Chương 61: 039 – Into The Dhekhajhyde

— ing to approach Ricurap-3 using the standard procedure. The detected radio signals coming from the planet have decreased significantly since we set course towards it, however we have still detected no electromagnetic emissions directed towards the Dhekhajhyde, or anything that might be interpreted as attempts to communicate.

At the time of writing, there has still been no progress in breaking through any of the encryptions on the transmissions, despite the best efforts of the communications department, and the intelligence office. They have needed to work with recordings of previous transmissions, as the decrease in detectable signals has made it difficult to record any further samples. This will potentially be the sixteenth intelligent species in known space, and the third to be discovered by the Hegemony.

May they not be creations of the accursed ones. Tiikasia Jhon-Ghoyar, Ohmadia of the scouting ship Dhekhajhyde capped his pen and tucked it back into its sheath on his harness, long and conical fingers handling the instrument with casual dexterity as he tucked the notebook into the pocket of his chair. He let his rear knees rest on the deck, tucking his rear feet underneath him in a relaxed pose as he gazed large view screen at the front of the ship, which showed a magnified view of Ricurap-3.

Around him, the nucleus of the Dhekhajhyde worked with quiet efficiency, and the new faces replacing the dead no longer stabbed his hearts when he looked at them. The sensor stations were all occupied by a mix of soft-shelled yahs fresh from the Bastion, all under the watchful gaze of youn— of Nakki Ylewes, no longer a young Yah even if Tiikasia still remembered her as one.

Patches of her left compound eye were still blind from the burns she'd suffered during the war, but it didn't impede her as she supervised the yahs. They were working with Nakkizu Ima and her own yahs at the communications station to parse the radio signals coming from Ricurap-3, trying to use the signals to identify the major cities on the planet. At least, that was how it had started. Now they were trying to simply just find settlements on the planet.

The surface of Ricurap-3 simply didn't exhibit any of the normal signs of a large urban settlement. It was a cold world, with many of its landmasses currently covered by snow that were dotted by incongruously large patches of green. The wide band that on many planets would be considered 'tropical' was bare of snow and covered with brighter greenery.

In the oceans were several large areas of warm water that the ship's scientists had thought was the result of concentrated volcanic activity at first, until several hours of observation had showed that the warm areas were mobile, moving through the water and leaving cooling water behind them. It had many people very excited, theorizing some kind of local fauna or plant that utilized some new variant of Void dust in their physiology.

Tiikasia was looking forward to reading the preliminary reports all of the ship's science departments would be writing up. What they couldn't seemed to find was any large areas that emanated artificial light or land-based concentrations of heat on the night side of the planet.

Given the amount of transmissions they detected when they entered the system, and how far away the Dhekhajhyde was able to detect them, a large electrical and radio infrastructure was estimated, but try as they might the sensors couldn't seem to find them. At the moment, it was just strange and frustrating, and part of Tiikasia who'd become familiar with the relative monotony of exploration was certain it would resolve itself once they go closer to the planet and got better readings.

The instincts he had developed during the war whispered weakly about corporate black sites, human bases, and how someone was trying to hide on that planet. And the soft-shell inside him who'd heard whispered scary stories about Tsokeri demons, the Bastion student who'd heard more horrifying historical accounts of Tsokeri atrocities both before and after those monsters had been driven off the planet and then hunted down among the stars…

that part wondered if they'd found something that he'd need to take action abou—"Nakki!" one of the sensor yahs called out.

"There's something on the hull! The sensors are registering movement on the hull!" Instincts screamed for them to go on the alert, to prepare to repel boarding parties, to scan for the human ship that was no doubt there— Tiikasia stepped on that part, quieting it as Ylewes calmly but quickly went to check the yah's sensor station. He saw the moment her forearm claws curled, her arm spike starting to slide out of its sheath before she managed to control herself.

"Confirmed, Ohmadia," she said with the calm of someone deliberately choosing not to be anything but utterly calm at the moment.

"There is an upright biped on the hull. It looks…" she hesitated.

"I'd almost say it looks human, but human suits would not have these proportions. Suit configuration and coloration does no correspond to any known species, military organization, corporate security forces, or known deniable assets. Orders?"

"Scan the rest of the hull," Tiikasia ordered immediately, because in the war the only reason anyone would be on someone's hull was sabotage and boarding, and he didn't want to be caught with his mouth open.

"Are there any others? Where are they?" The sensor Yahs hurried to obey, even as Ylewes visibly restrained herself from doing the job herself.

"Boarder is on the topside hull, third sector, Ohmadia! Topside fourth sector, clear! Topside first sector, clear! Topside second sector, clear! Topside fifth sector —!"

"Left engine cylinder, clear! Right engine cylinder, clear!"

"—rside fifth sector, clear! Underside sixth sector, clear! Underside seventh sector, clear! Underside eighth sector, clear! Underside hull, clear!" One by one, all the other parts of the ship's hull were declared clear. On the screen, the intruder seemed to have found one of the hull cameras and was examining it closely, allowing them a close look at the gold-tinted visor.

Tiikasia watched as the alien set down the container they were carrying, reached towards their back and removed a rectangular panel, which they held up to the hull camera. It was covered with strange markings. They seemed to be in distinctive groupings, and Tiikasia began counting them out of habit. One marking, two markings, three markings, five markings, seven markings, eleven markings… Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Wait.

"The alien intruder appears to be trying to present visual representations of prime numbers at us, Ohmadia," Ylewes said with characteristic understatement that verged on merely stating the obivous.

"I think it might be intelligent."

"I can see that, Nakki," Tiikasia said.

"Any indication of where they came from? Boarders don't simply appear out of the vacuum."

"Sensors are detecting nothing, Ohmadia. No vapor trail, no heat sources, no nearby asteroids, not even suspiciously small pieces of debris." He wanted to bare his teeth at that, but restrained the impulse with long practice.

"Check the sensor logs. We need to ascertain at what point they managed to board the ship. Communications, check all frequencies. They might be trying to communicate with us."

"Yes, Ohmadia!" As the yahs at the sensor stations frantically began to roll back the logs, Tiikasia tapped the arm controls of his chair, connecting to the head of the science department. He waited a few seconds, listening to the ticking that indicated a connection." Science department, Wozyogen Rirris speaking."

"Rirris, we have an alien on the hull of the ship trying to make contact with us using prime numbers, and we don't know how they got there," Tiikasia said." … seriously?"" Yes."" I'll be right there!

"There was a pause during which he heard footsteps fading away, which then suddenly became louder." Science department out!" The connection was cut. Well, at least she remembered this time. Tiikasia connected to the security department next, knowing that Rirris would on the nucleus soon." Security department, Wozyogen Ahgido speaking."

"Ahgido, the sensor stations have detected an unknown alien on the hull of the ship," he said.

"Prepare a repulsion force, but do not deploy."" Understood. Estimated threat level?" The response was workmanlike and almost bored. Ahgido had been a warrior for longer than Tiikasia had been alive, so few things surprised the man.

"Unknown. Best to assume magic at minimum." There's been metal on the hands of the alien's suit, and most magic could be channeled through metal." Understood, Ohmadia. I'll have the Symbols prepare to move out." He heard someone slam into the nucleus's closed airlock, followed by very swearing as whoever it was went through the nucleus entry protocol, the security panel's audio pickup faithfully relaying the sounds coming from the other side of the entrance."

—ing anti-boarding measures, stupid humans making it hard for me to get around my own ship, they're not even here…!" The airlock rotated, letting Wozyogen Rirris into the nucleus. The kivhar scientist was already recovering from her dash from the Science department, adjusting her uniform sash and harness.

"Reporting, Ohmadia!" she said. Her voice was disturbingly human-like, a preference she'd developed over the war from the information-gathering missions she'd conducted in human and human-occupied territory. Something about liking the vibrations speaking that way caused.

"Science director," he acknowledged, before turning back to Ahgido.

"Make sure all weapons have safeties on, Ahgido. We will not be shooting first or second, only last. Await further orders."" Acknowledged, Ohmadia. We'll be ready in six paizes."

"Ohmadia, out," Tiikasia said, cutting the connection and turning towards Rirris. The scientist was studying the alien on the screen, turning her head from side to side to let her primary compound eyes see as well.

"I need your assessment, wozyogen. Is that a human?"

"Hmm… my first instinct is to say yes," she said thoughtfully as the thumbs of her right hand alternated tapping on her chin.

"The proportions seem just about correct, though it's smaller than normal for human adults. However, human vacuum suits aren't that thin or have gloves that articulated. The material is far too thin and flexible, and the gloves are too responsive—" She paused, tilting her head back and forth again.

"Wait. Highly probable this is a human. The gloves have four fingers and one thumb. Unless this is a Changer they decided to pour into a human-shaped frame for some reason. The suit might be a prototype or new military model." Tiikasia flicked his forehead antennae in acknowledgement.

"And the prime numbers?" Rirris moved her shoulders up and down in what he recognized as a human gesture. She had a habit of resorting to the body language of any species under discussion, especially when they were a species she'd infiltrated.

"… either they were done with the intention of obfuscating their intentions, mocking us, or we just encountered a new alien species who just coincidently shares their physiological proportions with humans." Which was hardly impossible. Very unlikely, but possible. Kivhar like Rirris had body proportions that did closely match humans even before they altered their shape, though beneath the shell the two species had wildly different biomechanics.

The two watched as the alien on the hull moved from prime numbers—they had made it up to 223—and had moved on to what seemed like basic mathematics, using the prime numbers to demonstrate arithmetic operations.

"Ima, has there been any response to communications signals?" Tiikasia asked.

"No response, Ohmadia," Ima said as, on the screen, the alien demonstrated addition and subtraction. The communications officer remained on his raised stool, letting him see the consoles over the heads of the yahs under her command.

"It's possible their suit's communications equipment is limited, or they just haven't noticed because they've been trying to communicate with writing." He considered that, then rose to his feet. With all four feet on the deck, he towered over the others on the nucleus.

"Very well. Wozyogen Rirris, you have command of the ship. Continue monitoring the situation, and contact my harness should there be any change. I will go out and meet the alien."

"Ohmadia, I feel it is my responsibility to remind you that reckless and needlessly dangerous actions—" Ylewes began.

"Your reminder is noted, Nakki," Tiikasia said.

"Which is why Ahgido and the ship's Symbols will be prepared to deploy. As Ohmadia, it is my responsibility to represent the those under our protection to these new aliens."

"And if they are just humans in unusually well-made vacuum suits, Ohmadia?" Rirris asked.

"That's why I'll be wearing armor. And if they are humans, then we'll find out what faction of humans they are." Now that the war was over, he was not going to miss this chance to stop warming a seat! He'd joined the Demon Seekers to see the worlds and stars, exploring strange new places and meeting new peoples and cultures. And root out the accursed Tsokeri who would hide among them and twist those people for their own ends.