Valence by Jennifer Foehner Wells

Author:Jennifer Foehner Wells [Wells, Jennifer Foehner]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Blue Bedlam Science Fiction
Published: 2017-11-14T07:00:00+00:00

28

Brai was delighted.

It seemed that Dr. Alan Bergen was making the first move in the complex orchestration of asserting the foundation of friendship. Giving him distance and being patient had paid off as Jane had promised it would. But he had to be careful. This was a critical juncture. Reassurance would be key.

Brai quite simply had always been desperate to befriend the man. Alan was so different from any individual he had ever known. He applied his intelligence with a level of self-assurance and creativity that was intriguing. From the first, Brai had wanted to delve into that mind and try to understand how it worked, even to the point of trying to emulate his complex thinking processes in order to better himself. But his fervor had been his downfall in that endeavor.

But more recently Alan had trusted him, including him as an expert along with Pio, Jaross, and Ron as he worked through the design and physical implementation of some of his newest engineering ventures, which were extraordinary. Brai had taken those tasks quite seriously and the collaborations had borne abundant fruit.

And now here he was.

“This is just you and me talking, right? No one else can hear us, our thoughts? You’ll keep the contents of this conversation to yourself?” Alan asked as he strode along the walkway that circumnavigated Brai’s enclosure, turned, and then strode back again.

“Yes. Certainly. This is a private conversation,” Brai replied.

“I’d talk to Ron but he’s on the other ship and this has all gotten so fucking complicated. I’d have to talk to him through you, so you’d know what I was saying anyway, so I guess it just makes sense to talk to you because you’re here.”

“A logical conclusion.” Brai moved back so that he wouldn’t have to keep turning his body to track Alan’s movements. Being as still as possible might serve his goals better.

Alan’s hand went to the back of his neck. “I mean, it’s not like I could talk to Pledor or Tinor, you know? Or Murrrsi. I don’t even know her. You know what I mean, right?”

“I count Tinor as a dear friend, but I have noted a level of discomfort between the two of you since the misunderstanding over Jane’s gift. It is certainly true that different individuals seek different levels of intimacy from different people. This is natural. There are many factors involved and they are often of a personal nature, built by past experiences.”

There was a hitch in Alan’s stride. He paused. “Maybe this was the wrong thing to do…”

Brai stayed outwardly calm and motionless, but internally he berated himself for talking too much. He was pushing Alan away again, the way he had before, by trying too hard. The best approach would be to listen, coax Alan to speak—that was the reason stated that he had come there. Then perhaps something more natural might form. They had gotten along so well while they worked on Alan’s theoretical device. That had allowed this moment to come to fruition.

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