Only Human (Themis Files #3)(22)
[Aks eyyots Eteyat anesk akt.]
What did you tell him?
—Eyakosk. Eyapetent Yincent.
[Eyesunt.]
—Why is he leaving? Dammit, Couture! What did you tell him?
[It’s OK, sir.]
Whatever you said, it was suspiciously shorter than what I told you to tell him.
[There was no point, sir. Like you said, you can’t speak for everyone on Earth. He knows that. He can’t speak for his people either. This was just for show.]
Why?
[If I had to guess, I’d say he wanted to make us feel better about staying here.]
What the hell are you talking about?
[You wanna know what I told him? I asked when we were leaving.]
That’s it?
[Well, yeah. What else matters at this point?]
And?
[He said it’s complicated.]
What the hell does that mean?
[I think it means we’re gonna be here awhile.]
Are you OK with that?
[Like I told Rose, I don’t really care what happens to me, but I don’t want my daughter to grow up here. We need to get her home.]
Then I suggest you start making friends.
[Was any part of “We need to get her home” unclear? I don’t want to make friends. I don’t want to be here long enough to make friends. What we need is a plan.]
No. What we need now are friends. I wanted a plan, but Rose shut me down faster than a rocketful of monkeys.
[Don’t pay attention to her. She likes it here. She’s—]
She’s right! Trying to come up with a plan is just stupid. We don’t know anything. We don’t know how we got here. We don’t know how to get back. What are we gonna plan for? What we need is someone who knows how to get us off this goddamn rock, so I suggest you get out there and start making friends. Lots of them. We need friends in the government, friends that hate the government. We need friends, Couture.
FILE NO. EE031—PERSONAL FILE FROM ESAT EKT
Interview between Vincent Couture and Esok
Location: Aptakt Market, Etyakt region
Translated by Vincent Couture
—What is your name?
—You forgot already? You asked a minute ago (at a time four moments in the past).
—I know I did. It’s for a … I don’t know how to say “recording.”
—I’m Esok.
—Just Esok?
—Do you see anyone else?
—No. Thank you, Esok. Can you tell me what this place is?
—Here? This is the Aptakt Market. It’s the largest one in the Etyakt region. People come here to buy food and things.
—We get our food on that street in another market.
—Yes. Yes. Etyakt dispensary. Government.
—The food over there is a lot better. There’s more too.
—Much better.
—OK, so what’s the difference?
—There the food is free. Here you have to pay.
—Then why do people come here?
—Here is where the market is.
—I … I don’t understand.
—Yes. Yes.
—No, I meant—
—What is your world like?
—My world? It’s … Parts of it are like here. We have trees, like here. Other parts are much colder … We have—I don’t know how to say ocean—lots of water, large things of water.
—Yes. Yes. Here too. Is everyone like you?
—Like me? What does that mean?
—You have hair on your face, and on your arms.
—A little bit of hair on our arms, yes.
—Lots of hair. Does everyone have arms?
—Yes, we have arms … and legs.
—No one lives in water?
—Yes. Animals do.
—What is an-im-al?
—Hmmm … A living thing? Something that eats, and sees, and moves.
—Like you.
—Yes, but different … less intelligent.
—Some people are less intelligent.
—How do you say self-aware? (I said me conscious of me. Blank stare …) Humans—I’m a human—are conscious of their own feelings, of what they think, what they do.
—You believe that thinking about you makes you better?
—No, I … Actually, yes. Humans think that.
—Interesting.
—Your … pad. It’s doing something.
—Oh. Just a vote. I can do it later.
—A vote on what?
—Let me see … It concerns you.
—Me?
—Yes. Yes. Someone suggested we plant more trees on your side of the market, now that someone lives there.
—And you get to vote on that?
—Why wouldn’t I? You don’t need any special skills to decide on a tree! Besides, I vote on all things that concern trees and plants. You don’t think I should?
—I … I didn’t mean … I’m sure you’re really good at … How do you know I live on the other side of the market?
—Everyone knows.
—Why does no one else live there?
—There aren’t enough people to fill those houses.
—That’s what I mean. Why are there houses if there are not enough people?