'Madame', like a Kleideu, and not 'Miss', as Lilmericans say? So thoughtful, with every word!
He sat in the chair beside me, also scanning the faces of Ossy, Citsa, Vonn, Tanda and Derees. Their research led me to combinations to try next, so they would have to agree to allow Ryonne~ to stay. After my setback, I needed the help!
Vonn, pale, worked to keep a neutral face. It surprised me to see him struggle to breathe normally. “Here is Vonn Links, Lead Scientist. He must approve—”
“I do approve! Your presentation this morning gave me hope for us. This new technology will help in so many ways, I cannot name many!
“Just last hour I spoke with Director Pragate to request use of your interface for our work. Ten scientists work to write the progs, but he thinks it will take weeks before we can use it.
“Adia needs much help to recreate two weeks’ work, very important work!”
I looked down. He still feels it is important, when I almost killed us? Tears burned at my eyes and I blinked several times.
Ryonne~ smiled. “O, I believe I can write a prog for this. Unified Science Service oft encounters and shares new technologies. Progs are already in place in all Hubs for this purpose.
“If I cannot do it, I can ask Master Server Instructor Be~saech to do this. He is equivalent to your Master Info Scientist, Leherr Firs.”
Vonn startled. Waved up his trade bal for the department. Frowned. “How much trade do you ask for this?”
He laughed. “O, my friend, you will ne need it! I am here as part of a small trade agreement between Ye~ and Areon. My work here balances Ye~’s trade. Any work I produce will belong to your department.”
“Is this a goodwill visit, then?” Derees smiled, big! “Such a great honor to have a scientist from Unified Science Service here!” The last goodwill visit Areon had was before my birth, and it was another Alliance world! Papa worked with the scientist as a young apprentice. Learned much, in an entire month!
Our visitor frowned. “This is ne a goodwill visit, ne on an official basis. Science is an avocation for me. I stay up to three Standard weeks because my work is in Diplomatic Service.”
Vonn paled. “DS? Are you a diplomat?”
“I am, but scientists ne need to know protocols. We speak and listen, and try to ease misunderstandings.”
A diplomat? I knew nothing of that kind of work! Work that ends wars, from what Director Pragate said this morning. More important than mine.
He reached a hand. “Welcome to Alternative Fuels! How shall I pronounce your name? Ree-OWN-ne-ee, is it?”
“Ea, but all of you may call me Ryee, and be my friend. It is my hope that we create help for our Region with this work.”
Derees offered a hand, knuckles up, as Elshars do. “Pleased to meet! I am Derees Jons. My friends call me Derees.”
Ryee covered it. “I am happy to meet you also.”
Beyond him, Ossy and Citsa frowned. Tanda, however, smiled and nodded. Interesting, to notice the reactions of my co-workers, how they act towards someone new. Today, we all have an opportunity to learn about life outside our little Areon. My life is changed, for the time left.
"Let me introduce you to my coworkers." I bit my lower lip as two of them glared at me.
"Uh, Vonn moved here from Kleideu Province. That is why his accent is different; yet he looks like most Kleideuer with his blue eyes and blond hair. My ancestry is there, also."
Vonn gave a broad smile. “Let me describe our research. Adia chose ANW, so I think she is bravest of us all. Derees and I normally do the trading for materials.
“Derees and I will work hard to replace your supplies, Adia.” Vonn looked at Derees, and he nodded, with a smile. I relaxed. “Ossy seems to prefer trading over our projects. He and Citsa are Derees’ assistants. The rest of us are looking at various fuels with higher energy yields for fusion.”
Ossy frowned at him. So did Citsa. Assistant scientist is a demotion!
Tanda Weiss pulled at her short blond hair and blue eyes widened. "We Areonians must seem strange to you; like we’re all Kleideu with an occasional pure Lilmerican like Derees.“She smiled at him and he returned it.
“But, you can see exceptions to our culture already." She gave a pointed glance at my long red waves. My twin sister and I had some persecution in school, because many Kajarians have it. We had classes with her sister Anna before her accident. She said she was our family’s secret child because her hair also had red in it.
I looked down, my face burning.
"Oh, Adia, your hair has beauty. Several nice families in Kleideu have it."
I put my hand on her shoulder. "Citsa and I share discomfort over our red hair—"
"Adia!" Citsa’s face turned dark red. "My hair is auburn—" She frowned at Ryonne~'s hands.
Everything I say brings her criticism! Must not show my emotion. Shoulders down. Face neutral. Breathe!
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Tanda pointed at a holo of the desert mountains west of us. “I research stores of nitrogen in unlikely places. My hope is that someday we find a way to release some from waste rock in the Barrens. Vonn studies catalysts that release nitrogen as they work.”
Ryonne~ offered her his hand, and she gave one shake. “I read your journal research, and you may be close to a solution.”
“I hope so! It would be nice not to have to carry breathers.” All smiled and nodded towards her, except Citsa and Ossy.
“Derees. Tell him of your research, my friend.”
"I am Derees Jons, and I guess my brown hair and eyes show you I am descended differently than the others. But, then, Adia always said she liked my Lilmerican accent." He smiled, and it almost made me feel better about Ossy and Citsa's attitude. Did I forget that Lilmericans came here first to study shipbuilding, because of persecution? Elshars think they are like Gowans, who stay drunken!
Offered his hand again, knuckles up, like an Elshar. His face turned very red. A modest man. Ryee smiled and covered it. Lilmericans never offer their hands, so it surprised me that he would—
“I have a new theory of variable-energy fuels to work with the changes in the Braun Juncture. Towards this end, I research a chemical array with progs to use catalysts yet undiscovered to increase or decrease energy output in it.”
“Your report, “New Methods for Variable Fuels” has many well ideas. Would you consider a visit to Ye~ to speak to our Science Council about it? Many ask for you, Mr. Jons.”
“They do? Please, call me Derees! I would be happy to do this when I have a free day. Many here already use my array, but I work to improve it. People usually ask for Vonn.”
“O, I would also like to invite you, Mr. Links. Your work on nitrogen extraction is very useful to our people. Our food and herb yields increased five fold since you and Derees joined the Eicken Project.” Crops, from fuel research?
Vonn smiled. “Call me Vonn! We could go together! Without Derees' ideas, my work would not exist.” Ossy and Citsa’s jaws dropped.
“Oh, I think the opposite is true. Vonn is brilliant, and too modest to admit it.” Derees laughed. “That is why we have Adia on our team. He noticed her research on variable catalysts with her father and asked for her to join us. Her father's section was not impressed, but we saw how it would improve our work.”
I hid my shock. Ossy claimed he convinced Vonn to let me join Alternative Fuels. Promised my sister a position in Safety, and two years later, she is still working contracts, not regular work. Vonn recommended her work to Leherr Firs and she had several contracts with them for progs.
Across from me, Ossy and Citsa sat. They watched us. “Adia, will you introduce me to the others?” Ryee stood, and so did I.
"This is Citsa Wilnes." I waved towards the dour woman. My face burned. Ryonne~ offered his hand, and she ignored it. She is large, and tall. You should eat more so men will notice you. Mama tells me I should eat more so I can be healthy, not to attract men! Who can eat, when— Breathe!
“I research nitrogen fission. There are several dozen safe catalysts I am currently mixing.” She glanced towards the mixing chamber that should not have the brown splotches on the bluemetal cabinet already.
Our visitor frowned. She reddened. She criticizes me for not controlling my thoughts, but her leaky telepathy tells all. I need to write a holo to hide the stains on that.
It embarrassed me that she would state this, as if it were somehow better than using simulants and carefully monitoring the process. Did she listen to our lead scientist this morning? Vonn glared at it, but said nothing. Research nitrogen fission, as if Vonn did not demote her?
"And Ossy Koch." Light brown eyes reflected disgust. Blond hair reached over his heavy brows. “My research is on no fewer than twenty promising complex organics with alkyl chains.” His chin lifted. Another lie.
Ryee smiled. “Alkyl chains? Then you build on the research of Joleon Rayaline? I wanted to read your research, but he was not in the Areon Library.”
“No, I like Brun Koch's theory of visceral dissemination.” Which was disproven two years ago?
The wide golden eyes narrowed. “How do you think to compensate for energy loss in the Braun Juncture? Have you spoken with Stef Vaughn in Shipbuilding, Engine Research, MLMT Improvements? Just lastweek, he announced a breakthrough that will change how the Braun Juncture varies containments.”
Ryee waved a copy of that research to all of our accounts. I gasped! The cost was a month’s salary so I had been saving trade. What a treasure!
Ossy shrugged. “I am still working on that.”
Vonn frowned at him. But smiled at Ryee. “Danke! I will replace your trade in five days when my pay comes.”
“Ne need for it! While I am here, I can make copies of any reports you need because of the trade agreement.”
Vonn waved up a long list. Sighed. “We need much, but have little storage left. Ours is materials-based. Areon deemed biological storage too risky after the Core Failure 30 years ago.” He shook his head.
Ryee’s display came up and he touched an icon. “Now all of you have access to Ye~’s research database—” He startled as that icon went gray. Disappointment weighted his face.
“Thank you for your generosity. If you could supply these copies, I will use our department’s funds to expand our alt storage.” He marked several with our dot colors. None with Ossy’s or Citsa’s. Ryee gave him the copies, which floated into our individual accounts.
Several of the reports went to mine that I could not afford if I saved trade for years! Reports vital to my research in these next two weeks! All four of us thanked him.
“Ossy and Citsa were already in Fuels Research before we came, working with his father,” said Derees. “Mr. Koch is now an investigator in Otherworlder Authorities.
“Mr. Wilnes, also formerly a scientist here, is now an investigator in the Detector Force, and a Council member.” Ossy gripped his seat. DF?
Oh, I held onto the counter so hard, chipped places dug into my palms. Now I felt afraid of Ossy! He never talked about his father.
“He is your father, Mr. Koch? I met him three times. He is very knowledgeable about relations between our worlds.”
Derees gasped! “Did he harm you? I never knew anyone returned from Otherworlder Authorities!”
“He questioned me. Our colony brings Areon much trade, and moreso now that many come to work on the outer worlds. Governor Schwer cannot afford to offend my government.” Outer worlds? But they were mines, and automated! Do people come to work in the mines now? So much we are not told.
Ossy looked absolutely ill!
“Our people speak much with Mr. Wilnes on the Council about trade.” Despite Ryee's kind words, Ossy and Citsa turned very red in the face.
If their eyes were fusilators, Derees would have danger. He looked very uncomfortable in their stares at him. Paled, almost as if a physical effect.
“I can teach Qvarn, if you wish.” Ryee smiled at Ossy, who looked away.
“That is a good idea, but I think we have not time. Derees and I will trade.”
“Look at these graphs Vonn put together! Here on the green line are discoveries since Adia left Conventional Fuels.” A slight upwards trend, but their research is measured in years.