My slender, green escort in an apron loudly clicked, hummed and chirped, and all activity halted as the crew turned towards her. And thusly me.
Several curious looks, along with what appeared to be many different languages, floated past me. Whoever Gobi was, she had a position of power. At the very least she held a place of honor and respect. Heads nodded, different beings responded to the noises she made. A being whose skin was a medium pink shade and lizard textured nodded affirmatively and went off at her command. What appeared to be a luminous vapor shifted color and went off in a different direction.
I was completely enthralled, as none of these species was familiar. Not a single one. A few others approached cautiously to look at me, all with curious and friendly expressions. She made a palm-down hand movement and they all seemed to ease back and pause in approaching me.
The being with pink-tinted lizard skin was the first to return. They brought with them a cup of liquid and a very small container.
Gobi took both and chirped at the person. They responded by nodding and smiling, and looked at me expectantly. I attempted a small smile but it likely looked pained. Honestly, I had no idea what they wanted from me.
My new green friend, Gobi, offered me the liquid, which I accepted and held. She then opened the tiny container, which seemed to have a metallic grain-sized particle in it. I squinted at it. It looked like a flatted grain of rice with a light purple sheen.
"The liquid in the cup is juice from your Terran apple." Apple juice? I stared at it, eyes wide. This was incredibly hard to come by, as were most juices. But apples were a prized commodity that was very difficult to even barter for, yet here was a glass containing the juice of who-knows-how-many apples. I was completely awed. I sniffed it, finding a light aroma, my brain trying to memorize the scent.
"The acid in the juice will melt the coating off of this so that it absorbs better in your system." She held out the grain of rice to me, "This is a translation chip. So that you can speak with the others." I glanced up at the beings around the room and all seemed expectant and pleased. It lessened the odds of this being a ploy to kill me via poisonous rice grain. It looked like… like they wanted to be able to speak with me. I didn’t have to con them or anything, they were willing and even eager. It was a long time since I felt wanted or invited, save for the occasional business transaction down at the docks. This time my smile at them was more genuine, and was met with a few of their own. I swallowed back the lump in my throat.
I carefully scooped up the grain with a fingernail and brought it closer. Yep, it still reminded me of flat rice.
"Deposit chip further back on your tongue, then drink some juice." I followed Gobi's instructions and took a sip of the juice. Flavor burst across my tongue, along with what may have been tiny electrical tingles. So this is what apple tastes like! I took another sip, swishing it around my mouth before swallowing. I might have glugged instead of sipped the time after that.
They waited patiently.
After a good solid moment or two, Gobi clicked and chirped, looking at me expectantly. Eh? Nope, not yet. I shook my head.
The pink lizard person hissed and ahhhed at me. I shook my head.
The tan guy with the goat horns guffed at me. I shook my head.
The guy covered in thick animal hide (which appeared to be his own) grunted. I shook my head at him. Titters went up and Gobi waved a hand and explained, "Worry not, he was speaking to Nawy, not to you." To which I giggled and he grunted at me in amusement and offered a small smile, which showing slender fangs.
Gobi said - in Terran - that we should give it another minute or two to take effect. We simply waited, visually examining each other in the meantime. After a moment, I realized that I was… excited. I was hearing their languages, I wanted to get to know them as people. It was like the docks but with people intending to speak to me about more than just moving their crates to and from their craft. I would get to learn about their lives and their homes.
The vapor returned, wafting a little closer as well. Guessing their sex was completely out of the question but they were definitely sentient. They hovered near Gobi who glanced expectantly at the group.
Pushing through from behind the crowd came a towering blue head with dark horns. He was taller and wider than all the others, and appeared to have a strong set of facial features. His carved jawline and high cheekbones reminded me of statues of ancient warriors.
The crowd parted for him just as Gobi exclaimed, "Oh good, my grandson has arrived!" and suddenly, in front of me, was a huge blue Sitor.
I flew backwards into a wall, with a shriek. "What in the name of Aylef - Is that a Sitor?!"
Now, I admit that this was not my finest moment. But in my defense, the mere reputation of the species in front of me was enough to terrify me. Stories were written of them twisting heads off in battle. I once heard that someone bumped into one on a trade day at our docks, and they were never heard from again.
My full bladder? It was hit or miss right now.
From the little I understood, there were two kinds. I heard the aggressive ones had long horns and fangs, and were noted especially by their stripes. But no one ever mentioned where these stripes were at. This one was large and had horns but did it have stripes? I could only pray it did not have its stripes yet.
He grumble-growled at Gobi, and my translation chip chose that moment to start working. "What is this?" He was pointing at me. His hands were easily twice that of mine and ended in darkened talons.
Gobi chirp-hummed in response, "Tonakk, this is Virginia. She did not end up here intentionally." She smiled sweetly at him.
How were these two related, exactly?? Everything about them was completely opposite.
He replied in deep grumbles, gesturing at me in annoyance. "Where did you find this at, and why is it here?"
Gobi clicked, hummed, and chirped for several moments.
"It is a she, and she fell asleep in the sales compartment. Virginia is called 'Gin' and… I believe she was hiding from something that frightened her. She thought the room was stationary and immediately apologized and attempted to depart. Perhaps we can bring her home when we return in a half vin's time?" She tilted her head and I had the feeling she was somehow negotiating with her grandson.
They stayed looking at each other for another long moment, and then they both turned and stared at me.
During this I had come to my senses and actually took a long look at the Sitok. Big and muscular, similar blue hue as a water stone, black horns like the pictures of the male sheep Terra used to have but smaller - like they were not yet developed fully. His arms and legs had so much muscle definition they looked etched. More toned than bulky. I did not see any stripes on him anywhere but I had no idea how that worked, so he might still be one of the dangerous types of Sitor. He did have eyebrow and eyelash hairs like Terrans, and humanoid features. In between his horns his hair grew as a wide strip. It was shorn short and appeared bristled.
His attire was a whole separate issue. He was wearing a sleeveless vest of made of tightly rowed small chains that connected by latch in the front. It wasn’t raw metal, maybe more like metal that was coated in something thick and black? Definitely some sort of protective wear. This was worn over an expanse of naked blue chest. It was also completely at odds with his bottom half, which was 2 strips of long thick fur from an unknown animal over the front and rear, and appeared to have thin fabric sides that didn’t leave his hips completely bare, but it was a close call. While I was glad he was well covered, because I was leery of what was underneath, I couldn’t deny being curious of what the rest of him looked like. On his feet were braced boots with strips of animal hide and chain tied to them.
Was this normal attire for his people, or did he dress in the dark?
I kept one eye on him while I spoke with Gobi. "First things first - is he the kind with the arm stripes, or without?" I needed to know this. Immediately. Right now. I mean, was I safe? Would he rampage at any
moment? I needed answers.
I would swear that Gobi's eyes twinkled when she replied with, "No stripe. Not yet. This is good, yes?"
I cast an uneasy glance at the horned blue giant before stating, "I guess so?" I leaned towards her a bit, speaking quieter, "I heard that the ones with the stripes and the larger curved horns are very dangerous. Like… to be avoided and never to approach. Those kinds are known for their vicious tempers. Where I am from we were all warned about them. Maybe the ones with no stripes and small horns are harmless though?"
A choked laugh, a cough, and a few loud snickers, all quickly stifled, came from the group of beings behind him.
The blue guys face tightened at my words, then went flat. His eyes narrowed on me.
"You are rude, for a stowaway." This was the first thing he said to me that I could understand? Clearly I was not the only rude one, then.
"Actually, I witnessed a crime and ran and hid, and you just accidentally kidnapped me."
Mirth was traded for nervous mutterings and uneasy glances amongst the crew.
"Shhhh… calm." Gobi muttered to them, but moved closer to us both.
The room quieted, everyone looking concerned.
"You are well?" Gobi looked me over again, concerned.
"I do still need to speak with the Unified Governing Patrol," I told her. "I was on the docks for trade day and saw an Exarc kill two Terrans, and his friends took their bodies. When he realized I saw him, he aimed his weapon at me, so I ran through the crowds and hid. I ended up hiding behind your crates, thinking you were a storage unit, then I got trapped."
"So not only rude and a stowaway, but possibly bringing danger to my ship." The big blue asshole concluded. He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at me.
"And in return you just kidnapped a Terran citizen, possibly endangering her, and keeping her from reporting a major security incident to the UGP." I crossed my arms and glared right back at him. I was no one's pushover. That and I felt far braver since I found out he had no stripes and regular horns.
"Now, now children, how about I make us all a nice cup of orjweat? It's good for the temperament. And if you both behave, I will make some graht cakes." She ambled past us down a corridor, stopping before she turned. "Gin? Tonakk? Come please." And she turned the corner.
The jerk and I glared at each other a bit more before we heard, "Come!" from down a hallway. We broke eye contact, each of us fuming in our own way, and headed towards where Gobi vanished. It was his ship and I had no idea where I was going, so I let him lead.
I would have sworn I heard him mutter, "What the hell is a 'cup'?" Or something that sounded similar.
Before I turned the corner to follow, I glanced back at the crew. They didn’t seem to hate me, despite that I may have brought danger. In fact they seemed… happy? And I would swear I saw handshakes, laughter, hugs, and even high-hand claps. What were they celebrating?
I turned and raced ahead to catch up with endearing Gobi and her obnoxious Sitor grandson.
Gin
It turns out that orjweat is a flowering herb, and that it is boiled in a milky liquid, and then a sweet nectar is added. It's delicious. The jury was still out on the graht cakes, since I had been too scared to try one yet.
We were in a large commissary type of room filled with bench seats and tables. The entire length of one wall was for consumption. Half the wall was food and drink machines that I had no idea how to use, and the other was the lower half of a wall. Beyond it, into a further room, you could see a functioning food preparation area with over-sized cooking containers and serving implements.
I was seated across from Tonakk, and Gobi was standing next to us insisting we should sip orjweat and try a cake. And to talk. Apparently avoiding eye contact, muttering, and the occasional glower was not enough for her endearing little green self.
The big blue jerk seemed to have calmed down a bit and allowed her to mediate.
"I believe my business at the outpost on Narvek Minor will be over quickly. You are welcome to accompany us-"
"You. Accompany you." Gobi's arm nudged his and I swear he sighed in defeat.
"Fine. You may accompany me. For some reason my Greater Gobi believes you would enjoy watching us trade. After such we-"
"You," Gobi corrected. Tonakk just looked battle-weary at this point.
"I can return you to Terra in a few days." Was he… brooding, as he stared at his cup of orjwean?
"Actually, I would like that," I admitted. "I have always wanted to be a trader, so anything I can learn would be amazing."
My comment had him pause to glance at me in surprise. Suddenly I was something mildly interesting.
I had mixed feelings on being stuck here for a few sleep sessions, except for the realizations that 1. No one showed intent to murder me yet, and 2. I was ACTUALLY ON A SPACE CRAFT! Somehow the reality finally hit me and my curiosity finally overpowered my sense of self-preservation.
Granted, Tonakk might just wait until Gobi turned away and boot me out the nearest airlock. But if he didn't, I would get to see firsthand how trades went. I couldn’t pass up this learning experience, even if I meant I had to be on my best behavior. Especially knowing that being here meant I would finally have a place to sleep that was indoors.
"I will leave you two to speak with each other," She rubbed her temple to his, some sort of sign of affection maybe, and turned to leave. Suddenly she stopped and turned back to me.
"Have you smelled anything different about him?" Gobi asked me, motioning to her grandson.
Tonakk visibly blanched, frowning at her, "My Greater Gobi, surely such would not occur. Are you truly considering this?"
I was puzzled, what should he smell like? I took a less than discreet whiff of him before shaking my head at her. He didn't smell like anything at all.
"No, not yet? Okay, we will wait more." She patted me sweetly on my cheek before leaving.
That was… odd. We both stared after her before uneasily realizing we were expected to talk to each other now.
"So, um, is this your craft?" I asked.
"Do you live near the docking area?" He asked.
"Oops, sorry. I didn’t mean to speak when you did. In answer to your question, I sleep just outside of the docking area." I was careful in my reply and looked down at my drink. A glance showed that Gobi was gone and right now I was glad. Part of me felt like she might be disappointed if she knew my truths, and I did not want that. Not everyone's life was perfect and I was not ashamed of how I lived, I simply had nothing to boast about.
If they realized I was common street trash, would they be more likely to throw me out while in space? Something new to fret over. Shit.
I must have paused for too long in my thinking, or looked shifty, because a large blue head came into my view as I sipped from my cup.
"Virginia, will you tell me about where you live?" I glanced up to find him leaning in, as if I he actually wanted to know. I fidgeted, readjusting my seated position and stared into my cup for a moment trying to decide what to say. There was no way I would meet his eye if I told the awkward truth.
"I sleep beneath the remains of the Stavis concrete factory." Simple, matter-of-fact, and head held high. I wasn’t proud but I refused to feel ashamed. In the corner of my view I saw a horned blue head move back, no longer in my space.
"Your home is under this factory?" He tilted his head as if not understanding.
"The factory is a pile of rubble," I cleared my throat and took another sip of my drink. "It had floors both above and beneath the topside layers," I was using my hands to explain. "When it crumbled, some of the lower floors did not get destroyed. There are a few of us who crawl between the layers and down into the lower sections to sleep." It was the nicest way I could think to explain it.
"Your family lives inside this lower section?" His voice sounded 'off' but I couldn’t pinpoint how or why I felt this.
"No," I shook my head. "Just me. I don’t think I have any
family left. If there are, they never looked for me." I shrugged because really, what else could I say? I finally met his gaze again. "I have been on my own since I was about this big." I held a hand palm side down, to my lower shoulder.
I was feeling braver since admitting this so I reached for a graht cake. It was softer and more crumbly than expected, and I sniffed it to see what it smelled like. Citrus and cream? It looked like a brick of animal feed but actually smelled pretty good. I took a small nibble of it and found a smooth, buttery consistency and that the top of it tasted lightly sweet and tart both. Birther of Aylef, these were good! I took a bigger bite. It may be the best food I could recall having.
I also just realized he was silent. Except for my starved-animal chewing noises, the room was silent, which made me flush and put the cake down, feeling contrite.
"So, um… if I am here for a few days, what can I do to help out? I'm a hard worker, good with people, and I don’t usually eat much, I swear." It was an empty promise since they had food and I was used to starving. I would need to control myself and be sure to eat less than the others, or else risk seeming like even more of a problem to my potential captors.
I found him still staring at me, quiet. Thinking, perhaps? I had a difficult time gauging his facial expressions and was now officially feeling awkward so I went with… "So, um, do you have a waste and refresh space that I could use?" A big blue hand with a darkened claw pointed at a door behind me in the corner of the room. I thanked him and headed in that direction, wondering just how badly I already screwed up.
Tonakk
I do not understand. She lives underneath a destroyed factory? Is that not dangerous? How has she been there since she was so small? Why has no one taken care of her?
I was agitated and pacing near the table. Had Grand Gobi somehow known this? Did she expect my protective streak to trigger, is that why she asked Virginia if she scented me? I had no idea what to do with this information but I knew who could possibly help.
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