Page 7

Dropping everything in my arms onto the pile, I opened my cabin door to find Opal sitting on my bed reading off an information square she must’ve brought with her.

“You can read?” I asked before I thought better of voicing such a blunt question.

She blinked several times before the corners of her lips turned up slightly. “There are pictures so that makes it easier.”

Standing up, she walked over and turned the information square around so I could see what she was reading. It was a ship’s outer-shell sensor schematic with dense Universal character stacks on either side.

That was one of the more complicated systems on almost any civilian ship. It was difficult for me to correlate all the things I'd read about human intelligence and be faced with a human who was willingly studying such a difficult topic.

“Why are you reading this?” I asked. That seemed like a nice, neutral question.

She moved her shoulders up and down slightly. A shrug. I remembered what the gesture was called, but what did it mean? I’d look it up when I had a chance.

“I was hoping to transfer to a different station, and outer-shell technicians are in demand right now.”

“Your diligence is impressive,” I said.

Her smile disappeared. “I guess.”

I don't know why my compliment might have displeased her, so I tried again. “You shouldn't be disappointed if you're having a difficult time remembering everything.”

She turned off the square and tucked it under her arm before pointing at the pile of bedding in the hall. “What's all this?”

I made an excited rattle. “It's to make your nest.”

“Nest?” she repeated.

“Yes,” I said. Her confusion must be because she'd lived so long without a proper nest. “It will be very soft and comfortable for you.”

“You want to make me a nest,” she said with a nod. “That's very nice of you.”

“Why don't you sit on the bunk until I'm finished,” I suggested.

She didn't say a word, simply walked to the bunk, turned, and did a little jump backward to sit on it.

I grabbed everything and half lifted, half dragged, all of it into my cabin. After shutting the door, I got to work.

Narmuna’s pad was perfect for the base of the nest. I built up pillows in a circle around the edges, then laid several of the fluffier blankets over all of it. I arranged the rest of the pillows on one side for her head to rest on. Finally I laid the blankets across the bottom so she could easily reach them and pull them over her body.

By the time I was done, I’d created a soft, colorful nest, thanks to my crewmates.

Satisfied with the results, I stood up and faced Opal. I was going to invite her to get in and make herself comfortable, but I was struck speechless.

While I'd been assembling her nest, she'd removed all her clothes.

She was impossibly delicate. Her slim body was a little pale but perfectly formed, with no obvious signs of malnutrition. Her arms were crossed over her chest so I couldn't see her small, round mammary glands very well, but it was clear they were proportionate to the rest of her. It was easy to imagine how her body would develop curves as we fed her nutrient-dense foods.

I couldn't judge her facial expression, but she shivered slightly as she stepped into the nest and sank down. Grabbing one of the blankets, she wrapped it around herself and gave me a slightly surprised expression.

“Oh, this is soft,” she murmured.

That shook me out of my shock. I checked the temperature control in the room and set it a little higher. Then I returned to the nest and knelt next to it. I didn't want to invade her nest. It was important humans felt like they had control over their space. I was thrilled she felt comfortable enough to strip down to better enjoy the softness and warmth.

She tilted her head. “Why are you over there?” She patted the spot next to her.

“You want me to join you?” I asked. I didn't want to upset her by misinterpreting her intentions.

She chuckled. “I might not know much about your species, but I know this isn't going to work if you're over there.”