《A Year at the Zoo》


 Chapter 1

    11:03 29/03/2587 ¨C (8734/654/24/76)


    Nish rubbed her eyes, she had spent a week on that transport, and while not unpleasant, her eyes strained slightly at natural sunlight. The sensation passed, and she took in the departure office.


    It was a sterile area with large windows, letting the beauty of the outside shine in. It was designed with elegant curves and marvellous statues, displaying natural scenes and wild creatures.


    A few people were stationed at desks, but most of the documents were processed by automated terminals; they were simply on standby in case something went wrong.


    Speakers sent out calming music interspersed with the calls of animals and information for the arrivals.


    ¡°Welcome one and all to Minagerad, the galaxy''s largest biological preserve. An entire planet given over to the conservation of majestic flora, fauna and fungi from across the galaxy, Deathworlds excluded, of course,¡± the speaker explained; the last phrase was made with a slight laugh, and many people in the crowd laughed with it.


    ¡°You are no doubt anxious to start exploring the world, but first, you must get booked in, settled in your accommodation and finally given the orientation so that you can enjoy a fun and safe time on Minagerad,¡± the speaker added.


    ¡°Please make your way to a free terminal in an orderly line; if you have any problems using the terminals, do not hesitate to use the V.I. assistant or ask our dedicated and highly skilled employees,¡± the speaker stated.


    ¡°Mommy, when can we get going?¡± Pista asked, tugging on one of Nish¡¯s longer arms.


    Nish looked down at her daughter; like all Tufanda, she had two large oval-shaped eyes. Those adorably oversized orbs stared up at her.


    ¡°Soon, it¡¯s almost our turn at the terminal, she explained, gently squeezing her daughter¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry¡±, Pista stated bluntly.


    ¡°I know you are; we¡¯ll get something to eat once we¡¯re outside,¡± Nish explained, gently stroking her daughter''s antenna with her own.


    As she turned her attention back to the terminals, she saw that one had just become free and that she was next in line.


    Nish stepped forward, but her daughter tugged on her arm and said, ¡°It¡¯s not our turn, mommy.¡±


    ¡°It i¡­¡± but Nish¡¯s sentence was cut off as she walked into something.


    Nish was nearly knocked off her feet as she looked around for whatever she had just walked into. As something just below her peripheral vision moved, she had the rare honour of looking down at someone.


    Tufanda were one of the shortest sapients in the galaxy, and though a half dozen others were smaller, Nish had rarely interacted with them.


    The tiny creature looked up at her; it was bipedal like her but possessed only four limbs, two arms and legs instead of her four arms and two legs.


    Its head was significant for its body size, but that was relatively standard for sapients, a few species had incredibly dense neurons instead of oversized brains, but that was rare.


    The person had no features to speak of, no mouth, eyes, nose or¡­ and then it clicked; they were in an environmental suit. That could only mean that their body was incredibly fragile and needed constant support, was this tiny creature from a Class 1 Habitableworld/Class 1 (H)?


    ¡°Mommy, everyone staring,¡± Pista explained, she quickly glanced around, and everyone was indeed staring at them.


    ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry,¡± Nish explained, waving her hands back and forth in the typical Tufanda display of regret. ¡°I could have killed them if I was going any faster,¡± she thought, a small nugget of guilt building up inside her.


    ¡°That¡¯s alright, we all make mistakes,¡± the small lifeform replied; Nish was relieved that the person was so forgiving and that their suit was evidently incredibly durable. There was also its voice; though speakers projected it from the confines of its suit, she was astounded by the melodic, almost song-like quality; each word seemed to flow into the next.


    ¡°Are you unharmed?¡± the sapient asked.


    ¡°No, I am fine,¡± Nish replied, once again amazed by their voice.


    ¡°Good,¡± the sapient replied, ¡°Now, if you will excuse me, we are holding up the line; I hope you have a pleasant day.¡±


    Nish looked behind her, and it was evident that once they knew everything was alright, everyone Nish and the unknown individual had held up wanted to get on with the check-in. She turned back, slightly embarrassed, to find that the tiny being had already wandered off, using the vacant terminal Nish herself had intended to snatch.


    ¡°How had they moved there so quickly?¡± Nish thought as she watched the person leave the atrium. She spent so much time thinking about it that Pista tugged on her arm and said, ¡°Mommy, we¡¯re holding up the line.¡±


    Once again embarrassed, she went for the same terminal her potential victim had used, not for any real reason; it was simply the closest one.


    As Nish punched in her details and those of her daughter, she realised that they had used incredibly formal language. That was usually a sign that the person speaking was still picking up galactic basic; they had probably learnt it on their journey here; maybe this was their first trip off their homeworld.


    The screen told her she was good to go, and she left the building; the stranger was long gone by now, and even if she had been inclined to seek them out, that would have made her a creep. As she took lungfuls of fresh air, a thought occurred to her when she had struck the individual; it had been like walking into a lump of concrete.


    That also made her realise that there could be another explanation for their whole body suit, not to keep them safe, but everyone else instead. That could only mean one thing, a Deathworlder.


    ***


    Gabriel sighed; he had only just gotten here and was already in an altercation. At least this one was not his fault. He sighed again, his speaker offline so no one could hear him; it didn¡¯t matter; all he needed to do was get to his lodgings.


    As he weaved through the crowd, he noted how easy it was to move; Minagerad had 25% less gravity than Earth, and he could tell. He doubted that carrying his luggage would have made any difference, but the service here was excellent, and it had all been sent to his apartment ahead of schedule.


    He received a few looks from passers-by; Gabriel felt it was either the suit or his size, both of which were understandable; everyone seemed to have enough courtesy to assume he was fine, though, rather than stick their noses, or nose equivalents, in his face.


    Gabriel glanced at his P.D.A. most people had a V.I. installed, but Gabriel felt it was creepy to have your electronics speak to you. Also, it did not sit well with him on a moral level, he knew logically that it was not sapient or alive, but Gabriel felt it was a slippery slope.


    His maps told him he was just a few minutes away; at this rate, he would have just enough time for a quick shower, a drink and some stretches. He needed to get to orientation by noon; then, he would be free to explore the entire planet and have a year to do it.


    Gabriel had been planning this for quite some time, years of saving, planning, and pulling in a few favours. He had not gone cheap either; he had a penthouse in one of the best residential towers in the city.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Usually, it would have set him back hundreds of thousands, but Deathworlders were not ordinary visitors. By galactic law, the planet needed to provide accommodation on par with habitableworlders, which meant a penthouse that went for chump change.


    That little fact meant he could afford an entire year here, and he was going to make the most of it.


    Gabriel found the building; an impressive, elegant structure composed of transparent aluminium and carbon nanotubes.


    The lobby was large and elegantly furnished. A few individuals reclined on couches, seats and giant cushions, either waiting for family and friends or thinking about where they would go next. A clerk stood at an elegantly curved wooden desk.


    Gabriel approached them, a large octopedal batlike creature; they had eyes, though small and beady, like small obsidian pebbles. They stood far larger than Gabriel, and he felt he must look ridiculous standing before the large desk.


    The alien did not notice him; they were busy working at their computer. ¡°Excuse me,¡± said Gabriel.


    The alien looked up; their small eyes searched for where the song-like voice had come from. ¡°Down here,¡± Gabriel said.


    As they peered over the desk, Gabriel saw a lanyard dangling from their neck. There were two forms of writing upon it; one they assumed was their native tongue, and the other was in basic.


    ¡°A pleasure to meet you, Shupp. My name is Gabriel Ratlu; I have a reservation,¡± he explained, noticing the surprised look on their face when they realised that Gabriel was not a lost child.


    ¡°My apologies,¡± the alien stated, typing what Gabriel supposed was their name in the machine.


    ¡°Ah yes, here you are, Mr Gabriel Ratlu, staying with us for over one year, and you are in the penthouse,¡± Shupp went silent as she read the words; she quickly glanced at the tiny lifeform and then doublechecked the results.


    They came up precisely the same, and she decided it was best to check with the guest before bumping it up the chain of command. ¡°It says here that you are in the Excelsus suite; is that correct?¡± Shupp asked.


    ¡°Is that the suite custom-built for Deathworlders?¡± asked Gabriel.


    ¡°That is correct, sir,¡± Shupp replied.


    ¡°Then yes, that is my suite,¡± Gabriel said dryly.


    Shupp saw no problem with this, the guest had been informed, and while they looked far too delicate to be a Deathworlder, she was well aware that looks could be deceiving.


    The standard procedure was to give the guest their key and let them be on their way, but Shupp had always wanted to see the inside of the Excelsus suite, and this was her opportunity.


    ¡°If you will follow me, sir, I will guide you to your room,¡± Shupp said, picking up a keycard from a secure box and exiting the reception area.


    Gabriel followed Shupp and was mesmerised by the complex way they moved; it was like watching a conveyor belt loop around on itself; it was hypnotic in a way.


    Shupp led him into a vast glass lift; fortunately, there was a large touchpad that stretched from ceiling to floor; all one needed to do was tap the screen once, and the interface would conform to your height.


    ¡°Would you like me to do it for you, sir?¡± asked Shupp.


    ¡°No, thank you, I¡¯d best get used to it now,¡± stated Gabriel.


    ¡°Very well, we will need to be on floor 110,¡± Shupp explained.


    Gabriel pressed the button, and the lift lurched; his stomach was filled with a strange sense of vertigo. Gabriel had never been comfortable with lifts, not scared exactly; he just did not like the feeling he got whenever he was in one.


    Fortunately, he was not so consumed by the sensation that he forgot to look out at the city; it was breathtaking. The architecture blended the synthetic and the organic. Vast apartment blocks studded with trees and flying animals soared through the city while buses and trains ferried people to and fro.


    There was no dull concrete or ugly steel here; no, the area had been built with form as well as function in mind. Gabriel saw people dining in restaurants, playing in parks and off in the distance was Minagerad¡¯s zoo, a zoological and botanical park the size of London, containing thousands of species from all over the galaxy.


    ¡°Welcome to Minagerad, Mr Ratlu,¡± Shupp said, with a warm expression on her face.


    ***


    Gabriel stepped through the threshold into a large room, or it would have been large if Shupp had not been present; the eight-legged bat person took up a considerable portion of the space.


    ¡°Now, I would just like to offer a reminder that due to your homeworld, you will need to decontaminate every time you leave your room,¡± Shupp explained.


    A little light turned green, and the door opened into a vast apartment complex. The room was expertly furnished, and everything was suited to his proportions. The only exceptions were the doors and halls, which needed to be large enough to let hotel staff and emergency services in.


    ¡°All furnishings have been designed with Deathworlders in mind, and even your strength will find them difficult to break,¡± Shupp explained. Gabriel chuckled; the idea that humans were in some way exceptional was rather comical to him.


    Shupp did not respond to his laugh, seemingly utterly unaware of its meaning.


    ¡°You will find the gravity controls by every door frame, next to the light switch; however, if you would prefer voice controls, you may set them up yourself, using the step-by-step guide provided,¡± stated Shupp, gesturing to the touchscreen by the front door.


    ¡°Do keep in mind that if you have guests over, they will be required to wear a full face mask to prevent infection,¡± she said as Gabriel peered into the bedroom. He sighed; the bed was colossal, making a kingsized look puny by comparisons; it seemed the furnisher knew that just about everyone loved giant beds.


    ¡°I will,¡± replied Gabriel as he walked to the large windows; they reached from the floor to the ceiling, allowing an unobstructed view of the city below.


    ¡°The windows are tinted, allowing for total privacy; visible, ultraviolet and infrared can not look into it,¡± Shupp explained.


    ¡°I notice that there is no balcony,¡± said Gabriel, pointing towards the sheer drop outside.


    ¡°We apologise, sir, but¡­ considering your nature, a single bacteria you carry could cause an epidemic that very few could tolerate; therefore, your room is kept sealed from the outside.


    ¡°I understand, and my name is Gabriel, not sir,¡± he stated, looking up at the bat woman and into her beady eyes.


    ¡°Thank you, Gabriel. Do you have any questions?¡± asked Shupp.


    ¡°What about meals? Considering my¡­.¡± Gabriel gestured to himself, ¡°Condition.¡±


    ¡°Room service will provide any meal you request from our kitchens; we even have Deathworlder chefs that can cook food most would find unbearable; it will be sent up in an exclusive dumbwaiter and delivered to your kitchen¡±, answered Shupp.


    ¡°If you would prefer to dine in a more social setting, we have a special restaurant on the 51st floor; as you can imagine, it receives very little business, and therefore the service is excellent,¡± she added.


    ¡°Finally, as previously mentioned, you have a personal kitchen; therefore, if you would prefer to cook your own meals, ingredients can be requested from the tower''s larders and sent to you,¡± Shupp said.


    ¡°You¡¯ll just send me ingredients, no extra cost?¡± asked Gabriel, raising an eyebrow and then rolling his eyes once he realised that she could neither see it nor would she understand what it meant if she did.


    ¡°This is a penthouse suite, Gabriel; you¡¯ve already paid for everything unless you request anything illegal,¡± Shupp explained.


    She then realised that what she had just said could be perceived as an insult, so she quickly added, ¡°I only mention it because certain items that would be completely pedestrian to you could be considered contraband on Minagerad.¡±


    Gabriel nodded in agreement; that did indeed make complete sense.


    ¡°Anything else?¡± asked Shupp.


    Gabriel shook his head and replied, ¡°Nothing that comes to mind; if I have any more questions, I will ask.¡±


    Shupp was about to leave the room when she turned and asked, ¡°Gabriel, might I make a request?¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± he said, waiting patiently.


    ¡°If it is not too much trouble, I would like to wait in the room as you turn the gravity up; I have always been curious was intense gravity was like,¡± she explained.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just do it in your own home?¡± asked Gabriel.


    Shupp chuffed, which Gabriel assumed was her species'' equivalent of shaking their head, ¡°due to safety concerns, it is illegal to have your gravity over three per cent higher than your homeworlds baseline.¡±


    ¡°However, many visiting Deathworlders positioned the local government to have that rule rescinded for them. So you can push the gravity up to twenty per cent higher than your homeworld, as long as you understand that no party upon Minagerad is legally responsible for any injuries you might incur,¡± Shupp explained.


    Gabriel shrugged his shoulders and approached the nearest console; several options were available, curtains, lights, temperature, airflow, oxygen content, humidity. There it was, gravity.


    Gabriel pressed the icon, shaped like a planet and a new interface came up, a simple slider with a positive sign on the left and a negative sign on the right. There was also a little marker on the slider, which indicated Earth¡¯s gravity. He pushed the positive sign, and slowly the gravity started to climb.


    He could feel the weight slowly build on his joints, making it more difficult to move. Gabriel enjoyed it, low gravity was fun and all, but there was something comforting about having a proper weight on your shoulders.


    ¡°Wow, you people really live like this all the time back home?¡± asked Shupp; Gabriel could see her legs buckling slightly under her newfound weight, and her breathing was laboured.


    ¡°No, this is Galactic standard 1g, which is about twenty per cent less than my homeworld,¡± Gabriel explained, and he began to tap the screen again.


    With each tap, the gravity increased, and Shupp¡¯s body struggled more and more with it. She gasped, and Gabriel realised he had pushed it too far; he immediately jabbed the slider and dropped the gravity to a state even lower than when they first entered.


    ¡°Sorry about that; I should not have let it go as long as I did,¡± Gabriel said, approaching the woman, making sure she was alright.


    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s fine. I asked you to do it; I shouldn¡¯t have tried to act tough,¡± she replied, rubbing what Gabriel supposed must have been sore legs.


    Shupp took a few deep breaths and said, ¡°Thank you, I have something to impress my family with now.¡±


    Gabriel glanced at the clock and realised he had eaten up too much time. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be rude, but if you are unharmed, I need to get ready for orientation.¡±


    Shupp also became aware that she had left the front desk unattended and immediately headed for the exit, ¡°I am so sorry; I should have realised,¡± she said, apologising profusely.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine; I still have plenty of time,¡± he explained, trying to put her at ease.

 Chapter 2

    12:02 29/03/2587 ¨C(8734/654/29/53)


    Oh dear, oh dear oh dear, he was running late, Gabriel should have either cut his shower or drink, but he was no one to deviate from a routine.


    He charged through the crowd, the low gravity and increased oxygen content granting him near-superhuman levels of stamina and agility. Gabriel liked to think that the regular exercise he partook in was also helping.


    The streets were wide and gave plenty of room to manoeuvre, though his way was blocked by pedestrians occasionally. Gabriel was not one for theatrics and did not like drawing attention to himself, but his concern over being late overwrote his shyness.


    Fortunately, most people were large, and he could duck and weave through their legs. Most were startled and bemused by his actions, but no one was frightened; Gabriel chalked it up to his small size and supposed that many assumed he was an energetic child going for a run.


    Someone might find it odd that one of the most notable species in the galaxy could travel through a vast city without anyone realising what he was. But when you considered the hassle someone had to go through to shake hands with a Paradiseworlder, it made sense that most humans simply did not bother.


    They stayed in their systems, with only the odd tourist or diplomat seeing the wider galaxy.


    Gabriel''s extended stay on Minagerad had forced him to wear his suit; shorter trips could be made through a comprehensive decontamination process that killed all micro-organisms in a human¡¯s body, but this could cause autoimmune problems if maintained for over a month.


    Not to mention it also killed the symbiotic bacteria that lived in the human gut, and a year with a mix of constipation and diarrhoea was not something Gabriel ever wanted to do. So even if he had only been here for a week, Gabriel would have still picked the suit.


    He skidded to a halt in front of the administration building his orientation was taking place. The lower gravity meant he overshot it by a few metres and had to double back.


    The building was much the same as the others, with lots of glass shaped into elegant and visually pleasing forms. The automatic doors opened, and Gabriel trotted to the front desk, thankful there was no line.


    ¡°Sorry to bother you, I have come for the orientation,¡± he said, calling out to the sapient sitting at the front desk.


    ¡°Ah yes,¡± they said, standing up and looking at Gabriel, ¡°You are running a little late, but that is nothing new; just go through those doors and take the first door on the left.¡±


    Gabriel thanked them and followed their directions until he stood at the door; the sign above said orientation in progress; please do not enter.


    He steeled himself; Gabriel could already picture dozens of eyes staring at him once he opened the door. His heart rate increased as the anxiety set in, and for a brief moment, he considered just walking away, pretending that he had never found the room.


    Gabriel did not, though, he approached the door, and it opened for him.


    No one was looking at him; in fact, no one could see him; Gabriel had expected a few folding chairs in front of a projector screen; what he got instead was more akin to a cinema. He could hear people talking inside their individualised booths.


    Now that Gabriel thought about it, this arrangement made much more sense; each species had different seating requirements, so having a room specialised for the job was a good idea.


    ¡°I take it you are Mr Ratlu,¡± a voice called out behind him.


    Gabriel was startled and quickly spun on his heels, ¡°I apologise; I did not mean to frighten you,¡± the alien added. The Xenos was roughly two and a half metres tall, covered in a marvellous plumage of feathers; they were bipedal but held themselves horizontally like a theropod dinosaur.


    They had wings but were far too small to allow flight or even gliding; Gabriel supposed they were a display structure. As his eyes were drawn to the sapient''s face, he was struck with a case of the uncanny valley.


    Despite the large covering of feathers, except on their comically oversized lips, it was eerily human. There were even whites in its eyes; however, all this might have been tolerable if it were not smiling at him.


    It was all kinds of wrong, and Gabriel was hit by the instinct just to run, to get the hell away from this thing as fast as possible.


    However, he did not, his common decency prevailed, and he replied, in an admittedly croaky voice, ¡°yes, yes I am.¡±


    ¡°Excellent, there is no need to apologise for running late, the city can be a bit of a maze, and no doubt the decontamination process in your room took longer than you expected,¡± the alien explained, still maintaining that horrid grin.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you would look just as creepy to it as it does to you,¡± he told himself while simultaneously taking the alien excuse ¡°yes, yes, it did take longer than I expected.¡±


    Gabriel was somewhat disturbed that it knew it was staying in a Deathworlder apartment where he was staying.


    ¡°How did you know that?¡± Gabriel asked, trying and failing to mask the accusation in his voice.


    The dinosaur man thing either did not understand Gabriel''s tone or deliberately chose to ignore it, ¡°I¡¯m required your species to provide the correct seating requirements. As for how I knew you went through decontamination, you are a Deathworlder; it is a legal requirement.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that made sense; they worked here; it is not surprising it knew about him,¡± Gabriel thought, trying to get his nervousness under control.


    ¡°If you will follow me, I will escort you to your seat, and we can begin,¡± the sapient stated, pointing one of their wings and gesturing Gabriel to follow.


    From the back, the alien was thankfully far less disturbing; he tried his best to ignore what sat on its shoulders.


    Gabriel was led to a small but highly private booth facing a large screen, ¡°Like an extremely high-class private cinema,¡± he thought as the person gestured for him to sit. Gabriel kept his face pointed at the person while averting his gaze, his suit hiding that he was looking away.


    ¡°Now that everyone is here, we can begin,¡± the sapient said and left Gabriel to it; he let out a sigh of relief. He knew on an intellectual level that the person was no threat and that he was being racist to act this way. Yet he could not help it; there was just something wrong about them that triggered some primal part of his brain.


    Gabriel comforted himself by saying that he would get over it in a week or so after regular interaction with them. This is a "you" problem, but you will get over it.


    The room darkened, and the screen lit up. Mercifully the alien remained out of view though they still spoke.


    Their orientation was pretty standard, with a brief overview of the rules, where you could go, what tours, rides, and other cities you could visit. Gabriel paid attention, mainly because the slideshow was exceptionally well made, with numerous videos that surprisingly avoided the cringe factor that usually accompanied these things.


    It also provided many safety warnings that while Minagerad was a civilised world, it was also a nature reserve, and almost all the animals were wild. Much of the planet was untouched by society, so always follow the safety guideline when travelling on a guided tour.


    It was also essential to keep your survival kit on hand when leaving the city limits; this was to be provided at the end of the orientation. Several survival experts designed it, a list of these professionals was displayed on the screen, Gabriel did not know most of them, but one name stood out, Madeline Bahn.


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    Gabriel had heard of her; she had been some working shlub like him, who had saved over two hundred lives and fought off a band of pirates while stranded on a Deathworld. All without getting a single scratch.


    Ms Bahn was still alive if he recalled correctly, still living on the world that bore her name, though it was now a human colony.


    Gabriel would have probably continued wondering about her; while Madeline Bahn''s star had long since waned, she was still known in certain circles.


    The disturbing alien said something that snapped him from his thoughts, ¡°Now we also have special information for a certain individual amongst us.¡±


    The Xenos gave away no information about Gabriel himself, seeming to want to respect his privacy to the most extreme degree, which made Gabriel supremely grateful and far more guilty for the visceral reaction he had had to them.


    ¡°We understand that many of the warnings about toxicity and temperatures might not seem important to an individual from such a¡­¡± the alien struggled for a moment, trying their best to find a flattering word. ¡°Such a potent world as the one they hail from,¡± they explained.


    ¡°And while this will be true in most circumstances, we do not know how all the wildlife will react to your constitution, so while you will be given more freedom in your movements than most, as to avoid condescending to you, it is imperative that you follow all safety advice,¡± they added.


    Gabriel felt that was a very wordy way of saying, ¡°don¡¯t get too big for your britches.¡± He supposed it was fair; many Deathworlders had gotten themselves hurt or even killed by assuming that a paradiseworld would just roll over for them.


    One of the courses he had taken before leaving Sol had been very clear about this; the one that stuck out for Gabriel the most had been the case of Tomas Rink. He had jumped off a cliff on a Class 6(H), assuming that lower gravity meant he could not die from a fall.


    They had been peeling him off the rocks for hours.


    ***


    The rest of orientation had passed in a more mundane fashion. It mainly consisted of popular destinations, how to arrange passage to other locals and leisure activities that could be partaken in.


    It was all good to know, but Gabriel knew what he was doing first thing tomorrow morning; he was visiting Reshu Zoo, the prominent New York-sized complex that sat adjacent to the city.


    The zoo contained many of the more famous or delicate specimens so that the less adventurous visitors could still enjoy their stay. It was so vast that he intended to spend at least a week seeing every animal he could; his V.I.P. package also allowed him to go behind the scenes.


    His package also included guests, but that did not apply to him. No, Gabriel planned on spending as much time as possible by himself this year.


    ¡°Thank you for your time; we hope that has been informative, and if you have any more questions, do not hesitate to ask,¡± the alien host said as the screen went dark and the lights returned.


    Most people seemed satisfied with the presentation and slowly filed out of the room. Gabriel hung back, not out of a desire to speak the Xenos again, who Gabriel just realised had not offered him or anyone else a name. He knew that some species did not use names as humans understood them.


    Gabriel held back so that he could slip out of the building unnoticed.


    Once the crowd, although crowd was perhaps a generous word, as there were less than fifty of them, had gone, Gabriel quietly left his booth and quickly glanced around. The alien was standing in front of the screen, and Gabriel shuddered slightly; he could see their disturbing face even from this distance.


    Fortunately, they were talking to someone already, and Gabriel took the opportunity to exit. Then he stopped and looked again, not at the disturbing alien but who they were talking to.


    It was that alien that had bumped into him in departures; he thought it was an odd coincidence at first until he realised that she had been right behind him in the line. That they ended up in the same orientation was to be expected.


    He had not paid much attention to her at the time; he had been so frazzled by the encounter that he had just wanted to leave as quickly as possible. The only two things he could recall were that the woman was arthropodal in nature and a mother.


    Gabriel knew it was impolite to stare, but curiosity got the better of him; he had spent almost all his life in Sol and had rarely seen any aliens outside of movies, video games and educational literature.


    It wasn¡¯t easy to make out any accurate details about her other than she had an exoskeleton. She was tall and thin, not hideously so, just with minimal excess.


    The woman and her daughter also wore clothes, not just a token belt or scarf, but a complete covering; only the face, hands and feet were uncovered; it seemed her species had a similar concept of shame as humanity.


    The article of clothing that stood out the most to Gabriel was the exquisite cape that hung from her ba¡­ It was not a cape. They were wings, large wings that very nearly scrapped the floor. Was she capable of powered flight? It was a rare sapient that could fly. Gabriel had undoubtedly never heard of one.


    Flight was an energy-intensive process and the idea that a fully sapient species would also have enough energy left over to power an energy-hungry brain was challenging but not impossible.


    ***


    Pista, thoroughly bored by her mother''s questions about libraries, scanned the room for any distraction. It did not take long for her to notice the little alien staring at her. Or at least she assumed it was staring; it had no eyes.


    It did not take her long to realise that this was the same one that had knocked her mother over. Was it following them? Why was it here? She grasped her mother''s hand a little tighter.


    ***


    Gabriel realised that he was staring, and the last thing he wanted was to be labelled a pervert, so he headed straight for the exit without so much as a glance behind him.


    ¡°New plan, stay away from those two, and mind your own business,¡± Gabriel told himself as he left the building and into the busy but not overcrowded street.


    ¡°Hmm, what to do first?¡± he asked himself, looking over the map he had been given. Gabriel thought about it and decided that he could do with some more reading material, and not ebooks either, real ones.


    ***


    Pista clung to her mother far more tightly than usual; the little Tufanda often swung between fearlessness and nervousness, common in most children. Nish noticed, however, that her current jumpiness was more intense than normal.


    As Pista glanced around the lobby, Nish asked, ¡°What¡¯s gotten into you?¡± Her tone was a mix of mild annoyance and genuine concern.


    ¡°That alien was here,¡± Pista replied, peeking out from underneath Nish¡¯s wings.


    ¡°There are aliens everywhere sweetie; you go to school with aliens,¡± Nish explained, running her hand through the downy fuzz that covered Pista''s head.


    ¡°No, the one that knocked you over,¡± Pista explained, her head darting back and forth, looking for the unknown sapient.


    Nish clicked, ¡°I keep telling you, they did not knock me over; I walked into them and nearly fell.¡± Nish knew it was pointless; however, the little lady had already made up her own mind about what had happened and was convinced the odd but perfectly polite individual was a criminal.


    ¡°They came here to see the animals just like we did; they were just ahead of us in the line; they were attending the orientation like we were,¡± Nish stated, hoping that this obvious explanation would be the end of it.


    ¡°But it was staring,¡± Pista replied, her voice croaking slightly.


    ¡°First little missy, you can¡¯t see ¡°Their¡± eyes, if they have any; and secondly, ¡°They¡± were probably just looking at Torgu and wanted to ask him some questions, but I took up too much of his time, and they went to find someone else,¡± Nish explained. She was getting tired of this; you would think the Xenos had held Nish up at gunpoint by the way Pista talked about them.


    ***


    Books, books, books, so many books. Gabriel immediately felt at home here, he preferred those old dusty shops you found back on Earth, but this place also had its charms. It was a lovely little shop, constructed out of stone, or at least coated in stone, located in a section of the city designed to have that old-time feel.


    He had a feeling he would be spending a good chunk of time in this place. It helped that the shop was nearly deserted; apart from the shop assistant, he had only seen one other person.


    Gabriel began browsing the shelves, dozens of books caught his eye, but he was careful to restrain himself. If he did not, he would wind up buying half the store. As he wandered from fiction to non-fiction, his eye was drawn to one volume, the title read, ¡°A Guide Of The Sapient Races Of The Galaxy.¡±


    Briefly glancing over his shoulder, though Gabriel had no idea why he was doing it, he picked up the book and flicked through the pages. The species were listed alphabetically, as opposed to by physical traits, so it took some time for Gabriel to find what he was looking for.


    Tufanda, so that¡¯s what the woman and her daughter were, from a Class 8(H) called Yursu. Famous for having exceptionally low gravity for such a high-class habitable world. Yursu¡¯s Class 8 was caused by the high evolutionary competitiveness of the lifeforms found there.


    Tufanda, as a result, along with most life found there, had a strong Exo and endoskeleton along with a relatively robust immune system. Gabriel closed the book and rapped his fingers against the spine.


    ¡°It¡¯s always good to be informed about the other races out there,¡± Gabriel thought as he looked for more reading material.


    ***


    Pista had been put to bed; she was always a handful at night, never wanting to go to bed no matter how tired she was. Leaving the door open a crack, she quietly tiptoed to the sofa and relaxed.


    Nish collected her P.D.A. from the counter, enjoying the sensation as her muscles stretched. She stared at the screen for a few moments, she had been waiting for this moment for the entire day, and now that Nish had a moment to herself, she could not think of anything to do.


    Tapping her knee, Nish was suddenly reminded of that strange alien she had bumped into. She opened up her search bar and then paused, she had not seen its face, only a vague body plan, and with over two hundred and fifty sapient races to sift through, that could take hours.


    Yet Nish had an advantage; she was almost sure that the little creature was a Deathworlder, which narrowed it down to five.


    Nish typed in what she did know, and the result was almost instantaneous.


    ¡°Sacred Tears, Sacred Tears!¡± she exclaimed, carefully controlling her volume to keep Pista from waking up.


    There it was, a little bald thing with two arms and legs; it looked soft and squishy, it looked harmless, but she recognised the name; just about everyone in the galaxy knew the name.


    Humanity.

 Chapter 3

    10:37 02/04/2587 ¨C(8734/653/76/02)


    After four days of looking, Gabriel had still not experienced one-tenth of Reshu Zoo. He had been right to book a year here; it would take a month just to see the controlled environments, not to mention the tours on land, sea and air out in the wild.


    The animals and plants were primarily housed in separate buildings, vast complexes that made Sri Venkateswara zoological park look puny by comparison. Each building containing fauna from a different world.


    The one he was currently in was an example of the Nimuteru homeworld, a quadrupedal race of tusked herbivores. The air was rich in oxygen, and the gravity was slightly lower than Minagerad.


    The variety was staggering; some of the life was so similar that you would mistake it for originating on Earth, others so vastly different they nearly defied all classification.


    The one that stood out the most was The Red Bellu. It was almost identical to a European red squirrel. The only differences were slightly rounder ears and a marginally less bushy tail. If someone had shown it to Gabriel and told him The Red Bellu was a squirrel before today, he would have believed them.


    On the other end of the spectrum was the Postun, a long worm-like creature with a muscular trunk, wings on its flanks and a mouth on its back. It seemed horribly inefficient and was from a world known as Trim, a Class 2 (H) with no native population.


    That being said, low-level Paradiseworlds were often so pleasant that they allowed bizarre forms that would never survive on more competitive planets.


    Gabriel checked his watch; it was almost time for the feeding, and as a V.I.P., he had booked the slot to take part. He was a little uncomfortable about being watched, but he wanted to do this, and he wasn¡¯t going to let his nerves get in the way.


    He left the Red Bellu enclosure behind and followed the directions given to him on his P.D.A. Gabriel knew precisely what to do from the two previous events he had partaken in; he began to walk through an opening in the wall marked staff only.


    The path was long, snaking throughout the park, allowing the zookeepers and other employees to move through the complex quickly. Several side paths would have taken him to Rid, Froduek, Wisp and Notur exhibits, but the one that Gabriel was looking for marked Great Mjull.


    Gabriel also appreciated that everything was signposted; he assumed it was to aid new staff in finding their way. He encountered a few people along the way, but no one stopped him or asked him what he was doing there; he acted as if he belonged there, so everyone assumed he did.


    Not that he did not belong, one of the V.I.P. perks was using the staff corridors. He tried not to, though, sticking the public route whenever possible; it just seemed polite.


    As he took the next right, he found a bipedal alien, their long thick fur arranged in elegant plaits. A name tag attached to an apron read, ¡°Keeper Ds¡¯Tulk.¡±


    ¡°Are you Gabriel Ratlu?¡± the alien asked, their voice husky and their accent challenging to parse.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Gabriel replied with a nod.


    ¡°Now the show is about to begin; before we go through, I just need to go through a few safety procedures with you,¡± he explained.


    Gabriel nodded, which Ds¡¯Tulk assumed meant yes. ¡°Good, now Great Mjull are not violent creatures, but they can get snippy when they feel their food is being threatened; their beaks can also be quite sharp,¡± Ds¡¯Tulk explained.


    Gabriel looked down at his hands, covered in his suit; it would be unlikely that even a lion could puncture it.


    Ds¡¯Tulk also noticed the suit and the rather sturdy material it was made from. ¡°While it may not be an issue for you, I feel we should err on the side of caution,¡± he stated.


    Gabriel nodded again and replied, ¡° that makes sense.¡±


    Ds¡¯Tulk was pleased that this gentleman was far more reasonable than most. Many V.I.Ps seemed to think that the animals would roll over for them. Ironically, the habitableworlders usually held this attitude, whereas the feral, savage Deathworlders were far more willing to listen to experts, most of them anyway.


    He recalled to this day that Yarul, who strutted about like he owned the place, ended up getting a lifetime ban.


    ¡°It¡¯s also important that you do not enter the water; I am not doubting your swimming ability; it is just a standard safety protocol,¡± Ds¡¯Tulk added.


    Gabriel nodded and said, ¡°I understand.¡±


    Ds¡¯Tulk¡¯s ears waved back and forth, and he replied, ¡°good, now what we¡¯ll do is grab a bucket, enter the enclosure; I give the talk, we¡¯ll feed the animals, answer some questions, and we¡¯ll see if the little buggers play ball.¡±


    Gabriel nodded and smiled slightly beneath his mask. Ds¡¯Tulk took that as meaning ok and led Gabriel inside. The paddock was vast, the size of a football pitch at least, though the stands were far less impressive, only allowing two rows of people to sit, lay or however they reclined.


    All around were the squarks of the bird-like creatures he had come to feed. It wasn''t easy to make out any definitive details, but he knew what the Great Mjull looked like from the guide he had been given.


    Little bigger than an emperor penguin, with a sturdy beak filled with thin needle-like teeth. Rather than feathers, they were covered in long, flat, flexible, narrow scales, with a chemical composition most similar to chitin, though it was not as strong pound for pound.


    They lived along the seashore, on rocky cliffs and were agile in both air and water, though they rarely made long flights in their natural habitat. Gabriel supposed their lifestyle was most similar to the puffin, though if the two were ever to compete, Gabriel suspected that the puffin would come out on top.


    Even though the Great Mjull outsized and outweighed them, the puffin would almost certainly be able to fly farther, faster and fish harder than the Mjull could.


    ¡°Not really sure why I even thought of that,¡± mused Gabriel; it seemed a little childish to compare every animal here to something on Earth and wonder who would win.


    Ds¡¯Tulk adjusted their headset and said, ¡°right now can everyone hear me?¡± His voice blared out of the speakers dotted about the exterior of the enclosure.


    The crowd made noise to confirm that they could, as an image of Ds¡¯Tulk appeared on the screens so everyone could see him.


    ¡°Before we begin, I would just like to thank Gabriel Ratlu, who has very kindly agreed to help me today,¡± said Ds¡¯Tulk. The camera focused on him, and Gabriel felt his cheeks flush with embarrassment.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid to say hello, Gabriel,¡± Ds¡¯Tulk said, and in response, Gabriel waved.


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing about there being so many races in the galaxy, he could have just told all of us to sod off, and we¡¯d be none the wiser,¡± Ds¡¯Tulk said with a chuckle. The various people on the stands and standing at the edge of the enclosure made different noises that Gabriel assumed was amusement.


    Gabriel himself snickered slightly and watched as Ds¡¯Tulk began his show.


    Ds¡¯Tulk reached into his bucket and pulled out a couple of fish. They had most likely been vat-grown; it was far cheaper and much more humane than using real fish; these had been cloned and had had only the most rudimentary of brain functions; even jellyfish would have been smarter.


    As the fish were removed, several of the Mjull came soaring down, Ds¡¯Tulk threw one into the air, and one of the not birds snatched from the sky.


    ¡°Now, in their natural habitat, they would, of course, not snatch Hurf from the air; instead, they would catch them in the water,¡± Ds¡¯Tulk explained, he began to walk towards the water¡¯s edge, and he threw several Hurf into the water.


    ¡°Gabriel, would you care to lend a hand,¡± Ds¡¯Tulk said, and Gabriel blushed as he imagined all those eyes upon him.


    Feeling it was best to rip the plaster off, he reached into the bucket, grabbed one of the fish and threw. The low gravity made him put too much power into his fling, and it thumped into the perspex screen, separating the crowd from the animals.


    There were a few gasps as the dead fish left a streak of fluid on the screen as it fell towards the water beneath. Not that the Mjull cared; they snapped it up before it reached the recreated sea.


    Ds¡¯Tulk said nothing, taken aback by the power in those little arms; he must have thrown it twenty metres or more. He was a professional, though, and Ds¡¯Tulk quickly recovered.


    ¡°It appears someone was a little overeager; why don¡¯t you give it another go, and kindly don¡¯t fire one at me,¡± Ds¡¯Tulk said, quickly defusing what might appear to some more delicate viewers as a violent outburst.


    Gabriel threw another fish, this time, it landed in the water, and a Mjull dived in after it.


    ¡°Now the Great Mjull are found on every continent of Modhird, having been introduced to them by the Nimuteru. As the Great Mjull, when times are scarce, will prey upon Frell, thereby serving as a primitive pest control system,¡± Ds¡¯Tulk explained, pacing about the enclosure, throwing more fish into the water.


    Gabriel assumed Frell were Modhird¡¯s equivalent of insects, though they must reach far greater sizes with more oxygen and lower gravity.


    ¡°The Great Mjull is native to the southern continent of Edrfa; it is also the continent where their numbers are greatest. On Edrfa, they hunt such Hurf as the Blue Sopul, White Frell, Darting Qot, and the Yellow Sopul,¡± Ds¡¯Tulk stated.


    Ds¡¯Tulk looked up towards the ceiling, shielding his eyes from a non-existent sun and said, ¡°There she is, people, the resident bully of the flock.¡±


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    A particularly large Mjull descended from the sky and began to chase away the smaller Mjull. ¡°That is Doriyu; she has been here the longest and isn¡¯t afraid to throw her weight around.¡± ¡°She will be fifty-six this year, and in the wild, she would be approaching the end of her life, but here at Minagerad, she has access to the best medical care, and we expect her to reach the ripe old age of one hundred and forty.¡±


    Doriyu, after scaring off most of the other Mjull, took to the air once more and began circling Ds¡¯Tull.


    ¡°Mjull are not particularly intelligent animals, but Doriyu has lived here long enough to know where the food really comes from,¡± Ds¡¯Tulk said, throwing one of the fish into the air.


    Doriyu snatched it and immediately started to circle again, ¡°We try not to encourage this behaviour, but the old girl has grown cantankerous, and she will pester us till she gets what she wants.¡±


    Doriyu landed on a rock and began to make a motion not dissimilar to vomiting. ¡°Now you may notice that Doriyu appears to be in distress; in actuality, she had a special pouch called a crop in her throat; this means she can catch several fish before eating them,¡± explained Ds¡¯Tull


    Doriyu swallowed and ruffled her wings. ¡°This serves to make her a more efficient hunter by staying out at sea rather than returning to land every time she succeeds.¡±


    The old Mjull looked at Gabriel and took to the air. She began circling him; every once in a while, she would dive towards Gabriel and then pull away; he knew what Doriyu was doing; she was trying to mob him so that he would drop the bucket, and Doriyu would get all the fish to herself.


    Gabriel was not about to play her game; instead, he grabbed a fish from the bucket and held it in his outstretched hand. ¡°You ok there, Gabriel? she can get a bit snippy with people she doesn¡¯t know¡±, asked Ds¡¯Tull.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± replied Gabriel.


    Doriyu attempted to snatch the fish from his hand, but Gabriel yanked it from her snout.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t tease her,¡± said Ds¡¯Tull, annoyed with Gabriel''s disrespect for the animal.


    ¡°I¡¯m not; I¡¯m trying to get her to behave,¡± said Gabriel; Ds¡¯Tull said something in response, but he was so focused on his task that he did not register it.


    ¡°Come on, you won¡¯t be able to take it; you have to be polite,¡± thought Gabriel as Doriyu¡¯s confidence slowly grew.


    Finally, the Great Mjull realised what she needed to do and landed on Gabriel''s arm. He immediately unclenched his fist, and Doriyu took the fish.


    Now that she was up close, Gabriel was taken away by not just her size but also her weight; despite being as big as an emperor penguin, Doriyu could not weigh more than 8kg.


    Gabriel gave the Mjull another fish and slowly brought the not-bird closer to him, supporting one arm with another. The feather-like scales were counter-shaded, black on top, white on the underbelly, providing camouflage, and making Doriyu a more effective hunter.


    The only exception was a bright blue patch on her throat; Gabriel had read it was used in communication, nothing complicated, just my patch is bigger than yours, so get lost.


    Ds¡¯Tull knew where Gabriel was from, but it was one thing to read about humanity¡¯s strength and another to see it in person. He just stood there, holding Doriyu up like it was nothing. Ds¡¯Tull wasn¡¯t even mad that he had technically broken the rules by interacting with the Mjull.


    The crowd seemed to be just as impressed as Ds¡¯Tull was, and he was nothing if not a competent showman. ¡°Well, you saw it here first, people, the first person that Doriyu ever respected; give it up for Gabriel, everyone,¡± Ds¡¯Tull called out, and he and the crowd began to make various noises of applause.


    Gabriel felt good that everyone was cheering, or their equivalent of cheering, but mostly he felt uncomfortable as all those eyes burned into him. His leg began to shake, and Doriyu bobbed up and down.


    He was done, Gabriel did want to hold onto the Mjull, but he could not stand being the centre of attention, so copying what he had seen falconers do, he pulled his arm back and flung it forward, giving Doriyu a launching start.


    The Mjull took to the air, but not before lifting her stubby tail and squirting a stream of pale crap all over his chest.


    ***


    Nish loved her daughter, she truly did, but sometimes the rascal drove her up the nearest cliff. Every morning, Pista refused to go out, saying that the animals were boring and that she wanted to watch Trolo or play at the park. Then Pista got to Reshu Zoo, and Nish found it almost impossible to contain her.


    One moment she would spend nearly an hour staring at a sleeping Goyg and have to be dragged away or hop between exhibits, her wings fluttering, trying desperately to lift her off the ground.


    Her daughter¡¯s adorable little display made the stress melt away, and Nish gently held onto Pista''s shoulders. ¡°The animals aren¡¯t going anywhere, so slow down,¡± Nish said.


    ¡°I wanna see the Vetoru and the Carnedon,¡± said Pista, wiggling out of her mother''s grip.


    ¡°We will, but the talk isn¡¯t until 35:50 anyway,¡± replied Nish.


    ¡°No, I want to see them now,¡± Pista stated, stamping her feet.


    ¡°They¡¯ll be hiding; we won¡¯t see anything,¡± Nish pointed out.


    ¡°Don¡¯t care, wanna see them now,¡± Pista replied, slapping her thighs.


    ¡°If we go there now, and after a little while we don¡¯t see them, will you wait for the talk?¡± asked Nish; she did not want to go, but the last thing she wanted was for Pista to throw a paddy.


    Making their way through the crowd, Nish followed the signs until they were outside the Vetoru and Carnedon enclosure. The habitat was a depression, roughly four metres from the ground and surrounded by electric fencing and a moat at the bottom.


    All this security was there for a good reason; Vetoru and Carnedon were the highlights of Minagerad, predators from a Class 10 (H). The most dangerous killers the planet had to offer.


    It was not just their strength, speed, toughness, stamina and formidable animal cunning that made them dangerous it was their bond.


    The Vetoru and Carnedon were both widely different species, hailing from the world of Kodutri, that nonetheless had come together to form a mutualistic alliance.


    The Vetoru were small, nimble predators that hunted in packs, using their teeth and claws to bleed their prey dry.


    The Carnedon, in contrast, was a hulking behemoth, a towering wall of bone and muscle that could cave in the skull of all but Kodutri¡¯s strongest lifeforms.


    So successful had this union been that it had caused a minor extinction event on the three continents the two species inhabited. This had had a knock-on effect on most of the other animals, to become bigger, tougher, faster or smarter to keep up.


    Zoologists were watching all this with bated breath; some even theorised this would lead to sapience emergence on the planet in two or three million years, something that had never been documented happening in real-time before.


    As Nish read the screen, all she could think of was how optimistic the scientists were being. She was no pessimist, she did not believe any of the space-faring species were headed for extinction, but even so, two million years was very ambitious.


    Nish looked away from the screen to her daughter. Pista''s head swivelled between the enclosure and the screens; each displayed a different section of the habitat, meaning they could still be observed even if the animals were not in sight.


    That was the theory anyway; the Vetoru and Carnedon were hiding today. They were intelligent enough to know when feeding time was and, therefore, smart enough not to waste energy until then.


    ¡°I can¡¯t see them,¡± Pista pouted.


    Nish tapped her forehead with two of her hands and said, ¡°I know¡­ this is what I told you would happen.¡± If Nish ever met someone who said raising a child was easy, she would punch them right in the face.


    Nish heard her daughter grunt behind her and saw Pista climbing a tree.


    ¡°Get down from there now!¡± Nish ordered.


    ¡°I want to see,¡± Pista replied, scrambling higher into the branches.


    ¡°I told you to get down, and I meant it!¡± Nish stated, raising her voice and drawing the attention of a few passers-by.


    ¡°No!¡± Pista retorted, continuing to climb higher.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to break your neck; this isn¡¯t Yursu; everything¡¯s heavier here,¡± Nish said, deciding a change in tactic might work.


    Pista paused for a moment, seemingly taking her mother¡¯s words to heart. Before discarding them and continuing to climb higher, she could not break her neck after all; her neck wasn¡¯t broken.


    Nish was done, a little precociousness was good, but this was unacceptable.


    ¡°Pista Grelu Walunet Tufanda, get down here now! Or we are going home, and we will never come back!¡± Nish cried, no longer caring who was watching.


    ¡°No! You¡¯ll yell at me,¡± Pista cried.


    Nish hissed in response, ¡°I¡¯m yelling at you now; the only difference is that if you come down now, you will still be at the zoo at the end of the day.¡±


    Pista had known her mother for twelve years, and in that time, she had learned that Nish did not make idle threats. If she said they were going home, they were going home, no matter how much money they would have wasted.


    ¡°Ok,¡± Pista whispered. Fortunately for her, Nish heard it and her temperament changed from burning anger to mere frustration.


    Unfortunately, the Tufanda was a little too desperate to avoid her punishment. As she clambered down, she placed too much of her weight on a thin branch, and it snapped.


    Reacting on the instincts ingrained into her ancestors, the little girl lept and spread her wings; they began to beat furiously, struggling to overcome Minagerad¡¯s gravity.


    Pista benefited from her youth; she was far lighter than her mother, so she did not reach a speed that would kill her.


    That was the least of Nish¡¯s concerns, however, as frustration turned to horror.


    Nish watched as Pista decent saw her fly straight over the electrified fence and into the paddock.


    ***


    Dinosaurs if there was ever a species in the galaxy that encapsulated what a dinosaur looked like, it was the Vetoru. Another stunning example of convergent evolution if Gabriel ever saw it.


    Of course, there were some differences; their arms had only two claws instead of three, and their faces were flatter; Gabriel supposed it was what you would get if you got a velociraptor and an alligator and split the difference.


    Other than that rather impressive.


    The Carnedon, on the other hand, was a true alien, larger than a polar bear, held up by eight powerful legs, the front four equipped with retractable claws. Its back and sides were covered in heavy osteoderms, leathery skin, and the underbelly was lined with subdermal armour.


    Well, not true osteoderms. The animals did not have bone but rather a substance like cartilage reinforced with calcium carbonate, not as strong as bone but still a rigid material.


    Not that Gabriel had seen them, he got all this information off the interactive boards dotted around the paddock. He had come early to nab a good spot for the feeding and talk. There was no behind-the-scenes for him with this one; he had even asked and gotten a prompt reply, explaining that Reshu zoo would not risk anyone''s life with these two fearsome creatures, even for someone of his calibre.


    Gabriel had been a little confused by the response. All he wanted to do was throw some meat into the enclosure alongside the keeper. He had not followed it up; however, they had said no, and it was not high on his priority list.


    Reading through the information, Gabriel''s eye was caught by one particular sentence. ¡°Scientists are considering upgrading Kodutri from a habitableworld to a deathworld, in light of the new partnership between the two species.¡±


    Gabriel squinted. No, they weren¡¯t because scientists did not use those terms deathworld, habitableworld, or paradiseworld. Those were all tourist designations, a form of shorthand so that a visitor could get a rough idea of how much preparation they would need.


    The only terms scientist used was life-bearing or sterile. The classes'' differences were just too arbitrary to warrant anything so concrete. Every world was habitable to the life that lived on it.


    ¡°Oh well, it¡¯s not that important,¡± Gabriel mumbled.


    He checked his P.D.A., still about half an hour until the show; he had been right to come early, a crowd was already forming. He read more information on the animals to pass the time,


    ¡°Vetoru laid eggs usually in the dens of Carnedon females.¡±


    ¡°Both species would protect one another young.¡±


    ¡°Only in times of extreme scarcity would the alliance break down, and would either side view the other as potential prey.¡±


    ¡°Vetoru would aid Caredon by¡­.¡±


    The screen cut out, an alarm sounded, letter flashed along the screens saying, ¡°Do Not Panic!¡±


    Most of the displays continued to display the message, but Gabriel noticed that a few others had switched to monitoring the enclosure.


    Gabriel was astounded as he saw a little Tufanda desperately flailing in the water. He knew where she was as well; she was inside the paddock, ¡°How the hell did she get in there?¡± Gabriel asked himself.


    To his relief, the kid could swim, or rather a controlled splashing, and she slowly hauled herself onto dry land. The poor thing tried to flap her wings, but they were so saturated with water that she could barely move them, let alone take to the air.


    Gabriel noticed something in the corner of his eye. Several bushes were rustling, and what¡¯s more, the wave of movement was heading directly towards where the girl lay, now painting and coughing.


    It wasn¡¯t just the cameras that had noticed the girl falling; the Vetoru had as well. It must have been the damn alarm that got their attention; if it weren¡¯t for that, they would have probably been none the wiser.


    Gabriel looked desperately at the screen, ¡°where are the drones?¡± he asked himself; there should be drones with tasers deployed immediately to keep anyone who fell in safe.


    ¡°They don¡¯t have drones,¡± he stated with utter horror, ¡°What the fuck is wrong with these people?¡± he added, holding his head. There weren¡¯t any keepers around either, they were no doubt scrambling as he spoke, but if even half of what he had learned about the Vetoru was true, the Tufanda didn¡¯t have the luxury of time.


    Could he do something? He had to try, right, but what? In that instant, an image flashed in his head, and he clutched his chest. Yes, he must try; the was no choice in the matter; if that kid died and he did nothing, Gabriel could never live with himself.


    Gabriel backed up as far as he could. ¡°I hope I can clear it, and I hope I don¡¯t break my legs,¡± he thought, and with that, he ran at the enclosure fence.

 Chapter 4

    4:27 03/04/2587 ¨C(8734/661/55/13)


    Pista began crying out for her mother, and Nish immediately spread her wings and tried to get airborne. Even if the gravity had allowed it, Nish was stopped by several other visitors.


    ¡°Are you insane? You¡¯ll get fried by the electrical fence,¡± someone said.


    Nish did not care; she kept struggling and flapping her wings. All she could hear was Pista saying mummy over and over again.


    At that moment, a keeper arrived, ¡°Shit!¡± they exclaimed.


    Nish noticed the uniform, and her attention switched to them. ¡°Do something; get her out of there!¡± she ordered.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got a team on the way,¡± they replied, and Nish couldn¡¯t help but notice they seemed way out of their depth. Minagerad prided itself on its safety record, and while that was good, it sadly meant that just about everyone was inexperienced in situations like this.


    ¡°How long will that take?¡± demanded Nish; she looked at her daughter, who kept screaming for her, and Nish had never felt so worthless in her life.


    The keeper reached for their radio and was about to ask before they paused and asked, ¡°who are you?¡±


    Nish was stunned by this level of stupidity, and even though she knew it was counterproductive, she was currently running on emotion, not thought. Nish just stared at them, trying her hardest to burn their eyes out with her gaze.


    ¡°You¡¯re their parent?¡± asked the keeper.


    ¡°Did the wings and exoskeleton give it away? Now get my baby girl out of there!¡± she screamed.


    The keeper began to ask, once again, when the rescue party would arrive when Pista screamed in terror.


    Nish immediately looked, and she nearly screamed as well; Nish was too terrified, though.


    Emerging from the foliage were a dozen Vetoru; almost half the pack had arrived. At first, the animals did nothing; they just stared at Pista, and she stared right back.


    The keeper knew what they were doing; they were weighing their options. The Vetoru had never interacted with anyone but their keepers before, which had always been with thick metal barriers between them.


    The Vetoru knew what it meant when something was thrown into the paddock; it meant food. This one was moving, and despite never living in the wild, they understood instinctively that prey could fight back, and they had to decide whether the benefit of food outweighed the risk of injury.


    The keeper knew the answer. He just prayed that the beasts would keep themselves guessing long enough for the team to arrive, and they could tranq them all.


    One of the Vetoru took a step forward, and Pista buzzed her wings in response. The animal stopped but did not retreat.


    The Vetoru looked directly into Pista¡¯s eyes before letting out a low chirp. In response, the other pack members fanned out and surrounded the little Tufanda, boxing her in against the moat.


    Once again, Nish tried to fly over the fence and once again, she was stopped. She struggled as a second keeper arrived and, using all their strength, hurled a chunk of meat into the enclosure, praying that an easier meal would distract them.


    The Vetoru paused and looked at the meat that had just been presented to them before turning back to Pista. Their blood was up, and they longed to sink their teeth into something that struggled.


    Another call went out, and the pack began to close in around her; she had made no sudden movements, and her posture indicated Pista was weak and frightened.


    ¡°Help me, Mommy,¡± Pista croaked.


    Nish watched on in horror, hoping that this was all just a terrible nightmare and that she would wake up soon. She knew it was not, however.


    One of the beasts got ready to lunge as something else burst from the tree line, charging at the nearest Vetoru. The creature had just a moment to react and see what had disturbed them.


    As its synapse fired, it was knocked to the ground; its skull shattered like an eggshell, its blood and brains oozing onto the dirt.


    The rest of the pack immediately reacted with alarm calls, and one of their number, most likely the youngest, mistook this as the signal to attack.


    It charged at Pista, and the little girl chirped as loud as she could.


    The Vetoru had covered three-quarters of the distance before a swift kick sent it hurtling to the ground. It died instantly as its ribcage shattered, and a shower of bone perforated its heart, lungs and stomach.


    ***


    Now Gabriel stood between the pack and Pista; the group let out a barrage of hisses and screeches. To which Gabriel responded with a scream of rage, the sound amplified by the speakers in his suit.


    The Vetoru retreated, but not by much, they had no idea what Gabriel was, but they knew it was not prey. He was a rival, and he could not be scared off.


    Under these circumstances, most animals would have cut their losses and given up, Gabriel had already killed two of them, and Pista was not a meal worth dying over.


    Vetoru were not animals though; they were not people, but they were more than animals, and they understood the concept of revenge.


    Their leader again gave out a call, and the rest of the pack regrouped. Gabriel took this moment to inspect his surroundings. There was a tree close by, and he took the opportunity to say, ¡°Kid, we''re going to walk to the tree, ok?¡±


    Pista did not respond; she was still trembling in fear. Gabriel wasn¡¯t even sure if she had realised he was not here to hurt her.


    ¡°Can you hear me?¡± he demanded, it was not the most compassionate tone, but he could not afford to be so, not now.


    Pista regained control of her neck and looked up, ¡°Ye.. Y.. Yes,¡± she stuttered.


    ¡°Stand up; stay behind me. We are going to back up towards that tree,¡± Gabriel pointed to the one he meant. ¡°You are not going to run, and you will keep your eyes forward until you touch the trunk.¡±


    Pista did not reply, and Gabriel again adopted a commanding tone, ¡°Do you understand?¡±


    The girl let out a small squeaking chirp, which Gabriel assumed was a yes, as she did indeed stand up and stood directly behind him.


    Slowly the pair started to retreat; all the while, Gabriel never once took his eyes off the Vetoru. They had reformed their box, and for every step back he and Pista took, they took one forward.


    After what seemed like an hour of painfully slow retreat, Pista mumbled, ¡°here.¡± Gabriel knew what she meant and said, ¡°Now up the tree, slow and steady now.¡±


    ***


    Pista began to climb the tree shaking all the while, the added water weight made it difficult, but eventually, she made it; she felt safer up in the branches and looked down at the aliens.


    The one that talked was standing just below her, but the others were slowly approaching them. Pista grasped the trunk with all her might and held her breath.


    ***


    Gabriel had hoped that his mere presence and defiance would deter them long enough for the keepers to intervene. Sadly it seemed Gabriel had a fight on his hands. Something he was not relishing. He had not been in a fight since¡­ since he turned fourteen.


    What made it all the more difficult was that he had injured his leg while jumping over the fence, it was not broken, but he was suffering a mild sprain. With the Vetoru being so nimble, it might prove problematic.


    Gabriel took comfort that his suit would be impenetrable to the beasts'' fangs and claws, though he was not looking forwards to being enveloped in a mass of angry dinosaurs.


    However, he had no more time to plan as the call was given and five Vetoru charged. They covered the distance with blinding speed and leapt on top of Gabriel. They bit and clawed at his suit, and though each Vetoru did not weigh much, together they began to drag him down.


    ***


    Nish watched all this with awe. While she breathed easier now that Pista was in the tree and thanked any god that was listening that she had not been forced to watch her daughter being torn to shreds.


    She was also terrified as the Vetoru were now mauling Pista¡¯s saviour. It had not taken long for Nish to realise who it was, while the human was undoubtedly the best equipped to survive the encounter. Nish was beginning to doubt it would be enough.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    One of the Vetoru fell away from the mob, or rather tried to; the human was holding onto its arm with a vice grip. The human¡¯s hand twisted violently, and the animal let out a howl of agony.


    As the Vetoru screamed, the human let go, and the beast ran away, a broken arm limply flailing behind. Despite the situation, Nish could not help but be amazed at how the human had snapped it with such contemptuous ease.


    The pack leader also noticed this and raised its head into the air, letting out a deep, bellowing call, utterly unlike any noise they had made before. Gabriel did hear it but paid it no mind; instead, he took advantage of the drop in weight and flung several of the Vetoru off him.


    With his arms freed, he grasped the tail of the Vetrou busy clawing at his back, hurled it over his head, down onto a log, and impaled it on a broken branch. The creature let out a gurgling croak as the life poured out of it.


    Gabriel had no time to savour his victory because the Vetoru immediately attacked him with a renewed fury, he had killed three of them now, and they were determined that he should die.


    Their leader was still holding back, coordinating the attack, as it chirped, cawed and hissed; the other Vetoru would use faints, pincer movements and full frontal assault. The beast was undoubtedly clever, but none of this tactical genius could get around that they could not get through the suit.


    Unbeknownst to anyone but Gabriel, the animals succeeded in one degree; he was already suffering some mild bruising from their bites. Nothing serious, but the longer the fight went on, the more time they had to realise that they could, in theory, choke him to death.


    That did give him an idea; however, as one of the creatures latched onto his arm, he, in turn, grasped it around the neck and snapped it like a chicken bone.


    Once again, their leader let out that deep bellowing call and at it, the rest of the pack backed off. Gabriel did not let down his guard and assumed it was merely a pause before a renewed assault.


    ¡°Where the hell were the other keepers?¡± He must have been down here for at least a quarter of an hour; you would have thought they would have gotten here by now.


    The two groups stared at one another; Gabriel was so focused on the task that he had no idea how long it had gone on for. They were still surrounding him, but it was not the ridged organised box they had used before. He would swear they were.


    His train of thought was broken when the entire pack, including the one with the broken arm whom the others were assisting in moving, vanished back into the brush.


    ***


    Now everything was quiet; the human stood alone in the clearing, Pista was still safe in the tree. Nish let out a sigh of relief and nearly collapsed to her knees. All around came cheers; it had been quite the spectacle, all the more breathtaking as no one had died or even been injured.


    Nish finally pulled her eyes away and looked at the keeper, and she tried to ask when they would get the two of them out. It hit her like a truck; the two keepers were not cheering, hooting or making any noise whatsoever.


    Feeling the horror rise once more made all the more unbearable because she had believed it was over. Nish turned her head back just in time to hear her daughter scream and the human being knocked to the ground by a towering behemoth.


    ***


    Gabriel had the wind knocked out of him, but this had happened many times, too many to count, and he instinctively took a large breath to inflate his lungs. Dragging himself out of the dirt, he felt a stinging sensation in his chest. Gabriel remembered it well; he would get a nice big bruise there.


    The Carnedon was an entirely different beast from the Vetoru, and not just in morphology. Whereas they would have taken a moment to plan their next attack, the Carnedon simply charged.


    Gabriel knew that the Carnedon was not as heavy as it appeared. It was roughly as big as an Asian elephant yet was only a fourth of the weight. However, that meant it still massively outweighed him, and he wisely jumped out of the way rather than take it on.


    His plan for this was outlasting it, bank on what he assumed was his superior stamina until the beast could no longer move and hope that the rescue effort would arrive and either shoot it or tranq it.


    The Carnedon took a swipe at him, and Gabriel deftly dodged it, though as he did, he was reminded of his injured leg. The adrenaline pumping through his system was doing much to dull the pain, but it was still there, and it gave him a handicap Gabriel could do without.


    Fate decided at that moment that his situation was not complicated enough. Pista, who was presently in awe of what she saw, forgot what danger she was in. Attempting to get a better look at the action, she stepped too far on a thin branch in a repeat of what got her into this mess.


    However, this time, she reacted fast enough to cling to the trunk. As the branch snapped and fell to the ground with a thud, the Carnedon looked straight at her.


    The creature decided she would be a far easier meal, charging the tree.


    Now forced to act, Gabriel charged the beast, put all his strength into a punch, and clocked it straight in the temple.


    Everyone, the onlookers, Nish, Pista, the keepers and even Gabriel himself, were utterly astounded as the beast tumbled down from the force of his blow. His hand stung as it absorbed the recoil.


    At that precise moment, Gabriel felt like a demigod, but the moment was just that, a moment, and as the Carnedon got to its feet, he realised that he had just given himself no room to manoeuvre.


    It pounced on top of him, and Gabriel could feel the beast''s weight; it mauled him, clawing and biting at every spot it could get to. Like for the Vetoru, the suit proved impenetrable, but unlike them, this animal was far more effective.


    Gabriel felt a sharp pain, and he was sure it was caused by a broken bone, though he was too disorientated to determine where it was. All he could see were teeth trying their hardest to crack his skull, that and the whiskers.


    Whiskers!


    Filled with focus, Gabriel grabbed as many as he could and yanked them from the Carnedon¡¯s face using all his strength.


    As the hair and the deep nerves they were attached to were wrenched from its body, the Carnedon stopped its attack, yelped like a dog and used its four arms to try to ease the burning pain it now felt.


    As the animal whined, something snapped in him, and Gabriel roared once more. Unlike the last time, this was not the theatrics of someone playing a part but rather the pure emotion of rage. Once again, he struck the beast; this time, he felt nothing.


    The Carnedon staggered, his punch having disorientated the animal, and Gabriel did not let up for a moment; he wanted this thing dead.


    Gabriel punched it for a third time, this time on the forehead, and the beast fell to its knees; as it did so, he stuck his feet in its mouth, several of the teeth snapping as he did so and grabbed the animal''s jaw.


    Heaving with all his might, he lifted the beast''s mouth, it gave some resistance, but it was pointless.


    There was a sickening crack as the jaw was dislocated and nearly torn from the skull.


    The Carnedon fell to the ground; whether it was dead or had been knocked unconscious by the pain, Gabriel did not know and did not care.


    Gabriel collapsed to his knees, panting heavily. Now that the source of his rage was gone, the sensations the state had suppressed were starting to come back. He so dearly wanted to collapse in a heap, he had done enough, but Gabriel knew he could not; while the Tufanda girl was in the enclosure, she was still in danger.


    Grasping the ground in a death grip, he hauled himself back to his feet, pulling up clumps of dirt and plant matter as he did.


    Gabriel trudged back to the tree, panting heavily; he said, ¡°you can come down now.¡±


    The Tufanda did not move immediately, and Gabriel was already trying to figure out how he could convince her. Then the alien moved; slowly, she clambered down the tree trunk with a surprising amount of grace, Gabriel noted.


    As the child came within arms reach, Gabriel held his arms out, and without wasting a beat, the little Tufanda jumped into them and held Gabriel tight, grunting as the girl held on as tightly as she could, and the added pressure played havoc on his wounds.


    Though perhaps little was not the right word, judging from her behaviour, she was at the developmental stage of a five to six-year-old human. But she was as large as a human teenager. Even by human standards, Gabriel was not a tall man, and he imagined that if the scenario were not so dire, the whole situation would be somewhat comical.


    The child made faint buzzing noises which Gabriel guessed were the Tufanda¡¯s equivalent of sniffles.


    Despite their size, they weighed next to nothing, which Gabriel was thankful for; he was just about ready to collapse. Gabriel followed the moat; he recalled seeing a staff path to the west, and if he followed the water, eventually, he would reach the gate.


    The enclosure had to have a gate; the habitat needed maintenance, and drones could only do so much.


    Gabriel saw something move out of the corner of his eye; the Vetoru were back, but unlike last time they made no move to attack or box them in. They had witnessed what Gabriel had done, something not even the entire pack would have been capable of, and they knew better than to pick another fight.


    They still hated him for what he had done, hated him even more now that they had killed their partner. Survival instincts took over, though; the pack would escort him out of their territory and, if they were capable of it, pray they never met again.


    Glancing up, Gabriel saw the child''s mother following them, along with the two keepers and a small crowd of interested onlookers. As he did, Gabriel saw a small group of keepers arrive equipped with guns, ropes, and other equipment.


    ¡°Now you show up,¡± Gabriel mumbled with a sigh.


    ***


    Pista heard what the alien said but could not be bothered to look up; they were warm and soft, and she just wanted to see mommy and go to sleep. Each step they took lulled Pista further and further into dreamland.


    When they reached the gate, the keepers opened it. The grating sound of metal on metal was enough to pull her head off the alien''s shoulder. Looking right at her was the wonderful face of her mother, nothing but relief in her posture.


    ¡°Mommy!¡± Pista yelled and nearly flung herself into Nish¡¯s arms.


    Holding her daughter as tightly as she could, Nish spent a few minutes just rocking her daughter back and forth before opening her eyes to find that the human was still there.


    The debt of gratitude she owed this person was incalculable, but for now, all she could offer was, ¡°thank you for saving my daughter.¡±


    The human nodded its head and replied, ¡°you are welcome.¡±


    ***


    The ambulances arrived a few minutes after Gabriel sat down on a bench and tried his hardest to relax. Even as his wounds were tended, he focused on the child. In doing so, he leant she was a girl and both her name and her mother''s name.


    Pista seemed fine, just a few minor scrapes; the paramedics had given her some plasters and ¡°medicine¡±, just some coloured sugar water, to make the pain disappear.


    Gabriel, however, was in far worse shape; he had a lot of severe bruising on just about every part of his body, he had torn several muscles in his exertions, and three of his ribs were cracked.


    What made it all the more troubling was, one, the paramedics could not remove his suit to treat him, and secondly, even if they could, none of them were qualified to do it. It seemed whoever had made the call had left out that little nugget of information and had to watch as the paramedics asked him for a fifth time if morphine was indeed a pain killer and not a euthanasia drug for humans.


    ¡°In large enough doses, yes; just don¡¯t give me the ambulance''s entire supply,¡± explained Gabriel. While the suit might seem to make the administration of morphine impossible, the engineers who designed it had thought of this.


    Located on the back of the hands were two small pads allowing a needle to be inserted to administer medicine. The paramedics hooked the suit up to the ambulance''s computer, and the suit responded by seizing his hand and massaging it until a vein was found.


    Gabriel was not afraid of needles; quite the opposite, he actively looked forward to his vaccinations, and the idea of being near enough immune to the deadliest killers Earth had to offer was appealing to him.


    Regardless, something about having something punctured his hand left him squeamish. He was a big boy, though, and he let the medics get to work.


    Gabriel felt the needle and then what felt like someone grasping his hand; this was another of the suit''s functions, preventing large amounts of blood from pooling inside.


    ¡°Now, Mr Ratlu, we just need you to lie down on the stretcher, and we will take you to Foruthio hospital,¡± explained the paramedic.


    Gabriel did as instructed, eager to rest after the ordeal. He winced and sucked in air through his teeth as his ribs complained. The paramedics asked if he was okay, but he dispelled their worries and simply asked for some help getting onto his back.


    As the ambulance started to move, he closed his eyes and said, ¡°haven¡¯t even been here a week, and I¡¯ve already needed a trip to the doctors."

 Chapter 5

    18:21 03/04/2587 ¨C(8734/661/77/62)


    Gabriel pulled himself off the operating table, sitting on its edge; he tapped where the doctor had worked and could feel the improvement. Where once the break was detectable, and he would have bent over in pain, there was only a slight bump where the crack once was, and only a dull ache remained.


    ¡°I think you¡¯ll find I¡¯m very good at my job,¡± the surgeon said, sending all his tools away for disposal or cleaning.


    ¡°I was not doubting you, merely feeling the difference for myself,¡± Gabriel replied, removing his hand from the injury, ¡°got to love bone cement and nanomedicine,¡± he added.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help but agree,¡± the surgeon said, turning to face him.


    His surgeon was a Holuterc, whose name had turned out to be an unpronounceable combination of gurgles and croaks. They had not been surprised, and the translator he used said, ¡°call me Bob.¡±


    Their species was well known to Gabriel. They were Deathworlders, too, a race of semi-aquatic people from the world of Dolrtu. He stood roughly 1.5 metres tall; their body was a trunk-like structure supported on six fleshy legs spread evenly around the base.


    One would be mistaken for thinking that the Holuterc were a species based on radial symmetry, but this was quickly dismissed when one noticed that their eyes were positioned on only one side of the body.


    Bob¡¯s six arms were arranged in pairs, running from top to bottom; each was a remarkably dexterous limb. Each end was covered in thousands of fine mobile cilia-like structures capable of fine motor control a human could only dream of.


    All ten of his eyes were focused on Gabriel now. ¡°I will say, it is rather refreshing to talk to someone with the suit off for a change,¡± said Gabriel.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll get plenty of opportunities because I want you to spend the next two days in Death Ward,¡± replied Bob.


    ¡°Death Ward?¡± asked Gabriel, not frightened by the name, just surprised at the sheer unoriginality of it.


    ¡°If you¡¯ve got a problem, bring it up with the administrators, it may be lacking in taste, but it gets the point across,¡± responded Bob; they had had this conversation dozens of times and had long ago gotten used to it.


    ¡°That aside, I want to monitor you in case some other deeper damage has been done. I don¡¯t expect any, but better safe than sorry,¡± they explained, bringing the conversation back to the original topic.


    ¡°You¡¯ll want to put your suit on,¡± explained Bob as Gabriel got to his feet.


    ¡°Why? It¡¯s a Deathworlder Ward,¡± stated Gabriel.


    ¡°True, but a lot of the nurses and porters aren¡¯t; not many of us are willing to go through the rigmarole of working here,¡± explained Bob. ¡°So, for their sake, wear your suit.¡±


    ¡°You just said I would get plenty¡­.¡± Gabriel protested, but Bob cut him off, ¡°I said you would get plenty of opportunities. There is a common room, showers and other facilities in the ward, but the beds and whatnot are all in an area paradiseworlders can enter, so I repeat, wear the suit.¡±


    Gabriel raised his hands and replied, ¡°fine, you¡¯ve made your point.¡±


    Climbing into the outfit like you would a pair of overalls, Gabriel winced as his bruises and torn muscles complained. The treatment had done much to improve them, but medical science had done all it could. All that was left was to let time take its course.


    A nurse arrived with a wheelchair, but Gabriel preferred to walk; as he left, he turned and said, ¡°before I leave, I¡¯ve got to ask¡­.¡±


    ¡°The name?¡± replied Bob


    ¡°The name,¡± said Gabriel.


    ¡°I studied at Cambridge,¡± explained Bob.


    ***


    ¡°I recommend bed rest and no excitement for a few days,¡± the doctor explained. Pista had been taken to the hospital, and they were finally seen after ten hours of waiting. It had been rather annoying to be kept here for that long, but Nish accepted that there were other people with more serious concerns.


    Pista, for her part, had recovered remarkably quickly, seemingly forgetting that she had nearly been something¡¯s dinner. She revelled in the attention, and Nish knew it would go to her head.


    As she left the doctor¡¯s office and headed for the exit, Nish realised that the human was here too; she had seen the ambulance when she had been at A&E. Nish felt the meagre thankyou she had given him was hardly enough.


    Approaching the reception desk and steeling her nerves, she asked, ¡°excuse me; a human was admitted to this hospital. May I ask which ward they are in?¡±


    ¡°Are you a friend?¡± asked the receptionist, looking up from her terminal screen.


    ¡°No, but they saved my daughter''s life, and I feel it would be appropriate to thank them in person,¡± Nish explained.


    The alien looked at Nish and her daughter. They had heard of what occurred at the zoo, and a human and a Tufanda had been involved.


    ¡°Normally, we would not allow it, but considering the unusual circumstances, I can contact the ward he¡¯s on, and they can ask him if he would like a visit¡±, the administrator explained.


    ¡°Yes, please,¡± replied Nish, relieved that she had not been rejected outright.


    ***


    ¡°Ah, the man of the hour himself,¡± someone said as Gabriel limped into the ward.


    Turning to his right was a Ponut¡¯Kild or Ponut¡¯Klid; Gabriel wasn¡¯t sure what the correct pronunciation was. They were a reptilian race, bipedal, standing on digitigrade legs with harsh angular scales covering their bodies.


    Their face was long, robust and filled with sharp teeth, though partially hidden behind a mask covering her nose, mouth and eyes. Gabriel knew the Ponut¡¯Kild was a she because of the lack of crests above the eyes and the absence of a dewclaw on the leg. And it was leg because the other one was currently in a cast.


    ¡°What?¡± asked Gabriel, very confused by what she meant.


    ¡°It¡¯s you, the man who jumped into the Carnedon pen to save that kid,¡± she replied, waving her P.D.A. over her head.


    ¡°How did you know that?¡± he asked; her answer had not really told him anything.


    The woman whistled and explained, ¡°over thirty people were recording you, bro; you¡¯re trending hard, just about everyone on the planet has seen it, look three million views in less than a day, and rising.¡±


    The Ponut¡¯Kild waved her P.D.A. at him, and Gabriel limped over to see for himself. To Gabriel''s utter horror, she was correct. The woman hit play, and he saw himself swing the Vetoru over his head and down onto the log.


    ¡°Turn it off!¡± Gabriel demanded, turning away from the screen.


    ¡°Ah, camera-shy,¡± the woman replied, a hint of humour in her voice, but she did turn it off and put her P.D.A. away. ¡°It will be on the news soon, probably have reporters and paparazzi stationed outside the hospital in less than a day,¡± she added.


    Gabriel clutched his head in his hands and squatted on the ground, ignoring how his legs and ribs complained.


    The Ponut¡¯Kild relaxed her face, and her tone became serious, ¡°It was very brave. I don¡¯t know if I would have had it in me to confront that thing.¡±


    Gabriel did not respond; he simply walked to the bed opposite them and lay upon it. ¡°You ok?¡± the Ponut¡¯Kild asked.


    ¡°Tired,¡± replied Gabriel, resting his head on the pillow.


    ¡°I¡¯m Erilur, by the way,¡± the woman said.


    ¡°Gabriel,¡± he responded flatly.


    A few moments of silence passed before Erilur said, ¡°I know you people are tough and all, but that Carnedon should have crushed you like a Brist, suit or no suit. I mean, it¡¯s not exactly power armour.¡±


    She gave him a few seconds, but when Gabriel did not respond, Erilur said, ¡°I guess you''re enhanced in some way; the only question is cybernetics or biomechanics.¡±


    ¡°Biomechanics, my bones were reinforced with ceramics when I was a kid, plus all the standard ones like cancer resistance and immune boosters,¡± Gabriel replied. He wasn¡¯t sure why he was telling her this, but Gabriel supposed it was because when Gabriel was doing so, he wasn¡¯t thinking about what had happened at the zoo.


    ¡°Fancy,¡± Erilur stated, her more playful tone returning.


    ¡°Not really. Pretty much every human is genetically enhanced in some way. Only a few purists refuse to have any at all. There¡¯s also the life and healthspan extensions that I¡¯m sure you have as well,¡± Gabriel replied, looking at her.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°You already know about me, Ms Erilur; what are you in for?¡± asked Gabriel.


    She waved her hands over her cast, and Gabriel responded, ¡°I got that part, but how did it happen?¡±


    ¡°Nothing quite as remarkable as you. I jumped off a wall that was a little too high,¡± explained Erilur.


    ¡°Jumped off, not fell off,¡± said Gabriel, raising one eyebrow.


    ¡°I did it to impress an Etulana,¡± Erilur replied, scratching one side of her face with her retractable claws. Preemptively responding to Gabriel¡¯s next question, she explained, ¡°In my defence, she is so freaking hot, she¡¯s got this short face, and her scales are so smooth, it drives me wild.¡±


    ¡°I mean, I know the old trope about aliens just being Ponut¡¯Kild with different skin tones and weird bits on their faces, but my god, did my people get lucky,¡± she added, stroking her arms


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me you nearly killed yourself trying to impress a girl?¡± asked Gabriel, his mind still struggling to process this.


    ¡°Nothing about tried. It worked,¡± stated Erilur, looking directly at him.


    ¡°What do you mean it worked?¡± questioned Gabriel, sitting up.


    ¡°She visits me every day, and I¡¯ve got a date when I¡¯m released,¡± Erilur retorted, clicking her tongue as she did so.


    Gabriel tried his best to rub his eyes through the suit. ¡°Don¡¯t give me that. Have you seen the Etulana? It''s an entire race of babes! I mean, I¡¯ve got no sexual or romantic interest in men, but even I find the Eutlana guys attractive. They''re all just so feminine,¡± Erilur explained with a wave of her hand and a glint in her eye.


    With that, Gabriel let out a slight chuckle; this woman might have been about as subtle as a brick, but her boundless enthusiasm was pleasant.


    As his mood was on the up, a nurse entered the ward, another Holuterc. ¡°Gabriel a, Nish and her daughter would like to visit you. Would you like to see them?¡± they asked.


    ***


    Nish was let into the ward, but not before they sanitised their hands and were offered a rebreather for herself and Pista. It was a bit of a struggle to get it on her daughter''s head, not least because the girl would not stop wriggling.


    Eventually, Nish was able to make her compliant by bribing her with sweets. The ward was rather unremarkable, apart from the name, which Nish felt was in rather bad taste. The walls were white; the nurses sat behind a desk while small cleaner drones buzzed about the place, making sure not a single spot of grime survived more than a moment.


    Nish was directed to where Gabriel was resting and left to her own devices. From outside the room, she could hear him talking with someone else.


    ¡°So, are you here by yourself?¡± asked Gabriel.


    ¡°Yes, I mean, I offered to bring my family along, but they had no interest in going to ¡°soft paradise worlds,¡± the other voice replied.


    ¡°Where are they?¡± asked Gabriel.


    ¡°Well, balance of probability puts it at your home,¡± explained the other person.


    ¡°Earth,¡± said Gabriel. The other person did not reply, so Nish assumed they were giving a non-verbal cue.


    ¡°Where on Earth are they?¡± asked Gabriel.


    ¡°It¡¯s an island, near the equator or something, La¡­. Lobo, Lanzorini,¡± the person explained.


    There was silence for a few seconds before Gabriel said, ¡°Lanzarote?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± the person cried, ¡°I take it you¡¯ve been.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, once, I was supposed to be there for a week, but I left after two days,¡± answered Gabriel.


    ¡°Why? What¡¯s the place like?¡± asked the other one.


    ¡°Well, if I had to describe it in one sentence, Lanzarote is a lego playset sticking out the sea,¡± he replied. The other one then started laughing. Clearly, they knew what lego was.


    ¡°Bored,¡± cried Pista and ran into the ward and lept onto Gabriel''s bed.


    ¡°Pista, get off immediately!¡± cried Nish, starting to believe it had been a mistake.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I don¡¯t mind,¡± said Gabriel as Pista scrabbled closer and hugged him. Nish was amazed at this 180 her daughter had pulled; just two days ago, she believed the human was still some horrible thug, but now he was a shining knight.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you three alone to get properly acquainted,¡± the other patient said. Nish looked to see a reptilian alien pull out a wheelchair from a cabinet and hauled herself into the seat without asking for any assistance.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to interrupt,¡± said Nish attempting to apologise.


    ¡°Nothing to be sorry for, I got a guest coming myself, and I need to look my best,¡± they replied, wheeling themselves out of the room. Before they left, they turned to Gabriel, winked and made a clicking sound, ¡°see you later, Gabriel.¡±


    ¡°Have a nice shower Erilur,¡± Gabriel replied.


    ¡°They¡¯re weird,¡± said Pista, still holding on to Gabriel.


    ¡°Pista!¡± said Nish.


    ¡°You¡¯re right she is, but she¡¯s the good kind of weird,¡± said Gabriel.


    Gabriel had not gotten a good opportunity to see a Tufanda up close yet. Their skin was pale but not white; it was incredibly subtle, but if you looked closely, you would tell the shimmered with a faint multicoloured hue.


    Their heads were covered with fine, downy hair that looked impossibly soft, and Gabriel had to resist the urge to run his hands through it. The two ladies also possessed a pair of antennae protruding from the forehead; while very thin, it was masked by the feathery filaments that covered them, similar to a moth.


    The eyes were egg-shaped, Pista''s eyes seemed larger than her mother''s, but Gabriel assumed this was merely an illusion, as her head was not as big as Nish¡¯s, and therefore they took up more of the face, similar to a human.


    They were also compounded. Each lens was so fine that Gabriel could not make out any individual one despite the size of the eye, which was far larger than Gabriels. They must have hundreds of thousands of ommatidium at minimum, granting them a high level of visual acuity.


    Gabriel shook his head; he tried to turn off the analytical part of his brain. ¡°So, how are you feeling, Pista?¡± he asked, trying to use the most caring tone he could.


    ¡°Good,¡± the little girl chirped ¡°, the doctors gave me one thousand fifty hundred bandages and some medicine.¡±


    ¡°Really, that many?¡± asked Gabriel.


    ¡°It was a placebo,¡± explained Nish.


    Gabriel nodded, but Pista corrected, ¡°it wasn¡¯t pladeo. It was medicine.¡±


    ¡°We know a placebo is a type of medicine,¡± explained her mother.


    Pista accepted her mother''s response and went back to hugging Gabriel, ¡°she¡¯s very affectionate,¡± stated Gabriel, who wasn¡¯t bothered by the act itself but did feel a little uncomfortable knowing that they were still technically strangers.


    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s always been a very huggy person. Do humans do hugs?¡± asked Nish, worried that the act might be considered rude, despite Gabriel saying it was ok.


    ¡°Normally, it¡¯s something you do with those who are close to you, but kids can get away with more,¡± he explained. ¡°So tell me, Pista, how old are you?¡± inquired Gabriel, elevating his voice slightly.


    ¡°Nearly fifteen,¡± replied Pista, running her antennae up and down Gabriel¡¯s mask.


    ¡°Wow, did you know when I was fifteen, it would be two years until I was a grown-up,¡± said Gabriel, grateful for the suit as he imagined her feelers would be highly ticklish.


    ¡°You would have been a little boy; how could you be a grown-up? Seventeen isn¡¯t grown up,¡± replied Pista, looking out the window, her brain struggling to parse it.


    ¡°Humans grow up faster than most people. At seventeen, we¡¯re considered adults,¡± he explained.


    ¡°How old are you now?¡± asked Pista, looking at Gabriel as she did.


    ¡°Twenty-seven,¡± he replied.


    ¡°So you¡¯re still a kid like me,¡± stated Pista, who still hadn¡¯t grasped the notion that aliens aged at different rates. Gabriel just chuckled in response, and the small talk continued. The conversation was pleasant if a little wooden, as neither side felt they belonged in it, apart from Pista, who was slowly edging Gabriel out of his bed.


    That was until a stranger brazenly walked into the ward, ¡°You¡¯re are Gabriel Ratlu, yes?¡± the unknown person asked.


    The alien was nearly as wide as it was tall, covered in wrinkly loose navy blue skin. Their mouth was wide, with two eyes that sat on small stalks that swivelled, examining every part of the room.


    Their arms were long and spindly, and the only thing they wore on their body was a wearable on their arm, a rebreather over their face and a lanyard around their almost nonexistent neck. It had something written on it, but Gabriel could not determine what it said at this distance.


    Pista hid behind Gabriel as the alien said, ¡°Jhlohg, Daily Sapients, I was wondering if I could have a few moments of your time and give an interview.¡±


    Gabriel did not respond; he just stared at them, wondering how they had gotten in here.


    ¡°You¡¯re the talk of the planet, Mr Ratlu, jumping into that enclosure to rescue a little girl; you¡¯re a hero to many. Do you have anything you want to say?¡± asked Jhlohg.


    Once again, Gabriel said nothing and just stared.


    ¡°Surely you must want to tell the people something,¡± stated Jhlohg.


    As Gabriel remained resolutely silent, Erilur returned from her shower and asked, ¡°who the tfull are you?¡±


    Jhlohg looked at the new arrival and explained; Erilur''s mouth gapped as far as it could inside her mask and replied, ¡°this is a hospital, and you come in here trying to get a story for your rag?¡±


    ¡°Nurse, we¡¯ve got a troublemaker!¡± she called to the reception desk.


    Several medical staff arrived, along with a porter performing his medication delivery. ¡°This person, and I use the term loosely, is bothering Gabriel,¡± Erilur explained.


    ¡°You told us you were his legal counsel,¡± the nurse stated, incredulous.


    ¡°They lied,¡± Erilur stated, though she did respect the reporter''s guile for not saying, friend. If they had done, they would have probably informed Gabriel beforehand. Galactic law stated that you could not bar a legal advisor from their client. Annoyingly that tended to lead to abuses like this.


    As Jhlohg was removed from the hospital grounds, they cried, ¡°people deserve to know the truth!¡±


    ¡°There are dozens of recording online; everyone already knows the truth, you asshole,¡± Erilur shouted in response.


    Erilur said something in her native tongue while Gabriel did not know what she said; from the tone, he felt he could make a good guess. Pista started making a trilling sound, which Gabriel had learned was her giggling, ¡°she said a naughty word.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did, damn colu,¡± said Erilur.


    ¡°Colu?¡± asked Nish.


    ¡°They¡¯re these little string-like things that suck your blood,¡± Erilur explained.


    Nish and Pista were a little disturbed to hear this; it became even more so when Gabriel stated, ¡°Yes, we have similar things on Earth called leeches.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something like that on your homeworlds; sounds like the deranged fantasy of some horror writer,¡± said Nish, trying to get the image out of her head.


    ¡°Not just leeches, ticks, lampreys, vampire bats, bed bugs, assassin bugs, fleas¡­.¡± Gabriel would have gone on, but Erilur cut him off.


    ¡°Look, while I would love to talk about parasites all day long, I think there are more important things to discuss,¡± Erilur said, wheeling herself towards Gabriel, ¡°the main one is why you didn¡¯t tell them to get lost yourself, you¡¯re a surprisingly shy one aren¡¯t you.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re a surprisingly astute one, considering we¡¯ve known each other for less than an hour,¡± stated Gabriel, tilting his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m a psychologist; it¡¯s my job to understand what makes people tick,¡± explained Erilur, her tone far more serious than he had ever heard.


    ¡°You have a degree, and you still did that,¡± pointing at her leg. ¡°I guess it¡¯s true you don¡¯t have to be intelligent to pass university,¡± Gabriel replied, shaking his head.


    Erilur spun her wheelchair around in a circle, and her tone immediately returned to the cheeky style she usually adopted; she replied, ¡°Do I need to keep repeating it? My plan worked, so it was clever.¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t be the last, you know; you¡¯re going to be douluged for days at least, most likely weeks,¡± said Erilur, her voice once more becoming sombre.


    ¡°Dluogde?¡± asked Pista, waving her antennae back and forth.


    ¡°Pestered, annoyed, never left alone,¡± explained Erilur.


    Gabriel sighed and was about to lean back onto his bed when he recalled that Pista was still there, and he felt that crushing the girl would not have been the best look. ¡°Any suggestions?¡± asked Gabriel, who was far out of his element.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be easy; you¡¯re the biggest story Minagerad has had in fifty years,¡± explained Nish, running a hand over her fuzzy scalp.


    ¡°Someone keeps up with galactic news, and it won¡¯t just be him, the press will lay off you a bit considering Pista¡¯s age, but they will want your side of the story as well,¡± said Erilur wheeling towards Nish as she did.


    ¡°I did my research before I came. I picked this place because Pista likes animals, most of the time, and its exceptional safety record,¡± explained Nish.


    ¡°Until now,¡± Erilur added.


    A hand passed over Gabriel¡¯s eye; Pista had become bored with the grownups¡¯ conversation and had begun trying to figure out what Gabriel looked like under the suit. It was an odd sensation. Four hands prodded and probed his face, arms, back and chest, made all the more unusual because he knew only a single person was doing it.


    ¡°Pista, stop it,¡± Nish said, taking her daughter¡¯s arms and putting them back where they belonged. Pista squealed and turned away from her mother, lying on the bed in a huff.


    ¡°You¡¯re two main options are to either lay low for a month and miss out on a lot of your holiday,¡± said Erilur.


    Gabriel sighed, and Nish hissed, ¡°I take you you don¡¯t want that, so the only other thing you can do is meet it on your own terms,¡± Erilur added.

 Chapter 6

    08:43 04/04/2587 ¨C(8734/661/29/90)


    Gabriel could not believe he had agreed to this as the makeup artist fiddled with his suit, making him look as presentable as possible. He supposed he should be grateful he had not been slathered in makeup.


    A fate Nish and Pista had not been able to avoid; while their faces were not susceptible to pimples, boils and other blemishes, lacking the sweat glands on most of their bodies, the producers had still decided that the two ladies needed to look their very best.


    ¡°Producers, after the lawyer, there is no lower form of life,¡± thought Gabriel.


    Nish took it all in her stride though Gabriel had a sneaking suspicion she did not care how she looked on camera. Pista, however, was thoroughly enjoying the attention, even if she had not yet fully warmed up the strangers around her.


    Sitting alongside the camera crew were Erilur and her, maybe girlfriend, Risoti; Gabriel wasn¡¯t exactly sure what their relationship was. He supposed it was one of those holiday romances he had read about.


    Erilur had come along for moral support. Gabriel had mentioned several times that he found it uncomfortable, and Risoti had come along after Erilur had practically begged Gabriel to allow it. The Ponut¡¯Kild had called him romantic gold, though he wasn¡¯t entirely sure why.


    The Etulana had nearly collapsed when she visited Erilur in hospital, the shock of meeting the most famous man on the planet having been a little too much for her. Which Gabriel could understand; he had fought two of the deadliest predators in the galaxy.


    What he did not get was why that made her faun all over Erilur, it had been nothing but random chance that they met one another, yet Risoti had not been able to keep quiet about how Erilur knew Gabriel Ratlu.


    Ultimately, he chalked it all up to aliens doing alien things and moved on. It was not worth losing any sleep over.


    Erilur looked at Gabriel and raised her thumb and ring finger, which was also her pinky finger. For the Ponut¡¯Kild, this was the equivalent of a thumbs-up; to Gabriel, it was like he was attending a thrash metal concert.


    ¡°Mr Ratlu, are you ready?¡± the presenter asked. They were a Ho¡¯nunyay, which Gabriel only knew because his cabin on the transport here had been next to one. Driven by curiosity that day and the total lack of anything meaningful to do, he had looked them up.


    Native to the world of Ey¡¯onosu, famous for its near-constant rain, nearly all life upon it was covered in highly hydrophobic skin, bark, fur, feathers, shells or anything else that covered their bodies.


    The presenter was a woman, which meant she had not yet reached middle age. She was tall and spindly, having similar proportions to stick insects, but she was covered in impossibly smooth, almost plastic-like skin rather than having an exoskeleton.


    Four bulbous, jelly-filled eyes sat not in front or to the sides but on top of her head; her pupils swivelled in them like a human head inside a glass dome. It all sounded rather disgusting, but Gabriel found he did not care; the alien was so alien-looking that it did not affect him in the slightest.


    ¡°Fine, the sooner we get this over with, the better,¡± he replied, taking a deep breath.


    The director pulled Gabriel away from his thoughts as he approached the set; the title cards began to play and said, ¡°we¡¯re live in five, four, three, two, one.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Good morning, this is Dawn with Minagerad News. I am Eu¡¯rtoili, and the top stories this week, tritium prices rise to a five-year high this week, causing an increase in the cost of interplanetary flights and imports,¡± the presenter said.


    ¡°The Eusunari sign a trade deal with the Relusu Orits, signalling an improvement in their relations.¡±


    ¡°Scientists had detected radio signals from sector RS/4563. Could we soon be introducing a new race to the galactic community?¡±


    ¡°And finally, we talk to Gabriel Ratlu, the deadliest being on Minagerad and the Nish Tolum Walunet Tufanda, the mother of the young girl who fell into the Vetoru enclosure yesterday,¡± they added, each segment was interspersed with clips of the various events. Gabriel could not deny that the replay of the footage of his fight and being called the deadliest being made him squirm.


    A small segment played on the screens behind him, and Eu¡¯rtoili turned to look at Nish and Gabriel. Pista had lost much of her enthusiasm and was now deeply shy, burying her head into Nish¡¯s wings.


    ¡°We start with the heroic rescue of Pista, a Tufanda child, by Gabriel Ratlu, of humanity. They join us in the studio. Hello Gabriel, Nish and Pista, thank you for agreeing to come here,¡± the presenter said, and the two responded just as they had practised.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to be here, Eu¡¯rtoili,¡± said Gabriel, his tone flat and monotonous, though to everyone else present, he seemed to have broken out in song.


    ¡°Likewise,¡± said Nish, more enthusiastically than Gabriel had.


    ¡°Now, as the event had been recorded no less than thirty-six times, there is little need to go over what happened, so instead, I will ask, what was going through your head when you jumped the electrified fence?¡± Eu¡¯rutoili asked, leaning closer, her oversized head bobbing slightly.


    ¡°I was hoping that the fall would not break my legs,¡± responded Gabriel, running through one of the many answers Erilur and Risoti had helped him come up with the night before. The presenter let out a retching sound, it seemed painful, but Gabriel assumed they were laughing; Eu¡¯rtoili did not appear distressed.


    Several of the crew made other laughing sounds; Gabriel did not think it was that funny.


    Still retching, Eu¡¯rtoili looked at Nish, ¡°now I know you¡¯ve had a harrowing experience. I don¡¯t mean to pressure you, but what was it like when Mr Ratlu emerged from the brush like a charging Posup.¡±


    ¡°Shock followed by relief and fear,¡± answered Nish.


    ¡°Fear?¡± asked the presenter, raising her head slightly.


    ¡°I was afraid that someone else had fallen into the paddock. Even after I realised Gabriel was a human, I was still concerned that he might not make it out alive,¡± Nish explained; Pista ruffled her wings and settled back down.


    ¡°Yes, though despite the terrifying experience, you seemed to have suffered no ill effects, Gabriel,¡± said Eu¡¯rtoili, attempting to bring the conversation to a lighter tone. This was a morning show, and people generally disliked downer stories just before they went to work.


    ¡°Quite the contrary, I broke three ribs, bruised over fifty per cent of my body, sprained my leg, and pulled several muscles. I am in some pain as we speak,¡± replied Gabriel.


    Everyone went silent, even Nish and especially Erilur, as that had not been one of their pre-prepared responses. What made the statement even more jarring was the extremely formal way Gabriel had said it, as if he was a lawyer in a courtroom discussing a parking violation.


    Which had been something else Erilur had noticed about him. Gabriel was not still learning galactic basic; he was fluent, as were many humans. After all being able to talk to aliens, even in a post-contact society, was highly appealing. Yet despite this, he stuck to the formal speech most fluent people did not use.


    ¡°Are you ok? Do you require help?¡± asked Eu¡¯rtoili; the concern was not feigned. Gabriel was a hero to the presenter, and to know that he was suffering was unsettling.


    ¡°No, I can handle it; I will recover, and the pain will pass in time,¡± Gabriel explained matter of factly like he was describing the weather.


    ¡°Well, I knew you people were tough but to see it first hand is something else,¡± Eu¡¯rtoili said, shuffling through her notes. Gabriel had a sneaking suspicion that they were blank and only existed to give the newsroom the illusion of old-time professionalism.


    ¡°You must be very proud of what you accomplished yesterday,¡± said the presenter, finally regaining her train of thought.


    ¡°Proud, no, I am not proud,¡± replied Gabriel.


    ¡°Why?¡± asked the presenter; she had not been expecting this as a response.


    ¡°I do not regret what I did, and if given the choice, I would do it again, but the vetoru and carnedon were beautiful, majestic creatures; they were not evil, they just did what they did, and now they are dead, because of me,¡± he explained.


    ***


    ¡°Does that put your concerns to rest?¡± Fesul said, pointing at the screen, ¡°Mr Ratlu is not a vicious thug as you seem to think; proof positive.¡±


    Fesul was the liaison between Reshu Zoo and Reshu city. The two were inextricably linked, both created to support the other. Most of his days were spent tending to the animals, but he was sent straight to the mayor¡¯s office when things got serious.


    Weluit hissed in frustration; he was the head keeper in charge of the more dangerous residents of the central section of Reshu zoo and had wanted to see Gabriel prosecuted for the damages he had caused. Unfortunately, that little stunt had made it all but impossible.


    ¡°Posunefri, Treni is currently undergoing major surgery. We can¡¯t let a guest just kill our animals like this,¡± stated Weluit.


    Posunefri extended her tongue and rubbed her forehead with the flexible cartilaginous tips that her species used in place of arms and hands. She had not run for mayor to deal with things like this; she had become mayor so that she could open a few hospitals, a park or two, and fix that street lamp that had been flashing outside her house for nine months.


    ¡°We can¡¯t punish him. The entire planet will be up in arms. Besides, even if the public were on our side, the law is not. That woman Nish could sue the zoo for all its worth; you know how strict the safety laws are,¡± Posunefri stated; she was beginning to think that merging a biological park with an incorporated place had not been the best idea.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Not that any of that matter, Ewolu Notis Tex had made that decision over a thousand years ago; there was no going back.


    Fesul croaked in agreement; they did not like that some of their star attractions were dead, but the simple fact is it was them or the girl, and Fesul was glad it had been the girl.


    ¡°I understand; you love those animals. We care about them too, you¡¯re just emotional now, and the vets say Treni¡¯s jaw will heal in time. She¡¯s a tough old girl,¡± Fesul said, trying his best to show Weluit that no one here thought his care for the carnedon and vetoru was foolish.


    ¡°Fesul, you were employed at Reshu zoo the last time someone got hurt. What did you do then?¡± asked Posunefri. Though the serpent woman was not much of a leader, she was at least humble enough to know when someone was more qualified than her.


    Fesul remembered it well. A fecker had escaped its lagoon and ambushed a couple along a local river; while no one had died, one lost a leg. Fesul could remember how grateful he had been that it had not escalated further, though he supposed that had been of little comfort to the Edrtfo.


    ¡°Well, we should do what we did last time, first pay off the affected parties, somewhere along the lines of fifty thousand credits each, including the girl,¡± explained Fesul. Posunefri sighed.


    ¡°Secondly, we award the human the Tex loop,¡± added Fesul; the other two looked at Fesul; that was undoubtedly a significant award. It was the highest one a civilian could achieve. Technically it was only available for Minagerad citizens, but there was no law against giving it to a foreigner.


    ¡°And the final part will be the most expensive. We¡¯ve just lost face with the planet, in a month, the entire galaxy. No one is going to want to bring their children somewhere they could be eaten; I know I sure as hell don¡¯t,¡± stated Fesul.


    ¡°How much?¡± asked Posunefri, closing her eyes.


    ¡°Millions at least, possibly tens of millions, for five years at least,¡± answered Fesul.


    ¡°What for exactly?¡± inquired Weluit.


    ¡°For a massive security overhaul, of course,¡± stated Fesul, ¡°we will need consultants. I recommend we reach out to zoos on Deathworlds. They have to deal with creatures even more deadly than the carnedon; I would also consider asking Mr Ratlu about it as well.¡±


    ¡°Why? He¡¯s just a civilian, isn¡¯t he?¡± asked Posunefri, looking towards the screen. Nish was describing what she had done since arriving here; it wasn¡¯t exciting.


    ¡°True, but he jumped into the enclosure, which meant he felt the need to do it; I would not be surprised if he noticed the lack of a security feature they regularly use on Earth,¡± answered Fesul.


    ¡°We don¡¯t need his help,¡± stated Weluit, glancing at the interview, palpable contempt radiating from them,


    ¡°Maybe not, but even if he had no insights to share, it could only help us in the P.R. department,¡± countered Fesul.


    Posunefri rubbed her forehead once more; the sooner this whole thing was resolved, the better; she tapped her P.D.A. and made several clicking sounds, speaking in her native language. A response came back, and she took up at the other gathered, ¡°I have asked, Opiuon to send requests to Mr Ratlu and Ms Nish to meet with us at their earliest convenience,¡± she explained.


    Still looking at the screen, Posunefri said, ¡°He is right, Weluit, we got lucky this time, I am dreading the bill, but there is no way in the dreadful sky that we can save face without going through our equipment, procedures, and infrastructure with a sieve.¡±


    Looking at Fesul, she could not help but notice the surprise on his face, ¡°something the matter?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No, quite the opposite; I was expecting you to fight me more on this. Most of the other mayors loathed to spend any more money than absolutely necessary, saying that it would hurt their chances for reelection,¡± explained Fesul.


    ¡°Even Nrt had put up more of a struggle than you,¡± he added.


    If Posunefri¡¯s memory served her well, Nrt had been the mayor during the last event. ¡°I may not be the most enthusiastic mayor in the galaxy, but I like to imagine that I have just enough self-respect to put the needs of the people above my own,¡± she replied.


    ***


    ¡°Now we have another question from a viewer, one on the lighter side of things,¡± Eu¡¯rtoili said, looking at her P.D.A. ¡°Are Gabriel and Nish together?¡± the presenter said.


    ¡°We are sitting together right now,¡± said Gabriel, wondering if some were listening to this over the radio.


    Eu¡¯rtoili retched again and said, ¡°No, what the viewer means is, are you partners?¡± she asked.


    Gabriel shook his head and responded,¡± We only met each other a few days ago, and with everything that has happened, we¡¯ve had no time and, as far as I am aware, no desire to start a business.¡±


    Eu¡¯rtoili did not know if Mr Ratlu was making fun of them or if he was indeed this ignorant; she was leaning towards the latter as Nish seemed just as indifferent as he was.


    ¡°I will try again. What the viewer is asking is, are you and Ms Nish in a romantic relationship?¡± explained Eu¡¯rtoili.


    Nish and Gabriel looked at one another, then back at the presenter and stated matter-of-factly, and in near-perfect unison, ¡°No.¡±


    ***


    Gabriel had never been so happy to be inside a hospital in his life. The interview had left him exhausted, and he was relieved to lie on a bed. Sadly the peace and quiet he craved would escape him as Pista hopped onto it as well, sitting down on Gabriel''s legs.


    It stung a little as the girl put pressure on his injured leg, but she was very light, and he could deal with it. Nish did not reprimand her daughter for the rude behaviour; she had learnt that Gabriel was somewhat forgiving towards Pista¡¯s antics.


    ¡°You get stressed around other people, don¡¯t you, Gabriel?¡± said Erilur as Risoti assisted her into the bed; Erilur did not need the help, but she certainly wanted it.


    ¡°That¡¯s obvious, huh,¡± replied Gabriel, his eyes shut.


    ¡°Well, you were stimming pretty much the entire time,¡± stated Erilur.


    ¡°Stimming?¡± asked Nish confused.


    ¡°It¡¯s a repetitive behaviour someone does when they are stressed,¡± explained Gabriel as Pista played with his feet.


    Nish opened her mouth to speak, but Erilur cut her off, ¡°It¡¯s not as serious as it sounds, it¡¯s not good, but it¡¯s pretty common in Deathworlders.¡±


    ¡°That was creepy,¡± thought Nish. It was almost as if the Ponut¡¯Kild could read her mind.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t Gabriel stop it, even if it¡¯s just a little bad?¡± asked Risoti.


    Erilur rotated her head and replied, ¡°No, stimming is a symptom, not a cause. Trying to make someone stop it when they¡¯re stressed can do much more harm than good. It¡¯s a coping mechanism.¡±


    She pointed at Gabriel and added, ¡°See, he¡¯s not doing it now, so the source of his stress, the interview, is gone.¡±


    ¡°Could you all stop talking about me like I am not here,¡± said Gabriel, as Pista tried her best to count his toes, the thick material of his shoes made it difficult, however.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± said Risoti and Nish; Erilur just shrugged.


    ¡°So they¡¯ll leave us alone now?¡± asked Gabriel.


    ¡°Most will. Paradiseworlders tend to be satisfied by the first reasonable answer you give them; pretty much everyone will have seen it. While you¡¯ll certainly be treated differently, I doubt many will pester you with questions,¡± explained Erilur.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± inquired Gabriel.


    ¡°Yes, I know what I¡¯m talking about. I practised for a year on Yufr, I mean, I¡¯ve dealt with Ponut¡¯Kild, who were easy to work with, but they¡¯re nothing like habitableworlders,¡± explained Erilur, irked that Gabriel kept questioning her skills.


    ¡°Was that an insult or a compliment?¡± asked Nish, raising her antennae.


    ¡°Neither, just a neutral statement of fact,¡± said Erilur.


    The group was silent except for Pista, as she rained an imaginary carpet bombing on Gabriel''s feet. Eventually, Nish decided the time had come, ¡°come on, Pista, we should be going now; get our tea.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry; I want to play with Gabriel more,¡± she replied without looking up from the imaginary piano she had made from Gabriel¡¯s legs.


    ¡°We need to go,¡± stated Nish even more firmly, making it clear by her tone that this was not up for discussion.


    Pista pouted and complained, but she slowly removed herself from Gabriel¡¯s bed, taking as much time doing so as she dared. ¡°Can we come tomorrow?¡± Pista asked, getting to her feet.


    Nish looked away, knowing what she had to tell her daughter, ¡°No, Gabriel will be leaving the hospital, so we won¡¯t see him here again.¡±


    Pista was quiet for a moment before saying, with great enthusiasm, ¡°Then we get to visit his house? I want to go to his house.¡±


    Again, Nish steeled herself and explained, ¡°No, Gabriel has his own holiday to get to. We can¡¯t go bothering him at his home.¡±


    ¡°So we¡¯ll meet him at the zoo?¡± inquired Pista, her brain struggling to understand what the problem was.


    ¡°No, Pista, we might see him again in the park, but it will just be an accident, he¡¯ll have his holiday, and we¡¯ll have ours,¡± Nish stated, holding onto all four of her daughter¡¯s hands.


    Once more, there was silence as the cogs in Pista¡¯s brain set to work. When she finally understood what her mother had meant, she ripped herself from her mother¡¯s grasp, jumped back onto the bed, held Gabriel as tightly as she could and screamed, ¡°NOOOOO!¡±


    Nish sighed as Pista created the same buzzing noise she had made after Gabriel had rescued her. Now that he was not so focused on the pain or the fear of attack, Gabriel noticed that it was nothing like the whine of any insect; it was much deeper and far less annoying than one might expect.


    As she attempted to pull her daughter off of Gabriel, he felt a pang of guilt, even though he knew he had done nothing to warrant it.


    Gabriel sighed alongside Nish and said, with admitted reluctance, ¡°I have a V.I.P. pass for the entire planet, and I can take up to five other people along with me.¡±


    Pista stopped buzzing, looked up at him, and Gabriel added, ¡°If your mother is ok with it, you can come along with me.¡±


    The girl squealed, and her attention immediately switched to Nish. A Tufanda¡¯s face was not mobile, lacking facial muscles. Despite being physically incapable of expression, Pista made her best effort.


    Nish could tell that Gabriel was in two halves over the whole thing. On the one hand, he wanted to return to his holiday. On the other hand, he really did not want to make Pista cry, she had gotten incredibly attached to Gabriel over the past couple of days, and Erilur mentioned that a clean break would not be suitable for the young girl''s mental state.


    Nish decided to take advantage of Gabriel¡¯s generosity and said, ¡°That sounds lovely.¡±


    ¡°I will need tomorrow to recover, but we can explore the park together the day after,¡± Gabriel explained.


    At this moment, Erilur made a hacking hissing sound, and Gabriel looked at her. As she gave Gabriel a knowing gaze, he sighed and said, ¡°sure, you two can come as well.¡±


    Risoti tried her hardest to suppress a squeal as Gabriel asked, ¡°Is there anywhere on Minagerad you want to go?¡±


    A few minutes passed as everyone offered their suggestions, though many of them had to be shot down as they required more than a day for Gabriel to book them. Eventually, Risoti said they could all go to the Learning Centre if they needed to keep it simple.


    Gabriel knew what it was; it had been the first place he had visited. The Minagerad Learning Centre was a vast complex, a museum and play park all rolled into one. It was filled with information about the history of the planet, large interactive displays and games, game areas for small children, a few small animal displays containing the more delicate specimens from across the galaxy.


    To be perfectly honest, he liked the idea of going back, and this was as good an excuse as any.


    Nish also liked the idea; she had tried to take Pista before, hoping to make the trip educational as well as fun. Unfortunately, Pista had thrown a tantrum the moment they had approached the building; not even the play areas, slides and rides inside were enough to tempt her in.


    Judging by the bouncing Pista was engaged in, that was not the case anymore. Gabriel grabbed his P.D.A. and searched for tours at the Learning Centre. While it initially seemed fully booked, Gabriel tapped in his credentials, and a special listing appeared; the day was pretty open.


    After a brief discussion, they agreed to meet at forty outside the Centre.


    As Nish and Pista left the Ward, Pista turned around and gave Gabriel one last hug, ¡°ok, I like you too, now you best get going, or your mom¡¯s going to be cross.¡±


    Pista skipped out of the room, her wings fluttering all the while. Once both she and Nish were out of earshot, Erilur said, ¡°you really hate kids don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, nasty little rodents, can¡¯t stand them,¡± replied Gabriel sarcastically


    ***


    The nurse checked the clock; it was 85:00, and the two patients in Death Ward were finally falling asleep. Gabriel and Erilur were delightful people, but their ability to push their bodies beyond all reason made taking care of them difficult.


    It was rewarding work, though he did not know how his Deathworlder colleagues could be so blas¨¦. Oh well, they were asleep now, and the best part of his day was about to begin.


    Just about all life slept; even plants had periods of lower activity. Deathworlders, however, were something else. Their sleep was so deep that the first time he had seen it in person, he had nearly overridden the doctor and hit the panic button.


    The monitors in front of him kept track of their vitals; the heart rate slowed, breathing became shallow, the core temperature dropped, and most shockingly, the body paralysed itself.


    That was not what he was waiting for; a second monitor was monitoring their brains. It was all standard; everyone admitted to hospitals was carefully watched in case something went wrong.


    Slowly but surely, their mental activity slowed. To the untrained eye, it looked like they were undergoing brain death, but the drop in activity stabilised and held steady for almost an hour.


    Then it happened, the brain exploded into activity, the display went mad, and the monitors detected rapid muscle contractions in the eye. In just about every other species, this would indicate a stroke, but for these two, they were dreaming.


    Everyone had dreams, he had had dreams, but they were nothing like these impossibly vivid recreations of unbelievable scenarios. Some Deathworlders had told him that they could even feel temperatures, pressure and even a type of pain in their dreams.


    It all seemed paradoxical to him; evolving on such deadly worlds would require periods of such vulnerability, and the Deathworlders agreed. What a fascinating galaxy this was.

 Chapter 7

    10:06 06/04/2587 ¨C(8734/663/40/23)


    Gabriel checked his watch for the fifth time, shuffling on the uncomfortable bench he had picked. He hated to keep people waiting and loathed being kept waiting in return.


    Nish and Pista, he could understand, children were famous for taking an hour to put their shoes on. Erilur and Risoti had less of his sympathy. The only reason he could think they would be held up is that they had taken some time to canoodle.


    Tapping his foot against the floor, Gabriel checked his messages. Understandably, there were very few of them, not just because he was almost three hundred light-years from Earth, but because no one would contact him outside of work.


    The first three were confirmations from Nish, Erilur and Risoti that they would definitely be there. Others were messages from the zoo confirming the various tours Gabriel had taken were booked. It was the last one that took the most of his attention.


    It was from the mayor''s office, and at first, he had thought it was spam, but if it was just an attempt to get him into a surprise interview or something, whoever had sent it had indeed put the work in.


    The email requested a meeting between Gabriel and the mayor, it was far more flowery than that, of course, crammed full of corporate-speak, but if he was reading it right, they wanted to apologise for what had occurred.


    Legitimate or not, his first instinct was to delete it. He was still frazzled from the interview, and another official meeting might just suck the life right out of him. Gabriel decided that he would talk to Nish about it. If it were genuine, then Nish would have gotten it as well.


    ¡°There he is!¡± Pista cried as she galloped towards Gabriel as fast as possible and leapt onto him. Had she been a human child, Gabriel might have been injured by Pista¡¯s little stunt.


    Instead, Gabriel grabbed her by the waist and lifted her above his head. ¡°Someone needs to be a lot more careful,¡± he said, standing up and holding her as high in the air as he could.


    Pista hummed happily as she did so, she rarely got to fly outside of the apartment, and she longed to be able to flitter about as she had done back home.


    Gabriel placed Pista back on the ground, and she let out a noise of disappointment.


    ¡°Sorry we¡¯re a little late; Pista wanted to go out naked today,¡± said Nish, approaching Gabriel.


    ¡°No, I did not,¡± retorted Pista stamping on the ground.


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you get dressed when I told you to?¡± responded Nish, clapping her hands together.


    Gabriel supposed that was similar to a human shaking their fist, but that was not what took up most of his attention, ¡°speaking of clothes, you¡¯ve put a bit more effort into yours today.¡±


    Nish had indeed put more thought into her outfit than before; Gabriel could not call what she was wearing a dress exactly, but it was definitely far more elegant and flowing than her other garments. What''s more, it was covered in a pattern that matched, though did not mimic, the ones on her wings.


    The Tufanda fidgeted slightly before replying, ¡°It¡¯s something grown Tufanda do when they go out in groups.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± replied Gabriel; he wasn¡¯t sure if it was true; her reaction to him mentioning it was strange, but then again, maybe asking about someone''s clothes was seen as rude amongst her people. Gabriel supposed he could have asked about it, but he did not want to push her more than she was willing and to be honest, he did not really care.


    The fact that Pista did not question her mother about it gave Gabriel the impression that his assumption was correct, as Pista¡¯s theory of mind was clearly still developing.


    ¡°I take it Erilur and Risoti are not here yet,¡± stated Nish, glancing around the area. The lobby of the Learning Centre was enormous, easily as big as five football pitches, and vast windows surrounded half the building, allowing the early morning light to shine in.


    Many interactive displays dotted the area, providing games and educational content for the various visitors.


    ¡°No, something tells me Erilur is not one for keeping appointments; I have no idea how she can be a successful phycologist,¡± replied Gabriel, shaking his head. Upon seeing how it moved, Pista grabbed his skull with four arms and began rotating it in place, chirping to herself as she did.


    ¡°I would guess it¡¯s because all her patients come to her,¡± said Nish, looking up at the ceiling. A vast skeletal replica of some enormous ocean creature, the size of the largest whale, hung above them.


    Gabriel chuckled; that was most likely it, and followed her gaze. It was an impressive beast; he wondered if there were any swimming in Minagerad¡¯s oceans. There were numerous ocean tours, both surface and submersible. Gabriel would have to check when he got back to the penthouse.


    Minutes ticked by, and Gabriel¡¯s patience began to wear thin, not just because of the time he was wasting but also the looks he was getting. Erilur¡¯s deduction had been correct; where once he had passed through the city unnoticed, now everyone recognized him, or rather his suit.


    Almost an hour after they had agreed to meet, Erilur and Risoti finally arrived. As the two approached, Erilur¡¯s arm wrapped around Risoti¡¯s shoulder, Gabriel got to his feet, ¡°Forty.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± asked Erilur, looking at Gabriel through her mask.


    ¡°We agreed to meet at forty, and it is now forty-one,¡± he said, his voice flat and his feeling impossible to ascertain.


    ¡°I told you he would be upset,¡± said Risoti, trying her best to hide behind her girlfriend, who was smaller than her.


    ¡°We¡¯re already running late. Let¡¯s get going,¡± said Gabriel, turning on his heels and walking towards the front desk. Erilur was feeling a mix of annoyance and respect. Gabriel had made her feel like she was a naughty little girl being scolded by her father in under ten seconds.


    There was no charge to enter the Learning Centre, but you needed to press a button so administration could track how many people visited the place. The five did as the sign kindly asked and were free to explore.


    There was a linear path set up through the building, and seeing as their tour would not start for a few more hours, they were left to their own devices.


    Entering a large antechamber with several other visitors, Gabriel and the rest stood at the back, and an employee instructed them to wait. Slowly, the room went dark, and Pista took hold of Nish¡¯s and Gabriel¡¯s hands.


    A screen then came to life and displayed images of the planet, mostly of nature, but there were also pictures of the settlements and photos of the sky and stars.


    As the images and video continued to play, a calm, commanding voice was added: "You are about to experience the history of Minagerad. From its beginnings as an idea in one man¡¯s head to the first tentative steps seeding a world with life, to the diverse and beautiful world you see today.¡±


    ¡°Please take your time to explore the Centre, and we hope you enjoy your day; adventure awaits,¡± the voice explained.


    One of the walls was revealed to be a door. As the door panel retracted, they exposed a room that made the antechamber look puny by comparison.


    A vast lattice of floors ran up to the very top of the building, crowned with a domed glass ceiling. Gabriel knew there was far more to the building than he could see. Each floor contained a vast complex of activities for just about every sapient race in the galaxy.


    ¡°Over there!¡± Pista said, pointing at a model of Minagerad; the size of a small car, though it was almost unrecognisable, it was just a world of bare rock and barren oceans.


    A ring of what Gabriel supposed was graphene surrounded the figure and on it was a large green button; Pista pressed it. The same voice from before said, ¡°this is Minagerad, two thousand years ago, back when it was first discovered and called S-32434 (SW-6).¡±


    ¡°Back then, the world that would one day be called Minagerad was a sterile ball orbiting Illohu, the gas giant above your heads right now,¡± they added. ¡°The process of turning the planet into a world with a breathable atmosphere took over one thousand years and involved the seeding of billions of genetically engineered photosynthetic bacteria.¡±


    ¡°As the atmosphere slowly filled with oxygen, more life was added to the moon until a simple but stable biosphere was established,¡± the voice stated.


    ¡°It was at this moment the history of Minagerad could have gone down two paths. Along one road, it was made into another colony for the Cosryl, but Ewolu Notis Tex had another idea. Though extinction rates are normal on worlds home to space-faring people, what if some unavoidable event were to occur, you would need a world that kept examples of hundreds of thousands of different species to repopulate the world.¡±


    ¡°So he approached his government with the proposal, and after years of gruelling campaigning, he got the green light,¡± the voice explained. At that point, Gabriel noticed that the ring around the display was covered in written information, providing more specifics about the whole ordeal.


    Ewolu Notis had argued convincingly that Minagerad would need to be fully independent if it were to serve its intended function, unburdened by political allegiance. So it had been granted the status as an unaligned world on the condition that the populace maintains the populations of animals it was given and, in the event of a catastrophe, be returned to their homeworlds free of charge.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    In 7596, a planetary constitution was written up, and Minagerad was officially born.


    Pista quickly lost interest when she realised the voice was not returning, so she immediately wandered to the next display. This one was an interactive game that said in bright yellow letters, ¡°can you turn Minagerad into a life-bearing world.¡±


    Pista spent several minutes adding random elements to the planet and failing each time; it seemed she had not paid much attention to the previous exhibit. As Pista asked her mother for help, Erilur asked, ¡°are you mad at me?¡±


    Gabriel looked at her and then turned back to watch Nish do all the complex parts for Pista, ¡°no, though I am a little annoyed that you made me wait,¡± he explained.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that long,¡± Erilur pointed out.


    Gabriel nodded; he did concede that in the grand scheme of things, it was not an overwhelming amount of time; even so, Gabriel pointed out, ¡°it was still rude of you; you could have called and said, ¡°hey Gabriel, were gonna be running a little late, so we¡¯ll meet you an hour later.¡±


    Erilur ground her teeth, but he had come to learn that it was the Ponut¡¯Kild¡¯s equivalent of a resigned sigh, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it was my idea.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I thought it was. Apology excepted,¡± replied Gabriel, glancing at Risoti, who was also helping populate the digital Minagerad with life.


    With that spectre dispelled, their day continued, and Gabriel actually found himself enjoying their company. He never disliked any of them, but he had always found he preferred doing things independently. Enjoyable or not, they were still exhausting, and when their guided tour started, he relished the distraction their guide provided.


    They explained the strange biology of an animal that looked like one of those metal wire puzzles brought to life; that was the impossible life you got on a Class 2 (H). Gabriel did find it interesting, but his attention was drawn elsewhere to a large tank partially filled with water.


    Approaching the tank, his suspicions were confirmed; floating on the surface was a large mass of gelatinous material.


    ¡°What is this? Why the hell is a Dreamer locked in this thing like an animal?¡± Gabriel asked, raising his voice, anger bubbling to the surface.


    ***


    ¡°Mr Ratlu, please lower your voice,¡± the tour guide said, trying their best to diffuse the situation.


    ¡°I will not; why is a Dreamer imprisoned in a tank?¡± he demanded, his fist clenching in disgust.


    ¡°Such¡­ Passion¡­ Such¡­ Fire,¡± a synthetic voice called out from the tank; Gabriel turned and saw the Dreamer flashing in bioluminescence. ¡°You¡­ Are¡­ A Shatterer, Aren¡¯t¡­ You,¡± the speaker.


    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Gabriel, looking at the person confined in the tank, ¡°why are you trapped in there?¡± he asked.


    The Dreamer was silent for over a minute, but this was to be expected; their thought patterns were far slower than any other sapient race. If Gabriel looked closely, he could see a dark mass at the centre of its body. This was a highly dense bundle of pseudoneurons that functioned similarly to a brain.


    ¡°I¡­ Was¡­ Invited,¡± the Dreamer replied.


    ¡°I know your people have very delicate requirements but aren¡¯t you mad being in a tank like that?¡± asked Gabriel, his rancour rising once again.


    More silence as the alien¡¯s glacial mind got to work, ¡°I¡­ Do not know¡­ What anger is.¡± Gabriel recalled something about this; The Dreamers had no concept of fear, anger, hate, nor any true desires as any other sapient would understand them.


    ¡°Why are you inside a glass box being gawked at?¡± asked Gabriel.


    ¡°I¡­ Was¡­ Invited,¡± the Dreamer repeated after another lengthy pause.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you insulted, you had the whole of Qorl to drift along, and now you are left with nothing more than a ten-metre box,¡± explained Gabriel, hoping this would get his point across.


    ¡°Gabriel, what exactly is that?¡± asked Nish, pointing towards the Dreamer.


    ¡°They are a Dreamer, the only sapient race to evolve on a Class 1 Habtiableworld,¡± explained Gabriel. ¡°They were known about for centuries since Qorl was first discovered, but it was not until a group of humans set up a research station on the planet that they were identified for the people they were.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± the Dreamer replied, finally answering Gabriel¡¯s question, ¡°I¡­ do not¡­ know¡­ what¡­ an insult¡­ is.¡±


    ¡°Are you satisfied now, Mr Ratllu, we did not kidnap them, and they are free to leave whenever they want,¡± the tour guide said, pleased and not least amazed that the Dreamer had said anything at all, while they knew it could talk, they had never heard it before.


    ¡°Why do you call Gabriel a Shatterer?¡± asked Risoti, finding her courage.


    Another lengthy pause before the Dreamer explained, ¡°They shattered¡­ The veil.¡±


    ¡°What veil?¡± asked Risoti.


    ¡°Of... Ignorance,¡± the Dreamer added after some time.


    Realising that the alien would take far too long to describe the history of first contact, even if it was so inclined, Gabriel felt that the Dreamer was only genuinely interested in him. However, that could be his ego talking.


    ¡°My people let them know they were not alone in the universe. I recall an article about it. I believe one of the Dreamers said it, ¡°created a new sea to drift in,¡± Gabriel explained, accepting that the alien''s response was cryptic to anyone who was not informed.


    ¡°It looks like a massive wad of sick,¡± Pista said, tapping the glass.


    ¡°Pista, don¡¯t be rude,¡± hissed Nish, chastising her daughter for her ignorance and removing her hands from the glass.


    ¡°But it does,¡± stated Pista defending her earlier statement.


    ¡°What is that word Gabriel used for your people? I noticed that you have no voice of your own, so it must have been given to you,¡± asked Erilur, who was both enraptured and a little disturbed by this truly alien person.


    At first, the Dreamer said nothing, and Gabriel wondered if they were ignoring her, but then it replied, and he realised it was preparing for its longest sentence yet. ¡°We¡­ Do Not Sleep¡­ We Are Always Awake¡­ We Dream While We Are Conscious¡­ Hence The Word¡­ Dreamer,¡± explained the Xenos.


    ¡°What¡¯s Kol like?¡± asked Pista, rubbing her face against the Dreamer¡¯s tank and mispronouncing the name of their homeworld.


    Gabriel tried to recall what he could from biology and explained, ¡°Qorl is an ancient world, so old that all geological activity has ended and ended a long time ago. The planet is covered in a massive world-spanning ocean; it orbits a gas giant, which in turn orbits a red dwarf.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t Qorl have frozen over if its carbon cycle has shut down?¡± asked Risoti, she was not well-versed in habitable worlds'' lifespans, but that was one thing she did know.


    ¡°Normally, yes, but the biosphere has taken over from the geology. The planet is also protected from having its atmosphere blown off by the low activity of its star, and the magnetic field of Host, much like Minagerad is,¡± answered Gabriel; he hoped this would be the end of it as that was pretty much all he knew.


    ¡°I thought red dwarfs were very temperamental,¡± said Erilur, recalling a physics lesson from her childhood.


    When Gabriel did not respond, their tour guide chimed in, ¡°normally yes, but this particular one, Esu, I believe it is called, is very well-behaved. It is quite the mystery.¡±


    Gabriel was almost startled when they spoke. He had forgotten they were there at all.


    He did not know their name. Their species only used names with those who were close to them. Asking a Goligres their name was similar to asking a human to strip naked. So the tour guide asked to be called Tour Guide.


    Their biology was far less interesting, looking remarkably like gazelle, minus the horns, standing on their hind legs, and having a close approximation of hands on the forelimbs. Gabriel supposed he had gotten somewhat spoiled by moth people, giant bat women, and tree-like echinoderms.


    ¡°What do you do all day?¡± asked Pista, rubbing her face on the glass.


    The Dreamer did not respond, so Gabriel said, ¡°I am curious as well.¡±


    Eventually, the Dreamer explained, ¡°I¡­ think.¡±


    This lined up with what Gabriel knew about the Dreamers. Qorl was so perfect, so peaceful, so utterly devoid of predators that the life that swam, or more often than not drifted, in its oceans knew no fear, anger or misery. Literally, they were physically incapable of feeling these emotions, or any emotions at all.


    Which is what made the Dreamers so improbable. What possible reason would lead to a lifeform developing sapience in a world where it was completely unnecessary? It was ironic that the habitable worlds were the least likely to produce intelligent life, and yet, despite this, they utterly dominated the known galaxy.


    ¡°Sounds boring,¡± stated Pista, stepping away from the tank and stepping on Gabriel¡¯s feet, attempting to balance on them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they can feel boredom,¡± Gabriel explained as she hung off Gabriel''s arm and swung on her heels.


    ¡°How long do you plan on being here?¡± asked Gabriel.


    ¡°I do not¡­ know¡­ I will remain¡­ for as¡­ long¡­ as the currents¡­ will,¡± explained the Dreamer.


    ***


    There was one thing that Gabriel did not like about his suit, and that was while wearing it, he was forced to consume only liquid meals.


    Sitting in one of five restaurants the Learning Centre possessed, he gazed out at the sky; as it slowly turned a distinct shade of grey, it looked like rain was on the way.


    ¡°Are you sure you two are ok with just that?¡± asked Nish, pointing to Gabriel and Erilur¡¯s drinks.


    ¡°Don¡¯t have a lot of choices, really,¡± replied Erilur, taking a slurp of her meaty broth through a metallic straw. Though it was, in reality, a fairly advanced piece of kit, its inner and outer surface was covered in a particular nanoscopic layer that prevented bacteria and other pathogens from growing and even killed them outright.


    ¡°You could have chosen something other than pureed meat,¡± stated Gabriel, trying his best to stop the sick from climbing up his throat.


    ¡°Like you¡¯re one to talk, you¡¯re drinking liquid morel,¡± retorted Erilur pointing to the bottle of coke that gently fizzed in front of him.


    ¡°Morel?¡± asked Gabriel confused; she had used another Ponut¡¯kild word without providing any context.


    ¡°It¡¯s a recreational drug back on Bosd, perfectly legal, but it can cause some serious problems in the quantity you have,¡± Erilur explained.


    It took a few moments, but he realised what she was referring to, ¡°you mean the caffeine.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you people call it?¡± asked Erilur rhetorically. ¡°And what are the bubbles in aid of?¡± she asked, this time genuinely curious.


    ¡°They burn my tongue,¡± explained Gabriel, taking another gulp of his drink. ¡°Want a sip?¡± he asked, sliding the glass over to Erilur.


    Erilur eyed the beverage and then glanced at Gabriel; it seemed she was seriously considering taking what to her was a drug and poison to most others and in a public space nonetheless. ¡°Just a little taste, like you said, it is perfectly legal,¡± said Gabriel, having fun playing the tempter.


    ¡°You can have a nuggy as well,¡± said Pista offering one of hers to Erilur; it seemed a ground meat lump covered in breadcrumbs or batter was almost universal.


    Erilur¡¯s eye shifted; it was not a grand gesture, but it was definitely there, and Gabriel supposed she was smiling, or at least her equivalent. ¡°Thank you, but I can¡¯t fit them through my mask, see,¡± said Erilur pointing at the port.


    She brought the coke to her mouth and slotted the straw into her mask. There was a faint hiss as any possible contaminants were removed.


    The liquid had barely touched her tongue before she nearly threw the bottle to the ground. As Erilur began hacking, Gabriel said, ¡°Yeh, most people don¡¯t like it at first, but it quickly grows on you.¡± He reclaimed back his drink and took a swig.


    Erilur did the same with her meaty soup as Risoti put her hand on Erilur¡¯s shoulder and asked, ¡°are you ok?¡±


    Erilur coughed and said, ¡°yeah, it doesn¡¯t leave much of an aftertaste, but I¡¯m probably going to be jittery in a few hours.¡± ¡°It tastes like pure sugar,¡± she added, dearly wishing she could wipe her mouth.


    ¡°More or less, just water and sugar,¡± explained Gabriel.


    ¡°Horilitr,¡± said Nish, who had been quiet until now.


    ¡°What?¡± asked Risoti, wondering if this was some new game they were suddenly playing.


    ¡°That¡¯s what my people call it, Horilitr. It¡¯s medicine for my people. They inject it into people''s hearts when they are flatlining,¡± Nish explained, putting her P.D.A down.


    ¡°So many uses,¡± said Gabriel tapping the table, resting his head on his hands. Gabriel saw something move in his periphery, and he almost screamed as Pista put the straw to her lips. Reacting as quickly as he could, Gabriel ripped the bottle from the Tufanda¡¯s grasp.


    ¡°Are you insane? This will melt your insides!¡± Gabriel yelled as he held the bottle in the air and far out of her reach.


    Pista immediately recoiled and hunkered down as low as she was able. Everyone in the restaurant was now looking at Gabriel because of this outburst and feeling the eyes burning into him, he said, ¡°I am sorry I shouted, but you need to be careful. If you had drunk this, you would have ended up in the hospital just like me.¡±


    Pista relaxed as Gabriel sat down, stroked her head and explained, ¡°you need to be careful.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right; that¡¯s twice he¡¯s saved you,¡± said Nish tickling Pista¡¯s antenna with her own.


    ¡°No, it is my fault. I knew it would be toxic to your kind, and Pista is a little girl. It was inevitable that curiosity would get the better of her, especially after I offered it to Erilur,¡± explained Gabriel.


    Everyone was immediately distracted by the roll of thunder. Looking through the large windows, they saw dark clouds on the horizon.


    ¡°I do hope that doesn¡¯t hit before we get back to our apartments,¡± said Nish; her people did not do well with water.

 Chapter 8

    16:42 06/04/2587 ¨C(8734/663/67/69)


    ¡°We can travel through the stars, clone extinct species, forge materials strong enough to withstand cannons, and turn barren worlds into lush paradises. So can someone please tell me why we still can¡¯t predict the weather?¡± Nish said, holding her hands out and feeling the pitter-patter against the exoskeleton.


    Gabriel knew the answer, but even he could tell that her question was rhetorical. What he could not understand was why this was such a problem.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a bit of rain. You must have rain on Yursu,¡± stated Gabriel.


    ¡°True, but we evolved in arid environments; rain was rare,¡± stated Nish, looking at Gabriel.


    ¡°So?¡± asked Gabriel shrugging his shoulders.


    ¡°So, our wings absorb water and weigh us down; it¡¯s not pleasant,¡± explained Nish, making a whistling sound once her sentence was finished.


    ¡°Look, we can¡¯t hang around here all night, waiting for the rain to stop; I haven¡¯t had a proper meal since breakfast,¡± explained Erilur, rubbing her stomach. The rain was of little hindrance to her, but common decency forbade her to simply walk off.


    ¡°Just get a taxi,¡± offered Risoti.


    ¡°At those prices, not likely,¡± replied Nish, and Gabriel could understand that taxis were ruinously overpriced on this planet.


    The bus station was packed, so there would be no shelter while she waited. The same was true for the metro system.


    Scratching his chin, Gabriel said, ¡°my penthouse is just a few blocks away, actually, and most of the way is covered by that.¡± Gabriel pointed to the glass panels that jutted out from the buildings, their purpose being just what they needed; sheltering pedestrians from the weather.


    ¡°Are we even allowed inside your apartment? I don¡¯t mean to sound ungrateful for the offer, but I¡¯m fairly certain that we would get seriously ill in there,¡± said Nish.


    ¡°I was told I could have habitableworlder guests as long as they wore a full face mask,¡± Gabriel explained. ¡°And if not, you can at least stay in the lobby until the rain clears up. I could even bring you some food from the block¡¯s restaurants,¡± he added.


    Nish thought about it for a moment. That did sound much better than freezing their backsides off in this little alcove they had found; Pista was already beginning to shake from the wind.


    ¡°Lead the way,¡± said Nish, gesturing with her hands that she would follow.


    ***


    At times like this, Nish remembered that "most" did not mean "all"; as she dashed from one shelter to the next, the rain was cold against her face, and she shivered as the liquid sunk into her wings. It felt as if she had gained ten kilos, and Nish was forced to lean forward to stop herself from tipping over.


    However, Pista did not have this problem as Gabriel was carrying her. She wasn¡¯t sure how her daughter had convinced him to do this; the drone of the crowd only marginally drowned out the noise of the rain.


    All she was sure of was that for the first time in her life, Nish was slightly jealous of Pista, her wings were so heavy, and she just wanted someone to carry her.


    ¡°There it is,¡± said Gabriel, pointing to the building that, naturally, had no shelter between them and the front door.


    ¡°You ready to run?¡± Gabriel asked Pista.


    Pista looked into what she believed to be Gabriel¡¯s eyes and, bouncing up and down, said, ¡°Yeah, as fast as you can.¡±


    Gabriel chuckled and sprinted for the door. It was quite the sight, seeing someone go from a standing start to tearing down the path, water splashing with each footfall, and Pista giggling wildly all the while.


    As Gabriel and her daughter disappeared into the building, Nish realised she had no choice but to bite the bullet. Charging headlong into the rain, Erilur and Risoti following close behind, Nish was grateful there were no steps between her and the door; the last thing she needed was to slip and break her hip.


    Galloping through the automatic door, Nish buzzed with satisfaction as the rain stopped and warm air from the central heating system washed over her.


    Gabriel and Pista sat on a large sofa; as Nish approached, Gabriel said, ¡°there are some towels on the way.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± said Nish, as water dripped from her wings onto the polished wooden floor, forming puddles beneath her feet.


    ¡°Is that the heaviest rain you¡¯ve ever been in?¡± asked Gabriel.


    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Nish, as she began the futile act of grooming her wings, the downy fur covering her body, and wringing out her clothes.


    ¡°Probably should have worn something a little more casual,¡± said Erilur as she shook herself down, it wasn¡¯t something Ponut¡¯Kild did, but she thought it was funny when animals did it, so she gave it a try.


    ¡°I had to; it¡¯s traditional for a Tufanda to dress up for their first outing with someone,¡± replied Nish, wondering who had come up with the custom; it was not practical on a planet with regular rainfall.


    ¡°So your not going to dress up next time? If there is a next time,¡± said Risoti.


    ¡°Nope, you¡¯ve seen me fancy, and that¡¯s the last you¡¯ll ever see; I hate these clothes,¡± responded Nish, annoyed she would probably need to get them to a tailor; Tufanda clothing was not designed for long-term soaking.


    ¡°How did the practice even get started anyway?¡± inquired Risoti, curious as wearing elegant clothing for just one meeting, as opposed to specific events, was a little unusual.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know, never really thought about it,¡± replied Nish halfheartedly, focusing almost entirely on her waterlogged attire.


    ¡°Hot towels,¡± a voice called out, and Nish looked to see a Jorscke¡¯ed pushing a large trolly filled with heated towels.


    ¡°Thank you, Shupp,¡± said Gabriel grabbing one of the more oversized towels and wrapping it around Pista.


    Pista started to chirp, though whether it was from the attention or the warmth, Gabriel could not say.


    ¡°Before you clock off for the week, does the hotel provide masks for penthouse guests?¡± asked Gabriel, who was aware that Shupp was done for the day and had a fun-filled weekend planned, all four days of them.


    ¡°We do, all shapes and sizes, though I must state that if any of you enter the Excelsus Suite, we are not responsible for any diseases you might contract,¡± Shupp replied. Trying to iterate as strongly as she could that while Gabriel might be as gentle as a newborn pihrt, the biological superweapon he carried with him was not.


    Nish and Risoti understood, and though Nish was wary about letting Pista into Gabriel¡¯s room, she knew that as long as they both wore their masks, they would be fine.


    Gabriel waved Shupp goodbye. She was utterly unperturbed by the rain, not only because she always brought an umbrella and poncho to work for just such an occurrence. It was also because Shupp rather enjoyed the rain, especially the relaxing noise it made against her hood; it made her feel so snug.


    As the quintet took the lift to Gabriel''s floor, he felt the need to start a conversation and stated, ¡°it is rather embarrassing, but I thought Shupp was male when I first met her.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about. I thought Erilur was a man when I first met her,¡± said Risoti, ¡°she¡¯s just so masculine,¡± she added, her eyes taking on a dreamlike quality.


    ¡°I take that as a compliment,¡± stated Erilur, who reminded herself that Risoti was an Etulana and therefore had different standards.


    Once they reached their floor and stepped into the hallway, Nish asked, ¡°do you have a neighbour?¡± pointing to the two doors on the floor.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± replied Gabriel with a shrug as he approached his penthouse.


    ¡°You mean there¡¯s been another penthouse on this floor, and you never bothered to knock?¡± she inquired, finding that to be a highly antisocial thing to do.


    ¡°Nope, and I don¡¯t intend to either,¡± stated Gabriel as he ran his keycard over the lock and gestured for everyone to follow.


    ¡°There¡¯s no decontamination to get in, my microbiome will make short work of any native pathogens, but it will take ten minutes in here before you can leave,¡± Gabriel explained as one chamber door closed and the next opened.


    Gabriel stepped into his room and immediately felt the gravity increase; as it did, he realised instantly what would happen.


    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± he cried, but it was too late. Nish stepped through the threshold and was immediately brought to the ground, incapable of supporting herself even on her hands and knees. Erilur was on point and immediately grabbed Pista before she could reach her mother¡¯s side and suffer the inevitable consequences.


    As Nish cried out in pain, Gabriel wasted no time running to the gravity controls and lowering them so much that the room was almost 0g.


    Nish sighed in relief, and Gabriel helped her to her feet. He also checked the seal on her mask, and despite how much Pista protested, Erilur did not let go until Gabriel nodded.


    Running to her mother, Nish held her buzzing daughter in her arms and said, ¡°you evolved to tolerate that!¡±


    ¡°No, the gravity of this room was set to ten per cent higher than Earth¡¯s; to compensate for the microgravity when I am outside,¡± Gabriel explained, kicking himself on the inside. She could have gotten seriously hurt because he was too much of an airhead to remember that Earth was harsher than most other worlds. Hell, he had nearly done the same to Shupp; he was such an idiot.


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± said Gabriel, not knowing any other way to make it better.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t be; this is your penthouse. I should have realised the gravity would have been higher than I could handle; I knew Earth was nothing like Yursu, and yet I acted like it was,¡± replied Nish, it would have taken her five seconds to explain this, but she had been so anxious to sit down she had completely ignored the fact.


    ¡°So you¡¯re ok?¡± asked Erilur.


    Nish confirmed that she was, and Erilur immediately ripped off her mask and said, ¡°good.¡± She rubbed her face and snapped her jaws, ¡°that feels so much better,¡± she added, making a deep bellowing sound with her throat.


    ¡°And zero-g,¡± Erilur stated, leaping high into the air, all the way to the ceiling five meters above her head, and gracefully falling back to the ground, ¡°you sure know how to treat a girl.¡±


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± responded Gabriel. ¡°I¡¯m going to get changed; help yourself to anything in the fridge and whatnot,¡± he added, retreating into his bedroom.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re ok without the mask? Bosd is not as bad as Earth,¡± Risoti asked.


    Erilur could not be bothered to correct her use of words; bad was a subjective term. ¡°As long as Gabriel hasn¡¯t got cholera or anything, I¡¯ll be fine,¡± she explained, rubbing Rositi¡¯s shoulders for emphasis.


    ¡°Wait, he said he was going to get changed,¡± Risoti said, looking at the door Gabriel had vanished behind.


    Everyone else looked at the door, and Erilur said, ¡°I guess that means we''re going to see what he really looks like.¡±


    ***


    Erilur had done just as Gabriel had said and rummaged around in his refrigerator, it was depressingly barren, but she was able to find some cold cuts to dampen her hunger.


    ¡°He¡¯s taking a long time,¡± said Risoti, who had taken to just staring at the door.


    ¡°He¡¯s probably in the shower; I imagine that suit gets pretty sweaty,¡± explained Erilur.


    ¡°What¡¯s sweaty?¡± asked Pista, happily flying around the room. The gravity had been adjusted to slightly lower than Yursu''s standard, which gave Pista the freedom to fly as much as she wanted.


    Despite the wings and the lean build, Tufanda were not meant for long-distance flight. It had evolved to aid in navigating the cliffs and canyons they had called home back before developing a true civilization.


    ¡°It¡¯s water. Certain species let out through their skin to help cool them down. I can do it, too; I have sweat glands underneath my chin, although they are severely atrophied and not much use,¡± answered Erilur as she munched on the salted meat.


    Pista wasn¡¯t listening; she had gotten bored after Erilur had said water. She was currently crawling along the ceiling, which Erulir thought was pretty creepy.


    ¡°If the rain keeps up like this, we¡¯ll be sleeping here,¡± said Nish as she gazed out of the window, the rain hammering down against the pane.


    ¡°Yay!¡± yelled Pista dropping from the ceiling and onto Nish¡¯s back.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be saying that if you have to sleep in that thing,¡± stated Nish, tapping her face mask. ¡°And there''s no rack here to sleep on; you¡¯ll have to lie down,¡± she added


    ¡°Don¡¯t care, sleepover,¡± Pista replied, taking to the air once again.


    Nish was far less thrilled about stopping the night, even if Gabriel would allow it. She believed he would if push came to shove, but he would not be happy about it.


    There was a click, and the door to Gabriel¡¯s bedroom opened, and he stepped out.


    It was an odd feeling to have someone you had known for days suddenly look completely different. His hair was damp, meaning Erilur had been right; he had been in the shower.


    He had hair, which Nish had not known five seconds ago.


    Pista dropped down onto Gabriel¡¯s shoulders and, looking directly into Gabriel¡¯s eyes, said, ¡°you look weird.¡±


    ¡°Right back at ya,¡± he replied and walked unburdened to the table where he left his P.D.A.


    ¡°What do you want for tea?¡± Gabriel asked Erilur.


    ¡°Can you afford it?¡± Erilur asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to; all meals were included in my holiday package,¡± he explained.


    ¡°You really did splurge for everything, didn¡¯t you,¡± said Erilur, scratching her snout. After taking some time to think, she answered, ¡°A resun steaks, boiled molr and a cup of tur if they have it.¡±


    Gabriel put the call through and connected to the kitchens. Rapping his fingers against the table, someone picked up the phone and said, ¡°Shulo kitchens.¡±


    ¡°Hello Yellow, it¡¯s Gabriel; I would like to place an order, please,¡± said Gabriel, and as the chef got ready to take it, a thought occurred, ¡°Eriliur can I borrow you¡¯re P.D.A. please?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Why?¡± she asked, picking pieces of meat from her teeth with her claws.


    ¡°Because I¡¯m on the phone, my laptop is in my bedroom and turned off,¡± he explained.


    Erilur shrugged, pulled her P.D.A. out and slid it across the table. As he gave their orders, Gabriel found what he was looking for, ¡°Pista, Do you want a deathworlder drink?¡± he asked the girl who was still on his shoulders and currently hugging his head.


    ¡°Really! You won¡¯t get mad this time?¡± she asked, bouncing up and down.


    ¡°No, if you stop using my head as a bouncy castle,¡± he replied; Pista¡¯s attachment was cute, but it was beginning to wear thin.


    Gabriel looked at Nish, who was taken aback for a moment as his eyes met hers. It was unnerving, but she was unsure why; she found it almost impossible to read his intentions.


    Nish had read that most human nonverbal expression was carried through the face, which gave her a severe handicap. Tufanda had solid faces that did not move, only the lips were mobile, and their only use was to keep food and water in their mouth when they chewed.


    When she did not respond, Gabriel asked, ¡°Can she have it, I¡¯ve checked, and the drink I have in mind is non-toxic.¡± He waved Erilur¡¯s P.D.A. for emphasise.


    Nish glanced at her overeager daughter and had to make a decision. She was cautious; no matter how unscientific the term might have been, death worlds had earned their moniker for a reason.


    On the other hand, Gabriel had looked it up, and if some scientist had tested it and said it was fine, then was there any reason she should refuse?


    ¡°Order some Iseri as well, just in case she doesn¡¯t like it,¡± Nish concluded, watching Pista finally get the hint and climb off Gabriel.


    They waited patiently for their meals while Pista resumed her flying. She was very good at it, and Gabriel could not help but admire her energy.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like the rain will clear up until early morning at best,¡± Risoti said, checking the forecast on her P.D.A.


    Gabriel rubbed his eyes and said, with some reluctance, ¡°If¡­ you don¡¯t consider it offensive or something, you lot can stay here the night.¡±


    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t want to impose,¡± said Nish, though, deep down, she did not want to go out in that weather.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Gabriel said with a sigh, ¡°you and Pista can sleep in my bed. I will sleep on the sofa,¡± he added, gazing at the dumbwaiter, thinking his mood would improve once he had a meal in his stomach.


    ***


    Pista was still nursing her blackcurrant juice, though juice might have been a strong word considering it was about 95% water. She loved it, though, and refused the other drink Gabriel had ordered. Even Nish reminding her that Gabriel had gotten it for her had not changed the Tufanda¡¯s mind.


    Gabriel had drunk the iseri; instead, he had been told the beverage was made from a plant extract, and though the taste left a lot to be desired, sort of like light-sweetened cream, the texture was nice. Gabriel had made a mental note to order it for himself at some point.


    Pista was not so distracted by her new favourite drink to put a crimp in her curiosity or precociousness. At the moment, she was poking Gabriel¡¯s belly with one of her fingers.


    ¡°He¡¯s very squishy, like a modly grub,¡± she said. Gabriel could not deny that he was out of shape and could afford to lose a few pounds.


    As she continued to poke, she accidentally jabbed his belly button, and Gabriel squirmed slightly. Pista did not notice, though, because the moment she did so, she looked at her mother and said, ¡°Gabriel¡¯s a girl, mommy.¡±


    ¡°What!¡± everyone cried, their eyes darting between her and Gabriel.


    ¡°I am not a woman,¡± Gabriel reassured, scratching his face.


    ¡°You have a girl part right there,¡± Pista stated, pointing to his stomach once more.


    This time Gabriel stopped her from jabbing him once more in the gut. Unfortunately, when he did that, Pista attempted to lift her dress to show him hers.


    ¡°What the heck is wrong with you? You can¡¯t do that,¡± Nish said, grabbing hold of three of her daughter¡¯s arms. ¡°He¡¯s got one too,¡± Pista reiterated, not sure what everyone''s deal was.


    ¡°Is she decent?¡± asked Gabriel, who had turned his head and closed his eyes to avoid the incident.


    ¡°Yes, I stopped her, and she won¡¯t do it again,¡± Nish replied, staring directly into her daughter¡¯s eyes, ¡°Right?¡±


    Pista clicked her tongue to let her mother know that she got the message loud and clear before saying again, ¡°Gabriel got a girl part.¡±


    Gabriel sighed before explaining, ¡°it¡¯s my belly button.¡±


    ¡°Bellybutton?¡± asked Risoti. That was a strange name for a body part; she had a brief image of Gabriel putting his skin on like a jumpsuit. Then immediately shook it from her mind because it was gross.


    ¡°It¡¯s a scar from when I was born; every human had one,¡± said Gabriel.


    ¡°You get scarred the moment you¡¯re born!¡± Nish said in horror, with Risoti sharing the same sentiment. On the other hand, Pista began rubbing Gabriel¡¯s stomach saying, ¡°ouchy go away.¡±


    ¡°It from the umbilical cord, it attached me to my¡­ mother¡¯s body, allowing me to share her oxygen and nutrients and whatnot,¡± he explained. ¡°It¡¯s designed to fall off a day or so after a human is born,¡± he added.


    ¡°How are you lot born, by the way?¡± he asked; they had grilled him on human reproduction, so now it was his turn.


    ¡°Eggs, really big eggs,¡± Risoti replied, holding out her hands, showing they were about the size of a football.


    ¡°Same as you, except we absorb it all before we¡¯re booted out,¡± said Erilur, tapping her stomach.


    ¡°A soft egg that spends some time inside before we lay it, and the baby is put in a pouch here,¡± answered Nish, pointing to her chest.


    ¡°Informative,¡± stated Gabriel.


    ¡°So you¡¯re really not a girl?¡± asked Pista, looking at Gabriel''s stomach.


    ¡°No, I am not a girl,¡± Gabriel reiterated, patting her head.


    ¡°So, where are your boy parts?¡± she asked, her eyes shifting as she tried to guess where they were.


    ¡°Never you mind,¡± stated Gabriel.


    ***


    ¡°Finally asleep,¡± Nish said, exiting Gabriel''s bedroom and sitting back down on the sofa.


    ¡°I suppose I can understand where she¡¯s coming from; it¡¯s still light out,¡± Risoti said, glancing out the window; the rain had lessened but was coming down consistently. Pista had been adamant about staying up, despite her head drooping frequently.


    ¡°Pity too; watching Gabriel and the girl was like viewing a soap opera,¡± Erilur said with a smirk.


    ¡°Ahh,¡± Gabriel said before looking at Nish, ¡°I completely forgot. Did you get an email from the mayor¡¯s office as well?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I forgot to ask you about it as well,¡± replied Nish with a trill. ¡°What were you planning to do about it?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Honestly, my first instinct is to ignore it; I¡¯ve had enough excitement for one lifetime,¡± answered Gabriel.


    ¡°But,¡± said Erilur.


    ¡°But something in my gut tells me that ignoring it will just make more problems further down the line,¡± Gabriel added.


    ¡°What did the email actually say?¡± asked Erilur. Rather than tell her, Gabriel loaded up his account and passed his P.D.A to her.


    Erilur read through the message before saying, ¡°Just call us so we can arrange an appointment.¡±


    ¡°You could always email the mayor¡¯s office and ask why they want to see you,¡± said Risoti as she reclined on the sofa.


    Gabriel immediately placed his head in his hands and said, ¡°I¡¯m such an idiot.¡±


    Glancing over at Nish, it seemed she thought much the same about herself.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it tomorrow morning; my day¡¯s been busy enough as is,¡± Gabriel mumbled, following Risoti¡¯s lead and letting the sofa take all of his weight.


    The group was silent; everyone listened to the rain and the faint noise of thunder.


    ¡°Gabriel, what exactly do you do?¡± asked Risoti.


    ¡°At a lot of things, breathing, eating, sleeping¡­.¡± Gabriel replied and would have gone on, but Risoti cut him off.


    ¡°No, I mean, what is your profession?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Gardener,¡± replied Gabriel.


    ¡°You¡¯re a gardener?¡± questioned Erilur, the disbelief in her voice easily crossing the species barrier.


    ¡°Why do you find that so hard to believe?¡± Gabriel asked in turn, he was a difficult man to insult, but he found this stung.


    ¡°No reason, really, just¡­.¡± Erilur waved her hands before dropping the sentence.


    ¡°I see¡­ Since we¡¯re diving into each others¡¯ lives, what about you, Risoti?¡± asked Gabriel, his annoyance vanishing as quickly as it had come.


    ¡°I am a teacher¡¯s assistant, working with primary school students,¡± Risoti explained, draining the last of her drink, and sincerely wishing she was in a regular apartment where she could get a refill in a minute.


    Gabriel skipped Erilur, as he already knew what she did for a living, and turned his attention to Nish. ¡°I am a Cultural xenopologist, specialing in the myths of sapient races; I work as the assistant head of the xenopology department at Tusreshin University. It is the fifth most prestigious university on Yursu¡±, she explained, and Gabriel could not help but note the unmistakable pride she had when telling them.


    Xenopolgy was essential Anthropology but concerning all known sapient races rather than just humans.


    Everyone went silent as the information sunk in; Nish began to get jittery when Erilur broke the quiet and said, ¡°someone¡¯s been holding out on us.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go that far; it just never came up,¡± Nish retorted, rapping her fingers against her cup.


    ¡°What are you studying at the moment?¡± asked Gabriel, his interest had been piqued.


    ¡°I¡¯m currently on my fifth project,¡± Nish explained.


    ¡°Fifth?¡± inquired Gabriel, uncertain as to what a project was other than the obvious.


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± said Nish. ¡°University projects are ten-year studies on a specific subject, I am currently on my fifth, and once I have completed it, I can begin my doctoral dissertation,¡± she explained.


    ¡°You have to work for fifty years just to get a doctorate? No, just to begin your doctorate,¡± said Gabriel. That was a rather long time, to his mind.


    ¡°No, before starting your first project, you must do five years of general study and lecture in your position,¡± answered Nish. Then she realised what Gabriel was getting at and added, ¡°Tufanda live longer than humans, fifty years for us is probably like ten for you.¡±


    ¡°I see, so back to my first question; what are you working on now?¡± asked Gabriel, resting his head on his hand.


    ¡°I decided to do something a little closer to home; my project this time is the myths and legends of the Resulcren civilisation; it emerged about five thousand years ago, lasted for roughly seven hundred and then faded,¡± Nish explained.


    ¡°There is very little we know about them, so I will resume planning the dig when I get back home. We¡¯re working with the archaeology department on this one,¡± she added.


    ¡°But what do you know about them?¡± asked Gabriel, whose interest was no longer piqued but burning.


    ¡°From what we can tell, they believed in a quintet pantheon, five major gods with lesser beings, called Resuniy,¡± she replied. ¡°Resun, being the Resulcren word for Tufanda and the iy we believe means guardian or watcher, it''s one of the loopholes we hope to close on the digs.¡±


    ¡°The Resuniys¡¯ job was to monitor mortals and report back to their masters?¡± asked Gabriel.


    ¡°One of their jobs, a subset of Resuniy called Hosubet, acted as psychopomps, bringing the souls of the dead to their mistress, Frecol Esuniuo, goddess of the dead,¡± said Nish with much relish. It was rare to find someone who found her work as enjoyable as she did.


    ¡°Unfortunately, we don¡¯t know more. We know the name of one of the other goddesses, Ishe Ilonu, but we have no idea what she was the goddess of,¡± she added before taking a sip from her drink, only to find that it was all gone.


    Erilur might have been silent throughout the conversation, but she watched it all with interest. Gabriel kept asking more and more questions, and it was evident that he was not just feigning interest.


    What¡¯s more, this was the most he had ever come out of his shell since they had met. Even their lengthy conversations in the hospital had been formal and a way for him to pass the time.


    Nish, in turn, seemed to have a more than surface-level fascination with plants, asking more than a few questions about Gabriel''s job.


    Personally, Erulur found Gabriel to be a fascinating subject, and she found it challenging to turn off the psychologist when he was around. If he had been a Ponut¡¯kild, she would describe him as hyposocial, with moderate depression and a mild obsessive-compulsive disorder.


    However, Gabriel wasn¡¯t a Pount¡¯kild, and she struggled to put him in any boxes she knew of. It seemed she now had a little project of her own, figuring out just what made Gabriel tick.

 Chapter 9

    07:13 07/04/2587 ¨C(8734/664/27/56)


    Nish tried to rub her eyes but was prevented from doing so. At first, panic set in, and she quickly awoke, only to remember that she was still wearing the mask from the night before.


    It had been difficult to fall asleep, but in doing so, she gained just a bit more appreciation for what Gabriel and Erilur had to endure.


    Pista was gone; the little Jokun must have gotten up early to go and bother Gabriel. Nish was just grateful that her sundress was also gone, which meant she had remembered and felt the need to get dressed.


    Despite the discomfort of the mask, Nish found the bed to be excellent, and once she had fallen asleep, she slept like a baby.


    Nish scooted the edge and stretched, her wings reaching their full glory and relaxed. Part of her just wanted to go back to bed and spend the next hour or so waking up properly, but Nish was hungry, and she needed to find her daughter. If for no other reason than to stop Pista¡¯s childish antics from getting out of hand.


    It was a little more cumbersome for Nish to get dressed than her daughter; her wings made it tricky to tie up and zip the articles she wore. ¡°I really wish I could go back in time, meet the person who came up with this stupid tradition and break their wings,¡± Nish grumbled until she was finally presentable.


    Entering the kitchen/living room, Nish was greeted not by her daughter driving the others up the wall but by Erilur and Risoti talking at the table. At the same time, Pista sat quietly on Gabriel¡¯s lap as they watched a nature documentary on television.


    Gabriel¡¯s heard the door open and close, looked at Nish and said, ¡°sleeping beauty''s finally awake.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Nish spurted out, blindsided by the compliment.


    Gabriel shook his head before explaining, ¡°It¡¯s a fairy tale. A princess was cursed to sleep for a long time. What I meant was that you were the last one up.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes, I see,¡± Nish replied; the comment had just been a turn of phrase that did not translate well into basic.


    ¡°Morning mummy,¡± Pista said, her eyes lighting up at seeing her mother up and about, or maybe it was the drink she was sipping on.


    ¡°I worry I might have gotten her addicted,¡± said Gabriel before turning to the television screen.


    Nish also looked at what could hold Pista¡¯s attention for more than five seconds. The show was occupied by a fuzzy quadrupedal animal hanging from a tree. It was a placid-looking thing, dangling from the branches, moving at an impossibly slow pace and half-heartedly nibbling on a leaf.


    It was then a human, covered in clothes, no masks or suits, stood before the animal. It did not flinch, scream or holler. The strange creature simply took a lazy glance at them and then got right back to doing pretty much nothing.


    The human started to speak in a language Nish did not understand, though much like Gabriel, their voice was melodic. Nish did not need to understand, however, as subtitles in galactic basic were displayed at the bottom of the screen.


    ¡°This remarkable creature is a sloth, and it has adapted to the struggle of life in a most unique way, rather than getting stronger, faster, tougher or smarter. This wondrous and adorable animal has gone down the path of doing as little as possible,¡± the presenter said, showing their teeth and laughing.


    ¡°It¡¯s Earth,¡± Nish whispered.


    ¡°Well done,¡± Gabriel said, ¡°Erilur took nearly twenty minutes to realise that.¡±


    ¡°In my defence, I wasn¡¯t really paying attention,¡± Erilur called out from the table.


    Of all the creatures Nish ever imagined living on Earth, this utterly defenceless creature was not one of them. ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± said Nish, watching the sloth doze in the sun, hanging from a branch and swaying ever so slightly in the breeze.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why I turned subtitles on,¡± Gabriel pointed to the screen.


    ¡°I meant, how can that thing even survive on your world?¡± she asked. Whenever she had thought of Earth, especially in her younger days, she had imagined vicious predators, powerful herbivores and swift and deadly ariel hunters, not these dopey creatures.


    Gabriel looked at her dead in the eyes with an intensity that was a little unsettling. ¡°Sloths are remarkably well adapted for their environments; they are well camouflaged due to the symbiotic algae covering their bodies,¡± he explained.


    ¡°They need very little food; they seldom need to return to the ground, there are predators in the Amazon, and the sloth not only survives but thrives,¡± he added.


    ¡°Earth is a world of extremes, all extremes, not just the powerful and vicious,¡± Gabriel finished, turning his attention back to the screen.


    ¡°Honestly, the way some of you people talk, you¡¯d think we were under assault by fire-breathing, poison-spewing super plagues 100/100,¡± Erilur stated, chewing on a snack. Which Gabriel only just realised meant she had gotten it using his credentials to order it from the kitchens.


    Gabriel might have said something about this violation of his privacy if he were a more confrontational man. ¡°Be nice,¡± Risoti said, gently slapping the back of Erilur¡¯s hand.


    Pista buzzed and hid her face in Gabriel¡¯s chest; the documentary had switched to a bird of prey attempting to hunt the sloth. He had watched this show before and knew that the sloth survived, although the sloth was probably long dead, considering the episode was over twenty years old.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, see, Mr sloth made it,¡± Gabriel said, pointing at the animal casually poking its head out from the leaves.


    Pista did not look back but not because she was scared; instead, she had found something else to interest her.


    Reaching into Gabriel¡¯s top, at first, he thought she was attempting to jab his belly button again. Instead, Pista¡¯s hand clamped around a metal object, and she carefully removed it to find a locket attached to Gabriel¡¯s neck by a chain.


    Pista examined the object; it was silver, plain and pretty heavy, considering it was so small. She found a latch and tried her best to open it. Though her fingers were nimble, she lacked the nails which would allow for quick and easy opening, and after a few minutes, Pista gave up.


    ¡°What¡¯s in it?¡± she asked, still holding onto the locket.


    ¡°Pictures,¡± replied Gabriel.


    ¡°Of what?¡± asked Pista.


    Gabriel hesitated for a moment; something Erilur noted, ¡°of me¡­ and my sister.¡±


    ¡°You have a sister?¡± Pista asked excitedly, ¡°I want a sister,¡± she trilled joyfully.


    Gabriel smiled weakly as Pista asked, ¡°what¡¯s she called?¡±


    ¡°Jariel, her name¡¯s Jariel; we were named after angels,¡± Gabriel explained after a brief pause.


    ¡°What''s an engel?¡± asked Pista, finally letting go of the locket. In response, Gabriel quickly tucked it back beneath his shirt.


    ¡°Some humans believe in a being called God, and God has servants called angels, people made out of light,¡± Gabriel explained. Trying to keep his explanation as simple as possible, not just because he had little interest in the topic but also because Pista was a kid. He doubted she was interested in the distinction between archangels and seraphim.


    Wanting to change the topic, Gabriel decided to ask Pista, ¡°what about you, Pista? Any family you want to tell me about?¡±


    Pista looked directly into Gabriel¡¯s eyes and brushed her antennae through his hair before saying, ¡°mummy says not to talk about the sperm donor.¡±


    Risoti resisted spraying her drink inside her mask while Erilur nearly choked. Even Gabriel, not one for overt reactions, leaned back and wondered if he had heard what he had just heard.


    ¡°Pista!¡± Nish called out.


    ¡°You do!¡± Pista replied, unsure what she had done wrong.


    Gabriel, Risoti, and Erilur were all staring at Nish, and she shrunk under the gaze, her antennae drooped, and her wings were pressed hard against her back.


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    ¡°I take it there¡¯s a story there,¡± said Erilur once she had gotten control of her spluttering.


    ¡°Not really,¡± replied Nish with a nonchalance that made Gabriel believe her.


    ¡°Did he leave you?¡± asked Risoti, eager for some gossip.


    Nish did not reply. Was she embarrassed? Risoti wanted the story, but not if it made Nish too uncomfortable. Then she recalled what had happened during the interview, and Risoti changed her question, ¡°What I mean was, did he end your romantic relationship?¡±


    ¡°No, Tufanda, don¡¯t do monogamy like you lot, well, some do, but I¡¯ve never met any. My cousin told me that her friend¡¯s sister knows someone who¡¯s tried the whole partner-for-life thing,¡± Nish replied, her wings regaining some of their former volume when she realised they were not criticising her parenting style.


    Though she could not fathom why they were so interested in this, it was a minor footnote in her life as far as Nish was concerned. Apart from the fact it gave her Pista, that was irreplaceable.


    ¡°So, why the turn of phrase?¡± asked Erilur, with a wave of her hand, trying to keep the question as diplomatic as she could.


    ¡°Tufanda men may not form a long-term romantic partnership with the women, but they are supposed to help with the child-rearing, financial support, days out with his kid, turning up for school events, etc.,¡± Nish explained.


    ¡°And I take he¡­ did the deed and then scarpered,¡± stated Risoti.


    ¡°Yep, last time I get pulled in by full antennae and deep eye spots,¡± Nish said; even now, she occasionally wondered how she could have been so moronic. The signs were all there after all; personally, she blamed it on mating season hormones, plus she had been young and stupid.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Gabriel said, both regretting what had happened and that they had brought it up.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. We¡¯re better off without him,¡± replied Nish. The was silence for a while as everyone avoided the other''s gaze, apart from Pista, who had regained her interest in the show.


    ¡°Mummy, mummy, look at that!¡± Pista squealed as a manatee chomped vigorously on seagrass. It was undoubtedly a marvellous creature, and Nish found the desire to see Earth for herself building within her; perhaps their next holiday should be more on the extreme side.


    ¡°Lovely, but I¡¯m hungry; I really need some breakfast,¡± Nish said, ¡°and to get this thing off my face.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Gabriel responded and told them of a restaurant on the twentieth floor; the three could visit it while Gabriel and Erilur went to the one that catered to Deathworlders.


    Pista and Risoti were not pleased with being spilt up, though for different reasons. But Gabriel was adamant that this was the most efficient way and comforted them as he still needed to get dressed so they had time to prepare for the unbearable heartbreak.


    They should all use the decontamination room together as it took about ten minutes, and doing it in two goes was going to be annoying.


    ***


    It was funny without the mutual suffering they endured in the hospital, Erilur and Gabriel had very little to talk about. Gabriel supposed that Erilur was pining for her lady love, which might dampen her communication skills, though if this was the case, he had sorely underestimated just how close two people could get in a short amount of time.


    The silence was becoming uncomfortable even for Gabriel, even more so as the was only one other person in the restaurant, so he decided to spark a conversation.


    ¡°Um¡¯ what animal does your bacon stuff come from?¡± Gabriel asked, pushing around his toast.


    Erilur looked up from her meal, and Gabriel got a distinct impression that she was analysing each word he had used. He supposed this was to be expected, her profession required her to understand behaviours and word choice, and he guessed it was hard to turn that switch off.


    ¡°This particular strip, nothing, it¡¯s cloned; the animal it was cloned from was a Berel,¡± Erilur explained. ¡°It¡¯s a medium-sized herbivore, feeds mostly on fast-growing plants, makes them good livestock,¡± she added.


    She paused between bites and put down her fork, ¡°Gabriel, might I ask you a personal question?¡±


    ¡°Depends on the question,¡± Gabriel replied.


    ¡°Right,¡± Erilur said, taking a moment to compose the question. ¡°I¡¯ve noticed that whenever you talk about your family, you¡­ pause briefly. Do you have an explanation for that?¡±


    Gabriel¡¯s eyes locked onto her, and he grabbed his toasted carbohydrate produce from his plate and began to chew. When he swallowed, Gabriel replied, ¡°My family and I have a complicated relationship.¡±


    ¡°Yet you keep a locket with a picture of your sister, literally right next to your heart,¡± stated Erilur.


    ¡°This line of questioning is over,¡± Gabriel stated coldly.


    ¡°None of us saw the picture. Is it even your sister?¡± said Erilur, musing more to herself than Gabriel.


    ¡°This line of questioning is over!¡± Gabriel ordered, as close to shouting as possible without crossing that line.


    Erilur was unperturbed by the anger; she had seen enough of it in her profession and knew how diffuse the situation. ¡°Very well, I am a professional; however, if you ever have any problems and need to talk, you can call me at any time,¡± Erilur reminded him.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Gabriel reiterated.


    Gabriel¡¯s P.D.A. pipped, and any tension was quickly forgotten. He had received an email from the mayor¡¯s office before it officially opened. ¡°They must be desperate to talk to you,¡± Erilur said, finishing her breakfast.


    Reading through the message, Gabriel said, ¡°they want to discuss compensation for what occurred.¡±


    ¡°Money, are you going to turn that down?¡± Erilur asked, wondering what would win out, greed or introversion.


    ¡°No,¡± Gabriel replied, making the correct choice.


    ***


    ¡°Thank you for meeting me on such short notice,¡± Mayor Posunefri said as Gabriel and Nish sat opposite her.


    ¡°Not a problem, though I would like to keep this brief, I do have a holiday to get back to,¡± Gabriel replied, taking note of the serpentine woman¡¯s distinctive patterning. It was like a mosaic, filled with vibrant reds and oranges.


    ¡°Quite so,¡± Posunefri said, a little taken aback by the bluntness, but at least this meant she would not be here for hours.


    ¡°Firstly, I would like to extend an official apology for what occurred on the 661st, for the trauma you suffered and the injuries you sustained,¡± Posunefri explained, her tongue waggled in the air in a complicated motion that probably had some meaning, but Gabriel had no idea what.


    ¡°We also know words are cheap, so we would also like to offer you sixty thousand credits each, Mr Ratliu, Ms Nish and Ms Pista,¡± Posunefri added as Nish buzzed at the news, and Gabriel leaned back. That was a sizable amount, more than he made in a year.


    ¡°On top of that, we will fully reimburse you for the cost of your stay here,¡± Posunefri stated, and there was even more silence from the two sitting opposite her.


    It was Gabriel who spoke first, ¡°in exchange for signing a waiver refusing to sue.¡±


    Posunefri made a snorting sound, and after a few seconds of composing herself, she said, ¡°I¡­ Yes, that is the gist of it.¡±


    Gabriel supposed that was fair; the whole point of suing would be to get a cash payout, and this way, he would get the money immediately, plus another ten grand for the reimbursement.


    ¡°I¡¯m game, sounds fair,¡± Nish stated, who had no more desire for a lengthy trial than Gabriel.


    ¡°Sure,¡± said Gabriel, as blunt as ever.


    ¡°Good, I¡¯m glad we could agree so quickly; now there are two more things, Mr Ratlu, for your act of heroism, we would like to award you the Tex loop. Also, if possible, we would like to ask your opinion about the security of our facilities,¡± Posunefri explained, feeling much more confident with how this was going.


    ¡°Do I have to?¡± asked Gabriel, a little too much like an annoyed child than he intended.


    ¡°Well, no, we understand that you are a civilian and your expertise in security is¡­.¡± Posunefri said, but Gabriel cut her off and refined his question, ¡°No, I mean do I have to accept the award?¡±


    Posunefri was given pause. As far as she knew, no one had ever refused the honour. ¡°It¡­ is not a legal requirement,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Then no,¡± stated Gabriel.


    ¡°But, you are willing to give us some advice about habitat safety,¡± said Posunefri.


    ¡°I can tell you about what I¡¯ve seen in other, more secure zoos, but I don¡¯t know how much help it will be,¡± Gabriel explained.


    ¡°All we ask is that you tell the staff at the zoo what you¡¯ve seen in more secure facilities; that way, we can get a leg up before the specialists arrive,¡± replied Posunefri.


    ¡°Specialists?¡± asked Nish.


    ¡°The unfortunate events that day have raised serious safety concerns about the zoo. We will perform a comprehensive safety review to prevent anything like this from happening again,¡± explained Posunefri. ¡°Mr Ratlu will not always be there to save someone. We all got incredibly lucky.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Nish explained, unsure what else she should say. Gabriel had expected far more feet dragging. It seemed longer lifespans were not the only advantage habitableworlders possessed. They had more common sense as well, at least in certain fields.


    ¡°When do you want me to perform my inspection?¡± asked Gabriel, he did not want to do it, but if it helped just one person, there was no good reason to refuse.


    ¡°You seem like a man that prefers to get things out of the way, so we can do it within the hour if you would like,¡± Posunefri replied, her tongue twirling in a figure of eight.


    ***


    ¡°Drones, that¡¯s why I jumped in; you have no drones,¡± Gabriel explained, peering over the Vetoru enclosure. It was just the Vetoru enclosure, as Treni the carnedon was still at the vet''s, undergoing close supervision as her jaw healed.


    Gabriel was happy that he had not killed her, though he felt only marginally better knowing that he had possibly crippled her for life.


    ¡°I see,¡± Fesul replied; that would be very expensive, even more so than they had initially planned.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen them used; the main goal is to stop people from getting in, period,¡± said Gabriel. ¡°On that note, I would remove any trees close to the fences; some people can fly, after all,¡± he added, gesturing to the same tree Pista had leapt from days ago.


    There was a rustle from the bushes below, and a familiar head emerged from the foliage. It was the vetoru pack leader; Gabriel knew it was them because of the triangle pattern on its forehead.


    The Vetoru looked up at the fence and hissed when it saw Gabriel. The creature made an alarm call, and the entire pack, or what was left of them, emerged from the undergrowth and began honking, roaring and hissing at Gabriel.


    ¡°They do not like you,¡± Fesul stated bluntly as the Vetoru threat display intensified.


    Gabriel had been right to come here on his own. The last thing Pista or Nish needed was this blunt of a reminder. Gabriel was also relieved that the entire area had been cordoned off. While there was nothing wrong with the exhibit, and it was as secure as it had ever been, the staff had decided that until new and improved measures were put in place, it was best that the public not be allowed access.


    This had a benefit from Gabriel¡¯s perspective; it meant he only had to talk to Fesul, and no one was here to gawk at him.


    Having enough of the beasts¡¯ cries, Gabriel walked away from the enclosure and out of sight. Once he was gone, the Vetoru calmed down, and the noise stopped.


    ¡°It was a remarkable thing you did,¡± Fesul said as he too removed himself from the Vetoru¡¯s sight, though they were not bothered by his presence.


    ¡°So I¡¯ve been told,¡± replied Gabriel as he took a better look at the alien. Feline was a word Gabriel would use to describe Fesul. His face was feline, though he was covered in millions of tiny grain-sized scales rather than skin.


    He had no tail and walked on his knuckles like a gorilla, occasionally rearing on his hind legs to gesture. Gabriel''s leading theory was that he did this to emphasise, similar to hand gestures in humans, the higher he stood, the more serious he was.


    ¡°What happened to the ones I killed?¡± asked Gabriel, that pang of guilt crawling back up again.


    ¡°Vetoru have a complex mourning ritual, we simply left the bodies there, and they did what they did,¡± Fesul explained. ¡°I think they lay sticks on the body and perform a dance. You would need to ask one of the keepers for a play-by-play,¡± he added.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a biological hazard?¡± asked Gabriel.


    ¡°The enclosure is large, and neither vetoru nor carnedons will eat dead members of the same or the other species,¡± replied Fesul.


    That was better than he feared; it was of some comfort to know that the beasts had received a proper send-off.

 Chapter 10

    05:03 11/04/2587 ¨C (8734/665/32/23)


    Gabriel had received a few days to himself after the extended bout with his circle of associates. It had been a relaxing time, but he found himself wanting to spend time with the four again.


    Erilur and Nish had sent several emails asking if he would like to spend the day with them, with Nish explaining more than once that Pista was getting upset. It was a blatant attempt to tug on his heartstrings, and it was working.


    But it was more than simply not wanting to make a child upset. Erilur had just two more weeks left on Minagerad before she would be returning to Bosd, and Gabriel did not want to ignore her until then, so he sent a request to meet at Hofes park and discuss what they should do next.


    He had access to any facility on the planet. Any adventure, ride or experience was covered by his V.I.P. package, which had become free after his act of heroism.


    It would be several hours before anyone responded; he had struggled to sleep last night and decided that an early start might help him fall asleep tonight.


    The news chugged on in the background as he flicked through the internet, looking for any videos that would keep him entertained in the interim.


    ¡°Bored!¡± Gabriel cried out as the loop of recent events replayed on the television for the umpteenth time. More so, as the top story was all about Gabriel and Nish, about their compensation and the reward he had turned down.


    It had not just been an attempt to avoid litigation but also to score some browny points with the public. It all made sense, and Gabriel did not know how he could have been so dull as to miss it.


    ¡°Off,¡± he commanded, too lazy to reach for the remote, and the screen went blank; this early in the morning, it was either this or watching shopping channels, like ¡°dear old dad did,¡± and he wasn''t that pathetic yet.


    Even though the sun was not up yet, and the lights were off, Gabriel could still see. Illohu, much like Luna, reflected the light of its parent star down onto Minagerad, bathing the world in an eerie but beautiful aquamarine glow.


    It was quite a sight; even so, he missed the comparatively small moon, its pure light, and the darkness of Earth¡¯s nights.


    ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought,¡± Gabriel mumbled.


    ***


    Erilur had not been humble when Gabriel had offered to take her anywhere. Her first demand and Gabriel could not help but feel it had been a demand, was the take the two-day boating adventure.


    Since she was a child, one of her fantasies was to be a buccaneer. Unfortunately, she had an aversion to violence, and this was the closest she was likely to get.


    Gabriel had also had his eye on it, though he had planned to take it several months from now, but he supposed there was some benefit to being spontaneous. Risoti was also interested, though it was not the girlish enthusiasm that Erilur had.


    Nish was not a big fan but agreed when Gabriel explained that there was no requirement to touch the water. Pista was just happy to see Gabriel again, she sat on his lap as the train doors closed, and a voice called, ¡°the train will now be departing; please step away from the platform.¡±


    ¡°Never travelled by maglev before,¡± Gabriel said, as electricity flowed through the tracks and the entire vehicle began to float a few centimetres off the ground. Then the train started to move, and they were off.


    ¡°Never?¡± asked Risoti, looking out the window as the platform vanished from view.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really get out much back home,¡± Gabriel replied as he watched the platform and Reshu become smaller and smaller.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to the beach,¡± Pista said for the twentieth time.


    No one replied, but Gabriel did pat her head as the train approached 200mph. It was a remarkably smooth ride, and if Gabriel closed his eyes, it did not feel as though they were moving at all.


    ¡°Out of curiosity, what are you going to do with the fat wad of cash you two were given?¡± asked Erilur, as even at 200mph, it would still be a couple of hours before they reached Opelus Bay.


    ¡°Into my credit union savings account, and not touch it for the next seven decades,¡± replied Gabriel without a moment''s hesitation.


    ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± Erilur exclaimed; she knew Gabriel was milquetoast, but that was something else. ¡°Don¡¯t you have any hobbies?¡± asked Erilur.


    Gabriel shook his head, and Erilur took that for a no, ¡°I like you Erilur, but I am not writing you a check.¡±


    Erilur hissed before saying, ¡°I¡¯m not asking for money; it¡¯s just¡­ saving it is a good idea, but most people would spend at least some of it.¡±


    ¡°I am not most people,¡± said Gabriel, his tone flatter than usual.


    This conversation was going nowhere, and while it did give Erilur a little more insight into how Gabriel thought, it was not as revealing as Erilur would like.


    ¡°What about you Nish?¡± asked Risoti, who, unlike Erilur, felt it made all too much sense to save every penny and found herself envious of Gabriel, wishing she had such fortitude not to splurge like that.


    ¡°Pista share is going into a savings bond; as for me, I¡¯m still thinking about it. I might get a new car or maybe that personal lab I¡¯ve had my eyes on,¡± replied Nish. ¡°Oh, and I¡¯ve extended our stay here by another two weeks,¡± she added.


    ¡°You can just do that?¡± asked Gabriel, surprised because regular F.T.L. communication was limited. You needed to rely on courier ships. So any discourse between Nish and Tusreshin university would take a week at best.


    ¡°Yeah, I hadn¡¯t planned to spend my entire sabbatical here, and I still won''t, but I can extend it; I¡¯ll still have over three hundred days left when I get home,¡± Nish said.


    ¡°What about Pista? How did you get her out of school?¡± asked Erilur, pointing at the girl.


    ¡°She¡¯s on mid-year break; we¡¯ll be back long before she needs to return to school,¡± explained Nish.


    Once prompted, Pista spent much of the journey telling everyone about her friends. While it might not have been the most exciting topic, considering the little Tufanda repeated herself constantly, they had nothing better to do. To Pista¡¯s credit, it did eat up the hours.


    ***


    Stepping off the platform and into the bustling seaside town of Opelus Bay, unlike the city, this place had been designed like an old fishing town. Brick buildings with slate roofs no higher than three stories dotted a large section of the coast.


    Gabriel¡¯s sense of smell was limited in his suit; even so, he could still detect the scent of the ocean. It brought back memories, some of them even good.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get settled into our accommodation, and then we can look around town,¡± Gabriel said, checking his P.D.A. for directions.


    ¡°You got all this booked in under an hour and at such short notice,¡± Risoti said, pushing air through her teeth. She knew Gabriel''s V.I.P status made it possible, and while it was nice to benefit from it, it still seemed unfair to her.


    Gabriel just shrugged; it was of little concern to him. The only people using anything he had booked would be the tourists. The locals could just use their boats, and looking into the harbour, just about every resident owned a boat.


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    Walking along the seafront, he saw several children piloting their own vehicles, completely unsupervised. ¡°Saltwater must run in their blood¡­ or whatever they have running through their bodies,¡± thought Gabriel.


    Opelus Bay was evidently a popular destination, judging by how thick the crowd was. Even more so than Reshu city. Gabriel began to regret his choice and wished he had selected a less popular town.


    What made it all the more difficult was the relative shortness of their group. Risoti was the tallest amongst them, just shy of two metres, and she was dwarfed by the numerous aliens that surrounded them.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Pista?¡± asked Nish when she realised the girl had stopped holding her hand; Gabriel checked his hands and noticed the girl was absent. Everyone stopped in their tracks and began to search the area.


    A task made all the more difficult because of the aforementioned crowd. Gabriel was getting close to shoving people out of the way when Erilur pointed out, ¡°she kept going on about the beach, so maybe she¡¯s there.¡±


    Given a goal, Gabriel headed towards the beach, and the others followed behind; Erilur, Nish and Risoti asked everyone to please move out of the way, saying they were missing a child. Gabriel, on the other hand, was not so gracious.


    While he did not shove or harm anyone, Gabriel would physically make them if they failed to get out of the way. The tourists might have been offended if they were not amazed as this tiny alien moved them effortlessly, even picking some up and placing them elsewhere.


    The beach was crowded, and Gabriel knew this would be difficult.


    ¡°We should split up. If any of us find her, call the others, and we¡¯ll meet up at the dessert shack,¡± Erilur said, pointing at a large building with a large sugar treat with big eyes and a smiley face. It stood out; Gabriel could not fault it on that front.


    ¡°You need to keep your eyes peeled; when they¡¯re separated from their families or carers, kids tend to move about a lot looking for them, so move slowly, scanning everything you see,¡± Risoti explained. ¡°Also, if you have anything that will make you stand out from the crowd, do it. Nish, I think you should flap your wings every so often; that should really stand out to her,¡± she added.


    That was an embarrassing thing to do, but if it helped, Nish would do it. It was decided that Risoti would continue in the direction they were headed on the seafront. Nish and Erilur would walk toward the ocean and then walk in opposite directions. Gabriel would backtrack the way they came.


    ***


    Gabriel was beginning to think that maybe Pista had never gone to the beach; after all, it had been an hour, and he had seen neither hide nor hair of the girl.


    He checked his P.D.A. for a missed call for the fiftieth time, but he heard a familiar noise, that telltale buzzing.


    His head swung wildly from side to side, looking for wherever the sound had come from, and just when Gabriel started to wonder if he had imagined it. There she was, quietly sobbing as three other Tufanda attempted to comfort her.


    Gabriel had to double-check it was her. As much as he hated to admit it, Tufanda had very few differences that the human mind could differentiate.


    After being sure he was right, Gabriel called out, ¡°Pista.¡±


    The girl immediately turned, saw Gabriel and began bounding towards him. Leaping into his arms, much the same way she had done at the hospital, Gabriel said, ¡°you¡¯ve given us quite the scare, young lady.¡±


    Pulling Pista away from him, Gabriel asked as calmly as he could, ¡°What happened? Why did you run off?¡±


    Pista reached into her pocket to produce Erilur¡¯s P.D.A. ¡°She dropped it,¡± Pista explained, a hum in her voice.


    Like Risoti had said, Pista had not sat idle during her first taste of independence. Once Erilur¡¯s P.D.A. had fallen from her pocket, it had been kicked to the beach by some absent-minded tourist.


    Pista had immediately gone after it, and despite a three-metre drop, Pista had used her wings to land on the sand safely. It was after she had looked up at the seafront that the Tufanda had begun to panic.


    She had climbed back up only to find no space to move and returned to the beach. Pista then wandered aimlessly, hoping she would run into her mother, Gabriel, or anyone else she knew.


    It was then that she had bumped into the Tufanda family, biologically predisposed to know when one of their kind was in distress. They had been attempting to get Pista to tell them what was wrong when Gabriel had bumped into them.


    If what Nish had told Gabriel about Tufanda family structure was anything to go by, this was a mother on holiday with her two children. He¡¯d gotten fortunate with this, Pista signs of distress were so subtle that no one else could even tell she had been upset.


    ¡°Thank you for looking after her,¡± Gabriel said as he pulled out his P.D.A. and called the others.


    As the call went through to Nish, the largest of the Tufanda said, ¡°don¡¯t mention it.¡±


    Gabriel could feel the tension release from Nish over the phone. She attempted to barrage Gabriel with questions, but he explained that it would probably be best if they all spoke face-to-face. He also mentioned that it would probably be some wait before Erilur returned.


    He supposed Nish was not thrilled by the suggestion, as she wanted answers now, but accepted it nonetheless.


    ¡°Come on, you, let¡¯s get you back to mummy,¡± Gabriel said, holding out his hand, which Pista happily took.


    Gabriel looked back at the Tufanda family once more and said, ¡°thanks again.¡± After giving a slight bow, he headed straight for the sweetshop Erilur had said was the rendevous point.


    Had Gabriel been paying more attention to the Tufanda family as he left and not on getting ahold of Risoti, he would have heard the youngest say, ¡°that girl¡¯s got the freakiest looking dad I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±


    ***


    Nish groaned before saying, ¡°you did the right thing, but you should have said, ¡°Erilur, you dropped your P.D.A,¡± not just run off on your own.¡±


    ¡°When I looked back up, you were gone,¡± Pista replied, licking the frozen treat Gabriel had bought for her. Or rather, Pista was trying her best; a Tufanda¡¯s tongue was only used to swallow food already in the mouth; it played no part in speech. As a result, it was not very mobile, and Pista placed the entire ice lolly in her mouth, rasped it a few times, and removed it.


    ¡°I hope Erilur¡¯s alright,¡± Risoti said, gazing over the sea of faces hoping to spot just a glimpse of her sweetheart.


    ¡°In this climate and gravity, she could search for days,¡± replied Gabriel, who, despite what he had just said, was also keeping an eye out for the Ponut¡¯Kild.


    ¡°What you all looking at,¡± Erilur almost shouted after gazing at the beach herself for a few seconds. Gabriel nearly leapt out of his skin; she had done it right next to his ear.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Erilur said, chuckling slightly; Gabriel¡¯s panic quickly vanished once he realised he was in no danger, and he realised something, ¡°you know, we both laugh when we find something amusing.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, quite the coinkidink,¡± replied Erilur. Evolution was indeed a lazy thing.


    ¡°That¡¯s not really important, though. I¡¯ve lost my¡­.¡± Erilur said, but Pista offered her the P.D.A she had been keeping safe.


    ¡°You dropped it,¡± Pista explained.


    Erilur took it and said, ¡°thank you.¡± Pista hummed with joy at the praise.


    ***


    Gabriel was enjoying the sunset; it was something magical, even as it was wholely mundane. Nish sat beside him, with Pista quietly napping on top of her. Erilur and Risoti were out, having an impromptu date before tomorrow''s sea voyage.


    ¡°Are sunsets like this on Earth?¡± asked Nish, keeping her voice down so she did not wake her daughter.


    ¡°More or less, though no gas giant is hanging over our heads,¡± replied Gabriel taking a sip from his drink, a weak alcoholic beverage that made a shandy look like hard liquor.


    ¡°It sounds frightening to me, no planet above, keeping your world safe,¡± said Nish, looking up at Illohu.


    ¡°I feel the opposite; having that big world there, I can¡¯t help but feel like it will just swallow Minagerad whole,¡± stated Gabriel, following Nish¡¯s gaze.


    Nish rapped her fingers against her chair¡¯s arm before asking, ¡°Is it difficult being what you are?¡±


    Gabriel looked at her and took a few moments to parse what she was asking, but he came up blank and replied, ¡°I am not sure what you mean.¡±


    ¡°A deathworlder, you constantly seem on edge, always looking over your shoulder. I saw how you reacted when Erilur returned; it looked like you were ready to rip her head off,¡± explained Nish, considering how fluid her question was; she had clearly been thinking about this for a while.


    ¡°Oh, you mean when she startled me,¡± Gabriel said, leaning back in his chair, ¡°happens all the time; loud noises, sudden movements, trigger the reflex.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± asked Nish; she could not fathom why anyone would need such a behaviour.


    ¡°Well, it could be a lion leaping to attack you, or a leopard, or a hyena, an elephant, a hippo, a rhino, a crocodile, a buffalo, a wolf, a bear, a falling tree, a landslide or any number of hazardous animals or events,¡± Gabriel explained. ¡°Any human that did not have the response died.¡±


    ¡°Though I will admit it has lost much of its use now,¡± he added, taking another sip. ¡°On the other hand, I suppose if I ever found myself lost in the wilderness, it would come in handy.¡±


    ¡°So, to answer your question, yes, but no more difficult than it is for you to be a Tufanda,¡± explained Gabriel. ¡°To be honest, I am a little jealous. Just about every human wants to fly.¡±


    Nish trilled; she did not know why but she found it quite funny that a deathworlder was envious of her.


    The two sat in silence as the sun dipped below the horizon, and as it vanished and only the last glow of orange was visible, Nish said, ¡°You know, I¡¯ve never actually sat down and watched the sunset. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯ve waited this long.¡±


    Gabriel had been the one to suggest it, and Nish was glad that he had, ¡°do you often watch the sunset?¡± she asked.


    ¡°At least once a month,¡± Gabriel replied, ¡°I watch it with my sister.¡±


    ¡°You must be very close,¡± said Nish, watching the last glow vanish and night settle on Minagerad.


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve been through a lot, her and me,¡± he explained.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t she come with you?¡± asked Nish absentmindedly, gently stroking Pista¡¯s head.


    ¡°She¡­ could not come, though I believe she wanted to,¡± explained Gabriel, looking into his drink.


    Nish shivered as a cool sea breeze washed over them. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to cut this short, Gabriel before this one catches a cold,¡± Nish said, giving her daughter a gentle squeeze.


    ¡°Not a problem, Nish; good night,¡± Gabriel said.


    Gabriel watched the two leave the balcony, and once they were gone, he looked up at the sky. It was partially cloudy, but Gabriel could spot a few stars.


    ¡°What are you doing? Gabriel, me old fruit bat, you know better than this,¡± he muttered to himself, gently rubbing his locket as best he could through the suit.

 Chapter 11

    08:02 11/04/2587 ¨C(8734/666/29/86)


    ¡°Make sure you keep it on whenever you are on deck,¡± Gabriel said as he fastened Pista¡¯s lifevest; she insisted he did it.


    ¡°What¡¯s on deck?¡± she asked, running her antennae over Gabriel¡¯s suit.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you pay any attention to the captain?¡± Gabriel asked, tapping the girl on the head.


    ¡°They were boring,¡± Pista replied.


    Gabriel sighed, ¡°stay with mommy, me, Erilur or Risoti all the time, don¡¯t lean over the side of the boat, and no flying.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t fly; grabity is too big,¡± Pista replied.


    ¡°Is the young sailor all shipshape?¡± asked Captain P¡¯yo¡¯tala. They were a species of quintapeds from the moon Oalobrereiuntec. Two and a half metres tall at the shoulder, with multi-jointed legs, giving them unusual flexibility for a lifeform with a skeleton.


    The face was birdlike, and their massive beak was strong enough to crush hard nuts and seeds like paper. Despite the avian face, they had no feathers or scales but rather a short and dense covering of soft, velvety fur.


    The first two legs had fingers, while the rear three had hooves, making them adept runners in the hilly terrain their ancestors had called home.


    ¡°About as good as we are ever going to be, though we will probably have to keep an eye on this one,¡± Gabriel replied, patting Pista¡¯s head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m used to rambunctious children; never had a fatality yet,¡± P¡¯yo¡¯tala said, making a complicated motion with their hands.


    ¡°I would certainly hope so,¡± retorted Gabriel.


    ¡°Now, who wants to help me get this vessel out of port?¡± P¡¯yo¡¯tala asked Pista, crouching down to Pista¡¯s level.


    ¡°Hur, Hur,¡± Pista replied, dashing to the helm.


    ¡°No idea what that means,¡± P¡¯yo¡¯tala said before following the young girl.


    ¡°Don¡¯t press anything unless Captain P¡¯yo¡¯tala says so!¡± Nish commanded from the deck.


    ¡°Ok,¡± Pista replied, turning the wheel back and forth.


    P¡¯yo¡¯tala¡¯s boat, Faithful Steed, was a sailboat, forty feet in length; the amenities were functional but limited. The whole purpose of this voyage was to be on the boat itself. They would sail along the coast towards Brectju, spotting local wildlife and getting hands-on with the vessel''s running.


    They were still passengers, though, and any work was entirely optional.


    Gabriel sat down on the deck; the sky was clear, not a cloud in sight; he supposed that was good sailing weather.


    ¡°Are you going to be alright?¡± asked Nish, it was aimed at Gabriel, but the question was also for Erilur.


    ¡°Yeah, we have got a private bathroom, so if I need to get out of the suit, I can always go there,¡± Gabriel replied, as the P¡¯yo¡¯tala unmoored the ship, wrapping the rope around that hook thingy Gabriel did not know the name of.


    ¡°What about you? You seemed less than thrilled about the idea of being at sea,¡± he asked, standing up and watching the harbour mouth. Bordering the northeastern side was a lighthouse; Gabriel could see people standing at the top, watching him just as he watched them.


    He waved at them, and after a few seconds, they waved back, though Gabriel got the distinct impression that they were slightly confused by the gesture.


    ¡°My people don¡¯t do well in the water,¡± Nish replied, getting up herself and waving at the people, though it felt strange to do it as a greeting and not to say sorry.


    ¡°I read somewhere that Tufanda float very well, even with waterlogged wings,¡± Gabriel said, looking at her.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the point, we just float there, like a¡­ Dreamer,¡± Nish explained, using an analogy Gabriel would understand.


    ¡°Pista swam when she was in the enclosure,¡± Gabriel countered, pointing at the girl currently steering the boat, carefully observed at all times by P¡¯yo¡¯tala.


    ¡°I would hardly call that splashing swimming,¡± Nish stated, surprised by how casually she mentioned it. She was recovering well from the stress, though she still got the occasional nightmare.


    On the other hand, Pista refused to sleep alone; it was OK for now, but as she got older, it might present a problem. She would discuss it with Erilur if she got the chance.


    ¡°I can see how that would be distressing,¡± Gabriel replied.


    ¡°Distressing, talk about terrifying; Tufanda are meant to move; a stationary Tufanda is a dead Tufanda,¡± retorted Nish, turning her back to the sea.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Erilur and Risoti anyway?¡± she asked, looking up and down the deck.


    Gabriel repeated the action and said, ¡°Not sure, I have not seen them since we boarded, and P¡¯yo¡¯tala gave us the safety rundown.¡±


    Nish buzzed, ¡°I think I know why she was so keen to be at sea, and it wasn¡¯t to observe the ocean or the wildlife within it.¡±


    Gabriel looked at her but said nothing. ¡°She wanted to join the mile-out club,¡± Nish added, trilling as she did.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t that bloody woman at least wait until nighttime,¡± Gabriel said, shaking his head, ¡°Sometimes I wonder if that¡¯s all she thinks about.¡±


    Returning to the previous line of conversation, Gabriel said, ¡°So, I take it you won¡¯t be joining Risoti, Erilur and me in the swimming portions of the trip.¡±


    ¡°I might dip my toes, but no, you can have all the fun to yourselves,¡± Nish replied, stepping back as an errant wave splashed the side of the boat, sending spray onto the deck.


    ***


    ¡°You could have gotten us a bigger ship,¡± Erilur said, lying on her bunk, in their shared bedroom.


    ¡°This was the largest one my packaged covered; I wasn¡¯t splurging my entire compensation just so you could eat in a custom kitchen,¡± Gabriel replied, eating a premade sandwich P¡¯yo¡¯tala provided.


    Though sandwich was not accurate, considering its materials were not Terran in origin. Still, it was the best fit, and Gabriel was not learning a million names for moderately different foods.


    ¡°You could have told me ahead of time,¡± Erilur protested, hunched over at the foot of her bed, eating a salad.


    ¡°If you had been with us instead of making out with Risoti, you would have known that,¡± Gabriel countered, shaking his head.


    ¡°You¡¯re just jealous,¡± stated Erilur, shovelling more of her meal into her mouth.


    ¡°You are going to choke,¡± Gabriel said, glancing over at her.


    Erilur hissed, but this was not a sign of aggression; instead, it was equivalent to a human rolling their eyes. Gabriel''s prophecy came true, though, a chunk of meat went down the wrong hole, and Erilur began to cough.


    ¡°I told you!¡± Gabriel said, standing behind the Ponut¡¯Kild and slapping her back. Luckily for Erilur, the obstruction was removed quickly, and despite the occasional coughing fit, she recovered.


    ¡°Quite the softy, aren¡¯t ya,¡± said Erilur, clearing her throat. ¡°I guess that¡¯s what Nish likes about you, Pista too,¡± she added.


    ¡°I would hope so; one should always endeavour to be kind,¡± Gabriel said, sitting back down on his bed.


    Erilur hissed again.


    ¡°What?¡± Gabriel asked.


    ¡°Remember when you asked how someone so smart could do something so stupid?¡± asked Erilur pointing at her leg.


    ¡°Yes,¡± stated Gabriel.


    ¡°Well, right back at you,¡± Erilur said.


    ¡°What are you going on about?¡± asked Gabriel. He liked people to be straightforward with their questions and statements, not to beat around the bush.


    ¡°I pretty sure Nish likes you, you know, like likes you,¡± Erilur explained, keeping it as simple as possible.


    Gabriel stared at her for a few moments before replying, ¡°Impossible; remember she told us that Tufanda do not engage in romantic relationships.¡±


    Erilur snorted and said, ¡°No, she said Tufanda males and females rarely partner, and your not a Tufanda male; I think.¡±


    ¡°Look, before we argue back and forth about technicality, let me shoot the whole thing down with one bulletproof point,¡± Gabriel said, folding his arms.


    ¡°Fine, fire away,¡± Erilur replied, taking another bite from her dinner.


    ¡°Let us just run with what you are saying is true. She is a paradiseworlder, and I am a habitableworlder; I cannot even kiss her without her going into anaphylactic shock. So how would any relationship work?¡± Gabriel stated.


    ¡°That¡¯s that thing some species do where you put your lips together,¡± pushing her two index fingers together. ¡°I''m sure you two could find a way,¡± Erilur said, pointing at Gabriel.


    Gabriel sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose before replying, ¡°Erilur, you are reading far too much into it, so just drop it, please.¡±


    Erilur waved her tail from side to side and said, ¡°fine, I¡¯ll drop this conversation, but you can¡¯t deny that you enjoy spending time with her.¡±


    ¡°I never said I didn¡¯t, but that does not automatically make me attracted to her,¡± Gabriel responded. "You are quite the romantic,¡± he added; the atmosphere in the room settled quickly once Erilur stopped pushing.


    ¡°What can I say? I¡¯m just a little princess who wants to meet my knight in shining armour, one with super smooth brow ridges,¡± Erilur replied, holding her tail up and chuckling.


    ¡°And just like that, you ruined it. I am going back onto the deck before you barrage my ears with more filth,¡± Gabriel said, finishing the last of his sandwich, getting into his suit and leaving the room to enjoy a relaxing period in decontamination.


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ***


    Once Erilur was confident that Gabriel could not hear her, she said, ¡°Gabriel, Gabriel, Gabriel, what happened to you? Why don¡¯t you like letting people in?¡±


    Gabriel might have simply been an extremely private person, but Erilur was not so sure; he seemed to genuinely enjoy his days out with them, even if he was the introverted type. If Erilur was reading him right, Gabriel appeared to be trying his hardest not to get attached.


    Not the most unreasonable response, Erilur supposed. There was a good chance they would never see one another after their time on Minagerad. Getting too attached could be painful. Though, judging from the bags under his eyes, there was more to it.


    ***


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s safe just to go swimming in the middle of the ocean?¡± Nish asked, looking at the water and feeling a faint flush of panic over her. She could not see past the waves, and having no knowledge of what was down there, was unnerving.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never had any problems before,¡± P¡¯yo¡¯tala replied, checking the ladder and ensuring it was firmly attached to the boat.


    Pista did not share her mother¡¯s concerns and was already equipped with her life jacket and a ring floaty. The Captian tied the floaty to the boat, as Pista was just as inept at swimming as her mother, and it was best if the girl did not float away with the current.


    ¡°Never been swimming before,¡± Pista trilled excitedly, bouncy up and down.


    ¡°How do you people wash if you don¡¯t like getting wet?¡± asked Risoti, doing some stretching before she took the plunge.


    ¡°Sand and salt baths,¡± Nish replied, once again peering over the edge before immediately looking away.


    Gabriel was standing behind them when he suddenly got the urge to be spontaneous, rare indeed for him. Giving himself a good stretch, Gabriel ran to the side deck and leapt into the ocean, shouting, ¡°CANONBALLLLLLL.¡±


    Pista squealed in delight while Risoti, Nish and P¡¯yo¡¯tala were astounded that someone so small could make a splash that big.


    Erilur gazed out at where Gabriel had made contact with the water. He was under the water for just long enough that Erilur started to grow concerned when he popped up a few metres to the right.


    Gabriel looked at Erilur, noticed her body language, and said, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just, I didn¡¯t know you had it in you; I¡¯m impressed,¡± Erilur replied, raising her eyelids and lifting her tail.


    ¡°Me next,¡± Pista squealed, trying to copy Gabriel, but Nish grabbed her arms and insisted that she take the ladder.


    Pista groaned but knew better than to argue. Gabriel swam towards the ladder to meet her, ¡°Are you sure you can still breathe in that thing?¡± asked Risoti as she took the plunge.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s designed for torrential downpours, not necessarily for salt water, but so long as I don¡¯t spend all day in the ocean, it should be fine,¡± Gabriel explained, holding out his hand. Pista took it and slowly slid into the sea.


    She froze briefly, unsure what to do; this was only the second time she had been in water deeper than her heels. Kicking her legs and feeling the ocean''s resistance, she started to trill and splash happily.


    ¡°Look, mummy! I¡¯m swimming,¡± Pista cried, splashing all the more vigorously.


    ¡°Very good, Pista,¡± Nish replied, it did look fun, and she could not deny a small part of her was curious, but it was overwhelmed by the terror.


    Erilur joined them in the water, and as she slipped into the blue, Gabriel said, ¡°No petting.¡±


    ¡°What do you take us for?¡± asked Erilur.


    ¡°Horny young adults,¡± deadpanned Gabriel.


    ¡°He¡¯s not wrong,¡± Risoti told Erilur.


    Turning away from them, he asked Pista, ¡°Want to go for a ride around the boat?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Pista cried, and Gabriel began pushing her.


    ¡°Was the water why you were so excited to come to the beach?¡± Gabriel asked while Nish watched the whole thing from the boat.


    ¡°Umm, yeah,¡± Pista replied; Gabriel suspected that she had no real reason for her excitement other than that it was new. Kids rarely knew the reasons for their feelings.


    ¡°Just like adults,¡± Gabriel mused.


    After making a complete orbit of the sailship, Gabriel looked up at Nish and asked, ¡°care to join us?¡±


    Nish did not respond; she just repeated her glance into the big blue and immediately looked away.


    ¡°Come on, Mommy,¡± Pista called, splashing with all four arms.


    Nish did not budge, so Gabriel suggested, after recalling Nish¡¯s earlier statement, ¡°you can always sit down on the swim platform and dip your legs.¡±


    That sounded better; keeping most of her body dry was better and made the whole prospect tolerable.


    Nish took a few breaths and very slowly descended the ladder. She could do this; she wanted to do this; that way, Nish could say she had been in the ocean, and all her friends and colleagues would be jealous and impressed.


    She would probably leave out the part that her fourteen-year-old daughter had done it before her without a twinge of fear.


    Once she was halfway down the ladder, Nish froze; all she could think about was how helpless she would be in the water. Evolution had driven an almost instinctive fear of open water. No Tufanda was born with it, but all it took for a phobia to develop was one moderately bad experience, and you never want to go near the ocean, a lake or river again.


    Nish did not know how Pista had escaped the fear once she had fallen into the Vetoru enclosure.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to if you don¡¯t want to,¡± Gabriel reminded her.


    ¡°No, I want to,¡± Nish replied, barely above a whisper.


    Gabriel made a decision and hauled himself onto the stern and held out his hand. After a brief moment of hesitation, Nish took it, and she realised that someone could and would help her if she did fall in.


    While it did not diminish her fear, it did make it more manageable, and Nish finally reached the bottom and sat down, letting her legs dangle over the swim platform.


    ¡°There, not so bad is it,¡± Gabriel said, returning to the water.


    Feeling the warm water lap against her zygodactyl toes, Nish found that deep water was not all bad. She still wasn''t going to look at it or swim in it, though, not a chance.


    Gabriel saw Pista¡¯s safety line become taught, and he pulled her back to the boat. Rather than be disappointed, she trilled and said, ¡°again.¡±


    Thus began Pista''s new favourite game. Gabriel would push her away, and once she reached the maximum extent of the rope, Gabriel would pull her back as hard as he could.


    P¡¯yo¡¯tala watched it all from the helm, ensuring his passengers did not do anything stupid. It was not a significant concern, but you could never be too cautious.


    Checking the time, they realised it was time to log their position with the coast guard. It was a simple safety procedure but vital if anything should go wrong.


    Once they were done, P¡¯yo¡¯tala noticed a dozen objects steadily approaching the boat on the sonar. Checking their laptop, he logged onto Minagerad¡¯s animal tracker. This worldwide system allowed the tourism industry to either find the animals or steer clear of them in the case of more sensitive species.


    Once they realised what was coming, P¡¯yo¡¯tala let out a whinny. They removed a bucket from the cupboard they kept near the steering wheel. With their tool firmly in hand, they approached the deck and said, ¡°We¡¯ve got Re¡¯t¡¯gel on the way.¡±


    Gabriel was intrigued about what a Re¡¯t¡¯gel was, mainly because the T in the middle was pronounced with a click. It sounded so exotic.


    ¡°What¡¯s that? What is it?¡± asked Nish, panic creeping in. She removed her feet from the water and sat as far away from the ocean as she could on the swim deck. ¡°Pista, get out,¡± she told her daughter.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it; they''re harmless,¡± P¡¯yo¡¯tala explained. ¡°Better than harmless, very gentle and helpful, known to rescue people lost a sea,¡± they added, checking that the bucket was full.


    ¡°But what if they bite by accident?¡± Nish countered, tugging on Pista¡¯s safety line, though it was far harder than Gabriel made it seem.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t matter, they¡¯ve got no teeth, and their jaws couldn¡¯t crush paper,¡± P¡¯yo¡¯tala replied, mixing the tiny baitfish and small protein blocks in the bucket. If all went to plan, the tourists would get to feed the animals, swim with them, and P¡¯yo¡¯tala would get a five-star review.


    ¡°Erilur, Risoti, get over here. You¡¯re not gonna want to miss this!¡± P¡¯yo¡¯tala cried, trying to get the two lovers back to the boat.


    They were in their own little world. However, P¡¯yo¡¯tala tried again, but their voice would not carry far enough to notice.


    ¡°Erilur! Get your backsides over here!¡± Gabriel screamed, causing Nish, Pista and P¡¯yo¡¯tala to cover their ears.


    ¡°Coming!¡± Erilur called back.


    ¡°Where did that come from?¡± asked Nish; how by the desert could someone so small make a noise so big? Every day with this man just gave her something new to be in awe of. She was not sure if it was incredible or exhausting.


    Gabriel just shrugged in response; Nish had learned it meant either ignorance or apathy, sometimes a mixture of both.


    ¡°Again,¡± Pista said with a trill.


    Gabriel shook his head and replied, ¡°no, it hurts my throat.¡±


    ¡°What? What¡¯s so important?¡± Risoti asked, bobbing up and down.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got visitors coming,¡± P¡¯yo¡¯tala explained, climbing down the ladder to the swim deck. It was some sight watching a person with five legs move vertically, like a machine moving in a jerky yet precise fashion.


    ¡°And there they are,¡± P¡¯yo¡¯tala added, pointing to a sparkle on the horizon. Gabriel looked; it was hard to tell at first, but the spark grew closer, and he realised that Re¡¯t¡¯gel were leaping from the water, and Gabriel immediately thought of dolphins and porpoise.


    As the shapes became more distinct, it was clear they were no dolphins. Over six metres long and nine metres wide, they were more like giant manta rays, their wings allowing them to glide, however briefly, above the waves.


    Their skin was counter-shaded, a pale cream underneath, while the upper half was a gorgeous light blue with distorted dark stripes running from wingtip to wingtip.


    ¡°They''re approaching very fast,¡± Nish said, edging towards the ladder; Pista, Risoti, and even Erilur and Gabriel were unnerved. Gabriel held onto Pista¡¯s floatation ring, ready to put her on the swim platform if need be.


    He did not doubt P¡¯yo¡¯tala¡¯s claims but an animal as large as that did not have to want to hurt someone to do it. Even Gabriel would need to be careful; these Re¡¯t¡¯gel outweighed him by some margin.


    Once the animals were about twenty metres from the boat, they stopped leaping and sank beneath the surface. Gabriel dove to get a better look; they circled the vessel, steadily getting closer with each rotation.


    It was strange the motion reminded him of sharks while the Re¡¯t¡¯gel themselves were so much like rays that Gabriel''s brain could not decide where it was cute or frightening. One of the beasts broke away from the pod and swam directly at Gabriel.


    Acting more on instinct than rational thought, Gabriel swam to the surface. Only to find that he did not need to; the Re¡¯t¡¯gel positioned itself underneath him and gently pushed him back to the surface.


    Clicks and squeaks erupted from the pod, and they all drew closer. The one that had helped Gabriel surfaced beside him, and Gabriel noticed that it had four eyes, two on the top of its head and two more facing forward.


    It was odd, these animals were not predators, or rather they were not active predators, being filter feeders. So why would they have eyes on the tops of their heads rather than underneath to watch for threats?


    Even in low gravity, no flying creature would be big and strong enough to haul them out of the water. The Re¡¯t¡¯gel seemed to be able to read Gabriel''s mind as the eyes left the body and were now supported on long stalks.


    ¡°Retractable eyes, they can be tucked in for efficient travel and extended when looking for something,¡± Gabriel said as the whale-sized animal started to gum his arm gently.


    ¡°Got it in one; you¡¯re quite the detective Gabriel,¡± P¡¯yo¡¯tala said, throwing a handful of feed into the mouth of one of the animals. ¡°Everyone grab a handful and feed their favourite Torejulk,¡± they added.


    ¡°Our what?¡± asked Erilur.


    ¡°It¡¯s what the Re¡¯t¡¯gel are a type of torejulk,¡± P¡¯yo¡¯tala explained as Pista grabbed some feed from the bucket.


    ¡°Oh, like how a lion is a type of cat,¡± Gabriel said with a nod. He also took some baitfish and placed them into the mouth of the Re¡¯t¡¯gel that had been kind enough to help him. Its maw was filled with what looked like baleen but was far softer.


    ¡°Not sure what a cat or a lion is, but I think I get the principle,¡± Erilur replied, thinking about some of the animals native to Bosd.


    ¡°They¡¯re native to your homeworld, aren¡¯t they?¡± said Nish, inching closer to the water¡¯s edge. All her previous concerns started to melt away as Nish looked into their adorable eyes; she even took some feed and gave it to the smallest of the pod.


    ¡°Another person with a brain in their head,¡± P¡¯yo¡¯tala said, lying down, stroking one of the Re¡¯t¡¯gel¡¯s heads.


    ¡°Got any facts?¡± asked Risoti, a warm fuzzy feeling welling up in her when she learned the Re¡¯t¡¯gel she was feeding loved to be stroked at the base of the eyestalk. It let out a honking click sound, closing its eyelids in joy.


    ¡°They¡¯re invertebrates, got no backbone, though they do have a semi-rigid plate in their torso, sort of like an internal shell,¡± P¡¯yo¡¯tala explained, trying their best to recall all the facts they gave to tourists.


    ¡°Very clever, live in multi-generational pods, led by an alpha male and female who are almost always the eldest, the alpha¡¯s don¡¯t have sole breeding rights. Pods break up when they visit the shallows so they can do some exploring, but they always sleep together,¡± P¡¯yo¡¯tala added, listing off all the facts he knew as quickly as possible and without much flair. It was evident that they would have made for a poor presenter.


    ¡°How long do they live?¡± asked Erilur, who was attempting to edge her way onto one of Re¡¯t¡¯gel¡¯s backs. It was having none of it, though, every time she got close, they would tilt their whole body, and she would slide right off.


    ¡°Don¡¯t pester them; they¡¯re not here to entertain us,¡± Risoti told her girlfriend, slapping her on the back. She then let out a sigh and added, ¡°I¡¯m starting to get tired. Think I¡¯ll join Nish; she¡¯s got the right idea.¡±


    Risoti struggled to climb onto the swim platform; her little foray into the big blue had taken more from her than she realised. The Re¡¯t¡¯gel were quick to act, however, quicker even than Erilur, and with a gentle but firm push, she was back on dry land¡­ sort of.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Risoti said to the animal that had helped her, and the Re¡¯t¡¯gel squealed in response. ¡°Can they understand us?¡± asked Risoti; the answer had been near perfect, if unintelligible.


    ¡°No,¡± replied P¡¯yo¡¯tala, ¡°they''re just used to dealing with people. When you say something to them, they just make noises back, look.¡±


    P¡¯yo¡¯tala then strung some random words together, and just as they said, the Re¡¯t¡¯gel replied with more clicks.


    Gabriel spent much of the day in the water, interacting with their guests, and to his surprise, the Re¡¯t¡¯gel remained long after the food had run out.


    They seemed to enjoy the company of the land dwellers and, considering they were about as intelligent as dolphins, without the psychopathic tendencies. Gabriel guessed it was not unreasonable.


    Only when the sun began to set did Gabriel realise he had been in the water for over six hours. With that realisation came his hunger, and he reluctantly hauled himself from the ocean. As he looked back to the Re¡¯t¡¯gel, who Gabriel could have sworn looked disappointed he was leaving, but perhaps he was anthropomorphising.


    As he climbed the ladder, he realised something else as well. Gabriel had had fun, not just entertainment or interest; he had been genuinely happy for the first time in who knows how long.


    And it disgusted him.

 Chapter 12

    19:41 23/04/2587 ¨C(8734/671/75/12)


    Erilur had wanted to meet Gabriel alone, and wasn¡¯t that a queer notion. She would be leaving tomorrow, and Gabriel was sad about that, more so than he thought he would. Gabriel had returned from a party he and Risoti had organised for Erilur. It was a private but lavish affair, with everyone paying towards it to make it as special for Erilur as possible.


    Erilur had said she would be at his apartment at half-past seven, but the Ponut¡¯kild was fashionably late as always. Gabriel was contemplating whether or not to make himself a drink when the doorbell rang.


    ¡°Just eleven minutes late; she¡¯s on fire today,¡± Gabriel said, pushing the button to unlock the front door.


    She passed through the threshold and removed her mask. ¡°Ah, I do so love being able to move my jaw,¡± Erilur said.


    ¡°Want a drink?¡± asked Gabriel, gesturing to the kitchen.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll have a tea again, please. It grows on you,¡± replied Erilur, ¡°like most human food, now that I think about it, is that your diabolical plan to conquer the galaxy, get us all addicted to your produce.¡±


    Gabriel chuckled and replied, ¡°Uh, yeah, galactic domination is taught right after maths class.¡±


    Erilur wagged her tail, and the pair sat down at the table. Once the drinks were produced, Gabriel asked, ¡°why did you want to meet me in private? I would have thought you wanted to spend your last night with Risoti.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I will be, but there is something I need to do first, and this is my last chance,¡± Erilur replied, taking a sip of her piping hot drink.


    ¡°No cryptic speech please; I¡¯m too tired for it,¡± Gabriel replied, rubbing his eyes. Their party might have been private, but Erilur had a taste for loud music with a lot of bass; he could still feel the beat in his skull if he remembered hard enough.


    Erilur gently slapped her tail against her chair and said, ¡°Very well.¡±


    Rapping her claws against her mug Erilur took the time to compose herself, ¡°you¡¯ve gone through some horrible stuff, haven¡¯t you, Gabriel?¡±


    ¡°My fight with the carnedon was distressing, but¡­.¡± Gabriel tried to say, but Erilur held up her hand, deliberately imitating the human gesture, and Gabriel realised she had done her research.


    ¡°Please, Gabriel, we both know that¡¯s not what I mean. You have an extreme aversion to forming attachments. I can tell because you hardly ever talk about yourself. When you do, it''s always vague,¡± Erilur said, looking directly into his eyes, ¡°and you rarely ask questions about other people.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just a private person,¡± Gabriel replied a little too quickly, and he realised that he had just given away more than he intended.


    ¡°You are, but that¡¯s not the reason. You enjoy spending time with us; I¡¯ve seen you smile more the longer I have known you. Every day you laugh more, you want to get closer to us, ask us questions, know us better, but you¡¯re afraid to do so,¡± countered Erilur, and Gabriel was beginning to feel this was a losing battle.


    ¡°You¡¯re reading too much into it; I¡¯m human. I act differently to Ponut¡¯kild, Tufanada and Etulana,¡± Gabriel said, going for the most potent argument he could think of.


    ¡°Yep, you¡¯re not wrong, but I¡¯ve looked into it, and you are neither a- nor antisocial. This is a response, a defence mechanism, most likely to some past trauma,¡± Erilur explained, her voice calm but authoritative. Gabriel was slowly coming to the understanding that Erilur was a damn good psychologist.


    That word, trauma, struck deep into a wound Gabriel did not realise he had, and he lashed out, though Gabriel being Gabriel, it was far more muted than he intended. ¡°How the hell do you know?¡± he accused; he was getting very close to kicking her out.


    Erilur took a deep breath before replying, ¡°I¡¯m a twin, Gabriel, I have an older brother, only by a few minutes, but still¡­ his name is Tihoyu.¡±


    Gabriel said nothing; he had a sinking feeling he knew where this was going.


    ¡°My big brother and me were inseparable, always did everything together, well almost everything; I went to the bathroom by myself,¡± Erilur said with a chuckle, and Gabriel chuckled back.


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    ¡°Adventures too, explorers at heart, always had one another''s backs,¡± Erilur added; she went quiet for a time, letting herself become absorbed in happy memories.


    ¡°Then, one day, we got too adventurous for our own good,¡± Erilur said, pulling herself out from happier days.


    ¡°We got it into our heads that climbing a pylon would be a good idea, not that we knew what it was at the time,¡± Erilur said; her tail went still, and she held her head, covering her eyes.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to finish the story,¡± Gabriel said, placing his hand on her arm.


    Erilur looked at him and said, ¡°thank you, but I want to.¡± ¡°I say ¡°we¡±, but Tihoyu quickly realised how stupid it was, but I was hopped up on Opedi berries, and I would not listen to him,¡± Erilur added.


    Gabriel waited patiently for Erilur to finish her story, ¡°You can probably guess what happened, I got stuck, and he immediately climbed up to get me. On the way down, I slipped and¡­. He saved my life by¡­.¡±


    Erilur tried to finish the sentence, but even now, after thirty years, she found it impossible, and the smell, it still haunted her, burning meat.


    Gabriel stood up, approached Erilur and hugged her. Gabriel held her for over a minute, Ponut''kild were not one for hugs, but there was something comforting about the warmth his body provided.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Erilur mumbled, patting Gabriel¡¯s shoulder.


    Stepping back, Gabriel said, ¡°I appreciate you telling me that, but I have to ask, why?¡± Raising his hands to emphasise his confusion.


    ¡°You been through something terrible, and I can¡¯t help but think it was even worse for you than for me,¡± Erilur explained as Gabriel sat next to her.


    ¡°The reason I asked to speak with you and told you this was not to tell you what to do; I just want you to know what I experienced and how I was able to cope and move on,¡± Erilur said, returning to her drink.


    ¡°I am coping just fine,¡± Gabriel finally admitted, reaching across the table for his own beverage.


    ¡°Yes, I can¡¯t argue that you are remarkably well adjusted, but that¡¯s just it; you are coping. You''re not moving on from that; you¡¯re not happy,¡± Erilur said, pointing at him.


    ¡°Of course not. Happiness is transitory. If you try to be happy, you will be miserable; trying to be happy is stupid,¡± Gabriel countered.


    ¡°So what should a person try to be?¡± Erilur asked without missing a beat.


    ¡°Content, if you are content, happiness will come on its own,¡± Gabriel explained, using a well-worn speech.


    ¡°An interesting philosophy, and not without merit,¡± Erilur allowed. ¡°But my next question is, are you content? If your life carried on as it has from now until the day you die, would you be fine with that?¡± she asked.


    Gabriel did not respond; he simply stared into his drink, looking at his reflection.


    ¡°My family is what helped me, Gabriel. We all supported one another; it helped us mourn and pick ourselves back up,¡± Erilur said once she realised no response was forthcoming.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have that, did you? I know you¡¯ve lost someone precious to you, the most precious really,¡± Erilur supposed, pointing to Gabriel¡¯s locket, hidden now beneath his shirt.


    ¡°How could you possibly know all this?¡± Gabriel asked; he attempted to be accusatory, but she was hitting too close to home for him to muster much effort.


    ¡°I¡¯m very good at my job Gabriel, what happened to Tihoyu is why I became a psychologist, so I could help people get through what happened to me,¡± Erilur explained.


    ¡°Then it is irrelevant; even if I was willing, you will be gone tomorrow,¡± Gabriel said, downing the last of his drink.


    Erilur took his hands and held them, ¡°Look, I know I said I was not going to give you advice, but here¡¯s some anyway; myself, Risoti, Nish, and especially Pista love you; if you let them in, they can help you.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell them or me what happened, and I can tell you¡¯ve built a wall around yourself, and you¡¯re not ready to tear it down, but when you are, they and I will be ready to listen,¡± Erilur explained.


    ¡°We¡¯ve only known each other for three weeks,¡± Gabriel said.


    ¡°Irrelevant; it doesn¡¯t matter how long you¡¯ve known someone; it matters what you did with the time,¡± Erilur explained.


    Gabriel pulled his hand from Erilur¡¯s grasp and began to rap his fingers against the table. He said nothing and just stared at his hands; he could not believe she was right; he would not. He was fine; he had to be fine; he would be fine; he didn¡¯t need to do anything. Even if what she said did make sense.


    ***


    The spaceport was busy, unsurprisingly. Families, tour groups, and single travellers on business or pleasure embarked and disembarked.


    Despite the crowd and the noise, only one thing had Gabriel''s attention, Erilur, who was currently holding Pista in the longest hug of their lives.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna miss you too,¡± Erilur said, rubbing her muzzle against her face as much as the mask would allow.


    Even now, with the sadness of seeing her go welling up within him, Gabriel¡¯s mind kept drifting back to what Erilur had said last night. He tried to push it from his thoughts, focusing all his attention on what was happening before him, but it wasn''t easy.


    Eventually, Erilur put Pista to the ground, and it was Risoti''s turn. ¡°I made you lunch, and I want you to write to me as often as you can,¡± she said, handing her a bag that no doubt contained the handmade meal.


    ¡°I will, and I promise to do everything I can to make this work long-distance and look into moving,¡± Erilur replied, rubbing her nose against Risoti¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± asked Gabriel.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking into moving to Xorko,¡± Erilur explained.


    ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t that?¡± Gabriel asked, pointing at Risoti.


    ¡°Well, she can hardly move to Bosd, can she,¡± Erilur replied, scraping her toes against the floor.


    Gabriel did not reply; he just looked at the floor and kicked his toes against the ground.


    ¡°It was lovely to have met you, Erilur,¡± Nish said, taking advantage of the lull in the conversation.


    ¡°Well, maybe my next holiday will be on Yursu; drop by on a friend and mooch,¡± Erilur said, embracing Nish.


    Nish trilled; she knew that hugs were not a natural thing for Erilur, and she appreciated the effort.


    Last but not least, Erilur¡¯s attention turned to Gabriel. ¡°Think about what I said Gabriel,¡± Erilur said.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Gabriel mumbled.


    Erilur stretched out her arms, and after a brief moment of hesitation, Gabriel hugged her. ¡°And don¡¯t forget to have fun,¡± she whispered.

 Chapter 13

    11:28 30/04/2587 ¨C(8734/673/48/87)


    ¡°I guess Erilur should be home by now,¡± Gabriel said, checking his calendar. He did miss that scaly busybody even though he had not given much thought to what she had said. It wasn¡¯t necessary, he was doing just fine, and he would continue to do just fine.


    ¡°Gabriel, look, there¡¯s going to be an eating competition,¡± Risoti said, grabbing hold of Gabriel''s arm and pulling him to the display board.


    Gabriel had to check what he was seeing. The advertisement looked more like some chess tournament combined with a boxing match instead of the low-brow display of gluttony it was.


    He had seen some television shows and a few videos on the local internet, but he had guessed they were a niche thing, but looking at the way everyone glanced at the display, he was clearly missing something.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t¡­. what is everyone so excited about?¡± Gabriel asked, gesturing to the sign.


    ¡°It¡¯s an eating competition, you know, one of the most popular sports in the galaxy,¡± Nish explained as if she were talking to a five-year-old.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bunch of overweight losers stuffing their faces for a load of rubes,¡± Gabriel countered, his sentence coming out a little more scathing than he originally intended, though not by much.


    Nish and Risoti looked at him like he had called all doctors a joke.


    ¡°There¡¯s evidently some culture clash here; why are eating contests considered lowly on Earth?¡± asked Risoti, drawing on all her experience in the classroom to keep things civil.


    ¡°It glorifies gluttony, consumption for entertainment rather than need,¡± Gabriel explained, somewhat surprised he had managed to make his sentence so eloquent on such short notice.


    ¡°Well, I guess you have a point, but what¡¯s wrong with that?¡± asked Nish, who was finding this new perspective she had been given challenging to wrap her head around.


    This attitude came from the different selective pressures their homeworlds had created. Habitable worlds were energy-rich; this abundance of food was due to a molecule similar to ATP but better.


    In turn, this meant that the plant analogues on habitable worlds had more energy per gram, which also meant that the animals did not need to worry about food shortages, except in times of extreme scarcity.


    As a result, most habitableworlders had poor energy storage systems, so they needed to eat little and often. On the plus side, it meant obesity was nearly impossible to achieve; most habitableworlders would need to eat nonstop for months on end to become overweight.


    Logically this would mean food was seen less as a precious resource and more akin to air. Hence eating contests are considered a legitimate sport rather than a spectacle of overindulgence.


    Gabriel could see the logic; it was still weird, though.


    ¡°You should sign up, Gabriel; you¡¯d wipe the dirt with them,¡± Risoti suggested, her excitement bubbling up.


    ¡°No! No way in hell,¡± Gabriel replied, crossing his forearms to make an X right in Risoti¡¯s face.


    ¡°Why not? I think you would be marvellous,¡± Nish replied. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with watching a man push his body to the limit like that,¡± her voice taking on the same quality as when she thought of her one-time lover''s physical traits.


    ¡°Nish, are you attracted to people who can eat a lot?¡± asked Gabriel, honestly believing he was grasping at straws.


    ¡°Of course I am, aren¡¯t you?¡± Nish asked, looking at him, confused; it was known as the universal infatuation.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never really considered it,¡± Gabriel responded with a shrug. ¡°Even if I wanted to, I¡¯m a deathworlder; I would have an unfair advantage,¡± he added, as his eyes were drawn to the prizes, five thousand credits in gift vouchers, viable in any shop, on seventy worlds.


    That was quite the prize, Gabriel was not overly materialistic, but that amount of money was tempting.


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    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t the antidiscrimination laws allow it?¡± asked Risoti.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not discrimination when one species has a clear inborn biological advantage over another,¡± said Gabriel. ¡°I mean, Nish would kill it in a high jumping competition; she can fly, after all,¡± he added, gesturing to her.


    ¡°You two can give it a go,¡± Gabriel pointed out.


    ¡°We can¡¯t compete with these people; they will have been training for months,¡± Nish explained.


    Given the context, Gabriel shook his head; there was something incomprehensible about that term.


    ¡°Can we move on, please? This is supposed to be a lazy day, no long trips, no jumping into enclosures and no getting lost,¡± Gabriel said


    ¡°You¡¯re cranky,¡± Pista said, climbing onto his back.


    ¡°Maybe, I didn¡¯t sleep too well last night,¡± Gabriel replied, stretching and cracking his knuckles.


    ¡°Eww,¡± Pista said, with a mixture of revulsion and amazement


    ¡°Gabriel, please don¡¯t; I just ate,¡± Risoti said, covering her mouth.


    ¡°It¡¯s just bubbles forming in my joints,¡± Gabriel explained.


    ¡°It¡¯s gross bubbles forming in your¡­.¡± Risoti tried to finish her sentence, but her attention quickly shifted to not barfing in the street.


    ¡°So I take it you won¡¯t be taking part,¡± said Nish. Gabriel responded in the negative, and if he was reading her right, Nish was disappointed.


    ¡°Now come on, if we spend all our time dawdling, we will miss the movie,¡± Gabriel explained. They were going to see an animated children''s film. They had chosen it because it was


    supposed to be pretty good, and because it was showing in Ketrok, the native Tufanda language Pista spoke.


    Though Pista could speak Galactic basic, her grasp of the language was not complete, and she could not follow subtitles with any consistency.


    ***


    All in all, it had been pretty good, formulaic, to be sure, but the characters had been well written, and the plot compelling enough. Gabriel supposed his biggest complaint was how tame it had all been; even for a kid''s movie, it had lacked any real physical risk.


    ¡°Ah, we missed it,¡± Risoti pouted, pointing to the eating contest that was in the business of being packed up as the winner accepted their prize.


    The event had taken place in a sizeable pedestrianised plaza, and judging from the number of people milling about; it had had quite the turnout.


    ¡°God sake, if you miss it that much, I¡¯ll just stuff my face in my apartment,¡± Gabriel said with a wave of his hand.


    ¡°Really, you¡¯d do that for us?¡± asked Risoti, her excitement building.


    Gabriel did not know how to respond. He had meant it as a sarcastic comment to show how silly it was. But to Risoti¡¯s ears, Gabriel had done the equivalent of offering to put on a private gymnastic performance.


    ¡°Erilur always refused to do it when I asked her,¡± Risoti added, with a mix of disappointment and sadness that her girlfriend was not here with them.


    Gabriel was hungry and supposed it wasn¡¯t too weird to have them watch, as long as they had a drink or something. It was times like this that, for all the same base desires as humans, aliens were alien.


    ***


    It was an interesting platter laid before him or platters¡ªeach filled with dozens of different bite-sized foodstuffs.


    There were two main categories in eating competitions, amount and endurance. Amount was just how it sounded, whoever could eat the most. Endurance was all about the problematic foods, either because of toughness, spiciness, saltiness, sourness or other extreme flavours.


    It seemed Nish and Risoti had ordered a meal that covered both categories.


    Even though Pista had never said anything, she was excited about what she was about to see. Sighing, Gabriel tried to think of it as an adventurous food experiment.


    ¡°What¡¯s this one?¡± Gabriel asked, holding up what looked like a tiny apple.


    ¡°That¡¯s a Brelo, also known as the juony fresol, which roughly translates to devil¡¯s fruit,¡± Risoti explained, ¡°very famous back home, people usually just dab it on their food; eating it whole would be agony.¡±


    Gabriel shrugged and put the entire thing in his mouth. Gabriel hummed his enthusiasm, ¡°Nice, sort of like very sweet and mild jalape?o,¡± he said, swallowing the tasty treat.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Risoti said; she had expected it, but seeing it for herself was entirely different. She had seen videos of Etulana, who had eaten it accidentally or for a dare. Seeing one enjoy it gave her the urge to try it for herself; fortunately, she was wearing her mask, and the risk of a horrible infection stopped her.


    ¡°Try that one next,¡± Nish said, pointing to a small slice of meat.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Gabriel asked, giving the delightfully charred piece of flesh a gentle poke with his fork. Paradiseworld or not, you could never be too careful.


    ¡°It¡¯s from an animal called the Yorek, a flying mammaliaform, known in certain circles for being an endurance test during the Hekol civilisation¡¯s courtship displays,¡± Nish explained, showing off her knowledge once again.


    Gabriel took a bite and immediately frowned, ¡°It¡¯s sour,¡± he proclaimed, ¡°it¡¯s mouldy lemon chicken.¡±


    ¡°But you haven¡¯t thrown up,¡± Nish commented.


    It went much as it began, Gabriel would try something, and nine times out of ten, it would be edible but awful. There were some exceptions; the Collum was similar to porridge but nicer; it had a natural sweetness that meant sugar was unnecessary.


    ¡°This is an endurance food?¡± he asked, scooping another spoonful of the warm mixture into his mouth.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Nish answered, watching him consume mouthful after mouthful of the toxic substance.


    Gabriel finished his bowl, and he was now well and truly stuffed. ¡°I wrestled two of the mightiest predators in the galaxy with my bare hands, but this, this is what fascinates you.¡±


    ¡°Please, Gabriel, I don¡¯t want to think about that day, not yet,¡± Nish replied, blinking rapidly. Nish was having a rougher day than usual; she probably had a nightmare last night.


    ¡°Yah, yah, yah, yah, yah,¡± Pista called out, covering her ears.


    ¡°This far less¡­ deathy than the other feat,¡± Risoti explained.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right,¡± Gabriel replied, gently banging the tabletop.


    ¡°A weird way to spend your afternoon, but not unpleasant,¡± thought Gabriel.

 Chapter 14

    09:32 03/05/2587 ¨C(8734/674/37/83)


    ¡°Here are your passes Mr Ratlu. I hope you and your daughter enjoy your stay,¡± the man at the ticket booth said, handing over two V.I.P. lanyards.


    ¡°She¡¯s not- it does not,¡± Gabriel replied, taking the passes; it was not worth explaining it to someone he would, in all likelihood, never meet again.


    Pista trilled happily, swinging Gabriel''s hand back and forth. ¡°You¡¯re my daddy,¡± she giggled; Gabriel had to remind himself that despite Pista¡¯s chronological age and height, being equal to a human teenager. Mentally Pista was six.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Gabriel replied flatly; he was not all that bothered, and if it kept her from buzzing, all the better.


    Pista trilled even louder at Gabriel¡¯s confirmation. He thought that maybe he should not be feeding her fantasy.


    Nish and Risoti were absent; yesterday, Nish had seemed a little sluggish, so Gabriel suggested that he take Pista off her hands for a day while she relaxed at a spa. Risoti had gone with her, not wishing to miss the opportunity.


    Gabriel had gotten the executive treatment for the two of them, and while it was technically a violation of the terms of service since Gabriel was not with them. He honestly doubted anyone cared.


    As for Pista and himself, Gabriel had brought her to a well-known and renowned children''s park called Jebi¡¯s Children¡¯s Fun Land. They had needed to get up at four to reach the park on time; Gabriel realised they were now over six hundred miles from Reshu, quite the trip.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get some second breakfast, and then we can go to the petting zoo,¡± Gabriel said, checking his map for the nearest caf¨¦.


    ***


    ¡°Now keep your hand flat; that way, they won¡¯t bite your fingers,¡± Gabriel explained, channelling that school trip he had taken to a farm when he was seven. It was the only thing he could remember about that day out. Well, that and feeding a cow by hand was a one-way trip for a slobber-covered hand.


    ¡°Like this?¡± Pista asked, keeping her hand as ridged as possible. Gabriel recalled he had done much the same thing; Pista was excited but was not keen on getting nipped.


    Gabriel guided her hand towards the waiting mouth of the Sebol, who was annoyed by the wait and had begun snorting to show its dissatisfaction.


    A Sebol was a small herbivorous creature about the size of a goat and with a similar temperament. It had a similar body plan to a rhea, though the neck was much thicker, and the head was large, with a heavy skull and a shock-absorbing keratinous plate used in the head butting contests between males.


    It could also be used to fight off predators, but the animal''s primary defence was to run into thick foliage and lose the pursuer.


    There were also a few babies in the paddock, eagerly chirring and begging for food. They were quite a bit different from the adults, the neck and head were proportionally smaller, and their backs were covered with sharp spines, like a porcupine.


    These would be shed once the animal reached sexual maturity; Gabriel kept his eyes on them; while they were no threat to Gabriel, those spikes could cause a nasty injury to Pista.


    The adult Sebol greedily gobbled up the food pellets, a nutritious mix of everything a Sebol needed. Pista trilled with delight and went to feed it again.


    Gabriel began to feel sympathy for the hungry babies, so he knelt and spread some food on the floor. A few of the more confident Sebol babies ate directly from his hand.


    Another Sebol noticed this; whether it believed that Gabriel was harming the little dears or was jealous of the attention they were getting was irrelevant. The Sebol scrapped its hoofed foot against the dirt and charged at Gabriel.


    Pista noticed the movement and attempted to warn him, but her reaction was too slow, and the Sebol collided with Gabriel¡¯s rear end.


    Gabriel lost his balance and dropped his food but was able to stop himself from hitting the ground. He cried out and said something, but Pista had no idea what it was; it was in Gabriel¡¯s native tongue.


    He was fine; the shout had been from surprise, not pain. The Sebol, though, staggered from the impact. The beast should have considered itself lucky as it stumbled to the floor; had it stuck in an area with less padding, it might have gotten hurt.


    Gabriel stood up and dusted himself off. ¡°Let that be a lesson to you,¡± he said once he realised what had happened.


    The Sebol rose after the dizziness had passed and traversed to the opposite end of the pen, its head held low. Gabriel could not but think the animal was embarrassed, though he knew he was anthropomorphising.


    ¡°Are you ok?¡± Pista asked, hugging him.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine; maybe my pride took a hit, but other than that, good as gold,¡± he replied, patting her head.


    ¡°I am so sorry, Mr Ratlu,¡± a voice behind him said.


    Gabriel turned to see who had spoken, only to be frozen on the spot; he immediately closed his eyes and once against was grateful that his suit hid his face.


    It was another of those horrifying therapod aliens; Gabriel had learnt the name, Wokul, and even with the passage of time and more knowledge, he still found himself just as unsettled as he had been in orientation.


    ¡°Is everything alright?¡± the person asked, leaning closer to Gabriel.


    Gabriel swore under his breath, though whether it was because of the sight or because of how much his own behaviour sickened him, Gabriel did not know.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine; the critter must have made me a bit dizzy, but It¡¯s passed,¡± Gabriel lied, opening his eyes just a crack to look at the Wokul.


    ¡°You¡¯re all stiff,¡± Pista pointed out, trying to forcefully bend Gabriel¡¯s arms and legs back into a relaxed state. Despite Pista¡¯s comparative weakness, she had physics on her side, and it did not take much force to make his joints flex.


    ¡°All better,¡± Pista said, pleased that her treatment had worked and Gabriel¡¯s body entered a more relaxed state.


    ¡°Well, all¡¯s well that ends well, I suppose,¡± the keeper said; Gabriel quickly glanced at their name tag. ¡°I¡¯ll let you two get back to it,¡± Djolu added before walking back to his bench.


    Gabriel let out a sigh of relief and condemned himself once more for his infantile reaction before looking at Pista and asking, ¡°who wants to go on the river ride?¡±


    ¡°I do!¡± Pista yelled, her wings fluttering in excitement.


    ***


    Pista had been a little disappointed when it turned out they would not actually be going into the water, but that evaporated pretty quickly.


    She had enjoyed the river ride, bobbing along in the rubberised raft, bouncing against the sides of the artificial river, and looking at the numerous small animals that dotted the route. So much that Gabriel needed to put his foot down after the third go.


    ¡°It¡¯s dinner time, and other people want to go on the ride Pista,¡± he explained, Gabriel tried to keep his voice calm but authoritative, but Pista was getting into one of her moods.


    ¡°NO! I want to go again!¡± she demanded, stamping her feet on the floor.


    ¡°No, Pista, it¡¯s time for dinner. Your mommy will be cross with me if I don¡¯t give you your eight meals a day,¡± Gabriel said, trying to mimic Nish¡¯s attitude.


    It had some effect, as her temper started to calm, but once Pista realised she would not get her way, she began to buzz.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she cried; her antennae drooped, and her wings held flat against her back.


    Gabriel sighed and picked her up.


    ¡°I have no idea how your mother managed fourteen years of this,¡± he thought as he carried her to the nearest restaurant.


    ***


    They had not been at the restaurant five minutes when Pista¡¯s mood did a complete turnabout, and she had forgotten entirely about the river ride.


    She had done well, eating all of her dinner, so Gabriel treated her to some dessert. Gabriel was drinking something that looked and tasted like chocolate milk. Though from a genetic standpoint, chocolate milk had more in common with a moss smoothie than the beverage he was drinking.


    The portions were also laughable; according to the waiter, they had needed to go rooting through the cupboards looking for a cup large enough to fill Gabriel¡¯s belly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see, we could go to the climbing frames next,¡± offered Gabriel.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Pista replied, clumsily lifting her spoon and dropping her cake into her bowl.


    ¡°Be careful; if you drop it on the floor, it¡¯s gone,¡± Gabriel explained, looking back at the map for something that would grab her interest.


    ¡°Slides, soft play area, go-karts,¡± Gabriel mumbled, making a mental note of where all the activities were.


    ¡°Go-karts!¡± Pista squealed, smearing food on her face.


    Gabriel sighed, grabbed a paper towel, and cleaned her face. ¡°Watch what you¡¯re doing now; go-karts later,¡± he explained, shaking his head.


    ***


    ¡°I am so hungry,¡± Gabriel said as they waited at the train station.


    The plan had been to spend the night at a small hotel, but Pista had never been away from her mother this long, and she was beginning to become depressed. So Gabriel had offered to change the plans, and they had gotten the midnight train; if everything went to plan, they would be back in Reshu by dawn.


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    Pista was very excited; she had never stayed up this late before. However, she struggled to use it, as the night air was chilly, and she was currently huddled up to Gabriel with a blanket around her.


    Also, her small girl metabolism was catching up to her, and Pista found herself quickly nodding off. ¡°How much longer?¡± she asked, resting her head against Gabriel¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Another thirteen minutes,¡± Gabriel replied, gently rubbing her arm.


    ¡°Did you have fun?¡± he asked as Pista''s eyelids began to droop.


    ¡°Mmm,¡± Pista hummed; with each second, she found it harder and harder to stay awake.


    ¡°What are you gonna tell, mommy?¡± he asked.


    ¡°That I went down the giant slide and rode the river¡­.¡± Pista said but did not finish. Gabriel looked down, and she was out like a light. That¡¯s what it appeared like, at least; paradiseworlders slept very lightly; he would need to be careful when the train finally arrived.


    At ten minutes to midnight, the maglev gracefully slid into the station. The only sound that could be heard was the gentle hum of the generators and the two passengers on board departing.


    ¡°Look¡¯s like we¡¯ll get an entire carriage to ourselves,¡± Gabriel whispered as he gently scooped Pista into his arms. Gabriel felt he had done a pretty good job at this whole parenting lark. Sure, Pista was not his kid, but on their day out, she had basically filled that role.


    Gabriel lay the moth girl down on the seat, taking great care not to damage her wings. Now that he thought about it, they must make lying down to sleep incredibly difficult. Do Tufanda lie down to sleep? Or do they hang from walls or something; he had never been inside Nish¡¯s apartment, so he had no idea what their bedroom looked like.


    He observed Pista, trying to be sure he had not made some catastrophic mistake; he had placed her on her stomach, her wings draped over her, much like the blanket.


    The girl was fine, gently snoozing away, her body rising and falling with each breath. Then Pista started to twitch, it looked like a gentle seizure, an oxymoron if ever there was one, but then Gabriel recalled that Paradiseworlds had far more active sleep than ordinary people.


    Pista''s face, specifically her antennae, was a picture of tranquillity, and Gabriel assumed she was okay.


    Gabriel yawned and stretched; it was well past his bedtime too.


    One benefit of being so small by sapient standards was that most benches doubled as king-sized beds. Not the most comfortable beds, mind you, but beds nonetheless. Then again, maybe it was the suit, it was not designed to be slept in, and Gabriel could feel some of the ridged supports digging into his side.


    Gabriel always had a rough night in new places anyway; this would be a nightmare. Still, Gabriel kept his opinions to himself and grumbling to a minimum¡ªall the while hoping that the gentle rocking of the carriage would carry him off to sleep.


    ¡°It felt good to do this again,¡± thought Gabriel


    ***


    The blare of an alarm forced Gabriel¡¯s eyes open. As his lid slid open, he wondered; had he slept at all, or had he managed a few hours? Gabriel was uncertain. Gabriel silenced the noise, and to his surprise, Pista was still fast asleep.


    She was still twitching six hours later, and Gabriel would not be surprised if she had done it all night. It looked painful and exhausting; once again, the worry from last night came back, only now he was far more confident in waking her up, if they remained on board for too long, the maglev would leave without them, and Gabriel would get a fine for fare dodging.


    Gabriel rocked her as gently as he could while calling her name. Pista continued to twitch; she was still dreaming; Gabriel then rocked her harder, banged the window, clapped his hands, and even tried snapping his fingers in her ears. He tried, but the suit made it impossible.


    ¡°Can you sleep through anything?¡± Gabriel asked as he stood up, wondering how Nish managed it.


    ¡°Nish,¡± Gabriel said, grabbing his P.D.A.; he called her.


    Tapping his feet against the floor, Gabriel waited patiently, though knowing his luck, Pista would wake up the moment the call went through.


    ¡°Hello, Gabriel. Is everything alright?¡± Nish asked; the speaker slightly distorted her voice, but Gabriel was glad to hear it.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s just we''re at Reshu train station now, and I can¡¯t wake Pista up,¡± Gabriel explained, passing about the cabin.


    ¡°You¡¯re at the station already,¡± Nish stated, surprised. Gabriel noted that she did not sound tired, yet it was only six o¡¯clock, was Nish an early bird or did the fatigue wash off Tufanda quickly?


    ¡°Yes, Pista missed you a lot, so we got the midnight train and came back early,¡± Gabriel explained.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Nish replied; Gabriel could have been mistaken, but he believed Nish was flattered by it.


    ¡°I¡¯ve tried making noise, but she just keeps snoring like a log,¡± Gabriel explained, looking down at Pista.


    ¡°No, noise won¡¯t work; you¡¯ve got to stroke her antennae,¡± Nish said.


    ¡°You sure? That seems kind of creepy,¡± Gabriel replied, looking at the long feathery appendages.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine; it¡¯s like a hand shaking you humans do,¡± Nish clarified.


    Shrugging his shoulders, Gabriel knelt beside Pista and carefully stroked the tips of her feelers.


    Immediately Pista¡¯s eyes opened, and she sat up; no grogginess, no stretching or yawning, as though she had been faking the entire time.


    ¡°She¡¯s awake,¡± Gabriel explained.


    ¡°Good morning, sleepy head,¡± he told Pista, rubbing her cheek.


    Pista looked at his P.D.A. and asked, ¡°who¡¯re you talking to?¡±


    ¡°Mommy,¡± Gabriel replied, handing his P.D.A. over to her.


    ¡°Hi, mommy,¡± Pista said, holding the phone with three hands. The intercom chimed, and the last call to leave Reshu station was given.


    Gabriel picked Pista up and carried her out, not wanting to spend another two hours on the maglev. Pista ignored him and started to tell her mother about what had happened on their day out.


    ¡°Save something for when you actually see her,¡± Gabriel said, patting her back.


    ¡°I can just tell her again,¡± Pista explained, finding that an entirely reasonable thing to do.


    ¡°No, you won¡¯t. We need to get breakfast for one; I can already hear your belly grumbling,¡± Gabriel responded, taking the P.D.A. off her. ¡°Not to mention my own, haven¡¯t gone this long without solid food for years,¡± he added.


    Speaking to Nish again, ¡°I¡¯ll get her some breakfast, and then I''ll bring her to your apartment.¡± ¡°Should be about two to three hours; give you a little more alone time.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Mommy!¡± Pista shouted and leapt into her arms.


    While Pista began recounting their day, Gabriel examined the room. While some chairs were on the floor, a lot of the furniture was attached to the walls, taking full advantage of the Tufanda¡¯s ability to fly.


    ¡°How do you sleep?¡± Gabriel asked though it was only after Nish inquired about what he had just said that Gabriel realised he had spoken out loud.


    Nish stared at him; her antennae raised slightly.


    ¡°Just curious how you slept; those wings would probably get in the way if you lay on your back,¡± Gabriel explained.


    ¡°Bedroom¡¯s through there,¡± Nish replied, pointing to the west-facing wall.


    Nish¡¯s bedroom was much like Gabriel''s, large, spacious, with a marvellous view of the city. Looking out the window, he could see his tower off in the distance. He knew it was the same because of the sizeable artistic display on the roof.


    ¡°You can see my tower from here,¡± Gabriel told Nish, raising his voice.


    ¡°You can?¡± Nish asked in disbelief; she entered the bedroom and followed his line of sight. ¡°Where?¡± she asked.


    ¡°That one, there with the statue of a flying creature on the top,¡± Gabriel explained, pointing at the skyscraper.


    Nish peered through the glass; all she could make out was a vague blur. ¡°Your eyes are a lot better than mine,¡± Nish said, looking back at Gabriel. ¡°Why is there a giant Taku on the building anyway?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Apparently, the architect who built it really liked Taku, I mean really really liked Taku,¡± Gabriel explained. ¡°I take it that¡¯s your bed,¡± Gabriel added, pointing to a climbing lattice-like structure on the wall.


    ¡°Yep,¡± Nish replied.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you,¡± Pista said, climbing the rungs. ¡°You go halfway up, hug it tight and then fall asleep,¡± she added before closing her eyes and pretending to snooze, making exaggerated snoring noises.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think Tufanda snored,¡± Gabriel said.


    ¡°We don¡¯t; Pista¡¯s been watching a lot of human children shows lately,¡± Nish explained.


    ¡°Come up,¡± Pista said, rocking back and forth.


    ¡°Don¡¯t rock the bed!¡± Nish ordered, ¡°you¡¯ll rip it off the brackets.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to, but I¡¯m starving, and I need a shower,¡± Gabriel explained, ¡°Besides, I¡¯d probably damage it.¡±


    ¡°Give me a day to myself, and we¡¯ll meet up tomorrow,¡± Gabriel said as he left Nish¡¯s apartment, ¡°and go easy on your mum; you can be quite the handful.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Pista shouted as Gabriel closed the door.


    10:58 07/05/2587 ¨C(8734/677/39/76)


    ¡°Risoti had picked well,¡± Gabriel thought as he trudged up the mountain. Hab Ifru was quite famous, an entire town constructed on a mountain slope. Its primary business, naturally, was tourists attempting to conquer the mountain with the same name.


    Gabriel had never been mountaineering before, but he liked it. Something about the slow plod up the mountainside gave him a sense of accomplishment every second.


    Calling their casual, if exhausting, walk mountaineering might have been a bit of a stretch. Hab Ifru was a large mountain, but its size was mainly horizontal, only 2km tall, and the gradual slope meant it was nothing like scaling Everest.


    Gabriel was also pretty darn sure that Everest did not have food and drink vendors every hundred metres with ample seating arrangements.


    If you wanted an intense experience on Minagerad, you wanted Hab Odrego, as tall as Olympus mons and as hazardous as the Himalayas. Gabriel was going to stay far away from that.


    ¡°Can we jump off when we get to the top?¡± Pista asked, using her wings to make exaggerated leaps.


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t fly off the mountain; you''re too heavy,¡± Nish explained causally.


    ¡°Aww¡±, Pista replied, ¡°Can I have a lolly instead?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Sure, we¡¯ll get one at the caf¨¦,¡± Nish replied, and Pista immediately perked up.


    ¡°So, why this? Out of all the things you could have chosen, why this?¡± Gabriel asked Risoti, it was her day to pick the activity, and while Gabriel had no problem with it, it did not seem to mesh well with what he knew about her.


    ¡°There¡¯s a mountain on Xorko, much bigger than this one, similar shape though, and I¡¯ve always wanted to scale it,¡± Risoti explained.


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you?¡± Gabriel asked.


    Risoti snorted before answering, ¡°Never got round to it, always made excuses, though when Erilur moves in, I¡¯ll ask her; she seems like the kind of person who would go for it.¡±


    Gabriel still had a little trouble parsing that nugget of information; Erilur was going to travel one hundred light-years just to be with someone she had known for three weeks. Though considering he had never had a lover himself, who was he to judge?


    ¡°Look at that,¡± Nish said, pointing at the valley below. It was quite the sight, the sunlight caught the river, and it looked like the water was glowing. Trees dotted the landscape, and sunbeams broke through the clouds, looking like pillars of light.


    Pista was bored; she had seen water, trees and sunlight before; why would anyone stop to look at them?


    ¡°I wanna ride,¡± Pista cried, running up to a mechanical boat ride.


    ¡°We could have a drink and get our breath back,¡± Risoti offered, checking the time; the four had done well and were ahead of schedule.


    Pista had fun rocking back and forth on the plastic boat while the grown-ups enjoyed the view.


    ¡°Got any idea where we¡¯ll go tomorrow,¡± Nish asked Gabriel.


    ¡°There¡¯s a scenic train journey through the Anala mountains, a less rigorous change of pace after today,¡± Gabriel offered.


    ¡°Never been on a train journey just for fun,¡± Risoti mused.


    ¡°Might be difficult keeping her still, though,¡± Nish stated, pointing at her daughter.


    Pista noticed and asked, ¡°what?¡± and began rubbing her face, thinking she had something on it.


    ¡°Nothing, sweety,¡± Gabriel replied. He noticed that her little boat was still going after five minutes and added, ¡°you get quite the ride for just one credit.¡±


    ***


    ¡°We beat you, mountain,¡± Gabriel said as they crested the last rise, and finally, they were at the summit.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Pista added before getting on her knees and punching the grassy earth.


    ¡°We¡¯re taking the tram down, right?¡± asked Nish as she collapsed to the ground, panting.


    ¡°Hell yeah,¡± responded Gabriel; he had given all the effort he could be bothered to today, not that the sense of accomplishment he now felt was not worth the price.


    ¡°I can only help but think that this would be much more magical if there weren¡¯t about one hundred other people here with us,¡± Gabriel said as a group of tourists blocked the view.


    ¡°You could always shove them out the way,¡± Nish offered, sitting next to him.


    ¡°No, thank you, I don¡¯t want to get sent to prison for unaggravated assault,¡± Gabriel explained.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so negative, good lawyer, claim you didn¡¯t know your own strength. You¡¯d get a massive fine and a few dozen hours of community service,¡± Nish countered.


    ¡°Nothing but the best for me, eh,¡± Gabriel replied with a smile that no one could see.


    Pista decided that this conversation had a severe shortage of herself and sat in Gabriel¡¯s lap. ¡°Getting bored, the majesty of nature not working for you?¡± Gabriel asked cheekily.


    ¡°What¡¯s Magesty?¡± asked Pista, looking at Gabriel. Gabriel explained the word as best he could.


    ¡°Are you looking forward to telling all your friends about your adventures?¡± Risoti asked, enjoying the sun.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m gonna tell Introt and Ajal all about me being in with the monsters, and they''re gonna be scared, and they¡¯ll think I¡¯m really brave,¡± Pista answered. ¡°Then I¡¯ll tell them about Gabriel, and then they¡¯ll be even more super jealous.¡±


    At the mention of his name, several people looked in their direction. While much of the hype had died down over the past month, Gabriel was still famous. While no one had bothered him, asked him for autographs and photos, he still got looks, in some instances, sniffs or clicks.


    Gabriel had adjusted to the extra attention and had gotten quite good at ignoring it. Even so, his cheeks blushed as he picked up a few words from the conversation; the word ¡°hero¡±, in particular, made him wriggle.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about you three, but I am parched, let¡¯s get that drink,¡± Gabriel said, standing; he was so focused on escaping the whispered praise that he did not realise he was carrying Pista.


    ¡°Bye, mommy, I¡¯m gonna live with Gabriel now,¡± Pista said, waving at her mother, a trait she had picked up from him.


    ¡°Oh no, how will I ever survive,¡± Nish deadpanned, joking about it only because Pista was far too young to get the joke.


    ¡°Oh no, you are not coming to live with me; a little Pista goes a long way, thank you very much,¡± Gabriel added, pushing open the door to the caf¨¦.

 Chapter 15

    15:58 10/05/2587 ¨C(8734/680/65/12)


    ¡°Got your whistle?¡± asked Gabriel.


    ¡°Yep,¡± replied Pista showing it to Gabriel; the whistle was attached to an elastic cord that, in turn, was firmly rooted to her belt.


    ¡°Bells?¡± asked Gabriel.


    Pista jingled the bells on her dress; these were meant to alert anything around them of their presence. That way, nothing would be startled by their sudden appearance and charge.


    ¡°Water and snacks?¡± asked Gabriel.


    Pista patted the bags on her waist, saying, ¡°check, check, check.¡±


    ¡°If I tried to do that, we would have been here for half an hour,¡± Nish commented.


    ¡°Yeah, but I ripped a crocodile bear¡¯s jaw off; it gives me a bit more oomph,¡± Gabriel explained, double-checking his backpack. Perhaps it was a bit of an overreaction, considering this was a long but unarduous hike.


    Their guide, a sizeable quadrupedal man with a face full of tentacles, his back had a small sail used as a display structure and a defence mechanism to make himself appear bigger than he was. It seemed somewhat unnecessary, considering he was as big as a white rhino.


    The skin was coarse and scally, giving the gentleman a rugged and tank-like quality, as though he could go toe to toe with any other lifeform in the galaxy.


    ¡°Please, Mr Ratlu, I¡¯m squeamish,¡± Kuruja said, his tentacle making an undulating motion.


    ¡°Sorry, don¡¯t know what came over me,¡± Gabriel replied, and he meant it; he had rarely thought about the events of that day because although most people assumed Gabriel had effortlessly beaten his opponents, he knew he had escaped by the skin of his teeth.


    Kuruja was one of those people; he had literally gone weak in the knees when it was confirmed that Gabriel was indeed the same as the one he had heard on the news.


    It was an understandable reaction as they were now on a whole other continent than Reshu city. Roughly the size of India, though it was shaped like a starfish with three arms. The continent of Cyolespe was located in the northern hemisphere. While the climate of Minagerad varied little, at least compared to Earth, it was just high enough that the environment was temperate compared to the south¡¯s Mediterranean.


    Gabriel welcomed the drop in temperature; while his suit had a cooling system, it could still get pretty toasty inside this thing.


    ¡°Now, if you would follow me, I will show you our route,¡± Kuruja said.


    Kuruja led them into a small log cabin; on the wall was a map of the surrounding area, with a long route that winded around the park.


    ¡°The first leg of our journey will take us over the Eholuntor wolds, and then we will take a break to eat our dinner,¡± Kuruja explained, tracing one of his tentacles over the route.


    ¡°Drink, in my case,¡± pointed out Gabriel.


    ¡°We¡¯re are well aware you cannot eat Gabriel, and we¡¯re very grateful for bringing us here,¡± Risoti said.


    ¡°Will you just let me winge? It¡¯s important for my psychological well-being,¡± Gabriel retorted, and Risoti snorted in response; Gabriel also smiled. ¡°You know, I¡¯m wondering if I should have waited another month and bought the suit with the airlock thing so I could still eat solid foods,¡± he added, pointing at his face.


    ¡°Then you would have never met us, and Pista would not be here,¡± Nish countered, holding her daughter close.


    ¡°I hate to interrupt, but this information is important, and we can¡¯t leave until you¡¯ve heard it,¡± Kuruja explained as calmly as possible, barely raising his voice. From his reaction, you would not believe he hated being interrupted, and this was not just a problem due to the species barrier; even other Llohyo could not tell.


    Of course, Mr Ratlu was the real deal, and he was willing to give the man more leeway than most.


    ¡°You are right; I apologise; please continue,¡± Gabriel replied, gesturing with his hands to say Kuruja had his full attention.


    Kuruja was glad to hear it; there had been a slight niggle in his mind that Mr Ratlu would simply ignore everything he had to say. Gabriel¡¯s encounter with the Vetoru and Carnedon making him arrogant.


    However, that did not seem to be the case, and Mr Ratlu seemed to embody humility.


    ¡°Thank you, after we have obtained nutrients, we will make our way to the Obleck coast and walk along the seafront before arriving at the nesting colonies,¡± Kuruja explained.


    ¡°Colonies of what?¡± asked Gabriel.


    ¡°Good question, dozens of species make the cliffs, columns and beaches of the Metodolu sea as a breeding ground,¡± Kuruja replied. ¡°After that, we will follow the trail south into the temperate rainforests; I am well aware that Tufanda do not do so well in heavy rain, and ponchos will be provided.¡±


    ¡°We will then camp at a campsite in Jerul¡¯s glade; the campsite has full toilet facilities,¡± Kuruja added.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Gabriel said, pumping his arm. He had been worried that they would be broken when they arrived.


    ¡°After daybreak and breakfast, we will head east into the continent''s interior, moving through the great interior meadows. Then shortly before dusk, we should reach the Portul cave system, and we will spend our final night there before making our way west and ending the hike in the small village of Volotri,¡± Kuruja finished, bringing their tentacle back to their face.


    ¡°Any questions?¡± asked Kuruja.


    ¡°How rainy is this rainforest?¡± inquired Nish.


    ¡°It will rain at least twice a day, but the ponchos are damn good, we¡¯ve had Tufanda on the trail before, and they were impressed by how dry they remained,¡± Kuruja replied.


    ¡°Are there any big scary animals on the path?¡± asked Pista, finding her confidence once again.


    Kuruja crouched and replied, ¡°some of the animals can be quite angry if you get too close, but we will be fine as long as we stay on the path and give them plenty of space; there are no big predators in this part of the park.¡±


    An exaggeration, to be sure, but if it kept the girl calm, it was fine. Hypercarnivores were rare on habitable worlds. While obligate carnivores, animals that needed meat or would die, were utterly unheard of, even the carnedon and vetoru supplemented their diets with fruits and could hypothetically survive on an all-vegetarian diet.


    Getting a carnedon to do that, however, was another matter entirely.


    ¡°There is a blue trail on the map. What¡¯s that?¡± asked Gabriel, pointing at the route.


    ¡°That is the public path; we¡¯ll be taking a longer but more exclusive route,¡± explained Kuruja.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit unfair? Only allowing people to pay to see certain sights,¡± said Risoti.


    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong, but you need to consider that if hundreds of people walk along a trail daily, they will damage it, either on purpose or by accident,¡± explained Kuruja.


    ¡°Ain¡¯t that the truth,¡± Gabriel commented, recalling wildlife trusts and environmental groups begging tourists not to take rocks and scratch their names onto heritage sites back on Earth. Sure one person doing this would have no impact in the grand scheme of things, but if thousands of people all have the same idea, then the issue occurs.


    A couple more questions were asked about the biggest incline and if there were any narrow ledges, but the trail was very gentle, and their concerns were unfounded.


    ***


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°So, how long have you been a tour guide?¡± asked Risoti, looking away from a group of cjol grazing on the heather-like plants that dominated the wolds.


    ¡°Twenty years now, and the creator willing, I will be doing it for another eighty more,¡± Kuruja replied, holding a pair of binoculars with his tentacles.


    Kuruja looked over at Gabriel, currently playing with Pista, chasing her up and down the trail. ¡°It must be quite something to be friends with Mr Ratlu,¡± he commented before looking at Risoti.


    ¡°Yes, my girlfriend met him while they were in hospital, and things just grew from there,¡± Risoti said, watching Gabriel, who finally caught Pista and lifted her into the air.


    ¡°What¡¯s he like, you know, in private?¡± Kuruja asked, looking away, worried that giving any attention to him would let Gabriel know they were talking about him.


    ¡°Reserved, but he has his moments,¡± Risoti replied. ¡°I take it you¡¯re a fan.¡±


    ¡°That obvious?¡± asked Kuruja, raising three of his tentacles and swaying slightly.


    ¡°I was nervous too,¡± Risoti offered, ¡°quite the juxtaposition isn¡¯t it? He went claw to claw with those animals, and there he is pretending to be beaten up by Pista.¡±


    Risoti pointed, and there Gabriel was, begging Nish for help to save him from the gremlin. No one present but Gabriel knew what a gremlin was, but they could make a good guess.


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the different body shapes, you would think they really were father and daughter,¡± Kuruja noted. Risoti did not reply, but she did agree.


    Checking the time, Kuruja realised if they did not get a move on, they would arrive at camp after dark, and that was a hazardous scenario.


    ***


    The cacophony was almost deafening; thousands upon thousands of squawking, cawing, hissing and bellowing animals dotted the cliffs, and the roar of the waves added to it, and everyone needed to raise their voices to be heard.


    ¡°Ecologists estimate that over seventy-three different species of flying animals, from thirty different planets, use the cliffs as a nesting ground,¡± Kuruja explained, nearly shouting at his charges.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t they have an exact number?¡± asked Risoti over the din.


    ¡°It¡¯s a little tricky with them moving all the time, and they get very aggressive when they are protecting their nests, so they can only get rough estimates,¡± Kuruja replied.


    ¡°The most numerous animals are Opedi¡¯s Ham; they are the ones with the large membranous wings,¡± Kuruja added, pointing to the giant flying creatures soaring above them and the waves.


    The initial outline put Gabriel in mind of a pterosaur, only they had a tail, no pycnofibres, and the head was more like a cat or perhaps a pug; it was difficult to get an exact read with them being so far away.


    ¡°I wanna fly too,¡± Pista said, fearlessly walking to the cliff edge.


    ¡°Get back here, young lady, the gravity is too high, and you¡¯ll end up in the sea,¡± Nish stated casually, annoyed by her daughter''s antics but not worried for her safety.


    Gabriel was perplexed by this until he recalled that both Nish and Pista could fly, so of course, they were not scared of heights or falls. ¡°How could I be so dull to miss that,¡± Gabriel mumbled, shaking his head in disbelief at his own stupidity.


    ¡°Listen to your mother, Pista,¡± Gabriel said, and Pista dutifully returned to Nish¡¯s side, though she did nothing to hide her disappointment.


    In the distance, Gabriel noticed people along the public route; they were not allowed as close to the cliff edge, and Gabriel could well imagine some of them were disappointed.


    One family gained Gabriel''s attention; the silhouette was unmistakable, a long body supported by over twenty legs. The head was not distinct enough to see from here, but Gabriel knew that it was shaped similarly to a horse, only covered in scales as opposed to hair.


    Gabriel had never seen one before, but he had always wanted to; these aliens were so alien. The only other thing Gabriel knew was the species name¡­.


    ¡°Oh my god, Nish, look, it¡¯s some Nish!¡± Gabriel noted, pointing at the family.


    ¡°What?¡± she asked, following Gabriel''s finger.


    ¡°Those people there, they''re called Nish,¡± Gabriel said, amazed that he had not realised it until now.


    ¡°Really?¡± said Nish, ¡°what are the odds of that?¡±


    ¡°In the grand scheme of things, it was bound to happen to someone,¡± Gabriel replied. ¡°Though I think they pronounce Nish with a long I.¡±


    Nish trilled slightly and said, ¡°you learn something new every day.¡±


    ***


    The temperate rainforest lived up to its name; they had been here just over an hour and had already had two showers. Gabriel was confused as to how the climate could change so drastically.


    Kuruja explained they were situated in a small valley that faced the ocean, clouds condensed in the valley and fell as rain, making the valley far wetter than the surrounding land. That would certainly explain why it felt like they were going downhill.


    Gabriel felt a patter against his suit¡¯s helmet, and he knew it was raining again. ¡°You doing alright under there, Nish?¡± Gabriel asked.


    ¡°Yeah, he did not lie; these ponchos are really good,¡± Nish replied. So good, in fact, that she was enjoying her time in the rain. Gabriel had mentioned that he enjoyed walking through harsher weather; the sound of water, hail or snow hitting his hood made him feel snug. Now she understood why.


    The forest was beautiful, the rain quickly formed a light mist, and the sounds of wildlife echoed through the trees. Bright flowers dotted the branches, and an earthy sweet aroma permeated the place.


    Gabriel picked up a new noise in the forest and informed the rest of them, ¡°someone¡¯s shouting up ahead.¡±


    ¡°Unsurprising, we are on the public path now; it¡¯s probably just some tour group. I am more impressed that you can make any speech out at all, with all this noise,¡± Kuruja replied with another thinly veiled compliment.


    ¡°They are shouting, though,¡± Gabriel reiterated; he could not tell what they were saying as it was not galactic basic and trying to guess emotion with aliens was just begging for failure.


    ¡°Probably a lovers tiff, happens all the time,¡± Risoti stated, straining her ear to pick up the sound, though she could detect nothing over the noise of the rain. They would find out soon enough, their next fork in the road was five miles away.


    Round the bend, Gabriel saw the Nish family again; the smaller one was yelling at something in the trees. This close, Gabriel noticed that each leg split at the knee, creating twenty cloven hooves; their body was pseudo-segmented, and their skin appeared to be in transit between chitin and scales. It was so unlike anything found on Earth that Gabriel found himself staring in fascination.


    Kuruja was not as distracted, so he approached them and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s some animal in the trees, and we want to see,¡± the Nish explained, and as if on cue, a loud trumpeting call came from the woods. Gabriel peered between the trees and thought he could see a shape move. He could not make out any details, but it seemed pretty big.


    ¡°I see, umm¡­.¡± Kuruja hesitated as he did not know who he was talking to.


    ¡°I¡¯m Tokol; this is my husband Abalet,¡± Tokol explained, gesturing to his partner, ¡°and this is our son, Udolu.¡±


    Udolu shouted something again, and once again, the beast replied, and though Gabriel had never seen or heard the creature before, he was sure it was not happy.


    ¡°I see, mister Tokol; I have to remind you that the animals are not here to entertain you,¡± Kuruja explained, trying to be firm but not aggressive.


    ¡°We¡¯re just having fun, we¡¯re not hurting it, and we won¡¯t touch it, whatever it is,¡± Abalet explained, placing one of his more mobile and articulate appendages on their husband''s shoulder. What Gabriel assumed was their shoulder.


    Pista grabbed Gabriel¡¯s hand; she did not like the noise, and it brought back unpleasant memories.


    All the while, the boy continued to yell, ¡°would you tell your son to stop doing that! It is a very bad idea,¡± Gabriel butted in, gesturing with one hand.


    ¡°Who are you to tell us what to do with our son?¡± Abalet asked, taking offence at the perceived insult on his parenting style.


    Tokol then whispered something in his husband¡¯s ear, though Gabriel could not see any ear. Abalet looked at Gabriel and then back at his Tokol before saying something in their native tongue.


    ¡°Udolu, Mr Ratlu says you should stop doing that,¡± Abalet said to his son.


    Udolu looked at his father, clearly disappointed, ¡°we¡¯re just talking, dad,¡± the boy replied, trying to defend his actions in the hopes that it could continue.


    That lull in the noise was all the unknown creature needed, as it let out a new sound, more akin to a shriek, and Gabriel heard snapping branches, along with wet leaves trodden underfoot.


    Gabriel let go of Pista¡¯s hand and charged, putting himself between the boy and whatever was coming, and not a moment too soon.


    A bird; that was the closest analogue Gabriel¡¯s brain could come up with. However, that comparison did not do the animal justice. It had no feathers or scales but was covered in a rough mammalian-like skin. It stood on two pillar-erect legs, with a long slender neck.


    The two appendages on its flanks looked like wings, but they were, in fact, display structures, shaped like three tennis rackets connected at the handles, that glowed with bioluminescent light.


    That was not the strangest thing; however, it was the face; it was flat and wide, with no eyes. It made a constant clicking noise with its tongue, similar to was a bat did, and Gabriel understood it was blind and navigated the world through echolocation.


    Why a blind animal would need visual display structures, Gabriel did not know, but there was no time to think as the alien was just a few feet from him when it skidded to a halt and began bellowing at him.


    ¡°A mock charge, thank god for that,¡± Gabriel thought as he held his ground.


    The animal raised its displays and began to shake them back and forth; they created a low, rather unsettling clicking noise, like dozens of people cracking their knuckles repeatedly. It sounded painful.


    When it was clear that Gabriel was not budging, the beast took a few steps back and charged once more and just like before, it stopped before making contact. It did not want a fight; it just wanted whatever had been yelling at it to stop.


    Udolu was too frightened to make a sound, and after a few minutes, the beast calmed down, content that its point had been made, and waddled back into the forest. Gabriel did not move even after it was gone from sight, just to be sure.


    Once he was confident the danger had passed, Gabriel looked at Udolu and said, ¡°don¡¯t taunt the animals.¡±


    Gabriel had just finished speaking when Pista leapt into his arm and began to buzz. ¡°It¡¯s alright, I¡¯m fine,¡± Gabriel said, hugging her.


    ¡°How did you know to do that?¡± Kuruja inquired; most people would have run for it, and most people did.


    ¡°I¡¯ve watched a lot of videos about stuff like this,¡± Gabriel replied, gently rocking Pista back and forth.


    ¡°You watch people getting attacked by animals for fun?¡± asked Nish, ruffling her wings.


    ¡°Human thing,¡± responded Gabriel.


    ***


    Gabriel was still a little frazzled from his earlier experience; despite what everyone assumed, it had been terrifying. As he gazed up at the stars and Illohu, he realised he had never willingly slept under the stars before. Kuruja explained that the odds of it raining at night were slim, as the clouds usually dumped their payload once the sunset.


    Nish had not been willing to take that chance, though and was slumbering with her daughter under a tarpaulin. The park management had even been gracious enough to provide her with a sleeping frame.


    Both she and her Pista hung in place, totally at ease, twitching and shifting as they dreamt of the day''s events. Gabriel could not fathom how they could hang on even while asleep, but he had heard that paradiseworlders did not sleep as heavily as normal people, though maybe normal was a bit presumptuous.


    Gazing back into space, he noticed a streak of light. ¡°A shooting star, make a wish Gabriel,¡± he told himself.

 Chapter 16

    11:34 12/05/2587 ¨C(8734/683/46/98)


    Kuruja had not lied; Volotri was a charming village, small and quiet, that took no significant part in the tourism industry. The place was for people to live, and Gabriel found it refreshing.


    ¡°I hope you all enjoyed your hike,¡± Kuruja said as they entered the village square, a sizable patch of land with a fountain and sundial in the centre.


    ¡°Oh, it was lovely; I especially loved the cave; I¡¯ve never felt so snug in my life,¡± Risoti replied. Gabriel agreed; it was astounding how perfect the temperature had been without any technological aids whatsoever.


    Portul cave was carved by water over thousands upon thousands of years. Leaving behind a beautiful display of stalactites and stalagmites.


    Gabriel was drawn from the pleasant memories by a large group of people moving in his peripheral vision. They had cameras and microphones, and Gabriel immediately knew what had happened; someone had been recording his stand-off with the Otoru and posted it on the internet.


    ¡°Oh fuck this shit,¡± Gabriel hissed. No one else understood him, but they could make an educated guess based on his context and tone.


    He eyed the nearest alleyway; he could outrun them easily, especially those weighed down by their cameras. They were no doubt rolling, though, and the sight of him running away with his nonexistent tail between his leg would probably make him look pathetic.


    ¡°Could be worth it,¡± Gabriel mumbled as the crowd got closer and the sweat trickled down his neck. Rather than leg it, Gabriel took a deep breath and steeled himself for the barrage of questions he was about to receive.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go,¡± Nish said, grabbing hold of Gabriel¡¯s arm and pulling him away from the oncoming hoard.


    ¡°Go, I¡¯ve got this,¡± Risoti said as Nish pulled Gabriel into a side alley and through a crowd of locals.


    The last thing Gabriel heard Risoti say was, ¡°tired and will not be taking any questions at this time.¡±


    ¡°Do you think Risoti used to be in public relations? She seems very good at this,¡± Gabriel asked as Nish let go of his hand.


    ¡°No, she just keeps on top of local politics; she¡¯s seen hundreds of politicians say the same thing,¡± Nish replied.


    ¡°How do you know that?¡± Gabriel inquired; he could not recall Risoti saying anything like that.


    ¡°She told me during our day at the spa,¡± Nish explained. ¡°I do feel bad for ditching Kuruja like that,¡± she added.


    ¡°We¡¯ll give him five stars; he¡¯ll be fine,¡± Gabriel replied. ¡°What about Risoti? Should we go back for her?¡± Gabriel asked.


    ¡°No, she¡¯ll be fine; they¡¯re not interested in her,¡± Nish answered, ¡°I would imagine they already dispersed.¡±


    ¡°How did they even know we would be here? That¡¯s what I want to know,¡± Nish questioned, keeping her eyes peeled for any bothersome reporters.


    ¡°This is the V.I.P. route''s endpoint; there was nowhere else we could be,¡± Gabriel explained. ¡°Got any ideas? Cause I do not want to be looking over my shoulder every five seconds,¡± he asked, looking behind him.


    Pista was having fun, hiding behind some decorative shrubbery, pretending to be a secret agent.


    ¡°There!¡± Nish said, pointing towards a modest building with the word library written on it.


    ¡°You sure? Not exactly the most secure place,¡± Gabriel pointed out.


    ¡°True, but it¡¯s a library. They won¡¯t be able to Hyohyo you with questions, or they¡¯ll be kicked out,¡± Nish explained.


    ¡°I have got nothing else; let¡¯s do it. Come on, Pista, I¡¯ll read you a story,¡± Gabriel said. Pista trilled in delight and followed them.


    ***


    ¡°And so the woodsman cut the Big Bad Wolf¡¯s belly open and pulled Little Red Riding Hood''s grandmother out,¡± Gabriel said, miming an axe coming. Pista¡¯s attention was utterly focused on the tale, and she yelled, ¡°yeah, get him.¡±


    No one shushed them; they were currently in the children''s sections and therefore given more leeway. Gabriel told her to keep it down; however, Pista would only be able to get away with so much.


    ¡°The woodsman and Red Riding Hood then filled the wolf¡¯s belly with stones and sewed him back up, and when the wolf awoke, he was scared by the woodsman, ran into a river and drowned,¡± Gabriel said, finishing the story.


    ¡°Was that really a children¡¯s story?¡± asked Nish. When Gabriel had first suggested that he tell Pista a human story, she had been just as interested as her daughter. Now she wondered if this might explain human recklessness. In Nish''s opinion, being told from a young age that running at a problem with a weapon was the answer to most of life¡¯s problems was not the healthiest approach.


    ¡°Yeah, pretty much every kid heard it, it think, don¡¯t quote me on that,¡± Gabriel replied. ¡°Why mythology?¡± Gabriel asked, focusing all his attention on Nish.


    ¡°Sorry?¡± Nish asked, confused by the sudden shift in subject.


    ¡°Why mythology? Out of all xenopological studies, why mythology?¡± Gabriel explained, ¡°also, why is it called xenopology? Xeno means stranger or alien, yet xenopology includes your own species.


    ¡°Xeno was decided on because we are all strangers to one another, even to ourselves,¡± Nish explained, answering his last question first. "Bit pretentious that last bit, I know, but that''s the reason I was given."


    ¡°As for why I chose myths and legends,¡± Nish said, thinking about it for a moment.


    ¡°I like stories; I like imagination; I just feel like it gets to the heart of people if you know what people believed and all that,¡± Nish answered. It was not the most in-depth answer, but Gabriel felt he understood.


    ¡°What about you? Why gardening?¡± Nish asked as Gabriel¡¯s P.D.A. buzzed.


    Gabriel was about to answer when he realised who it was from, ¡°Risoti, she says the "Newolur" have dispersed, and she thinks it¡¯s best that we meet up at the train station¡­ and that I should prepare a statement,¡± Gabriel explained, making air quotes at the unfamiliar word.


    ¡°What like a politician''s statement, why?¡± asked Gabriel, looking from the message to Nish.


    ¡°To keep the press off you, remember what Erilur told you ¡°We¡± tend to accept the first logical answer we are given,¡± Nish replied, forming fists with her four hands and rotating her wrist; Gabriel supposed those were Tufanda air quotes.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Gabriel rapped his fingers against his forehead, sighed and said, ¡°I am woefully underqualified for this.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll help you,¡± Nish said, tapping Gabriel''s head with her antenna.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Pista added, copying her mother¡¯s actions.


    ***


    ¡°Not quite how I imagined spending my afternoon,¡± Gabriel commented as he hit send and delivered his statement to every major news outlet on the planet. To cut a long story short, what Gabriel had written was that the safety standards of Minagerad were not to blame for what happened and that you should never antagonise the animals.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s better than prepping for an interview,¡± Risoti added, though Nish¡¯s P.D.A.


    ¡°Ain¡¯t that the truth,¡± Gabriel replied, shaking his head.


    ¡°Hold on, some of the news crews are checking their equipment,¡± Risoti said; she was currently scoping out some of the bigger group, ready to inform Gabriel if they got close to the library.


    ¡°I think they¡¯re leaving,¡± Risoti noted.


    ¡°That was fast,¡± Nish said, ¡°not that I¡¯m complaining; I do love books but not more than a full belly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d give it a half hour, but if you¡¯re that hungry, I won¡¯t tell you what to do,¡± Risoti said, giving her two cents.


    Gabriel stood up and walked to the nearest window, he could see anything of interest, but he had not expected to. ¡°Where do you want to meet up?¡± Gabriel asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lovely little spot by the river, and they make just the best Fretisa cake,¡± Risoti explained.


    Gabriel slumped his head, a faint smile on his face, and asked, ¡°just how much cake have you been eating?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to answer that; just walk along the west side of the river; you see me sitting outside,¡± Risoti replied and hung up.


    Gabriel was about to make a bad joke when his and Nish¡¯s P.D.A. vibrated. ¡°What now!¡± Gabriel complained.


    His mood shifted quickly from annoyance to excitement; Erilur had sent him a message, he glanced up at Nish, and he knew she had gotten one as well.


    ***


    Gabriel smiled; Erilur had not used galactic standard messaging format but rather translated it from the Ponut¡¯kild norm. Meaning it sounded far more intimate and formal than it really was. If that was the game she wanted to play, then he would do the same in his reply.


    The message read.


    For my most intimate companion Gabriel.


    Even though it has been but a few scant weeks since our separation, I miss you greatly. I hope you are well and that your time on Minagerad is most enjoyable. My family has been bombarding me with questions about you since I first arrived, you have become quite famous on the galactic scene, and I hope this newfound popularity will not go to your head.


    Gabriel rolled his eyes; Erilur knew precisely what she was doing.


    I am already planning to move to Xorko; though I am facing some difficulties, I am not worried, and I hope to meet with Risoti a month after she returns home.


    My family are sad to see me go but happy that I have found someone. On that topic, how has your relationship with Nish progressed? I do hope that you are not circling the toilet bowl of that will they won''t they Nabshit.


    Gabriel nearly choked on his own laughter and garnered some looks from Nish and Pista.


    ¡°What?¡± Pista asked; she had never heard Gabriel make that noise before.


    ¡°Nothing, Erilur just told a joke in her letter, that¡¯s all,¡± Gabriel replied, regaining control of himself and returning to the message. It seemed that the real Erilur would always shine through no matter how hard she tried.


    On a similar note, I hope that you will take the advice I gave you to heart; I am not asking you to act now but to simply keep it in your head.


    I have also sent you a package that will arrive about one week after receiving this email; I will not spoil the surprise and hope you will enjoy it.


    From your true and eternal friend, Erilur.


    Gabriel chuckled; he enjoyed that, as pompous as it may have been, it had obviously taken some effort on Erilur¡¯s part, and effort was always appreciated.


    Looking back up, Gabriel saw Nish reading aloud to Pista; it seemed that Erilur had written four letters, even giving Pista one of her own. Gabriel smiled even more, ¡°I love that woman,¡± he mumbled.


    Erilur¡¯s letter to Pista was the polar opposite of Gabriel¡¯s; the language simple, the tone light and filled with tame jokes that Pista loved.


    With the messages read, Gabriel said that they should get something to eat. He also preemptively removed Pista''s reluctance to leave by telling her she could tell Risoti about her letter.


    As they left the book-filled room, his P.D.A. vibrated again; he checked it, assuming it was another message from Erilur. He opened it and then scowled.


    It was not from her but from Howard Smith; Gabriel immediately hit delete.


    ***


    That little surprise had left a bitter taste in his mouth, and he tried his hardest to wipe the knowledge from his mind. He spotted a few journalists off in the distance, Gabriel believed they knew he was there, but they did not approach, Gabriel¡¯s earlier statement having made any interview irrelevant.


    ¡°If only human journalists worked like that,¡± he thought as they descended a set of wide limestone steps to the river bank.


    ¡°Lovely,¡± Gabriel said with utter sincerity admiring the trees, riverbank plants and works of art that dotted the area. Small flying creatures, some like birds, others similar to insects, darted about the place.


    Gabriel peered through the railing; he was too small to look over it and saw some aquatic creatures swimming below.


    He could have spent quite some time just watching the wildlife had Pista not kept tugging on his arm and telling him to go. Reluctantly Gabriel allowed Pista to lead him down the walkway, admiring the view as best he could.


    ¡°There she is,¡± Pista cried, letting go of Gabriel¡¯s hand and running to Risoti.


    ¡°You would think she had not seen her in weeks,¡± Gabriel noted as Pista leapt into Risoti¡¯s lap, nearly spilling her drink.


    ¡°She¡¯s a kid; they do that,¡± Nish responded, fluttering her wings.


    "Yeah, they do," responded Gabriel.


    ¡°What did your message contain?¡± Nish asked, sitting down opposite Risoti.


    ¡°Knowing Erilur, it was undoubtedly filthy,¡± Gabriel added, sitting beside Nish.


    ¡°Sometimes, I think your mind spends more time in the gutter than Erilur¡¯s does,¡± Risoti replied defensively as she turned off her screen and placed her P.D.A. on the table upside down.


    ¡°Uh, huh,¡± Gabriel responded with a nod, noticing what Risoti did and not commenting on it.


    ¡°We can¡¯t stay here long; we¡¯ve got to be at the station by 70 to catch the train and then catch the plane,¡± Nish noted, checking the time as she perused the menu. ¡°Might have to get something to go,¡± she added.


    ***


    As they waited for the maglev, Gabriel was browsing the internet when he noticed what had happened, someone had indeed been filming him, and much like last time, it had exploded. The only difference was that there was only one rather than dozens of separate videos.


    That video was currently sitting at fourteen million views and climbing. Gabriel would have probably just ignored it had his eyes not been drawn to the comment section and found that most of them were commenting on how colossal his genitals must be.


    ¡°You¡¯ve found it, I see,¡± Risoti said, leaning over his shoulder.


    ¡°Yep,¡± Gabriel replied with a sigh.


    ¡°That one¡¯s my favourite,¡± Risoti said, pointing to a comment.


    ¡°That Fajoneuy must have some massive cubes to charge a man with such massive cubes,¡± the comment read.


    ¡°Would humans have made more eloquent comments?¡± Risoti asked; from her tone, you would have thought it was sarcasm, but no, it was a genuine question.


    ¡°Nope,¡± replied Gabriel, ¡°you know something; deep down, we are all the same.¡± "Wait, I thought it was called an Otoru," he added.


    "I think Fajoney means animal or beast; it''s not referring to the species," Risoti explained. She scrolled up and hit replay, ¡°you were quite impressive.¡±


    ¡°Careful; if Erilur ever hears about you talking about me like that, she might get jealous,¡± Gabriel noted.


    ¡°She¡¯s not that fragile,¡± countered Risoti.


    Pista began climbing on Gabriel¡¯s back and asked, ¡°what ya doing?¡± She saw the video and said, ¡°you¡¯re very brave.¡±


    Gabriel reached behind and tickled Pista¡¯s antennae, she trilled, and he said, ¡°thank you, that means a lot.¡±


    Nish scooted up near them, a little upset to be left out and watched the scene unfold. It was odd watching it again from a different angle; she was even in the frame at specific points.


    ¡°How do you do it? Just act like that?¡± Nish inquired.


    ¡°You''re not so different; if that fence had not been in the way and the keeper had not held you back, you would have jumped into that enclosure just like I did,¡± Gabriel reminded her.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Nish said, holding her words for a moment before adding, ¡°But Pista is my daughter; to you, she was a total stranger. I¡¯m eternally grateful you did, but how did you?¡±


    It was Gabriel''s turn to be silent, and he recalled Erilur¡¯s letter before saying, ¡°I know what it is like, to lose someone close to you; I don¡¯t want that to happen to anyone else.¡±


    Everyone went quiet at this small but weighty revelation. Nish had suspected something, of course, and Risoti had naturally talked to Erilur. Erilur had respected Gabriel¡¯s privacy and had not told Risoti of everything she deduced, but enough to let Risoti know not to ask about Gabriel¡¯s family.


    Even Pista held her tongue, she did not truly grasp what was being said, only that it was something sad, and she was not happy anymore. Pista hugged Gabriel¡¯s head and began stroking it with her antennae.


    ¡°Are you ok?¡± Nish asked, feeling a little guilty that she had brought this up, even if she had no way of knowing her question would lead to it.


    ¡°Trains here,¡± Gabriel said, standing up and walking to the maglev.

 Chapter 17

    08:56 16/05/2587 ¨C(8734/686/37/01)


    Gabriel wanted something lowkey and straightforward today, so the group was back in Reshu zoo. Specifically, they were visiting Sho-lo¡¯clark aquarium, which had the largest aquarium tank in the galaxy. It contained ten million Huyls of water, which roughly translated to sixty billion litres or fifteen billion gallons.


    The tank was over a kilometre long and three hundred metres deep, a marvel of engineering if ever there was one. Also, something of a measuring contest if Gabriel recalled the place''s history correctly.


    Sho-lo¡¯clark had been quite the structural engineer, hailing from a world known as Lolm. Sho-lo herself was a Habatray, a pseudo-amphibian species that walked on their front legs and used their rear legs as arms. Sho-lo had been rivalled only by a Surt named Surt; all Surt were called Surt.


    Surt were hermaphroditic gastropods with a brightly patterned shell covering their backs. It was not as comprehensive as a snail''s shell but offered decent protection. The two had not cared for one another, and the other would compete whenever one petitioned for a project.


    While their rivalry might not have been cordial, it had been lucrative and had pushed the pair to greater and greater heights. Despite Sho-lo¡¯clark aquarium''s immense size, it was not the only one. Surt had gotten another contract to design other smaller tanks, ranging from one to fifty million litres.


    Rather than stew and rage about getting upstaged, Surt had put all their effort into making the finest collection of exhibits they could.


    Gabriel found a part of himself keen to see the tanks, not just the animals themselves. The group was staring at the map, seeing if there would be any last-minute adjustments to the plan.


    ¡°I want to go to the touch pools,¡± Pista said, jabbing that section of the map repeatedly.


    ¡°You can, later,¡± Nish told her daughter, stroking the top of her head.


    Pista¡¯s antenna drooped, her wings pulled close to her body, and she began buzzing. Nish hissed and said, ¡°you¡¯re going to get eaten alive in big girl school.¡±


    At her mother''s words, she trotted over to Gabriel and lifted all four of her arms. Gabriel sighed ever so faintly, and he picked her up, and she began to hug him. Gabriel needed to bear with it for just a few minutes; as soon as they saw the first exhibits, her mood would shift.


    ¡°Come on, you¡¯ll enjoy the submarine ride,¡± Gabriel said, gently tapping where her nose would be if she were human.


    Their final point of call was the submarine ride, available in the Sho-lo¡¯clark aquarium, which was the highlight of their day out and unsurprisingly, Gabriel had managed to get a spot. However, this time it had taken more effort than usual; unsurprisingly, it was incredibly popular, and Gabriel had a sneaking suspicion that only his name had allowed him to book on such short notice.


    And wasn¡¯t that just the strangest thing in the galaxy? His name carried weight.


    That was for later, though; for now, they would be exploring the smaller exhibits, and they passed through a dark room filled with screens detailing information about oceans on various worlds.


    Holographic displays showed spinning planets and how ocean currents and tides worked. The lights and sound drew Pista out of her shell and improved her mood. It was a display of Yursu that drew the most of Pista''s focus; she asked to be put down and pulled Gabriel to an exhibition of her home.


    ¡°I live there,¡± Pista said, pointing to a small equatorial continent.


    ¡°We live here,¡± Nish corrected her daughter. Pista had gotten the continent correct, but she had pointed to the southern portion. Nish, however, gestured to a peninsula located on the northwestern part of the land.


    ¡°That¡¯s where Tusreshin is,¡± Nish explained, ¡°Built in a large artificial canyon.¡±


    ¡°How does that work?¡± asked Gabriel; building a city like that must have taken a lot of effort and some big brains to make it work.


    ¡°Idunoo, I¡¯m not an engineer or an architect,¡± Nish replied, gently fluttering her wings.


    ¡°What about you, Risoti? Where do you live?¡± asked Gabriel looking around for a display of Xorko, although he had no idea what it looked like and therefore had no idea why he was bothering.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Over there,¡± Risoti pointed out after a brief search; specifically, she gestured to a land mass located at the planet¡¯s southern pole.


    ¡°Is Xorko the Etulana homeworld?¡± Nish asked, leaning closer to the projection and banging her head against the perspex screen. It did not hurt, but it was embarrassing.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s Abar; never been there, don¡¯t really want to go either,¡± Risoti replied.


    ¡°Where do you live?¡± Pista asked, taking Gabriel¡¯s hands and pulling from display to display.


    ¡°We just went past it,¡± Gabriel explained as Pista''s excitement reached a fever pitch.


    ¡°Where, where, where?¡± Pista asked over and over again, hopping up and down.


    Gabriel sighed and pointed to Iceland.


    ¡°You¡¯re from that tiny island?¡± asked Risoti, amazed someone so grand could come from somewhere so small.


    ¡°Technically,¡± Gabriel replied.


    ¡°What do you mean technically?¡± asked Nish, once more peering at the display only this time, taking care not to hit her head.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t born there; I moved there,¡± Gabriel explained.


    ¡°Why?¡± asked Pista, looking up at him.


    ¡°I had my reasons; now let¡¯s go see some fish,¡± Gabriel said, pulling Pista along.


    ***


    Gabriel had to suppress a snicker as Pista ran behind her mother. She had been standing in front of a display when one of the animals, with a body plan similar to a tadpole, revealed a large frill with bright eye spots.


    Gabriel supposed that for Pista, the frill held something of the uncanny valley, being similar to a Tufanda¡¯s wings, as even Nish seemed somewhat taken aback.


    A frill seemed relatively inefficient in the water, making the user a sitting duck, unable to move. Then again, the pufferfish did something similar and survived just fine.


    A few minutes later, Gabriel¡¯s attention was brought to a sizeable semi-terrestrial fish analogue resembling humanity''s earliest tetrapod ancestor. It was not identical to those creatures; it was far larger, roughly the size of a crocodile.


    He could not wonder at the similarity for long, though, as Pista pulled him to another tank with an inquisitive animal that would follow the children that ran from one end of the perspex pane to the other.


    In terms of behaviour, it reminded Gabriel of a sea lion, though, in appearance, it had more in common with an ichthyosaur, if that ichthyosaur had six eyes, a mouth the same size as its body, and was covered in fleshy growths that helped it blend in with seaweed.


    ¡°Hold on, I¡¯ve gotta get this,¡± Nish said, taking her P.D.A and recording the whole thing.


    As Gabriel watched Pista have fun, he was struck with d¨¦j¨¤ vu, yet he knew he had never been here before. He had experienced d¨¦j¨¤ vu before. Everyone had, but this one was different; it was mixed with sadness but also happiness.


    Gabriel did not know how to feel about it; he watched Pista run back and forth like he was on autopilot.


    ¡°Come on, we can¡¯t watch my daughter run all day, no matter how adorable it may be,¡± Nish said, pulling Gabriel from his thought.


    ***


    Nish carefully descended the ladder into the miniature submarine. It was a torpedo-shaped craft with a large glass dome overhead, providing a comprehensive view of the tank, with an additional viewing window underneath.


    They had needed to wait while two special seats that took into account Nish and Pista¡¯s wings were fitted.


    Unlike many other tours, he had taken, this one was fully automated, with the manual controls only to be used in an emergency.


    As Nish took her seat next to Gabriel, she did her best to keep her breathing under control.


    ¡°You ok?¡± Gabriel asked, leaning in close to her.


    ¡°Yeah, just¡­ just, a little nervous, I guess,¡± Nish said with a forced trill.


    Gabriel patted her shoulder and said, ¡°just imagine you¡¯re on a plane in the air.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been on a jet plane before, one that uses forced air to create lift rather than antigravity,¡± Nish explained.


    ¡°Oh yeah, I¡¯ve heard about them; I thought they kept crashing,¡± Gabriel replied; he wondered if Nish was doing this deliberately.


    ¡°No, very safe, not as safe as modern aircraft, and far less efficient, but safer than most land travel,¡± she stated.


    ¡°Fascinating,¡± Gabriel said with a modicum of genuine enthusiasm


    ¡°Please remain seated. We are beginning the descent,¡± a rather bored voice sounded through the intercom.


    ¡°Done this one too many times, I take it,¡± Risoti said into the receiver.


    ¡°Tell me about it,¡± the voice replied.


    Nish watched the water climb steadily higher, and once it reached her shoulders, she immediately grabbed hold of the closest thing at hand.


    Pista was unfazed and watched the water envelope the dome with relish. Risoti was also interested, but not to the same extent.


    As the water entirely covered the top and the liquid distorted the light, Nish realised that what she was holding onto was breathing.


    She looked down and saw Gabriel looking up at her. She could not see his eyes, but Nish knew he was staring right at her.


    Nish let go and tucked all four of her arms into her chest. ¡°Sorry,¡± Nish mumbled as she flattened her wings and antennae as far as they would.


    Gabriel paused in his response before stating, ¡°it was not unpleasant.¡±


    Then he noticed something in the corner of his eye, and Gabriel looked behind him, with Nish copying him. Pista was positively bouncing in her seat, whereas Riosti was frowning and making a light hissing noise, which was the Etulana equivalent of a knowing smile.


    Gabriel coughed faintly while Nish looked dead ahead and began absently mindedly preening her wings.


    A fifth unknown voice joined the party and said, ¡°If you look to your left, you will see a shoal of Bosocuja. These fast-swimming pelagic animals are a staple prey source for over three hundred different species on their native world of Golm; fortunately, they have no such worries here.¡±


    Everyone collectively looked, and the sight was breathtaking; Gabriel could hardly believe he was in an aquarium, vast coral reefs stretched below while thousands of animals darted between the rocks and plants.


    Giant snake-like fish stuck their heads from the sands, and disc-like lifeforms sifted the grains for anything edible. At the same time, curious aliens inspected the submarine and stared at the occupants.


    ¡°This ain¡¯t so bad,¡± Nish said, taking in the wonder of it all.


    Gabriel just smiled.

 Chapter 18

    16:56 21/05/2587 ¨C(8734/689/52/10)


    Risoti¡¯s leaving-do was far more subdued than Erilur¡¯s had been. She had selected a fashionable restaurant, though she had felt a little guilty as Gabriel could not partake; he had assured her it was okay and that tonight was about her.


    It also helped that he had stuffed his face before coming here. Maybe a little too much, considering how bloated he felt.


    ¡°You ok?¡± asked Nish as they waited for their meals.


    ¡°Yeah, overdid it; before I came here, I just need some water,¡± Gabriel replied. He doubted if water would make it any better, but if it put her mind at ease, it was fine.


    ¡°Finish the story!¡± Pista demanded, banging her cutlery on the table.


    ¡°Stop that!¡± ordered Nish, taking the knife and fork off her ¡°also finished the story, what?¡± she added, looking directly into her daughter''s eyes.


    ¡°Finish the story, please, Gabriel,¡± said Pista, her tone less commanding than before.


    ¡°Where was I? Oh, so Thor cast his line into the deep ocean, and as Hymir''s worry grew, so did the waves, the boat shook, and the water boiled,¡± Gabriel explained. ¡°So heavy was Thor¡¯s catch that the god of thunder¡¯s foot went straight through the bottom of the boat.¡±


    ¡°Hymir pleaded with Thor to stop, but the god would not listen, as a mountain-sized head emerged from the ocean. They realised they had just caught Jormungandr, the world serpent, so large he encircles the whole Earth, its mouth dripping with eitr, a poising so deadly it may slay the gods and all life on Midgard,¡± Gabriel told them.


    ¡°Both the serpent and Thor were destined to kill one another come Ragnarok, the twilight of the gods. Perhaps hoping to avoid his fate, Thor grabbed his mighty hammer, Mjolnir and prepared to do battle with the monster,¡± he explained.


    ¡°However, Hymir could stand it no more and cut the line, sending the world serpent back to the bottom of the ocean,¡± Gabriel said. ¡°Thor was furious and threw Hymir overboard, taking the two whales the giant had caught, and Hymir¡¯s large cauldron, the god of thunder, departed,¡± Gabriel said, finishing the tale.


    ¡°Thor is not a very nice person,¡± Risoti said.


    ¡°He¡¯s a god; pretty much all gods in all religions are violent drunken psychopaths,¡± Nish explained, ¡°a lot of them reproduced with their relatives as well.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thanks for that. That''s just the image I needed in my head just before I have my meal,¡± Risoti replied, rubbing her stomach.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll manage,¡± commented Gabriel.


    ¡°What¡¯s repodulcing?¡± questioned Pista.


    ¡°Ask your mother,¡± Gabriel replied, kicking the problem down the road.


    Pista looked at Nish expectantly.


    ¡°It means having children,¡± Nish explained, unwilling to go further than that.


    Pista went silent momentarily as her young brain tried to parse the information. She had a rudimentary understanding of how babies were made, but she was pretty certain you could not do with your family.


    ¡°Foods here,¡± Gabriel said, and Pista forgot all about it.


    ***


    Risoti finished her meal before the rest, not including Gabriel, who had eaten nothing. Behind them, a dance floor had been opened up, and several people had taken to the floor. Watching so many different locomotion forms engage in dance was rather fascinating.


    ¡°Want to dance?¡± Risoti asked Gabriel.


    Gabriel took a moment to reply and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know how.¡±


    ¡°Neither do I; it¡¯ll be fun,¡± Risoti countered, grabbing Gabriel''s hand and pulling him, reluctantly, to the dance floor.


    ¡°I have no idea what I¡¯m doing,¡± Gabriel reiterated as they stood on the floor.


    ¡°Put your hand on my waist,¡± Risoti explained.


    ¡°You said you did not know how to dance, and do you even have a waist,¡± Gabriel pointed out.


    ¡°Firstly, I lied, and secondly, don¡¯t overthink it,¡± Risoti replied, grabbing Gabriel¡¯s hand and placing somewhere on her utterly curveless body.


    ¡°I looked like a child dancing with their mum,¡± Gabriel pointed out as Risoti led them in a simple routine.


    ¡°Well, you ain¡¯t calling me mommy, or I will break your nose,¡± Risoti noted as she spun Gabriel around.


    ¡°On that, we can agree,¡± Gabriel said, getting back into position.


    After a few minutes, he was getting the hang of it, ¡°I will miss you,¡± he said, wearing his heart on his sleeve. Gabriel was surprised he had even done it.


    Risoti was of a similar opinion, though she was glad Gabriel had. ¡°I¡¯ll miss you too, be sure to keep in touch, if for no other reason than I will be able to show off to my family,¡± Risoti said.


    ¡°Why would your family care?¡± asked Gabriel.


    ¡°Let¡¯s say your fame has spread further afield than you realise,¡± Risoti replied.


    Gabriel groaned before dipping Risoti. ¡°Mr Ratlu, you need to be careful, or you¡¯ll sweep me off my feet, figuratively and literally,¡± Risoti said, impressed by Gabriel''s strength, though she had to admit she much preferred it when Erilur did it.


    ¡°Are you insane? Erilur would claw my face off, just literally that one,¡± Gabriel responded.


    ¡°Where did you learn how to dip anyway?¡± Risoti asked as Gabriel pulled her back up with ease.


    ¡°I watched that couple over there,¡± Gabriel explained, gesturing with his head, to two Koschel behind him.


    ¡°Are you going to be alright?¡± Risoti asked as the song changed to one with a faster tempo.


    ¡°I¡¯m not that old. By your standards, I¡¯m still a teenager,¡± Gabriel pointed out as he kept pace with Risoti.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking about the song, I meant Nish and Pista will be gone in under a month, and you¡¯ll be all by yourself,¡± Risoti clarified.


    ¡°Mmh,¡± Gabriel replied, ¡°I tend to do rather well on my own.¡±


    Risoti did not reply, mulling over what Gabriel had just said; it was not that she did not believe him; she just felt there must be more to the story. Though it seemed Risoti would not find out.


    Looking over at Nish and Pista, who watched the whole thing with much interest, Risoti could not help but notice how Pista seemed to be about to burst from jealousy, so she decided to take a break and hand Gabriel over to her.


    ***


    Pista stood on Gabriel''s feet and led the girl in the only dance he knew; Risoti had not been the only one to lie.


    Nish said, ¡°I can hardly imagine that this is the same man who mumbled when I first talked to him in the hospital.¡±


    ¡°You got that right,¡± Risoti added, taking a sip from her cup.


    Pista came running back to Nish; once the song ended, she was about to jump into Nish¡¯s lap when she remembered she was in a fancy restaurant and stopped.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°Did you see, we went spinning, and Gabriel twirled me, and and,¡± Pista blurted out.


    ¡°Yes, I saw; you were amazing,¡± Nish replied, hugging her daughter, who trilled with joy, ¡°maybe you¡¯ll be a dancer when you grow up.¡±


    Gabriel was about to sit down when Risoti said, ¡°not so fast, Hapatokro; you still owe one lady a dance.¡±


    ¡°What did you call me?¡± Gabriel asked, confused.


    ¡°Hapatokro was a famous womaniser from two thousand years ago,¡± Risoti explained.


    Gabriel was about to protest, but Risoti stopped him by saying, ¡°enough; indignance later, right now you have a lady to see to.¡±


    He rapped his fingers against his leg before offering a hand to Nish. Despite being sat down, Nish was at Gabriel¡¯s eye level, and they spent a few moments looking at one another before taking Gabriel''s hand and walking with him to the dance floor.


    ¡°Do you know how to dance?¡± Gabriel asked as he took up a similar position as he had done with Risoti.


    ¡°Yes, I did quite a bit at school, though Tufanda dance involves a lot of flying, which you may find difficult,¡± Nish answered, placing two hands on his shoulders and a third on his side.


    Gabriel wriggled his fingers and took a deep breath. Gabriel led her in the same routine he had done with Risoti before Nish said, ¡°sorry about this; Risoti told me earlier she wanted to see us dance, don¡¯t really know why.¡±


    Gabriel felt that her voice wavered a bit, but that could just have been his imagination. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it; it is pleasant to dance with you,¡± he replied.


    Nish¡¯s wings flared slightly, and Gabriel felt himself blush, ¡°why on Eart¡­. Minagerad, did I just say that,¡± he thought.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re enjoying it so much,¡± Nish replied. Had she done so any quieter, she would have been whispering.


    Gabriel cleared his throat, and desperate for any diversion, he asked, ¡°Wha¡­ Why did you do dancing at school? Was it a club?¡±


    ¡°No, mandatory, everyone has to do at least three hours of dance a week, cultural thing,¡± Nish explained; she instinctively attempted to lift Gabriel, as talking about her old lesson brought back some muscle memory.


    Nish nearly pulled a muscle trying to haul Gabriel¡¯s bulk. ¡°Yeah, I wouldn¡¯t recommend trying to do that. Hell, most humans can¡¯t do it,¡± Gabriel said, taking the time to rub Nish¡¯s side; he wasn¡¯t sure if it meant the same thing, but Nish did not protest.


    Pista squealed from her seat and nearly leapt into the air. Gabriel had no idea what that was about.


    ¡°I umm, think.. we.. should urr... Take our. Chair---seats,¡± Nish stuttered out before quickly leaving the dance floor and sitting down, deliberately avoiding Gabriel¡¯s gaze.


    Gabriel followed her, having nothing else to do, and Pista immediately pounced on his lap.


    ***


    Gabriel could not get how Nish had reacted out of his mind; she had not said anything, so Gabriel had assumed, at the time, that nothing had occurred. Yet as he sat on his sofa after returning from the restaurant, Gabriel realised that maybe Nish had just been too polite to bring it up.


    Filled with curiosity and dread that he might have done something horribly inappropriate, he quickly searched the internet for ¡°Tufanda¡± and ¡°touching sides.¡±


    It did not take him long to find it, and he suddenly understood why Pista had squealed as she had.


    Essentially Gabriel had done the Tufanda equivalent of kissing Nish right on the lips.


    ***


    Gabriel tried to keep his attention focused on Risoti as the last call for her shuttle came through. She was holding onto Pista, who was just as sad to see her go as when Erilur left.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send you messages just like Erilur does, ok,¡± Risoti said as Nish pulled her daughter away.


    ¡°Have to go, bye,¡± she added, taking her carry-on and running towards the gate. She would look back every once in a while, and Gabriel would wave while Pista and Nish raised their antennae.


    When she was gone, Gabriel began to dredge up the courage to bring up what he had done.


    ¡°Nish¡­ about yesterday night,¡± Gabriel said.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine; I was just taken aback for a moment. I realise that for a human, it meant nothing,¡± Nish replied; Gabriel had not been the only one who had done some research last night.


    ¡°Yeah, but to a Tufanda, it did, and that is a problem,¡± Gabriel countered.


    ¡°It was hardly a problem,¡± Nish replied and immediately realised what she had just said. ¡°I mean umm.. what I am trying to¡­.¡±


    ¡°Just a bit of cross-culture mistake,¡± Gabriel replied, cobbling a poorly constructed and vaguely relevant sentence together.


    Nish would not ignore an out when it presented itself, and she took it. ¡°Right,¡± Nish said.


    Off in the distance, Gabriel was Risoti¡¯s shuttle taking off, and he was grateful for the distraction. ¡°And then there were three,¡± he said.


    ***


    They had decided to have a lazy day after Risoti left, and Gabriel was back in the Excelsus Suite enjoying a cup of tea. Looking out at the city, watching vehicles and people move about like ants, Gabriel found himself thinking about how Nish had responded.


    ¡°I¡¯m reading too much into it; I¡¯m anthropomorphising her; Erilur had no idea what she was talking about,¡± Gabriel told himself, pacing back and forth.


    Nish had explained how she felt no romantic attraction; she had been in a brief sexual relationship, and the only thing she was bothered with was that the man had never shown up for Pista¡¯s school plays.


    ¡°Why do I even care? Why am I blathering on about this? To no one, I might add,¡± he asked himself, stepping away from the window.


    Nish was lovely to be around; she was fascinating to talk to, passionate about her field of study and truly loved her child, all things Gabriel respected and admired.


    She was pretty freaking looking though; she was gangly, skeletal, really. When she closed her mouth, her face looked like a blank mask, no nose or visible ears, and even her lips vanished.


    She had no curves either; she was utterly unattractive by human standards.


    ¡°Then why the hell can¡¯t I get her out of my head?¡± he asked himself.


    It was then that Erilur''s little statement on the boat came flooding back, and he dropped his drink, spilling liquid on the floor.


    ¡°Oooooohhhhhhhhh ffffuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuccccccccckkkkkkkk,¡± Gabriel groaned.


    ***


    Gabriel might have continued his self-pity and denial party all night had there not been a knock on his door. An unusual occurrence in and of itself, but Gabriel was too desperate for a distraction to care.


    Gabriel quickly went to his door and checked the camera. A young alien, Gabriel was not sure which species, but they looked like a mix of wolf and pig, though they had nine limbs and lacked a tail.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Gabriel said through the speaker.


    ¡°Hello, I have a package for a Mr Ratlu,¡± the courier explained, holding the box a little too close to the camera.


    Gabriel was confused for a moment, as he had not ordered anything. Then he recalled Erilur¡¯s letter; she had mentioned she was sending him a gift.


    ¡°Yes, umm, I¡¯ll open the first door, and you can leave the parcel there, and I¡¯ll collect it later,¡± Gabriel explained, opening the door.


    ¡°I need a signature,¡± the postal worker explained, holding up their P.D.A.


    ¡°Of course you do,¡± Gabriel mumbled. ¡°That will take some time; I need to get in my suit and go through the decontamination process.¡±


    Gabriel put on his suit, grumbling all the while. One thing he would never be ungrateful for again was how simple it was to get a package back on Earth¡ªassuming, of course, that those little shits did not steal it from his doorstep again.


    Ten dull minutes later, he had signed for the package and brought it inside. Erilur had put in the effort; it was wrapped in colourful paper and even had a little bow.


    Gabriel removed the wrapping, taking great care not to tear anything.


    The box contained three smaller packages; one was a tin of savoury biscuits. Gabriel knew them; they were Opolo; Erilur had eaten them regularly while on Minagerad. However, she had often said that they paled to the ones on Bosd.


    The second gift was a framed picture of all five of them outside the Hapip museum, taken just three short weeks ago. Gabriel looked at the photo and smiled. Erilur had mentioned wanting to frame it; it was a good picture, after all. You¡¯d almost think I had been done by a professional.


    Gabriel would need to think of a way to one-up her.


    The final gift was odd; it was a small wooden figure that looked vaguely like Gabriel. However, it was abstract enough that it took a few moments for him to realise. Gabriel supposed this was a deliberate design choice and not due to a lack of skill.


    The statuette had many fine details carved into it; judging from the patterns, they looked like letters. Metal inlays were embedded around the lips, fingers, limbs and eyes, along with two tiny gemstones for pupils. It looked expensive.


    Gabriel was grateful for the gift, but he had no idea what it was; Erilur had not mentioned she was into wood carving.


    Hoping there would be some explanation, Gabriel rummaged through the package to he found a small note.


    Gabriel


    This is a Fholso, a cultural artefact of my people; it¡¯s shaped after its owner and the words inscribed into it as supposed to help a person overcome challenges.


    I don¡¯t know if it will actually work, but who knows?


    By the way, it is very expensive, so don¡¯t lose it.


    Erilur


    ¡°Even one hundred and fifty lightyears away, you just can¡¯t stop sticking your nose in,¡± Gabriel said with a chuckle.


    ***


    With the full extent of Erilur¡¯s generosity known, Gabriel pulled out a sheet of sturdy bordered paper and sat down to write an actual letter, the first he had ever written in his life. He was excited, if he was being honest.


    He would go out looking for gifts later, but now it was the time to channel his inner ponce and write the most pretentious letter he possibly could.


    Dearest Erilur Hahna Iho


    Words cannot describe how much I enjoyed your message. I am indeed well, and your letter found me at a most opportune moment. As I found myself in another situation and your kind and familiar words helped raise my spirits, washing away the stress and fatigue of the day.


    Your gifts were also a ray of sunshine on a drab day, as Risoti had departed just scant hours before, leaving my humors melancholic.


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯ll have to research that one. It¡¯ll drive her nuts,¡± Gabriel chuckled.


    Doubtless, this news gives you joy rather than grief as the day you will be reunited with your beloved draws ever nearer.


    As to your inquiry into my relationship with Nish, I would like to reiterate that it is none of your sodding business, and I kindly request that you keep your large, scaly snout out of my affairs.


    On a more positive note, I have not forgotten what you told me; on the contrary, I have given it serious consideration, and I hope I can act on it before it is too late.


    It is such a shame that you left our merry band when you did, as we have witnessed many more wonders of this world. No doubt Risoti will tell you all about it, and I hope you look forward to it.


    Tomorrow we will be travelling to the Great Black Cliffs of Mespit; Nish and Pista are most keen to see it. They say it reminds them of a similar feature on Yursu.


    I would also like to thank you for the Fholso you sent, it is lovely, and I also hope it will provide me with the help I need.


    I want to finish the letter by reminding you that my love for you is so great that no distance or time could ever damage it.


    Your constant and most affectionate friend,


    Gabriel Ratlu.


    Gabriel sat back and admired his work; it looked like someone from the eighteenth century could have written it. It was perfect.

 Chapter 19

    09:13 23/05/2587 ¨C(8734/691/40/14)


    The Black Cliffs were indeed a sight to behold, three hundred and fifty metres tall. One of the original wonders of this world, here long before the first bacteria were introduced during Minagerad¡¯s terraforming. Gabriel knew this as a massive photo of the cliffs over one hundred metres long taken five thousand years ago, showing them behind sterile purple seas under dull red skies.


    Now the cliffs were covered in greenery, flying animals soared overhead, and thousands of tourists walked close to the edge, prevented from falling through by a large fence. Close was a subjective term, though; Gabriel standing one metre from the edge was being, in Pista¡¯s words, ¡°a big big baby boy.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯d your bag of sweets go?¡± Gabriel asked, looking at Pista¡¯s empty hands. She had pestered him and Nish for the past hour for sweets and had barely had them fifteen minutes. Gabriel swore if Pista dropped them over the cliff.


    ¡°I gave them to that little boy who did not have any,¡± Pista explained, pointing to a boy twice the size of Pista. ¡°Sharing is caring,¡± Pista added.


    Gabriel smiled, hugged her and said, ¡°you¡¯re a good girl Pista.¡± She trilled and hugged Gabriel right back.


    Nish watched all this and did not understand what the matter with Gabriel was. Ever since that little mistake, he had been distant, just as he had been when they first met. He was just as polite as ever, maybe a little too much; after getting a glimpse of the real man, it felt wooden.


    Was he still feeling bad about what he had done? Sure she had been surprised at the moment, but she was not bothered by it. Nish had asked him about it earlier, and he had assured her that nothing was wrong and that he was just as over it as she was.


    Wanting to test this again, Nish approached him and asked, ¡°you enjoying yourselves.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I wanna fly,¡± Pista explained for the ninth time.


    ¡°Quite enjoyable,¡± Gabriel replied flatly.


    Nish was beginning to worry that she had done something. She had not been able to find anything during an internet search, but maybe it was a cultural thing peculiar to that island he lived on.


    She felt the urge to ask him once more if anything was wrong, but she already knew the answer Gabriel would give. While she did not understand what, Nish was certain she was at the centre of it, as his attitude to Pista remained unchanged.


    ***


    Pista was right Gabriel needed to stop acting like such a baby. So maybe, possibly, he had a little bit of a crush, so what? It was perfectly natural, that whole proximity thing someone at work had mentioned once.


    It did not mean anything, just hormones; Nish was the first woman he had met that he found enjoyable to be around. In a week or so, everything would settle down.


    Gabriel cleared his throat and asked Nish, ¡°Do Tufanda ever make their home on sea cliffs?¡±


    Nish was taken aback, he had hardly said a word to her all morning, and now here he was, back to normal, as though nothing had happened. She was beginning to wish Erilur was still here; she would have had an explanation for this.


    ¡°Yeah, there are a fair few seaside towns and cities, though there¡¯s no way I¡¯m living in one,¡± Nish explained, running her antenna through her fingers.


    Gabriel nodded and then realised that natural cliffs must be in short supply, considering there were billions of Tufanda on Yursu.


    ¡°What about cities and towns that aren¡¯t near natural high points? What are they like?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Most of them are modelled after cliffs; generally, the best homes are in the middle, not too high and not at the bottom,¡± Nish explained, relaxing now that Gabriel was slowly returning to his old self.


    ***


    Sitting on a nearby bench, Gabriel took the time to people-watch and got a drink. The cliffs were not quite as blatant with their tourism facilities as Hab Ifru was. They were still there, just hidden under mounds of vegetation-covered soil.


    Not a bad idea, in Gabriel¡¯s opinion, helped maintain the illusion.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± someone asked. Gabriel looked to his right to see a Wokul, their face just a few centimetres from his.


    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Gabriel, trying to keep himself under control. Once again, the unconscious sense of revulsion came, and Gabriel was sick of it. This was a problem he wanted solved.


    ¡°You¡¯re Gabriel Ratlu, yes?¡± The Wokul asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Gabriel confirmed, this time forcing himself to look them in the eye.


    ¡°Could I get a photo with you, please?¡± The Wokul asked, holding up a rather expensive camera.


    Gabriel went quiet for long enough that everyone began wondering what he would say.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Gabriel replied quietly, more to his surprise than anyone else.


    ***


    On the cliff face, a Puropop was dutifully chipping away at the rock. Rather unremarkable compared to many of its neighbours, easily fitting in a human palm, shaped much like an adult cicada, only with a functioning mouth and far more able to defend itself. The little alien was one of the hardiest animals on the planet.


    Native to Teloprip prime, a class 10 (H), the little insectoid continued the task of slowly scrapping away the stone.


    Its muscular forearms and sharp barbs allowed it to gouge the rock. Though the animal could not claim all the credit, it was taking advantage of a naturally occurring crack; the Puropop merely enlarged it.


    The Puropop had reached sexual maturity this season, and this was its first burrow. As it was smaller than many of the other males, it could not take advantage of the premade burrow nor challenge another male for theirs, hence why it was spending so much time and effort on making its own.


    The burrow would need to be big enough to accommodate the larger female he was hoping to whoo, but small enough that she felt secure enough to lay her eggs. Not an easy task considering the medium and the Puropop lack of experience, but he still went about it with all the dedication of a master craftsperson.


    Not that the Puropop understood any of this, it had never questioned why it did anything and never would; it did not have the mental acuity to do it. It, like all animals, merely acted, responded to genetic instinct and the memories it had acquired through its life.


    There was something in this half-finished burrow, a strange rock that the Puropop could not shift, no matter how hard it tried. Instinct drove it on, however, and he worked his way around the obstruction.


    However, all his effort would be in vain, even if what was occurring above was not about to destroy all his hard work. No female would ever nest in such a burrow that was so asymmetrical; it was not unusual for a young male to fail in finding a mate.


    The Puropop ignored it, though, driven on by his instincts. The things above were making noise, but they were no threat to it; sometimes, food appeared when they were around.


    ***


    Gabriel¡¯s willingness to be photographed had set off a bit of a feeding frenzy. While he tried to be understanding, the number of requests began to wear his patience and aggravate his temper.


    He had gotten away by saying he needed to do some human things. A partial lie, this was more of a Gabriel thing, but no doubt other humans would act the same way; there were over eleven billion of them. He grabbed onto the railing and started to rock it back and forth.


    Glancing behind, he could still see several people staring at him; if it had just been Nish and Pista, he would not care, but all those eyes burning into him sent horrible shivers down his spine.


    He was in no fit state to do this; what had ever possessed him to agree to that damn photo? He rocked the railing harder and harder, causing it to shake. A hissing croak came from below, and a young Puropop took the air.


    Gabriel leaned over the edge to see where it had come from, desperate for anything to take his mind off all those people.


    Then a loud cracking sound grabbed everyone¡¯s attention, and Gabriel found himself falling over the edge along with the railing whose foundation had been compromised by that industrious little Puropop.


    Gabriel''s reflexes reacted, and he grasped hold of the railing, now only held in place by a single foundation. His fall was halted, but the sudden cessation of movement caused him to tear one of his shoulder muscles, and another reflex made Gabriel let go.


    One last scream and Gabriel was gone.


    ***


    Nish¡¯s response was immediate. Before Gabriel had vanished from view, she was already running towards the cliff edge. Without a moment''s hesitation, she leapt and fell after Gabriel.


    Streamlined into a dive, she could quickly catch the clumsily tumbling Gabriel. Her brain also promptly calculated the time until they both reached the bottom. It was nothing logical, no mathematic equations; all Nish knew was that it would be impossibly close.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Grabbing hold of Gabriel as tightly as she could, Nish unfurled her wings to their full glory. Six metres from wingtip to wingtip. Beating them as hard as she could, they began to slow.


    Not by enough though; this was going to be bad.


    ***


    Gabriel hit the sand with a muted thud and a crunch. He found it difficult to think; Gabriel was in shock over what had just happened. The fall had made him feel utterly helpless because he had been utterly helpless, a state he had not been in since he was a boy.


    If Nish hadn¡¯t.


    ¡°Nsh,¡± Gabriel slurred, looking down at the woman who had saved his life.


    ¡°Nish?¡± Gabriel repeated, this time with a little more control over his tongue.


    She gave back a half-hearted groan before saying, "arm", and falling unconscious.


    Gabriel looked up, his attention grabbed by movement in his peripheral vision, and saw Pista bounding down the shear cliff face, leaping from ledge to ledge, with the sure footedness a mountain goat would be jealous of.


    With one final leap, she landed safely, if a little clumsily, next to them.


    ¡°Mommy, Gabriel, Mummy, Gabriel, Mommumy, Gabriel,¡± Pista cried, barely holding the buzzing at bay.


    Gabriel tried to get control of his breathing. ¡°Pista.. need¡­ be brave,¡± Gabriel explained between gasps.


    Pista looked at him; her face was the same inscrutable mask it had always been. Gabriel could pick up the signs, though, the drooping arms, the low antennae, the flat wings; she was terrified. With good cause.


    ¡°Get my¡­ P.D.A.,¡± Gabriel explained, tapping his side pocket. ¡°Call... Ambulance,¡± he added.


    Pista clicked and took the P.D.A. from his pocket, her hands shaking wildly.


    She knew what to do, Nish had taught her how to call an ambulance, and the teachers at school had done so as well.


    Holding the device up to her head, she waited for the ringing to end.


    ¡°Hello, what emergency services do you require,¡± a voice said to Pista.


    ¡°AMBULANCE,¡± Pista screamed into the receiver.


    The operator wasted no time; their job was simply to direct people, not deal with them.


    ¡°Ambulance service,¡± a new voice said.


    ¡°I need an ambulance, now,¡± Pista said, her response automatic, drilled into her by all those safety seminars.


    ¡°What happened?¡± the director asked, already in contact with the paramedics. The director already had the general location taken from the device used to contact them, but she needed specifics and the ambulance needed to be prepped based on species.


    As she waited for the caller¡¯s response, she realised they were at the Black Cliffs, so she requested the air ambulance instead.


    ¡°Mummy and Gabreel fell really far, and mummy couldn¡¯t fly and and,¡± Pista answered, the panic set in and the practice petering out. She had been told to tell the ambulance people lots of important information, species, age, exact location, and injuries, but that was a more challenging ask from a fourteen-year-old than just saying a five-word sentence.


    Realising who she was dealing with, the director changed her tone and asked, ¡°Is there a grown-up there?¡±


    ¡°Mummy and Gabriel are hurt,¡± Pista repeated, trying her hardest not to collapse into a puddle, trying her hardest to be just like Gabriel.


    ¡°Ok, where are you exactly?¡± The director asked, keeping her voice as calm as possible.


    ¡°At the Black Cliffs,¡± Pista explained.


    ¡°Look, sweetie, I need you to tell me exactly where you are so the ambulance doesn¡¯t waste time looking for you,¡± The director said, hoping the child would understand.


    Pista went quiet, trying to think, ¡°we were at a sweet shop a little while ago; it had a big animal on the sign.


    Her V.I. quickly searched and found just one match. ¡°Is the sun to the left or the right?¡± asked the director.


    ¡°Right,¡± Pista replied.


    ¡°Good, now what are mummy and Gabriel?¡± The director inquired, with that last piece of information, the air ambulance could be sent and be there in under ten minutes.


    ¡°Mummy¡¯s a Tufanda, and Gabriel¡¯s a human,¡± Pista said, grateful for an easy answer.


    ¡°That Gabriel, she was sending an ambulance for that Gabriel,¡± The director thought as she saw the ambulance take off.


    ¡°The ambulance is in the way. What¡¯s your name?¡± The director asked.


    ¡°Pista,¡± she replied with a buzz.


    ¡°Ok, Pista, I need you to look at mummy and Gabriel and tell me if they are awake,¡± the director said, keeping her words as simple as possible.


    ¡°Gabriel¡¯s awake, I think; mummy isn¡¯t,¡± Pista replied; it was hard to tell with Gabriel, he was still moving, but he was not saying anything. She looked at Nish again, and Pista realised what she had just said; her mommy wasn''t moving, and she nearly broke.


    He had not been lying idle; Gabriel had been attempting to calm himself. Difficult, but watching Pista try so hard gave him confidence. Taking one last breath, Gabriel held out his hand, still shaking, and told Pista, ¡°you can hand me over now.¡±


    14:28 25/05/2587 ¨C(8734/694/03/14)


    Gabriel flexed his toes; it still hurt, but at least he could feel something; after his little tumble, part of him had been terrified that he would be paralyzed from the waist down. All in all, he had gotten off relatively easy; Nish had just enough control during the drop to lead them away from the rocks and onto the soft sand.


    Nish had lost an arm, one of her larger ones, crushed under Gabriel''s bulk when they hit the beach. The surgeons had consulted with her about whether she wanted a cybernetic or cloned replacement.


    The cybernetic arm could be attached immediately and would be superior in function, but never look one hundred per cent natural and would need regular maintenance.


    On the other hand, no pun intended; the cloned limb would be indistinguishable, apart from a faint scar where it had been attached and the absence of accumulated damage. It would also have a near-zero chance of rejection, being genetically identical to Nish.


    It would need time to grow, so she would be down to three arms in the interim.


    In contrast, Gabriel had gotten away with just twelve broken bones, his right ankle twisted 180 degrees and whiplash.


    Painful, but with modern medicine and physiotherapy, he would be on his feet with only mild discomfort by the end of the week.


    Nish was in another ward to Gabriel for obvious reasons, though he had been able to visit her twice. Pista was sleeping on a small rack provided for her by the hospital; when there was no risk of infection and no relatives were available, children were allowed to stay with their parents.


    She would make her decision today. From what Nish had told him, she was leaning towards the cybernetics, and if she held, he wanted to talk before she went under the knife.


    Gabriel pulled out his wheelchair from its cubbyhole with a considerable but manageable amount of pain.


    As he was rolling out of his room, he saw Bob walking toward him. Despite the familiar lack of a face, they were not in Foruthio Hospital, which was on another continent. Bob had been flown in specially to treat Gabriel, as he was one of the most qualified people to do so, having treated exactly three humans while on Minagerad.


    ¡°Just the man I wanted to see,¡± Bob said, doing his awkward shuffle. From what Gabriel had read, Holuterc were far more graceful in the water.


    Bob paused, looked at Gabriel and said, ¡°I thought I told you to use the crutches. You need to get your muscles working if you want a speedy recovery.¡±


    ¡°I''ve never been in a wheelchair before; just let me have this,¡± Gabriel replied, gesturing vaguely with his hand.


    Bob looked at the nurses¡¯ station and gestured for their attention. ¡°When Gabriel gets back from wherever he¡¯s going, take it off him; there are other more needy people in the hospital,¡± Bob explained, and the duty nurse said he would do so.


    ¡°You said you wanted to see me,¡± Gabriel said, noting that the conversation seemed to have drifted a bit.


    Bob got down to Gabriel¡¯s level, though rather than bend over or kneel, he compressed his entire trunk; it was quite the sight. Bob said, ¡°Yes, I need to see you for two reasons; firstly, we¡¯ve got your x-rays back, your ankle¡¯s doing well; another couple of days, and you can go.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good news,¡± Gabriel said, ¡°and the other.¡±


    ¡°You seem to be rather accident-prone, Gabriel. I¡¯ve had a conversation with some other doctors, and we feel it might be more cost-effective for you to have a muscle and tendon strengthening to complement your bones,¡± Bob explained, returning to his full height.


    ¡°A complete muscular system enhancement, I¡¯m not made of money,¡± Gabriel replied; he had only gotten the skeletal one because the health service had footed the bill; it would cost hundreds of thousands at least.


    ¡°Oh no, the Minagerad health service will foot the bill, won¡¯t cost you a Shiff,¡± Bob clarified.


    That made the whole procedure far more appealing. ¡°What exactly can I expect?¡± Gabriel asked.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll be a bit stronger, but this isn¡¯t military grade; it¡¯s primarily focused on toughness, keeping your muscles where they are supposed to and keep them from tearing,¡± Bob explained.


    ¡°Your muscles will atrophy at a slower rate, but conversely, you¡¯ll find it harder to put on muscle mass,¡± he added.


    ¡°Is it just injections like my bones were?¡± asked Gabriel, recalling his last improvement procedure. It involved ten trips to the hospital for a check-up to see that the genetic modification was working correctly and then injecting the booster.


    By the end, his genetic code had been permanently altered, though his gametes remained unchanged. His body now produced an organic ceramic-like material, synthesised from the food he ate, reinforcing his bones.


    ¡°Yes, five injections and your muscles will be protected by an organic sheath, allowing your skeletal muscle to take more punishment before breaking,¡± Bob answered. ¡°Though it will take several months before your body actually finishes doing the work.¡±


    Gabriel nodded; he knew well how long it took for genetic modifications to take effect.


    ¡°Anything else?¡± Gabriel asked, while internally he thought about booking a hotel until Nish was discharged; if she went for the cybernetic option, she would probably be released in the next seven days.


    ¡°There is something, but it can wait,¡± Bob replied.


    ***


    ¡°Nish the cyborg, ehh,¡± Gabriel said after Nish confirmed that the mechanical option was the one for her.


    ¡°It has a nice ring to it,¡± Nish agreed, handing her P.D.A. to Gabriel; he saw a V.I. mock-up of what Nish would look like with her new arm.


    ¡°No synth skin or synth exoskeleton in your case?¡± Gabriel noted, looking at the bare metal.


    ¡°I decided against it. I know someone with a prosthesis, and she won''t stop complaining about how much the skin annoys them; it won¡¯t stay in place, gets damaged easily and is costly to replace,¡± Nish explained, taking her device back.


    ¡°Guess I can kiss the Hofhoris festival goodbye,¡± Nish mumbled, staring at the image.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± inquired Gabriel.


    Nish just realised she had said that part out loud, looked down, and talking into her chest, said, ¡°it¡¯s the annual m¡­t.ng festival.¡±


    ¡°Sorry?¡± Gabriel asked innocently.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Tufanda mating festival,¡± Nish replied, deciding it was better to swallow the poison and get it over with.


    ¡°Eww,¡± Pista said, wretching. Her understanding of what happened there was limited, mostly stroking sides and grooming wings, which was disgusting grown-up stuff.


    ¡°Why would your arm matter?¡± asked Gabriel, which seemed highly odd to him.


    ¡°During¡­. That time of year, the men are hopped up on so many hormones that all they really care about is looks,¡± Nish explained. ¡°Most of them anyway; some will have esoteric fetishes.¡±


    ¡°Wait, so do you guys just, you know, in a big pile or something,¡± Gabriel wondered out loud.


    ¡°Oh, sacred tears, no, we do that in private,¡± Nish retorted, slightly offended that Gabriel assumed she was that kind of woman.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Gabriel said, looking at the floor, and Nish realised he had meant nothing by it. ¡°I¡¯ll look after Pista while you''re having your op,¡± he added, hoping that would make up for what he had just said.


    ¡°Can we go to the park?¡± asked Pista, excited.


    ¡°No, we can¡¯t go to the park,¡± Gabriel replied, pointing to his bum leg.


    ¡°I¡¯m bored in here,¡± Pista complained, lying on the foot of Nish¡¯s bed.


    ¡°We know you are,¡± Nish said.


    Gabriel tapped his legs and recalled that he had been meaning to say something, the image of cyborg Nish had pushed it from his mind. He said, ¡°when we¡¯re out and feeling better, I have something I need to tell you two."


    ***


    Gabriel had decided to take Pista to the hospital garden; very impressive if Gabriel said so himself. The gardeners here clearly knew what they were doing; it was big, the size of five football pitches. Several patients, hospital personnel and visitors wandered about the place, admired the ambience, and sat on the many benches so the sights and sounds could be taken in.


    Pista had chosen to sit next to a large fountain and play with the water. She was putting on a brave face, but Gabriel knew she was worried about her mother. As both he and Nish were currently injured, she had taken it upon herself to be the adult. As close to adult as she could get, mind you.


    ¡°Find anything good?¡± Gabriel asked, peering through the rough water.


    ¡°There¡¯s a stone,¡± Pista pointed out.


    ¡°Very nice,¡± Gabriel replied; he had not bothered actually to look for it.


    ¡°Your mum¡¯s going to be fine,¡± Gabriel said, putting his arm around her shoulder.


    ¡°I know,¡± Pista replied, though her tone betrayed her worry.


    ¡°Is mummy upset that she can¡¯t go to the Yukky festival anymore?¡± Pista asked, looking up at Gabriel.


    ¡°A little; why¡­ did she go often?¡± asked Gabriel.


    ¡°Every year, I go stay with Granma or Granpa, and we bake or paint pictures or visit hapa,¡± Pista explained.


    ¡°Nish knew what she wanted, and she got it,¡± Gabriel thought with a smile on his face.


    Gabriel concluded what Pista needed was a distraction, so he said, "tell me about your grandparents." Something he quickly came to regret as Pista''s affection for them was only slightly less than for her mother.


    When Pista was finally done, Nish had left the theatre; the operation had gone swimmingly.

 Chapter 20

    09:01 01/06/2587 ¨C(8734/701/13/24)


    Perhaps doing this in the morning was not the best idea; it could sour the rest of the day. However, Gabriel was afraid that the more he delayed, the more likely he would chicken out.


    Nish and Pista sat in his penthouse suite, patiently waiting as Gabriel stared out the window. He had never understood why people did this in the media he watched and read, but if how he felt now was any revelation, it was in a pathetic attempt to delay as long as possible.


    Taking one last deep breath, Gabriel said, ¡°I have never told anyone this before, and I feel I should have years ago, or at the very least, while Risoti and Erilur were still with us.¡±


    The Tufanda once more held their silence, and Gabriel did so too, as he took the time to focus his attention on what he wanted to say. After a not inconsiderable pause, he found the beginning of his tale. With barely contained contempt rising in each word, he said, ¡°my father was a loser, a worthless, incompetent oxygen thief.¡±


    ¡°And he knew it,¡± he added. Nish felt a gnawing pit in her stomach; she had never heard Gabriel talk like this before; it would not be pleasant. Pista could tell too, and she held onto her mother tightly.


    ¡°Every night, he would become intoxicated, trying to bury his sense of self-loathing, it always failed, and he would stumble home and beat me,¡± Gabriel explained. ¡°That¡¯s why my skeleton was reinforced as a child, to compensate for what my father did.¡±


    ¡°What about social services? Why didn¡¯t they intervene?¡± Nish asked; she had promised herself that she would not interrupt, but this was too big of a revelation to hold her tongue.


    ¡°Someone has to fall through the cracks; no system can be perfect,¡± Gabriel explained. ¡°But perhaps the fault lies with me as well; I never told anyone, not until much later,¡± he added.


    ¡°Why?¡± asked Nish.


    Gabriel turned to look at Nish; despite the anger in his words, his posture and face were a picture of serenity. Nish then realised just how good Gabriel was at hiding his true feelings. Pausing for a moment, Gabriel removed his locket and opened the clatch.


    Walking toward Nish, he handed it to her. Her new arm had bonded well, with no rejection, and while she still needed to be careful, in a couple of months, she would be able to do everything she could before.


    Nish saw the image of a human child; though she could make out little more than that, her brain was simply not programmed to notice the subtle differences between sexes.


    ¡°That¡¯s Jariel, my sister. I kept quiet because my father non to subtlety hinted that he would hurt her if I spoke,¡± Gabriel explained.


    ¡°Your mother?¡± asked Nish, wondering where she was during all this.


    ¡°Mother had no maternal instinct whatsoever. Whenever my father beat me, she sat in her room, listening to her hymns and bible verses. In fact, I¡¯m fairly certain she was a psychopath, someone who cares only about themselves,¡± Gabriel answered.


    ¡°You said she was Christian; isn¡¯t Christianity all about charity, mercy and love,¡± Nish replied, from little Gabriel had mentioned she was an extreme believer. She wondered how someone could believe one thing so fervently and then act in a contradictory manner.


    Gabriel went silent, clearly thinking. Pista took the lull in the conversation to look at the image; Jariel looked cute; she had lovely black hair and big green eyes.


    ¡°I recall a quote from some man name George Bernard Shaw that stuck with me all these years, ¡°Christianity, possibly a good idea, if somebody tried it,¡± he said.


    Nish understood what he meant, that despite claiming to follow the beliefs, no one had ever actually succeeded.


    ¡°Why you? Why not attack your sister?¡± inquired Nish.


    ¡°Because I would always aggravate him; if he was beating me, he wasn¡¯t beating Jariel,¡± Gabriel explained. ¡°Every night, I¡¯d put Jariel to bed, wait downstairs for Father to stumble hope and then lay into him.¡±


    ¡°He was pathetic, always going after the weakest person he could find. If I stayed quiet, he would beat her,¡± Gabriel added, turning back to the window though he still stood beside Nish.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Gabriel said nothing more, and it took a few moments for Nish to realise he was waiting for a prompt. ¡°What happened?¡± she asked.


    ¡°It was a couple of days after my fourteenth birthday, we did not eat well, and I quickly learned to look for food in the wild, berries and the like; blackberries were her favourite,¡± Gabriel continued.


    ¡°Father often let up on the beatings around our birthdays. No doubt if you asked him, he would say he was not about to attack someone on their special day,¡± Gabriel said. ¡°I think the real reason was some worthless attempt to save what little shred of dignity he had left, not that it mattered; he was still a monster that hurt his own children.¡±


    ¡°17th August 2574, two days after my birthday, it was time for my first beating after turning fourteen,¡± Gabriel said.


    ¡°It started much like the others had. Father stumbled home, swearing, blaming his misfortune on everyone else, not that circumstances had gone his way; from what little I know, he did have a hard life,¡± Gabriel explained, acting and feeling remarkably calm. The strongest emotion he felt at the moment was the surprise at how little it all affected him. Maybe that was because he knew how this chapter of his life ended.


    ¡°I never just stood there and took it; I had always fought back, partly because if I did, his anger would remain on me, but also because I do not like being anyone''s punching bag,¡± he added. ¡°This time was different though; this time, when I hit him back, he flinched, whether in real pain for just the shock that he felt it, I don¡¯t know, and don¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°That moment of weakness was all my years of pent-up aggression needed, and for the first and last time in my life, I delivered a beating,¡± Gabriel said, finally looking back at Nish.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t he fight back?¡± Nish asked, carefully stroking the locket Gabriel had given her.


    ¡°He was a loser; he never picked a fight with someone who could fight back, and the moment I did, he froze like a rabbit caught in the headlights,¡± Gabriel replied. ¡°I was not forgiving, and I was not merciful, even as he begged me to stop.¡±


    Gabriel looked at Nish before clarifying, ¡°I did not kill him; he lived, even made a full recovery.¡± Taking a deep breath, Gabriel sat down and retrieved the locket from Nish. He stared at his sister.


    ¡°Then what?¡± asked Nish, feeling Gabriel was waiting for another prompt.


    ¡°After I realised what I had done, I was worried, not so much for him, so I went to Jariel and told her what happened,¡± Gabriel explained. ¡°At first, she was just grateful that I was not hurt, but once we realised the seriousness of what had occurred, we decided to call the police and an ambulance.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Nish said.


    ¡°Not really; the police wanted to prosecute me,¡± Gabriel retorted.


    Nish stared at him, astounded that anyone could blame someone so young. Gabriel picked up on this, the wide eyes, the flared wings, the flexing fingers and replied, ¡°I beat my father badly, and he was pathetic, he also lied his head off, and they felt it easier to believe that I was some violent thug, who beat up his saintly father than the truth.¡±


    ¡°Spent a few days in lock up, this them constantly trying to get me to confess,¡± he added. "I think they just wanted to get the whole thing wrapped up early and take the rest of the day."


    ¡°How did you get out?¡± Nish asked, deducing that he must have as he was not currently serving a sentence for unaggravated assault.


    ¡°I¡¯d watched enough crime shows to know to keep asking for a lawyer, and while I hate the man, he did teach me to hold my ground through all his abuse,¡± Gabriel said. ¡°The lawyer got me off, and I was even able to sue the investigators for harassment,¡± he added with a smile.


    ¡°Two years after that, my father got sent to prison, where he remains to this day, and me and Jariel got sent to social housing, and for the first time in our lives, life was good,¡± Gabriel added. ¡°We started to do well in school, began putting on weight, even began to make a few friends or the start of friends at the very least.¡±


    Pista had moved and was leaning on Gabriel¡¯s back, peering over his shoulder, there was something about the image that did not make sense, and she had finally realised what it was.


    ¡°Jariel¡¯s a baby in this photo. Why isn¡¯t she a grown-up like you?¡± Pista asked. Baby was a strong word; Jariel had been nine when this photo was taken. Then again, considering how Tufanda aged, she would only be a toddler to Pista¡¯s sensibilities.


    Gabriel''s grey face vanished, and he began to look at the floor with a haunted expression.


    The room went silent; Nish knew what happened, not how it happened but what was evident for all. Gabriel was trying his hardest to manage his emotions; he had thought he was more stable than this; that wound was well healed. Erilur had been right, the damn lizard. He was not well; he had just been coping.


    Gabriel took in a long, staggered breath. ¡°Jariel was fifteen when she passed,¡± Gabriel said, his voice cracking.


    Nish said nothing in response, but Gabriel knew what she wanted to know. ¡°Creuztfeldt-Jakob disease,¡± Gabriel explained, wiping a tear from his eye.


    Nish did not know what that was, and Gabriel assumed this, though even if she had, he would have told her anyway. Part of him just needed to tell someone, even as the other screamed at him to keep his mouth shut, not to bring the memory back.


    ¡°It is caused by prions, malformed proteins, the simplest infectious agent in the universe, so simple they are not even alive,¡± Gabriel said, rubbing his face, trying to force himself not to cry.


    Nish had heard of them; not the word, even in galactic basic that was new to her. In Ketrok, they were called Jayan. They were not the guaranteed death sentence they had been if you could get treatment before symptoms appeared. The problem was that it was so rare that most doctors never even considered it until symptoms appeared.


    ¡°Do you know what the odds are for a child to develop spontaneous CJD?¡± Gabriel asked, looking at Nish with a joyless smile, tears welling up. ¡°One in one hundred million,¡± Gabriel answered his own question.


    Pista hugged Gabriel as tightly as she could. ¡°I stayed with her every day in hospital, in her last month¡­ she had no idea who I was,¡± Gabriel said, his final wall crumbling, and he burst into tears.


    Nish held him close, and if she and Pista had been able, would have cried too.

 Chapter 21

    10:56 02/06/2587 ¨C(8734/702/24/83)


    Gabriel felt good, better than he had in years, as though he had been carrying a great weight and, while it wasn¡¯t gone, it had undoubtedly been reduced. He did not doubt that there was more work to do, but it was an excellent first step, and that was something.


    On the other hand, Nish was still reeling from what she had heard. Erilur had hinted at something bad, but that was just awful. Pista, too, had been affected by the tale and had been strangely quiet.


    Nish had been slightly concerned about Gabriel when he suggested they spend the day out. His usual response before the revelation would have been to spend the day by himself, ¡°recharging¡±, as Gabriel put it. She took some comfort in that he had decided to keep it small, so it seemed Gabriel had not changed too much.


    Even though it was her day to decide, she had let Gabriel pick. Not that it had been easy, he had been quite insistent that she chose. Eventually, she had worn him down, which was why they were having a picnic in the park.


    Kekor¡¯s park, to be exact. A mix between carefully manicured country estate and nature reserve, slap bang in the middle of Reshu city. With an area of ten kilometres and not overly popular with tourists, meaning they were left alone.


    Understandably the severe injury of the once seemingly invincible man had been newsworthy, and Nish¡¯s heroic rescue had made her as much a household name as Gabriel had been. At least for the moment, Gabriel was of the opinion that their stars would fade eventually.


    Nish had enjoyed the recognition; for a while. She had quickly come to understand the irritation Gabriel had felt. She was beginning to miss just being another face in the crowd.


    They had both sent in a statement about what had happened, and an official investigation was being conducted to determine the true cause. Something Gabriel and Nish were keen to discover; from what Gabriel could recall, the railing was not rusted and had seemed perfectly stable.


    Pista interrupted Gabriel¡¯s train of thought by offering a round bread-like disc covered in a sweet preserve and asking, ¡°do you want some?¡±


    Gabriel looked at the food, then at Pista before returning his gaze to the not-quite bread. ¡°Very funny, you little peshtook,¡± Gabriel said, using a word Nish had taught her, which roughly translated to monkey or small mischievous arboreal animal.


    Pista trilled at her joke before stuffing the entire thing into her mouth. Regarding food, Gabriel noticed that he was not hungry and would not be until the evening. It seemed his time on Minagerad had taught his body to go long periods without solid food.


    Gabriel sighed and mumbled, ¡°I¡¯m gonna get even fatter when I get back home.¡±


    Now that he thought about it, Nish and Pista would be leaving in five days; that trip to the hospital had really eaten into their holiday.


    Looking at Nish, he still felt the same way he had days ago. Gabriel shook his head; it was a crush, nothing more. There was no reason to make things awkward, or maybe not, considering that romance was virtually alien to the Tufanda people.


    He supposed Nish would just shrug her shoulders and quickly forget about it. Or whatever Tufanda did to show disinterest, he had not quite figured that one out yet. Gabriel was pretty sure it had something to do with the eyelids.


    Even more reason to ignore it; he would be sad to see both of them go, but it was for the best. Still, they should probably make the most of their time.


    ¡°Just five more days. You should really think about where you want to go,¡± he said, airing the topic.


    ¡°I know, but that''s the problem with you. When you tell me we can do just about anything, I can¡¯t think of anything,¡± Nish replied,


    ¡°There has to be something¡±, stated Gabriel.


    Nish rested her head on her cybernetic arm and began to think. She had adapted very quickly and, more often than not, forgot she had lost her original arm at all.


    ¡°You think of something too,¡± Gabriel said to Pista, who was busy laying claim to all the cakes he had brought. ¡°And learn to share,¡± he added, reclaiming the foodstuffs.


    Pista did not need to think, ¡°I want to go to Weno¡¯s zero-g fun land.¡±


    Gabriel paused; he had not heard of that one before. He looked to Nish, who explained, ¡°It¡¯s a place we go to sometimes back on Yursu; she just means going to a zero-g park, any zero-g park.¡±


    That sounded good, Gabriel had been to one before Jariel had been taken from him, and he had never been since.


    ¡°Not a bad idea, actually. I need to get used to flying again now that I¡¯ve got this arm,¡± Nish said, rotating her wrist. ¡°The weight¡¯s going to throw me off,¡± she added, looking at Gabriel, assuming he did not instinctively understand why it would be a problem. She was right.


    ¡°Zero-g park it is,¡± Gabriel said, looking for a suitable venue.


    ¡°What are you gonna do when you finally have all the time to yourself?¡± Nish asked, inching closer to him and looking at his P.D.A. Not an unprecedented move, she often gave her opinion on the places they visited, her primary area of expertise was where Pista was least likely to make a scene.


    Though from what Gabriel had seen of the girl, she was remarkably well behaved, not Jariel well behaved, but he had known worse. If one ignored the act of stubbornness that had led into the Vetoru enclosure, Nish had also noted that she was more careful and reasonable than before.


    Nish had a gnawing pit in her stomach that told her the moment Gabriel was gone and they were back on the transport, her personality would shift right back. Then again, perhaps she was not giving her daughter enough credit.


    ***


    Gabriel had managed to book a spot the same day, and he was currently chasing Pista around the large cylindrical chamber. It was an impressive place to be, stretching two hundred metres into the air and thirty-six metres in diameter.


    Launching himself with all his might, Gabriel made a B-line for Pista. It was pointless, however. Despite his physical strength and stamina, Pista easily moved out of the way, trilling all the while.


    It made no difference no matter how hard he tried; Pista was too skilled and had far more practice than him.


    ¡°Having trouble,¡± Nish asked, flying around Gabriel with superb grace.


    ¡°I would be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t,¡± Gabriel replied as Pista darted back and forth just out of reach. ¡°Any advice?¡± he asked.


    ¡°You¡¯ll never catch her by yourself; even I would struggle; kids tended to be much more nimble than adults,¡± Nish explained.


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    ¡°But you have an idea,¡± Gabriel stated.


    ¡°Tears, yes,¡± Nish replied with a trill of her own.


    ***


    Gabriel and Mummy had been hanging from the wall, talking to one another for some time, and Pista did not like it. Not only because it meant no one was paying attention to her but also because she vaguely recalled something like this happening at Weno¡¯s.


    Suddenly Gabriel and Mummy looked at her, and the old memory came flooding back. They were planning to gang up on her just like Mommy, auntie Manbay and Lloveti had done.


    Pista turned and attempted to flee, but Gabriel shot off like a rocket at her, far faster than before. Despite the added effort, Pista was still too quick for him, and he went sailing past her into the padded wall.


    Gabriel had just been a distraction, and Nish was already on her. Pista''s heart began pounding in her chest as she narrowly avoided being snatched by her mother, and she darted upward.


    Once again, Gabriel came rocketing past; he had misjudged his leap and overshot Pista. That did not stop her from squeaking and turning on a hairpin towards the opposite wall.


    Gabriel braced himself and collided with the wall, grabbing hold of the straps to regain control. He landed next to a pair of Nimuteru, a quadrupedal people with large tusks, though one of the Nimuteru only had tiny nubs. That and their smaller size and mottled brown skin showed they were a child.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Gabriel said, panting slightly from the effort.


    ¡°Hello,¡± the young Nimuteru replied meekly.


    Gabriel''s focus returned to finding Pista, which was not as difficult as you would expect. Her wings, though far less impressive than Nish¡¯s, were still large enough to make her an obvious target.


    Pista once again dodged her mother. She was getting cocky now, making figure-of-eight patterns and telling Nish that they would never catch her. Gabriel lined up as Nish distracted her daughter and then launched himself at her.


    Thinking he had finally got her, Gabriel had not put nearly as much effort into his leap, worried that if he hit Pista a full pelt, he might hurt her. While thoughtful, this gave Pista just enough time to realise what Nish was doing, and with one glance behind her, she immediately got out of the way.


    Nish did not ignore the opening this left, and with one incredible beat of her wings, she was on Pista, and this time there was no escape; grabbing hold of her daughter then, they began to tumble in the air.


    Pista tried to escape, but it was pointless; Nish¡¯s grip was like iron. ¡°Got her,¡± Nish called. It took a little searching for Nish to spot Gabriel; his suit allowed him to blend in well with the walls.


    Eventually, Nish found him and added, ¡°she can¡¯t escape now.¡±


    Gabriel jumped towards the pair, far more leisurely this time, and collided with them, pulling them both in for a hug. Gabriel worried he might be overdoing it, but both Nish and Pista hugged him back.


    He felt much better.


    17:06 03/06/2587 ¨C(8734/703/54/32)


    Gabriel stretched and yawned, ¡°must be getting old,¡± he said; only five o¡¯clock, and he felt ready for bed.


    They were currently sitting in a field, having just taken a hot air balloon ride. Something Nish and Pista had enjoyed immensely, primarily because of how nervous Gabriel had been. The way he swore every time the balloon shook had been the main highlight of the show.


    ¡°Sweet terra firma, how I love you,¡± Gabriel said, gently caressing the soil.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realise you were afraid of heights,¡± Nish said, trying her best to suppress a trill.


    ¡°I¡¯m not; there''s just something about being suspended with just a wicker basket between me and a splaty end that I do not find appealing,¡± Gabriel explained, lying on his back, making a grass angel.


    ¡°Oh, I know; tomorrow, why don¡¯t we take a submarine down to the Bavrian Abyss? It¡¯s over a mile beneath the ocean,¡± Gabriel added with a smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s not funny; I don¡¯t know how you could ever be so calm. The water pressure would crush even you,¡± Nish pointed out.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you can be so calm; you can¡¯t fly in this gravity,¡± Gabriel countered.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯d manage,¡± Nish replied; true, taking off was near impossible, but she was reasonably sure that if push came to shove, they could land without too much difficulty. Nish had just not been willing to risk it, just to find out if she could. Gabriel began playing with an errant blade of grass, and Nish remembered Gabriel¡¯s job.


    ¡°Why did you become a gardener? You never said,¡± asked Nish.


    ¡°There¡¯s no great mystery, really. Jariel liked plants, we would often go walking in the woods, and we would often take seeds and things in the woods and then take care of them, so I had some practice,¡± Gabriel explained.


    ¡°Plus, it¡¯s very hard to get overly attached to plants, and after what happened to her, it seemed like the best option,¡± he added, sitting back up and leaving his pseudo-grass leaf alone.


    ¡°You have friends at work though, right?¡± asked Nish.


    ¡°Friends is a strong word. Colleagues, I feel is more appropriate. You, Pista, Erilur and Risoti are the only friends I¡¯ve had in over a decade,¡± Gabriel explained.


    Pista had been ignoring the conversation; for the most part, any talk about Gabriel¡¯s sister made her sad. Her mood improved quickly upon Gabriel saying clearly and unambiguously that she was his friend.


    She immediately hugged him, her antennae danced over his face, and Gabriel said, ¡°ok, I love you too.¡±


    Unfortunately, Gabriel¡¯s generic statement only worsened the situation, and Pista clamped down even harder.


    ***


    Gabriel wondered if Nish and Pista should start bringing an umbrella with them everywhere they went as they sat in a caf¨¦ watching the water patter against the windows. Pista was currently colouring in some pictures with the crayons the establishment had provided while Gabriel and Nish sipped on drinks.


    ¡°How frequently does it rain in Tusreshin?¡± asked Gabriel making idle conversation.


    ¡°About once or twice a month,¡± Nish replied as she contemptuously watched everyone else move through the rain without issue. ¡°It¡¯s very fine, nothing as heavy as this,¡± she added, pointing out the window. One passerby noticed this and thought Nish had been gesturing to them. There was a brief moment of embarrassment for the two of them when they realised it had just been a mistake.


    ¡°So, where does all your water come from?¡± asked Gabriel.


    ¡°Artificial Underground aquifers, we stopped using the real ones when the sinkholes became a real problem,¡± Nish explained.


    Gabriel rubbed the back of his neck and spent a few moments working up his courage before stating, ¡°you know, I would quite like to visit Yursu one of these days, I¡¯ve seen a few pictures, and I¡¯ve never seen cities like it.¡±


    ¡°You could stay with us. I¡¯m sure Pista would like it,¡± Nish replied. She liked the idea of showing Gabriel around her home. She also liked the idea of bringing Gabriel along on one of her digs. Nish found herself imagining, unintentionally, Gabriel shifting logs with nothing but muscle strength. It gave her feelings.


    ¡°Is Gabriel coming home with us?¡± Pista asked, leaving a big streak across her picture. Gabriel could not help but think Pista saw him as some giant puppy; she was desperate to bring home.


    ¡°No, he¡¯s got¡­ nine months of his holiday left, but he might come visit us one of these days,¡± Nish corrected her daughter.


    Pista was simultaneously disappointed and excited. She knew that she would have to say goodbye soon, but the possibility that it would not be forever was something.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s your address?¡± Gabriel asked, taking out his P.D.A.


    ¡°4 Dodagami Drive, Atlroen Way, Level Nagacrgua, Tusreshin, Ralosth Penninsula, 165OPS UY23J,¡± Nish answered. ¡°Type that into any Satnav on Yursu, and you can¡¯t go wrong,¡± she added.


    ¡°Will I even be able to get around a Tufanda city?¡± Gabriel questioned as he imagined a place designed for those that could fly would have few paths or ladders.


    ¡°Of course, you can; not all Tufanda can fly, the old, the sick and the disabled. Not to mention we¡¯re not long-distance flyers. The record is something like fifteen minutes; there are tonnes of walkways and ramps,¡± Nish explained.


    That was good to know, and yes, it made perfect sense now that Nish had said it aloud.


    ***


    Gabriel sat alone in his penthouse, idly staring at the recommendation he received after finishing his last video. The sun had set, and the only thing illuminating his face was the glow from his screen as Illohu was currently hidden behind the clouds. He had been doing so for the past fifteen minutes. On top of that, it was well past his bedtime, not that he noticed.


    At present, Gabriel had only one thing on his mind, though he was not sure exactly why he was thinking about it. He had assumed his little crush would have faded by now; that being said, he had never had one before, and he wasn¡¯t sure how long they lasted.


    His current train of thought was whether he should say anything. The most significant portion just kept telling him his feelings were just infatuation, Nish just so happened to be a woman who gave him the most attention in fifteen years, and that was all there was to it.


    On the other hand, he really did not know how relationships worked other than familial ones, naturally. For all he knew, they did start with superficial infatuation before becoming something with real significance.


    ¡°Maybe I should have paid more attention to my schoolmates,¡± Gabriel said aloud; he imagined they would have found the whole situation, if not easy, then at least more navigable. All Gabriel had to go on were romantic dramas and comedies.


    The one thing he was certain of was that he needed to tell her if he wanted something more concrete. But did he?


    Gabriel closed his laptop, moved it out of the way, and slammed his head against the table. Something he regretted quickly as tougher bones and reinforced muscle did not mean dulled pain receptors.


    Rubbing his head, Gabriel wondered what his life would be like if he were not so indecisive. Not that any of this soul-searching mattered; deep down, Gabriel knew what he would do; it was just in his nature.

 Chapter 22

    12:31 06/06/2587 ¨C(8734/706/43/19)


    ¡°Can we please stop and rest,¡± Nish complained; her legs ached, she was hot, and she was hungry.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who wanted an adventure before you left,¡± Gabriel reiterated as he swung his machete at the foliage that blocked their path. Nish had wanted something a bit more primal for their last day to truly wow everyone back home. Technically tomorrow would be the last day, but the shuttle departed a 60/50, so that did not give them much time to do anything.


    To that end, they had all decided to travel through the Melbiac forest, a dense woodland filled with life, and only a few established trails, taken only by the most adventurous tourist and locals.


    So disused was the forest that the trails were overgrown, and no guides worked its routes, so anyone wanting to travel in it needed to do so on their own. Not that this was a survival situation by any means, they were travelling along the shortest route, had enough food and water for a week, and all the forest had good reception. Disused was not the same as wholly abandoned.


    ¡°Yeah, well, we can¡¯t all be superbeings,¡± Nish retorted between her pants for air.


    Gabriel snickered and asked, ¡°you are aware that I am overweight, and my exercise routine can only be described as light?¡±


    ¡°On Earth, my dear human, on Earth that is all true; here, you might as well be Zuomerc,¡± Nish retorted, propping herself against a tree.


    Gabriel went quiet, and when it became clear Nish was not going to explain who Zuomerc was, he said, ¡°care to elaborate.¡±


    ¡°Zuomerc was a mythological hero to the ancient Domot. Famous for slaying one thousand and five monsters, his most incredible ability was his endurance; it was said he never needed to land, that he could fly forever without stopping,¡± Nish explained.


    ¡°Although, now that you mention it, I¡¯ve never felt stronger in my life,¡± Nish said, standing to her full height. ¡°Being in high gravity all the time is one hell of a workout.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mention anything,¡± Gabriel said, confused.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a turn of phrase; now compliment me, you ditz,¡± Nish replied.


    Gabriel smiled and, with a faint chuckle, said, ¡°you look like you could take on five MMA fighters.¡±


    ¡°What about me?¡± Pista asked, jumping onto Gabriel¡¯s back and, as usual, butting into another person''s conversation.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you could take on an entire basket of kittens,¡± Gabriel replied. To which Pista trilled broadly.


    ¡°Come on, we need to get going, or we¡¯ll be late tomorrow, and last-minute tickets cost a fair chunk of change,¡± Gabriel said after checking the time.


    Travelling through such isolated land had both benefits alongside the apparent problems. The main one was that many small creatures had no fear of sapients drilled into them by being chased by thousands of children.


    This became apparent when a flying animal perched on Gabriel''s head and began preening its wings.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move; I need to capture this,¡± Nish said, pulling out her P.D.A and snapping a picture, just as the little creature rubbed its rump on Gabriel''s scalp and made itself comfortable.


    ¡°It¡¯s making a nest,¡± Pista said joyfully.


    It was interesting, but Gabriel was in no mood to have this little dear stay any longer; the memory of the last time flying animal he interacted with was still vivid, despite happening over a month ago.


    Gabriel attempted to shoo it away, but the animal was having none of it and refused to move. Changing tactic, Gabriel instead grabbed the critter, which struggled half-heartedly, before realising Gabriel¡¯s hand was, in truth, comfortable.


    A tripedal lobster was the best equivalent Gabriel could come up with, one of those spiny lobsters without the big claws and huge eyes. It was covered in brown and green fuzz, and its wings were similar to a butterfly.


    ¡°Can I pet it? It looks just like a Coy; just it has fewer legs,¡± Pista asked, staring intently at the animal. Gabriel supposed a Coy was a domestic pet, similar to a cat or something.


    ¡°Gently now,¡± Gabriel said as the creature gently wafted its wings.


    Pista trilled happily as she patted the animal¡¯s large adorable head while Nish filmed the whole thing.


    ¡°Cabtra¡¯s going to be so jealous,¡± Pista squealed as the animal rubbed its head against Pista¡¯s fingers. That was one of Pista¡¯s friends if Gabriel remembered correctly.


    Suddenly a rumble came from above, and everyone looked up, the canopy hid much of the sky, but even so, Gabriel could make out dark clouds.


    ¡°Oh, by the eyes, three separate weather reports said it would be dry today,¡± Nish half shouted. She had brought an umbrella with her, but if the rain was going to be as bad as it seemed, it would not do much good.


    ¡°Did you remember to change your location from Reshu to the forest when you go the report?¡± asked Gabriel, placing the fuzzy lobster on a branch.


    Nish looked straight ahead before shouting, ¡°Crap!¡±


    ¡°Come on; we need to find somewhere dry. That way, you two won¡¯t freeze to death,¡± Gabriel said, taking hold of Nish¡¯s and Pista¡¯s hands and leading them through the forest.


    ***


    Gabriel had hung a tarpaulin above their heads, they had initially been brought it along so they could sit on the wet ground, but the trio were nothing if not resourceful.


    They had also managed to get a fire going to stave off the chill; depending on how long it continued to rain, they could be here for a while. Not that Nish, Gabriel or Pista were skilled at woodcraft, Gabriel had brought along a canister of liquid lighter fluid, and a packet of fire starters with so much heat even the damp wood of the forest eventually caught light.


    ¡°You really are prepared for anything,¡± Nish said as she basked in the warm glow of the fire.


    ¡°I felt it was prudent; I like to think that we are three smart people, but let¡¯s be honest, were not exactly survival experts,¡± Gabriel replied, poking the fire with a stick; it gave out a large crack, which made all three of them jump.


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    Pista cuddled up to Gabriel, resting her head on his arm. Unfortunately, bringing seats with them had been impossible, so instead, they all sat on a smaller waterproof sheet that was soft to the touch. It was a little cramped, but considering how chilly it was, neither Pista nor Nish was eager for personal space.


    A low mournful lowing sound came from the woods, through with so much vegetation and the sound of the rain, it was impossible to tell where it came from. It was a haunting noise; whatever made it sound as though it was in pain, whether physical or emotional, it did not matter.


    It wasn¡¯t, of course; these were the famous howling shork, known across the galaxy for their unnerving calls. The shorks themselves were harmless, no bigger than gibbons, and far less aggressive. The calls were the shorks telling the others to stay off their turf. On the rare occasion, two shorks met, it would be resolved with a push-up contest.


    None of this knowledge stopped Pista from huddling even closer to Gabriel, and considering how the bellows went right through Gabriel, he could understand why.


    They would be at it for hours; each shork was fearful that its rivals would use the cover of the rain to invade their territory. So, Gabriel rummaged through his rucksack, looking for a distraction. Then he found it.


    ¡°Who wants to try roasted marshmallows?¡± asked Gabriel.


    ***


    Nish sighed, a trait she had picked up from Gabriel. It had been raining non-stop for over forty hours, and it did not look like it would let up any time soon. They had attempted to contact emergency services, but the thunderstorm was interfering with the signal.


    She wasn¡¯t worried; they had more than enough food, water and blankets to last the night. Not to mention the lifeform they had in their corner could take on anything Minagerad could throw at them.


    Gabriel was an enigma to Nish in several ways. Not unexpected, considering they evolved on worlds three hundred light years apart.


    Emotionally distance while simultaneously warm and open, impossibly tough and incredibly fragile, cavalier with danger and frightened of his own shadow. With a sample size of one, Nish did not know how much that said about humanity and how much it said about Gabriel.


    Nish heard a branch snap, and she strained her eyes in the dark, looking for whatever made it. It was probably Gabriel; he had gone out a little earlier looking for more wood they could dry over the fire before using it as fuel.


    Gabriel had not been concerned about going into the forest, he was not going beyond the sight of the fire, and there was nothing in the woods that could threaten them. Those were Gabriel''s words which made Nish question them; he naturally had a different sense of what was dangerous than she did.


    There was another crack, louder this time, and Nish reflexively stretched out her wings and immediately regretted it as they became soaked by the downpour. All stress evaporated when Gabriel came into view, dragging an impressive collection of sticks, water sliding off his hydrophobic suit.


    ¡°You ok? You stretched your wings there for a moment,¡± Gabriel asked, propping the stockpile against the fire.


    Nish was amazed at how good his eyesight was and was more than a little pissed off when Gabriel insisted that a human¡¯s night vision was terrible. ¡°I needed to stretch but forgot about the weather,¡± Nish replied, refusing to tell him the truth, not least of all because she needed to be brave for Pista. Nish shivered as her cold, sodden wings began pulling her down.


    Gabriel noticed this, sat beside her, and allowed Nish to stabilise her own body by leaning on his. ¡°Looks like we''re sleeping here,¡± Gabriel said as he tried to distract himself from how hungry he was and how likely it was that he would soil himself.


    He could have gotten that fancy one with the toilet function, but no; when on Earth would he ever need that?


    As she leant on Gabriel, she looked down; Pista was also cuddling up to him. She was both excited about the adventure and terrified about being trapped in the forest.


    Nish also felt strange; it was something she had never felt before. It had occurred two weeks or so after meeting Gabriel, and at first, she had assumed she was ill. But a quick trip to the doctors had laid that fear to rest.


    She had since come to believe that Gabriel was the cause, and now that she held Gabriel tight, she was certain of it. It wasn¡¯t a bad feeling, but she had no word for it; it was utterly alien to her and driving her nuts.


    ¡°I¡¯m not looking forward to the bill when I need to book new tickets,¡± Nish mumbled, trying to distract herself from the odd emotion. They would probably only have first-class ones left, which cost much more than a pretty penny.


    ¡°I¡¯ll chip in,¡± Gabriel replied as Pista got herself more comfortable, resting her head against Gabriel¡¯s shoulder.


    Nish tried to relax, closed her eyes and thought, ¡°This is going to be a rough night.¡±


    ***


    If Pista had been upset about saying goodbye to Erilur and Risoti, then she was utterly devastated by saying farewell to Gabriel. So much so that she had not managed it after fifteen minutes, still clinging to him, bussing like a mad person.


    Nish and Gabriel had expected this, so they had arranged an evening flight and arrived early. Maybe not early enough. At this rate, they have to book another set of tickets.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok; I¡¯ll come visit, I promise,¡± Gabriel said, gently rubbing Pista¡¯s head.


    ¡°But I¡­I¡­I,¡± Pista tried to say before her emotions got the better of her, and she buzzed even harder.


    Gabriel spent the next ten minutes gently rocking Pista back and forth, and despite Pista''s distress, he could not help being highly flattered by her outpouring.


    ¡°Can¡¯t¡­ you come¡­ onto the spaceship with us?¡± Pista asked. Gabriel wasn¡¯t sure what she meant precisely, whether she just wanted Gabriel to walk onto the shuttle with them or wanted to take him back to Yursu. Not that it mattered, he could not do either.


    The instant Gabriel said no, Pista began buzzing again, and it took another ten minutes to calm her down.


    ¡°Come here,¡± Nish said, holding out her arms. Pista was reluctant to at first, but eventually, she relented.


    Finally, accepting there was nothing she could do about Pista went quiet. She was not the only one who felt a pang at being separated, though not as severe as Pista; part of him wanted to hold onto her and never let go.


    ¡°I¡­ guess this is goodbye for now,¡± Nish said, unsure how she should do this. She had said goodbye to colleagues and friends before, but this was different, and Nish had no idea why.


    Gabriel stared at Nish and wondered whether he should say anything about his feelings. This would be his last chance, and odds were that if he waited until he visited Nish, in god only knows when Gabriel never would.


    ¡°Nish,¡± Gabriel said.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Nish replied.


    Gabriel held out his hand and said, ¡°it was lovely to have met you, and I¡¯m looking forward to visiting Yursu.¡±


    Nish took his hand, and they both shook. Gabriel did what he often did whenever he faced something uncomfortable. He retreated into his nice comfy hole and waited for it to pass.


    He watched Nish and Pista leave for the shuttle waving all the time and then watched the shuttle depart into the atmosphere until it was gone.


    ¡°For the best,¡± Gabriel said.


    ***


    Gabriel walked back to his penthouse on autopilot, ignoring everyone and everything around him. He was very good at it, and he deF.T.L.y avoided every obstruction. He had intended to spend the walk thinking, but Gabriel did not think.


    Through the lobby, Gabriel gave only a passing greeting to Shupp. He wanted to be alone.


    He kept his back to the view as he ascended the lift, focused solely on the floor number.


    Back in his room, he removed his suit and hung it up. Near his bed was a large stack of books, the same ones he had bought on his first day here. He had spent so much time with his friends that he had not read any of them.


    Now he had all the time in the world. He finally got what he wanted.


    ***


    Two weeks later, Gabriel''s letter had finally reached Erilur. At first, she was a little perplexed; the last time she had received paper through the post had been when her acceptance letter to Rorit Univerity had come almost two decades ago.


    Whoever had sent it, had gotten lucky; she would be leaving for Xorko today and had it arrived just five hours later, It would have needed forwarding to her.


    She was busy, but this was an event in and of itself, and she read it in her living room; her parents were there, helping her pack.


    As Erilur read the first word, she understood what had happened. ¡°That mother fucker,¡± she said aloud. As she read through the letter, her grip tightened, and her claws punched holes in the paper.


    ¡°What, what is it?¡± her mother asked; she had been curious before, but now she needed to know what was written in it.


    ¡°Gabriel, that piece of shit, he one-uped me,¡± Erilur replied, waving the letter in her mother''s face. ¡°That monkey wants a war; well, now he¡¯s got one,¡± she added, grabbing her boots and payment card as she headed for the door.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± her mother asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to buy an ink pot and a fountain pen and that powder stuff people used to put on their letters in the old days,¡± Erilur replied as she closed the door and headed for the nearest stationary store.


    ¡°She¡¯s moving to a whole other world, and she puts it all on hold for a pissing contest,¡± her mother stated, dumbfounded.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me; she gets it from you,¡± Erilur¡¯s father said, deF.T.L.y dodging the cushion thrown his way.

 Chapter 23

    15:51 24/09/2587 ¨C(8734/754/23/76)


    Gabriel sat on the boat, keeping his eyes on the ocean. Gabriel was spending two weeks on the Nedol archipelago, a collection of thirty-four islands located in the far northern latitudes. He had rented a small cabin on a mountainside, alone, far from anyone else.


    Minagerad had a nearly insignificant tilt, just five degrees. Even so close to the poles, the weather was mild, only dipping below zero Celcius for a few scant weeks in the middle of what passed for winter on this planet.


    He and five other tourists were watching for a pod of Evol Bashtor, known colloquially as sea serpents. Native to the planet Paani, known for having over eighty per cent of its surface covered in ocean.


    It was a human colony discovered just one year before first contact in 2315, back when humanity¡¯s F.T.L. travel was in its infancy and travelling a light year in eleven months and twenty-five days was a triumph.


    Paani also proved that humans could live on paradise worlds without devasting the local biosphere. With, it must be admitted, difficulty.


    It was a dream of many humans to travel to Paani and see a sea serpent, one of those rare aliens that resembled so accurately a creature from myth. While it had teeth, these were used in intraspecific combat. The Evol Bashtor was mostly a gulp feeder similar to a humpback whale, occasionally supplementing its diet with shellfish analogues.


    ¡°Keep an eye on those ripples to the east!¡± The tour guide shouted, pointing to a patch of frothing water.


    ¡°They blow bubbles to scare their prey into tightly knit groups!¡± They added as a spray of seafoam washed over the deck. The other tourists screamed as the cold water washed over them; Gabriel hardly reacted at all.


    The rough water was why he had selected this trip; it meant fewer people would be on board. That meant fewer interactions with people. Gabriel had quickly fallen into his old habits; he was also reconsidering his regular trip to Yursu, he would still do them, of course, but he would scale them down considerably.


    ¡°Not the healthiest approach,¡± Gabriel thought with Erilur¡¯s voice. Yet Gabriel''s habits were much like wearing an old threadbare coat, it did not keep you dry and failed at holding out the cold, yet it was comfortable.


    Gabriel noticed many small splashes on the water and watched intently. The water frothed as more and more fish were forced together and near the surface. Finally, a large mouth emerged from the water, scooping up the trapped fish, then another and another. All in all, nine sea serpents showed themselves.


    Their sheer vastness was remarkable, long, serpentine¡ªa faded grey, with white speckles running along their flanks and undersides. Gabriel smiled, and the rest of the passengers cheered, hooped and hollered with joy. Even the tour guide, who had seen the site hundreds of times, let out a cry of joy.


    ***


    Gabriel marched up the hill toward his cabin; as he did so, the sun setting on the horizon; despite it only being 60 hours, Gabriel could only think how much more magical it would be with half a foot of snow blanketing the land.


    Then again, if that were the case, his trek would be rather tricky, and lower gravity or not, the steep hill was a challenge. A few other people were making the climb, most of them in a tram system, and those few who were willing to walk were wrapped up warm in thick coats, scarves and hats. Gabriel checked his P.D.A.; it was eleven degrees Celcius, with a wind chill of 5mph.


    Gabriel was unsure when he would need to start adding more layers. If he recalled what was written in the little booklet he had received with the suit, it was rated to -25 Celcius, though that might just have been the suit itself and not the flesh sack that sat inside it.


    Wiping his feet before stepping onto the deck, Gabriel took a moment to sit and catch his breath. Gabriel looked directly ahead and saw Illohu, unobscured by any clouds, though its colours were distorted by Minagerad¡¯s atmosphere. What appeared to be a large orange band running around the gas giants equator was actually red. Then again, colour only exists in the mind, so Gabriel supposed it could be orange.


    It was still eerie to have that vast object suspended in the sky. Now that he thought about it, the eclipse must be long and dark. Best to relax for the rest of the day; he would be mountaineering tomorrow, and he needed his strength.


    Though perhaps mountaineering was a bit much, there would be no risky climbs, more like a steep walk, tiring but nothing overly dangerous. Not that Gabriel was against doing a more intense assent, but after what had happened in the forest, he was keen never to be more than a day away from a bathroom again.


    Gabriel still burned with embarrassment whenever he thought about it. It had taken hours to get rid of the smell.


    He slapped his cheeks, trying to bury the memory, not easy as the suit absorbed much of the impact. It was all in the past, and he would take it as wisdom.


    Looking back once more at the gas giant, he supposed Yursu also orbited a gas giant too. He wondered how Nish and Pista were doing; Nish was probably back at work, analysing clay tablets and whatnot, while Pista would have returned to school months ago.


    He wondered if they thought about him, taking out his P.D.A and scrolling through the numerous pictures he had taken. To his regret, there were very few from the beginning of his holiday, including the first week when he began exploring with his friends.


    Looking at a photo of the five of them outside this charming little caf¨¦ they had found in a village called Uklo, that caf¨¦ had the best, not chocolate milk he¡¯d ever had; Gabriel wondered if he could keep this up. A large part of him wanted to cut the whole thing short and retreat back home.


    He did not hate it here; it was just bland without the other four, and staying on Minagerad reminded him of that. Gabriel leaned back into his seat and sighed. Oh, who was he kidding? Leaving his holiday earlier required a level of adventurousness that Gabriel did not possess. No, he knew what he would do, stick it out to the end, no matter how apathetic he was; it was what he had always done ever since Jariel had passed.


    Gabriel sighed again and retreated into the cabin; much like the penthouse, it had a sealed environment and a decontamination bay. He had just closed the door when his P.D.A got a ping.


    His mood improved almost instantly; it would not be Erilur, she too had taken to sending physical letters, and he had just sent one to her. This one was sent by a dedicated courier, one that went to the effort to dress in period clothes. Gabriel felt he was making good use of his financial windfall.


    That left Nish or Risoti. It could be spam, of course, but he felt it was good to be optimistic.


    That proved a mistake, as the message was not from anyone he cared about or even some rando. It was from Howard Smith.


    Even after all this time, that man could still ruin his day.


    Delete.


    07:37 13/10/2587 ¨C(8734/761/32/20)


    Gabriel felt he needed wisdom, and as common knowledge held, age was usually a good signifier. Therefore Gabriel was heading to speak to the oldest person he knew.


    The Learning Centre was as busy as ever; he snaked his way through the crowd with only one goal. He was heading directly for Jyuporin annexe, where only the most delicate species were housed.


    The annexe''s lighting was dim; Gabriel had not realised how much the last time he was here, Pista having been a distraction back then.


    It did not take Gabriel long to find what he was looking for. The Dreamer was located in their tank, just where Gabriel had left them.


    Gabriel stood before the tank and waited for several minutes. Gabriel looked closely and saw twenty-nine dark spots running along its edges. These were the dreamer''s eyes, so Gabriel knew they could see him. Though, considering how simple their eyes were, Gabriel doubted they knew it was him.


    Most likely, all the dreamer knew was that another tourist had come to gawk at them. Their body was still producing faint lights, even though the translater showed that they were staying nothing, or at least nothing intelligible, the organic equivalent of static.


    Gabriel felt a little silly coming here, and now that he was, he found it difficult to think of anything to say. After a couple of minutes, he decided that a greeting was always an excellent way to start ¡°hello.¡±


    The Dreamer said nothing in response; its bioluminescence continued at the same languid pace.


    ¡°It''s me¡­ the shatterer,¡± Gabriel added, realising context would help the alien.


    ¡°Hello,¡± the Dreamer replied after a pause.


    After the greeting, the Dreamer said nothing, which was a problem as Gabriel had been counting on the Dreamer leading the beginning of the conversation. Then Gabriel remembered that the Dreamers had no desires and, therefore, no desire for answers, so why would they ever bother to ask questions?


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    ¡°Do you recall our previous conversation?¡± Gabriel inquired.


    ¡°Yes,¡± The Dreamer answered.


    ¡°You told me that the only thing you ever did was think, but why bother thinking if you never get bored if you have no interest in thinking?¡± Gabriel asked.


    The Dreamer took nearly five minutes to reply as they parsed the words and flashed their bioluminescence in response.


    ¡°I can¡­ do¡­ nothing else,¡± they stated


    Gabriel believed he understood what the Dreamer meant; they did not think because of any desire to do so but because their brain was always on, always at work.


    ¡°My friends have returned to their homes, so it''s just me now,¡± Gabriel stated.


    ¡°I¡­ understand,¡± The dreamer responded, and as Gabriel listened to the slow, monotone voice, he realised that it was flawless; rather than being a limitation of technology, the translator was perfectly showing how little the Dreamer cared.


    ¡°What¡¯s it like? To not care about anything, not even your own existence? I could smash that tank and leave to be ravaged by all the diseases of this world, and you would not feel a thing,¡± Gabriel asked, not that he had any intention of doing that.


    ¡°I can¡­ not say¡­ I have.. no¡­ contrast,¡± the Dreamer replied, utterly unfazed by what Gabriel had suggested.


    At this point, Gabriel expected the Dreamer to ask what it was like to care about yourself to value your own life, but then he remembered that the Dreamer had no curiosity, so it did not care.


    Then again, something did not add up. ¡°Why did you ask if I was a shatterer when we first met? Why answer my questions if you don¡¯t care enough to answer?¡± inquired Gabriel.


    ¡°I¡­. do not¡­. Know¡­. I simply¡­. Flow with¡­ the current,¡± The Dreamer replied after the lengthiest pause to date.


    ¡°This was a mistake,¡± thought Gabriel; the dreamer had no wisdom, or at the very least, had none that would be of use to Gabriel or any other species in the galaxy. They were too alien, their minds too different for either side to comprehend the other; Gabriel supposed that even the names Dreamer and Shatterer had been something a human suggested. How could a Dreamer know about destruction any other way?


    ¡°Thank you for your time Dreamer, but I must be going now,¡± Gabriel said, disappointed that there was no point in even asking his questions.


    ¡°Farewell Gabriel¡­ Perhaps the¡­ currents¡­ will¡­ bring¡­ us close¡­ once again,¡± The Dreamer replied before turning back to its own incomprehensible thoughts.


    ***


    Gabriel wandered back to his penthouse; he had hoped to have been in a more stable place after his talk with the Dreamer, but now he felt even more lost. The only other person he had a moderate connection with was Shupp, but even if she had been working today, he would most likely have kept his feelings to himself.


    He was regressing fast and did not have the enthusiasm or wherewithal to stop it. Getting back into the lift and Gabriel watched the city and its people scurry below with mild interest. As he got off on his floor, he was frozen dead in his tracks.


    Standing in front of him was someone in a suit that looked much like his, though if the mouth port and delicate patterns on the outer material were anything to go by, it cost much more than his. They were also wearing other fabrics over the suit so that the whole thing looked like a genuine outfit, unlike the utilitarian piece of equipment Gabriel was in.


    He was so taken aback by the appearance of another person on his floor that it took him a few seconds to realise what they were. They were human; there was another human on Minagerad.


    Gabriel just stared, and the other human stared right back, or at least Gabriel supposed that was what they were doing; he could not see their eyes. ¡°Is this what it was like for the ladies?¡± thought Gabriel, finally understanding how annoying it must have been.


    ¡°See anything you like, sailor?¡± asked the woman, and by their voice, she was most likely a woman. Her body shape was also a good indicator, but he had not wanted to assume. Gabriel could not place her accent; that being said, Gabriel was terrible with accents, always had been, but he knew enough to tell she was definitely not a native speaker of any European language.


    ¡°My apologies,¡± Gabriel said, giving a little bow, he was not entirely sure why he did the last bit, but it seemed the right thing to do at the time. ¡°I did not expect to see another human, least of all, outside my own penthouse,¡± he added.


    ¡°Well, on the politeness front, no one can fault you,¡± the woman replied with a faint chuckle.


    ¡°Did you just move in?¡± asked Gabriel.


    ¡°I believe names would be a better place to start,¡± the woman stated.


    ¡°Oh, umm, yes, I¡¯m Gabriel,¡± he said, offering his hand.


    ¡°I know, you¡¯re quite famous around these parts,¡± the woman said, taking Gabriel''s hand and shaking it, ¡°Hetwa, lovely to meet you in person; never met a real-life hero before.¡±


    ¡°Back to your previous question, no, I did not just arrive; I¡¯ve been living here for the past fifteen years,¡± Hetwa explained, letting go of Gabriel.


    ¡°Fifteen years!¡± Gabriel said, astounded. That would certainly explain the effort Hetwa put into her suit.


    ¡°I like it here; things move at a glacial pace,¡± Hetwa explained. ¡°Or rather it did, until you set foot here, barely even been here a week, and you were wrestling monsters, rescuing children, and sweeping single mothers off their feet,¡± she added.


    Gabriel groaned, and Hetwa chuckled. ¡°How the hell do you know that?¡± Gabriel asked before hastily adding, ¡°not that¡­.¡± Gabriel just sighed. Was there any point in denying how he felt at this point, he still wasn¡¯t entirely convinced that Nish felt the same way, but he undoubtedly hoped.


    ¡°You and your friends were very loud when they passed by my door,¡± Hetwa explained. ¡°And when you get to my age, you find yourself getting more and more nosy.¡±


    Now that she mentioned it, Hetwa¡¯s voice was making that faint crackling and huskiness that most elderly did.


    ¡°Do you want a biskuit? They¡¯re freshly baked,¡± Hetwa asked, gesturing to her penthouse.


    ¡°No, thank you, I¡¯m fine,¡± Gabriel said, attempting to walk past her, but Hetwa blocked his path.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you are; I think something¡¯s bothering you,¡± Hetwa countered. ¡°Come inside, have a biskuit, give it a little think and then tell me if you want to talk or not; if you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll wave you goodbye.¡±


    Gabriel could hear Erilur on his shoulder saying, ¡°do it; it¡¯ll be good for you.¡± He wondered what Erilur was up to now; he knew she was on Xorko with Risoti. Then he realised what the Ponut¡¯Kild was most likely doing and said, ¡°filthy woman.¡±


    ¡°Excuse you!¡± Hetwa exclaimed.


    No, that had nothing to do with you. I was thinking about a friend,¡± Gabriel said, embarrassed that he had spoken that part aloud. ¡°I would love a biskuit,¡± Gabriel said, recalling Erilur¡¯s advice about letting people in.


    Hetwa led Gabriel into her penthouse, and Gabriel asked, ¡°weren¡¯t you going somewhere? We can do this later if you would prefer.¡±


    ¡°No, I was just going to get a few essentials, milk and the like,¡± Hetwa replied as she removed her mask. Her suit must be modular, even more expensive than he first thought.


    Hetwa had a deep complexion with more than a few wrinkles. Her hair was greying but was still primarily black; she must be at least one hundred and fifty years old. Her eyes were deep brown, and when she looked at Gabriel, he could not help but feel she was analysing him; it was eerily similar to how Erilur had viewed him.


    ¡°Are you a psychologist?¡± Gabriel asked, squinting ever so slightly.


    Hetwa had not expected that question, and it took her a few moments to respond. ¡°No, I was a water treatment engineer; I¡¯ve since retired,¡± Hetwa replied.


    Gabriel supposed Hetwa just had a high level of emotional intelligence.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to take your suit off?¡± asked Hetwa as she pulled a tray of biscuits from the kitchen counter and placed them on a table. ¡°Have as many as you like,¡± Hetwa said as Gabriel undid the seals and unzipped the upper portion of his suit.


    Gabriel tied the arms of his suit around his waist; it was not as easy as it sounded, the material his suit was made from was not as flexible as the more advanced suits. Gabriel picked up a cookie and took a bite, it was good, delicious, and they were cookies made from ingredients native to, though not necessarily from, Earth.


    The sugar and chocolate did make him feel better, but now he felt a little uncomfortable sitting in a strange woman¡¯s apartment. ¡°Why did you invite me in here?¡± asked Gabriel, placing his half-eaten cookie on the table.


    ¡°Curiosity, for one, I¡¯ve seen you about, even if you never noticed me,¡± Hetwa explained. ¡°I can¡¯t deny I¡¯ve missed interacting with my own kind,¡± she added.


    Gabriel felt he could understand that; he looked at Hetwa''s face, her body language, and he just instinctively knew what she was feeling. It was relaxing after having to spend so much effort gauging other people. It was funny Gabriel had always thought of himself as being rather bad at all that.


    ¡°You seemed upset for another, and I wanted to know if I could do anything to help,¡± Hetwa said, taking one of the biskuits she had baked, a yellow item with cream on top; it did look good.


    ¡°Upset might be a strong word,¡± Gabriel replied as he resumed eating his cookie. ¡°More like confused, don¡¯t know what to do,¡± he added.


    ¡°And what is causing this?¡± asked Hetwa, resting her head on the palm of her hands.


    Gabriel tapped his fingers on the table; he had been willing to ask the Dreamer, whom he had only met once before, in a public place no less, so he realised that this was no different. Plus, he was desperate.


    ¡°It¡¯s about Nish,¡± Gabriel said; Hetwa knew about him, so he assumed that she did not need an explanation of who Nish was.


    ¡°Ah, the Tufanda mother,¡± Hetwa said knowingly, confirming Gabriel¡¯s suspicion and her own. ¡°A man pining for a woman, a tale as old as humanity itself.¡±


    Gabriel sighed, and Hetwa added, ¡°I¡¯m not judging you, most humans have a desire to pair bond, and I can only imagine how hard it must be to want to be with someone from a different planet.¡±


    ¡°The problem isn¡¯t ability; I can visit Yursu; my little adventure left me with more than enough money,¡± Gabriel explained.


    ¡°The problem is¡­?¡± Hetwa asked.


    ¡°The problem is there¡¯s no point; Tufanda don¡¯t pair bond, they don¡¯t feel romantic love, so there is no reason to try,¡± Gabriel said.


    ¡°Really, I went on holiday to a lovely little world called Furyolhgop, and I met a Tufanda couple, very much in love,¡± Hetwa said, recalling that pleasant holiday. ¡°From what I recall, it¡¯s very rare, rarer than any other orientation in Tufanda but certainly there.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t deny that, but that cannot be the case with Nish; she has never felt the need to pair bond,¡± Gabriel replied. ¡°She did not even care about the man who knocked her up, leaving her and Pista to take care of themselves,¡± he added, finishing his cookie and picking up another biscuit.


    ¡°Really,¡± Hetwa said, scratching her head; that was some good evidence on Gabriel¡¯s part.


    ¡°Nish did come up with a good name for the deadbeat, however, so it wasn¡¯t a total loss,¡± said Gabriel. With a smile, Gabriel leaned in and said, ¡°she named him the sperm donor.¡±


    Hetwa raised her eyebrows, which was evidence against Gabriel''s conclusion. Hetwa had never been in a romantic or sexual relationship, and she had never had the desire to. She had, however, known many who had, and amongst them had been people with sexual but not romantic attraction. Not one of those people had ever been as bothered as Nish when one of their hookups scarpered. Certainly not enough to come up with such a derogatory name.


    ¡°In that case, what does it matter?¡± asked Hetwa, leaning closer to Gabriel.


    ¡°What?¡± questioned Gabriel.


    ¡°If Nish is how you say you are, then it would not matter if you confessed; she¡¯ll just chalk up you asking to be her be your girlfriend as an alien doing an alien thing, saving both you and her any real embarrassment,¡± Hetwa explained picking up another biscuit.


    ¡°But if I¡¯m right, if she is one of those rare Tufanda that does pair bond, then you and her both get what you want,¡± Hetwa added, punctuating her sentence by taking a bite from her treat.


    "Even if she does, that doesn''t mean she like me," Gabriel countered, although he could not deny the swelling of hope he felt.


    "No one, not even someone who flies, jumps off a cliff without a moment''s hesitation to save someone they do not care about," Hetwa retorted, looking Gabriel dead in the eye.


    Gabriel paused; he had not thought about that. His mind instantly ran through the worst-case scenario of Nish simply explaining that she did not find anyone romantically attractive, and he found it far easier to swallow.


    Still painful, but in that case, it would have nothing to do with him; it would not be him she was rejecting but the whole concept itself. He felt better and realised he did not have anything to lose.


    ¡°Is this what Erilur had been trying to tell me?¡± he thought as he looked up at Hetwa. ¡°You are very smart and very wise,¡± Gabriel stated bluntly.


    ¡°One of the benefits of old age,¡± Hetwa replied, holding up her biscuit towards Gabriel, "So, are you going to give it a go?" she asked. Gabriel smiled and tapped his own against, and together gave a new twist to an old custom, ¡°to giving things a go,¡± they both said.

 Chapter 24

    07:37 03/02/2588 ¨C(8734/796/23/87)


    Gabriel''s conversation with Hetwa had done him a lot of good, and he would visit Nish and tell her how he felt. Not now though, he had a holiday to finish, and he was going to make the most of it.


    Right now, he was aboard a ship, and there were three activities he would participate in over the coming three days; firstly, he would drive along the vast reef network that ran around the Bostri¡¯s island chain.


    The day after that, he would descend into a cage and get an up close and personal view of the shoals of Salot¡¯s Ewort, shark-like predators from a planet called Niopret.


    And on the last day, he would climb into a deep sea submersible and descend into the darkness of the ocean abyss.


    Over the last couple of days, Gabriel had been taking a diving course. He was not ready to dive by himself, but he had the certification to take a long dive with a professional.


    Checking his scuba gear, Gabriel found everything was fine. Oxygen was full, CO2 scrubbers and oxygen extractors were functional. All contained in a pack thirty centimetres long, Gabriel could stay underwater for almost twenty-four hours if need be.


    Gabriel¡¯s chaperone for today, Polo, was swimming around the boat as he spoke. He needed no equipment for the dive; he was a member of a fully aquatic species, complete with gills, called Demsotilne. Polo had four eyes with highly developed nostrils and a pressure-sensing organ on his snout. His mouth was filled with large flat teeth, perfect for picking shelled creatures of rock and crushing them.


    Polo lacked any hands or feet but instead had six flippers running along his flank. Their body was also counter-shaded, much like a dolphin.


    Demsotline had not reached the stars by themselves; being bound to the water had made the creation of a highly complex civilization impossible. No matter how smart you are, no stone age species is starting a fire underwater.


    Instead, they had been uplifted and provided with the technology to create their own, which was why a pair of mechanical limbs were attached to Polo¡¯s sides.


    Gabriel was now fully kitted up, with an additional mask on top of the one he already wore. ¡°All ready on my end Polo,¡± Gabriel spoke into a receiver.


    ¡°Take the plunge when you are ready,¡± a voice rich in trembles and clicks replied.


    Gabriel took one last moment to shake his legs and loosen up his muscles. It was not made easy by the flippers attached to his feet. Then he jumped.


    The bubbles quickly vanished, and he was surrounded by the bright colours and innumerable animals of the reef. It was indeed a sight to behold, and it brought a tear to his eye.


    ¡°Quite a sight isn¡¯t it,¡± Polo said, swimming beside Gabriel, ¡°and no description or photograph can prepare you for the real thing.¡±


    A school of bright blue squid-like animals swam passed them; a couple reached out their tentacles to inspect Gabriel¡¯s mask.


    ¡°Those are Chiko, inquisitive little devils; they like shiny things, so keep an eye on your tank,¡± Polo said, chasing the animals away. ¡°Not very brave, though,¡± Polo added as the Chiko disappeared into a large coral formation.


    ¡°Now come on, the crater''s this way,¡± Polo said, swimming ahead, and Gabriel followed. Ob''s impact crater was a fifty-kilometre-wide indentation in the planet, made by an asteroid strike that happened long before Minagerad was terraformed.


    The ancient crater, while still present, was heavily eroded and covered in reefs. On a clear day, you could see it from orbit.


    As the pair crested a rise, Gabriel saw a flat fish analogue, similar to a ray, glided along the bottom of the ocean to rest on one of the few rocks not covered in corals. As it did, hundreds of animals from dozens of species began to swarm over it. The ray-like animal was unperturbed and opened its mouth, and Gabriel realised they were at a cleaning station. The service animals picked off dead skin and removed bits of food from between the pseudo-ray''s teeth.


    Once the patron was satisfied with their service, it moved on. ¡°Sorry Gabriel, but I¡¯ve got to do this; it¡¯s been years since I had a traditional clean,¡± Polo sat, resting on the rock; though perhaps precariously perched would have been a better descriptor, Polo was much too large for the station.


    The cleaner creatures did not mind, though; they were just as eager to groom Polo as any other animal. ¡°Pity about the suit, Gabriel or I¡¯d recommend you get in on this,¡± Polo said as his eyes closed, and he shuddered with delight.


    Gabriel looked Polo over and replied, ¡°is this a sex thing for you? Because the way your acting, it looks like a sex thing.¡±


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    ¡°Is it a human thing to think about sex all the time, or is it just you?¡± retorted Polo.


    Gabriel shrugged and said, ¡°bit of both.¡±


    ***


    Once Polo had finished both the grooming session and his moaning, they finally reached the crater''s edge. Not that Gabriel could tell from where he was, the only evidence from the ocean was a decline in the seabed stretching into the distance.


    ¡°Just one-gill closer after another down here, isn¡¯t it?¡± Polo said, swimming beside Gabriel. While he could not disagree, Gabriel knew the true show-stopper would be found at the centre.


    There was a series of large rocky outcrops, called Ubrex¡¯s teeth, left over from the impact and grown, over thousands of years of construction, by the reef.


    It would take roughly five hours of swimming to reach the centre, and such a time would only be possible as Polo would pull Gabriel most of the way.


    Once the reins were attached, Polo to the time to look directly into Gabriel¡¯s face, all four eyes staring intently at him and said, ¡°you say mush, swim on, or make any clicking noises, and I¡¯m abandoning you here.¡±


    Polo turned way before quickly turning back and asking, ¡°does your native tongue use any clicks?¡±


    ¡°Some human languages do, but mine doesn¡¯t,¡± Gabriel explained.


    ¡°Good, the final part of my previous sentence still applies,¡± Polo added and started to pull Gabriel.


    Polo was most impressive; despite lugging Gabriel along, he was still moving at 9 knots. Gabriel assisted when he could, pumping his feet up and down, but he doubted it was making any real difference and, if anything, was disrupting Polo¡¯s balance.


    ¡°If you below, you¡¯ll see a colony of phantom quills; these worms use their long, crystal clear, weedy antenna to filter edible bits from the ocean currents,¡± Polo explained. Polo descended, pulling Gabriel along with him, and they swam past the quills; once their shadows hit the worms, they immediately vanished into their tubes.


    ¡°They do that to keep themselves safe from predators, the tubing is tough, fibrous, and the worms themselves are not very nutritious, so most animals don¡¯t bother with them,¡± Polo added before rising again. Gabriel looked behind to see the phantom quills emerging steadily from their hiding spots.


    Polo began scanning the area for another point of interest, and he found it. ¡°If you look out into the distance, on your right, you¡¯ll see a herd of Noso,¡± Polo said.


    It took a little while for Gabriel to discern the shapes, his eyes were not as attuned to being underwater as Polos, and even the crystal clear water of the reef created some distortion.


    He could make out a group of six to seven animals, about two metres or so in length and about as wide as a human. They looked a little like sea slugs, only with more defined body parts and a strong tail making them far better swimmers.


    They were also not as colourful, though, by no means dull; their body marking were there to help them blend in, not warn potential predators of the poison in their flesh.


    ¡°They are a keystone species of the reefs, one of the few animals capable of feeding on the corals. Without them clearing patches of the seabed, new coral would not be able to grow, and the reef would not have a fifth of the diversity it has,¡± Polo explained, pulling Gabriel closer.


    ¡°They also crap out sand which is rather funny,¡± he added, making a high-pitched squeak.


    The pair alternated between Polo pulling Gabriel, occasionally aided by the bow wave of a passing boat, which gave the people onboard quite the surprise. With Gabriel''s free swimming about a quarter of the way, Polo was a decent athlete, but his stamina only went so far.


    Six hours after they had started, they finally reached the pillars. The trip had been worth it; if you had told Gabriel that this natural wonder had been built by a sophont mind, he would have believed them.


    While Polo dealt with his hunger, Gabriel was given a few minutes to explore. Gabriel was impressed; the man had gone the entire trip without a single meal. They would have stopped twice for a snack if he had been with Nish, Pista and Risoti.


    Not that Nish or Pista would be down here.


    Gabriel watched a small eel analogue poke its head from a crevice, but he was not paying much attention; once his mind had drifted back to Nish and Pista, he began wondering just how he should go about it.


    Should he simply turn up on their doorstep, be a surprise or let them know in advance? Pista would be delighted no matter what he did, but Gabriel did not want to inconvenience Nish in any way; he knew she was a busy woman with an important job. The last thing Gabriel wanted to do was drop in on her when something important came up.


    On the other hand, if the roles were reversed, Gabriel could honestly say he would not be bothered in the slightest if Nish and Pista dropped by, no matter what he had going on. Then again, Gabriel never had anything going on, so maybe that was not the aptest line of thinking.


    He still had time and could always ask Hetwa for her opinion; she wasn¡¯t going anywhere.


    ***


    Gabriel had not seen the sun in over three hours or any light apart from that produced by his submersible. Yet Gabriel knew that a bright sunny day was taking place nearly a mile above his head.


    He would be in awe of the seemingly endless blackness, but his dive had been soured by an email. Howard had contacted him again, and Gabriel was getting sick of it; it seemed he would have one extra thing to do back on Earth before he travelled to Yursu.


    The email had said what the dozen others had, that he wanted the two of them to meet to discuss things. Gabriel was beginning to think that maybe Howard had a point; Gabriel was trying to have a more emotionally rich life, and there was plenty of emotion there.


    Gabriel noticed a shape move past the dome, and his eyes strained to find what had come to inspect the submersible. He knew nothing out there could damage his vehicle and that it was designed to handle pressure twice as great as Minagerad¡¯s oceans could produce. Even so, Gabriel did feel vulnerable and isolated in this cold dark place.


    He also felt bad for teasing Nish so much; perhaps the landlubber had had a point.


    ¡°We are now dimming the lights,¡± his automated ride explained and shortly after, the only illumination in the abyss was gone. Not that there had been anything to illuminate, the only thing he had been able to see had been the beam itself and the marine snow falling from the surface.


    The darkness was interrupted by a faint blue flash, almost as though a star as burst into being and vanished just as quickly. It had happened so quickly that Gabriel believed he had imagined it, but as his eyes adjusted to the dark, he saw another, then another, until the ocean was alive with lights.


    Gabriel knew what this was; he remembered the tour operators explaining it, thousands upon thousands of small animals using bioluminescence to communicate with one another.


    Gabriel smiled; it was beautiful.

 Chapter 25

    12:24 10/04/2588 ¨C(8734/802/90/21)


    It was such a strange feeling to be back on Earth, such a strange feeling not to need his suit. Part of him felt naked without it, vulnerable. Not for long, though; within the week, he would be back on a ship and heading for Yursu; he had his ticket booked and everything.


    "No backing out now," Gabriel said, he could have done so, but Gabriel kept telling himself that so he would not get cold feet. That, however, was a concern for Sunday; now he had some personal things to deal with.


    Gabriel stood outside Lincoln Extended Occupation Correctional Facility. Within its walls was the last piece of his painful childhood.


    ¡°Well, no time like the present,¡± Gabriel said, taking a deep breath and pressing the button.


    Almost immediately, an answer came from the intercom, and a kindly man asked, ¡°can I help you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Gabriel Ratlu; I¡¯m here to visit Howard Smith,¡± Gabriel replied, his voice tired and hesitant.


    ¡°Ah yes, please make your way to reception so we can sign you in,¡± the man replied, and the finely wrought gate opened. Beyond the handsome red brick wall was a large open garden filled with plants, recreational structures and a pond where several ducks happily quacked to one another.


    It was a far cry from the concrete monoliths surrounded by barbwire Gabriel had seen in classical movies.


    The main building itself looked more like a stately home than a residence for criminals; this was not an accident but by design. Gabriel was not that interested in the methods of reforming criminals, and he found himself breathing deeply to control his nerves.


    He could see a few individuals walking and, on occasion, playing sports on the grounds. They wore no uniforms, so Gabriel assumed they were the prisoners and their friends and family. He could see no guards monitoring them, at least not directly.


    Gabriel looked away and back to the building; above the open door was a large wooden sign reading, ¡°RECEPTION.¡± He assumed he was in the right place.


    After signing in, Gabriel was led into a cosy sitting room; in front of him was an empty chair with a table between them. It seemed he would need to wait a bit for Howard to arrive; he had a cup of tea on the way, though, so at least there was something to look forward to.


    Gabriel took to staring out the window; he became so engrossed in watching a tree blow in the wind, part of him desperate to ignore what would happen, that he completely lost track of time.


    When he heard to door open, he was brought back to reality, and he saw Howard for the first time in twelve years. His father had put on some weight since then, but other than that, he looked exactly as he had done all those years ago.


    Gabriel felt disgust and anger well up within him, but not as much as he imagined.


    ¡°Gabriel,¡± Howard said, looking at his son; he moved to approach him, his arms stretched wide.


    In response, Gabriel looked his father dead in the eye and told him, ¡°you touch me, and I will put you back in the hospital.¡±


    Howard froze in place; one look into his son¡¯s eyes told him this was not an idle threat. His arms fell to his sides, and he meekly took the seat opposite Gabriel.


    Neither of the men said anything; Gabriel took to staring out the window again while Howard fidgeted and occasionally glanced at his son. The drinks arrived shortly after, and Gabriel took his.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Gabriel said before returning yet again to the window.


    ¡°Thank you, Daniel,¡± Howard added, taking his beverage off the tray. The warden left, and the two were once again by themselves.


    After another five minutes of absolute silence, Howard asked, ¡°aren¡¯t you going to say anything?¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± Gabriel asked, his voice cold and disinterested.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know; we haven¡¯t seen each other in so long; I just thought¡­.¡± Howard said, but he trailed off as Gabriel looked at his father with a stare that could shatter glass.


    ¡°We have not seen each other because I had and still have no desire to see you, nor talk, nor interact in any way. The only reason I am here now is to inform you that if you do not stop emailing me, I will file a restraining order against you,¡± Gabriel explained, his tone methodical and lacking in emotion.


    Gabriel leaned into his seat and sipped his drink; he would stay until he finished his tea. The prison staff had put in the effort to make it; he could be that decent, at least.


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    ¡°I know I was a bad father¡­.¡± Howard said, but Gabriel owned this conversation and did not let him finish.


    ¡°No, you were not a bad father; Pista''s dad was a bad father; you were an irredeemable father, the only good memory I have of you is when I was breaking your bones,¡± Gabriel explained, his voice still calm, laking and audible hatred or malice.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you expected when I came here. Did you think I would forgive you? Did you suppose I would be able to sweep it all under the rug? Bury the hatchet? No. You don¡¯t deserve that, and you never will,¡± Gabriel added, as though he were describing the weather.


    There was more silence; Gabriel had said his peace and was waiting out the clock. Howard, however, still had more to say. He straightened himself up, building up his confidence, something that did not go unnoticed by Gabriel and Howard said, ¡°it¡¯s just after your mother vanished and Jariel pa-¡±


    Gabriel exploded, leaping from his seat and his face inches from his father''s; he said, with just enough self-control to keep him from shouting at the top of his lungs, ¡°don¡¯t you ever say her name.¡±


    Howard clung to his seat, his head buried as deeply in the backrest as it would go. Gabriel regained control of himself, mindful that this meeting was being monitored.


    ¡°You never speak of her; you do not have the right,¡± Gabriel replied, getting a hold of his breathing, his tone calmer though no less lacking his hate.


    Gabriel took another sip from his cup and saw that Howard was genuinely hurt by what he had just said. Gabriel rolled his eyes and asked, ¡°what were you expecting? A hug, tears, a heartfelt plea to make up for lost time? You beat me; you used my sister as leverage so you could continue to beat me; when I finally fought back, you attempted to pin this all on me. Remember how you slandered me in court? There is no way in this or any other universe where I forgive you; you don¡¯t deserve it.¡±


    Gabriel stood up. He was finished.


    As he was about to leave, Gabriel found there was one more thing he needed to add, ¡°I am not like you, and so I will give you this, you taught me how to be a true man.¡±


    Gabriel looked at his father and continued, ¡°all I needed to do was the opposite of everything you have ever done.¡±


    ¡°If you truly have changed, then that will be of some comfort to you; if not, as I expect this to be nothing more than another attempt to soothe your damaged ego, then it will devastate you,¡± Gabriel added.


    ¡°I do not want, neither do I care for an answer. Goodbye Howard; we will never see or speak to one another ever again,¡± Gabriel finished before walking out of the room without so much as a glance behind.


    Howard was left alone with nothing but his thoughts; after what felt like an hour but was in reality just a few minutes, he muttered, ¡°thank you, Gabriel.¡±


    ***


    Gabriel opened the gate as slowly as he could; the metal made a loud creak, and Gabriel did his best to keep the noise down; he did not like to disturb. Gabriel followed the same path he always took, taking extra care not to step on anyone; it always felt wrong to him when people did that.


    It did not take long to find Jariel; the black monument shone in the sun. Gabriel had paid through the nose for it, made from black granite, coated in an ultra-strong plastic layer and covered with a chemical coating that meant it had a three-hundred-year guarantee and would remain legible long after Gabriel was gone.


    Over the top, he knew, but Gabriel had been distraught when he ordered it; he just wanted something for her that would last.


    The stone was flawless, without any maintenance; it had nothing growing on it, not even a faint film of algae.


    As he approached, Gabriel read the words.


    Here lies Jariel Ratlu


    Born 03/02/2565


    Departed this life 18/10/2580


    Now with the angel that shares her name


    ¡°She was in life exquisite, one fool bet all upon this frail bark, and the wreck was total.¡±


    The ground around her grave was covered in snowdrops, Jariel''s favourite flower; it had been a labour of love to plant so many. Taking care not to crush any, Gabriel broke his own rule and knelt before the headstone.


    ¡°Hello Jariel, I¡¯m back,¡± Gabriel said soF.T.L.y. He rummaged through his backpack and took out a beautifully carved geode. ¡°Got it for you, just like you wanted,¡± Gabriel added, placing it stone tenderly beside the monument.


    ¡°You were right, and I was wrong; I did enjoy it,¡± Gabriel said, recalling his conversation with Jariel before her illness showed any symptoms. It had always been her dream to visit Minagerad; Gabriel had promised he would take her.


    Gabriel clutched the locket in his hand, and oh, how he wished Jariel could have seen it all. It was the only reason he had gone in the first place, why he had booked an entire year there because that was what Jariel had wanted to do.


    Hours passed as Gabriel recalled all that had happened on Minagerad, the sights, the sounds, the animals and the people he had met. He spent a lot of time talking about the sea serpents, as those had always been what Jariel had wanted to see most.


    ¡°There is something I need to tell you,¡± Gabriel said to Jariel, his voice weak from the constant talking, ¡°it¡¯s about the woman I met there, Nish.¡±


    ¡°You see, I think I¡¯m in love,¡± he explained, rubbing his legs. ¡°And I need to go see her and tell and find out if she feels the same way, and if everything goes as planned, it means I won¡¯t be able to visit you every week as I promised,¡± he added, looking at the ground.


    Gabriel knew he should not feel wrong about that; Gabriel knew that if their roles were reversed, he would have wanted Jariel to be happy, and he knew that Jariel would want him to be happy. He still felt like scum, though, for even suggesting it.


    ¡°I¡¯d think you¡¯d like her, Nish and Pista,¡± Gabriel explained, a few tears appearing in his eyes but failing to fall. ¡°Pista, a lot like you were actually, clinging to me; she a little monkey too.¡±


    ¡°If Nish says yes, then I won¡¯t be back to see you for a while, but if she does, I¡¯ll bring both of them to meet you,¡± Gabriel said, gently rubbing the grass beneath him.


    ¡°But that all begins tomorrow; one way or another, I¡¯ll spend one last sunset and sunrise with you,¡± Gabriel explained. The sun was already sinking, and it would be dusk soon; spending nights with Jariel had been something he had done hundreds of times since her passing.


    Looking back at it now, he felt he had been extreme in his devotion to his sister.


    Gabriel removed a blanket from his rucksack and wrapped himself in it. The cemetery was located on a hill, giving you a perfect view of the sunset.

 Chapter 26

    12:24 19/04/2588 ¨C(8734/807/60/59)


    Alien, if there were one word to describe Yursu, it would be alien. It seemed evident as Gabriel was standing on an alien world, but Minagred had been downright quaint and familiar compared to Tusreshin.


    The entire layout had been designed with a flying people in mind, with all access for the landbound being an afterthought. Shops had entrances not only to the side but, more often than not, above and below.


    Instead of benches, people rested on racks, hanging from them like a horde of bats. Gabriel had a good sense of direction while travelling by foot, at the very least, but he already knew he would struggle in this place.


    The vehicles and roads were at least familiar; flying cars were always a bad idea, no matter the species.


    Gabriel had decided to make his visit a surprise, mainly because he was worried that announcing it in advance would open up the risk of Nish being busy and needing to rearrange. That would be all the excuse his cowardly self would have needed to call the whole thing off.


    None of that mattered; he was here now, and by the end of the day, he would either start a new life or have his heart broken.


    Gabriel opened his navigation software and waited for the device to connect to the local system. As he waited, Gabriel noticed he was getting more than a few looks; unlike Minagerad, a well-known tourist destination with dozens of species making up its native population, Yursu was the Tufanda homeworld.


    Tourists on Yursu were a thing; there would always be someone willing to go anywhere, and Yursu was by no means an unpopular destination. It was just that most tourists went to see the Demort mountain ranges or the capital city, Ivorts, not Tureshin.


    His time on Minagerad came into effect, and he began to ignore the curious eyes. Judging from the map, it would be quite the trip to Nish¡¯s house. Walkable to be sure, but he was not keen to spend six hours traversing walkways, climbing ladders and ascending ramps.


    Fortunately, there was a robust public transport system, and Gabriel located the nearest depo, just a ten-minute walk away.


    Pulling his luggage behind him, he had brought enough for a couple of days, just long enough to get his answer.


    As he wove through the crowd, he realised that most natives had their feet firmly planted on the ground, just like him. It seemed odd at first; if Gabriel could fly, he would undoubtedly make the most of it. Then he gave it a little more thought and understood that a Tufanda flying everywhere would be like a human running everywhere.


    He paid a little more attention and realised that those few who were flying were either going for the equivalent of a jog or just changing levels before touching down again.


    Gabriel saw a few aliens, but they were in the minority, and Gabriel took some comfort in the knowledge that they seemed just as inconvenienced by the city''s design as he. The transport depot was on one of the lower levels, and he had to juggle his suitcases as he descended a ladder.


    He had one small mercy in that Yursu''s gravity was so small it made his task more manageable than it looked. Something that those watching him did not realise as they saw what looked like a preteen casually lift an unwieldy object half as big as they were.


    ¡°Just ignore them, just focus on getting to the depot,¡± Gabriel told himself.


    ***


    Ketrok was an interesting language when written down; it looked somewhat like a Sanskrit-derived language. However, any resemblance was purely coincidental.


    Nish had taught him a little, and he had brushed up on his trip here, though sadly, he had not tried as hard as he could.


    If Gabriel was reading the bus routes correctly, he needed to get on number seventeen, which would take him just over a mile from Nish¡¯s home, though there would probably be a few dozen ladders between here and there.


    Gabriel just hoped that he could make himself understood; if the bus driver did not speak basic, he would be forced to point at the map. Tufanda had two larynges, which meant they could produce double vowels, saying the letters A and O simultaneously, meaning that without some serious cybernetic or biomechanical augmentation, no human could ever speak their languages.


    A human could speak a disjointed version; Ketrok used words that only required one larynx but would never be fluent.


    After a couple of minutes standing before the driver, Gabriel had managed to talk to them, or at the very least, he had been able to make himself understood. Gabriel had a sneaking suspicion that he had actually as for a ¡°fire to Abondy.¡± The Ketrok word for fire was very close to ticket.


    Regardless the bus driver had gotten the gist of it, and he was now headed for Abondy, the informal district Nish lived in.


    As he looked outside the window, he saw many children carrying bags and wearing similar clothing. ¡°School must be over for the day,¡± he thought. This probably meant that Nish would leave work soon; he hoped he had not arrived too early and would end up waiting on Nish¡¯s doorstep.


    ¡°I should have phoned ahead, got everything sorted,¡± he mumbled to himself. ¡°Should¡¯ve, should¡¯ve, should¡¯ve, the word of my life,¡± he added.


    ***


    ¡°Made it,¡± Gabriel said as he slammed his suitcase onto level Nacagrgua, a little harder than strictly necessary. It did not matter; the aggravation was over, no more climbing. ¡°Just two more streets, and I¡¯m there,¡± Gabriel taking a few moments to catch his breath. He was going to be sore in the morning.


    ¡°Gabriel?¡± an unmistakable high-pitched voice asked.


    Gabriel turned, panting slightly, to see Pista standing amongst a group of Tufanda children supervised by three adults; none of them was Nish. Gabriel assumed they were the parents of Pista¡¯s friends.


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    He waved to her and said, ¡°hey, Pista.¡±


    Pista screamed, ¡°Gabriel!¡± and broke from her friends and ran straight into his arms.


    ¡°Ough, go easy on me; I¡¯ve just lugged my suitcase up ten ladders,¡± Gabriel said, holding Pista close with a smile on his face as she tried to tickle Gabriel¡¯s face with her antennae. He had to admire the girl''s persistence. Even though she knew he could not feel it through the suit, she did not stop trying.


    Pista pulled away and asked him, ¡°why didn¡¯t you use the lift?¡±


    Gabriel closed his eyes, smacked his lips and lied, ¡°I needed the exercise.¡± Looking at the group Pista was with and then back to her, Gabriel asked, ¡°where¡¯s your mom? Doesn¡¯t she pick you up from school?¡±


    ¡°No, mummy works late, and we go to the park and play until she picks me up,¡± Pista explained. Pista wriggled free of Gabriel''s grip, grabbed his hand and said, ¡°come meet my friends!¡±


    Gabriel was dragged to the small group, or he would have been if Pista had been strong enough. ¡°This is Cabtra, this is Obodo, this is Molunca, and this is Baccarte,¡± Pista said, listing them off. Not that it mattered. They all looked the same to Gabriel, not that he was particularly proud of that fact.


    Though now that he had a larger sample size, he realised that Pista and, to a lesser extent, Nish had dark bands around their eyes. It was subtle but there, and judging from the Tufanda arranged before him, it was not a common trait. That was good; it meant the chance of him mistaking Pista for another child had just dropped.


    ¡°I told you he was real,¡± Pista said, holding onto Gabriel''s hand, swinging it back and forth.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Gabriel said, waving his hand. He had no idea what they were feeling; his time away from Nish and Pista had left him rusty, and their static, unchanging faces did not help. ¡°wait, what do you mean you told them I was real?¡± he added, confused.


    ¡°None of them believed me when I told them about all the stuff you did,¡± Pista explained.


    One of the children responded in Ketrok far too quickly to understand anything other than the word ¡°I.¡±


    Pista then got into an argument with her friends, squabbling so loudly that Gabriel had no clue what was being said.


    Gabriel placed his hand on Pista¡¯s head and said, in basic Ketrok, ¡°You know I don¡¯t speak well, speak basic, please.¡±


    Pista looked at Gabriel, her wings raising slightly and her chest puffing out, ¡°I know, but they don¡¯t speak basic good at all.¡±


    Gabriel smiled at Pista¡¯s unintended joke. ¡°Why are you so good at it, then?¡± Gabriel asked, bringing his face to Pista.


    ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m smart, I did the extra hard test twenty days ago, and I did better than anyone else in my school,¡± Pista explained, beaming with pride.


    Now that Gabriel thought about it, Pista had spoken in nothing but basic during her time at Minagerad, and it had improved dramatically between when they first met and when she left. Maybe Nish had gotten that educational content she had wanted for her daughter after all.


    ¡°Come on, we can play in the park and wait for mummy,¡± Pista added, pulling on Gabriel¡¯s arm. ¡°And we can play to the moon,¡± she said with a trill.


    ***


    To the moon was a game she had Pista had come up with during their stint in the zero-g tube on Minagerad. All Gabriel did was grab Pista by the waist and throw her as high as he could. While the premise was simple and nothing out of the ordinary by their standards, everyone else at the park watched in awe as the alien, no bigger than a child, threw Pista over three metres in the air.


    Pista would then flutter back into Gabriel''s arms, and the process would repeat.


    Sadly even though Yursu¡¯s gravity was lower than Minagerad, any gravity was infinitely more than none, and Gabriel found himself tiring quickly. ¡°I am out of shape,¡± Gabriel said after the tenth throw, and he needed to sit down.


    ¡°I wanna go again,¡± Pista said, climbing onto his shoulders and shaking his head back and forth. ¡°And they want to have a go,¡± she added, gesturing to her friends.


    Gabriel looked at the parents and asked, ¡°is that ok with you?¡±


    After a brief murmur amongst themselves, the children''s chaperones gave their consent, though they made sure to tell Gabriel not to throw them as high as they had done Pista. It was not the height that had the parents concerned; the children could fly, after all. No, they were concerned that the throwing itself might hurt their children in some unforeseen way.


    None doubted Gabriel''s character; they knew he would do nothing to harm them, intentionally at least. Their unwillingness to talk to him was born of awe, not fear; they had all heard from Nish what he had done, and they had all seen the videos.


    Then there was Pista, she had always been an emotional child, but they had never seen her so happy.


    ¡°Ok, that¡¯s enough,¡± Gabriel said; after giving Pisat one last throw, ¡°let''s climb the frame instead,¡± he added, pointing to a large dome three times the size of Gabriel.


    ¡°Race you there,¡± Pista said, and she and the other kids squealed, and Gabriel ran after them, he could have beaten them there, even as the kids took to the air, but he knew enough to let them win.


    As Gabriel approached, he leapt onto the frame, the reduced gravity allowing him to reach over a metre in height. As he grabbed onto the metal bar, it buckled under his weight, and he wrenched it free as he tumbled to the ground.


    The fall left Gabriel with a slightly banged backside and a bruised ego, but Pista recalling what had happened the last time Gabriel had fallen, immediately rushed to his side and asked him if he was ok over and over again.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine,¡± Gabriel explained as a crowd gathered around him.


    Gabriel got to his feet and examined the metal pipe he had pulled from the structure. Gabriel flicked it gently with his finger and noticed a slight indentation matching his fingers. Grabbing both ends of the tube, he bent it, it was not easy, but he managed to do it.


    ¡°What is this made from, tin?¡± he asked incredulously, waving it about.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± one of the parents explained, amazed by what she had just seen.


    ***


    ¡°Gabriel?¡± a familiar voice asked from beyond the group.


    The crowd dispersed, and Gabriel saw Nish holding a small paper bag. She just stared; seeing him was something she had not expected to see today.


    ¡°Hi Nish,¡± Gabriel said in subpar Ketrok.


    ¡°Mummy!¡± Pista shouted, leaving Gabriel behind, straight for her bag.


    ¡°Did you get it? Did you get it? Did you get it?¡± she asked, jumping up and down, using her wings to give her more height.


    It took Nish a few moments to shake herself from her stupor before replying, ¡°yeah, here you go.¡± Handing it over, Pista took out a lollipop and immediately started eating it.


    Nish approached, leaving Pista to her treat; as she got closer, Gabriel noticed the raised antennae and wings. She was happy to see him.


    ¡°What a lovely surprise,¡± Nish said, leaving Gabriel without a doubt. She looked at the pipe in his hand and then at the damaged climbing frame and added, ¡°still breaking things, I see.¡±


    ¡°Yes, someone could have warned me they made objects of such flimsy materials,¡± Gabriel said, placing the damaged pipe, which he just realised was public property, and he had destroyed deliberately by bending it, on the ground before discreetly kicking it away.


    ¡°Will you be here long?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m here for a couple of days, and I¡¯m staying in a small hotel, but before I get settled, there¡¯s something I need to discuss with you in private,¡± Gabriel explained.


    ***


    Much like the apartment she had rented back on Minagerad, Nish''s home was pleasant but completely unsuited for humans; most of the furniture hung from the walls. The only place Gabriel could sit was on a bean bag, and he very much doubted it could hold his weight.


    So, he, Nish and Pista sat on the floor; Gabriel smiled; he felt like a little kid again. Minus the years of abuse, of course.


    They sat in silence for some time, and Nish began to grow concerned. ¡°You said you wanted to tell me something,¡± Nish prompted.


    Gabriel took a deep breath; he had imagined a thousand ways he could tell her, weighing the pros and cons of each method. In the end, he decided it was best just to be himself.


    ¡°Nish, I love you, and I would like to begin a romantic relationship with you,¡± Gabriel said, as wooden as any human could.


    Nish froze, her mind struggling to process what she had just heard. Not just because she had never expected to hear those words but also because she did not want to say no. Quite the opposite, she was happy.


    ¡°Is this what this feeling is?¡± she asked herself. It had come back the instant she had seen Gabriel again, as though her heart was going to leap from her chest.


    Now it was Nish¡¯s turn to be quiet, though Gabriel gave her all the time she required, even if it was agony to wait.


    Nish took a breath and replied, ¡°I suppose... I could give it a go.¡±

 Epilogue

    23:48 02/06/2592 ¨C(8737/562/12/02)


    ¡°Gabriel, we need you in the yard now; Abolet and Joryil are at it again,¡± Bama said, entering the break room.


    Gabriel sighed, put the rest of his sandwich into his suit¡¯s airlock, and after quickly swallowing it, he said, ¡°let¡¯s go.¡± Gabriel had gotten an upgrade since moving to Yursu, inspired by the fine outfit Hetwa had possessed. He had bought a modular suit, which had a food airlock meaning he could now eat without a quarantine being imposed on whatever residence he was in.


    It also possessed a toilet function, allowing him to urinate in any public bathroom in the galaxy.


    Finally, he had customised his suit with other fabrics making it appear that he was wearing casual clothing rather than a piece of industrial equipment. His face was still hidden; however, he liked that no one could see him, it made him feel mysterious.


    Gabriel was still a gardener and still good at it, but now he had a second job; he was currently undergoing an apprenticeship at Kabritr¡¯s correctional home. A facility for troubled youths. Most came from broken homes, and it was homes, as usually neither the mother nor father was willing to take them in.


    The children also had behavioural problems, some of them being quite aggressive, which explained how Gabriel had been able to get the position, despite being the same age as a late-stage teenager to most Tufanada. Hell, some of the children here were older than Gabriel.


    So it helped that any child here, even armed with a weapon, would struggle to hurt him. Some of the kids came from gangs, and that kind of toughness gave Gabriel a lot of clout with the minors.


    Kabritir house was a pleasant place; it worked off the principle that if you treated people like people, they would act like it too. Not to say that it was easy, many of the kids had experiences comparable to Gabriel¡¯s, and he knew that all that hostility and baggage did not go away because you got a warm meal and a soft sleeping rack.


    Which was where Aboley and Joryil came in.


    The two of them had made good progress in the seven and ten years, respectively. The main problem was that they flung mercurially between loving and hating one another, and it seemed today they had chosen to hate one another.


    Gabriel could see them from one of the windows, and the argument quickly devolved into a fight, so he hurried to the door, Bama trailing behind.


    As he approached the two, as a small crowd of other children egging them on, Gabriel slowed; he could not be seen to run. Gabriel needed to show them he was in complete control, and rushing made it seem like he was not.


    Gabriel pushed through the crowd, which quickly broke apart now that he was present. The children, even the most aggressive, had seen what Gabriel could do, and they were in no mood to test him.


    ¡°What are you to doing?¡± Gabriel demanded, pulling the two of them apart. Aboley threw a punch at Gabriel, and she immediately regretted it. He held her fist tightly as Gabriel finished separating the two, having been utterly unfazed by the strike.


    ¡°You know that hurts you and not me,¡± Gabriel commented, taking a quick look at the damaged limb. ¡°You haven¡¯t cracked the exoskeleton; you¡¯ll be fine, sore for a few days but fine,¡± he added, letting go of her hand.


    ¡°Now, do I even want to know what stupid trivial thing started this pointless fight?¡± Gabriel asked, folding his arms. From anyone else, Gabriel''s gesture would have meant fear, but to everyone present, it meant he was not in the mood for games.


    Joryil was the first to speak; he pointed at Aboley and told him, ¡°she stole my rock.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your rock; it¡¯s my rock; I found it first and put it near the fountain; you moved it without my permission,¡± Aboley argued back, and the two drew closer, ready for a fight.


    ¡°QUIET!¡± Gabriel shouted, and the two immediately backed away from each other and stood to attention.


    ¡°There are hundreds of rocks on these grounds; you two really are reaching new lows,¡± Gabriel chastised. ¡°You two are better than this; I know you are; you were inseparable just this morning; I saw you trilling together at breakfast,¡± he added.


    ¡°That was before he-¡± Aboley said, but Gabriel cut her off, his voice calm, but he made it clear he would not be ignored.


    ¡°I do not want to hear any more about the rock,¡± Gabriel explained. ¡°Now, you two are going to wave hands and make-up; if you can¡¯t be civil, then you can stay on opposite sides of the estate for the rest of the day,¡± he added.


    They attempted to argue, but Gabriel had more to say, ¡°my wife is coming to pick me up in two hours to see my daughter''s Mabat dance. Do I need to cancel it just to babysit you?¡±


    ¡°Is my seventeen-year-old girl more of an adult than you?¡± Gabriel asked.


    ¡°No sir,¡± Aboley said, looking at the ground.


    ¡°No sir,¡± Joryil added, fidgeting with his hands.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I took your rock,¡± Joryil said, looking at Aboley.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I started the fight,¡± Aboley replied, not looking up from the ground.


    Gabriel smiled; they were doing well; he did not even have to prompt them this time. ¡°Go have fun; your weekend isn¡¯t even over yet,¡± he told them.


    ***


    ¡°You''re doing really well with those kids,¡± Nish said after hearing the story from Gabriel.


    ¡°About as well as can be expected; I won¡¯t even tell you what Joryil''s mother did to him,¡± he replied, looking out the car window.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you need to, I can well imagine, given how quiet you are about it,¡± Nish said, turning right.


    ¡°You know, if those two were human, I¡¯d say they just needed to have a quick shag on the stairs in about two years and get it out of their systems,¡± Gabriel mused aloud.


    ¡°Well, they¡¯re not; that kind of attitude is pretty common among soon-to-be adults,¡± Nish explained. ¡°Why I remember when I was their age, I used to fight with my friends all the time, it¡¯s the hormones, you see, makes them very irritable,¡± she said.


    ¡°And shame on you, reducing everything to sex like that,¡± Nish added, jokingly admonishing him.


    ¡°You are not one to talk to me like that about sex. I¡¯ve never known anyone so insatiable in my life,¡± Gabriel retorted, recalling how Nish was during her past three mating seasons. Not that he had any experience in that regard, Nish was the only person he had ever been with.


    ¡°In my defence, since we¡¯re married, I have no other outlet, and I might add, I¡¯ve never had such ready access to sex before, no waiting about, no selecting, just getting to do it five times a day,¡± Nish replied, recalling those special moments fondly.


    Gabriel scoffed, and Nish added, ¡°you should take it as a compliment; you know, these past three years, I¡¯ve actually managed to get work done during the Hofhoris festival, blew my colleagues¡¯ minds; it did.¡± ¡°One of the benefits of having an alien husband who''s constantly in heat, no worry about our mating seasons not coinciding.¡±


    ¡°I am not constantly in heat; I just don¡¯t have a set mating period. I hear enough of that crap from the kids; thank you very much,¡± Gabriel said. ¡°First thing they did when I started working there was look up human reproduction and sex habits, little perverts.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re taller than you,¡± Nish pointed out.


    ***


    ¡°Talk to me before you decide to eat anything,¡± Nish said, eyeing the snacks and informal drinks put out for them as they waited with the other parents for the display to start.


    ¡°Why,¡± Gabriel said, eyeing a bowl of nibs.


    ¡°Do you remember what you were eating at the last P.T.A. meeting?¡± Nish asked.


    ¡°That giant savoury cracker, yeah, it was delicious,¡± Gabriel said after some brief recollection.


    ¡°It was a table mat, Gabriel,¡± Nish explained.


    Gabriel looked at her and replied, ¡°it was great; if you¡¯re ever out shopping and you see the same make, buy me one.¡± ¡°Anyway, if it was such a problem, why didn¡¯t anyone mention it?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Everyone else thought it was some human culture thing, and I thought it was funny,¡± Nish explained.


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you want me to do it again?¡± Gabriel inquired.


    ¡°Because they billed me for it; I¡¯m not made of money,¡± she answered.


    Pista¡¯s instructor appeared on stage, and everyone took their seats. It was a beautiful day, the sun shone brightly, and Kosor, the ice giant Yursu orbited, hung serenely in the sky.


    Mabat was a traditional dance form native to the Ralosth Peninsula, where twenty-two Tufanda all engaged in a synchronised dance. Nish also mentioned that the dance needed to be done outside on a day with little cloud cover and Kosor visible.


    In the past, the Ralosthrie people had believed Kosor was the physical manifestation of their rain, river, lake and ocean god and that by dancing under his gaze, they could please Kosor and convince him to protect them from Onuru, the sun.


    If they did it correctly, the river would run whole, and the drought would end.


    Now that Gabriel thought about it, Nish and Pista often engaged in events and celebrations only found here. Gabriel had the sneaking suspicion he had married into an ethnic minority family.


    His biggest clue was a year ago when he mentioned wearing fancy clothes when first meeting someone, what Nish had done on their first day out together. Yet they had flat-out denied it as if they were embarrassed by the idea.


    Gabriel would have brought it up with Nish, but he did not care all that much. Nish was Nish, and Pista was Pista; that was all that mattered to him.


    Pista emerged along with the dance partners; gender was no factor in the dance, so there were boys, girls and treas.


    A small group of adults sat before the stage and began to play. It was mainly composed of wind instruments, symbols, and drums, but a couple of strings rounded out the piece. It was oddly haunting, with many unnatural stops; Gabriel did not know if it was intentional to put the listener on edge and some distance between them and their god.


    Or perhaps it was a limitation of the Tufadna body, and it sounded like a flowing piece to them, and it was his human brain that was able to pick out the problems.


    Pista waved at Gabriel, and he waved back, it was a habit she had picked up from him, and everyone apart from Nish seemed very confused.


    The children took their positions, and the dance began. Unsurprisingly, there was as much flying as jumps and twirls; Gabriel was impressed with how graceful they were, but he kept most of his attention on his daughter, who continually glanced at her parents.


    Nish¡¯s pride was clear to see; Gabriel, however, was inscrutable with his suit on. She knew her father well enough, though, and she could imagine the smile on his face; it gave her confidence.


    The dance ended after five more minutes with one final flutter around the stage, and the children curtseyed. Gabriel clapped as the Tufanda parents detached their wing muscles and made a buzzing noise.


    Once the children were dismissed, Pista bounded from the stage and leapt straight at her mother. Nish caught her, and Pista asked, ¡°did you see? Did you see? Did you see?¡±


    ¡°We saw; pretty hard not to,¡± Gabriel said, patting her head.


    ¡°Do you think it will rain now?¡± she asked, looking up at the sky.


    ¡°Maybe, we¡¯ll just have to wait and see, won¡¯t we,¡± Nish replied.


    ***


    Pista had fallen asleep on the ride home, which was not unsurprising considering how much exercise she had done today. Gabriel carried her inside and placed her on a kobon, essentially a Tufanda chair, suspended on the wall where a Tufanda would half hang, half sit.


    Due to Gabriel¡¯s unique biology Nish and he had been forced to move into a custom-made home located on the very top of the city. He had received a subsidy from the government to help with its construction, and technically, the location was on the rough side of town.


    This was Tufadna rough, though, and he¡¯s seen more challenging places when he was in primary school.


    He had had one altercation with a group of ruffians. They had considered themselves the rulers of six city blocks, not hard-line criminals per se, just an organised mob of assholes.


    The gang had turned up at his home shortly after he had moved in and called Nish and Pista a word, one that made Nish flutter with indignation and Pista buzz with fright. Another clue Nish and Pista were not members of the dominant culture around these parts. After that, it ended pretty much how you would expect.


    Most of them flew away before being arrested for a hate crime. The others went to the hospital before being arrested for a hate crime. Not that Gabriel had done it alone; once Pista had been safely sequestered in the house, Nish had returned to help.


    However, all that was in the past, things had settled down, and Gabriel was enjoying domestic bliss.


    Gabriel¡¯s P.D.A. got a ping, and he checked his latest message. It was from Erilur; he would meet the Ponut¡¯kild and Risoti for their annual get-together in three months. He was looking forward to that; Gabriel had fired the final shot in their little letter-writing competition four months ago.


    A grand display fit for a queen involving a trumpet procession. There was no way Erilur could top that unless she won the lottery, and he had known it when he had sent it.


    He could well imagine the look on her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m going for a shower,¡± Gabriel said as he headed for his own private wing of the house, hermetically sealed, allowing him to be his entire self. He even had a greenhouse filled with plants from Earth, allowing him to feel the sun on his skin.


    ¡°I take it you don¡¯t feel like cooking,¡± Nish said, making herself a drink.


    ¡°Not today,¡± Gabriel replied.


    ¡°Good, because I¡¯ve got a craving for freezle takeaway,¡± Nish said, letting Gabriel get on with his shower.


    Just before the airlock leading to his wing, Gabriel looked at a picture hanging on the wall. It was significant for two reasons; it was one of the few images of him standing outside the home without his suit.


    It had taken two weeks to decontaminate himself for that, a rather unpleasant thing, more so as he did it every year to deal with Nish¡¯s urges. Not that he found those urges distasteful.


    Finally, because sitting in the frame was a second photo, one of Jariel smiling at him. Gabriel smiled back.