‘In regards to …?’

‘Allergies, health issues, that kind of thing.’

Roveg felt nervous at the question, just as he had with the query about first aid. What did the Akarak think was going to happen here? They were stuck in a hab dome filled with cakes and blooming hedges, not crash-landed on an asteroid or venting oxygen into space. But Speaker was making her enquiries with earnest, and he did not want to insult her, no matter how alarmist he found this line of questioning. ‘No allergies. Well … that is, none beyond the norm for my species. I wouldn’t react favourably to physical contact with a Harmagian or to a meal made with suddet root, but I don’t see any danger of either of those situations taking place, given our present company. And I’m in perfect health, or so my bots tell me. No underlying issues, mental or physical.’

‘Good,’ Speaker said. ‘That’s great.’

‘Oh, and I can read annotated galaxy charts,’ he said. ‘That’s not a health matter, but it is a thing I can do.’

Speaker added a note about that. ‘You and Captain Tem both, in that regard.’

‘That’s the Aeluon?’

‘Yes. I already spoke to her, and with both of our hosts.’

‘Saved the best interview for last, eh?’ he said congenially.

Speaker paused, and did not mirror his light banter. ‘To be honest, I … wasn’t sure if you’d speak to me at all.’ She paused again, as though she were still processing. ‘I definitely didn’t think you’d invite me in.’

‘Ah,’ Roveg said. He needed no explanation as to why she thought this. ‘Rest assured, while I may share my species’ aversion to suddet root, I do not recoil from socialising with other sapients. On the contrary, I highly value any opportunity to do so.’ He lowered his torso with gracious slowness. ‘In fact, I’d be very glad to chat more with you, Speaker, on subjects less dire. It seems we have the time!’

The Akarak seemed to relax a bit. ‘I appreciate that,’ she said. Her tone was sincere. ‘Actually, that brings me to the other thing I’m here to tell you: Ouloo is inviting everyone to the garden for “food and chat”, as she put it.’

‘Ooh,’ Roveg said. ‘Well, that’s kind of her.’

‘I think she’s trying to keep us all happy while we’re stuck here. She’s pretty upset about the whole thing.’

‘It’s hardly her fault.’

‘Yes, but it’s her home,’ Speaker said. ‘I understand that.’

Roveg’s reluctance to leave his shuttle had fully ebbed. The promise of snacks didn’t hurt, but mostly, he’d developed a new-found curiosity about the company he’d fallen into – particularly the tiny person he spoke with now. ‘Well, if you’re done with your … rounds,’ he said, ‘shall we go together?’

Now it was the Akarak’s turn to be surprised. He couldn’t smell it, of course, but basic bipedal body language was such an easy thing to glean. If you learned one, you learned them all. ‘Oh. Um, sure,’ Speaker said. ‘I … I don’t see why not.’

Day 236, GC Standard 307

PLEASE REMAIN CALM

EVERYONE

Stars, the Laru was trying.

It was the same garden that Pei had been in hours before, but Ouloo had repurposed the grassy circle at its centre. The tables were laden with what looked like every cup and bowl from the host’s own kitchen, each filled with snacks both sugary and savoury. Pei peeked into one of the cups and discovered twisting salt licks. The other containers were filled with similar snack-pack fare: algae puffs, snapfruit tarts, jelly straws – all everyday nibbles you could find at your average mixed marketplace. The offerings were almost fancy in the respect that they weren’t the cheapest algae puffs you could buy, and had maybe flirted with actual herbs or fruit or some other ingredient grown in real dirt before being sealed up. It looked as though Ouloo had grabbed armloads of her stock – or legloads, in the Laru’s case – and done her best to make it look as nice as she could, arranging tidbits in hurried arrangements within mismatched tableware.

‘Hello, Captain Tem!’ Ouloo called. The ground host was busy at the edges of the circle, attempting to assemble a makeshift canopy out of blankets brought from home and poles that looked leftover from a construction project. ‘Please, help yourself!’

Pei puzzled at the canopy. What was the point of such a thing in a habitat dome, where there was no weather? No rain, no snow, nothing that could fall out of the—

Oh, she realised. Ouloo was trying to block her guests’ view of the sky.

‘Can I help?’ Pei asked. The Laru seemed to be struggling with the assembly.

‘No, no, I’ve—’ Both blanket and poles tumbled to the ground with tragicomic slowness. ‘Oh, shit.’

‘Mom,’ Tupo scolded laughingly from somewhere unseen. ‘Language.’

Pei crouched down and cocked her head in the direction of her implant’s buzzing. The kid was curled up under a table, stuffing xyr face with algae puffs straight from the bag. Pei had no way of knowing, but she had a suspicion that the bag in question had been intended for guests. ‘Hey, Tupo,’ Pei said. ‘You doing okay?’