The air was heavy with silence as they silently consumed their meal, the desolation of the ship echoing through the empty cafeteria. Quera had stopped the ship, rendering the usual hum of the engines nonexistent. Coughs erupted like thunderclaps, and the sound of unwrapping a sealed meal resonated like a piercing guitar solo.
Perez sat on one side of the table, while Naina and Valera were close together on the opposite side. Their bodies leaned gently against each other, providing comfort in the somber atmosphere. Occasionally, their fingers met, and they intertwined them with no conscious effort on their part.
"So, the pods ... " Perez said, clearing his throat. "They, just ... weren't there anymore? Any of them?"
Valera shook her head. "No, all of them are gone, including yours and mine," she said quietly. "Heavens, do I hope they are OK!"
"Me too," Perez said. "I didn't know them that well, but ... me too."
"I can't explain why, but I'm fairly sure they are in better hands than anywhere else in the galaxy," Naina said. "Like, I don't know why I know it. I just do."
"I hope you're correct, Naina," Valera said quietly.
"What is this about The Forbidden, anyway?" Naina asked. "I don't really know. The Glaxxian mentioned it, and it was mentioned in the elven legends, too. I have no clue what it means, though."
"Beats me," Valera said and shrugged.
Perez leaned backwards, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes. "Now, don't quote me on this," he said. "But I may have an idea. Now, this will sound ridiculous and probably out of a children's tale, but here me out."
"Once upon a time," he said, opened his eyes, and grinned. "No, I'm not going to read the entire story to you. I'm not evil," he said, closed his eyes and continued, "Anyway. They said that before the galaxy was settled, the Firstcomers came from Outside. What the Outside is, nobody knows. They are said to have been an all-powerful race of intergalactic explorers, and it is said that all the races of the galaxy can trace their origins back to them."
He picked up a glass, took a sip, and continued, "It is also said that with the Firstcomers, came the Forbidden. A sort of 'ancient evil', or 'demons' if you will. Like most of the creation myths, it's some kind of antagonist race of Really Actually Evil People," he said. "It's said that the Firstcomers warred with the Forbidden, and drove them from the galaxy. And that they left behind their technology. And the Firstcomers hid them in fear of someone finding them and starting the war all over again."
"That sounds like a bunch of P'tea, papá," Valera said.
Perez nodded. "It does. It is from a children's story, after all. But you can't say the names don't sound like a suspicious coincidence," he said.
"I wonder if the Forbidden refers to anything physical, or is it just a metaphor for the inherent capability for evil people possess?" Naina said, leaning her head against Valera's.
"No idea," Perez admitted, and took another sip of water. "It's just a curious coincidence, that everyone refers to something as Forbidden, and somehow it all fits together, if they were the same thing," he said.
"What about 'Child of Ages' then?" Valera asked. "What's that all about?"
"I have no clue," Perez said. "Never heard the term. Doesn't even really make any sense."
"Me neither," Naina said. "Can't remember anything like that from any stories. But it seemed like it was high praise, and whatever it means, the Glaxxian thought it owed something to it."
Then she grimaced. "I don't like the 'sevenfold of sorrow in front of her' bit, though. I don't like it at all. I can't figure out what else it may mean, except that I'm in deep trouble, one way or another," she said, picking up a dried meat from the table, and nibbling on it.
Valera leaned on Naina and touched her arm with her fingers. "But it was correct on one account at least. I'll be here for you, no matter what comes," she whispered. "My heart's chosen."
Naina turned a couple of shades redder and almost choked on her fruit. "I ... uh ... " she tried to form words, but failed spectacularly.
"Someone finally figured how to shut Captain Melcey up," Quera said.
Perez burst out laughing, Valera giggled, and Naina's eye twitched out of annoyance. She sighed, closed her eyes, and leaned her head backwards.
"Quera, I swear I will feed your audio circuits to the first Di'gatha we meet," she said.
"At least mine are working," she said smugly, and Valera laughed out loud.
"This is a mutiny!" Naina said and threw her hands in the air very dramatically. She got up, and theatrically stomping her feet, she walked out of the room, muttering something about locking everyone in the brig.
Perez chuckled, and Valera watched as Naina walked out. Her lips turned into a coy smile. "I think I'm falling for that woman," she said softly.
"I wish you good luck," Quera said flatly.
"Thanks," Valera said.
"No, I mean it, Dr. Mizuni," Quera clarified. "There's no denying she needs someone, but you may have a long road ahead of you. She's been alone for so long, you need to be patient with her."
"I can do that," Valera said gently. "I don't know how, and I don't know when, but the Glaxxian wasn't wrong. My heart has chosen Naina, regardless of what I think. I can no more leave her, than I can stop breathing."
"Good," Quera said. "Then I have only one hint for you: she's softer and more fragile than you'd think. She acts all independent and capable, because she has had to. But somewhere there, inside the tougher shell, is a frightened little elf, who doesn't aspire to be alone."
"Thank you, Quera," Valera said, and got up. "I'm going to see if I can find traces of her," she said, smirked, and walked out of the door.
After she had left, Perez sat on the chair in complete silence, drinking the last of his water. He took a deep breath, held it in for a long time, and then let it out slowly.
"It's gonna be hard for them, right Quera?" he asked.
"I don't know," Quera said. "It's not going to be easy, that's for sure."
"Right," Perez said and got up. "I'm going to go and be bored on the bridge. Let me know if the girls come up with anything more interesting."
"Will do, Captain Perez," Quera said.
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