For both Vreta and Rhia, it was difficult to put into words what they experienced. Vreta had taken 595’s hand, but it did not matter that he was not the one to try and take a closer look. They found themselves quite suddenly no longer experiencing the world through his body. They were only vaguely aware of time passing as their minds seemed to have been taken to a different place. Their minds connected and intermingled not only with the object, but at least for a moment, with one another as well. Vreta caught short, but intense glimpses of memory and emotion from 595, just as she did from him. It was not long before Vreta found himself in a distant, but familiar memory.
Vreta cast his gaze up to Throssai far above him. The gas giant was by far the most dominant object in the sky, and what a beautiful object it was. Growing up on this moon, he realized he had often taken it for granted, but after living on Rothia for so long, he was glad to be able to take in its beauty again. The swirling, multicolored clouds were like an ever-changing piece of art as storms larger than entire planets shaped the clouds. He was stood on the very edge of a section of a sheer cliff that jutted out over a vast valley. It would normally be quite a precarious position, but the reduced gravity of Syr’Jakra meant that no fall was truly dangerous. He could jump down off the cliff himself if he wanted to and land safely below, though the time required to climb back up would probably end up canceling his planned picnic.
Vreta closed his eyes and hummed when he felt the familiar, pleasant sensation of another embracing him. He had heard the footsteps behind him, but he pretended not to notice as his husband hugged him around his waist and leaned in to rest his head in the nape of his neck. They were both silent for a few moments before eventually opening their eyes to enjoy the view together.
“I can see why you love this spot so much.” Karaz commented, looking out onto a cityscape in the distance in the valley. “I always wanted to be able to travel the galaxy and see all these exotic places. You got to grow up in one of them.”
Vreta chuckled. “Well, didn’t seem that exotic as a hatchling. It was just…home. I suppose it still is, in a way.”
The pair took a moment to find a comfortable place to sit and lay out all they had brought with them. Comfortable blankets, drinks, and of course a nice meal. Karaz had handled the food, so naturally he had chosen Vreta’s favorite. He set down a cylindrical canister on the rocks, and with the press of just a few buttons, it went from preserving the meat inside to cooking it. It was cultured from a kind of alien crustacean for which Vreta had a particular taste.
Once they were settled in, Vreta could no longer contain the smile he had been holding back. “I have some, uh, good new for you, actually. You know that proposal you wanted me to bring forward? For the s-series scanners? Well, I brought it forward, managed to have a nice chat with some of the regulators, and it was accepted. In full.”
Karaz had already been smiling when Vreta started, but those last two words seemed to have him in shock. “Wait, in full, in full?”
“In full.”
In just that moment, Karaz could hardly contain his excitement. He immediately pulled him into a tight hug while nuzzling his snout against Vreta’s. “That’s far more advanced than anything I was expecting them to approve. I mean, I expected you would be able to get them to agree, but not without some modifications to the core of the sensor. The s-series has far better cellular penetration than anything I can get in the field. When we bring it to the Tindrel, not only will we be able to mark the virus’ progress, but we’ll be able to reverse the damage it’s done in survivors. By the rings, you don’t even know how many lives you’ve saved here.”
Vreta laughed and gave a few pats to Karaz’s shoulder. “Come on, we both know this was your idea. You’re the one who did the heavy lifting on writing the proposal. I just did some editing, added some flowery language, and talked up your ideas to a few of the regulators. This is your win. The whole proposal wouldn’t have even existed without you.”
“Yeah, well, you know I don’t know how to talk to those bureaucrats. Still wouldn’t have happened without you either.”
Vreta rolled his eyes. “Fine, fine, I’ll take some credit. But you know there are still conditions, right? It’s been approved for trials with Tindrel, Human, and Ulsix only. And it’s still regulated tech, so that means mandatory supervision. Not necessarily armed, but with failsafes.”
Karaz let out a deep sigh. Reality did temper his feelings somewhat, but it was still wonderful news for him. “I know. It’s still worlds better than what we’ve had to work with, I just…I wish we didn’t have to hold ourselves back so much. At least not with medical tech. What harm would it really do if they learned how to better treat the sick?”
While Karaz spoke, Vreta moved himself up alongside him and wrapped his tail around him to hold him close. “I understand how you feel, but it’s always a risk. The same core principles that govern those scanners would also make great sensors for guided ordinance.” Vreta pointed out, though no matter how many times they had this discussion, he had never been able to change Karaz’s mind. As a doctor, when he saw people suffering and dying from preventable causes, he could not help but to feel that it was the Rothians doing something wrong by being too safe. There were many people who did not feel that Rothians were obligated to help every other less-advanced species with their own problems, but Karaz was certainly not one of them. He was the most compassionate soul that Vreta knew, which was in large part why he had become his mate.
Regardless of the caveats, Karaz was still overjoyed by the news. Though, as he started to prepare the food and wine for their picnic, there was a tinge of guilt that came across his expression. He might not have brought it up, but Vreta knew him more than well enough to notice, and he was rather bad at lying to him.
“Come on, what is it? You can tell me; I’m sure it’s not that bad.” Vreta asked.
“No, it’s not bad at all, really. It’s just…” Karaz began, rubbing the back of his neck. “My boss has been impressed with my work, actually. The Tindrel too have been approving, and they want to expand the project. They offered me the position of chief medical officer. They want me to lead the project from the captial. The, um…Tindrel capital. That is really the best place to get the best results, but, well…the gateway network isn’t really built out too well near Tindrel space yet, so…”
Vreta turned his head, looking out once again into the valley below. “...so you won’t be able to come back for a while.”
“I wouldn’t, but…don’t worry about it. I’m going to turn it down. You’ve already done so much for the project with those scanners; it will be fine without me. Someone else can take over. I don’t want to do that to you, I…” Karaz was ready to continue with his excuses, but Vreta soon interrupted him by planting his hands firmly on both of his shoulders.
“Don’t give me that. No one is going to do as good of a job as you. This is your calling, and I’m not going to have you giving it up just for me. Those people deserve you, and no one less.” Vreta said in a voice that was just as firm as his grip.
Karaz did not have an answer to give in words, but he did return the most pure smile before pulling him again into a loving embrace. As the memory faded, one could feel Vreta’s emotions turning bittersweet. As wonderful of a memory as it had been for him, it had also been the last time the two of them spent any significant time together as a couple. While they did not stop caring for one another, the paths on which their lives took them ended up pulling them in different directions, to the point where their relationship could no longer be sustained. 
