Page 47 of The Last Hope

Stork laughs lightly while strapping his sword to his back. “No, I’m very aware of how cruel I can be.”

ELEVEN

Franny

Before we start a stew with Stork, he does something less cruel and shows us to a new room just across from the sick bay. Not a single soul is here, but he calls it the “strategy room” and the way he says those words, we know it’s important. Court meanders around the room and scopes the surroundings, while Mykal hovers close.

I stand in the center, taking in the sights. A large squared table is illuminated with neon pieces like a game. Starcrafts and planets line the board. Stork already told us it’s a map of the galaxy that theLucretziacurrently resides in.Dis Pater.The admirals use the board to plot the fleet’s next movements.

It only takes a couple seconds to realize the true reason Stork brought us here. The back of the room has a long slender bar with deep-green cushioned stools. He goes directly for the glass cabinets behind the bar. His satchel, now hooked over his shoulder, bounces off his hip as he walks. Bottles of liquor sit prettily on the shelves, and Stork removes the slender emerald one. We all watch as he spins off the crystal top and takes a swig.

Before I truly start a stew for wasting our time, he unbuttons his leather satchel with his free hand. Digging, he procures three tiny discs the size of a thimble.

“What are those?” I ask and take a seat at the bar.

Like a bartender passing us ale, he slides each of us a single disc. “Translators called EonInterpreters, EI for short. Place the EIs behind your ear and you’ll be able to understand andcommunicate in all human languages. Tap the translator and an ocular function will engage and help you read.”

My mouth is on the floor. “Why?”Why is Stork offering this to us?

Mykal sinks down to the barstool beside mine and puts the disc up to his eyeball.

Court asks more skeptically, “Why wait until now? This could’ve been useful to usbeforewe boarded theLucretzia.”

Stork loosely grips the neck of the bottle. “You fainted only a few minutes into boarding the ship. Unless you dream in a human language, impressive but unlikely, an EI would’ve beenuselessto you.”

“On our way to theLucretzia—”

“I didn’t bring any with me,” Stork interjects, and to me, he answers, “Like I said before, you’re not a prisoner—”

“I couldn’t even open the puzzle-door,” I admit.

His lip rises. “I’ll show you later. It’s not difficult.” His smirk fades quickly, and he drags his gaze along the ground before eyeing each of us. “The crew has nothing to hide, but of course, I do.” He downs a gulp of liquor, faster and harsher. Wiping his mouth with his forearm, he adds, “You need the EIs to communicate with the crew, and they want you to be able to understand them.”

Court inspects the tiny disc on his fingertip.

“If you want to have full conversations with more than just me and each other,” Stork says, “you’ll have to wear those. Only a handful of people on this ship can speak Saltarian, and the few linguistic specialists and two lieutenants who learned the language can barely string together four sentences.” He rounds the corner of the bar and leans against the wall, a silver-framed picture above his head.

Mykal spins a new, unlit cigarette between his fingers and mumbles something about the disc blowing our heads clean off our necks.

I try not to visualize that gore.

Court hesitates. “Why not have the crew wear EIs and understand Saltarian?”

Stork places his sandaled foot on a cushioned bench, balancing his forearm on his bent knee. “I can’t decide who asks more asinine questions, you or her.” He aims his bottle at me.

I flash a cringe at him.

He smiles into his next swig.

Court is all no-nonsense. “I’m starting to believe you call questionsstupidjust to avoid answering them.”

My face breaks into a grin.

Stork sighs, nearly smiling as he eyes me, and he drops his foot. “EIs are created by humans. As you three should know, the Saltarian language has a variety of dialects and slang, and it’s complex. There’s more inaccuracy when the translators try to interpret Saltarian languages than you trying to understand humans.”

I suddenly feel something behind my ear—not my ear.I turn to Mykal. He just placed the disc on his skin.

“Mykal.” Court glares.