"Alien?" she asks, briefly thinking over all the alien related literature--fiction and nonfiction--that she's read, before she laughs. But it's not a mocking laugh so much as happy and full of wonderment. "Do you really know one? I didn't think they actually existed. Do they blend in with Users--ah, people? They must, if they're a coworker, right?"

And it begins: a constant stream of questions. It's been a while since she's unleashed this kind of arsenal, but she can't help it. Her curiosity is virtually unstoppable, and probably a welcome change to the conversation regarding both of their rather depressing histories. "I'm not an alien myself, though, just so you know. Not technically, anyway."