"What can it mean?" Nino wrings her hands together, gazing out the window at the cold light of the stars. She sits on a sumptuous, cushioned bench of deep red wood inlaid with gold scroll work on the main control room of the Abrasax light cruiser. Aleksa is seated nearby, scanning the glowing symbols hovering over a sheave, her brows furrowed in concentration.
"I don't know," Aleksa replies, not looking up. "I need more time, to soak it in." She almost lifts her head, shrugging, but she is loath to relinquish her attention from the information teasing at her mind.
"I understand it can be hard for Tersies to accept," Stinger rises from the perch of the comfortable control chair. His head is cocked in an attitude of sad resignation. "Harvest has been the coin of the universe for millions of years. I know it seems heartless, but is it any worse than war? Or starvation?" He glances with a bit of trepidation toward Aleksa. When first he explained the nature of the universe, she was quite vociferous in her condemnation of the process of gathering entire planetary populations just to extend the life of a privileged few. "I guess that is for you to decide."
"Yes, of course, that's absolutely horrible," she replies a bit off hand. "But you said that Jupiter has saved us from that, yes?"
"Well, yes, Earth at least." Stinger is somewhat bemused by the her casual reply regarding this newly revealed universal reality. He does not yet know about the injustices that the sisters have suffered at the hands of their own 'humanity.' "Humans are horrible to each other all over the universe. I am very sad, but not very surprised. However, I was speaking of these equations," Aleksa waves the sheave in the air and glances at it with a mix of bewilderment, and fierce determination. "You translated, but I don't understand many of these notations." Yet, her eyes caress the equations like a long lost lover. "I remember," she says softly, her eyes caressing the floating symbols like a long lost lover a hint of a smile tugging the corners of her lips. A small smile flashes across Stinger's own lips like a fleeting reflection.
"I am happy, that you have your mathematics returned to you," Nino says, yet her hands are clasped tightly in her lap, and she continues her gaze out the window with a lost, lonely look. "All my studies, what can they possibly mean now?" Nino shakes her head and looks away from the window. "Once, I could construct a natal chart in my head. But here, what would be the point?"
"I see," Stinger says, rubbing his chin with a slight smile. He really doesn't understand what Nino means about 'signs', anymore than she understands what he means about 'splices.'
"How could a chart ever be plotted for a child born in space?"
"Well, what about the problem with ascendants in the far North? Didn't you find an answer that still worked?"
"Well, yes, but, I don't see how that is the is the planet? Where is the center?" Her arms make an expansive waves, as if to encompass the entire universe, while she releases a heavy, dejected sigh, as if the force of all her disappointments in life culminated in that breath. Aleksa sets her sheave aside at the lost, pained tone in her sister's voice.
"I don't have those answers," she says softly, placing an palm on her sister's arm. "But if anyone can find them, it is you"
Stinger watches that gentle touch, then clears his throat and turns away, an odd look crossing his face. A gentle buzzing emanates from the control console, capturing his attention.
"A ship requesting docking." The sisters tense, memories of hiding, like being hunted, dancing like shadows across their faces. Stinger's relieved sigh comforts them. "A shuttle from Captain Tsing. She's something of a friend. Vladie? Who is Vladie?" Aleksa's head jerks up with a grimace.
"Trouble," Nino replies with a roll of her eyes. Stinger's eyes narrow at the words, but Aleksa waves away his concern.
"Our nephew. Family."
"Ah, that kind of trouble," Stinger replies with a knowing nod. This, at least, for all the strange topics the sisters have been discussing, family he understands.
"Just find some place out of the way to tuck him in. Give him food and games and he will be fine." Stinger glances at the message, then grins.
"I know just the place."