surprised Troxeo lets you keep your little trinkets here.”
Enan bobbed his head, his chins wagging. “Fair enough. But I know what you like to do with your scalpels and your scanners and your preserved bits in jars. Not all males are cut out to be soldiers, Chixo, no matter what the majority of Oretoz think. Besides, this ship would be rusting in the ground if it weren’t for people like me.” The longer he spoke, the more the fat alien gained confidence.
Chixo wrapped a strong, wiry hand around Katie’s arm and dragged her back toward the door leading out of Enan’s room. “We’ll be going now.”
Enan returned to his position behind his desk. “Visit me whenever you like, Earthling. I rarely get company here in my fortress!”
Katie thought he might have said something else, but she didn’t hear it because the door had closed already. “He seems nice,” she remarked. It felt odd to make conversation with an alien, but she might as well try to blend in a little.
“Being nice is not a highly-valued quality in Oretoz society,” Chixo murmured.
“Yeah, I could have guessed that.” Katie sighed to herself. This woman was impossible to befriend.
Chixo used her finger to open a much wider door. Katie gasped when it slid open and she saw what was behind it. They stepped into a room that could be nothing other than the bridge. Unlike the narrow corridors she was familiar with, the floor here was wide and open. There was plenty of room to move around. Various panels were inserted into the walls or on a massive dashboard that ran around the circumference of the chamber. Two tall, comfortable looking chairs sat at the front of the room, facing huge windows showing stars flicking by.
Katie’s stomach turned to water as she watched. There was a window in her room, but it was much smaller and didn’t do justice to the way they were moving through space. Katie realized with a sudden jolt that not only was she further from home than she ever could have imagined, but she didn’t even have the comfort of day and night any longer.
What time was it? She had slept but didn’t know for how long. Was it morning or evening back on Earth? The sun had been swirling around her head and dictating the daily routine of her life for so long that she had taken it for granted.
An alien sat in one of the chairs, but it wasn’t Troxeo. This man’s hair was darker and longer, clubbed at the nape of his neck. He swiveled in his chair at the sound of the door, and his dark eyebrows went up in surprise.
“I see the guest has been allowed to roam.” He stood up.
Katie’s stomach hadn’t had a chance to settle itself, and it continued to swirl as she took in the appearance of the new alien. He had a build similar to Troxeo, in that he was absolutely huge. As she studied him, she thought he wasn’t quite as wide across the shoulders as Troxeo, but he was still far bigger than any man she knew back on Earth.
He wore the same clothing that apparently all the other men on this ship did, arm muscles bulging out of his black sleeveless shirt and thighs pressing against the constraints of his pants. His chiseled features were nearly a reflection of the other man’s. It was as though Troxeo’s face had been replicated but with different coloring. The man scrutinized Katie with his deep brown eyes for a few moments before baring his teeth in a semblance of a smile.
He was scary in a different way. “H-h-hello,” she stammered. “I’m Katie.”
The man folded the bulk of his arms across his chest and glanced at Chixo. “Yes, I’ve heard. It seems the humans are very interested in knowing names. On Oretoz, knowing someone’s name is a sign of trust. I take it that by revealing your name, you trust us?” He raised his eyebrows at her and waited.
Katie’s mouth gulped like a fish out of water. Was there a correct answer to the question? Should she lie to save her neck, or be honest and run the risk of punishment? She still
Enan bobbed his head, his chins wagging. “Fair enough. But I know what you like to do with your scalpels and your scanners and your preserved bits in jars. Not all males are cut out to be soldiers, Chixo, no matter what the majority of Oretoz think. Besides, this ship would be rusting in the ground if it weren’t for people like me.” The longer he spoke, the more the fat alien gained confidence.
Chixo wrapped a strong, wiry hand around Katie’s arm and dragged her back toward the door leading out of Enan’s room. “We’ll be going now.”
Enan returned to his position behind his desk. “Visit me whenever you like, Earthling. I rarely get company here in my fortress!”
Katie thought he might have said something else, but she didn’t hear it because the door had closed already. “He seems nice,” she remarked. It felt odd to make conversation with an alien, but she might as well try to blend in a little.
“Being nice is not a highly-valued quality in Oretoz society,” Chixo murmured.
“Yeah, I could have guessed that.” Katie sighed to herself. This woman was impossible to befriend.
Chixo used her finger to open a much wider door. Katie gasped when it slid open and she saw what was behind it. They stepped into a room that could be nothing other than the bridge. Unlike the narrow corridors she was familiar with, the floor here was wide and open. There was plenty of room to move around. Various panels were inserted into the walls or on a massive dashboard that ran around the circumference of the chamber. Two tall, comfortable looking chairs sat at the front of the room, facing huge windows showing stars flicking by.
Katie’s stomach turned to water as she watched. There was a window in her room, but it was much smaller and didn’t do justice to the way they were moving through space. Katie realized with a sudden jolt that not only was she further from home than she ever could have imagined, but she didn’t even have the comfort of day and night any longer.
What time was it? She had slept but didn’t know for how long. Was it morning or evening back on Earth? The sun had been swirling around her head and dictating the daily routine of her life for so long that she had taken it for granted.
An alien sat in one of the chairs, but it wasn’t Troxeo. This man’s hair was darker and longer, clubbed at the nape of his neck. He swiveled in his chair at the sound of the door, and his dark eyebrows went up in surprise.
“I see the guest has been allowed to roam.” He stood up.
Katie’s stomach hadn’t had a chance to settle itself, and it continued to swirl as she took in the appearance of the new alien. He had a build similar to Troxeo, in that he was absolutely huge. As she studied him, she thought he wasn’t quite as wide across the shoulders as Troxeo, but he was still far bigger than any man she knew back on Earth.
He wore the same clothing that apparently all the other men on this ship did, arm muscles bulging out of his black sleeveless shirt and thighs pressing against the constraints of his pants. His chiseled features were nearly a reflection of the other man’s. It was as though Troxeo’s face had been replicated but with different coloring. The man scrutinized Katie with his deep brown eyes for a few moments before baring his teeth in a semblance of a smile.
He was scary in a different way. “H-h-hello,” she stammered. “I’m Katie.”
The man folded the bulk of his arms across his chest and glanced at Chixo. “Yes, I’ve heard. It seems the humans are very interested in knowing names. On Oretoz, knowing someone’s name is a sign of trust. I take it that by revealing your name, you trust us?” He raised his eyebrows at her and waited.
Katie’s mouth gulped like a fish out of water. Was there a correct answer to the question? Should she lie to save her neck, or be honest and run the risk of punishment? She still
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