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I looked around the empty room. There was nobody else to talk to. Abby and Sahra were in their cabin, and I didn't really want to imagine what they were doing. I doubted Captain Ellabee would like it if I went to the bridge and pestered her with questions. I didn't feel tired yet, so this nameless pilot was as good as anyone to pass the time with.
"Maybe. If you have another of those crunchy bars."
With a grin, the green-haired woman produced one from her pocket. "I always have at least a few of them with me. You never know when you get hungry."
She handed me the bar and picked up Jiji, depositing the fluffy animal on her shoulder. It squeaked adorably before making sounds that reminded me of smacking lips. Was it kissing the pilot? It was hard to see under all that pink fur.
I nibbled on my bar, not really hungry anymore. The first had been more filling than I'd realised.
"Where is everyone?" I asked when the pilot stayed silent.
"Working, sleeping, stargazing. Take your pick. We're always busiest after a planet stop, so most of the crew will be hard at work. You'll find more people in the lounge later, once all the cargo has been unpacked and sorted. Then everything calms down until we get close to the next destination."
"And what is our next destination? Earth?"
"No, Andui'li, a moon of planet X6827. The planet itself is uninhabited, which is why it never got a proper name, but the moon is a popular holiday destination. We've got some cargo to offload there. I hope we get a bit of shore leave. They have these amazing creamy treats there that are served in a seashell. Sooooo good. And the views from the top of the spaceport are amazing. Sometimes I just sit there and take in the view."
"That sounds very relaxing."
She grinned. "It really is. I need to ask the captain if we get to spend some time on the moon. If we do, I suppose I could show you around. If you have the right documents. They don't let everyone land there. Scared of people settling permanently instead of just staying for a holiday."
That sounded surprisingly like some countries back home. I supposed it shouldn't come as a surprise that planets had immigration controls and all that. They'd scanned our biometric information at the spaceport on Kyven, but I hadn't needed any documents. Not that I had any. When we'd left Earth, we hadn't exactly planned to end up on an alien planet. Did they have space passports? Alien visas? I'd have to ask Sahra. She'd travelled a lot and would know.
Jiji snored loudly. I looked at the pilot and we both started laughing.
"I'm Atina, by the way."
I held out my hand. "Nice to meet you, Atina."
6
Atina
Istared at her hand. What did she want me to do? Did she want another nutrient bar? Two should have been enough to sustain her for a day. Unless her metabolism worked completely differently from other kyvenoids, she should be full.
"What do you want?" I asked when she didn't offer an explanation.
She slapped her hand against her forehead, confusing me even more. "Sorry! I keep forgetting that Kyvens don't shake hands. You'd think I'd have learned after months of living on your planet, but it just won't stick in my brain. It's the one thing I can't unlearn."
"Why do you shake hands? Is it a ritual?"
For a moment, I hoped that it might be a mating ritual, but then discarded that thought immediately. I didn't have time for a mate. And she likely wasn't interested anyway.
"Shaking hands is a way of greeting someone," Heather explained. "It's the first step of getting to know someone."
I held out my right hand like she had done. With a smile, she took mine and moved it up and down in a flowing motion. Curious.
"And now you know me?" I asked. "What did that movement teach you about me?"
Heather frowned. Nice, that was a gesture our two species had in common, unless it meant something else for humans.
"It didn't teach me anything. Should it have?"
Now we were both confused. Luckily, Jiji interrupted us with another loud snore. I readjusted it a little, making sure it didn't fall off my shoulder now that it was fast asleep. The little qoark trusted me completely, even in its sleep. It had taken a long time for it to become this trusting and loving, but it had been worth all the effort.
"She is so cute," Heather gushed. "How long have you had her?"
"Since before I joined this crew. I found it in a dirty cage on a Kwilen market, caked in mud. Jiji was so thin it barely weighed anything. I persuaded the owner to sell it to me. We've been best friends ever since."
