PANDORA

Chapter 7

"There's our Carpathia," Aki announced.

She didn't have to tell me. If it wasn't for the fact that she'd ordered me to strap in, I'd have had my face against the front viewscreen like a kid plastered to the display window of a candy store.

A Crystalliad-class troop cruiser. I'd never expected to see one up close, mainly because they were all decommissioned years ago. She was built along typical lines, in the almost arrowhead-like shape favored by the Sanavila. Opaline shimmered in an ever-shifting array of colors along the curves of her hull. She didn't have some of the dramatic flair seen in other ships-her tails were curved back and only slightly longer than her spindle-but then, she was a warship; she didn't need flair.

"She's beautiful," I breathed.

Captain Chui chuckled. "I'm glad you appreciate her. Some people think I'm space-fried, cruising around the galaxy in a ship this old."

"We-ll...I might have upgraded her hull to opaline-d, myself," I admitted. "But she's in fine shape. I've seen new ships that don't look as good."

People tended to give me funny looks when I started talking about starships, probably because I could babble on about them for ages, and knew all sorts of obscure stuff about them. All Captain Chui did was quirk an eyebrow slightly upward.

"Indeed," she said. "And, Xandri, I need you to understand something. You've heard rumors about the Carpathia, I take it."

"I might have heard a thing or two," I said cautiously. Like that Carpathia was so kitted out, she was one of the most illegal ships in the Alliance.

"Don't believe everything you hear. People are good at underestimation."

Yikes.

"You will speak of what you see to no one."

Not a question. I swallowed hard and nodded. Even if I'd ever be in a situation where I might spill Carpathia's secrets to someone who could make use of the information, I'd never do it. And it wasn't out of some kind of misguided nobility, either; drawing attention to myself was the last thing I wanted. Talking about my experiences aboard the Carpathia would get me attention, all right, and then some.

"Captain, we've got permission to dock," Aki said.

Captain Chui turned to glance at the Ongkoarrat. "Very well. Take us in, pilot."

"Captain?" I questioned softly.

"Yes?" She turned back to me.

"I have secrets too."

"And they remain yours. I swear it."

I nodded. So far, I'd been able to trust her every step of the way. Even so, my belly quivered with nerves. I turned my attention back to the viewscreen, where I could see the docking bay doors grow larger and larger as we approached. New life, Xandri, I reminded myself, taking a deep breath. This could be good. Please, Sweet Mother Universe, let it be good.

**

I stood at the top of Mr. Spock's ramp, gazing open-mouthed at the docking bay. Truth be told, it was probably not that big in comparison to some other warships, but to me it seemed enormous. Several shuttles and a full complement of six fighters took up most of the space, though there were a couple of empty spots, like the one Mr. Spock took up. I licked my lips. If only I could get a closer look at those fighters. I was pretty sure I knew the model, but-

"Welcome aboard, Ms. Corelel," Captain Chui said as she came to a stop beside me, hauling my luggage. "Your team is here to greet you."

She gestured down the ramp with a nod of her head. Team? My hands tightened convulsively around the handles of Marbles' and Cake's carrying cages as I glanced at the bottom of the ramp.

There were five of them, all human. They seem friendly enough. Well, most of them... They all smiled at me, and for the most part it seemed genuine, but one of them stood out. She was similar in height to me-similar and yet dissimilar in a lot of ways, really. Her hair was golden blond to my drab ash, and her eyes were bright blue in contrast to my indecisive, cloudy blue-gray. And she held herself with far more confidence than I had ever felt in my life. Yet something about the way she gazed at me... Perhaps I was just imagining the hostility in her eyes.

"Hi," she greeted me, her tone pleasant enough. "I'm Christa Baranka, acting Head of Xeno-liaisons."

I hung back a little, bobbing a small nod in greeting.

A slender willow-whip of a man stepped forward, his smile crinkling the corners of his monolid eyes. "Sho Merin."

"And I'm Marla. Marla Thomas." She looked like a Nubian goddess and grinned like the sun shining through your window in the morning.

The final two were Kirrick Chanda, whose dark curls stood up as if he constantly ran his fingers through him, and Kimi Drin, whose pale platinum hair seemed at odds with her large, liquid dark eyes. By the time they were done introducing themselves, I found myself wishing for free hands, so I could wrap my arms around myself in protection. Meeting new people was always overwhelming. Meeting five at once-and people I was supposed to work with, no less-left me feeling unsteady on my feet.

"Perhaps we should allow Xandri to get settled in before we throw too much at her," Captain Chui suggested, coming up to stand behind me.

Oh god, yes.

"Sure," Christa said, still wearing that smile that seemed so insincere to my eyes. "We can show her to her room. Help her with her luggage. We've got to get to know each other sooner or later."

"I don't really have much luggage," I blurted without thinking.

In the awkward silence that followed, I felt myself turning red to the very tips of my ears. Most of Xeno-liaisons eyed me uncertainly; Christa Baranka narrowed her eyes in clear disapproval. Great, Xan. You're not even here five minutes and already you've put your foot in it. I wanted to run, but there was nowhere to run to. The sudden urge to flap my arms against my sides nearly overwhelmed me, but I couldn't, not while holding my birds' cages.

"Um...I mean...I didn't mean..."

"Her things are here," Aki rumbled, nudging a cart with my meager belongings into our midst. "It probably won't take all of us to carry them."

"Still, you must be tired," Kirrick said kindly. "Could we help a little? I could take one of your birds, if you're comfortable with that."

"Oh, um...I'd appreciate that. I should probably carry Marbles, though. No telling how she'll react to strangers. Cake is much more...uh, calm."

I lifted Cake's cage and held it out to Kirrick. A smile blossomed on his face as he reached to take it, and I thought I recognized a fellow animal lover. Certainly he cooed enough, praising Cake's lovely plumage. My bird stirred from the lethargy of sedatives and blinked at this new individual.

"He's lovely," Kirrick told me, as Marla and Sho grabbed my other luggage. "What sort is he?"

"A pineapple green-cheeked conure," I said, a smile of pride tugging at my lips. "And Marbles is an African grey."

"Marbles, huh?" Marla asked, as we started out of the docking bay, with Captain Chui and Aki just behind us, though Captain Chui soon broke off to go her own way. "As in 'lost her...'?"

"Yeah. Although to be honest," I frowned, "I'm not sure Marbles ever had hers in the first place."

A light smattering of laughter made me wonder if I'd said something funny or foolish. Hopefully the former.

"So why Cake, then?" Christa asked.

I blinked. "I like cake."

Another awkward silence swooped down on us. What did I say this time? That wasn't rude, was it? I sent a sidelong glance at Christa again and found her frowning. I hunched in on myself, staring down at the pristine floor beneath my ragged boots. Carpathia was a beautiful ship, and I wasn't even getting a chance to enjoy her.

Something big and bulky shoved between me and Christa. A rush of relief went through me, having Aki as a bulwark between me and the hostility that seemed to radiate from my new colleague. Maybe I'm imagining it... But I could feel it on my skin like a burn, and it felt worse every time she looked at me. I tried clearing my throat, but I couldn't think of anything to say. Small talk always escaped me.

"So," Christa said suddenly, "where did you get your degree from?"

"My...what?"

"Your degree? In Xenoanthropology?"

As I gaped like a fish, Marla made a growly sound in her throat. "Knock it off, Chris. Not all of us have degrees."

"Not all of us are potentially going to be Head of Xeno-liaisons," Christa pointed out. "Surely we have a right to know what schools she's attended and what other jobs she's had."

"Nosy," Marbles mumbled drowsily. Goddamn bird!

"Yes, she is," Aki agreed. "Christa, Captain Chui would like to see you in her office. The rest of us will finish taking Xandri up to her room."

Huh. They must communicate sub-vocally or something. I'd never been able to without a HUD, but the translator-implant should help with that.

Christa shot me one last dirty look before turning and heading back down the hall. She took a sharp right and disappeared so suddenly, it was as if she had been sucked away. I stopped in my tracks and glanced at the others in confusion. Then it occurred to me.

"Grav-tubes!" I exclaimed. Of course. It shouldn't have even come as a surprise; I knew all military ships had them.

"Yep," Marla said. "But we figured it would be best to take you the long way around. That way you can see some of the ship. Plus, the tubes take some getting used to."

And I didn't know how my birds would feel about it, either. Besides, getting to see the insides of a Crystalliad-class wasn't common anymore. And without Christa there, the very air around me seemed lighter, easier to breathe. I could appreciate the crisply clean walls of the Carpathia so much more now. Small cleaner-bots, some that rolled across the ground on treads, some that hovered or clung to the walls, worked to keep her in perfect condition.

In the lift, Sho took the time to point out each deck, where I could find Hydroponics and recreation (on the same deck, referred to as Hydro-Rec), where the soldiers were bunked, where the science labs were. My room was among those reserved for the civilian members of the crew, the scientists and medics and other non-military personnel.

"You're pretty lucky," Kimi said. "Not many people get to bunk alone. Captain makes only a few exceptions, usually for the civvies who keep weird hours."

"I..." I bit my lip. I didn't want to say that the idea of having to bunk with a perfect stranger made me want to crawl out of my skin. "Maybe she just didn't want other people to have to deal with my birds. I'm used to them and know how to deal with their antics, but they might act out with someone else around."

"I can't imagine this fellow acting out," Kirrick said, holding up Cake's cage. "But back home I had a roommate who kept a cockatoo. I wasn't his roommate for long. So maybe you're right."

"I spent enough time with them aboard ship to tell you that you wouldn't want to room with them," Aki grumbled. "Ah...here we are. Xandri, just put your hand against that plate there."

I paused in front of the door she indicated with her muzzle and reached for the palm plate. It felt slightly warm beneath my skin, and made a faint buzzing sound, vibrating ever-so-slightly. Then with a hiss of hydraulics the door slid open onto a room smaller than many I'd made do with, but bigger than others I'd stuffed myself into. And it was mine.

Mine. My heart started beating faster at the realization that if I succeeded, this would be mine. It wasn't huge, but it was plenty large enough for my needs. There was a bed at the back, and bookshelves built into the walls. A small kitchenette, a tiny table, and a bathroom were all set to the right side. And just as she had promised, two well-sized bird cages awaited Cake and Marbles, propped up on steel shelving so my birds wouldn't have to be too close to the ground. I wasn't sure I cared for the full length mirror on the wall, but as it appeared to be the door to a closet, I'd probably have to deal with it, at least for now.

"This is really...I can really stay here?"

"Of course," Kirrick said, setting down Cake's cage.

"Do you need any more help?" Marla asked. "Unpacking, or anything like that? Or we could get you some food, if you're hungry."

I shook my head. "Thanks, though. I just...I've got a lot to wrap my head around and..."

"We get it," Sho assured me. "Take your time. Get used to the place. If you need any help later, just let one of us know."

I nodded. They seem pretty nice... Maybe if I could just get Christa to warm up to me, working with these people wouldn't be so bad.

They started to file out. Marla paused in the doorway to look back and flash me a grin. I liked her; she had such nice open, friendly body language. And Kirrick seemed kind, too. He stopped to say good-bye to Cake before leaving. Finally all the humans were gone, leaving me and Aki. The Ongkoarrat sat on her haunches in the open doorway, watching me.

"Captain Chui wants you to head down to R&D once you're settled in," she told me. "You'll be looking for a guy name Diver. Can't miss him, really; no one else's work station is as impressively disorganized. No idea how he finds anything in there."

"Um...how do I find R&D?"

"Head downwards. There's signage marking it out. And if you get confused, just call on Carpathia."

"The ship?"

"The ship's AI. She knows everything that goes on in here. All you need to do is call for her, and she'll respond."

"Oh." I clutched the handle of Marbles' cage. "Thanks, Aki."

"No problem, Xandri-pup."

Aki left too, leaving just me and my birds. I closed the door and turned my back to it, taking in a deep breath of blessed solitude. Then Cake chirruped at me, letting me know he was flat out done with this carry cage business.

I tended them first, putting their toys, perches, and feed bowls-complete with food and water-in their new cages. Once they were settled in and Marbles was merrily poking around for new trouble to get into, I unpacked the rest of my stuff. It wasn't much. Some raggedy old clothing and my books, which didn't begin to fill the shelves. And my chip with the record of all my sim hours on it. That I placed carefully in a small mason jar I found in the kitchen.

Guess there's nothing else for it. The sooner I get done with this Diver guy, the sooner I can come back to peace and quiet. I drew my satin ribbon from my pocket as I stepped back out into the hallway, running it through my fingers again and again as I tried to calm myself. At least it was quiet at the moment. I glanced back and forth down the hall. Aki had said down, but even so, I felt uncertain.

"Um...Carpathia?" I tried.

Immediately, a soft, mellifluous voice responded. "Hello. You must be Xandri Corelel."

Huh. She sounded very...human. "I am, yes. Um...nice to meet you?"

"Nice to meet you too. I am Carpathia, the ship's AI. What can I do for you?"

"I need to get to R&D," I explained, "but well, I'm new here, obviously, so I'm a little uncertain of the way and...I really don't want to get lost when I haven't even been onboard for an hour yet. Do you...I mean, could you please help me?"

There was a pause, surprisingly long. Then the voice came again, the sweet tone even warmer. "Of course I can. Head to the lift at the end of the hall, and we'll go from there."

"Thanks! Your um...body? It's beautiful. It must be wonderful, being a starship."

"It has its advantages," Carpathia said with a soft chuckle. "So, who are you going to see in R&D? Let me guess...Diver?"

"Yeah."

"Well, you're in for a treat. He can be a bit mischievous. If he gives you any trouble, I'll let him have it."

I laughed. "Thanks, Carpathia." A thought struck me. "Say...I was told you know everything that goes on on this ship. Is that literally true?"

"Literally. Though there are a few things I prefer to ah...tune out."

"Ye-ah, I can see that. But...you wouldn't happen to know how a girl can get regular morning coffees, would you?"