Page 123 of Alien Burn

Dhomhes lifted his hand.

“I may have a better solution to that.”

His father answered while walking. Machinery thundered beyond the comm, familiar enough that Dhomhes could almost taste the warm metal in the air.

“How many?” Ruthak asked when he had heard the proposal.

“I'll send the passenger list. They'll need rooms, food, medical access, and somewhere that doesn't share a wall with a crusher.”

“You're asking for the luxurious accommodations.”

“I'd settle for the ones with working locks.”

“Those all work.”

“Then we're already improving.”

Ruthak stopped walking. The machinery grew quieter as a door closed behind him.

“How bad?”

Dhomhes gave him the answer without softening it. The roof. The list. The difficulty of securing the residence against people who knew it better than its frightened guests did.

His father listened to the end.

“Bring them.”

Dhomhes shut his eyes briefly.

“I need a couple of hours to arrange the transport and get everyone out quietly.”

“The rooms will be ready.”

“The search team stays where it is.”

“I didn't ask for them back.”

“Someone may decide this is an excellent reason to.”

Ruthak made a low, ugly sound. “Then they can explain that decision to me.”

“Send it through the commander as well.”

“I know how records work, son.”

“I like to hear you say it.”

His father grunted, but some of the anger went out of his face.

For a moment Dhomhes saw the male who had waited through his earliest attempts to read a processing diagram, refusing to supply the answer while Dhomhes became steadily more offensive about the quality of the diagram.

“Thank you,” he said.

Ruthak looked mildly offended.

“It's my work.”

“I know.”