“Good morning to you, Engineer Prakash. I hope we’re not interrupting anything,” Natori said in greeting, his voice startling the young woman out of a sleep deprived daze. With some difficulty she stood from her swivel chair and saluted him, only to find the ship’s resident Ghaelen there as well, his larger body and antlers lending him a perpetually cramped appearance on a ship made for those without horns.
“G-Good morning sir, emissary. Can I- Is there anything I can help you with?” she wondered, hoping that she hadn’t harvested anything by mistake recently. While Natori bore very few similarities to a drill sergeant or other such disciplinarians, the busy nature of his schedule meant that visits to humble engineers were usually on account of problems. Qul’Roth seemed to disapprove mildly of her sleepy demeanor, but he always seemed disapproving of something or another and headed on his way after informing her he was there to collect some arugula. Anita bowed and the two humans watched him go, only speaking again once the door to the growing bays was closed.
“We will have to see just how far a bit of lettuce can get us in various diplomatic proceedings when we return to Earth,” Natori chuckled. “I assume there have been no incidents on that front?”
“No sir, those plants grow quickly and he never takes much,” Anita reported. “The effect on the ship’s production is negligible.”
“And the Cauthan foodstuffs?” the Admiral moved on quickly, arriving at what Anita figured to be the thrust of the matter and reason for his visit.
“If we had a full crew it would be a little bit tight, sir. But the ship was designed to have about ten percent excess growing capacity and-”
Natori cocked a brow as the Engineer suddenly fell silent. “Is there a problem, Miss Prakash? All those lights behind you appear to still be green.”
“N-no, sir. I just realized that I was explaining your own ship to you,” she responded bashfully. He waved it off with a smile.
“It’s been so long, hasn’t it? Well that’s no reason to stop yourself. You have no idea how many times this tin can and the people in charge of making her work have surprised me. Now, you were saying about the Cauthan plants?”
Anita glanced behind her quickly, suddenly nervous that one of the many lights detailing the status of her grow rooms might have changed color on account of Natori’s presence, but a wall of reassuring green still faced her. “Oh right, yes, sorry. So the capacity issue is a non-issue right now and I think that once the plants we were given are allowed to grow through a few more cycles I’ll be able to start testing ways to more efficiently produce a yield. Did their leader ask about it? I’ve been working with that younger priest, Xan, and trying to explain what I’m doing here when he visits.”
“And I have no doubt you are open and honest with them,” Natori replied. “But don’t trouble yourself over that sort of thing today. I’m not here on behalf of the Cauthan. I simply wanted your evaluation of when or if we would be able to support the entire population of that little village up here. Estimates are somewhere between three hundred and fifty to four hundred individuals.”
Anita looked about nervously. “Is this a hypothetical, sir?”
“For now,” he explained simply. She bit her lower lip in thought.
“I don’t know, sir. Production is one thing but I don’t know how much each of them consumes. I never took the time to review how much land they have cultivated.”
“Nor should you have, as under normal conditions that would likely fall to Miss Winters or some other individual. Would your answer change if they brought food with them?” the Admiral wondered.
“Well, of course it would sir, but I really can’t give you an answer without more concrete numbers. I’m sorry. They also seem to rely on meat a lot more than we do. That is worrying from a resource consumption perspective,” she pointed out, her words flowing a bit more freely now that the conversation was clearly not about any potential shortcomings in her own work.
“Yes, they certainly are a bit more carnivorous, aren’t they?” Natori agreed. “What would you need to come up with accurate estimates, Engineer?”
“Oh um, well,” Anita paused, suddenly on the spot. She felt knots like those she’d experienced when delivering presentations or defenses during her time at school. “Let’s see. If I knew how much yield they take in each year and how much food they keep in storage that would be a good place to start. Their hunting and gathering is the wild card here, so I think no matter what I won’t be able to give an exact answer, sir. Honestly if the concern is caring for that population it might be more appropriate to determine if they can live on a human diet. If the answer is yes then maybe we only need to work out a supplement? The plants could be used for that.”
“An excellent suggestion!” Natori agreed. “Now, I know we’re all a bit bleary eyed on account of a fantastic Halloween celebration but once you’ve had another coffee, please get in touch with one of the archivist VI’s regarding that information on the Cauthan. I will ensure you have the access you need. If you run into any trouble, don’t hesitate to ask one of my watchstanders or, better yet, Io. She is certainly a primary resource in this regard. And I do recall her saying something about their genetic material being a DNA derivative, might need a local source of those non-standard nucleotides. That reminds me, I should see about having an egg or two for breakfast.”
“I… excuse me, sir?” she asked quietly, not making the mental connection herself and too fatigued to ruminate on the matter much further.
“Oh, well this whole discussion just got me thinking about essential nutrients, you know? I’m sure you’re more aware than most that we require dietary infusion of several amino acids as we cannot produce them ourselves.”
Anita smiled weakly, finally catching the drift of the Admiral’s mental tangent. “That was one of the driving forces behind the ratio of various vegetables, legumes, and starches we have planted here, sir. Sorry I didn’t understand you at first.”
“Oh not to worry, not to worry. Dr. Lamont tells me that my brain is highly networked and disorganized. I think he just does it to play with me, but there are times I agree with him. Do you need anything else before I depart?”
Anita had not been ready for the question given that Natori had been the one to present himself in her office that morning, but something did bubble to the surface that she couldn’t help but ask. “I’m not sure I’m allowed to know, but is there a reason for these questions about Cauthan dietary needs, sir? I’ve spoken with Xan several times over the last couple of weeks and while he’s been attentive and engaged, it doesn’t feel like he’s treating this as anything more than a curiosity.”
Natori smiled knowingly. “That means he either understands how to keep a secret or that he should not speak for his elders. A good trait for someone as forthright and bombastic as he is, though I readily admit I have little indication of how those traits are appreciated among his people compared to ours. To be direct, Engineer Prakash, I have offered to transfer the entirety of that village to Earth when we leave this planet. I do not have any indication of whether or not they will reply in the affirmative, but better safe than sorry, don’t you think?”
“Oh… wow. Er, what I mean to say is yes, of course, and I’ll get right on that analysis sir. I didn’t realize it was so important and, well, how exactly do I get in touch with Io? Is she still, you know, solid?"
'I assure you I am always solid, if only my computing equipment,' the now familiar Germanic voice called out to them. 'Good morning to you both. Did you enjoy my stories last night?'
"Io, it's not polite to eavesdrop," Natori scolded her in jest.
'You said my name twice,' she pointed out, using the nearest PA speaker to address them instead of directly commandeering their personal or workstation technology.
"Perhaps you can add Beetlejuice or Bloody Mary to your repertoire of haunted tales for next year, hm?" The Admiral suggested pleasantly. "Before then, please assist engineer Prakash with whatever she needs. I assume you already heard the gist of the situation?"
'I did indeed, though I can assure you that Ratha and those like her will be far more difficult to overcome than a nutritional profile. This may be a moot point in the end.'
"Then I will consider it a nice exercise to keep you and the engineer here gainfully occupied aboard this vessel," Natori declared with little concern in his voice. "And now, I bid the two of you ladies farewell."
'Off to do your rounds, Natori?' Io wondered. He paused as he turned to face the blast door to the main hallways of the ship.
"Not today, Io. I believe it's time I visited that Forge of yours in person."
-----
“Welcome to the surface, sir. You picked one hell of a day to stop by,” Mendes observed, saluting Admiral Kaczynski as the latter stepped off his shuttle into driving rain and wind. Out on the plains of Mara there were no trees or other obstructions to buttress them against the elements, but the Lance Corporal’s armor served him well enough, rivulets of water running down the polished, black surface.
“At least it held off until Halloween was over. Did you enjoy the evening?” the Admiral wondered.
“Say again, sir?” Mendes requested, fiddling with his helmet’s audio receivers. Natori shook his head and waved them on, moving at a swift but unhurried pace to the nearby science camp. He was soaked through by the time they arrived regardless, smiling as the rest of the squad and the planetside staff saluted him.
“Well that was rather refreshing, if a bit chilly. Perhaps some sort of climate therapy chamber should be looked into on board the ship?”
“Not a bad idea, but off topic sir,” Private Lipper pointed out, his helmet under one arm. Natori tilted his head at him with a slight smirk.
“Right you are, Private. I do know that your time down here looking at rolling fields of grass all day is very important, so let’s get right to business.”
Natalya shouldered past Lipper on her way to the temporary quarters, rolling her eyes as she did so, while Kaczynski took a moment to greet the head of the geological survey team. Following the disruptions that accompanied Thantis and Winters’ visit to the installation, the entirety of the seismic database on the installation had to be repopulated. A bead of water dripped from Natori’s chin onto the laptop’s keyboard as he leaned easily over the scientist’s shoulder.
“Sorry about that,” he chuckled, procuring an equally damp handkerchief from one of his pockets and then thinking better of it.
“Not to worry, sir. They’re manufactured to spec,” the lead researcher assured him.
“No need to worry me so much right off the bat!” Kaczynski joked. “So, what news?”
“Where to start?” the jumpsuit-clad researcher asked rhetorically. “We were of course monitoring the installation during the last incursion by our Jumper team and the readings were… concerning.”
“I do so enjoy that word,” Natori remarked. “How so?”
“We can’t be sure, obviously, but the profile of the seismic activity that forced them from the installation bears striking similarity to controlled detonations intended for demolition. See here,” the scientist directed Natori’s attention to a video file which, when played, modeled the magnitude and direction of the various shockwaves that had rattled the facility weeks prior. “The forces were obviously great enough for us to detect and for the ground teams to experience them, but the calculations don’t work unless we assume the vast majority of the force was directed inward. We believe these areas experienced the highest concentration.”
“The lower and middle reaches? Have paths been opened?” Natori asked hopefully.
“You’re always an optimist, Admiral, but I’m sorry to disappoint. Here’s what the facility looks like today based on seismic readings. Anything more than a couple hundred feet below the surface might as well be part of the planet’s crust at this point. It’s all churned up dirt and metal.”
“That is disappointing,” Kaczynski agreed, running a hand over his hair. “And what about the control room?”
“We don’t know that room’s function yet, sir, but I presume you mean the room where the robot was encountered?”
“I suppose that’s my optimism at work again but yes, that room,” he confirmed. Mendes, who had remained close by but still and stoic near the entrance of the tent leaned a bit closer as the researcher responded.
“The path leading to it is still stable and unblocked, but the overall integrity of the facility is impossible to ascertain. Even if there is no immediate danger, the geological activity in this region will likely affect the structure at some point. With most of it demolished it’s anyone’s guess how long this facility here remains accessible from the surface.”
The Admiral glanced at Mendes. “Then we’d best be going, don’t you think?”
“Sir, if I may?”
“Go ahead, Rodrigo.”
“Is there any need for you to be going in there yourself, sir?” the Jumper demanded. “As uneventful as most of our sorties were, up until the point that the local priest joined us, I wouldn’t have considered it safe. And now that goes double.”
Natori nodded twice at Mendes before turning back to the lead researcher. “Do you believe there is imminent threat of collapse either unassisted or as the result of a small party making the journey to the control room?”
“You might as well ask me to predict the next lottery winner, sir,” the greying man replied, running his fingers along his goatee. “What I believe is that as time goes on the facility will become less and less stable before eventually ‘falling’ into the crust of the planet. That process happening immediately in a disruptive event is unlikely but I would never rule it out one hundred percent. In all likelihood it will take years.”
“Sir, if you really insist there’s no reason my team can’t go in there alone. Besides, we’ve been to that room and back at least five times. We could have retrieved anything you needed on those missions. Why now?” Mendes continued as Rex and Lipper watched quietly from a few feet off. The larger of the two men stuck his head into the living quarters and motioned to Orlova to join them. Kaczynski held out his hands in supplication.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
“I am not questioning your team’s competency. If anything my presence will only complicate matters, I acknowledge that. That being said I have every confidence in you and your team, Rodrigo. I hope you will indulge me in my desire. And in the interests of defending myself even though I technically don’t need to, this interest is born from the same place as the rescue mission that saw us to this system. I put all of you at risk, as well as myself. But soon we will return to Earth with a survivor in tow, a small victory in the face of the HEL’s first loss of a major vessel. We will return with a wealth of information on this new, Earth-like planet. We have discovered a new, intelligent species with whom we have a budding diplomatic relationship. And I don’t think I need to explain to any of you just how monumental a discovery Io is.”
“Discovery or disaster?” Rex muttered, thinking his voice concealed by the constant drumming of rain overhead.
“That remains to be seen, and it is a salient point,” Natori admitted. “While it may not seem that way now, I believe what we do today, even if it’s a casual stroll through a dark, metal tunnel, could have an impact of similar magnitude. So I thank you all in advance for your performance.”
“As you say, sir,” Mendes replied, realizing that debating Natori, as usual, was a lost cause. “But other than sightseeing, what’s the mission? Like I said, there was ample opportunity to grab stuff before the facility partially self-destructed.”
“In many ways that’s true, Lance Corporal,” the Admiral replied, thanking the lead scientist and indicating that the man could return to his work. “However, after reviewing the footage from your helmet cams and other sources, I believe we have a unique opportunity at our fingertips that should not be passed up.”
“You want the robot,” Orlova cut in, her accent thicker than usual as she cut to the quick. Natori smiled at her as he adjusted his glasses.
“Precisely, Private Orlova. I want that mechanical Cauthan.”
“Then perhaps you should find yourself a raincoat, sir. It’s not exactly summer anymore,” she suggested. Natori leaned to the side to look out at the stormy skies and the grassy top of the installation’s entrance which was just visible given the distance between the science camp and the destination itself. He clicked his tongue.
“You would think that we’d have something better than basic ponchos by now. Maybe I’ll work on a rain repellant force field that doesn’t otherwise eliminate all moisture from the air when we get back.”
“There’s nothing wrong with a poncho or a good black powder round,” Rex insisted, an advocate for tested and true technology. “But as long as we’re wishing, maybe spend some of that big brain energy you’ve got on a gatling laser weapon like in those old games?”
“Your devotion to your craft is admirable, Private. Shall we?”
“Can you run, sir? Last time we did a lot of running,” the burly Jumper pointed out in a miffed tone. Natori barked with laughter.
“Longer and faster than you can, Private Rex,” he promised. Rex smiled broadly.
“And that iron on your hip there?”
“I’m decent enough. If you doubt me we can go visit Darius after this.”
“Well then what are we waiting for? Let’s go! I’ll just say goodbye to Steve real quick.” The Jumper walked over to the now well furnished cage where Steve the aquila was on the mend, able to sleep more comfortably around human presence after a couple weeks in captivity. Rex lowered his voice to a whisper. “You keep napping Steve, I’ll be back in a bit. Try not to poop on anything too expensive, you hear?”
“Ah yes, the duality of Rex,” Lipper remarked as he put his own helmet over his head and offered the Admiral a disposable poncho. “I’d rather you not get hypothermia under our watch, sir.”
“Thank you, Private. Now let us sally forth before that installation decides it’s had its fill of the Maran surface, yes?”
-----
“Are you going to say it, or am I going to have going to have to pry it from your lips with my knife?” Ratha asked casually, waving her favorite tool over her shoulder as she skinned a chesko while Antoth watched from nearby. His back against the wall, the priest of Seil had been listening to the rainfall on the roof above and the muddy streets below for some time. For his people it would not be a day of rest, as the rains usually heralded. Ripened crops did not wait for the rains to pass before rotting, and so they collectively bore the driving wind and water to secure their sustenance for the coming winter. The thought had placed a permanent scowl on his face.
“I’m more worried about what you’ll do with that knife after I tell you,” he admitted with a humorless chuckle.
“Well then you’d best start talking quickly and maybe I’ll make it quick and painless too, unlike this damned cub constantly having his way with my intestines,” she groused, rubbing her belly gently with her less bloody hand before reaching into the carcass and removing some of its guts. With her pregnancy approaching its second half, it had become customary for hunters to leave her their kills to gut and skin. It kept her skills sharp and had a demonstrable therapeutic effect on her, something to concentrate on instead of carrying around a steadily growing cub in her belly. That it meant a bit of free time for her hunters was an added bonus.
“You will not speak of our cub that way, Ratha,” Antoth reminded her gently, earning him a silent glare made all the more impactful by her hands full of offal. “He did not choose to be where he is either.”
“If it’s a girl we’ll both be eating our words, I suppose,” Ratha agreed, leaving the issue aside along with the intestines, which would be bartered off later to the owners of the shen coops or used for sausage.
“The human healers could tell you, if you were so inclined,” he pointed out.
“I am not,” she replied definitively, only deepening the scowl on her mate’s face. “This isn’t about them, is it? What have they done now?”
“Nothing, Ratha,” Antoth groaned tiredly. “At least not that I know of. Staroth had no concerning reporting following last night’s festivities. I hear Brythis’ daughter wouldn’t leave that large human alone, however.”
“Are we going to have this out again, Antoth? You know my feelings on the matter. But she is not the most… feminine of females, I’ll say that much. Brythis often jokes that his mate was blessed by Tyrdus when she was in the womb as a joke, but I know it bothers him. When she goes unmated this year it will surely seem less like a joke and more like a cruel trick of the Twins.”
“The human Admiral has offered to take us with them when they depart for their homeworld. I am told there are places there much like this one,” Antoth blurted, knowing things would not be any easier if they tiptoed around the issue any longer talking about the mating prospects of Ratha’s hunters’ offspring. The Huntress stilled herself, leaning over the fresh kill with her hands on the stone table and her elbows locked. There was no mistaking the shaking of her feathers as she buried her knife deep in the flank of the animal.
“And you did not immediately turn him down?” she asked quietly, her voice too controlled to be reassuring. Antoth stared her down.
“When we spoke about Veera’s pregnancy you said you would not fault me for considering the wellbeing of all of our people, not just you or your hunters. Has that changed?” he wondered icily.
“Wellbeing? Wellbeing?! You think turning us into mockeries of our ancestors is wellbeing? You think becoming freakish, furry humans is wellbeing?!” she shouted as Antoth gave thanks all of her hunters were engaged elsewhere. Remembering the teachings of his former master, the Guardian from whom he had inherited the title, Antoth marshalled his patience.
“Do you really consider our people to be so weak and helpless, Ratha?” he asked calmly, though his grey eyes bore not a hint of softness.
“What? You are the one who thinks we need to be coddled by the humans!”
“I believe no such thing!” Antoth stepped forward and slammed his fist into his palm. “Our people chose faith and freedom over submission and we paid dearly for it. Every year Kel takes his toll as we continue living as we should, in reverence to the nine gods.”
“And that is how it should remain!” Ratha declared.
“Should it? I didn’t hear you demanding we tear down the water wheel when it was built. There are no human gods we have been told to worship,” Antoth pointed out.
“This is hardly the same thing and you know it, scarface. Don’t you treat me like a fresh cub.”
“I have travelled through Kel’s domain, as have Thantis, Veera, and Xan. Ratha… we are being offered power beyond our wildest imaginings.”
“Power at the end of a leash,” she spat distastefully.
“If we are as weak as you seem to believe we are, yes, power on the end of a leash,” Antoth allowed, taking another step closer, imploring with a wave of his hand. “Or we seize the human’s technology for our own and stand as equals. Winters has mated with one of our number. He will be tied to us through Veera’s offspring. His spirit and his sister have proven to be valuable allies.”
“Why do you trust any of them? They have no reason to hold themselves to any bargain they make with you,” Ratha insisted, her arms crossed. “They would be fools to give up any of their secrets to us.”
“Then they have already demonstrated themselves to be fools. Do you allow a chesko to go free because it stumbles into your trap?” Antoth posed the question, feeling like he was finally chipping away at her resistance.
“No, I slit its throat. And yes, I get it, we can’t do that to the humans yet. But mark my words-”
“I remember!” Antoth cut her off before she could launch into another tirade about Lipper. “And the Admiral and I discussed the incident last night. He said that his people have been reviewing various aspects of our culture under the instruction of Spirit Io. We welcomed several new individuals into our village during the celebration and there were no incidents needing your or my attention. I believe that says something about their seriousness in this matter. The voyage would take close to half a year. That is ample time to secure ourselves means of defense and sustenance.”
“I see you’ve given this a good deal of thought,” Ratha remarked as she turned back to her work. “And when we’re all packed in on that vessel of theirs and at their mercy, what happens when they stab you and Winters in the back, hmm?”
“We are no more guaranteed survival here than there. What happens when the next band of raiders shows up?”
“I kill them.”
“You and I would both be dead if not for the human,” Antoth growled. “I bonded myself to you because of your passion and your commitment to those you are sworn to protect. Your excessive pride I could do without.”
Ratha hesitated a moment before pivoting on her heel and lunging at him, earning her wrist a very tight grip between Antoth’s fingers as he twisted and coaxed the knife from her palm. It clattered to the ground as she bared her claws and tested the skin of his forearm. “At least I have pride!” she screeched.
“You do, Ratha,” he allowed quietly, his thick hide and scales allowing him to bear her half-hearted attack with little complaint. “I have not been allowed to indulge in pride since my own master was stabbed to death in front of my eyes just outside the north gate. You, on the other hand, draped yourself in glory and fear. That is what it means to serve Valta. You will understand what it means to serve Seil and Uthos. You think me insane? Then call a meeting of the council. Challenge my position as high priest. If that is truly what you believe to be best for our people do it now, Ratha. No matter what we decide we will require unity to survive. I will not have disunity in my village or in my family. Ratha…”
Hopelessness was not an expression Antoth was used to seeing in Ratha’s eyes, and it cut deeper than any of her blades or claws could prove capable of. “How?” she demanded quietly. “How can you expect unity from me when you speak of a future where our own cub will not be born in this world?”
Antoth exhaled heavily through his nose, working mightily to deny the portion of him that wanted to give Ratha whatever she asked for. Their midday meal was approaching quickly, but he found himself devoid of appetite. “Ratha, when I speak to our people do you know what I hear in their voices? Fear. Most of all there is always fear. It is rarely dominant but ever present. Most in the village wish to live out their lives in peace, free from violence and starvation. If I told them that the humans have offered us this future, and so far as I can tell that is exactly what they have proposed, many would agree with no questions asked. Those like you who might refuse the offer, left behind, would die within a generation or two. No matter what is decided there will be those who disagree, perhaps even violently. But we must act as one people.”
“Then simply refuse the offer and remain here,” Ratha proposed strongly. “What the chesko do not know does not trouble them. And before you grow upset with me, you are the one who started this.”
“I am not upset with your characterization. I am upset that you think I would lie to my people, our people,” Antoth clarified. “That would be unbecoming of a priest of Seil, or Uthos for that matter.”
“Really? Withholding information that would tear our people apart at the seams is unbecoming?” she countered. “You have said it yourself, we must be unified. The only way that happens is if you keep your big mouth shut, scarface.”
Antoth slumped his shoulders and released Ratha from his hold. She rubbed her wrist and shook her feathers at him angrily, but found none of them out of place. He made his final play. “Ratha, when the commandment came down to worship only one god on Mara or be put to the sword, our ancestors made their choice. Our people deserve the same chance, even if it is only us, their priests, who decide.”
“Then call the council together tonight. Best get this out of the way,” Ratha replied, returning to her work as their passions, anger, and determination fizzled out. “I’ve said my piece. And if you insist on my saying it again tonight then you can help work out the tension your cub is causing in my shoulders.”
Antoth smiled in relief at her ‘peace offering’, even if it consisted of his own labor. “You know that I need you at my side now more than ever, Ratha. I need someone to stand and show me the other side of things, to show me when I go astray.”
“Load of good it does you, seeing as you always get your way regardless,” she pointed out in an annoyed tone. “I’ve made my perspective on the humans clear but you don’t want to hear it.”
“I’ve told you time and again that I need to hear it, Ratha. And if a majority tonight feels the same way that you do, I will not overrule their decision. You have my word,” he promised. Ratha worked her lips momentarily before signalling her assent with her feathers as she began peeling the hide from the carcass.
“I’m almost finished here. Go find us some bread and we’ll heat a sausage or two over the fire. Arguing with you makes me hungry.”
Antoth’s eyes widened at the accusation. “You’re always hungry, Ratha.”
“We always argue. So you’re fortunate I enjoy what’s between your legs… nice and quiet that part of you is. Now go, before I decide you get nothing from my hunters this day and you’re on your own for lunch.”
Antoth wasn’t sure he’d achieved victory that afternoon as he donned his cloak and stepped out into the sodden streets, but he took great comfort in not suffering abject defeat at the hands of his Huntress. “May the gods show us both the way,” he muttered in prayer, words lost to the rains.
-----
Much of Natori and the Jumper squad’s journey back into the Forge was defined by tense and occasionally awkward silence, with the only light coming from their helmets. Following the seismic events of the prior expedition any sensitive technology or gear intended for allowing longer stays studying the facility, including flood lights, had been removed. Only a few cheap and disposable sensors were left, and that feeling of a ‘final visit’, along with the stale air, rendered even the typically loquacious Admiral Kaczynski mostly mute. Lipper summed up the group's thoughts adequately as they passed by the ancient metal skeleton. “If it didn’t feel like a tomb before, it sure does now.”
“Let’s all do our best to ensure it doesn’t become our tomb, Thomas,” Natori advised, giving Rex reason to scoff behind his helmet.
“Not going to be our choice if it is,” he remarked.
“Yes, well let’s do our best to not disappoint that young Cauthan woman from last night. Did you get her name, Private?” the Admiral wondered, his question greeted by silence from Rex and the rest of the squad. “Another time then, yes? Let’s move on.”
When they finally arrived at the control room, they found it just as lifeless and eerie as the rest of the facility. One cautious poke from Natalya’s combat knife confirmed that whatever forcefield had separated the room from the central chamber was gone, with barely any light emanating from below. All of what were presumed to be monitors or terminals were dark as well, with both doors closed shut. None of them had any illusions as to whether they would open again under their own power. Natori pursed his lips in disappointment after a cursory glance and gestured to where the robotic Cauthan had crumbled to the floor unceremoniously and lain undisturbed since. “Let us retrieve our prize and be on our way. I am pleased to have seen this place with my own eyes, but I don’t think much else will be gained by our presence here.”
“We’ll be quick, Admiral. Rex, you’re up,” Mendes ordered, unshouldering a spool of heavy duty rope as the largest member of his team shrugged.
“Yeah yeah, anytime someone needs something lifted or carried just call Rex the bloody pack mule,” the American groused while positioning himself so that they could secure the robot to the back of his armor.
“Look man, if you don’t like it then lay off the protein,” Lipper remarked, keeping watch while Natalya and Rodrigo worked. A third pair of hands would have only complicated the issue.
“Not on your life, Lipp,” Rex said in proud defiance. His friend shrugged, returning to his constant, slow sweeping of the dead room.
“Suit yourself, buddy. Don’t break the goods. So Admiral, are we getting out of here soon? Like this system?”
“Feeling a bit homesick, Private?” Natori wondered.
“Even I have family back home, sir, hard as that might be to believe,” the Jumper replied.
“Then you and I surely feel some of the same longings. I do not intend to draw out our stay here but there are a handful of other matters that must be concluded before we depart. I would also like to witness the Cauthan harvest festival myself. I am glad that your Halloween with the local population was without incident, Thomas.”
“Turns out most of the guards are decent enough guys who don’t happen to be married to Lt’s, sir.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Rex cut in, testing the weight of the robot as its body was secured to his back and its legs were further tied down to prevent unwanted movement.
“It is, Rex, just not for the reasons you’re thinking,” Lipper jabbed back. “Anyway, I don’t have any plans on getting demoted again. Was just curious, sir.”
“And you know that I welcome curiosity, even if I don’t always have an answer for you,” Natori replied, approaching the robot and taking close note of the exceedingly intricate feathering and facial structure. “Oh how I anticipate getting this creation under a light. Thomas, to answer your question we should be departing within the month. All that remains to be seen is how many fluffy stowaways will be accompanying us.”