The teleportation room was less jarring the second time.

Either Saoirse didn’t know how the delegation had arrived, or she’d assumed they’d been sent for in a spacecraft of some variety. Petra didn’t see any reason to correct her, anyway. 

The Queen Commander did need to correct her otherworldly appearance, or vacuous suits back on Earth would pry her new toy away for inciting panic and insist on spoiling the fun the second they got back. 

When the squeaky footsoldier re-appeared with a bundle of loose-fitting sweats, the Queen Commander — with an admirable lack of skittishness — stripped down and slid them on with utilitarian efficiency.

Even with her long stripes of iridescent scales, she truly was remarkably human. Sharper, maybe — the knobs of her spine just a little too jagged, the arch in her feet a little too high — but passable. 

With a curl of her proud lip she shoved a ballcap over her blonde braid and a pair of flashy sunglasses over her reptilian eyes.

She led Petra to the the chamber, and with little fanfare they were back in Petra’s dressing room at the photoshoot, her assistant Carrie wide-eyed and frozen while she peered up over the edge of her trendy smartphone case. 

A small, mirrored square was still in the center of the room and crinkling under their feet.

Saoirse pursed her lips, kicking at the square with the toe of her boot. “I see. So they brought you a portable.”

Carrie looked on expectantly, so Petra kept her smile small and pleasant when she answered. “Yes.” 

She turned her attention to Carrie, taking slow, equal steps and placing her slender hands on either of Carrie’s petite shoulders.  Her pint-sized assistant was shaking like a leaf. “Carrie, I’m okay. You don’t need to worry, Saoirse is not here to hurt us.”

“If you’re sure, Petra,” she said with clear unease. She worried her lip between her teeth, keeping her phone clutched tightly in her fingers. “Should I get —”

“No, thank you.” Petra kept her voice gentle and friendly. If Saoirse found the sudden change in Petra’s tone jarring, she wisely kept it to herself.  “We’ve talked to everyone we need to talk to. So Carrie, just for now, we’re going to pretend like Saoirse is an old friend of mine. Okay?”

Carrie took a long, deep breath and nodded once. “Okay. Yes. I can do that.”

“Great.” Saoirse stepped off the portable with a long stride, adjusting her hat and looking at them both carefully from behind her sunglasses. “I expect we don’t have time to waste, so why don’t you show me what you wanted to show me?”

“Go on, Carrie,” Petra said, with a practiced face of concern. “I know this is a lot. Why don’t you take the rest of the day? I expect your family is pretty worried about you.”

Carrie’s eyes softened. “Thank you, Petra. Please let me know if you need me.”

When they were alone again Petra pivoted her gaze to Saoirse, one manicured brow raised with interest. “You seem to speak pretty convincingly like a human. When did you pick up on the patterns and figures of speech here?”

Saoirse tipped down her sunglasses, eyes assessing. “I don’t make it a habit to enter situations without preparation. You’re quite different with your subordinates than you are with me.”

Petra shrugged, plucking her keys from her vanity — which Carrie had thankfully left — and pocketing them. “Like I said, success is about playing an appealing character. That extends to employees, who are apt to disclose their experience with you one way or another, NDAs be damned.”

“NDAs? Are those the privacy documents?”

“Non—disclosure agreements, space queen.” Petra motioned her into the hallway, electing to use a series of service corridors to get them to the garage. Fewer people. Fewer chances to have to put on a pretty visage when all she wanted was to needle her new pet project. “Even if Carrie never talks to the press, people notice her attitude. Is she happy? What does she wear — does it seem like I pay well? Whispers get around. It’s a stupid mistake to not pay your assistant, or to be rude. An easy fall from grace.”

Petra had already figured that Saoirse paid close attention to her surroundings, but her responses were astute, too. “Loyalty is weakest on the lowest rungs. It makes sense to ensure they’re satisfied, even if it’s only for self-preservation.”

Petra hummed, clicking her FOB from her pocket. Her cyan sports car chirped from one of the front row spots, shiny and well-maintained. “Here we go. That’s us.”

Saorise tilted her head. “Not exactly low profile. What if we’re spotted?”

Petra laughed. It was short and soulless. “I’m not exactly going to be a blind item today, Queenie. After all, haven’t you heard?” She grinned, wide and manic. “The aliens are here.”