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The curved walls of the Argonaut's residential ring ensconce a small living pod that Capella and her fathers call home.
"Papa Theo, water, please," Cappy calls out, navigating around the retractable table that ascended from the floor. She ducks beneath a cluster of exposed conduits that hang conspicuously low—a repair job from three cycles ago that her father Aurigen never quite finished.
"Coming right up, starlight," Theseus' voice replies, warmer than a station's standard AI but still with a hint of digital resonance. "Filtration running at eighty-eight percent today. Still safe."
Capella grabs a dented metal cup from a shelf fashioned from a fragment of repurposed hull plating to catch the stream of water before it can splash onto the mismatched floor panels. Her fingers absently trace a patch of raised sealant where two different metals created a seam -her own handiwork from last month's micrometeorite puncture -as she waits for the cup to fill.
"Thanks, Papa." She steps over a coil of spare wiring her dad had promised to store properly weeks ago. The cushion on her seat is one of the few soft things in their pod. The girl exhales dusty air as she plops boisterously onto the plushness and settles in. With practiced movements, she tucks herself cross-legged beneath the console, where a jury-rigged power converter hums against her knee. Blonde hair catches the artificial light as she shifts into position, green eyes identical to her dad's, never leaving the floating holographic screens. Despite the occasional flicker from power fluctuations, her focus locks in. And in the blue flickering glow, her pale skin seems almost translucent, much like the Lumiphore that pulses contentedly in her lap.
Far away but still visible through the small viewport beside her, Aurelia's terraformed surface gleams. Behind her, the soft sounds of Theseus monitoring the pod's systems provide a comforting backdrop to her evening routine. Although her Papa Theo monitors the entire ship, only Capella can see the tall figure standing beside the screens.
Theseus -Papa Theo to Capella- manifests as a luminous presence through her neural augmentation implants. His form appears startlingly human, almost tangible in its realism. The ambient lighting shifts subtly to accommodate his presence, casting shadows that shouldn't exist for a digital being. His features are perfectly crafted - not the symmetrical perfection of obvious artificiality, but the lived-in handsomeness of a man in his forties. Warm brown eyes with laugh lines, dark hair that moves naturally as he turns his head, and even the slight imperfection of a barely visible scar along his chin. When he gestures, his movements disturb the air currents in ways that make Capella's subconscious accept his reality completely.
To anyone else who might enter, the room would contain simply a small, pale girl with her exotic toy pet. But to Capella, Papa Theo is as real as the ship's walls or the drive core. His voice carries the natural inflections and warmth of human speech, with no digital artifacts. Even his breathing seems natural, his chest rising and falling in the unconscious rhythm of life. The only reminder of his artificial nature comes in fleeting moments when Capella catches herself reaching to touch his arm, or when she notices how he never quite interacts with physical objects - always seeming to just miss contact by millimeters. For the girl, he is her guardian, teacher, and the most human presence in her isolation among the stars.
"I can't find, dad. Can you see him?" Capella asks, absently stroking the Lumiphore with the fingers of her left hand—the cat-like creature's skin shifts to a questioning yellow-green coloration.
Theseus' form strides closer to hers, his formal shoes making artificial footsteps sounds, his presence casting realistic shadows across the floor. "Not yet. He's still in the diplomatic sector. The security feed there has limited coverage due to the old Aurelian privacy protocols."
Anxious, the small girl reaches the console, rotating the camera to focus on a gathering of strangers in what appears to be a lounge area. "What are they all doing together like that?"
"Observe them carefully." Theseus challenges her, leaning forward in his chair with natural human curiosity. He doesn't acknowledge the Lumiphore in her lap, his attention focused entirely on her face. "See how they cluster in small groups? Each carries their own story. Their own private universe of thoughts."
Capella tilts her head, blonde hair falling across one eye. The Lumiphore in her lap mirrors her movement, skin color shifting toward amber as it settles more comfortably. "How do you always know what they're thinking?"
"I don't. I observe and interpret. Watch the woman in the corner, the one with the red hair ponytail and insignia."
She squints at the indicated figure, brushing her blond hair aside. "The woman keeps looking at the door."
"And what might that tell you?"
A moment is taken for Capella to formulate the answer. "She's... waiting for someone?"
Theseus nods, satisfaction warming his expression in a way that seems completely genuine. "Now look at the man she keeps glancing at. Near the water dispenser."
"He's pretending not to see her." Capella leans forward, green eyes narrowing. "But when she looks at him, his shoulders go very tight."
"You're learning to see what others miss." Theseus settles into a cross-legged position next to her, that mirrors hers exactly, the movement so natural she almost forgets he's not physically there. "Everyone you observe contains an entire life, indeed a full universe inside them, just as complex as your own."
The Lumiphore shifts in Capella's lap, emitting a soft purring sound as its color deepens to blue. The small girl runs her fingers through its luminescent hair, though Theseus's gaze never shifts to acknowledge the creature. "But I only really know Dad and you. How can I understand all these strangers?"
"That's precisely why we practice," Theseus chides lightly. Outside their pod, a maintenance drone whirs past, its shadow briefly visible through the door. "You need to recognize patterns in human behavior, despite your limited exposure."
"Is that why Dad asked you to teach me? Because I don't meet many actual people out here?"
"Your father and I believe these skills will be essential for your future." Theseus's expression grows more serious, his brow furrowing with what appears to be genuine concern. "Understanding others -their motivations, their hidden thoughts- can help you navigate complex situations."
"Like when Dad talks to those Colonial Union people." It wasn't a question. Capella points to another screen showing a corridor where a man in a security uniform paces. "What about him? He keeps checking his wrist-comm and touching his side."
Theseus doesn't need to look to know who she means. "Assess and interpret. What do you think?"
The ship's gravity fluctuates momentarily as the Lumiphore shifts in her lap, its colors rippling into soft purples and oranges. Capella frowns, attempting to concentrate, her golden eyebrows drawing together in a manner remarkably similar to her father's quizzical expression. "He's nervous about something. Something to do… with what's in his pocket? Maybe he has something important in his pocket or…"
"Look again," Theseus encourages, one digital eyebrow raised in challenge.
"Wait..." Capella studies the screen more carefully. "That's not his pocket. It's his holster. He's expecting trouble, isn't he? Danger."
"Very good correction." Theseus nods toward her. "Notice also the security alert indicator on the wall behind him—it's amber, rather than the usual green."
Capella glances down at her pet with affection before her green eyes return to the screen. "So he's not nervous for himself, he's nervous about... protecting everyone else?"
"A more accurate assessment. Now, imagine if you needed to pass through that corridor. How would you approach him?"
She bites her lower lip, a mannerism inherited directly from her father either by example or genetic predisposition. The ship's lights dim slightly as it enters a scheduled power conservation cycle. Capella presses on despite the loss of lumens. "I'd be sure he could see me coming. No surprises. He's already nervous. So I would also try to look... not threatening?"
"An excellent strategy. By acknowledging his heightened state without challenging it, you establish yourself as non-problematic. A male guard in such an instance is trained to watch for dangers. Weapons. Suspicious movements. Concealed hands. Bundles that could contain explosives or concealed weapons. Children, in this instance, are more likely to evoke a protector response. Consider this if in need of aid or for manipulation purposes."
The Lumiphore meows and arches against her hand, its color shifting to a contemplative lavender. Capella's small, pale face grows more serious, though she continues absently stroking the creature Theseus steadfastly ignores. "Is it okay though? Using what I know about people to... get what I want?"
Theseus remains silent for a moment, his expression thoughtful as he appears to weigh his words carefully. The life support system cycles audibly in the background between Capella's heartbeats.
"Understanding others is but a tool for survival. Your father uses these skills to protect you. To ensure your safety. Some stars in our path are not always welcoming."
"And that's what you're training me for, too?" Her voice shrinks, becoming younger somehow.
"I'm teaching you to see beneath surfaces." Theseus leans forward, his presence so convincing that Capella can almost feel his warmth. "There may come a time when your survival-or others '- depends on your ability to truly understand what motivates the people around you or the people you come in contact with."
A new feed suddenly appeared on one of the screens, showing a man with the same blonde hair and green eyes as Capella's. His lean face is unmistakably similar to hers, despite the beard and the passage of time. Aurigen was entering the corridor that led to the station's hangar bay.
"Dad's back!" The girl sits up straighter, sending the Lumiphore floating briefly upward with her sudden movement. The creature turns a bright, excited yellow to match the girl's mood.
"Indeed. But wait. What does his posture tell you about his meeting?"
Capella pauses, catching her breath. It takes her a few seconds to remember. She studies the screen intently, the inherited green eyes narrowing, once more reflecting her father's concentrating demeanor. "His shoulders are tensed. His skin seems flushed. And he's walking really fast. The meeting... didn't go well."
She pauses, looking more carefully at the screen. "No, wait..." She looks closer, her small face inches from the floating screen. "Dad's smiling! Just a little bit, at the corners. And he's walking fast because... he's excited?"
"Another excellent correction." Theseus's face lights up with what appears to be genuine pride. "Your father's meeting went very well indeed. You're learning to look more carefully at the details."
Capella beams and strokes the creature, which preens under her attention, its color shifting to a pleased alternating wave of pink to gold and then back. The small girl's resemblance to her father becomes even more pronounced when she smiles, though Theseus's attention remains focused entirely on her face.
"Sometimes similar physical signals can indicate opposite emotional states," Theseus continued. "Context and subtle details make all the difference."
"I almost got it completely wrong." The smile fades slightly.
"Yet you corrected yourself. That ability to reassess based on new information is perhaps even more valuable than initial accuracy."
Capella nods, her eyes not leaving the screen showing her father as he makes his way through the station's curved corridors. His gait is so similar to her own despite the difference in their size.
"I'll keep practicing. I want to be as good at this as you and dad."
"With your natural aptitude, I believe you will surpass us both." Theseus rises from his position with fluid grace, gesturing toward the food synthesis unit embedded in the wall. "Shall we prepare to greet your father? Perhaps with that Esiri tea he favors after productive negotiations? He should be here in an hour."
Capella jumps up, the Lumiphore rushing alongside her as she hurries to the synthesizer. "Yes! And I'll watch to see if the tea makes his smile bigger!"
Theseus watches her silently, his form casting shadows that shouldn't exist for a digital being. In that moment, only the Lumiphore noticed how his expression shifted - but being merely an exotic pet with simple emotional responses, it registers nothing more than a shift in the room's ambiance as its colors ripple gently through soft blues and greens.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEmLAqKTEJ7
