Spaceman Long carefully cuddles with her water bottle in bed, sleeping in. It’s her day off, or ‘holiday routine’; an Earth Navy tradition the Captains have shown no desire to stop. For almost 24 hours, she’s free to do whatever she wants with her time. And, sleeping in is the biggest bonus.
However, it serves another purpose. It’s been tricky hiding the contents of her water bottle, as well as the fact she’s been religiously carrying it close to her body. She and Angelica are still sharing a bed, and Little Bird can be incessantly curious if she spots something.
Fortunately, Chief Grey hasn’t even hinted at its existence since he confronted the teen, though, his very sight makes her feel guilty. She WILL tell Angelica, but she’s trying to figure out how. As Captain, her older sister is often quite busy. More than that, though, Jessica is afraid Angelica will order her to turn the egg over to the scientists.
But, she can’t do it. The tiny little creature inside is showing signs of development. She’s growing into the little princess she’s destined to be. And, it’s thanks to Long’s hard work. She’s successfully doing as well as the incubators. Her embryo still looks like a jelly bean, mostly, like the others, but it’s come a ways since being an amorphous jelly filling.
Once the suite is clear of everyone else, Jessica starts her day. She eats the toast Grey left out for her, carrying her precious cargo at her lower chest all the while. She hums warmly, trying to match the tune of the Queen’s song, even though her pitch is totally different.
Later, Jessica watches the basic broadcasting channel on the suite television. Someone managed to bring a harddrive onto the ship loaded with pirated movies. The irony is, the few hundred movies that person brought may be the only surviving movies in existence. So, the ships each have a small server running a scheduled loop of some movies, which will rotate weekly.
The teen finds it humorous that the one positive of everything is that she can finally watch movies for free without any advertising. The hardest part, though, is the lack of snacks. Or rather, the severe rationing on ‘non-essential foods’. But, the gardens are catching up a little. Already, with just the addition of the Gaia, the meal rations have increased by almost a fifth. And, construction of another starliner is already well under way.
Long laughs while watching the currently-playing romantic comedy. She cradles her bottle as she giggles, still focused enough to keep it warm. She won’t let her princess or the Queen down.
As the movie changes to a kid’s movie, Long mostly ignores it, saying to the bottle, “You know, I should probably think of a name, huh? Is it too early? Nah! Look at you! You’re doing great! Little cutie!”
The little jelly bean is rather uneventful. And, it’s not much to look at. But, it makes Jessica smile anyways. Someday, she’ll be an adorable little alien with an intelligent mind, boundless curiosity, and a lovely singing tone.
The door whooshes open, and Jessica instinctively covers herself –and the bottle- to hide. She squeaks, “Sorry! I’ll make myself decent!”
No one replies at first. Instead, something flops onto the bed next to her. She peeks out from the cover. It’s Chief Grey.
What he tossed onto the bed looks like an under-arm holster for a gun, but instead, more simply a rigid-framed pouch of some kind. It has bands to sling across the chest and hold its cargo at the ribs under the wearer’s arm. When she looks back at him, Grey growls, “You waiting for it to hatch before you tell you-know-who?”
Long pouts, looking down, “I thought about it, Chief…”
“You tell her today, and you can have that.”
“What is it?” she asks.
“Far sight better than a water bottle. Easier to protect and conceal, and it won’t hinder your movements so much.”
Long inspects the small pouch. Sure enough, it’s a liquid-tight container with plenty of room for even a second egg, if she had one. It’s already filled with clear liquid, though it seems slightly thicker than water.
Grey answers her thought, “It’s a syrup additive for water, basically. The thicker consistency should absorb shock on the… cargo. It’s made from a sugar in the Queen’s fruit, so it should be plenty safe.”
“Y-You made this? For me?”
Grey scoffs, retorting, “No. Technically, Lopez did. She has an assembly line dedicated to anything she asks for, and I told her it was for sample collection. She ordered a handful. That’s the first.”
“I… I don’t know what to say… Chief, I…”
“Start with saying, ‘Captain, I have to tell you something’.”
Long looks down. She’s terrified of talking to Angelica about this. It’s one more thing she didn’t technically have permission to do.
But, Grey adds, “I’ll go with you. I knew about it and said nothin’ either.”
Surprised, the teen locks eyes with him. He growls, “Just remember, one day, you won’t have anyone to help you. You need to be ready.”
Long nods, “Y-Yes, Chief. Th-Thank you!”
He nods, adding, “Get dressed. You can swap the candy ball over on the way.”
Long nods. She quickly and carefully scrambles into her uniform as Grey waits in the common area. She washes her hands, and they start walking. Jessica carefully maneuvers her water bottle so she can fish the egg carefully out and quickly put it into the pouch Grey just gave her. She notices during the swap that the tiny being inside squirms a little. She prays she didn’t harm the little one. Once safely in its new home for the forseeable future, Long hugs the pouch to her torso to keep it warm.
Grey asks curiously, “What exactly made you want to take responsibility for that, anyways? I don’t know if you noticed, but the Queen doesn’t seem as concerned with the fate of her eggs, as long as one hatches.”
Long replies softly, “I… I’m not sure, Chief… Angelica once told me that our mother had… um… an abortion, about three years before I was born. It wasn’t convenient at the time, and, she still somehow turned it into an act of heroism. She had me for a similar act of heroism.” The teen smiles, continuing, “Angie found God in the Navy, because the day our mother told her that the little brother she was expecting was an inconvenience, she was devastated.” Long looks into Grey’s eyes, finishing, “When… I saw the Queen, she was crying. She may be able to let go quickly, but she TRULY wanted her baby to have a chance.” She hugs the pouch with misty eyes, saying confidently, “I can do that. I can give her a chance.”
Grey is quiet for a few steps. He finally replies, “I think that’s the most words you’ve ever said to me.” He chuckles, adding, “I don’t know if you’re cut out to be a Marine, Long, but…” He adds sincerely, “You damn well better keep trying. We aren’t killers by desire. We have to want to protect something.”
Long asks gently, “Is… that why you spared the Queen? You wanted to protect her? A-And the Grodurns? Why you feed them part of your meals?”
“I ain’t a racist, alien or otherwise.” He turns more grim, adding, “I’ve killed my fair share of desperate fighters trying to defend only themselves or their family. Not a great feeling. We had already beaten the Grodurns. While I’d be okay with killing them, and I even pushed for it initially, I believe all living beings deserve a chance. With the Queen, we invaded HER home. And, she still didn’t try very hard to kill us. She could’a whipped us with those tentacles of hers and we’d be pink goo. Her weapon requires a stupefying amount of strength to use. Like, high-end hydraulics level.”
Long smiles, “I admire how quickly you assess things like that, Chief.”
“Like I said. Killing those who don’t deserve it sucks. And, if you don’t figure out during, you can’t undo it after.”
Long nods, “Understood, Chief.”
The pair find Captain Long speaking with Commander Hitch. The Commander notices them, saying, “Uh oh! Family meeting? I better bounce.”
Grey jokes, “I dunno, sir. I might need a witness after the Captain murders me.”
Captain Long scoffs, and Hitch chuckles. He says warmly to Long, “I’ll get you an answer as soon as I can, Cap. Have a nice day.” He salutes, and she reciprocates, replying, “Thank you, Commander.”
Grey and Long salute as well, and Grey jokes, “Asking him for his secret cookie recipe, Captain?”
She smirks, replying calmly, “Quarantine S.O.P. write-ups, actually, Chief.”
“Ah! Gotcha. Got a minute, then?”
She nods. There’s a pause, and Grey gently nudges Jessica. Startled, the teen sheepishly says, “C-Captain! W-We-… um… I have so-something I need to tell you.”
Angelica’s face turns serious and worried. Jessica wonders what horrifying thoughts immediately sprung into the Captain’s brain.
Jessica tries to speed it along, but she’s terrifyingly nervous. She squeaks, “U-Um… o-on the s-surface, um… w-with the C-Cave Queen, I… um…”
Angelica’s face softens a little, and she asks, “You took your helmet off?”
Jessica looks down, squeaking, “W-Well, yes, but, um, there was… a reason…”
“What reason?” asks Angelica fairly neutrally. She glances at Grey, but the Chief says nothing. Jessica squeaks, “Um…”
Unable to form the words, she simply presents the egg in her new pouch.
Angelica stares at it for a long moment. She then asks sharply, “You stole an egg!? Jessica! What were you thinking!? Do you know…!?” As Jessica starts to shrink beneath Angelica’s scolding questions, Chief Grey finally responds. He doesn’t say anything, but he successfully interrupts the auburn-haired Captain by distinctly and intentionally clearing his throat.
Angelica halts, shooting him a quick glare. But, she softens, looking at Jessica more gently for a moment. Seeing Jessica losing what courage it took to get this far, the older sister looks away, exhaling in a controlled stream. Angelica then says more calmly, “Tell me what I’m seeing, Jessie. Please.”
Jessica looks at her pouch as she hugs it to her chest. It takes a moment for her to even glance at Angelica. The Captain says even more gently, “I’ll hear what you have to say. Take your time.”
The teen glances up at Grey, and he nods with a gentle smile.
Jessica takes a deep breath and exhales. She says softly, “The Queen had too many eggs when we met her. Her body was forcing her to lay them, with or without a host. A-And… when I found her, she was holding this one o-over the water, a-and… sh-she was crying.” Jessica sniffles, whimpering, “I-I just w-wanted to h-help… and, holding her, and carrying her… it just… it makes me so h-happy…”
Angelica is quiet for a long moment. She finally asks Grey sternly, “How long have you known?”
Grey replies calmly, “Almost the whole time.”
The Captain sucks her teeth in slight irritation. But, she turns to Jessica, saying, “You did the right thing protecting another life-to-be, Jess. But, you may have endangered it by not turning it over to the science team. They have controlled environments and a full staff to take care of the embryos.”
Jessica looks down silently. The tiny little jelly bean squirms a little, but it’s so very peaceful. It’s not just a jelly bean. It’s HER jelly bean. She protests, “We don’t even know if the equipment will work! Not for certain. What’s one more different way to try?”
“Jess…”
“No! The Queen entrusted this princess to me alone, and I WILL protect her. Please, I… I have to…”
Angelica sighs deeply, thinking quietly for a moment.
Grey offers, “Egg was already exposed to air. No telling if there’s contaminants on it that could harm the others now. And, truth told, might not even matter. Queen wasn’t particularly worried about what form her hosts take, as long as they’re warm-blooded.”
Angelica growls, “Chief, you are on very thin ice for keeping this from me this long. This isn’t easy to process.” The Captain sighs, explaining, “Jess, this… It’s as if you’re getting knocked up in high school. Of course I’m happy you’re choosing to accept responsibility, but… You’re too young to care for a little one. Not when proper facilities are readily available.”
“But, I ALREADY care for her,” protests the teen. “I was there for a reason. She’s my little princess. PLEASE don’t make me give her up.”
The Captain turns away for a moment, massaging her temples. It’s an understandably difficult position to be in. Grey again gently offers widom, “Queen indicated her… hatchlings? Newborns? Whichever, are highly precocial at birth. Shouldn’t be as much of a problem as a human baby.”
Angelica looks at him sternly again. She retorts, “And, if one instinctively darts off and finds its way into the water system? It’d be dead and rotting before we find it.”
“SHE isn’t going to,” counters Jessica. “When she hatches, I’ll keep her safe until she stops trying to run.”
Angelica sighs again. She pinches the bridge of her nose, asking, “Any other secrets you two?”
Grey replies, “No Cap.” Jessica adds, “No Captain. I’m… sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”
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The Captain warns sternly, “Jessica, this is the final straw. Pull anything else like this, and I’m discharging you and putting a security detail on you. Am I clear?”
Jessica nods solemnly. Angelica then says to Grey, “And YOU. I doubt firing you would do any good, so don’t make me demote you.”
Grey replies, “My apologies, Captain. Won’t happen again.”
“See that it doesn’t.” She then sighs, asking Jessica more calmly, “So why ‘her’. How do you know it’s a girl?”
Jessica replies more brightly, “The Queen says purple eggs are girls, and the yellow ones are boys. See? Purple.”
Angelica looks closer. She replies, “Interesting… Any thoughts on names yet?”
The teen smiles, “Still thinking on it. I’m more focused on making sure she’ll be needing one.”
The Captain nods with a chuckle. “You aren’t worried that carrying her around might harm her? Not to mention hindering you.”
“Chief Grey put a thicker gel in, so it should protect her better. And, she needs warmth. I have to carry her.”
Grey adds warmly, “I also am fairly certain she’s not going to gain fifty pounds of belly with this little one.”
Both women giggle, and Angelica replies, “Very well. Don’t take this lightly, you two. That is a very big responsibility.”
“I know,” replies Jessica. “I’ll make you proud.”
Angelica smirks, replying as she gently cups Jessica’s cheek, “Too late. I already am.”
***
Mina watches the Cave Queen sleep. The irony of her accepting the watch she did is that it somehow has lined up with the Queen’s sleep every time, so she hasn’t had a chance to talk to the alien yet. The rotation has enough volunteers for two full days, which covers the span of the world being harvested. And, although several of the other watchstanders claim the Queen is adjusting her sleep schedule, as well as working on teaching herself English, Mina has yet to see it.
It does, of course, cross the young woman’s mind that the Queen might be doing it on purpose. Given their meeting, the Queen might be afraid of how she needs to act around Mina. She might be afraid the reaction Mina might have, and its consequences.
As if Mina could do anything truly spiteful. She’s not heartless. She’d never be able to do anything as despicable as harming the eggs or the Queen. At most, she’d be snotty or passive aggressive. But, having watched the Queen sleep so peacefully for several days now, Mina doesn’t even really care about that anymore. If anything, she’s just bored. At least hull watch, she had a view. The Queen turns off her star view when she’s sleeping. So, Mina is watching a giant squid alien sleep partially submerged in the pool in a room full of inanimate objects. At most, Heloise might pass through to check on the Queen’s food, replenish water, and bring clean bedding, but she usually doesn’t.
If Mina had known this watch would be MORE boring than hull watch, she might not have volunteered.
In an attempt to entertain herself, she starts humming. At first, she’s just making soft noise, but soon she finds herself humming a melody. The melody is gentle, like the woman who taught it to her and Rena. Heloise can be fearless, stoic, and stern when need be, but with the twins, she was always gentle and nurturing.
The melody Mina hums was a lullaby, and while Heloise claims it has a long family history, Mina’s never seen evidence for or against that. In any case, though, it has two generations, now.
Mina hums for a long while, looping the melody continuously as she relaxes.
She doesn’t notice it right away, but a noise joins her soft humming. No, it’s not just a noise. It is a melody. Another voice is gently and tenderly humming in tune.
Mina pauses, and the soft hum continues a few moments longer. It’s from a source that’s rather high-pitched, but far from shrill. It’s gentle and liquid, landing somewhere between a song-bird whistling and a child singing tones.
The Queen’s singing is very nearly hypnotic, and puts Mina at instant ease. Just as the Queen’s singing starts to soften in discouragement, Mina starts humming again in tune with her.
The Queen stirs slowly, renewing the warmth she sings with as she gently sits up.
Mina hums as the Queen sings, both in tune with each other. Given all of the insanity since the fleet fled Earth, this is by far the most Mina has been at peace. She easily loses any remaining spitefulness she might’ve had for the Queen, at least for now. Together, the two relax to a melody of their own creation.
When they finally subside, the Queen’s bird-like voice softly mewls, “Beanteefill.”
Mina smiles, “Beautiful… I agree.”
The Queen smiles, partially revealing her unique singular teeth for her top and bottom jaw. In the wrong light, she’d look like a vampire grinning wickedly, but in the dark room, her pointy smile is actually rather soft, ironically.
The Queen chirps something in her own language, gesturing with her arms towards Mina. But, she seems hesitant to make a move. Mina’s best guess is that the Queen wants to talk, but is afraid to approach Mina.
Mina sighs. She chose this, and the Queen certainly doesn’t seem bad at all. The young woman stands up and approaches the Queen. She takes her helmet off and sets it on the pool’s edge. She smiles at the Queen, saying, “Go ahead.”
The alien gently reaches for Mina’s head, gingerly wrapping her ‘hand’ around. Mina says first, “I want you to know, I… I don’t hold what you did against you. I just… C-Can… Can you tell me… why you didn’t ASK?”
The Queen’s expression disheartens, and Mina’s own voice replies, “I am sorry… It… had been so long since my last clutch,… The swelling… addled my mind. Some of the humans think I’m rather heartless because I don’t worry about the eggs I’ve laid. It’s not that I feel nothing, but… as long as they get a CHANCE, my duty is complete. In my addled state, I was desperate that they get a chance…” The Queen uses another tentacle to gently touch Mina’s cheek. She adds, “I know what your mercy, specifically, has granted me. I will NEVER forget, Mina. I am forever in your debt.”
Mina blushes. Chief Grey and Long mentioned the Queen felt this way, but Mina didn’t expect it to be so sincere. She replies sheepishly, “I-It’s fine. I just… I’m glad you’re not a threat… Part of me wanted to dislike you. But,… I see why everyone else warmed up to you.”
The Queen straightens up curiously. Mina adds, “You’re very kind and gentle.”
The alien shrinks a little sheepishly with a quaint smile. She replies through Mina, “Th-Thank you… I-It means so much to me that you feel that way…” She gingerly fidgets with the hair-shaped shroud hanging from the back of her head. She adds softly, “I feared… when you started c-companion for me, that you… you wanted to hurt me…”
“I’m ashamed to admit, it crossed my mind. BUT, I’ve thought a LOT about you and how you’ve acted with everyone else. And,…” Mina sighs, “Some part of me was curious.”
Surprised, the Queen replies, “Curious?”
Mina scoffs and nods. “Mmhmm.”
There’s a quiet pause. It’s a little weird for Mina to focus so intently on her own voice when the Queen is ‘talking’. But, it’s easy enough.
The Marine finally breaks the silence, “I… uh, noticed you’ve already got a few more eggs.”
The Queen looks down at her abdomen and smiles. She replies softly, “Yes. To my knowledge, my kind is fertile the rest of our lives, and our fertility increases with age. When I was young, I produced one single egg in what the surface dwellers called a… full orbit. Then, one per season, then one per work cycle. Right now, I produce a new egg every other, um, day, it seems. Um… my days, not yours.”
“Yet,” adds Mina. They both giggle. Mina then asks, “So… you laid over a hundred eggs recently, right? Has… anyone thought about… longer term?”
The Queen nods. “I’ve only ever known a small percentage of eggs to hatch in a given clutch. And, many hatchlings die quickly. But, the ‘scientists’? They believe they might be able to hatch almost all of the eggs. I… don’t know what that will mean, but… they wish to reduce my fertility if possible. After all, the swelling I last had stretched my body, meaning… I will likely have room for many more…”
“Are you okay with that? Reducing fertility, that is.”
The Queen nods. “If it must be done, it must be done. I don’t fully understand everything humans are capable of, but I wish to live and journey as a part of this new life.”
“I see. I’m sorry if I’m getting too personal with my questions.”
“Not at all. I have no secrets. Though, there is much I can’t answer for lack of knowing.”
“I understand.” Mina fidgets with her fingers, wanting to ask another question. However, this question is her morbid curiosity. She shouldn’t ask. It’ll only open a door she may be better off leaving closed.
But then, Mina is a Marine. Adventure is part of her job now, and that means learning new things.
The Marine blurts out her question, “What’s it like?”
Confused, the Queen asks through Mina with her alien head cocked curiously, “What do you ask about?”
Mina breathes deep, a blush dying her cheeks pink. “Um… the host… Wh-What do they experience?”
The Queen smiles, replying, “I don’t know first hand, of course. But, it depends on the host, I’m sure. Many enjoyed the whole process, and a few couldn’t stand more than one egg. Some returned, others did not. I always hope it’s pleasurable, because it is for me.”
Mina swallows hard. She breathes deep, clearing her mind. She’s ONLY curious. JUST curious. She asks cautiously, “So… When you had me,… did you intend to try to… ‘give me all of them?’”
The Queen looks away, and her grip on Mina’s head shifts slightly. Mina’s voice says quietly, “I honestly don’t know… Just one or two wouldn’t have been enough, but… I realize how much smaller your body is than any one of the incubators. I wish… I wish I was clear of mind then. I regret losing control. I’m sorry.”
Mina smiles softly, saying it officially, “I forgive you. Thank you for your honesty.”
The Queen whimpers adoringly, and her own voice chirps out, “Yaenk you…”
Mina smiles and replies, “You’re welcome.”
The Queen then says through Mina, “With the surface dwellers, at least, I know my body instinctually knows some limit. The eggs are also extremely flexible, allowing them to survive the host’s movements and body size.”
“What were the surface dwellers of your world like? Were they bigger than us? Smaller?”
The Queen thinks for a moment. She replies, “Bigger, for certain. Not quite as big as the non-human I’ve seen in the lab, but closer to its size than yours. More massive, though. If one fell, they tended to almost roll, rather than fall. But, their flesh was tough, and not very flexible. Humans are very soft and flexible by comparison.” The Queen smiles sheepishly, admitting, “Part of me wishes… But, no matter. Their bodies were warmer than mine, but cooler than yours.”
“You aren’t worried our bodies would be too hot for your young?”
The Queen shakes her head, “No. They liked to warm themselves, so our eggs survive much hotter. But, given a choice, your bodies are actually most pleasant. I am optimistic with the consistent warmth.”
“I see… As for the fleet, what role do you see you and your daughters playing?”
“I cannot plot the course of my daughters’ lives. But, I will fill any role I am suited for learning. My kind was the strongest on our world, but we aren’t the most proficient warriors. However, Captain… Long, sister of Jessica Long, asked if I would be willing to aid in ship construction. It sounds quite intriguing.”
Mina giggles, “All your arms? Sounds perfect.”
“I am not wise like the scientists, nor brave like you soldiers. But, I am grateful for this opportunity, and I will earn my keep.”
“Glad to hear it.”
There’s a moment’s quiet, and the Queen asks through Mina, “Would it be okay if I eat now?”
Mina giggles, “Of course! I’m sorry for holding you up. Do… you normally eat here?”
The Queen nods. “Items from my garden, usually.” She climbs out of the pool, rising to her massive height. Mina knows that all of the Queen’s tentacles can coil just like an octopus’s, but it’s something else to see her stand. The science team believes that her ‘arms’ and ‘legs’ contain a sort of cartilage-based muscle fiber that can be made rigid at will, allowing her to suspend her body off of the sharp gravel of her world.
The Queen and Mina walk to her small garden, and the Queen peruses for fresh fruit or vegetables native to her world. She remarks through Mina, “I was truly impressed when your people were able to move so many plants close to bearing without the plants dying.”
Mina replies, “We had space travel in mind before we were forced off of our world. And, even on our world, transplanting crops was often necessary.”
The Queen hums in approval, selecting something that looks like a cross between a potato and a raspberry, with the bunch of orbs like a raspberry, but with a leathery brown skin like a potato. The second item she takes is a single from a bunch of a fruit or vegetable that the individual ‘bananas’ actually look more like squash or zucchini than bananas. She carries both back to the pool and rinses them off.
Each has a smell from the moment they’re picked, much like many Earth plants. A tiny amount of plant juice dribbled out of the severed stems. The squash made a sweet smell, almost like buttered bread, while the ‘raspotato’, on the other hand, reminds Mina of breakfast, but not for hashbrowns. In spite of its looks, the raspotato smells like frying bacon. Mina would never be ashamed to admit her mouth started watering the moment the Queen plucked it.
Once clean, the Queen eats the individual orbs one at a time, plucking them and biting sections with her sharp teeth. She notices Mina staring at the delicious-smelling vegetable. The Queen breaks one off and offers it to Mina.
The young Marine accepts the fairly large, potato-like vegetable piece. Just feeling it, though, Mina instantly understands why the Queen’s two teeth are so sharp and rigid. The skin feels closer to stone than leather, though it does have some flex.
It also dawns on Mina that she’s not supposed to eat anything from other worlds. It’s a true shame, too, because her palette is dying to try this delicious bacon-y smelling potato, even if she might not be able to bite through it.
Still, Mina says with disappointment, “I’m truly sorry, my Queen. I can’t. We don’t know if they’re poisonous to us or not.” She offers it back, adding, “BUT, the second it’s deemed allowed, I’m coming back. That smells amazing.”
The Queen stares at her a moment, surprised by something. But, she smiles and replies through Mina, “I understand. The same is true of your food for me.” The Queen takes it back and munches on it without issue. She asks through Mina, even as she eats, “What did you mean, ‘my Queen’?”
Mina halts all thoughts. She replays her words. Did she really say ‘my Queen’? It was automatic. Mina’s never known a real queen, and the Cave Queen is only called that because she was a ruler of a kingdom of one. It’s kinda mocking in a sense, but because it has no meaning to her, it doesn’t bother her.
Mina blushes, fumbling for an answer. She finally replies, “I-It’s a figure of speech… a way to address a Queen.”
“‘My’ denotes possession, does it not? And ‘Queen’ is a ruler?”
Mina jumps up, saying nervously, “It’s nothing! I just said it! It’s just respectful! That’s all!”
The Queen giggles, continuing to eat. She finally replies softly through Mina, “I am no ruler. My people don’t socialize enough to have one, though we agreed with the wisdom of the few who negotiated with the surface dwellers. I respond to ‘Cave Queen’ because it is how your people identify me; ruler of a cave, which is true, I suppose. Or, WAS. As a passenger, I don’t know that I’m even that, anymore. Certainly not a true ruler.”
Mina notices that the Queen is at peace with that thought. She doesn’t seem to care profoundly about much of anything, save the adventure of surviving with the humans. She’s not completely uncaring, but she’s quite laid back. While no one’s tried pushing her buttons, yet, she doesn’t seem to have much that could frustrate her.
Mina smiles, joking in reply, “Perhaps ‘Pool Queen’? You are the only one on any of our ships with a functioning pool.”
The Queen giggles, replying, “Perhaps.”
There’s a quiet pause as the Queen bites off pieces of the ‘squash’. Her teeth are obviously razor sharp and very strong, crunching as they slice into the vegetable. She doesn’t chew with molars, by appearances. Instead, she seems to simply dice the portion in her mouth using her teeth. She doesn’t have an articulated tongue like a human, which is why she can’t pronounce ‘t’s’ –or so it seems-. But, it also probably keeps her from accidentally biting her own tongue off. Assuming that isn’t why her tongue is so simplistic now…
Mina asks gently, “Did… you ever get lonely in your cave?”
The Queen halts mid-bite. She looks down, resuming eating as Mina’s voice answers, “Yes…”
There’s a quiet pause, and the Queen continues, “It was rare that my kind could be together. It was necessary for us to limit ourselves. But, when surface dwellers came, they could bring new food, new stories, and new things. I learned of the outside world mainly through the eyes of surface dwellers. And… it was always pleasurable to share their warmth…”
Mina smiles, replying softly, “I understand.” She then asks, “So, you’re comfortable with us? With how many of us there are?”
The Queen smiles and nods. “A crude, primal part of my brain sees an abundance of hosts,…” Mina cringes slightly at the revelation, but the Queen adds, “BUT, more importantly, your people have been mostly kind.”
“Mostly?” asks Mina surprised.
“Yes. Some of the humans I’ve passed glare at me. I… also overheard conversation of humans protesting my presence…”
Mina is stunned. She hadn’t heard yet. Tensions are still high in the fleet, but no one’s expressed it physically yet. Usually, people complain about food, space, or comfort…
The young Marine realizes at least one of the causes of potential animosity for the Queen; space. The Queen gets a lot of it. So do the Grodurns, for that matter. Space for storage, recreation, or even hydroponic gardens could go in the spaces dedicated to aliens. One such alien race being the reason times are tough as they are.
Most civilians in the fleet aren’t fully appraised of everything. But, the Captains have agreed to share as much as possible, so it IS common knowledge that the Queen was brought onboard, but not as a prisoner. With the Gaia alleviating some pressure, the addition of the Queen seems to undo that alleviation.
Mina says softly, “For what it’s worth… I’m not displeased with your presence anymore.”
The Queen smiles, saying herself, “Yaenk you.”
***