An Untitled Novel

As soon as Basil had been caught up on their immediate situation he began to inquire about the Redcaps’s supply situation. Instead of ACE answering, however, Grey answered. “I spoke to their” Grey paused momentarily, as if searching for a word. “General. He said they have none. Some drank from the craft’s water reserve, but it is now empty.” Basil thought for a moment and prompted Grey with a question. “We’re on the same side; I can trust you, right?” Grey seemed surprised by the question and hesitated a moment before answering. “Yes, I wouldn’t hurt you if that is what you are asking.” Basil was a little afraid of the Elthrice’s hesitance but told himself it was because of the unexpected question, not because he was in danger. As Basil replied he tried to play it off with a joke, if nothing else to convince himself. “What am I asking, I’m here barely standing and out of ammo, if you were planning something you could probably snap me like a twig.” Basil smiled, and Grey seemed taken aback by the apparent joke, but returned a delayed smile.

Basil lied about being unarmed, hoping that since now was likely the ideal time for the being to attack, the Elthrice would do now if it planned to. The Elthrice, luckily, did not make any moves. “In that jet” Basil broke the silence, “Is a wormhole device that can take me back to my planet and home. If you are willing to help, I have a supply of food and water that I need to get to the Redcaps, but lack the strength to carry much of anything.” Grey nodded. “I can help you bring it here” before pausing and adding “I would also be excited to see a working wormhole device. You may be the last being to possess one.” Grey started leaving the craft and walking towards the jet and Basil began to follow. As Grey left Basil’s line of sight, however, he received a message from ACE to his PDA. “I have armed some of the maintenance drones, just in case. Be cautious.” It appeared ACE was also concerned about the Elthrice.

As they walked Grey prompted Basil with a question. “If you also have a craft, why are you so interested in Elthrice technology?” Basil shook his head. “That’s not a spacecraft. Do you know what a combustion engine is?” Grey shook her head no. “Think about the combination of words I just used in its name” Basil replied. Grey seemed to think for a moment and then laughed. “It’s powered by fire?” Basil felt slightly insulted having the Elthrice laugh at one of humanity’s most outstanding achievements. For a moment, however, he no longer questioned the being’s motives or intentions and was just glad it seemed to find some fleeting joy. “Yeah, there’s no oxygen in space. A few of them can go into space if they bring their own, but they’re slow and inefficient, so they can’t go far.” Grey seemed to notice Basil was falling behind and slowed down. “You’re really hurt.” Basil nodded. “Yeah, but I’m almost back to my home where I can get myself stitched up and take some painkillers, won’t be long now.”

However, Grey looked around before they arrived at the jet, seemingly verifying there were no others in earshot before speaking. “What is your alliance with the ones here on Domum?” Basil thought for a moment. “I don’t entirely know, to be honest; I kind of just got thrown into everything and have been trying to survive ever since.” Grey seemed confused. “Then how is it you were captured by the one who calls himself a Lizard? Did you not fight him?” Basil paused again and thought through the chaotic chain of events.

“He, the Redcaps, and I, after I found my way here accidentally, were all here peacefully not too long ago. I actually thought I was making friends with the Lizard King at the time. Then fighting broke out and he left, but I didn’t take a side until he returned with Elthrice technology and attacked. I didn’t even know it was him attacking, and I only found out after I had started to defend everybody else. They tried to kill me and failed, then he imprisoned me with you and the others.” Grey seemed a little confused, but seemed to accept Basil’s answer.

As the door to the jet opened automatically they stepped in and Grey began to look around, seeing the wormhole device haphazardly wired into one of the walls of the jet. Grey seemed to have a momentary cautious look on her face as the door closed and Basil began to wonder how worried the Elthrice was about the whole situation as well. She had just stepped onto a ‘savage’s’ craft and was about to leave the planet. Then again, Basil had no idea if she had any tricks up her sleeve either; this was her people’s technology powering everything after all. Both of their attention, however, was shifted to the door-sized wormhole that opened up in the corner of the jet. They both stepped through, Basil smiling because he knew he was home, Grey smiling after seeing what she was told was a centuries-lost technology.

“You don’t have the Orbital’s wormhole device, but you have an Orbital’s implant?” Grey asked in confusion as they stepped through. “What?” Basil asked, thoroughly confused. “This” Grey said. “This is not an Orbital’s version of the wormhole device. It can only link to another device, where the Orbital’s version does not need a second device.” Basil suddenly realized that may explain the device’s ability to create a connection to Arkepello without another device present.

“It can go to one location without one on the other end, but only to that specific location. Every other location seems to need a second one.” Grey chuckled. “Are you lying to make me believe you’re an Orbital?” Basil shook his head. “How else would I get to another planet without a working spacecraft?” Grey seemed to think for a moment. “Okay, I believe you. But that is weird, like it was only allowed by an Orbital or somebody who could access an Orbital’s system. They are not supposed to work like that. Or so I was told by my (admiral).”

“Could they be configured to go to any location?” Grey shook her head no. “You would need a” Grey paused to ask Basil a question. “What did you call yourself?” Basil was confused, then realized what Grey had asked. “A scientist?” Grey nodded and resumed speaking. “Yes, you would need a scientist to fix that.” Basil smiled and began to say “But-” but Grey clarified. “No, not a you scientist, an Elthrice scientist. And they are all dead.”

Basil heard the seals break on the pressurized room and they both began to step out. “This is your home?” Grey asked, gesturing to the walls. “Yeah” Basil said as he saw the maintenance drones beginning to load boxes into the now opened pressurized room. “And what are those?” Grey asked, pointing to the maintenance drones. “Maintenance drones, small devices controlled remotely by me to do various tasks” ACE answered. Grey started to walk around and looked around the corner down the thin hall. “Where are your people? You said there were billions.”

“Not here. I’m afraid some of them tried to kill me, so I’m hiding out underground for a while until I figure out who exactly wants me dead.” Basil tried to say it as if it were humorous, but his voice betrayed him and showed his underlying worn-down feeling. “I’m sorry” Grey said, adding “Perhaps you and I are not so different.” Basil asked for clarification. “How’s that?” Grey replied “Well, you are tiny and look weird” but smiled and Basil realized Grey was trying to make a joke. Basil returned a smile and Grey continued. “But you and I may be some of the last two interplanetary beings, lost and making our way, afraid of our people.”

That statement hit Basil hard, knowing that it probably carried a lot of pain on Grey’s part, and certainly carried a lot on his own part. They both fell silent, the only audible noises being the electric whirr of the maintenance drones loading supplies. Eventually Basil broke the silence. “Well, I need to go get cleaned up and take some painkillers. ACE can equalize the pressure in that room and the jet so the supplies can be taken into it, then equalize it with the Domum air to bring the supplies to them. I’ll be back soon.”

Basil paused momentarily, adding “Thank you” and Grey gave a quick nod before Basil turned to walk away. ACE, however, prompted Grey with a question as Basil went to leave. “Grey, if you are okay with it, I want to collect a DNA sample for analysis.” Grey replied, sounding suddenly worried. “But that’s forbidden.” Hearing the sudden fear in Grey’s voice, Basil responded in a tone he hoped sounded calming. “It’s okay, we don’t need to.” ACE, however, seemed more persistent. “Why is it forbidden?” Grey paused for a moment but spoke in an almost hushed tone. “I carry the DNA of one who had an Orbital’s DNA; allowing others to receive that DNA is forbidden.”

“There are no more Orbitals, at least none here to enforce that.” Basil felt like that was the worst possible way to respond, but Grey seemed to have a triumphant look on her face. “Very well, you are right. If your people choose to make Orbitals, they may serve better directives.” Basil was very surprised by the response. “No, no” he said, pausing for a second before collecting his thoughts. “It’s just curiosity and, more importantly, a way to check to see if it’s likely safe for you to eat our food or be exposed to our pathogens. We did the same for those at the Arkepello and me to be sure it was safe.” Basil also felt that he was leaving out a reason that ACE was interested as well: probing Elthrice DNA for weaknesses. Basil knew there was no way of stopping ACE from theorizing, although he would certainly not allow something like that to be used, even if it meant smashing the fabricator to stop him. Perhaps he could shoot a man in the back if his life depended on it, but a genocide would be way too far, even if they did try to invade.