Kalika sat down and put her glasses on the top of her head. She took the sheaf of papers and brought them up, beginning to read. Immediately, she was intrigued. The methods and research described within were foreign to her, and not just because it centered on plants, rather than animals, as she was used to. The techniques were foreign as well. Absently, she grabbed a pen and began underlining things she was unfamiliar with. Some of these things were referred to casually, and they sparked vague memories, but others were only mentioned once or twice, and she had no idea what they could be. So, she went through, making notes and observations.<br/><br/>Once or twice, she put down her reading to eat a snack. In her bag, she had a few easy to eat things, rather than a full meal. She did notice that Everett didn't stop to eat as she had, but didn't think much of it. Perhaps there was some Aurian custom about not eating in front of strangers. Anyway, whatever it was, it wasn't really her place to question it. She simply ate her food and continued reading, making notes here and there.<br/><br/>When he disappeared into the atrium, she again didn't think much of it. To her, very little time had passed. She felt like she knew less than she had before, like things were murkier and confusing and strange. It was a puzzle, to be certain, but one she would beat. Little by little, though, she managed to wrestle understanding out of it. She grinned triumphantly as she managed to figure things out.<br/><br/>She was startled when he came out. "Oh! I---I don't need to leave. This is more than comfortable enough, and I can ask you if I have questions." She grinned brightly and put her glasses back on as she stood up. "I would love to see the animals, though." A pang went through her. She had been a little girl when they had had to abandon the planet, and she missed it dearly. She understood the need for leaving, and the understanding of that was what had lead her to become a genetic engineer, but she still missed her planet, and the idea of seeing some of the animals from her childhood thrilled her to no end.