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As our spaceship left the planet, I thought about Zol children. Was that how Rone looked as a child? I got a sweet, warm feeling in my chest thinking about it.
But it all went away as the spaceship traveled on, taking us to Xaxos and to the southernmost part of the planet, miles from the capital city. We flew over an ocean of blue water. I normally found the ocean to be soothing. Today, I just wanted to find a place to take a nap of my own. The time change from Zol to Xaxos during this time of year was about a sixteen hour difference. We left Zol at lunchtime. Here it was almost eight in the morning.
I covered my yawn as I stood outside the control room. “Where are we going to land?” I asked my not so subtle adultversion ofAre we there yet?to Rone while gazing out at miles of water from the nearest window.
“Elyse Island is seven miles out. We have to take a smaller pod to reach the base.”
He and I, along with another high-ranking officer and two aides, boarded the pod once we were within the island’s airspace. The pilots got us to the island. My stomach disagreed with the drop from high altitude to sea level. I popped an antacid once we landed on the island.
Rone’s powers of observation activated. “You took those when we landed on Zol, too. Are you sure you’re feeling well?”
“It’s probably just motion or altitude sickness. I'll be fine.”
He showed me his skeptical face that spoke more volumes than words. “I will get you home soon.”
We split from the other officer and the aides. We were on the opposite side of the island, away from the harbor. This side was wider, with the beach more accessible to landing pods. In addition, the beach offered several comfy spots for lounging and wading into the surf. I watched the aquatic Javorians, with their range of blue, green, and grey complexions darting in and out of the water.
Out of all of them, I was struck by the sight of another human woman swimming near the shore. She had deep brown skin like me. Her dark hair was pulled back in a braid. She moved through the choppy water with as much expert precision as the locals.
She must have spotted me watching her. She swam closer until she was able to stand in chest-deep water. “Commander Rone. Ambassador Cammie. Sorry. I’ll be over there in a minute.”
“Don’t worry,” Rone told her. “We just arrived.”
“Well, welcome to the island. I’m Maya. I think Siru is on the ship going over the manifest.”
She said her name was Maya. Was this Siru’s mate?
I spotted a movement on my left. A small toddler girl, no more than two, with a blue-ish tinge to her dark skin, came ambling towards the water.
Maya swam closer to shore. “That’s Delphine, my daughter. Can you say hi to the commander and the ambassador, Dellie?”
The little girl waved up at us. Then she began shifting from one foot to the other, looking past my right and left. “What is it, sweetie?” I asked.
“She just wants to get into the water,” said Maya. “Siru and I are trying to teach her how to say excuse me when she wants to go past someone.”
I offered the toddler an apologetic smile. “Do you think you can wait until your mom swims to shore? That’s a lot of water out there.”
“No.” Delphine stomped her foot in the sand. I noticed the thin webbing between her toes. “I want to go swimming now.”
“Dellie, you mind your manners.” Maya gave her daughter a stern look. “If you apologize, I might let you get in the water for a few minutes before I take you to the sitter’s.”
Delphine gave the offer considerable thought. She looked up at me and Rone with her big sea-green eyes. “Saw-wee.”
So precious. I resisted the urge to pinch her cheeks. “It’s okay. You’re being a good little girl for your mom, aren’t you?”
Maya made a motion with her hand. “You can let her get in the water now.”
“But I can’t let her wade out on her own.”
“Ha, I can swim all by myself. Watch.” Delphine toddled past me on her plump little legs. Just as I thought she was going to make a splash in the shallows, she sprang up from the sand and did a perfect swan dive into the deeper end. I didn’t see her come up for air. As I looked around, starting to panic, her head popped up beside her mother. Delphine waved at me.
“See, I told you I could do it.”
I caught Rone’s eye. “Did you see that?”
“I did.”
I spoke quietly to him as Maya and Delphine splashed in the water. “Look what Maya and her daughter can do. They’re like fish, breathing underwater and swimming fast. How?”
