slightly. Before it was drowned out as a wave of relaxation washed over him as he stepped into the oddly familiar lobby room. The sterile appearance, the clean white tiles beneath his feet, the wooden border of the walls. It all came together, making this room a mix of dark gray accents and carpet with tiles. It felt like a lobby found at a hospital or an old community center.

His eyes moved around, darting between the different details and the various people working there, before eventually a voice snapped him out of sightseeing. 

“Mr. Diction?” The voice was rich yet deep, like fine caramel syrup in a cup of mocha, with the faintest trace of a latina accent hiding within.

Jules’ eyes whipped around, seeking the source, before settling on the approaching feminine figure. Her black heels clicking against the tile floor, pink spiral of hair bouncing with each precise step. She held one hand on her hip while the other lay slack at her side. She was much older than Jules had expected from her voice, the soothing tone she spoke with luring him into an assumption. But, despite being older, she was still very easy on the eyes. “Are you-?”

“Dr. Lucia? Yes, that would be me. I’m surprised you got here so soon. Traffic has been bad lately so I expected it to make me wait a little longer.” Lucia smiled warmly, her voice guiding him towards her as he tugged at his collar.

“Ah, well, it’s… um… very nice to meet you. Been a while since I was taking care of people.” Jules chuckled, the resonance in his bassy voice trembling briefly.

“People?” Dr. Lucia snickered, “Il tesoro, you’ll only be taking care of one being.”

Jules blinked. He wasn’t sure what she just called him, he wasn’t someone who spoke anything outside of English, but what he had picked up was the rewording of people to being. That had his brain running like clockwork. “I-I’m sorry, being?”

“Walk with me, il tesoro. I’ll explain everything you need to know on the way.” Dr. Lucia requested, her finger curling in a luring motion.

Jules felt his body move before he could think. The curl of the finger grabbing at his chest and yanking it forward just enough to kickstart his legs. He walked behind her, keeping pace behind the slightly taller woman as she began to detail his duties.

“As a caretaker, you are expected to make sure our subject is given the utmost care possible. She is already quite well trained, so you only really need to make food for her and prevent her from getting into trouble. Thankfully,  the Bio-Dome is simulating her preferred environment, so she shouldn’t be trying to flee.”

Jules looked to his right, the hall slowly winding around the dome, through dim windows into a night-like interior. It was massive, the dome itself barely showed the true scope, there was at least another story between where he was and the floor of the dome. “Seems easy enough.”

“There is one other responsibility that we are hoping you can accomplish. One that isn’t going to come as part of the job.” Dr. Lucia stopped in front of an elevator, waiting for Jules to catch-up as he had slacked a bit behind while staring.

“Huh? What exactly do you need me to do?”

“Frankly, P7-4T is in need of some company-”

“Plat?”

“Seems the bug of referring to her with a proper name has rubbed off on you too…” Dr. Lucia mumbled, rolling her eyes as the doors opened and they stepped inside, “But yes, she needs some company. Our hope is you’ll be able to-”

There was a pause, as if Dr. Lucia had to rethink her words before she said them, she looked away and then back towards Jules. “-befriend her.”

“Ha, well… not to toot my own horn, but I like to think I’m pretty good at that.”

“That’s why we chose you for the job. You meet what we believe is her… specifications.”

The way she said that made Jules' hair stand on end, a shiver racing along his spine with the force of a gentle breeze. It was slow and soft but it didn’t subside for some time. The doors to the elevator opened, revealing a short hallway. On the western side was a thick door to what could only be assumed to be a security room. The doctor guided him towards it, gesturing soon to the other door at the other end. “That airlock will connect you to the dome. You’ll find a keycard inside this office here, which is where we have set up your quarters.” She explained, swiping her own card to unlock the door.

The interior of this area was about the scale of a small apartment. It could house maybe two people at most. There was a main, open space that was meant to be the living room. Connected to it, against the back wall, was a small kitchen and dining room. It had one of Jules’ tables within, cramped given the area but still able to sit. A small hall sat within the space between those two areas. One door led to a closet, another to a small bathroom. Behind the other, a bedroom that could only reasonably fit all the necessities alongside Jules’ large bed. It was comfortable, sure, but snug was the word that came to mind as the man who liked his space. 

Finally, there was one other area. It was the wall closest to the dome and had monitors galore. Dr. Lucia walked over, turning on the system, as each screen sparked to life, it showed what appeared to be CCTV footage of the inside of the dome. 

“As a caretaker, we took the liberty to add cameras within the space so you can see when she is awake or asleep. We had to take some time and adjust her sleep schedule, transitioning her from what was essentially the opposite hemisphere and bringing her into our timezone.” She let out a sigh. “We wouldn’t have had to do all this if the previous director didn’t decide for only a year to move from across the sea.” Dr. Lucia paused, rubbing her temples with one hand.

“Is the previous director… around still?” Jules asked.

“To be frank, I can’t recall a thing about them outside of the fact that we had one. Suppose that’s what happens when you work within a department that specializes in anomalies and aliens.”

Jules took a second take, blinking in confusion. Yeah, he was brought here by a man in black… but he assumed that this job was around something more human-like? “A-Alien? Like a xenomorph?”

“Oh god no! If we knew it was potentially lethal, we wouldn’t just throw you at it nor would we have left it alive most likely.” Dr. Lucia laughed softly, “Ah, there she is. Just woke up.”

Jules turned his attention to the CCTV that the doctor was observing, his eyes squinting for a moment before he saw what she was referring to. The being was tall, much taller than he was, a long tail with a large fan of feathers at the end slacking behind her. Her outfit looked surprisingly comfortable with some type of choker around her neck. Her pointy elven-like ears flicked as she moved, leaving her bedroom to mozy over to the couch. 

“She’s surprisingly lazy for an alien. Spends most of her time sitting around, if she isn’t eating.”

“Do you have any kind of… enrichment for her? Maybe she’s just bored.”

“A strong possibility.” Dr. Lucia clicked her tongue, not even sure where to start with a subject like that, “We just don’t know enough about what her kind do, so it’s not exactly an easy solution.”

Jules watched the CCTV for another moment or two, the doctor eventually standing up to look at Jules. “Your card should be on your nightstand, uniform is in the dressers. I’d give her some time to wake up and move around then go inside. Do be careful of her bites, she’s got sharp teeth plus a venom that will paralyze you if injected.”

“A-Alright.” Jules felt his heart sink. Could she turn lethal if she saw him as a threat? But, he reassured himself that the group had to be well aware of that possibility… Surely.

“Welcome to Cerberus, Mr. Diction.” With a warm smile, Dr. Lucia patted his shoulder then left him alone.

This was all so… new. The job, the very real chance of death and the alien who could deal it! He had to take a seat, just a moment to breathe deeply before he went into the great unknown. 

Jules explored his small living quarters, making sure he had what he needed to stay there. Then came the time to change into the uniform. It was a simple bright white shirt with green accents on the shoulders, making it easy for anyone observing to tell where he was. He left his beanie behind, fixing up his brown hair just a bit before taking his card and stepping into the airlock.

He watched the metal doors unlatch then open with a soft hiss. Stepping in, the metal chamber soon locked behind him and a soft mist came from above. A moment passed… Then another… Before finally unlocking on the other side to a wave of warm air. 

“Wooo…” Jules huffed, stepping into the dome as the door sealed behind him. The inside was lush, there was flora in almost every corner imaginable. The sound of crickets chirping loudly with a few bird calls he didn’t know the names of and a very believable night sky above him. 

It was like they just took a chunk right out of the Amazon and dropped it down in Delaware. He took in a deep breath once more, taking in the musky air of the damp jungle, before letting out a soft sigh. “Didn’t realize it’d be this hot in here…”

His eyes traced along the edges of the dome, looking for any broken seams or those windows but he couldn’t even see a single thing beyond the sky. It was amazing, the wonders that the government could manage to pull off. He began to walk, following the trail that was made through the thick forest and eventually came out into a large clearing. Out there was a large lake, one that felt so much like his home with it’s clear waters and sand. There was even a cabin not too far, alongside the shore. 

It felt a little out of place, the jungle providing an atmosphere that a boreal home couldn’t really match. But, he wasn’t going to nitpick. It wasn’t like the alien in there would. A shelter was a shelter, even if it was secretly inside another shelter.

His boots carried him across the dirt, into grass wet with an artificial dew, the damp blades brushing against his covered feet. Each step, each minute he spent in here, it began to really hit him harder. It was humid. He was closing in on this lovely little shelter but he could feel the sweat building on his skin. 

“Why’d they have to crank it so high… aren’t nights meant… to be cool?” Jules whined, finally reaching the steps up onto the porch.

It wasn’t like he was wearing armor, so ditching the shirt wouldn’t be a problem… right? He wiped his brow of sweat, flicking his hand to toss it aside, before gently knocking on the wooden door. Even though this was his job, he still wanted to be courteous. 

Alright Jules, this is your first and probably only moment meeting an alien. First impression with a first encounter… Just make her food, you can pop in and out as you need. It's not like an elderly person or a baby who needs to be tended to round the clock. You got this.

A minute passed before the door finally creaked open, the slow squeak growing quieter as the speed eased up. Jules first met with the large chest of the being inside. His eyes quickly corrected themselves, not used to being at that level. As soon as he could, his head craned up to meet the gaze of the alien on the other side. 

Oh no…

She’s really cute.

On the other end was a woman with pointed ears. Her obsidian skin having a faint shine to it under the light, jet black hair pulled back into a ponytail. All while her long and large tail swayed slowly back and forth like a curious cat. On closer inspection, the choker appeared to be more of a collar. There was no tag on it, instead sat some type of speaker. “H-Hello, um… I-I’m your- ah… new caretaker?” Jules began.

She doesn’t speak English, does she?! H-How am I even supposed to tell her I mean no harm?!

The being, Plat as he knew her by, tilted her head a bit to the side. Her eyes looked him up and down, taking the time to get every detail of his nervous body language in. After the scan her gaze settled back upon his own. Reactions were on her end too with the tail picking up pace as she started to inspect him, before slowing back to a gentle wave. 

“Care… taker?” Plat answered, her voice seemingly translated and no match her lips whatsoever.

It was soft and sweet, the quality of the speaker making it seem like it came from her directly, with a warmth and curiosity that matched her expression. The sound alone made Jules shiver. She was cute, had a very nice voice to listen to and she could understand him? 

“M-Mmhm! I-I’m Jules, I’m here to help take care of you. Do you think I could come in? I-I’m sure you’re hungry.” Jules asked, Plat smiling a bit as she began to pick-up what he was putting down.

The alien moved aside, allowing Jules to step in and begin making his way to the kitchen. It was weird, he knew that she was following him because of the floor creaking beneath her at times but there wasn’t a single footstep to be heard. The cabin itself was fairly similar to the living quarters he had but more spacious to fit her height. A living room connected to the front door, a kitchen connected right to that room, a hall to the westward side when facing in which probably had a bedroom and bathroom connected as well. It was a nice house to live in all things considered.

“Let’s see, what to make you for break-FAST!” Jules jumped as he turned around to look into the fridge, being suddenly face to face with Plat as she watched him.

“Did I scare you?” Plat asked, pulling back a bit but still very much invading his personal space.

“N-N-Not at all. Nope.” Jules lied, his heart racing.

He had to stand there, opening the fridge to see what was available to him, with the looming presence of the alien girl behind him. She was always watching and following him around like a curious dog, all while he began to get what he could to assemble something quick. There was a notable lack of red meats, a variety of vegan options for them that he certainly could work with but given her sharp teeth… It was probably a precaution.

Jules began to cook something simple for her; scrambled eggs. One of the few dishes that he could use the regular ingredients for without substitutes. Though, to say that cooking it was relaxing would be a lie. Plat continued to helicopter over ghd newcomer, her faint berry scent starting to hit Jules and distract him. The last thing he wanted while he was trying to focus on just making a good meal. 

“Uh, Plat?” Jules asked.

“Yes, Jules?” Another shiver. 

“Do you think you could just… wait on the couch for me to be done? I’ll bring the plate to you. It’s just I… don’t like working with someone right behind me.”

There was a beat of silence, anxiety growing bigger and bigger before he eventually realized that she had done exactly as he requested. She was surprisingly obedient for someone who, at least to him, probably didn’t fully understand him. 

“Ahh, th-thank you.”

Plat nodded, giving a small smile to the human, before letting her flats gingerly slip off of her feet. She brought her legs up, lying against the armrest on one side of the couch, now watching from the living room. Jules smiled back before his eyes caught something. Those bare soles now comfortably resting upon the couch. He quickly averted his gaze, going back to making his scrambled eggs. 

She just had to be cute and have… really, really nice looking feet.

Jules glanced back, trying to make sure it was clear he wasn’t staring at her “finer details”. Her feet looked so soft from where he was, the pale soles hidden by her position on the couch but they also looked very humanoid. Five toes, a heel, probably an arch and inner arch… he’d struck gold. 

“Jules?” Plat asked.

Jules jumped, quickly looking over to Plat as her ear flicked, his heart beginning to pound once more like a drum. “Y-Yeah?”

“What are you making?” A wave of relief hit Jules, his body relaxing, as he began to carefully scoop up the eggs and set it onto the plate he had ready. 

“It’s called scrambled eggs. Just some eggs tossed up, some seasoning here and there. But I cut up a few bell peppers-”

“Is there peanut butter in it?”

Jules chuckled, handing her the plate as his body moved to let him join her on the free space of the couch. He was told to befriend her and yet he decided to take a seat on the side that just so happened to be closest to her feet. 

“N-No, no.”

There was a look of faint disappointment from Plat but she began to eat regardless. A distraction that Jules, as sweaty as he may be right now, was going to use to his advantage. His eyes drifted from her all the way down to the soles facing the back of the couch. They looked very soft from where he sat. The way the light hit the skin, the faintest of wrinkles on her still feet, he couldn't not stare at them. 

But this moment of indulgence, while Plat was eating her meal, was certainly not going unnoticed by the alien.

“H-Hey uh… Plat?” Jules asked.

“Hm?”

“It’s… really hot in here.” Jules grumbled, “Am I alright to… leave?”

“Take off your shirt.” Plat suggested, making Jules blush a bit at the thought but it would let him probably see if that was more comfortable.

“Well, Plat, I-”

“You just got here.”

Jules paused, looking down at his lap. She was right. He just arrived and now was planning to dip once the meal was done. He had to care for her. There was no way around the fact that he had his job to do. “Well, a-alright. I suppose I can try.”

Plat watched, captivated in eager anticipation, as Jules began to slowly tug off the now slightly wet shirt from his body. Her eyes danced around his form, the chiseled and muscular body that hid beneath was all she needed to see and the fact that he glistened? He clearly was working hard. Working hard? Caring for her? Very attractive?

Jules felt something press against his leg, his attention turning back to Plat only to catch her left foot pressing against his pants. His cheeks grew faintly rosy, looking up to the alien who innocently returned the gaze. Only for that innocence to fade with a growing smile and the wagging of her tail. She pressed her other foot against the same target, shifting around to a proper seated position. Now both the balls of her feet rested comfortably against his leg.

“U-Um, Plat-?”

“Hm~?”

“I know you’re tall and all, but-”

“Weren’t you looking at them?”

“Looking at- wha- huh?”

“My feet, weren’t you looking at my feet~?”

He had been caught. Hook, line and sinker! Red handed, just like that! How could he be so foolish!? He’d always been so good at hiding his little secret but just this once he had let it slip. Well, maybe not that good since this wasn’t like it was the first time he’s had this happen to him. “P-Plat, I-”

Plat just smiled at him, the tips of her ears lifted up in eager anticipation to see what he’d do. Jules just froze up, unable to really do much aside from letting her knead her toes into his leg before eventually they climbed into his lap. 

What have I gotten myself into…?

Jules looked down at the exotic and exquisite beauties resting in his lap. Her toes flexed a bit to gain his attention, Plat remained awfully quiet. They appeared so flawless, as if alien toes were meant to capture the hearts and minds of humans… If so they’d succeeded. And so they remained nearby, keenly awaiting his next move.