"Hello Cece," my voice was more calm than I ever expected that it could have been, but my frantic hand motions toward Vailen and the others betrayed the thundering of my heart. I don't know what it was that I was trying to get across really, motioning for someone to join me and Esayr at the door of the room. Logic should have had me scurrying back toward the computers that the males used for their communications in hopes of...something.

Esayr was at my side in a second, a constant soothing presence over my shoulder.

I flicked through screens quickly in the silence, half afraid that the call would drop or whoever I spoke to —whether Cecelia in truth or someone else entirely— would disconnect the line.

By the time the voice spoke again, I'd managed to engage the speaker phone, broadcasting the voice into the silent room. "I believe you've been trying to reach me," there was a pause that went on just a little too long before the woman continued, "The collective 'you'."

That odd cadence was still there in the words making them just the slightest bit stilted. "We have." The more I listened to the voice the more I realized that it didn't quite sound like a modified voice. The off way I perceived the voice seemed more akin to the uncanny feeling I got whenever I listened to an AI voice that sounded almost human, in that way that we'd nearly gotten it perfect, but it still wasn't quite there.

"You've reached me." It wasn't a question. It didn't even sound particularly interested, merely clinical.

Esayr must have felt something in the room, or noticed something in the time that I'd been too engrossed in watching the blank screen of my phone to be aware of. Regardless, the light pressure at my elbow directed me further into the room and back to the table with Vailen, now surrounded by other males as he typed furiously on silent luminescent keys inlaid into that frosted glass screen.

I looked frantically to the others for help, to know what to say to her, but it quickly occurred to me that they would likely have even less of an idea how to respond than I would. They were relying on me to be that interim between their race and the humans. This was the exact event where the Val'Dornn were hoping I could assist. I met a sea of blank faces watching me, waiting with a certain hint of hope behind their eyes.

"It was my idea to try and reach you."

"I had hoped so." There was a laugh, it was a sharp staccato note that while jarring and oddly timed, did help to soften that clinical air to the conversation.

"I-" I paused again, unsure whether it was better to discuss this topic, human to human. I glanced toward Esayr. He wasn't looking at me then. Instead staring down at my phone. This close I could have easily counted all of those long dark lashes where they fanned out against his cheekbones. No more separation. Wherever we go, we go together. "-We wanted to talk to you. You're at the forefront of the media coverage of the convergence of the Val'Dornn and Human acquaintance." I had to lock my knees to keep from pacing back and forth in the room, an old habit I'd gotten after days of nearly forming a ditch in my small apartment whenever I had a longer phone call.

"We were hoping that you'd consider the possibility of getting both sides of the narrative. I'll say that I understand whatever your answer may be, and we aren't asking that you make your decision now, but we're interested in allowing you access to the Aarond Form."

"The Val' ship?" Cece's voice interrupted me, a note of curiosity evident in her voice that helped to further eliminate that odd mechanical tinge to her voice that I'd first perceived.

"Yes, to the Val' ship and everyone present on it, myself included. It's my hope and every one else's on the ship that you'll be able to see the true scope of what being on this ship entails." My offer hung in the air, met by silence that I felt compelled to fill. "You've been unbiased, choosing instead to tell women the truth. That's what we want too. The truth."

Still the other end of the line remained silent. I watched Vailen glance surreptitiously between my phone and the computer screen that he was working on. On the screen in front of him was a digitized map of my planet. There were a smattering of light white dots detailed on the screen. It was reminiscent of those radar images older movies used to showcase. But, those faint pinpricks weren't what were of interest. Instead, what Vailen and the others were focused on was the flickering dot that was was moving quickly across the screen.

"Take your time with your response. We understand that there are likely things you'll be concerned about," there was chatter in the backgound of the call, not from Cece, I didn't think, more of that simple standard fare of noise you'd hear in a city; cars, people, and animals.

I fumbled quickly then to mute my microphone, "Is it a plane?" I watched as the dot moved southwest from France, cutting across Spain and then Portugal in a matter of seconds.

"None of your planes move this fast." The screen focused in on the pinpoint, trying to pull up diagnostics of whatever it was.

"Is the call bouncing off of a satellite? Does it just look like it's moving faster?"

"Dubious. There are small but very sudden direction changes that would be otherwise impossible for any of your unassisted satellites in your terran atmosphere." A distinct line creased between Vailen's brows.

"I accept."

My fingers flew over the screen of my phone and I had to take a deep breath to calm the nervousness that would usually be evident in my voice, "You accept?"

"Yes. I accept."

There was more than a beat of silence as my mind tried to catch up with me. I'd never expected that she would willingly come to the ship. I'd always anticipated that she would instead barter for a long distance interview, which I would have accepted. To be honest, if I were in her position my hackles would have been raised just from the insinuation. Who would have known what these aliens would do to me once they got me on this ship...and I was being brought up as someone's mate...not as a vigilante journalist who had almost ruined their reputation. "You're willing to come aboard the Aarond Form and conduct an investigation and interviews that you'll broadcast on your media platform?"

I watched Esayr lean over Vailen's shoulder to peer at a screen filled with...nothing. The system couldn't glean any information about the pinpoint it was tracking. I mouthed the words: What's wrong? Hoping for some insight into what exactly that meant on the screen.

"Yes. Of course. When would you like to see me? And how would you like me to arrive?"

I watched that dot as it circumnavigated the Earth. It was halfway across the Atlantic Ocean now.

"There's nothing. No information of any material. All that we can glean is this is where our system is picking up the signal from," Esayr's whisper was little more than a breath.

"Where are you now? If you're comfortable telling me."

A car horn blared in the background, "I am currently located in Texas. I seem to have gotten sentimental and found myself back in the place that I was born. Is that sufficient? You'll have to forgive my not wanting to be more forthcoming."

"No, no that's fine. And I understand. Honestly, I'm surprised you're as accommodating as you are. If I were in your position I don't think I would have considered coming here." There was a certain kind of familiarity that came with talking on the phone...that and just falling back into that customer service version of myself I'd perfected after working in a beachside restaurant.

"You're very genuine, Addison. I appreciate that and I will say that I'm interested in speaking to you about your experiences."

"Well, I'm excited to relay them." I laughed a little more to myself and the awkwardness of the situation and she echoed the laughter which helped to ease it just a little.

I turned to Vailen. "What genetics lab is closest to Houston, Texas? One that you have access to?"

"I believe there's one in Houston proper, or am I incorrect?" Cece's question hung in the air and I watched Vailen's quicksilver gaze dance between my phone and the screen.

"You are correct. We do have a lab with transport capabilities in downtown Houston. We can transport you at any time should you make your way to the premises. I would merely need to send a comm to the facility."

"I have a few more things to attend to today, but I believe I'll be able to find my way there by tomorrow morning."

"I'll inform the staff on hand to anticipate you."

"Appreciated. Was there anything else you needed from me that prompted you to dig through my website and interfaces?"

I glanced around the room, but no one was remotely helpful, mainly looking to me for guidance since...after all this was supposed to be more forte, being a human and a woman and all. "No. I don't believe so, or I suppose nothing else that won't be discussed tomorrow with you in person."

"Then I will arrive tomorrow."

"We look forward to seeing you, Cece."

"Myself as well."

There wasn't a goodbye or any conventional send off. The line merely disconnected and the dot on the screen followed with it, disappearing somewhere over South America. "Have you sent a message to the Houston lab?"

"Working on that now. I'll make sure the male located at the site will be on hand during the morning shift."

"Can you also set parameters to search her for any out of place earth technology?" I stepped up beside Esayr, shoulder to shoulder, to peer at the screen over top of Vailen.

"You think she's a threat?"

"I don't know." That was the honest truth of it. No one knew who Cecelia Marie Bird was. For all we knew, the woman I just spoke with wasn't even her -- or from the organization depending on the secret of the whole thing. "There's an Earth phrase...or I suppose an English one, "It's better to be safe than sorry" and I think we should live by it, human or not."

He nodded, "Sage advice. We'll run a diagnostic to check for any unanticipated Terran technology."

*****A/N*****

Y'all will not believe the week I've had honestly. My brother and his wife ended up getting COVID and got exposed after having dinner the day that my brother's symptoms set in, so I had to self-quarantine from work and my immediate family. Then my grandmother ended up having a stroke and passing on Thanksgiving. It ended up being a really emotional week this week that's taken its toll on the whole family.

On top of that, my computer bit the dust so to speak and would no longer even turn on so I had to frantically go out and get a new one today.

Luckily, I had the bit that I was working on in the wattpad writer so I didn't lose that. I think eventually I will end up trying to get my files off of my old drive, but for right now, I have what I need to continue working on the story!

On a lighter note: I got into Genshin Impact and am....literally obsessed. If anyone plays tell me your favorite character and who you're most desperately trying to get through wishes currently.

I will literally kill a man to get the leaked little girl Dendro character with the huge bells in her hair. Her or Baizhu eventually.

Ad Astra Abyssosque

~Layla