After the emotional upheaval, Giegue found himself uncertain of his motives regarding Moondancer. He still wanted to discover the secrets of her non-PSI abilities...but he also wanted to see how she could grow, how she could develop. He wanted to see what she'd be capable of when she had learned all he could teach her. He wanted to see if she could learn all he could teach her.
Moondancer had plainly been affected by what had happened, as she now refused to be more than a couple feet from Giegue. Before, she'd been fine as long as they were in the same room. Plainly, her worry for him hadn't faded no matter how little it showed in her broadcast thought forms, which had advanced much as he'd projected. She could now broadcast the complex thought forms, and she was quite vocal-
Dad, see the stars again please?
Giegue smiled softly as that thought reached him. Moondancer had become rather fascinated with the celestial bodies of the solar system and beyond, though she still referred to them all as 'stars' in thought form. Having never left the spaceship - as far as she could recall - she had no concept with which to shape the thought-form 'planet'. "Alright," he responded softly, his own thought-form being far more developed and stable in broadcast, to the point it was practically audible. He turned to the main screen and activated it, calling up the view of various star groups, what lesser races called constellations. He slowly panned the view, looking for the particular ones Moondancer wanted to look at.
Not the sparklies! Moondancer broadcast, her thought-form still having a bit of 'baby talk' to it. The sleepy ones!
Giegue thought for a time to deduce her meaning, then chuckled. "They are called nebulae," he corrected gently as he focused on the one humans called Horse Head, Moondancer's favorite from the Sol system perspective. On the screen, stars could be seen just barely shining through the clouds of gases.
But they're sleepy! Moondancer insisted, pointing at the gases. See? They've got their blanket pulled up tight!
Giegue closed his eyes as his grin widened, the closest a true Geeg would get to laughing aloud-
But I'm not a true Geeg.
I...suppose not-
And I am not human.
I...never wanted to be-
Giegue banished those thoughts, opening his eyes as he reached out a tendril to indicate various formations within the nebula. Using lessons on proper terminology as a shield against his roiling thoughts, he brought his mind as under control as he could. Moondancer, for her part, snuggled against his head. The tone of her thoughts indicated she'd felt his brief turmoil, but knew that direct intrusion would not be welcome.
After a while, Moondancer spoke up. Dad, you have stars? Different ones?
Giegue turned that question over in his mind, deciphering the simple thought-forms into the more complex message Moondancer lacked the capacity to ask. "You want to know about the stars as seen from my home?" he asked gently. When he felt her nod, he sighed. "Moondancer, I was raised aboard this ship from when I was very young, as young as you. I have been on planets, but they were never home to me. I know my race has a homeworld...but I have never in my memory touched its land, smelled its seas, felt its wind. I know nothing of it. This ship is my home."
Why here? Moondancer asked curiously.
"...I do not understand," Giegue was forced to admit, the inquiry too vague to decipher accurately.
Moondancer frowned, her face screwing up in concentration. Green star, she finally broadcast. Lots of thought on Green star, and others here. Why here? Why not elsewhere?
Giegue sighed as he understood the inquiry. "I...have a project I was working on here in this solar system," he explained softly. "My first attempt didn't work, and only worsened the problem I sought to fix. I...I need to try again. I can't give up."
Help?
Giegue froze in shock at the simplicity, the straightforwardness of that offer. "You don't even know what the project is," he pointed out.
So?
"It might be something you find repulsive once you understand it."
No. Daddy project.
Giegue gently lifted Moondancer off his head to stare at her. She was convinced that simply because he was her Dad, any project he was involved in must be good. "...you don't know me as well as you think you do," he offered sadly.
Don't need know. Love.
Was I so innocent, so pure, so certain when Maria and George held me?
Will she turn against me so easily when her own people tell her I am a monster seeking to use her?
Will she break as I have?
Will she be worse?
"Help...Da!" Moondancer insisted audibly in the Earth language Giegue had taught her, the one he'd learned from his 'parents'.
Giegue stared at Moondancer in shock, then once again found himself pulling her close. After holding her for a time, he let her float back from him. "...I will accept your help, when you are wise enough to understand," he assured her softly. "For now, it seems you are progressing quite rapidly. I look forward to how quickly you grow."
Moondancer floated forward to nuzzle his face. Grow big, strong, and smart for you Daddy! she promised. Make you proud!
Giegue smiled. "I am certain you shall," he agreed, reaching out to stroke her mane.
Moondancer suddenly winced. Knots!
Smirking, Giegue used his PSI to individually manipulate every single strand of Moondancer's mane, carefully unraveling the knots. "Brushie brushie," he offered softly, making her giggle. She always loved when he called it that.