“Perhaps not. But it was my responsibility to see clearly, and I failed.” He pressed a kiss to her hair. “Living near other Cire who also chose to leave—who also questioned the Council’s methods—might help me understand what my people could become. What we could be, if we stopped clinging to old beliefs that no longer serve us.”
Melissa was quiet for a moment. Then: “You’re a good man, Becsul.”
“I was a complicit man. Now I am trying to be better.”
“That’s all any of us can do.”
Trevelor announceditself first as a gleaming blue-green crescent against the starfield, then gradually resolved into continents and oceans and cloud formations. The capital city—Wiang—sprawled along a wide river valley, its architecture a harmonious blend of organic curves and efficient functionality.
“It’s beautiful.” Sarah pressed her face against the viewport, Katie mimicking her mother’s posture. “Look, sweetheart. Look at all the trees.”
The docking procedures were efficient and professional, the port authority officials polite but thorough. When they finally stepped off the ship and onto Trevelor soil, Becsul drew a deep breath and tasted… nothing alarming. Clean air, tinged with something floral, warmed by a sun that felt gentler than Ciresia’s.
“Welcome to Trevelor.” A young woman with lavender skin and an official-looking uniform approached them with a professional smile. “I’m Liaison Kethri. Captain Drex notified us of your arrival. If you’ll follow me, we have temporary accommodations prepared while you determine your longer-term plans.”
The accommodations turned out to be a suite of connected rooms in a comfortable residential building near the city center. Actual beds. Private bathing facilities. Windows that looked out over a park where children of various species played under the watchful eyes of their parents.
Katie pressed her nose against the glass. “Mama, can I go play?”
“Soon, baby. Let’s get settled first.”
Becsul stood beside Melissa as she surveyed their new quarters—modest by Ciresian standards, but warm and welcoming in a way that the facility’s cells had never been. Robbie gurgled happily in her arms, reaching for a beam of sunlight that slanted through the window.
“What do you think?” he asked.
“I think…” She turned to face him, her dark eyes bright. “I think it feels like possibility.”
The medical facility was called the Wiang Center for Reproductive Sciences, and it occupied a sprawling campus on the eastern edge of the city. Becsul accompanied Melissa to their appointment with the director, Robbie secured in a carrying sling against his chest. The weight of the infant had become familiar now, comforting in a way he couldn’t quite articulate.
The building’s interior was all clean lines and soft lighting, designed to put visitors at ease. Various species moved through the corridors—patients, staff, visitors—and Becsul noticed more than a few lingering glances directed their way. An unusual sight, perhaps: a Cire male carrying a human infant.
Let them look, he thought. Let them see what is possible.
Director L’chong turned out to be a native Trevelorian with a fluffy bird-like body perched on long, thin legs and a brightly feathered crest. He rose from behind his desk as they entered, extending both hands in greeting.
“Dr. Desai! Captain Becsul! Please, please, come in. Sit down.” His voice was musical, each word slightly elongated. “I havebeen eagerly anticipating this meeting since Captain Veyros first contacted me.”
Melissa settled into one of the offered chairs, and he took the seat beside her. Robbie chose that moment to make a small, demanding sound, and he automatically began the gentle bouncing motion that usually settled him.
Director L’chong smiled at him. “Is that your son, Captain?”
“My mate’s son.” He caught Melissa’s eye. “Our son, now.”
“Remarkable. Simply remarkable.” The director leaned forward, his attention sharpening. “Dr. Desai, I must tell you—your credentials are impressive, but it is your practical experience that truly interests me.”
“My practical experience?” She frowned at him.
“The situation on Earth regarding reproductive medicine, the creative approaches your facility developed to address declining fertility rates, and the personalized treatment protocols you pioneered…” L’chong waved a thin hand. “We face similar challenges here, though for different reasons. The genetic diversity of our patient population is extraordinary—dozens of species, each with unique reproductive biology. We need physicians who can think creatively and adapt standard approaches to non-standard situations.”
“I had access to Earth-based research and technology,” Melissa said carefully. “My knowledge of galactic medical standards is essentially nonexistent.”
“Technology can be learned. The theoretical frameworks we use can be taught.” L’chong nodded enthusiastically. “What cannot be easily taught is the instinct for innovation, the willingness tolook at a problem from an unexpected angle. That, Dr. Desai, is what makes you valuable.”
He watched Melissa’s expression shift—surprise giving way to cautious hope, then something that looked almost like wonder.
“You’re offering me a position?”
“I am offering you the opportunity to build something new.” L’chong rose and moved to the window, gesturing at the campus spread below. “We have excellent facilities here. Dedicated staff. Funding from both public and private sources. What we lack is someone with your particular combination of expertise and experience.” He turned back to face them. “Someone who understands that reproductive medicine is not just about biology—it is about family. About hope. About the most fundamental of all desires: the wish to create life and nurture it.”
