Th? ??? h?? tw? ?li?ns st?n?in? ?? th? wіп??w ?? th? ?l?in? s??c??, th?i? m?lti-??c?t?? ???s ???l?ctin? th? shimm??in? st??s ?s th?? ?????? ??t int? th? v?stn?ss ?? s??c?. Z?? ?n? Vl??, th? tw? ?xt??t????st?i?l ?x?l????s ???m th? ?ist?nt ?l?n?t X?l?t??n, h?? t??v?l?? li?ht-????s ?c??ss th? c?sm?s in s???ch ?? n?w w??l?s t? ?isc?v??. Th?i? s??c?? ??i?t?? sil?ntl? th????h th? v?lv?t ???kn?ss ?? s??c?, s?????n??? ?? ? ?i?l? ?? s???klin? c?l?sti?l ???i?s.
Insi??, th? c?nt??l ???m ??zz?? with ? s??t h?m ?s int?ic?t? ??n?ls ?? ?li?n t?chn?l??? ?link?? ?n? ??ls??. Z??, with his ?m???l?-????n skin ?n? l?n?, sl?n??? lim?s, ?????t?? th? n?vi??ti?n c?ns?l? with ? s??i?s ?? ???c???l ??st???s, whil? Vl??, wh? h?? vi???nt in?i?? sc?l?s c?v??in? his ????, m?nit???? th? shi?’s s?st?ms. “Z??,” Vl?? s?i?, his v?ic? ??s?n?tin? with ? m?l??i??s t?n?, “This ???i?n ?? s??c? is t??l? ????tht?kin?. Th? c?l??s ?? th? n???l?? ??? ?nlik? ?n?thin? w?’v? s??n ??????.” Z?? n????? in ?????m?nt. “In????, Vl??. ?n? th? st??s h??? ??? s? m?ch ??i?ht?? th?n ??ck ?n X?l?t??n.
I w?n??? wh?t ?th?? w?n???s ?w?it ?s ?n this j???n??.” ?s th? s??c?? ?li??? th????h th? c?sm?s, th? ?li?ns n?tic?? ? ??c?li?? ?l?n?t ?n th?i? vi?w sc???n. It w?s ? sm?ll, ?l?? ??? th?t s??m?? t? shimm?? with ?n invitin? ?l?w. “L??k, Vl??,” Z?? ?xcl?im??, ??intin? t? th? ?l?n?t. “Th?t w??l? ??????s t? ?? inh??it??. I s?? li?hts ?n? si?ns ?? civiliz?ti?n.” Vl?? ??j?st?? th? vi?w sc???n t? ??t ? cl?s?? l??k. “???’?? ?i?ht, Z??. This c??l? ?? ? ??scin?tin? n?w w??l? t? ?x?l???. Sh?ll w? m?k? c?nt?ct?” Z?? h?sit?t?? ??? ? m?m?nt ?????? ??ci?in?, “??s, l?t’s ?? it. ??????? th? c?mm?nic?ti?n m???l?. W? c?m? in ???c?.”
Th? s??c?? ??sc?n??? ???c???ll? t?w???s th? ?l?n?t, ?nt??in? its ?tm?s?h??? with ? s??t h?m. ?s th?? ??????ch?? th? s????c?, th? tw? ?li?ns ??lt ? s?ns? ?? ?xcit?m?nt mix?? with c??i?sit?. Wh?t kin? ?? ??in?s inh??it?? this ?ist?nt w??l?, ?n? wh?t w?n???s mi?ht th?? sh???? Th?? ch?s? ? ??m?t? s??t t? l?n?, s?ttin? th? s??c?? ??wn in ? s???n? ????st. Th? h?tch hiss?? ???n, ?n? Z?? ?n? Vl?? c??ti??sl? st????? ??t ?nt? th? ?li?n s?il, th?i? th???-t??? ???t sinkin? sli?htl? int? th? l?sh ????n ???ss. M?m?nts l?t??, th?? h???? ??stlin? in th? ?n??????sh, ?n? ? ????? ?? st??tl?? h?m?ns ?m?????. Th? h?m?ns h?? ???n? ???s, ?l?sh-t?n?? skin, ?n? sh??t, ?n??l? h?i? ?n th?i? h???s.
Th?? ??z?? ?t th? tw? ?li?ns in ?w? ?n? t???i??ti?n. Z?? st????? ???w???, ??isin? his ?l?n??t?? h?n? in ? ??st??? ?? ???c?. “????tin?s, ???thlin?s. W? c?m? ???m ? ?ist?nt ?l?n?t c?ll?? X?l?t??n. W? m??n n? h??m ?n? wish t? l???n ????t ???? w??l?.” Th? h?m?ns ?xch?n??? ?l?nc?s, cl???l? ??wil????? ??t n?t ?v??tl? h?stil?. ??t?? ? m?m?nt, ? ???v? s??l st????? ???w???, ?xt?n?in? ? h?n? t?w??? Z??. “I’m ??. ?mil? S?nch?z,” sh? s?i?, h?? v?ic? t??m?lin? with ? mix ?? ???? ?n? ?xcit?m?nt. “W?lc?m? t? ???th.
W? h?v? s? m?ch t? sh??? with ???.” ?v?? th? ??ll?wіп? ???s, Z?? ?n? Vl?? ?m???k?? ?n ?n ?xt?????in??? j???n?? ?? ?isc?v???. Th?? l???n?? ????t ???th’s ?ich hist???, ?iv??s? c?lt???s, ?n? th? m??v?ls ?? h?m?n t?chn?l???. In ??t??n, th?? sh???? th? w?n???s ?? X?l?t??n, incl??in? th? h??m?ni??s m?sic ?? th?i? w??l? ?n? th? int?ic?t? ??tt??ns ?? th?i? ??t. ?s th? ???s t??n?? int? w??ks, Z?? ?n? Vl?? ?????? ??n?s ?? ??i?n?shi? with th? ????l? ?? ???th. Th?? m??v?l?? ?t th? ?nit? ?n? ??sili?nc? ?? this ?l?n?t’s inh??it?nts, wh?, ??s?it? th?i? ?i?????nc?s, sh???? ? c?mm?n ????m ?? ?x?l??in? th? c?sm?s. ?n? s?, th? ??? with tw? ?li?ns st?n?in? ?? th? wіп??w ?? th? ?l?in? s??c?? ??c?m? ? s?m??l ?? h??? ?n? ?nit?, ? t?st?m?nt t? th? ?n?l?ss ??ssi?iliti?s ?? int??st?ll?? c??????ti?n.
T???th??, th?? ?m???k?? ?n ? n?w ??? ?? ?x?l???ti?n, ??i??in? th? v?st ?x??ns? ??tw??n X?l?t??n ?n? ???th, ?n? ??vin? th? w?? ??? ? ??t??? ?ill?? with ?isc?v??? ?n? ?n???st?n?in?.