Syrenii was on the mid-walkway of the tri-level control center, so far forward that she appeared to be standing in empty space surrounded by a cottony mess of firmament. Blurred and distorted, the enveloping cosmic image looked nothing like what could be viewed through a telescope. Even as he strode deliberately toward the captain, or whatever the leader of a gang of alien ship thieves chose to call herself, Dev wondered what their immediate spatial surroundings might have looked like if the vessel on which they were traveling slowed down enough to return to normal space. Viewing such visions via detailed images taken by telescopes orbiting the Earth was awe-inspiring enough. Finding oneself among the actuality might prove overwhelming.

Still, he hoped for the opportunity. As Pavesi had so succinctly commented, curiosity was why they had all ended up in their present situation. Whether such inquisitiveness would kill Dev instead of the proverbial cat remained to be seen.

Striding down the narrow walkway that seemed suspended in the midst of a small portion of the cosmos was not easy. There were no railings and anyone suffering from acrophobia likely could not have managed it. Fortunately, heights had never troubled Dev. His natural scientific detachment further divorced him from any irrational fear of falling into the nearest distorted nebula underfoot.

As he approached the instrumentation cluster where Syrenii was conversing energetically with two other A'jeii, Dev noted that not just the walkway he was on but all those in the control center were more than broad enough for a pair of A'jeii to pass one another without crowding. Come to think of it, he told himself, the few passages he had explored within the ship were sufficiently wide and high enough to suggest that whoever its owners were, they likely ran larger than the A'jeii and Olone, though perhaps not the bigger, huskier Kaijank.

All three of the aliens paused to regard him as he halted. None drew a weapon to blast the insolent primitive from their presence. He had the feeling that they were expectant rather than angry. Had the pugnacious Vantolos been present, Dev suspected he would already be under verbal assault.

Instead, one of the A'jeii said coolly, “What do you want, human? Why are you not in your living quarters?”

Dev drew himself up, though if the A'jeii were not intimidated by the Kaijank, he doubted they would regard him as much of a threat.

“You studied my kind long enough to learn our language, to learn about our resources, long enough to figure out the best way to threaten us to get what you needed. So you must be aware that we are not the kind of species to simply sit around and do nothing while others determine our future.”

“That is a statement, not a request,” observed the second A'jeii. “What do you want?”