view pleased me.
Who was down there? I wondered. Were they still alive?
âYou wonât be able to see them,â Tournour said, interrupting my daydreaming.
I loved the sound of his voice. There was a tone that Loors had that Humans could barely hear, but I imagined that was what made his voice sound so warm to my ears.
I hadnât seen him since weâd all been on lockdown. His antennae moved slowly from side to side, indicating that he was concerned about something, but not too worried. In the past year, I had come to know and depend on him in a way that I had never done with anyone before. He was the only thing I had left. Somehow, we fit together, the two of us, cast out from our homes and secretly trying to fight the Imperium.
Even if it felt like most days I had nothing, I still had something.
One thing.
âI was looking for the color blue,â I said.
âItâs out there,â he said. âBut you should leave that color be.â
He was trying to steer my heart away from whom it hated most.
Tournour ordered a bottle of Loor water and sat down, signaling to the other aliens there that all illegal transactions should be put on hold. Aliens either left my place and went to Kitsch Rutsokâs, or settled down to more casual social interactions. Tournour was of the law.
He placed his currency chit on the counter, which I pushed back to him. It was a game we played. Whatever he ordered, it was always on the house.
âHe ruined everything in my life. He abandoned me on this space station and tried to kill me,â I said.
âTwice,â he reminded me and took a long swallow of water. He put the bottle down and smiled. Loors, despite their antennae, triangle patch of colored skin, and lack of eyebrows, were more similar to Humans than most aliens in their expressions. With a Loor, a smile meant a smile.
I smiled back.
âYou donât sound glad that Brother Blue kept his word and made sure that weâre forgotten,â he said.
âWhen you say it like that, you make it sound like I should be thankful for something that man did. I will never be thankful for anything that he does.â
âHe kept his word,â he said. âThatâs more than most.â
I started to get agitated. Most days it was something that I pushed to the bottom of my thoughts. It was either that or let the powerlessness I felt about Brother Blue drive me mad. Tournour shifted, and I could see him holding himself back from trying to calm me down. It was a strange thing about Loor biology that when they were mated to someone, they would release a scent when their partner was in danger or upset. It was a way of bonding. Sometimes it made me feel uncomfortable to have the responsibility of his heart, as much as I needed his care.
âI just expectedâ¦â I continued.
âWhat?â Tournour took my hand. He knew the things I was frustrated with. Being here. Being the lone Human. Feeling powerless. Thought of as dead. Being worldless. He was a careful observer of everything but also, of all things, me. He also knew that I was from a species that needed to state and restate the obvious all of the time. Heâd learned, through my careful instruction, that sometimes I just needed to vent. That it didnât mean I was angry or in danger. It was a necessary Human emotional release. I let my breath out in a big sigh and changed the subject.
âWhatâs the news on the castaway?â I asked.
âHard to say,â Tournour said. âWe donât know if the alien is alive or dead. There is a distress beacon on Quint, so we know where it is, but itâs automatic. Weâve had no word from an actual alien, and we donât have the resources to send someone down there.â
âSo if they are alive, they will just live there on Quint? Alone and abandoned?â
âAssuming it has the nanites to help its lungs with the atmosphere. And assuming its