Page 2 of The Royal’s Bumblebee (Operation Colonise #2)

Transitioning to Thelia

Billie

We arrived in an arena first, a stone amphitheatre from the looks of it, and I don’t like the stone seats we sit on.

They are dusty and too warm.

I can smell the dust faintly in the air, but mostly I can smell the musk of the jungle around us.

We are exposed here and the sun is bright.

Still, I hold onto Hannah’s hand and let my rock steady me.

I saw my first Ucfeni shortly afterward and was amazed.

The natives of this planet look like large Naga from India and Asia.

Like the RPG games I like to play, only, they are not pretty humans from the waist upward with snake tail below.

No, they are totally reptilian.

Scales everywhere.

No hair.

I’m fascinated as Alaric stands beside this Ucfeni and explains that they are sentient descendants of Thelia’s version of dinosaurs!

Mammals here never evolved past basic apes, it seems. I smile, looking forward to getting my hands on whatever the Thelian version of textbooks or ebooks are, to read about their history and biology.

An Ambassador called Rerasha, who was too loud for my eyes and ears, takes the stand.

His orange scales were vibrant, and his voice was very loud.

All of him was too bright.

I would have kept my eyes shut or looked down at my hands to be more comfortable, nearing my limit already…but how could I? I’ve come all this way because I wanted an adventure.

Rerasha was alien, to me at least, so I kept lifting my eyes up to catch glimpses of him.

“An Ucfeni who has passed the training and is employed by the Monarchy to be a sponsor will take care of you for the first few months. The Ambassador was my sponsor.”

Alaric smiles at Rerasha. They are friends, then? “Their CG’s will be connected with yours, so you can find each other easily if you become separated.”

“This is non-negotiable.”

The Ambassador’s orange spotted tail tightened around the podium. The movement catches my eye against my will, but then I look back to Rerasha.

“If you are to live in Orna, you will have a sponsor and they are responsible for you. As such, you will go from here to meet the candidates. You will become close with your sponsor over the next month or two, so it’s important you have good chemistry. If you get along well they will take you on as their charge. They will sign you off as settled after a few months, or when they deem you can be independent within our city. Until then, you will remain with your sponsor whenever you leave your home.”

“If you are assigned to the human compounds outside the city then you will have a human sponsor. The same rules will apply.”

Alaric added and I felt the middle finger of my right hand and my thumb start to tap to keep myself calm. Hannah came with me from Earth to help support me in settling here.

She is my sponsor, by definition. I will have to remind Alaric of this before he tries to ask another person to take care of me.

Hannah takes care of me. She’s my rock. “Most of you will be headed to the compound Delta 4.”

I nod. That’s where I’m headed to work on the global satellite and communications systems. “Please remain seated as you are assigned your communication gem collar.

These do not come off and they are waterproof. They will allow you to talk to our operators and connect to other people, much like a cellphone, to keep in touch.

We use the GPS to keep you safe and to respond with emergency services if required. This is non-negotiable.”

My excitement peaked when I was handed a com-gem, and most of what was said by Rerasha or Alaric became white noise.

I fixate on it, smiling like I have been handed something exotic. It is, by definition, as it’s an alien piece of techno-jewellery.

“Handler designation Billie Blac. This Communication Gem has been registered to your biosignature. Please open the clasp and place the collar around your neck. Do not take it off unless a senior operator instructs you to do so. You are to report to transport bay 2 for deployment to Orna. Details of your assignment will be given to you upon arrival.”

“You can’t take it apart.”

My sister knows me. I held the necklace and felt at the weight of it. The seam around the circular pendant and in my mind I was taking it apart.

“Yes I can.”

I correct her. I am enjoying the prospect of extracting the microchip behind the tear shaped gem at the centre and analysing the programming code used to facilitate such sophisticated translations. I wonder about the best way to get at the chip, turning it over to look for any seams or clasps. “With the right tools I can take anything apart.”

“Okay, I’ll rephrase. You’re not allowed to take it apart.”

“…disappointing.”

If I’m not allowed then I’m not allowed. I’ve never broken the rules in my life, even when I know I would do a better job if I did. I mumbled and continued to work the chain through my fingers. “It’s heavy.”

I comment, wondering how it will feel around my neck. I hope the texture is smooth against my skin. It feels smooth in my hands.

“It’s durable.”

Hannah seemed to be wary of me refusing to wear it. If it was chaffing, I wouldn’t. I like to be comfortable and I can’t concentrate on anything else if something is irritating my skin. I fixate on things like that.

“I could improve it.”

I am confident I can.

It all depends on the code and how well I can interface with the Ucfeni technology.

I won’t know how much I can improve it until I take it apart.

If I’m not allowed to, I’ll petition Alaric until he gets me permission.

He was eager to give me anything I wanted back on Earth to get me to agree to come here.

I’m sure he would get me permission to experiment on the com-gem.

“You could wear this model, and improve another one with approval and funding from Allico.”

I smile with my eyes. Hannah knows me so well. “That way you could follow the rules, which you signed compliance with before we left Earth, and take another necklace apart to study.”

“…fine.”

I agree, for now, but I’m still going to ask Alaric to get me formal consent.

I don’t want to break the rules.

I gingerly put the necklace on and it takes me a while to lower it to rest around my neck.

Hannah started rubbing my back and I close my eyes to take in the feel of the necklace.

It’s cooler than my skin, but I know the metal will warm up as I wear it.

In fact, as long as it doesn’t irritate my skin or catch on anything, I will habituate to it and forget it’s there.

I push out most of my environment to focus on my breathing and settle my buzzing mind for a while, but Charlie stands in front of Hannah and I, and starts talking too loudly to ignore.

More importantly, why is he wet? I look around and it isn’t raining.

I narrow my eyes on his white cryo-suit and there is a water line all the way up to his shoulders.

He’s talking to Hannah, rather than to me, as is usual practise where I’m concerned.

Hannah can give him eye contact after all and engage him.

I can’t.

I’m too busy trying to figure out why he is wet, and why he isn’t doing anything about it.

Are there any towels he can use? Are there spare clothes on the Jeeps? I saw vehicles lined up ready to collect us after this lecture was done.

“It’s pretty clear that the Ambassador doesn’t know what Aspergers is—”

I hyper-focus when I hear the A word. Normally that means they’re talking about me, after all.

“—and it didn’t even translate into their language. He was insistent that she would be having a sponsor. Non-negotiable. But?”

Hannah tensed beside me. Is she bothered about Charlie’s clothes too? Water is dripping down around his feet and darkening the stone beneath his shoes. “Alaric said that he had been expecting Billie. That he hand chose her and would make sure her needs were catered to. He even said he was going to fill in the Ambassador on the way to wherever they were going.”

“Alaric Fitz petitioned me three times in total before I would agree to join the mission.”

I comment and push my glasses up my nose. I have to shut my eyes to stop myself from staring at the puddle forming around his feet. “He said he needed me to be part of the team that created an infrastructure of secure communications and information sharing on AU-471.”

“Like phones and the internet? Super cool.”

“Thank you.”

I can’t take it anymore. I have to make him aware he is soaked through. I lift my chin and look at his chest. “You are wet.”

He sits beside me and I realise that he could have gone and found a towel and clothes, but instead came to inform me and Hannah that I was to be well cared for. “Thank you for being uncomfortable for me.”

Normally only Hannah would put my needs first. “Are you and my sister friends now?”

“I hope we’re becoming friends.”

Charlie smiled at me, and I saw his lips curve, but I didn’t look any higher. “You too kid.”

“I am not a kid. I am human. Kids are baby goats.”

His smile grows and he opens his mouth, so I look away. “I don’t want more than one pet name, and only you get to call me Bumblebee. My name is Billie.”

“I’m sure Charlie will make sure to avoid pet names from now on. Since you’re friends now.”

“Got it. No pet names. So, erm, we need to get to transport bay 2…so…?”

Charlie looks to Hannah and I tense. Just when I got used to sitting on the dusty stone seating, we’re going to leave again.

“Billie. Remember that shower you want to get?”

Hannah speaks softly to me. “Well, we’re getting closer to getting you to our new home. You get first dibs on the shower and which bedroom you want.”

“That is what we agreed.”

I nod and my bob of hair bounces and I have to push my glasses back up my nose. I know what she’s doing. She’s trying to change what I’m fixating on so I find it easier to transition. It’s working. Hannah knows me so well. “It seems quieter now.”

I look towards the path leading to the transporter bays where I saw the Jeeps earlier. Hannah is gentle as she uses my hand holding hers to coax me to my feet. Charlie lingers to follow behind us. I hear the wet sound of his feet on the stone. It’s distracting me. He needs to get dry soon.