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I held back another laugh. "I'm fine. It's a human thing I guess. My eyes leak too, sometimes." I felt like they might right now.
"Oh, ours too. It keeps our eyes from becoming dry."
"You don't cry?" I asked. "With tears?" I leaned in and peered more closely. He had tear ducts, more or less like mine.
"We cry, but no excess water comes out."
"Oh, I see." I sat back and went on eating. I'd always felt like men came from another planet, this one actually did.
"I—"
I let out a squeak as an alarm pounded through the mess. I dropped my piece of pizza and looked around, frantically.
"All IF personnel report to their stations," a robotic voice said over the speakers. A trill sounded, following the announcement.
"A drill?" Danec said. "Now?" He sagged back in his chair and made a face.
My heart sank. "I suppose they want to keep everyone on their toes," I said. The timing sucked. Our date, if you can call it that, was awkward, but I was enjoying myself.
"I suppose so," he said. He shoved a mouthful of pizza into his mouth and washed it down with water, while the people around us scrambled to their feet.
"That includes you, ensign." A cold voice was followed by a shadow which fell over the table.
Eyes colder than his voice regarded Danec and me. Deep red eyes, almost black, narrowed as I stared back. His skin was a shade lighter than his eyes. No, I realised, it wasn't skin, he was covered in a fine layer of fur. At least, his face was. The rest was obscured by a uniform like Danec's, but somehow neater and with the rank insignia of commander on his chest.
Danec leapt to his feet. "Yes, sir. Sorry, sir." He saluted sharply. "At once, Commander J'avet." He shot me an apologetic look, which lingered a nanosecond longer that was necessary, before he hurried away at a trot.
J'avet's eyes locked on me like a heat seeking missile. Or a heat giving one. My heart raced and I might have smiled if I didn't get the sense he loathed me on sight. Okay, two can play at that game.
I didn't move, I didn't blink even though I needed to. I sat perfectly still like scared prey. Except the scared part. I wasn't scared at all, no way. Well, maybe a little bit. He was clearly the kind of man used to giving orders and having others jump at them.
Right when I was about to look away, he did first.
"If you're heading for Agus, you're also IF personnel. You should get to your station."
"Uh, yes, sir," I said without thinking.
Shit, he turned back and stared at me again, this time with a raised eyebrow. Technically, I didn't report to him, unless he was the head of the station, which I was sure he wasn't.
"Commander is adequate," he said in a voice deep enough to make me wonder where else he had fur.
I shook myself out of my silly thoughts and stood. It was unlikely I would find out, unless he was sick or injured. I wouldn't wish that on anyone, no matter their attitude toward me.
I gave him a nod. "Commander then," I said, and hurried away to the infirmary.
