Faraway

That particular wire tap wasn't just being recorded either, but also actively listened to during the entire conversation between Tenna and Aiden. Of course Nessa knew about the tap since she had been the one to supervise the installation of every single one of them. Every scientist was bugged in their tent. It wasn't that they didn't trust their scientists and researchers, then just didn't trust them. Those higher up than Nessa knew that to discover great things sometimes things needed to be taken forcefully from the bright minds hatching new ideas, and if a thing couldn't be taken by force then it had to be taken slyly and behind closed doors. She didn't feel any remorse doing it that way either since it made things a little neater, especially when it came to the paperwork.

"Now that's interesting," she mused aloud softly to herself when Tenna mentioned to Aiden that her people had once had ships like theirs. No doubt the ships were smaller though since Tenna's people all seemed to be smaller in stature. Tenna rubbed her chin thoughtfully as she continued to listen to the by-play between Aiden and Tenna, becoming more and more interested. She was especially curious when Aiden whispered softly that Tenna should keep her intel to herself since others might use such knowledge in the wrong way and for the wrong reasons.

"Please find Captain Tyler private," she said once the voices had gone softer over the speaker she'd been listening to them on. She looked up at the young man who was fast going to get a promotion if he kept up with the good job he was doing for her as an assistant.

"Yes ma'am!" he said crisply, saluted and then turned and left. He would find Captain Tyler and bring him directly to Nessa even if it killed him. She was glad for his loyalty since it meant she could trust him as well.
 
[size=-2]
Tenna shot Aiden a strange look, surprise written all over her face. "What, you think you're the only people with ships?" the swinging of her legs slowed as she studied his expression, clearly hoping he was joking. When it seemed he wasn't, she snickered a little. "You aliens, so arrogant..." she smirked impishly after her statement, moving on to the question he had posed her about her own people.

"Some of my people, they would like to meet a human. We don't know much about you. The reason we let you stay is because we have an idea in our minds that we are a benevolent people" she shrugged at him at this point, a twinkle in her eyes. Lightly, Tenna leapt down from the counter where she had been sitting and began examining the walls while she spoke.

"Nesya Evton tells us every day that it would be unfair to be greedy and claim this planet as only our own, but they worry about what you aliens did to your planet. We don't know much about you; I think that all of my people would like to meet you - if only to discover what we're dealing with" she rubbed her fingers over the sterile white paint with interest before leaning down to inspect the floor tiles.

Innocently, Aiden turned his head to look at her and see what she was doing, only to find himself fitted with a perfect view of slender silver legs leading up beneath her skirt and, to his surprise, a tiny tuft of a tail not unlike that of a deer. Before he could say anything, a tapping of shoes outside the door peaked Tenna's interest and she rushed over to the peephole to look into the hallway.
[/size]
 
He could not hide the grin that sprouted on his face as she responded that her people might be interested in having one of his people accompany them for a day. Much less him! And older model spaceships, designed for someone of their stature, obviously based on more naturalistic elements! Why, the potential was vast. Perhaps he could learn to harness this natural energy ...

His thought process was halted by the smell of burning meat, and with a start he removed the pan from the stove top, hastily sliding the overcooked meat onto a plate. Well, he hoped she liked her meals this well done. He himself had rather gotten used to a charcoal rich diet, but everyone else; Looking over his shoulder to ask her how she liked it prepared, his mouth snapped shut and his eyes wide. Under her skirt there! A ... tail?

Absentmindedly he wiped his hands on the dish towel he had draped over his shoulder, and as she went over to the door to see who it was, he walked up behind her and lifted the bottom of her skirt without thinking about what he was doing, crouching down to get a better look. With one hand he touched the tip of the tail, to see if it were some kind of decoration -- maybe a trophy they kept from their first kill? -- or if it were legitimately attached to her buttocks.

If it were actually attached, a real, genuine tail, this would explain quite a bit about the races' behavior that he had noticed from other chance encounters; for instance from the first welcoming committee. There was absolutely no perverted nature to his observation, he was just ... not very good with ethics. Being a researcher and all, that was most often the last thing on his mind. Ethics could be rather bothersome when you were trying to figure out how a bird's wing worked, for instance.
 
[size=-2]
Tenna spun around when she felt a touch pulling at the hem of her skirt. She didn't look exactly angry, more curious and skeptical. "What are you doing?" she asked, her attention gone from being whimsically unfocused to centered entirely on Aiden. He stumbled, fumbling for words for a moment, but before he had to answer for himself there was a sharp rapping on the door that startled Tenna.

The clopping of boots had halted, which could only lead to the assumption that this was where they had been headed, a worrying thought. The scent of burnt food hung in the air, making Tenna's head hurt a little, especially in conjunction with the over-bright, unnatural lights glaring down at her and bouncing off the uninteresting white of the walls. After a second, a harsh voice cut through the silence created when he had paused in knocking.

"Professor, there has been word of one of your experiments in need of your attention" the disembodied voice interjected, the tone clipped and impersonal. Tenna wondered briefly if it was even a human voice at all. While Tenna's assumption was that Aiden would have paled at being addressed so severely, he was an unusual person and perhaps he would not feel chastised. She stole a glance at him but could decipher nothing.
[/size]
 
Nessa waited patiently during the interval until the private finally returned with Captain Tyler. The private saluted and then exited the room, closing the door behind him so they could have their privacy as they talked. Captain Tyler stood at attention while he waited for Nessa to address him, proprietary always being important iwthin their military bonds.

"At ease Captain," she said commandingly, though not too loudly. Tyler relaxed and took a seat in the chair she offered to him, set one boot up on his knee and looked up at her expectantly.

"I hear some interesting stories of late ma'am," he said, a confident air in his voice, though still respectful to his superior.

"I see interesting things as well Captain, and this is why I have asked you here. One of our researchers has brought home an interesting pet and out of the wisdom of good intel we have garnered information that suggests that the natives once had ships capable of space travel. I would like to put you in charge of a group that will find said ships," she said as she paced around the side of her desk and leaned against the side of the chair Tyler was sitting in.

"That's fascinating ma'am, and I would gladly head such an expidition for you," he replied, then stood and saluted her again.

"That is all for now Captain. I will send my assistant with further details once everything is ready," she added, then saluted back to him and he left. She continued to think on what she had overheard, deciding on what needed to be done.