Achingly lonely and stranded a thousand miles from home, college freshman Gianna Nero nearly takes her own life by stepping in front of an oncoming bus. A stranger saves her from that grisly fate, in the form message sent by a soggy-mouthed alien, s...
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Gianna assessed herself in the mirror, chin tucked, posture erect, bloodshot eyes narrowed, and lips futilely trying to get out of the way as she uttered a consonant-heavy sSuryn word, twelve syllables long.
"Careful," Treven said, taking her side. Their shoulders touched, and in his reflection Gianna saw the man she still thought of as that snotty-nose brat who'd walked into her lab nearly ten years ago. "The way you said 'appreciate' could take on a sexual connotation if you tilt your head like that. Maybe you should use uklala suasi instead. It's easier to say, and has a more exact meaning."
"Are you telling me how to do my translations?" Gianna said, half chiding, half mocking. She tapped the mirror and it returned to the default backlit display that had practically ingrained itself into her brain. Gianna fanned her eyes until they teared up, offering a bit of relief from the burn.
"I'm worried about you, Gee. You've been at this for fifteen hours straight." He gave her back an open-palmed rub. "I can help if you let me." With his free hand, he swiped away pages of the avi-screen until his custom display appeared.
Gianna grunted, too tired even to yell at him for messing with her controls. A true-to-life holo-projection appeared in front of them, a female that looked suspiciously like a younger, prettier, sSuryn version of Gianna. "Akuotraaam sur dekpth Fevcha," she greeted them with a cross-armed bow, pronunciation impeccable. The technology was alien, but the English to sSuryn language conversions were concocted by Treven. Gianna furrowed her brow.
"I know what you're thinking," Treven said. "But I've made significant modifications to the translation algorithms."
The last time Treven had shown her the holo-projection, it had done well on the exchange of customary pleasantries, but when Gianna had tested its knowledge with simple verb conjugations, it promptly told her that her statement was teeming with ass muffles, and would she please repeat it. The only reason Gianna encouraged Treven's obsession was that this little project kept him out of her hair. A simulation would never be sophisticated enough to understand all of the nuances of sSuryn culture--a civilization where custom, language, and impeccable manners were inseparable.
Treven started up a demonstration of the use of honorifics, and the holo-projection didn't trip on a single one. Gianna put it to the test, trying to break it with covert inflections and declensions. It held up to her satisfaction, not just with words, but its physical responses as well.
"Color me impressed," Gianna said with a smile, and Treven heaved a sigh of relief. "Though you may have just put us both out of a job."
"You can't be replaced, Gee. All the translation algorithms in the world aren't a match for your brain." Treven looked at her with the wide eyes of a pupil who had not yet realized his knowledge had surpassed that of his teacher.
Gianna fanned him away. Treven gave her a sly grin, then left the lab, promising to fetch strong coffee and dark cherry cannolis. Caffeine would be nice. She needed to get this translation done. It would likely be the last she sent before the sSuryn's arrival. It'd be her last chance to say what she needed to say to Breva before they were caught up in the storm of politics, biology, and media. Should she tell him the truth? It scared her that soon their conversations wouldn't span months and years. No longer would she have endless hours to craft the perfect flirty lines.
Gianna fidgeted with the controls on Treven's custom interface until the holo-projection of the female sSuryn was replaced with that of Breva. He stood a mere four feet tall, barrel-chested with powerful legs that accounted for half of his height, but Gianna had long ago learned to look past all that. She looked into his golden eyes and expressed her undying appreciation for his friendship, not bothering to mask any of the sexual undertones.
The skin at Breva's throat bulged, glowing hot white like he'd swallowed a miniature sun. It was a magnificent display of arousal that left Gianna with a tight chest and her heartbeat ringing in her ears. She reached out to touch him, but the holo-projection merely pooled around her fingers, breaking the perfect illusion. She'd seen that reaction from Breva once before, seemed like a lifetime ago. She'd been Treven's age, just barely out of her twenties. They'd called her a prodigy then, but compared to Treven, she was just a bumbling idiot with a barely functional grasp of sSuryn grammar.
The door to her lab hissed open behind her. She turned to scold Treven for being so clingy, but instead her boss stood there looking disconcerted. "Dr. Nero, we've received another message from the sSuryn," he said solemnly.
"What? Well, give it here." It was too soon for another message. She knew in her gut that something was wrong. She swiped her avi-screen to default and brought up the translation application.
Mark shook his head. "We already know what it says."
"Treven?" she said, a touch of spite catching in her throat. It was her job to translate, not his.
He shook his head again. "It was a short automated message. Audio only. We didn't need to consult. It said 'Systems failure, ship disabled. Send help.'"
