Page 13

Then they both sank down into the mattress. Khoth turned them on their sides so that Jace was completely tucked against the Thaf’ell’s bigger body. Just as he promised. Jace finally felt sleep pluck at him. Despite messy pants. Despite a sheen of sweat coating his chest. Despite the unusual sensation of being held.

He found that he loved it all. And sleep, just like Khoth had wanted, pulled him into its embrace even as Khoth gently kissed his forehead.

Which Khoth

Khoth’s Xi and Xa had been in the best balance ever since his sister’s death when he had left Jace. He was practically buoyant. He could still see that irresistibly sweet smile on Jace’s face as he had gone out the door. Jace was still in bed. He had dozens of holo-screens with all the potential human crew members surrounding him. There was a bag of pretzels on the one side of him and salad on the other. Khoth had insisted on the salad.

“Eventually everything I eat will be made of space paste so I guess I can eat junk food all the time then since it will be the same as a salad,” Jace had said as he mournfully looked at the greens.

Khoth had leaned in and kissed his temple. “Your body needs something other than carbohydrates to work optimally.”

Jace had sighed theatrically but had accepted the kiss eagerly, even earning a second one by eating some of the salad. “So while I am picking some human crewmates, what are you up to?”

“I must go see Thammah,” Khoth explained.

Jace’s eyes widened, but then he flashed a grin. “That’s good. You guys need to be on the same page again. Uhm, that means--”

“That we are friends?”

“Yeah, exactly. I think she’ll understand what you did and why,” Jace assured him.

“I hope you are right.”

“I definitely am. Thammah loves you.”

Khoth had felt a momentary qualm then. Humans used the word “love”with such abandon. Was Jace doing that now? He hoped not.

“What are the criteria for your choices of crewmates?” Khoth asked, distracted by one of the holograms that floated near him.

It was for a human female, aged 47-years-old, who was a science fiction writer. Not a scientist. Not a military person. Khoth frowned.

“Oh, you know, people that will mesh with our mission,” Jace answered with a wave of his hand.

“I think that the parameters you have given General Intoshkin are not being followed then,” Khoth said as he studied yet another of the submissions.

This one was a human male architect. It specifically highlighted his interests in Star Trek. He went to conventions, did something called cos-playing, and even wrote articles for fanzines about alien architecture.

“Oh, these aren’t from Intoshkin. All his are military,” Jace said.

“I would imagine so as those are the types of people you need,” Khoth stated even as he felt Thaf’ell soldiers would be better.

“Well, we will have some of those, but that’s not really all who we need,” Jace said. “I had the Osiris look for other types of people out there. People who don’t even know about us yet.”

Khoth checked another of the floating submissions. This one was a female medical physician, which would have some usefulness for the human crew, though he guessed that the Osiris would have plenty of facilities to assist with human biology.

“She would be a useful addition,” Khoth indicated the doctor.

Jace glanced up. “Oh, yeah, she’s really into imagining alien biology.”

“But she is a human doctor. Her usefulness would be for that,” Khoth objected.

“That’s another small point in her favor,” Jace agreed and nodded as he continued to peruse the other--to Khoth seemingly--inappropriate submissions.

“Ah, perhaps we should go over these together when I get back from seeing Thammah,” Khoth suggested.

“Sure, I’d like that.” Jace looked up and grinned at him. He waggled his eyebrows. “But I like doing anything with you.”

“As do I with you.” Khoth kissed him again.