Alien Standards
By Chaos Blackwing

Aaron was beginning to think that he’d really taken a wrong turn somewhere. It had been fun at first, seeing all the new and different species wandering around the hallways of the station, intermingling with the other humans as everyone went about their business, but the last ten or so minutes had seen him walking corridors where he was the only human in sight, and the glances he was getting from the aliens he passed were starting to worry him.

It would be one thing if the aliens around him were more his size, but he was starting to think that he’d wandered into the residential area for a specific race, as the only aliens he’d seen recently were members of a race he’d only heard about before coming to the station, korlins. While meeting new species was part of the reason he’d taken a job in space, given korlins had an appearance similar to the long extinct Tasmanian tigers except bipedal, were seven to eight feet tall and averaged several hundred pounds, it was more than a little nerve-wracking to have the attention of so many of large carnivores as he passed them by.

Seeing a branch in the hallway Aaron hurried his steps while trying not to look like he was in a rush, eager to get out of the area and back to more familiar grounds. Rounding the corner however left him staring, eyes wide. Rather than a way out the hallway ended in a large open area, doors scattered along the wall, with nearly a dozen korlins relaxing and talking to each other in what he guessed was meant as a communal area. Almost as one they turned to look at the newcomer, ears perking up at the sight of a lone human in their midst.

When several of them stood up and started towards him, eyes shining in a way that was anything but reassuring, Aaron was nearly ready to bolt. Backing up slowly he kept his eyes trained forwards, and it was only upon feeling his back impact something large, immobile and most worrying furry that he realized that some of the aliens he’d passed before had apparently followed him, leaving him trapped between the two groups as they converged on him.

A deep, rumbling “Human...” echoed and repeated by various korlins was his only warning before his vision was filled with brown fur, the two groups surrounding him and cutting off all chance of escape. Backed against the wall he could only hope whatever they had planned would be quick.

**

Several hours later Aaron found himself almost drunkenly staggering along a different hallway, one he’d been told would lead him back to his apartment. Even knowing what he’d just been through, he still found it hard to believe given what he’d been so worried about before.

He’d been petted and caressed on his head and every bit of exposed skin. Held cuddled to this alien and that as they fussed over him like some sort of giant human plushy. Fed surprisingly tasty bits of food by doting hands. It was only the fact that it was getting late and he really needed to get back ‘home’ to sleep that allowed him to slip away from all the attention. Not that the surprisingly friendly aliens had wanted to let him go back, oh no, with several of the korlins offering their own homes for him to sleep at under various justifications, whether it be to keep him from having to walk all the way back so late to keeping him much warmer than a solitary bed would be.

Finally though, after a last ruffle of his hair and a gentle pat on the back he’d been shown the hallway leading out of the korlin section of the station, slipping away before any of them could change their minds.

As he walked on tired feet down the hallway he found himself approaching another human, one of the repairmen for the station if the box of tools and open panel he was crouched next to were any indication. Apparently hearing his approach the man looked up, a surprised expression on his face as he saw Aaron.

“Well now, not often I see another human in this area of the station. Name’s Gunther, station maintenance. You lost?” the older male asked as he stood up.

Shaking his head wearily, Aaron wasn’t quite sure how to respond. “Not... exactly. I was out exploring and ran across a bunch of korlins....”

Upon hearing the name the old man chuckled, smiling knowingly at Aaron. “Only to find out that they didn’t want to let you leave, right?”

Aaron tilted his head in confusion, wondering how the old man knew. “Yes actually, it was... very strange. When they first surrounded me I thought I was a goner, but it was like-”

“ -they were a bunch of kids who’d just been presented with a puppy?” Gunther again finished for him, a grin stretched across his face.

“Yeah, exactly. Not that I’m complaining mind, given what I thought was about to happen, but what was that about?”

“The short of it is, they think humans are cute.”

Aaron stared blankly at the old man, sure he heard him wrong.

“... what?”

Chuckling at Aaron’s response, Gunther leaned against the wall, still grinning.

“They tend not to advertise it, what with it clashing with the  ‘big and tough’ image they like to project, but for some strange reason korlins big and small got a soft spot for humans. Usually it don’t amount to much as they keep it hidden when out in public, but if a human happens to wander into the ‘wrong’ part of the station, go to the ‘wrong’ bar, well now, they might end up like you, buried in attention from ‘big and tough’ turned ‘big and friendly.”

Even having experienced it himself not too long ago Aaron found it hard to believe. “And no-one complains or makes a fuss?”

Gunther let out a hearty chuckle. “About what? In all my years on this station I have never heard of a one of the big softies hurting a human outside of self-defense or accident. Worst that generally happens is that the ‘victim’ is late for a meeting or ends up with an overly full stomach from being fed too much, and who’s going to want to tell everyone that they spent an hour or two receiving the kind of treatment you’d expect a spoiled pet to get?” 

Gunther paused for a moment, his expression shifting to a sly look. “... especially if it’s not the first time it’s happened to them.” Seeing the confused look on Aaron’s face Gunther laughed again, this time the laugh of an older man enjoying the naivety of youth.

“Oh indeed, it seems the station can be mighty ‘confusing’ to some people, causing them to get ‘lost’ on a near regular basis, always in the strangest parts of the station at that. Hardly surprising though, the station is a big place, and I recall getting lost more than a few times myself when I first came on board many years ago.”

By now even the formerly confused Aaron had caught on to what the old man was implying, and he found himself more than a little conflicted.

Yes he had initially been afraid, very much so to have a bunch of large aliens stare at and then surround him as though he was about to be mugged or picked up and thrown out of ‘their’ part of the station. Yes it had been more than a little nerve-wracking to have so many massive claw-bearing hands pet and prod him, shifted this way and that by individuals where a simple accident could have easily left him injured.

And yet...

Throughout it all he’d not once been harmed. Once he’d calmed down enough to notice what was actually happening(rather than what his fear-driven mind thought was about to happen) it was clear that for all their strength the korlins were very careful never to use too much of it. Even in their excitement they made sure to never grip too hard, never pull or push him too fast. Remembering how Gunther had initially described their reaction to humans Aaron couldn’t help but agree now that he thought about it. It was rather like a bunch of children with a puppy, and just like a child would be careful not to harm a puppy, despite the massive difference in strength, so too were the korlins careful in turn.

Looking back on what happened without the fear getting in the way Aaron could sorta understand why other people might go back. Petted and pampered, hand-fed delicious food... ignoring for a moment that all the attention was coming from large carnivorous aliens and it was almost like the kind of treatment you’d expect from a luxurious spa, the sort of thing only those with money to burn could afford to visit. Sure it was a little embarrassing, but wasn’t that an even trade?
 
Seeing the other man deep in though Gunther’s mouth quirked up in a slight grin, well remembering the kinds of thoughts that had been running through his mind when he was in the younger man’s shoes. Before he could say something however Aaron let out a large yawn, his exhaustion clearly catching up to him now that he was calming down. Smiling Gunther reached over to pat the other man on the back before nudging him along.

“But enough yammering from me. You should probably get back to your bunk less you want one of ‘em catching you yawning like that and deciding that you’d be better off sleeping with them, ‘to save you the walk’ of course.’

About to respond Aaron found himself fighting back another yawn, settling for a tired nod instead. Flashing the old man a smile in thanks Aaron started the walk back to his apartment, looking forward to a good sleep after a long, strange day.