Chapter 13

Daegnon hadn’t been seriously injured from being tossed around, but he could still feel the bruises forming along his body from where he had subsequently hit the chair and wall. That didn’t matter, though, as his first priority was to ensure the rest of his Goblins were safe. This meant he needed to fix whatever it was that Hoshi had needed him to complete. He quickly scurried back over to the small panel with the glowing light inside, where he found a new tool along the inside of the wall, just where the AI said it would be.

The process of overriding the safety protocol was similar to how he and the others had been shown to repair the tarnished spots in the smaller tunnels. However, once he used the glowing beam to wipe out the dark spot, rather than the repair being finished, he next had to access a smaller black glass panel on top of the workstation.

As he finished underneath and stood to continue, he noticed sparks flying from below other workstations. The lights on the displays atop them flickered on and off, changing colors and images as though they were uncertain of what they should actually be displaying. The sparks even caused small fires to break out, but these were quickly extinguished by jets of white mist that shot from the ceiling.

Then a small beam of light appeared from above, and the image of Grubnash pointed towards the light. “Follow the beam and touch the corresponding icons,” the metallic voice said, urgency still coloring the words.

He moved his finger from one strange-looking icon to another in a sequence he couldn’t have guessed at, touching the corresponding pictures as the light guided him. It took several seconds, but once finished, the entire panel lit up, and the glow from underneath changed color.

“You may want to sit down for this next part,” the AI told him. “And hold on.”

He quickly jumped into the chair near the workstation and gripped the handrests, expecting the ship to lurch violently to the side again. That, however, was not what happened.

A strange wave of nothingness passed through him. He had no better explanation for the new sensation. Everything went black, and he felt as though he floated disembodied in a void. The most unusual part was that he could still slightly sense a connection to his body, but it was as though it were in a place far distant from where his consciousness floated within the darkness.

Luckily, the strange passage through the void lasted only seconds, although the passage of time in that space was distorted. While it felt like an instant, a trace of a memory remained, making him wonder if he had actually been stuck within the emptiness for centuries.

Once his mind and body were reformed, there was a brief instant of disorientation. The entire room seemed to bubble out and then condense around him before finally coming back into solidity.

“Whoa, I am certainly glad I wasn’t standing for that,” he mumbled, rocking slightly as he tried to regain his balance, the room still slightly askew in his vision.

Once he felt stable, he stood up again and surveyed the bridge. The place was in shambles. Scorch marks marred the once pristine white cloth of the seats, and blackened areas scarred the floor and undersides of the workstations where fires had briefly raged before being extinguished.

Then his eyes wandered to the front window. Before, the view had been interesting—darkness and a multitude of stars—but now the scene had transformed entirely, leaving Daegnon flabbergasted by the dazzling sight.

Swirling ribbons of indefinable yet magnificent colors flowed across the screen. The clouds of gas danced and twisted like ethereal smoke from a celestial fire, their hues shifting with each graceful turn and pirouette. Sometimes the colors morphed entirely, while other times they revealed sparkling radiance hidden within their depths. The stark darkness of space provided a perfect backdrop, enhancing the brilliance of the vibrant nebulae. The contrast made the colors appear even more vivid, almost as if they were alive.

For several moments, all Daegnon could do was stare with his mouth agape at the stunning spectacle before him. It was in this moment that he realized just how far away from his burrow he was, and how very little he knew about anything.

Hoshi’s metallic voice rang through the speakers in the room, once again filling the entire space. “I am glad you are safe, Captain Daegnon.”

Upon hearing his new designation, Daegnon’s wits returned to him.

“The ship sustained substantial damage throughout but made a successful JUMP. Raknak sustained a major injury as well, but the SCANT is actively repairing the damage as we speak. Luckily, with the power surge pre-JUMP, the reserves were filled, and what systems are functional will be able to remain so for quite some time.”

Daegnon still somewhat slowly processed the information, not fully understanding what had just happened. He felt a mix of relief and concern, along with the amazement associated with the stunning view before him.

Hoshi continued, “I believe it would be the most expedient course to hold a small conference where the situation can be explained to everyone at the same time. Would you mind joining the rest of the crew back in the medical center so that I and Cyrus can explain?”

Daegnon nodded, feeling that an explanation would be greatly appreciated. He also had the feeling that there would be a lot of extra work ahead for all of them. However, seeing how far they had all come from home and realizing they had just survived something far beyond anything he had experienced before granted him some additional determination. The amazing beauty of space, the incredible power of the ship, and daydreaming about what his future might hold urged him forward.

“Yes, Hoshi. Lead the way.”

Raknak awoke with a scream! Terror and pain gripped his newly awakened consciousness as memories of the metal door closing, cutting through his legs, crashed back into his mind. His gaze was wild, darting around his surroundings, unable to focus on any one thing. He saw Glix kneeling over him in the strange dome-like room filled with unfamiliar metals and stark lighting.

Then there was a moment of darkness, where the pain and the sensation of being whole no longer held any meaning. But when the world came crashing back in upon him, so did the agony and fear.

With great effort, he tilted his bulky midsection, straining his abdominal muscles to look down past his stomach. What he beheld there filled him with horror: blood gushing from the severed stumps where his legs used to be.

That was the last thing he remembered before the darkness engulfed him once again. This time, the darkness didn’t feel strange and empty but instead held the prospect of never again awakening as his mind blacked out from the pain and blood loss.

When he awoke again, Raknak found himself staring up at a somewhat familiar ceiling. He felt the softness of a cushion below him and realized he was back in the place where he had awakened at the beginning of this crazy outerspace adventure.

He looked around and saw the others gathered near one of the glass-like displays where the image of Grubnash was speaking to them all. He didn’t catch any of what they were talking about before the brown-skinned human pointed at him and told the others of his awakening.

“Raknak! Good to see you’re awake again!” Daegnon called out, moving up beside the still confused Goblin.

“You owe me so much for having to move your fat ass. In fact, I own you now,” Glix said with a sinister smirk. There was a glimmer of humor in her eyes, but Raknak knew Glix well enough to know that whatever she felt she was owed, she would make sure he paid.

Cyrus stepped back, allowing room for the Goblins to surround Raknak. This wasn’t his place; he might in time get to know these Goblins well enough to call them friends, but that time had not yet come.

Raknak closed his eyes and sighed, as if he had just remembered that his body was no longer whole. A visible wave of loss and fear washed over him, but rather than look down to verify his missing limbs, his body slumped and the tension in his shoulders released as if in acceptance.

He had never been a fan of walking or running, but that didn’t mean he didn’t know the value of being mobile. He also wasn’t afraid of losing a limb; his mentor had only one arm and would constantly beat him no matter what weapon he was trying to learn.

But that was an arm, not a leg, and especially not both. Raknak’s mind began sinking into a morass of depression, picturing himself living the rest of his days sitting and being a burden, wasting away until finally dying a miserable death.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Hoshi says it’ll take a while to adjust to the new feet, but you should be up and mobile within a couple of days, especially now that we have food… Well, kind of food, I guess,” the human said, catching Raknak’s attention.

It took a few seconds for the meaning to penetrate through the grief Raknak was feeling, but when it did, his eyes sprang open, and he sat bolt upright.

“What?” he exclaimed, throwing the small cloth covering him aside to stare at his lower half.

Daegnon wore a huge grin as he watched Raknak finally figure out what had happened. The human looked surprised but smiled cheerfully as well. Glix wore a smug look as if she herself had designed the new feet that now captivated Raknak’s attention. Shiny metal claws had replaced his lower limbs.

Yes, claws were the best term Raknak could think of to describe the new appendages at the end of his legs. They didn’t resemble the bulky feet he used to have; these were much more streamlined and sophisticated. Each new foot was composed of sleek, dull gray metal, interspersed with intricate black gears and tubes connecting the mechanical workings.

The feet had multiple articulated digits, each ending in a sharp, claw-like tip. However, the underside of the tips were coated in a dark, strange yet flexible material that looked like it would provide added traction and cushioning. The joints and segments moved smoothly as he flexed them experimentally, revealing the precise engineering that had gone into their creation.

“Aren’t they amazing?” Glix said as she picked up the sheet and re-covered Raknak’s now exposed body. “Hoshi says you should be able to hang upside down from the ceiling with these once you fully recover.”

Raknak was still adjusting to the idea of having mechanical feet. He wiggled his toes—claws—but the sensation was strange and somewhat challenging; the corresponding digits didn’t move the way he expected.

“It will take some time for the SCANT to properly realign the neurons in your brain to match the corresponding movements to your new Advanced Mobility Appendages, or AMA if you prefer,” the metallic voice of the AI spoke in a way so that they all could hear, resonating from every corner of the room.

“Once you have fully adapted, these should provide you with enhanced mobility and even allow for extravehicular activities,” the AI concluded.

“So basically, you’ll be the one going outside the ship to make those repairs,” Cyrus chimed in with a small chuckle. “Lucky you.”

Raknak looked up at Cyrus, noticing only now how beat up he looked. When they had first met, he hadn’t really paid much attention, more afraid of the intruding human than concerned with his appearance. When they had all awakened in the medical center, where they were again now, he had looked closer at him but hadn’t noticed any distinguishing traits other than his overly soft body.

Now, as he looked again at the human, he took in the details as if seeing him for the first time. His skin was a light shade of brown, the color of the inside of Raknak's favorite mushroom. His hair was short, curly, and as dark as the rock of the caverns near the ceiling of the burrow. His eyes were brown as well, but it almost seemed as though flecks of gold sparkled within their depths. He had extremely white and flat teeth, which seemed very out of place, and he wore overly large cloth with strange designs on it.

But now, unlike before, there was something more to the human. Perhaps it was the purpling skin where bruises had formed, or maybe the way he carried himself. Raknak was unsure, but Cyrus looked less soft, more capable than he had before.

Daegnon also had a similar look to him now. He had been the burrow-master for only a short time, but he was smarter than the other Goblins and thus garnered a lot of respect because of that fact.

He had never been one to feel threatening. There were definitely much fiercer Goblins, but they deferred to Daegnon because he could communicate and diffuse situations with words instead of fists. This quality somehow seemed to have been enhanced now, as he seemed to almost stand taller and sound wiser when he spoke than what Raknak remembered.

Raknak wasn’t sure what exactly was going on, but because he was noticing these things, he couldn’t help but think that maybe the SCAT, or whatever they called it, was working its magic on them, it meant that it was changing him too.

He looked at Glix, just to make sure she was the same, but as he met her eyes and remembered what she had done to save his life, a very unusual emotion welled up inside of him. Not only was he thankful for her assistance, but there was another, stronger and more frightening emotion that began to rise within him.

Love was not something Goblins generally claimed, but the idea was present within their society. Most procreation and sexual needs were performed not due to emotion but to satisfy urges. Some preferred a willing partner, but many either didn’t care or even preferred an unwilling partner. Yet there were several couples who maintained a partnership, their supposed love being a bond which they cherished.

Raknak was never one who gave much credit to those types of relationships. When he wanted to mate, he found whoever was present and made them his mate. So this new feeling he was experiencing was not only alien and confusing but actually rather unwanted. It took several moments to understand that somehow… He was falling in love with her.

“The reason we are all here is to discuss what happened, what needs to be done, and how long it should take,” the metallic voice of the AI said.

In Cyrus’s vision, Hoshi sat upon one of the other floating beds in their usual kimono. The AI smiled but then took on a serious look as the speakers announced the start of the meeting.

Over the next hour or so, Hoshi explained the Graviton storm to them all, and Cyrus recounted his adventure of moving them from the dangerous location. Daegnon described the state of the bridge, while Glix and Raknak both related their version of what had happened with some rather colorful descriptions.

When telling the part of the story about the aroma coming from the Cyclotron Core as it opened, Raknak actually blushed and pulled the sheet tighter over his crotch.

“All waste should from here on out be excreted in the proper facilities. Luckily, the emissions from the Dark-matter in the Cyclotron Core eliminated any trace of contamination at a cellular level within the Cyclotron Core,” Hoshi said promptly as the story reached that part.

Hearing that brought Raknak’s eyes back down to his new claw-like feet. He flexed them again and smiled slightly, beginning to think of them as his own.

The meeting continued with discussions on where to begin the repairs and how they should be completed. They also received their first taste of the nutritionally replicated substance the ship could now provide.

The nutritional dense replicated edible substance came in the form of a dense bar. Its color was an appealing brown, but the smell was rather lacking. As Cyrus nibbled a corner, expecting the nutritional bar to taste awful, he was pleasantly surprised. It definitely wasn’t five-star cuisine, but rather than being bland or reminding him of the substances from which it was generated, it had a slightly sweet taste, almost like almonds and raisins mixed together.

The Goblins, on the other hand, seemed to find the flavor more enjoyable than anything they had ever eaten before and scarfed down the nutritional bars immediately before asking for another.

“Due to their properties, only one will be distributed in an eight-hour period. Within the next minute, your cravings should be well satisfied,” Hoshi replied to their request.

As if on cue, a minute later they were all reclining and patting their stomachs as if they’d eaten a Thanksgiving meal. Cyrus was full too, which was a feeling he hadn’t experienced often on Earth.

Throughout his life, Cyrus had always battled being overweight. His cravings never seemed to stop, so it was only when he was fully occupied, usually in his VR games, that he finally found some respite from the constant desire to put food in his face.

‘Why do we all feel so full now?’ he mentally questioned the AI.

‘Once exposed to the stomachs’ acidic fluids, the condensed proteins rapidly enlarge, and the nutrients are released into the system. This provides long-lasting nourishment due to the high fibrous content,’ Hoshi explained.

The discussions continued with Hoshi speaking in their metallic voice, “If you press this icon,” a symbol illuminated on the bottom of the panels lining the walls, “you can communicate with whomever you need. Simply say the name and I will route the communications to the nearest communication port, or speaker, as Cyrus would call them, located near the person you are looking to talk to. Not all speakers are working correctly yet, so you may have to move to the nearest functional speaker to receive the message. I will try to alert the initiator when the recipient is out of range,” Hoshi continued once the nutritional bars had left them all feeling full and content.

Due to being so full and content, the Goblins’ eyes were slowly closing and heads were bobbing. Cyrus couldn’t help but smile, finding himself in a similar state of exhaustion. The excitement of being aboard the ship and then the escape from the storm had pumped enough adrenaline into them that they had not felt the need to rest, but now that they were safe and fed, their need to sleep and recover was becoming harder to ignore.

‘Hoshi, I think we all need some rest before we start. Are there some quarters where we can sleep, or should we just use these beds?’ Cyrus mentally asked before the AI could continue explaining things to the sleepy audience, covering his yawn with his hand.

The image of Hoshi in Cyrus’s mind brought its hand to its chin as if thinking things over. Then the image wavered, and the kimono was replaced by a onesie pajama set covered in little rocket ships set over a dark blue cloth with moons and stars interspersed throughout.

‘I suppose you’re right. Any work accomplished now would be of poor quality due to your exhaustion. I believe sleeping here would be best for now. Preparing quarters will be moved up the list of required jobs, though, as I had miscalculated that you and the Goblins have similar sleeping habits,’ Hoshi replied.

Cyrus smiled and told the others, “Hoshi says we can all pick a bed and sleep here, but the real work begins tomorrow.”

As he said this, the floating beds all lowered to a more acceptable height for the Goblins, who moved to occupy the offered beds in their half-awake state.

“Now that we have food, are we going to wake the others?” Daegnon asked once he was comfortably positioned, his question accentuated by a large toothy yawn.

“Yes, we can accomplish that upon your waking,” Hoshi replied from the speakers in the room.

Daegnon smiled, happy to have his entire host back. He was also content with a full stomach and a nice bed to sleep on, as were they all.

The lights in the room dimmed, and soft music began playing on a strange instrument, one that Cyrus had never heard before. He almost asked what the instrument was or what the song was called but decided those questions could wait.

Within a minute, soft snores were coming from every bed in the medical center. Hoshi hastened the work of the SCANT, allowing the nanites to take advantage of the lowered consciousness of the crew.