I Feel You

Chapter 17

"No I forbid it." Grace almost yelled, pacing in the small space. Norm frowned, on more than one occasion ranting to Gene about the situation. He'd trained for the mission of studying the Na'vi people and yet someone who joined out of pure dumb luck had instead been allowed in. Of course she could sense the slight resentment towards her as well considering the fact that she wasn't even human and had been welcomed into the tribe. Jake watched on, opening his mouth and closing it again as Grace continued her argument.

"You can't undergo the ritual, it will kill you."

"With all due respect Doctor Augustine, Jake and I have an eighty six percent chance of surviving. The probability of dying, while not zero, is still low and has not happened within the clan in recent years. We will survive the ritual and will come out closer to the people than before."

"Gene you don't know that." Grace admonished, clearing having not expected Gene to side with Jake.

"On the contrary. Due to my closeness with the people and through multiple calculations I have predicted that we will survive this trial." She pinched her nose, mouthing numbers to herself.

"Grace." After reaching twenty she finally looked at Gene's cube, the blue light slowly trailing along the top.

"Have faith in us. While Jake may have disappointed you before," He looked at her as though offended, "I do not recall a single moment in which I have let you down. I do not plan to now." She looked between the two, frustration and disbelief trying to hide the worry underneath. 

"The day has already started. We'll discuss this further when we return." She sighed, allowing Jake to swing himself into the machine before climbing in herself. Norm sat beside her pod, their faces pinched as she waited to go under.

"Are you really sure of this Gene?"

"Grace-" She held up her hand to silence Norm, the male biting his tongue with a scowl.

"Yes. I would not suggest such a thing for your own body, the body older and of a previous stage. Compared to the avatar bodies Jake and I inhabit, your own has too much human and has a significantly higher chance of perishing should you attempt it. That isn't to say we won't die. As I said we can still die from this, but I don't believe that is our fate." She shook her head, "Let me think on this some more."

"Of course, we are not yet ready. We have time." Gene left them then having no doubt Grace would be joining them soon as she reconnected to her body and found Tsu'tey impatiently waiting outside her hammock.

"Are you going to sleep here all day?"

"No, I was simply preoccupied this morning with other matters. What are we practicing today?"

"Hand to hand. Nanti says you have significantly improved since she began teaching you. I wish to judge myself. Come." She lightly jogged to keep up with his long strides, almost missing Ralu's call as he threw a spartan fruit at her. She managed to catch it in time to save it from falling to the ground after it hit her in the chest, calling out a thanks with a wave and eagerly devouring it.

Tsu'tey turned sharply as she was licking the juice off her fingers, expression relaxed and neutral as he nodded to the sparring ring which was more of a sparse patch of dirt than any designated area human's made for such things.

"We will go over the basics first and move on from there quickly if you have a firm grasp on them." After weeks of training together he'd slowly transitioned from open hostility to more disdain or apathy. She wasn't exactly sure why, sure that with his history he'd hold her in contempt indefinitely, but as they said she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth if it meant he'd take teaching her more seriously.