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Precision was important. Sherman knew that, and he kept it in mind no matter what he was doing. Calculations, equations, modifications to the Buster's systems. All things that were integral to his contribution to the team, and integral to his sense of self. He did his best to apply that belief to things that weren't as precise too.
Language translation, cultural analysis, and the plain communication among friends. None of those were exact sciences, leaving him to check and recheck until he was sure that he was being as precise as possible. Even if that wasn't exact. One wrong word could be a mistranslated warning leading to danger, or an awkward joke that didn't quite land. Sherman had spent enough time around Spinner to know that the second one was far more disastrous.
Sherman had also spent enough time practicing conversations and interactions to be pretty confident in his abilities. With one exception.
Sometimes when someone asks your favorite movie, you immediately forget every movie you've ever watched. Then you're left looking dazed and confused while the other person gets uncomfortable.
Sometimes when Sherman talked to Agura, he had to wonder if he'd ever learned English at all. Every word he'd memorized and cataloged for years melted away, leaving him lost between a 'hello' and 'goodbye'. Agura didn't seem to mind though. He hoped she didn't mind. Just laughing gently and giving him the time he needed to recover when he got caught off guard.
And how could he not get caught off guard? Agura was beautiful and passionate and self assured. She never seemed to falter or forget her favorite movie. It was Jurassic Park, by the way. Sherman made sure to remember that and any other things he learned about her. It was actually one of the first things they'd talked about after their first mission together.
Agura made a joke about Krocomodo having escaped from Jurassic Park. Sherman, filled with adrenaline, began gushing about the science behind it and what was actually achievable. His explanation went on for a considerable amount of time, trailing off as he noticed her stunned expression. At first he thought he'd been rude to go on such a long winded explanation. However, Agura broke into a smile and eagerly began asking him more in depth questions. Soon they were discussing the inaccuracies of the dinosaur designs and behaviors, Agura providing her knowledge on the animals they used for DNA in the movie. At some point their conversation halted when they disagreed on a detail from a specific scene. Sherman was ready to let it go to not risk an argument. But Agura was insistent, saying that they could just watch the movie together at their new base of operations.
Just the two of them. Watching a movie together. Bonding over the scientific analysis of dinosaurs. Sherman was smitten.
And suddenly the ease of conversation they’d had upon meeting disappeared. There were still plenty of things Sherman wanted to talk about, but his mouth just couldn’t do it. Spinner had been entirely unhelpful about the whole thing, insisting that girls had cooties anyway. At least that was better than relentless teasing over the subject.
The team had been together for a few months now, going on missions and saving the Earth. Sherman was enjoying it immensely, especially the access to new alien worlds and artifacts. Every once in a while he and Spinner would snag something from a zone, stashing it back in the Hub. He’d creep out while everyone was sleeping and study them. That way he could keep it a secret, and he had some peace and quiet to help him focus.
Tonight he was trying to identify a vandalian weapon that they’d found abandoned in one of the zones. Only the Sark had made an appearance, so it wasn’t directly connected to the vandals they knew and loathed. That opened a variety of possibilities, including other vandal settlements like the one on the blue sentient moon. But he couldn’t draw any conclusions until he learned more about the weapon.
He just had to go through the process of identification:
Step 1. Section the artifact into parts of significance. Symbols, glyphs, pieces fitting into each other, as well as the general shape of the artifact
- It had a handle. A large metallic scooper that was longer than the handle. A soft cap at the bottom of the handle. An engraving on the handle.
Stap 2. Gather context based on the location it was found in
- One lone object in a battle zone. No other vehicles or debris remained at or near the sight of discovery.
Step 3. Compare the artifact to known objects from similar cultures in the area or in design
- The engraving on the handle resembled some vandalian letters, but it wasn’t identical, so it was either a parent or sister language. The design was reminiscent of a weapon, but not anything specific. If anything, it most resembled half of a Scoop Ball scooper from Earth. Perhaps it was some kind of sickle?
Overall, inconclusive. He needed to translate the writing or find evidence of a similar weapon if he wanted any real clues regarding this one. That meant combing through Sage’s sparse archived accounts of the Vandals, as well as his own observations he had already added to the database. He sighed and began pulling up the files. Discovery was one of the best feelings in the world, but the work required for some discoveries made him wonder if it was worth the wait. Ah, he didn’t need to wonder, of course it was. Tapping through pages about armor, vehicles; Sherman was suddenly interrupted by a noise to his right.
It sounded like one of the color coded Hub chairs creaking as it turned. His own chair mimicked the noise as he swung around to face whatever was waiting for him.
Agura.
Sitting in her green Hub chair, giving him a little wave as their eyes met.
Sherman sat straight up, snatching the artifact to hide it behind his back.
“Oh h-hey Agura! You’re up late.”
“Yeah, so are you. Couldn’t sleep?”
“I never tried. I had some…uh…stuff I wanted to do.”
“Secret alien stuff?” Agura asked. She slid off her chair and made her way over to Sherman’s console. “Something that definitely isn’t supposed to be going on inside the Hub?”
“What? Noooo…” Sherman said weakly. He was desperately searching for an excuse, but he couldn’t focus.
Agura was wearing her casual hoodie and pajama shorts, her hair tucked away under a leaf print bonnet. She was remarkably beautiful, and seeing her in her sleepwear felt far more intimate than Sherman had ever expected.
“Don’t worry, I won’t tell.” Agura said with a laugh. “I’m good at keeping secrets. But only if you tell me what it is.”
“I actually…don’t know.” Sherman admitted. He held out the alien weapon to her. “It’s some sort of vandalian thing. But I’ve never seen anything like it. Apparently Sage hasn’t either.”
“Interesting.” Agura murmured. She gently took it from him, Sherman sucking in a breath as her hands slid over his.
“I think it must be a weapon. The edge is pretty sharp.”
Agura tilted it to get a better look at the edge, then the curve of the metal. She kept it oriented in strange ways, as if she was looking at things he couldn’t see.
“I don’t think it’s a weapon.”
“Why not?”
“If I swung this and it got stuck in something, the handle would most likely be wrenched out of my grip. The shape isn’t made for hacking, but it’s not shaped for piercing or bludgeoning either. It might be a sacrificial weapon for killing someone you’ve already defeated, but I bet it’s some kind of tool.”
“Sacrificial weapon?”
“I read something like that in a book once.” Agura shrugged. “The thing is; if it’s a tool, what is it for?”
“If the shape is wrong for swinging it’s probably a slow and precise task…”
“Exactly. That could be carving, shaping, maybe it’s a vandal ice cream scooper.”
Agura chuckled at that. Her laugh was infectious, and warm. It felt like being right up next to a fire you know didn’t burn. Crackling and chaotic and mesmerizing. Sherman blinked furiously, trying to focus back on their conversation. Agura eyed him curiously.
“Do you already know what it is and you’re trying to get me to figure it out on my own?” She asked.
“Why would I do that?”
“I don’t know.” Agura shrugged, stepping even closer to him. “But I’ve just found out that you’re the type of guy to keep secrets. A whole secret alien artifact that you’ve been secretly studying late at night…”
She carefully placed the vandalian tool underneath his chin and lifted it towards her face.
“What else are you keeping secret from me?”
“I have a lot more alien artifacts stashed away and also you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen!” Sherman gushed out before hastily clamping his mouth shut.
Both of their eyes flew wide open, shock leaving them silent for a brief time.
“Well I didn’t think that would actually work.” She said with a smile, her eyes still reflecting confusion.
“Uh, just ignore all that, I have no idea where it came from.” Sherman cried, clasping his hands together.
“I don’t trust you Mr. Secret Stash. Where would you even hide a secret stash around here?” Agura asked, turning in place as she looked around the Hub. “Wait, no, I want to hear more about me being the most beautiful woman you’ve ever seen.”
“I guess I just sort of said that because it’s obvious. No competition.” Sherman replied just as quickly as before. He looked away, wishing that the Hub floor would open to swallow him up.
“Why thank you.” Agura said. She leaned over until her head was back in Sherman’s view. “You’re the most handsome man I’ve ever seen.”
“Wait, really?”
“Really.”
Sherman stared at Agura, frozen in place. She had a mischievous grin on her face. He tried to think of something to say, but his brain was inconveniently short circuiting.
People say that you never realize an important moment in your life has happened until you’re looking back on it. But this moment already felt pretty damn important. Sherman needed to figure out precisely what to do in case he never got this chance again.
“I really liked watching Jurassic Park with you.” Was all he managed to find.
Agura looked at him expectantly and he hastily continued.
“I’ve never really talked to anyone that was interested in that sort of stuff with me. Spinner and I talk about some stuff but that’s different, y’know.”
“I think I do know. It was nice having someone with a perspective besides my own. You know a lot of stuff. I’m not sure you always get the credit you deserve.”
“Ah, credit shmedit. Knowledge is its own reward. But I appreciate the thought.” Sherman said sheepishly. “I’d really like to watch another movie with you. Maybe even lots of movies?”
“As a date, or?”
“Do you want it to be a date?”
“I do.” Agura said with a wink.
“Okay…okay. Okay! Then yes it’s a date.” Sherman said, his heart racing. “Y-you did also mean that you’re saying yes, right?”
“Yes Sherman, it’s a date.” Agura chuckled.
“Oh good! Uh, I mean, that’s cool. I’m cool.”
“The coolest for sure.”
“When do you…um…want to go on the date?”
“Right now?” Agura asked with a grin.
“In the middle of the night?”
“Yeah. I’m cool about this whole thing too. Definitely not relieved you finally asked me out.”
“Have you been waiting for me to?”
“To be honest, I thought Jurassic Park was a date.” Agura giggled. “I was bummed when you didn’t even try the whole ‘stretch and put your arm around me’ routine. I almost did it myself.”
“I think I would’ve fainted if you did.”
“Me too…”
The two of them were suddenly aware of how close they were to each other. Sherman moved his foot to gently brush against hers.
“You know.” Agura said, looking at the vandalian tool. “We don’t have to have a normal date. I enjoy spending time with you, discussing things. This can be our date.”
“Figuring out what the tool is?”
“Yeah. Then we can figure out the dating thing too.”
“Very practical, and efficient, and the type of romance my sci-fi nerd heart has always wanted!” Sherman replied with a laugh.
“Then we’d better get started!”
Agura pulled her green chair over to the blue console, plopping herself down next to Sherman. They leaned close together as they read through the data available in the logs and excitedly built off of each other’s theories. Sage found them the next morning; still asleep with Agura slumped over against Sherman, his arm around her.