Even with a flawless translator, Lily had the distinct feeling that some things simply refused to cross cultural boundaries.
She was rescued from the awkwardness by someone she had not expected. Horos’s voice came through the console.
“Crew of the Vitromium, I request permission to come aboard.”
Khar grumbled as if he had stepped in something foul with his favorite boot, but this time Lily was grateful for the secretary’s arrival.
They granted access through the main gate, and it did not take long before the tall, ash gray being entered the control room.
“Vegrun sends his thanks for your swift and efficient handling of the recent inconvenience,” Horos said smoothly.
He raised his VoidBrace, performed a brief sequence of gestures, and Khar’s own console lit up.
“The agreed amount has been transferred to your account, Khar. Lily, if you permit, I would like a word with you.”
Lily raised an eyebrow.
“With me? Is something wrong?”
Horos lifted both hands in a calming gesture and laughed politely.
“Quite the opposite. I would like to discuss the details of the solar collector order. I have time before my next meeting, and I have not yet eaten. I would be pleased if you joined me.”
Lily shrugged and slipped on the looser jacket of her fitted uniform.
“Sure, if you like. Khar, I will be right back.”
Khar looked as though he wanted to say something, but he remained silent until the door closed behind Lily and Horos.
Lily had explored parts of the station where Vitro was docked, but the more expensive restaurants and entertainment venues were far beyond her budget. She happily accepted Horos’s offer to treat her, even if it felt a little excessive. Vegrun was likely grateful, and Horos’s generosity probably reflected that.
She hummed softly while browsing the menu. It automatically analyzed her biological profile and digestive tolerances, offering only dishes she could safely eat and genuinely enjoy. Lily felt slightly self-conscious in the upscale environment, surrounded by well-off alien socialites, so she made sure not to commit a faux pas. As they waited, Horos coughed once, and every being around them looked over disapprovingly, raising her guard a little more.
Once they had both ordered, Horos steered the conversation away from neutral topics and into more personal waters.
“So, Lily,” he said, “how does a being as unusual as you come to work at one of the known galaxy’s bastion stations?”
The question caught her off guard. She was not sure what the correct answer was. She was not ashamed of the truth, but she had no idea what was considered acceptable in universal circles. The acclimatization program had focused more on keeping her from falling into depression than on social nuance.
She wished she had asked Khar. He might grumble endlessly, but he did not strike her as hypocritical. “As I wrote in my application,” she said, “I own a Herion-6 class ship. That is how I arrived here.”
Horos smiled at her reply. The simple expression transformed his otherwise alien features, and Lily was surprised by how approachable he suddenly seemed.
“Yes, but you are not a Registered Spacefaring Species,” Horos said. “I reviewed Vitromium’s report on the confrontation. What you did was remarkable. Why did you lower the gravity?”
Relieved that the focus had shifted away from her past, Lily eagerly explained her reasoning.
“When I traveled through space, I trained a lot in higher gravity. In lower gravity, I played ball games to pass the time. The ball behaves differently, you see. Most beings are used to standard or zero gravity, but the state between the two feels strange to them. I thought it would give me an advantage over the vukri.”
Horos tapped long black fingers against the table as he listened.
“Very inventive.”
Lily was not sure how to respond, so she blurted out the first interesting thought that came to mind.
“On Earth, there were countless religions and myths over the millennia. One of them is long dead now, but they builtincredible monuments to honor their gods and rulers. They are still so significant that we call them wonders of the world.”
Horos hummed in agreement.
