Page 33 of Whispers of the Deep

They weren’t getting enough conversation happening, and when the undine spoke, he mostly used the same words.

“Are you sure?” she asked for a hundredth time. “You’re sure that he’s just repeating words?”

“I have deciphered many different languages,” Byte grumbled. “I am certain he is repeating words. But he likely believes he is teaching you his language, so he is using the proper teaching techniques. Merely, the wrong techniques for our plan.”

“Damn it.”

“Indeed.”

This would take forever. Perhaps longer than she had time for, because she was going to dehydrate. Or maybe he’d get bored with her, and she would die here. Leaving poor Byte with her rotting corpse when she’d promised the little android that she would get it out of here.

No, they needed to figure this situation out. They needed to be able to converse with the undine and... and...

Mira slapped her forehead hard enough to leave a mark. “Damn panic and stupid, stupid nonsense of a brain. Byte!”

When she rolled to her feet, the little droid used its arms to push itself away from her. “Don’t like. Don’t like that expression.”

Grabbing it off the floor like a ball, she marched to the end of the cave and popped it back on top of the server. Leaning low so they were eye level, she asked, “You said you could make a translation chip. Right?”

“Right.” Its wires were shaking.

“Then make one for English. I’ll give him the chip.”

“Him?” The robot shook its binocular head. “No, that won’t work. You’d have to get close enough to put it behind his ear, and if you did that, then you’re close enough to kill. Translation chips hurt, Mira! Not enough to kill him, but absolutely enough to startle him. That will easily be enough reason for him to murder you.”

“It’s a risk we have to take.”

“I will not do it. There is no logic in your plan. He’ll kill you.”

She hadn’t wanted to do this, but... “Beta Iota Epsilon 427. I order you to make me an English translation chip.”

Though the droid grumbled, there was nothing it could do. The programming required it to do whatever it was ordered to do, and she hated using that against it.

Whirring, crackling, and a few sparks scattered out of the box, but then there it was. A translation chip that was smaller than the nail on her thumb, resting on a small platform that came out of the robot’s belly.

“Thank you,” she breathed, before taking the chip and holding it tightly in her palm. “I’ll be careful, you know.”

“Just don’t get killed.”

“That’s the plan.”

Now, all she had to do was wait. It took quite a while for her undine to show up, and then she reminded herself to call him Arges. He was an undine, but his name was Arges and that was going to work to her advantage.

She’d seen his expression when she’d said his name. And if that’s what he wanted from her, if he was even remotely curious about her, then it was time for her to try to flirt.

As if she’d ever been good at that.

Stomach churning with nerves, she sat on the edge of the stone with her feet in the water. This was different, and she hoped that would make him come a little closer. He was clearly curious about her and her body. Their species were similar, but not in every way. She’d seen him eyeing her feet before, although she was pretty certain he was looking at them in disgust. At least if they were in the water, they couldn’t distract him.

Arges appeared at the mouth of the cave, a dark shadow that swayed through the depths like a shark. Or perhaps like an eel. She knew it was him, though. Because the moment he looked up, all that blue bioluminescence burst to life. It rioted the moment he realized she was looking at him, and maybe this would be easier than she thought.

He silently broke the surface of the water, black eyes already watching her.

“I thought we could talk again today,” she said, her words echoing a bit. She spoke a little slower for him, although she still didn’t know if he was trying to learn her language. He listened to her, but still conversed with hand signals.

This time, she touched her fingers to her lips, and then mimed speaking with her fingers.

A soft expression crossed his face. Almost like a smile, but his lips didn’t even remotely twitch. Maybe this would be easier than she thought.

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