Jade’s head swam.
“You had some injuries when you were brought to us. I’ve given you a mild injection to help with the pain, but I cannot fully heal you or feed you until we know your species. Did you see who took you?”
Nod.
“Are they still here?”
Jade did not know how to respond. The lizards were gone, but whoever had hired them was still here. She nodded and then also shook her head.
“Yes and no?” Meya questioned. “Hmm. I need to scan the translator in your ear in order to find out which language it’s translating to.” She held up a small device, similar to a price scanner.
The woman hadn’t done anything to Jade thus far, and if she really wanted to, Jade suspected she could’ve scanned her translator while she’d slept. Instead, she’d waited and asked permission, which spoke volumes.
Jade nodded. The woman rose and slowly began walking over to her like Jade was a scared animal she didn’t want to spook.
She could just imagine her saying, “Eeeasy, girl.” Jade frowned. She was a human, not a donkey, but to a species as advanced as this, she might as well be.
Jade turned her head to give Meya access to her ear. The device emitted a soft hum. Meya moved to her desk, studying a small screen on the device.
“English. An Earthling language,” she said, reading the display.
“Earthling?” Jade felt the hair on the back of her neck rise at the word. Only an alien would call a human that.
Looking up at Jade, Meya said, “The good news is Earthling languages have been documented in the Interplanetary Archives, so we should be able to update our translators so we can understand you. The bad news is, locating the update may take a while. I’ve never even heard of an Earthling before.” Meya glanced back down at her device. “The area of space you’re from is very far from here.” Meya observed Jade studiously. “It’s strange, how alike we are. Our species, I mean.” She began studying Jade, speaking more to herself than Jade. “So amazing that a Class 4 planet species could have evolved so similarly.” She cocked her head and smiled.
“Hopefully you can tell us more about your kind while you’re here. In the meantime, I’m going to learn what I can about humans and see how much healing I can do before a full-body scan. I’ll also be sure to check which simple foods and beverages you can have.
“I’d like to call the leaders of the city together so you can tell us about what happened to you and so we can decide what to do with you.”
“What do you mean, what to do with me? Send me back home!” Panic and fear overwhelmed Jade, but even as she started to argue, she remembered Meya couldn’t understand her. She clamped her mouth shut angrily.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t get that,” Meya said, concern showing on her face. “This must be frustrating, but it will be much easier after our translators have been updated.” Meya rose to leave. “Are you comfortable waiting in here until I can arrange the meeting?”
Jade huffed out a frustrated breath but nodded.
Meya smiled. “Okay, I’ll be back in a few minutes with something for you to eat.”
Jade let her head fall back on the couch after Meya left. Not being able to communicate was more frustrating than she’d expected.
Meya hadn’t said anything about taking her home. She knew what species Jade was and it was clear she knew where Earth was too, yet, she still hadn’t mentioned taking her back.
I hope these aliens know what they’re doing, because once they can understand me, they’re going to get an earful.
Chapter 6
Weirdest. Meeting. Ever.
After Meya had come back, given her some beige paste to eat that made Jade long for the green goo, and ran a light-saber-type device over her body, she’d escorted her down a curving hallway to this room.
On their way, Meya had informed Jade they’d located the program that contained the Earthling languages. She told her the meetings attendees were in the process of updating their translators now and that they should be working by the time they reached the meeting room.
How could a room, lightyears away from Earth, in a building that resembled a castle spire, be like every other boring meeting room she’d ever been in? It was truly mindboggling.
A long, rectangular table occupied most of the room, dark black chairs lined either side of the table, and two chairs slightly bigger than the others were positioned at the heads of the table. When Jade entered, six people were already seated and waiting.
Meya motioned for Jade to sit at the head of the table, and then moved to sit on her right.
Jade surveyed the other people in the room. There were two women seated on the left side of the table. They were both quite beautiful and both staring at her with interest.
The woman on the right was very pale and thin. Long seafoam-green hair had been intricately braided with gold thread and swept over her delicate shoulder. What stood out most about the woman were her large eyes. They tilted up more than was normal to Jade, and her irises were a bright, almost glowing red.
The woman next to her was different but no less beautiful. Her hair was cut very short and was bright blond. Her tanned skin shimmered with gold in the light, and Jade could see geometric golden markings running along her bare arms.
Meya leaned in toward Jade and whispered, “Their names are Wiye and Treanne. They’re the two who found you wandering in the hills and brought you here.”
“Thank you!” Jade stammered, feeling shocked and ashamed that she hadn’t attempted to ask about her rescuers until now.
The two women said nothing but smiled broadly at her.
Meya turned to glance at a holographic screen near the wall, then leaned toward Jade again. “Almost, but the translators aren’t quite done yet.”
Jade surveyed the others in the room while
