Scene 1: The Twins' Room

Narrator:

Gordon was sitting shock-still at the table in the twin's quarters, where Evie and iSkandar had hidden him.
Ulan and Uma were sitting opposite him, staring intently.
Becca had never been to the twin's quarters before. There were strips of colored cloth strewn about the room and dried flowers collected from the gardens; some of the dessicated plants were spindly, red, Vencume growth. Scattered across the three comm displays were several drawings that had been done in colored pencil. One was of two girls, drawn in black, that towered over red, yellow, and blue dots. Another showed a family: mother, father, daughter. The daughter was holding a star. This had been crossed out and the paper was wrinkled. There was a grotesquely detailed drawing of a red Vencume in zero-gee; long lines of blue were coming out from the victim and a girl drawn in red was smiling with sharp, angry teeth. The table was covered with crude clay models of Humans and Vencume, some with bits of cloth pressed onto their bodies. Becca could make out a square girl with red cloth, a round one in yellow, and a long figure in blue. The yellow figure had been covered in dried flowers.

Evie:

Gorsky, you've hardly touched a bite of your meal.

Narrator:

Gordon glanced at his bowl for a moment and looked quickly up at the twins. He was gripping a spoon with white knuckles.

Becca:

Didn't they feed you before?

Evie:

Ulan, Uma, let him eat.

Narrator:

Ulan reached out and picked up two of her rough figurines. They mock-battled in her hands.

Ulan:

Our room. Our toy.

Becca:

That's not a toy. He's a human being, just like...like you.

Narrator:

Uma picked up a Vencume figure and chittered. She then picked up the long, blue figure.

Uma:

(chittering) We like Humans. We're going to play Humans. (pause) We're going to play war!

Narrator:

iSkandar shifted to a pale purple and wiggled long fingers.
Ulan picked up the square red figure, then wiggled the yellow one under the flowers.

Ulan:

(chittering) We want to play, too! (pause) I can't play. I am dead.

Narrator:

Uma giggled and wiggled the Vencume figure.

Uma:

(chittering) We broke our toy.

Gordon:

I'm sorry. Please. I said I was sorry.

Ulan:

No, no. No cry.

Iskandar:

Human is broken.

Evie:

Uma, Ulan, why don't you two go and get Gordon something to drink? Don't you think he's thirsty?

SOUND: The twins giggle and leave the room

GORDON:

Thank you.

Iskandar:

Broken Human needs to be connected. The Library has already said to connect. How soon can we do this?

Becca:

(chittering) I think that might be a bit much at the moment.

Evie:

(chittering)If we're going to do it, we may as well do it as quickly as possible. I don't think there's any advantage to waiting.

Gordon:

You're talking about me, I know it.

(pause)

Iskandar:

Broken Human cannot understand us.

Evie:

Gordon, listen, the Vencume have this thing, a direct interface. You remember the goggles I was wearing? How I could see with my eyes shut?

Gordon:

I don't remember your eyes.

Evie:

Forget the eyes. That's not a good reference. Listen. We need you to understand what's going on while you're on the ship. We need to be able to communicate with you.

Gordon:

I don't know who you are.

SOUND: Evie make a little gagging sound.

Becca:

You've changed appearance a great deal. When's the last time he saw you, Evie?

GORDON:

(amazed) You're Evie?

Narrator:

When Becca--and Gordon--had first met Evie, the engineer was an uneven, slouching, overweight woman with dark greasy hair, bad teeth, brown eyes made grotesquely large by thick glasses, and distinctive limp caused by a malformed pelvis and uneven legs. The last time Gordon had seen Evie, she had white hair, sat cross-legged in a mechanical walker that could raise nearly to the ceiling, and the upper-half of her face had been obscured by an array of many, tiny, independently moving lenses. By this point, she was slightly taller than Becca--and starting to gain that weight back!--with two-toned hair, green-brown eyes, and two tiny dot-like scars under her eyes.

Gordon:

(suddenly very apologetic) I'm sorry, I am. I'm sorry about the lifeboat and I'm sorry about that time on the bridge. You don't know how sorry I am about all of that and I don't know what's wrong with me...what was wrong with me...I didn't know it was you under all that stuff. I didn't think that was Human. You were just a mechanical thing and you broke my rib and I never saw your eyes. Not under your glasses, not under your goggles. I never saw your eyes before... I never saw your sad, beautiful eyes....

Iskandar:

What is Broken Human saying?

Becca:

(chittering) You should connect to the Library and download our language.

Evie:

(stiffly) The point is, the Vencume have a way of giving you information, directly. We need you to connect to this system so you can get the language. You'll be able to understand what's being said on the ship and you'll also be able to talk to anyone. Becca and I have both done it and it's painless. We...uh...we have to make our lives a little easier here. We can't rely on translators because they're too crude.

Becca:

Gordon? Do you understand what she's saying to you?

Gordon:

(he's somewhere else) Evie wants to put something in my head.

Becca:

It's not Evie who would do it. It's the Vencume. I'm probably going to do the connection with you, just to help show you around.

Evie:

Why would you do that?

Becca:

Well, so he isn't in there by himself.

Evie:

(chittering) We both did our initial connection alone.

Becca:

(chittering) You're worried about him being nuts, and iSkandar is as well, but you think it's OK for him to go in there without a minder?

Evie:

I need to talk to you about something, Becca.

Scene 2: Hallway

Narrator:

Evie gestured to the door and left the room. Becca went out into the hallway where Evie was pacing.

Evie:

No, Becca. You still have that eye thing and we don't know what caused it.

Becca:

But if it's just my imagination—

Evie:

It's your brain, then. You still have a brain thing going on. Not an eye thing. (sigh) You know, I remember this old movie I saw once about a ship that lands on an alien planet and the doctor gets killed because he tries to use this alien device to boost his I.Q. I'd feel pretty crummy if that happened to you.

Becca:

What movie was that?

Evie:

I think it was something by Shakespeare. The point is, we're dealing with stuff we don't understand and there's too much risk.

Becca:

A risk you can take but I can't? That's very altruistic of you, to help out a guy who nearly killed you once.

Evie:

OK, fine. It's not completely selfless. (she drops to a conspiratorial tone) iMala connected after she developed that field-collapser and did the alterations to the ships. I want that. I want that so bad I can taste it. She had a break-through that I've worked towards for years and always missed. I can't ask her how she did it because she...I'm owed something, you know? I laid the groundwork for that and I earned it. So, it's a pretext for going in and taking what's rightfully mine, but you aren't going to stand in my way.

Becca:

A lust for knowledge. I wonder what the doctor from your old movie thought before he died.

Evie:

I don't have family back home. I've nearly died twice already.

Becca:

No, your family is here. Why not risk it again? Third time's a charm.

Evie:

You're not going to give me this, are you?

Becca:

And if you come out with a 'brain thing'? Well, what then?

Evie:

Oh, but I remember when you found him. 'Oh, tell me it's not real.' And now you want to hop right in there with him. Makes a person wonder.

Becca:

(making a realization) You're jealous.

Evie:

Don't be stupid.

Becca:

Oh, no, you don't get off easy on this one. You two always fought. What do your old movies say about that? (pause while she thinks) You...you don't actually hate him at all. You're afraid of him. Not because of some stupid mistake he might make but because of how he makes you feel.

Evie:

Shut up. Just shut it, now.

Becca:

Why did you make your pilots blondes?

Evie:

The Vencume decided that. Just shut up.

Becca:

Fine, do it. Connect with him. It's obvious you care for him, otherwise the twins might have actually killed him. They knocked him down a few pegs and now he's non-threatening. They softened him up for you.

Evie:

God, Becca... You make it sound so calculated. I didn't do any of that.

Becca:

You can't be intimate with anyone. You're afraid of them. Think about those guys on the station and the 'Gaines constant'. You kept them at arm's length because you didn't want to get hurt. You even did that with Rosemary. I've heard the girls sing that song. You did care about her, but you pushed her away so no one would get hurt and when the girls felt betrayed, they wasted no time in killing her and everyone else on that ship. And then you did that with Gordon. You knew he'd never accept you as you were. He felt your tension and just fed off it. You let him get under your skin.

Evie:

(crying a little) Go to hell, Becca. I can't believe you'd say that to me. We saved your life.

BECCA:

And you hate me right now. Right at this moment, you can't stand the sight of me.

Narrator:

Evie turned and flung her arms against her face, elbows crossed and tight fists at her ears. Her shoulders had risen up to her ears.

Becca:

(calmly) Evie. Listen, do it. Make the connection. Dive in there with him. I'm not going to stop you. Just be honest with yourself on why you're doing it. I don't think less of you. You're a human being and you're allowed to be close to someone. I only hope that those feelings are returned, OK? Remember what you said about pain and how it's necessary for Human development? Just do it. Take that chance, no matter what the pretext might be. I support you.

Evie:

You're making this all about him. You think you could could do it? You're still busted up about your family back home. You're going to put him back into that-—like that stupid arm of his. How long did you have to care for your husband? I'll bet you were a regular Florence Nightingale.

Becca:

(livid) If you're going to--

Evie:

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. That was low of me.

Becca:

I'll say.

Evie:

Becca, I'm sorry. (sniffle) I'm scared and I get mean when I'm scared.

Becca:

If you're scared of doing it, then don't.

Evie:

No. I have to. I have to know what's going on in there. I can't stand unanswered questions and I have so many. I have to know. I don't know what I'll find or if it will be worthwhile, but I'm not going to be satisfied unless I know one way of the other.

Becca:

Curiosity killed the cat.

Evie:

(coyly) And gruesome rituals brought her back.

Scene 3: Connection Room

Narrator:

The girls were all in the mess-hall, allowing Becca and Evie to sneak Gordon down the hall.
iSkandar had gone ahead to explain the situation to Penemue. The two creatures were shifting from purple to blue when the Humans entered the room. Penemue gestured to two beds. Evie lay down on one and Gordon the other.

Penemue:

Only because the Library requests it.

Gordon:

Is this going to hurt?

Becca:

No, it won't hurt.

Penemue:

Doctor will take both Human hands.

Evie:

(chittering) We're trying something new?

Penemue:

Doctor will monitor Human health. Doctor will observe the process to prevent mishap.

Narrator:

Becca held out her right hand to Evie, holding Gordon's hand in her left. She let her eyes relax and saw the shimmering effect in full force, as if Evie had been dropped in a tank of some glimmering liquid and it was spreading across.  Evie's grip was dry and strong, like she was holding a tool; Gordon's was sweaty and desperate, like he was clinging on for dear life.

BECCA:

(internal) I feel like I'm officiating at a wedding.

Narrator:

Penemue started to probe the tops of their heads.
Leaning forward, Becca saw that Penemue's hands were changing color to a pale green, almost white. It started the probing with just the tips of the long, tentacle-like fingers, slowly fanning out to cover more and more of the head. Gordon's right arm twitched.

Gordon:

My face is going numb.

Evie:

That's normal.

Narrator:

Evie's eyes were dilating and her hand went limp.
Gordon was looking straight at Becca, his eyes slowly dilating. A sudden tight grip before his left hand went slack as well.
Penemue had turned a dull gray; just like the Vencume in the Library. Becca leaned forward a bit to look at the hands. There was a fine film of what looked like a gel between the Vencume's hands and the two human heads. On closer inspection, it was actually many, tiny, fine, white hairs.

Evie:

(mumbling)Thank-you. That's very kind.

Becca:

(internal) I wonder what they're doing in there. They look so at peace.

Narrator:

Watching the two humans laying there with perfectly relaxed faces, Becca imagined a swap-meet. There were tables strewn with bits and parts of machines, each table manned by a Vencume. iMala was dancing between the tables, handing out flowers.

SOUND: Evie laughs a little. Gordon does as well.

Narrator:

The swap-meet vision came back. Evie and Gordon had baskets with them, putting items in each other's baskets, pointing out random objects. Smiling.

Gordon:

(mumbling) You did?

Evie:

(mumbling) A little, yeah.

(pause)

Gordon:

(mumbling)Tzikzik. I see.

Becca:

(internal) She's explaining the girls to him. I hope they're working it out.

Gordon:

(mumbling) That's terrible.

Becca:

(internal) I wonder how much I talked during this.

Evie:

(mumbling) We can fix it.

Narrator:

Color came back to Penemue. The Vencume wiggled its fingers and released the human heads.
Evie's hand came to life. She gripped and blinked. Her eyes watered a little.

Becca:

How do you feel?

Evie:

(rubbing her face) Vesta, Diana, Minerva...I need a nap.

Gordon:

Yeah. That's, uh...that's a lot to take in. (pause) Here, Evie, let me help you up.

Evie:

(annoyed) I got it.

Iskandar:

We must hide Broken Human now. Tzikzik will be returning.

Scene 4: Becca and Evie's Quarters

Narrator:

Becca was in the room she shared with Evie, reading about surgical techniques on one of the three displays. She was thinking about Gordon's right shoulder and how it was most likely a ligament tear; either it would need to be patched or replaced. Considering the nature of the ship, replacement seemed the best option.
Gordon was back in the twins' room, sleeping. Uma and Ulan had promised they wouldn't hurt him anymore, and hiding him there seemed the best solution. No one had found him there before; no one would find him there now. Plus, it was accepted behavior that the twins would take food from the mess-hall to their own rooms. If they suddenly stopped, it would arouse suspicion. Gordon, meanwhile, seemed oddly accepting of the situation.

SOUND: a knock at the door

Imala:

(through the door) Becca, I need your help with something.

Becca:

She used my name, not "Doctor-Doctor". Is it a form of respect? (pause as she opens the door) iMala, what kind of help did you need?

Imala:

Well, I have aNdrea helping out, but I want another pair of eyes on this. I need someone there besides me who knows what she's doing.

Scene 5: Kitchen

NARRATOR:

In the mess-hall, they went back to the kitchen where the redheaded aNdrea was waiting. There was a device on the table and a tube of spray. Becca picked up the tube.

Becca:

Are you expecting an injury of some sort?

Imala:

Of course. That's the whole point. I have to know how much she can stand.

Andrea:

Let me know when you're ready.

SOUND: Andrea turns on the cooker

Narrator:

aNdrea turned on one of Evie's cooking fields. The air around it started to waver with extreme heat. iMala made an adjustment to the device on the table and pointed it at aNdrea.

SOUND: Imala turns the device on

Imala:

How does that feel?

Andrea:

I don't feel anything. You sure it's on?

imala:

Of course it's on. I can see the field.

Becca:

What are you trying to do here?

Imala:

aNdrea is going to hold her hand in the burner. I have a field pointed at her that's going to kill the pain and we're going to see how much she can take before she actually feels it.

Becca:

You can't do that!

SOUND: Becca turns the cooker off

Andrea:

Yeah, we can. You have the spray there to fix any damage. It's fine.

Imala:

I need to know the effect. We have a hot-plate but I don't have any mice to see if they lick their feet.

Narrator:

iMala has just referenced a common procedure for testing the pain-killing effect of a drug. A mouse is placed on a hot-plate and the temperature is increased. The number of times the mouse licks its feet is a measure of the animal's discomfort. The greater the temperature the mouse can withstand, and the reduction of the number of foot-licks, is an analgesimetric test of pharmaceutical efficiency. Yes, we really do this.

Andrea:

If it's really bad, you're here.

SOUND: Imala adjusts the device

Imala:

How about now?

Andrea:

Huh...It feels like my sinuses are full.

Becca:

(pleading) You don't have to do this.

SOUND: andrea turns the cooker back on

Andrea:

OK, I'm aware of warmth, but it's tolerable.

Imala:

Do you feel light-headed or groggy?

Andrea:

No, nothing like that. A slight pressure. The heat is there, and I can tell that it's hot, but it doesn't hurt. I can feel the instinct to pull my hand away...I'm aware of that.

Imala:

You're aware of an instinct, but you're able to override it?

Andrea:

Yeah...turning my hand over...The heat here is new on this side. The skin is thinner. (pause) Don't turn that thing off until we apply the spray, OK?

Becca:

(internal) Oh, that...small...no, no. Please let them stop soon. I'm going to be sick.

Imala:

How much damage do you think you can take on that?

Andrea:

I'm not sure. The instinct is strong. I think this side is cooked....Well, second degree or something. I'm iffy on risking any more.

SOUND: andra turns the cooker off

Becca:

(internal) Oh, praise be; they're stopping.

Andrea:

Keep broadcasting. I'm serious. You turn that off, I'll pound you.

Imala:

I shan't touch it.

Andrea:

aNdrea applied a liberal amount of the spray on her hand, back and front. The flesh sizzled.

Imala:

That was a good test.

Idana:

(comes into the room) Hey, are you doing something in here? I was getting weird readings.

Imala:

Nothing you'd be interested in.

SOUND: Imala turns the device off. andrea hisses a bit

Idana:

Nothing? (pause) I was trying to get that new screen to work and there was some interference.

Andrea:

I have to go take care of some things.

SOUND: she leaves

Idana:

(sniffing) There's a smell in here. It's odd. What have you been doing?

Imala:

I said it was nothing you'd be interested in.

Idana:

What's this thing do?

SOUND: idana turns the device on

Narrator:

iDana picked up iMala's device from the table. She turned it on and pointed it at Becca.
Becca felt a pressure behind her eyes. She suddenly felt hungry.

Imala:

Stop it! You're going to break it!

Idana:

This broadcasts something.

SOUND: Idana adjusts the device

Becca:

(trying to not puke) Give the...thing...back to your sister.

SOUND: Imala turns the device off

Imala:

You don't know what you're doing. You always break things. Just leave it alone.

Idana:

We'll see.

SOUND: she leaves

Imala:

They always break things. They're going to break it. I know it.

Scene 6: Becca and Evie's Quarters

(remember, vencume chitter at all times. Mirabilis and renatus chitter.)

NARRATOR:

The two Vencume, Mirabilis and Renatus, approached Becca later that day. They were both an agitated dark blue and Becca wondered what the scientist in charge of the current Tzikzik project--and the other scientist who had been in charge of the previous project--would want to discuss with a Human doctor.

Mirabilis:

Doctor has another Human on board. There is evidence in the garden.

Becca:

(chittering) The twins had hidden him there. I understand that you're upset as well. It wasn't something any of us planned.

Mirabilis:

This changes the schedule. Broken Human must be returned. All Humans will be returned.

Narrator:

The shortest Vencume with pentagon-shaped scales, Buer, spin into the room.

Buer:

You cannot return the Humans so early. We still have too much to learn. The Library has been pleased with their connection and there is great danger awaiting them.

Becca:

(chittering) Buer is right; we can't go back that easily. All of three us face stiff charges in Human hands. They already tried to execute Evie and there were orders for my execution. Now that a Shipping Authority vessel has been destroyed, it's only going to be worse.

Buer:

Scientist must not end the project yet. Doctor will help.

Becca:

(chittering) You wanted to end the project?

Buer:

Scientist is concerned with the project's viability. Current conflict with Humans is a concern and Other Scientist has expressed certain...objections.

Renatus:

We cannot risk civil-kind conflict. This is not the purpose of the project.

Buer:

Other Scientist cannot allow past events to affect thinking. Trauma of...reduction...easily forgets the change in variables.

Mirabilis:

Assistant is noted. The schedule has still changed. The ship will return all Humans. There will be no conflict.

NARRATOR:

The two Vencume scientists left the room. Buer ran a hand over Becca.

Buer:

Doctor is distressed. Humans will not be returned. The Tzikzik project is teaching us many new things about Humans and ourselves. These are...you say it...'birthing pains'. The Tzikzik are too valuable to us. What you are sensing is pride of others who think they are far beyond you. We cannot continue our current path or we will stagnate.

Becca:

(chittering) If they hand us over to the Shipping Authority, do you think things will go the same? Is this something we have to do to protect the girls?

Buer:

Those rains do not fall now, Scientist does not sense far. The project will continue. Scientist does not understand Human politics. Humans will not be returned.

NARRATOR:

Buer massaged the top of Becca's head. Becca felt her eyes getting heavy.

BECCA:

(chittering) Hey...you're...don't do that...

Narrator:

Buer continued to massage Becca's head. It wrapped an arm around her. Becca's face was going numb and she tried, weakly, to move the arm away.

Buer:

Doctor is too useful. Tzikizik project will continue. Your distress is a result of our actions. We cannot allow you to be harmed.

Becca:

(chittering) I'm relaxed. It's fine.

Buer:

Doctor will assist with Broken Human. Doctor will fix Broken Human, Engineer, and the Tzikzik. You have a knowledge that goes beyond the helix. This is something we must understand as well. You express this knowledge in how you deal with them. It is a knowledge we wish to express to all Humans. You will be the means of our expression...not the Tzikzik.

Narrator:

Becca pushed against Buer's arm. She saw the Vencume's hands had turned a pale green.
The room was getting brighter. There was a buzzing sound.

Evie:

(coming in suddenly) I figured it out! (chittering) I hope I'm not interrupting something. You two having a moment?

Buer:

Engineer is pleased. Additional Yellow design is leaving advancement soon. Evie will assist Blue with additional ships.

Evie:

Oh! (chittering) You started that already? That's good! That's great.

Becca:

(internal) Did Buer try a connection? What just happened?

Buer:

Yellow design is useful. The other Tzikzik are still a threat and that situation must be repaired before we can say the project is a success.

Evie:

(chittering) Oh yeah, we'll have to take care of that as soon as possible.

Buer:

Repairs for Broken Human are in preparation. Becca will perform the fix.

Evie:

Hey, you get to do it. You always wanted to. You can work on that arm of Gordon's.

Becca:

(weakly) Yeah...

Buer:

Evie is useful and senses far. Humans are useful and will be maintained.

SOUND: it leaves

Evie:

Did you hear that, Becca? They made more. I said they would.

Becca:

Mirabilis wants to end the project.

Evie:

Huh?

Becca:

I said... You heard what I said. They want to end the project. iSkandar said...

Evie:

iSkandar is Tzikzik. Like iMala.

Becca:

Mirabilis and Renatus were here. They say that the project is ending and that they're going to return us. You, me, Gordon. They want to hand us back over.

Evie:

Don't you want that? Don't you want to go back and see your daughter?

Becca:

Evie! The Shipping Authority wants to kill us! You don't remember that? We destroyed one of their ships. How many people died on that ship? You think they're going to welcome us back with open arms?

Evie:

(very calmly, like it will explain or fix everything) Becca, I know how the collapser works. I know how to halve a journey between systems. You don't think that the Shipping Authority wants to know how to do that?

Becca:

Does anything in your head have anything to do with what happens outside of it?

Evie:

I don't get you.

Becca:

Before we left the station, the Shipping Authority thought we were going to war with the Vencume. What have we done to prove them wrong? A jail break, a ship was attacked, a ship was DESTROYED. The Vencume are trying to avoid a conflict and they want to end the project. Do you understand what's going on here? What does ending a project usually entail?

Evie:

They're not killing my girls.

Becca:

They're turning the ship around! They want us off the ship. They want to start over. We're going to be sacrificed for civil-kind relations!

Evie:

(muttering) Five nine two six five three five eight...

BECCA:

What the hell is that anyway? I need you here, not off in number-number-land.

Evie:

(hurt) I just needed to--

BECCA:

OK, fine. Finding Gordon wasn't a good thing. Happy?

Evie:

No.

(uncomfortable pause)

Go fix Gordon's arm....Seriously. Go do that. I'll go say goodbye or whatever. I wanted to talk to iMala about the field anyway. I figured out some other things as well, so I should at least give her that.

Becca:

Buer doesn't want the project to end. I think it tried to—

Evie:

I need to talk to iSkandar. I understand how 'borrowed time' works now. We might be able to use that. I found some...effects.

Becca:

Which Vencume is in charge of this ship? Who's the captain?

Evie:

(hollow laugh) I think the Library is in charge. Maybe Penemue? I don't think they have a captain the way we do.

Becca:

The Library wanted the connection with Gordon. Buer was saying that we were too useful and the Library was pleased. If the Library is in charge--

Evie:

I only guessed. I don't know for sure. (pause)  Hey, if they want to end the project, what's going to happen to iSkandar? It's a Tzikzik as well. (pause) Wait, how can they be ending the project if there are going to be more pilots?

Becca:

Hang on. Did Buer use our names just then?

Narrator:

The two Humans looked at each other.

Scene 7: The Twins' Room

Narrator:

iSkandar brought Becca the tools she would need for the surgery, along with a twelve-centimeter strip of ligament on a tray and a tube of spray.
The twins let them in to where Gordon was, laying on a bed. He sat up and smiled.

Gordon:

Rebecca, the girls were telling me about your prison break. Uma told me you punched a Shipping Authority guard.

Becca:

I didn't punch anyone.

Gordon:

Oh. She said your hand got them in the head.

Becca:

I didn't have much to do with that (pause) Take off your shirt. We're going to fix your shoulder.

Gordon:

Right here? Is this some kind of Vencume stuff?

Iskandar:

Broken Human talks too much.

Becca:

Yes, Gordon. It's Vencume medical technology. We're going to replace a ligament in your shoulder that was torn. Normally, we'd try to repair it, but that would add to your healing time. We need you up and running as soon as possible.

Gordon:

Are you...hey! What's it doing?

Iskandar:

Broken Human should lie down. Broken Human will want to rest afterwards.

Becca:

It has to numb you for surgery. (internal) Didn't Gordon get the language? Shouldn't he know this? What were they doing when they connected?

Gordon:

Like you did with Evie, right? But you're going to do the actual stitching, right?

Becca:

Not like back home, but yes.

Gordon:

I feel weird.

Narrator:

iSkandar was massaging the right shoulder with one black hand. The flesh paled.
Becca quickly washed the shoulder and held a scalpel on the end of one finger.

Becca:

Are you ready?

GORDON:

(mumbles) Yeah.

NARRATOR:

Becca made the first incision. She pulled her shirt up over her mouth and nose.

BECCA:

Let's try to minimize the risk of infection, OK? (pause) This seems so advanced, but it's actually very primitive. This is such an invasive way of doing this. Back home, we'd only make a few small cuts and use endoscopes to do it all inside the shoulder. But we are replacing the ligament, aren't we? I'm not just tacking it into place. 

NARRATOR:

Becca replaced the scalpel on her finger with a couple of hooks. These were on long stalks, so her hands were not near the opened shoulder. She worried slightly that the tools would fall off her fingers, but they held tightly.

iSkandar held Gordon's arm out from his body and rotated the arm. Becca could see the torn ligament immediately. She cut it away, leaving only a centimeter at the connection points.

iSkandar handed her the arm, and Becca held it out straight while the long fingers placed the new ligament in place. She dropped the tools off her fingers and picked up the long tines that would hold it in place while it was stitched down.

Now, iSkandar slipped a couple of needles on its fingers. His hand turned yellow and the rapid stitching started.

Becca:

(chittering) You did my hand, didn't you?

Iskandar:

That was more complicated.

NARRATOR:

iSkandar finished the attachment at the glenoid cavity and Becca pulled the new ligament taught. They relaxed the arm to a resting position across Gordon's chest to check for length. After a bit more stitching, iSkandar was done with the attachment to the top of the humerus. Becca held the flaps of skin in place and iSkandar applied the spray.

It was done.

Ulan:

You fixed him!

Becca:

Yes, and you can't break him again.

Uma:

We promised. You worked hard.

Iskandar:

Broken Human will rest now.

Gordon:

(groggily) That's amazing.

Becca:

OK, let's leave him alone for a while so he can rest up.

Uma:

You worked hard and fixed him.

Ulan:

You're the best mommy.

Scene 8: Hallway

NARRATOR:

In the hallway, Becca turned to iSkandar.

Becca:

(chittering) What happens to the twins if the project is ended?

Iskandar:

First and Second are not proper Tzikzik. They may be considered Human and will be returned.

Becca:

(chittering) And what happens to the others?

Iskandar:

Destruction would be....complicated. This decision has yet to be made, but our ocean still laps. It may not reach that point. The water raises high in them and must not dry out.

Becca:

(chittering) Who makes that final decision?

Iskandar:

The Library. (pause) Doctor did not mention this to First and Second.

Becca:

(chittering) No, I guess that was dishonest of me.

Iskandar:

It is Human. You do not wish to discuss such things with them. You treat them as offspring.

Becca:

(chittering) Those two make me nervous.

Iskandar:

They were alone. We had not connected with Engineer yet. They did, later, but there was much time from advancement to connection. They are...raw? It is not a good term.

Becca:

(chittering) They're children, but they aren't Evie.

Narrator:

Becca had found herself exhausted after the surgery on Gordon and the discussion with iSkandar. Also, worry gnawed at her stomach. Even if she skipped a meal, she needed to rest. She didn't feel she could face the children while their fate had yet to be decided.

Scene 9: Becca's Dream

Narrator:

In her dream, Becca is a child herself. She is watching an argument between her parents through the sliver-world of a cracked door.
Her great-aunt is suddenly in the room.

Lytle:

You're a clever little girl, staying hidden.

Narrator:

Becca's great-aunt Lytle has always sacred her and she feels the childish fear return. The old woman never married, but traveled the world and now runs a curio-shop in the old district. And in dream-logic, they are suddenly in the shop, surrounded by dust and antiquities.

Lytle:

I have been everywhere. I have seen just about everything there is to see. But I think that you will see much finer and greater things.

Becca:

(a child) What do you mean, teyze Lytle?

Lytle:

I have seen the stars, but you will dance with them. You are Rebecca and you will bind us with them.

Narrator:

The child Becca nods at the meaning of her name.

Lytle:

Your father does not want you to go to school. (chuckles) This is foolish. If you teach a boy, you teach a boy. But, if you teach a girl, you teach everyone she knows.

Narrator:

A long Vencume arm peaks out from under great-aunt Lytle's skirts and stirs her coffee.
One of the twins is in the shop with her, examining a typewriter closely and watching the keys as they rise and fall. But it isn't one of the twins.

Becca:

(a child) This is my friend Evie. She's really smart.

Lytle:

Did you meet at school, or on that boat trip you took?

Narrator:

One of Lytle's Vencume arms tousles the child Evie's head.
Child-Evie runs off to look at an old telephone. She dials a number and runs the cord through her fingers.

Lytle:

She's just a child as well.

Narrator:

Becca now stands as an adult in her great-aunt's curio shop. Teyze Lytle has finished her transformation into a Vencume.

Becca:

Why did you open this place?

Buer:

Look at all these things I've collected over time. Someday I'll die and what good will it be? Nothing but dust and faded memories. Maybe here, someone will see something and take it home and love it anew.

Narrator:

Becca recalls this explanation from her great-aunt.

Buer:

We have been everywhere and we don't have much time. It must be passed on. This must be preserved. I wish I could express this better to you. Forgive the seeds I have planted. We are at a turning point. If we do not start this process now, it may be too late.

SOUND: low rumble of thunder

Scene 10: Becca and Evie's Quarters/ hallway

Narrator:

Becca woke with a start in an unusually quiet room.

BECCA:

Didn't Buer try to connect to me earlier? Was that what it wanted to say? Why use my great-aunt?

Narrator:

As she pulled on her shoes, Becca remembered Lytle. Yes, there had been a discussion when Becca was younger as to if she would go to school. But it had been great-aunt Lytle and the old woman's clout that had sent her to university. Becca's father had just wanted her to get married.
And she did. Becca did get married. But that was after she got her degree.
She remembered when great-aunt Lytle died. A surprising number of people had come to the service and they all shook Becca's hand. "Oh, you look just like her." And "You were always the smart one. She liked you best."
Great-aunt Lytle had left behind a trust for Becca's schooling.

Becca:

How will Huri go on without me? If the Shipping Authority froze my account, doesn't all this time away count for nothing? And if the Vencume take us back? Will that make amends? They can't punish her for that.
The Vencume can't punish the children for what the Shipping Authority did.
It's only two of them. It's only Renatus and Mirabilis. Maybe Renatus is bitter. Didn't they kill him on the other ship? But the girls took care of that, so hasn't he been avenged? No, they don't think like that.

Narrator:

Becca combed her hair back and left the room she shared with Evie.

Becca:

And what is Evie doing? She's done with her mantis; now she's working on something new. Don't you have something to work on? Yes, Evie. That's what you can do while you're here. She's not an adult. She's never made an adult decision. Look at where you are now and how that was all Evie's doing. No, not Evie. Well, parts of her. Parts of Evie made that decision. They won't kill the twins, will they? Does Evie have any children back home? No, she's too young for that. She really is young, considering. I wonder if she was a prodigy.

Narrator:

Becca made her way to the mess-hall.

Becca:

Maybe we'll make one last meal together. Those redheads aren't that scary, really. I've gotten used to them.

Narrator:

No one was in the mess-hall. No redheads were cooking or cleaning.

Becca:

Do you think you'll ever see Huri again? Maybe not. But you were a good mother to the children here, weren't you? For what that's worth. You at least tried to love them.

Narrator:

In the laundry room, and no one was there.
Even in the twins' room, there was no one. Not even Gordon.
And no one on the observation deck.
Or the ad-hoc bridge.
Or Evie's ancillary lab.
It was as if the ship had been deserted.

Becca:

Where is everyone? Are they in the garden? They must have put it into advancement and are collecting another harvest.

Narrator:

That must have been it. Becca made her way down the hallway to the lift that would take her to the connecting pod.

Becca:

They must be in the garden. Did they end the project already? They couldn't have. Maybe the girls are having some sort of farewell in the garden? How would they react to that? They don't seem to care much about death.

Narrator:

There was a Vencume ahead of her, shuffling slowly along, its long blue hands tracing the wall. It looked odd.

Renatus:

Doctor...Doctor is safe. Humans will...return will...

Becca:

(chittering) Are you OK?

Renatus:

Where is Engineer? Where is Broken Human?

Narrator:

There was something different about the Vencume's hands. Renatus flickered and Becca was suddenly reminded of an old professor who taught anatomy.

Becca:

(afraid now. Chittering.) I don't know. I haven't seen any of them. What's wrong?

Renatus:

We saw a toughness, a cleverness. We have swum these waters before....before we met you. Before we met Engineer. You are strange creatures.

Becca:

(chittering) Do you need my help?

Renatus:

The Tzikzik are on the bridge...We have been here before.

Becca:

The...on the...like before?

Renatus:

The project was to continue. It was explained. Engineer had spoken with them. We cannot end the project. Your...imagination...is in play again.

NARRATOR:

Becca stared at the lumbering creature before her. It did look like her old anatomy professor now. She could make out the bald head and hunched shoulders.

Becca:

(chittering) What's going on?

Renatus:

The Tzikzik are in control. They say the ship now belongs to their army.