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“I trust, Captain Brooks, that you have a very good explanation for what has just happened,” Verena asked him.

She had appeared in his office via an augmented reality feed in front of his desk, projected by his system.  It was almost completely convincing, only the slightest of blurring around the edges of her body.

Brooks knew she would not be blinded by pride or insult or annoyance.  Anything he said would be analyzed dispassionately for flaws.

She wasn’t even angry; anger he could have handled better.

“I sent a mission to the Terris System,” he replied.  “My best Response Team.  They will investigate the last known position of Michal Denso’s cruiser and its current position.”

Verena asked immediately; “Why?”

“Because Michal Denso has spoken repeatedly of home.  And to him, I believe that this means the Sunspot.”

“What is your reasoning for this?”

“Ambassador Kell feels certain that the Terris system is the home Denso is talking about, and it is our only potential lead – I will forward you my report on the meeting.  Since they can’t go searching the entire system, they’re just going to check the ship and send some probes towards the star to get long-term readings on it, then report back to us.”

He sent the file, and Verena glanced away for a moment.  “Hold, Captain.”

She looked back to him.  “This suspicion of the Ambassador’s does not justify the risk you have put your team into, Captain – nor does it come close to justifying violating the exclusion zone around the Terris System.”

“Respectfully, Admiral-Doctor, it was my prerogative,” Brooks replied.  “You had no team capable of performing this operation.”

“I do not understand why this was performed with secrecy at all,” she replied.  “You could have told me.”

“Would you have let me?” he asked.

“Not on my current information, Captain.”

“I predicted as much.  But this was my call.”

“It places your team in jeopardy,” she replied.  “For medical reasons it was an unsound decision.  How do you justify this?”

“I’ve invoked Executive Action Command 1.”

She shook her head.  “This was unwise of you, Ian.”

“Nevertheless, it is done.”

Verena looked him over as if studying him anew.

She couldn’t have her feelings hurt, he thought.  But she realized that she had misjudged him.

“My memories tell me that you will be honest when I ask you; do you truly believe that this mission was important enough to risk those lives?  And while less important, to betray my trust in this way?”

Brooks felt a surge of pain in his chest as guilt gnawed at him.  Going behind her back had wronged her, and there was no way around it.

As strongly as he felt he had chosen right, he owed it to her and to his team to question his own motives.  It was not the first time he had done it, but he considered the facts carefully.

“I do,” he re-affirmed, both to her and himself.

She nodded.  “I am no longer capable of anger, Captain, but I believe this situation would warrant it.  As much as I trust your judgment, I feel that this was a pointless and foolish risk.”

He could only take her critique solemnly.  “I’m sorry you feel that way, Doctor.”

“But let us move back onto the matter at hand; as you have said, whether I agree or not, this mission has been launched.  And you believe it will give us some kind of vital information.”

“That is correct.  We may learn nothing – I think that’s the likely outcome.  But there is a chance – at least some chance, that it may be much more serious than that.”

“How so?”

He took a deep breath.  “Denso’s connection to Terris, his changes, the fact that Kell says he is no longer a human.  We know almost nothing about the Leviathan there since it went into the star.  We also know nothing of their kind – how they communicate, how they travel long distances, how they reproduce.  Or even if they reproduce.  They defy physics as we know them in most ways.”

That piqued her interest.  “And what is it that you’re afraid of, Captain?”

“That Michal Denso is not a man anymore.  But that he has become something of a carrier for the egg of a Leviathan.  And if so, if he turns into something like that . . .”

He trailed off.  There was little need to describe the outcome of such an event.

Verena was silent for a long moment.

“I shall consider on this, Brooks.  But I am not yet convinced.”

Her image disappeared.

< Ep 3 Part 24 | Ep 3 Part 26 >

New to Other-Terrestrial? Check here! Or if you need to, jump to the beginning of the episode here!

“Since the aftermath of the Battle of Terris, the system has been closed to all traffic,” Caraval told them.  “That you all know.  But what I’m about to tell you is that most everything else you know about the place is hearsay and rumor.”

Pirra felt a thread of nervousness worming through her stomach.

Every spacer in the Sapient Union, and she figured most outside of it, had that reaction to the name.  To bring it up was unlucky, or if one was less prone to a quirk like superstition, reminded them all of the fragility of their existence in space.

The year before she’d joined the Voidfleet Academy, she had seen leaked footage of the battle.  A battleship, that commentators had identified as the Aldebaran Luminous, split open down its length, its two halves travelling at different angles from each other as if nothing was amiss.

The cross-section had been so neat as to let the layout of floors and equipment be easily visible.  The reactor, still glowing like a miniature sun, had even still been functioning.  The crew were infinitesimal specks, but at that point were already believed to have been dead – or at least unaware of themselves.

Hopefully.

That the ship kept functioning for some time after separating had been theorized by many in the comments to be a sign that it was not truly split, but that each half had been simply existing in a different time and state.

“Pirra?” she heard a soft voice ask.  It was Tred.

She blinked.  “Yes?” she asked, looking to him and trying to cover her own feeling of shame.  Iago had still been talking, and she had spaced out.

“. . . there are no monsters in the system.  Scouts have come in and out with clear bills of health multiple times.  The vast majority of runs are wholly unexciting, and frankly I expect that to be the case this time as well.”

“Majority?” someone asked.  “Do some have problems?”

“It’s nothing we need worry about.  We’re not going deep into the system – just to the outskirts, to the last known position of the Sunspot.  Both then, and its present position.”

“Are you all right?” Tred asked her quietly.

The man looked concerned, looking over her carefully, and it made her self-conscious.

“I’m fine,” she replied defensively.

The man looked a little stung and turned away quickly.

“Our first stop, though, will be at the primary monitoring station for this area around the system – Monitor 1 or M1 going forward.  That’s where we’re going to drop our engineer and a supervising officer.  They’ll launch probes using its dashgate to spots along the wreckage path of the Sunspot from the last eight years.”

Tred’s eyes widened as Caraval mentioned his role.

“You won’t have to go into the system,” Pirra told him, hoping it might make him feel better.

“What will I be doing there, exactly?” Tred asked Caraval.  “I’m not a drone controller.”

“Your job will just be to perform regular maintenance on the system – confirm that the reactor is operating as it should.”

“Isn’t the station manned?  I’ve always heard it was manned,” Tred asked.

“It . . . was.  But there were issues and it was decided to pull all personnel out and let it operate on computer control.”

“How long has it been unmanned?” Pirra asked.

“Six years,” Caraval noted.

“When’s the last time the system underwent maintenance?” Tred asked worriedly.

“Eight months ago,” Caraval told him.

Tred sat back in his seat.  Eight months!  No reactor should go that long without human oversight!  Sure, on paper and in sense of safety it’d be fine, but the efficiency would almost certainly have degraded significantly.  And the neutron flow injectors!

Iago Caraval seemed ignorant of Tred’s horror, however.  “Lieutenant Pirra, you’ll be in charge of that operation.”

That announcement pulled Tred out of his shock.  Of all the members of the Response Team, he was pretty sure that Pirra disliked him the most.  He glanced to her, trying to not draw much attention, but her large eyes flickered over to him anyway.  Her expression did not change, though; she seemed entirely neutral on her assignment.

He looked away quickly.

As the run-through of their mission and assignments ended, Iago looked over them all – but his eyes lingered on her.

“If there are any questions pertaining to the mission, go ahead and ask.”

Pirra raised her hand to speak, but Iago continued.  “If you have any questions pertaining to your specific assignments, talk to me on a private channel.”

No one had any other questions, and Pirra clicked into the private channel.

“Sir-” she began.

“I know what you’re going to ask, but you are on the monitoring station assigment,” Iago said.

She wanted so very badly to demand why.  But that was not how one was supposed to address a superior officer, even if they were also a close friend.

She settled on just asking, politely.

“May I ask why I’ve been relegated to this task, sir?  I’m not a drone specialist.  Wu or Enerson might be better qualified.”

“It’s an easy assignment, Pirra,” Iago replied.  “You’re more than qualified.”

“Yes, sir.  Permission to speak freely, sir?”

Her commanding officer sighed.  “Go ahead.”

“Why would you trap me on a station alone with Engineer Tred?  No offense to him, sir, but he’s difficult and he’s . . .  he’s . . .”  How did you politely say someone was bothersome as dead air?

“I know he’s difficult, but this was my call and I want you to sit out the exciting part of this mission, Pirra,” Iago told her.  “You’ve been put into the most dangerous position on each of your last assignments – and your last one was supposed to be part of your vacation time.  No, this time I want you in the background.”

A dozen potential replies went through Pirra’s head, but she knew Caraval.  The man didn’t ground people easily; he was spooked.

And hadn’t she been?  It was true that she’d been through the wringer the last few times.

She wanted to argue, to convince Caraval around to her point of view.  But it would be abusing her rank to get someone busted down into this task.  None of the Response Team would look forward to spending days just regulating an automated drone launcher and being alongside Tred.

She glanced to the man, and he suddenly looked awkward, trying not to meet her eyes.  Nothing was really wrong with the man, he was competent and he came through.

But regardless of how long this mission actually took, it was going to feel a whole lot longer.

< Ep 3 Part 23 | Ep 3 Part 25 >

New to Other-Terrestrial? Check here! Or if you need to, jump to the beginning of the episode here!

“Response Team One has been launched,” Ji-min Bin’s voice came through his system.

Brooks had been monitoring the launch from his office.  He would get a call soon, he knew.

His door chimed, and he saw it was Jaya.

“Enter,” he said.

She came in and saluted.  “Captain, I need to talk to you.”

Part of him wanted to ask if it was important; it was not likely to be as important as what he was waiting for.  But he’d never known Jaya to engage in hyperbole.  If she thought it was important, it surely was.

“Go ahead,” he told her.

“Ten minutes ago, I was approached by Dr. Logus,” she told him.

“Why?” Brooks asked.

“He told me of the situation that is occurring – with the patient aboard MS-29, and about your . . . proposed mission to the Terris system.”

Brooks studied the woman for a moment.  Was she here to talk him out of it, he wondered.

No, he decided.  If she agreed with Logus, she would not have come to him.

And he just did not believe she would side against him.  Not as long as he was right.

“What did you tell him?” he asked her.

“That I trusted your decision.  But I thought you should know that he-“

“Went behind my back to undermine me?” Brooks finished.  “I thought he might, in some way.”  He turned in his chair, his gaze going to the wall, but staring through it.  He should have had the man escorted to his room, now that he thought about it more.

“You needed to know, Captain, but I do not believe it was a betrayal,” Jaya continued.

With an arched eyebrow, he looked back to her.  “No?”

“You have not asked what he wished me to do,” she noted.  “With respect, Captain, in the matter of the Terris expedition you are making a sound judgment, but on the matter of Dr. Logus you are viewing the man as an enemy when he is not.”

“You just told me he went behind my back to attempt to sway my Operations officer against me.  If that’s not a betrayal, then what is?”

“He did not ask that of me, Captain.  He could have ordered me to intercede, but that was not what he was asking.  Instead, he asked me to talk to you – to help you see reason.”

Brooks suspected that even if ordered, Jaya would not have betrayed him.  Unlike Logus, she understood duty – and sacrifice.  “But you agree with me about the mission,” he said.

“I do.  But I realized that I do still need to speak with you.  You need to see reason about Dr. Logus.”

That caught Brooks off-guard.

He felt an anger rise up inside him, threatening to burst out.  To shout at the woman to leave his office for this absurdity.

But he paused, thinking about what she said.  He still felt angry, but he tried to work past it, to see through it.  He wanted to find a fatal flaw in what she said, but-

He really did not like Dr. Logus.

“How do you think I have treated the doctor unfairly?” he asked.

“You failed to convince him, Captain,” Jaya replied.  “Because I do not believe that you tried.  You are persuasive; your reasoning sound.  Dr. Logus is an intelligent man – I can see why, from his view, that he would have objected.  But you should have won him to your side.”

It was hard to argue with praise, but he could not help but try.  “I think you over-estimate me there,” he noted.

“Perhaps,” she replied.  “But in the past, you helped me to see reason when I thought I never could again.”

That he could not argue with, and he suddenly felt much older than his years.  “I’ll have to think on this, Jaya.  Thank you . . . for coming to talk to me.”

The woman nodded, and gave him a salute.  Rising to his feet, he returned it.

“Now, Captain, I understand that Apollonia Nor has been having some issues – with MS-29, and with Logus herself.  Would it be all right if I talked to her?”

Brooks was again surprised.  “If you believe you can help, then I welcome it.  Just approach cautiously.  Nor has had a lot of bad surprises in her life, and isn’t used to trusting.”

Jaya nodded sharply, and turned to leave.

As she left, Brooks sat down again to wait.  Soon, the call from Verena would come, asking him just why he had sent his people to the forbidden Terris system.

< Ep 3 Part 22 | Ep 3 Part 24 >

New to Other-Terrestrial? Check here! Or if you need to, jump to the beginning of the episode here!

Tred swallowed again.  It was hard, his mouth and throat both were too dry.

“One minute until launch,” he heard Lt. Commander Caraval say.

“Oh god,” he muttered.

He couldn’t avoid that he was going to be accelerated to an absolutely ludicrous speed.  He just wanted it to be over with.

“Thirty seconds.”

Still enough time to worry.  He fidgeted in his seat.

“Stay still,” Pirra said, grabbing his hand and pinning it to the arm of the chair.

She seemed annoyed at him, he thought.

But she was right; there was a significantly higher chance of him getting hurt if he was moving.  The last thing he wanted was to get some broken fingers; they probably would only patch them up en route and he’d just have to work with his fingers broken.  He gripped onto the seat.

“Ten seconds,” Caraval said.

“All packaged and ready to go!”  Pirra shouted.

“And ship us off to hell!” the rest of the Response Team shouted back.

They launched, and the force threw him back in his seat.  His system informed him that they had reached 6g . . .

It lasted for just a moment.  After they left the launch tube, there were a few moments before the burn began.  He was thrown back again.

The g-forces inched towards 7 . . .  The color had drained from his vision.

“Grayout detected,” his system flashed on the screen.

Everything went black, and he heard the rest of the team whooping.

He did not lose consciousness, but he wished he had.

The burn finally ended, and he gasped.  “Ohthankgod!”

Pirra patted his arm.  “You all right?” she said.  She seemed perfectly normal.

“I’m fine,” he said.

He usually blacked out during these launches.  The first time he’d told them, and they’d scanned him and told him that it was nothing to worry about.  He was just a passenger until they reached their target.

“I think my suit is defective,” he muttered.  “That’s all.”

Pirra’s expression didn’t change, but her crest moved slightly.  His system told him that it was showing doubt.

“Run suit diagnostic,” he muttered, trying to keep up with his story.

Pirra looked away.  Out of pity or annoyance, he didn’t know.

Or maybe it’s neither, he tried to tell himself.  It’s what Dr. Logus had told him.  People respected him for the skills he possessed, that’s why they always asked him to go on these missions.

Because it seemed to him they asked a little too often.  Sure, he was rated for them – he took every training class he could on emergency situations!  But that wasn’t because he wanted to be in them, he just didn’t want to get caught unprepared.

“We’ll be entering the gate in two minutes thirty,” Iago said.  “Everyone do a final check that you have everything you’re going to need for the next four days.  Once we jump there’s no coming back until mission accomplished.”

The crew went about the task with solemn attitudes.  Tred did so as well, checking his suite of sensors, his changes of clothes, and so on.  The shuttle was small; barely more than a long box.  It had a little space for moving around, and one small head that would have to be shared among them all.  It meant only two people could be up and moving at at time, and there was a strict timetable on relieving themselves.

He wished there was a training mission for the awkwardness of it all.

All of his equipment was there, all stowed safely.

He realized he had to pee.

The timer for the gate said less than a minute.

He lurched in his seat, wondering if he had time to go.  But no, he probably didn’t – if he could just run there and back, maybe, but he was strapped down.

“Okay, everyone, forty-five seconds.  Estimate that we’ll be locked down for about thirty minutes after we enter – gonna be bumpy at least that long.”

Tred groaned.  This was going to be a long flight out.

< Ep 3 Part 21 | Ep 3 Part 23 >

New to Other-Terrestrial? Check here! Or if you need to, jump to the beginning of the episode here!

Urle’s presence was keenly missed.  Brooks wished he could have his view on the situation they presently found themselves in.

But he was not cleared to be bringing Urle into the decision-making, and he wold not bring the man back on-duty before he was ready.  He needed time to cope and to talk with Verena.  Their separation years ago had been devastating for both him and his children.

So now it was Dr. Y who stood in his office with him, waiting for Brooks to speak.  Along with Arn Logus.

Brooks had not spoken yet, because he had not yet figured out why Dr. Logus was here as well.  He was not looking to the man, only to Y.

“I was under the impression that we were not to tell anyone outside of our meeting of this,” Brooks said to Y, breaking the stillness of the room.

The psychiatrist watched him, but said nothing.

“I can assure you, Captain,” Y said, “that Dr. Urle will accept his presence.  And given our current circumstances, I believed it was best to get as many minds working as possible.”

“Why?” Brooks demanded with a frown.  But before Y could answer, the Captain looked to Logus.  “Have you been in communication with Verena?”

“Yes, Captain,” Logus replied.

“Why?” Brooks demanded.

Logus stared back at him in silence.  The tension thickened, and Brooks felt a fleeting anger rise up in him.

Logus spoke.  “Dr. Urle contacted me – about you, Captain.  She wished to know my psychological evaluation before she spoke to you about Michal Denso.  And yes, Captain, she informed me of the details – and has updated me with the events of earlier today.”

Brooks leaned back in his chair, taking that in.

“What was the nature of the information you gave her about me?” he asked.

“I am not at liberty to tell you, Captain.”

“Surely Verena had specific questions.  She wasn’t just trying to learn what kind of man I am, Logus, she knew me for years.  She served under me, and I know that her memories are fully intact.”

“Captain – I am ordering you to drop this line of questioning,” Logus said.

Brooks’s face went still.  Dangerously so.  He leaned forward, but said nothing.

“I out-rank you, Captain,” Logus said.  “You command the ship, and I cannot question it, but my rank is equivalent to a-“

“I know what your rank is,” Brooks answered coldly.  “Do you think I am asking you because of my pride, Doctor?  Because I want to know what is being whispered about me behind my back?”

“I would not presume to-“

“I am asking, Doctor, because what you have told her will affect what I am able to do going forward.  If you will not tell me – so be it.  But you are only making a dangerous situation more difficult.”

“With respects, Captain, while Denso’s fate is no minor matter, it does not seem to be excessively dangerous,” Logus replied.

Dr. Y spoke. “I somewhat agree, Captain.  Is there a reason you feel this is such an urgent matter beyond the obvious?”

“Yes,” Brooks replied.  “After what has occurred, I am convinced that this is a matter that extends beyond the scope of Michal Denso’s life alone.”

“May I ask your reasoning, Captain?” Y queried.

He nodded.  “Firstly, Apollonia Nor’s reaction.  This is a woman who is not afraid to die – she was seriously considering being executed over coming with us.  She also met Kell, and had no significant reaction to his presence, at least not comparable to what occurred when she first boarded the Chain.”

“She’s a Cerebral Reader,” Logus said.  “She may simply have felt the suffering of the most afflicted on this station.  Similar things have happened before.”

“And even more dramatic occurrences happen when a CR encounters a Leviathan unprepared,” Brooks replied.  “They may protect others with their mere presence, but they are more vulnerable.  And her reaction?  It struck me as this, not simply sensing suffering.”

Logus sat back, frowning and saying no more.

Dr. Y’s head tilted to the side, quizzically.  “That seems a significant jump in logic, Captain.  Is there more?”

“I have also spoken to Ambassador Kell following the incident.  I will duly inform Verena of what transpired, but it was the Ambassador’s words that made me put it together.  He said that Denso has been reborn, and that the home he wishes to return to is the Terris system.”

Dr. Y recoiled.  “Are you saying, Captain, that you believe Michal Denso is becoming a Leviathan?”

“I can’t be sure, not on what I know.  But I think that it is a real possibility.  We know nothing about their life-cycles, reproduction.  For all we know, this is how Leviathans create more of their kind.  And if that is the case here, that Denso is . . . becoming a young one of their kind, then he is a threat to the entirety of the Chain and this ship.”

“There has never been a case like this-” Logus began.

“That we know of,” Brooks commented.

“We cannot start treating Michal Denso as a threat!” the psychiatrist insisted.

“I do not intend to do that until I know more.  But we must learn more – hopefully in order to rule it out.  We have to know what is going on at Terris,” Brooks said.

Y spoke.  “I do not believe that the Terris Observation Authority will share its data with us in a timely fashion, Captain.  All observations and data collected from the system are carefully filtered before dissemination can occur.  Even I am not allowed to-“

“I know,” Brooks replied, cutting the doctor off.  “But I do not plan to ask the TOA.”  He turned his seat, looking at the backdrop of stars behind him.  “I plan to send a mission to the Terris system so we can see for ourselves.”

“Captain!” Logus burst out, standing.  “You cannot be serious!”

“I have chosen Response Team One for the task,” Brooks continued.

Logus calmed himself.  “This cannot be an option, Captain.  There are rules and regulations about this-“

“We don’t have time for that,” Brooks replied quietly.  “And while you may outrank me, Dr. Logus, you are not privy to the same directives I am.”

He turned his chair around.  “I am enacting Emergency Action Command 1 to authorize this mission.”

Logus was silent, confusion skirting across his face.

Dr. Y spoke.  “Under Emergency Action Command 1, Captain Brooks is entitled to take whatever action he deems necessary, short of starting a war, to ensure the continued safety of a population numbering over 100 million.”

“On behalf of The Chain?” Logus asked, horror on his face.  “Are you going to even consult with Admiral-Doctor Urle on this?”

“No,” Brooks said.  “She lacks the trained personnel to launch such an expedition – we are uniquely suited, and thus I am making the decision myself.”

“Uniquely suited?  What does that even mean, Captain?” Logus demanded.

Brooks regarded him, anger now on his face.  “You do not get to question the Captain of this vessel in this manner, Doctor.”

“I still have medical override authorization for any mission I deem to be psychologically unsafe, Captain,” Logus challenged him back.  “And when it comes to a mission to Terris, it absolutely falls within my purview.”

Brooks’s face had gone stony, hiding the anger that still simmered under the surface.  “Response Team One has significant experience in hazardous contact with altered areas.  I can think of few I would trust more with such a task.”

“You mean they’ve been victimized almost as often as you have by having to encounter Leviathan-altered space!  Captain, that does not make people more qualified, it puts them at greater psychological risk-“

“They are all volunteers, Doctor.  They know they risk their lives, and I do not send them into harm’s way without a very good reason.  We need to know if something has changed around Terris – we must get a handle on the Denso situation before it escalates to something that threatens the entire Chain.”

“You can’t,” Logus said.  “I move to object on medical safety grounds.”

“As part of of Emergency Action Command 1, it takes at least two medical officers of Commander rank or higher to countermand an order.”  Brooks looked to Dr. Y.  “Doctor, how do you vote?”

Logus likewise looked to the machine.  “You can’t allow this, Y.  You know this is madness.”

Brooks had never seen the AI look so uncomfortable; his face had no ability to express emotion, and yet his head moved with small, swift jerks to look between them.

He felt bad for putting the doctor into such a situation, but at the same time; Dr. Y was relatively new to the Craton.  And as much as Brooks admired and appreciated the Ehni doctor, he did not know how much he could trust him.

Best to find out now.

The machine’s head moved from Logus to Brooks and stopped.  “Use of this directive is extremely difficult to defend if questioned, Captain.  Are you certain you wish to do this?”

“I am,” Brooks replied calmly.

Y replied promptly.  “Then I have no objections, Captain.  In this matter, I trust your judgment.”

“Then the mission goes forward,” Brooks said.  “It will depart in two hours.”

“Captain, at least give them longer to prepare,” Logus said.

“You have no more say in this, Doctor,” Brooks snapped back.  “Your objections are noted, considered, and rejected.  The mission will leave in two hours because time is of the essence.”

Logus’s face had returned to calm.  “It seems that you will get your way, Captain.  Would you like to order me to tell you what I told Verena under this command as well?”

“That won’t be necessary,” Brooks replied coldly.  “But I forbid you to speak of this to Dr. Urle, and to have no contact with her at all until after the mission has left.”

Logus’s face had become equally cold, and he offered in return only a single minimal nod.

< Ep 3 Part 19 | Ep 3 Part 21 >

New to Other-Terrestrial? Check here! Or if you need to, jump to the beginning of the episode here!

His stomach felt tied in knots as he signaled his arrival.

Standing outside the door of Verena’s cabin, Urle wished that he could numb himself to the emotions that coursed through him.

It was a terrible thought to have, precisely because it was how Verena actually suffered.  But all the same, it hurt so much to see her again.  It never stopped hurting, but most of the time the pain had grown to such a dull thing in the background that he’d learned to cope.

Right now he was struggling.

“Enter,” he heard through the comm as the door opened smoothly for him.

He stepped in, his eyes sweeping the room for signs of life.  Life beyond the basic functions.

Back in the day, Verena had been . . . tidy, but she’d loved to keep things.  Mementos, old paper books, even some things that she just collected.

God, she’d had a massive collection of weird little kitschy sculptures from the Moon that he’d thought so ugly . . .

Her room now was almost bare.  There were no books, no memorbilia, and certainly no collectible moon sculptures.

“Verena,” he said, his eyes falling upon her.  She sat on a couch, a pad on her lap.  She was looking at him, her expression – of course – neutral.

“It is good to see you Zach,” she said.  It was a stretch to say it felt like she meant it.  They were only the words she knew to be appropriate.

“Same for you,” he lied.  A half-lie, at least.  He was happy to see her on some level.

“I am glad you came.  I considered if it might be best if you did not,” she said.

That felt like a stab in his gut, but he pushed past it.  “Why is that?”

She stared at him as if he’d said something surprising.  “I am not going to be different than the last time we spoke.  I know that it was difficult for you.  But you still wish to try to communicate, and that is a brave thing, Zachariah.”

Since her change she’d been capable of lying all-but perfectly.  No biophysical changes at telling a falsehood.  He hoped she was being truthful.

“You said you wanted to talk to me,” he said.

“But that you were free to refuse,” she replied.  “However, as I said, it is good you have come.  There is something important I wish to discuss – but first, I would like to know how you are doing.”

Zach realized he was still standing awkwardly.  “Mind if I sit?”

“Of course not.”

He did so, still feeling on-edge.  She still looked the same; just colder.  Like a replica of the woman he’d loved.

“I think you know how I’m doing,” he replied.  “You probably read my file.  I haven’t had any major injuries.”

“Yes, but I believe I would like to hear from you how you are doing – not just physically, but emotionally.”  Her words were so cold that had he not known better it would have felt mocking.

“All right,” he said.

“Your psych records suggests you are still grieving, Zach,” she said.

“Have you looked at all my files?” he asked.

“I requested permission, but was unable to view them as it was private.  However, I did not need to read them, only see that they did in fact exist to confirm that you were grieving.”

“You saw the file sizes,” he realized.  “That was all you needed to see to know.”

“Yes,” she replied.  “I apologize for even this minor invasion of your privacy – but I had hoped you could have moved on by now.”  Something went across her face – a change from neutral to troubled concentration.  “I have been informed it was unlikely for you to have left behind your emotional . . . baggage regarding me.”

His emotions must have shown, because when she looked at him she spoke again quickly.  “I do not mean to be blithe about it, Zach.  I only wish the best for you.  I can no longer understand what it is you feel, but I do not wish for you to suffer.”

Zach found his throat was dry, and he tried to come up with words, but failed.  He just nodded.

He felt sure she meant all of it.

“Have you continued on your path towards leaving behind your biological body?” she asked.

“My transhumanism?  Well, I wouldn’t say I want to fully stop being biological.  But I’ve had only a couple of augments over the last few years.  I’ve been busy – with the girls, with my duties.  It doesn’t leave a lot of time for getting surgeries.”

She was studying his face.  “I do not recognize your current facial pieces.  I imagine just new attachments?”

“Yes,” he replied.

“Remove them, would you?” she asked, leaning forward.  She took the pad and set it on a small table.

“Why?” he asked.  Nevertheless, he moved to oblige her request, disconnecting the external pieces and popping them off.

By the time he was done, he knew he looked more like a mere man than almost anyone had seen of him in years.  Connectors built into his skull still showed a hint of his truth, but his eyes, his nose, his lips – all of it was visible.

“I recall your eyes being much more blue,” she replied.

“I haven’t changed those,” he told her.

“Perhaps I was mistaken,” she said.  Her voice was softer, and he saw that she was trying.

Her hand came up, reaching for his face.  She cupped his cheek in her hand, and he felt the warmth of her skin.

The last time she’d done that had been before he’d left the Kilimanjaro, over seven years ago.  They hadn’t known how serious a goodbye they’d be saying at that time – neither of them had known yet that the Terris system was in danger, that their ship would be sent.  That she wouldn’t be returning whole.

“What do you feel?” he asked.

“Only your skin,” she replied.  She couldn’t feel enough to even know how sad she should be, he knew.  But she had told him before she could remember that she should feel the loss.

Her hand slid away from his face, and the air of the room felt cold where she had touched him.

She looked away as he put back on his attachments, hiding his face again.

“It is not fair to you, Zach, that you should have to raise our daughters alone,” she said.

“We agreed it was for the best,” he replied.  “They . . . did not react well to you after your changes.  We feared it would lead to more problems.”

“I have wondered since if we were wrong,” she replied.  “Even if I can’t feel anything, I can at least be there.  I would be someone to assist when you are busy.”

Zach didn’t know what to say to that.  It was true that having someone else to help would be good, but . . .

Her?  After all this time?  When there was nothing, literally no love left?  Coming from one side it meant nothing, less than nothing.  Love had to be reciprocated to be worth anything.

“I don’t know,” he finally said.  “Verena, I . . .”

“Don’t make a decision right now,” she said.  “I know it is a sudden idea.  But it’s something I wanted to tell you in person.  I wanted to show you that even though I don’t feel anything, I am trying to learn how to . . . for lack of a better word, behave as if I do.”

That sent him into more of a spiral.  Had she even been trying to accomplish anything when she’d touched his face?  Or just make him think she was?

“I would like you to think about it, is all.  For the good of Hannah and Persis.  I know it will be difficult in the short term, very difficult – but it may also be a very good move for everyone.”

“Are you sure you would have the time?  And . . . how would it work?  You’re running the medical wing of this station.  You must be busy all the time.”

“I am busy,” she replied.  “But besides my work . . . I have nothing.”  She gestured around her room.  “As you can see.”

“Why do you want this?” he asked.

“It isn’t about me, Zach,” she told him.  “It’s about you – I am the one who suffered this damage, but you have also suffered, along with our children.  I have dedicated my life to helping others, that has never shaken within me.  I do not know where the drive still comes from, but I follow it because it is the only guide I have left.  I feel I have reached a balance with my condition – so perhaps now it is time that I help you find that balance as well.”

Zach looked away.  “I’ll think about it,” he said.  It came out rougher than he expected.

“All right.  In the meantime, let us have a dinner with the children.  As a family.”

Zach nodded.  “I’ll talk to them about it, Verena.  I can’t promise that they’ll want to, but I’ll tell them.”

“Perhaps,” Verena suggested.  “We could tell them together.”

< Ep 3 Part 18 | Ep 3 Part 20 >

New to Other-Terrestrial? Check here! Or if you need to, jump to the beginning of the episode here!

Brooks studied Kell, and realized that he could not pursue the topic any further.

“Very well.  Would you like to give me your perspective on what occurred?”

“No,” Kell said.  “I would not like to.  But I will.”

The being began to pace, circling the pool, his eyes gazing into it.  He seemed to be searching for words, and Brooks gave him the time he needed.

“What is in that chamber should not be,” Kell finally said.

“In what sense?”

“Any,” Kell replied sharply.  “The man known as Michal Denso is gone, and what now occupies that space is an abomination.”

The Ambassador’s eyes raised from the icy water to meet Brooks’s.  “I do not use that word lightly.”

Brooks could not hide his surprise.  “Nevertheless, we must aim for a positive outcome.”

“That is impossible,” Kell replied.  “At least in the sense that Michal Denso will never exist again as was once known.”

“He’s dead?” Brooks asked.

“He is something else,” Kell answered, his eyes going back into the water.  He had paced around the pool and was now opposite Brooks, where he stopped.  “What, though, I do not yet know.”

“Except that it’s abominable, apparently,” Brooks said.  “Can you give us any useful information on what he is?  You’ve said before that I can’t understand these things – but we must try.  And there are few places in known space where we could do a better job of trying to understand.”

Kell said nothing, only looking into the water.

“The words do not come to me to even attempt to try, Captain.  Understand that I do not intentionally keep you in the dark.  There are simply limitations to what I am capable of imparting to you through words.”

“Through words,” Brooks echoed.  “Does that mean there is another way you could impart them?”

Kell looked up at him again, and something flashed across his face.  Amusement?  Mocking?

“How did Denso crack the glass?” Brooks asked.  “Can you describe that?”

“By hitting it,” Kell replied.

“But you saw that it broke in places he didn’t touch – even where he hit it, it broke after his hands struck.  Several moments later.”

“That is not what I saw,” Kell replied.

Damn it, Brooks thought.  He was certain of what he’d seen; he’d reviewed the footage.  But Kell had apparently seen something different.

“How aware do you think he is?” the Captain asked.

“I cannot answer that,” Kell said.  “He does actions with intent, but I do not know what – or how much – he perceives.”

“What do you make of him asking to go home?” Brooks asked.  “Denso was from the Neo Solaria system, do you think he is aware that we can’t take him there?  Or do you think he meant the ship he had served on, the Sunspot?”

The ship which, as far as Brooks knew, was still floating derelict in the Terris system – if it was lucky.  More likely it had already suffered a matter failure and ceased to be.

“The being that you continue to call Michal Denso has a connection to something deeper than a place,” Kell replied.  “Its home is not a physical location as you think of it.”

“What do you think it means, then?”

“The place where he was born.”

The answer made no sense to Brooks, and he almost asked for clarification, but then it suddenly clicked in his mind.

“The Terris system itself,” he breathed.

Kell nodded.  “That is where this being began.  Where it was . . . created.  I believe it wishes to return.  Why?  That I cannot begin to answer, so do not ask.  But more than anything else about this being, I am certain of this.”

“So if he felt he had been ‘born’ in the location that the Sunpot happened to exist in . . .”

“Then it may consider that space to be adjacent to its home, yes,” Kell replied.

Brooks went quiet, and Kell turned away, touching a panel.  The plain wall turned into a view of the stars beyond the ship, and Kell began to pace again, crossing and re-crossing the far side of the pool, while gazing into the void.

“Why do you think he responded to you as he did?” Brooks finally asked, breaking the silence.  “It seemed to be outright aggression, not simply . . . excitement.”

Kell unclasped his hands, letting them fall to his side.  His mouth curled slightly, but it portrayed no happiness, no pleasure.  It was a mocking, baleful grimace that went even into the eyes of the being as it stared into Brooks.  Through him, in a way, into a place that Brooks knew he could never understand.

“One abomination recognizes another,” he said.

Brooks found he could not speak.  He took a few moments to compose himself.  In the dark room, something seemed to stand out against the dark; not Kell, not the shape of man he presented himself as, and not even the . . . mass that he had seen in deep space when they’d encountered the Leviathan.

No, it was the eye.  Again, the shape of it, burned into his vision.

“I see,” Brooks finally managed to say.  His voice sounded hoarse in his ears.  “And . . . and what do you think we should do?”

“Kill him,” Kell said simply.  He turned, facing towards the wall screen that showed the stars.  “There is no other choice.  Good day, Captain.”

Brooks tried to thank Kell, but his voice had failed him.  He offered just a nod, and turned towards the door.

The Eye seemed to be there, too, on the wall.  It was not until the door opened into the brighter hall that it was washed out – or gone.  He could not know which.

Brooks realized that his hands were shaking.

< Ep 3 Part 17 | Ep 3 Part 19 >

New to Other-Terrestrial? Check here! Or if you need to, jump to the beginning of the episode here!

The door to Kell’s cabin would not open when Brooks asked for entrance.

He knew the being was in there, or at least had a very good idea of it.  After leaving the Chain, the Ambassador had come straight back to his cabin – still bleeding – and spoken not a word to anyone.  Dr. Y and Cenz had both tried to speak to him, but had been ignored.

And since going in, the door had not opened.

Brooks had no eyes in Kell’s quarters.  They did not have eyes in anyone’s quarters, but sensors from other parts of the ship could sometimes pick up information – mostly the vibrations carried through floors of movement or talking.

But since Kell had come in here, they’d detected nothing.

Brooks did not know the extent of Kell’s injuries.  Was it the equivalent of a scrape on the knee to his kind, or was it serious?

Was Kell even still alive?

“Ambassador, please open the door.  I need to speak with you.”

It was the third time that he’d sent the message in.  There was still no response.

He clicked the intercom again.  “I need to know that you are all right, Ambassador.  I will have no choice but to come in if I believe your life is in danger.”

He felt a trickle of sweat go down the back of his neck.  The Treaty of Tor was strict in such cases, and Brooks knew that he played a dangerous game.  To violate the territory of the Shoggoths was more than simply an unlawful entry, in the treaty the words had left little question;

The Sovereign Territory of the Shoggoth People is inviolable, and unlawful and knowing violation of this right is considered an act of aggression by any being under any pretext.

While Kell was an ambassador, his quarters were considered the territory of his people.

But while Brooks would not actually risk entering, to simply say he would was not a breech of the treaty.  He just hoped that Kell did not call his bluff.

“Captain,” Cenz’s voice came through his comm.  “I am detecting large vibrations within Ambassador Kell’s quarters.  I believe he is moving.”

Taking a deep breath, Brooks steeled himself as the door opened.

Kell was standing there, his expression neutral.  There was no longer blood on his face or clothing, he looked impeccable.

“I did not expect such ignorance from you, Captain,” the Ambassador said.  His voice was cold, and there was an inhuman quality to it; a sort of echo, as if many voices spoke as one.

Brooks met the eyes of the Shoggoth.  A shiver went down his spine and he felt as if he was facing his death.

He kept his eyes locked to Kell’s.

“I had to know your life was not in danger, Ambassador,” he replied.  “Even if it was a violation of the Treaty of Tor, I would suffer the consequences.”

“Why?” Kell demanded.

“To make sure you did not die,” Brooks said.  “You are under my care, and the Sapient Union chooses life.”

“Not your own,” Kell replied coldly.

Brooks did not back down.  “If necessary, I would make that call.”

Kell’s head tilted ever so slightly.  “Is this all you required to speak with me about?”

“It is the primary concern, but not the only one.  I need to talk to you about what happened on the station.”

Kell said nothing, taking a step back.  Brooks was ready for the door to shut, but it did not.

“Enter,” the Ambassador said.

Surprised, Brooks hesitated for just a moment before doing as bidden, and crossing the threshold into Kell’s quarters.

It was dark in the room, almost as dark as a moonless night, and his eyes took a few moments to adjust.  He had not seen the interior of the room since before Kell had joined the ship, and he looked around, curious just what kind of decor a being such as it would have picked.

To say it was Spartan was not doing it justice; the walls were bare, as were the shelves.  There were no pieces of furniture, even the basic chairs built into the walls of each cabin were folded back up.

A large pool dominated the room; there were only a few meters around the edge that was not taken up by it, and besides that there was nothing.

And it was cold.  A deep cold that made his skin prickle, and there might even have been ice floating in the water of the pool.

Kell had moved to one side and was waiting for him to speak.

“Firstly, Ambassador – are you hurt?”

“It is nothing you need concern yourself with,” Kell replied.

“I am afraid you being injured is my concern.  Do you require medical care?”

Kell seemed almost amused.  “When I say you do not need to concern yourself, I mean that I will suffer no lasting harm.  Injuries do not concern a Shoggoth unless they are far worse than this.”

“Do you need antibiotics, or-“

“No illness affects my kind,” Kell interjected.  “I consider this a private matter that is now closed.”

< Ep 3 Part 16 | Ep 3 Part 18 >