It's a few more weeks before anything changes, and even the 'changes' are just....minor and hard to fully describe, even to myself.
Mia's been working with me on trying to identify locations we work in and memorize their locations. Which. I think I'm getting better at that. It's not a hard job, and the aliens have gotten used to me and aren't really paying attention to what I'm doing.
They just give me jobs, point, and then move on, expecting it done. When I'm not given any jobs, they seem to just assume I'll find things to clean, which is not entirely untrue.
But I do try to explore a little and see if I can figure out anything useful.
It's just.
The buildings aren't marked in English.
They're not marked in any sort of language I know or recognize, actually, and it's not like the aliens will answer me if I point at the sign and ask them what it says, either. So, while I've figured out some of the locations, I don't know exactly what is what.
That said, I do think I've gotten a better idea of how this place is structured, even if I can't communicate with any of my alien coworkers. At least I can see their interactions and get some sense of what their roles are.
Some of them are more important than others, obviously. They give more orders and have more responsibilities and are generally higher status.
But even those are still...not exactly the highest ranking ones.
When I first came here, I thought the lumpy orange and yellow ones were the ones in charge, and the grey fur ones were lesser somehow.
I still think that's the case.
But there's some kind of teal, almost mermaid-looking sorts that seem to be above the orange and yellow ones.
They're taller than any other alien I've seen - or person - they're slim, and smooth. I'd characterize them as willowy, but they're so...mermaid-like I don't feel like that's the best term for them.
I haven't gotten very good looks at them, though. There's only a scarce few of them, and them being apparently so important and in charge, they're rarely any of the places I'm allowed yet. I don't get any orders from them, I just get the occasional glimpse, and they're usually talking with other ones of their own kind, not anyone else.
But they do seem to have authority, and they definitely have respect, because whenever one of those is around the orange and yellow lumpy ones, they're treated well, like the orange and yellows are eager to please.
So they must be in charge.
I haven't gotten close to them yet.
Eric sighs and shakes his head. "You don't want to. Those are three bosses up. No worker wants to speak to a boss that powerful." He shrugs, but the way his shoulders lift, it looks more like a twitch. "...They're the kind of people who could eject you into space or end your life on a whim if they want to."
"...Ejected into space?"
"Yeah." His tone is dead serious. "That's something they can do with their unruly and unwanted slaves."
"Oh, enough, Eric." Mia sighs and waves her hand. "They aren't even like that. Even though they've got the highest authority here, they've got figures they answer to, too. They won't just randomly get rid of people like that."
"Really?" I raise my eyebrow and cross my arms.
Mia nods. "It's like. A corporation or something." She shrugs. "We're a resource. And they don't want to waste resources. Not unless they absolutely need to. And they won't just arbitrarily do it."
"I think they've done a pretty damn good job of being arbitrary already, personally." I mutter, and look around. "...Still."
Mia nods, and her smile turns more gentle, and she leans in, whispering quietly to us. "You see. I'm certain they have to report to somebody, so that means...there must be some way to communicate outside of the compound."
Oh.
Oh, yeah. Yeah that does make sense.
"...How?" I lean in. "...You know something? Have you found something out?"
Her smile is a bit mischievous, but also smug. "...Not quite yet. But I've narrowed down the area I think it's in. We're still not allowed in a lot of places. And there are some places that even when I'm in, they won't let me look around freely. That's the first step. Next time, we'll have to figure out a way to get them to let me look."
Eric sighs. "...We'd probably be able to have Sarah look around. They'd probably write her off as not a threat since she can't read anything in their top secret displays anyway."
"Hey!" I protest, my face burning.
He holds up his hands, shrugging, his expression not shifting. "...Just being honest. I mean...I know you're working on your language learning skills, but..." He points to Mia. "She's already fluent. You, well..." He looks at me, and I scowl, and he just shrugs. "...I don't want to offend you, Sarah."
"You already offended me."
Eric sighs. "...But my point still stands."
I purse my lips and glare at him, but he just stares back evenly. I know he's right, and so does he.
So. Fine. I just have to...accept that I'm still...useless.
"Eric is terrible at communication as always..." Mia laughs and shakes her head. Her laugh is...something like a sigh, actually. "But I think he's on to something. If they're afraid I'll learn things, it's possible they won't consider it for you and Hestia."
"Just one problem with that." I lift one hand, pressing my lips together. "Even if you're right about them not considering Hestia and I a threat, they still aren't letting us in those places at all. We just get to go to the low security places."
Well, I don't know if that's explicitly what it is, but it's how I interpret it.
My interjection doesn't dampen her mood. At all. "Well, luckily, I have some fixes in mind for that~!"
"...What?"
She grins, but instead of speaking again, she shakes her head. "Not ready yet. But you'll see. I'm working on getting you and Hestia in more sensitive places."
She shushes and winks at me.
Clearly, she's proud enough of whatever her plan is, that she doesn't feel like talking about it. Or she just doesn't think it's worth saying until she's sure it's actually happening.
It's probably that one, honestly.
It fits her softer nature to make sure I don't get any false hope, even if she's banking on it working.
"...Right."
But I'll have to trust her on it. If there's one person who's been reliable in getting things to happen so far, not counting Eric's sheer tenacity somehow getting a contact in the rebels, it's Mia. So if she says that's the plan...
Then it'll work.
It will work.