Re-lee came out from behind the counter. She spoke, but her words sounded like some kind of breathy version of French andJapanese. Sort of anyway. Though the pitches weren't right. It was off and twisted, but there was a liquid melody to it.
Re-lee ended whatever she was saying with an expression on her face like she was expecting a response, but no one moved.
Polly's gaze darted back and forth between the engineers and Re-lee. Then she snapped her fingers. "Right. The translators!" She waddled over to the desk and reached behind it, pulling out what looked like a large, piercing gun.
"Translators?" the guy asked.
"So we all can understand each other," Polly said. She held up the gun. "This puts a chip behind your ear." She pushed her hair back and turned her head, revealing a little silver disk the size of a nickel.
"We all get one?" Brooklyn asked.
Polly nodded. "You hardly notice it after you get it, honestly, but it makes the communication with everyone much easier. They're standard issue out there," she said, gesturing to the sky. "Who wants to go first?"
"What do they do?"
"How do they work?"
"What's the way they--"
The others started peppering Polly with questions about it. Re-lee raised her hands to say something, but they couldn't understand her at all. It bothered Jenny, not being able to understand her. And she wondered how many others she wouldn't be able to understand if she didn't have one of those chips.
The risk was worth it to her. Jenny raised her hand. "I'll take one."
Everyone stopped speaking and stared at her.
"Are you crazy? You don't even know what it does to you," one man said.
Jenny glanced at him. "Are you not here to learn new things? I am.”
"Great," Polly said, and came over. "Look over your shoulder."
Jenny did. Polly folded her ear and put the tip of the gun-thing against her skin. Quick, like a piercing, the gun expelled air, and it was over. She felt the chip against her skin, and immediately she reached up to touch the disk.
Rubbing the spot, it felt cool, and the stinging went away.
Jenny wasn't sure what she would expect, if she'd get some kind of brain download or something, but Re-lee came over.
"Can you understand me now?" English replaced the gibberish from before. Clear, concise, and only with a hint of an accent in her tone.
Jenny nodded. "Your voice really is pretty."
"Thank you. I like yours as well.”
Mister Fluffikins took that moment to stick out his paw like he expected something.
Maybe he wanted his own translator?
Re-lee looked down. "And who is this here?"
"It's my cat, Mister Fluffikins," Jenny said, raising up the kennel. "They told me, since it was an extended stay, I could bring him. I hope it's okay.”
Re-lee glanced inside the kennel. "Looks like a starline, though he only seems to have one tail. Very cute. You'll have to let him out later and explore when we get settled."
Jenny nodded. "I couldn't leave him at home, not knowing how long I'll be here.”
"If he's anything like a starline, then they do well in space, and they're good little hunters to have on the ships. Many long-voyage transports have at least one, just for handling any sort of vermin that might wind up on a ship.”
"Well, then Mister Fluffikins should enjoy himself, because he's a big hunter, aren't you?" Jenny said, looking at her cat in the carrier.
