Page 30 of My Alien Pirate

He stared at me for a long moment, his multifaceted eyes unreadable. Then, slowly, his hand came up to cover mine where it rested on his arm. "You're welcome, little zixxit," he said, his voice a low rumble that sent a spike of heat straight to my core.

As he left, I settled in for what I knew would be a long vigil. My mind was a tumult of emotions—relief at finding some of mycrew alive, fear for their condition, hope for their recovery, and underneath it all, a growing warmth towards the alien beings who had saved us. Now if I could only figure out the enigmatic captain.

21

Human Comfort

The hours crawled by as I kept vigil over Captain Rodriguez and Sara. My eyes burned with exhaustion, but I couldn't bring myself to sleep. Every beep and whir of the alien medical equipment made me flinch, terrified it signaled a turn for the worse.

Daz bustled about the med bay, his single eye swiveling rapidly between monitors. The constant motion, paired with the soft hum of the ship, was almost hypnotic. My mind began to drift as I watched him work, thoughts turning to Manny Rodriguez, my friend and the captain of the Phoenix.

Manny and I had a long history, going back to our days at the Academy. He was a couple of years ahead of me but had bonded as lab partners during one of our first xenobiology classes. The class was a pre-requisite for all underclassman, and while I excelled in the medical stream, he struggled. We agreed early on to help each other and he assisted me with the complicated engineering work and navigation which he showed a naturaltalent for. It came as no surprise to me when he swiftly climbed the leadership ladder and earned a captaincy within the fleet only a few years out of the academy.

When Manny took command of the Phoenix, he didn't forget about our old partnership. He pulled some strings and got me assigned as the ship's chief xenobiologist. At first, I was concerned that our professional relationship might strain our friendship, but Manny had a way of making everyone feel at ease. He respected my expertise and gave me free rein over my lab, often seeking my counsel on matters as we developed experiments and protocols for first contacts.

Manny could often be found with a bright smile on his face as he loved what he did but he knew when to be serious, and he had an uncanny, innate ability to sense what his crew needed. We trusted him and that trust went both ways. I knew that if I ever needed anything, Manny would be there for me, whether it was for a late-night heart-to-heart or an emergency medical evacuation from a dangerous planet.

As I snapped back to the present, I realized Daz had finished his work and was now watching me, a curious look on his face. "Everything alright, Nova? Your cognitive signals seemed to temporarily dissipate."

I gave him a small smile once I processed what he said. "Yes, just reminiscing. Captain Rodriguez and I go way back."

Daz nodded, understanding. With a flick of his single eye, Daz turned back to the monitors, already immersed in the next task.

At just that moment, a slight movement caught my eye. Captain Rodriguez's hand twitched. I leapt to my feet, nearly knocking over the chair that had molded itself around me.

"Captain?" I leaned over his grimacing countenance, hardly daring to hope. "Manny?"

His eyelids fluttered, then slowly opened. He blinked rapidly, confusion clouding his features.

"Nova?" he croaked, his voice barely audible. "Where... what happened?"

I clasped his hand, tears of relief stinging my eyes. "You're safe."

His eyes darted around the unfamiliar med bay. When they landed on Daz, who had hurried over at the commotion, the captain's whole body tensed, and his hand went reflexively to his hip where his sidearm usually lay.

"Easy," I soothed, squeezing his hand. "They're friends. We're on an alien ship. They rescued us." As Manny's eyes widened, I stroked his arm. "This is Daz, he's been taking care of you and Sara."

Manny's eyes darted between me and the alien, his brow furrowed in confusion and alarm. "Nova, what... what is that? How can you be so calm?"

"I've had a little more time than you to get used to things." My lips twitched up in what I hoped was a reassuring smile.

Daz made a series of clicks and whistles. Manny flinched at the sound, his grip on my hand tightening.

"It's okay," I said quickly. "He's asking about your condition."

Manny's eyes widened further. "How can you understand him? Nova, how long have I been out? What's going on?"

I took a deep breath, trying to figure out where to start. "It's been about a week since they found you. You and Sara were in critical condition. Daz – he's their doctor – has been treating you."

Manny glanced at Daz warily, then back to me. "And you can understand... those noises?"

I nodded and tilted my head to show him the metal circle behind my ear. "They downloaded information from the Phoenix for our language and fitted me with this translator. It took some getting used to, and there aren't exact translations for everything, but it's made the whole experience a bit easierto take. And, I've kept busy helping them understand human physiology so they could treat you and Sara better."

At the mention of Sara's name, Manny's head turned sharply, searching for her. When he saw her still form on the nearby bed, his face crumpled.

"Is she...?" he couldn't finish the question.

"She's alive," I said quickly. "But she hasn't woken up yet." I turned to Daz. "How is she doing?"