Sea Dance
by
Leanne Strange
Chapter One
Kass Martijn yawned and rubbed her aching neck while hurrying down the long corridor in the first leg of the maze that led from her suite in the visitor complex to the trans-chute. Today was the last full day of Kass' three-day research visa on the world of Seamyst. She'd spent most of her time fighting bureaucratic red tape with the Archive Council of Aquinia. The permission code had finally come through in the middle of the night, which was why Kass found herself up and out before dawn. She wanted to transfer a copy of the data to her research team back on Earth before the council changed its mind.
Space travel had never bothered Kass much because it seemed like moving through a sea of stars. The water was her milieu, though--sailing, swimming, studying--and Seamyst was a water baby's dream come true. Saltwater covered ninety-seven percent of the planet's surface, though hundreds of mountain-islands rose from the floor of the ocean like towers. A city had been built on each mountain-island by the Aquinian race of Seamystians, and a spaceport had been constructed on each mountain plateau.
Three separate races had evolved on Seamyst. Two of them lived almost completely in the water--the Uni-Fins and the Bi-Fins. The Unis were most like the merfolk of Earth myth and legend. Their humanoid torsos turned into scale-covered icthian tails instead of legs. The Bis' humanoid torso became two separate leg-like appendages, each ending in a fin.
The third, called the Aquinians after the English translation of the name of their capital city, were the most humanoid of all. They walked upright on two legs with humanoid heels and broad webbed toes. They breathed air, but could survive under water for extended periods of time.
Political unrest among the three races kept the world of Seamyst unstable for a long time. The Unis and Bis each thought themselves superior to the other two while both resented the Aquinians' ability to walk on land and create a lucrative tourist trade with landwalkers from other planets.
Lately though, other aquatic and amphibious species began to visit Seamyst, taking advantage of the underwater cities and attractions, easing the cultural tensions somewhat. The research team Kass worked with decided to take advantage of the calmer atmosphere to access older data unavailable through modern communications systems.
Kass had spent the better part of the past two days filling out request forms and being shuffled from one office to another until she came full circle back to the Aquinian Archive Council. She'd finally had enough and told them in no uncertain terms she would file reports with the Alien Information Exchange League, the Seamyst-Earth Liaison Office, and the Earth Consulate if they tried to shunt her off again.
The aggressive strategy worked, although Kass spent a restless evening worrying they would deny her and she'd disappoint her team. The information was vital to a research project that had been ongoing for over five years, and once denied, a second request wouldn't be accepted for two years. Fortunately, they agreed.
She took a few more twists and turns down the shiny corridors. The floors were coated with a thin layer of water so that the Seamystians and other aquatic beings could soak up the liquid they vitally needed for survival. Fortunately, she'd been warned to wear only rubber-soled shoes or she definitely would have gone sprawling more than once.
Finally, she arrived at the trans-chute. She hit the button and waited for a car while shrugging her shoulders to get the kink out of her neck. She could see herself living on Seamyst, exploring the mountain cities and underwater villages, studying the exotic aquatic flora and fauna--some of it so like Earth's, but much of it completely different. She knew she had to return to Earth the next day.
There was no way to extend her visa, not on the company's dime, and she sure didn't have the spare intergalactic credits to spring for even an extra day or two.
Now, she needed to concentrate on her work, and her mind spun with the possibilities of what she'd find in the old archives. She was only barely aware of the swoosh when the chute door opened and she automatically stepped inside.
Something solid slammed into her, the force temporarily knocking the breath out of her lungs. She staggered back, and a man's large hands shot out to steady her at the same time as she grabbed hold of his upper arms. Every nerve ending in her body crackled with awareness from standing so close to him.
The lights in the circular chute car illuminated a row of oblong mirrors around the inner wall where she glimpsed herself being held by a very tall man dressed in running togs.
Only the humanoid heels of his webbed feet were encased in running 'heelies', as the Seamystians called the abbreviated shoes covering only the heels and attached by an ankle strap. Her eyes traveled from water-spattered feet to muscular thighs encased in black pants then up to a wide chest and the mass of deep dark green curls showing in the valley of the v-neck black tunic he wore.
She quickly steadied her mind and body before focusing her gaze on the face of the gorgeous alien hunk she'd bumped into. Surprised, aquamarine eyes stared down at her. Sea ears, which resembled those of humans except for the outer shell where the cartilage thinned and fluted, creating a ruffled edge that would sway to and fro like plant life in the water, framed his face. A strong square chin, deep-set eyes, a slightly rounded nose and a temptingly kissable mouth completed his arresting countenance.
Their gazes locked after he seemed to have scrutinized her with just as much interest. His blue-green eyes smoldered with curiosity and sensual enjoyment that both pleased and bothered her at the same time.
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