Page 10 of Ava Stargazer

Iryl nodded and exchanged a glance to the side with Vox.

Even unpacking those boxes earlier with Ebel’s handwriting made her emotional. Ava’s heartbeat picked up.Did he really send something?

Iryl nodded and turned back to Ava again. “Ava. After you have a look at that packet, we can talk further. If it was Ebel that sent it, he could be a wealth of knowledge for us.”

“A wealth of knowledge?” Ava frowned, then shook her head rapidly. “I haven’t talked with Ebel or Nuor. I don’t even have a communicator yet.”

Iryl shook his elegant head, the frills on the sides longer than Vox’s. “You can contact him once the communicator we are sending with the next transport is in place. If Ebel truly sent that packet to help you, he could be more useful than we initially thought.”

Useful? I don't even know if he’s all right.Ava frowned, not liking to think of Ebel that way. She loved him. Her grip tightened on the clipboard, folding her arms across it, and she fixed Vox with a stare until he tilted his head to her and glowed to hear her thoughts.“I won’t use Ebel, Vox.”

“No one is asking for that. I think it was a poor choice of words on Iryl’s part. Ebel might be happy to help. We should hear everything out.”

“I still. . .”

Iryl was already moving on, interrupting her glare. “I have something else.” There was a clicking noise in the background; Iryl worked a separate transmitter, and a moment later a picture came online that hovered next to his projection. “This in particular I wanted you to see.”

Ava let out a gasp and her eyes grew wide. Excitement raced down her spine as she leaned forward on the balls of her feet.Is that . . .?In front of her was a photo of a despondent Human female with long blonde hair and troubled blue eyes. The picture stared back like it knew her personally.The picture from Ebel. The one I carried.The photo was back in her engine room alcove now, wrinkled and in the same spot as before. She waved her hands in front of her, fast, frantic.It’s another. Another.

“Joy,” she breathed out. A frozen sensation filled her body as she stood transfixed by the photo. Then a second later she turned back to Vox, pointing at the screen. “Joy! Vox! That’s the girl in the image I had. Joy. The picture Ebel gave me.” Her tongue tripped over Ebel’s name. She looked back at Iryl and grinned. “You found her! How did you . . .?”

The picture stayed static as Ava put her fingers through the hologram. She walked closer to the image to see more details. “Joy looks ... different from how she did in my picture. Maybe a bit older?” Her hand touched her own face since she couldn’t touch Joy’s.

Iryl’s voice cut through her musings, his eyes soft as he watched her reactions. “Yes. This is from a more current auction house image. She was recently resold in an auction lot from an estate with the furnishings and livestock. I used facial recognition to find the match. Humans are not on any public trades, or recognized at all really, so it was hard to find much data.”

Ava looked back at Vox, who stepped forward next to her. He looked at the rotating form speculatively, brows furrowed. “Yes. It is your photo.”

She leaned close to look at the photo of Joy again, her voice rushed. “We need to go save her.”

“We will . . . but . . .” Iryl shook his head, sighing.

“But what?”

“Not everything needs to be a grand, dramatic rescue. Let’s simply offer to buy her. Less complicated and messy.”

“Buy?” Ava’s brows furrowed as she reached for the photo with her fingertips again.That’s so wrong.It hit something uncomfortable in her to be doing the same thing that was done with her so long ago. Buying Joy like a machine part.But we would be doing it to free her.Her gut still swirled at the implication. That Humans could still be bought.

“Yes, as in a transaction. A business arrangement. I have the details here. We have enough credits and things to trade. If they won’t sell, then we can get creative.”

Vox spoke from behind her. “Do you think they will sell? Do you know these organizations?”

“I am hopeful. I will go myself and ... persuade them after I find out exactly who her buyers were. I can be very persuasive.”

Ava stood, eyes riveted to the photo. Of Joy.But we will be paying to free her.Not to own her.She stood transfixed and missed some of the conversation between Vox and Iryl discussing logistics and credits. Her eyes were tearing up. She brushed them dry hastily.

All that happened on Torga, her stepping up, had directly led to her now having a chance, this opportunity to find another Human. She’d done something right by holding on to that flyer all those cycles.Something right. A flash of satisfaction and accomplishment surged through her.I can't wait to meet her.She fidgeted with her hair tie.Another Human. Living. Breathing. We can be together.To see someone else that looked like her ...

Seeing this picture was proof that at least one other Human still breathed in the universe, even if the Earth was no longer their home. A touch of doubt moved into her thoughts.Will she be like me? Will she be okay with me meddling in her life like this? Buying her?Ava bit her lip while looking at Joy’s photo.She has to be okay with this. I would be, if it were me.

Vox leaned forward, inspecting the hologram, and asked, “How soon?”

“It depends on other logistics. I’ll reach out and then will have a better idea.” Iryl clicked on the feed. “Ava? There is more information. Ava. Your attention, please.”

Ava reluctantly looked away from Joy’s picture back to Iryl.

Iryl nodded, meeting her eyes briskly, before he checked a separate screen and took Joy’s photo away. In its place was a list of the items that Ava and Vox had been sorting and sending to him from the Phor ship, displayed in the Common language with the transaction receipts. “A bit less ... joyful news, but ties in with the credits you’ve been helping accumulate.”

Ava still vibrated from excitement. She forced herself to focus on the numbers Iryl was presenting.Credits. We need credits. I can figure out credits.

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