“Let’s see here, spare poncho, another field lamp…yes! Unflavored ration bars!” Alice exclaimed as Cromwell threw a dirty look at her back. The girl was dripping water all over the floor of the shuttle as Yvonne quickly extracted her own rain gear from her duffel and threw it over her head. The voluminous, green covering did not win any fashion points, but it would cover her and, more importantly, her bags full of equipment.
“I will not tell my husband about your unrefined palate, chérie. Gerard says hello, by the way.”
“Oh come on. Every time they try to make them taste like a meal it tastes like yuck! The basic ones are better. We’ll have dinner sometime soon, I promise! Tell him I say hi, too!” Alice replied happily, replacing the lid on the small plastic crate that held what she’d requested from the Event Horizon. “Hey Pilot, I can take the box, right? It’s a bit wet out there.”
“You don’t say?” Cromwell snarked back, looking pointedly at the small puddles of water at her feet. Yvonne could only shake her head as Alice giggled apologetically.
“Ah…I’ll request a mop next time?”
“Alice, just put on your raincoat and let’s be off,” Yvonne insisted with a conciliatory look at Cromwell. The pilot nodded her way.
“For now I’m operating on the assumption that I’ll be picking you up later today. These two both have comm links,” Cromwell gestured to Alice and Lachlan. “You should have no problem using them as a relay. Just let me know if I should stay up there tonight.”
“I will do that, Pilot. Thank you again for the safe ride.”
“My pleasure, ma’am. Hey Lachlan!” Cromwell called, poking her head out from under the hatch.
“What can I do for ya, Pilot?” The Marine requested as Alice and Yvonne began their short walk to the gate. Yvonne smiled and waved at Ursol, who was happy to mimic her despite the relatively meaningless gesture.
“More hooman?” Ursol wondered.
“Yes laddie, just one more. Now it’s rude to interrupt a lady when she’s talkin’ to ye!” MacGregor advised the cub kindly. “What were ye sayin’, Pilot?”
Cromwell removed her helmet, shaking her hair out around her shoulders and giving him a once over with keen eyes. “You look good with kids, Lachlan…very good. Take care of these ladies now. I’m off!” The Pilot slapped the hatch button with her gloved fist, removing herself from view before a flabbergasted MacGregor or a curious Ursol could respond. Sentaura, unable to understand the proceedings, looked on curiously.
“As a civilian and veteran of l'aventure amoureuse, I believe you will find her cabin door open should you choose to knock,” Yvonne advised MacGregor in a murmur that could barely be heard over the rain. “Now come, I should introduce myself and we should all get inside. This downpour shows no signs of letting up.”
And so Yvonne walked calmly up to the gates, where Felen’s waters had driven away all but a handful of Cauthan. It was more than apparent which one was Gentia. The Frenchwoman checked the small earpiece linked to her personal device, ensuring it was functional. “Thank you for greeting me.”
“I will not be able to understand you in this rain and we have already done this song and dance before. Alice, she is the one?” Gentia demanded of the young woman who nodded in reply. “Good. Selah to you, human. You will come with me and we will speak. Alice, why don’t you go find somewhere to dry yourself. Same with you, Lachlan.”
“I will be fine,” Yvonne assured them, patting her hip. “Fret not, Alice. You know I will document everything.”
“I know!” Alice replied with excited frustration. “Ah ok, I’ll go bother Xan I guess, get him back for throwing shade at the Event Horizon. Mac, you coming?”
“Maybe. Might take this guy to see yer brother. They're still at it?” He wondered.
“No idea, but I’ve gotta put this stuff away. See you then!” Alice bade them farewell, resignedly putting one foot in front of the other as Lachlan and Sentaura headed for home and Yvonne took up the torch that Alice had lit the day before.
“You are not what I expected, but that is good,” Gentia told Yvonne as she led her into the village and down the main avenue. “But for now let us walk. I am sure you will want to look instead of talk if you are anything like young Alice.”
Gentia was not wrong, of course, though Yvonne proved content to simply absorb her surroundings as they walked in silence. There were few in the streets to stare after them as they passed what looked to the Frenchwoman to be a grand hunter’s lodge next to another large building from which the sounds of hammering wood and tinkling metal could be heard. By the time they reached the central area of the village Yvonne’s boots were a mess, but then again so were Gentia’s feet. That small consideration was at the fore of the human’s mind by the time they arrived at the Temple of Meylith, and she waited at the entrance to see what the elderly Cauthan would do upon entry. When she waltzed on in with little concern for the mud, Yvonne followed. Her lower legs and feet were soaked, but all else remained dry as she removed her poncho.
“You may leave that there, if you wish,” Gentia advised, gesturing to a wooden bench just inside the entrance. The thunder of raindrops was reduced to a loud but rather pleasant drumming on the roof above, finally allowing Yvonne to extract her tablet, initiate Io’s translation program, and begin something of a two way conversation.
“Of course. You are Gentia, I presume? I am Doctor Yvonne Dupuis, and it is a pleasure to meet you.” She extended her hand and smiled as Gentia swapped her cane to her other hand and took it.
“How inconvenient for your people to not have feathers for such things. Ah well, it cannot be helped. Let’s get this mud off, hmm?” She suggested, gesturing to a small wooden box lined with leather just inside the door. Gentia demonstrated, lowering herself gently onto the bench just above it and dipping her feet in the slightly muddy water. The dirt and soil soon sank to the bottom and she indicated Yvonne should proceed next.
“What a delightful little contraption,” she mused, knocking the mud off her boots in the water. “May I ask where we are?”
“You are in my home, so to speak,” Gentia replied. “You referred to yourself as a healer, yes? I am Gentia, the high priestess of Meylith. She is the Mother of our people, the keeper of bonds and many other such titles. This is her temple.” Within the space a handful of other Cauthan females in white linen robes went about their work. Those not tending to children or visitors could not help but look their way. Yvonne found it quite surreal, though Gentia did not allow them the ability to gawk for long, tugging on Yvonne’s sleeve politely. “Let us speak away from these prying, mischievous eyes, hmm?” She suggested, leading their guest to the side room.
“This is where your mothers give birth?” Yvonne asked upon entering the relatively smaller space. At the end of a long row of normal looking beds was one with clean, rough woven sheets, a fire pit, and pot for water.
“Today it is simply where we will sleep,” Gentia clarified, walking over to a bed and sitting herself down. She indicated with a wave of her paw that Yvonne should feel free to do the same. The doctor unburdened herself of her bags and placed them neatly against the foot of the adjacent bed before sitting to face Gentia. One of the acolytes poked her head in to observe, though Gentia seemed ready for that occasion. She requested two cups of tea, rewarding her underling with work for her curiosity. The elder sent a knowing smile Yvonne’s way. “I believe now is the time for us to speak frankly with one another, human. Alice has told us a good deal about you and your skills. Do you have family?” Gentia wondered. Yvonne nodded subtly.
“I do, a husband and three children,” she replied.
“Tell me about them,” the Cauthan requested. Though momentarily surprised, Yvonne felt she had a good idea as to the line of questioning. “Ah, thank you my dear,” Gentia said as she accepted a mug of tea between her hands. Another was offered to Yvonne, who accepted it with thanks that she tried to convey via body language as well as possible. As Gentia took a contented sip, feeling the warm liquid heat her bones from within, Yvonne acquired a small attachment for her tablet, plugged it in, and dropped a small amount of the tea into it. The screen flashed green soon after. Yvonne nodded and took a sip, finding the taste to be earthy but not unpleasant. “You do not trust us?” Gentia demanded pointedly.
“Even if I did, that does not mean you understand our bodies,” Yvonne replied politely, taking another sip of tea. “I am not nearly so hardy as that strapping young man who has been with you for a year now.”
“Hmm, you say you have given birth three times? I would not be so sure about that,” Gentia observed as the women shared a knowing look with one another. “I appreciate the need for care, human. I hope the tea is to your liking.”
“It is nice to simply have a warm beverage on a rainy day. When the children were young we would make them hot chocolate. Gerard would go to the store and buy the bars himself. They would practically hang from his legs as it melted on the stove,” Yvonne recalled fondly. “Our oldest, Emmanuel, liked his bitter with just a bit of milk. I suppose he thought he was being very strong and brave! Angeline, our middle child and only daughter, added cinnamon to hers. And then of course there was Charles who wanted marshmallows! Needless to say they all celebrated when a storm would roll in. I wonder if they still make it for themselves…”
“Your children are not with you?” Gentia wondered, laying her cane on the bed so she could warm both her hands at once.
“No, it is only my husband and me who came along on this voyage. Our children are all grown, flown the nest to begin careers and families of their own. The oldest was married shortly before our departure. My greatest worry is that we will return home to find a grandchild or a new son or daughter in law waiting for us! I would hate to miss such moments.”
“Then why did you come? How long did it require for you to arrive here?”
“About half a year,” Yvonne explained. She continued to watch Gentia closely for signs that her explanations were confusing the Cauthan, but she either understood everything well enough or was not worried about that which did not fully translate. “It was not an easy decision to make, but it was an unprecedented opportunity for my husband to conduct research.”
“You could have stayed with your children?” Gentia suggested.
“And abandon Gerard?” Yvonne exclaimed. “Oh my dear, the man would not know what shoe goes on which foot without me around! But he is the love of my life and a brilliant man. Our children can stand without us now, and there is nowhere else I would rather be than at his side on such a grand adventure into space. I believe I understand that look in your eye, madam. I did not follow my husband around the galaxy just because! I was brought aboard to care for the young ones on our ship. Sadly, when it was revealed that we were to depart on a rescue mission instead of a research voyage, those families left us and returned to our home planet. I would have done the same, were my children younger. And so I was left with no one to care for other than my husband, and there are only so many ways you can do up your hair before the boredom begins to set in.”
“Your head fur does seem to be much more malleable than our feathers…”
Gentia and Yvonne smiled at one another, sharing a chuckle as the human decided it might be her turn to ask a question. “And what of yourself, Gentia? At your age you must have many children grown and married?”
“In a manner of speaking, yes I do,” the matronly Cauthan replied as a little brown fluffball tottered its way into the room. “It’s alright, Centille, you may leave her with us.” The acolyte bowed to them both and departed as Ketra was allowed to bumble her way over to Gentia. Yvonne did her best to politely coo at the little cub as opposed to immediately fawning all over it as the graying Cauthan scooped her up. “At the end of my days, when I go to the Goddess, I will finally be able to ask her why my womb remained barren despite my years in her service. But as you can see, Yvonne, I am still blessed with many, many children. Will you say hello to our guest, Ketra?” Gentia asked, moving her feathers in the proper pattern for greeting as an example. Ketra’s were only just coming in, and she didn’t have the ability to control them in a coordinated manner. The little Cauthan chose to babble happily instead, looking at Yvonne once she realized there was a human in the room.
“Bonjour Ketra!” Yvonne murmured at her, slipping easily into the voice she had used with her own babes many years before. “Oh que tu es adorable! How old is she?”
“Less than a year.” Gentia’s brow furrowed momentarily as Ketra lost her balance and gripped her tightly. “She is just getting her claws, and so she pokes and needles everyone and everything in sight. Ketra my dear, put those away. They are not for other Cauthan,” the matron advised kindly, taking her tiny fingers in hers and coaxing the little one to retract her pointy appendages.
“It is the same for our young,” Yvonne said as Ketra calmed herself, lulled by the new voice. “When they are small their nails are so thin and sharp! And mine of course chose to use them liberally while breastfeeding. Gerard was quite jealous when he was made to share.” The Frenchwoman chuckled at the memories as Gentia rocked Ketra in the hopes of lulling her into a nap.
“I’m afraid I don’t follow,” she said softly. Yvonne nodded.
“When she is asleep I would be happy to explain. That is why we have these, to feed our young,” the human cupped her breasts gently for emphasis. Gentia didn’t bother hiding her surprise, but the women said no more for a moment as the little cub slowly shut her eyes and began breathing deeply under Gentia’s gentle ministrations.
“You may ask,” the priestess whispered.
Yvonne sighed. “Was it so obvious?”
“It is when you are a mother,” Gentia affirmed, standing and holding Ketra out so that Yvonne could cradle the little bundle in her arms.
“Oh you’re a heavy little thing! Is she one of your acolytes’?”
“No. Her parents have gone to Kel. We are her family now,” Gentia explained shortly. Yvonne closed her eyes for a long while as her body remembered the rhythms and movements of childrearing from decades before. She gently turned back and forth, rocking the cub ever so slightly. Though Cauthan babes needed no milk, Ketra found great comfort in the soft and yielding flesh that she was resting against and promptly snuggled up to Yvonne’s breasts.
“I am sorry,” the human whispered. “Is there anything I can do for you?”
Gentia’s face softened, looking kindly at the human. Alice had described her as a healer and professional. Though those things could certainly both be true, it was easy enough to see first and foremost that Yvonne was a mother. “I am near the end of my life, Yvonne. But when you have coddled her to your heart’s content, I believe we should finally discuss what you can do for Ketra.”
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
-----
Natori Kaczynski had to admit he was impressed by Maran weather. Despite their distance from one another, both the village and the research base were drenched with rain, meaning that he had time to check in on Io’s secret project. Upon entering the manufactory control center, a new automated message popped up for him.
‘Ah, welcome Admiral. I took your advice from our last session and decided to start with what I know. Anything under the skin can be whatever I want it to be, so long as I am warm and soft to the touch…so titanium alloy skeleton it is! Oh, and if you collect my skull and begin monologuing with it I will be most disappointed…and I will know. See you next time we’re aboard!’
Despite Io’s warnings, or perhaps because of them, an impish grin broke on Natori’s face as he composed himself, bringing up the details Io had left behind on her plans for her skull and skeleton. As a rendered model spun slowly on one of the consoles, the Admiral stepped back and cleared his throat. “Alas, poor Yorick. I knew him, Horat-Io...no, that was terrible. You’re right. Besides, you are quite the jester and unlike Yorick, you seem likely to outlive us all, Io, under certain circumstances at least. Oh well, it’s not as though the Bard has a passage for every occasion, just most occasions. Now let’s see if my engineering degree is more useful than that English paper I wrote in high school…”
Taking a seat at the controls, Natori played around with the job request. To his pleasant surprise, he found that Io had allowed him entry for ‘viewing and commenting’. “Oh you are worse than my post-grad work groups!” He laughed, nevertheless accepting the authorization and taking a finer look at the skull Io had designed for herself. In addition to a recreation of the female cranium, Io had taken the liberty of embedding various pneumatic pistons in the structure near the eye sockets, clearly meant to be used as analogs for the musculature of the face. Upon closer inspection he saw they’d been implemented as best she could wherever minute muscular control was needed, near the corners of the lips and the crease of the brow, for instance. Natori’s initial instinct was to consolidate many of them into a circular formation or simply fewer moving parts, but he noticed that Io had attached several files to the design. He opened them one by one, finding three dimensional overlays of muscle, tendon, and skin. The admiral took a deep breath and activated a recording.
“I’ll leave this audio log for you, Io, in the hopes that it might aid you in this…oh to hell with it, let’s call it a noble quest, shall we? Your ascension to humanity? Or perhaps fall is the better word. In any case, I do not envy you your task. The human body is…magnificent in both its simplicity and complexity. And that is part of the reason I did not pursue a medical degree. A code billions of letters long, tucked tightly within each and every cell…other than red blood cells I suppose, and yet the moment one thing moves out of place, the faintest imperfection, we pick up on it and can focus on nothing else. But when you are the evolutionary offspring of a prey species I suppose a strong uncanny valley is only natural. As such I will not fiddle with this incredibly complex machine you are creating, but I will suggest a lubrication injection system here and here. Oh, and perhaps lengthen this piston here. And if you want to crush walnuts with your own teeth you could change the angle of the jaw hinge slightly here without affecting range of motion. Let’s also take a look at resource consumption…ah good, no nuclear powered cores. I was worried I might have to go find an asteroid somewhere.”
Perhaps understandably, Natori lost track of time. Following a brief hail from Turnwell to ensure he’d not disappeared permanently, he left his final thoughts for Io. “I don’t know how far you intend to take this, Io, but please document everything that you do. I envisioned many things when I built this vessel, but having its resources commanded by a being of your nature was not one of them. This line of inquiry could revolutionize the fields of prosthetics and treatment for debilitating and disfiguring injuries. I suppose it could also usher in a dystopian cyborg future but let’s stick with the good stuff for now! See you later.” And so Natori allowed the control room’s lights to dim while machinery continued to hum on the manufactory floor below.
-----
“Man, it is just not stopping,” Alice complained as the rains continued unabated. Thankfully the Temple of Kel was but a skip and a jump from her lodgings. “Anyone home?” She called out, trying to partially shelter herself by standing as close to the wall as she could.
“Alice, is that you? Do come in,” Thantis called from inside. With a sigh of relief she walked on in, only to almost smack straight into the elderly Cauthan.
“Yeah but could you not block the light? What’s wrong with you? Don’t you have a cloak? Ow! Thantis what the-”
“All are welcome in the house of Kel, my apprentice, no matter how soggy they may be. Alice, if you have need of a cloak I’m sure that you could find one at the Temple of Tyrdus,” Thantis offered.
“That’s very kind of you,” Alice replied, stepping away from the door and running her free hand through her dripping hair. “I actually enjoy it though. Oh, is this for muddy feet? Perfect!”
As Alice cleaned off the durable looking footwear she was wearing in the small trough, Xan looked her over. Her mane of black hair clung tightly to the slope of her neck and shoulders, and he could easily see that she was wearing some sort of black undergarment beneath the white shirt that was thoroughly soaked. He begrudgingly apologized as Thantis continued to look at him sternly. “Sorry…”
“Ah it’s fine, I know it’s a little weird. Besides, if Thantis makes you apologize I know you don’t mean it,” Alice replied happily. Though her words left Xan feeling a pang of something similar to guilt or shame, she had already moved on. The human addressed the elder Cauthan with a twinkle in her eye. “Thantis, can I ask why you’re standing next to the door?”
“One must follow the light if one is to read on a day like today. Though I must admit this becomes harder every year,” Thantis said, showing Alice the scroll he’d been perusing. “It is a document from many years ago on the subject of brewing tea to ease the discomfort of these old bones of mine.”
“Then maybe I can help with that!” Alice replied with eager kindness, setting down the crate she held in her other hand. It had come down the day before from the Event Horizon with an assortment of food and equipment, but now contained the second lantern she had requested from aboard. She had plans to donate her first one to Veera, and hoped to receive a bulk order from Antoth within the week. The priests cocked their heads at the odd creation as Alice warned them. “Maybe look away for a minute? It’s going to be bright.”
Thantis obeyed her cautionary remark while Xan did nothing of the sort. As a result the young Cauthan was momentarily blinded as his master cried out with joy as pale blue light radiated from the lantern and illuminated the temple more brightly than at any time since the roof was finished. “Oh my…Alice I request an explanation please! It shines so brightly yet has no flame! And such steady light…it reminds me of the Twin Moons!”
“Veera said the same thing. Why don’t we sit down and I’ll do what I can to show you how it works,” Alice offered. Thantis agreed immediately, leaving his scroll by the wayside and leading them to his chambers where all were seated. It was there that Alice found Fenrir, sheltering from the rains and soaking in the heat of a roaring fire. “I wondered if I’d find you here, big guy. Hope you don’t mind if we join you!”
Being a well fed and warm hyrven, Fenrir did not mind much at all. Even Xan found the subject interesting as Alice turned off the lantern and showed them the battery pack. Explaining the concept of an LED was trickier than anticipated and she wasn’t sure either of them truly understood, but her mind was already elsewhere. “Thantis, you said it’s hard for you to read? Can you elaborate a bit? I might be able to help.”
“What are you going to do, replace his eyeballs?” Xan quipped, causing Thantis to lift his cane again. Alice held out a hand to forestall any sort of corporal reprimand.
“No. If I got my way with you I’d rip your bad eye out, saw off your leg, and replace them with metal and tech once I figure out how to interface them with your nervous system. You’d be the crowning achievement of my academic career and I’d parade you around human universities and institutes while earning praise and accolades from some of the most respected thinkers of my species. Maybe I’d even turn you back into an augmented soldier since that’s the only thing you seem to take pride in. Then the military would love me too. I’d be wealthier than Adam or Emily! Oh, just for the record that wasn’t a threat; definitely not threatening the less technologically advanced race with forced uplift just…bit of banter?”
Absolute silence reigned within the temple for at least a minute as Xan blinked rapidly at Alice with his one good eye. If he had ever thought her weaker or less assertive than her brother, he quickly divested himself of those notions. Eventually Thantis cleared his throat. “Ah…might I offer everyone some tea?”
“Oh that would be lovely, thank you Thantis,” Alice agreed sweetly, crossing a leg over the other as the fire dried her. It felt heavenly. “And please don’t be concerned. I would never do something like that to you. I was just thinking you might benefit from some glasses! They’re a small trinket that you set on your face in front of your eyes and they help you see better. I should clarify. By better I mean if things are blurry when you look at them we can fix that. Is that what you experience?”
“It is, Alice. Each year my world seems to shrink away from me bit by bit,” Thantis lamented as Xan’s mouth dropped open.
“Master, why didn't you say anything?!”
“What should I say, young one? It is the nature of growing old. I would not trouble you with such things.”
“You can fix that, right?” Xan demanded of Alice. She smiled at him.
“You’re kind of cute when you stop acting your age and worry about others instead,” she told him, simultaneously acknowledging his thorny attitude and his right to possess it. Xan cursed under his breath that only Kel could possibly understand females.
“But you can help him?” He pressed. She nodded.
“I have just the thing actually! Thantis, when you’re done with preparing tea would you care for a bit of an experiment?”
“I would be thrilled,” the elder affirmed, rummaging around his personal stores of dried plants and roots for the correct combination to soothe the bones on a rainy day. Xan stood from his seat and threw a look Alice’s way before moving to assist his master.
“Let me, Thantis. Go see what Alice wants with you,” he offered. “It’s been long enough now I know what to do. And before you say anything, I won’t put more than a pinch of keranin root in yours and mine.”
“Please ensure Alice does not receive any,” Thantis added with an approving flutter of his crown feathers. “Unless you suffer from aches and pains, my dear?”
“I am fortunate to still be quite healthy, but I might request a sample of that root later,” Alice demurred, fiddling with her A-MACS as Thantis rejoined her. “So back in the early days of the HEL, that’s the human organization or tribe that my brother and I both operate under, there was an outreach program to poor human communities. Sure part of it was PR, an attempt to soothe an uneasy segment of the population that the HEL wasn’t just some sort of hyper advanced neo-colonial military, but that it did good work too. Between our portable technology like what I have here on my arm and the sort of manufacturing I think they attached to my brother’s pod, among other things, we were able to produce glasses cheaply for a ton of children and adults who otherwise didn’t have access.” Alice paused for Io’s program to fully translate her explanation. Xan’s ears twitched.
“Not sure the translation was perfect, but did you say that there are some human tribes that live like we do?” The young one sought clarity. Alice nodded.
“Not exactly, but yes, there remains a large technology and wealth gap between various human countries. Country is like a very large tribe with a unified set of leaders.”
“How perplexing. Human society is truly fascinating,” Thantis mused. “Though I suppose even within our village some are wealthier than others.”
“Yeah, that’s the long and short of it,” Alice encouraged as she finally located the resources she was looking for in the Event Horizon’s databases and hit download. “It’s the exact same principle, Thantis, just at a very large scale. Here you go!” She offered him her tablet. The tenderness with which the elder accepted the durable piece of technology was belied by the elated sparkle in his eyes.
“I wish to ask you questions about this device until the end of my days,” he said wistfully. “I only wish I had more of them.”
“You have plenty left!” Xan insisted, carefully pouring hot water into three mugs.
“Not nearly so many as you, Xan. Now Alice, what am I to do with this exactly?” He wondered, turning it over in his hand.
“For now you can just let it be in your lap,” she told him, making sure that the program was set to use shapes instead of letters that Thantis would not know. A large capital E appeared just above her wrist. The ‘prongs’ of the letter faced the ceiling as Alice moved her chair back a couple feet. When she was an appropriate distance away she began while Xan observed the proceedings from behind Thantis. “Now then, all I would like for you to do is tell me what direction the shape is pointing. This would be up, for instance.”
“I see,” the old death priest replied. Slowly Alice rotated the shape in random directions and Thantis replied to the best of his abilities as the object grew smaller and smaller. Soon he was unable to discern it at all. Alice nodded and made a note. The program informed her that were he a human, Thantis would have approximately 20/100 vision. Next she helped him with her tablet, using the front camera to align his eyes with the module that would calculate his inter-pupillary distance. Alice did her best to explain that she was measuring how far apart his eyes were for a better fit of the eventual lenses, but given that the Cauthan didn’t seem to have any glass laying about she wasn’t sure how well they understood. Finally she repeated the vision exam with Thantis, instructing him to move the tablet nearer or farther away from his face until the image was clear, essentially using the back camera of the device as a substitute lens. As they worked she couldn’t help but smile as Thantis seemed overjoyed the whole while, moving the screen back and forth, side to side, and watching the image shift and change. Eventually his curiosity was sated to the point Alice could take a measure of his prescription.
“And that’s it!” She informed them pleasantly. “Now let’s see how we can go about getting you your glasses. Hey Io, are you around anywhere?”
‘I am currently riding shotgun as your brother and Antoth roll about in the mud like pigs…I can only assume it is somehow therapeutic. Oh thank goodness, are we doing science here?’ The AI wondered, taking a look at Thantis and at Alice. It did not take her long to discern the events of the day. ‘How about this? I can have the manufactories start immediately,’ she asked, holding out a pair of spectacles without arms that would rest comfortably on Thanti’s muzzle, taking full advantage of Cauthan anatomy to avoid the mess of having to somehow loop around ears atop the head. Alice smiled.
“Don’t you think some of the crew might enjoy the chance to take a crack at this? We’re all been cooped up awhile,” she encouraged.
‘This design is optimal,’ Io insisted, looking over her own pair of glasses at Alice in a challenge. The xenobiologist giggled.
“According to you. You never know what someone else might come up with! Thantis, do you have any preferences?” She wondered.
“Ah…I must admit to being entirely unsure of what’s going on at the moment. Xan?” The elder requested.
“Don’t look at me, master. I’m just as confused as you are.”
‘Fret not, Thantis. I have ensured that comfort and utility are at the fore of this design. Oh, and we should absolutely make them transition lenses. I think you’ll love them,’ Io gushed, taking notes here and there as she played around with her own creation in cyberspace. ‘Alice, we should open a clinic!’
“That’s actually not too far off what the HEL did several years back,” she acknowledged. “Will you promise me you’ll talk to Natori and given the crew…let’s say an hour to improve upon the design? You can choose the best one and it can come down on the evening shuttle. Sound fair?”
The AI made a show of pouting momentarily before bundling up all of her work, turning it into a paper airplane and sending it ‘up’ off-screen. ‘Yes, I suppose so. How’s everyone doing today?’
“As you can see, we’re having tea,” Thantis offered. “So it’s been a fairly good day. And if I may, thank you in advance, Alice and Io.”
“Master, do you even know what this contraption will do?” Xan demanded, giving Fenrir a bit of attention as scrolls and reading seemed to have fallen by the wayside. Thantis gave them all a broad smile.
“No!”
-----
When Pilot Cromwell touched down just outside the village at sunset, the rains had only lessened slightly. But the dreary mood only extended so far as the weather, as Gentia bade Yvonne farewell having made plans for her to return the next day and give Asha a proper examination. Alice proved quite jealous upon hearing that her mentor had spent the better part of the day chatting it up with Gentia and playing doctor with Ketra, though the prospect of a nascent database filled with information about Cauthan health from infancy onward did mollify her substantially. Yvonne even mentioned that the elder had given tentative approval for a wider release of medical information once an appropriately large sample size was reached to ensure patient anonymization.
“I’m just glad the two of you got along,” Alice said as she gave Yvonne a final hug just outside the shuttle.
“She is a delightful woman,” Yvonne agreed as Cromwell helped her aboard and extended a small case to Alice.
“Who’s the lucky Cauthan?” The pilot wondered. Alice pointed behind her to where Thantis’ cloaked form stood side by side with Gentia. A bit of rain was no trouble for the two of them. Cromwell made an approving noise in her throat. “That’s good. They look like they’ve been through it once or twice. See you tomorrow, Alice. Where’s the big guy?”
“Lachlan? I’m not sure. Probably has his hands full with that little boy,” she replied. With a silent shrug, the pilot returned to her cockpit and Alice stepped back, allowing the shuttle to take off into the clouds as she returned to the gates of the village. There she extended the box to Thantis, who opened it to find a newly minted set of spectacles as well as a cleaning cloth. The frames were padded with a thin layer of synthetic leather to further ease the burden on his orbits and nose. The older Cauthan took them up immediately, examining them closely before bringing them to his face and turning to his mate. She was examining the newest addition to his look in an attempt to make up her mind as to whether it improved the appearance of his visage.
“Gentia, you look as beautiful as our first festival together,” he said softly, his voice a bit tight. The few raindrops on the lenses were no impediment to his understanding of what they did. “Thank you, Alice Winters, for returning clarity to an old Cauthan well past his prime.”
“I approve of them,” Gentia replied immediately, nuzzling Thantis as Alice did a quick, silent, happy dance to the side and bade them both farewell. She had no intention of intruding on such a moment when she could easily catch up with Thantis on the morrow. She hoped for sunshine, primarily so she could see the wonder on his face when the transition lenses activated.
“Io, I think you might want to get Natori’s permission for that clinic.”