[Ari's eyes widen. She's familiar with the idea of royalty conceptually, but if exists at all any longer, it's on isolated colonies with very particular belief systems. Beyond that, it's something from the distant past. She's not sure how to take this, what to do. Bow? Engage her in a debate on why shareholder voting systems are preferable?

It occurs to her, though, that not remembering has to be code for not wanting to talk about it. Valdis is older than Ari, but she's hardly elderly, and being a queen isn't something you easily forget. She won't press it, and so she just nods.] If that's what important, that's what you keep with you.

The translation into Company Standard might be imperfect, but yes, on a starship. Navigators are for water? Astrogators are for the stars. I keep the charts, plot the courses, and do the fancy flying. [She refrains, barely, from launching into a litany of complaints about what a nightmare this ship is in that respect - no chart room, and false stars.]

Alright, I have to ask you. Why doesn't the drink affect you? Is it genetic engineering?