Page 55 of I Think I’m in Love with an Alien

Jen seems to sense my puzzlement and steps into the conversational lull. “The trivia contest is about to start. Anyone interested joining me?”

“Not me,” Jaz says. “I’m going to look for Ravik. Come with me, Seeker.”

I receive an odd look from Jen, but I don’t know what this is about either. And at first I don’t recall enough of human silent language to reply without making the others wonder. Then I remember the shrug. What a helpful gesture this is. I lift and lower my upper body, hoping the approximation works with my own physiology.

“I’ll team up with you,” Tad tells Jen.

Poppy adds, “I’m in. Trivia should be fun. And maybe there will be prizes.”

Jen seems a little reluctant to part from me. I hope the impulse stems from affection and not from fear that I will do something ridiculous and endanger myself. As the humans move off, debating their trivia team name, Jaz turns to me.

“This way. Ravik is waiting for us.”

“This sounds like a purposeful secret meeting.”

But I can’t imagine what the three of us would have to discuss. Ravik doesn’t seem to like most of us at the best of times. I’m not entirely sure why they joined the chat or agreed to attend Space Con. But I suppose I’ll find out. I follow Jaz as she threads through the throng, navigating with a surety that I find impressive. She’s not new here, though, and she understands humans better.

Now that I’m not worried about the tech camo breaking down, I feel oddly at ease. Nobody is staring at us, and we’re surrounded by others who look every bit as unique. In fact, some of the costumes even appear more unusual than Jaz and me.

“Stay close,” Jaz says. “Ravik isn’t the patient type.”

I’d gleaned as much myself. Which is why I was surprised that they don a costume day after day with complete dedication. It takes a certain amount of time and effort to replicate the same look. For that reason, people will likely assume I’m especially committed to cosplay. It’s a bit ironic, considering how anxious I’ve been about appearing without the tech camo.

I speak in the subharmonic inaudible to human ears. “It’s a bit sad, isn’t it? They want so desperately to meet us, but…”

“We’re at a convention that fetishizes extraterrestrial beings,” Jaz replies. “Many humans would love to do more than meet us.”

That startles me. Certainly I have strong feelings for Jen, but I didn’t realize that multiple humans might wish to experience intimacy with a nonhuman partner. Assuming they didn’t sell us out for fame, fortune, and the potential payout from the authorities.

“That is a salient point.”

I maneuver around a group taking photos with a particularly impressive cyborg costume. This one I recognize; I have watched several Terminator movies. Humans have a fascinating relationship with technology: they seem to both rely on it and fear it at the same time. We pass stalls selling comics and artists sketching custom pieces for excited patrons. But Jaz seems to know exactly where she’s going.

Ravik is at a picnic table in the food truck lot, waiting for us with ill-concealed impatience. “You took long enough,” they say to Jaz.

“This one proved difficult to wrangle.”

I could take exception to her statement, but it might delay finding out what they want. “I’m curious what’s going on. What’s so important?”

“You really don’t know?”

Ravik is blue again today. It’s the same costume they had on… An idea occurs to me belatedly. But it can’t possibly be true. Can it? But if I’m here, and Jaz is here…

“Congratulations,” Ravik says. “I believe you just had an epiphany.”

While I recognize Jaz’s natural appearance, I’ve never encountered a being like Ravik. That’s why I didn’t doubt their explanation when they said they were… What was it? An ice-world barbarian? I thought it was a human cultural reference.

“How did you both know?” I ask. “I had no idea.”

The other two exchange a look, and then Jaz says, “You’re using your own update. The upgrade isn’t configured to interact with other devices. Ours is. It pinged on your arrival that first night.”

Since I thought I improved this system—and the tech camo—I feel more than a little chagrined by that revelation. Mine is newer, which should mean that it’s better. Apparently, that’s not always the case. I feel humbled by their calm competence…and how much more they seem to know about traveling the galaxy. I feel like a youngling playing at exploration, and I have not experienced this since I came to maturity.

I cannot say I care for the sensation.

“Why didn’t you tell me before?” I address the question to Ravik since Jaz revealed herself at the restaurant earlier.

“I had to be certain you wouldn’t cause problems,” they reply.