Humans Are Encountered

Energy Drinks

Zork'ak had begun to routinely visit the two labs before second meal, asking after their experiments and following them to their claimed table. Xe walked into the first lab, finding Kai near the window, scribbling on a tablet she was given that uploaded her research to the database. Xe waited until she looked up from her rushed writing, her eyes wide and slightly red.

"Kai?" Zork'ak had been learning human sayings and was searching for one. "Are you okay?" Xe believed that was a more informal way to ask after their well-being.

"Yeah, yeah." Her eyes were quickly looking around the room instead of focused on Zork'ak or the tablet. "Just a bit tired."

"Did your restorative cycle complete correctly?" Zark'ak noticed how Kai's movements were not as fluid as normal, and her behavior was similar.

"Yeah. I mean, sleep is overrated right?

"No." Zork'ak was unaware of this scientific research if sleep was indeed not needed for humans. "Your body requires it to properly function."

She shrugged. "You can get by without it."

"From our studies, it has adverse effects on your cardiac system, your memory, and your reflexes. It can cause negative impacts on your cognitive abilities, which inhibits your current work." Kai reached across her desk for a can, and Zork'ak noticed two more near it as she leaned her head back, drinking its contents and throwing it down next to the others. "What is this drink you are consuming rapidly? Do humans have a medical enhancer for lack of sleep when necessary?"

Kai reached for her tablet, swiping her hand across the screen. "Kinda like that. It's an energy drink."

"May I observe?" Kai handed Zork'ak the empty can without taking her eyes off the screen. Zork'ak scanned the can, eyeing the other two knocked over on Kai's desk. "This contains many ingredients that are quite harmful for your body, and you have ingested six servings."

"Mmm." Kai did not appear to be listening.

Zork'ak took a step forward, touching Kai's shoulder. "I am concerned for your health."

She looked up then, a small smile on her face. Her eyes and the lines around her mouth and forehead looked unusually unhealthy. "Occasionally, we will get little sleep, and, yes, energy drinks are awful for you, but sometimes it's worth it. We can do anything as long as we don't make it a habit."

"You are telling me that your species can recover from occasional ingestion of chemicals and lack of an extremely necessary action?"

"I mean," Kai looked out the window, "we can really recover from anything if you do it right."

Zork'ak was becoming more and more relieved they had these humans on their base. Xe didn't know how Klyls would ever have been able to fight against them, and xe hoped they would never have to find out.

Wren climbed in through the window next to Kai. "Hey, I thought you were coming up."

Kai crushed the can she was holding. "I am in a minute. Working on something."

Wren reached forward to pick up the can. "Where did you get these?"

"Snuck them on the ship."

"Kai, these are awful for you! Especially in this quantity." She picked up the waste and put them in the bin at the end of Kai's bench. "Come on. Sleep now."

"I'm working."

Wren took the tablet away from Kai. "I'm sure that later this will look like gibberish to you. Come on." She gripped Kai's upper extremity. "I'm taking you to your room."

She greeted Zork'ak as she pulled Kai away from the bench. "Wren," xe said before they turned down the corridor. She paused, turning to face xem. "Kai explained that those liquids were not as harmful her as they appeared in small quantities."

Wren looked at Kai with her eyes slightly closed before returning her gaze to Zork'ak. "If there is something you should learn, Zor, it's that humans are self-destructive creatures and liars."