it that everyone speaks my language?"
"JOH enacted the system-wide translation program the day you came on board. It's common practice with visiting dignitaries. Consider it an honor."
"What if someone more important than me shows up?" Hah, that sounded hysterical.
Chara sat down in one of the sphere-shaped chairs and draped her hands atop her crossed legs. "Then JOH will have you go through the translation program."
"Oh right. I'm going to learn an alien language in a matter of minutes."
Chara didn't flinch. "Yes. You will. The words are fed to us electronically from our uniforms."
Aimee frowned. “So if you don’t have the uniform on you would not be able to speak to me?”
Chara smiled. “We retain what we have been fed. The translation stays in us. We’re pretty quick as you might say.”
"So, are you?" The girl demanded, interrupting their conversation. "From Sureen?"
"No." Aimee shook her head. "I'm from a planet called Earth."
"Hmmph," she frowned. "Never heard of it. Whatever. As you can see, Gordy can't learn how to play the Tak wand. He's hopeless."
The Tak wand, Aimee mouthed and then looked at Gordy who still stared at his feet.
"What's your name?" Aimee asked the girl.
"Wanza." Her chin tipped up.
"Nice to meet you, Wanza."
Aimee returned her attention to the Tak wand. Those holes were tight. Nothing more than glorified pinpricks. Couldn't they give kids on this ship something easier to start with?
The mouthpiece did not have a reed—the thin slab of wood affixed to the air hole that gave it the vintage woodwind sound. Instead, this mouthpiece was carved into something resembling a fishhook. Aimee slipped it between her lips and affixed her fingers over one of the center holes. The closest she could liken to the note, G. She tightened her lips and gave a brief puff of air. A melodic note came out of the instrument. It staggered her as she was used to the sound of the clarinet, which in her mind was as symphonic as a set of bagpipes.
"Wow." Gordy looked up. "Do it again."
She took a deep breath and mastered the single note before letting her fingertips toy with the other holes. Soon she got the hang of what sequence sounded best and the tune she played was pleasant even to her ears.
"Can you show me how?" Gordy took a step towards her.
"Of course." She dropped down into one of the sphere chairs so that she could be eye level with him. "The trick is to put this in your mouth and press your lips together so tight...as tight as you can. This way, when you blow, it will all go into the—" she struggled to recall the name, "— Tak wand, and not leak out. Here." She handed Gordy the instrument. "Put it in your mouth and press tight."
Gordy took the Tak wand and put his lips around the fishhook mouthpiece.
"Squeeze your lips," Aimee emphasized. She took a gamble and added, "Pretend you're eating Sumpum."
The boy's nose wrinkled up in distaste and his lips flattened around the mouthpiece.
"That's it! Now blow."
Gordy’s cheeks puffed slightly, but he kept his lips pressed firm and the air flew through the instrument and came out the fluted end with a melodic sound. He jumped back wide-eyed.
“Perfect!”
Within seconds she was immersed in a crowd of children, all crying, “Show me!”
***
Distracted by the flourish of activity, Aimee realized that someone was standing in the shadows watching her. She didn’t see him at first on account of his dark suit, but he stepped forward into the ring of light. He was an intimidating profile that dwarfed everything in his perimeter. Even from the shadows she could feel his eyes on her. One more step and he was close enough that she could see them, so sharp and intense.
“Zak.” Chara broke the spell.
Zak strode down the aisle. In this group he looked like a giant. He cast a quick smile at Chara and then his eyes returned to Aimee. His lips dropped into a straight line. She swallowed self-consciously.
Around her the children all tipped their
"JOH enacted the system-wide translation program the day you came on board. It's common practice with visiting dignitaries. Consider it an honor."
"What if someone more important than me shows up?" Hah, that sounded hysterical.
Chara sat down in one of the sphere-shaped chairs and draped her hands atop her crossed legs. "Then JOH will have you go through the translation program."
"Oh right. I'm going to learn an alien language in a matter of minutes."
Chara didn't flinch. "Yes. You will. The words are fed to us electronically from our uniforms."
Aimee frowned. “So if you don’t have the uniform on you would not be able to speak to me?”
Chara smiled. “We retain what we have been fed. The translation stays in us. We’re pretty quick as you might say.”
"So, are you?" The girl demanded, interrupting their conversation. "From Sureen?"
"No." Aimee shook her head. "I'm from a planet called Earth."
"Hmmph," she frowned. "Never heard of it. Whatever. As you can see, Gordy can't learn how to play the Tak wand. He's hopeless."
The Tak wand, Aimee mouthed and then looked at Gordy who still stared at his feet.
"What's your name?" Aimee asked the girl.
"Wanza." Her chin tipped up.
"Nice to meet you, Wanza."
Aimee returned her attention to the Tak wand. Those holes were tight. Nothing more than glorified pinpricks. Couldn't they give kids on this ship something easier to start with?
The mouthpiece did not have a reed—the thin slab of wood affixed to the air hole that gave it the vintage woodwind sound. Instead, this mouthpiece was carved into something resembling a fishhook. Aimee slipped it between her lips and affixed her fingers over one of the center holes. The closest she could liken to the note, G. She tightened her lips and gave a brief puff of air. A melodic note came out of the instrument. It staggered her as she was used to the sound of the clarinet, which in her mind was as symphonic as a set of bagpipes.
"Wow." Gordy looked up. "Do it again."
She took a deep breath and mastered the single note before letting her fingertips toy with the other holes. Soon she got the hang of what sequence sounded best and the tune she played was pleasant even to her ears.
"Can you show me how?" Gordy took a step towards her.
"Of course." She dropped down into one of the sphere chairs so that she could be eye level with him. "The trick is to put this in your mouth and press your lips together so tight...as tight as you can. This way, when you blow, it will all go into the—" she struggled to recall the name, "— Tak wand, and not leak out. Here." She handed Gordy the instrument. "Put it in your mouth and press tight."
Gordy took the Tak wand and put his lips around the fishhook mouthpiece.
"Squeeze your lips," Aimee emphasized. She took a gamble and added, "Pretend you're eating Sumpum."
The boy's nose wrinkled up in distaste and his lips flattened around the mouthpiece.
"That's it! Now blow."
Gordy’s cheeks puffed slightly, but he kept his lips pressed firm and the air flew through the instrument and came out the fluted end with a melodic sound. He jumped back wide-eyed.
“Perfect!”
Within seconds she was immersed in a crowd of children, all crying, “Show me!”
***
Distracted by the flourish of activity, Aimee realized that someone was standing in the shadows watching her. She didn’t see him at first on account of his dark suit, but he stepped forward into the ring of light. He was an intimidating profile that dwarfed everything in his perimeter. Even from the shadows she could feel his eyes on her. One more step and he was close enough that she could see them, so sharp and intense.
“Zak.” Chara broke the spell.
Zak strode down the aisle. In this group he looked like a giant. He cast a quick smile at Chara and then his eyes returned to Aimee. His lips dropped into a straight line. She swallowed self-consciously.
Around her the children all tipped their
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