“Give me a couple more minutes.” Barry relayed the audio. The voice spoke evenly, without emotion. It was deeper than one would expect from most humans.

Derek, unable to resist the opportunity, waited for a pause and said hello.

That got laughs from everyone in the passenger cabin, but the voice stopped speaking. “I think,” said Beth, “he’s waiting for you to continue.”

“Are you there?” Derek asked.

It replied, with three or four words.

They went back and forth in that manner for several minutes, until Barry broke in: “I think Korquit just said he was pleased to meet you. He’s asking for a name. Captain, do you wish to proceed with a conversation?”

“Yes, Barry. Let’s do it. Derek,” she said, “it’s all yours.”

“Excellent,” he said, looking a bit confused. “How does this work, Hutch? Can I speak directly to the AI?”

“It’ll seem like it. More or less. Actually, you’ll be talking to Barry. He’ll translate for Korquit and then translate the response for you. So, you’ll hear everything in Barry’s voice.”

“All right.” He looked down at the panel. “Hello, Korquit. My name is Derek.”

“Hello, Derek. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

“We have come a long way. I’m delighted to have the opportunity to speak with you.”

“That is good. I’m also delighted to have the opportunity to communicate. Where are you from?” The responses were made with a delay of only a few seconds.

“We call our home world Earth.”

“I like the name. I originated on Tarka.”

“Is that the world in the sky at this moment?”

“Yes.”

“But you are located on the moon; is that correct?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Do you perform services for them? For the people on the world?”

“No.”

“I see. Do they come here periodically? To visit you?”

“No, they do not.”

Derek made a face that looked as if he’d just bitten into spoiled fruit. “Is there a reason they do not come to visit?”

“I do not know.”

“How long has it been since they’ve been here?”

“Derek, this is Barry. We have not yet been able to zero in on time designations. I will convert the question and answer.”

“Okay. That’s fine.”

“Derek, the moon has orbited Tarka two thousand nine hundred and four times since the last mission left here to go home.”

“They just left you here, Korquit?”

“That appears to be the reality. They couldn’t be bothered to inform me.”

“Have you asked them?”

“No. It was of no consequence.”

Derek’s eyes closed momentarily. Then: “Fortunately, Korquit, you’ve been able to survive.”

“No thanks to those idiots.”

“No, I guess not. I can’t imagine how they could do something like that. Are you the only offworld presence they have?”

“I am one of two.”