CHAPTER 3

  Whether it was because of the different time zone, how early they’d gone to bed, or simple excitement, the two Moccans woke up quite early the next day, long before Ralia. Niko was awake first, but, aware that his two friends were still asleep, opted to stay in bed and relax. He’d been daydreaming for around a half hour when Kelsen’s breathing changed and he poked his head up.

  “Hey there, bud,” Niko said quietly. He doubted they’d wake Ralia with anything short of screaming from close up, but he didn’t want to chance it. “Sleep okay?”

  “Mmm-hmm. Better than I thought I would.”

  A sly smirk flitted across Niko’s face. “Hear that?”

  A strange but vaguely familiar sound, not unlike a small jet engine, sounded from above. “Is that?...”

  “Yep. Your girlfriend snores.”

  “...Okay?”

  Niko collapsed back onto his pillow. “You’re no fun.”

  “What?”

  “Ah, nevermind. It’s about six local time. You wanna go back to sleep or wake Ralia up?”

  “Uh. Neither. Let’s just chill until she wakes up.”

  “Fine with me.” Niko adjusted his position to be more comfortable, and pulled the comforter back up to cover his chest. Teromod was freezing at night, and Ralia didn’t have the heater on very high. “So, what did you think of our first day on Latia?”

  “Some ups and downs. The statue was cool, but I was too freaked to take in much else during the afternoon. And dinner was...”

  Niko winced. “Yeah, that was a little awkward. Do you think I was too harsh on Ralia?”

  Kelsen paused for a few moments. “No. You were right. It’s our choice to tell our parents or not.”

  “Glad you think so. Still feel like I could have handled it better.”

  Shrugging, Kelsen burrowed into his own covers. “I dunno. But I have been thinking...maybe...I should tell my parents. I get why you won’t tell yours, but my parents aren’t as bad. They’re just kinda...overprotective.”

  Niko’s eyes widened. “Wow, really? I mean, that’s up to you, but I wouldn’t. What if they did something crazy?”

  “Like what? We’re already here, and we’re adults. There’s not much they can do. And...maybe they should know.” They were both quiet for a minute. “I dunno. I’m gonna think about it today and then maybe send them a message tonight.”

  “Gotcha.”

  Kelsen was quiet long enough that Niko assumed he had dozed off before he spoke again. “Any idea what we’re doing today?”

  “Well...the museum and the old district sound interesting. I was thinking maybe we’d hang out here this morning, then meet Pakos for lunch and all go to the museum, then the old district after? How’s that sound?”

  “Okay, I guess.”

  “But?”

  “Nothing. Just...Pakos is kinda high energy.”

  Niko gave a wry smile. “He is, at that. But if he’s getting too much for you, I’ll rein him in.”

  “If you say so.”

  “Hey.” Niko leaned up on one elbow, and stared at Kelsen until their eyes met. “I will. Promise.”

  “Okay, okay. I believe you.”

  “Good...hey, you hear that?”

  Kelsen listened. “I don’t hear anything.”

  “Exactly. Ralia must be awake.” Seconds later, their phones buzzed. Ralia had sent a message to their group chat, telling them she was awake but that they were free to sleep in all they wanted. Switching on his voice gear, Niko made sure Kelsen’s own Earplugz were in before calling up to Ralia, “Nah, we’re already up. Just been lying here listening to you snore!”

  “I don’t snore!”

  Niko snickered. “I’ll record it next time. Anyway, we were talking about what we wanted to do today.” He caught her up to speed. “Sound okay?”

  “Yeah, that sounds great.”

  Breakfast that morning was simple, though its implementation was a little complicated. Ralia made some eggs and toast, and then painstakingly cut off some Moccan-sized portions for Kelsen and Niko. As they ate, they solidified their plans on where they’d get lunch—a nearby bistro that, of course, served Moccan customers—and Niko fired off a few messages to Pakos on where to meet them. When they were finished, Ralia cleaned up quickly, largely ignoring her guests’ offers to help. “Appreciated, but I can scrub this pan in less than thirty seconds. It’d take you an hour,” she said with a smirk.

  They all went back to the front room, where Niko demanded a look at Ralia’s computer. She obliged, and Niko, and Kelsen to a lesser extent, spent the next hour inspecting it and comparing it to Moccan hardware. They were largely impressed; some Latian components still lagged a few years behind their Moccan counterparts, but others were surprisingly modern. Once their examination was complete, they all hung around the computer, Ralia showing off some of her top-notch video editing software. Although she worked in tech support, she made short videos and compilations as a hobby, and occasionally spoke of running some kind of video channel.

  “What, like a vlog?” Niko had asked a while ago, somewhat derisively.

  Defensive, Ralia had shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe? Latian internet isn’t quite as inundated with that stuff as Moccan internet is. And I was just thinking about it. Nothing serious.”

  To their surprise, Kelsen had encouraged it. “You’re good at editing, and your voice is perfect for it,” he’d said. He’d also chastised Niko for being so condescending, for which the mouse apologized. He admitted he still found it a little silly, but never again implied it wasn’t a real job.

  “Hey,” he said suddenly. “Let’s record something.”

  “What, now?”

  “Yeah, why not? I know you want to. And you’ve got two attention-getters right here!” He pointed to himself and Kelsen, who seemed unamused. “You want to start a channel, right? Making content for the internet? I mean, I know I was kind of a dick about it before, but being here, seeing all these people...I kinda get it. What better first video to have than an interview with two Moccans?”

  “I don’t know,” she said, but then immediately followed up with “Do you really mean it?”

  “Hell yeah!”

  They both turned to look at Kelsen.

  “Do whatever you want. Just leave me out of it.”

  Ralia pouted and stared at him with begging eyes. “Three questions?”

  There was a humorous silence as Kelsen’s stubbornness slowly eroded. Eventually, at Niko’s silent urging, he sighed. “One question.”

  “Two questions and a quick bit of all of us together!”

  “...Uuuuugh. Fine.”

...

  “Hi there! I’m TwistedSphinx. I’ve created a few videos and compilations before, but I suppose this is my true debut in creating content for the online world. As luck would have it, I’m joined today by something you Latian viewers probably don’t see a lot: two Moccans, in the flesh! Say hi, guys!”

  “Hello!”

  “Hi...”

  “For this video, I’m hosting a bit of an impromptu interview with my two friends and guests here. Can you two introduce yourselves? Online handles are just fine if you don’t want to use your names.”

  “Hey there! I’m Niko, but I usually go by Lytle Mouz, or Pint-Sized Friend online. Sometimes just Pint.”

  “...NightKnight47. Does that count as one of my two questions?”

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  “No it does not! Okay, Pint. First question: what’s it like to be a Moccan on Latia?”

  “It’s crazy! Everything is so massive. The buildings, the plants, the people. But, like, crazy good. I feel like a celebrity. I’ve been here less than a full day, but I’ve already seen a lot of cool stuff—like the statue of the Twins in Teromod—and run into a lot of people! I haven’t gotten to make any new friends yet, but I am sure I will, and I am looking forward to it!”

  “Thanks for that answer! It sounded really genuine. Let’s all hope Pint here gets to make some new friends while he’s here! Now, Knight, what was the worst part about coming here? Be honest.”

  “You really want me to answer that?”

  “Of course! If you’re comfortable doing so. If not, I can ask something else.”

  “No, it’s...well, personally, I get overwhelmed pretty easily, so coming here has been terrifying. I stand out. People stare at me. I feel like I’m less than a person.”

  “That’s some pretty heavy stuff, but thanks for telling us. Maybe it can help our Latian and Moccan viewers adjust to each other a little better.”

  “Uh, also...”

  “Yes?”

  “I mean, on a less depressing note, the prep to get here sucks. My dad is a social worker, and I’ve never seen so much paperwork.”

  “Haha!”

  “Dude, he is not kidding. It was terrible.”

  “And then there were all the shots...getting vaccinated for Latian diseases.”

  “Oh man, don’t forget the oxygen exercises and the adjustments on the shuttle.”

  “Ugh! Thanks for reminding me!”

  “Hahaha! There you have it, Moccan viewers—coming to Latia is not for the faint of heart. It takes a lot of work! And Latian viewers, keep in mind that any Moccans here had to go through a lot just to visit us! That’s dedication!”

  “Yeah! We Moccans may be small, but we’re tough! How do you like my war face?”

  “It makes me want to pet you and call you cute names, to be brutally honest.”

  “Same.”

  “Wh—Ke, er, Knight! I thought you were on my side!”

  “I must tell the truth, no matter how painful it may be to hear.”

  “Hahaha!”

  “Hehehe, oh my god! That was pretty good, we’re definitely using that.”

  “Definitely. Okay, haha, okay, next question, Pint. What is life like on Moccs? At least, where you’re from?”

  “Well, I grew up in a smallish city—just under one hundred thousand people.”

  “That’s smallish on Moccs?”

  “Huh? Oh, yeah. I guess your cities are smaller. Uh...population wise, haha.”

  “Yeah, usually. Go on.”

  “Anyway, yeah. Where I’m from, you’re born, you go to school, you go to college or university, then you come back home, find a spouse, and start a family across the street from where you grew up. Uh, mostly. I’m a bit of an outlier, but that’s the common thing to do.”

  “What makes you an outlier?”

  “Well, a couple things. For one, I’m a crazy Moccan that wanted to visit Latia!”

  “Haha, of course. What else?”

  “Well, I never really wanted a family. For starters, I’m gay and—what? What is that?”

  “Just saying maybe you shouldn’t—here, we’ll cut this part out. Just, uh, maybe don’t go into too much detail.”

  “I mean, if you don’t want me to. But I don’t mind.”

  “No, it’s just...uh...I’ll explain later. Start again, but be a little more vague about not wanting to start a family. Okay, go.”

  “Uhh...okay...Well, I never really wanted a family, so that was out. And for reasons, I don’t live very close to my parents. I’ve got one roommate and my job and my car and my friends, both Latian and Moccan, and that’s enough for me!”

  “I see! Thanks for the response. Okay, Knight, your turn again. This is kind of a double question, sorry.”

  “Are you?”

  “Of course not! But what are your experiences with Latians so far, on and offline? How are you treated? And then, how would you like to be treated?”

  “Well, that’s big...thanks for giving me all the tough questions!”

  “We can always—”

  “No, it’s, it’s fine. Um. Well, this is my first trip to Latia, and I’ve only met a few Latians...there was a guy at the starport who was really nice, he kind of joked around and helped me feel a little less nervous...also met a friend of a friend, who’s kinda...wait, is he going to see this?”

  “Maybe?”

  “...Who is a very nice person and I am sorry I was mean.”

  “C’mon, man, it’s P—it’s him, he’s not gonna get offended.”

  “He’s just a little high energy, when I like to be more relaxed. That’s all.”

  “But factoring in the size difference makes it a little tougher?”

  “...I guess. Um. Ran into someone else in an elevator, and they kind of...invaded my personal space. And stared. I guess I want people to not do that. I’m a person, not something to stare at.”

  “Noted. Anything else?”

  “Well, there’s online stuff, but I kind of lurk a lot, so there’s not much to say. And you never really know who someone is online until you meet them, huh?”

  “Hahaha! Maybe I’ll explain why that’s funny to the viewers in a later video.”

  “Maybe. Um, other than that, there’s only one other Latian I’ve met.”

  “There is?...Oh.”

  “And she is a very nice person and a gracious host.”

  “Aww! Thank you.”

  “And she snores. Don’t forget that part.”

  “Oh, hush, Pint. Nobody asked you. And viewers, I most definitely do not! All right, I think we’re nearing the end of this video. Not that we had a script...anyway! Freeform! Any last parting thoughts, especially as concern Latians and Moccans interacting?”

  “I’d say, don’t be afraid, and don’t hold back! Anyone, no matter the size, is just another potential friend to make!”

  “Aww! How sweet!”

  “I guess all I have to say is, while he’s right, give people the time and space they need. They might want to be friends too, and just have to take things a bit slower. That goes for anyone, not just Moccans.”

  “And that was wise. As for me...be everything you can for your friends! Be kind, be smart, be wise, be whatever they need! There’s nothing more important in life than friends and family. Okay, goodbye, dear viewers!”

  “Later!”

  “Bye.”

  Ralia sighed and leaned back in her chair as the recording ended. “I don’t know. What do you guys think?”

  Shrugging, Niko stretched. “It was pretty good. Stilted at the beginning while we were still kinda finding our voices and styles, and then a little awkward when you had me revise, but overall decent. A nice little intro. You’re gonna need to write at least a basic script for all the hundreds of other videos you post, though!”

  “Ugh. I still have to edit this one, and between you guys and then work after you leave, it’s going to take forever.”

  Niko looked up at her. “So what was that about?

  “Oh...” Ralia grimaced. “You really don’t know?”

  “I don’t have a clue.”

  “It’s...okay, I hope this doesn’t come out wrong. Niko, you know I love and support you and I’d never be bothered by your life choices or who you are...”

  “I really don’t like where this is going.”

  “Well...”

Kelsen looked up from his phone. “Wait, what? Is this about him being gay?!”

  “Yes...I mean...not from me! I don’t care at all. I mean, it doesn’t bother me at all.”

  “...Then what are you saying?”

  “That’s just how it is on Latia,” she said lamely.

  “What is how what is? You’re doing a terrible job of explaining.”

  Ralia sighed. “Okay, it’s like this. The technology gap is wide but closing pretty quick, right?”

  “...Right?”

  “But we’re still working on the culture gap. And that’s going to close a lot slower. As it is...a lot of people still think being gay is wrong or whatever here on Latia.”

  A bemused look crossed Niko’s face. “Wait, seriously? What is this, the Dark Ages?”

  “Not everyone! Not most people, even. But from what I can tell...a lot more than on Moccs.”

  “Son of a bitch,” Niko breathed. “I always just assumed it was because it was the internet and everyone is a dick on the internet. But that’s why I saw...certain words being tossed around so often.”

  “...Yeah.”

  “Wait. Please tell me I’m wrong: you don’t want people to hate your videos, so you have me avoid mentioning I’m gay?”

  “No, that’s not it at all! I don’t want people harassing you for it online.”

  “Rails, that ship has sailed. It is gone. The...five-ish people on Moccs who still care send me and people like me hate mail all the time. Or, you know, two of them meet up on a street corner to hold up signs to remind us how much their god hates us.”

  “That’s terrible!”

  He shrugged. “I’m used to it...actually, that sounds really defeatist. I’m not bothered by it, I should say. It doesn’t get to me. It’s just the shitty opinion of a few eighty year old fuckwads. Who cares?”

  “Well...here on Latia, it’s different. Maybe you shouldn’t be as open about it.”

  Niko gave Ralia a flat stare. “I’d much rather get stomped on by a bigoted Latian for being gay than hide in the closet like people had to decades ago.” Relenting, he shrugged again. “But you’re right about one thing; your vid is probably not the best place for me to talk about it. For now, at least.” He thought for a moment. “I guess this is as good a time to mention it as any: I like Pakos.”

  Kelsen’s eyes widened. “You mean?...”

  “Yes.”

  “Does he?”

  “I...I don’t know yet. I hope so. Would he come all the way to Teromod to see me if he didn’t? I guess we’ll find out. Maybe today.” Niko looked down at his phone. “Speaking of, we should probably leave soon if we want to make it to lunch.”