He trailed behind me like my shadow. When we reached Levi and Zat’tor’s den, I saw that their child, Dai’zee, was outside, accompanied by a pair of Maeleons who were apparently babysitting her. All three basked merrily in the sunlight in a form of photosynthesis.
It didn’t surprise me to see other Maeleons looking after Dai’zee. They were a highly social communal species. They took the human saying “it takes a village to raise a child” quite literally.
If Dai’zee was being babysat, did that mean Levi and Zat’tor were up to their usual antics?
I leaned hesitantly towards the door and called, “Hello? Are you both decent?”
There was a long pause, followed by a clamoring sound. I raised a brow.
“Uh. One second,” Levi called back.
I sighed. It was the middle of the day. Was the pairthatinsatiable in their urges? I wondered if their libidos were both unusually high, or if the phenomenon was related to their bond as filum. One more thing to investigate.
Levi finally appeared at the door. His mussed hair told me everything I needed to know. “Hey, Jaeyoung. What’s up? Aren’t you usually working at this hour?”
“I was dismissed early.”
“That’s great!”
“No, it’s not.” I pulled my notebook out of my pocket. “Do you mind answering a few questions about your relationship with Zat’tor?”
“What? Like, right now?”
“Yes.”
Levi pulled a face. “So you got the rest of the day off work and instead of relaxing, you’re doingthis?”
My eye twitched. I realized the concept was incomprehensible to Levi, but not all of us were content to sit around doing nothing all day. Unlike a particular spacecraft-crashing ex-captain, I took my job seriously.
“Thisisrelaxing to me,” I insisted. Pressing pencil to paper, I cleared my throat and asked, “When did you first notice physiological changes after meeting Zat’tor?”
Levi blinked a few times, then frowned. “What is this, a pop quiz?”
“I’m gathering data,” I explained.
“Well, can you do it some other time? I’m kind ofbusy, if you catch my drift.”
I nodded and scribbled on my notepad. “So, you’re saying you’re too aroused to remember? Interesting.”
“Hey, cut it out!” Levi sputtered. “Don’t write that down.”
“Why not?”
If I didn’t do the research, who would? Not Levi, and certainly not our other human crewmate, Paz. Neither of them were equipped for the task. They lacked the educational background and passion for science.
Levi’s cheeks burned pink. He lowered his voice. “Listen, Jaeyoung. I know you’re my doctor, but I don’t like being treated like a science project.”
“Please consider that you’re the only data point I have,” I pointed out. “If I don’t get the information from you, who else will I get it from?”
Levi shrugged. “I dunno. What about a first-hand account?”
My first instinct was to laugh bluntly, but then I stopped. That option never crossed my mind. As a scientist, I had to examine every possibility, no matter how outlandish.
In a roundabout way, Levi was correct. A single data point wasn’t enough. To delve fully into this research, I required more information.
But could I really experience it myself? Pregnancy was no small feat. Pregnancy with an alien was a whole other ballgame.
And yet, once the seed was planted in my mind, I couldn’t let it go. The temptation of knowledge was too alluring.
