Chapter 21: Will they let me go home?
"This is yours," the Lieutenant said. It was a one-room cabin. "I know it's not much, but everywhere else is full. A lot of people want to talk to my sister about our team."
"Will she be in trouble?" Daniel asked, sitting down.
"I don't know," he finally answered. "I hope not. Uh, can I get you something to eat? Some clothes?"
Daniel looked down at his grubby military-issue garb, not enhanced in the least by sleeping on the floor in them. "Yes, if it's not any trouble," he had to work at that sentence. "And a chance to wash?"
"Water's rationed. You can have a vibe shower." That took more talk. Daniel nodded.
"Look, is Varielle…"
"I don't know. It depends on the officers. There's other boards…" He shook his head. "She lived, they didn't. It doesn't look good. It doesn't help that she never shuts up."
"Yes, she does."
"She always needles people."
"So do I."
"You're a perfect match." He shook his head. "I'm… sorry about my father."
"You don't sound too upset," Daniel said hesitantly.
"We weren't close. He tried, but…" Simarell shrugged. "Then Mother died and the family just sort of… fell apart. If Varielle hadn't been there I doubt we'd be talking at all."
"She was the peacemaker?"
"More like the nagging daughter. She wouldn't stop prodding us to talk. Even if we just send letters once a season or something. She'll make sure we all get together for the memorial service."
"You wouldn't come without her?"
"Probably not," he admitted. "I'll go and let you get changed. If we hurry we can still get something hot to eat in the mess. I missed dinner."
Daniel looked around. "I guess I expected to be on a planet."
"We moved everything up here a few years ago," Simarell said. "The science types were worried about diseases and so on. There are very strict quarantine procedures. I'd better warn you, our medical people are going to need to run all sorts of tests on you."
"Oh."
"Nothing they don't run on our own people," Simarell hastily said. "Just… not usually all at once."
"Right," he sighed. "But - will they let me go home?"
"If they don't it's kidnapping," he said briskly. "Even if the military want to, the Jedi won't stand for it. My sister… have you ever seen her angry?"
"No."
"I have. I never want to again."
"What is this?" Daniel regarded a blue jelly-like substance.
"Mynock soup."
"It looks like Jell-O." He bit it thoughtfully. "Tastes like it too."
"What's Jell-O?"
"This is yours," the Lieutenant said. It was a one-room cabin. "I know it's not much, but everywhere else is full. A lot of people want to talk to my sister about our team."
"Will she be in trouble?" Daniel asked, sitting down.
"I don't know," he finally answered. "I hope not. Uh, can I get you something to eat? Some clothes?"
Daniel looked down at his grubby military-issue garb, not enhanced in the least by sleeping on the floor in them. "Yes, if it's not any trouble," he had to work at that sentence. "And a chance to wash?"
"Water's rationed. You can have a vibe shower." That took more talk. Daniel nodded.
"Look, is Varielle…"
"I don't know. It depends on the officers. There's other boards…" He shook his head. "She lived, they didn't. It doesn't look good. It doesn't help that she never shuts up."
"Yes, she does."
"She always needles people."
"So do I."
"You're a perfect match." He shook his head. "I'm… sorry about my father."
"You don't sound too upset," Daniel said hesitantly.
"We weren't close. He tried, but…" Simarell shrugged. "Then Mother died and the family just sort of… fell apart. If Varielle hadn't been there I doubt we'd be talking at all."
"She was the peacemaker?"
"More like the nagging daughter. She wouldn't stop prodding us to talk. Even if we just send letters once a season or something. She'll make sure we all get together for the memorial service."
"You wouldn't come without her?"
"Probably not," he admitted. "I'll go and let you get changed. If we hurry we can still get something hot to eat in the mess. I missed dinner."
Daniel looked around. "I guess I expected to be on a planet."
"We moved everything up here a few years ago," Simarell said. "The science types were worried about diseases and so on. There are very strict quarantine procedures. I'd better warn you, our medical people are going to need to run all sorts of tests on you."
"Oh."
"Nothing they don't run on our own people," Simarell hastily said. "Just… not usually all at once."
"Right," he sighed. "But - will they let me go home?"
"If they don't it's kidnapping," he said briskly. "Even if the military want to, the Jedi won't stand for it. My sister… have you ever seen her angry?"
"No."
"I have. I never want to again."
"What is this?" Daniel regarded a blue jelly-like substance.
"Mynock soup."
"It looks like Jell-O." He bit it thoughtfully. "Tastes like it too."
"What's Jell-O?"