The wind whistled through the canyon causing a pattern of tones played through wind scoured stone.

Pressing through this constant air pressure, The explorer took note of this particular anomaly. It had encountered two other instances of the near constant wind on the third world causing an almost purposeful musical effect against different surfaces. Ordinarily it would take the time to catalog the full breadth of the musical extension of the geography, but it had a mission. An explorer had Ceased it's admittedly irregular connection to the seed.

The explorer in question, The eighth part of the third world, the first discoverer of the world. Discoverer of the West. Finder of life in western reaches had one of the most irregular patterns to its connections. Even with these irregularities in mind it had been nearly a cycle since any contact had been made and those at the seed had begun contemplating its condition.

Nothing yet discovered on the third world has proven a threat to even a single Beo, much less one trained and equipped as an explorer. The fact that one had apparently vanished had led to somewhat unfounded and unguided speculations.

The current theories were that perhaps it had fallen into a chasm and was too damaged to establish a connection. Another suggested there may be some form of native fauna or flora capable of silencing an explorer yet uncatalogued.

This one found both these theories unlikely. It had made connections with the missing one on several occasions, and other than its odd focus on microbial formations, especially organic. The awareness of it was exceptional.

The primitive examples of life found on the third world have shown little adaptation to predation. Even fewer were large or mobile enough to engage a Beo with anything but curiosity.

This knowledge did not change the fact that an explorer was indeed still missing. And the circumstances of its disappearance had to be investigated.

As the closest explorer this one was redirected half a cycle ago towards the last point of connection.

Regardless of the remarkable stability of tone this canyon produced no more than a cursory recording and marking could be taken before continuing west. The location of the last connection was within a single rotation and this one had even connected to some markers left by the eighth.

As this one walked it reviewed its data once more. The Eighth while eccentric in comparison should still be very capable. The likelihood of finding at the very least emergency records was appreciably high.

It was an explorer's duty to provide information for the seed to process and sort before a colony could be formed.

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This one observed the connection point come into view. The large crystal jutted out of the smooth stone at the end of the canyon acting as a beacon for orbital connection to the seed allowing a transfer of all cataloged information. As this one approached it connected to the crystal and further the seed.

"Northernmost seeker facing the cold is the first discoverer of the latest great formation to find solace, No connection has been established with the first discoverer of the world. Discoverer of the West. Finder of life in western reaches, continue along the predicted pathway."

The seed commanded promptly.

This was expected, the probability of the explorer suddenly reconnecting to the seed after an absence over a full cycle was minimal. This one replied promptly.

"Received projected path will not be deviated. Exercising caution. Connection every third rotation."

"Received"

The connection ended.

This one did change its pace as it passed the final connection point continuing along the set path.

It was beginning to put some serious processing power into considerations surrounding the explorer's absence. However even with now new observational data the most likely theories appeared less and less viable. The smoothed stone of the landscape was not significantly dissimilar from that which it had traveled over the past several rotations. And the largest formation in the observable range was the canyon behind.

The geography did not lend itself to large cavern systems, dense fluids were not present in large quantities on the Third. Which would make the appearance of one a very valuable discovery. This one found the probability the explorer had simply fallen into a hole, as the theory stated, without recording and reporting the anomaly that hole posed very improbable.

This one kept specifically to the predicted path. Considering the circumstance deviation could potentially result in a repeat of what caused the absence of the explorer. Devoting all of this one's processing to observation and detailed scanning proved valuable when some distance off the predicted path the faint signal of a Beo construct was detected.

Deviation would now be acceptable, this one approached the construct identifying it as a Blade. Constructs like these were sometimes used as tools or defensive measures against local life, although largely unnecessary for the third world. Another eccentricity of the explorer to have made one. Perhaps it was a companion, some Beo are observed to work more efficiently with another to communicate and share theories with. Although this one had few such compulsions.

The blade was simply lying on the stone, judging by the scrapes in the soft stone it had been dropped. This one attempted connection and found the blade still active.

The data shared was minimal, however the final piece was... startling. The explorer had vanished, the blade falling from its holding position. The rather simplistic reading the blade provided gave no indication why the explorer vanished. Only unequivocal evidence that it had in fact done so.

With the lack of a core, the blade had been unable to construct a connection point. It had spent the cycle observing and attempting to theorize with its limited capacity what had occurred to it's creator.

It's only suggestion was a sudden spatial anomaly. As it did not have the ability to detect gravity or electromagnetic distortions it was unable to provide any evidence in favor of it's theory.

This one approached the blade, scanning it carefully with every available tool. If the blade's theory was true, whatever spatial anomaly had taken or destroyed the explorer was either gone or undetectable with anything this one had. The blade echoed this through the connection confirming that no second occurrence had happened in the cycle of its isolation.

This one lifted the blade, placing it near the center of gravity after only a minute modification. It's direct connection to the Seed would be necessary. Transport to the first world may even be suggested.

This one turned back to the connection point, it would be more efficient to return than to construct a new one at this range.

After taking a few steps there was sudden motion.

There was nothing, for the smallest measurement of time that had no designator to Beo.

Then there was falling.

Impact