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The Captain grunted and waved at the chairs opposite. ‘Sit.’ We took our seats and waited in a respectful silence as the Captain looked me up and down.
‘It seems Noah is taking them much younger these days,’ he began. ‘The pictures I have seen of your predecessors are somewhat more mature.’
I didn’t say anything. If he was trying to wind me up, then I wasn’t going to let him see that he had annoyed me, and I had no evidence – yet – that he was doing anything more than making conversation.
‘I understand that you have been to look at some of our ailing machinery?’
‘Yes, Captain,’ I replied, not sure how I should be addressing him. Nobody scowled so I guessed I was getting it right.
‘Did we get much done?’ he said, and I was about to answer when I realised he was looking at the Exxoh.
‘Less than we hoped, sir. Even making use of the general purpose drone he carries, there seemed to be some problem accessing even the most basic devices. Even so, this was really more of an evaluation trip.’
The Captain started to frown. ‘Did you put an analyser on him?’
‘We did, sir. The results were not what we had hoped.’
‘Noah must be getting desperate.’
‘Even so, the analyser indicated that we should be able to get much of what we require. There may be a problem in visualisation, or understanding.’
I must have let some of the anger that was starting to boil up inside me show on my face. The Captain looked steadily at me, as if he was judging whether I was going to blow up at him.
‘Don’t take our comments personally, Garret, and don’t allow any misplaced feelings of loyalty to a decrepit computer to push you into doing anything you might regret later.’ He spoke like my father, like he hadn’t even conceived that I might not do as he said. ‘There are things we can do to help you, and you should become more adept with practise.’
Something cold ran down my spine from my neck and settled in the small of my back.
‘Look, I’m really sorry, but I don’t have time to stick around for long. I have a message to deliver and it has to be there in - ’
‘Less than nine days. We know.’
‘But if you know, why ... ?’ I couldn’t finish the question. The Captain was smiling at me, and I didn’t like the smile.
‘Garret, we know about you, and your mission. We know where we are, and we know all about the mysterious message to the engine control system that will start the final approach to our new home. And we know when it needs to be delivered.
‘As far as we know, every emissary Noah sent has visited us. Those that chose to co-operate with us lived full and happy lives. Those who chose not to help us, well, one way or another, no emissary has ever passed beyond Go-yen-tan.’
Everything seemed to spin for a moment and I felt sick. ‘But ... If you know so much, why would you stop ... ?’
The Captain pasted a compassionate look on his face, but it looked thinner than his skin.
‘Think, Garret. You’ve seen the way that we live, and I am sure my Exxoh has discussed it with you. Why would we choose to change? We have everything we could want, and with your help we can take more. Work with us, and you will live with us as an adopted son of an Officer. A senior Officer. Anything you want, anything you want to do, all yours. All you have to do is abandon this quest.’
He looked at me expectantly. I opened my mouth a couple of times, but there weren’t any words waiting to come out.
‘I understand,’ said the Captain. ‘Not exactly what you were expecting to hear when you woke this morning.’ He adjusted his expression from compassionate to ‘jovial uncle’. ‘ Exxoh, take this young man back to the apartment so he can think things over.’
I got up slowly, still feeling unsteady, and started to follow the Exxoh towards the door.
‘One more thing,’ the Captain said before we could leave. ‘This should be your decision, Garret, not that of the others. Keep this to yourself.’
I nodded and we left the room. I didn’t say much as the Exxoh led me through another maze of corridors, and I was surprised to find we had got back to the apartment without going outside. The Exxoh stopped me as I reached for the door, placed his hand on my shoulder and turned me to make sure I met his eyes. He looked very intense.
‘This has been a busy day, Garret. You will need time to absorb what you have seen and what you have discovered. My advice is that you sleep on it. Don’t sit up for hours worrying it over in your mind.’
I nodded, and he smiled back at me before giving my shoulder a pat as he took his hand away.
‘I’ll see you tomorrow,’ he said. ‘Around ten.’
He turned and walked off, taking his two personal guards with him. One of the soldiers still posted outside our door opened it for me, and I walked through. Alyssa cried out when she saw me.
‘He’s back.’