"'Portable'. And matter-to-energy - I presume that is how those devices I've seen you use with your other team members work? We have ... touched, perhaps, on such things..." and he's certainly not going to mention some of his work to a teenager... "but not to such a compact standard."

He shakes his head, somewhere between curiosity and embarrassment for his own world's scientific progress. His own. At least, perhaps, they've less progress in other fields?

He hopes?