Page 25 of Into Orbit
‘Time is relative,’ she muttered. ‘Does that mean you’ve been travelling here for literal years?’
‘Oh, no.’ I closed the map, wary of what the Captain had said:don’t tell her too much. ‘We mastered elevated unit travel some time ago, though only the peacekeeping ships are built to do it. It’s the way the ship usually travels; it only took a month or so for us to get to Earth, and we’ve been travelling that way since we left Earth’s orbit. This journey is part of a routine sweep of your galaxy; the Intergalactic Council is aware of human development and likes a representative to fly by on a regular basis. We were the lucky ones this time.’
I realised that I was still holding her phone, and I placed it on my portable charger, flushing again at my absentmindedness. The charger beeped as it tried to recognise the device; after a few moments, it seemed to settle on something similar enough – our wrist screens – and its charging light flashed.
‘I have no idea how long that will take,’ I said truthfully.
‘That’s all right,’ she said. ‘I’m with you for the day, aren’t I? That was what elf-boy said, anyway.’
My lips twitched. ‘Elf-boy?’
‘Elves are mythological creatures on Earth,’ she explained. ‘They’ve been around in one form or another for thousands of years, but there were elves in a popular movie franchise when I was growing up, and you all look a bit like them. I thought El was cosplaying when I first saw her.’
‘Cosplaying?’
‘Costume play,’ she said. ‘People dress up as fictional characters they like. It’s a whole thing. I thought her bark armour was fake, and your thorns were some kind of piercing.’ She looked at my cheekbones thoughtfully; I self-consciously touched the row of thorns there, glancing at her smooth cheeks. ‘If you can’t have tattoos, does that mean no piercings, either?’
I glanced at her rounded ears, the lobes and shells studded with metal and glittering stones. ‘No piercings.’
‘Poor Tirian females,’ she said, her lips curving. She swung her legs back and forth over the side of the examination bench. ‘I know you want information about humans and Earth. Can I ask why? Am I helping pave the way for a Tirian invasion?’
I coughed. ‘If you ever see Tir, you’ll understand why that would be impossible,’ I said dryly. I’d seen pictures of Earth’s forests, and even the largest, wildest example had nothing on my lush home planet. ‘No invasion, I promise.’ I tapped on my desk screen, bringing up the multiple infostreams I’d put together about Earth. ‘We have all these facts. We can access and assess them without assistance from you. But given what you’ve told me about your mother, perhaps you, more than most beings, would know that facts are nothing without context. Our understanding would never be whole without a human to help translate it.’ I pointed to one infostream, a flow of Earth numbers rendered into Tirian hieroglyphs. ‘This tells me the average temperature for the city you live in, divided by season, month, and day, for the last fifty of your Earth years. But it doesn’t tell me what itfeelslike to live in those temperatures. How your behavioural patterns change to adapt. The different food you eat, the clothing you wear, the habits you shift. I could access other sources and try to piece it together myself, but my understanding might never be accurate. Instead, I can askyouabout what it’s like to be human.’
‘I get it.’ She kicked her feet again. ‘Why do you want to know so much about humans, though?’
‘There are multiple precedents for intervention,’ I answered slowly. ‘When a culture reaches a certain complexity, the Intergalactic Council may make … overtures. Usually, the measure is space travel. Humans are no strangers to space, though you are yet to travel long distances. That next step may not be far off for your kind. As Tirians are humanoid, we may be well suited for making the overture on behalf of the Council in a few generations’ time. We should know as much as we can to facilitate that.’
‘Overtures?’ she repeated. ‘So, this is about first contact? About Earth being invited to join the super-secret intergalactic cool person club?’
I blinked at her. ‘Ah, yes?’
She laughed. The sound sent a bolt of sensation through me, starting at my fingertips and ending with my cock stirring with interest.No, I told it sternly.She’s a patient.
It didn’t help with the next thing I had to say. I cleared my throat awkwardly. ‘Along with whatever information you’re willing to share, the Captain has asked me to broach the possibility of taking some samples from you. Skin scrapes, blood, saliva, hair. Other things, if you’re willing. You can refuse.’
Her expression turned serious; her feet stilled. ‘What will it be used for?’
I let the scientific part of myself take over. ‘The Captain is interested in genetic compatibility. In how close our species are. She wants me to compare your DNA and body matter to Tirian samples. She’s interested in the theory that our species may have met before, and whether there is biological evidence to prove that. We’re clearly quite close in some respects –’ I gestured vaguely at my humanoid form ‘– and different in others.’ I tapped next to my eye, which lacked the black, ever-changingpupilher own boasted.
‘Can I think about it?’
I nodded again. ‘For as long as you wish. But I should check your translator. The Hamadryad messaged to say that it seemed to make you uncomfortable last night. She was worried.’
‘I had a slight headache – hang on,’ she said, and held up her hand. ‘Genetic compatibility. Um. Does that mean what I think it means?’
I gave her a frank look. ‘Very probably.’
She snorted. ‘I don’t know what kind of magicyourfemales are, but Earth women can’t get pregnant with other Earth women.’
I turned back to my screen, my cheeks spreading with green. ‘I think the Captain was more concerned with what happens should you extend your family.’
Her reflection gaped at me. ‘Extend my … The Captain thinks I’ll take more partners?’
‘Ourkariausually do. Four is considered a small family. A pair is very unusual.’
‘Karia?’ she repeated, her voice considerably higher than usual. ‘I’m not akaria, Willow! I’m human!’
I studied her face. ‘Does being human matter? From the research I’ve done so far, I know that humans are largely monogamous, but you have a word close to what Tirians are. Polyamorous. If you have a word for it, I believe that means it exists, yes? Which means some humans must practise it?’
