Lilana will talk to Florence and Marlo remotely, and then arrange for their passage from the surface to the space station for an in-person meeting with the crew, because she thinks she has to check compatibility.

She is thrilled to get Marlo on the team.  She wanted someone who was experienced with Crossers, Marlo IS a Crosser.  Florence, as yet... well, of course she cannot take the one without the other.  Lilana will see.  If Florence is as bright as Marlo has suggested, she's sure she can arrange something.

They meet in a restaurant lounge in the Our Lady of Loreto Orbital Terminal, the Ferlita Grill.

Marlo is a Crosser, and like most Crossers, biologically "gender flexible". Marlo's real name is almost impossible for humans to correctly pronounce, so like many Crossers Marlo has a adopted a gender-neutral name.  The most obvious connection any human makes when seeing a Crosser is "that's a dinosaur".  Marlo has ordered a cheeseburger.  Rare.

Not only did Jackson find some Crosser expert he found an actual one. That was some good work and Charles made sure to mention it as they made their way to the meeting with the dinosaur alien and its companion. He was easing into his role as trainee cameraman and so did his best to find the spot for his drone(s) and himself.

"We are taking them on as passengers right? Or are they going to be actual crew?"

When they learned about the ship heading towards the Crosser's Home Ship, Florence was quite happy, particularly when Marlo suggested they present themselves as partners. However, while she certainly didn't disagree with his opinion about how humans regarded their youngs, she insisted that he didn't try to force the issue: for him, reaching the Home Ship was really important. For Florence... Not so much.

Oh, she was curious of course, and quite eager to be able to see it especially from the inside, but it wasn't exactly something she really needed to do. In fact... Well, she had to admit that it didn't really take her in the right direction at all...

On board the shuttle on the way the station, Florence performed a few researches to know a bit more about Lilana and her ship, sharing whatever she found with Marlo. Not so much expecting to find any red flags, but simply because it could be important to know.

In the restaurant, Florence had chosen a steak - medium-rare - and as she was eating she was talking with Marlo. Surprisingly, she didn't use a translator, at least not when Marlo was speaking. And when she did talk, it came from a laptop sitting on the table which produced sounds no human could hope to make.

Stepping up to the booth where the Crosser and his companion sat, Abe nodded to each of them. He was a tall lean man, perhaps in his mid-40s or early-50s, his close-cropped salt and pepper hair doing nothing to conceal scars born from war. His clothes were utilitarian, but neat and trim, and as he slipped into a both one of the two drones that had circled the restaurant's chattering patrons came to hang over one shoulder. He raised one hand, signaling to the others, then smiled at them both, "Abe, off of the Nellie Bly. Pleasure to meet you both"

"I am wishing only to be a passenger," the Crosser explains.  Marlo uses a voice synthesizing translator- the Crosser vocal structure is so different from human that it is extremely difficult for a member of either species to accurately mimic the sounds of the other.  "But you want expertise in the Crossers.  I volunteer myself as this.  In this way, I will work off my passage."

"This is not a passenger ship," Lilana says.  "We are journalists, and we make documentaries that we sell across Human space.  But I do need someone with Crosser knowledge, in the short run at least."

"It is beneficial to both parties that I join you," Marlo says.  "But I can't offer any of the amenities of a passenger ship.  We wouldn't be able to give you special accommodations, or Crosser food."

"We can eat your food, and I enjoy it," Marlo says.  "We are lucky.  Few species can share their food.  For most, the food of another species is poisonous.  Maybe just unhealthy.  But Humans, and Crossers, we have similar chemistry, and brains.  So I can eat your food.  Cheeseburgers are excellent.  On the subject of your mission, you must know that when Crossers travel across your space as I have done it attracts attention.  I have certainly met journalists and documentary makers.  It does not bother me."

Marlo makes a sudden strange shake. 

"I am sorry," Marlo says.  "I was on a ship with Florence.  The crew chased off a journalist with a camera.  They gave the impression that I would find the presence of the journalist insulting, but they did not ask me.  I would not be insulted."

"You should have been a Marine", chuckled Abe, finding this Marlo immediately likeable, "They were big fans of cheeseburgers, too. Part of their heritage, they said"

Glancing at his boss, he ventured a question of his own, "What about your stowage? Will either of you be wanting to bring anything dangerous aboard? Weapons? Chemicals? Pets?"

"Thats great as we are a crew of a Journalist. Can call me Charles or Viper. Im pretending to be the teams cameraman. Hence the lil drones bugging you people."

He smiles as he introduces himself but seems to be leaving the meat of the negotiations with the boss.

A man in his early fourties joined the others. At this point  he seemed content to let others take the lead on the interview."Hello my name is Jackson Taylor. I keep an eye on the engines."

For the most part, Florence let Marlo talk: if Lilana was looking for a Crosser expert, she certainly wasn't going to pretend that she would be more useful that an actual Crosser after all. At his comment about their previous ship, Florence shrugged, “They had a few peculiar ideas, that's for sure.”

Regarding Abe's question, Florence shook her head. “Nothing of the sort no. Just some clothes and my laptop.” She nodded to Charles and Jackson as they introduced themselves, though one of her eyebrows noticeably rose when Charles mentioned how he was pretending to be cameraman.

Turning to Lilana, she asked, “You say you need a Crosser - or someone with Crosser knowledge. Are you planning on doing a piece about the Home Ship in LDMLT01?” She sounded a bit surprised at that. Someone wanting to do something like that would have acquired someone with the knowledge they needed long ago, right? In fact, while Marlo was a bit late to the party - though hopefully not too late - he hardly was the only Crosser going back to the Home ship after all.

With Florence's confirmation, Abe rumbled a response - a wordless affirmation and thanks - but did not interrupt as she turned her attention to their boss. His role, so much as he understood it, was to make things happen, but safely, rather than introduce friction into how the investigative reporter went about her business.

Besides, he was intrigued to hear the response himself

Lilana had expected that one.  Of course it might seem odd, but then... there was the truth.  And sometimes truth led to odd places.

"I have been in pursuit of some information," she says with a slight smile.  "Until a little while ago, I had no idea that it involved Crossers.  And now, it seems, the individual with the information I need is a Crosser.  So here we are."

"I understand," Marlo replies.  "Your information source will want to make a deal, and you hope I can help you make a better one."

"That or at least help me not make a fool of myself."  Lilana says.  "Marlo, I offer you our ship as transport home, and Florence... internship aboard, helping to make a documentary that I really hope will get wide reception in the hundred worlds.  What do you say?"

“Oh don't worry, Crosser are easy to get along with. Well, no more than your random human anyway. Mimosans or Momos are much more challenging. Though for entirely different reasons.”

“Anyway,” At this point, Florence was pretty much ready to pay to travel. Granted, not much - she was far from rich after all - but she probably would have accepted almost any deal that included her traveling for the cost of her meals so being paid for it would be pretty sweet. Depending on what she had to do of course...  “An internship sounds good. What would I be supposed to do exactly.”

Lilana explains that the work has several parts.

It's not only "doing research".  That's an essential element, but if she's going to sell it, it must be processed into an interesting documentary- editing, creating a story, making it shine so people want to see it.

And then, it must be sold.

Lilana and her assistant Minka handle most of this, Charles is learning the more technical stuff to help them.  Florence will be added to the production crew.

She will learn along the way, as they travel to a new thread:

LDMLT01