30. "Do not eat the Urata! It is just the *bleeping* humans again."
The world of Neurela was as secure as its Aurealian occupants could make it. The only rocky planet of a red dwarf, the planet was cold and it was dark, only just within the green zone where ice could melt and plants could grow. The years on Neurela were only days long, but to an Aurealian, the planet was comfortable in the daytime, which made it an exception to the rule. In fact, to an Aurealian, Neurela felt like home in an indescribable way which touched at their ancient, forgotten history.
It was one of the few Aurealian strongholds left. It was protected by several factors. One was that the Jurassians could not actually live there. The nights were too cold, and the ecosystem did not produce enough food for them to thrive. The system itself was mostly empty, with just Neurela itself and an ice-giant which orbited in the dim distance, occasionally pulling in or throwing out comets. But mostly it was protected by secrecy. For if the Jurassians knew where it was, there would be no protecting it. And billions would die.
Fortunately for the Aurealians, the Jurassians had not thought to look at red dwarfs yet. They looked at the worlds where they themselves thrived and never thought that those worlds might be bright and hot to their favorite prey. While most of the worlds around yellow stars had fallen, those worlds under the dim light of a red sun felt safe, secure that their enemy would never think to look for them in such a place. They thought that they could simply let the other colonies die while they remained safe and secure.
Until the humans had come and said "Hello. We come in peace."
There had been screaming in the streets. The chorus had only barely managed to keep the population from dying off at their own hands; the Urata paste that all families kept ready had been on thousands of tables waiting for the news that planetfall had been made.
But the humans were not the Jurassians. They simply scanned the system, spent a few hours speaking with the leaders of the chorus, and then they left, ignorant of the chaos they had sewn. They had popped a bubble of perceived security, which neither time nor effort could repair.
The call for arms had gone out to the secret manufactories in the oort clouds and the proto-stars hidden in the darkness. The self-proclaimed warriors of their people grumbled at the world’s sudden demand to be defended after centuries of isolationist policies and without contribution to the war. But there were billions of lives on Neurela, and though the hypocrisy irked them, they would not let those people suffer the flames of war undefended. Not now that they had called for aid.
Emplacements were built and transported into orbit. Starcraft was slowly moved into place. The isolated, forgotten colony quickly grew the teeth to defend itself, in the event that its worst fears came true. That the Jurassians began to look for them in the cold light of dwarf stars. Or the humans betrayed the location of their secret holdfasts, of which almost all had been located by the curious bipeds. No secrets seemed safe, and those with wisdom had realized that they never were to begin with.
Within years of the initial visit, the Neurela system was as hardened as the Aurelian species could make it. Some of the residents even thanked the humans for the chaos that their simple visit had caused, for now they would be ready. Ready for discovery, for attack. The next time that unexpected visitors to the Neurela system, they would be met with missile pods, mines, direct energy weapons, and coilguns. The false security of secrecy had been replaced with the actual security of -
An unexplained aerial phenomena in the sky, a spacecraft appeared out of nowhere in close orbit of Neurela itself, bypassing all of the emplacements that had been added throughout the years to harden the red dwarf system. Chaos in the streets, Urata on the tables, families hold each other close and weeping as they prepared to enter the light of extinction together.
An emergency broadcast from the Chorus; "Do not eat the Urata! It is just the *bleeping* humans again."
~~~~~~~~
Chorus leader Tetoma collapsed after repeating her warning for the seventh time to the emergency broadcast system. She had been young, and not nearly so important, the first time the humans had come to visit, but she still remembered the fear as the unknown spacecraft had simply appeared out of nowhere, with no flare of a deceleration engine or other visible warning signs that even a pre-scare government had put in place to give warning of approaching visitors. The human scout-ship – for that was all it had been, a small ship mapping out all of the stars of the ‘conflict zone’ – had announced itself to the residents of the inhabited world without malice.
But if humans could find Neurela, then so could the Deathsworn. Or so the logic flowed. There were those who resented the humans their knowledge of Neurela’s position, but Tetoma was grateful. The panic that their first visit had caused had allowed the government to actually take steps to prepare for the Deathsworn menace.
But this second visit? They had better have a damn good reason, it was made very clear to them the last time that Neurela was closed to visitation for any but Aurealiens, and even then, migration control was strictly regulated. And to appear so close to the planet itself? That was just rude! Her government had spent significantly in hardening the dim star against invasion, and the humans had simply made a mockery of their efforts by bypassing them as though they were not even there!
"The human ship is awaiting our response," her aide informed her. "They hailed us immediately once they arrived, as you know, and were told that the chorus leader herself would address them once she had dealt with certain matters of state. We did not inform them that those matters were assuring that the panic they caused did not cost millions of lives."
"Thank you," Tetoma said wearily. Age and the stress of her position was adding gray into her black and green and orange calico fur. "Please connect me."
A holographic young woman appeared in her office. Tetoma knew enough about humans to know that this one appeared to be in her mid- to late-twenties, and that she was the wearing the uniform of the UEOSC United Forces, although the lack of certain emblems on her breast and shoulders indicated that she was a civilian. Tetoma sometimes thought it strange that a ‘united force’ would contain civilian members in it, but perhaps that’s what ‘united’ meant.
"Chorus Leader Tetoma?" the young woman asked, and the translation provided by her ship’s software followed a moment later, as it always did for humans. "I am Katherine of the UEOSC United Forces star craft Theseus. I apologize for any fear, confusion or discomfort my unexpected appearance may have caused your people, I can imagine how jittery they might get when a ship suddenly appears out of nowhere while your people are under constant threat of invasion, even if the visiting ship is filled with friends."
"Technically, our peoples are not friends," Tetoma reminded the young woman. "Friends would not remain neutral while one friend faced an existential threat to their very continued existence, nor would they offer such favorable terms to the enemy of their friends as they offer the friends themselves."
"Ah. Yes, I cannot argue with that. Please know, however, that our people are not monolithic, and that many among us wish to render assistance. I am one of the ones who has been pushing for humans to get involved on behalf of the Aurealians, although I am severely limited by law and customs of my people on exactly what I can do by myself. However, it is for exactly the purpose of helping your people that I have come to your star system, although I am a little surprised at my welcome. The last data I had received indicated that this system was relying on secrecy and obscurity for security. This time, I see starcraft scrambling into position to intercept me. It is actually reassuring, for we worried that your system relied too much on secrecy and feared what would happen should that be stripped away from you."
"It is pleasing that even a human can be surprised," Tetoma sang with self-satisfaction. "I do not deny that my people would welcome any aide against our mortal foes, but all of our requests for aide have fallen upon deafness. However, it is well known the might of humans and their allies, and I would be -"
"I apologize, chorus leader, but I am not a warrior, nor is this ship equipped for anything but emergency self-defense and anti-boarding measures."
"That is the same thing that was said of the Elizabeth," Tetoma reminded the woman.
"Yes, but this ship is much less so. The Elizabeth was carrying thousands of colonists to a new and unexplored region of space in the hopes of establishing a beachhead in a new frontier. This ship is … well, technically, this ship is more of a skiff or ferry, and it’s purpose is only the transportation of refugees. That, chorus leader, is why I come to you today. I would like you to meet someone."
Two Aurealian kips appeared in hologram. One with yellow splotches all over, and the other with purple dots on her hindquarters. The one with yellow had a horrible, fresh scar down her face.
"Chorus leader Tetoma, this is Yellow, and her litter-sister Purple Dots. They are refugees from the Jurassian planet known as Horthus Prime, which is what your people call a ‘hrustius world.’ During the course of the Theseus’s mission, we rescued a number of Aurealian kips from Horthus Prime and are unable to care for them in the manner to which our laws mandate we treat refugees under our care. In accordance with our laws and traditions, we are bringing them to the nearest port where they may be welcome. While I know that Neurela is closed to human travelers, it was our hope that you would be willing to either accept a few of our refugees from us, or at least provide assistance in our caring for them until we can find them safe harbor."
"Salutations noble Chorus leader," Yellow said nervously. "How old art thou? Our litter mates know not how to reckon time outside the rooms of our teachers, but thou art thy oldest of us mine eyes have seen. Shall we all live so old, now that we have escaped thy terrible maws of the Others, that the humans call Jurassians?"
Tetoma’s eyes widened in shock as she recognized Yellow’s strange words for what they were. High-chorus, the language of the teachers. Teachers which had been lost in the early days of the war, their lessons dimming into obscurity in the intervening generations.
"Who taught you to sing thus, child?" she asked, holding her breath.
"Why, our teacher, for certainty," Yellow answered. "Locked in a room for our entire lives with her we were until the humans saved us from the maw. Whom else would teach us to sing?"
"And her songs? Do you remember any of the teacher’s songs?"
"All the ones as she sang them," Purple Dots confirmed, "Although the teachers sang many songs to litters that differ. We remember ours and they theirs, but none know all of her songs, for she had so many."
Tetoma reeled. Children rescued, that alone was a miracle worth singing of into the darkness. That alone would give hope to her dying race. But children who knew the ancient songs of knowledge, gained from the teachers of the hrustius? That would do more than renew hope. That may actually change the course of the war!
"I am sorry to cut in, but as I think you’ve gathered, the kips on Horthus Prime sing in a different dialect. Are you having difficulty understanding them? I put their audio through unfiltered, but we’ve developed a translation protocol which they seem to understand if -"
"I can understand them quite well, thank you. I am sorry, what is the polite way of address for yourself? Are you captain of your ship, and thus Captain Katherine?"
"Thank the stars no! Just my name is fine, just Katherine. Or Doctor would also be correct and polite. As I said, the vessel that appeared in orbit of your planet is only a portion of the Thesius, it’s basically a skiff with an Aurora drive. We only have enough food to feed these little ones for a few days, and so it was important for us to find someplace to either take them off our hands, or at least provide us with enough food to take care of them for-"
"It would be Neurela’s honor and joy to take in any child rescued from Hrustius," she said, quickly interrupting the human before she suggested taking the precious children elsewhere.
"Are you certain? There are a lot of them, and I understand your population control -"
"That they are from Hrustius overrides any other concerns. Simply tell me how many you have and accommodations will be made."
"We have in excess of one hundred eighty thousand of them," Katherine said solemnly. "And they’re eating what we have so fast that we’ll run out of stuff to feed them in one or two of your days. As I said, we can go elsewhere if you can’t-"
"The Aurealian world celebrates the children you have rescued from Hrustius, human, and we welcome them back into the fold of their people. We beg you to let us take them back," Tetoma sang.
She did not have the authority. The other members of the chorus would be angry with her when her promise was revealed. The population of Neurela was strictly controlled indeed. No trade or immigration was allowed, and the population cap was strictly enforced. A bad harvest could mean a lottery in which the winners – who were truly the losers of the lottery – were fed Urata paste so that there would be enough food for the rest of society. To have promised the rights of citizenship to an off-worlder, even one of their species, would count towards that population cap, to which her people were sitting dangerously close. One hundred eighty thousand new children, and a lottery was almost certainly assured sometime in the near future. And because of her decision, she would be asked to volunteer.
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Or at least she would be until the reason she had made her choice was known. The children sang the chants of the teachers from the worlds of the Hrustius. And that had the potential to change everything . Because Hrustius did not mean ‘hunting,’ or ‘hunted’ as the humans had been told. It meant ‘origin.’
~~~~~~~~~~
"In the ceremony earlier, it was mentioned that some of you will be forced to retire from active duty. I’m sorry to say, but you’re on that list, Pleasant scent that … I’m sorry, I’m terrible at this. It’s not that I’m not trying, but your method of communication is so subjective that it’s hard for me to even grasp the concepts that you and the members of your species communicate effortlessly just by subtle shifts in your posture. I would rather simply tell you that I’m not entirely certain how your name translates than try to translate it, get it wrong, and insult you. However, there is a reason why I came to speak with you as soon as you were released from medical traction.
"The Rodentia corps are vital to this mission, and more importantly they’re vital to the UEOSC. And I can’t understand them. I can’t understand you at all, not without Athena running a translation program, but after the mission I have come to realize just how severely that software protocol is lacking."
Pleasant Scent listened to the human with curiosity. He understood Nathan’s words well enough with the aid of Athena’s dancing holograms, although he didn’t understand why the human was here in the first place. Pleasant Scent wasn’t anybody important, and Nathan was a human Captain now, the most important human on the entire Theseus. Having Nathan give him an award was one thing, but to come speak with a lowly member of the Rodentia corps while he was recovering was … it was confusing. And although Pleasant Scent was no longer paralyzed for medical reasons, he remained unable to properly address him due to the brace which prevented him from using his forelegs or bending his spine properly.
"I’ve been told that your recovery will take a few days. Your species always heals fast, it’s one of your strengths. Unfortunately, you’ll be ineligible to return to field work due to the damage to your spine and shoulder joints resulting from the violence you suffered and the subsequent strain you were forced to put yourself through. Your life as a civilian won’t be too impacted by your injury, but your days of mapping and sapping for us are finished. However, there is a third option that I wanted to bring to you, and the others like you who are facing medical retirement."
Nathan paused for a moment, whether to gather his thoughts or simply for effect.
"I would like to learn to understand your people. Your language. Perhaps even make myself understood in it, although I’m not certain that will be a realistic expectation. The initial goal will simply to be to help me fill in the gaps between what the software interpretation says and what a Rodentia actually means. Eventually I would like to phase out the software entirely in my interpretation, but that will be a bit of a long term goal. As such, I am looking for a translator slash teacher. If you’d like to continue your service to Yosca, to the Theseus, then this is an option which will be available to you and a few others. There is no rush to decide, so don’t try to answer me now. Wait until you’ve received medical clearance, and once you have, take whatever time you need to make your mind up. Then, you can either come find me, or you can inform your commander of your decision. And it is your decision. If not you, I will find someone to teach me, so please don’t feel pressured. I am simply trying to offer you a way to circumvent the limitations that your injury received in the line of duty places upon you. Medical retirement is an honorable and valid reason to return to civilian life, but if I understand your species at all, then I believe that if I did not at least offer you this opportunity, you would feel insulted if it went to someone else."
Again Nathan paused, and then, to Pleasant Scent’s amazement, the human saluted him, folding his hands over his heart as though he were Rodentia corps. "Whatever you decide, you will always be useful."
The human turned and left without a further word, leaving the young Rodentia with much to think about.
~~~~~~~~~
"There really is nothing you could have done differently," Lucy informed him, making him jump as he had somehow walked passed the full grown gorilla without noticing her massive frame.
"I knew that the Rodentia were on mission when we deployed to Horthus City. I should have checked in on them as soon as I got back, regardless of whether or not Jon pulled his fucking stunt," Nathan argued.
"You weren’t captain then, it wasn’t your responsibility," Lucy countered. "If anything, your responsibility was to repair your exoskeleton and prepare for redeployment if necessary, which is what you were doing when you were blindsided by the change in command. It was Jon’s failure to notify Rodentia corps of this which led to the miscommunication which you are beating yourself up over. It also wasn’t you who muted our civilian contractor who might have let us known something was up. As far as I can tell, you’re the only one who actually didn’t fuck up yesterday , but yet you’re still self flagellating. We’re on mission, in case you’ve forgotten, and the Captain of the Theseus doesn’t have time to recriminate himself over yesterday’s mission. So quit jerking off in your own little pity party."
Nathan scratched his ear for a moment as he considered Lucy’s words. "Fucking uplifts. I mean, the entire idea was just to elevate you guys to human peer-level, and yet both you and Tony are way fucking smarter than me."
"If you say so, Nathan," The Gorilla sapiens said, letting the issue slide. "Come, there is something you must witness, and something we must discuss."
"Fine, what’s up?"
"Athena, initiate PMT transfer of Nathan Sawyer and Lucy Gorilla to Theseus subsection 4C-delta, full safety measures. Initiate as soon as possible."
"Requesting captain’s author-"
"Authorized, Athena," Nathan cut the AI off. He trusted Lucy’s judgment more than his own, if she said he needed to see something then he needed to-
They shifted. He dropped six inches, the common safety method to prevent PMT fusion. Air and liquid molecules could simply be pushed out of the way, but solid materials fused together, as the foot of his exoskeleton had.
"So, what’s up, Lucy?"
"Yesterday, I retrieved a canister packed with liquid nitrogen while I was assisting squad Theta. Truthfully, I felt that my presence on that assignment was entirely unnecessary until I returned to the Theseus with that canister and realized it’s contents," she explained as she led him deeper into the ship. They were following a line marking a path which, Nathan realized, led to the airlocks. Curious, he followed behind.
"So what’s in it?" he asked.
"Embryos. I thawed one out to test it. Provided nutrients, it immediately splits into two; one embryo matures, the other enters a dormant stage. I believe that, given enough time, the dormant embryo will repeat the process."
"Oh shit," Nathan said, swiftly realizing the implications. "That’s how they do it, where the clones come from."
"So I believe."
"Which means that destroying the facilities yesterday was pointless. If nothing else they can just recapture a bunch of the females they have down here and implant them with the embryos that mature to force them to have live birth," Nathan followed the logic chain.
"That would be a possibility, if the Horthians retained possession of any of the original embryos," she agreed. "However, if you recall, the entire reason I was sent to squad Theta as backup was that they were the first place where the shit hit the fan. According to Simon, the facility administrator suspected something was wrong and pulled the embryos from their automated system, which is why I was able to obtain them. The others were all ‘plugged in’ when Nathan turned the heat up to boil on everything organic. When I questioned him, he insisted that my canister was the only one pulled out in time."
"How confident is he of that," Nathan inquired.
"He is Simon, so he is entirely confident of everything he has ever said," Lucy reminded him. "Whether or not he is reliable is another question. But I forced him to review his logs and examine the data still coming in from the network jacks. Did you know, they haven’t found even one of them, yet? They are so focused on trying to recover using the terminals that they have that they haven’t looked at the direct damage the Rodentia corps caused."
"There’s a reason we sent them in first," Nathan said, thinking of the young sapper he had just visited. "Whether Simon is confident or not, we must assume the worst case scenario, which would be that they have backup embryos in liquid nitrogen, waiting for us to leave so that they can reestablish their cloning practices. We need Simon to start looking for them, and maybe the old man too, if we can get a message through to him."
"That is another matter that will require your attention shortly. We have received a message from Horthus himself, which included a message from your old man. He was gloating, apparently they have convinced themselves that they scored a number on us."
Nathan chuckled. "That’s what we want them to think. We do not want them to know that we only lost a few dozen drones that are considered toys in most of UEOSC. I mean, kids in robotics classes play with the de-weaponized versions of those things. So, what does the Old Man want?"
"A new body. One that won’t self-destruct if he steps onto an active scanner by mistake or enemy action."
"Give him the yacht. Now that I’ve actually had some time without everything being on fire, I looked through the plans. He had a civilian transport craft built designed for this mission using only approved technology. You’ll have to actually pilot it on an orbital drop, so that should be fun. Once you get down there, recover his combat body and warp it out, with yourself, via PMT."
"Any reason it has to be me?"
"Tony can’t pilot a shuttle by himself. No thumbs. Katherine and Simon are civilians. I’m too valuable of a target now, they’d be salivating to earn another victory by shooting the captain of the Theseus. I believe that they think we have hundreds of Gorilla sapiens up here, so you’ll be less conspicuous."
"I suppose that I can’t argue with those justifications," she admitted. "Although I’m not certain that I’m ready to speak with Jon either. I am as angry as you are over how the Rodentia were hung out to dry. But there is something else that we must deal with before any decision regarding Jon can be made."
"And what is that," Nathan asked as they came into one of the freight airlocks. To his surprise, a sudden ‘thud’ pushed against the window, and Nathan realized that someone was in the airlock. Simon.
"This," Lucy said, and she calmly pressed the button for the emergency decompression. The young chimpanzee was sucked out of the airlock, helplessly thrown into the vacuum by the escaping atmosphere.