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Mieshorum sounded a rumble of agreement. “Your suggestion has merit. We’ve already traumatized her.”

“Yes,” Narmuna said. “I don’t like it, but allowing her to remain where she is for a few marks won’t hurt her and might go a long way to earning some of her trust.”

“One of us should remain on duty here until she’s ready to emerge,” Lexarit said. “We could make sure to have food and drink to coax her out.”

“We need to make sure she can communicate with us if she wants out but can’t get the door to open from her side,” Mieshorum said.

“I’ll find a small information square I can drop through a vent,” Narmuna said.

I knew I needed to contribute, so I sounded a rumble of agreement. “There’s an easily accessible vent into that storage room from the bay. I’ll help you.”

“I’ll stay here,” Mieshorum said. “When you’re finished, you can take my spot.”

I sounded a rumble of agreement, then followed Narmuna.

Chapter 6

Tolreum

Five marks later, the storage room door’s display flashed a few times. I remained sitting but shut down my Ident and reclipped it to my belt. Information scrolled quickly down the display, and, oddly, it looked to be in Universal. I didn’t even know our displays could be switched to read in Universal instead of Talin glyphs.

Finally a set of numbers displayed, and it returned to the format I was familiar with. The door slid open soundlessly to reveal Opal. She was standing with her bag hanging from her shoulder, arms down at her sides and hands tightly fisted. Her mane was fully dry and looked surprisingly fluffy.

I badly wanted to run my scent glands over the top of her head. Would she ever let me get close enough to do that again?

She took a step forward, putting herself in the hallway. I stayed where I was so she could stand over me. She held up the information square we’d pushed into the room using a low vent I basically ripped apart to get access. Narmuna had created a communication line between the square and my Ident using Universal. I’d hope she’d speak to me through that, but she never responded.

“This says I won’t be punished,” she said, waving the square a little.

“You won’t. Your actions were entirely understandable," I said. “We only want to make you comfortable and happy.”

“If that’s your goal, I need an elimination room,” she stated. Her face was tight, and her eyes looked red and inflamed.

My poor human had leaked so much water out of her eyes that she’d irritated the delicate orbs. I wish we’d all taken more time to consider other ways to acquire her. Ways that might not have been so traumatic.

“I’m going to stand up,” I said. “I’ll walk you back to my cabin, and you can use the unit in there.”

Standing up, I turned to lead her, but she remained standing in the hall. “Opal?”

“I don’t want you coming into the cabin with me,” she stated.

“You’re not allowed to lock me out,” I said. The idea of her being hurt while I had to waste precious time disassembling a door to get to her made me go cold. “But I’ll let you have the cabin to yourself.”

Her face showed surprise. “You will?”

I sounded a rumble of agreement. “It’s important that you have a space of your own. I’ll take my things out and move into the spare cabin. I’ll request access any time I wish to converse with you.”

She opened her mouth, closed it, then nodded with a jerky movement. “Yes, you can do that. And, um, and you don’t get to touch me.”

Her demands were reasonable, though heartbreaking. “No one will touch you unless it’s an emergency or you request it.”

Again, she seemed surprised by my answer. I was a little shocked she wasn’t demanding we turn around and return to her station. She must have realized that would never happen.

“Good,” she said, but didn’t sound as confident as before. “That’s exactly what I want. Let’s go back to your cabin. I mean, my cabin.”

I rumbled in agreement again and turned to lead her. It didn’t take long for us to reach the open door of my cabin. Lexarit suggested we leave it open as an invitation for her. I stopped in the hall, and she rushed past me, through the cabin and into the elimination room.

While she was in there, I hurried to grab some of my clothes and necessities. I dumped them in the hall, then straightened out her nest, fluffing the pillows and folding back the top blanket.