“Then come along.” The scientist keyed open a hatch that led to a smaller sequence of locks, like the one that they’d landed the ship in.

Privately, she conceded that leaving before resolving the disagreement with Helix had not been mature or well-handled on her part. Hurt feelings drove her to dash off before anything was settled, and then she’d thought it best to take some time to reflect. Perhaps that was wrong? She’d never been close enough to fight with anyone before, not like this. Well, apart from her mothers, of course, and that wasn’t quarreling in the same sense. Inatol used to tell Qalu what to do and she would listen to all those instructions, then do as she pleased in quiet defiance.

“Is it wise to depart the facility without alerting the others?” Helix asked softly.

“We’re only going out to release a specimen.” She was trying to regard every new experience as an opportunity to learn, and she’d likely never have the chance to take a short voyage in a submersible. These were stories she’d share with her descendants, should she ever be blessed with them.

Maybe it would help if she explained, so with great enthusiasm, she extoled the virtues of Surzahn’s work, but that information only seemed to anger Helix more. His whole body tightened and he held himself with fierce tension.

“I see,” he snapped. “Then naturally we ought to commemorate this momentous achievement. What good fortune that I caught you before you experienced it without me.”

She paused, working through the nuances. Before, she had believed he was still angry because of the prior conflict, but this anger sprang from a different source. He reacted sharply when she spent time with others, and she shouldn’t be pleased by his irritation, no, not at all. While negative emotions were inevitable, she should not find his pique endearing.

We ought to talk about this. I should make sure he feels safe with me.

Qalu lowered her voice to ensure Surzahn couldn’t overhear. “Is that bothering you?”

Helix strode forward, gaze locked on the subaquatic pod that the scientist was currently inspecting. “What?”

“Helix, this might sound silly, but…are you jealous?”

[  15  ]

“Yes,” Helix said tersely.

There was no point in denying the truth. His voice sounded tight—however irrational this was, his whole body was coiled and angry. He disliked this physiological response profoundly but he couldn’t control it, a ridiculous side effect related to his flesh casing.

Her response came so softly that he understood that it was meant for him alone. “I prize your company above all others.”

The volatility inside him steadied at once, as if she had laid a calming touch over his heart. If that was true, it didn’t matter who else she communicated with. “Then…we shouldn’t keep the scientist waiting. Shall we go?”