Page 28 of Soros
“What happened to your mother? You said that she used to be successful until she met your father.”
“Oh, right. Well, I guess the short answer is that she couldn’t keep her mouth shut. When she told people that she had an affair with an alien, they thought she was mad. No one took her seriously and it tarnished her reputation in the scientific community.”
“What happened then?” Star’s large blue eyes were very expressive as she listened.
“No more work opportunities in her field of study. My mother had to resort to working all sorts of odd jobs to pay the bills. Cashier at the local supermarket, waitress at a café, tutor for rich kids… those kinds of things.” I shrugged.
“Is your mother still alive?”
“Yes. She’s a drunk now, spending most nights at a local bar with deadbeat friends that I can’t stand.”
Taking a sip of her juice, Star asked, “What’s a drunk?”
“It’s someone swallowing their sorrows in alcohol. I can’t drink. My Eidron genes don’t tolerate alcohol. The few times I’ve tried I’ve become violently sick. But alcohol is very popular among humans. It has a soothing effect on them. At least at first. When they’ve had too much it’s hardly ever pretty.”
“What do you mean?” Star put down the glass and pushed her blonde hair back over her shoulders.
“When humans drink large amounts of alcohol it’s as if it enhances who they are at their core. Some get overly emotional and loving, but others get mean and violent.”
“Hmm… that sounds similar to pushkar to me. We had it on Markatoria and it destroyed lives. My father once told me that pushkar was designed to help shy people feel comfortable in groups. It removed their inhibitions. Unfortunately, the drug also revealed that some people are betterwithinhibitions.”
“Do you drink this pushquah?”
“It’s pushkar and no, you don’t drink it. It’s a powdered substance that you mix into food. I suppose you could add it into liquids, but from what I know it’s often mixed into cakes and served at parties.”
“Talking about liquids, I want you to try something.” I got Star a strawberry and banana smoothie, which was a big hit, and she enjoyed a cinnamon bun before we headed back up to our rooms.
All the way from the restaurant, I silently prayed that Soros had returned, but there was no one in the room I shared with him.
To distract myself and to show Soros that I wouldn’t just sit around and wait for him, I asked Star, “How about I take you shopping in New York? You need clothes and I want to show you the city.”
Star gave me a smile. “I’ll go wherever you go. I’m excited to experience Earth.”
It worried me a little that New York might be too overwhelming an experience for Star. The millions of impressions could overwhelm most visitors, but it would be even worse for Star, who had been isolated by her family for most of her life.
“Alright. We’ll take it slow. Before we go, I just have to make a few phone calls.”
“To your mother?” she asked with the softest smile.
“Yes, just to assure her I’m still alive. And then I have to check in on Malliko, who is another Eidron staying on Earth at the moment. He and his girlfriend Clara are watching my flowers and plants back in Los Angeles.”
“Los Angeles… is that far?”
“It’s the city where my home is. Getting there will take hours on a plane so yes, it’s far.” I was already on my phone, calling Clara.
She answered my video call with a bright smile. “You’re back?”
“On Earth, yes. But right now, I’m in New York.”
“Hey, Tania.” Malliko’s face came up on the screen. “We wondered how long you would be gone. How did it go?”
In that moment, I felt a bit overwhelmed and didn’t know where to start. “It’s been a long journey, but I believe you already heard the good news. Sival was found and saved.”
Malliko confirmed it. “Yes, I spoke to him after he was freed. I still can’t wrap my head around why pirates would go after a soldier from the Federation. Or that they got their hands on a human woman. How was that possible with the tight surveillance of all alien landings on Earth?”
“I’m not sure. Captain Lios said that the members of the cultural committee are very concerned. Especially because it might not be an isolated occurrence. While on Markatoria, we met two women of mixed human heritage. One of them is called Star and she’s with me now.” I turned the phone to show them Star, who sat with the room service menu studying the writing as if she could learn how to write English from a hotel menu.
“Hey.” Clara waved on the screen. “How are you?”
