Page 35 of Ava Stargazer

They left in the mid-afternoon, before the winds picked up. By the time they got to Vox’s house though, the winds were strong, and Sai put her coar in a shelter on Vox’s land and joined Ava in the ship until they died down.

“I want to come with you, Ava,” Sai said, patting the biologics tank while Ava combed out her hair, knotted again. “When you go find your Humans. That’s what you’re doing, right? After the men get back?”

Ava looked up, grimacing as she pulled her hair back into a tight ponytail. “Sort of. I don’t think any will be there at Cipra, but we’re going there to look for any records or information.”I don’t know how many are left.She shook her head before her mind could dwell on her sisters and mother.

“Didn't you find one? Another Human?”

“Yes. Iyrl did. Joy. He is going to. . . Buy her.”

Sai made a grimace and turned away. “At least another will be safe then. And, yes. I want to come to Cipra. This ship saved me. I feel okay here.”

Ava eyed her curiously but did not detect any hesitation or second thoughts in her face. “I thought you had enough of being away from Xai. You really want to put yourself back out there again?” She sat down on the ladder rungs to look at Sai speculatively. “Especially after what happened to you on Torga?”

“I did. But, I also feel...” there was a pause and then Sai flashed a muted bright blue. “Vengeful.” Her eyes narrowed on the word. “I want to do something out there. I can’t really relax here. I feel so restless.”

“I know that feeling.” Ava breathed deep and felt the restlessness within herself as well. Her hands gripped the railing in front of her, wishing time would move forward faster until Vox was back and they could get going. And a large, ever-growing part of her also wished time could stand still so all she had to worry about were the plants growing in Vox’s yard and living with him. “Are you sure leaving again is what you need though?” Ava posed the question to Sai, but considered it as though she’d posed it to herself as well.

Sai chuckled and ran her hand along the biologics tank before responding. Ava watched them follow Sai’s fingers like they usually did for her. “No, I am not sure. But I do know that I want to try to do something more than just sit aside and let life happen. Sitting here is not the answer for me.” Her voice lowered and her eyes lost a bit of the joking look they usually had. “I have trouble sleeping at night sometimes, even in the women’s communal hall. It reminds me too much of Torga with us piled together and needing to be quiet. A lot of times I sleep alone and play a video feed, and that helps.”

Ava nodded.I can understand that too.She sat next to Sai in front of the biologics tank, watching them swirl as she came to a decision. She got down from her ladder and tapped on Sai’s arm, as she was distracted with looking at the biologics, before she gestured to the control room. “C’mon. Let me show you how the engine works, in case I ever need some help while you’re here.”

The biologics swirled at her words, dancing in their tank. The ones around Ava’s neck did a similar motion.

Sai smiled at the tank, at the uptick of energy. “I think they’re happy with me coming along.”

“You’d know better than me—can you feel them too?” Ava said as she adjusted her jumpsuit from sitting, looking up at the tank in wonder.

“A little. They feel like ... if I run really fast and my hearts pound, that feeling. Like excitement. But I don’t get more than that.”

The tank danced with bubbles as Ava looked wistfully at it, and then down toward the container of the ones on her chest. “Vox can almost talk with them.”

“Yeah, nothing like that.” Sai frowned. “But they feel nice.”

Ava started to walk to the control room, but looked back at Sai, who followed a step behind. “If you’re coming, maybe you can help me with something too?”

“What?”

“I know it’s silly, but, like how you have trouble sleeping, I have trouble here on the ship. With the halls. Here. See what I’m thinking.”

Ava looked hard at Sai and thought about her ship and the walls and how they were so bare. Their lack of embellishments was such a reminder of the Phor, who hated anything decorative.

The memories of what happened in these halls before, the blood spilled from the takeover, still lingered for her even though time had passed. Ava wanted to change something, somehow, and make it different, beyond just the circuitry and exterior being modified with the Spry’s help.Maybe it won’t make much of a difference, but ...

Ava watched as Sai’s eyes widened, seeing what she saw, the interior of the ship colored like the walls of the women’s sanctuary. Bright colors and full of life. Only no red to be used, maybe only a pink.

Very soon Sai nodded, her amber eyes lit up from within. “Oh, yes. That is amazing. Your mind can create pictures like that, when it is not reality?”

“That’s what Lirell told me when he watched me dream. Can we paint?”

“Yes. We have lots of paint. That’s a good idea. It will give us something fun to do on the trip too. Can you think of something else not real?”

Ava looked at Sai and imagined her floating in the air, doing flips, remembering playing the same sort of jokes on Vox with her mind.Here, I'll put you right on top of the engine. Upside down!

Sai’s eyes twinkled. “What if I could do that for real?”

“You'd be better than me at fixing the engine.”

After a brief tour of the control room, Sai was ready to leave since the winds had died down and night was ready to fall. Shepeered at Ava’s face a bit too closely. “Are you sure you want to be alone?”

---