“Thank you, Admiral.” Weston watched as the small man poured a lightly tinted liquid into a long, thin glass.

The admiral started to hand it across, paused, and frowned. “It occurs to me that perhaps we should confirm that there are no poisons in our food or drink that might affect you…”

“I don’t believe that would be a problem, Admiral,” Weston replied easily, accepting the drink by leaning forward. “Our doctor did extensive cellular examinations when we picked up Miss Chans. We are genetically identical, with the expected minor deviations one would find in any isolated section of the species.”

“I see,” Tanner replied, pouring a second glass for himself. “I must admit that I find this quite interesting. There have long been legends, of course, concerning other human planets, but I believe that the last time such a thing was found was…several thousand cycles ago, at least.”

“That’s some history you have there,” Weston said, impressed despite not knowing exactly what a cycle was. “How long have you had space travel?”

Tanner shrugged, taking a drink. “I would have to look up the exact number, but it is just marginally over fifteen thousand cycles.”

“Cycles?” Weston frowned, tapping his induction mic again, deciding that he’d better get that detail cleared up.

“Pardon, a cycle is the length of time this world takes to circle our sun,” Tanner replied.

Weston blinked, pausing with his drink just inches from his lips. “Wow.”

“Pardon?” Tanner asked politely, smiling with a look of confusion on his face. “Surely your own worlds have been space faring for some time…”

“Actually, no,” Weston said slowly, weighing his words as he tried to decide what exactly to say. Finally, he just decided to go with the truth. “Actually, the Odyssey is our first interstellar vessel.”

Tanner set his own glass down, laying his hand against the table in surprise. “What was it you said, Captain? Wow?”

Eric chuckled, nodding. “Yes. That was what I said.”

“Wow.”

“That’s a lot of history you have, Admiral,” Weston said again. “My own nation, in its current state, actually only goes back about ten years. Until I can get a better comparison, call it ten cycles.”

“So young,” Tanner said, tilting his head as he considered it. “It’s…incredible to me, I must admit.”

“Makes two of us,” Weston said, picking up his glass again and raising it to his host.

Sean Bermont looked up in surprise when he recognized the familiar form of the Odyssey’s CMO approaching.

“Doctor?” He blinked, his arm itching slightly from where the local med-techs had gone to work on him. “What are you doing down here?”

Rame looked over at the young man, taking a moment to place him. “Ah, Lieutenant. I came down with the captain. I wanted to tour the local medical facilities.”

Bermont smirked, then flexed his arm. “They do good work, Doc. Patched me up good as new, ’cept for the itch.”