Valence (Confluence Book 4)

by Jennifer Foehner Wells

  He did have his blink drive to run experiments on and tinker with. He’d brought a second iteration of the device with him, along with a few other prototypes of various sizes and in various other stages of functionality. It wouldn’t be long before he’d have enough data to attempt a full-size warp bubble that hurled ordnance. All his models worked. All his small-scale experiments had worked. A completely unpopulated solar system was actually the perfect place to test this stuff and he was nearly ready to do that.

  It had only been a few days so far, but things were going well. Pledor wasn’t around to piss everyone off, which was nice. Ron set up work schedules for all the engineer types to run system checks. Huna jammed on his genetics. Ryliuk divided his time between cleaning up, cataloging tools and devices, and nurturing his fuzzy love grove in the little secluded spot he’d carved out on the Greenspace Deck. Tinor was obsessed with feeding Pio’s manatee. She had about thirteen different experiments ongoing and regularly held taste tests pampered pet.

  Alan also continued to work on his Mensententia skills. He intended to fully give himself over to Jane’s suggestion about using the ship’s learning software, which, she insisted would actually help him with speed and understanding. Truth was, his vocabulary was really coming along. He might never be as fluent as Jane, but he rarely had issues in conversation anymore. The harder he worked at it, and the more he talked with Huna and Jaross and the other sectilians, the better he got. When he got back to Jane he was planning on showing off.

  All of this would keep him busy. He hoped. So busy that he could mostly block out the ache in his chest when he thought about being away from Jane for so long. The truth was he missed her like a lovesick fool, and it was probably only going to get worse from here on out. Yeah, he had it bad. But so what? Jane was awesome.

  Alan was tinkering with one of his blink drive prototypes, getting it ready for a test run. He’d just started loading some materials on a small cart when Pio politely interrupted his train of thought.

  “Machinutorus Alan Bergen, you are needed on the bridge as soon as possible.”

  “What’s up, Pio?” Alan asked. He liked Pio. Her personality was so different from Brai’s. She was pleasant, thoughtful, and never intrusive. She was interested in what he was working on—really curious, in fact—but she didn’t pressure him. And she didn’t have the hots for his woman, which was a plus. He actually didn’t mind keeping a light connection with her because it didn’t feel like she was spying. It felt more like being aware that Bob or whoever was on the other side of the construction bay working, without having to keep an eye on him.

  “There is a ship approaching, on a direct course.”

  Alan stopped loading materials and stood up straight. “A ship?”

  34

  JANE SPENT the rest of the evening and well into the night with Ajaya talking and worrying. She barely slept for the second night in a row. She rose at her regular time and was immediately informed by Brai that just after she’d fallen off to sleep, the Pelimarians had arrived on the bridge, ready to begin a work shift. Brai hadn’t wanted to disturb her rest, so as the acting commanding officer he began their orientation to the ship’s controls.

  “Was this action acceptable to you?” There was something in the note of his mental voice, an uncharacteristic uncertainty.

  Jane pulled her hair up into a ponytail. “That sounds reasonable. They gave me the impression yesterday that they wanted to get to work right away. One of them has experience as a communications officer, I think. Did you think I would object to you doing your job?”

  “I confess I’m still adjusting to your confidence in my leadership.”

  Jane left her rooms to grab some food cubes and brew a mug of tea before heading to the bridge. She sympathized. Brai’s formal title as gubernaviti, or governing navigator, had been nominal only, a concession the sectilians gave the kuboderans to mollify them as they used these amazing sentient beings as glorified navigational computers. “So what are your impressions?”

  “They seem quite capable.” The note of discomfiture was still there.

  She turned around and headed for the bridge instead. “What happened?”

  “A great deal, as it turns out.”

  Jane arrived on the bridge moments later to find the three pelimarians seated at consoles, clearly working. They all stood, smiling, as she entered.

  Feig came forward. She was the taller of the two pelimarian women, taller than most human women, actually, and her pebbled skin seemed to be more predominantly green than gray. She was bald like the others, except for extremely long lashes fringing large, dark eyes. She wore a simple lavender tunic with dark pants that skimmed her curves without being snug. “Scaluuti, Quasador Dux Holloway. Much has happened during your rest period. Are you ready to be briefed?” Feig held out a hand.

  Jane took Feig’s hand and shook automatically, noting distractedly that there was that enticing scent again. “Yes, of course.”

  She glanced at the other two pelimarians. Celui, the male, was primarily dark gray with flecks of light green dotting his skin. He would be average in height and build for a human male. He was also dressed simply in navy and brown. Ouvaq was much shorter and more filled out than the others. Her skin was mostly light gray with areas that were tinged green. She wore a simple charcoal-colored floor-length dress.

  Feig dropped Jane’s hand and gestured at her companions. “Celui has organized your official correspondence, flagging messages from delegates and ongoing conversations with priority. He’ll go over that with you, as well as brief you on any call requests you may be receiving. Any personal messages will be untouched, of course. Ouvaq was just leaving to prepare quarters for your newest visitor before he arrives.” Ouvaq nodded at Jane and left the bridge.

  Jane looked sharply at Feig. “What? Another visitor?”

  “Yes, well. We’ve been busy.” Feig tapped the nearest console and the main viewscreen lit up, displaying a sea of ships of all shapes and sizes orbiting Terac very close to the Speroancora.

  Jane’s mouth fell open. “What happened?”

  Feig tilted her head to one side until it nearly touched her shoulder. Perhaps it was like a shrug? “When word got out that Pelimar sent an envoy to the Speroancora, nearly every world decided to do the same. The Decatribunal assigned to your case held an emergency session and determined that the cost of supporting hundreds of visitors to the ship was untenable. There was also the concern of unnecessary potential exposure to the nanovirus during your quarantine. The sebapenese delegate Yliriu just intervened and ordered Transportation Access to form a blockade. No one else will be allowed to approach the Speroancora without special authorization.”

  Jane frowned. A lot had happened while she was sleeping. Brai and the pelimarians had handled it all. That felt strange. “I see.”

  “A wexian envoy arrived and was docked before the blockade was in place. They sent a single individual, a male named Imadua. We recommend greeting him as soon as possible. He’s waiting to board. Technically, he’s already been exposed.”

  Jane lowered her gaze. “If you’ll excuse me for just one moment.” She turned away from the watching eyes of the pelimarians. “Brai, please debrief me on how all of this unfolded.”

  Her inexperience at command was a stone around her neck. She’d just reassured Brai that she trusted his judgment, but these decisions he’d made in her absence were going to impact all of them and she wondered if maybe she could have been consulted.

  This situation reminded her of how fundamentally different she and Brai were from each other in values, background, and training. Ongoing communication would be the only way for this nascent command structure to function properly as the crew grew. She was figuring this out from scratch. She knew she couldn’t micromanage everything. This wasn’t academia. She had not been trained for this. She would not overreact. The ship was intact. No one was in danger. Nothing was blowing up.

  Brai knew all of this, perhaps in
stinctively, or possibly because of his own unease with the lack of structure and definition between them. “Allow me to mitigate your fears. The pelimarians were not let loose to make decisions on the bridge of your ship. I was connected with them, consulted on every keystroke. I made these decisions in your absence, as the officer in command. All of the data is available for your perusal.”

  “I would expect nothing less,” Jane told him. She was grateful that he did not seem to be defensive in any way. He merely related the facts.

  “The circumstances were unusual. When it became evident that so many envoys were being sent, before the arrival of even the first ship, we were in direct contact with the sebapenese delegate, Yliriu. She was straightforward. She was displeased by this turn of events for the reasons Feig has stated. She did not object to supporting small numbers of envoys, as the pelimarian arrival had not been forbidden and could not be undone. But she would not support the expense of dozens. I considered the possible reasons why envoys would be sent and how those reasons would ultimately affect your goals.”

  Brai went on, “Hosting solely the pelimarian delegation to the exclusion of all others could be problematic. It could be seen as xenophobia or favoritism. While the Assembly was in its emergency session, the wexian arrived. I deemed this a good choice for creating some balance among the visitors. Wex is not the most influential planet, but it is stable, prosperous, and resides in the same arm of the galaxy as Earth. Had the Assembly not finished their debates so quickly, I intended to allow two more envoys to dock before barring entrance. For these reasons and others, including your uneasiness about pelimarian culture, I felt that permitting a few additional guests to board would allow you to divide your attention, to relieve the expectation of attending to the pelimarians as host so exclusively. But that was not to be. I would have advised you to take these actions had you been on the bridge yourself.”

  Jane let out a breath slowly. His logic and actions were sound. “Very good. You’ve done well.”

  “My gratitude, Jane. Shall I continue to supervise bridge activity?”

  “Yes, please.” She turned and made eye contact with Feig.

  Feig gestured toward the door. “Shall we go now to greet Imadua?”

  “Of course.”

  As Jane and Feig walked, Jane wondered about the politics at play in this incident. Had the pelimarians created this brouhaha for some reason, or had it happened spontaneously? Why were so many worlds suddenly eager to send a presence to board this ship when they’d been content with video calls the day before? She picked back up on the thread of conversation with Brai. “Why do you think they’re here? Why is the wexian here? What’s going on? Was this some kind of political play?”

  “Anything is possible. I’m analyzing all the data I can find, but I’ve been out of communication range for decades. The finer points of galactic politics are lost on me at the moment, but I think it’s safe to assume that it is a simple stratagem to curry favor with a new culture that they believe will quickly rise to importance.”

  “All right. Can you brief me on what the wexian will be like?”

  “Wex is a planet with an abundance of water. The wexian species is a nonanthropoid tripod that originated in marshy environments.”

  “Tripod? They have three legs?”

  “Affirmative. Three legs, two arms, four eye stalks. No bones. Any internal structure is cartilage. Perhaps more akin to my form than yours, though our species are unrelated.”

  Feig stopped outside the docking portal.

  Jane instructed Brai to unlock the portal and allow the wexian to come through. “Will he need any special accommodations? Does he breathe the same kind of air?”

  “He shouldn’t require anything extraordinary. The pelimarian named Ouvaq is thoroughly addressing his requirements in his quarters. You need only greet him.”

  Imadua came through. Jane was ready and kept her expression neutral, though internally she couldn’t help but be surprised. The wexian was so delicately balanced on three spindly appendages terminating in thin, leaf-shaped clubs that he almost appeared to be floating. These legs—as well as two similar, but shorter, arms—emerged from under a rounded, hood-shaped mantle structure which clearly housed all of his internal organs. His entire body was pale pink except for his eye stalks, which glowed fuchsia. He came to stand before Jane and stretched out his arms to either side, tilting his mantle forward, reminding Jane of a small girl in a frilly dress curtsying.

  Jane instinctively bowed in return. “Welcome, Imadua, to the Speroancora. I am honored by your visit. I hope your trip was pleasant.”

  He straightened and spoke softly, though she could see no evidence of a mouth. Or nose or ears, for that matter. “Very. I have come to serve the terran crew in any manner you deem appropriate, Qua’dux.”

  “I am Feig. I’ll be happy to escort you to your quarters.” Feig held out a hand to Imadua.

  Imadua laid one of his ovate hand against hers. Their pressed hands turned ninety degrees so that they were parallel with the floor and ceiling, and then slid apart.

  Jane blanched internally. She’d shaken hands with Feig without thinking and hadn’t noticed any surprise on Feig’s part. Clearly this was the gesture that had been expected. She hoped these little mistakes wouldn’t be held against her. But then, Feig was expecting Imadua to greet her the pelimarian way, wasn’t she? That assumed it was a pelimarian greeting and not a universal one. Possibly it had been normal and correct for Jane to expect a human greeting. Or perhaps demanding one’s own greeting was a way of asserting dominance. She just wasn’t sure. In time, she’d learn this, and a million other things like it.

  Imadua turned and Jane realized he was holding a small device. A rolling platform became visible through the docking portal and began to follow him, bearing what she assumed was his luggage.

  Feig began to lead Imadua away and Jane stood there, uncertain of what she should do. It didn’t seem as though they expected her to tag along. In the end she opted to return to the bridge to try to get a handle on what was going on.

  Celui was alone on the bridge. He stood when she entered and extended his hand. Jane decided to try the new greeting she’d just observed. She didn’t grasp his hand, just laid her hand against his. Then when she felt his hand begin to tilt, she followed his lead. As their hands slid apart, she glanced into his face with surprise. It was a surprisingly sensual gesture. She hoped she hadn’t jerked her hand away too quickly. Her cheeks felt hot.

  His eyes were twinkling with what appeared to be humor. “Well done!” he said enthusiastically. Then he seated himself at the communications console again and gestured to the seat next to his.

  She sat, though she was a little uncomfortable placing herself so close to his personal space. Something about that seemed a little too familiar. His personal scent was similar to Feig’s.

  He continued. “Primarily, your official correspondence today revolves around this rush to send envoys to the ship. Many are asking that you grant them an exception to the Assembly’s ruling.”

  Jane’s brows drew together. “I seriously doubt I have the power to do that. And anyway, how would I choose one delegation over another?”

  “You don’t and you can’t. They know this. It’s all part of the dance.” He smiled again. She was struck by how human he seemed. “If you want to compose one reply, we can tweak it to fit each delegation, and send it to all.”

  She glanced at the console. There were hundreds of messages today, and she was so worried about the Oblignatus that she really didn’t want to deal with any of it. What he was offering would be a lot of work. “You would do that for me? That’s very generous.”

  “Of course we would. That’s why we’re here.”

  Jane stared at him hard. Her gut feeling was to be strictly honest, and she decided to go with it. “You’re here to work for me? Really? Forgive me, please. I don’t understand. I don’t have any money to pay you. I don’t even know anything about galacti
c currency. Can you explain your motives more plainly? We look so much alike, but I can’t forget that our cultures must be vastly different. I’m completely in the dark here. Why are you here? Why is Imadua here? What do you have to gain?”

  He laughed. “Candor. We like that.” He raised a hairless brow ridge and gazed at her intently.

  She had to force herself not to fidget under his inspection and gaze back at him expectantly.

  He leaned toward her, his forearm brushing against hers. “It’s simple, Qua’dux. Prestige. You’re the long-awaited terran representative. The circumstances of your arrival—the nanite plague—put all of the delegations at arm’s length at first. It’s a serious matter, as I’m sure you know. But Xua realized immediately that if an envoy should help you during your confinement and survive, terrans would bear a small debt to Pelimar. That’s why he asked for volunteers among us. We want unity between all the species, of course, but especially among those who are like us. We go to great lengths to maintain good relationships with all the anthropoid species.”

  Was it just her imagination, or had he put special emphasis on the words “great lengths?” She decided to ignore that. His argument rang true. It was the simplest of the explanations she could think of. It did sound a bit jingoistic, however, which concerned her. Placing importance on getting along with people who look like oneself was at the heart of some of the worst conflicts on Earth. “You think Imadua’s motivation is similar?”

  “Of course. He was lucky to get here before the Assembly ordered the blockade. There are a lot of frustrated envoys out there whose worlds spent a lot of money to send representatives and gifts here for you, all with the same intent.”

  She realized she was scrunching her body away from him slightly and tried to relax. “And the three of you? Why were you chosen in particular?”

  “We volunteered, actually. We are a small, new family. Most pelimarian families are much larger and well established. The risk-to-reward ratio is very much in our favor. And this is work that we know well. We’ve been performing the same duties for Xua for years. It was a good opportunity. Our interest was unanimous.”