Granola Bars and Spaceships Read online

*~*~*

  Eric was starting to notice a pattern. The kitchen was becoming either a refuge or a hiding place. Maybe both.

  Whichever it was, whenever he couldn't figure out what else to do, he ran off to the kitchen. Sometimes it was legitimate. He did need to cook and then clean up. But he'd also drunk an awful lot of water since last Thursday night.

  Despite the number of dirty water glasses, the past several days had been pretty uneventful. Keeska had slept a lot over the weekend. Eric had forked over his magazine collection to keep Keeska occupied when they were awake.

  Keeska had seemingly absorbed everything they could from the magazines. They had stared at all the pictures, sometimes pointing to one and making questioning sounds. Eric would explain whatever it was and Keeska would nod happily and move on.

  Eric had noticed that sometimes Keeska would frown at his explanations and push a button on the strange wristband. Keeska would then sit for a moment, seeming to listen to something Eric couldn't hear. Then they would nod or stop frowning and go to the next thing. Eric suspected they were asking the translator for definitions or something. It was kind of fascinating to watch at first, but Eric got used to it.

  When Keeska had run out of magazines, Eric had put on an old Disney movie that had come with the apartment. 101 Dalmatians had not been a hit. Keeska had chattered angrily and pointed back and forth between the dogs on the screen and their bandaged leg. It wasn't too hard to establish that Keeska had been attacked by dogs and would like to watch something else please. At least Eric had a basic idea of what had happened now.

  After they had sorted that out, Eric had pointed to his movie collection and told Keeska to choose something else. Watching Keeska go through and look at all the cover photos had been almost as entertaining as actually watching one of them.

  Keeska kept chirping inquiries about what things were. The two of them had eventually wound up sitting on the floor together, having a weird, slightly one-sided, conversation about movies and what in the pictures was real or not. That had been fun. Though they never had actually put a movie in to watch.

  By the time Keeska started yawning again it was late enough that Eric was tired too. He shooed Keeska back to the couch, made sure they were all right, and headed off to bed.

  Sunday morning had shown up without any nighttime incidents. Keeska had sat on the kitchen counter and watched while Eric made breakfast. French toast and sausage had been met with happy noises and requests for more. It was sort of amazing how much food that little body could put away.

  He'd made a quick trip out for more magazines and Sunday had continued much like Saturday, except they actually managed to watch one of the movies. Watching Keeska had been way more entertaining than the movie, though. Their reactions to the things on the screen were interesting, and gave Eric a tiny bit of insight into how familiar they might be with his planet. Keeska seemed unsurprised by most of the things that showed up, so Eric figured they weren't completely out of their element. Except for food. Keeska was fascinated by food, and often made him pause the video and name things that characters ate.

  He was having so much fun cooking for Keeska. He'd made a bigger shopping trip on Monday after work, and they'd been exploring. Keeska had stuck to sandwiches and grapes for lunch though. Eric was pretty sure that was because of the grapes. Keeska seemed to be addicted to the things.

  It was Wednesday now. The two of them had been bumping along together fairly well. Keeska had agreed to stay quieter during the day when Eric was gone, so he didn't think his landlords had caught on yet. Since Keeska wasn't actually coming or going, they should be able to keep it that way for however long Keeska chose to stay. Though he would be buying twice the groceries he used to. He might have to find a way to hide that.

  Eric frowned as he grabbed the last of the dishes from the counter. How would he be able to hide that? He probably couldn't. He'd just have to hope they didn't notice and/or care enough to be curious. Unlike Keeska. Keeska seemed to be curious about everything.

  Eric had started washing dishes when they were done eating dinner. He'd turned around to get a pan off of the stove and seen Keeska, who had been sitting on the counter behind him last he looked, playing with the gas burners. A couple sentences of mostly curse words later, Eric shoved a cookbook with lots of pictures into Keeska's hands and banished them to the living room.

  Eric had kind of regretted loosing Keeska's company, actually. It was kind of nice having another person around, even if they couldn't communicate very well. And it was nice to cook for someone. Eric had missed that since his mother died.

  Thinking of his mother got her favorite song stuck in his head, and Eric started singing the old country song quietly while he scrubbed. He was a little surprised he still remembered all the words.

  A noise by the door made him turn and look. Keeska was standing in the doorway, hanging onto one of the doors and watching him.

  Oh, great. Keeska had caught him singing. Eric didn't even want to know what his singing voice sounded like to an alien. He was pretty sure it sounded bad enough to Humans. He could feel his cheeks heating as he turned off the water and dried his hands.

  "Hi."

  Keeska smiled and stepped fully into the room. They stayed silent though, so Eric was at a loss.

  "Um. Do you need anything?" he asked.

  Keeska shook their head. Then nodded. Then shrugged and nodded again.

  Eric laughed. He couldn't help it. Keeska was just too freaking cute.

  Keeska frowned at him. It was a very interesting expression on the flattened features. And it ruffled their not-feathers, making the ones between their eyes stand up in a little crest. Shit. Eric forced himself to cough so he wouldn't laugh more.

  "Sorry," he managed to choke out. "What is it?"

  Keeska looked at him for a minute, seeming indecisive and annoyed.

  Eric stuffed his hands in his pockets. "What?"

  Keeska finally smiled at him and held out a hand. Then stood there, waiting.

  Eric had no idea what to do. When that resulted in him doing nothing but staring at Keeska in confusion, Keeska sighed and moved closer, until they were standing right in front of Eric.

  Keeska continued holding out their hand. But then they lifted their other hand and touched their fingers to their palm. Then they pointed to Eric.

  Eric raised an eyebrow, wondering what the hell was happening. "Okay." He reached out and touched Keeska's palm gently. The plum-purple skin was warm and smooth. He smiled and took his fingers away.

  Keeska shook their head and thrust their hand toward Eric more insistently.

  "Um. Again? Longer?"

  Keeska nodded. Eric reached out again, letting his fingers rest in Keeska's palm instead of touching briefly and then removing them. Keeska smiled widely and nodded again.

  -Hello.-

  "Holy shit!" Eric jumped and pulled away, staring at Keeska in shock. Had Keeska just talked to him? Telepathically?

  Keeska slumped a little and let their hand drop. Crap.

  "No! I'm sorry! I was just surprised!"

  Keeska tilted their head and looked at Eric. He braced himself and held his hand out, palm up like Keeska had done.

  "I'm sorry. You startled me. I won't pull away again." Keeska didn't move towards him this time. Eric sighed. "Please?"

  Slowly, Keeska raised their hand and pressed their fingers firmly into Eric's palm. -Did not mean scare you. Should have expected. Sorry.-

  Okay then. He'd rescued a telepathic alien. Who spoke broken English like it was maybe a second or third language. Whose voice in his mind made him think of cinnamon and cocoa, smooth and warm but also sharp.

  Eric swallowed. "It's okay. Ah, thank you for showing me this."

  Keeska looked down, seeming embarrassed. -Was not fair. Not telling you. Sorry, sorry.-

  Eric shook his head. "No, I get it."

  -Thank you.-

  "How do I understand you?"

  -Lessons,- Keeska s
aid. -Learning two Earth languages. Learn to send the words. Still new. Not understand hearing all the time yet. Need translator to know what you say.- Keeska raised his other arm and waved the wrist band around for a second. He stopped moving and they both looked at his arm for a second. Then Eric laughed and Keeska made a weird clicking sound that Eric thought might be laughter too and dropped their arm.

  "Can you hear me this way?" Eric asked.

  -No. Only send. Can only hear if someone else sends.-

  Eric stared at Keeska. "So, um, this isn't a special skill."

  Keeska made the clicking sound again and shook his head. -No. All Iska can.-

  "Who's Iska?"

  -You are Human. I am Iska.-

  "Okay." Eric took a breath. There were aliens. That made sense. An entire race of them was telepathic. Sort of. That was surprising. And a little freaky.

  -Questions?- Keeska asked.

  Eric shrugged, at a bit of a loss. "I don't know."

  Keeska tilted their head, frowning and tapping the fingers of their free hand on their thigh. -You answer many of mine. Teach me much. What you want know?-

  Eric supposed he should ask the obvious question. "What were you doing hiding in an empty store?"

  -Was in tiny short-range shuttle. Navigation controls broke. Crashed. Aimed for green space in middle of buildings. Less Humans. Had to push shuttle into tiny lake to hide. Couldn't call teacher to come get. Beacon also broken after crash. Found place to hide. Stole food. Waited.-

  Eric blinked. "Ah… Okay, but why were you even here?"

  Keeska shrugged. -Was on training trip. Learning about different planets and people. Family is traders, business people. Go many places. Work with many species. Came on trip to learn, so be more useful. Teacher knew much. Would send us out on short trips. To look around. Could do what wanted as long as follow rules and back on time. I not back on time. They look for me, I hope.-

  Eric frowned. "But you've been here for weeks! Why haven't they found you yet?"

  Keeska sighed. -Teacher have to finish trip with other students. Then send someone for me. Might not know where lost me.-

  Keeska frowned, once again ruffling up the not-feathers on their forehead. Eric reached out very slowly and touched the tips of some that were standing up. "What are these?" he asked.

  Keeska tilted their head. They smoothed the not-feathers on their forehead with their fingers. -These?-

  "Yes. Do all Iska have them?"

  Keeska smiled. -Yes. Are called veeka. We are different colors.-

  Eric smiled. "They're pretty. Thank you for the bracelet you made."

  -You keep it?- Keeska sounded surprised.

  "Of course." Eric pointed to where he had left it on the counter, so as not to ruin it in the dish water.

  -Oh.- Keeska stared at him but didn't say anything else.

  Eric cleared his throat, feeling awkward. "Thank you for sharing this."

  -Welcome.- Keeska fidgeted a little bit. -I go now. So you can sing more.- Keeska grinned.

  Eric groaned and took his hand back. "Right. Thanks."

  Keeska made that weird clicking sound again then went back to the living room. Eric decided that definitely must be what Iska laughter sounded like.

  *~*~*

  "Can I be rude?"

  I was startled by the abrupt question and somewhat confused. Eric had been sitting next to me on the couch, reading while I experimented with channels on the television. I looked over at him and trilled softly.

  "My question is really rude. Can I ask it anyway? Because I'm really curious, but it didn't make sense to ask before."

  I tilted my head and frowned.

  Eric shrugged. "You were hurt, and we couldn't really talk. And besides, it's not that…" he shrugged roughly. "I'm just really curious."

  I smiled and held out my hand, palm up. We had been… practicing off and on throughout the previous evening and today, since Eric had the day off and was home, and I thought we were doing quite well. Sending the language Eric spoke was becoming easier for me, though I still sometimes made mistakes and said things that didn't make sense. Eric was still a little unnerved by the whole thing, but he no longer randomly twitched when I said something. I thought that was progress, considering how badly I'd startled him the first time.

  Eric rested his fingers gently in my palm like I had taught him. "Are you male or female?" he asked.

  I blinked. I had not been expecting that. Though maybe I should have been. -No,- I said.

  "Ah, what?" He looked confused.

  I smiled. -I not male or female. No Iska are.-

  Eric shook his head. "So, you're all both? Or you're all neither?"

  I shrugged helplessly. -Don't have physical sex. No gender.-

  "I don't understand." Eric stared at me. "How is that even possible?"

  I shrugged. -We not work that way. Our bodies not made that way. Always like this. We have other things instead. Good things.-

  Eric fidgeted. He started to get up but stopped, looking at where his fingers rested in my palm. He looked up and smiled ruefully. "Sorry. I'm still not used to this." He paused, frowning. "So there are many of your people. And you're not immortal or anything like that."

  I shook my head, smiling. -No. Live only little longer than you.-

  "Huh." He paused, then got an odd look on his face. "So... babies?"

  I laughed, clicking softly. -Babies?-

  "Do you have them?"

  I smiled widely. -Yes, we have little ones. But they come very different than yours.-

  He grinned at me, his dark eyes shining. "I imagine. So how?"

  I sobered. If there was anything that would ruin everything, it would be this. I didn't want to tell him. I valued the tentative friendship we were building between us. But really, I would simply have to trust him. I turned my hand so that I could slowly wrap my fingers around his. I did not want him to jerk away before I could explain properly and the first part of my explanation was going to sound horrible.

  -We must grow them.-

  His fingers twitched and his eyes widened.

  I rushed on in a panic. -Scientist uses...- I floundered. I didn't know enough Human words for this. I shrugged self-consciously. -The pattern, the design? Of the ones that want... babies. It is combined like other kinds do without help. We help baby grow until can live outside of special unit.-

  I paused, waiting to see his reaction. I held my breath and watched him quietly. My fingers gripped his so tightly the tiny veeka on my knuckles were ruffled.

  He looked at me very seriously. "You combine the genes of the parents in a lab."

  He paused when he saw me reaching for my translator with my free hand. I waited for the definition of gene and nodded. -That sounds right.-

  "And then you sort of incubate them, until they're mature enough that they would have been born naturally."

  I asked my translator for the explanation for incubate, frustrated that the more complicated words weren't translating automatically. Oh. -Yes. Exactly.-

  He nodded. "That makes sense."

  It did? Oh, thank the stars. I sighed softly and let the relief sink in. I slowly let my fingers relax while his gaze wandered over my face. He tightened his fingers briefly once my grip loosened, but didn't try to remove his hand.

  -Is not without care. Not thoughtless breeding like old masters did. But this how our young always been born. Don't know other way to make families and grow. Always been born in nurseries. Labs.-

  I forced myself to stop, knowing that I could babble incoherent information at him for hours hoping to explain something that many species viewed as impossible or obscene.

  He stayed silent for a while, thinking.

  "So," he said finally, "your race was genetically engineered? By someone else?"

  I collapsed into the back of the couch, relieved. -Yes.-

  He smiled softly and petted my palm gently with his fingertips, reassuring me. He shifted his position slightly and let his sho
ulder lean more heavily into the cushions, relaxing with me. We moved our hands so that they were resting more easily in the space between us. I noticed that that space had gotten smaller.

  "Why?" he asked.

  -We were laborers. Captive. Owned by another dying race. Used to save their society.-

  "Slaves."

  I sighed. This conversation had too many new words. I poked at my translator again, waiting for the definition. Ah. -Yes. Were slaves.-

  Eric frowned. "But not anymore."

  I grinned widely. -No. Not anymore.-

  He chuckled at my glee. The low rumble was a very pleasing sound. I liked it very much.

  "What happened?" he asked.

  -We were special. Different. Most peoples have word for slave. All different but mean same thing. In all worlds know, slaves much used for labor and chores. But we not just that. Our masters used us other places. Educated. Used for special work. We writers, builders, teachers. Scientists. One that saved us was brilliant mind, working in breeding lab. For those that made our young.- I winced. -Back then, no care like now. Just breeding.-

  Eric shook his head roughly. "But you weren't the ones doing it. Your owners did that." He petted my palm again. "What did your brilliant mind do?"

  -Eet knew more than owners... What is it?-

  "Eet?" He shrugged.

  I laughed. -Sorry. Forget. Eet is word like he or she. But for us because we no have he or she. Most can say or just use different, so we don't try change words.-

  He nodded and made little circle gestures with his free hand.

  -Eet knew more than ta master realized.- I paused. -Ta is like his or hers.- Eric nodded and I continued. -Eet changed us. Gave us our limited sendings.-

  "Your telepathy?" Eric asked.

  That word our teachers had made a point of teaching us, even if it hadn't made it into the translation program yet. -Yes.-

  "How?" Eric exclaimed, clearly surprised.

  I shook my head. -We don't know. All records burned in fight that freed us. We not even remember ta name. I not know how we learned what eet did.-

  "So the telepathy is how you freed yourselves?"

  -Yes. Is told that was same as now. That could only talk like this with touch. But ta had given gift without masters knowing. Entire generation was born this way. And then more. Old ones found out and hid it from masters. When young with gift old enough, adults led fight against masters. -