the shuttle to Manhattan so he could actually do something for a change.
“Perhaps they don’t possess physical bodies …”
Something besides theorizing with Larish.
“Of course they do,” Aelyx replied. He had nothing against the scholar, but ideas would only take them so far. They needed facts about the Aribol, and as of yet, the Voyagers hadn’t uncovered any. “How else would they build the technology to destroy our spaceport?”
“Their minds are powerful. Maybe they enslaved another race to do it.”
Aelyx pinched the bridge of his nose. He couldn’t take any more. He left Larish and crossed to the other side of the transmissions room, where Cara was engaged in a terse conversation with Jake Winters’s hologram.
“The L’eihrs won’t listen to me,” Jake hissed, his blond brows forming slashes over narrowed eyes. It was almost magical how his bitterness transcended the distance of multiple galaxies. “I have an idea for probes that would measure brainwave activity instead of energy output, but my software codes aren’t compatible with their system. I need a L’eihr to work with me.”
Syrine strode to Aelyx’s side with labored steps that told him she hadn’t recovered from the news of David’s cremation. He couldn’t blame her. In a way, it was as if she’d lost him a second time. And because Aelyx knew her so well, he also knew she didn’t want to talk about it. So he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and they resumed listening to the conversation. Their images must not have appeared within Jake’s line of vision, because he didn’t seem to notice them.
“Did you ask nicely ?” Cara said.
“Yes!” Jake flung a hand in the air. “They ignored all my…” He trailed off and feigned a casual smile at the exact moment a young L’eihr female walked behind him. The flash in his eyes made it clear he liked the girl. As soon as she passed out of view, Jake’s lips curved downward again. “They think humans are idiots. I can tell.”
Well … Aelyx thought, tipping his head, a few of them are .
Syrine crouched by Cara’s side and entered the conversation. “Stop that girl,” she said, pointing. “The one who just passed you. Her name is Ayah.”
Jake hesitated, then turned and called out to the girl. He waved her over, and soon her hologram appeared alongside his, though at a distance that indicated how uncomfortable she was in his presence. She glanced at Cara and Syrine.
“Yes?” she asked in L’eihr.
Syrine spoke in their native language. “This human wants to make a prototype that could find the Aribols’ home planet. He needs help understanding our systems. Will you work with him?”
Ayah winced. “I don’t like him. He’s loud, and he stands too close when he talks.”
“I’ll tell him to give you space,” Syrine said. When that didn’t yield results, she added, “I would consider this a favor. Remember when I helped you during your breakup with—”
“I remember,” Ayah blurted, her cheeks darkening. “I’ll do it.”
Syrine grinned and addressed Jake in English. “Ayah is happy to assist you with the project.” She held up an index finger. “But remember, our ears are more sensitive than yours. Use a soft voice when you speak to her, and keep an arm’s length of distance between you.”
Jake’s skin turned the shade of ripe berries, but he thanked Syrine and delivered a wobbly smile. When the transmission ended, Aelyx tried to catch Syrine’s eye so he could ask why she’d gone out of her way to help Jake with the target of his affections, but she wouldn’t hold his gaze long enough for Silent Speech. He couldn’t blame her for that either. If their situations were reversed, he would want to keep his grief private, too.
Cara pocketed her com-sphere and looped an arm through his. “Hey, I forgot. Did you get through to the ambassador?”
Aelyx nodded. “He’s expecting us, but I’m not sure about the sleeping arrangements.”
“Perhaps they don’t possess physical bodies …”
Something besides theorizing with Larish.
“Of course they do,” Aelyx replied. He had nothing against the scholar, but ideas would only take them so far. They needed facts about the Aribol, and as of yet, the Voyagers hadn’t uncovered any. “How else would they build the technology to destroy our spaceport?”
“Their minds are powerful. Maybe they enslaved another race to do it.”
Aelyx pinched the bridge of his nose. He couldn’t take any more. He left Larish and crossed to the other side of the transmissions room, where Cara was engaged in a terse conversation with Jake Winters’s hologram.
“The L’eihrs won’t listen to me,” Jake hissed, his blond brows forming slashes over narrowed eyes. It was almost magical how his bitterness transcended the distance of multiple galaxies. “I have an idea for probes that would measure brainwave activity instead of energy output, but my software codes aren’t compatible with their system. I need a L’eihr to work with me.”
Syrine strode to Aelyx’s side with labored steps that told him she hadn’t recovered from the news of David’s cremation. He couldn’t blame her. In a way, it was as if she’d lost him a second time. And because Aelyx knew her so well, he also knew she didn’t want to talk about it. So he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and they resumed listening to the conversation. Their images must not have appeared within Jake’s line of vision, because he didn’t seem to notice them.
“Did you ask nicely ?” Cara said.
“Yes!” Jake flung a hand in the air. “They ignored all my…” He trailed off and feigned a casual smile at the exact moment a young L’eihr female walked behind him. The flash in his eyes made it clear he liked the girl. As soon as she passed out of view, Jake’s lips curved downward again. “They think humans are idiots. I can tell.”
Well … Aelyx thought, tipping his head, a few of them are .
Syrine crouched by Cara’s side and entered the conversation. “Stop that girl,” she said, pointing. “The one who just passed you. Her name is Ayah.”
Jake hesitated, then turned and called out to the girl. He waved her over, and soon her hologram appeared alongside his, though at a distance that indicated how uncomfortable she was in his presence. She glanced at Cara and Syrine.
“Yes?” she asked in L’eihr.
Syrine spoke in their native language. “This human wants to make a prototype that could find the Aribols’ home planet. He needs help understanding our systems. Will you work with him?”
Ayah winced. “I don’t like him. He’s loud, and he stands too close when he talks.”
“I’ll tell him to give you space,” Syrine said. When that didn’t yield results, she added, “I would consider this a favor. Remember when I helped you during your breakup with—”
“I remember,” Ayah blurted, her cheeks darkening. “I’ll do it.”
Syrine grinned and addressed Jake in English. “Ayah is happy to assist you with the project.” She held up an index finger. “But remember, our ears are more sensitive than yours. Use a soft voice when you speak to her, and keep an arm’s length of distance between you.”
Jake’s skin turned the shade of ripe berries, but he thanked Syrine and delivered a wobbly smile. When the transmission ended, Aelyx tried to catch Syrine’s eye so he could ask why she’d gone out of her way to help Jake with the target of his affections, but she wouldn’t hold his gaze long enough for Silent Speech. He couldn’t blame her for that either. If their situations were reversed, he would want to keep his grief private, too.
Cara pocketed her com-sphere and looped an arm through his. “Hey, I forgot. Did you get through to the ambassador?”
Aelyx nodded. “He’s expecting us, but I’m not sure about the sleeping arrangements.”
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