I woke up slowly, remembering bits and pieces and I expected pain but as my consciousness floated in, there was nothing. I cracked an eye open and swallowed against the slight dryness in my throat. I blinked again and then again as the room came into focus. There wasn't much I remembered aside from really hurting, crying, and telling Luke I wanted to go home, back to Torin. Which was mildly embarrassing now that I thought about it.
"Well if it isn't my favourite pink alien." At the familiar, if a bit booming voice I rolled my head to the side and smiled at Bav'ka. "How are you feeling?" She came over to the bed, patting my hand and I gave a relieved sigh as I was certainly back on Torin. "Good sigh or bad sigh?" There was a critical look on her face and I smiled again.
"Good sigh. Happy to be back." I was. I really was. I hated that I had basically failed the entire reason I was back to earth to begin with but at least on Torin I knew I was safe and people weren't going to shoot at me or try to kidnap me without warning.
"That's good. Your scans are all coming back clear, which we are ecstatic to see." Bav'ka moved off to the side and brought up a monitor with a wave of her hand. "We are just happy you primitive pink aliens use slug throwers rather than anything more sophisticated." At the teasing words she winked at me and I smiled back. "I think it's even luckier that the nanites were uploaded with your prior scans. They always run so much smoother when their data matches the patient. They brought you back to how you were when you came to Torin and I scanned you. With the exception of I left the scars." She pointed to my stomach with a wide smile, showing off her tusks. "Make a fine grog warrior out of you yet."
I gave another heaving sigh and reached down to touch my stomach, the blanket was in the way but there were no bulky bandages and despite a minor ache like I had a stitch in my side, there was nothing there that indicated I had gotten shot. "Did good work, doc. Barely feel it."
"Healed up that bruised shoulder of yours too. Your shields need work, they aren't good enough." She huffed as she said it and I smiled again. They really did but I was currently working with rudimentary knowledge and basics. I had kind of abandoned progress on the shields for the FTL engine.
"Fair enough. Kept me from being more damaged though." I shrugged and moved to sit up when Bav'ka reached over and pressed a large hand against my chest, holding me down without even looking at me.
"No. Not allowed to do that." She glanced over before tapping on the screen and the bed rose up against my back, carrying me to sitting. "We aren't going to stress those repairs unnecessarily." She pulled up a floating monitor in front of me and pointed at it. "This is the controls for your bed. Incline is here, resting is here. "She pointed at the controls and I nodded. "This is for warming and this is for cooling, and this is to call for someone if you need help." She pointed them all out and I nodded again. She waved her hand and the screen moved to the side. "Now that you are awake, I am going to get your visitors." With that she gave a firm nod and left the room.
I looked around and smiled at the rather elegant and art deco style of the room. The grog really did like their beauty in their buildings. There was a lovely window, the walls were a lovely shade of super pale blue with paintings hanging on them as well as plants. So many plants. Then again the grog loved their greenery. But it didn't look like a hospital room which I was thankful for.
There was the sound of thudding and Gal'rug skidded into the room. "If you ever do this to me again I will-" He cut himself off, looking frustrated and angry and just pointed at me.
"You'll do what, big guy?" I smiled at him before waving at him to come in. "I don't plan on doing that ever again if I can help it." Getting shot wasn't nearly as fun as the first time it happened and two was my lifetime limit. "Come here. I missed you." I beamed at him as he nearly stormed over to the bed and yanked a chair over, sitting in it all huffy and angry before he grabbed my hand and pressed his cheek to it with a huff. "You look ridiculous." He really did, all hunched over with his head tilted like it was because he didn't lift my hand up to rest his cheek against it.
"Shut your mouth and leave me be." He grumbled it out and I laughed, before wincing as my stomach twinged.
"Ooh, note not to do that." I pressed my free hand to my stomach with a grimace. "I'm just teasing you, Gal. You know I am." I didn't like seeing him all serious and gruff and upset. Grogs were built to be happy and upbeat, always seeing the bright side of everything, Gal'rug especially.
"I did not like that and I am not happy with you for not immediately returning to Torin when the danger made itself known." At the gruffly said words I let out a small sigh, staring at the ceiling.
"I really wanted it to work, Gal. To have people love you guys like I do. I really wanted to come back to Torin with news that everyone was happy and as excited as I was." I really wanted that. I wanted everything to turn out better and while I knew a good portion of humanity was excited, pissed off at the governments for lying to them and hiding the truth I sent out, the leaders just... weren't. "Turns out aliens aren't as exciting as new tech you can use to kill each other more effectively." My tech was supposed to be used to make the world a better place, to make us better. Better medical vehicles and vehicles in general, cleaning up the planet, terraforming life devoid planets, personal shields and armour, there were so many good ways I could think of that we could use my tech for, instead they wanted to use it to kill people more effectively.
"I really wanted it to work." I really really had and I wondered if there was ever really a chance and I hated that. "I tried my best but I guess I'm not cut out for these things." I hated to prove that rat bastard Lawrence right but I was just an electrical engineer, what did I know about fostering relations with aliens species and acting as a liaison for an entire planet? Literally nothing.
"No one would have tried as hard as you, my Rox'ie, and you were doing exactly as you should but you cannot control the hands that wish to make war." He lifted his head from my hand and looked at me. "All you can do is deliver the information, what you planet chooses to do with it is not up to you. First contact will always be tough, bringing a species into the Galactic Union takes a long time and there will be good times and bad times. It can take generations. It did with us grog. Some of us welcomed the Galactic Union, others hated it and them for years and years and years. Do not think you failed because you did not."
At the words I squeezed his large hand, feeling comforted despite myself. I still felt like I had failed, that I hadn't truly done all I could, and that I had given up when I said I wanted to come back but the words comforted me anyway. "I missed you, Gal, you know that?" I missed having late night drinks with him, I missed heading to the arena to cheer until my throat sore with him. I just missed hanging out with him. Everything had been so much simpler on Torin, so much easier.
"Yes, that is because I am your favourite grog." He said it with so much ego that I chuckled despite myself.
"Greedy grog." I let out a small sigh, "I'm just disappointed and I feel like I failed. I'm no good at the political side of things." I really, really wasn't. I felt stupid for even trying.
"This Bee-anka seems like she will make a good replacement." Gal'rug gave a sharp nod at that and my mouth twitched upwards.
"Bianca will be mean." Oh she would be vicious. I could only imagine the phone calls she would be making this time. The first time she had tempered herself because I was alright and it was a random crazy person. The attack at the assembly? Oh she would be on a damn rampage.
"Perhaps that is what is needed." I couldn't fault his words, some of the politicians needed a law book absolutely shotgunned at their heads and I knew Bianca wasn't going to hold back with it, especially with the second chance box in her hands and with me not on earth to temper her.
"Tank!" The nickname was said loudly from somewhere down the hall and the chanting began as it sounded like a damn herd of elephants was stampeding towards the room. Luke was first past the door and the others were quick to follow. I noticed TruckNuts and Pinky weren't with them, more than likely they were dropped off on earth.
"Hey guys." I smiled at them and waved, feeling more than a little embarrassed. They made it to my bed and they were suddenly all talking at once and I blinked rapidly, trying to focus and listen as they all spoke at once.
"You told Lawrence to go fuck himself!"
"Yoooo! You are fine!"
"Our Tank is taking gut shots like a fucking champ!"
"What did the fucker's face do when you told him to go fuck himself?"
"What did getting shot feel like?"
"They put little robots inside you, bro!"
"I bet his face went purple!"
"Could you feel them crawling around under your skin?"
"That's so fucking trippy!"
I let go of Gal'rug's hand and held both of mine up. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" I waved them slightly, that was too much all too soon. "One at a time." I pointed at Timmay, "What's up?"
"Why does he get to go first?" Konnie said it and that devolved into an entire mess as all of them, minus Luke, started fighting so I rolled my eyes and pointed at Luke.
"What's up, boss man?"
He came over and grabbed my hand, giving it a heavy squeeze. "How you feeling?" He looked me over with a critical eye and I smiled.
"Fine, actually. Got a stitch in my side like I pulled a muscle but outside of that I'm good." I really was. I felt more relaxed than I had in weeks and I knew there would be a bit of a shit show later, once Bianca opened up the box and reestablished communication with Torin but at the moment, I felt good.
"That's good." He gave my hand another squeeze before leaning down and sticking his finger in my face. "But if you ever pull that shit again, I will kill you myself." He hissed it out, the warning more than clear and I smiled with a shake of my head.
"Did you and Gal coordinate that?" I gestured between the two of them. "Cause that's basically what Gal'rug told me." The fact they both decided to say it made me wanna laugh a bit.
"Out of the way, Riviera!" Timmay shoved him out of the way, clearly winning whatever argument the guys had been having. "They put little robots in you!" It burst out of him and he looked absolutely giddy at the thought. "Little nanites they programmed with scans of you to heal you back to the last scans they had! It was the coolest shit I have ever seen and heard of in my entire life! Could you feel them at all?"
"Timmay... I was unconscious." I couldn't feel much of anything before I woke up. "I doubt it." I couldn't imagine it would be something one could feel, if it was then that would be irritating. Feeling like little bugs crawling through you. It was enough of a thought to make me want to shudder. He looked almost disappointed with the words and I struggled to not laugh at him because of it.
Konnie, Jetski, Twigs, and Fist all pushed Timmay to the side and grinned at me. "Did you really tell PM Lawrence to go fuck himself?" Jetski asked it and I laughed before nodding.
"He deserved it, he was being a fuckwit." At the words the four of them started shoving at each other, cheering and I smiled, leaning my head back against the rather comfortable pillow.
"What colour did his face turn?" Ham called it out from the edge of the crowd and I smirked.
"Red-y purple. Fucking hilarious. I thought he would have a heart attack." That had him laughing loudly, thumping on Aragorn's back.
I looked up at Luke with a wry smile. "Welcome to Torin, boss." As I glanced back at the guys I knew they would fit in just fine. They really would. I glanced over a the doorway and spotted Mare-aidee. "Hey Mare!" I waved at her and she gave me a small wave back before she came over, moving to stand beside Gal'rug.
"How are you, my friend?" She asked it softly and I smiled at her.
"I'm alright. Doesn't feel too bad." It really didn't. Which was surprising because I had most definitely been shot and on earth it would have been a long and painful road to recovery. Thank god for little robots.
"That is good." She reached past Gal'rug and picked up my free hand. Gal looked almost put out with the action and I gave him a fond smile. "I am so thankful you are okay. You had us very worried." She gave my hand a small squeeze and I nodded.
"I had myself worried to be honest. Plus I cried like a little girl." That had been embarrassing.
"Hey!" Jetski came over and pointed his finger in my face. "You got shot, Tank. If there ever was a time to fucking cry, it would be when you get fucking shot. Am I understood?" He said it so seriously that it caught me off guard. I blinked a few times and Timmay stepped up beside him.
"When your vitals tanked cause of the drug shit they gave you in the stasis chamber, I was about ready to bawl my eyes out." He gave a firm nod at that that Jetski repeated.
"You're our tanky girl, we know you aren't military, you aren't used to that shit." Konnie said it, clearly agreeing with the others and Luke glanced down at me.
"I thought you would start crying looonnng before that." He paused and clearly fought a smile. "Pussy ass bitch." That had me laughing and I instantly regretted it as my stomach flashed with pain.
"Ow, ow, ow!" I winced as I pressed against my stomach, trying to mitigate the ache.
"I hope you are not too busy for more company." Loril's chipper voice had me glancing to the door where I spotted her holding a caged flower that nearly had me wanting to bolt from my bed.
"Nope! Nope, nope, nope, nope! You keep that damned thing away from me!" I pointed at her as she came over with a wide and rather terrifying smile.
"It's just a baby!" She cooed at it as the small flower clearly tried to take a bite out of her face that she just laughed at as it hit the bars of it's cage.
"Nope! Nope! Not happening! You keep that damned carnage flower away from me!" I was ready to crawl right out of the bed and on whoever I needed to, to get away from that damned carnivorous flower she was bringing closer. Luke laughed and I shook my head rapidly, pushing myself to the furthest side of the bed. "Nope, nope, nope! That thing eats people! Nope! Nope! Not having it! Absolutely not!" I was not having any of it, not at all. "Gal! Help me out here!" Loril had made it to the bedside and even Gal'rug had backed up from the antwyn and the caged carnage flower.
He glanced between it and me and then grimaced before reaching down and snagging the cage from the menace of an antwyn. "Dunnerton!" He looked completely apprehensive as he held the cage on his big palm. "Get this thing out of here." He got out of his chair, ignoring the irritated antwyn as he practically rushed from the room.
"Rude!" I pointed at Loril as she fluttered her wings and got onto Gal's vacated chair.
"A warning, my friend. Of what I will do to you if you ever let that happen again." She said it so sweetly that I shied away from her, not trusting her at all.
"Okay, we can go back to earth." I looked at Luke as I reached over and grabbed his arm. "We can go back. She's gunna eat me if we don't!" He glanced between me and the Antwyn and just laughed, the guys followed suit and Mare-aidee huffed, her hands on her hips.
"You really should not rile her up like that so soon after surgery, Loril-ee." I was thankful from the defense from my friend and Loril looked completely unrepentant and just wrinkled her little nose at the ilthi. "She just woke up and you are threatening her with a carnage flower."
"It's of the mo-lita-eetera variety, the house plant." The words were said innocently and I just stared at her. A carnage flower was still a carnage flower, no matter how big or small.
"It's still a carnage flower." Mare-aidee shook her finger at the antwyn.
"It's no worse than the little predators humans can have in their houses."
"Those little predators don't have an active interest in eating people." I said it quickly and Loril simply smiled. I narrowed my eyes, she knew what she was doing. "You're a brat." She was, a complete and total brat.
"As you humans are so fond of saying, it takes one to know one." That smile was definitely smug and I huffed right as she started laughing.
"I heard the last gift was not appreciated." At'kat'vo walked in holding a mini crystal garden statue. "I have brought you something less alive."
"At'kat!" I smiled at him. "It's perfect!" It was a gradient yellow and green, very striking and he carried it over with his weird spider leg fingers and set it on the bedside table.
"I'm glad you are okay, my friend." He reached out and gently touched the back of my hand and I smiled brightly at him.
"Much better now that I'm back here." I was and I knew that I would probably wouldn't leave again if I could help it. I looked over at the guys and they were all staring at At'Kat, Luke noticed my slightly narrowed eyes and subtly covered his junk. "I hope I didn't cause you to moult again." I looked at him carefully, trying to see any evidence he was going to moult on me and he shook his head.
"I am safe from moulting for awhile. Do not worry. After we moult we have a safe period where we do not moult, no matter how stressed we might get." He gave a decisive click of his mandibles. "I hope your friends enjoy Torin as well." At'kat said it with a hopeful click and I smiled slightly.
"Oh, I know they will." The minute I was able, I was going to take them all to the arena. Bunch of military guys that liked beating on each other? Oh they and the arena were going to get along famously.
"Oh! We have gifts for you too!" Fist said it quickly and I looked over in surprise and confusion. "We were going to give them to you after the assembly but you know, you got shot and we had to escape. But here!" He held out a smallish painted figurine for me and I took it with a bit of confusion. It was a small guy in blue armour. "It's a Space Marine, one of the first one I ever got and painted for the math wars. I wanted you to have it. To show you're part of our team."
I blinked rapidly at it before I looked up at him, that was... I was rather touched from it, I really was. "Thank you, so much." I looked back at it and smiled. It was clearly painted with care and it looked well loved. "I love it." I did, I really did.
"Here!" Ham held out a small figure that looked like a rather insane version of a grog that had me chuckling as I took it. "Same shit as Fist said, one of my first, except mine's an ork, the only best faction there is!" His was painted a bit less carefully than Fist's but it still looked good. I held them together and smiled, if they kept it up I might end up crying.
"Ignore him. He's lying, that faction is completely insane. The grey knights are where it's at." Jetski held out his own figurine and I went to take it when he held it back. "If you ever wanna join, I can hook you up." He winked at me as he held it out again and I smiled and took it.
"The grey knights suck! It's the Death Angels you wanna play." Aragorn held out another figurine and I took with, my smile growing bigger at my little growing collection. I set them down in my lap, carefully making sure they were face up.
"Fuck the Death Angels. The Orks are clearly better!" Ham shoved Aragorn as he said it and Aragorn shoved him back.
"Shut up, Ham. Harlequins all the fucking way." Konnie said it as he pushed through them and held out his own figurine. "They're the best, you know." He said it super seriously and I watched as Jetski punched him in the side.
"They're fucking clowns!" Jetski hissed it out and Konnie gasped, as if seriously insulted.
"You take that back right now!" Konnie shoved at him and Timmay rolled his eyes as he and Twigs shoved them to the back so they could fight it out away from the bed.
"Here. Adeptus Mechanicus. I think you would appreciate them. They like making machines." Twigs held a figurine out and I beamed at him as I took it with a thanks.
"And here's mine. Tyranids. The only really decent characters." Timmay said it as he handed me a vicious looking figurine before Aragorn grabbed his shoulder and yanked him backwards.
"They eat people!" He hissed it out and I chuckled as I looked at the figurine. They did look like they would eat people.
"They're at least honest about it! Not like your fucking traitorous legion licking Nurgle's gross ballsack!" The imagery had me laughing and then immediately wincing as I pressed against my aching stomach. All of them continued to argue and in Jetski and Konnie's case, physically wrestling.
"They take this serious don't they." I fought back a smile as I looked up at Luke from where he was now standing next to my hospital bed.
"This is tame. When the other four get involved, there would be bloodshed." He glanced down at me before reaching into his pocket and holding out a figurine for me. "The Tau. Specifically an Ethereal." I took it and smiled as I looked over it's carefully painted robes and grey-blue skin. "They believe in the greater good and the Ethereal's tenants are the foundation of the empire. They're titled with Aun." He pointed at the figurine as I glanced up at him in surprise. "I've taken to calling that one Aun'Rox." that had me tearing up and I swallowed hard, tucking it with the rest. They were a miss matched little bunch but I loved them, each and every one of them.
"Rok-see..." Loril's voice was low and I looked over at her, sniffling to try and hide the fact I wanted to cry at how sweet they all were including me in their games and welcoming me to the team in their own weirdly wonderful way. She looked intrigued but wary, her black eyes almost sparkling with a slightly reserved interest. "What are these... math wars?" At that I froze and then stared at her.
The antwyn thought in mathematical formulas and theoretical equations, the minute they were told about War Hammer 40k they were going to lose their shit like the nerds they were.
I beamed at her, feeling overwhelmingly happy and she just looked more confused. "Guys." I called it out but was barely heard over the commotion. "Guys!" That caught their attention and they stopped mid argument and fight to look at me. I glanced at them and grinned. "Loril would pretty please like to know what the math wars are and if you explain them properly..." I trailed off as I looked at her and then back to the group. "I think you will gain a very good new player." That had their expressions lighting up and they nearly descended on her, asking a hundred different questions all at once about what she wanted to know and where she wanted them to begin and if she wanted to know the basics.
I smiled.
Common interests.
Even if I had failed on earth, even if I hadn't done it correctly or right at all... Common interests would win out. Like my dad and Dunnerton and spice, my niece and At'kat'vo and bugs, my brother and Gal'rug and monster trucks, or Luke and Mare-aidee and mutual attraction... I glanced between the two of them. Mare's cheeks were a touch darker as she tried to discretely look at him and Luke was trying very hard not to glance at her every few seconds, shuffling on his feet as he did so.
I beamed wide and proud.
Human greed would never win against nerding out for common interests.