Page 59 of Alien Barbarian's Little Human

Her reaction puzzles me.

“I do not intend to give anyone false hope. I intend to give real hope. I do have a way to get us off the planet?”

“How? Do you have a spaceship tucked into your loincloth?”

“No. That would be impossible, even given advances in micronization technology.”

Her eyes close as she lets out an exasperated moan.

“Stop being dense. You can’t tell me you have advanced medical knowledge implanted in your brain, yet the concept of sarcasm escapes you.”

I consult my database.

“Ah, yes, sarcasm. When the sentiment expressed is at odds with the words spoken. A related concept to, but entirely separate from, literary irony.”

I can sense her frustration rising.

“But that’s not relevant to the conversation we are having, Nerita. My apologies. I am proposing we steal a ship from the Ataxians or the Alliance.”

Her eyes widen and fill with shock.

“Are you insane? Not only does that plan sound like suicide, it wouldn’t work. There's a planet wide embargo, this whole system is on lockdown. No ship is getting in or out without going through a gauntlet of artillery from either side. Or both.”

“I have a plan to deal with that as well, but I cannot fully articulate it until we steal one of the respective vessels. Trust me, my love. I will get us off this planet and to safety.”

“Did he just say my love?” Jessica asks.

“Jesica, sweetie, adults are talking,” Nerita says, patting Jessica on the head. “Why don't you see if Vel needs any help?”

Jessica pouts, but dashes off to do as she’s told. Nerita watches her go for a moment longer then turns an icy glare my way.

“Okay, you need to stop with this destined love business. We only just met, and it’s not like we have time for anything like that, anyway. Horus IV has gone to Hell in a handbasket, and it’s only going to get worse before it gets better. If we’re going along with this crazy plan of yours to steal a ship, then we need to focus on that, don’t you think?”

Her voice holds a note of desperation. It hurts me that she won’t even consider that my words about our past lives are true. But logically, I understand why she feels this way. From her perspective, we only met a few hours ago.

If my memories came back to me, perhaps hers can as well?

“Your patients are stable, for now. Is there a place we could speak with more privacy?”

She heaves a long sigh, then nods.

“Yes. I didn’t ask for it, but the others insisted I have the best quarters available. Such as they are.”

She leads me through a hallway whose collapse has created a pronounced leftwards slant. Her hands brace against the walls to keep her balance. I am able to compensate without the need for such.

We come out of the hallway into a tattered lobby for one of the ruined hotels Horus Iv had been known for. One of the padded sofas has been turned into her bedding. A pitcher of clean water sits on a table near the makeshift bed. She pours herself a cup and drains it in one breath.

Nerita sinks wearily onto the edge of the sofa and leans her forearms on her thighs. Then she fixes me with a pointed gaze.

“You wanted to talk? So, talk.”

I sit down beside her. I don’t think she expects this, because she shrinks away slightly.

“Nerita, I have been pushing both my machine and organic brains to find a way of convincing you that I’m speaking the truth.”

Her brows climb high on her face.

“You ean, about us knowing each other in a past life?”

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