I had an idea for one more scene to dump in some backstory. In a vague kind of way.
Corvan sat alone in the public dining area. Others were here, but he was alone. He had found an empty table and now, as he delicately ate his meal, he managed to defend that table with his presence, with his demeanor, his behaviour and of course with the face of Professor Almore Relin. Safely behind the projected Mind Shroud, he just wanted to eat his meal and take in the view through the grand VacuGlas window without being disturbed. Blending in was important but the constant 'performance' was challenging, tiring. The moments alone were vital to relax and focus, and to contemplate the significance of what he was here to do. But then all that relaxation ebbed away as a certain person entered the room.
It was that old woman. Elander Hays. He noted her at the meeting and only afterwards recalled that he had bumped into her earlier on the journey. She had said something to him, which he'd subsequently ignored, something frivolous and flippant, but now he understood that they were supposed to know each other. She must have been sharing some kind of private joke that he'd not understood. It was then that he regretted his actions with the Professor. Not his killing. That was necessary, inevitable. Minds like his could never be changed. It was just the timing that was unfortunate. Too late. He really would have liked more time to prepare. His Mind Shroud was fine, no, it was better than fine, it was perfect. For as long as he projected, or chose to project (he permitted himself a wry smile at the memory of the confused botanist) the image was unmistakably Professor Relin. But the behaviour was always tricky, especially without the proper time to research. And now Elander Hays was here, she had collected a meal from the AutoChef and now she would surely approach him. Him above all the others here. It was as obvious as it was depressing.
"Mind if I join you?"
"By all means." And it wasn't a lie. He meant it. Because it had to be done.
She pointed at his dish. "Aldebaran Salmon?" She sat down opposite him, adding, "I thought you hated that."
An uncomfortable start. He took another mouthful. "It's an acquired taste, I agree."
"And a taste that you have apparently acquired over the years. Literally so."
"Well, what can I say? Age does strange things to one's palate. And other parts of the body, perhaps." Surely that was the correct thing to say? It seemed the right choice of phrase but the silent non-response worried him...
Until she laughed. "At least some things about you don't change. You still have that sense of humour, even if you do hide it more than you should."
"There is a time and a place for everything. Even Aldebaran Salmon." He offered her a bite from his fork.
"No, thank you." Declining again in gesture with a raised palm and explaining, "I don't think the acquired taste will go with my own choice."
"Always the salad."
"You know me too well, Almore."
Almore? he thought. Was that a little too familiar on her part? Were the two of them closer than he believed? Or was this a test? Did she suspect? This was a difficult one. Beneath the Mind Shroud of Relin's face, Corvan may have been sweating, but no-one would ever see. He chewed slowly on his mouthful of salmon to buy some time. Perhaps a distraction would work. "Oh, I'm sorry," he mumbled and produced a toothpick which he jabbed and wiggled in the back corner of his mouth. "Ah, that's got it."
"Stray bone?" she inquired.
"Forever the problem with Aldebaran Salmon." And with that the awkwardness of the first names were gone. He now felt comfortable continuing and reciprocating, "So, Elander... Enjoying the view?"
She turned to look and his gaze followed. Together they saw the blue disk of the planet that was growing by the hour as they made the final approach before the burn for orbital entry.
"The good ones always look blue, don't they?"
"So you think the blue is a good omen?" he asked.
"It's the most human colour."
Relin frowned, adding, "An odd turn of phrase."
She smiled. "Your rather academic books were never as poetic as they could have been. It was just a line from an old Earth song."
His frown didn't want to leave either of his faces at mention of the old Homeworld. Some people were too nostalgic. He moved the subject back, "I hear they have a telescope pointed at the planet up on the observation deck. Had a look?"
"Who hasn't!" She exclaimed.
HE hadn't. He knew enough already but didn't need to respond as Elander swiftly continued.
"It's astonishingly beautiful!" She paused to enjoy those words before adding, with a sense of reluctance, "but!" The consonants were sharp as she bit off her own compliment.
"But?" he couldn't resist asking.
"Beauty does not always go with safety, does it?" He remained silent so she repeated more firmly, "Does it!"
"I guess not."
"You GUESS not?" She leaned back in her chair, gently pushing her plate away from her. "You, of all people, know about the dangers of not following the quarantine protocols. Don't tell me you've softened your views after all these years. Or is this another taste you've acquired?"
"Of course not!" And here he wore Relin's opinions as well as he wore his face. "The Kantika Moon relic is a lesson we should never stop learning."
"I'm glad you still think so." Whatever tension that was in her voice now flexed away.
Relin punctuated the moment with an audible breath, in and out through the nose. "There I was thinking that this was a friendly social call, when really... You just wanted to see if I was still on your side."
"I'm hoping it won't come to that." Here Elander glanced down and shook her head. "But there are people on this ship that have no idea about the dangers of exploration. Perhaps it's the naivety of youth, they're not as old as you or I. They didn't have to make the decisions for that crew on Kantika. Some of them weren't even born then. When that relic collapsed the crew were exposed. Vulnerable. Anything could have come out of there. We didn't know enough to be there. They got lucky. WE got lucky."
"Considering most of the crew subsequently died in the Dernaq-3 mutiny, I wouldn't call that lucky!"
"And isn't that the greatest irony!" She scoffed, and rolled those pale eyes of hers. "To have that girl on this ship! If I was a believer in fate..."
"If YOU were a believer in fate," he couldn't resist the even greater irony, "I'd think you were an impostor!"
"Ha." She spoke the laugh rather than experiencing it. "The girl is just like her father. So filled with that yearning for discovery and adventure. It's like a calling that runs in the family. I'll be damned if I'm going to let her blindly walk into danger like that. Maybe I'll be damned anyway." Her head sank.
She seemed a little deflated with those words. Resigned almost, defeated even. Corvan gambled and reached out to take her hand in -what was it called, now? Consolation? Empathy? Something like that.
She looked up at him. Her eyes wide and then natural. Her blossoming smile warm and welcoming. She looked at him. And saw Professor Almore Relin.
"You're just worried about the girl," he told her. "I get that. I understand. Everyone understands. That's what the quarantine protocols are for. That's what will keep her safe. That's what will keep us all safe. It's just a matter of balance. They want to run off and explore and we -the responsible ones- have to hold them back a little. I'm..." He squeezed her hand. "I'm on your side." He noticed a twinkle in her pale eyes, making her look younger than she was.
"Hey," she whispered. "Do you want to go to the observation scope to look at the planet again?"
"You go on. I'll join you in a moment."
He watched her leave the dining area with a youthful cadence, a confidence and a kind of glow. Elander Hays was going to be a problem for him. But she was a problem that could be handled with a more subtle enmity.