They gasp excitedly.  "I know we don't - have a way to get to them yet, or anything that even looks like a way, but - it would only take getting it right once, if we did, you know - "

"Do you have radio?"

"No-o.  Tell me about radio?"

"It's the lowest-tech way of communicating over long distances such as between planets. Radio is a kind of wave, like light or sound."

"How do you - do it?  Or make it, use it - none of those sound right . . ."

"You need to build machinery for radio too. Most advanced technology relies on machinery. Do you have electricity?"

"There's some when it storms, sometimes . . ."

"Not lightning, though lightning is made of electricity."

"Do you know how to build a generator?"

"I might be able to figure out a simple one, if they have magnets and so on."

"We have magnets!"

"I don't know how to build a radio, though."

"Aww.  - You know, though, I'm not like, a researcher; I bet wherever you do end up you can probably earn enough to get by on from telling all this stuff to people who would actually be able to do something with it.  Plus the sleep thing maybe."

"Great. Okay. If we start talking in a different language are you going to copy that one too -"

"What for - oh, do you mean you want to have a private conversation?  I won't if you don't want me to."

"Me either."

"Thank you." He looks at Kyeo, switches to Ibyabekan. "I don't know if you've noticed but you're better - specced - for this place than I am," he says. "Which, like, is fine in itself, except I'm really worried that this place is going to turn out to be like Ibyabek in some unpleasant way..."

"Is there a specific way you're worried about?"

"I don't know enough to be specific. But we should, like, find out if they hate gay people before we revisit the question of whether you can kiss me, for example."

"Maybe they'll be able to get in touch with someone from the known galaxy."

"Maybe. I'd like to ever see my parents again. You're - pretty calm -"

"I was already never going to see them again. And you're here."

...Sarham pats him on the shoulder again.

"Were you guys like, done, or . . ?"

"...I mean, it might come up again, so ideally still don't take the language."

"Sure, sure, I just meant - if you're going to be leaving I should be making the most of what time I have with aliens - I don't even know what other questions I should be asking - "