Chapter 7

7

T he Earthlings ate their meals in the main food cafeteria, clustered around a single table, discussing their work on the station.

Since they arrived, so did Karuk.

He had not approached them since that initial day, and he had not felt that intense telepathy since, either. He wondered if it was some kind of fear that caused such a strong psychic response. It happened. Overwhelming worry and emotion could radiate out to a psychic being like intense telepathy.

Still, he was intrigued and couldn’t stay away from them.

From the female with the dark hair, Jenny.

He continued to watch her.

At least trying to maintain a respective distance. Today, she wore her hair piled on the back of her head, keeping the hair bundled off her delicate neck.

Everything about her intrigued him. She had pretty features, and when she smiled, her eyes sparkled, and she seemed to glow with joy.

Every once in a while, he would see her look his way, but it was never for long, and never seemed more than coincidental.

Like now, she grinned and laughed at something the other female, Brooklyn, said, who she seemed to always be with.

He wondered if they were mated. They always seemed to be together.

“You know, you could be more subtle,” Resko said, taking a seat across from him at the table.

Karuk glanced at him, noticing that the markings around his face and down his shoulders shifted in the light against his skin, showing a neutral mood. Regardless of what his visual cues about his state indicated, Resko needed something.

Karuk could sense it. Even with his dampener on, he could feel the emotions that Resko kept hidden bubbling beneath the surface.

Surprising. Resko never regarded him at all if it could be helped.

At least Resko wasn’t angered today. Though the markings on his face did flicker slightly with a greenish hue, adding to the emotional undercurrent that Karuk sensed. “Seriously, you’re staring at them all the time.”

“Intrigued,” Karuk said.

“They’re nice enough,” he said. “Similar to Terrans, from what I can tell.”

“Have you interacted with them?”

“No.” Resko took a bite of his dinner. “But I’m not afraid to.”

Karuk blinked. “Afraid? Why that word?”

“Can’t think of another reason you won’t speak to them. Instead, you follow them around whenever you’re off duty.”

He blinked. “Incorrect.”

Resko nodded again. “Listen, here’s the true trajectory. If you’re going to approach the Earthlings, do it soon. I’m not the only one who has noticed you watching. Cher and Bardon have as well.”

“Why would they care what I do? They should be pleased I have my own agenda.”

He sighed. “They don’t like you.”

“All the more reason they should want to stay away from me.”

“Or torment you.”

Karuk raised his eyebrow. “You fought with me too. Why should I trust you now?”

“At first. During that major blow up we had was in the air lock. And that was because I was standing up with Bardon, because I didn’t witness it. I had to trust who I knew. You were a new variable.”

Karuk nodded. “And what changed?”

Resko sighed and studied his plate of the protein mush. Stirred it with his utensil, before meeting his gaze again.

“Feoa’s my cousin. She told me what you did before.”

He blinked, remembering the incident with the feuding couple he’d intervened with at the stairs. “I wasn’t aware.”

“Ran into her a few days ago, and she told me about the fight, and this Dalgurian had stopped Jovank from really hurting her this time.”

“This time?” he asked, gritting his teeth.

Resko showed his own frustration. “It’s not the first time he’s hurt her.”

“Where is he now?” Karuk asked, wondering if he needed to show Jovank how females were to be treated.

He didn’t tolerate damaging females. For any reason.

“Jovank is on a freighter back to Carix-4. Evidently, they have some charges against him. He will face that, plus whatever Feoa decides to add.”

Karuk nodded. “Is she well?”

“She is. Part of the reason I wanted to encourage you to pursue your Earthling.”

“Why?”

“Feoa is looking for a new male to entertain her. I wanted to get you out of her trajectory.”

Karuk blinked. “This is your relative you speak of?” Did he not think well of his family?

“It is.” He put down his utensils and laced his fingers together. “She’s supposed to go home to Pax. If she spends time with you, she will stay here and not return, which could aggravate her own legal issues.”

Legal issues.

Otherwise known as running from illegal activities in another star system.

“I see,” he said and took a drink of his juice.

Out of habit, he glanced at the table where the Earthlings sat.

They were shifting around, and Jenny turned and looked at him.

She met his gaze for a moment, before a quick smile spread over her face, and she turned back to her friend.

He returned his attention back to Resko just as a shadow crossed the table.

“Go speak to her,” came from the shadow.

Girrick, who was Xairian like Bardon, loomed over the table with his tray before he jerked out the chair. His purple skin was darker than others, making him seem a shade of a dark night. He dropped his tray on the third side of the table between him and Resko.

“Did you tell him?” Girrick asked.

Resko nodded.

“Both of you have been conferring about me?” Karuk asked.

“Only when it affects us,” Girrick said.

“And how does it affect you, Girrick?” Karuk asked.

“Because if Resko is distracted, I wind up floating away on a repair,” he said with a laugh.

“He’s not wrong,” Resko laughed as well. “He’s really in this for himself.”

Karuk chuckled, amused at the two of them, and surprisingly pleased to feel the brief camaraderie for the first time in a long time.

Working so hard to keep himself isolated and as unremarkable as possible, to have a laugh with others, it moved him.

He glanced back at Jenny.

She was watching him.

He felt that pull in his chest again when he looked at her.

He turned back to the others. “Well, if it’s for the good of the team, I guess I must be social with the Earthlings,” Karuk said and stood.

The other two watched him as he picked up his tray.

Resko and Girrick glanced at each other.

Karuk didn’t trust that they were being truthful about their reasons, but he felt they were not out to see him harmed.

If it had been Cher and Bardon?

He would not have listened to them. Their intentions he questioned almost every shift. They seemed to want him off their team more than anything. Whether they were hoping he would quit or leave, he didn’t know, but they didn’t share any desire to befriend him.

Still surprised at Resko and Girrick, he partially wondered if this was some kind of trick they were playing on him, and Cher and Bardon were involved.

But did it matter if they were? He should still speak to the girl, to Jenny, again. He felt it was the right thing to do, even if he was encouraged to proceed.

Karuk took his tray over to the recycling station and decided he would approach the Earthlings after he put his tray away. If only to expedite the process.

He set the tray into the recycler and turned to walk toward their table.

And there she was.

“Oh, um, hi,” Jenny said, and smiled at him.

“Greetings,” he replied. He watched her face, and she kept a smile on, but her gaze shifted around, at first, looking at him, but then her gaze kept going other places.

His chest pulsed again with that draw he’d been feeling in her presence. The strong psychic connection wasn’t there, but something else was.

“Yeah, hi,” she replied.

“Are you well?” he asked. And he waited for her to respond. She said nothing, merely stood there, staring at him.

He did not speak either, giving her patience. Patience was something that?—

“Um, sure,” she finally said, her posture shifting from one foot to the other.

“Will you move it?” came another voice.

Karuk looked for the speaker. It was another one of the Earthlings.

“You’re, uh, kind of in the way,” Jenny whispered.

And raised her tray.

Karuk glanced to his side, realizing he blocked the recycling station, so no one could put their trays away.

“Apologies,” he said, and walked away.

A wave of foolishness overtook him as he walked away, and he forced himself to keep his steps solid and not show any effect of the interaction on his demeanor. If only to make sure that his teammates did not realize his error.

But as he walked through, a glance at them showed the two of them holding back laughter.

Resko gave him a quiet clap, mocking his moves.

“I thought those pretty boys had the swagger,” he heard Girrick say.

“Guess not,” Resko replied.