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"Exactly. The amount of oxygen it would take to support a herd of cattle would be prohibitively expensive. That also means the milk in your coffee is plant based."
"Most of the IF doesn't farm animals," I said. "Most other worlds find the eating of flesh to be…"
"Yucky?" she suggested.
"Yes, yucky. Luckily they like coffee and chocolate as much as we do." The introduction of those two things to the IF might be Earth's greatest contribution, which was kinda lame. At least we contributed something.
"I'm not sure I would have left Earth if there wasn't chocolate out there," Brinley said with a cheeky smile.
I chuckled. "Me either." A girl had to have some vices and I had several, but chocolate was the biggest one.
"Maybe we can share a cabin on the ship to Agus?" Brinley suggested.
"That would be nice," I said. I didn't want to be the kind of person who left home and only congregated with my own kind, but leaving Earth was a huge deal and having another human close by would help ease us both into this new life.
"Great, I'll sort it out." She glanced at something behind me. "In the meantime, that guy from Frey-T. I don't think he's taken his eyes off you since I sat down."
I swivelled in my seat in time to see Danec look away, his cheeks flushed.
"Oh. We met on the shuttle up," I said. He really was pretty adorable. He looked back for a second and blushed darker.
"We're supposed to go out to dinner tonight." I offered him a smile and turned back to Brinley.
"But?" she prompted.
"But there are so many women on the station who are more interesting than I am," I finished with a sigh. "And prettier." Slimmer. Taller.
I would understand if he changed his mind.
"Bollocks," Brinley said loudly. "You're very interesting. If you weren't, he wouldn't have asked you, would he?"
I gaped for a moment, surprised at the force of her reply. "I suppose not."
"Exactly, and look, he's coming over here."
I just took a sip of coffee and now I almost choked on it. I coughed and swallowed as hastily as I could and put my cup back down.
"Watch where you're going." A human man, a scowl on his features, all but pushed Danec out of the way as he made his way past.
"I-I'm sorry," Danec stammered. "I-I didn't—"
"Stupid prick," the man muttered, loud enough for me to hear.
"Prick," Danec said loudly, his eyes bright. "That's another word for penis, isn't it? You humans really are obsessed with the groin area."
The man, a badge on his chest read 'Jones,' glared at Danec and stomped away.
I put a hand over my mouth as he passed, to stifle a laugh.
Danec watched him leave, confusion on his face. "Was it something I said.?"
I couldn't hold back any longer. I laughed until tears leaked down my cheeks.
Danec looked bewildered all the while.
"It's all right." I wiped my eyes with my sleeve and rose to pat him on the shoulder. "Some humans don't like to be reminded of our obsession."
"And some people are just cranky," Brinley said. "I met him on the shuttle up. He really didn't want to leave Earth."
