“They are currently one deck below.”
“And where is she?” he bellowed.
“On the ship, Commander.”
“Where on the ship exactly is my Ehlealah?” he bellowed.
“She is moving toward the commissary, Commander.”
“Alone?” he demanded.
“No, Commander. Her guard is trailing her. Carefully.”
Something about that didn’t sound right. Zha Quin hurried to intercept them all. He rushed to make his way to the commissary and managed to get there before Vivian did. He arrived in time to find his little human female striding down the hall, all five of her guard behind her while she led the way, slightly swinging a chain in her right hand, pointing her dagger with her left at any who wouldn’t move aside quickly enough. He decided to take a step back and watch. She was nervous. He could smell fear coming off her, but she refused to let it be known to anyone or allow that to cause her to cower. The rare male that wasn’t familiar with who she actually was and hesitated to move aside, she’d brandish her dagger at and clutch the chain tighter, swinging it a little more strongly to build momentum while calling over her shoulder, “Vor!”
Vor would shout at the offending male, who would turn pale at Vor’s advice that this was their new Sirena, and to stand clear of her chain unless they wanted to look like he did. The previously hesitant male would quickly move aside mumbling apologies.
Quin ducked into a side door and waited for them to enter the commissary. He gave them enough time to move past the entrance and followed them. “Vivi!” he called as he entered.
Vivian turned at his voice and waited for him to approach her.
“Are you hungry, Ehlealah? Shall we dine here?” he asked her while he moved to stand a little closer than she was comfortable with.
Reflexively she lifted the chain in front of herself while tightening her grip on the dagger she held in her left hand.
Quin slowed his approach since now she’d brandished it at him, and asked, “Who the hell gave her the chain?” to anyone in her guard who wanted to answer.
“We believe she found it blocking a ladder access to the maintenance deck, Sire. I tried to take it from her, but she wouldn't give it to me. She likes it,” Vor answered.
“You believe she found it blocking a ladder? Why do you not know?” Quin yelled, “and why did we intercept a request from Warrior Kail for her whereabouts?”
“My apologies, Sire. She managed to slip away from us. We underestimated her, Sire. It will not happen again.”
“Slip away?” Quin shouted. “Explain!”
Vivian, having heard the English translation, had to turn away from them to keep from smiling. She was feigning an interest in the other people in the cafeteria to be able to eavesdrop on the conversation. But then she noticed the food. There was a lot of food, and she was beginning to feel hungry. Food at this point was much more interesting than Quin and her guard arguing about how she managed to get away from them. She wandered over toward the serving line and subconsciously draped her chain over her shoulder while leaning in closer to get a better look at her options. She pointed at the foods that caught her attention with her dagger, but the man behind the food display just watched her wide-eyed.
She looked back at Quin, but he was involved in a heated conversation with Vor. He was not happy that Vivian was wandering around the ship without him and even less happy that she had managed to ditch her guard.
Vivian realized the man that was supposed to be serving her was not. Instead he was staring at her. He was even ignoring a short, squat, tentacled, green alien trying unsuccessfully to get his own meal. She reached up with the hand she still held the dagger in, rapping the handle on the top of the stainless steel hood of the food warming table. The sound snapped him out of his surprise at seeing a human standing casually at his serving line, but he was still too surprised to act.
Vivian pointed her dagger at the green alien, then the food. Still the server didn’t act. He just stared at Vivian. Finally, the green guy gave up and snatched a premade cold sandwich and squelched away from the serving line. She watched as he approached a table and sat down. Those sitting at the table next to him got up and left, sliding him sideways glances. They didn’t want to be near him.
It really kind of pissed her off. He couldn’t help it he was green, and he couldn’t help it that he squelched when he moved. He was kind of gooey.
Vivian rapped her dagger on the top of the stainless steel hood again, only harder and louder. The server started, and she pointed to what she wanted again.
At about the same time, Kol came to her aid. He stayed far enough away from her so that she was not alarmed by his presence, but spoke to her. “Vivi-an?” he said.
Vivian turned her head at the use of her name.
He showed her his teeth, smiling at her, and waved a hand at the selections of food available, as though she hadn’t noticed them before, “Have you decided what you’d like to have?”
Vivian recognized him right away. He was the blue guy from Quin’s apartment. “Hi, Blue-Dude,” she said, more for her benefit than his — she knew he couldn’t understand her. Then turned her attention back to the food.
She pointed her dagger at the server, then at the food she wanted to try. She decided to stay with vegetable-looking options for now. She didn’t want to eat anything that might have been able to speak before it was cooked. Or was slimy, she hated slimy things. She looked over her shoulder at green guy. Well, she didn’t hate all slimy things, some she felt sorry for.
Kol snarled some words at the server; the translation of his words made her smile, “Do you not see that our Sirena would like to try some foods? Give her what she wishes.”
“She is human,” the male replied.
“I am sure she’s aware. She is also our Commander’s Ehlealah. I suggest not angering her or him.”
Hurriedly the server overcame his shock at a human in the commissary and served her the best choices of everything she pointed at. Once her plate was full, he handed it to her, apologizing for making her wait.
But she wasn’t finished yet. She pointed at the food that green guy had tried to get served onto his own plate. She kept pointing and even snarled a little until the server scooped some onto another plate and handed it to her. She handed her own plate to Kol, turned and walked toward the table the tentacled guy now sat at alone. She passed a bar with different pitchers and bottles of juices. She reached out and snagged one along the way. She walked right up to the table and waited for the alien to look up at her. When he did, she smiled at him and placed the plate of food on the table along with the pitcher of juice she’d brought. She nodded at him, smiled again, then headed back to where Kol still held her own plate. She took it from him and turned, examining the room. She chose a table out of the way against a wall and took the seat that placed her back to the wall. She was poking at the food on her plate, but not eating.
“Are you no longer hungry?” Kol asked her, standing beside her table with his own plate, trying to decide if he would sit with her or not.
Vivian didn’t answer — she was still pretending that she couldn’t understand. She wanted to observe for a while without them knowing she could understand. It was always better to know about others before others knew too much about you. At least she thought it was.
Vivian looked at the food, then at Zha Quin, who was still talking to her guards. He seemed much more relaxed now and was nodding his head as Vor and the other males spoke to him. Vivian stood hesitantly. She decided she had no choice. If she wanted to eat she’d have to go get him. Slowly she made her way over to where he was. When she approached, the males didn’t stop talking. Vivian looked back at her meal, waiting on the table, untouched. She stepped a little closer to Zha Quin and reached out a hand as she said his name, while softly touching his arm, “Quin?”
His eyes swept down to her hand, where it now was being wrung together with her other hand. His heart was pounding
at such a simple gesture, but only he would understand. His female had touched him. She’d actually reached out of her own accord and laid her fingers on his arm.
Zha Quin smiled at her and very softly said, “Vivi, you have reached for me. You make me very happy.”
Vivian looked from Quin to her meal, pointing toward the table. He followed her line of sight and looked at her curiously.
Kol called to him from across the room, where he’d finally taken a seat at Vivian’s table, “She wanted all this food, then when it was time to eat, she just sat and looked at it.”
Quin knew then, she needed him to try the food first. “Come, my little one. I know what you need.”
Quin said, “Vor, you will need to be more alert. You cannot, CANNOT, allow her to wander unaccompanied. Do not underestimate her. She is a very special female. She is not like any other; she never will be.”
Vor nodded, “I am aware, Sire. If you wish to replace me, I fully understand and will not appeal.”
Zha Quin shook his head, “No, I think perhaps you are better equipped now to watch over her than anyone new I could assign. Continue on with your post, unless you’d like to be replaced.”
“No, Sire! Quite the opposite.”
“Very well, then,” Quin replied. Then he said, “I have her now. You’re dismissed for the day. Return to your quarters or take recreation. Take advantage of this time to rest and prepare for tomorrow.”
Zha Quin held his hand out for her to take, but instead she folded her hands against her chest, one clutching her dagger, the other still grasping the end of her chain while allowing the other end to drape across her shoulders and walked beside him to the table. She took her seat with her back to the wall and watched as he sat beside her. He called to the new man who’d appeared behind the serving line, and a moment later an overflowing plate was sitting before Quin as well.
Quin lifted his sharpened spoon and hovered it over her plate, waiting for her to show him what she wanted to try first. She pointed to what looked like cabbage, only was an unusual yellow color. Quin dutifully mixed the cabbage stuff up, then took a bite, chewing and swallowing. When he met her eyes, she smiled at him and pointed to the rest of her plate, swirling her hand around to indicate that he should try it all. So he did. Once he’d eaten a little of all her food, he handed her the bladed spoon thing they ate with, and she started in on devouring almost everything she’d put on her plate. When she was almost done, she saw a woman walk by with what looked like cornbread on her plate. Vivian stood and took a step toward the woman as she walked past.
“Vivi?” Quin asked, watching her curiously.
Vivian pointed to the woman’s plate then back to her own.
Zha Quin called the woman back to them.
She paused on her way to her own table and returned to them, “Yes, Commander?”
“My Ehlealah is learning to eat our foods. She is interested in something you have. Do you mind?” Quin asked.
“Not at all, Commander. What is it that caught her attention?” the woman asked.
“I’m not sure. Let me see if I can figure it out.” With his own bladed spoon he pointed at different dishes on her plate, waiting for a response from Vivian. Repeatedly she shook her head, but kept pointing at the plate. “The bread? Is that what you want?” Quin asked, finally pointing at what looked like cornbread, but was shaped like a hamburger patty.
Vivian started nodding her head vigorously.
“Thank you, I will get her some. Please, enjoy your meal,” Quin told the woman as he rose to get some bread for Vivian. He came back with a plate bearing several of the bread rounds. He set it down on the table between them and started speaking as though she knew what he was saying, which she did because one of the translations following his words was English. “It’s made from a grain found growing wild on our planet. We grind it, mix it with herbs and seasonings and bake it. It is a staple of most families’ meals. We call it bread rounds.”
Vivian picked one up and held it out to him. He took a bite and handed it back to her. She took a nibble. Then her eyes filled with tears, and she devoured it before reaching for another and handing it to him to test for her. She was thrilled to have something so close to the cornbread she grew up on. It was a little sweeter than any cornbread she’d ever had, and the grain was a little more coarse, but as far as she could tell, it was made from some form or another of corn. She wasn’t aware that she’d laid down her dagger, reached out with one hand, and squeezed his arm in thanks before again picking up her dagger and slipping it into her sash where it was securely tied around her waist. Which made him look at the clothing she wore. She was wearing his clothes, all rolled up and tucked to fit her haphazardly at best. This would not do, not at all.
“Kol,” Quin said, while still taking in Vivian’s state of dress.
“Zha Quin,” Kol answered.
“Vivi needs clothing,” he said simply.
“Yes, she does. She’s wearing yours, and it can’t be comfortable.”
“Can you help me get her clothes? What do I do?” Quin asked.
“You buy her clothes,” Kol answered as though he should know this.
“I buy uniforms for myself. How do I find clothing that Vivi will like?” Zha Quin snapped.
“I don’t know,” Kol answered.
“Yes, you do. You buy human odds and ends each pay cycle. Where can I find human clothing?” Zha Quin stared hard at his friend, refusing to give up the argument.
Kol sighed, “If I tell you, you cannot block the link I use.”
“Why would I do that?” Zha Quin asked.
“Because we are not supposed to use the computers in the library for personal use, much less searching on the black market for contraband.”
Quin realized what he asked for would get most Cruestaci in trouble. The Consortium had made everything Earth related contraband in order to reduce the attempt to gain access to and sell them. It would, in theory, keep all species away from the lure of Earth, leaving them in relative safety. It had, in fact, done the opposite.
“I give you my word,” Quin said.
“Fine, meet me in the library, and I’ll help you,” Kol offered.
Quin and Vivi finished their meal, as did Kol. When they were all finished, Kol said, “You ready?”
“Yes, we are,” Quin answered.
“Then where is she going?” Kol asked as Vivian hurried back over to the food serving station.
Cook saw her coming and welcomed her warmly, “What can I get for you, Sirena?” he asked.
Vivian looked back and forth until she finally spotted a pan half filled with bread rounds. She pointed excitedly.
“You like the bread rounds, Sirena? Give me just one moment,” he walked away, going into the back where all the cooking was done. He was back moments later with a fresh pan, covered with one of the clear lids she’d seen on the leftover food in Quin’s refrigerator. He handed the pan to Vivian, who rewarded him with a huge, glowing smile. “Thank you,” she said sincerely, looking at her pan of bread rounds.
Zha Quin watched her as she came toward him, carrying her pan of bread as though it was a precious treasure.
He was especially pleased when he reached for the pan of bread, and she handed it over to him without hesitation. Vivian waved her hand between him and the pan of bread. Then she removed the lid and pointed. He dutifully sniffed and inspected each of the rounds. He nodded and smiled at her. She smiled back and put the lid back on the platter he still held, satisfied that the food was untainted and safe to eat.
Then he grinned when she pulled her dagger from her sash, wielded it in front of herself, and pulled her chain from her shoulders to dangle at her side while she secured the other end of it in her hand and around her wrist. She smiled up at him and nodded. She was ready to go.
Kol stood at the door waiting for them. When they finally approached and walked past him, he said, “You know your female’s dangerous, right?”
“
I do, indeed,” Quin answered proudly.
Chapter 14
Vivian allowed Quin to guide her to another door three doors further down the corridor. The doors slid open at his approach and he stood directly between the two doors when they separated, assuring that they’d stay open for her as she crossed the threshold into the library. The moment Vivian entered the room and she saw what was inside, she was lost to Quin and Kol. She’d spied another room at the rear of the one they stood in, separated by a glass wall. All the walls in that room were lined with books. She hurried straight there and took one book after another from the shelves. Disappointedly placing them back where she’d gotten them from. She couldn’t read a single one. They were each written in a language that wasn’t even remotely familiar to her. Disappointed, she meandered back to where Quin and Blue-Dude were busily scrolling through something on a computer terminal.
“Why do you use these computers? They are antiquated. You could easily use the holovids in your quarters,” Zha Quin said.
“Because then the ship would be alerted to any searches I make. I use these antiquated, as you call them, computers because they are not tied into the ship’s mainframe. They are used mainly for gaming. I can search for whatever I want without fear of discipline.”
Zha Quin watched Kol zip through one search then another, until finally locating an auction of Earth antiquities. “Why does it take so long to locate the site?”
“Because it changes its IP address hourly, sometimes more often, so that it is not easily tracked.”
Quin was standing behind Kol as he worked to locate the site they wanted. He was leaning forward reading the information as it scrolled past. Vivian walked up to stand beside them and looked at the screen. She recognized the clothing right away, though she could not read any of the words. “Blue jeans!” she said.
“What did she say?” Zha Quin asked.
“I think it’s the type of pants,” Kol answered.
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