Xe chirped despite xyrself, because even though xe knew that he was trying and xe should encourage that, it was still really funny. «Not 'fluffy stick air',» xe corrected, «fluffy and safe.» Xe ruffled the toy's fur. "Ki." Then xe touched his hair, if only barely. "Ki." Then xe rubbed xyr own head. "No ki." Maybe that would clarify matters. Though it was no wonder he got the pronunciation on that right the first time, with as often as xe said it.
Xe hadn't expected him to be so interested in the actual display, and xyr first instinct was to get him away from the controls. Xe stayed still, even if one of xyr hearts moved a little faster, because this was progress. Xe was understanding how to use it, that meant he understood the function. Right? Xe couldn't go scolding him every time he got any little thing wrong. They were both doing their best under the circumstances. If he accidentally filed a report, well, xe'd sort that out later.
Except that then there was a sound from out in the hall, and that rather changed things. «There's someone in my suite,» xe said, still not moving. «There's someone in my suite!» xe repeated, with rather more panic, pressing the hold button and pulling the needle out of xem, setting it aside as xe hastily slid off of the table. He'd only be able to look at a still image, so to speak, but maybe that would keep him busy. "Ge la weh, ge la weh – ah!»
Xe stopped short of the door, because someone else was standing in it. Much the same size as Uala, but with far more metal, metal rings all up and down every tentacle and along xyr mouth like fangs, woven metal along xyr legs, and xe tried not to look purple and failed.
«Uala?» xe asked.
«… yes?» Uala responded slowly, because xe didn't know who else xe could possibly be in here. Xe leaned closer, standing taller, and while Uala recoiled xe stood taller as well.
«What are you doing?»
Uala risked a glance at Roan, though xe didn't take xyr eyes off the interloper for more than half a second. «My job?» xe ventured.
The other also looked at Roan. «That,» xe said, «is supposed to be contained.»
«I can't study it in containment,» xe said, standing straighter, making xem also stand if xe wanted to avoid being touched. Uala was getting a little more pink, leaning towards xyr more usual coral. «Who are you, exactly?»
Xe cocked xyr head to the side, birdlike. «Wakek,» xe said, «Ship's Representative. Here to check on your progress.»
«Progress towards what?» Uala demanded, and when Wakek tried to look around xem to get a better look at Roan xe blocked xyr view, tentacles flaring slightly. «There were no special instructions left with the specimen.»
«The Ship Has Ears,» Wakek recited.
«The Ship Has Eyes.»
«The Ship Knows.»
«The Ship Provides,» Uala finished, not quite mollified though xyr tentacles had gone back to their usual curl. An answer and not, the best answer xe would get. Xe had been right, earlier: this was something special. Xe couldn't say xe cared for it. It felt dangerous, even if Roan didn't. «What are my special instructions, then?» xe asked.
Wakek leaned closer to xem again, but this time Uala did not withdraw, and xe did not call xyr bluff by touching xem. «Can you understand it, yet?» xe asked.
«I might,» Uala said, indignant, «if you had told me from the beginning that it can talk.» Xe resisted the temptation to look back and check on him, because xe didn't want to risk taking focus off Wakek. Every time Wakek tried to look at him, Uala got in xyr way, protective. «We've made progress.»
«Are you sure?» Wakek asked, looking instead to the toys still on the floor. «It looks like you're playing with it.»
«And that's progress,» Uala said, with another irritated flare of xyr tentacles. «Understanding is not a measurable or concrete goal.»
Wakek turned darker, but xe was not intimidated this time. «That's your problem,» xe said, «not the Ship's. You should know how it works by now.»
If xe was trying to make Uala feel self-conscious about being old, it wasn't going to work. Uala was quite pleased by how much longer xe'd lived than xyr peers. Xe liked being alive. «It's the Ship's problem if the Ship needs to know anything more than how to talk to it,» xe said, undeterred.
«You don't need to talk to it,» xe said, «just understand it. How strong is it? How fast? How long do they live? What do they value? What are their survival parameters?» Wakek clicked disapprovingly, and the sound set Uala's beak on edge. «Do your job,» xe said, «or the Ship will find someone who can.» Then, for the first time, xe reached out and touched xem, tentacles grabbing xyrs and flipping dismissively at xyr silks.
Uala was very agreeable, and could be very patient. Xe did not, however, make it to xyr age by being a complete pushover – Ship's Representative or no. Xe reared up, all xyr tentacles flaring out wide, red rippling outward from where xe'd touched xem. Xe curled back xyr lip and hissed, halfway to a screech, and this time it was Wakek who recoiled. «Out,» xe snarled, and when xe tried to grab xem again xe nearly bit xem. «The Ship can send another representative,» xe said, all but chasing Wakek out of the lab and out of xyr suite, «but you will not come here again.» When xe tried to speak xe hissed again, standing in the hall; it was not for another long moment after xyr departure that Uala started to relax again.
«Oh – oh, that was very bad. I shouldn't have done that, I don't think. It was only self-defense, anyway. I can hardly do my job if I'm… oh, I hope I don't get in trouble for that.» Xe buzzed, seeming almost to melt into the floor of the hall as xe collapsed in the crash of an adrenaline rush. «Oh, goodness.»
Xe hadn't expected him to be so interested in the actual display, and xyr first instinct was to get him away from the controls. Xe stayed still, even if one of xyr hearts moved a little faster, because this was progress. Xe was understanding how to use it, that meant he understood the function. Right? Xe couldn't go scolding him every time he got any little thing wrong. They were both doing their best under the circumstances. If he accidentally filed a report, well, xe'd sort that out later.
Except that then there was a sound from out in the hall, and that rather changed things. «There's someone in my suite,» xe said, still not moving. «There's someone in my suite!» xe repeated, with rather more panic, pressing the hold button and pulling the needle out of xem, setting it aside as xe hastily slid off of the table. He'd only be able to look at a still image, so to speak, but maybe that would keep him busy. "Ge la weh, ge la weh – ah!»
Xe stopped short of the door, because someone else was standing in it. Much the same size as Uala, but with far more metal, metal rings all up and down every tentacle and along xyr mouth like fangs, woven metal along xyr legs, and xe tried not to look purple and failed.
«Uala?» xe asked.
«… yes?» Uala responded slowly, because xe didn't know who else xe could possibly be in here. Xe leaned closer, standing taller, and while Uala recoiled xe stood taller as well.
«What are you doing?»
Uala risked a glance at Roan, though xe didn't take xyr eyes off the interloper for more than half a second. «My job?» xe ventured.
The other also looked at Roan. «That,» xe said, «is supposed to be contained.»
«I can't study it in containment,» xe said, standing straighter, making xem also stand if xe wanted to avoid being touched. Uala was getting a little more pink, leaning towards xyr more usual coral. «Who are you, exactly?»
Xe cocked xyr head to the side, birdlike. «Wakek,» xe said, «Ship's Representative. Here to check on your progress.»
«Progress towards what?» Uala demanded, and when Wakek tried to look around xem to get a better look at Roan xe blocked xyr view, tentacles flaring slightly. «There were no special instructions left with the specimen.»
«The Ship Has Ears,» Wakek recited.
«The Ship Has Eyes.»
«The Ship Knows.»
«The Ship Provides,» Uala finished, not quite mollified though xyr tentacles had gone back to their usual curl. An answer and not, the best answer xe would get. Xe had been right, earlier: this was something special. Xe couldn't say xe cared for it. It felt dangerous, even if Roan didn't. «What are my special instructions, then?» xe asked.
Wakek leaned closer to xem again, but this time Uala did not withdraw, and xe did not call xyr bluff by touching xem. «Can you understand it, yet?» xe asked.
«I might,» Uala said, indignant, «if you had told me from the beginning that it can talk.» Xe resisted the temptation to look back and check on him, because xe didn't want to risk taking focus off Wakek. Every time Wakek tried to look at him, Uala got in xyr way, protective. «We've made progress.»
«Are you sure?» Wakek asked, looking instead to the toys still on the floor. «It looks like you're playing with it.»
«And that's progress,» Uala said, with another irritated flare of xyr tentacles. «Understanding is not a measurable or concrete goal.»
Wakek turned darker, but xe was not intimidated this time. «That's your problem,» xe said, «not the Ship's. You should know how it works by now.»
If xe was trying to make Uala feel self-conscious about being old, it wasn't going to work. Uala was quite pleased by how much longer xe'd lived than xyr peers. Xe liked being alive. «It's the Ship's problem if the Ship needs to know anything more than how to talk to it,» xe said, undeterred.
«You don't need to talk to it,» xe said, «just understand it. How strong is it? How fast? How long do they live? What do they value? What are their survival parameters?» Wakek clicked disapprovingly, and the sound set Uala's beak on edge. «Do your job,» xe said, «or the Ship will find someone who can.» Then, for the first time, xe reached out and touched xem, tentacles grabbing xyrs and flipping dismissively at xyr silks.
Uala was very agreeable, and could be very patient. Xe did not, however, make it to xyr age by being a complete pushover – Ship's Representative or no. Xe reared up, all xyr tentacles flaring out wide, red rippling outward from where xe'd touched xem. Xe curled back xyr lip and hissed, halfway to a screech, and this time it was Wakek who recoiled. «Out,» xe snarled, and when xe tried to grab xem again xe nearly bit xem. «The Ship can send another representative,» xe said, all but chasing Wakek out of the lab and out of xyr suite, «but you will not come here again.» When xe tried to speak xe hissed again, standing in the hall; it was not for another long moment after xyr departure that Uala started to relax again.
«Oh – oh, that was very bad. I shouldn't have done that, I don't think. It was only self-defense, anyway. I can hardly do my job if I'm… oh, I hope I don't get in trouble for that.» Xe buzzed, seeming almost to melt into the floor of the hall as xe collapsed in the crash of an adrenaline rush. «Oh, goodness.»
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