(no subject)
“It was there five minutes ago.”
“And you left it unsupervised? You know they wander off first chance they get!”
Telrim glared at Issek. “I forgot! Besides, how was I supposed to contact you without leaving the room?”
“I can’t believe you found an interdimensional anomaly and you didn’t save some for me.” The Taxxon-controller huffed, although you wouldn’t know it if you’d never been one. Telrim rolled her eyes. Issek clicked his claws in agitation before pausing. “You haven’t been near any oatmeal lately, have you?”
“No!”
“Telrim. Issek.” Their superior unbent from peering around the cargo bay door and turned to them wearily. “Maybe it was real and maybe it wasn’t. Either way, it’s gone now and there’s no guarantee it’ll show up again. So until it does, I suggest we drop the whole thing, all right?”
“You don’t think the Empire ought to know?” Issek asked suspiciously.
Essam 530 sighed. “I think it won’t care until it has proof beyond one soldier’s word. Especially one who’s been spending time around perceptual research projects.”
Issek lashed his tongue a bit. “Oh. That.”
“Right.” Essam rubbed his face. “And unless you really want Visser Three taking an interest in this area…”
“Point made,” said Telrim quickly. “Besides, even if we could get back, there’s some anti-violence device, and half the population recognised I wasn’t human. It’s probably not worth trying to invade.”
“No,” said Essam. “Gathering information, on the other hand, might be worthwhile…”
“Right,” said Issek and Telrim together. Essam nodded.
“Report directly to me - and only to me - if you find it.” He turned and strode off in the direction of the bridge, obviously determined not to waste any more of his time.
“Of course, you’ll call me first,” Issek said quietly, when the human-Controller was out of earshot.
Telrim stared at her friend as though he were an idiot. “Well, obviously.”
“Good!”