"Daily at 0600," Jalina repeated, something between terror and excitement in her expression.
"Is that a problem?"
"No. Not a problem. I just..." She gestured at her notebook, her charcoal-stained fingers, her rumpled appearance. "I'll be more prepared tomorrow."
"You were prepared today. You showed me something I couldn't see alone." I paused, considering my next words carefully. "That's the definition of effective collaboration."
The smile that spread across her face was luminous. Small and shy and entirely genuine, it transformed her features fromnervous to radiant. Something in my chest tightened in response as a sensation I couldn't immediately categorize.
I attributed it to professional satisfaction. Successful team formation. The relief of having found someone who could genuinely contribute to this project rather than simply executing my vision.
That explanation was adequate.
It had to be.
"Thank you," Jalina said quietly. "I won't let you down."
"See that you don't. This project will define Mothership's expansion capacity for the next decade. Failure isn't acceptable."
The warmth drained from her expression, replaced by determination. "Understood."
"Good. Now, let's begin with traffic flow calculations for your neighborhood clusters. The residential pods need to integrate with existing corridor systems without creating bottlenecks during shift changes..."
We worked for the next three hours. I'd intended the meeting to be brief, an assessment, nothing more, but Jalina's concepts required immediate integration into my base designs. Every modification she suggested spawned twelve new considerations, and every consideration revealed gaps in my original planning.
She was right about the psychological elements. Right about the community building features. Right about half a dozen small details that would have caused problems during actual implementation.
It was infuriating.
It was magnificent.
Jalina sketched while I calculated, her primitive paper and charcoal somehow translating perfectly into holographic specifications. We developed a rhythm: she'd visualize, I'd engineer, we'd iterate. The communication became almost wordless—a gesture here, a questioning glancethere, adjustments flowing between us with minimal verbal negotiation.
At 0900, Kex'tar appeared in my office doorway, his purple skin rippling with barely concealed amusement.
"Zor'go, you missed the morning briefing," Mothership's second-in-command said, his eyes tracking between me and Jalina with obvious curiosity. "Captain Tor'van was concerned."
I blinked, pulling my attention away from the residential sector modifications with genuine difficulty. "The briefing was at 0830."
"Yes. Two and a half hours ago."
I'd been so immersed in the work that I'd lost track of time. That hadn't happened in years, not since my early days of city planning when every project consumed me completely.
"I'll send my apologies," I said. "The expansion project required immediate attention."
"I can see that." Kex'tar's gaze settled on Jalina, who'd frozen like a small animal caught by a predator. "Architect Chauncy. I hear you're making quite an impression."
"I'm just trying to contribute," Jalina said quickly.
"You're succeeding. Dana mentioned you were talented, but I didn't realize quite how talented." Kex'tar's tone was warm, encouraging. He was excellent at putting beings at ease, a skill I'd never mastered. "Zor'go rarely collaborates on projects. You should feel honored."
"I feel terrified," Jalina admitted, then immediately looked like she regretted the honesty.
Kex'tar laughed, a deep rumbling sound that made the holographic models flicker. "Good. Zor'go's projects should terrify everyone involved. That means they're ambitious enough to matter."
I felt my markings shimmer with something that might have been pride. Kex'tar noticed, of course he noticed, and his amusement deepened.
"I'll leave you to your work," he said, already backing toward the corridor. "But Zor'go, do try to attend at least some of the scheduled meetings. Captain Tor'van worries when you disappear into your projects completely."
