Page 15 of Sky Song
“What is it like to be in a spaceship?”
Cricket translated, and Lyle’s bottomless eyes drew Terrance in their orbit.
“Of all the questions, I haven’t expected this one,” he said with mild surprise. He had such a soothing voice. “What is it like? It can be scary. Or it can be exhilarating. The power that propels you across the Universe is at your fingertips, and at the same time, you’re fully dependent on it. You become one with the ship you control, and you don’t relinquish the control until you’re back on solid ground and the last power source is extinguished. Then you become you again.”
Cricket hastily translated, although she wasn’t able to inject the same deep feeling into her words.
“Dude!” Terrance looked ready to go into a complete meltdown. “You mean, you’vepilotedone?”
Lyle blinked as if caught off guard, the blue inner eyelid briefly showing. “Maybe.”
“Oh, man! This is so rad.”
“Terrance!” Kim called his name sharply, but Terrance made a slicing motion with his hand cutting Kim off without taking adoring eyes off Lyle.
“So, how do you find Meeus?”
“It’s very unique.”
“Have you gone to any interesting places?”
“Oh, yes! We went to the Hall of Knowledge. I’m still thinking about all the things we’ve seen there.”
Cricket cleared her throat and translated.
Terrance looked unsure how to react. “I went to the Hall of Knowledge once, too. On a field trip when I was in sixth grade.” His brow knotted. “Can’t say I saw anything there to really think about…”
“Then you didn’t have the right guide.”
“Yeah, must not have…”
“Terrance, stop talking to him!” Kim almost screamed.
“I can talk to whomever I want,” he lashed out. “You’re not my mother.”
“I’m your team leader, and I’m telling you to get back to work immediately.”
“In a minute, okay?”
“Right now. And if you don’t, I’ll suspend you for a week without pay!”
“Oh, for God’s sake, Kim.”
“I mean it.” She pointed at him with the bottle, spilling some of the magenta liquid, making Salty back away.
As Terrance heeded her warning and shuffled away, muttering something under his breath that sounded likebitch, Kim turned the full beam of her ire on Cricket. “You too, back to work. I’m calling security to have him escorted out.”
“No, don’t! I’ll take him back.”
“He’s tricked you enough.”
“The officers don’t speak Universal. There will be a scene.”
Kim’s square chin jutted out mulishly.
“Let me take you back, Lyle,” Cricket said before Kim could think of anything truly radical.
“Why is this human woman so upset?” he murmured as they left the lab and its overwrought staff behind. “What does she think I’ll do? Steal the piss samples?”
