(1.06.35) Meet the parents

Ambara Chavna was the most curious thing for Siba. Her Sihabahu senses were either in tune with the sounds of talk, laughter, and the smell of frying foods in her home district in Analena Manyu, or she was contending to the myriad sounds, smells, and sights of the Ghetto. But Ambara Chavna was so... quiet. Sterile. The strongest smell was a slight hint of plastic that rested on everything like a fine film. And the most prevalent noise was a low, harmonic humming. The humming of hundreds of millions of micro machines, in the buildings, under her feet, within the unsmiling, unblinking populace looking disdainfully at the giant patrol girl over their high collars.

And yet as out of her element as she was, she didn't look nearly as bad off as her charge. She turned to Jagram, the only Sitala on the street who didn't smell like nothing. Instead, he smelled like the inside of a seedy Danava bar. "Are you okay, Sitala-erhi?" She asked, deciding that seemed safe enough. He didn't seem a bad sort, all things considered. Just stupid. And Siba could handle stupid.

Jagram was not, in fact, "okay". He was so deeply in the realm of Not Okay that Sitala Jagram Pendharma wasn't entirely certain if he would come out the other side in one piece.

Sliding into the Ghetto as part of a bet with his coworkers was one thing. Stupid, yes, but Jagram was young and youthful indiscretions were what they were. Most people would understand. That is, most people from a Family more lenient than his own. People who were not blood-kin to Jagram's mother. Madhuri was a woman one did not cross, firm and unforgiving. While Jagram had long since been branded failure in her eyes, he had little wish to reinforce the opinion.

Perhaps, and this was only conjecture on his part, being led home from the Ghetto by a Sihabahu patroller was not the best way to go about this business. Jagram mumbled something incoherent into his collar, feeling sick. Machine take him, but Jagram did not want to go home.

The mumbled words made her wince. Poor boy. "Hey, it's okay, you didn't make any mistakes, didn't do anything illegal. You broke no laws and you came home safe." She placed one big hand on the boy.

She was pretty sure things weren't this black and white, at least not amongst the Sitala. The family of engineers and scientists were known for their strict adherence to an almost draconian code of morals. Her unit worked with a few, tall thin quiet types who monitored their cybernetics and trained their technicians. They were so clinical, almost inhuman completely. Perhaps that was why she felt such a responsibility for this one, he seemed so human. So vulnerable. His nose wasn't turned to the ship's ceiling while talking to her.

"Cheer up... um," well this was embarrasing. "What, exactly, is your name, Sitala-erhi?"