‘Well, I certainly didn’t expect it to look so… strangely normal’ Were Ellie’s first thought as she got a closer view of the Ferrenti space ship ‘I’m sure the interior is much more alien and exciting than the exterior though the blizzard is being a big pain in the arse’

She wiped her brow from snow and readjusted her hood as she turned to her right “Matt, doesn’t it look cool? We finally got a close view of what an actual space ship would look like” She nudged him in saying “Plus, we’re going to get a chance to enter and explore it’s interior as well if all goes well”

He didn’t respond as he seemed to just eye it up as he held a hand near a spot which she knew contains something dangerous and she frowned in the realization ‘After all this time and he’s still too cautious, it’s been 3 days already, get over it already Matt’ She mentally told him as she mimed a sigh.

“You know, it’s still not too late to turn around” She turned again at Matt who suddenly blurted out a suggestion “They haven’t come out yet and we haven’t knocked yet so if we’re quick we could just turn back and wait for them like usual”

She heard a sigh coming from the opposite direction “Matt, we talked about it already, if you don’t want to go into the ship than you can head back yourself, nothing’s stopping you from doing so” Phil told him from the other side “Besides, we’re already here and it would be weird to turn back around”

Ellie had a feeling that Matt hated the fact but he just nodded and stayed silent after clenching his jaw ‘Well at least I won’t hear him bitching anymore, seriously he’s dumping my optimism in a garbage bin’ Ellie figured ‘I know he means well but he’s just too overprotective like he’s my parents’

She shook her head as the thought came into view ‘No, they’re an ocean away from you now, they can’t affect your life anymore so get out of it, Ellie’ She told herself as she lightly slapped her cheeks ‘Besides, it is not indicative of the current situation at all so think of something productive for once’

Just then, a metallic sound rang out as Ellie turned to see Phil knocking on the door of the alien craft “And now the choice is sealed from us” She heard Matt mutter as she just shrugged “It’s been sealed since we agreed on it a few minutes ago” She corrected as she glared at him for a bit.

Then, after a short few minutes, a bang can be heard from the other side followed by what sounds to be alien curses “Door problems?” Ellie heard Phil ask as he stretched his arms some “Yessk, Dar Phromblm” She heard a faint sound from the other side.

Ellie looked at Matt who just shrugged as she turned back to another few bangs before a noise which sounds like stone grinding on stone like the noise one would expect from a mortar and pestle suddenly rang out or something similar to it as the door finally was opened for all to come through.

She saw Fawkes poke his head out as he waved to them with his tail “This one welcomes you, what mayhaps bring on such as yourselves here to our craft?” He seemed to sang as the translator machine attached to his body on a sling translated his words or in this case notes into a monotone voice.

“We’re hoping to be able to visit today, we thought we could change things up” Phil explained as he kept a cheery smile “We also want to see your spaceship and what it’s like to be on one even if it’s landed!” Ellie added her own explanation as both Phil and Matt gave her a look.

‘Crap, Ellie don’t get too excited, show restraint’ Ellie told herself as she realized “Well in any case we would like to come onto your craft if you would allow it” Phil quickly stated as Ellie could she the brightening feathers on their new neighbor’s head quickly settle into what looks like an excited state.

“This one would be happy and is sure the others would be happy too” Fawkes stated with a happy chirp “Come, we need to get you away from the storm” Added Fawkes as he pointed to the blizzard with a tail ‘Right, it is pretty cold outside’ Ellie realized as she shuddered a bit from the cold.

She could hear Matt sigh beside her “Well, no other choice but to go now” He admitted as she put a hand on his shoulder “Cheer up, I bet it would be fun if you just sit down and have a game with Lorelei or perhaps there would be a lot of things to explore and it will be exciting” She beamed.

She heard a short chuckle from Matt “Right, I guess it would be and I suppose I’m a bit overreacting but a lot of things can go wrong in there, from accidentally catching an alien virus to touching something that can disintegrate someone or eating poisonous material” Matt spoke as they started walking.

They got close to the door to the airlock “Well cheer up with that pessimism, it might as well did happen if you have that attitude” Ellie assured him “Doesn’t mean it can’t happen and with going in here, I beseech the lord to give me strength as I put myself in his hands” He spoke a silent prayer along.

Ellie just shrugged as they walked into the airlock, it was a squarish room with a lot of sci-fi looking futuristic thingies like she would expect. In fact, it was a bit too like what she expected as she looked around the greyish white walls as something lowered itself from the ceiling and started spraying some sort of pink liquid ‘Is this some sort of decontamination fluid?’ She wondered as she curiously licked it.

‘Tastes a bit like cinnamon’ She thought as the door from the other side opened and as she entered from the side as she realized that the liquid was already mostly evaporated ‘Neat, something that decontaminates but also evaporate in a matter of seconds, would be wonderfully useful I suppose’

“Welcome to our voidcraft, we were not expecting any sort of visitors so we have nothing on but… welcome!” Fawkes greeted them as they entered what looks like some sort of living quarters and common room mixture as she looked around the walls of the room.

She blinked as she realized the color ‘This looks… much homier than I expected but certainly not a different color than the airlock’ She thought as she viewed the walls lined with some sort of red or even brown color ‘I mean, I guess an only white and greyish spaceship would be boring but, I thought it would look a bit more unified or similar with one another though that might be just the sci-fi part of me thinks’

She just shrugged as her eyes darted around and she spotted Lorelei rushing in after a bit but no Sylvia for some reason “Excuse me for asking but where’s Sylvia?” Phil asked the question right out of her head “I’m just curious is all” He quickly added to clear things up.

“Ah, well the one you’re looking for has sadly passed away” Fawkes said as the room fell deadly quiet as Ellie gave a gasp “Excuse this one but what’s with the reactions? She just passed away at the moment” Fawkes asked with what looks to be a Ferrenti version of a poker face.

Matt coughed as he stumbled for a moment “It sounds as if you’re implying that she died…” He explains with a gesture “Passed away is like a more polite way of saying someone died” He further explain as she watched understanding dawned on Fawkes face in about a few seconds.

“This one… uh… well sh-” “She’s tired and we could not wake her at all since she stayed up all night playing games” Lorelei took up the mantle of the speaker as she interrupted the conversation for a bit “But yes, this one certainly did not realize the implications of those words in your language, we would certainly need to pass this up to avoid misinformation”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

“That would be nice, no one wants to accidentally refer to someone sleeping as having just died” Ellie shrugged “Besides that, I think we would be best serve if we explain some of the idioms and various words that might bear different meanings” She added ‘Nice, I actually managed something smart for once’ She thought as she realized that everyone was staring at her somewhat.

Phil coughed to get attention as she turned to face him “Anyways, I guess we should get down to business and act like we usually naturally do to be honest” He suggested as she turned to see a few brightened feathers “Yes, this one believes that we would like that” Fawkes answered brightly.

Ellie smiled before a certain movement to her side caught her attention as Matt stepped forward and gestured to the wooden box he brought along as she saw Lorelei stare at him for a bit before taking a single strange nod as her feathers brightened ‘At least their having fun’ Thought Ellie.

Sylksskra groaned as she shuffled out of her den ‘Fuck… this one should not have stayed that late in playing games’ She composed as she struggled onto her feet ‘What time it mayhaps be at the moment?’ She rhetorically wondered as she picked up her holo pad and looked at the time.

“It’s… a bit over a third of the… latter… A THIRD OVER THE LATTER!?!” She screamed as she realized the time and immediately panicked and got dressed as soon as she could before slamming into the door snout first from how quick she was moving and falling back down again.

She groaned as she held her head in one winged hand ‘By the glow… does this one have an utter hatred towards these forsaken doors!’ She composed as she stood up and finally took the time to unlock and open the door after a bit of finagling.

Finally slamming her door open, she arrived in the general common area and living quarters of the voidcraft and had to do a double take as she saw what was at hand “Excuse this one for being rude but can anyone enlighten this one to what is happening here?” Asked Sylksskra.

Many eyes fall upon her as she saw Lorrisskr just splay her antenna and ears “We’re taking a food break” She answered simply as she could see the understanding form on the faces of Phrillisk and the others suggests that they wondered what her question was until now as the instrument translated the song.

Sylksskra gave a simple chirp as she realized it a moment too late ‘…This one has slept through the entire first half of a day… may the Glow and the others forgive this one for her laziness’ She mentally noted as she gave a light trilling at the realization.

“You’ve been sleeping in quite long so we’ve elected to just let you sleep, been passed away for most of a day now” Fallskchrimm sang as he sipped from his cup “And don’t you worry about it, everyone needs some time to rest, relax and play video games every once in a while, I would know” Phil added his piece.

Sylksskra let out a low sigh in relief as her previously ruffled and darkened crest feathers returned to normal without her knowing “It is great that you all understand but it is still this one fault for being well, a fair bit lazy and making another mistake however minor” She sung with an air of regret.

“Don’t be” Ellisk suddenly turned out before realizing all eyes were on her “I mean I still don’t understand most of it but you said like something about regret and mistake so… I just assumed that you were feeling sorry about yourself” She admitted as Sylksskra let out a low trill.

“This one thanks you for the kind words Ellisk” Sylksskra sang back as she was handed one of the translation instruments as it translated her song into the weird human speech “No problem, your language is very fun to learn, so many different ways to say certain notes all of which must rhyme in a sort of way for it to make any sense… it’s nice to say as well, feels like a song”

Sylksskra just nod at that description of her native tongue “Yes, your language is quite easy but not less fun to learn so simple and yet you can convey so much from such… simplicity in voice, tone and simple sounds” Fallkschrimm sang as well as he mirrored the nod though not as well as her.

‘This is all good and nice in all thing’s Glow related but… what are they doing on the voidcraft?’ Sylksskra mentally questioned “Mayhaps this one can be enlightened to why some of you have found your path here in the first place?” She asked in song as she narrowed her eyes.

“What, we thought it would be nice to change it up every once in a while, would be nice to see what the insides of an actual spaceship looks like” Phil answers with a bit of a shrug “Besides, because of it you’re not actually missing a meeting this time around and we can have some fun”

Sylksskra just let out a low hiss as she sat down on one of the chairs “Right but you know, this one is getting the impression that this has gone from diplomatic to just communal in a few days” She sang as she rubbed the bridge of her snout “Is that inherently a bad thing?” Lorrisskr asked from her side prying an eye away from the game she was playing with the human called Matt or something.

“Suppose not” Sylksskra chirped as she scratched the back of her head “Say, I want to ask here but why am I the only one without a nickname at all?” Matt suddenly asked as all eyes turned to him “We can’t exactly pronounce your names and you can’t pronounce ours except mine for some reason”

‘Huh, this one never composed that thought before’ She realized as she blinked ‘But that’s a simple enough answer to sing’ She mentally added “Well, the note has a meaning in our songs” Sylksskra started “‘Matt’ as it is pronounced in our songs is similar to the note ‘Madt’ in ours which when translated from Ivversskri to your English means Cut”

The humans were looking at her in a inquisitive manner “Excuse this one but it actually means Slash, not cut that is ‘Ferrst’” Lorrisskr corrected her in song “Apologies, this one meant it means Slash not Cut, this one is not a native Ivversskri singer” She quickly fixed her error to a few nods.

“That gets me thinking though, is there any word that is similar in concept betweit en the two language groups” Ellissk muses “It could be a fun exorcise and I would personally like to know” She added her reasoning with a smile on her weird soft pink maw thing.

“That could be nice but probably not” Matt responded with a shrug “It’s a fun bit of trivia about my name but it probably is the exception” He spoke in a flat tone as she saw him move a piece on the board “Unfortunately, this one can concur with it” Fallkschrimm sang as he splayed his ears and antenna.

Sylksskra let out a low hiss as she laid her hands on the counter, clawed digit clacking lightly in a rhythm as she composed her thoughts ‘True, this one still can’t help but ponder the responses may be, the question is good and the humans or humanity, this one still is not sure are quite unique in nature… they might even be the first and only species that evolved sapience on their world’

She cocked her head as she stared at Matt ‘How weird they are as a species, cute but weird in various ways, the way they gesture, their lack ok certain things, their simplistic language, all weird or this one should say unique and different’ She thought as she leaned back a bit.

‘Nope, they are weird’ She fully vindicated her thought as she caught Phrillisk reaching a single digit towards her head “What are you doing?” She asked, her song translated by the instrument “well it was worth a shot, it’s nothing really” He quickly deflected as he turned away.

“He just tried to boop you” Ellissk corrected as she turned to her and she saw that in the corner of her eye he also turned to her in turn “It’s a natural reaction to something that is cute, you boop their snoot, it’s part of our culture really” She added as she seemed to make that weird warbling sound again.

Sylksskra relaxed as she turned towards the aggressor and quickly tapped him in the arm lightly as she has claws “Like that?” She asked as she saw a nod “Yes but in the middle of the face or the snoot” She tilted her head as she heard Ellissk’s answer.

As she was distracted, she felt a feeling on the side of her head “There we go” She furrowed her gaze at Phrillisk as he quickly pulled his hand back “What, you guys are cute, don’t you want to do something as well?” He asked as she just splayed “Yes but it’s not exactly safe” She replied in turn.

He warbled that weird sound which she was sure was their form of trilling and so she trilled lightly as well as things quietly down soon after “Wait, shouldn’t the shield glimmer if you are touched?” Everyone turned as Matt blurted out a question to which Sylksskra tilted her head.

He reached out and went to touch Lorrisskr and there was a faint light blue glow that appeared for a split second before his hand passed right through with a pat ‘Well it should but this one should be wearing her shield belt’ She composed as she felt another touch to the side.

“Yeah, there’s no blue glimmer at all” Phrillisk agreed sounding worried as she turned to him and slowly reached for the area just above her tail feeling for the device and finding nothing “…Fuck” She chirped out as she realized that in her haste to wake up not expecting human visitors, the exciting distraction of conversing with new peoples never seen before, she never managed to wear her shield belt, the one thing that protected members of both sides from biological contamination…