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“Damn. Well, I did try to promote you. Don’t say I didn’t,” Jace grinned. “Now. Let’s start with the shots so everyone can appreciate what we’re saying. I haven’t used my best material yet. And you, Matias, seem like a good wingman.”

Matias saluted. “At your service.”

“He’s going to wash those hands before giving us shots, right?” someone asked from the crowd.

“Pigs are very clean, but yes, of course,” Matias said. “Where is a sink?”

He asked the latter to Jace who waved a hand over the edge of the case that had risen. A section rose from that where their hands could be placed and a blue light appeared inside.

“Merely put your hands in here and they’ll be clean,” Jace said.

Both Matias and Daraja did so. The light felt cold over his skin as if she’d dunked her hands in icy water, but, of course, they were clean. Jace followed suit before he lifted one of the syringes from the table. The case looked to be silver. There was no needle, but instead just an opening at the end.

“You won’t need to worry about contamination on their skin either with these.” Jace explained. “I’ll demonstrate it on Matias so then you can show him, Dr. Isa.”

She nodded. She curled her fingers against her palms. They were putting alien technology into their bodies. This would let them communicate with most anyone. What would it be like? Would her brain feel different? Would it change her in some profound way? If it was going to affect her then it would do so. Because, unlike many things that they could choose not to do, getting the universal translator was not one of them. This was a requirement. Failing to do this meant she, or anyone else who refused, would be sent back to Earth. And she was staying.

Jace brought the syringe’s end up against the side of Matia’s neck. The veterinarian swallowed, but did not hesitate.

“You okay, Matias?” Jace asked kindly.

“Oh, I will be. I’m sure,” Matias answered, his voice slightly strained.

“You’re brave to go first. But, believe me, you’ll be fine,” Jace told him.

“Fire away.” Matias flashed a small smile.

“And… done.” Jace pressed the trigger. There was a slight hiss and Jace was pulling the syringe away. “And that’s it. Not too bad, yeah?”

“Did it hurt, Matias?” Daraja asked.

Matias reached up and ran his fingers over the spot of the injection, but there was only a faint bruise. He shook his head. “I barely felt anything!”

“That’s good. So who’s next?” Jace asked.

Daraja then picked up one of the syringes herself and gestured for the nearest woman to come up. She demonstrated what she had seen to Matias. He gave her the shot in return. And he had been right. It did not hurt in the least. She didn’t even think it had done anything until she realized that she could understand the woman speaking Italian and the man speaking German and the other man speaking in Mandarin. But they all now seemed to be speaking Hausa, her native tongue. She imagined that for others it would seem she was speaking in Italian or German or Portuguese!

Or perhaps we are all speaking the Altaeth mother-tongue and we just think we are speaking and hearing in something else.

As more people got the shot and behaved excitedly, instead of afraid, after it, her fellow crew members lined up eagerly. Soon, they all had been injected. Jace thanked her and Matias. The veterinarian made to take the sleeping pig from Khoth’s hands, but the Thaf’ell frowned.

“She is sleeping. You will disturb her,” Khoth said, that frown deepening.

“Oh, well, I will leave you too alone then.” Matias lifted his hands in mock surrender even as he smiled.

“You’re going to have to fight to get your boon companion back,” Daraja chuckled.

“Ah, that is all right. We get to see who the Commander really is. A pig whisperer and big softie despite looking fierce,” Matias said with a shrug and a wink.

“I thought it was crazy to bring the pig, but I now see I was wrong.” She shook her head as the two of them settled back into the crowd again.

Jace started speaking again, but now all could understand him. “Thank you for accepting the call to join this crew. What we are going to do has never been done before by our species. You are paving the way for every other human to go into the stars and become citizens of the universe.”

Daraja saw faces filled with excitement and joy. They all glowed, knowing that they were playing a role in history. It was rare when one knew that history was being made but it was. They’d taken their phones and tablets earlier or otherwise people would be filming this, but she guessed that this magnificent ship likely already was. It felt alive to her.

“From the materials you were given, I am certain you also know what a dire threat the Khul are to humans and every other species,” Jace continued more somberly. “You are not soldiers. I do not expect you to fight on the front lines in that sense. But everything you do will be assisting us in that fight and helping to find ways to understand the universe.”

Jace’s gaze swept over them and each person seemed to meet his eyes. Daraja certainly did. It seemed like he was looking inside of her and taking her worth. She didn’t shy away, but opened herself to him. He smiled.