Chapter 22: Reprimand
Xant left Jasmine’s side and made his way over to Rynard, the captain was keeping a close eye as the rusting human vehicle rattled and roared to life.
The captain looked ready to chase after the car, sucking air through his teeth.
“Should we leave her alone with them?” Rynard growled softly, an unease sat between them.
“I trust she can handle two of her own species, even if one seemed to have an abhorrent temperament,” Xant added, running a hand over his ears, “if anything were truly sinister, the dogs would have certainly announced it.”
Rynard snorted loudly, standing to attention.
“She gave you orders Doc?”
“Follow the lieutenant and get his side of the events,” Xant relayed, “The situation was delicate before more humans were plucked out from the void, I fear the upheaval would tip the balance out of our favour,”
“Not that it was in our favour to begin with,” Rynard muttered, looking down at Xant, the soldiers aging gaze weary, “Things have been running smoothly for too long,”
action was rewarded with action, inaction earned nothing; as was the rule of balance, the universe struck out at those who got too comfortable, if they did nothing the situation would only get more tense.
Rynard peeled his eyes away from the disappearing vehicle and turned his attention across the hangar. The pricking, sheer cold of the lieutenant's presence was still detectable to him.
“The lieutenant’s still in the hangar, he's going to see the engine lord,” Rynard stated.
Xant’s ears went flat.
A short while ago he never would have imagined interrupting a Lieutenant and an Engine lord, but his perspective on the matter was changing. Xant wasn't just a citizen anymore, he was the only scientist who understood human intricacies, he was a part of Jasmine’s entourage and cultural translator for the Galactic council. He could no longer be kept out of the loop, and he had enough authority now that he could demand to be the centre of it.
The Engine lords quarters were claustrophobic, crammed with more equipment than Xant had ever seen. A nest of organic cables and electronic receptors, the bright fluorescent lights casting sharp shadows on calculating computers and slices of shipbrain were neatly stacked in clear epoxy slabs off to one side. Rynard stepped into the room first, his captains rank allowed him access, Xant followed close behind and was happy to have the captain as a shield.
Nako and Viitoic were deep in conversation, hushed, urgent and stressed.
“... still haven’t found anything?!” Nako demanded. The Lieutenant was pacing, almost manic in his delivery. The Engine lord towered over the arvas lieutenant, like a predator contemplating its prey.
“I haven’t found the shipsbrain but the mapping of the vessel is-” Viitoic cut himself off as he noticed Rynard and Xants presence, pulling away back into the shadows. Nako was quick to catch on to Viitoics behaviour, curious about the unexpected intrusion he didn’t immediately send them away as Xant had expected.
“Engine lord, were you expecting company?” Nako queried.
“Lieutenant, my attention is always expected of my uninvited guests..” Viitoic shot back sarcastically, “but I think the audience they may be wanting is yours, rather than mine,”
Xant allowed a moment's pause before he revealed himself from behind the captain, hating that he was the shortest being in the room by at least 4 [feet].
“You will have to excuse the interruption,” Xant began with a deep and polite bow, “it appears that neither one of us has the time to spare, but there is information I require and you, lieutenant are the only one who can provide it.” Xant saw Nako close his eyes dissmissively, “although if it is required, I am happy to part with any information that may help you in exchange for the same.”
Viitoic chuckled amused, Nako stood bewildered at Xants statement, he wasn’t used to taking advice or commands from any citizen, let alone one who arrogantly presumed to speak as one of them.
“You are quite the precocious citizen, what makes you think that our problems could overlap?” Nako asked, folding his arms underneath his vibrant blue cape. “I thought your designation was botany?”
Xant gazed over the Rajavan vessel floating in the engine lords holodeck, the centre of the room and the topic of their previous discussion. The entire starboard side had been hollowed by pirates and Viitoic had been sending his engineers to burrow into the centre of the vessel. Probably in hopes of reaching the command centre and brain of the rajavan ship. If they had not found anything of worth, it was probably because the pirates had already stripped it of anything useful, or perhaps they were looking in the wrong spot.
The design of the vessel wasn't something he was educated on, while he had been a passenger on many GC vessels most still followed the same schematics as the Rajavan ones.
“I was designed as a researcher, botany may have been my expertise, but I have expanded my skillset in as many months…” Xant answered but as he looked over the hologram he noticed that he recognised the interiors design. “This is the Rajavan ship, the one you found Jasmine on,” Xant deduced, “the anomalies on board must be extensive,”
“How observant, even a botanist can tell my work is not as simple as sight,” Viitoic chuckled vindicively at the lieutenants expense.
Nako scoffed, stepping closer to intimidate Xant with his height.
“What is it that you were after? Are your efforts not best used by Namegiver Jasmine’s side? Her consorts will need to be brought to heel, I suggest you return to her lest she be overwhelmed,”
Xant stood his ground, and snorted unimpressed.
“It is by Jasmines orders that I stand before you now, she wants to know how you found the other humans and what transpired between the three of you,” Xant refused to allow Nako speak down to him in such a way. The lieutenant had been very accommodating to Jasmine, but without her presence it was clear that neither Xant or the Captain were to receive such graces.
“And I would be happy to regale the tale of my self control to the Namegiver later, I have more pressing matters to attend to with the Engine Lord-”
“If I were to give you the Rajavan Shipbrains location, will you relinquish the information I seek?”
Nako was furious with the interruption but Viitoic’s laughter was loud enough to startle him from a scathing reply.
“Arrogance is befitting you doctor, the lieutenant is making a fine impression on you,” The engine lord bared his teeth with a wicked and amused smile, “by all means, I would love to know your insight on abnormal Rajavan shipgrowth,”
“This is everything mapped in vessel?” Xant asked returning his gaze to the hologram.
“It is,” Nako volunteered the information, his arms folded watching the citizen make a fool of himself. A small gloved hand reached into the projected light and activated a location on the map.
“The ships brain should be center [bow],” Xant announced.
“Illogical,” Viitoic preened, chuckling in his self assuredness, “it would be too venerable to the outer shell attacks, rajavan ship brains are always center of mass”
“These corridors, running up and down the ship into compartments, its a very similar layout to the yacht,” Xant pointed out, “lower, large areas of storage, smaller, more contained quarters up top,which, if I am correct, the ship brain should be there.”
Viitoic went quiet.
His extensive number of hands swiped over the controls of the holodeck and brought the yachts scanned floor plan into focus.
The comparison was uncanny.
Viitoics teeth chattered unsettlingly.
“Illogical… illogical,” he repeated, scrambling through his data.
Xant turned his attention to Nako, hands folded neatly begins his back.
“Lieuteant, Jasmine sensed that your journey to collect and contain the other humans did not go as smoothly as it had done with herself. I would like to know what transpired so we may report to her correctly.” Xant did not intend for his request to insult the lieutenant, but standing in that room he felt compelled to speak up against Nako, to show that he was more than just a citizen asset.
“The humans were sold to a progenitor company,” Nako relinquished, mandibles clenched tight, “they were mislabeled, escaped and proceeded to destroy hundreds of [years] worth of equipment and potencial lives. They believe us to be their captors, the enemy, it was by my strength and wit alone that they listened to reason, they have no trust in the Galactic Council,”
Xant listened to the Liuetenant commanders answer.
It should have been enough.
An answer like that should have been all Xant needed, but his brain was urging him to ask more, something about Nako’s tone of voice, the way he stood, the snap judgement and the story it presented didnt add up. Xant smoothed over his ears and gave Nako a challenging glare.
“Sold to the progenitor company by whom?”
There was a flash of ice in the air, as Nako’s freq flared up on the defensive, Tifera arced up and Rynard shifted his stance.
“There will be NO conflict in my laboratory!” Viitoic hissed, using his size to threaten all four of his uninvited nuisances. Arms, tail and tentacle ready to shove them all out of his office by force if necessary but Viitoics terminal chimed in a pleasant overtone, ringing in everyones audio processors.
“Incoming call,”
The holodeck’s projection was overridden, shrinking the data to one side to make way for the digital intrusion. Superior officers were the only ones with the power to interrupt a subordinates work, and the only one higher than the Engine Lord was the Knight Commander.
Xant froze in awe at the sight of Knight Commander Kotorn, the Military grade Zenthi stood at attention, his bright red cape pleated and pressed to perfection. His many, many insignia and campaign medals pinned to his left shoulder created an impressive pauldron’s worth of combat. Large spiraled horns pierced the sky above him, the crown of his command, Kotorn was a specimen with a frightening presence.
“Engine lord Viitoic, prepare for the introduction of his excellency-” The Knight Commander’s dull announcement was hintered once he spotted that Viitoic was not alone in his quarters, a short sharp hiss of anger passed through his teeth before he continued on, “Council Member Kaalijorn,”
The hologram’s image shifted again, and Xant stood before the image of a Council Member.
Xant had never personally seen a council member, he had interacted with personal aids and heard the voice of the council speaker, but to see a council member before him and how unique their body model was, it was like seeing another alien.
Xant recognised the modified strain Qzetillain grafts, fins and webbed skin, grey opaque with delicate but defined speckles along the eyes and neck, their large bulbous head wrapped in silken sashes, body armour draped in layers and layers of free-flowing silks, yet kept a clean and lean profile. Elegance and power.
Large, wet, black eyes opened and scanned the room, before settling on Viitoic.
“Engine lord, My ship will arrive in 27 [days] it will need patience and refuelling, ensure your schedule is cleared for Council time,” Council member Kaalijorn addressed the engine lord matter of factly, a direct and presumed order.
Viiotic bowed his large head, fanning our his four pairs of arms behind him.
“It shall be done, most esteemed Counciler,-”
“Another thing Engine lord, I was told you were responsible for the 138th’s entire fleet maintenance…” Kaalijorn added, turning his head to the sudden movement out of the corner of his eyes “I shall like to see how youre handling such a task by yourself,-”
As the engine lord bowed had Nako followed suit, bowing his head and along with Tifera, shuffled their way to the back door, trying to make a quiet exit.
Their attempt failed.
Kaalijorn raised a hand and Kortorn followed the wordless order.
“-Lieutenant Commander Tar Nako,” Kotorns growl was subdued, likely not wanting to overpower the council member, “I trust you were not burdening the Engine lord with more of your nonsense,”
Nako raised back up but did not make eye contact with the hologram.
“I was not, Knight Commander,”
There was another brief pause and the Councillors eyes turned to Nako, and they were not impressed, he lowered his hand to rest on his shoulder while he questioned the young upstart.
“Sir Tar Nako, I’ve heard your name scattered throughout my ongoings, military reports, company requests, such a common name rarely enters my datafiles, so I pulled up your Contribution AudFile. I was told you were one of the more promising Arvas Units we had commissioned, bought from a top supplier and the most combat voracious of your spawn batch.”
Nako bowed humbly, not daring to say a word.
“Shame then, as it seems that voracity has channelled itself into some rather suspect decision making, the Knight Commander has informed me of your refusal to relinquish our alien apparent.”
“Councillor-” Nako’s head shot up involuntarily.
“Private ventures aside, Combat units shouldn’t be handling first contact diplomacy matters, Sir Tar Nako, I shall be evaluating your Contribution Portfolio personally, you and your captain are dismissed-”
“Councillor,” Kotorn hastily interrupted, “The Praetors request?”
“Ah,” Kaalijorn’s eyes narrowed in displeasure “that’s why I recognised your name, a Praetor requested an audience with you, a commissioned combat unit,” The councillor ran a hand under his chin, tiny clawed fingertips trailed along grey skin, “It seems within the grand cosmic dance you’ve made yourself noticed, I hope whatever notions of Calling you’ve seemingly applied to yourself are more than just romantic posturing,”
“I hope I exceed your expectations Councillor,” Nako answered, his head bowed lower after his debasing.
“From what I recall, that shan’t be hard to accomplish,” the Councillor stated dryly.
They terminated the link without a sign off, leaving the five to hover in the tenseness.
“Get out,” Viitoic snapped, breaking the silence, “I have no more time to spend discussing theories with the misconceptions of warped minds, I have a Rajavan shell to crack,”
The lieutenant commander obliged without a word, leaving defeated and embroiled in his own precarious standing. Tifera snapped an awful glare at Rynard and Xant before ensuring they didn't follow after her lord.
Xant and Rynard knew better than to even try to do so, the captain scooping up his smaller charge as they left the laboratory and made their way back across the hangar.
“Split the One…” Xant exclaimed, rubbing his forehead.
“Split the universe and Akira,” Rynard muttered in agreement, “A Councillor and Praetor on the same station, and you facing off against the Lieutenant,”
“They’ll be here to see Jasmine, and the others,” Xant concluded, “to confirm first contact and citizenry…”
“And to make up for lost production,” Rynard shook his head, “‘proceeded to destroy hundreds of [years] worth of equipment and potential lives’? Jasi did damage unintentionally, I wouldn’t want to see her let loose, let alone two of her,” Rynard worried, was there something about humans he had overlooked that could make them that dangerous a Progentior company’s private military force couldn’t contain them?
“They shouldn’t have been there in the first place…” Xant stated as his own worries boiled over. Nako had been the one to deliver Jasmine to Esaander and wanted privacy over to the documents. Nako had been the one to bring in the Rajavan ship, with rights to all his contents not seized by military protocol. Even if pirates had gutted the ship, there was no way Pirates would part with such ‘goods’, Progenitor companies don’t deal with Pirates and the Rajava don’t take engineering lessons from pre FTL aliens.
“Doc? You’ve gone quiet,” Rynard nudged him, Xant looked up at his ageing companion.
“... We cant trust Nako anymore,” Xant concluded as worry welled in a pool below his chest, “his motives don’t align with our own.”
“And what are our motives?” Rynard raised an eyebrow.
“To help and protect Jasmine,” Xant replied, “to the best of our abilities,”
Rynard nodded quietly.
“The tough times are coming, aren’t they?”
Xant nodded quietly back.
“Yes, yes they are…”
-*-
Chapter 23: Inconsistencies
The yacht was a buzz with freq signals.
The light and welcoming sensation the pair were used to had been replaced with several conflicting auras. One end of the ship was ablaze with the collective happiness of the dogs, Spades being reunited with ‘his’ Namegiver multiplied their simple signals to almost an entire human level. The dogs synced their emotions up easily, much like the Savori and Xant briefly wondered if humans were the same.
The thought was extinguished rather quickly however as both he and Rynard drew closer to the ship. The captain snorted disapprovingly. The tall, thin human with the dark temperament had hauled himself up in one of the bedrooms toward the bow of the ship. He felt cold, but unlike the Lieutenant’s wall of ice, the human’s was fragile and sharp, like frozen glass. It hurt to be around it, and the longer they lingered the more he wanted to get away from it.
“I’ll keep watch,” Rynard muttered, parting ways with Xant and climbing up on deck, the best vantage point and only part of the yacht the captain could actually be on without being cramped.
Thankfully for Xant, Jasmine and his own room was in the aft of the vessel away from the seething living bomb, but even her warmth had been dulled.
“Something’s happened,” Rynard growled protectively.
“I’ll find out from Jasmine,” Xant reassured the captain. “Stay alert,”
Rynard gave the nod and then scaled the side of the yacht to stand guard on deck, while Xant made his way up the runway.
As he walked through the halls of the deck his brain was tearing him in two, he needed to get his thoughts straight, speak out the fragments that were clashing together, the other half of him was imploring him to find out what was wrong with Jasmine.
Logic won out this time.
He hurried to his room and opened the case holding his data slates, pulling out a fresh, unused one, activating the touch screen and readying the voice recording-
“Ah, shit!-” Jasmine’s voice exclaimed, a burst of frustration ebbed through the room.
Xant couldn’t ignore that, he walked down the hall and opened her door.
“Jasmine?-
“Ah Jesus-” Jasmine swirled around, “Xant! What did I tell you about knocking…” she collapsed on the bed, head held in her hands, turbulence in her hidden, inner thoughts.
“That I should do it before entering…” The doctor admitted, “I was worried,”
“Yeah, when are you not?” she half-joked, but the jovial sentiment wasn’t there.
Xant looked around the room, it was disorderly, she had been pacing, and an empty drink glass sat on the dresser. She had been drinking again.
He sighed gently and walked over to the dresser, putting down his tablet and taking the glass into the ensuite. Filling it with water to clear her system. As he turned he saw Jasmine standing at the dresser, holding the Dataslate in both hands.
“Is this the one that plays the rain?” she asked, staring at it.
“No, it’s a new one. I was going to use it to-”
In a surprising display of speed and strength, Jasmine smashed the tablet over her knee.
The tablet split in two, splattering blue liquid all over her and the white room.
“Jasmine!” Xant shouted dropping the glass and rushing over to her.
She stood there staring at the smashed device, turning it to look inside.
“There’s no parts…” she muttered as Xant wiped her face with a bedsheet, she pushed him away hard “where are the parts?...” she whispered. Xant was at a loss, as he watched her dig her fingers into one of the sides and scooped out more blue liquid.
“I’m not a technician-” he began but it only inspired a fit of exasperation.
She ran her fingers through the goop and then let it drip to the ground.
“Why is it bleeding?” she whimpered “Why is it the same colour as Rynard’s?”
Xant picked up the empty pieces of the dataslate and inspected the blue liquid.
Microfibers swam within it, tendrils of nerves and the glistening clumps of cells.
“They told me,” Jasmines voice was quiet, defeated, “Ryo and Beau said that the inside of the station was alive, that they were experimenting with human and alien DNA, you told me that you had been genetically engineered but…” tears formed in her eyes, “I couldn’t have known just how engineered ‘everything’ was…”
“It is organic, but not ‘alive’, “ Xant tried to reason with her, but he didn’t have the confidence in his explanation, “it can not think and it cannot feel, it can only do what it is programmed to do-”
“Just like you’re programmed to do?!” she was pale, withdrawing in horror at her own words,
“The Rajava recycle those who do not ‘fit the program’, if you're convicted of a crime the Galactic council ‘removes you from the population’, The galactic council controls who is born where and what they do. Where do they get the organic matter to make these things in the first place? Tell me they're not just doing the same thing, Xant, tell me the Galactic Council isn’t the same!!”
The doctor stood there bewildered, her inebriated state made her manic, but he couldn’t find the fault in her logic… Especially since he had no information to fill the gaps.
The human crawled over to him, eyes red and teary, her warm hands cupping his cheeks.
“You are not a thing, you are a person Xant, you are more than that(tool/device).” She looked him straight in the eye, not letting him pull away, Jasmine wanted to instill that truth within him. “You are just as important as I am, no life is disposable, and I won't let anyone tell me otherwise, even you, especially you, do you understand?”
Xant nodded his head gently, “Yes, Jasmine,” he answered, finally understanding her repulsion.
The same blood that powered the dataslate ran through his veins, he was created and designed for a task. Was the difference between him and the dataslate, the same between the Galactic Council and the Rajava?
Jasmine’s hands fell away as she released him from her grasp. Her eyes closed and squeezed out the stress filled tears, shoulders dropped while taking deep, slow breaths.
The doctor stepped over to pick up the dropped glass and refilled it with water.
“I’m sorry Jasmine,” He offered her the glass, “You asked me to make sure you never consumed this much ethanol again, I failed in this task.” his words we reserved, gentle. She took the glass and drank it desperately, shifting to sit on the edge of the bed.
“I’m sorry Xant…” she stated, afraid to move, “I’ve been doing my best, to be the representative of all human kind, but the more I learn about the Galactic council, the more I fear my people couldn't exist within it,”
She looked up at him.
Xant, her dearest friend, she had hurt him, tortured him with her emotions, destroyed his mind with her own and now disparaged his entire civilization to his face, and yet…
There he stood.
He placed his gloved hand over hers and returned her gaze.
“Jasmine, when I was damaged, you were the one who helped me. You fight for those who are in pain and have shown me wonders beyond imagination. That there is a life beyond my work and that I am worthy of more.” His ears lay flat on his head and his hand squeezed her’s tightly, “You are everything the Council and the Imperium told me was right, your inclusion should be a celebrated part of the Galactic Council but…” his voice trailed off, and his eyes tore away, closed as though he was in pain.
“Xant? What's wrong?” Jasmine asked, concerned.
“What I believed, and what I have seen these last few [weeks] has me questioning everything,”
Curiosity was in his nature, but he had always looked outward, never within, before her, he had no reason to.
He chuckled to himself.
“Jasmine, the last time you were this intoxicated you asked me for help, and I swore an oath to do as you willed, but now, I need to ask you the same.”
“Anything,” Jasmine affirmed.
Xant clasped the sides of his face relieved,
“I am glad to hear that, Most commanders don’t listen to requests outside of their own…” he stood beside her, gathering his fears and thoughts, laying them out as best he could.
“I spoke with Lieutenant commander Nako, he told me that the other humans had been mistreated because of their lack of freq, but he didn’t tell me how they came to be in the companies possession or what mistreatment they befell, a progenitor company shouldnt be mistreating other lifeforms, it should have been clear to them humans aren't Rajavan vassals. They’re supposed to possess far more intelligence than I, how could they have made such a mistake?-” his ears folded down harshly, frustrated at his own chaotic thoughts. He went to pull away, but she refused to let him, instead patting the space on the bed beside her.
“I’ll help,” she affirmed, blinking back the tears and furrowed her face seriously, “my own mind is… awful, tangents can be hard to tame but whatever you need Xant, I’ll do it. We can work this out together, you fill in my gaps and I’ll fill in yours,”
Xant took up her offer and fell back onto the soft fluffy bed.
“Start at the beginning,” Jasmine offered, falling back to lay beside her friend, “and just let it all out,”
Xant took a moment to compile his thoughts, the ones that would stand still anyway.
“Trust those who have their purpose as their designation,” Xant stated, “Nako is a Lieutenant Commander, in a position of power to protect the citizens and their interests.”
Jasmine nodded her head, listening to his thoughts.
“Nako told me that the humans had been purchased by a Progenitor company, that they had been treated harshly because of their lack of Freq, but how they came in possession of them is worrying, a Progenitor company doesn’t deal with pirates-”
“Pirates? “ Jasmine interrupted. “Where did pirates come from?”
“The Rajavan ship that Nako found you on, he said that it was ravaged by pirates, he also said that the other humans were sold to the Progenitor Company,” Xant explained, “Progenitor Company’s are the population contributors to the entire living galaxy, protected by the military and above a credit score all together, they wouldn't trade with pirates. So if the pirates took the human’s as cargo, but left you behind, how did they end up being sold to the Progenitor company?”
Jasmine’s entire being went deathly still.
Her mind silent, her freq simmered, the alcohol burning.
“Xant,”
“Yes Jasmine?”
The human closed her eyes.
“We’re never trusting another word that bastard has to say to us, understood?”
The zenthi closed his eyes.
“emphatically,”
-*-