Granola Bars and Spaceships

by Geneva Vand

  Eric moved back to my side and looked at me questioningly. I took his hand. -Kasc scolding them for bad manners.-

  He looked to where Kasc was continuing to berate Aeka and Kek, laughing quietly.

  I tugged gently, leading him over to my favorite couch. I sat at one end, pulling him down next to me. -We often hang onto each other like that. But not with those not family or close friend. Not with other species. Think they decided you were family. Forgot you not used to our ways.-

  Eric made a humming noise. "I guess that makes sense. You and I do that, so we can talk."

  -Yes.-

  "Why would they decide I'm family?"

  I leaned my head on his shoulder, watching my parents argue. I was happy to see they had progressed to the playful stage. -I brought you home.-

  He rested his cheek on the top of my head. "Yes, but why would that mean I'm family?"

  -Silly Human. Why else I bring you?-

  He was silent. I raised my head to look at him, finding him staring at me in surprise.

  "Oh," he whispered.

  I grinned. -Silly Human! Why else you come?-

  He grinned back at me. "Okay then." He leaned down and kissed me softly on my lips.

  He pulled away quickly and I brushed my fingers over my lips. He had done that many times now, not sexually but with simple affection. I still found it odd, but I also found I liked it.

  He laughed quietly and started to shift around on the couch a little. He quickly had us arranged so that his arm was around me, pulling me against him, with his hand hanging over my shoulder, holding mine. I leaned my head back. We sat quietly together and watched my parents like they were one of Eric's television shows.

  "How long before they remember we exist?" he asked.

  I laughed. -Think they talking about us now.-

  "About us how?"

  -Not sure. Hear your name though. And room. And ceremony.-

  "Ceremony?"

  I rolled my neck so I could see his profile. -Mate ceremony. Legal. For life partners. Like wedding.-

  He arched his neck to look down at me. "I think there's something you need to ask me before they start planning. Don't you?"

  I made soft clicking sounds at him. -Yes. But later. Not here. We talk.- We settled back into our previous position.

  "Yes, we'll talk." He sounded smug.

  I smiled. -Movies about Human parents remind me of mine. Always planning ahead of children, yes? Sorry.-

  Eric chuckled quietly and rubbed his cheek on my head. "Yes. It's fine. Besides, it's not that presumptuous. I'm here, aren't I?"

  -Yes, you here.- I hummed happily. -You want translator?- I asked. -Like mine? Parents probably have extra.-

  "God. Yes, please."

  My laughter drew the attention of my parents. They came over and settled themselves in the seating area.

  "Do we have a translator compatible with Humans?" I asked.

  "Yes. I should have given it to you sooner." Aeka stood and went to dig around a drawer. Eet came back with a wrist panel about half the size of mine. Eet held it out to me. "You will want to teach him alone first. It will be more comfortable for him."

  I looked down at the small device. My eyes widened. I let go of Eric's hand and leaned forward to take it from Aeka. "This is not a standard version."

  All three shook their heads.

  "We knew you were bringing a Human almost as soon as Ticheck picked you up," Kasc told me. "Eet warned us. We had just enough time to obtain it before you arrived."

  "Thank you," I whispered.

  Eric tapped the back of my hand with his fingers. I wiggled a finger until we were touching enough for me to send. -Translator,- I told him. -Good one. Parents got it for you. Teach you to use later.-

  Eric took the small device from me with his free hand and examined it. After a moment he gave it back to me. "I'm guessing you should keep this for now."

  I nodded and slipped it into a large pocket on my thigh.

  Eric looked across at my parents. "Thank you," he said. "You didn't have to do that."

  All three of them smiled broadly at him and nodded, looking like the doll Eric had called a bobble head. I felt him shake very slightly next to me and knew he was trying not to laugh.

  My parents shifted their attention slightly back to me. "You should go," Aeka said. "We're happy to have seen you, but it's important he learn to use that."

  "Yes," Kasc chimed in. "Go. Rest. Spend time together and make sure he feels safe. He will find the translator odd. We're told it's like buzzing at first, more awkward than for us because his species doesn't have innate telepathy."

  "We will try not to bother you until after the next sleep cycle," Kek said. "May we see you for morning meal?"

  I had tried to give Eric a general idea of what was said, though it was difficult to find the Human words that quickly. He squeezed my hand when they stopped talking, so I figured he had understood.

  "We'll see you for breakfast," he said, surprising me, but not much. "Does Keeska know where?"

  All three of them stared at Eric in shock. Apparently it hadn't occurred to them that I would translate the conversation.

  "Oh," Kasc said. "Yes. Keeska knows where."

  I translated for him again, then released his hand to stand. He stood and waited for me while I was bombarded by embraces from my parents. Kasc went up to him and hugged him, then laid ta hand gently on his cheek. I was sure eet said something, but had no idea what. I watched as he leaned forward and kissed Kasc on the cheek. Ta eyes were huge with surprise when he straightened.

  The room was completely silent while they watched us walk to the door. As soon as it snicked closed, we heard an eruption of chatter break out in the room we had just left. We looked at each other and burst into laughter.

  *~*~*

  I sort of collapsed down onto the couch in our suite. Eric watched me as I wiggled around to pull his new translator out of my pocket. I set it on my lap and stared at it, still slightly shocked.

  "So are you going to tell me what the big deal about that is?" Eric asked. "I thought you were going to pass out when Aeka handed it to you."

  I picked up the translator, turning it in my hands. The panel that held the view screen and controls was lighter and more compact than mine, partly because it didn't have as many functions. Some of the functions on my panel would be incompatible with someone who had no innate telepathy, like the light manipulation and keep away that had helped me hide until Eric saved me. This obviously wouldn't have those. But it had plenty of other things, including a view screen and a slightly heavier connection pad on the back. The arm band itself was very high quality leather in plain black. The nearly invisible buckles were also black. All in all, it was a discreet little unit that he could easily hide under his shirt sleeve if he wished.

  Eric sat down on my right, resting his hand on my knee. "Well?" he asked.

  I set the translator back in my lap and rested my hand on top of his. -It is…very expensive,- I told him.

  "Oh. Um. How expensive, exactly?"

  I shook my head. He didn't need to know that it had probably cost what amounted to three Earth months' worth of profit. Or more.

  Eric laughed harshly. "That expensive, huh?"

  I winced.

  He sighed and picked it up with his free hand. I moved my arm so that I could rest my palm on the back of his neck, freeing up his other hand. He turned it over and over, examining it more closely than I had expected.

  "So what does it do?"

  -Translates. Many languages. Download them and it remembers and recognizes. Aeka probably set up already. Also key for doors. You program when want to lock.- I reached over and tapped the little square screen that took up about half the panel. -Also interface. For ship or station or planet computer. Like internet.-

  He frowned and grabbed my left arm. He shoved my sleeve back so that he could compare the panels. "Yours doesn't have a screen like that."

  -Easier for you
with screen. Translation is telepathic, but large information sets would be difficult.-

  "Wait, what? How does that work?"

  -What?-

  "How is it telepathic?"

  He sounded incredulous and I smiled. -Don't know how works. Know how to use. Trader, not scientist. Remember?-

  "Yeah, okay."

  I smiled. -If very curious, ask Kasc. Eet is our scientist type.-

  Eric raised his eyebrows skeptically.

  I frowned at him. -What? Eet is flighty, not stupid.-

  "Sorry. So how do I use this?"

  *~*~*

  Keeska's palm was warm on the back of Eric's neck. He listened to eet talk as he examined the surprisingly heavy translator.

  -Look at back,- Keeska said.

  Eric flipped it over, pushed the leather strap flat when it wanted to curl over. Most of the back of the panel was covered in the smooth leather. However, there was a circle cut out, through which a flat silver disc protruded slightly. It was about an inch in diameter and looked like it would sit on the back of his wrist.

  Keeska pointed to it. -Always against skin.-

  Eric frowned and rubbed it with a fingertip. "Why? What's it do?"

  -Is how translator talks to you. Put on now.-

  He swallowed thickly, shoved up his sleeve, and set it against his left forearm. Keeska moved ta hand from his neck and helped him fasten it.

  Eric moved his arm around. It was heavy enough that he would know it was there, but not so heavy that it would bother him. The metal disc was cold but quickly warming up to his body temperature. He suspected that once he got used to the armband, he wouldn't even notice it. Like carrying your wallet or your phone in your pocket. It would feel weird if it wasn't there.

  Keeska wrapped ta fingers around Eric's arm above the band and started pointing to things with ta other hand. -Ask for explain word. Ask for repeat stored recording. Ask to record, for things like addresses and meeting times. Only store one at time. Link to interface of ship or hub or other place. Set door lock codes.- Keeska turned Eric's arm slightly and pointed to a long narrow button on the side. -Hold to turn on or off.- He looked at me. -Will need to adjust settings to you. Do now?-

  Eric took a deep breath. "Sure. Why not?"

  He pressed the button down with his thumbnail. Nothing happened, but Keeska had told him to hold it, so he held it. After what felt like an eternity, but was probably less than twenty seconds, lights started blinking on the panel.

  -Let go now,- Keeska said.

  As soon as Eric let go of the power button, Keeska stopped touching him. Eric looked over in confusion and started to reach for Keeska's hand. But Keeska shook ta head and stood up, moving so that Eric couldn't reach eet. Eric frowned. "What is it?"

  Keeska shook ta head. Eet pointed to the translator and then held up a finger, telling Eric to wait. Eric sighed and sat back, wondering what he was waiting for.

  It started as a quiet buzzing at first. Then it got louder, like a thousand bees were filing into his skull one by one. Eric winced and rubbed at his forehead. Was this supposed to be happening? Slowly, the buzzing changed tone until it was a low hum. When the humming had faded to white noise that was noticeable but not intrusive, Eric sighed in relief. "What the hell was that?"

  "It was calibrating itself. You won't need to do that again unless you get a new one or this one needs to be reset. Never touch anyone when you're calibrating a translator. It causes errors in the settings."

  Eric blinked and looked at Keeska. "What?" Keeska started to speak again, but Eric shook his head. "No, sorry. I understood you. It's just weird." The voice from the translator was flat and felt intrusive. It was nothing like Keeska's mental voice, and unsettling to say the least. Especially when paired with Keeska's actual, physical voice speaking at the same time, like the beginning of an echo.

  Keeska smiled gently and sat by him again. Eet rested ta fingers on Eric's arm just above the armband. -Can be confusing at first. To listen to both.-

  Eric frowned down at the translator. "Can you change how it talks to me? The voice sounds like cardboard, if cardboard could talk."

  -Must be on default. Default is terrible. Here.- Keeska opened a menu on the larger view screen, making sure Eric watched what eet was doing. -Here. These are voice options. Change how link feels when active.-

  Eric ran his finger along the side of the screen to scroll. It seemed pretty straight forward. They didn't have fancy names by default, but when he selected one he was given the option to rename it. That was handy. He quickly renamed the active one cardboard man.

  He looked up at Keeska. "Can you sing or something? So I can find one that works with Iska."

  Keeska moved back so that they weren't touching. Eet started reciting something that sounded like it might be a children's story if the translator hadn't been beating at Eric's brain with a sledgehammer. He quickly chose a setting at random. Anything was better than that.

  Eric winced. Or not. He cycled through several options until the translator suddenly stopped beating him over the head and simply started talking to him. He let it run for a few more words, then sighed in relief. He could tell it was slightly out of sync with what Keeska was saying, but he could deal with that.

  Keeska laughed. "Is it better now?"

  "Yes. Much. It's a little laggy, but that's fine."

  "It shouldn't be out of sync," Keeska said, frowning. "You should try the rest of the settings."

  Eric groaned. "Really? I can't just keep this one?"

  "It would be best to try the rest. There's probably a better one."

  "Fabulous." Eric made circling motions toward Keeska. "Go back to the story, then."

  Eric touched the screen to wake it back up. About six options were tagged as untried. He started at the bottom just to be contrary. That one seemed to make the lagging worse. The third one he tried was apparently the right one.

  The translator and Keeska synced up. He could hear Keeska talking, and even though he didn't understand the language, he knew what Keeska was saying. It was like there was a soft voice whispering in his ear at the same time, telling him what the words meant. The other settings had sort of talked over Keeska, drowning eet out and making it difficult to follow either set of words. This one just harmonized, letting Eric hear both at the same time without confusion. This was obviously how the device was supposed to work. Eric quickly renamed it This one! and sat back, finally paying attention to what Keeska was actually saying.

  Keeska stopped telling him the story about a pet running loose at a space station. Eet grinned happily. "That one, then. Which one is it?"

  Eric held out his wrist. Keeska poked at the screen, checking to see which setting he'd chosen.

  Keeska winced. "We should have tried to program it before you put it on. I'm sorry."

  "Why?" Eric asked, puzzled.

  "People that are particularly sensitive to the telepathic link system wind up with settings in that range. The default probably felt like it was punching you. I should have realized that since you hear me as easily as you do, you would need one of the lighter settings. I'm sorry. We weren't thinking."

  Eric blinked. "Oh. I'm easy to talk to?"

  "Yes." Keeska smiled. "It takes very little effort to send to you. That's not true of everyone."

  Eric smiled back. "Huh. Neat." Eric finally looked down and ran a finger under the leather band, settling it into a smoother fit. "If it calibrated itself, why did we have to choose a setting?"

  "The calibration let it talk to you at all. The setting is fine tuning, so to speak. Like adjusting the seat in a vehicle."

  Eric stopped fiddling. "I guess that makes sense." He turned sideways on the couch, stretching his legs out and tugging Keeska around so that eet was draped over Eric's chest, their legs tangled together. "So what now?"

  Keeska curled a hand around Eric's neck, sighing happily. -Have rest of day. Practice. Get used to translator. See rest of ship. Get food.-

  "Mmm. S
ounds good."

  *~*~*

  Eric took a few minutes to just enjoy being still. He let some of the stress of the last few days and the anxiety about the future fade out. Keeska was warm and solid on top of him, ta breath tickling his skin at the edge of his shirt collar. Keeska was here, with him, and that had been the whole point. He would try to remember that they could work out the more complicated things as they went along.

  He'd already met the parents. They were a little intimidating but also really nice. They didn't seem to hate him, had even gone out of their way to make him welcome. The translator they had gifted him with would obviously solve most problems he would otherwise run into. He had an entire new world to learn, but he wasn't without help.

  He rubbed his hands lightly over Keeska's back, feeling eet arch into the pets slightly. "This is actually going to work, isn't it?"

  Keeska wiggled around until eet was sitting next to Eric's hip. "Did you think it wouldn't?" Keeska asked curiously.

  Eric propped himself up on his elbows and shrugged self-consciously. "I thought it would, but I was worried it wouldn't. I knew you and I would be fine, but I wasn't sure about the rest."

  Keeska rolled ta eyes, making a disgusted sound. "I wouldn't have brought you if I didn’t think it was possible for you to have a decent life with me."

  Eric nodded. "I know."

  "But now you believe it."

  Eric pulled Keeska back down to rest on his chest again. "Yes. Now I believe it."

  Keeska pressed a kiss against his chin. -Good.-

  A GLIMPSE OF THE FUTURE

  "Keeska," Eric called from the hallway. "Will just sent me a date for the summer camping trip. It's in two weeks. Do you think we can make it?"

  I closed the daily schedule I had been looking at and pulled up the long-term summary. I counted out time periods, looking at the things that were on it and trying to decide how many of them could be pawned off on my parents at the last minute. Pretty much all of them. Good.

  "I don't see why not," I said.

  Eric laughed as he came into the room. "You're going to bribe your parents to pick up our work load, aren't you?"