8
"So, I was looking at this map," Tina told Kolvin. "I think we need to go check out one of these parks."
"The plant levels?" he asked as they walked out of their little apartment area.
Tina and Kolvin had been taking walks around the station, just so Tina could learn more. And she was curious. The place was amazing, and every time they ventured somewhere, she saw a new oddity that she wanted to examine. Foodstuff, equipment, technology, all of it truly amazed her.
Kolvin enjoyed the walks too, she thought. Well, he didn't complain about them, and seemed happy to tell her about different things. He didn't show a lot of emotions, but occasionally, he'd smile or say something that almost felt like teasing. Just every once in a while.
"Yes. Aren't they parks?" Tina pointed to the areas she'd noticed on the hologram he'd given her with a map. It was different than what she was used to working with, so it was taking some time to adapt to reading the three-dimensional model, but she was getting used to it.
"I don't know what a park is."
"Maybe you just need to come back to Earth with me, and I can teach you all the things." She grimaced, because while she liked the idea of him being on Earth with her, she was not a fan of what Earth would think of him. "Maybe not. You might not like it."
"Why not? Is there something wrong with your world?"
"I think my people would want to analyze all your cybernetic parts and want to cut you up into pieces and stuff." Why was it that's what she thought about her species, that the first thing that came to mind is how humans would dissect aliens to see what they looked like on the inside?
A month ago, she might have been there, wanting to "learn" about aliens too. Now, though, she didn't want to see any of them on a table being analyzed.
"What kind of humanoids live on your world?"
"The kind that typically don't believe aliens exist."
"Seems an illogical conclusion."
They moved out of the IDA area, and into the more general parts of the station, where the wider walkways were. The smells and sights met her, like always. She was almost able to name some of the vendors and their wares.
Almost.
"Goes back to that whole god thing we talked about. Many believe that God created the universe, and the humans on Earth are made in his image, and that we're his children."
"So other species cannot exist?" he asked.
"Not according to many who believe that way." She shrugged. She wanted to keep Kolvin her own personal secret, she thought. Maybe. Probably. Possibly. She wasn't sure. Just that she didn't want to let some crazy scientists find him and decide to reverse engineer him or something.
So, bringing him to Earth was not a possibility.
They stepped onto an elevator, though on the station, they called it a lift, and rode along in silence for a bit. After their stress relief a few days ago, they didn't spend too much time outside of their apartment.
Relieving more stress.
Aside from their walks, anyway.
In the apartment, Kolvin showed her how to use the food processor. It was pretty easy, it did most of the work for her, and she was able to come up with some decent meals that were close to what she would eat on Earth. Eggs weren't quite the same. Pasta wasn't exactly perfect, but it was close enough.
Kolvin made a few common meals as well, but try as she might, she was not eating Spargan Strips ever again. She had the worst gas after that. Kolvin thought she'd need to see a doctor.
When the door opened, Tina was overwhelmed with the smell of grass. Green plants almost invaded the lift. She sprinted off the lift and ran into the greenery. It was like stepping into a wonderland. Kolvin caught her in probably three strides, his legs so long, and caught her arm.
Plants were spread out all over the level. Trees lined the perimeter, and not just a single row of them, but a kind of lattice of trees all the way around. Grass of all kinds--not just green, but several shades, like red and blue. Flowers and other plants were everywhere, polka-dotting the grass and creating this overwhelming blast of color.
Tina didn't realize how much she missed color until she walked into the space. There was so much, she could hardly contain herself. It wasn't home, but it was stunning and beautiful. The aromas were distinct and perfumed the air with a heady mix. She darted from plant to plant, smelling blooms and just breathing in the fresh air.
Kolvin followed behind her, not saying much as she smelled everything.
He seemed underwhelmed.
