Page 14 of Uprooted

Elowen

“Good work the other night,” Andi says as she drops off another set of slides for me to work on. “I appreciate the quick turnaround. At this rate we should finish up cellular review and move onto the full specimen observation in the next few days.”

“We’re making good progress.” I’m starting to feel like we’re going to succeed in our mission here.

“Absolutely. We’re ahead of schedule as far as I’m concerned. How are you holding up?” She settles against the counter.

“I’m good! Great! Things are really good,” I say enthusiastically. Maybe a little too enthusiastically. That urge to be the teacher’s pet is alive and well inside me. I swivel my stool to face her.

“Okay.” She pauses, not sounding convinced. “That’s good. I don’t want you to get burnt out.”

“No burnout yet.”

“Good. Stay focused on what's right in front of you. All the other stuff is just a distraction,” she says and steps into the airlock.

“No distractions here!”

I set the new samples aside. I chastise myself for not asking her about a job after the program. I’ve been waiting for this chance to bring it up, and this was the perfect moment.

My eyes are tired from squinting all day. I need to look at something larger than a micrometer for a while.

Down the hall I see Andi and Dr. Lee walking toward the mess for dinner. I’ve been given a second chance to talk about my future. This is even better—now I can talk to both program directors at the same time .

I turn on my heel and follow them rather than going straight to my room. I’ll get their attention, charm them with my intellect, and drop some hints about a job at the University when we return to Earth. I can play it cool. I got that awkwardness out of my system earlier. I’m totally normal now.

By the time I get my noodles the dining room is mostly empty. It would look suspicious if I sat too close to them. I’m strategic about where I’m going to eat. Close enough to engage with them and far enough to not make it too obvious.

Andi is speaking quietly to Dr. Lee. I look down at my dinner. I’m trying to emit a casual confident aura when a tray of food slides right in front of me and a big blue shape blocks my view. Aro sits behind the tray and grabs his chopsticks.

“Hey,” he says with that same infuriatingly adorable smile.

“Hey,” I echo back at him, distracted by the people he’s blocking from view. He takes an oversized mouthful of noodles.

“I’ve been trying to think of an answer to your friend’s question,” Aro says with a crooked grin.

I’m completely transfixed by the way his mouth moves.

Why does that work for him? Why is that hot?

Any other time, I would be grossed out by someone talking with their mouth full.

I watch him take another bite. That’s when I notice how he holds his chopsticks.

I watch him swallow. He notices me staring and quirks his head slightly and smiles again.

Something is definitely wrong with me.

I clear my throat before trying to speak. “Huh?”

“Yeah, she wanted to know how to get approval to leave the dome.” Aro lightly drags his teeth over his lower lip.

He knows this is doing something for me.

“Oh, yeah. Don’t mind Bri. She’s bitter about being stuck in the dome. She’s never lived like this before. She’ll get used to it.”

I lean to the side to look over Aro’s shoulder at Andi and Dr. Lee. They're still eating. They are one table over, but they might as well be in another galaxy with this giant blue alien between us.

“If you weren’t human, which species would you want to be?” he asks.

“Hm, I like that question. Where did you get it—sensitivity training?” We must have taken the same module. I can’t help but tease him about actually using the corny exercises they gave us so we could imagine being in each other’s shoes.

He laughs. It's consuming and immediately addictive. “Got me.”

“Those classes can be pretty boring. I’m impressed that you were paying attention,” I tell him.

I had found myself dozing off during my cultural sensitivity module.

It’s an important message with an awful delivery.

The scenarios in the training were not realistic at all.

To make matters worse, it seemed like the genAI character had never spoken the universal language before.

Bri and I spent the rest of that day entertaining ourselves by speaking like the old AI in the vid with stilted speech and awkward hand gestures.

“I wanted to make sure I didn’t say the wrong thing the first time I talked to a human. You know, like… tell a bad joke or something.” As if I need a reminder of my earlier awkwardness.

“Admittedly, that was a low point.”

“It’s not too late to bring it back around. I believe in you,” he says with a smirk.

“Don’t get your hopes up.”

“Don’t sell yourself short! You seem to have a pretty good grasp on the subtleties of comedy.”

I swirl some noodles on my chopsticks and right before I take a bite, he asks a question that makes me drop them back into the bowl.

“Is your boyfriend disappointed to be left behind?” he asks.

“Did you just ask if I’m single? I ask, surprised he would be interested.

“Are you? Single?” he asks as he slurps a mouthful of noodles.

“I am. Bri’s right though—I’m a workaholic,” I say, trying to keep some distance between us. I try to get a bite without flinging broth everywhere. I’m mostly successful.

That should set him straight. Literally minutes ago, I was telling Andi that I am free of all distractions. This alien is trying to make me a liar.

“I still don’t think you’re a workaholic, and I’m going to give you the opportunity to prove it,” Aro says.

“That should be easy enough. I’ll prove it right now. I’m heading back to work,” I say with a smile and set my chopsticks back down .

“So easy to walk away? I was hoping you’d be fascinated with me by now.”

I wish I could say his arrogance was misplaced.

“I find all local organisms fascinating. Especially Lumbricidae…” I can’t resist the urge to tease him and insinuate he as at the same level as an Earthworm.

"Did you just compare me to a worm? I think I'm a little more interesting than a worm.

" His defensive words are undercut by the broad smile across his face.

He's probably never been compared to something so humble before, and I'm thrilled I get to be the one to do it.

If I've offended him, he's not showing it.

In fact, he looks like he's enjoying the challenge.

He also gets bonus points for getting the reference right away.

“Worms are a very important part of the ecosystem.”

“So, you’re saying I’m important… I’ll take it. Even though I think there are more accurate analogies you could make.”

Andi and Dr. Lee clear away their empty bowls. Damn—I’m missing my chance. I shove one last bite of noodles into my mouth and stand up. I’m going to try and catch them in the hallway. I brush by Aro, quickly dispose of my used dishes and head toward the door.

“I’m sure you’ll think of a more fitting metaphor,” I throw over my shoulder toward him. Before leaving, I take one more look at Aro. He’s sitting there laughing.

“I’m sure I will.”

Leaving him there in the mess hall feels like a power move, one that is only going to raise the stakes with a guy like Aro.

I’m sure a little harmless flirting here and there over a bowl of noodles is fine. He is sorely mistaken if he thinks I’d jeopardize my place in this program by taking it any further. My rational brain is listing all the reasons why I should avoid him completely.

* * *

1303 Incoming message from Aro pt’Burosa

Aro: I need some advice.

Elowen: Unless you want to talk about botany, you’re coming to the wrong person .

Aro: Not botany. I’m still racking my brain to find something fun for us to do.

Elowen: Don’t you have more important things to do with your time?

Aro: Absolutely not. This is my top priority.

Elowen: That’s concerning. You may need to reevaluate.

Aro: I’d like to give you an opportunity to act on all of those dirty things you were thinking about during our date.

Elowen: Our date?! In the mess hall? What makes you think I was thinking dirty thoughts?

Aro: So you do remember it.

Elowen: I think we have very different interpretations of what happened.

Aro: We should probably meet up and get our stories straight.

Elowen: Creative way to ask me out.

Aro: I am a creative thinker.

Elowen: Has anyone ever told you that you’re arrogant?

Aro: Never. Actually, not true. My sister tells me every chance she gets. I don’t want to start our relationship off with a lie.

Elowen: Relationship?

Aro: Yes. And quit trying to change the subject. What are you interested in for fun?

Elowen: Right now, I am interested in the gamete of a lumen’entem.

Aro: Oh really?

Elowen: It’s the specimen I’m detailing right now.

Aro: Well, you might be interested in what the plant is used for.

Elowen: Alright, you have my attention.

Aro: In the past Tilaks used it for ceremonial purposes to achieve enlightenment. Now it’s just used for the psychedelic effects.

Elowen: My concern is purely scientific.

Aro: In that case, don’t get any of the pollen directly on you. You might enjoy the effects, but I doubt your boss would like you tripping out while you’re supposed to be working.

Elowen: Have you done it before?

Aro: Once. It’s something that should be done with a guide. It’s a powerful experience that can go in many different directions…

Elowen: Good to know.

Aro: I have to cancel our dinner plans tonight. I’m covering a shift.

Elowen: We didn’t have dinner plans for tonight .

Aro: Yeah, I know, but you were hoping we would. Now quit bothering me, I’m very busy and important.

Elowen: Again, with the arrogance!

Aro: I think you misspelled charming .

Elowen: I know how to spell a lot of words, for instance: insufferable .

Aro: How about irresistible? That one in your lexicon?

Elowen: I am familiar with the word presumptuous.

Aro: You got me there. When can I see you next?

Elowen: I’ll be around.

Aro: I like that you’re making me work for this.

Elowen: Incorrigible.

Aro: I also like that you know a lot of big words.

Elowen: …