Chapter Two (2/2)
It was bigger than Sleemas had thought it would be. It moved mechanically, its joints hissed and purred, he could hear it using sonar and high frequency. Its body seemed to be full of machinery and tools. It had a quadruped following it, some kind of industrial robot with four legs and a strange looking head that often made weird sharp staccato noises.
For nearly fourteen cycles it worked tirelessly. Sleemas learned that the quadruped robot was called ”Fido” and that the figure was called ”Daxin” in its own tongue.
At one point Sleemas approached the figure, who had just exited the jump core, slapping its hands together.
”Are you...artificial?” Sleemas asked.
The figure shook its head. ”Nope. Clinically immortal but originally biological,” it said.
Sleemas pondered that answer for several cycles, unable to come to grips with what it might mean.
”All right. This should get you back home. I took the liberty of checking your astrogation files for the closest system. You're lost by about twelve-thousand light years, but you should be all right now that your jumpdrive is tuned,” Daxin told Sleemas at the airlock. ”You've got food, water, and enough power to get back, but not much more.”
”What caused it?” Sleemas asked.
”Jumpspace rapids. They must have shifted since the last time you surveyed that section of jumpspace. I'd have your government run probes on all the major shipping lines,” Daxin said. ”I put my estimations and data on a file.”
Daxin paused halfway out the lock. Sleemas had gotten used to how Daxin would just exit the lock, use a reactionless drive to move back to his own ship, and then return as if space was his natural element.
”Look, Acting Captain Sleemas, it's either you hit what my people call rapids or...” he squatted slightly and put his helmet near Sleemas's ear. ”Or sabotage.”
He straightened back up. ”Anyway, good luck. Try not to let anyone step on your tail, all right?”
”Wait,” Sleemas asked. ”I have one request.”
”Sure, my scaly brother. Ask away,” Daxin said.
”May I see your face? So the crew and I may pray to the Forgotten Ones for you properly?” Sleemas asked.
”Not a good plan, my friend,” Daxin said.
”You said you are alive. My religion and beliefs...” Sleemas started.
”All right, since it's your religion. Remember, my scaly friend, you asked for it,” Daxin said.
The faceplate opened and Sleemas found himself staring at horror.
Liquid bubbled in a dura-glass tank. Inside a lower mandible floated beneath a pair of blue eyes that were attached via the optic nerves to thickly furrowed cerebral tissue that was embedded with electronics and wires, all of it floating in the tank.
Sleemas rapidly inflated and deflated his barking sack to keep from fainting as the plates closed at the front of the helmet. He heard 'Fido' make those same noises and looked down, to see the armored plate had retracted, showing the same horror inside Fido's head, only the mandible longer and sporting conical teeth.
The plate closed.
”You asked, buddy,” Daxin said. ”Let's go, Fido.”
Sleemas watched as the thing cycled the lock and left. He staggered to the bridge, the appearance of his crew's benefactor burned into his mind. He collapsed into the Captain's Cradle and stared at the viewscreen.
”He's hailing us,” Snapjaw said.
”Put it on,” Sleemas said.
The armored figure appeared again. Now that the screen had been repaired he could see ”Fido” was folded up in the wall behind him, the head detached and sitting nearby.
”I'm gonna go slow till I'm away from you. You guys go ahead and go first, I'll tag for a ways in jumpspace then head on out, all right?” Daxin asked.
Sleemas bobbed his head. Before the feed could be cut, Sleemas slapped his tail, almost wincing as he got Daxin's attention. When he realized he had the alien's attention he asked the question that had been bothering since the airlock.
”Why... why do you keep the jawbone and eyes?” he asked.
”Because it's funny.”
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Sleemas testified to the Unified Exploratory Council that the creature he had encountered has claimed to be ”clinically immortal” and had ”required permission to board”, working without any apparent rest.
The Council met for an emergency meeting.
Two separate species being encountered in the same rough region, deep in the Dead Zone, within the same time frame of a handful of great cycles, was cause for alarm.
If there were two xenospecies, there could be more.
--------------------
FROM: DAXIN FREEBORN
TO: CONFEDNAVINT
Encountered a new xenosapient in need of assistance. Rendered assistance according to the Clinically Immortal Code of Conduct. Repaired their vessel and sent them on their way. Attached is a financial statement of the remuneration due to my descendants for providing this aid as a representative of the TerraSol Confederacy.
Attached is schematics for a light frigate of a previously unknown xenosapient. Also attached is medical data gleamed from the ships own computers. Attached is a copy of their library core. Copying information in such a matter is permissible under the Clinically Immortal Code of Conduct.
I haven't really gone over the datafiles because, honestly, I don't care.
The Captain seemed nice.
Try not to glass his planet or something stupid like that.
No reply is required.
Just leave me alone.
------NOTHING FOLLOWS (IN MY FOOTSTEPS)-------------
FROM: FIDO FREEBORN
TO: CONFEDNAVINT
They were lizards. I don't like lizards. A lizard bit my foot when I was still squishy. New lizards did not bite my foot. Daxin is still goodboi. Fido is still goodboi.
We hunt further in the dark.
------NOTHING FOLLOWS------------