EagerShine.shurpa took the seat directly across the board room table from Lyre and flashed a familiar smile. This was the same man from the TransPod window, tha realized with sudden alarm. Lyre's heart started beating loudly and tha's impulse was to run, leaving everything behind.
Instead, Lyre clenched thas fist under the table to control thamself. Tha fumbled in thas purse to stall for time and drew in a few full breaths. When tha had regained enough composure, Lyre looked up and asked in a calm voice: "Didn't I see you on the TransPod this morning, the Century Line?"
"It's quite possible, I was there this morning," EagerShine.shurpa said without revealing whether tha had seen tham. "My name is EagerShine and I am joyful to meet you. Don't you agree that first meetings and sky diving have something in common?"
"Sorry?" said Lyre, her mouth left open.
Of course, this is Eager from the dossier Charlotte prepared this morning, one of the technicals on this project. Why didn't Charlotte make the connection when tha asked about the man in the window? Shurpas can be surprisingly stupid sometimes.
But what must tha think of me? Tha caught me red-handed on the TransPod. At least tha is being discreet -- for the moment. But what am I worried about: even shurpas can't read thoughts. Anyway, I haven't done anything wrong. And I'm the human here.
Lyre studied EagerShine.shurpa as tha introduced thamself with elegance to the others around the table. Hmm, tha really is gorgeous, tha thought. That wasn't in the dossier.
Don't forget EagerShine is just a shurpa, a hologen, Lyre said to thamself. It doesn't mean the human Eager is anything like this. The real Eager could be a twisted little toad. This could be a gross over-compensation, representing thamself with a model wearing the latest Edgar of New York fashions. Why can't people show themselves as they really are?
* * *
"EagerShine," said Eager on the private channel, "this woman sitting directly across the table, is tha the one you saw on the TransPod this morning?"
"Affirmative sire," replied EagerShine on the private communication channel.
"Relax EagerShine. You can just say 'yes' or 'no' And call me Eager."
"Very well Eager. Yes, I believe tha was admiring you from the TransPod window. That was before tha realized you were a colleague."
"Tha was admiring you, EagerShine, I'm going to pass that along to your designers. It takes fine work to turn a beautiful woman's head. Well done team!"
"Thank you Eager. They will appreciate that."
"And tha really is a beautiful woman too, isn't tha? What a stroke of luck tha is on this project. Not that tha would be interested in me. What's tha like EagerShine? What's your first impression?"
"I collected all the publicly available data on tha this morning," said EagerShine.
"Yes, I know. But I mean what's your feeling about how well we'll get along with tha. Does tha seem friendly or prickly? Is tha a dancing pony or a ring master?"
"Sorry, I'm not familiar with those metaphors, Eager."
"Never mind EagerShine. Shurpas don't have feelings anyway. Just keep smiling and be the perfect gentleman."