“Hey, I look like a watercolour landscape done by a toddler.”Chloe grinned.“And proud of it.Not my fault my ship doesn’t have a fabricator.”
A voice very similar to Birun’s said,“Perhaps you can use the new human repair nanites for your healing.”
Birun sighed.“She is one who no longer qualifies as human.”
“Ah.Sorry.I guess we will have to wait for some of the volunteers.”
“Oh, right.The volunteers.Birun, you got all of my information from the data pack?”
“I did.Really?Parthenogenesis?”
“Yup.They have one child, and it is exactly like them.If it dies, the population shrinks.I am pretty sure that this has been happening since Birun adopted that whacked-out little cult.”
She looked at Trin and said, “Oh, and if the trees growing in the green space have fruit, don’t eat it, or you will be chewing his clothes off with your teeth, and then you will lock onto the rest of him.Could be fun, could be a massacre.I don’t want to be here to find out.What you do with your teeth is your business.”
Trin went pink, and Birun looked intrigued.“I will do an analysis if fruit appears.”
“You have pollinators in there?”
“Yes.”
“Cool.Okay, so the tree guardian is going to need to travel around the world and to tend the other trees.”
“Of course.”
“And you are going to get fifty guys out here?”
“Can the tree guardian have a mate?”
“Of course.She will still have to travel so will need a conveyance.”
He nodded.“Right.Would you two like dinner?Our unit makes fairly passable Terran dishes.”
Trin grimaced.“I am suddenly hungry.”
Chloe cackled and limped as they headed to the food court that looked like it could host hundreds at a time.
Skylar said, “Have a seat.I’ll bring you a few things.Is meat okay?”
“If it were alive, I can eat it.”She moved to one of the tables and settled slowly with her leg extended carefully.
Trin brought two trays, as did Birun.Skylar did the same.
Trin grinned.“Birun gets flavour profiles from my mind, and then he programs the food units.He makes a pretty good lasagne.”
Chloe accepted the spork and a plate, and she tucked in.Trin was right, the food was really good.
While they were eating, Skylar asked, “Trin, is there anyone who passed that you would like to see?They had to have died on Earth during my lifetime.”
Trin paused and smiled.“My grandma.She died eight years ago.”
“Valerie, your granddaughter would like to talk to you.”
A woman emerged from Skylar and walked over to Trin.They sobbed and hugged, which made Birun jolt in surprise.
Chloe chuckled.“Yes, she makes solid ghosts.Must be all that exposure to life.”
Skylar grinned and pushed a plate of spaghetti to her.
