Cuffed Andrew was led down the hallway, followed by Aminci and the Captain flanking him on either side, guns out but not pointing at him, and two of the bulky automatons in front of him. The others followed behind the captain a bit more relaxed than the Captain and Aminci. While he had to duck it didn’t stop Andrew from almost gawking at the walls.

“I have to say I’m astounded by the level of artistry you dwarves put into every piece of this ship.” Andrew said to break the silence.

“What exactly do you mean?” asked the Captain.

“Is this wall important or is there a reason this corridor would be important?”

“Neither are of particular importance, what’s your point?”

“That,” Andrew said while pointing at the intricate Viking star chart style carvings on the wall, “This carving is gorgeous, and the detail is exquisite. It looks like it took someone a week to make just this 10m panel alone.”

“It likely did, while on some ships these details are left to bots, on the Tranquility of Folly they were not. She is truly one of a kind and no expense was spared in her creation.” More than a little pride filling his voice.

“If don’t mind me asking, if you’re so wealthy why are you risking your necks out here in magical space?”

“I don’t see how that is any business of yours. How exactly did you say you escaped and made it into that crate?” the captain said with a hint of disbelief and annoyance, tinting his words.

“I didn’t say, but it was by waiting for Biaobel to leave and then using the magic they didn’t realized their control worm had unlocked in me to make my escape. They thought I had made it out of a skylight, but really I just hid on the ceiling until I could make a run for it. My hiding skill keeping them from seeing or hearing me. Then I found my way by luck into a cargo hold and into that crate. Honestly, I think they underestimated me because I’m just a human and a new one to this g….realm at that.”

“Did you say control worm?” asked Uhla

“Don’t you mean translation worm?” added Amin

“Kind of, they call them Apanean, and they claim they’re just for translation and connecting to their version of the internet, but what they really are, are worms designed to control a subject. “

“What’s the internet?” queried Rhem

“We’ll get to that Rhem, how do we know this control worm isn’t the one actually in control of you?” the Captain interrupted.

“Because with me, it would have died if it was surrounded by this much tech energy from what I understand. Though I guess that understanding comes from that same worm, so it’s suspect. What makes me more confident was the fact that even Biaobel himself couldn’t force a mental connection with me. Try though he might, those insidious purple lines couldn’t attach to me.”

All the dwarves shared a look, before Kopa spoke up, “What do you mean by insidious purple lines?”

[I wouldn’t reveal that you can see magic just yet maybe just say it’s how you envision them or something.]

[I concur with Bob in this case. Revealing something, that seemed extremely rare and surprised even the elves, would be unwise.]

“It’s just how I envision the connections to look. It helped me ward them off, I guess. Imagining breaking the line before it got me.”

“We know of elven mind control, though our implants tend to disrupt their mind magic to a large degree. That said only the strongest among us has been known to resist even the least of the Getl. So, pardon me if I don’t fully believe you, friend.”

“Aminci, I can understand your reluctance, so no pardon is needed. While I doubt anything I can say will show you I’m no elven spy I will tell you that my resistance to their mind influence was the primary reason Biaobel took such personal interest in me. He had claimed that few in the universe had put up any resistance to him, much less blocked him out.”

“Yet you did somehow? Well, here’s your room. I hope you’ll understand if we don’t let you out of it for some time, but as I think you can understand you’re a bit more than suspicious.”

“I can understand that, Captain. After what I have been through with that lot, I have to say I would be suspicious too in your same position. My name is Andrew Lather, btw. Not sure I got yours?”

“You’re free to call me Drem, Captain, Capt. Though my full name is Drem Sruthan.”

When Andrew looked at Uhla, the Capt noticed and pivoted mid-sentence.

“Before you start wondering if we’re married. No, we’re in the same clan. She and Aminci are the ones who are married. I’m married, but my wife isn’t here on the ship and isn’t a Sruthan. While not everyone in our clan share that last name, I took it on to show my loyalty to my adopted family. Before you ask no not all of us on the folly share a clan either. That said, we’re going to go now and talk about you behind your back. If you need anything ask Doc and he can help you.”

“Sorry one last question? Who exactly is Doc? The pilot?”

"Outside of combat, I pilot. Mostly I orchestrate the Folly. Humans would call me an artificial intelligence, though I find that term reductive."

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

“As he said Doc is the brains of the ship and without him, we wouldn’t be able to do much. Again, if you need anything please don’t hesitate to ask him for help.”

With that the door shut, leaving Andrew to explore his room.

“Hey Doc,” Andrew said to the ceiling.

“Mr. Lather?”

“Is there any way you could unbind me?” Andrew said, again looking at the ceiling before the bindings flew off and into a receptacle he hadn’t seen before.

“Do you think I am the ceiling?”

“No, but I don’t know where to address when talking to you.”

“Anywhere that is the ship, I’ll hear you even if you whisper.”

“Thank you.”

Curiosity kicking in, Andrew started to look around the room. The first thing he noticed was the large mural on one wall. It was a detailed mural of what he assumed was a major dwarven victory carved into the metal plate that was the wall. The mural was exquisite, the details of the miniscule hands could even be made out. It was also accented with various precious metals to highlight important areas. One such area was just to the right of middle, it depicted a steamhammer, which bore a striking resemblance to the large one in the cargo bay. It had a Warhammer, which also bore a striking resemblance to the one he saw in the cargo hold, slung over it should in a posture that made him feel as if it were challenging anyone else who might want to fight. It was standing on top of a hill of broken, golems? If they were golems, they dwarfed the ones he had met on the first elven ship, yet they appeared to be enlarged war morphed versions of those same beings. Though the ones depicted looked like they might have been equal or greater in height to that of the steamhammer. Their shattered state made it difficult to know exactly what sized they had been. Mixed into that hill of wreckage were mangled elven bodies left for the crows to feast on. The backdrop to this scene was a field of more, what he decided were war golem, bodies piled into mounds of broke parts with a few mangled steamhammers thrown in for good measure. One detail that caught his eye, was that the symbol on the victorious steamhammer’s right shoulder was that of a thor’s hammer sitting atop a knotwork ring which had the word Stuermhalen written on a plate at the bottom. While the emblem on the fallen steamhammers was that of a machinist hammer crossed over a pickaxe. Did this victorious steamhammer save the day or where these other dwarves working with the elves against the victorious one?

“Huh I guess I’ll have to ask that when they come to visit.” Andrew said absent mindedly.

“What?”

Andrew almost jumped at the sound of Doc’s voice, having forgotten that he was not exactly alone.

“Did this Hammer and Pickaxe dwarves fight with the elves or did the victorious looking Steamhammer save them?”

"That is the Battle of Yeresa. The hammer-wielding steamhammer is the Captain. Those dwarves are Clan Fourier. They are untrustworthy, but unlikely elven pawns."

“Can you tell me more about this Battle?”

“No”

“Thanks Doc”

After a while of staring at the details of the mural, Andrew went back to the business of exploring his room. He found it to be on the smallish side compared to his elven cell, but was relieved to find the only door other than the one he was led through, led to a bathroom. After another hour of looking around, he grew bored and laid down on the bed. While it was soft and comfortable, it felt hard as a rock in comparison to the moss bed he had become accustomed to. Despite this hardship it didn’t take long before he fell a sleep.

********

“Another one died and no indication on why!!!” Andrew exclaimed, as he threw his gloves to vent his frustration.

“If we don’t figure this out soon, we’ll have no herd by Christmas. How many are left?”, Andrew’s dad responded.

“105”

“Well at least that’s enough to maintain genetic diversity. Otherwise, it’s ‘Welcome the Lather Cattle company, can we interest you in a three toed bucked toothed calf?’.”

“Sure but we started with a thousand.” Andrew responded, too annoyed to laugh at his dad’s joke.

“I know son, I know, but we have still done better than everyone else. By a long shot, we’re the only ranch with a herd left.”

“Yeah but we don’t know why and we’re still losing them at an unsustainable rate. I know you were exaggerating about Christmas, but honestly you are not far off and then what? All of Yuta becomes vegetarian?”

“Something like that. I still say the reason our cows are alive when everyone else’s aren’t is because you figured out how to domesticate those lizards and use them as beast of burdens instead of our cows.”

“All I figured out how to do was grow their favorite food and figure out they’ll do tricks for it. Honestly, I did it because my ex-girlfriend really liked that flower, and I wanted to impress her. While she wasn’t worth the effort I put into it, at least it worked out for us. I mean selling trained Laqu has proved to be a decent side business.”

“About the only thing that has kept food on our plates……I mean other than our dying cattle that is.”

*****

Andrew awoke to the sound of his door opening to find a much different looking and rather older looking automaton looking down at him.

“Are you Doc?”

“Oh gracious no, I’m N8AR0 Hauv, but most call me Nayro, though it’s spelled N G A R O”

“Wait you have a name?”

“When you thought I was doc that was somehow ok, but now that I told you I’m not doc it’s surprising I have a name? If so, it will likely blow your mind that I’m perfectly sentient as well. I’d say like you, but I don’t dismiss someone just because they’re not a bacterial spaceship.”

“A bacterial spaceship?”

“What do you think you are? You’re essentially a vessel to grow and protect bacteria as you transport them through space to find more food. If that’s not a spaceship made by bacteria, I don’t know what would be.”

“There is more to us than that!”

“Sure there is, but as you’re clearly in denial let's get to the point of me visiting this specific bacterial spaceship…the Andrew is that correct?”

“Andrew Lather would be me and you can stop it with addressing me as if I were a ship.”

“Uh huh, so how did you get stuck in an elven crate?”

“Whatever, after escaping from my cell in Biaobel’s research facility, I snuck around until I found a nearby cargo room and was lucky enough to find this crate waiting to be loaded. Then yall attacked and an automaton like you carried my crate, with me in it, here.

“I know you’re mad that you’re a bacterial spaceship, but you should know Androids have killed for lesser insults. Call me an automaton again and I’ll convince the captain that you’re better outside of an airlock to save us the hassle of feeding you.”

“No offense was meant. I’m new to your realm and still have a lot to learn. So you’re an Android? I’m guessing the difference is sentience?”

“In the most basic terms yes, but that is like saying the difference between a hammer and a sword is one is sharp. So, what got you to snoop around our ship?”

I had to go to the bathroom really badly. I still don’t know how she knew I was in there.”

“Seriously? You know that Doc can interact with you anywhere, and yet you believed he wouldn’t know when the latrine door opened when none of the known crew was in the area? You’re right you’re not just a bacterial spaceship, you’re a really dense bacterial spaceship.”

“Ok I do feel a bit dumb for not putting that together. Well, I guess it was only a matter of time before I got caught then. Because when you have to go you have to go you know?”

“I have heard you bacterial spaceships say that, but no I wouldn’t know as I don’t house bacteria and therefore don’t need to dispose of their wastes.”

Andrew was about to retort, when the Ngaro cut him off, “On a different subject, tell me about the soils on the planet you come from. What exactly is chemical makeup of each and do you have samples?“