Unipsi, lovely entity
chapter 80c: jump
The arrival of the nymph Brillo revived their afternoon. Instead of spending it lying down and bathing in the faintly warm sun, they played with the hyper-energetic creature. Iris and Brillo immediately went for the ice-cold water and started splashing each other. Scilla on the other side was not too keen on getting soaked and walked 30 minutes home in the same clothes. However as the duo calmed down and moved their energy into building a rock path across the creek, Scilla approached them.
“what are you building?”
“a dam, or a rock path. Something like that.”
“having fun. I see. Don’t you and that thing fell cold?”
“that thing is Brillo. And not really. He is resistant to really low temperatures just like a plant. I just manage. Wanna join?”
“I mean I could get my feet in that”
“I promise I won’t do any prank on you.”
Playing around in the ice-cold water was surely fun. Every interaction between Iris and Brillo painted a more clear image of the nymph. Brillo was not comparable to an animal. He was no cat, dog, raccoon or monkey. He was able to understand simple Estir, communicate back in his language, and think independently. If comparisons have to be made, Brillo was closer in intelligence to an 8 to 11 years old human. Which should surprise no one as he was indeed a puppy of a sentient species. Brillo and Iris also seem to understand each other to a deeper level than just words. It was by no means love, but they had similar behaviors. For them smell was important and so was physical contact. Each interaction made it harder for Scilla to stop herself from finding similarities between the two species.
In her thinking, Scilla ignored the hyperactive creature's changes in behavior. Brillo was growing attached to them really fast, but he was also observing. He detected the newly born relationship and acted for his own amusement.
While Scilla and Iris were prone side by side, working on the dam, Brillo sprinted full force on the weaker link. Iris. He headbutted Iris pushing her on Scilla who fell in the cold water flowing between her legs. Scilla was already getting angry but Iris was on top of her face to face. They stared into each other eyes without moving for a while.
“sorry… he hee…. Brillo pushed me. I didn’t mean to…”
“Don't worry… if I catch a cold tough I would like you to help me out”
“what if I could prevent it?”
“what do you have in mind? Cast a magic spell?”
“no. just do something I forgot. Something to seal our new deal and give you some warmth”
“… what deal?”
Iris pushed herself even more on Scilla and kissed her. Brillo on the side was smiling as his mischief worked exactly as planned.
Leaving the new couple alone, the sector didn’t forget the Esterians or their brutal actions. Their complete disappearance brought chaos among the Lean Federation, but even more among all other civilizations. The lack of sightings was alarming. Nobody knew what was going on, nor what was going to happen. All they saw was an army so vast to outnumber all civilizations combined. A fleet whose existence was more than enough to cause nightmares. The first international scheduled meeting at which Esterians were supposed to attend turned rapidly into chaos. Nobody cared about the Pridians massacre any longer. All they wanted were answers from the closest person to the Esterians. Csuicha. They all believed that somehow the Leans had some kind of control or prevailed position under the Esterians eyes. They were all mistaken but in times of crisis deceives were needed. With Xeroling annihilated out of existence, fearing to be the next one in line was understandable. They had no clue that the Leans were left alone as well.
Csuicha took the opportunity to ensure a stable position for her people, stable for now. So she reassured the other nations that there was nothing to fear… too much. Yet the nations’ assembly was the least of her problems. Her citizens were scared too and reality was completely different from her lies. She had no clue what the Esterians were plotting. No clue about the amount of spaceships they had. They had been cut off too. Their only trade route, which consisted in reaching a sector and exchanging the goods there, was now totally dead. No more communication from it, no matter how many attempts they made.
The Liin’s office door burst open. One of her guards carried unfortunate news. Again.
“I ASKED, TO NOT BE INTERRUPTED!” shouted Csuicha as nothing seemed to proceed correctly since the Esterians left.
“my apology my Liin. But you instructed me to relay all knowledge on the trade route”
“Something new!?!” asked hopeful Csuicha.
“unfortunately no. Even the high-energy broadcast failed. An intel ship just brought such news”
“FUCK!”
Csuicha slammed her fists on her desk.
“did Lis reply to our messages?”
“we had a formal reply from her parent. Apparently, she is busy with research”
“excuses. All fucking excuses. I gave her enough time. Bring her here. No matter what. Did you understand soldier?”
“yes. As you order my Liin”
Her guard walked out while Csuicha remained angry in her office. After all, it had already been 6 weeks since Scilla’s death and Wiola kept running away. Csuicha couldn’t tolerate more delays. Even the smallest information about the Esterians could be useful.
Few days later, an angry and fairly uncooperative Wiola was brought before Csuicha.
“I gave you time, but we can’t wait for you to get over it”
“my sister is dead”
“and so is my best friend. But now I must think for our people as well.”
“where were you then when you sent out the Sheridan to its death?”
“you think I wanted to? She had all the freedom she wanted. I had no say in her choices of missions. They chose their own target and approached as they desired. I lost the best scavenging team we ever had and a rare friend. Yet I don’t cry on myself all the fucking day!”
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Csuicha shouted the last bit of her reply.
“and as I told you the first time I have nothing to say!” shouted back Wiola. Her actions immediately put Csuicha’s guards on edge, but the Liin stopped them.
“guards, piss off. She isn’t a threat. She can barely fight a pillow”
“fuck off”
“no you cunt fuck off. I’m not asking you if you know where the Esterians are located. I’m asking you for whatever little shit you could know. No matter what.”
“ahh…” Wiola sigh.
“fine. You won. Even if you ask me, I know almost nothing. Scilla wouldn’t say much. What I know is that she knew a lot more than what she told us. My best guess is that she couldn’t speak about it. Long ago we went to our home town. Idra showed us some kind of promotional video or some shit about her. She kept all faces hidden so no I had no clue they were not human. From the video, all I can tell is that her people sort of venerated her because she developed some miracle cure for some type of cancer and other illnesses. I have none of it. But I was fortunate to see in it action. She used it on a lost child chat came out for the fields…”
“Where is this kid? Who was with you?”
“we were at Saryvona. Our home town. We stayed at the Ibarra’s farm. As far as I know, the kid is still there. But they won’t come here.”
“I can just order them.”
“they are hardcore Armori. They would fight to death instead of obeying orders. Either way, they have nothing different to tell you. You would just waste time.”
“why did Idra help the child?”
“I have no clue. She also helped my friend and her grandmother…. Maybe I have a clue why. You know the same clue you have…”
“I don’t have that clue.”
“wait what?”
“Wiola what the fuck are you talking about?”
“Scilla and Idra were dating”
Csuicha just froze in place and so did her guards.
“wha what what do you mean dating?”
“it means dating. I found out and and Scilla told me. I figured she would tell her best friend”
“I, what? H how?”
“how would I know? She didn’t tell me much. How the hell do you not know about it?”
“well I can’t know about everything can I? I have a nation to rule, I couldn't just spend a weekend playing video games with her. How deep was the relationship?”
“no idea. She never spoke much about it. Only that they loved each other and that’s about it.”
their exchange died soon after as Wiola had nothing more to add. The same happened with basically all the previous people she interrogated. No matter the relationship, no family of anybody on the Sheridan knew much about Idra and the Esterians.
Day after day, nothing new emerged from the vastness of space. Months spent looking for answers were all in vain. In that period Csuicha made use of her power. The official failure under the Hakavor corporation allowed her to reprehend them. Csuicha riding the incident openly opposed her friend and took back the power they were given. It was a needed act to reinforce the government's power and partially shield her own friend from backlash on Icar 3. A lot of people view the Hakavor as the main culprit behind the general instability caused by the death of Idra. The loss of the Sheridan and most of its crew only increased the local hate.
They say that time heals all wounds. I guess they were never wounded.
Even with the immense work that Csuicha put into improving her nation, the Sheridan defeat was far from resolved. At the dawn of the first anniversary of the Sheridan destruction, the 23 survivors were still broken. Kept safe in mental hospitals hoping that one day they would return to their senses or somewhat become independent enough to be able to keep living their lives.
During the anniversary Wiola took the day off to visit her sister’s tomb. It wasn’t really a tomb, more like a commemoration monument to those who died on the Sheridan while serving the country. She was surprised when upon placing down her flowers, a second person placed down hers. It was unusual to meet someone early in the morning during a weekday. The other Lean was shorter than her and a half-eaten sandwich in her other hand. It was an unusual sight as the other Lean was eating a cerbena. A fairly common street food composed of a circular piece of bread, half open and stuffed with cooked leaves and spicy meat. By no means something to eat at 9.
“who had you lost?” asked the unknown woman.
“my sister. She was the commander of the ship. What about you?”
“my whole family…”
The woman walked past the commemorating statue and got to the list of names carved in black marble. She pointed at one, then at a second name.
“Those were my parents. Both gone. I used to have a sister too. She… broke down… and chose a permanent solution”
“my condolences”
“my condolences as well”
looking at the woman in the eyes Wiola immediately noticed their bright yellow color and asked.
“I have never seen yellow eyes on a Lean”
the woman seemed taken aback for a moment as if she wasn’t expecting comments on it.
“They are not natural. I’m wearing contacts”
“why?”
“I’m off to work. To a hospital that specializes in… difficult illnesses in kids. Sometimes they need reassurance. What better reassurance if not their favorite character from some cartoons or games?”
“you must really love your job”
“not really… I kinda hate it to be honest”
“why?”
“because as long as I’m needed it means that our younglings are suffering. I wish for a day when my job no longer exists”
They remained silent for a bit, just staring at the engraved names. Then the unknown woman continued.
“I have no noble soul, at least not nobler than yours…”
“do we know each other?”
“no. I just know you. Miss Lis.”
“How? Why?”
“you just told me you were the commander's sister. So you must share the surname. Plus I know your name from your research in the genetic field.”
“oh… never thought I was famous.”
“not too famous, nor completely unknown.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“sure”
“how were you able to move on?”
“what makes you think I did?”
“you are relaxed, here eating as if nothing could faze you… I just feel lost.”
“what sane person would eat cerbena in a cemetery at 9 in the morning? I was hurt too. Lost just like you. I had nobody left. But I just remembered my mom's words. Crying will get you nothing. Trying will. She was breaking her back to give money to me and my sister. She suffered for others. And so I understood that my kids needed me. That my mom and pama would have wanted me to keep helping others. You can do the same. Just believe in yourself, and maybe try to remember your sister and what she would have wanted for you.”
“thanks.”
“I have to go, take care of yourself Lis”
“you too”
the stranger walked away while Wiola remained silent observing the statue of her sister with her crew. She looked at the few flowers below that would soon multiply as the Hakavors intended to host an homage parade in the afternoon. The mysterious woman encounter left her with an eerie feeling as she spoke slowly and strangely. Yet it also refueled her spirit. She couldn’t lose to her pain. Scilla would be mad at her for even thinking of abandoning her dream of scientific discoveries.