impossible for the average human to pronounce, so they're changing them. My friend Jeri, who is presumably aboard the Galactic now, had a name much like mine, and ‘Jeri’ was a good Earth approximation, so she, too, more or less kept her own name."
"Oh. So I only need a last name,” she said, glancing wistfully toward Bangler conversing animatedly with Nunez.
Sira bit her lip, agonizing for her fellow Cresperian. “Yes, Piki."
"Do you have any ideas?” Piki wondered, shoulders drooping slightly.
"I took mine from a famous poet,” Sira said. “You've done a lot of reading lately. Find an author, or perhaps an artist, that you like, and adopt the name."
"Probably not TOO famous and unusual, though, or it might raise questions,” Tomlinson warned. “The last thing we need is for you to be found out and caught up into another situation like we just got you out of."
Piki shivered in dread, then considered the matter awhile. “Burroughs,” she decided. “I will be Piki Burroughs."
"For a certain writer of Mars adventures?” Sira grinned.
Piki grinned back. “Yes. I thought about Seuss, because I heard someone describe our true forms as looking like ‘the Grinch on crack,’ but thought that might be too easily recognizable. So Mars will do.” She and Sira giggled.
"...So has she asked you to mentor her yet?” Nunez wondered, keeping her voice low.
"Yeah, she has,” Bangler sighed.
"What are you going to do?"
"Hell if I know,” Bangler shrugged. “But I know what the brass are gonna want once they get wind of it."
"You think they'll order you to?"
"I dunno. Tomlinson seems to think it's a possibility, but I'm hoping not. The... connotations and aftermath... seem to always be too personal, I'm thinking."
"So you think they'll push, but stop just shy of ordering it?” Nunez verified.
"That's what I'm thinking, yeah,” Bangler nodded. “I hope it's not wishful thinking. I mean, I just don't know what to do. They seem nice enough, but if they're capable of erasing short term memory, and modifying your body, are they capable of making the person they've selected as a mate fall for them, whether the person intended to or not?"
Nunez frowned. “I didn't get the impression they had THAT much mental control, Bang,” she told him. “All the medical and biological data I've seen indicate it's not really telepathy they do. Or even empathy. At least not with humans. Maybe with each other..."
"What's ‘empathy?’”
"Reading and sharing emotions,” Nunez explained. “They can kind of sense emotions, yeah, but they can't manipulate ‘em."
"Huh,” Bangler grunted. “You'd think if they could do one, they could do the other."
"Not necessarily,” Nunez disputed. “Just because you got a radio receiver doesn't mean you got a whole broadcasting station. Not to mention, everything has to be on the same wavelength."
"Well... good point. But still, you have to admit, there's a strong correlation between mentoring and ‘happily ever after-ing.’”
"And you're not sure you're ready for that."
"Well, yes and no,” Bangler admitted uncomfortably. “I'm not against commitment. I'd just be happier if I felt it was more my decision, dammit. More a JOINT decision, I guess I should say.” He stared glumly down at the toes of his boots.
Nunez stole the opportunity to glance over at the half morphed Crispy, talking to Sira and John. She was surprised to see Piki look their way, and even more surprised to be able to recognize wistfulness in the orange slitted eyes. She knows he doesn't want to, Peggy realized, and it hurts her. Already it hurts her. But... that expression... her face is already human shaped, it's just still green and fuzzy, so I guess that's why I can read it. And if ever I saw a woman trying to let a man go, I'm seeing it now.
"Listen, Peggy,” Bangler said, claiming Nunez’ attention again, “speaking of decisions, I was wondering if... if you might like to go to the theater for
"Oh. So I only need a last name,” she said, glancing wistfully toward Bangler conversing animatedly with Nunez.
Sira bit her lip, agonizing for her fellow Cresperian. “Yes, Piki."
"Do you have any ideas?” Piki wondered, shoulders drooping slightly.
"I took mine from a famous poet,” Sira said. “You've done a lot of reading lately. Find an author, or perhaps an artist, that you like, and adopt the name."
"Probably not TOO famous and unusual, though, or it might raise questions,” Tomlinson warned. “The last thing we need is for you to be found out and caught up into another situation like we just got you out of."
Piki shivered in dread, then considered the matter awhile. “Burroughs,” she decided. “I will be Piki Burroughs."
"For a certain writer of Mars adventures?” Sira grinned.
Piki grinned back. “Yes. I thought about Seuss, because I heard someone describe our true forms as looking like ‘the Grinch on crack,’ but thought that might be too easily recognizable. So Mars will do.” She and Sira giggled.
"...So has she asked you to mentor her yet?” Nunez wondered, keeping her voice low.
"Yeah, she has,” Bangler sighed.
"What are you going to do?"
"Hell if I know,” Bangler shrugged. “But I know what the brass are gonna want once they get wind of it."
"You think they'll order you to?"
"I dunno. Tomlinson seems to think it's a possibility, but I'm hoping not. The... connotations and aftermath... seem to always be too personal, I'm thinking."
"So you think they'll push, but stop just shy of ordering it?” Nunez verified.
"That's what I'm thinking, yeah,” Bangler nodded. “I hope it's not wishful thinking. I mean, I just don't know what to do. They seem nice enough, but if they're capable of erasing short term memory, and modifying your body, are they capable of making the person they've selected as a mate fall for them, whether the person intended to or not?"
Nunez frowned. “I didn't get the impression they had THAT much mental control, Bang,” she told him. “All the medical and biological data I've seen indicate it's not really telepathy they do. Or even empathy. At least not with humans. Maybe with each other..."
"What's ‘empathy?’”
"Reading and sharing emotions,” Nunez explained. “They can kind of sense emotions, yeah, but they can't manipulate ‘em."
"Huh,” Bangler grunted. “You'd think if they could do one, they could do the other."
"Not necessarily,” Nunez disputed. “Just because you got a radio receiver doesn't mean you got a whole broadcasting station. Not to mention, everything has to be on the same wavelength."
"Well... good point. But still, you have to admit, there's a strong correlation between mentoring and ‘happily ever after-ing.’”
"And you're not sure you're ready for that."
"Well, yes and no,” Bangler admitted uncomfortably. “I'm not against commitment. I'd just be happier if I felt it was more my decision, dammit. More a JOINT decision, I guess I should say.” He stared glumly down at the toes of his boots.
Nunez stole the opportunity to glance over at the half morphed Crispy, talking to Sira and John. She was surprised to see Piki look their way, and even more surprised to be able to recognize wistfulness in the orange slitted eyes. She knows he doesn't want to, Peggy realized, and it hurts her. Already it hurts her. But... that expression... her face is already human shaped, it's just still green and fuzzy, so I guess that's why I can read it. And if ever I saw a woman trying to let a man go, I'm seeing it now.
"Listen, Peggy,” Bangler said, claiming Nunez’ attention again, “speaking of decisions, I was wondering if... if you might like to go to the theater for
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