“I thought you were working.”
“You’re going to eat now, yes?” Garjah filled the doorway.
“I thought Timok was taking me.” I stepped out of my
quarters, and the door swished closed behind me. “He was just here.”
“Timok will meet us there. He is getting the food.” Garjah
started walking, and before the turn in the corridor I was struggling to keep
up and breathe without panting.
He slowed. “I apologize.”
“Fine.” I waved him off. “Just, slow down please?”
“Are you sure? I can carry you.” His lower arms lifted away
from his body slightly.
“No! I can walk.”
His thin nostrils flared as his mouth twisted to one side.
“Timok said I invaded human body taboos. That you have privacy laws dictating a
neutral region of space around your form. Please accept my apologies.” He
saluted and bowed, waving me forward. “Please, take the lead. We will go at
your pace.”
I blinked repeatedly. That was oddly formal. When I first
heard him talking to Timok I’d gotten the impression he was more muscle than
brain. Action than thought. But the way the other Four Arms deferred to him and
hints of things he’d said was leaving me with the impression he was someone far
more important than I’d originally thought.
Not a simple alien stunning things left and right, that was
for certain. Though, he still failed to retain some basic facts about me. “I
don’t know how to get there.”
His face scrunched again. “But we went there once before.”
“I’m a slow learner?” He probably wouldn’t get the sarcasm.
I actually graduated fourth out of thousands, the reasons I was awarded a solo
research shipboard position rather than an assistant research role. “I also
can’t read those.” I pointed to the guide strips.
Boldly, I reached out and gripped his arm. “Why don’t we walk
together?”
“If you wish.” He kept his elbow out awkwardly, his upper
arms crossed over his chest. Was he offended by my touch? But he’d touched me.
A lot! “This doesn’t bother you?”
“No, why would it?” I tilted my head as we walked to look at
his face, trying to figure out his expression. I wished he had eyebrows. With
his smooth forehead, it was hard to read his facial expressions when they didn’t
include his nostrils or mouth moving.
“You are touching me, and we are walking close together.”
“But I’m walking,” I pointed out. “You’re not carting me
around like an invalid. It’s not about touching as much as the intention behind
the touching.”
“I will remember that.” Walking at my pace was probably
torture for him, but he didn’t complain. He attempted to explain the guides
again, but I’d used my wrist unit to help me navigate all the ships, stations,
and planets I’d lived on. I could follow a beacon’s directions—that was about
it. Garjah seemed to have all sorts of skills and the respect of every Four
Arms who crossed our path.
When we got to the dining hall, an entire table was empty except
for Timok, though I could see that left the other tables crowded. Four Arms
really were large and wide as a group. “Okay, I have to ask. What exactly do
you do?”
Garjah ducked his pointed chin into his chest. “I haven’t done
anything. You touched me.”
Was he still worried about that? “That isn’t what I meant. Look…”
I waved a hand around the dining hall, trying to ignore all the stares focused
on me. “I could assume none of them want to eat with me because I’m scary, or contagious,
or something other reason l but then they probably wouldn’t be staring like
that. So I’m guessing the distance is for you. To show respect. Or fear.” I paused
after that last thought tumbled out of my mouth unbidden.
“But you don’t seem like someone who is too scary. At least,
not after you stop shooting people and putting them in stasis without any
warning,” I said acerbically. I shook off my resentment since it wouldn’t get
me the answers I needed. “So who are you? Why do they all treat you this way?
Are you,” I swallowed hard, “the captain?”
Timok heard my last question and smirked. “That would be a
disaster.”
“As if you could be captain,” Garjah said mildly.
“I wouldn’t want to be.” He shuddered. “Too many people to
manage. I’ll stick with my lab and studying life forms, thank you.”
Grateful for the chair pulled up to the table, I eased down
to take the weight off. My legs ached and were trembling. I was going to have
amazing muscles when I got off this ship. “I know what you mean,” I told Timok.
“I am the security leader,” Garjah said. He took the seat
next to me, filling it and more. “I see to the safety and protection of all on
this ship.”
“And you’re training Seedrah because….” I picked up the protein
cubes, sure of what they were at least. These were spiced differently than
before. Bitter, with a smoky undertone. Not as pleasant. I wrinkled my nose, putting
down my fork.
“He is the same as I. It is his role.” Garjah sliced off a
chunk of whatever slab thing covered his plate and swallowed it down.
“That explains nothing,” I complained. “Why is he like you?
Is it his markings? His size? Is he family?”
Timok was watching us closely but didn’t say anything as he
ate quietly.
“He was born to it, as I was.”
Pulling teeth… I wanted to scream! “What does that mean?”
Timok finally took pity on me. “Unlike humans, who
apparently even have tests they take to find out what they have an affinity to
do as a career, we are born to our roles. The knowledge”—he tapped his forehead—“is
locked within. We must simply release it with the assistance of a trainer. Once
we have matured, of course.”
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