Negotiations Underway

Chapter 8: The Approaching Storm

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In the lounge,  four individuals wait in tense silence...

The lounge itself was what you'd expect to see in a luxury ship. A more open space, with couches in chairs in addition to normal seats to strap into. On the right-hand side of the ship was a small bar built into the wall between the lounge and the front of the ship. The cockpit visible down a narrow hallway, flanked by bathrooms and a closet. Maxim had already taken the luxury of grabbing himself a beer from the mini fridge, while Ally sat in a beanbag chair and looked as if she was trying not to hyperventilate. They both kept their helmets on as part of Tom's wishes. He was still concerned about overwhelming Teresh, especially with how he nearly fainted before. Speaking of, Teresh was sat in a comfy lounge chair that was just a tad too large for himself, with Tom sitting on the couch nearby. There was a lengthy span of silence before Tom cleared his throat.  

"How're you feeling Teresh? Now that things are coming along?" Tom asked, focusing his gaze on the kooli. 

Through the same public channel, his translator echoed, "...Good. I think I'm feeling good."

"Nervous?" Tom prodded. 

Teresh shrugged his shoulders, replying, "Immensely, but I'm also happy as well. If the rest of your species is like you, I can't wait for you to join us. It can't be anything but prosperous."

Tom grit his teeth a moment, taking up a softer tone, "Can you tell me about your home, Teresh? What's it like?"

Although he couldn't see his expression, he could tell that there were probably thousands of things that the little bird wanted to say. In time, it seemed that he had composed himself. 

"Where to start? There are millions of things I could talk about. So much knowledge to share," Teresh paused. "I'll keep it simple for now, but I have plenty of scrolls to recommend."

He began, "My home planet is called Kurro, it is the origin world of the kooli, my people. It is densely green, filled with vegetation and incredibly tall forests and jungles. Under our twin suns, the planet is quite temperate, lots of rain and humidity. While we do have colder sections near the poles, our planet is fairly consistent with climate and weather. Due to this, we have adapted to the conditions by having wings that can lift us off the ground and grant us flight. We began as small tribes living in treetops, to creating small countries. At one time, there was even an empire that spanned our world, though that history is far behind us. If I'm able, I would love to take you all to see it one day."

As he stopped speaking, Teresh soon realized that the room was dead silent. Their entire crew had been enraptured by his tale, hanging on every word. Admittedly an understandable reaction on their part, it wasn't everyday that you learned about an alien society. At the same time, however, it looked like Teresh was flustered and embarrassed, quickly shifting to face Tom.  

"Tom, you mentioned your home before. If you both don't mind, where are you two from? Are you also from Ari-zona?" Teresh asked, suddenly hearing muffled sounds from Maxim. 

Tom shot him a look that could pierce through glass, but it wasn't enough for a few chuckles to escape his helmet. He composed himself and responded, "No, sorry. Same nation, different places. I was born in Missorui, and Ally here was born in Washington. Don't worry, you're not missing out on much. We've got the Arch, toasted ravioli, nuevo country music, and the best barbecue you've ever tasted."

"Bar-ba-coo? Ravioli?" Teresh asked curiously, looking over at Maxim. 

"Y'know, steak, ribs, chi-" Maxim listed off, suddenly stopping. He coughed a bit, then continued, "Brisket, corn bread, collared greens, hush-puppies. There's more but it's the best food in the world as far as I'm concerned."