“I get cold, so yes.”
He nodded.“Fair.You can just crawl in and get some sleep.I can drop the light to seventy-five percent.”
Trin peeled the bedding back, scooted in, and sat up.“Yes, please.”
He spoke in soft Hmrain, and the lights dimmed.“Rest well, Trin.”
She looked at him with the white feathers and soft hide gleaming in the dimness.She wiggled down in the bed, pulled a pillow into the right configuration, and focused on thinking of all the foods she missed and how she could put them together.Chemistry was one thing, but programming the difference between a bun and a pickle was halfway to a cheeseburger.
She smiled and burrowed further under the blankets.She was warm, it smelled good, and she was full.It was the perfect recipe for sleep.
* * * *
Birun waited untilher breathing was even then picked up the extra blanket he had made for her and slowly draped it over her.Her breathing slowed, and she sighed.
He smiled and returned to his desk.He was chatting with Symo and learning how complicated these ladies could be.Bailey was going to make a list of recipes she had already managed to recreate for others of their kind manually.It was one of her many hobbies.
This sudden spurt of Terrans and Hmrain unions was going to make a sharp uptick for both populations and result in a new round of very powerful second-generation Hmrain.
Birun had been surprised by the stats on the children.Kethen, Etska, Ra, Usath, and even Rath counted themselves in the rankings of those who had Terran partners and children who were nearly as strong as pure Hmrain, only shorter.
The energizing of more distant Hmrain was also a surprise.One third-generation male had manifested spirit wings, and another second-gen born without wings had received a serious boost in power.
He looked over at Trin and smiled.He could imagine what she was capable of, and she just needed a little freedom to do so.Her mind was bright, and with a bit of nutrition and concentration, she would be able to reach out when she wanted to.That was the joy of a sparsely populated planet.Practicing psychic skills meant no one got hurt.
He checked on his other worlds and pondered Trin’s suggestion.Pericoffs had needed a world, and he had obliged them.They had seemed calm, feathered, easy to feed, and well-mannered.When they realized that he expected a consort, they were appalled and held a lottery.The first companion died, and then they had a second lottery.That one also ended in tragedy, so he gave up on getting what he needed from them.
He used the satellite to see how far they had expanded during his sleep, and the city hadn’t changed a bit.They were still farming the same land and living in the same city.He checked the population, and he blinked.They were down seventy-five percent.
He wanted to curse but didn’t want to wake Trin, so he contacted the governor, the comptroller, and the mayor of the city, as well as the head of medicine.He needed to get an answer as to why the population was collapsing.
Hours must have passed because he felt flashes of panic from Trin.He got up and knelt at her side, touching her hair and whispering that she was safe, she was protected.The shivering and twitching eased, and the images of shadows approaching and grabbing at her faded.
He kissed her temple, and she snuffled softly before wiggling further under the covers.She had hours to go before her body was rested, but he would remain nearby in case the shadows returned.
Birun looked at her and then returned to his desk.This feeling.This is what having a companion was supposed to feel like.Happy and anticipation.He felt a deeply protective streak, and she was appreciating it.That was astonishing and made him want to rush the contract.Her feelings when he held her were intrigued and bordering on lust.He just needed to be patient, and she would put herself across the border.He could hardly wait.
He sighed and continued his correspondence with his other worlds.There were nine other worlds in this system, and four were occupied.He set about contacting the other four and slowly began to increase the temperature around Sanctuary Base.Not enough to melt the snow, but enough to keep the air from killing.On the other side of the world, the ice was already melting, but this base would remain locked in the ice.
His new companion liked snow, so he would give her snow.
