Page 21 of Accounting for Taste

“Yes.”

The food was brought out to them, and the captain said, “Oh, look, your favourite, Consort.”

Sage snorted.“That’s it.What the hell happened?”

They ate, and Zell finally said, “Captain, please explain what has changed the crew’s mind.”

The captain sighed and said, “Comptroller Reem had a word with her escort into the ship and explained the positive changes we are seeing in you, my lord.You have energy, you are interacting with your people, and you have even been heard to laugh.That is because you are getting sufficient energy from your current consort.The energy level has not been recorded in our history of watching you and watching for you.Your previous consort kept you functioning, but you did not advance.”

Sage felt her cheeks go pink.“So, she explained this?”

“She did.Once it was outlined in a manner that we could understand, we checked the files, and the changes are there for us to see now that we are looking for it.”

Zell grinned.“I can feel the differences myself.”

She didn’t mention that his stamina was increasing.He knew that she knew.

She focused on eating and mumbled, “How did she know?”

Zell murmured, “She is inside the ship’s systems and understood from some comments that my people needed to be educated as to the effect of your presence.”

“She’s what?”

The captain nodded.“She’s linked her computer to the ship’s systems and has been using it to continue her work as comptroller.”

Sage murmured, “She doesn’t have a computer.”Her eyes went wide, and she stared at her food.

“What is it, Sage?”

“She is the computer.”

“What?She is engaged in long-range communications.”Zell frowned.

“That doesn’t make my statement less true.What is that implant?”

“It doesn’t say.”Zell frowned.“The scans weren’t clear.”

Sage blinked.“Well, that would explain it.”

“Her injuries are accurate.She took a metal panel to the back of the skull, and it stopped above her ears, but then her file is blank until she is bonded out to Wenavik.”

Sage finished her meal and sipped at her drink while Zell and the captain talked.She kept thinking about Reem’s calm expression and the warm hug that she had managed to give while not emoting.

Sage kissed Zell on the cheek and said, “I am going to see if Harwin is up.Someone has to know Reem, and Aten has a lot of human colonists.”

“Sound thinking.Use the com in our quarters.”

“Yes, my lord.”She nodded, and he pulled her in for a kiss.He was definitely improving at kissing a Terran.Practice was making perfect.

She left, and to her surprise, a guard came with her on the way to her quarters.Zellic officers bowed as she passed, and Sage was going to give Reem another hug.

She got to her quarters, got a glass of water, and settled in at the com, dialling Aten.

It took forty minutes for the connection, and then she saw a sweaty Harwin and laughed.“Apologies for the timing.”

Harwin snorted.“He’s congratulating me on the pregnancy, again.”

“Wow.Shaking the baby’s hand?”

---