Page 52 of Music of the Ocean

It was warm and steady, and it enveloped Saxby’s. The gesture was so simple and familiar it nearly undid him. Saxby squeezed back, surprised by the subtle, tensile strength in his own fingers.

The contact sent a current of recognition up his arm and into his chest. It was, in a word, right. This was what humans meant when they talked about “home,” though the word had never fit him in any place he’d landed.

He let the sensation linger, savoring the moment. There was no audience, no protocol, no expectation of what should come next. Only them, held by the water and the aftermath of a crisis.

The confusion, fear, and a dull ache of loss from the last few days had settled around him. Those emotions were not gone, just shifted. Redistributed.

They remained silent, but words were truly unnecessary at that moment. Instead, Saxby leaned in, resting his forehead for a moment against Indigo’s temple. Indigo’s tentacles wrapped gently around their joined hands, reinforcing the bond.

When Saxby finally let go, he did so deliberately, not out of discomfort but to signal readiness. He rolled his shoulders, testing his new range of motion, and found it effortless.

Whatever residual resistance remained in his mind, his body had already accepted the truth of what he was becoming. Indigo watched him with something bordering on reverence.

He could get used to being looked at like that.

They left the alcove, and Indigo led the way through the winding corridors, his tentacles trailing behind, occasionally brushing Saxby’s arm as they swam.

They passed a trio of children swimming in tight formation. Their skin was a mottled mess of greens and yellows, and their bright blue hair waved behind them like banners. The group vanished around the next bend, laughter trailing behind them in a spray of bubbles.

“Were those children Varclaps? Are there Varclap adults here, too? And they were children! Species can here children here?” Saxby asked, surprised.

“Of course. Why would they not?”

Saxby goggled. Why wouldn’t they? Well, he didn’t actually have an answer for that. He sort of assumed that since their DNA had been mutated, they’d also be sterile, which apparently was wrong. In fact, it was the opposite. People gave birth, and the babies’ DNA had been adapted to an underwater environment.

An adult in a high-collared uniform watched their exchange before finally approaching. They were a stout humanoid species with an average body height, a distinctive snout, a beard, and their hands were hoof-like in appearance. Their lower jaw possessed a pair of small tusks.

It took Saxby a second to recall the species, but he thought they were Tellamites from Teller Prime. They wore braided kelp armbands and carried a tablet that looked to be grown, not manufactured.

They nodded at Indigo, who returned the gesture.

“Saxby, this is the Chief Security Officer of the City. Their name is Quill Hohstadt. Quill, this is my mate, Saxby Delmar,” Indigo said.

“Greetings, Saxby, and welcome. What rank did you hold on your starship, if I may inquire?” Quill asked.

“Lieutenant Junior Grade,” Saxby said. “I was with the SC Heathglow. How… how did you know?”

Quill grinned. “I was an officer aboard a Tellamite Battlecruiser. Like recognizes like, I guess. You have the look of an officer.” Quill’s gaze lingered on Saxby, then flashed to Indigo before returning to Saxby. “Once you’ve settled, maybe you’d like to visit?”

“Are you kidding me? I’d love to pick your brain on you guys’ battlecruisers. They’re works of art!” Saxby exclaimed.

“Indigo has the means to contact me. I look forward to it,” Quill said. They made a mark on the tablet, then turned away, continuing down the corridor.

“They are a good person to get to know,” Indigo said. “They’ve been here almost twenty standard years.”

“Wow,” Saxby said quietly.

Right before they got to the dining chamber, they encountered a line of laborers. They were at least the length of a human arm with tentacles attached to their head. Their body a squid pink and streaked with veins of pulsing blue.

Their lantern-shaped heads were wide and flattened, and two feathery antennae flickered constantly to test the water. The eyes were not eyes at all, but dark, diamond-shaped panels that seemed to drink in the ambient glow.

Each worker carried a pallet of bioluminescent stones. They moved quietly. The only sound was the soft impact of the stones as workers transferred them from hand to hand.

When Saxby and Indigo passed, the line parted to let them through. The nearest worker offered Saxby a nod.

“Those as Osnats. They are native to the planet,” Indigo said.

“I wondered. I didn’t recognize them.”