Page 3 of Ava Stargazer

Vox shook his blue, frilled head, confusion on his face as well. “No, but it's rude.”

Ava moved closer to him unconsciously.

She looked forward, trying to school her face in a smile at the ten Vorbax that stood ahead of her, talking amongst themselves.My first official meeting anywhere. Ever.

One broke from the crowd and walked toward her in a stooped, halting gait. A shelled necklace swayed beneath a face with wrinkles around his eyes. His expression was set in an open demeanor and spoke in a wizened voice that echoed across the hall, hands outstretched. "Apologies, Ava. We were discussing amongst ourselves now after seeing you in person. My name is Pyra."

Ava nodded warily, clearing her throat as if to speak but then thought better. Her lips sealed and she remained silent.

Pyra stepped closer. "Oh. I can feel your distress. You are welcome here, Ava. I think we are all in agreement at the very least that this can be your home.”

"My home?" At least this sun wouldn’t be taken from her.

Another Vorbax stepped forward, an imposing air surrounding him. Rings were pushed through his top frill, piercing it. Ava focused, trying to remember his name.

“Keervel,”Vox supplied, glancing at her.

Keervel stepped in front of Pyra, his arm angled outward, and his hand covered in many rings. “Pyra, you do not speak for all of us. I will be frank, since we are officially discussing this now. There are concerns.”

Rhutg stepped forward, his tone exasperated. “What are you worried about, Keervel? Look at her; she poses no harm even if she wanted to.”

Thanks, Rhutg.Ava longed to shoot him a glare but kept her composure and looked straight ahead.

He chuckled in her direction. “Sorry, Ava. It’s true.”

Keervel’s expression was combative. “It’s more than just accepting her here now. It’s the bigger implications. We just got our own females back, and now we are to be accepting another species? Foreign? I, and several others, have had enough of what is out there. There are more factors to consider.” He turned while speaking, ending his statement with a gesture up toward the window.

Ava’s eyes followed the motion, up to where the sun shone. And the stars, familiar to her, beyond it. A sour feeling filled her stomach. She wanted acceptance, but she also saw their point.But more importantly, she didn’t have an answer for their concerns.Why, really, would they want to help Humans?

Keervel pushed ahead, still talking. “If there is compatibility between our species, what will our young look like? Can she carry our mind mark? What if we find Human males?”

Another Vorbax came forward and whispered, “Does she carry any vulnerabilities? Sicknesses? We know nothing about her origins.”

Another whispered from the back, almost too soft to hear, “And neither does she.”

Ava’s spirit fell with each question. She had no answers.No answers at all.And worst of all, she had to agree with most of their questions. She tugged on her ponytail.I don’t know.

Rhutg sighed audibly and put his hand over his face.

Vox spoke. “Or this could be a gift to us.”

Pyra stepped forward again, and Ava looked at him hopefully, seeing a gentler expression. “These are all worthy considerations, but Vox is right- there could be benefits.”

Keervel waved his hands, the rings he wore catching the light. “That remains to be seen. We are being pushed into a corner based on one mission.” He nodded his head, looking at Ava. “I think we are all in agreement that Ava is welcome, but beyond that, much discussion needs to occur.”

Ava swallowed and looked away from him, toward the living ceiling above, still a bit in awe of it. This building that was so perfectly combined with nature.

A stabbing sensation pierced her head, making her drag her hand up and her eyes back down, watering.Ow.It happened again, harder.That hurts.She felt a brief touch on her mind. It was pointed, different from the soft touches of Vox and the others.She wrinkled her nose, looking back to Keervel. “Stop.” Her thin voice was swallowed in the hall. She said it again, louder. “Stop!”

Vox stepped in front of her, his eyes cold and his voice a snarl. “That’s enough. You have said your piece; you do not need toalso probe her deeper. You go too far. Especially after Torga. You have no right.”

Pyra stepped forward, waving Keervel down. “Keervel, enough. Vox is correct. She is not one of us and cannot connect the same way.” A concerned look toward Ava followed. “Apologies Ava.”

With her hand still on the side of her head she eyed the entire Vorbax Quorum warily.Apologies?It now hurt to focus. The translator in her ear rang like it always did when she got a slight headache.Not one of us.Her ringing head, plus those words, pounded equally in time with her heartbeat.

Vox stepped in front of her. “Is there anything else?”

“And are those the biologics?” A different, tall quorum member pointed to the swirling biologics on her chest, under the hand she’d unconsciously covered them with at his question.

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