Effervescent ||Tsu'tey||

The sarcasm of a soldier

"You're back early." Grace looked up from her microscope when Alva stormed into the room. "Thought we'd have to drag you back here by your tail."

Alva shook her head before sitting down on one of the chairs by the science table. It was covered with pamphlets and stacks of papers, as well as slides containing the samples of whatever Grace was studying that evening.

"And the sample?"

"Still attached to the tree." She mustered a smile for Norm and Jake who sat on opposite sides of the room. The kind of knowledge that was stored in the trees belonged to the people, not to scientists who would study it and study it until it lost all its magic and all that remained were cold numbers on a screen. "Seems like I wasn't the only one back early. Hi boys."

"Shame. I could've used it."

"Any research you make goes right back to them. Imagine what would happen if my brother finds out they're not just trees. Quaritch is sitting on thousands of explosives, just imagine the damage that could do."

"It's a double edged sword," Grace agreed, crossing her arms over her chest. A picture with torn edges peeked out of her breast pocket. Alva didn't recognize the male Na'vi on it. "But without those samples your brother won't listen to a word I'm saying."

"The bill comes due." Alva said, eyes flickering over to meet Jake's. "For all of us."

"Speaking of big brother," Grace resumed her tests, "there's a call waiting for you and a message from someone called 'Paz'. Something about Miles missing you."

Jake and Norm's eyes widened.

"It's her son!" Alva protested.

"I ain't judging you," Jake grinned.

"He's a baby, Jake."

"Don't let the Colonel hear you call him that," Grace warned. "You know what happened last time."

Alva's lips thinned as she pulled out the stack of pictures from her pocket. The top one was one taken a few days after Paz was released from the hospital. Baby Miles was swaddled in a bright blue blanket, sleeping in Alva's shaking arms. She pulled it out of the rubber band and held it up.

"That's Miles. Miles Socorro. Cutest baby you'll ever see – apart from me – . Likes spiders and flowers, especially the toxic ones."

"Spiders huh," Jake mused, rolling close rough to snatch the picture from her hand. "He looks a bit like him, though; The Colonel."

"Unfortunately." Alva muttered.

Jake looked at the picture for a bit before he returned it. Alva tucked it back in with the others. She would need a larger band soon for it could barely contain the ones there now. Parts of it had turned white from the stretch, and every time she unbound it she feared it would snap.

"Did Parker tell you what he wanted?"

Grace raised her eyebrow. "Of course he didn't. He never does."

"Right." Alva clapped her hands, plastering a smile on her face. She felt light-headed at the thought of it, of what demands he would make of her this time. "I'll go speak to my brother. You three keep on doing whatever it was you were doing. Oh, and Norm, Trudy is on her way back."

Norm leaned back in his cot with his thumbs up.

The computer used for private matters was shoved in the corner by link unit one, and the screen was held up by leaning on an old rusted fan. The plastic lawn chair creaked under her weight as she settled down, but as usual it held up, even if the legs had started to sport a permanent bend to them. Norm refused to sit on them, and Grace did all her business from the work computer, so she had no one to blame but herself if she were to fall through the seat one day.