Chapter 10

“This is simply fascinating!” Doctor Cairns said.

The woman was sitting across from Mezul, the alien sagging into the plush couch normally reserved for therapy patients. The

Doctor had poured over the data Alice had sent her way during their stay on the alien carrier, and was adding her personal psyche tests to the list. Mezul didn’t look like she minded fulfilling her requests, solving memory and math puzzles the Doctor wanted to quiz the alien over.

“I’ve always wanted to do this kind of research,” the woman continued. “Here I am on a warship surrounded by soldiers, and I’m doing math with another sentient being not from Earth.”

Carl had taken the other aliens off to explore the rest of the medical bay, leaving just Mezul with the Doctor, his friend promising he wouldn’t sneak them to the ship’s bar.

“Alice has recorded some very interesting observations.” The Doctor pulled up her tablet, Lambert peeking over to see Mezul’s body plan on the screen. “She’s been taking notes ever since you boarded their ship. They’ve got habits, personalities, little hints as to what their society is like.”

“Machines are always watching,” Lambert grumbled. “Can you believe they actually installed one on my ship?”

“I heard they moved a personality onto an unlucky corvette,” Cairns said. “Shortage on pilots, isn’t that right? It has only helped you so far, is there something wrong with her?”

“Its kind was wiped out for a reason,” Lambert said. “So far all it’s done is watch and record.”

“A detail that has and will help us document this great time extensively,” Cairns replied. “Regardless of artificial intelligence, it seems as though we’re at the limits of our physical examinations of the Balokarids. Avian, dry feathers flexible enough to keep the body warm, wing span for potential flight. Unless Mezul wants to strip, speculation is about all we can do.”

“I don’t think she’d like getting nude in front of aliens,”

Lambert said, glancing up at his strange companion. “Tell me again how you found out it was a she?”

“We compared our body plans,” he explained.

“I hope you like being the base reference for all humanity, Lieutenant,” Cairns said. “Can you ask her if she would take her suit off? She seems much friendlier to you than anyone else.”

“I’ll give it a go. Been interested myself about what they look like underneath” He called Mezul’s name to get her attention, feeling butterflies in his stomach for some reason as he asked his question. “Mezul, would you mind taking off that suit?” He mimed unclipping his own flightsuit, which he was still wearing.

The alien shook its head. “No take off mind.” It pointed at its helmet, dangling from its belt.

“Sorry doc, looks like it’s a no.”

“Pity, though I can’t blame her for hesitating. At least she can communicate with us on a basic level, though it may take some time to develop completely.”

“Is there a faster way?” Lambert asked. “I can’t play translator all the time, not with the UEC out there. If they attack we need to be able to tell the Balokarids what’s happening, coordinate.”

“If we were on the Hub, and I had all my lab equipment, assistants ... perhaps we would have more options, but as it stands there isn’t much more we can do than be patient. Building a dialogue takes time.”