Page 5 of Sy

“Thank you,” Ashley murmured, passing one to Lila before running the towel over her dripping hair. Then she blinked as the strange fabric pulled the moisture from their skin and clothes as soon as it made contact.

“Alien instadry towels. Awesome,” Lila breathed, rubbing it over her hair and wet clothing. “God, I’m starving. I wonder what’s to eat?”

They joined the queue of mostly silent humans, taking a mug of the broth and what looked like protein bars wrapped in silvery foil when it was their turn.

“All the luxuries.” Ashley smiled, wagging her bar at Lila as they headed toward the back of the shelter, where the noise level had dropped to a quiet hum and near a heater that kicked out enough heat for her to feel it through her nearly dry clothes.

Movement caught her eye as they settled onto cots next to each other in the corner. Two young Izaeans passed nearby, carrying equipment that seemed almost too heavy for their lanky frames. They looked to be around Lila’s age, their movements gangly and slightly awkward, like they weren’t quite used to their bodies. Only one of them had red eyes and that black stuff over his shoulder and neck, while the other was normal. Ashley snorted as she caught the thought. As normal as an alien could be, anyway. She continued watching them as they took the heavy crate they were carrying over to the food tables. Both sent curious glances toward the humans but quickly looked away when caught staring.

She leaned forward and dabbed at Lila’s face with a corner of the towel, catching the last few raindrops over the freckles on her cheeks.

“Did you see those two?” she asked quietly, nodding toward the two Izaean teens. She watched her daughter’s expression carefully, hoping to spark some interest in potential alien peers. Potential friends. Given they’d moved around a lot as a family, Lila had always struggled with friendships, which worried Ashley more than she’d ever admit.

Lila shrugged and pulled out her music player and earbuds from her carry pack, plugging in and immersing herself in the glowing screen. It was always the same. Faced with the threat of social interaction, her daughter retreated into technology. Ashley sighed and leaned back against the wall behind.

Taking a spoonful of the alien broth, she murmured in pleasure as it slid down her throat to fill her stomach. It was good, slightly earthy but warm and surprisingly filling. Hermuscles began to relax as the food and the heater worked their magic, warmth returning to her limbs. Unable to help herself, she scanned the crowd in the shelter, looking for Sy. He wouldn’t have gone out into the storm. Would he? The other alien had said it was too dangerous…

Finally, she spotted him over on the other side of the shelter, speaking to the two teens. Perhaps he knew them. She looked away to watch Lila for a moment, a soft smile on her face. Lila was zoned out, listening to her music, so Ashley drank the rest of her broth and then lay back on her cot. Just a few minutes and she’d get up and take their mugs back to the counter.

It was the last thing she knew.

Sy leaned against the railing,inhaling deeply as the rich scent of wet earth rose from below. After raging through the night and most of the morning, the storm had finally retreated. Wisps of clouds drifted overhead, the landscape washed clean. His muscles remained tense from the long night of weather watching, but at least now they could begin real work. Especially as the second shuttle with the rest of the humans had been able to make planetfall, as had all the cargo shuttles bringing everything they needed that couldn’t be manufactured on the planet.

His position on one of the old watch towers gave him a clear view of the activity below. Humans and Izaeans moved across the muddy clearing with purpose, leaving deep footprints in the softened ground. He had to admit, the humans had surprised him. They’d started work as soon as they could and were quick and efficient. The bare clearing next to the landing pads was now filled with wooden stakes, marking the boundaries of futurestructures, and the shuttles’ cargo lay organized in neat stacks: metal beams, composite panels, and crates of equipment he didn’t recognize, ready to join the fray.

He turned his head, his gaze finding the human project manager’s distinctive form among the workers. She stood next to a fabrication unit, her movements and body language precise as she directed two humans setting up surveying equipment. She didn’t seem overset by the chaos of the humans’ arrival yesterday. Her spine was straight, shoulders squared, and her voice carried clearly across the site. He focused to hear what she was saying.

“The laser grid needs to account for the grade changes,” she said, gesturing to the uneven ground. “And we’ll need to scan down to make sure there aren’t any surprises before we start digging the foundations.”

Kren, one of the more experienced Izaean laborers, folded his arms over his chest. “It’s dirt. Then more dirt. Unless you’re surprised by dirt, we shouldn’t have a problem.”

She shook her head and activated the device on her wrist, bringing up a holographic display. “This is a quick scan I took of the section near the landing pads. See these density variations in the soil? They’re caused by mineral deposits I’ve never seen before.” Her fingers traced the shifting patterns. “That’s why I want a full scan and to run some stress simulations. If this region gets weather like yesterday a lot, I want to make sure whatever we build can withstand it.”

Kren’s frown deepened as he studied the readout. “Our methods have worked for years.”

“I don’t doubt that,” Ashley’s tone remained even, professional. “But from what I understand, you were building for the environmental conditions of the southern continent?”

Kren nodded grudgingly.

“So different weather patterns, plus these materials we’re using will interact differently with the soil. Watch.”

She moved her hand over the display, and it changed. Sy narrowed his eyes to bring it into focus, something he couldn’t have done before. Turning feral had… surprising advantages. The image appeared to show a simulation of how the proposed foundations would settle over time. Kren’s expression shifted to interest as the data played out, revealing potential stress points their traditional methods might have missed.

“These composites are much stronger than the materials you’ve been using,” she explained, “but that can also be a weakness if they don’t adapt to their environmental conditions. Kind of like a reed bending but not breaking in the wind.”

Kren gave her a blank look at that, which, to be honest, so would he. He had no idea what plant life had to do with construction. It was way too flimsy.

“If you say so, Miss Jackson,” Kren finally relented, and Sy released a small sigh of relief.

It was a small victory but an important one. The success of this project depended on both sides learning to work together to blend the experience on both sides with technological innovation.

Ashley smiled. “Excellent. Let’s get those scanner arrays calibrated. We need baseline readings before the ground dries completely.”

Sy tensed as movement caught his eye. Three ferals emerged from the shadows of the trees, their hulking forms and red eyes impossible to miss, even at this distance. They kept their distance, but their presence sent ripples through the work crews.

One of the humans nearest stumbled, almost dropping his load when he spotted them. The metal bars fell from his trolley to clatter to the ground. Ashley’s head snapped up at the commotion, her gaze finding the ferals with remarkable speed.Instead of showing fear, she merely nodded in their direction before returning to her work.

He pushed away the need to stride over and get between her and the ferals. She was human, and she wasn’t his to protect in that way. Especially when the new arrivals hadn’t made any aggressive moves. They weren’t doing anything, just watching the construction with curiosity. One pointed at the surveying equipment, his head tilted as he grunted at one of his companions.

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