a pang in his heart as he thinks that, but he pushes it down. Seeing little else he can do in the room, he lies back down on the bed and falls back to sleep.
* *
It’s late ship’s time when Alan awakens again, indicated by a clock on the wall that shows both Human and Karalian time, presumably for tactical reasons. He stands up, his head pounding and he realizes he’s hungry. Alan pulls out the needle in his hand and holds his robe against the small hole in his hand until it stops bleeding. There’s a small red stain on the robe now but he doesn’t care. He walks to the door and it slides open for him. Vash is heading up the corridor towards him with a plate of food. He hands it over wordlessly.
“Thanks,” Alan mutters, but Vash hands him the plate and moves to leave. “Wait!” Alan says, not wanting to be alone again. “What am I supposed to do? I can’t talk to anyone on this ship.”
Vash turns and heads back towards him, his expression softening. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out the translation jewel, still attached to its strap. “I repaired this a few nights ago,” he says, attaching it around Alan’s throat with tender hands. “Consider it a gift. Now you should be able to understand Karalians, and they will be able to understand you. It is a treasure of my people, so do not lose it. Our magic does not work nearly as well at tasks such as translation.”
“Th-Thanks,” Alan says. Vash bids him goodnight and walks away. Alan takes his meal back to his room and enjoys it. It’s some kind of synthesized steak but it’s been cooked to perfection and he downs it hungrily, barely even pausing to chew. Looking around his room afterwards, he notices a basic outfit left inside the wardrobe, a grey t-shirt and pants. It fits him well enough after he rolls up the pant legs and he heads towards the door, feeling more daring about exploring the ship now that he doesn’t look like a medbay escapee. The door isn’t locked, and I can understand the Karalians now. Perhaps I’ll learn something. Beats staying here, anyway.
He walks down the hallway to the elevator, looking at the floor map and wishing he could read Karalian. He presses his hand to it in despair and it speaks to him, making him jump with a startled “oh”.
“Please state the facility you are looking for.”
“Um. Observation Deck. If there is one.”
There was a pause. “Observation Lounge is on Deck Three. Would you like the elevator to take you there?”
“Yes,” Alan said, stepping into the elevator. It started to descend with a whirring sound and stopped gently, the doors sliding open with ease.
“Go forward, take a turn left, and it is the last door on your right,” the voice says. “Happy Nivelsa !”
“What’s Nivelsa ?” Alan asks, but the computer remains silent. Shrugging, he goes on his way, stopping when the doors to the observation lounge slide open. Whatever he was expecting, he realizes this isn’t it.
The room is glass all over, even the floor and ceiling. Alan takes a deep breath before he allows himself a tentative step onto the glass and vertigo overwhelms him at once. He falls to his knees and tries again, slowly getting to his feet.
“You get used to it.” The female voice startled him and he turned around too quickly, intensifying his vertigo. The woman was clearly Karalian and quite a beauty; red hair on top of white with startling green eyes and red marks across her face like Vash. He saw her swollen belly and realized she must be pregnant with a tiny “oh”.
“I’m sorry I startled you. You must be Alan. I don’t get to see Humans very much. My name is Valeria.” She offered out her hand and took his, leading him across the floor and over to the window. Alan rediscovered his manners and pulled a chair over for the woman. She smiled and sat down. She clicked her fingers and a chair moved by itself, coming to sit next to hers. Alan sat down, looking out at the stars,
* *
It’s late ship’s time when Alan awakens again, indicated by a clock on the wall that shows both Human and Karalian time, presumably for tactical reasons. He stands up, his head pounding and he realizes he’s hungry. Alan pulls out the needle in his hand and holds his robe against the small hole in his hand until it stops bleeding. There’s a small red stain on the robe now but he doesn’t care. He walks to the door and it slides open for him. Vash is heading up the corridor towards him with a plate of food. He hands it over wordlessly.
“Thanks,” Alan mutters, but Vash hands him the plate and moves to leave. “Wait!” Alan says, not wanting to be alone again. “What am I supposed to do? I can’t talk to anyone on this ship.”
Vash turns and heads back towards him, his expression softening. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out the translation jewel, still attached to its strap. “I repaired this a few nights ago,” he says, attaching it around Alan’s throat with tender hands. “Consider it a gift. Now you should be able to understand Karalians, and they will be able to understand you. It is a treasure of my people, so do not lose it. Our magic does not work nearly as well at tasks such as translation.”
“Th-Thanks,” Alan says. Vash bids him goodnight and walks away. Alan takes his meal back to his room and enjoys it. It’s some kind of synthesized steak but it’s been cooked to perfection and he downs it hungrily, barely even pausing to chew. Looking around his room afterwards, he notices a basic outfit left inside the wardrobe, a grey t-shirt and pants. It fits him well enough after he rolls up the pant legs and he heads towards the door, feeling more daring about exploring the ship now that he doesn’t look like a medbay escapee. The door isn’t locked, and I can understand the Karalians now. Perhaps I’ll learn something. Beats staying here, anyway.
He walks down the hallway to the elevator, looking at the floor map and wishing he could read Karalian. He presses his hand to it in despair and it speaks to him, making him jump with a startled “oh”.
“Please state the facility you are looking for.”
“Um. Observation Deck. If there is one.”
There was a pause. “Observation Lounge is on Deck Three. Would you like the elevator to take you there?”
“Yes,” Alan said, stepping into the elevator. It started to descend with a whirring sound and stopped gently, the doors sliding open with ease.
“Go forward, take a turn left, and it is the last door on your right,” the voice says. “Happy Nivelsa !”
“What’s Nivelsa ?” Alan asks, but the computer remains silent. Shrugging, he goes on his way, stopping when the doors to the observation lounge slide open. Whatever he was expecting, he realizes this isn’t it.
The room is glass all over, even the floor and ceiling. Alan takes a deep breath before he allows himself a tentative step onto the glass and vertigo overwhelms him at once. He falls to his knees and tries again, slowly getting to his feet.
“You get used to it.” The female voice startled him and he turned around too quickly, intensifying his vertigo. The woman was clearly Karalian and quite a beauty; red hair on top of white with startling green eyes and red marks across her face like Vash. He saw her swollen belly and realized she must be pregnant with a tiny “oh”.
“I’m sorry I startled you. You must be Alan. I don’t get to see Humans very much. My name is Valeria.” She offered out her hand and took his, leading him across the floor and over to the window. Alan rediscovered his manners and pulled a chair over for the woman. She smiled and sat down. She clicked her fingers and a chair moved by itself, coming to sit next to hers. Alan sat down, looking out at the stars,
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